A New You in the New Year

by Tracy Hernandez and Francie Habash

Improving personal health and well-being is a common goal for the New Year, but resolutions often fade without a plan. How will you stick to your fitness goals? What strategies will you apply? And how will you track your progress?

Galter LifeCenter and Swedish Covenant Hospital can help you address these questions and achieve your health and wellness objectives this year, and for a lifetime. Here are some tips to get you started:

Create a plan: Recognize the obstacles and plan for them. If you skip a workout, think about how you will feel about it tomorrow.

Be realistic: In an ideal world, how much would you exercise in a week? How much time do you realistically think you will have for exercise this week? Often times we start off aggres­sive and get overwhelmed, which leaves us less successful in the end. Aim for three to five three-month goals and two to four weekly goals.

Stay Motivated: Why do you want to get fit and what is most likely to get in the way? When you skip a workout, think about what you did instead—and why, at the time, it seemed like the right decision.

Find a friend: Workout with a buddy. Having someone to keep you accountable can help you stay on track. Galter LifeCenter can pair you with someone during our Workout Partner Meet & Greet class, or ask a Fitness Specialist for help.

Stick with it: Once the January motivation starts to fade, sign up for our Biggest Mover Chal­lenge. This program will keep you coming and motivated through February and March. Three months into the New Year and you should see a new you!

Overcoming obstacles

Common health concerns including knee or back pain and poor muscle tone can slow down your fitness progress. Here are some ways you can use our services to address chronic pain, overcome obstacles, and achieve balance and succeed in your unique goals:

• Set up your annual checkup with a one of Swedish Covenant Hospital’s primary care physicians and have your blood pressure and cholesterol checked
• Try a strength training program like Boot Camp, Athletic Group Training or HIIT-IT
• Talk to a registered dietitian about your diet
• Sign up for a massage or Watsu aquatic therapy session and relax
• Address snoring or sleep apnea concerns by visiting Swedish Covenant Hospital’s Sleep Lab
• Visit the Chicago Back Institute, where a team of skilled neurosurgeons can help you find the cause of your pain and determine the best way to treat it
• Meet with a personal trainer to help strengthen and stretch your core, or check out our new Group Core program
• Visit with an orthopedic surgeon for knee, hip or sports related injuries
• Make an appointment with one of our acupuncturists
• Take an arthritis fitness class if you suffer from arthritis
• Reduce stress, improve posture and increase strength with a yoga or Pilates class.