Now that the new year is fast approaching, many people are reviewing their lives and making resolutions for the coming year. Many of those resolution are tinged with ideas of health and fitness improvements; weight loss, gaining muscle, increased flexibility and the list goes on and on.

Are you one of those people? There are various stages of change and at the ending of the year most people are either in the contemplation stage or the preparation stage. In the Contemplation stage most people are aware that they have an issue that needs to be changed and are considering changing in the next month. They are thinking about all the good that will come out of this new change, when it starts, but are also bombarded with all the effort and energy that it will take in order to accomplish this goal.
In the Preparation stage, people intend to change and make the effort to accomplish their goals. For example, they may sign up for a fitness class or talk to a trainer and even make small changes like parking further away from the mall to encourage walking.

Whatever stage you may be in today, remember that you are on your way to a better and healthier life but what make the difference is stepping into the Action stage. This will make all the difference. Planning and thinking about change is good but actually following through with it, is better. So... go ahead. Put in that yoga DVD, start those personal training sessions, do that morning run before work, just GET MOVING. The sooner you start the better you'll feel.

Is your trainer focusing on your BMI to determine your progress or what category you fall into on the BMI scale? BMI, on it’s own, is not a good indicator of health anymore. It is often incorrect and places individuals in wrong categories, according to the BMI scale. You may want to ask your trainer to start using girth or circumference measurements as well as skinfold tests. These are more accurate and are a better indicator of body fat as well as potential health risks.