Deciding to take control of your health is a big step, but it’s not a journey you have to go through alone.  That’s why we make sure you’re surrounded with a supportive team of experts who help build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.  We’ve got all the tools you need to meet your goals through wellness sessions, meetings with a nutritionist, prevention programs, personal training and group exercise.

Here’s how you can reach your goals:

1. After you sign up for your Y membership, make an appointment at our wellness desk.  New members get two free wellness appointments.  The wellness appointments help us determine your goals, show you the equipment and set you up with a free FitLinxx or ActiveTrax account so you can log your workouts each time you visit.
2. Meet with our registered dietitian.  It’s important you’re eating the appropriate number of calories.  Our registered dietitian will discuss your goals and help design a meal plan conducive to your lifestyle.
3. Does someone you know have diabetes?  Are you at risk for developing diabetes? Learn more about the YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program. We can help individuals reduce their risk for Type 2 Diabetes through weight loss, eating healthier, and increasing physical activity.
4. Join a group exercise class! We can help you maintain your motivation through our wide variety of classes. We offer cycle classes, Zumba, turbo kick and more.
5. Work with a personal trainer.  A personal trainer will design a workout plan just for you and help you stay motivated to reaching your goals.
6. Stick with it.  A healthier lifestyle can reduce your risk of developing diabetes and heart disease, it can help you to feel better, sleep better and have more energy.  A healthier lifestyle is not always easy, but you’re worth it and the Y can help you every step of the way.

For more information on the Y’s programs visit www.indymca.org.

1. Today just get up and go because yesterday, you said tomorrow.
2. You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. — Zig Ziglar
3. Any exercise is better than no exercise.
4. What fits your busy schedule better — exercising one hour a day or being dead 24 hours a day?
5. It’s a shame for a woman to grow old without seeing the strength and beauty her body is capable of.
6. Every choice you make about what you will put in your body and how you will move your body will either put you one step closer to good health or one step further away.
7. What you eat in private, you wear in public.
8. It’s hard to be optimistic when your fat pants are tight.
9. The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do.
10. A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything. — Irish proverb

Do you have a favorite saying that keeps you motivated with regard to health and fitness (or life in general)? Feel free to share it in a comment below.

If you’re trying to help yourself and your family lead a healthier lifestyle, and you’re willing to share the ups and downs on our FitCity blog, you may be just the mom we’re looking for to join our FitCity Moms’ team.

The new FitCity Mom will write on our blog during February, March and April, sharing experiences about her efforts to eat healthy and move more. To help make those healthy changes, our newest blogger will receive:

• A three-month membership to the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis.
• $100 worth of program credits toward classes and programs at the YMCA.
• A massage from Resolve Massage Therapy.
• A grocery store tour and menu-planning recommendations from Alec Smith, RD, of Feel Good Nutrition.
• Two entries in the May 19, 2012 Geist Half Marathon and 5K .

How to Enter

Moms who reside in the greater Indianapolis area are eligible to enter the contest. To enter, submit:

• A 300-400 word blog explaining why you should be the next FitCity Mom. We want to know your story, your health and fitness goals and how you plan to achieve them.
• Your name, address, e-mail and phone number.
• A picture of yourself.

Send your materials to comments@fitcityindy.org by Tuesday, January 31.

Our current FitCity moms will review the entries to select the top five entries. During the week of Feb. 6, the top five posts will be featured on the blog and we’ll let our blog readers, Facebook fans and Twitter followers cast their vote. The final winner will be announced on February 13, 2012.

Good luck, we’re ready to hear from the moms out there – and we can’t wait to meet our next FitCity Mom!

I did manage to give away all of the sodas leftover from a Christmas get-together, and I bought some exercise clothes. I’ve been checking out all of the membership offers from local fitness places and I am going to join one but I haven’t moved beyond the fact-finding stage.

I don’t think I’m the only one having a hard time getting going. I’ve talked to some other moms who are finding that they’re finally getting back into the groove now that their kids are back in school.

Funny, my husband is not having a hard time at all. He joined a new fitness class in December and is going three times a week.  I know the gyms are busy this time of year with people like him who are trying to turn the page to a healthier lifestyle. One of my Facebook friends joked that she would be glad when some of the “newbies” had cleared out of her gym so it wouldn’t be so crowded!

There’s plenty of tips out there, including on our FitCity pages, on how to make New Year’s resolutions and make them stick. Here’s the top three suggestions I keep reading:

1. Write down your goals.
2. Tell a friend or family member who can help hold you accountable.
3. Make sure you have SMART goals. There are several variations, but SMART means your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.

It’s January 6, so it’s not too late for me to get started. FitCity Mom Amy Magan once told me, “You begin by beginning.” Wish me luck!

Where are you with your 2012 goals? Are you on Day 6 or Day 0?

And then this morning, I open my Facebook page to an opportunity that isn’t so hard. The Jump Rope Challenge 2012 is fairly straight-forward. You jump rope every day for as long as you want. You count your jumps/skips. You report them on the Facebook page, listing your daily and your cumulative total.

