Many Fenton-Area Residents Usher in New Year with Fitness Resolutions

Like many area residents, Chelsea Zalewski, of Fenton, has made a resolution to spend more time exercising in 2012. She’s been going to in Fenton for about three months, and she wants to jump back into her exercise routine after the holidays, Zalewski said.

A 2008 graduate, Zalewski keeps pretty busy, between college and work. She attends Saginaw Valley State University full-time, as an education major.

Research shows after six months, fewer than half of those who made a New Year’s resolution have “stuck with it,” according to Psychology Today.com. After a year, that number has dropped to around 10 percent.

So, how can people with a New Year’s resolution keep on track?

It helps to not make exercising a chore, she said. She enjoys the treadmill, and “silly, goofy exercises Aaron (Ford, owner of Anytime Fitness in Fenton) comes up with when we train.”

One of these exercises is swinging a 50-foot, 40-pound rope like a jump rope. After a workout with the rope, Zalewski raises her arms to stretch.

The key is muscle confusion — challenging the muscles in different ways, Ford said. “Without diversity, you won’t achieve your goals.”

Weight loss is a top New Year’s resolution that he hears about, Ford said. This year, though, it seems like people are more educated and more worried about their health. They are concerned about preventing Type II diabetes, and several have come in to improve fibromyalgia pain symptoms.

Whatever the reason for a fitness resolution, “90 percent of it is showing up,” Ford said. Once someone shows up at Anytime Fitness, he works with them until they are comfortable and understand how to get their heart rate under control. This usually takes two to three visits, he said.

Melissa Reyes, a mother of four from Linden who just joined Anytime Fitness, has lost most of the weight she wants to — 115 pounds, as of Tuesday, she said. With a few pounds to go, her goal is to tone her muscles.

Reyes doesn’t believe in resolutions, “but I do believe in creating my life,” she said. When she sets a goal for a year, she works backward and breaks it down by month, week and day. Then she knows what she needs to do each day to achieve the goal. It's about baby steps, dreaming big and never giving up, Reyes said.

A wellness coach, Reyes has won five weight loss challenges.

“I’m very competitive, but against myself. And that’s how it should be,” she said.
For a healthy lifestyle, she focuses on body, mind and spirit and recommends at least 30 minutes of activity three to five times per week. Drinking a lot of water is important, no matter who you are, she said.

And, for 15 minutes in the morning and 15 in the evening, Reyes spends time on something inspirational. Inspiration can come from the Bible, reading quotations or even using Facebook for positive things, she said.

Ben Cox, of CycleFit Multisport in Fenton, also has made resolutions to eat healthier and exercise more. Cox said he would recommend staying realistic when setting a goal, and not trying to do something you know you wouldn’t normally do in your daily routine. If someone lacks motivation or doesn’t enjoy what they’ve resolved to do, it could lead to failure, he believes.

Riding a bicycle can be a good way to get more exercise because a lot of people enjoy it, said Cox, of Fenton. He is one of them, and he finds it easy to get out and pedal when the weather is good and he has time.

“I just like riding my bike,” Cox said.

When making a resolution to bicycle more, he recommends setting up a realistic schedule. This can include biking once or twice a week and increasing it from there.

“Try to set up a schedule when you know you can make it happen,” he said.
Exercisers can add more bicycling as the weather improves.

Exercise and eating advice

Shawn Stevens, of Shaped by Shawn said it’s important to avoid packaged and fast food. Instead, choose low fat, high protein fare such as chicken or fish — along with fresh fruits and vegetables.

And Stevens recommends that people not beat themselves up mentally. “It helps to realize you’re only human,” she said. “Don’t give up because you had one bad meal.”

Exercise should include strength training, cardio and flexibility training, Stevens said. For strength training, people can use traditional dumbbells, weight machines at a gym, or even their own body weight by doing pushups or sit-ups.

“If you do pushups, you’re going to work your muscles,” she said.

For cardio, there are Zumba classes, treadmills and bicycles. Stevens recommends high intensity interval training, which is said to burn fat more efficiently. This combines periods of working harder with periods of exercising less intensely.

“Your are essentially close to your highest capacity, and then you back off,” she said. “You’re really pushing it, instead of a long, steady cardio workout.”

To achieve a fitness resolution, Stevens recommends setting measurable goals, a specific plan and a deadline. For example, someone should set a goal for how many pounds they want to lose, instead of just saying they want to lose weight. And, don’t try to do too much too soon, she advises. It helps to tell others about your resolution, to have friends and family help keep you on track, she said.

Stevens has a 12/12 Transformation Challenge that will begin Jan. 9, 2012. The 12-week challenge will feature prizes for the greatest body fat loss.

The key is losing body fat, more than losing pounds on scale, Stevens said. A past Transformation Challenge participant gained a pound, but lost 2 percent body fat. Measurements and before and after photos show the difference, she said.