How to champion your fitness

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The Winter Olympics never fail to impress. Whether you're a hockey fan or hooked on ice dancing, speed skating, or curling, watching the winter games is the next best thing to actually playing in the snow or on the ice. Though it's tempting to watch the games on TV non-stop, why not go out and play? You too can become a champion of fitness!

Create some fitness action steps
1. Start with a realistic goal. While Olympic athletes are at the top of their game, they certainly didn't start there. For example, if you haven't gone running since high school, jogging five miles a day may be unrealistic. However, walking for twenty minutes at lunch each day could be attainable. The acronym "SMART" is often used for goal-setting: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timed. Health Canada suggests answering the following questions as you formulate your SMART goals:

• What do I want to do?
• How much and how often will I do it?
• How will I do it?
• Can I do it?
• When will I do it?

Another reason to ease into your new fitness routine is to help solidify it as a part of your healthy lifestyle. For example, you might start by taking the stairs each day instead of the elevator in an effort to accumulate more steps. Soon it will become part of your routine and you'll automatically head for the stairwell. Once that becomes second-nature, you will be ready to tackle your next short-term goal.

Setting SMART goals, understanding where you are now and where you want to go, and easing into your fitness routine are three steps you can take to champion your fitness.