Milo Bryant, fitness expert and creator of the Jump Rope Challenge 2012

I learned about the Jump Rope Challenge 2012 from fellow FitCity Mom Kelly Young. A friend of hers from high school, Milo Bryant, is the mastermind behind it. Wanting to learn a little more, I contacted Milo to ask a few questions. My questions and his responses are listed below:

What made you decide to create this challenge?
I tend to do something crazy/challenging every year. Not enough of us move our bodies with impact as part of the process. Jumping rope is a low-grade plyometric exercise. So, it’s something that virtually everybody has done before and can do again. Plus it’s pretty cheap to get a rope.

How long have you been jumping rope?
Wow. Off and on for 35 years. My earliest jump rope memories were when I was five. So, yes, 35 years worth. But the past 15 or so have been pretty serious. I probably own 45-55 ropes of varying grades.

What makes jumping rope a good addition or start to someone’s fitness regimen?

Jumping rope is a self-limiting exercise. That means it is an exercise that is nearly impossible to do with bad form and bad technique. If a person has poor technique or movement quality, an inability to perform the exercise is a plus because it doesn’t allow the reinforcement of poor movement. As a point of reference, people can and do sprint all the time with poor movement mechanics. But, because the times are fast, the poor movement mechanics are overlooked. Poor movement mechanics lead to injury – the last thing we want when exercising.

Any advice about finding the right rope? How do you know if it’s long enough/too long, etc?
There is no exact method for this. What’s standard is stepping in the middle of the rope, placing the handles together and making sure they reach the armpits. However, the longer the rope, the more arm action that’s required AND the slower the rope turns. The shorter the rope the faster it can turn, and less the arms are needed.

I just measured a couple of my ropes and they come just above my belly button. I’m a shade over 6-feet tall.

What’s the most consecutive jumps you’ve ever done without missing?
That a tough one. I don’t know that I know. I’ll hit my foot sometimes but keep jumping. Just because you hit your foot doesn’t mean the exercise has to stop so you can adjust the rope. We’re dexterous enough to work the rope back to normal even while we’re jumping. The longest I’ve jumped is 59 minutes. I got sweat in one eye at about the 45 minute mark. Then sweat got in the other eye. So I stopped, looked at the clock and got mad because I could’ve gotten that hour! During that 59 minutes I might have hit my feet five or six times.

So there you have it, from the expert. What I, a definite non-expert, like about this challenge is this:

1. It’s simple. All you need is a jump rope. If you want to get kind of fancy, the American Heart Association has some jump rope skills that you can work on to mix things up.
2. It’s not expensive. Again, all you need is a jump rope.
3. It doesn’t require lots of scheduling. Have jump rope, will travel. Waiting in the pick-up line at school? Get out the rope and do your jumping next to the car. Sure, other parents will look at you funny, but who knows? Maybe they’ll decide to join you.
4. It’s something the whole family can do. Create a mini-competition in your family. The one with the most jumps at the end of the week gets to choose the movie for family movie night.

On December 31, 2012 the jumper with the highest jump count in the official challenge will win $3,000 to donate to a fitness related charity. But the real win, I imagine, will come in the increased fitness and the sense of accomplishment of watching your jump count grow on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, my priorities slipped months ago and I’ve been struggling to recover.

I’ve gained a lot of weight.  I’ve stopped working out.  I was starting to get back on track but then the holidays hit and everything was a struggle again.  There is a long list of reasons and excuses as to how I’ve gotten back into this unhealthy lifestyle.

Part of me wants to be angry with myself, to beat myself up, to sit back and wonder how I could let this happen.  Part of me wants to be optimistic and look to the future and how I will get back on track.

But I think the first thing I have to do is forgive myself.

I have to forgive the days of not going to the gym and not getting up early to workout and not finding any time in the evening for some exercise.

I have to forgive my shopping habits that went from being prepared for a healthy lunch and breakfast to relying on fast food and treating myself to meals out.

I have to forgive myself for giving in to laziness and exhaustion.

Life changes happen.  There is a reason why changing your life from one of unhealthy choices to healthy living is full of challenges.  There’s a reason why it isn’t easy.  I’ve spent the last few weeks being pretty angry with myself over getting to this point.  I’ve been depressed about the condition my body is in again.

I helped a friend clean our church and my arms were sore after washing windows.  The idea of running makes me cringe.  When I try to play one of my dancing games, I see the reflection of my rotund self and feel pretty gross.  My energy has plummeted.

Life has gotten crazy.  My schedule is overwhelmed with higher requirements at work, with commitments I’ve made to my church family, with commitments I’ve made to my kids, with attempts at quality time with my husband.  I don’t think I’ve ever known how it felt to truly be so busy.  And the thing that went first was my exercise plan.  After that, it was a fast downward spiral back into night time snacking, junk food grabbing, and even a stint of a daily stop at the vending machine.

Last night, I saw a picture of myself and realized that I have to make some serious changes.  Immediately.

