The New Year brings the motivation to start good habits, helps us renew commitment to habits that are already a part of our lives, and even brings the hope of starting over when we’ve gotten behind in our health journeys. Michelle Hettinger, Regional Manager for F45 Training Ahwatukee, has spent her career helping people find that motivation in improving not just their physical fitness, but their overall mind and body wellness.
Hettinger has worked in the fitness industry for 37 years. She says F45 Training Ahwatukee is unique in its approach to health. The F stands for Functional Training, and the 45 is the minutes it takes to get a good, heart-pumping workout. Functional Training is a workout style that prepares the body for the ordinary activities of daily life. Ahwatukee’s F45 Training Studio helps its members focus on total mind and body wellness and gives them tools to implement a healthy lifestyle.
The community-based, local facility helps people feel welcomed and connected both to the health trainers and their fellow members in an intimate, personable way. F45 Ahwatukee calls it Team Training. People are able to reach their health goals when they feel motivated by professional trainers and other members. The fitness studio also offers an app that assists members in tracking their nutritional goals, even including recipes to make those goals attainable.
It can be hard, though, to know where to start, especially if you’ve never embarked on a focused health journey before. F45 Training Ahwatukee wants to help. Hettinger spoke with us about twelve steps you can implement all year along in 2023 to improve your health and reach your goals.
Step one, Hettinger says, is to start where you are. Maybe you’re relatively fit and want to maintain that, or maybe you’re just now taking your health seriously and you’re not sure where to begin. “Starting where you are means setting realistic goals and beginning with baby steps,” Hettinger explains. She elaborates that trying to change everything about yourself all at once, all in the month of January, will only lead to discouragement and burnout. “Pick one thing to work on and start with that,” she advises. She points out that an F45 trainer at the Ahwatukee studio can sit down with you, look at your unique situation, and recommend steps towards accomplishing your goals. “Don’t try to conquer the mountain,” Hettinger says. “Start with little hills and build on the mini successes.” F45Training.com/Ahwatukee
Staying Strong: 12 Months to a Better You
January: Start where you are.
Set realistic goals and take baby steps.
February: Increase your protein intake.
Find a way to incorporate protein into every meal.
March: Stay hydrated.
Water helps every bodily and mental function.
April: Move every hour.
Get up out of your chair for stretches and mini workouts.
May: Challenge your mind.
Your mind needs to be healthy, too!
June: Push the weights around.
Make sure you incorporate strength training into your exercise routine.
July: Eat colorfully.
Including fruits and vegetables of different hues, and avoiding processed foods, is an easy way to eat healthy.
August: Practice positive self-talk.
A positive mindset starts with you!
September: Get your heart pumping every day.
Raising your heart rate keeps your heart healthy and strong.
October: Find a fitness community.
Reaching health goals is best done with a circle of friends who care about the same things.
November: Get outside every day.
Sunlight is great for physical and mental health.
December: Take a break with meditation or yoga.
Slow down and focus on the present.
Check back monthly to learn even more about how to incorporate these tips from F45 Training Ahwatukee.