If you have one goal in 2012, one resolution that you make to help you get in the best shape of your life, start with this: “I want to be happy.”  Forget everything else for a moment. Forget going to the gym five days a week; forget about the foods you plan to give up or your plan to quit drinking for six months. Simply tell yourself, “My resolution this year is to be happy.”

Being happy is the key to better health and wellbeing.  Don’t get me wrong–getting into great shape requires some sweat and sacrifice–but before we think about exercise routines or food plans, we have to ask, “Are all the aspects of my life in alignment with my happiness?”  Physical, emotional and mental health are all deeply connected.   For instance, how can someone achieve true physical health if they work in an extremely stressful environment?   The same is true of personal relationships. You simply can’t ignore these other aspects of life if you want to be truly fit.

I ask you to take a moment to reflect on the following areas, which can make a positive difference in your happiness and health:

• Relationships. Be honest and sincere when you communicate with the people close to you–your spouse, friends, co-workers and family members.  You’ll be much happier if you address and overcome your fears, frustrations and anger rather than bottling those emotions up inside.  If you have trouble communicating with someone close to you, then maybe counseling or some professional help would have a positive influence.

• Work. Your work environment can be a huge influence on your happiness.  If you spend a large part of the day at your job, examine whether there is satisfaction and balance in what you do.  It doesn’t have to be the perfect job, but if your work environment is so stressful that you dread going, it is going to adversely affect your health and how you treat those around you.

• Friends. Are you surrounded by problems, or people that make you happy?  A happy emotional state can be infectious. Just being near happy people can put you in a better mood. Children, for example, can be especially carefree and happy.  Limit your time with needy friends and create more time with your kids, nieces or nephews.  Try and ensure the people around you share your goals of health and happiness.

• Exercise! Besides the fact that exercise has been shown to release endorphins and other body chemicals that give you a feeling of happiness, exercise helps you to feel more satisfied with the way you look and will boost your morale.  This in turn will help you stay more present, and more determined in your pursuit for a happy and fulfilling life.

Take each day as it comes and start to make decisions that you know will benefit your happiness.  This new approach to achieving life-long health will positively change the way you become fit and allow you reach your fitness goals for 2012 and many more years to come.

Cultivating energy starts with our relationship to the food and fluids we consume. What, how and when we eat affects our digestion, which in turn affects how much nutrition we receive from our food and how well we metabolize it. Every cell in our body regenerates from what we consume–there is no substitute for quality nutrition and a positive relationship with food. Examine how you feel after you eat. Do you have a nice sense of well-being and satisfaction? Do you feel solid energy for the next 4 or 5 hours? Conversely, does the food you’re eating make you sleepy, leave you craving sugar or disrupt your digestion? If it does, than it’s clear that your eating habits need to change. Releasing body fat and eating well is not as challenging as people make it–what is truly challenging for people is creating the habits to support positive, conscious, healthy food choices. Take action now and use food to get a leaner, younger body.

Take the start of this year to become more aware of what you are eating, how you are eating and when you are eating and then assess the effect your food is having on you. Remember, food is our medicine!

Namaste,
Daniel

New Downstairs Studio is Almost Complete

Classes will be starting up in 2 weeks! Go to the ‘CLASSES‘ page to see our new schedule and learn more.

Expert trainer and extreme fitness enthusiast Al Kavadlo is a frequent contributor to Sherdog.com.  Sherdog is the #1 site for Mixed Martial Arts news, training and information.  If you haven’t seen it already, check out Al’s Turkish Getup video on sherdog.com.

It seems easy to trick our brains into thinking we are “trying” to do something healthy. Take for, example, joining a gym. We convince ourselves that this is how we’ll try to get in shape. We feel good about the initial step, but what usually happens next?  We go sporadically, or end up not going at all.  Simply making the attempt, or “trying”, doesn’t produce results.

How do we break out of the “try” trap? Take action-and start with the language you use! Instead of saying “I’ll try to accomplish my goals,” say “I will accomplish what I set out to do.” It is also empowering to take time to evaluate your health and fitness goals-do they align with your lifestyle?

Draw up a plan and set tasks for yourself.  They can be simple, like drinking more water, but stay consistent and follow through.  Each task is a step that helps bring you closer to your goal.  As long as you keep working toward that goal then you are not trying but actually doing something.  Take your time, enjoy the process, but wait until you reach your ultimate goal to give yourself a pat on the back.  Only then can you say, “I didn’t just try.  I made it happen.”

-Antonio

Check out Al’s website for more awesome advice – www.alkavadlo.com

There is no better time than the New Year to create a new approach to getting yourself healthy. A New Year’s solution—instead of a resolution–means creating long-term success, by taking action and beginning the process of improving your health.

We’ve all experienced short-term motivation. Many of us start the New Year with negative feedback, and then react by setting unrealistic goals. We say: “I ate too much” or “I’ve been lazy” or “I feel out of shape,” and then we say “I’m going to join the gym and lose 20 lbs by February!” This New Year, begin by asking yourself this: If you took a wrong turn in your car and ended up where you started, would you take that same turn again? Probably not! Yet time and time again, we all make the same resolutions at the same time of year, basically setting ourselves up to fail. Isn’t it time to change your routine and perhaps change your way of thinking? If it hasn’t worked in the past, it’s not going to work this time around either!

