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Starting small is key to resolution success
Published January 6, 2009
SEGUIN — On Jan. 1, millions of Americans made bold claims.
They realized that a change needs to be made, slammed their fists onto the table, and proclaimed that this is the year that they will stop smoking, get in shape, and finally be able to fit in those old jeans again.
Two weeks from now, they will be found puffing a cigarette, while ketchup stains from a recently-finished double cheeseburger set into their baggy sweat pants.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. With facilities like Guadalupe Regional’s Wellness Center, Anytime Fitness, and 78155 Athletic Club all well within the city limits, Seguin seems to have the fitness angle covered in spades.
“(Fitness) is a lot of people’s New Year’s resolution — one of the top ones,” said Nikki Holliday, general manager of 78155. “We hope that we get a lot of people in here.”
As the newcomer to the gym scene, 78155 has brought some modern styles of exercise to the area, as well as some perks to make working out more enjoyable.
“We have about eight different group fitness classes as far as yoga, tai chi, and Pilates,” Holliday said. “And all of our cardio equipment is equipped with flat-screen televisions with cable on them.”
Holliday recommends one of 78155’s group classes for those looking to begin a New Year’s-inspired work out routine.
“As far as fitness, I would encourage some, if they want to lose weight, to get motivated to try a group fitness class,” she said. “That’s the probably the big motivation for people because they’re not doing it alone, they’re doing it together.”
Anytime Fitness general manager Trey Hubbard has seen his fair share of resolutions gone awry, and has a theory of why people suddenly feel the urge to improve themselves following the Christmas holiday.
“What I have found in my experience is that it’s that time of the season where people see family and friends and loved ones,” he said. “They see each other and they kind of realize that they don’t quite look the way they used to look. Plus, with the holidays, they have a tendency to eat a little more and kind of loosen up their belts, so to speak, and in turn they start thinking about coming back in and working out.”
If time is a problem for some people as far as actually getting to the gym, Anytime Fitness offers 24-hour service to its members, and is open 365 days a year. But even if you are making it to a work out facility after beginning a New Year’s resolution, Hubbard suggests that you take a few steps to boost your chances of success, including going into the process with patience.
“Choose realistic, attainable goals,” Hubbard said. “Instead of sitting there saying, ‘I’m going to lose 30 pounds in two weeks,’ you know, two pounds a week is basically max weight loss that you want to see on a perfect kind of deal.
“What someone has done over the past 10 years — put on so many pounds or done this or that — they’re not going to sit there and do that for 10 years and then turn around and in one month, be back to wherever they want to be.”
Hubbard outlined three main things that people looking to get fit should do, beginning with choosing the right gym. That involves going to more than one facility and picking the one that provides the best atmosphere for an individual.
Next, the person should choose their goals, and finally, make sure that they set a timetable to reach those goals. As always, it’s important to start small.
“What I tell my clients is, you set goals for the first 30 days,” Hubbard said. “Then you set goals from anywhere from three months to almost a year, and then you set even more goals from about three years plus.”
And don’t forget to reward your victories — as long as it’s not detrimental to your progress, that is.
“The only thing it should not be is food,” Hubbard said. “Go out there and buy yourself a new wardrobe or go out there and get something that relates to what you’ve been doing this whole time, like new workout attire.”
Keep in mind that going to the gym is just one way to fulfill a New Year’s resolution of getting in shape. Proper nutrition and the avoidance of placing harmful toxins in the body are also synonymous with a healthier lifestyle.
“It’s definitely a lifestyle change,” Hubbard said. “It takes coming into the gym consistently, it takes fixing and doing your nutrition better and staying consistent with that and it includes making better choices as well, i.e., maybe backing off and doing everything in moderation.”
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