Maintaining Fitness Goals Whatever The Season by Ali Vincent (NAPSA)—While staying fit should be a yearlong commitment, Try a group exercise class such as Everlast Shadow Boxing, 24Lift resistance and strength their fair share of challenges. Fortunately, surviving the holiday season—with the treats, family gatherings, parties and hearty meals that come with it—and the winter monthsthat follow doesn’t necessarily mean jeopardizing any hard-won fitness gains. After I won the reality competition “The Biggest Loser,” "I was determined to _ keep the weightoff and improve my physical fitness. I ‘| know how the power of physical fitness ican change a per- mind andbody. Vary the duration and/or level of your cardio workouts. Sign up for several sessions with a certified personal trainer who can create a custom workout plan so you can achieve your goals or share the cost by training with a friend or two. Take Advantage Of Resources To stay accountable during some seasons come with more than AliVincent son’slife. ——— Here are a few of my tips on maintaining yourfit- ness goals throughout a busy holiday schedule: Park your car farther away from your destination (at the mall, work, the store, etc.) so that you’re walking more—and burning more calories—every day. Always take the stairs instead of the elevator. Keep a gym bag in the car and steal a few minutes whenever you can and wherever you are. This can be easier if you belong to a gym that is convenient and offers extended hours and multiple locations, such as 24 HourFitness. Shake Things Up If you already have a regular fitness routine, try adding some intensity or variety to stimulate new muscle groups and burn more calories and fat. For example: training, and 24Pilates Fusion for times of stress or extra tempta- tion, my favorite high-tech tool is the bodybugg system, which helps me track activities and calories—check it out at 24hour fitness.com/training/bodybugg. Other resources include: A workout journal, which can serve as a motivational tool to see what you have already accomplished. A heart-rate monitor to help you monitor workout intensity. A pedometer for tracking your steps and motivating you to walk or run farther each day. New Year’s Day can be a good time to start a fitness routine but it’s not the only day. It can be hard to take that first step, but it’s an important one. Start by doing a few simple things to get moving, whetherit’s joining fit- ness club or just going for a walk outside. Andif you lapse little, don’t be hard on yourself; just get back to your routine. It’s never too late to start—or restart—afitness routine that will improve the quality of yourlife. For more inspiration, visit 24HourFitness.com/ali.
