We all have the best of intentions.
"I'm going to lose 20 pounds this year!"
And by Valentine's Day, those new year's resolutions are on the ash heap of all of those past years' resolutions.
"I see that all the time," said Danica Frost, a personal trainer and co-owner of Raw Synergy in Bayfield. "You start off with so much momentum, then you lose your interest."
To counteract that, Frost has a few suggestions. Find a partner to join with you on a path to healthier living. If your whole family can join you, that's even better.
"Join some type of community or class," Frost said. "I think that really helps people keep interest and stay focused. I think it keeps you accountable, too, if someone is dependent on you."
Frost said instead of just focusing on losing weight, she tries to turn that energy into a more positive experience and thorough process.
"What do you want to gain?" she asks her clients. That varies for a lot of people. Some people want more movement and flexibility, others want to spend more time with family. Others want to feel better.
But if people are just focused on immediate results, it can be hard to acknowledge that they're feeling better or are able to climb stairs without wheezing.
"Sometimes the scale is not your friend, especially if you're weight training in the gym," Frost recommended. Taking measurements of your body, getting a body fat percentage reading, or skin fold testing can be diagnostic tools as well, "so you're not strictly relying on the scale to determine your success," she explained. "There is so much more to it than just getting into the gym."
Frost also works with her clients on nutrition, as well as a spiritual and emotional aspect of health. "It can be yoga, meditating, hiking, snowshoeing - just doing something that's good for your soul," she explained. People often don't realize that a tough exercise regimen is a stress for the body, so other types of activities should be used in conjunction with pumping iron or running on a treadmill. More gentle activities give the body a chance to rest and recover.
She also isn't a fan of strictly cutting down on calories, either.
"I see people in the gym working, working, working, but they're not fueling themselves properly," she said. "If you're hungry, you should eat. Listen to your body." Eating shouldn't be binging on three bags of potato chips, but focusing on whole foods that properly fuel the body.
"Forbidding things that you really love is not going to work," she added.
Raw Synergy provides personal and fitness coaching, nutrition ideas, classes and more and is located in Bayfield Center Plaza.
Frost's business partner at Raw Synergy, Dawn Calahan, offers massage, holistic energy work and classes to her clients, as well. Kat Katsos offers yoga classes at the studio.
More information about their business and classes is on their facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/BodhiBodyandSoul/