FIRST STEP: Change your results by examining your goals and how you view exercise and fitness. This is the key to understanding why so few of those New Year’s resolutions really work. Was your resolution a short-term goal? Was it based on a number, like losing 20 lbs in 6 weeks, instead of an overall feeling of health and wellness? Once you start to look at the roots of your health habits, you can identify what’s been holding you back. If you’ve made a decision to get in shape for the New Year, yet deep inside you “hate” exercise and don’t feel comfortable in a gym, you’ll be fighting yourself every step of the way. The way to achieve your goals in health, or in life for that matter, is to bring your thoughts and actions into alignment. Get in the habit of positively reinforcing the benefits of daily exercise.

SECOND STEP: Find new ways to stay healthy and get in better shape. Giving yourself options will help you stay on track and keep you motivated to follow through with your fitness goals. Some suggestions:

• Make exercise fun again by joining a group. Sign up with a runner’s club, take dance lessons or seek out new classes that appeal to you. There are literally dozens of classes available in most areas–from spinning and water aerobics to martial arts and TRX (our specialty!). Do some research and try a few. Exercise isn’t necessarily easy, but in a group it doesn’t have to feel boring or dreadful. You can get started by checking out our class schedule.

• If classes aren’t your thing, working with a personal trainer is an excellent way to stay motivated and get the results you seek. One of a trainer’s jobs is to make sure you enjoy the experience and keep you interested in your pursuit of better health. Having someone else take the guesswork out of exercise, so you spend less time figuring out what to do and more time moving your body, is also going to get you results quicker. (For a complimentary session with one of Nimble’s amazing trainers, contact us at info@nimblefitness.com)

• Pay more attention to the little things. Taking the stairs rather than the elevator or skipping dessert when you’re dining out, all adds up. Even something seemingly simple like drinking more water throughout the day will make you look and feel better. Try cooking simple, healthy meals at home if you eat out often. Replace common unhealthy food choices with better options, organic whenever possible.

THIRD STEP: Observe your thoughts and daily habits and develop a sense of awareness about them. First, think about the basics: Are you getting enough rest? Are you making good food choices? Moving your muscles on a daily basis? Next, observe how you feel throughout your day. Do you generally feel good? Feel stressed? What’s the source of your greatest stress, and how can you reduce it? Maybe there’s a simple solution, like taking a few days off, or maybe greater action needs to be taken – like finding a new career. Take a moment to examine your daily priorities—how does fitness fit onto your list? And be aware of any excuses you use which consistently hold you back: the office happy hour, your favorite TV show, etc. You’ll gain some very interesting information about yourself—information you can use to refine your health plan and move forward.

Finally, have faith in the process; every mountain climb starts with a single step. You’re not going to get to the peak in one day, so take your time and learn about yourself as you progress. And take time to enjoy the view! As you continue to find daily ways to be healthy, you’ll feel your strength and confidence improve. The solution is there, waiting for you.

Antonio Sini

After working intimately with clients for over 15 years, one thing that’s become evident is that old emotions and beliefs take up space in our physical being. Negative or “stuck” energy in our bodies can become stagnant, resulting in lowered creative energy, limited self-awareness and an inability to be truly conscious. Start this New Year by asking yourself this: Is there anything you say to yourself that’s limiting or negative, that needs a shift? Is there is a habit or judgment handed down from a family member or friend that you have been carrying around for a long time? Maybe there’s a judgment or belief you hold which is taking up space, space that could be used for personal growth instead. Remember, today–and everyday–is your opportunity to LET GO of old, negative energies and create new space inside yourself!

Happy New Year & Namaste!

Daniel

Sometimes I hear new clients tell me they’re going to stop doing something they love. For example, I’ll hear “I’m never going to eat pasta again,” or “That’s the last desert I’ll ever have,” or even “No more wine for a year!” So often, the problem is not necessarily doing things that make us unhealthier or heavier, but ingesting things we love too much. This can shift our feelings when doing things to self-disappointment, shame or just being annoyed with oneself.

Ask yourself this: Am I acting in a way that I love what I do, the result of what I do, and myself? If the answer is no, maybe a shift is in order–maybe you eat pasta once a week, save the dessert for special occasions and the wine is cut down to a level that aligns with a feeling of genuine joy. The secret is to truly enjoy the wonderful pleasures of life; if we overdo it, we cross over into feelings of attachment or even addiction, which can affect one’s health. Change your perception, from denial to true enjoyment, and everything you partake in changes as well. If you’re going to do it, you might as well LOVE doing it!

For 2011 Dates CLICK HERE

COURSE DETAILS

In this course you’ll learn how to teach TRX® Suspension Training® in a small, large, or boot camp-style group format. Importantly, this course will help you create fun and innovative classes adaptable to all fitness levels. You’ll not only learn TRX Suspension Training fundamentals, but how to incorporate a range of TRX strength and flexibility exercises into a group-training format

In this Group Suspension Training® Course, you will learn:

* TRX Suspension Trainer set up and use
* Progressions and regressions of TRX exercises for all fitness levels
* How to teach a range of TRX strength and flexibility exercises
* How to lead a TRX group class in 2 different formats
* How to cue members in a TRX group class
* How to design group TRX workouts to fit your own style

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS:
ACE 0.7, NASM 0.7, AFAA 5.0, NSCA 0.8, PTA Global 7.0, Can Fit Pro 4.0 (ACSM accepts ACE CECs)