It's a New Year! Can you believe it? Make this year a better one, a fit one, and a healthy one.  Your focus this year and the ones to follow should be to improve your way of life so that you can live an active and healthy lifestyle with longevity.  Be happy, Be strong, Love your Life, and Love your body.  Here are a few tips to help you get into shape. 

Happy New Year Everyone! The best thing about the new year is that you get to start over.  I love it because I get to look to the future I have ahead of me and see what I need to do in order to better my life.  This year is a big one for me, I am going to push myself to where I want to be.  When I am re-certified, I will be able to help people work for living a healthy and active lifestyle through exercises and counseling.  But here is where I am going to start.  With my blog posts, I will give advice and tips for living and maintaining an active lifestyle.

What's your new years resolution?  If it is to live and maintain a healthy lifestyle, you are looking at the right page.  Every year, this seems to be the biggest resolution on everyone's list, sometimes it's the resolution each year.  This is good.  It is a great start for you to announce to yourself, your friends, and your families that this year you will eat healthier and exercise more.   The next step is to begin to be more physically active, and to watch the types of food you eat.

It can be tough to start a program, especially if you think that going to the gym is boring.  Hopefully these tips will help guide you.

1. Find activities that interest you. Something that keeps you alert and motivated, keeps you excited, and coming back for more.  Find activities that will give you a good work out and will also give you enjoyment.
2. Do activities that you can share with a partner or a group of people.  Having company when exercising can help to keep your motivation up.
3. Take up a group exercise class that you will enjoy.           (Yoga, Zumba, Boxing, Cross-Fit, Aerobics Classes, etc.)
4. Try something different.   Don't be afraid of something new, you never know, you may really enjoy it. Do an activity on the weekend or during your days off that gets you moving - something that you would never think to do. (Rock climbing, go to a Trampoline Park, Ice Skating, Roller Skating, take a Dance Class). Whatever you decide, make sure you have fun with it.
5. If you have questions or need help, don't be afraid to ask a personal trainer. 
6. Eat small and frequent meals throughout the day. This will keep your metabolism up.  Your body fuels off of carbohydrates, so having small servings of carbs frequently throughout the day will help keep your body running and energized.
   
7. Eat a good balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
8. Eat Fruits and Vegetables.
9. Eat a variety of different foods. By eating a variety of different foods, your diet isn't going to be boring with the same thing all the time.  But more importantly, you will be able to consume more nutrients by changing what you eat.
   
10. Eat very colorful foods. Eating colorful foods goes along with number 8.  Different colored fruits and vegetables contain different nutrients.
    
11. Avoid calorie filled beverages. Things like juices, sodas, beers, wines, and alcohols should be avoided if your goal is to lose weight.
    
12. Try to cook more and dine out less. This will be good for you because you know how much of something you put into your own food.
13. Avoid eating at Fast Food Restaurants.
14. Avoid eating Fried Foods and Foods high in sugar and salt.