Ask the Fitness Professional

Q: What can I do to make sure I stick to my New Year’s weight loss resolutions?

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A: Come New Year’s, everyone is looking to focus on weight loss, but it’s important to also think about how regular fitness is going to make you feel year-round. I know how difficult it can be to make a lifestyle change, but I have three simple tips you can follow to have a huge impact on your overall health and help you reach your goals in 2015 and beyond.


Firstly, you’ll want to make sure you’re setting an appropriate goal. Weight loss in itself is great, but it is certainly not the whole picture. You could be losing water weight, muscle mass—even bone density! Therefore, your overall goal should be to tone or trim, which really means, to lower your percentage of body fat. Not only will you fit into your skinny jeans, a lower %body fat decreases your risk for Heart Disease and High Blood Pressure, among others.


In order to burn the right calories that will result in a lower body fat percentage, I recommend interval training for your cardio regiment. Interval training is when you alternate bursts of intense activity with intervals of lighter activity. For instance, you might try jogging at a pace of six miles per hour for 60 seconds, followed by walking for 60 seconds, and so on and so forth. Set the goal for a 30-minute duration, working your way to a full 60-minute interval session. You will not only burn a higher percentage of calories from fat during interval training, your workout will also be less high impact on your body, keeping joints safe.


Once you’ve determined what your fitness goal is, make sure you write it down in a prominent place. Whether you tape it to your fridge or make it your iPhone wallpaper, the objective here is to make sure you can see it all the time and be reminded of your goals.


Lastly, have a “cheer” team! Whether this is a buddy going to the gym with you, or merely a friend checking in, having a support team will push you to stay on track. If you’re looking for professional guidance, personal training is another great option. Blink Fitness offers dual training sessions, so you can arrange for a private session with a friend…or three!

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