JANUARY 2020
CORNERSTONE Monthly
77 Brant Avenue, Suite 101, Clark, NJ 07066 • CornerstonePTNJ.com • 732.499.4540
Cornerstone PT Patients
FITTING IN FITNESS
VIP Referral Patient of the Month!
WAYS TO MAKE HEALTHY RESOLUTIONS STICK
LARRY SCLAFANI
Well, the hectic hustle and bustle of the holidays are finally over, which means most of us have to deal with the aftermath of all that feasting and merrymaking. It’s no wonder getting back in shape is such a common New Year’s resolution for people every January. Sadly, many struggle to stick with these goals, which is why I thought I’d offer some advice. Both as a physical therapist and someone who’s been in athletics most of his life, I’ve learned a few things about getting (and staying) in motion. The first thing I’ll get out of the way is there’s no such thing as a silver bullet. You can adopt techniques and mindsets to make fitness fit into your life more easily , but it will always take effort — especially at the beginning. Starting any new routine is an uphill battle, which is why you have to account for that. If you haven’t been to the gym in months, let alone years, you shouldn’t expect to pick up exactly where you left off. I believe many resolutions are abandoned because people set overly ambitious goals for themselves, only to burn out. Start with short jogs and small weights. Slowly cut your diet back to lean meats; don’t go cold turkey all at once. Better to ease yourself into these new habits than try and upend your routines overnight. Of course, you need to stay on top of ramping up the intensity once you get started. Our bodies are amazingly adaptable, which is why weight loss can stall even when you stick to a routine. If you suddenly stop seeing progress, don’t throw in the towel — switch up your exercises or add more reps. This will shock your body out of holding on to excess calories.
And make no mistake, you should have an exercise and diet resolution. To really see results in your health, you need to be successful at both. If you eat junk food after going to the gym, you erase much of your progress, and if you’re sticking to kale without doing anything to tone your muscles, you’ll still look and feel out of shape. The way you fuel your body and the way you use that fuel are two sides of the same coin. Getting both right is key to improving your fitness. Now, if you’re living with pain, you have an even greater hurdle to overcome. Starting an exercise routine can be hard enough without any barriers, but an injury or chronic pain can make it feel impossible. But know that no matter what you’re going through, you can stay in shape without having to go through unnecessary pain. My team and I can show you exercises to fit your situation and keep you safe while you stick to your fitness goals! Just stop by and let us know what you’re struggling with. For me, my resolution is the same every year: keeping up with my kids. It’s been tough to find the right balance between work, family, and fitness, but I’ve stuck to it so far. This year my daughter is looking to commit to going to the gym, so I really have my work cut out for me this time around. But staying healthy so I can be there for them matters deeply to me. By keeping the inspiration for my goal close at heart, getting up for those morning jogs is that much easier.
The best compliment we can receive is to have one of our patients refer a friend or family member to our practice. If you refer someone and we are able to take them as a patient, both you and the person who was referred will be entered to Win a $25 gift card! It’s just our way of saying
Thank You!
Have a healthy new year,
–David DeLaFuente
1 732.499.4540
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