Lucky #7

Luck defined: 1a : a force that brings good fortune or adversity b : the events or circumstances that operate for or against an individual 2: favoring chance; also : success

Today marks the 7th year of business for U-Turn Fitness, Health, and Wellness. I have been able to make it to this point due to a strong will to persevere, my desire to stay true to self, and my unswerving dedication to my dreams; passion. While being blessed to have these qualities or attributes, there is another contributing factor…you. Many of you are assisting in being the force that I named U-Turn seven years ago. Through your support (all in your own ways), you and I have created a series of events that have operated positively for me both personally and professionally.

U-Turn Fitness, Health & Wellness has been my vehicle to transport my desire to create change. I have assisted many of you in achieving your wellness goals (physical, mental, and/or emotional). You have assisted in the life of you U-Turn. My goal was to create a one-stop wellness shop. Since the birth of U-Turn, I have acquired a vast amount of knowledge and applied it to helping you achieve your goals. I Sought out to and became a licensed bodywork/massage therapist and a certified nutrition specialist, while being a certified personal trainer. In addition to acquiring credentials, I have worked to build an impressive resume including tackling the world of corporate wellness. I understand that the majority of businesses fail within the 1st year. And of those that last beyond 12 months, a high percentage will not make it to past their 3rd year.

Through credibility, certainty, humility, I have been able to build a system that seemingly has a favoring chance at achieving. U-Turn is still very youthful and I am excited for the many years of growth that are in store. I am proud!

Be proud of the goals that you have accomplished; stand strong and continue to achieve. Be steadfast in this journey called life. Let’s keep this force moving in the direction of good fortune.

It’s all about you!

Sincerely,

Daniel L. Underwood

Posted: 3/26/2011

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Winter Fitness and Health Tips

Let's work to make this year different and start a new tradition...no fat gain!!! Remember that moderation is the key when it comes to nutrition. Also follow these fitness tips to help you on your path of success!!!

You have to set realistic goals. Everyone should set long term goals and a series of short term goals that will put you on the path to reaching those long term goals. As an example, say you are someone who has not exercised on a regular basis in 10 years. A long term goal may be to lose 30 pounds. You may decide that you are going to workout 6 days per week and 60 minutes per day. I would suggest a more realistic goal of: Start out with 3 days per week 30 minutes per workout. After 2 weeks, go to four days. The idea is not to let more than 2 days go by without at least 30 minutes of physical activity that gives you a good amount of exertion. For this you should use a perceived exertion scale of 1 – 10. One is sitting on your couch with the remote, and 10 is running a 100 meter sprint. You should be at a 6 - 8 depending on current fitness level. A couple of things that usually happen when a person decides to jump right in and go all out are either injury or burning out. One more that is quite popular is to feel that initial soreness and just stop. Don’t be either of those three. Start your program with your current level of fitness in mind. Forming a habit of exercise will benefit you now, and for the rest of your life. I’m sure many of you have heard that it takes 21 times to form a habit, so a very realistic goal could be to get those 21 workouts in and bam! You have a new positive habit!

The first 4 – 6 six weeks of a new fitness program are for your body to become functionally fit. That is, allowing your body to become conditioned to do more strenuous activity without injury. Although everyone is different, during this time period your goal should be to have more energy and feel stronger. Thereafter you should work on an average of up to 2 pounds of weight loss per week. Again this is an average. Without going into too much detail at this point, I will inform you that there are 3 different types of weight: water, fat, and lean weight. This is why some times a person can workout for 4 weeks and not see a change on the scale. If you just begin a fitness program, you are probably going to gain a little lean mass. And if your water intake goes up to where it should be, you may even gain a pound of water weight. Now, let's say you lose 3 pounds of fat, gain 2 pounds of muscle, and 1 pound of water. The scale will say that you have not lost a pound, but you may notice that your clothes are fitting you differently. That is because muscle weighs more than fat, but fat takes up more space.

Again, you have to be realistic and patient so that you will stay with your program. Don't expect to have Hollywood abs in 2 months, not going to happen. What could happen if you stay the course is a change in lifestyle that will eventually lead to a change in physique. Remember you have to work for it, you can't expect to be more than average if you are only willing to put in an average or below average amount of work. So what you should do today is right down what healthy habit you will begin today, do it, and then move on to the next.

Posted: 1/17/2011

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Starting a New Exercise Program? Check Out These Helpful Tips

• Be sure you are cleared by your doctor.
• Don’t allow more than 48 hours to past without 30 minutes of exercise.
• Shoot for a minimum of 3 days per week, 30 minutes per workout.
• Push through the soreness, actually being more active will decrease the amount of time you may experience this initial soreness.
• Allow a day of rest in between major muscle groups (legs, back, chest)
• Warm up 5 minutes before full exertion.
• Stretch at the end of your workout.
• Do cardio after your resistance training.
• Shoot for at least 7 hours of sleep per night.
• Mild discomfort is good, pain is bad.
• You can’t spot reduce..you have to work all the major muscle groups.
• Find ways to include your family/loved ones (this makes for great success).
• Do it for you.
• Set both long and short term goals.
• Be realistic.
• Be patient.

Posted: 1/17/2011

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