Its that time again, the end of one year and the start of a new.  New Year's is a natural milestone that prompts us to reflect, to plan and to aspire.  If you're like the majority of lifestyle resolution makers, you started last year with the best of intentions  to "lose weight" , "eat healthier" or "exercise more" but now find the results fall short of your aspirations.  Surveys have indicated that over 50% of us make resolutions but only 10% keep them in part because the resolutions themselves weren't well thought out.

The first step to keeping your New Year's resolution is to set SMART goals.

The acronym SMART stands for: Read more →

Me & My Sis on the Canal, Rehoboth Beach, DE

Whether traveling for business or pleasure, trying to maintain a fitness routine can be a challenge.  It throws you off your routine, your schedule is often extra hectic, and you may not have access to the same equipment or classes you're used to.

Instead of getting frustrated or foregoing exercise, take this as an opportunity to mix it up and infuse different types of exercise.  Our bodies hit plateaus where we experience diminishing returns from our fitness routines.  We get to a level or stasis, or maintenance.  Adding variety to the  types of motion and intensity levels of exercise that you do spices things up for your muscles, so to speak, and can amp up your results.  Change also helps combat workout burnout & boredom. In exercise as in life,  change is good!

Try a body weight workout of classic boot camp cardio and body toning exercises right in your room.  In 20 minutes you can get a heart thumping, muscle burning workout with no equipment.  Some hotels  offer workout clothing, like the Westin gear lending program, portable resistance props such as resistance tubing and even in room workout videos through their TV and online media channels.   Likewise, in room stretching, body sculpting, Pilates or yoga classes are a great way to fit exercise around your travel schedule when its convenient for you.

Make exercise part of your travel.  Explore the area on foot, bike or kayak.  A great way to do some sightseeing and incorporate exercise is to ride a bike.  You get a more intimate view of the region, can stop and explore sights all while getting some good cardio.

Many cities around the world have bike share programs where you can pick up and drop off bikes at key locations around the city.  I've used these in Washington DC, Boston and Paris and now my hometown, New York City,  has implemented CitiBikes with convenient sites at attractions all over the city.

If you're near water, try renting a canoe or kayak.  Its a great upper body workout as well as a fun way to explore urban and rural waterways.

And remember, it doesn't require a mountain to have a great hike.  Urban hikes can be as engaging, vigorous and fun as climbing a mountain, its just different scenery.

To keep fit when on the road, think out of the box.

Variety is the spice of life!

Short is in! Short workouts that is. Ten minutes, even as few as 1-2 minutes of physical activity yields significant health benefits! Experts generally recommend that adults get at least 75-150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity. However, studies show that doing so in short intervals of 10 minutes or so can be equally as effective as fewer long workouts.

In fact, some research shows that doing shorter but more consistent workouts can yield dramatic results. Given that the number one road block to getting exercise is TIME, this is awesome news.

Long workouts, like long business meetings, can be boring, intimidating and lead us to distraction such that we’re not giving our best to the task. So, again like with business meetings, short and focused bouts of exercise can be a more effective approach! It may be challenging to find the time and motivation for a 30-60 minute cardio workout, but doing 2-3 activities for 10-15 minutes each throughout the day is far more convenient, can have equal or greater effect and is less mentally intimidating!

“Ten minutes of physical activity here and 10 minutes here really does add up. Seeking out those opportunities to be active truly makes a difference in your health” says Brad Cardinal, co director of the sport and exercise physiology program at Oregon State and co-author of a study comparing the effects of short vs long duration exercise. The bottom line is that whether you exercise for 1 minute, 10 minutes or an hour, getting some exercise is better than none, and the effects of short duration bouts of exercise are additive. Woo Hoo!

"Got A Minute For Your Health" 1 Minute Workout VIdeos

And even shorter exercise bouts are effective too. You may be amazed at what a great workout you can get over the course of a day by doing periodic 1-2 minute exercises right at your desk at work. A few desk push-ups in the AM, 15 chair squats before lunch and some calf raises in the afternoon can strengthen and tone your muscles with virtually no interruption in your day. Prolonged sitting is bad for your back, hip flexors and blood flow. Its important to get up and move around for a minute or 2 every 1-2 hours during the work day.

