Working out into the new year

Holtville resident Kim Grizzle began to notice two years ago that she was having a harder time climbing bleacher stairs at football games or hiking on vacations without feeling it later.

“You get into your 40s and realize you have to make (health) a priority,” she said. “It’s time to be committed to eating better and exercising.”

She ran into local personal trainer J.B. West at a gym and hired her as part of her new commitment. She has been training three days a week for two years.

As many begin to re-evaluate their lives and habits going into the new year, a vast majority of people try to be healthier. While a personal trainer isn’t the route for everyone toward a healthier lifestyle, there are numerous things one can do to begin walking in that direction.

West said gyms normally see people start joining in December.

“People are trying to look for ways to make their personal life better even before the New Year,” she said.

However, those newly dedicated fitness enthusiasts tend to begin to disappear from gyms or local parks between four and six weeks later. The regular gym-goers begin to sigh with relief now that all the less experienced people begin to show up less.

“Jan. 1 comes around, and everyone wants to do it all but then end up quitting it all,” West said. “You have to walk these people down the path slowly.”

It’s not realistic to implement an entire lifestyle change of eating perfectly healthy all the time and exercising every day right off the bat, West explained.

“People join the gym and they start out and go every day, which is great, but then when it gets tiring or it becomes a burden on their schedule, they quit completely instead of starting off slow with twice each week for 30 minutes,” she said.

Rather, she advocates adding one small healthy habit to one’s life a week at a time, such as avoiding sodas and drinking more water at first.

“You have to progress and keep moving forward, but you don’t want to set your goals so big in the beginning because it’s overwhelming,” she said.

While small steps are good, it’s also critical to challenge yourself and not be complacent in your routine.

“Walking around the block with your dog is a good start, but you can’t leave it at that,” West said.

Among healthier lifestyle success tips, West reminds people to be ready for a roadblock such as an injury, plateau in weight loss, or disruption of schedule and to not let that sidetrack them permanently.

“You can’t let a relapse or backslide take over, you just accept it and keep going,” she said.

She considers nutrition 80 percent of the battle, explaining that all the exercise in the world won’t matter if one’s diet is unhealthy.

Imperial Valley Crossfit owner Mallee Sato agrees, stating that even if someone works out an hour a day, there’re 23 other hours where one is “continually challenged to make other health choices that are as important as the choice you make by walking into the gym each day.”

During those other hours, one not only needs to eat correctly but also sleep the recommended eight hours a night and drink enough water.

“All of these choices contribute positively to the results you have during that one hour a day of exercising,” Sato said. “It’s a lifestyle that leads to health and a longer life.”

She advocates finding something one enjoys to make sure they don’t become one of those people who drop off the healthy wagon in a couple months.

“Doing the same thing over and over gets boring. Yet every year, people make the same New Year’s resolutions to ‘go back to the gym’ and they swear they will stick with it this time,” she said. “If it didn’t work last year, maybe it’s time to try something new.”

Tracking progress, increasing workout intensity versus time, keeping small realistic goals, and finding a workout partner can all help keep people on track, Sato said.

Jaan Wilson has been working out with her mother-in-law, Rita Wilson, and daughter Jennifer Townsel. They have all been working out together at Crossfit for a year.

They cited the fun atmosphere, encouraging staff and accountability from each other as how they’ve stuck with their healthy routines.

“Everyone is at a different level but it’s easier when you have people to go with you and we have a lot of fun,” she said.

“You can never be too healthy,” West said. “A lot of us underestimate our ability by thinking that’s too far to run, that’s too fast, always too something I can do but with a little bit of guidance, one step at a time, we can do those things.”

Staff Writer Chelcey Adami can be reached at 760-337-3452 or cadami@ivpressonline.com





Healthy lifestyle tips

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Don’t expect too much too fast. If you don’t live up to your expectations, you might not stick with it.

You’re not lazy, you’re just starting from zero. It’s easier for someone who is in shape to work out than someone who hasn’t been working out at all. It takes a lot of mental and physical energy to get going than for someone who does it daily.

What works for someone else may not work for you. It’s always good to hear what others are doing, but we have to find our own personal combination of food, exercise and motivation to help us reach our goals.

Set the bar low and start small. If you’re having trouble with every day, start with once or twice a week. Whatever it is, start with something you can definitely do.

Find something you like. If you don’t like it, you won’t do it.

Try hiring a trainer or coach for guidance, education on strength training, cardio and basic nutrition, accountability and ways to track progress.



Source J.B. West, certified personal trainer

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