Health

Health Column: A better me for 2015

Maximus Health & Fitness owners Frank Distefano (from left) and Phil Durinck look on as personal trainer Greg Trent tries out one of the new LifeCycle GX spin bikes. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)
Maximus Health & Fitness owners Frank Distefano (from left) and Phil Durinck look on as personal trainer Greg Trent tries out one of the new LifeCycle GX spin bikes in May. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch, file)

So, it’s that time again. The calendar flips to another year and you announce and start to make good on your New Year’s resolution.

Often, that resolution is a commitment to improving one’s health, whether it be quitting smoking, losing a few pounds or watching what you eat.

I’ll be the first to say that my resolutions often lose their luster after the first couple of weeks. But for me, 2015 will be different. I figure if I put my goals in ink, I’ll have no choice but to succeed, right?

So here goes …

No. 1: It’s been quite some time since I have enjoyed a regular workout routine. Years ago, when I was running around as a waitress, I had no problem keeping the bulge at bay. But now, as a writer, it isn’t quite as easy.

And while I have blamed expensive gym memberships and a lack of time as causes, those excuses hold no water when I have a treadmill less than 200 feet from my apartment door.

So I’ve made a promise to myself — not to lose X number of pounds — but instead to work out at least three times a week. It seems like a more realistic goal, making a commitment to something that will get me where I want to be.

As a gift to myself, I purchased a new pair of sneakers for motivation. I will also be planning a vacation, with mandatory bikini time, as an added incentive. I just have to figure out how to fund this little excursion, but I will get there.

No. 2: I tend to stress out a lot. It’s a mixture of wanting to excel at the things I love and being extremely competitive. In the past, I had always thought it helped me to achieve — and in hindsight, it probably has. But now it’s just kind of exhausting.

So, for 2015, I am going to stop sweating the small stuff. While I’m not exactly sure how I am going to do it, I think the one thing that will help me get there is remembering to take some time out for myself and to prioritize.

Whether it’s reading for fun — something I love but haven’t had much time for — or spending more time with friends, I figure it’s got to help. Oh, and bubble baths … those are pretty relaxing, too.

I will, undoubtedly, fall off the wagon at some point, until a friend — or a sarcastic boyfriend — throws this column in my face. But that right there is likely all the motivation I’ll need.

Cheers to a year full of sun, sand and smiles.

Miller_HeadshotGot a health question or column idea? Email Carrie Miller at [email protected].