Where did this last month go? Are you 1/12 of the way there for your 2009 goals?

I have finished the theory part of my course, now I am taking my CPR on the weekend and then ASAP after that I will be finishing up my Personal Training Certification.

Another goal of mine for this year is to also become certified to teach Kettlebells, well On Saturday I booked myself onto a course, so all being well if I pass I will be certified on the 15th February.

The start to this year has been crazy and also a little scary, Mal on the 1st week back to work after the Christmas break got laid off, we knew that It was coming due to the major slow down in the oil industry, but it still hits you as a shock. He lined up a job straight away but it took till now for him to start.

This past month has taught us that you need to live as if this is your last pay check, and treat your money wisely. We hardly eat out anymore anyway, but still on a Saturday its easy to go through a couple hundred dollars on nothing really.

This is also why we need to have more than one way of earning money, and instead of me taking my time procrastinating my ultimate plans, I have to get going and start moving forward. We want the health and fitness industry to be supporting us totally in the next 12-18 months.

I can relate my ultimate plans to my fitness journey, it is all about baby steps, just as I have my daily weekly monthly plans for my workouts and diet, I need to also use this to get my business going. As long as I keep taking my baby steps I will reach my ultimate goals, so it starts today, I am using an hour or so today to get myself sorted with what I need to do to get my bootcamp business going, then I will lay out the plan of what I need to do everyday to take me closer to this goal.

You have no idea how scared I am, I have been a stay at home mum for nearly 12 years now this is getting out of my comfort zone big time, I am scared of failing, but you know what, I have to remember that there are going to be obstacles just as there have been on my fitness journey, and how did I get around them, well I stepped back and took a moment and reset my plans and adjusted my course.

I say that I am scared but you know what I am excited too. 2009 is going to be a hard year, but it is also going to be what you make it, it you sit back and be negative and moan about life, that is what your life will be. If you choose to be positive and think outside the box then you are going to have a hugly successful year.

I do not mean just with your business life, this all applies to your personal life too.

Just thought I would share a link to am amazing giveaway.

Fitness Professionals from around the world have got together to give you 12 days of fitness. Each day you will receive an email with a link to the giveaway. There will be nutrition, exercise, mindset motivation topics.

What do you have to loose?

What an awesome way to get a headstart on the New Year!

==> 12 Days of Fitness <==

We have been renovating a shop space for our jiu jutsu club.  We knocked down walls, painted, made changing rooms, moved the equpiment from our house to the new place.  We got it done in 3 days, not bad.  Needless to say i have not worked out since Thursday, but the work we were doing was insane!!  It looks great and we are happy with the results.

Today ive been catching up with my house and taking my youngest to her soccer tryouts.  I have my workout planned for tomorrow and food sitting in the fridge ready to grab.

No excuses right!

Now we are hitting December, and it’s the time of the year when people start to think about their New Years Resolutions, many people join new fitness clubs or gyms, here are some pointers to help you find the right club for you! 

Fitness clubs are effective motivators. They should motivate us and not frustrate us. Before you choose on a fitness club, make sure that it suits your needs and goals. And before you do that, you should first learn and decide on what is your priority.  

1. Where is it located? 

The location is the first thing that you should consider when finding a fitness club. If the club is far from your home, you will just another excuse not to work out. It is best to find a facility that is near your home, or near to your work place so you can exercises in your lunch hour. 

2. Are the employees friendly and nice? Will they be able to help you reach your goals? 

Make sure that the instructor has the necessary experience to work with you. The instructor should be a certified professional that can work with you safely and effectively. Your instructor should also know if you have physical limitations or you may find an instructor that is well trained to work with you. You can also check the age of the instructor especially if it is one factor for your motivation and learning. The staff should also be helpful, friendly and professional. You can also ask the services they offer and find what is important for you. Some facilities have their own dietician and physical therapists that can offer services for you. 

