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Failed New Year’s
Resolutions Serve a Purpose – Try Again with Color!
A mom/daughter fitness publishing
team is encouraging mainstream America to make full use of the eleven
months of potential fitness improvement left in this year, and offers
some practical tips and a tool that can help turn fitness resolutions
into daily action, and daily actions into long term healthier
lifestyles.
(PRWEB) -- With obesity and
lifestyle-related disease threatening to overwhelm the U.S. healthcare
system, it's important that people not give up on their failed fitness
or health-related New Year's resolutions, putting them off until next
year. A mom/daughter fitness publishing team is encouraging mainstream
America to make full use of the eleven months of potential fitness
improvement left in this year, and offers some practical tips and a
tool that can help turn fitness resolutions into daily action, and
daily actions into long term healthier lifestyles.
“In making a resolution, you made a decision to change, and
that's important in itself. Rather than beat yourself up over the
failure, take a closer look at the positive things you did or learned
that could help you succeed in the future,” says Stillwater
MN based Jennifer Luhrs, creator and publisher of the Streaming
Colors™ Fitness Journal.
“Also list some of the factors that derailed you, and start
breaking those down into smaller, more specific barriers you can
overcome one step at a time,” says daughter Alexis Luhrs, 26.
“For instance, instead of giving up all sweets forever -- a
resolution that's bound for failure – resolve this month to
turn down those tempting breakfast pastries at work and have a slice of
whole wheat toast and peanut butter instead. Then move on from
there.”
Luhrs, 55, and her Los Angeles based
daughter believe many people make resolutions that are too sweeping and
general to be realistic. To make big changes over time people should
reward themselves with color each day for the small victories they
achieve. On the Streaming Colors fitness calendar, boldly-outlined
daily modules are colored in each day to show positive fitness or
health actions. Each person determines their own goals and creates
their monthly color key. Yellow might indicate exercise, orange could
track fruits and vegetable consumption, green might celebrate a french
fry-free day, and red could show you met your daily goal for limiting
alcohol intake. Coloring is fun and serves as a reward for daily
actions. A lack of color is a reminder and motivator to try a little
harder.
The Luhrs women add these tips for turning
your resolutions into lasting lifestyle changes:
- Results-oriented goals such as
“lose 20 pounds” should be replaced by
action-oriented goals that you can track, such as “walk
briskly for 60 minutes, six days a week.”
- Treat the first of each month as if it
were the first of the year. Evaluate your successes or challenges from
the previous month and adjust your new small goals accordingly. Using
your Streaming Colors calendar you can revise and update your color key
and goals each month.
- Build your exercise goals around an
activity you enjoy or something fun you want to do by a set date in the
future, so that exercise enhances your lifestyle, rather than feeling
like punishment. For example, planning to bike along the Tour de France
route next July would be a great incentive to train on your stationary
bike. A future hiking trip with your kids could motivate you to get out
and walk each day.
“Home exercise enthusiasts,
runners and others who have decided to take charge of their own fitness
and health were the first large groups to embrace our calendars. They
are spreading the word to friends and through the online fitness
forums,” says Jennifer Luhrs. “Now we want to reach
the vast majority of people who think it takes willpower to begin a
program.
Our message to every American is that you
are already on a program, by virtue of what you do -- or don't do --
for your health each day. Today is the day to start tracking what
you're already doing, so you'll know where to improve. Then start
coloring in something positive on your calendar every day, no matter
how small, to get moving in a healthier direction.”
The Streaming Colors Fitness Journal ($15.95) is available online at www.streamingcolors.com
and at amazon.com. Ask for it through your
employer, health care provider, fitness trainer and other retailers.
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