Goal Setting

Fitness Challenges Work…Here’s Why

Alice Halvorson · September 11, 2023 ·

Fitness challenges have the potential to help people make lasting changes to their habits, physique, wellbeing and other physical and mental attributes such as sleep quality and mood. There are many ways that joining a challenge can benefit you, so should you do it? What makes them work and why should you participate?

Read on for why we think challenges are worth it every time.

Challenges provide structure. Ever been to the gym and wondered what to do? Challenges provide structure such as a time-frame (6-weeks), workout parameters (30 min/day) and ways to measure success (# of workouts completed, body measurements, strength measurements). Structure is the backbone of the entire thing and without it, you are going nowhere quick.
Challenges provide a specific plan. Whether that is the actual workout and/or nutrition plan or guidelines for what to do, you need a plan to follow. It takes out the guesswork so you know if you are on track or not.
Accountability is built in. We need to be on the hook by something or someone otherwise we may not follow through. With challenges, there is the support of the group, text support, email support, perhaps an in-person or virtual meeting..all of these things ensure you are not alone and instill a sense of not wanting to let others down.
Challenges are a great source of motivation! Either from the leaders themselves or the participants in the group. Feed off of each other, share tips, workout together and see how much better you feel and how excited you become to continue.
The Fun Factor. Challenges are fun! They add novelty and excitement to exercise when it can sometimes seem boring. Harness this and find the joy in the experience.
Rewards and prizes! Challenges often involve rewards or prizes for completion or just for participating. Prizes can also help motivate people to keep going. Prizes sweeten the deal and make things fun. Another reason to say “yes” to a fitness challenge…you just might win!

The more of these elements you have provided for you within a challenge and the more these elements fill in areas that you struggle with, the better your chances of success! So sign up for that challenge and make the decision to go “all in”.

Ready to dive in? Visit Flostate’s Challenges page to find out more about our latest fitness challenges!

How to Get Fit and Healthy in the New Year

Alice Halvorson · August 7, 2023 ·

Q&A with Alice Halvorson: How to Rock your Resolutions and Get Fit & Healthy in the New Year!

How do you go about achieving New Year’s resolutions?

That’s the million dollar question, right?

Well, there is simply setting New Year’s resolutions and then there is actually achieving them. First off, I’d say really think about the resolution or goal you are making and ask yourself why you are doing it. Keep asking WHY until you get to the heart of it. Because you really have to care! Don’t just do something because you saw it on TikTok or your neighbor is doing it. Do something because you want to create meaningful change in yourself.

Aside from that, in order to achieve your goals, you need a plan or a road map to get you there and a source of accountability. Motivation and excitement will only take you so far. So, if you want to get stronger, how are you going to do that? What workouts are you going to do and when? How are you measuring if you got stronger? And who is holding you accountable? Support is huge when wanting to reach your goals – because there will be days you don’t want to do it!

You also need patience. Don’t throw in the towel after two weeks…habits take time to form and results take time. And you are worth putting in the work for!! You can do this!

How do you get fit and healthy in the New Year and beyond?

First, it’s a good practice to reflect on what was going on last year. What didn’t work? What did? What do you already know you need to do or change? That could provide you with direction on what you personally can do.

Overall, the number one thing I would say is simply move more. Make it a goal to reach 7-10K steps in your day. And find a form of exercise that offers some consistency. Increasing our fitness takes time and effort. So, if last year, you found it hard to get to the gym, maybe you need to join a group class, find a workout buddy or nix the gym all together and workout at home. And you have to enjoy it – at least somewhat! Love to dance? Sign yourself up for a class! Like skiing? Go for it. Make movement fun too.

I’ll say this…success, fitness-wise, boils down to movement that challenges you, done on a consistent basis, with a source of accountability to keep it a priority.

How do you get fit and healthy with high inflation and the high cost of groceries?

Well, our bodies can move anywhere, so take your fitness outside or in the comfort of your own home to save money on gym memberships. There are great online workout options too that won’t break the bank. Flostate is just $59/month for an unlimited membership…that is about 1/3 of the cost of big box full service gyms!

As for the food: plan, plan and plan your meals and build grocery lists around them. And then stick to it! Shop sales, and utilize frozen fruits and vegetables. Prep larger batches of food on the weekends and freeze any leftovers to it doesn’t go to waste in your fridge! Most of us probably have way too much food just sitting around (especially snack food). Reduce the amount of food sitting around and you’ll also save $$!

How do you take care of your mental health?

Ask yourself, “What is the most important thing for my mental health right now?” Is it stress reduction? Connection with others? Open time? Once you can identify a bit more of what you personally need in this area, then it is time to take this area BACK for yourself.

Create sacred time for just you. Maybe this is a walk with a friend, reading a book, meditating or getting a massage.

If your schedule is crazy, then something has GOT to go. Delegate and clear part of your schedule. Give yourself space. Stress and anxiety levels can skyrocket when we feel like we are backed into a corner.

Keep asking yourself, “What do I need right now?” Maybe it’s just a few minutes to breathe deeply. Maybe you need to vent to someone. Maybe you need a walk. Take what you need in 2023.

Consider seeking out professional help if you are concerned about your mental health.

How do you eat healthier?

