Sunday 12.04.11

Congrats to Steve Pearson for joining the Muscle Up Club!  He worked hard to get it Thursday.  For those of you who don't know what a Muscle Up, here's BJ Penn doing a few

Thanks to Matt for this blog post:

How to Keep Motivated through the Holidays: Mind over Body

Keeping fit over the holidays may seem an impossible task. If you’re like most of us, you probably count on falling off the fitness horse and then gearing up to get back in gear come January. Talk about more work and stress, and amplifying the January blues.

Wouldn’t it be great to use the momentum of the holidays as an incentive to stay fit? While all of the delicious foods that go hand-in-hand with the holidays are hard to resist (and far from paleo or primal approved), and all the preparation and social activities makes time for fitness even more scarce, it is the social activities that should give us more motivation than ever! Who doesn’t want to look their best at all the holiday parties, events and gatherings? AND if that’s not enough incentive, how about New Years Eve? Nothing will be more fun than ringing in the New Year feeling and looking your best. Like anything else, health and fitness really is so much about your attitude and mindset. If you decide you’re going to blow it, or believe December is the holiday month, and therefore gives you permission to fall off the wagon, you are setting yourself up for failure, and therefore maintaining your fitness level is downright next to impossible.

I am huge believer in the power of your attitude, especially when it comes to fitness. I had a coach that said your fitness ability is 95% in your head. So this holiday season, rather than making excuses and throwing your health and fitness out the door, simply shift your attitude. Enjoy your time with family and friends and even enjoy some awesome holiday meals and treats, then work your hardest to get back on track the next day. Use the excitement of the season and the thrill of dressing up and seeing friends to propel you to put in some good "Compound" workouts each week and bust your butt into shape. Not only will you feel better, you’ll help combat stress and feel more energized than ever to start the New Year off on the right foot rather than feeling like a big ol' slug!

So the #1 tip for staying fit and healthy this holiday season is to stay motivated in your head. Rather than looking at the season as an inevitable pound-packing month of holiday parties and craziness, be excited about your daily workout, even if its just 10 minutes long, this is your gift to yourself. Make a great playlist, workout with good friends, try a new healthy recipe, whatever it is that helps invigorate you and puts a smile on your face. We can all do it, it’s just a matter of whether we choose to!

Cheers to the Beginning of the Best Holiday Season Yet!