Good Health

A New You In 2022!

By Cammy Dennis

Are you contemplating a transformative resolution intended to reinvent a happier, healthier version of yourself? Well, good for you. Contemplation is the first step. The New Year rings in with a reenergized, optimistic outlook. This is the perfect time to reflect on the past and consider the future. A healthy, emotional perspective looks forward with courage and conviction. If you think opportunities to reinvent yourself have passed you by, it is not true. Make a change or dream a new dream. Now is the perfect time to create a new you in 2022!

A personal declaration intended to boost health and happiness needs structure, a plan on how to achieve it. Contemplation and goal-setting is the first step. The next step in the construct is a critical one, identification. Try to identify what has prevented you from achieving your goal in the past, and then plan a strategy you can put into action. The best way to stick to your action plan is to savor the process. If you did not enjoy the diet you put yourself on or gain reward from your time at the gym, then you were destined to fail. Let us look at some strategies that make healthy behaviors something we want to do.

SHIFT YOUR MINDSET—Redirect thinking from “going on a diet” to “eating healthy.” This shift in perspective can make a huge difference. The concept of dieting will send your psyche into a tailspin; you know you will be facing deprivation and hunger. This will undermine your comfort and confidence. That is why diets do not work. Period. “Eating healthy” is much less threatening than dieting.

SWEAT & SMILE—If your exercise does not energize and inspire you, you are doing the wrong exercise. The key to exercise adherence is connection. Connect to something that you look forward to doing; it should be both recreation and exercise. If you are a social person, try group fitness classes. If you love the outdoors, find someone to walk with. If you love a challenge, then find something to train for. There are many great “Couch to 5K” programs out there.

SOLICIT SUPPORT—Many of my students use a smart phone app to track their nutrition. This scientificyet-simple process will get you results. You can eat foods you enjoy while staying within parameters to achieve your goal. Support groups also help develop a structure for healthy eating. Sharing your journey allows for the exchange of helpful information and is a lot more fun.

Putting these strategies into action is a great start; the hard part is sticking to them. The secret is to redirect your attention away from the result and focus on the process to get you there. Love your process and you will have success! Once healthy behaviors become habits, they are easier to sustain. Habits make things easier, and the human brain likes easy.

How do we make exercise a habit? Since I am a fitness professional, you may find it surprising to hear me say that joining a gym might not get you the health benefits you are seeking. The reason that people join a gym and then stop going is usually because they have not found a connection to something that provides reward and success. The best exercise for you is the one you will keep doing.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Join me and my colleague, OTOW Fitness Supervisor Jessica Pinkowski, for a deeper discussion on this topic at Sholom Park on January 21. Register for this free talk at sholompark.org/leaf-series

Cammy Dennis is the fitness director for On Top of the World communities and The Ranch Fitness Center & Spa. She lives the lifestyle she promotes and has trained for triathlons throughout the state, aerobics while living in Tokyo, and various weightlifting events.