The New Year has arrived, bringing with it the six letter word that forms our resolutions. Change.
With the desire and pressure to better ourselves on our mind like never before, many vow to break a bad habit or improve their lifestyle. Most people view the New Year as a time for positive transformations. The two most common ambitions are healthy eating and increased physical activity.
Bradley has created a program that will help many to achieve these goals.
Beginning Feb. 1, a program encompassing all aspects of leading a healthy lifestyle will begin.
Get Fit, Stay Fit is a program that will challenge the Bradley community to make the right decisions when it comes to overall health.
Working as a team, Campus Recreation, Eurest Dining Services, Health and Counseling Services, the Wellness Program, the Center for Learning Assistance, the Dietetics program within the Family and Consumer Sciences Department, the Physical Therapy Department, the Body Project and Late Night BU have collaborated their knowledge and resources, bringing this program to life.
The mission of the Get Fit, Stay Fit Program is to challenge the Bradley community to adopt a more active lifestyle and to make healthier nutritional choices.
As a free of charge, incentive-based program, Get Fit, Stay Fit will offer registrants the opportunity to earn prizes from accumulated points. Whether using the machines, attending a group fitness class, participating in Intramurals or swimming, as long as you sign-in, you gain a point.
Further, there will be weekly Wellness Seminars, aimed at both faculty members and students alike, offering a roadmap of sorts towards making sound nutritional and lifestyle choices. For a complete rundown of the program and how to register, visit: www.bradley.edu/campusrec/getfitstayfit/mainpage .
With that in mind, here are a few tips that can help keep the idea of a New Year’s Resolution a reality rather than the pipedreams they often become.
1. Have a Plan:
Failing to plan is planning to fail. Adopting a new routine becomes much easier when it is written down as part of your normal schedule. Plan the days and times you will work out.
Chronicle what type of exercise you performed that day. Write down the food you plan to eat and at what time. Personal trainers at the Markin Family Student Recreation Center are a fantastic resource for assistance in implementing the plan.
2. Set Short-term Goals:
Setting short-term goals enable us to see a “flame” when we can’t quite see the “light” at the end of the long tunnel. Seeing that “flame,” methodically moving towards it, and “blowing it out” before running toward the next “flame” keeps us invigorated and motivated to continue on.
3. Reward Yourself:
Plan to do something for yourself. Whether it is purchasing the T-shirt you have been admiring or treating yourself to dinner and a movie, make it special.
4. Focus on the Process:
Focus on the process more than the results. Focus on simply getting to the gym or the act of changing into workout clothes rather than worrying about what the scale is telling you. More often then not, looking at the scale is more deflating than motivating.
5. Slip-ups will happen:
Along the road of life, distractions happen that absolutely prevent us from getting certain things done. Accepting the fact that there will be days where it is impossible to eat right or get to the gym is of utmost importance.
Guilt is capable of weighing us down in much the same way extra pounds do. Relieving yourself from the guilt over an occasional slip-up will only make it easier to get back to business the next day.
By planning out workouts and meals beforehand, the degree to which you are affected by minor distractions can be minimized.
The Get Fit, Stay Fit Program was designed for you. Providing numerous resources, opportunities, and guidance, it has never been easier to achieve your desired level of fitness and health with everything you need to get going right here on campus.
For more information contact Mike Keup at mkeup@bumail.bradley.edu or Kim Kelley at kakelley@bumail.bradley.edu.
