Q: It is 2017! People are setting fitness/health resolutions and the new fitness/health trends are all the rage. Below is a list of things to focus on when setting goals and some fitness/health trends to ignore.
A: When setting goals:
- Focus on activity goals: Most people set weight goals: “I want to lose 15 lbs.” Instead focus on realistic activity goals: “I want to strength train twice a week,” or “I want to walk twice a week.”
- Focus on sustainable and long term goals: Rome was not built in a day. Once you have realistic goals, focus on sustaining them. Life has hurdles (sickness, vacation, work, etc), focus on landing on the other side and moving forward.
- Less is more: Realize the power of elimination. If an activity (exercise or non-exercise) is not adding value, remove it.
Fitness/health trends to ignore:
- Super foods: You hear a lot about certain super foods and their recently discovered health benefits. Ignore the hype. Most non-processed, non-preserved, and low fat fruits, vegetable, proteins, and grains will provide health benefits. Focus on eating a wide variety of these foods.
- More is more: More is not more and too much can lead to overuse injuries, fatigue, and burnout. Intense workouts are important, but proper recovery is just as important.
- More technology: Tracking steps/activity is good, but some research has found individuals that track steps/activity actually move less. More research is needed, but focus your efforts on being more active rather than trying to track every activity.
The following websites were used in answering the question:
http://greatist.com/eat/food-trends-we-dont-love-from-201
http://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/a3617025/fitness-trackers-dont-help-you-lose-weight-after-all/
https://journal.thriveglobal.com/amp/p/eeecd343714b?gi=30edc3e16861