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#NewYearNewMe, where to begin?

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Joan Lunden

Health /

If you made a 2017 New Year's Resolution to exercise but don't know where to start here a little quiz from my #NewYearNewMe special in 1992 on GMA: 

The reason we might not be sticking to a workout routine is because we are expecting ourselves to do something that goes against our individual fitness personality. So the best thing to do is to find your fitness profile to customize a plan that you’ll really live with and really do. 
 
Joined by Dr. james Riffee director of the center for clinical and lifestyle research at tufts university 
 
Here are 2 basic questions from Dr. James Riffee, former Director of the Center for Clinical and Lifestyle Research at Tufts University to help you gauge where you are:
  1. What do you do on a sunday afternoon (what do you prefer to do
    • A: Watch TV
    • B: Light gardening or stroll
    • C: Vigorous workout 
  2. At a hypothetical airport
    • A: Fake an ankle injury
    • B: Take moving sidewalk but walk between them 
    • C: Stride vigorously along the walkway 
Results: 
If you answered A to both questions, you are a couch potato and typically avoid exercise. Challenge yourself over the next month to: 
  • Walk 10 min/day starting today
  • In 2 weeks, walk 12 mins/day
  • By the end of month, walk 14 mins/day
If you answered B to both questions, you have some interest in exercise, making you a dabbler.  Challenge yourself to look for the nooks and crannies in your life where you could be more physically active:
  • Take the stairs more often
  • Find 15 mins to be more physically active starting today
  • In 2 weeks, add 19 mins/day of physical activity
  • By the end of the month, add 23 mins/day, which will put you well on your way to exercising the recommended 30 mins/ day
If you answered C to both questions, you are an exercise enthusiast and you actively look for opportunities to be more physically active. But, working out can play a large role in stress reduction, so the challenge for you is to increase the mental aspect of your work outs, you know... the ol' mind-body connection! 
  • Start today by taking 10 seconds before your workout to visualize yourself being a part of that workout. Engage your mind and pay attention to breathing
  • In 2 weeks, add in 10 seconds at the end of your workout. Take a mental inventory of how you feel 
  • By the end of the month, I bet you will feel refreshed
In order to be successful, take small, manageable steps to improving your health and exercise habits. Exercising is a race that is won by tortuous and not the hare, try not to get down on yourself. Everyone has room to improve in order to live the healthiest they can! 

Check out the whole special below for more tips on nutrition and exercise. (Jump to minute 19 to watch the segment that corresponds with this article.)

Categories: Fitness, Joan's Blog
About The Author
Screen shot 2017 05 15 at 12.21.42 pm

Joan Lunden truly exemplifies today’s modern working woman. An award-winning journalist, bestselling author, motivational speaker, successful entrepreneur, one of America’s most recognized and trusted television personalities, this mom of seven continues to do it all. As host of Good Morning America for nearly two decades, Lunden brought insight to top issues for millions of Americans each day. The longest running host ever on early morning television, Lunden reported from 26 countries, covered 4 presidents and 5 Olympics and kept Americans up to date on how to care for their homes, their families and themselves.

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