Realistic Exercise and Diet Resolutions for 2014

Ever made a New Years Resolution you did not keep because it was not realistic?

Here are some handy tips for keeping your diet and exercise New Years Resolutions!

#1. Make a schedule, write it down, place it somewhere you will see daily and stick to it.

#2. Make a list of realistic resolutions like the following:

Go for a walk every day for 1 hour.

Stop buying sugary drinks.

Drink green tea every day.

Take the dog for a walk twice per day.

Clean the house every Sunday morning. (Cleaning counts as exercise.)

Go to the swimming pool every Saturday as a family.

#3. The more resolutions you make, and the more realistic those resolutions are, the more likely you are to make real changes in your life. For that reason it is best to make a long list of resolutions and put the most effort into the most realistic resolutions first.

#4. Read lists of New Years Resolutions and see which ones you can do that would be realistic.

Below are some older articles about making resolutions from Cardio Trek to read:

12 Exercise New Years Resolutions

12 New Years Resolutions for the Health Conscious!

New Years Resolutions for 2013

13 Diet and Exercise Resolutions for 2013

13 New Years Resolutions for a Beach Perfect Body

Fitness Trends for 2013

Have you given up on your New Years Resolutions yet?

12 Valentines Resolutions

#5. Recognize how to determine which resolutions are unrealistic. eg. "I will exercise for an hour every day." is unrealistic because you aren't scheduling a specific time and you will probably forget easily, get distracted easily and then not do it.

#6. Remember there is no time like the present. Start exercising today. Right now is even better.

#7. Reward yourself with healthy food that is delicious.

#8. Take up sports that require very little equipment investment - buy the equipment and then schedule the time to do it. eg. Boxing Lessons, Archery Lessons, Swimming Lessons, Ice Skating Lessons.

#9. Don't let your age effect your choices of which sports you want to do. Let your physical health condition be the deciding factor. So if your doctor says you should not be doing hard cardio activities like marathon running then that should be the deciding factor. Don't make your age an excuse. Consult your doctor instead and find a realistic sport you can physically do.

#10. Pick activities and alternative activities you can do regardless of the weather. For example that way if you cannot do archery because it is raining outside then you can spend the day at an indoor tennis court and practice your backswing instead.

#11. Involve your loved ones. Take the husband, the wife, the kids, your siblings, your parents with you to do physical activities. If other people are part of your exercise schedule then they will remind you "Hey it is Sunday, time to go swimming!" A weekly family trip to the swimming pool or similar place will be fun and exercise for the whole family.

#12. Hire a personal trainer (like me!) to help get you started on the right foot.

DON'T MAKE RESOLUTIONS BASED ON HOPES AND DREAMS, MAKE CHANGES THAT ARE REALISTIC.

January Weight Loss Motivational Quotes

Oprah Winfrey is a weight loss icon for millions of women in North America. For 25 years her weight loss journey was the talk of significant media buzz - especially when it came to regaining weight on her sometimes roller coaster ups and downs.

This is a problem many people (not just women) deal with. What it makes you realize over time is that fad diets are temporary and that it requires a lifestyle change to make permanent changes that stay with you. You can do it! You might lose battles, but it doesn't mean you lost the war. Never give up and you will succeed by making changes in your lifestyle.

"I finally realized that being grateful to my body was key to giving more love to myself." - Oprah Winfrey.

"The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you're willing to work." - Oprah Winfrey.

"If you neglect to recharge a battery, it dies. And if you run full speed ahead without stopping for water, you lose momentum to finish the race." - Oprah Winfrey.

"Getting my lifelong weight struggle under control has come from a process of treating myself as well as I treat others in every way." - Oprah Winfrey.

"There is no easy way out. If there were, I would have bought it. And believe me, it would be one of my favorite things!" - Oprah Winfrey.

"It is confidence in our bodies, minds and spirits that allows us to keep looking for new adventures, new directions to grow in, and lessons to learn -- which is what life is all about." - Oprah Winfrey.

"In every aspect of our lives we are always asking ourselves, "How am I of value? What is my worth?" Yet, I believe that worthiness is our birthright." - Oprah Winfrey.

"Partake in some of life's sweet pleasures. And yes, get comfortable with yourself." - Oprah Winfrey.

"With every experience you alone are painting your own canvas -- thought by thought, choice by choice." - Oprah Winfrey.

"Use what you have to run towards your best; that's how I now live my life." - Oprah Winfrey.

"Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you're going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal and by maintaining focus." - Oprah Winfrey.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM CARDIOTREK!

Hello Toronto! Happy New Year!

All the best in 2014 from Cardio Trek!

Toronto Archery Lessons as a Xmas Gift

This Christmas a lot of people have pre-ordered archery lessons for Spring 2014 and Summer 2014 for their friends, girlfriends/boyfriends, wives/husbands, children, nieces/nephews.

While the reason for the sudden bump in archery lessons is likely due to the 2nd Hunger Games film I have to also wonder if it is because Canadians are also taking a stronger interest in sports education and health education.

With decades of school cutbacks to physical education programs in schools, reduced numbers of children taking part in team sports like hockey, soccer, baseball - and Canada's dramatically increased obesity rate since the 1990s - it is therefore quite interesting to see the sudden surge of interest in a non-team sport like archery.

Not since the 1950s has archery seen such a surge in popularity - and that was largely the work of great archers like Howard Hill and Fred Bear who made numerous films promoting the sport of archery.

Many of films made by Howard Hill and Fred Bear can still be watched on YouTube. The clip below for example focuses on Fred Bear's career of making hunting films - I know hunting is not for everyone - but it gives you an insight into the type of things Howard Hill and Fred Bear were doing back in the 1950s.


But there are also Hollywood films from the 1950s starring actors like Burt Lancaster in films like "The Flame and the Arrow" and similar films with a heavy theme of archery.

Archery clubs in the 1950s were a big thing - they were social gatherings, places to meet people and hang out while doing an activity that everyone shared. It is much the same now too, as new archery clubs are springing up all over North America - and also locally here in Toronto.

Including the recently created (December 2013) archery group on Facebook, The Canadian Toxophilite Society. A toxophilite is an archery aficionado.

During the 1950s the renewed interest in archery lasted until the 1970s.

So evidently archery is going to be enjoying renewed popularity for decades to come - thus people who are new to the sport of archery will likely be part of the renewed interest in archery until 2030 - or even a lifelong commitment to the sport.

Speaking for myself I first tried archery in 1989 and I have loved it ever since.

Ice Storm Exercises in Toronto

Hello fellow Torontonians!

Wow that was quite the ice storm last night. Here is some exercise and safety tips for things for you to do today!!! Stay safe and don't drive today.

#1. Clear the ice off your car.

#2. Clear the ice off your driveway.

#3. Clear the broken ice covered branches off your lawn and streets near your home.

#4. Avoid downed power lines. Leave those to repair crews.

#5. Watch out for falling ice. Avoid walking under large trees that have lots of ice covered branches on them that are creaking under the weight.

#6. Walk to the local hardware store for supplies. Don't drive! The roads are too icy!

#7. Walk to the homes of elderly neighbours and see if they need anything. Be helpful!

#8. Clear the sidewalk of ice.

#9. Take the dog for a walk and take photos of the ice storm wreckage.

#10. Dress with lots of layers with warm gloves, hats and more!