1.  Your profession?

I’m currently working in a 6month contract role in recruitment.

2.  Where do you work?

I work in the HR department at BoysTown, a not-for-profit organisation that assists disadvantaged young people and their families.

3. Years in business?

I have only worked in recruitment for 2 ½ years. Prior to that I worked in international education in Japan and Australia.

4.  What typically do you deal with in business?

I work with hiring managers to provide recruitment services.

5.  Do you have long standing clients?

6. What do people say about you?

That I am inquisitive and analytical. I think that means I ask lots of questions!

7. What does no one know about you?

As a child, I wanted to be a back-up dancer.

8. If you weren’t doing what you do now what would you be doing?

International relations between Australia and Japan.

9. If you had one key skill, what would it be?

Awareness.

10. How long have you been training?

Almost 2 years, starting with group training for the first 6 months.

11. What do you like about training with us?

It’s tailored perfectly.

12. What made you start with us?

My work colleague recommended I join the group fitness sessions as they seemed challenging yet well-thought through and safe.

13. What has been your biggest training achievement to date?

Being able to do the 5km run. I would have never believed that I was ready or capable of it at the time either had Alex not suggested I was.

14. What would you say to others to get them moving and start training with the lab?

That the style of the trainers is subtle yet extremely effective and you can feel reassured that you will only be pushed to do what they have ascertained you are physically ready to do even if you don’t know it yet which is the best surprise of all!

15. Do you have any health and fitness objectives?

As I am currently 6 months pregnant, they have changed for 2008! I am pleased I had a good base level of health and fitness going into this pregnancy which has helped, and will continue to help, during these months and I am already looking forward to increasing my exercise type and intensity again later in the year.

16. Any words of wisdom to share with the rest of our clients?

It’s an amazing (re)discovery of what you and your body can do and how much better it can feel.

Litmus Test - December Answered

1) You can lose weight from specifically your abdomen through doing more crunches - True or False?

False you can’t specifically target one area for weight loss through exercise and secondly crunches would not be the best method of inducing fat loss

2) Hormones do not affect weight loss or gain - True or False?

False. Hormones are an accelerator and absolutely will have an affect on weight loss or gain.

3) The Lab provides injury rehabilitation for injured workers - True or False?

True. The Lab is a registered workers rehabilitation provider.

4) Obesity has been closely linked to an increase in cancer risk - True of False?

True. Recent studies have shown a strong link between the two conditions.

5) Capital of California is Los Angeles - True or False

False. The capital of sunny California is actually Sacramento!

The New Years Resolution has a long and interesting history, dating back to 153 B.C. When the mythical Roman god named Janus was placed at the head of the calendar. Being the god of new beginnings; Janus became an ancient symbol for resolution. Always depicted with two faces, one looking forward to the year ahead and the other looking back to the year that was. On New Years Eve the Romans would seek forgiveness from their enemies and exchange gifts; the idea being to cleanse themselves of past sins and bad habits and start fresh.

Nowadays our resolutions are directed more towards ourselves, but are no less important. The current Top 5 New Years Resolutions are:

1. Spend more time with family and friends.
2. Quit smoking.
3. Quit drinking.
4. Get out of debt.

and last but not least…

Get fitter and battle the bulge!

Our resolve tends to be at its highest towards the end of the holiday season; after a fortnight or so of over indulgence. It is easy for us to plan these changes when we are not at the mercy of our recently satisfied cravings. So we sit down on January 1st and decide that we are going to spend the next year attending the gym; walking to work; cutting down on our drinking, and eating 5 servings of vegetables every day. Now, in reality when February 1st rolls around these promises are nothing but faint memories to most of us. Only about 20% of New Years Resolutions are actually kept.

So what causes these promises to drop by the wayside; and what can we do to keep the resolutions that will improve our health and well being?

One reason that we abandon our resolutions comes in the form of discouragement. Discouragement when the results don’t come as easy or as quickly as we would like. Behavioral change takes long lasting commitment and often comes with a certain level of discomfort. It isn’t always easy to force yourself up from in front of the T.V. and go for a run; conversely, sitting in your comfy chair and telling yourself; I’ll do it tomorrow is much more inviting. Below are a few tips that can help you make those new Years Resolutions stick.

1. Set Realistic Goals - Break it down.

Have your long term goals but break them down into smaller steps. That way you will se results and your motivation will remain at its highest.

2. Focus on behavioral change more than on the goal itself.

By changing your actions and habits in everyday life you are more likely to succeed in sticking to your resolution in the long run.

3. Allow for imperfections

Everybody makes mistakes, and just because a few days don’t go as planned doesn’t mean you should throw everything out the window. Stop for a second and refocus.

4. Reward yourself 

Each time you reach one of your short term goals reward yourself. Treat yourself to lunch, go see a movie or do something else you enjoy.

5. Don’t try and do too much 

It would be great if we could loose weight, stop smoking and drink less all at once, but this is too big a mountain to climb, and you increase your chances of failing on all accounts. Take it one at a time.

6. Don’t go it alone, get professional help

A good health and fitness professional will no the strategies best suited to you and your situation; and there is nothing like being held accountable to someone to increase motivation.

So now we have an understanding of why we make New Years Resolutions; why we fail at them, and some strategies to help us succeed. Unfortunately now there is no excuse not to get off our couches, get moving and join the 20% of people who keep their resolutions.