We’re already three weeks into the new year and we are seeing that our clients either have great momentum

OR

they’re beginning to feel the effects of creating too many unmanageable goals.  

Perhaps you relate…. Are you experiencing a loss of motivation from jumping in too quickly without a well thought out strategy? Or are you overwhelmed with too many things on your plate? 

Writing your thoughts down has been scientifically proven to help you accomplish your goals.  

So, let’s try something new. Instead of putting too much on your to-do list without creating a plan, and thus causing yourself more stress, let’s W.O.O.P. those habits so you can reach your goals! 

W.O.O.P. comes from German Psychologist Gabriele Oettingen, whose research is based around how people think about the future and the impact it has on their cognition, emotion, and behavior.  

W - Wish:  What is it that you want to accomplish?  What is your goal? (Try to describe in one sentence, we want to be specific.)

Ex. I want to bring a healthy lunch to work.  

O - Outcome:  Envision the outcome.  What is the benefit of this wish that you will experience if you were to accomplish this goal?  (Again, describe one sentence as we are trying to be as specific as possible)

Ex.  I won’t eat unhealthy snacks at work, and it will help me fit better in my jeans.

O - Obstacles:  What might get in your way of completing this wish?  Write down all that apply and choose according to what is realistic.  

Ex.  Laziness.  I don’t have time.  I don’t have any food to prepare.

P - Plans:  What will you do if those obstacles do get in the way?  (A great format to use for this one is an “If….Then” statement.)  

Ex.  Laziness:  If I prepare my lunch ahead of time, then I will avoid getting fast food instead.     

After you take the time to write your wishes down following the W.O.O.P. guidelines, you will either be ready for action or will see that you may need to adjust your wishes.  Sometimes, seeing it on paper allows us to realize that it may be an unrealistic wish at this time. You know what you can handle, so remember to start small. There’s always room later to add on, or take it a step further.  Just remember, that once you have created your plan, the next step is to take action.

Hey Fusers, Happy New Year! We finished off the year strong with a tough, New Year's themed outdoor bootcamp. It was awesome to end the year on a good note with some pretty great people--thanks to everyone who came out!

Many of us have had our fair share of indulgent food, drinks and treats over the last month or two--hopefully you downloaded our Holiday Survival Guide, which provided healthy tips and ideas on how to balance out all the splurging. We're big proponents of taking the time to enjoy special moments with family and friends, and the holidays are a wonderful time to do just that. We hope you all had a wonderful, magical holiday season!

Now it's time to get back on track! This month we're focusing on resetting our metabolisms and burning off those extra holiday indulgences! The best way to do that is with high-intensity interval training, otherwise known as H.I.I.T. This type of training involves repeated timed intervals of high intensity effort followed by timed recovery times. It’s done at 85–100 percent of one’s maximum heart rate rather than at 50–70 percent which is typically done in moderate endurance activity.

Due to the timed rest periods (note: they're not very long), this type of workout gives you a run for your money. There's usually just enough time to catch a couple of breaths, then the timer rings, and you're right back at going full speed. In just 20 minutes, you will likely do much more than most people will do in an hour wandering around the gym from set to set. It's a super effective, time-efficient way to work out. Let's just say H.I.I.T. gets the job done.

While that might be just enough info to get you feeling pumped about H.I.I.T. month, there is an even greater reason why it's so awesome. Interval training produces a great afterburn effect, meaning that after your workout is done, your body's metabolism is still amped up and burning calories. The scientific name for this is exercise post oxygen consumption, otherwise known as EPOC, meaning the amount of oxygen required to restore your body back to homeostasis after exercise (American Council of Exercise). Basically, exercise that consumes more oxygen burns more calories. And if you've ever done a H.I.I.T. workout before, you know a lot of oxygen is being consumed.

Interval training is also great for your heart--it improves both your heart's strength and performance by increasing aerobic performance and improving cardiorespiratory function.  When you workout at this intensity, your heart and lungs are supplying oxygen to your body. As your heart becomes stronger, it does this more efficiently, maximizing the body's oxygen intake levels--and like I mentioned before, greater consumption of oxygen leads to greater calorie burn. Win!

These results sure sound great, don't they, maybe even too good to be true? Well, the benefits are real, as the results have been scientifically studied and proven. So what's the catch? While H.I.I.T. doesn't need to take a lot of time, it is challenging. During your high intensity work intervals, you need to be going all out, 85-100% of your max. heart rate. If you are able to chat with the person next to you about weekend plans or what the kids have going on, you are not working hard enough. Let me repeat--you must bust your ass.

Nothing that gets results is easy, so this month, commit to working really hard during the interval training sets. As always, you will be properly warmed-up in all workouts at Fuse Fitness. You will still be doing strength training. You will still get your core work in. And YOU WILL give it your all during the interval training sets in each workout.

Cheers to a fat-burning start to the year!

Yours in health,

Kristin at Fuse Fitness