• Bibi Magazine
• The At-Work Work-Out
• Khabar
• Manage Your Holiday Feasting
• Strengthen the Core
• The Do’s and Don’ts of Back Care
• Cholesterol Screening...the Next Level!
• Heart Disease Hits Home!
• Body Weight, Body Fat or Body Mass Index (Bmi) Which One Should You Weigh in On?
• Spice It Up!
• Deciphering Food Labels
• Avoid raising an overweight child
• This New Year, Resolve to Lift!
• Carbohydrates and the Asian Indian Diet
• Fats: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!
• Is Walking Enough?
• Fats: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
• Top Ten Reasons You Should Exercise
• What is Physical Fitness?
• The Top Ten Fitness Myths
• How to Lose Weight
• Rivaaj
• To Stretch or Not to Stretch and When and How to Stretch
• Muscle up Your Manly Metabolism!
• Teen Fitness
• Exercise after pregnancy
• Exercise During Pregnancy
• Why not a Personal Trainer?
• Break Your Fast
• Eat an Apple, Be a Pear!
• The Ten Commandments of Fitness
• Why Your Exercise Program Fails

Why Your Exercise Program Fails

So you think you've finally made the decision once and for all to exercise? With much gusto you begin by maybe ordering some workout tapes, buying brand new exercise equipment, or perhaps even joining a gym. This time you decide you will really stick with it and get some results. Days turn to weeks which eventually turn to months and now lying next to the television are those work-out tapes that yearn to be played. The ab roller and bowflex that promised a lean body are now displaying the latest desi fashions. The gym is still receiving your monthly dues, but has no clue who you are. The zest with which you began with has, well, just diminished!

So then you think, "What went wrong?" The intention was there. You started off right; why did you lose interest?

Two things have to be in place in order for you to stick to an exercise program and reap its benefits. First of all, there has to be a plan as to how you are going to exercise and secondly, someone has to hold you accountable for the plan. If you were going to build a house, you would not go and buy some bricks and some cement and start randomly building a house, placing a brick here and a brick there and hoping for the best result. Instead, you would hire an architect, consult with him/her, discuss your plans, let the architect make a blueprint and then allow the house to be built. Likewise, when starting an exercise program, you should consult with a personal trainer, share your goals with him/her and allow the trainer to devise a workout program for you, and then follow the plan. Just randomly working out in a hit or miss fashion by yourself is a sure way to set yourself up for disappointment. We let professionals build our home, but yet when it comes to maintaining our bodies we are reluctant to seek help. Instead, we take matters in our own hands and fail.

The second reason most people fail at exercise is that there is no one to hold them accountable. Besides the annoyed spouse or significant other, who frequently reminds you of the dust now collecting on the tapes and equipment, there really is no one to hold you accountable, unless you have a personal trainer or a supportive friend who is exercising with you. Studies show that having a personal trainer or a workout partner increases motivation and adherence; eliminates boredom and helps you make fitness a lifestyle. On those days when you just don't feel like exercising, a personal trainer or workout partner can remind you of your goals and make sure that you complete your workout. Your body is your temple, and you only have one life to live. So why not construct and maintain your temple in the best possible way – with the help of a professional!

Aarti Patel is certified by the American Council on Exercise as a Personal Trainer and Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant. She is a Trainer at "Ultimate Bodies by Carlos" in Midtown and can be reached at (404)376-5655.