What is “healthier”? That is a pretty general term and varies for everyone. But what this means to me, overall, is reducing the junk and processed foods and increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables – whole foods in general. Plan your meals around your protein, fruit, vegetable and a healthy grain, and you can’t go wrong. Watch the butter, mayo, oils and other fats. Although they can be healthy, they add up very, very quickly calorie-wise. A little goes a long way.

Q: If you want to lose weight in the New Year, how do you do it? What works?

Increasing your exercise intensity and frequency and watching what you eat. No magic sauce here, sorry! You need to challenge your body to see changes. Lift weights as this helps burn fat off the body and gives you the look you want regardless of what the scale says.

And watch what you eat – consistently. I don’t mean cutting out entire food groups here. Measure your food for a time period – ideally as long as you are trying to lose weight – and actually eat the serving sizes. If you are still hungry, eat more, but start there. Most of us overeat most things. Just the act of measuring and portioning will be an eye opener. Tracking apps like Myfitness Pal are great for this. Watching it can lead to less mindless eating and therefore less mindless calories that add up.

What do you offer at Flostate to help people achieve their goals?

Flostate makes workouts easy with hundreds of online workouts you can do at home, at work or on the road. We help you drop the excuses and get back on the fitness wagon so you can finally feel better in your skin.

We have fitness programs you can follow to provide the plan, guidance and support. From our Stress Less Program and 21 Days to Toned Arms Challenge to our 30 for 30 New Years Challenge and more…we help you achieve your goals!

Why is it important to make measurable resolutions to achieve goals.

Because tracking progress is a huge motivator! How do you know how far you’ve come if you can’t keep track of it? This could be amount of weight you are lifting in the gym, miles walked, weight loss, inches lost, cups of daily vegetables, sleep improvement…the list goes on! Decide what metrics you are going to track and keep at it. This is information you can use to make adjustments along the way to your goal.

Anything else you want to add?

You can do this! And don’t feel like you need to do EVERYTHING all at once. That is a recipe for overwhelm and leads to quitting. Get really specific with your goal or resolution and then choose 3 things you’ll do to achieve it. Grab an accountability partner, stay consistent day by day and you’ll rock 2023!

Want to reach your goals? Do these 5 things

Alice Halvorson · August 3, 2023 ·

Tis the season for goal setting, resolutions, and embarking on new ventures. Most of us have that nagging feeling that we want to make changes and start fresh. This can happen at any point for any reason, but the drive is especially strong right now as we usher in a new year. We always have good intentions, but many times we miss the mark with our plan (wait, I need a plan?!) and ultimately fail to reach whatever we set out to achieve. How can we do better? What do we need to change to reach the goals we set and get the results we seek?

Here are 5 things you should be doing to reach your goals:

Number 1: Make your Goals “Smart Goals”

You’ve probably heard this one already, but it bears repeating. Your goals should be S.M.A.R.T. That stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound. Why?

Specific goals help bring focus to what you want. You can’t do everything; narrow it down.

Measurable goals are anchored in metrics that you can measure and therefore track. How will you know how far you’ve come if you don’t have a way to measure it?

Achievable goals are things that you know you can realistically accomplish. So probably not losing 20lbs in one month or climbing Mt. Everest…forget the extreme, get real instead.

Relevant goals are those that make sense in your life. Why is this goal important to you? This may be one of the most important aspects of your goal and goal setting in general – THE WHY. It has to mean something to you, or when the going gets tough, you’ll jump ship.

Time Bound goals have a deadline attached to them. You need this time frame so you can create your plan. It also gives you a sense of urgency that motivates you to act.

Number 2: Defining Your “WHY”

Get crystal clear on why you want to do this. Why change at all? Why THIS goal? Make it for you, not for anyone else. Why will this goal improve your life, health or situation? Why is it important? Visualize how you will feel once you achieve this goal. Is it striking a nerve or not? Go deeper and keep asking “why” until you can articulate why this goal is important to pursue.

Number 3: Learn from Past Experiences / Failures

Most likely you’ve tried to make changes before, or even tried to achieve this same goal in the past. Reflect on that. What worked? What didn’t? What were your “hiccups”? Where did you get stuck? When did it get hard and why? This reflection could give you some important information on what strategies to use this time around.

Number 4: Secure a Source of Accountability

Tell someone about your goal, and better yet, someone with whom you value their opinion (related article). And get specific. Talking about the plan you will do specifically (versus the end goal) is even more beneficial in terms of holding you accountable. There is a part of you that won’t want to let the person you tell down or risk their disappointment if you fail. Use this to your advantage! And along with that, get yourself an “Accountability Partner”. Maybe this is a coach, friend, trainer, colleague – someone that you trust and “gets it”…someone that will support you through the journey, but will also get real with you and coax you back on track when things get challenging. Speaking of challenges…

Number 5: Expect Challenges

If nothing changes, nothing changes. Reaching a new goal will require a shift in you and it will require WORK from you. This is uncomfortable. I believe this is one area where people tend to have a blind spot. We want to skirt through on motivation alone, thinking it should be relatively easy because we just want to succeed so bad. However, there will be times that you want to quit and following your plan will be hard. What’s your plan when it gets tough?

When that happens, you know what? Come back to this article. Come back to your “Why”. Analyze it all again. Call your accountability partner. Follow your plan. Keep on going. You’ll shatter your goals and learn a ton in the process!