Moving Forward - Fitness For A Vibrant Life » exercise

A Tour Of The Motivations Program

toddsouza — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 03:37:53 +0000

At Falmouth Sports Center we are proud to introduce a new and exciting program to help members stay motivated with their fitness routine. The program is called Motivations and it was developed by Todd Souza, who is also its manager. In the program we develop a Fitness Plan that works for your interests and life and then help you achieve your goals.

Key elements of the program include:

Connect you with fitness activities indoors and out that fit your interests and schedule. These may include working out, biking, kayaking, hiking and even dancing at a club.
Introduce you to a workout buddy or group if desired.
Receive a customized goal chart to keep you on task each week (see sample).
Get encouragement, accountability and other support in person or through email, phone call or text.
Meet other health-minded people at our education/support meetings and healthy pot-luck dinners.

This program works for individuals of all fitness levels, as well as families, groups or businesses and is a great weight loss solution as well. One of our staff will sit down with you, your family or company to find out what your needs are. We develop a fitness plan that is customized to what will work best for you. We then provide assistance in all aspects of making your plan successful for you.

There are number of reasons the program may fit you. For those starting out on a fitness routine it can help you establish a fitness plan with realistic goals while taking a step at a time to your new lifestyle. Each week we can give you a new goal to work on so you are not overwhelmed. We know what it’s like to start a program so we are happy to hold your hand and make you comfortable with every part of your plan.

Many of us find ourselves in a place now and then where life has distracted us from being healthy. It could be a the birth of a child, a new job, marriage, divorce, almost anything can take our focus off of our wellness goals. Motivations gets your focus back. Our program’s structure lends to re-prioritizing your life so that your health is important and your life once again has balance.

And for those who are already successful with a fitness routine the program can help to tweak what you do so that plateau’s are a thing of the past. Just by changing up your exercises, adding a new outdoor activity to your routine, or helping you eat healthier you will once again be on track for your goals.

People in our program are what make it fun and interesting. When you workout with someone it becomes a motivating and enjoyable experience. People make us laugh, the encourage us, help us and are there when we need them. That person or workout buddy also keeps you accountable. And sharing information and tips is something that naturally happens and benefits both people as well.

By working with our staff you will find that getting started and staying committed to Motivations is easy. We make our activities the best part of your week because fitness should be a positive experience. With this program you will succeed because you will have the support you need. It is unlike any other that you may have tried before. So start telling yourself that you can and will achieve your fitness goals with our structured program and take the first step and contact us…….call Todd Souza at 508-662-7036 or email friendsinmotion@me.com

Preparing For Fitness Success – Part 2

toddsouza — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 14:18:26 +0000

Staying Focused

The next step is to focus. Allow your focus to immerse you into the fitness world. Get music to work out with on your iPod, go to the library and read some of the many books or magazines about fitness or nutrition. Go to the Falmouth Sports Center and check out all we have to offer including our Health Club, our biking and kayaking group (which I run), group exercise classes, our motivational program, tennis, racquetball and more. Talk with one of our expert trainers about developing your exercise routine.And if you need physical therapy before you start a fitness routine Sports Center Physical Therapy will get you moving again. Buy some nice workout clothes for yourself. Talk to people – your family, friends or co-workers – and share your excitement with them. Share recipes, exercise options and anything else fitness related. Find a buddy to workout with or take regular walks with. Stay focused to do what it takes to keep you moving forward and feeling great. In time you won’t have to be quite as hardcore as you do now at your start because your fitness life will be second nature and you will automatically think and do things that are in-line with your healthy lifestyle.

A Fitness Plan To Stay Motivated

Staying motivated is key. A fitness plan will help you stay on track with what you want to do for fitness. In your plan should be things like goals on what kind of exercises you will do and how much each week, such as will you walk daily during your lunch break, workout at the Falmouth Sports Center four times a week and will you go for a bike ride weekly? I recommend all of these as part of a good weekly fitness routine. You can also include nutritional and other fitness-related goals in your plan such as how many small, healthy meals you will eat each day; how many glasses of healthy fluids a day; even how many hours of sleep you want. Your plan should include any area related to fitness that you are going to work on improving. Write it all down on a goals sheet or find a smartphone app so you can check-off each item you accomplish every day. A goal sheet or app (such as My Fitness Pal) will help you stick to your fitness plan, keep yourself accountable and allow you to start seeing your progress right away. However, don’t overwhelm yourself….