10 Minute Cardio Boot Camp Workout

For a more thorough workout, try 10-15 minute high intensity (or moderate depending on your physical condition) exercise routines like cardio boot campsthat use fast paced body weight exercises.   I did some burpees and squat jumping jacks in Central Park today and my heart was pumping! These short bursts of exercise get your heart rate going, burn fat and tone your muscles, and it may be intense but its over quick!

Summary of Benefits of Short Duration Exercise:

• Tone & Strengthen Muscles
• Stretch & Alleviate Tight Muscles
• Increase Blood Flow
• Reduce Stress
• Increase Energy and Focus
• Burn Fat
• Time Management
• Adherence (less skipped workouts)

And don’t forget activities like a brisk walk of the dog, yard work, walking or cycling to work all count towards getting that 30 minutes of cardio work per day!

Got a few minutes for your health?

   Whether your new to exercise or a fitness devotee, as little as 1 minute of movement can make a difference in how you feel.

Most of us spend a good part of the day sitting at a desk.  Prolonged sitting however can compromise circulation, cause postural problems and result in low back and other pain.

Getting up and moving throughout the day is a great way to combat the effects of prolonged sitting,  energize your body and mind and tone your muscles. CoreFitnessByJana's new Got A Minute For Your Health 1-2 minute in office video series makes it easy to get up and move!

We all have to start somewhere... its just one minute.

For other tips on improving your health in a minute or less:

Healthier You in 60 Seconds

As the CoreFitnessByJana mantra says:

Time is precious but so is your body.

Most of us think of working out as a significant time commitment.  And, lack of time is one of the most common reasons people give for not incorporating exercise into their lives.

Recent research shows however that shorter but more intense cardio workouts can be more effective for weight loss and battling metabolic disease.

Jeff Behar of My Best Health Portal provides great detail about the how and why of short intense workouts for combating metabolic syndrome.

While long duration cardio work is essential for endurance athletes,  for those participating in sports such as tennis, golf, biking, skiing, basketball and other activities, as well as those just trying to maintain their figures, 30, 20 and even 10-15 minute high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts can be more effective.

Intense bursts of exercise followed by active recovery activate fast twitch muscle fibers and better replicate the physical requirements on our bodies during sports like tennis & other racquet sports, basketball and even some hiking and biking.  In addition, high intensity short duration cardio can enhance muscle growth while burning more energy from carbs and fat whereas endurance training can actually atrophy and diminish the effectiveness of fast twitch muscles.

Beyond the metabolic and sports conditioning benefits, we're more likely to find or make the time for a shorter workout and to stick with it because 20 minutes is a lot less daunting than doing cardio for an hour!

So don't let lack of time hold you back from being the fit person you want to be. Only takes 20 minutes or less for a fitter, healthier you!

See the hour glass as half full!

Coming Soon:  We just filmed new Cardio Boot Camp, Ski Conditioning, and Tabata workout videos.  Look for these to be added to our CoreFitnessByJana.com online fitness video library this winter!

Happy to announce that we're launching Corporate Health & Wellness Fitness programs for small and mid size businesses.

I believe CoreFitnessByJana is uniquely qualified to deliver cost effective and accessible fitness solutions to space and budget constrained small businesses.  Because all CoreFitnessByJana workouts, whether online videos, in person group fitness classes or personal training, require little space or equipment they can be done virtually anywhere and anytime.

There is no need for an expensive in-house or local facility.  Our online video workouts accommodate work at home, remote and traveling employees as well as those in-office.  For businesses in NYC area, we're also offering on-site small group classes and training and employee discounts to Jana's local classes and private personal training.

The arguments for corporations of any size to implement health and wellness programs are very compelling:

Per recent study by American Journal of Health Prevention, wellness programs return $5 in savings for every $1 spent.  That's a hefty ROI!  In addition:

• Absenteeism reduced 27%
• Health Costs reduced 26%
• Workers Comp & Disability claims reduced 32%

And other studies indicate improved employee morale and retention.

Health insurance costs for employers and individuals are climbing.  Days of productivity lost to illnesses (obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease) that could be avoided or managed with healthier lifestyle choices are skyrocketing.  While getting fit and making positive lifestyle choices is ultimately the individual's responsibility, businesses have a huge stake in the game and are major influencers of behavior. In a study conducted by Virgin HealthMiles, 75% of employees surveyed said they would be more apt to adopt healthful lifestyle behaviors if their colleagues did as well, while 60% indicated they would adopt such behaviors if company executives were leading by example.