New Year’s Resolutions That Are Bad for You

karate classes in raleighIt’s the new year. The ball has dropped and people all over the world have made their new year’s resolutions. These desires to make positive changes happen every January, and these resolutions deal with everything from love, to finances, to getting healthy, and more. It’s important to recommit yourself every year to making positive lifestyle changes, however some resolutions can actually be bad for you.

Today we’re going to talk about a few new year’s resolutions you should either avoid or rethink as they could do more harm than good. Let’s make 2016 your healthiest year yet by following these tips. If taking karate classes in Raleigh NC is one of your resolutions, how about trying something different? Gracie Raleigh offers the best in MMA, BJJ, muay thai, and more. Call us today to learn about our free classes.

Avoid These Resolutions

Over Exercising – No Real Schedule or Routine

Getting more exercise is probably at the top of everyone’s list and when you visit the gym during those first few weeks of January, you’ll find it packed to capacity with what we call “gym tourists.” Since lots of people want to lose weight, it’s really no surprise. If you’re one of the many that has made this your top priority, go about exercising the right way and do not overdo it. Set a regular schedule for exercising.

We get it, you want to start out strong, but you also should resist the urge to put in too many exercising hours each week. Too much exercise can be bad for you. Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, a nutritionist in Hamburg, New Jersey, is a weight loss expert. She says that “If your resolution is to increase your fitness level, do so gradually,” and that “Starting a strenuous fitness routine out of the blue can lead to excessive muscle soreness and even injury (and can be taxing on your health if you have any medical conditions).” So be sure to take some days off in between your workouts to give your body time to heal and recover.

You should also make your exercise goals smaller and more achievable. This is a strategy to keep you engaged with your goals and motivated to continue working harder. For instance, the coauthor of TurboCharged, Tom Griesel, recommends setting a New Year’s resolution to exercise 104 times over the entire year. This equates to only working out twice per week, which is a manageable goal that anyone should be able to accomplish. This will also allow you to make a flexible schedule that you can work with.

Having a routine schedule will keep you on target to keep your health goals a priority. You could schedule time before or after work, on your lunch break, or even on the weekends. The key is sticking to your schedule, getting your days in and not throwing in the towel. After a while, your body will be ready for more challenging exercises and you can move up to three or four days a week.

Quitting All of Your Bad Habits “Cold Turkey”

karate classes in raleighEveryone has bad health habits. Smoking, drinking too much alcohol, soda or coffee addiction, and eating too much junk food are just a few examples of bad habits that people vow to kick as part of their New Year’s resolutions. However, quitting all of your bad habits in a “cold turkey” fashion can actually backfire on you. Depriving yourself of all of your vices at once can actually lead a person to give in to their cravings more often.

Angeles Burke is an Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (A.F.A.A.) certified group fitness instructor, International Federation of Bodybuilding (IFBB) Bikini Pro Athlete training with IFBB Pro Shannon Dey’s Bombshell Fitness. She is also the Director of Fitness & Wellness at Celsius. She recommends “trying to phase or wean yourself off of your habit in order to form new, healthier habits,” and that “Finding healthier alternatives sets you up for success rather than immediately breaking the resolution by falling back on your old habits when times get too difficult.” As an example, start out by replacing one of you coveted sodas each day with some flavored seltzer water, or by eating air-popped popcorn or flavored rice cakes instead of a bag of chips.

Stock Up on Processed Diet Foods

Changing eating habits to a healthier diet is also a very popular resolution. However, if you’re going to overhaul your diet you should go about it the right way and avoid buying too much packaged, low-calorie diet food. This might seem like a shortcut to losing weight, but heavily processed foods are usually also packed with sugar and other artificial ingredients. Try not to go overboard with the energy bars, protein shakes, or other store bought diet foods.

What you should do is stock up on foods that are naturally low in calories. These include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fish, and lean proteins. These food options will give your body the nutritional elements it needs while also helping you keep your calories in check. An easy goal is to challenge yourself to try a new vegetable dish or produce item every week. It can be as simple as trying a new type of leafy green for your salads, or an exotic fruit that you’ve been curious about. The bottomline is that the more fresh and raw foods you eat, the better your body will feel and you’ll be able to manage your weight better.

No Carbs, Ever

karate classes in raleighCarbs get a bad reputation, and it’s unfortunate because not all of them are evil. We urge you to change your mindset about carbs being a weight-loss enemy. Now granted, refined carbohydrates like white bread and processed rice and pasta can most definitely prevent weight loss, and cause weight gain. However, there are healthy carbs that can sometimes help you lose weight and give your body nutrients at the same time.

Lisa Sasson, RD, is a clinical associate professor of nutrition and dietetic internship director at New York University in Manhattan. She says that “Cutting out all carbs is impossible to do and very unhealthy.” She also stated that, “Carbohydrates have gotten misunderstood — they are essential to life and a very important fuel source. Differentiation needs to be made between certain carbohydrates.”

In other words, you should eliminate the food options that have processed sugars in them, like cakes and candy, but continue to eat plant foods like beans, fruits, and veggies because these will provide you with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other important micro-nutrients.

We hope these tips help you with your new year’s resolutions. For healthy new year’s resolution ideas, check out this blog post!

You Have Many Options for Martial Arts Besides Karate Classes in Raleigh | Call Gracie

If you’re interested in learning self defense, advanced martial arts, or want to learn MMA, please call Gracie Raleigh today. We do not offer traditional karate lessons in Raleigh for self defense, however we are the best jiu jitsu and muay thai gym in the Triangle! Training at our gym will help you build up your confidence by learning the right techniques that will work in real self defense situations. You’ll love the fact that you’ll always be able to defend yourself, and your loved ones, from attackers without a firearm.

Gracie Raleigh offers free classes for beginners so you can give it a try without worrying about a commitment. For more information, please call us today!