BASIC TRAINING TREAT HEALTH AS YOU WOULD HYGIENE.

Byline: Jeanette Jenkins 

It's ironic that with all the vitamins and supplements available and more scientific research than ever before, our health is failing.

You want to lose weight, you want to be healthy and you even bought a health club membership, but you still can't find the time. Does this sound like you? Well, being healthy is a way of life. It's like waking up in the morning, brushing your teeth, brushing your hair, putting on makeup and putting on clean clothes.

Now step back and think about that for a minute. Imagine showing up at work or going out in public with dirty clothes, bad breath, sleep in your eyes and a bed head? Can you imagine what you'd look like if you were to abandon it for months? Well, if you're not exercising, this is exactly what you are doing to your heart, lungs, nervous system, musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular system and even your spirit.

Start adding a health and fitness routine to your lifestyle, the same way you have a personal hygiene routine! Health and fitness should be a part of your everyday life - for longevity, anti-aging and quality of life.

LIFESTYLE CHANGE ACTION PLAN:

1) Start with just 20 minutes a day. Write your workout time in your agenda or day planner like you do for all of the other important activities. Schedule your workout first thing in the morning before you start your personal hygiene routine. That means, if you've been waking up at 7, you'll now have to wake up at 6:40.

Why only 20 minutes? If you're a beginner, it's important to get used to dedicating the first 20 minutes of your day to yourself and progressing from there.

2) Schedule an activity you enjoy. Make sure that you make a choice ahead of time and write it into your planner. Options of workouts to schedule include: a 20-minute walk or bike ride or run/walk, or skipping intervals, or a workout DVD or a swim.

3) Consistency. Most people fail in achieving their weight-loss goals because they are simply not consistent. Remember, this is about to become a part of your everyday life, so start small by making the commitment. Once you've achieved that, you can work on being consistent. As soon as you've achieved consistency, you can then begin increasing your workout time by five-minute intervals for optimal results.

4) Nutrition. Yes, you must improve your eating habits in addition to exercising. Follow a healthy meal plan that consists of quality wholesome organic foods that are low in sugar and unprocessed, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean cuts of meat.

ABOUT THE TRAINER:

Jeanette Jenkins, founder and president of the Hollywood Trainer fitness company, has a bachelor of science degree in human kinetics from the University of Ottawa. A 14-year industry veteran, she has worked with actors and professional athletes, including Queen Latifah, Taryn Manning and Terrell Owens. A resident expert on the Food Network's weight-loss show, ``Weighing In,'' she is also the official spokeswoman for the BET Foundation's ``A Healthy BET Campaign,'' and is one of 17 experts chosen for Nike's Elite Athletes program.

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