Making big changes as I face the holidays is a plan to fail- I know that.  But after the holidays, it’s time to start planning on getting my diet back in check.  I need to focus on fresh fruits and veggies.  I need to start tracking what I consume throughout the day.  I need to get my eating habits back in check- no more eating after the kids go to bed, no more grabbing a drive thru dinner full of unhealthy choices to ease my stress level. I need to get back into a regular exercise regiment.  That might be getting back to running or it might be finding some group exercise classes.  No matter what, I need to make a plan and stick to it.

I forgive myself for the bad choices I’ve been making.  I forgive myself for not keeping my health and well-being a priority.

Once I have forgiven myself, I can move forward and make it right.  I can make better choices and I can stick to it- I’ve proven that to myself before.

Forgiveness.  It’s what this holiday season is all about for me!

Since I missed triathlon season this summer due to an injury, I’ve decided I want to come back stronger and leaner. So, I’ve decided that my next goal for myself should be focused on my overall health and wellness. As FitCity likes to say: “Move more. Eat less.”

The bigger challenge may actually be starting this during the holidays. I actually considered making these New Year’s Resolutions, but why wait?

Here are a few things I’m going to try to help get me started toward reaching my goal of a healthier, leaner, stronger me:  

1. Skip the cardio machines once a week for a fitness class to move more muscles. I’m considering boxing, body pump and even Pilates.
2. Keep the cardio but mix it up. I ran with someone during the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon who does speed work on the treadmill. I’m guilty of just doing the same routine when it comes to the machines – simply turn them on and walk or run. So, I’m going to challenge myself with some speed work.
3. Keep a food journal and see if that really helps me eat healthier.
4. Limit the caffeine and chocolate. I’d like to think I could cut those out completely, but I’m trying to be realistic.

I may even get an early jump on tri season by participating in the JCC’s indoor triathlon on Jan. 29, 2012.

While I know there won’t be a medal for me at the end of this four-month “training,” I’ve decided I’ll reward myself with a new outfit – maybe even in a smaller size.

Do you have any suggestions for me to help me reach my new goal?

What we liked about the program — the participants keep it real and they have fun too. The next Lite N Up Program  is scheduled to start in spring 2012, but you can check here for NIFS other  upcoming nutrition and wellness programs.

Enjoy this week’s pictures!

Photos by Barbara Epperson

My dad always loved to run. So one day when I was 12 years old, I thought I’d give it a try. I laced up my Nikes and started jogging the short loop behind my house. I was all gung-ho, but two minutes into it I was huffing and puffing and questioning my dad’s sanity.

I didn’t run again until my junior year in high school when my friend Becca convinced me to join the cross-country team. This time I questioned my own sanity as my muscles ached, my lungs tightened, and my legs cramped with each step. When I came down with mono in the middle of the season, I was relieved. After all, running was difficult—and exhausting! But a funny thing happened during my convalescence…I missed running. Huh. Who knew?

The moment I was well, I hit the pavement—only this time I felt inspired, energetic, giddy even. I grew to eagerly anticipate and fervently adore my runs, during which I could clear my head of the clutter and gain clarity, joy, and peace with each passing mile.

When I was pregnant with my kids, I continued to run—or “wog” as I called it (a cross between a “waddle” and a “jog”). I wasn’t moving fast but I was moving! When my boys were infants and toddlers, I’d strap my itty bitty training partners into the stroller and off we’d go to explore the world. My youngest son is now 14 months and we have a blast running roads, parks, paths, neighborhoods, and trails like the one around the Hendricks Regional Health YMCA. To mix things up, we even run the perimeter of hospital, stadium, and school parking lots. My older son is now 7 and sometimes we run the neighborhood together to help him condition for soccer and basketball.

Running strengthens my muscles, lowers my cholesterol, and keeps my mind sharp. Most importantly, however, running feeds my soul and nurtures my spirit. Plus, it’s become a great family affair!

So it turns out Dad wasn’t crazy. Or maybe he just passed the “crazy running gene” on to me. If that’s the case, thanks, Dad; I’m eternally grateful.

What activity do you adore doing solo and/or with your family?

By day, I work at an agency where I manage about eight people and I sit. No movement. By night, I have my own nonprofit, which does keep me busy but mostly just going from meeting to meeting. Recent studies have confirmed what we already know – sitting too much is not good for you.

I noticed that I stopped scheduling in workouts and gained and gained. I and a co-worker looked up and wondered where all of the extra beauty came from! I realized it was finally time to make the change I keep talking about.

What has been very helpful is working out with a trainer three times per week. At 7 a.m., I’m with my trainer and I’m sweating and moving. He talks to me about nutrition and pushing myself through the workouts and to keep my eyes on the prize.

The best thing is really the accountability factor. To have someone send me text messages about drinking enough water and making healthy food choices throughout the day has been great! It has kept me on my toes. It has made me want to push myself. I truly want to be healthier and give a good report to my trainer when I see him. I needed the big ole PUSH!

Something I also like about my trainer is that he shows me how to use what I have at home to workout. Using chairs, stairs, and other household items to get me moving or to help with strength training has been interesting to discover. We also review workout DVDs.

I’ve given myself a year to reach all of my health goals, and it’s a great to have a partner there to help me.

Who are you accountable to?