One of the trainers at the Sports Center, Jeff Mackilligan, suggests not taking on too much at first; meaning to ease into a fitness routine so you don’t overwhelm yourself and get frustrated that you may not be able to do everything you want. Instead give yourself some time to take a step at a time. Each week or so you can take on a new task such as week one you start coming into the gym; week two start hydrating properly by sipping healthy fluids throughout the day; week three start adding a supplemental weekend activity such as kayaking to your routine. And when you take these steps master them and stick with them so they will become habit and soon be second-nature for you.

Craig D’Amario, a personal trainer and tennis pro at the Sports Center offers, “Many people for example may set out a goal to lose 50 pounds in two months. The fact is that it probably didn’t take 2 months to put on 50 pounds. So a short term goal of perhaps 10-15 pounds in two months would be a more successful approach.” He also added, “To help you reach your short and long term realistic goals, fitness has to be part of your day or routine. Only working out as hard and long as you can on weekends is just inviting injuries and frustration, when results are not seen or achieved. An hour a day will get you well on your way with your goals. Unfortunately there is no magic pill or workout to make up for hard work and consistency.”

I run a program called Motivations at the Sports Center that will keep you excited about achieving your fitness goals. I will help you determine your goals and come up with a fitness plan that works for you. I will then keep you motivated to stick to your plan by using whatever motivators work for you. From setting you up with a customized monthly goal sheet where you check off your progress, to getting you going with activities that you enjoy, to connecting you with someone to workout with or a group of people who will walk with you and/or offer you support. I will do whatever it takes to ensure that your fitness plan works just right for you, providing encouragement, daily check-ins or a kick in the butt if that is what it takes! We can even involve your family if you would like. Plus I will help to adjust your fitness plan as changes happen in your life. A great fitness plan adapts to your life, to the seasons as well as your changing interests. With Motivations you won’t ever be bored or uninspired with fitness. And you will never feel that you are alone on your fitness journey. I will keep you moving forward so that you will enjoy your journey and achieve your goals in record time. So give me a call or stop in and let’s get you on a customized plan that will get the results you want.

A Wise Investment

I remember hearing a quote that is on the negative side but its message is something to consider… “If you don’t have the time or money to invest in your health then plan on spending even more time and money on illness.” Yes there is a considerable material investment to make with fitness, through club memberships, equipment, clothing, and accessories. If you are financially able I suggest you approach it in a way that allows you to immerse yourself in a healthy lifestyle without feeling guilty. If you want results it is going to cost money. If you want to find what is going to work best for you that is going to cost money as well. If you can give yourself some financial flexibility to try different activities and programs, as opposed to rationalizing every fitness related cost, then you are putting yourself on a track for success. If you have kids you have to find that balance of giving yourself some time on top of all the time you give your kids and family. Finding this balance will allow your health to flourish so that you can be there for your kids for a long time to come. And you may be able to include your kids in your fitness plan. With fitness you are not buying something tangible such as a car but rather you are buying quality of life, happiness, and good health, all of which are priceless. Your health is the best investment you can make for yourself, your kids and your family, for without your health nothing else matters.

Your kids can be part of your fitness plan…even if they are less than excited at first.

Enjoying Your Fitness Journey

And lastly, enjoy your journey. Have fun by doing what you like to do to move, trying new activities, meeting new people and opening yourself up to a world of possibilities. Enjoy getting into the fitness lifestyle. Sign up for our biking group so you will be around friendly and healthy people while allowing Falmouth’s beautiful places to touch your soul. And notice how much better you feel…how good your body feels, how happy you are with the new energy you have…how you feel so alive! All of this and more will make your fitness efforts worthwhile. Because fitness is the one thing that can change our life in so many ways, making us all that we are capable of being for ourselves, our family and our community. So have a good week, stay positive, stay focused and enjoy preparing for your fitness success!