3. What kind of programs does it offer?  

Find time to see what programs are there for you and check if they suit your interests. Do they offer group classes? Choose the facility that offers the classes you really like. You can do a trial class to check it out if you want. 

4. Are the facilities and equipments good and will they be available anytime that is most convenient for you? 

Check if the equipments are enough for all members. Otherwise, you will waste your time falling in line and waiting for your turn. Also make sure that the facility is open during the time you are most likely to do work outs and exercises. 

5. Is the entire facility well maintained, clean and safe for you? 

Machines and other training facilities should be in clean and in good order. If you see a lot of “out of order” signs, it could be something to think about. Modern equipments are safer and more comfortable to use, so you may also want to consider that. Are the floors cleaned regularly to avoid accidents? Is there enough room for everyone? Also check if the facility is located in a place away from danger, consider also if the location is well lit. 

6. Are the members of the club friendly and can they be your friends? 

The fitness club is also a venue for social interaction. Take time to drop by and meet the members of the club before you enroll. Other members can be your buddies in the near future and should be considered. 

7. What is the schedule of classes and will they be convenient for you? 

Find out what classes are offered at a specific time and consider if you will be available at the schedules given.  

8. How much would it cost you? 

It is important to know the monthly membership fee and what it covers. Some fitness clubs have hidden charges and you should be keen in checking that. Check if they have promotions or discounts and do they offer services at an extra fee. It is also important to know how long the club has been and how often they increase rates. 

9. How is it different from other fitness clubs?  

Don’t just stick into one fitness club. Try to visit as many facilities as you can and make a comparison. Then you can just narrow down your choices to the facilities that met your needs and priorities. 

10. What do people say about it? Take your time to gather feedback from other members. Ask them what they can say about the club and let them tell you about the experiences with the facility. 

Choosing a fitness club is just like shopping on the best shirt for you. Do not be pressured and do not try to contact them right away. You can take your time to review and gather enough information if you are still not sure which one to choose. Once you have made your choice, enjoy and make the most out of it. Many clubs will let you have a weeks free trial, make use of this offer and visit the club at the time of day you will be able to get there so you get the vibe of club.

Well it’s Monday and the start of my week 2 on the Afterburn program, I saw a little progress last week, the main place that I noticed a change was the fact that I lost 1” from my belly!!  I certainly felt the effect of the workouts as well. 

I have a long way to go but it’s a great feeling to have seen progress in the 1^st week. 

This weekend was crazy, I didn’t have one normal night of sleep and I feel very fatigued today on Friday, and Sunday I just stayed up late watching TV, but on Saturday we were at a friends house for a party and didn’t get home until 2am, then having to be up early to run one of the kids to a party the next day, I know that I need to get my sleep in. 

There’s no doubt about the importance of regular and sound sleep for optimum health.  One of the benefits of regular exercise is the fact that it also helps to encourage better sleep patterns. 

By exercising there are benefits such as a reduction in stress levels that will also help you to relax more easily and this in turn will help you to sleep better. 

You should not however exercise just before going to bed as the stimulation that you get from exercise can hinder your chance of going to sleep. 

The best times to exercise are in the morning or early afternoon, for many people this is not always convenient and many people are unable to exercise any time earlier than after work. 

If this is the case then it is still best to exercise as early as possible and allow a little to unwind and relax before retiring for the night. 

As your sleep patterns become more regular from the exercise your energy levels will increase from the additional sleep and this in turn will allow you to exercise more often and for longer periods. 

With exercise and sleep complimenting one another you can make quite rapid gains in fitness and overall health provided you exercise consistently. 

If you don’t focus on getting good sleep, then there is a possibility you could wind up over training if you are exercising intensively. 

Aside from good exercise and good sleep, you must always maintain good nutrition.Nutrition also has a bearing on your ability to sleep well, so as you can see, you need balance in your life to get the most out of it. 

When any element is missing and there is something out of balance all else suffers.Even a little exercise will help a lot over a period of time, as will increasing your sleep and relaxation time. 

