1. Working out and having a well-balanced
diet are key essentials to living a healthier life-
style. But for most of us, already juggling assign-
ments, jobs and a social life, fitting in the exer-
cise and diet we know are good for us can feel
more like a chore. The end result is that we may
just never get to it.
The good news is that there are simple
ways to get started on your fitness and healthy
eating journey so there’s really no excuse not to
fit it in.
Having self-motivation and a positive
mindset have helped many people stay actively
fit and make time to maintain their healthy life-
style.
“My fitness journey first began when I was
a freshman in high school,” says Melissa Handi-
bode of Bellmore. “I joined the track team for my
school after years of not working out and with no
experience with track level running. It was hard
to keep my motivation because it was very emo-
tionally and physically taxing at first. But I had
made friends on my team and that kept me go-
ing. I think having a support system is extremely
important in fitness.”
Michael Nunez, a fitness trainer at Hofstra
University in Hempstead, says that if you have a
busy schedule, you should start looking at body-
weight exercise programs.
“There are many phone applications and
DVDs containing bodyweight programs that peo-
ple can perform anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes
in the comfort of their own homes and with little
to no equipment,” he says. “Combine the body-
weight program with a good diet and there’s the
formula to becoming a healthy individual.”
Helene Konsker, a nutritionist director at
Adelphi University in Garden City, says: “The
brain is a powerful tool and a positive attitude
will make the road in all areas of life easier. What
we consume every day contributes to about 50
percent of the energy required to stay fit. Work-
ing out contributes approximately 20 percent,
and getting enough rest contributes the last 30
percent.”
She says a healthy diet includes whole
grains, lean proteins including beans, fruits and
vegetables and healthy fats such as olive oil,
canola oil, avocado and nuts.
By Eileen Interiano
Road to Fitness: Whether you want to take it or not

2. -Having a positive mindset goes a long
way.
-Incorporate whole grains, lean proteins,
and healthy fats into your diet.
-If you have a busy schedule, try to down-
load workout apps that you can do at
home.
-Keep your food interesting
-Meal planning
-Plan your workouts
-Consult fitness trainers at the gym
-Read the basics about cardio and weight
training exercises.
-Don’t be so hard on yourself
-Set short term and long term goals
Tips to remember...
“Having a positive mindset is the most im-
portant factor when it comes to fitness. It will
help you get back on track when you make a
poor food choice or when you decide to skip
exercise for a day. If you don’t have a positive
mindset, you won’t reach your fitness goals.”
Regardless of knowing the right things to do,
there are many challenges on the road to fit-
ness, especially when you’re not getting the im-
mediate results you want or when you’re feeling
stressed.
“It’s always been tough to keep myself
motivated,” says Nunez. “Sometimes I don’t see
any physical changes after doing an exercise
program and I start having poor eating habits. I
thought about quitting and it would frustrate me
when I didn’t perform as I expected or couldn’t
hit a weight that I thought I could lift. But, I al-
ways manage to get myself back because it has
become something that I enjoy doing.”
Ivan Morales of Corona, Queens says
that the true challenge in getting fit was a wall
that many body builders hit where they can’t
progress any further. “It got to a point where I
was working out so much that it began to be
detrimental to my health. I wasn’t letting my
body heal properly and almost injured myself
many times.”
With whatever fitness outlet or routine
you decide to start your journey, it’s best not to
overwhelm yourself with all of the content avail-
able online about healthy eating and different
kinds of exercises. Talk about a time waster.
“When people decide to begin their
fitness journey and start doing their own re-
search, the Internet can be an overwhelming
place,” said Nunez.
“You start reading up on thousands of di-
ets and workout programs, which at first, might
seem confusing. I recommend people to start
reading about the basics, which consist of car-
dio exercise, weight or bodyweight exercise and
stretching. After becoming more knowledgeable
and learning the movements, then you can start
implementing more advanced types of things
into the training and diet.”
Konsker adds: “If you start making small
changes you won’t be overwhelmed. Incorpo-
rate new healthy foods into your dietary regi-
men, keeping foods gratifying and tasty. Keep
your food interesting; play with spices. Radical
changes are at the time predictors for failure
and unrealistic outcomes.”
Nunez adds a final tip for people who are
on their road to fitness. “Having a positive mind-
set is the most important factor when it comes
to fitness. It will help you get back on track
when you make a poor food choice or when you
decide to skip exercise for a day. If you don’t
have a positive mindset, you won’t reach your
fitness goals.”