Please leave your questions and comments or come visit me at the Sports Center and say hi. I’m happy to answer any questions and be of any assistance that I can.

Todd Souza

508-662-7036

Preparing For Fitness Success – Part 1

toddsouza — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:34:04 +0000

No matter what we are doing in our life, or what we want to do, fitness plays a vital role in it. Being fit makes us stronger, gives us more energy and strength to physically do whatever we want to do in life. It helps us mentally as well, makes our mind work more clearly and with less stress. It makes us happier, helps us look and feel our best, gives us more confidence and vitality to our life. It can also make us a better spouse, parent, grandparent, friend or employee. It does so much for us because our bodies are made to move and when we honor that we reap a multitude of life enhancing benefits.

Preparing for fitness success is important because nationally 50% of Americans fail in their attempt to stick to a fitness program within the first six months. So let’s get you off on the right step…..

Determine Your Goals

Why do you want to be fit? For each of us it is different. It may be short-term goals such as looking good for a wedding or reunion; or it could be longer-term goals such as having more energy for your kids, or to go off of medications. I suggest you write down your goals and put them on the fridge or some other prominent place. And put a few exclamation marks after them, underline them, or jazz them up with some pictures of people in your life who you love. For your goals are going to drive you, they are going to be the things that make you get up on a cold morning to take that walk or go workout after a long day at work when you are tired and stressed.

My inspiration to stay fit.

“I Can’t Workout Because I’m Having A Bad Hair Day”

I love the commercial where the couple tells of all their excuses to not exercise (http://youtu.be/Z2JSWgkwRL4). “I missed the cat”, and “my mother called” gave me a good laugh. A can-do attitude is the only way to go with fitness. As Nike says, you have to “Just Do It”. To be fit you have to want it. And with your busy life and responsibilities tugging at you this way and that you’ve got to want it bad. You have to get yourself excited about fitness and achieving your goals. Put it in your head that you are going to get serious about getting fit; that nothing will get in your way or distract you from moving your body. This is what separates success from failure. Those who succeed don’t allow bad hair days or anything else to interfere.

Here are some good attitude tips for fitness….

If you believe you can do something your mind sets out to make it happen; your mind begins to find solutions. If you believe you can’t do something then your mind goes with that. It’s the same principal as when you tell yourself you are going to have a good day, your mind believes it and therefore it is more likely to happen.
Replace your thoughts of, “I will try to do this” with “I will do this”. Make sure you use words like “I can”, “I will”, and “I am going to”. Believe with all your heart that you can do whatever it is you have set out to do.
Be a “yes man” or a “yes woman”. If you ever saw the funny movie Yes Man with Jim Carey you will know that I am talking about saying yes to life instead of no. When someone asks you to go hiking, or a child asks you to play catch…yes makes you a participant in life as opposed to a spectator.

Embracing fitness means you will be exploring new fitness options for yourself, learning new information and even getting out of your comfort zone. Do realize that not everything you expose yourself to will work but that because your attitude is positive you will be persistent and find what does work.
Thinking that you may not have enough time to be fit is a good example of where you want to replace a can’t-do thought with some can-do. Know that you can come up with a solution – that there are areas in your life that you can re-prioritize so that fitness makes it into your schedule. This may require cutting out old habits that don’t get you moving so you can adapt to your new goals and lifestyle.
When you use positive thoughts and actions (when you are in “the zone”) you will attract other people who are also making a lifestyle change, who are active or trying to be. This can be very helpful as studies have shown that people who connect with others are more likely to succeed with their fitness goals.

