Hold on to Your Fitness Resolve
Next time you’re at the fitness center, take a look around. Notice fewer new-year-inspired enthusiasts pedaling bikes, churning treadmills, hoisting dumbbells? Experts report that come February, 80 percent of resolutions slide away like a skater on ice. If you feel your fitness goals slipping out from under you, consider these tips for getting back on track.
Think small
Set realistic, achievable goals. Duh, right? Maybe, but people tend to bite off big chunks of resolutions that they can’t swallow. If you resolved to work out for an hour every day, whack back your ambition to 30 minutes three times a week or whatever you will really do. You can raise the bar later.
Find your sweet spot
Take a look back at the month of January to figure out what worked. Maybe you were more successful at going for a run in the morning than after work. Perhaps fitness classes fit your personality better than solo sessions in the gym. Look for the circumstances that lead to success and plan your physical activity accordingly.
Identify your mojo
Why is it important to you to get fit? Yeah, yeah, you want a svelte figure for the poolside this summer, but search deeper for the why that will keep you committed to getting to the gym, going for a run, showing up to your fitness class. You’ll likely find it at the core of your life’s vision. Is travel an important part of that vision? Do you want to be the parent or grandparent who has the strength and stamina to play with the kids? Perhaps you have a passion for the outdoors that you want to pursue until you’re 92. Think about it.
Pick a plan that works for you
Searching for a way to keep moving? Want to shift gears? Or perhaps you didn’t make a fitness New Year’s Resolution but are inspired to get active. You have a lot of options, choose one you think you’ll enjoy. Here are several.
Train for a Half
There’s nothing like a half-marathon training plan to tie your loyalty to your workouts. (Ever try running 13.1 miles unprepared? It’s not pretty.) Mark your calendar with the St. Luke’s Half Marathon on April 24th. This course starts on a downhill next to William Allen High School, winds through Cedar Beach, travels along Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd for a few (not pretty but pretty flat) miles and takes a scenic tour through a portion of the beautiful Lehigh Parkway before the final push to the finish in J Birney Crum Stadium. You’ll feel like a champion as spectators cheer you across the finish line—that is…if you’ve trained. So get fit, maybe drop a few pounds along the way, and celebrate with our partners in sports medicine at St. Luke’s by running the Lehigh Valley’s premiere spring half marathon.
James Scifers, chair of the department of rehabilitation sciences, will be running (he loves this distance, having completed more than 20 half marathons), and he has developed a beginner and an advanced training plan. E-mail communications associate, Claire Kowalchik at kowalchik@moravian.edu to request the copy that’s right for you.
Aim for a 5K (3.1 miles)
Feel you need to take it down a notch--or several? Then mark your calendar with the second annual Blue and Gray 5K. Billed as Bethlehem’s fastest 5K, the course starts on South Campus, travels along the Monocacy Creek and Lehigh River and takes you back to the finish, also at South Campus. Aim for a PR (personal record). If you would like a training plan, email Sara Steinman at steinmans@moravain.edu.
Take a Class
Working out with friends or making friends with new workout buddies adds a powerful element of accountability, but more important—it’s more fun than going solo. The following classes got underway last week, but you are still welcome to join in.
Yoga
A 50-minute class with flow/movement poses, balance, core work, overall strength and stretching, and ending with restorative/relaxing poses. All fitness levels welcome.
Mondays, 12:00-12:50pm
Location: Dance Studio (ARC)
Circuit Burn Training
30 minutes of total-body toning and cardio followed by ab work and a cool down. This class will focus on high-intensity movements. All fitness levels are welcome.
Mondays, 1:00-1:30pm
Location: Dance Studio (ARC)
REGISTER FOR CIRCUIT BURN TRAINING
Jazzercise
Jazzercise is a total body workout—calorie-burning, cardio-pumping dance moves and muscle work. All fitness levels are welcome.
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:00-12:45pm
Location: Dance Studio (ARC)
Karate/Self-Defense
This class teaches the basic techniques of Tae Kwon Do karate: blocks, punches and kicks. It is an excellent way to develop fitness and flexibility, as well as learn self-defense. Instructor Keith Quelet is a 4th degree black belt instructor with over 40 years of teaching Martial Arts experience.
Wednesdays, 6-7pm
Location: Movement Room (Johnston Hall)
REGISTER FOR KARATE/SELF-DEFENSE
Cardio/Strength
This is an upbeat total-body workout that incorporates aerobic movement with light weights. All fitness levels welcome.
Tuesdays, 12:10-12:50pm
Location: Movement Room (Johnston Hall)