THE New Year is just around the corner and once again the shortfalls or successes of 2010 become the pivot point for “new life” in 2011. Many of us stop, reflect and give thanks for our health and see the game of fitness as an ongoing one. You are either planning on starting it, or building on it, and one of the most important aspects of continuing is making sure that you are enjoying it. This is the new age of getting fit and staying healthy, so there are lots of choices.

Each of us is drawn to a particular form of exercise that best helps us to express our personalities through expending energy. What works for one person may not work for another, so you will need to examine yourself to find your true goal. Goals can be short or long-term, depending on what you are hoping for as the end result. Some persons will look for weight loss, others at improving their energy, but most of us will seek out taking our bodies to the next level, improving strength, stamina or metabolism in some form. The only question that remains is this:

What stands between you and that next level?

• Boredom

• Injuries

• Time limitations

• Budget

• Lack of motivation

• Lack of discipline

Okay now, look at the answer(s) to those questions and say the following to yourself for the New Year, “That was then, this is now.”

Then consider, “What is going to rock you; who is going to rock you, and where can you be rocked into progressing into the new age of getting fit and staying healthy?”

For those of us who know that we lack discipline, you just have to book yourself into an exercise that is outside of your control, to make it happen automatically. Check out a new trainer, new gym or class. Change your running route, take a walk on the wild side and maybe try kung fu. Being adventurous can unlock your potential.

Cardio-fy your workout

Running is still one of the best cardio-vascular workouts, ranking higher than biking. The freedom of running outdoors or on the treadmill appeals to most deep thinkers because it is constant and level. Outdoor biking is also popular because it is scenic and social, with the work occurring at intervals. Indoor cycling, also known as spinning, has great physical benefits while being enjoyable and fun. Swimming is a challenge to those who are affected by the cold weather, but to each his own method. Cardiovascular endurance training is your key to unlocking your metabolism, at any age.

If all of the above pose a challenge to your lifestyle, take up a rope and skip. Skipping rope is one of the most effective forms of cardio-vascular exercise, it takes only five short minutes to elevate your heart rate. You can keep a record of your time and aim to beat your own time each day as a sort of game. It’s all about getting creative and trying something new.

The best kept workout secrets

Change your workout partner

Mind games are good strategies for freshening up your motivation in the New Year. One sure way to give your workout game a kick is to introduce a subtle aspect of competition with a new partner. Letting someone down is dishonouring them, and putting your ego at stake in a friendly game of “I can do it better” can work wonders on your attitude towards your workout goal.

Give your daily calorie-burning capacity a boost

Lifting weights three times a week is the fastest way to build muscle and get results when the scale is stuck. Regular strength training can increase your resting metabolic rate by up to eight per cent and plays a beneficial role in improving muscle strength and power which ramps up the calorie burn.

Do double-duty moves

The more muscles you engage at once, the more calories you’ll burn. You can burn more calories during a weights workout by performing more lower-body moves such as squats and lunges, or doing a circuit-style routine where you move quickly through the routine and even insert cardio intervals such as jumping jacks or jogging in place in-between exercises. So overall, workouts which combine both strength and cardio are more efficient at burning the most calories.

Strategise

Think of yourself as a knight in armour, each piece of armour shielding you from temptation. Each time you say no to something that you really are tempted to eat that you know will sabotage your efforts, think about it as another piece of armour earned. This will keep you stronger and better protected the next time you go out.

If you did it once, you can do it again! This game is one you play for life, literally, and it never has an ending to it. Sooner or later you will look at yourself and be shocked that your entire body is covered in armour, and that the person who you ARE now is no longer tempted by the things that used to take you out of your game.

How Do I Maintain My Starting Streak?

Most of us start off really great and then quickly find ourselves back at square one. One thing that you have to remember is that if you fall off the wagon, you never fall off where you began, you are always a step closer to the end than where you started from. The first thing to do is to stop associating starting over with failure. Get back up, because change is good and you are playing a game for life. Like in life, in fitness there are no “start-overs”, so “just do it” and continue to be thankful for the results.

Selena DeLeon is a 35-year-old certified Personal Trainer, Weight Loss Councillor, and fitness professional in Spinning, Step and Kickboxing. Known as Body by Selena, she is a pioneer in the industry, her dynamic blend of cardio and strength classes gives style to her original workouts. Over the past ten years, she has helped many persons find thir fullest physical potential. An active mother of two, she has a passion for fitness and health, languages, travel and anatomy. To unlock your energy visit www.bodybyselena.com