Consistency is the single most important factor in making progress. So many people start a new program with the best of intentions, but very few ever make it to the 90 day mark. This cycle is then frequently replicated over and over through the years. Starting and stopping is like taking one step forward and two steps back. Set yourself up for success by setting realistic goals with a schedule you can manage and adhere to. If you can’t do it on your own, schedule your training with a fitness professional to hold you accountable.

Many people today devalue their health with sedentary lifestyles. Large screen TVs, online video games, and social media accounts to keep up with what everyone’s doing. They purchase expensive clothing or recreational toys without batting an eye, but when it comes to investing in their health, they draw the line. Yet this is the single best investment anyone can make! Is a bigger TV going to improve your life? Or would that money be better spent on a bike that will pay dividends in sweat equity? Trade some sedentary time for active time and take control of your health. All the things money can buy means nothing if you don’t have your health to enjoy them.

Everywhere we look these days there’s news about the latest diet. But just the word “diet” implies something temporary. So rather than focus on permanent deprivation, instead try focusing on a permanent lifestyle change. The scale is just a number, and muscle weighs more than fat. Think in terms of increasing your lean muscle mass and decreasing your fat stores. Building muscle burns fat and turns your body into a fat burning machine. One of the best indicators of progress is simply how your clothes fit.

I typically see women that only want to perform cardio to burn fat, and men who only want to lift weights to build muscle. While both are necessary components of a balanced fitness or exercise program, mobility and flexibility are the areas I see neglected most often. In doing that, you set yourself up for injury because tight muscles are easily injured muscles. If you strength train, over time your muscles will shorten if you don’t counter it by stretching. Ultimately this will cause you to lose range-of-motion. Supple muscles are more resistant to strains, so if you want to stay injury free, include mobility, flexibility, and stretching into your fitness program.