I know that I need to get my sleep caught up over the next few days as I don’t want to hinder my progress.

It’s the night before starting the 16 weeks of the Afterburn program.  I have my meals and workouts planned for Monday. Here are the measurements…

Waist 29″

Hips 38.5″

Thighs 18.5″

Calves 15″

Biceps 10.5″

Neck 13″

Wrist 6″

Chest 37.25″

Body Fat somewhere between 24-27%, I need to get it checked properly.

MP3 is charged, exercise clothes ready to go.  I’ve re read the book today and I can’t wait to start this journey!

With the demands of modern life we tend to neglect the most important things, like the condition of our body and our health.

How often do we use the excuse that we just don’t have the time for fitness training?By taking the time to plan our lives we will always allow for our heath and find the time for some form of fitness. This time is essential to rejuvenate the body and the mind and you will find that setting time aside for fitness will actually help you get more done during your day. The added benefits of reduced stress will help you to work better and stay happier. Along with this will be a reduction in the time that you might have off due to illness.

With the many types of good home gym and fitness equipment available now this has allowed us to train at all hours of the day or night and the convenience of this means there really is no excuse to avoid dedicating 20 - 30 minutes three times per week to fitness. If you find that you can’t spare that much time each week then you need to take a serious look at your lifestyle as it is one that will lead to ill health in the long term and a reduction in the quality of your life, and I am sure that your family will thank you for this.

By getting out of bed earlier a few mornings a week and training before you go to work, your energy levels will begin to increase after a while and your metabolism will remain at a higher level throughout the day which will assist in burning an extra fat that you might be carrying around. At the end of the day you will be able to rest in a more relaxed and stress free manner and have a better nights sleep. 

Take the time once a week to organize your next week’s fitness plan.  I take the time on a Sunday to review all my commitments for the upcoming week, and adjust my workouts as necessary.  If the kids have a day off school I plan to workout either at home that day or after the hubby gets home from work.   Just by spending these few minutes ensures that I have time to myself to achieve my fitness goals.

You need to establish a plan of attack for your training regime.

Unless you know what you are going to do next, you are liable to start floundering around and miss workouts or worse still, give up altogether.The best way to decide on a training process is to prepare a program that is not only designed to achieve the results that you are after, but also to fit in with your lifestyle.If you devise a fitness program that is complimentary to your lifestyle then you are more likely to continue doing it and getting the benefits that you require.If you work particular hours at a job, then you need to know that you will have the free time to exercise without it encroaching on other aspects of your life, for example get up 30 minutes earlier than normal and go for a walk/run, instead of joining your co-workers for lunch in the local pub/restaurant get that walk in, or use that time in the company/local gym.

Once something becomes difficult to maintain, it is unlikely that you will continue to do it for any length of time. I personally could not bear to work out for 2 hours a day, my workouts take no longer than 45 minutes on lifting days and 25 minutes on cardio days, after each session I spend 10-15 minutes stretching. 

While you might like to have a gym membership and workout for 2 hours every day, that might not be possible with your other commitments and rather than doing nothing at all you can still benefit from something more convenient that you can do regularly.  You might only have the time for a half hour walk every second day and that is OK because you are still getting exercise and it is adding to the quality of your life. 

Any exercise is better than none at all.

To get the best out of your exercise, whether it is walking or lifting weights it is a good idea to record your progress.

Mark down each time you trained and what results you got from it.
Time your walks and see if you can do the same walk in less time or walk further in the same time.
Record how much weight you are lifting at the gym and how many repetitions you can achieve and then see if you can better those marks when you return.Constant improvement no matter how small can lead to major changes over the course of a year.A great programme to start with is Body for Life, this is where i started, everything is laid out in Bill Phillips book, from the food plan to exercises and how to set goals.  He also has a book called Eating for Life which is a great cook book, and to track your progress he has a success journal, which has space for you to track your workouts, diet and your goal each day.