Let’s Get Started,  an Invitation to Get Moving
Andrea Brown, Vice President of Health and Wellness

The most popular time of year for health clubs and YMCAs, January brings the winding of a new clock for a new year. What goals did we accomplish last year? Which ones still sit on the table unclaimed? Reassess and reestablish. When it comes to spirit, mind and body wellness, our goals can be equal parts accomplished and unattained. Did you have wellness goals last year? How did you fare? 

Maybe you are recovering from illness or injury, recently cleared for regular exercise after a long period of rehabilitation. Maybe you just asserted power over your own health for the first time. Maybe you were once in admirable shape, but life works its magic with pitfalls and hardships, and you are ready to return to regular exercise. No matter where we currently reside on the wellness continuum, we all could use a hand getting to the next step. Let’s get started, wherever you are.

As Nicole Martorella wrote about in her article, “Movement is Medicine,” regular physical exercise is proven to positively impact our mental health much more than we previously understood. We want to keep this in mind as we move forward. It is easy to underestimate how good we will feel just from getting started! Building healthy exercise habits can literally alter our neurology to the betterment of our mental health. 

The Y Wellness My Way - Let’s Get Started curriculum at YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties provides a great starting point for anyone looking to get back on the horse at any time of year, as well as tips for sustaining good habits:

1. Just Start! If you are new to exercise or it’s been a while, start slowly, and build gradually. 
   1. Just Start - take a walk everyday for a minimum of 15 minutes.  Get outside, get fresh air, and get moving!
   2. Pick a time that works for you - Make an appointment for yourself and put it on the same calendar you note all your other appointments. Your appointment with yourself is as important as any other, if not moreso.
   3. Make it easy to keep going - set out (or pack) your work out clothes the night before so you are ready and prepared. 
   4. Set SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound (committed). 
2. Set healthy habits:
   1. The 80/20 rule means you don’t have to be perfect in seeking personal health. It’s easy to see how this can apply to nutrition. If four out of five nutritional choices are healthy, you’re on track!
   2. Drink more water.
   3. Make movement enjoyable and something you look forward to.  You don’t have to listen to a pump-up playlist to exercise effectively.  Listen to something that fulfills you.  A podcast, an audiobook, a favorite artist, or get lost in the quiet and sounds of nature around you.  Find exercise you truly enjoy doing.
3. Start each day in a positive way: How you begin your day can make your day, or break your day. Your attitude and your actions have a strong effect on your whole day. Begin with a smile, a calmness of mind and a heart filled with gratitude. 
4. Reward yourself!
   1. Treat yourself to a reward for your accomplishments in a positive, pro-healthy way. Maybe it’s a nice meal out at a restaurant, an adult beverage (21+), something you’ve been putting off buying for yourself. Whatever it is, it is best if your reward doesn’t undo the progress you’ve made!

Y Wellness My Way can be found in our branches and online at Y Wellness 24/7. Not ready to come work out in person? Busy schedule and looking for a way to get started at home but with a little guidance? Y Wellness 24/7 is an online wellness platform that welcomes new users tons of opportunity to get started, keep going and accomplish all your wellness goals, including two Y Wellness My Way Playlists (Y Wellness My Way Playlist #1, Y Wellness My Way Playlist #2). Y Wellness 24/7 is free with YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon County membership, and many other YMCAs offer it as well. Don’t already have an account? Register HERE.  

You don't have to go it alone. These pointers are just a tip of the Y Wellness My Way iceberg. Y Wellness My Way - Let's Get Started, is a personalized, four-week wellness program that helps to keep you accountable while connecting you with others. With the support of fitness professionals, you can learn how to set and reach your goals over a four-week period. Let’s get moving!

About the Author

Andrea Brown is Vice President of Health and Wellness for YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties. Andrea earned a BA in Marketing from The College of New Jersey in 2004 and has over ten years of experience in the health and wellness industry as an American Council on Exercise Certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor and holds a number of specialty certifications including Functional Training, Fitness Nutrition, Precision Nutrition Level 1 Nutrition Coach.  Andrea has served the YMCA community since 2012.