Believing In Yourself

Know that you are an amazing person capable of doing amazing things. Love yourself as you are today, honor your past, and know that in time you will only improve. Believe in yourself. Visualizing can help. First visualize what you want to be like – how you may want to be slimmer, more vibrant and happier. Next visualize how you will get there, what steps you will take…how you will get to the gym after work, eat healthy or go for a bike ride for example. Next, realize how good it will feel to do these activities, to go forward with your health, make a commitment, stick to it and enjoy the results. And then believe what is in your head and believe in yourself. Convince yourself you can do it, that you have the strength and focus to succeed. Feel that you want this, that it is you…a new you. Our feelings are what we act on so go from thoughts about fitness…to believing in yourself…to visualizing your success….feeling it all….then taking action. You’ve got to eat, drink and sleep fitness; at least for the first three weeks until your actions become habit.

Think back on how in your life you set out to do something and you did it. Maybe it was starting your career, buying a home or even finishing a road race. Whatever you did you did it because you believed in yourself. You put a goal in your head, you convinced yourself you would achieve that goal and you worked hard at it until you accomplished what you set out to do. This is what is going to happen now. Whatever your fitness goal you will rise to the occasion taking one step at a time to accomplish it. Things will fall into place because you are going to have a positive attitude. You will experience strength in yourself that you never knew you had. You will work hard at it, enjoy what you are doing and make progress each week. Yes there may be obstacles and feelings less than positive that you may experience along the way but your determination, faith and attitude will help you persist and build a stronger momentum for you. Believe that this is your time to shine. When you wake up in the morning start telling yourself you are going to attack this day, do a great job with whatever you have to do and succeed at making yourself healthier, stronger and happier. Always believe in yourself and whatever gives you hope for your beliefs are powerful allies in your pursuit for good health.

Part 2 of Preparing For Fitness Success includes: Staying Focused; A Fitness Plan To Stay Motivated; Enjoying Your Fitness Journey.

Introduction

toddsouza — Sun, 27 May 2012 00:20:11 +0000

Hi there! Thanks for checking out my blog. Each week you will find information, encouragement and support about many different aspects of being fit including setting goals, basic nutrition, staying motivated, exercise options, discussions on fitness gimmicks and supplements, as well as how other people and even nature can play an important role in your fitness success. Fitness is not only an important individual issue but it is now an important community and even national issue. I will touch upon these areas as well, not in a negative way but in a way that encourages us to reach out to each other and do what we can to make good health a community-wide effort. As friends, parents, co-workers and community members there is a lot we can easily do to help ourselves and those around us embrace a better quality of life through fitness. As an employee at Falmouth Sports Center I will be writing about how the Center is a valuable resource for our community with so many fitness programs available. I will also share what works for Falmouth residents of all ages who are Sports Center members. Plus we have a number of personal trainers who have been helping members for decades who will be sharing their expertise as well. As the founder of Friends In Motion and a life-long fitness enthusiast I know the advantages of bringing people together to help each other move, eat healthier, lose weight and feel their best so I will share some of that. I also encourage you to share what works for you with fitness. What do you eat and drink that keeps you energized? What activities do you do regularly to burn calories or build strength? What keeps you motivated? What do you do to help further good health in our community? Let’s get this good information out there so that we can inspire others! What I hope you will find in this blog is that fitness is about living a life of inspiration…a life of being fully alive that is enhanced by the company of like-minded people, moving our bodies and being in the presence of nature when we can because it is these things that help keep our spirit balanced and our soul alive. So no matter if you are a beginner or well seasoned with fitness I think you will find some refreshing insight and encouragement that will help you live a more vibrant life and contribute to a healthier community for us all.

Enjoy your health!

Todd Souza

Inspiration from Shining Sea Bikeway

This photo was taken on a sunset ride on Shining Sea Bikeway that our biking and kayak group recently went on. What an inspiring sky it was! The group is sponsored by Falmouth Sports Center and Friends In Motion and is free to anyone that would like to get together with others to do fun fitness activities while enjoying our beautiful surroundings. All ages and skill levels are welcome. To join you may stop by the Falmouth Sports Center and ask for me, call 508-662-7036 or leave a comment here.