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Goals: A healthy lifestyle has no finish line


As a coach, I get many questions on exercise, weight loss, running, etc. All are great questions. However, I find myself asking clients the same question. What is your goal? General health and performance goals share many commonalities.

To meet healthy lifestyle or performance goals, both require the following:
·      Defined goal
·      Nutrition balancing
·      Exercise
·      Consistency

However, there are some key differences between general health goals and performance/sport specific goals.  
·      Goals- Is your goal to “get healthy” What does that mean?  Does it mean lose a few pounds or run a marathon? Be specific. How do you plan to measure your success? This is important. Why? Some people say they want to “get healthy” without defining what that means for them. Define what healthy means for you. Write it down. If it is to lose one pound per week, then start tracking your nutritional intake with a food journal or app. Write down not only how much you eat, but when you eat and why you are eating. This can help you meet your goal.  If your goal is to run a marathon, get a plan and log in your miles. Log in the time, distance, how you felt and what you ate.  This will help create a plan that works for you.   
·      Nutrition- Nutrition matters no matter if you are trying to lower your blood pressure or train for a race. Actually, there are few nutritional intake differences between an average person training for a 5 k- 10k and someone who simply wants to improve their general health and wellness. Both require a mix of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, adequate water intake and moderate amounts of salt. The current American College of Cardiology (2017) and Eckel et al. (2014) recommend a maximum of 1500 mg of sodium intake for general heath and to control high blood pressure. Regardless, if one wants to improve his or her health or exercises to complete an event, it is important to monitor caloric and sodium intake.
·      Exercise-Exercising for general health and performance have some key differences. According to the American Heart Association (2016), adults are encouraged to exercise moderately for 150 minutes per week or 75 minutes vigorously per week.  This averages to approximately 30 minutes per day. This is doable. Many believe they must run for hours to improve their health. Actually, that is not so. Small changes can make a big difference. When exercising for general health, mix it up. Incorporate cardiovascular exercises, stretching, strength training, flexibility and agility workouts. Make it fun. Try yoga one day and Zumba the next. Think Thirty.   Get in that 30 -45minutes per day.  Exercising for performance is different. It requires specific training. Individuals training for a sport need to focus on a specific exercise to meet their goal.  Can exercising for performance also meet your health goals? Absolutely. However, one does NOT need to train for a marathon to be considered healthy. More is not always better. The key is that one defines his or her goals and exercise accordingly.
·      Consistency- Regardless of your goals, consistency is key. Set a date to start and then implement your plan daily. Do you think about brushing your teeth each morning? Probably not. Why? Because it is a habit.  Consistency helps develop healthy habits.

As the old year slowly comes to an end, think about what were your goals this year. Did you accomplish them? If you did, reflect on what worked for you. However, if you did not meet your goal, think about what obstacles hindered your from meeting your goals. Was your goal specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-sensitive (SMART)? Today is a great time to reassess and address this past year’s accomplishments.  Let’s prepare for next year now. Don’t wait to be great.


It’s all about the journey,

Coach Stacy

References

American College of Cardiology. (2017, November 13). New ACC/AHA high blood pressure guidelines lower definition of hypertension. Retrieved from https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2017/11/08/11/47/mon-5pm-bp-guideline-aha-2017

American Heart Association. (2016, July 27). American heart association recommendation for physical activity in adults. Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/PhysicalActivity/FitnessBasics/American-Heart-Association-Recommendations-for-Physical-Activity-in-Adults_UCM_307976_Article.jsp#

Eckel, R.H., Jakicic, J.M., Ard, J.D., Jesus, J.M., Miller, N.H., Hubbard, M., Lichenstein, A.H., Loria, C.M., Millen, B.E., Nonas, C.A., Sacks, F.M., Smith, S.C, Svetkey, L.P., Wadden, T.A., & Yanoski, S.Z. (2014). 2013 AHA/ACC guideline on lifestyle management to reduce cardiovascular risk. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 63(25). doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2013.11.003



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