Step 2: Planning

"He who fails to plan, plans to fail" -Proverb

Now that you've set your health and fitness goals, let's address how you're going to go about reaching them. There's 3 elements to consider: cardio, weight training, and nutrition. I also like to include hydration, but we'll discuss that later. It's essential, especially if you're just starting out, to devise a plan when it comes to these components. Again, I recommend a journal where you can document your daily diet and workouts.

First, let's look at cardio. This is pretty simple; cardio is activity done to consistently keep your heart rate up for an extended amount of time. I do an hour or more of cardio 5-6 days a week. That's not possible for some of you and that's ok. If you can shoot for 30-60 minutes/day at least 4 days/week you'll be doing fine. The idea is to increase your heart rate, respirations, and body temperature to burn calories. I'll get more into the physiology behind all this later on. Some examples may include walking, running, cycling, elliptical trainer, and Zumba. Something is better than nothing!!

Next, look at resistance (or weight) training. I get people, mostly women, who tell me all the time that they don't want to lift weights because they don't want to gain massive muscles. If you're one of those people, it's your lucky day! You will NOT gain alot of muscle mass by implementing weights. Weight training is important to maintain muscle, which is what gives our bodies shape and protects our skeletal system. For every 1 pound of lean muscle, your body burns 50 calories at rest. In addition to this, muscle also aids in strength, balance, flexibilty, stamina, and injury prevention. The key is knowing what you're doing. If you're a novice, get into a group sculpting class or get a personal trainer to show you the ropes. I'll elaborate on this topic in a future post.

Last, but certainly not least, nutrition. Now this is where everybody has questions. I intend to devote a whole post to this as well, so for now, let me stick to the basics. 5-6 small meals throughout the day will keep your metabolism elevated. Always eat breakfast!! Try to schedule your meals about 3 hours apart and include lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and a good source of healthy fat in every meal. Cut out all processed sugar and soft drinks! This is a good starting point, like I said, I will go more in depth about nutrition a little later.

These things are huge factors in any health and fitness program. Planning when, where, and how you can fit them in is crucial to your success. I know "time" is a common excuse, but if you really want to acheive your goals, you'll make time. It's all about setting realistic goals and figuring out a game plan. Once these 2 main steps have been taken, you're ready to move forward.