Operation Motivation: Three Easy Tips For Getting Fit & Healthy

by Ana Sa, Fitness and Nutrition Supervisor at Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida,

Ana Sa knows all about maintaining a healthy, fit lifestyle and works to help keep others motivated to do the same. She’s sharing her top three tips for getting fit and healthy with us, so that you can start your path to wellness today!

Ana Fit Tip #1:  Create Goals

Well-defined goals are essential to both monitoring your health and wellness progress and motivating yourself.

• Put them down in writing: If they are not written down, they are wishes and dreams. Wishes and dreams are wonderful, but giving them a plan of action can turn them in to achievable goals.
• Make your goals specific and measurable: “Tone up” and “bulk up” are vague notions. Losing 4 pounds of fat, building 4 pounds of muscle, and dropping 40 points of cholesterol are more specific and easier to judge.
• Set a time line: Make sure you are thinking in terms of a set schedule. Losing 4 pounds of fat in 10 weeks time
• Keep goals realistic: Of course you can set a goal of gaining 5 pounds of muscle in 1 week, but that’s not likely. Your goals must reflect an understanding of how long it actually takes to attain results

Ana Fit Tip #2: Don’t Starve Yourself!

Try to eat something every 2 to 4 hours. Regular feeding intervals stimulate metabolism, balance blood sugar, and help maintain lean mass while giving the body a reason to burn off extra fat mass.  If possible, be sure to include a complete, lean protein with every meal. Protein should not be limited to breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Remember that there’s protein in nuts, beans and even certain vegetables, grains, and fruit.

Ana Fit Tip #3:  All-In-One Workouts

Maximize your workouts by choosing exercise that work multiple parts of your body at once. One example is mountain climbers, which works your arms, core and legs. This way, you can avoid over-emphasizing or ignoring a specific muscle group.

The beachside Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa is well known for its health and wellness offerings, including its state-of-the art fitness center, and award-winning spa, and an innovative, fun class schedule (Think: Pool Zumba!) Not only does Ana oversee all gym activities, but she is also available for one-on-one consultations and she’s even created special healthy recipe cards to distribute to guests and gym-goers, encouraging them to make simple changes towards a healthier lifestyle. Ana is effective at what she does through a profound understanding of individual needs and the ability to make fitness fun. Interestingly, she is adamantly against the ideal of, “no pain no gain.” Ana stresses that it’s important to challenge your body without reaching a point of discomfort.