It’s quite possible that the only thing preventing you from getting in the best shape of your life are the decisions you make on a daily basis.

I don’t care what others say. Your failure to hit your fitness goals are not the result of you choosing the wrong exercise program. Or the wrong diet.

The reason you are not hitting your goals is this…

YOU ARE MAKING POOR DECISIONS

I just made a poor decision before writing this.

I was just in the kitchen at work and there was some fresh fruit on the table. Rather than picking up an apple or banana, I reached in my pocket for a quarter. I popped it into the vending machine and bought some peanut butter cookies.

POOR DECISION!

I make poor decisions like this from time to time. I’m not perfect. And you don’t have to be either. It’s not a requirement for getting in shape.

The key is to make more good decisions on a daily basis, than you do bad decisions.

Treat yourself to things you enjoy every once in a while – but don’t overdo it.

You know what decisions will move you closer to your fitness goals. You also know which one will move you further away.

So how do you make more good decisions than bad decisions?

Well next time you are faced with a choice, as I was with the cookies and fruit – pause for a second.

Ask yourself, “Is this moving me towards my fitness goal or away from it?”

By pausing and answering that question, it’s often enough to sway you in the right direction.

But as you saw in my fruit vs cookies choice earlier it didn’t work for me – today.

I now know I made the wrong decision. But I’m not going to sit here and beat myself up over it. I briefly wrote down my feelings of regret in my health journal and know that I need to make a better choice next time. And I’m pretty confident I will.

Remember you don’t have to be perfect. Just make more good choices than bad choices. And when you make a bad one, reflect on it and learn from it.

As you take time to become aware of the choices you make each day, you’ll notice your tendency to make the right choices improve. And with that you’ll begin to move closer and closer to your fitness goals.

I’d love to hear about some of the poor choices you make on a daily basis. Go ahead and let me know about them in the comments below and what you are doing to avoid making those poor choices in the future.

Swiss Ball Uses

Most often swiss balls (also know as balance balls, fitballs, stability, workout or exercise balls) are seen in health clubs being used for stretching and muscle conditioning. Since they offer you such a wide selection of exercise movements, they can be used to firm up a particular muscle group.  They can also be used to build up muscle to help in injury prevention. Low impact workout routines can effectively be done with a stability ball.  They can be tremendously valuable when rehabilitating from an injrury.

Swiss exercise balls have uses outside of the gym as well. The corporate world has taken quite the liking to them.  Swiss balls are increasingly being used as desk chairs in the workplace. One of the huge benefits of using an exercise ball as a desk chair is improved posture. Sitting on one of these balls all day forces your back and ab muscles to work together to maintain your balance. The result is a strengthened core. I bet you didn’t know you could get fit while working!

Swiss Ball Benefits

One of the reasons they are often refered to as a balance ball, is because they aid in increasing your satbility and balance. Although achieving excellent balance doesn’t seem like much, it will greatly increase the effectiveness of your overall workout.

Poor balance is one of the biggest causes of injury while working out. If you have proper balance while doing your cardio workout you will minimize your chance for injury and allow yourself to have a more effective and enjoyable workout. Stability is very important while lifting weights as well. Not only can you do swiss ball ab exercises to build up your stability prior to lifting weights, you can also use the ball to increase the difficulty of your weight lifting exercises.  For example, you can do dumbbell shoulder presses while sitting on a swiss ball, forcing you to balance yourself while completing the lift.

Working out with a swiss ball will increase your core strength resulting in stronger, toned and more finely tuned muscles. Your coordination will also improve, resulting in quicker reflexes and response time.

Tips for Swiss Ball Ab Exercises

First, be sure to find the right size ball for your height and the type of exercises you’ll be doing. Balance balls can be found in many sizes. Firmness will also vary depending on the manufacturer of the ball and how inflated it is. Make sure you sit on it and test it out prior to trying any complicated moves on it.  Be sure you are comfortable and that the ball you have chosen will suite your workout needs.

You don’t have to just go by the guide. Step out of the box! Get creative with your swiss ball exercises. There are a ton of balance and swiss ball ab exercises out there. In fact don’t just use it for your abs. There are exercises that focus on just about any muscle group you can think of. And don’t forget to change things up. If you are starting to get bored with your workout, you are more likely to stop working out. So keep things interesting. If you are bored with an exercsise or it starts to become too easy for you, try something new. The possibilities with the swiss ab ball are endless.

Water Aerobics Are A Great Start

If you’re just starting an exercise program, think you’re out of shape, and don’t know how to get going, then water workouts are a great place to start. This is a workout that lets you move at your own pace and increase the intensity when you’re ready. One benefit of working out in a pool is the water provides resistance without the need for weights. Working out in a pool also helps to reduce the resistance of gravity, which may be beneficial for those with joint pain. It also helps you ease into your program as your muscles start to build and gain strength.

Great If You Are Overweight

For many it’s hard to start a new workout program when you’re overweight. One of the great benefits of water aerobics is that close to 85% of your total body weight is supported by the water. When you’re working out in water, you’re still burning off calories, but most of the stress is taken off your legs and back so you get a full body workout with less aches and pains.

Age and Joint Pain – No Problem

As you get older, you may start to experience arthritis and joint pain. Maintaining a healthy level of physical fitness can become unbearable, but water aerobics is an activity that will ease inflammation and discomfort in your joints. Just being in the refreshing water of the pool may actually help relax some of your aches and pains.

Great For Rehabilitation

Working out is an excellent way to get back on your feet after experiencing an injury, but it can be challenging if you are in any sort of pain. Water aerobic exercise is a great means of rehabilitation because it is extremely low impact. You might even decide to make some sort of aquatic workout part of your regular fitness program in order to prevent injuries.

Water aerobics can be done for exercise or just for fun. If you aren’t a strong swimmer, don’t worry. Water aerobics can be done in shallow waters. Whether you choose to exercise in a pool because of fitness or because of a medical reason, age, joint pain, pregnancy, or just because you like the water, it’s an amazing way to stay cool and enjoy some fun while burning some calories.