How to Turn Fitness Resolutions into Long-Term Results

How to Turn Fitness Resolutions into Long-Term Results
Community Calendar
How to Turn Fitness Resolutions into Long-Term Results
– By Janice Llanes Fabry –
Ask most people about their resolutions for the coming year and invariably “losing weight” or “getting into
shape” will be on or close to the top. This month at least, they have every good intention of breaking in their
new cross-trainers or the newly installed treadmills in their basements. Many flock to their health club’s
elliptical machines and sign up for exercise classes. It’s not surprising that gyms across the county ring in the
New Year with a blitz of new memberships.
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School of the Holy Child
How does an optimistic fitness seeker sustain this momentum long enough to see results? A number of local
professionals say a physical trainer is invaluable in getting off to a good start and staying on track because
they can provide helpful tips and push you harder than you might push yourself. In addition, the pros say that
realistic goals and proper nutrition go a long way. Oh, and drink plenty of water.
Stephanie Schoerner is the general manager of Simply Fit, a fitness
center and day spa for women on the Boston Post Road in Mamaroneck.
She firmly believes that a personal trainer, especially in the first four
weeks, is essential when you’re learning how to work out properly.
“We all have 639 muscles, but most people don’t know how to work them
as well as they know how to work their cell phones,” she explains. “If you
don’t know what you’re doing, the gym can be a dangerous place. It’s
important to work with a trainer to avoid injury.”
A master trainer herself, Schoerner is convinced that with the right
guidance and the solid support system the gym provides, anyone can
improve and maintain general health. The first step you can take is
envisioning a realistic goal so you don’t set yourself up for failure. “Don’t
shock your system,” she suggests. “Make changes little by little and
incorporate them into your lifestyle.” At the same time, Schoerner is quick to point out that it’s a
misconception that women need to lift lighter weights. “Women can work up to heavier weights and we teach
them how to incorporate them into a program.”
In addition, eating and getting enough sleep is paramount when launching and exercise program. A new
nutrition program at Simply Fit encourages clients to eat organic foods when possible and avoid foods laden
with oils and chemicals. “Eat clean because the old adage is true, ‘you are what you eat,’” says Schoerner. She
recommends keeping a “food mood diary” to log in caloric intake, what and when you eat, and how you feel
when you eat it.
Understanding society’s propensity for convenience all too well, the mother of two suggested, “Make healthy
food into fast food at home by having something ready to grab, whether it’s sliced carrots and celery sticks or
Trader Joe’s cut-up apples.”
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How to Turn Fitness Resolutions into Long-Term Results
The Osborn
Wainwright House
Westchester County Site
Westchester Airport
Worship
Schoerner advises clients to incorporate the whole family into the lifestyle changes they make. Not only will it
instill good lifelong habits in their kids, it also nurtures a support system. “Women are driven and dedicated,
but everyone needs support at home for those times you might fall and take a few steps backwards.”
Mike Wohltmann, owner of Rye Personal Training,
also believes that convenience helps people stick to
their fitness resolutions. “Achieving your goals can’t
be stressful,” he says. “Make things easier by walking
every day with a destination in mind, shopping
routinely at places that carry healthier foods and
keeping vitamins handy.”
Born and raised in Rye, Wohltmann first opened a
training center in 2000 and moved to a larger space on
Purchase Street last month. His one-on-one studio
customarily drums up more business in the spring.
“We’re bombarded during the first warm days when
people start putting away their winter clothes and
realize they need the help of a trainer to see results. When people are committed to making appointments, they
tend to push harder.”
For those starting to combat weight gain, engaging in activity and challenging oneself on a daily basis is a
good idea. Wohltmann says the average annual weight gain of people between the ages of 20 and 40 is two to
four pounds a year. “If you’re like the average person and watch three hours of television a day, put a
stationary bike in front of the TV,” he suggests. “Work up to 30 to 90 minutes of cardiovascular exercise
daily.”
In addition, Wohltmann emphasizes the importance of dietary changes. Replace grains and starches with
organic fruits and vegetables (part of the all-out effort he proposes to avoid ingesting pesticides and remove
toxins. Take a quality multi-vitamin to cover what may be missing in your diet as well as a fish oil
supplement, i.e.: Omega 3, to cover heart, skin and brain health.
The omnipresent plastic water bottles are a pet peeve of his. “Plastic leeches into water and accumulates in the
body,” he explains. “Reduce the use of plastic water bottles with a #1 recyclable label. The more flexible the
plastic, the more chemicals it contains.” Rye Personal Training will begin carrying Voss water glass bottles
this year. Wohltmann believes that making these changes inevitably leads to fundamental improvements in
general well being.
