Tell Us Your New Years Fitness Resolution and Win!

This is the year I lose those last 5 pounds!!! I"m not sure yet how I"m going to do it, but I"m OPEN for Inspiration!! At this stage of being 52, girls, it doesn"t get any easier. I know when I was in my 20"s & 30"s.., I used to think I"d do whatever it took to keep my body in shape...DIET! Exercise!! But when women tell you your metabolism changes, let me just tell you Your Metabolism CHANGES! It nearly stops altogether.., leaving you to "figure" it all out on your own. Without being a celebrity, having professional help...& also having sheer Determination & Will, I"ll do it! By next year at this time, I should be down to 107. (HELP!!!)

Talking fitness, diet with trainer Marco Borges

Marco Borges, a Miami exercise physiologist, has spent the past 16 years teaching people how to lead healthier lives. His clients have included ordinary people and stars such as Jay-Z, Beyonce, Pharrell and Gwen Stefani. He recently helped Gloria Estefan lose 20 pounds.

His interest in diet and fitness started when he was a child and developed a rash after eating a pastelito. Soon he was asking his Cuban American mother to bake, not fry, the plantains.

In his work, he has spent a lot of time in gyms, and he noticed that people often didn"t know what to do. His answer is his new book, Power Moves: The 4 Motions to Transform Your Body For Life

(Celebra, $16).

The book explains how to do the various power moves,"" which don"t require visiting a gym or buying equipment. It also offers inspiration and advice about diet, fitness and lifelong good health.

We talked to Borges about his power moves"" and asked him for advice about how to stick with a New Year"s health and fitness resolution. His answers have been edited for space.

Q:

We all know that we have control over our health and fitness. Why do so many people fail to take control?

A:

I think that it"s the one area of your life that isn"t as tangible as people would like it to be. When you go to the gym and you exercise and you eat a healthy diet, there aren"t any immediate visible signs of the benefit you"re doing your body and your health. A lot of the time people confuse the fact that there is no instant reward with no reward at all.

Q:

Everybody starts the New Year with resolutions to eat healthy and work out. What"s your advice for keeping up the momentum?

A:

You have to realize that life is not a sprint. It"s more of a marathon. You have to focus on healthy eating and engaging in routine exercise. Your main focus cannot be looking good in a bikini or looking great for a wedding or party. It has to be health. When health is the primary factor in getting you to choose this lifestyle, it"s much easier to maintain it.

Q:

Your book emphasizes four exercise motions that use the shoulder, elbow, hip and knee. Why are these four motions so important?

A:

These are the four major joints that engage the biggest muscle groups in the body.

When people walk into a gym, they"re overwhelmed by the amount of equipment. If I tried to create a diagram that showed you how to use every machine that"s out there, I"d have to create a manual that"s 5,000 pages. If I teach you how to use the body, which is the one machine that matters the most, if I teach you by engaging certain joints, you will activate certain muscles, it"s much easier for you. By teaching you how to use four joints I"m essentially teaching you how to use any piece of equipment in the world.

Q:

These power moves don"t look easy. Do you have to have a certain level of fitness to be able to do them?

A:

It"s something that everyone can do. The best part is you don"t need any equipment for it. If it is too difficult for some, they can either dial back the repetitions or modify the exercise.

Q:

Where do people start if they are too far out of shape to do these exercises?

A:

I always suggest starting with walking. Walking has the highest rate of compliance of any exercise in the world. It is quite easy and it can be done by anyone anywhere. All you need is a good pair of walking or running shoes. It"s a really easy way for someone who is completely sedentary or overweight to begin to engage in a more active lifestyle.

Q:

You"ve been a trainer to a lot of stars. How are the stars different from the rest of us when it comes to diet and exercise and how are they the same?

A:

They don"t have as much time as most people think they have. Most people think that their money and their fame affords them unlimited time, which it doesn"t. Obviously it affords them accessibility to things like a chef that might help you stay on track. They"re fortunate enough in some circumstance that they can have someone around like myself who plays the role of a lifestyle coach.

Q: Diet and fitness books always say to cut out fast

food and sodas. What is your advice to people who did that long ago, who believe they"re maintaining a healthy diet but are still overweight?

A:

I"ve noticed when people begin to engage in healthier habits, such as shopping at Whole Foods, they think it"s a pass to eat anything and everything that they want, because their food is organic. If you"re consuming 5,000 calories a day, it doesn"t matter if it"s coming from organic granola or it"s coming from Burger King, you"re still going to gain weight. I would rather see you drink pomegranate juice than soda, but at the end of the day how much pomegranate juice can you afford? It has a ton of sugar and a ton of calories.

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Less Fitness in the US Military

Over on the At War blog, Tim Hsia writes about concerns that an ever-fatter American population has resulted in less-fit recruits to the military.

Todayвs military has spiced up physical fitness in numerous ways such as incorporating crossfit, which has a large military following. It also encourages soldiers to move beyond calisthenics by utilizing the weight room in gyms. Additionally, combatives (grappling) competitions or playing soccer while wearing body armor are some ways in which leaders have creatively incorporated physical fitness into their military training.

Despite the militaryвs stress on physical fitness, many senior officers and noncommissioned officers I have spoken to are adamant in their beliefs that todayвs soldiers are physically softer then the soldiers of yesteryear.Will the downward trend in society in terms of obesity and general health inevitably lead to a softer, less capable military?

To learn more, read the full post,

And then please join the discussion.

Fitness class for ages 3-12 offered in Pequot Lakes

A six-week fitness and tumbling class for kids. called Let"s Get Moving, is offered to children ages 3 through 12. Jennifer Hoaglund, former gymnast and fitness competitor, has 12 years of experience as a gymnastics instructor. Her Let"s Get Moving program will focus on building strength, coordination, endurance and flexibility using tumbling skills, balance boards, balls, games and safe, fun obstacle courses.

Class begins on Thursday, Feb. 4 and runs through March 11. Select the class to attend based on the age of your child.

Children ages 3 to 6 meet from 6 to 6:45 p.m., ages 7 through 12 will meet from 6:50 to 7:50 p.m. Classes are held at the Snap Fitness Center in Pequot Lakes.

The fee is $60. Call Pequot Lakes Community Education at (218) 568-9200 to sign up.

Class sizes are limited. A minimum number of students is needed to hold each class.