“Janet,” like many Americans, decided to “get healthy” this year. Like many Americans, a visit with her doctor resulted in her making the decision to pay more attention to her wellness. She saw the signs herself. She had low energy, felt “stiff,” and had no motivation to exercise, or to eat healthily. There was always something getting in the way of her health...a meeting, a kid appointment, a parent’s needs. Frankly, Janet had no “anchor” for her health. There was not a place or a feeling anchoring her to a lifestyle of health, which is so important to lead a wellness-minded lifestyle.Janet decided to follow her doctor’s diet plan because it scared her to think what would happen if she didn’t start now.Like many Americans, Janet made progress at the beginning. She starts a new Zumba class twice a week. About a month in, Janet’s boundaries with friends and family members cracked and she falls back into some of the same old habits she worked SO hard to break in the first four to five weeks of her new exercise and diet plan.Five weeks in…Unfortunately, when most Americans “diet” or make a change to their lifestyle, it lasts around five weeks. And, you, too, may be familiar with this phenomenon, which is very common: get healthy, feel good, a event or circumstance happens and BOOOOOOOM you are back to feeling like you need to start all over again.So what will really help Janet, and you, and millions of Americans, make the change for good? Finding your anchor in these crucial and rewarding strategies. They will put “Janet” -- and you -- in the perfect position for success. 

1. Seek social support.

Find a group of people who will join you on your journey for wellness. It can be a friend or a family member or a new coach (like me!). Someone who has your best interests in mind is key and someone who holds you accountable is vital. Social support increases self-esteem, reduces stress, and can be the difference between a successful wellness and fitness plan and one that falls short. 

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2. Embrace the science of habit change.

The days of willpower and discipline are over. Enter what we now know is the science of habit change and how you can increase the number of healthy habits you employ and drastically decrease the number of habits that are not contributing to you wellness, aka “bad habits.” The trick: replace habits that detract from your wellness with those that do. Replace the habit of pressing the snooze button with a habit of getting up immediately and spoil yourself with you time. Double win: you get in your self-care and you eliminate that extra sleep that isn't beneficial anyway since it isn’t enough time to get into the deep sleep we actually need. 

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3. Fix your stress.

Stress not only can cause illness, disease, and even death, it also puts pounds on us, and right where we want it least: the belly and the bootie. Stress is what is behind so many of our food choices and lack of sleep, and it gets in the way of being “present” and living a mindful and full life. 

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4. Get a goodnight's sleep.

When you get ample and quality sleep, your body thrives and can take on everything you ask from it for the day. During sleep, your body grows, re-charges, burns fat, and makes a perfect environment for a productive and contented life. When we do not, our bodies are “starving” for sleep and are not able to function and limit our contributions to this world. 

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Anchor yourself. Find ways to ground and tether yourself to positive strategies that last! And, contact me at www.fitnessontherun.net/concierge to learn more about my super-successful concierge program with packages as low as $99/month! You, too, can achieve your wellness goals. They are within reach!