Hajna Moss-Fishburne, co-owner with Paul Bruni of
bilancio, believes a healthy lifestyle is all about
balancing family, work and health. Bilancio, which is
Italian for “balance” opened one year ago on Manhattan
Avenue in Purchase. The 7,000 square foot personal
fitness studio draws clients from Rye, Harrison and
Purchase.
Master trainer Moss-Fishburne offers complimentary
personal sessions and works with clients on a wide
range of goals. She, too, believes in the positive
influence of a personal trainer. “If you have the desire,
we’ll give you the motivation,” she says. “After all,
your body is my calling card.”
In addition to a trainer guiding one’s achievements, she
encourages clients to acquire a workout partner who
will help sustain them. “Have someone to answer to,
someone who will hold you accountable. You should
understand the same goals and encourage each other.”
Moss-Fishburne proposes eating smaller portions six times a day, rather than the traditional three meals. She
cautions, “Don’t wait for your body to be so ravenous that you make a poor choice and gobble it up too
quickly to realize you’re full.” She also stresses the importance of drinking water to wash out all the toxins
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How to Turn Fitness Resolutions into Long-Term Results
and eating green vegetables and dark berries with antioxidants.
Taking small steps regarding both exercise and diet is a sensible solution at the beginning. “Begin doing ten
minutes of cardio and increasing it each time. Getting the heart rate up is the goal, whether you’re vacuuming
or going up stairs. Eventually, you will be able to do 30-45 minutes of cardio three times a week.”
Strength training with free weights or machines is also important and helps burn more calories. “You continue
burning calories even when you’re finished, while the body repairs itself,” she explains. “Also, never
drastically remove food. Do it gradually and in moderation so that eventually you will substitute an apple for a
slice of chocolate cake.”
The director of health and performance coaching
at Altheus on Clinton Avenue in Rye, Brian
Sutton, is another believer in the benefits of
seeking out professionals. Although his health and
sports center started offering the option of selfguided training this year, nearly all of Altheus’
clients work one-on-one with a personal trainer.
“By enlisting the guidance of a certified, educated
personal trainer and paying for it, it is more likely
that people will stick to it,” said Sutton.
He recommends that clients book sessions a month in advance and mark them on their calendars in order to
allow them to put fitness above everything else. “On the fly doesn’t work,” he says. “It has to become a
priority.” He also believes in hiring a registered nutritionist, who can provide accurate information. “We are
inundated with so-called quick fixes. Low carb diets are not the way to go, especially if you want to maintain
high energy levels for working out,” says Sutton. “If carb levels are depleted, you’re not going to hit your
mark.”
Sutton suggests setting very specific goals in establishing a fitness routine. “Set your sights on running a 5K,
hiking in the mountains or playing for a company softball team. Now you’ll have to work towards those goals
by exercising three times a week and monitoring strength training.”
He encourages anyone who is serious about getting into shape to approach weight loss, toning and
cardiovascular fitness the same way that athletes generally do, utilizing the same higher-level concepts.
Keeping a journal, for instance, is essential. “Exercise is a science and a professional trainer understands the
program and should document everything.” Proper documentation and periodic reassessments, every six to
eight weeks, are necessary for checking progress and updating programs. “When you see the percentage of
body fat decreasing, you see the hard work is worth it and it helps people stick to the program more readily,”
says Sutton.
Tim Hanway, personal trainer and nutrition consultant at the
Rye YMCA, also espouses the value of combining exercise with
dietary changes. About a program the Y offers in conjunction
with Lifestyle Management Associates, he explains, “We bridge
the gap between the realms of fitness and nutrition. We’re
constantly bombarded with the latest fad diets and pills, so we try
to separate fact from fiction. When people gain an understanding
of human metabolism and physiology, they can benefit much
more.”
Understanding the whole concept of delayed gratification is vital
to any attempt at getting into shape, notes Hanway. “It’s going to
take effort and time, so be patient, put in the work, stick with it
and you’ll get results.” Moreover, he advises not obsessing about
the number on the scale. After all, muscle weighs more than fat.
“If you feel great and you look great, it doesn’t matter what the
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How to Turn Fitness Resolutions into Long-Term Results
scale says. A beach ball and a baseball weigh the same amount.”
The SMART acronym is what Hanway suggests everyone employ in order to devise a solid game plan. It
stands for the importance of Specific goals; Measuring progress; Agreeing and seeing eye to eye with one’s
trainer; Realistic objectives; Timetable to keep one on schedule.
He, too, stands behind the value of keeping a fitness journal. “So much time is wasted meandering around in
the gym. If you plan your sessions in advance and record your workouts, you will save time,” he says. “You
will also remain consistent, improve your focus and maximize the efficiency of the workout.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, Hanway is an advocate of personal trainers who find ways to make fitness more
interesting and more fun with innovative exercises that might compel clients to stick with a program longer.
He adds, “It’s a little more of an investment, but at the end of the day, it’s your health we’re talking about.”
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