Often, when it comes to exercise, people set goals that are too lofty, too aggressive, or too broad. Here are some tips to help you pick the right goal, so that you can keep moving and achieving:

• If you’re just starting out, part of your primary goal initially should be to create a routine that you can maintain.
• Start small. If you haven’t exercised in a while, take small steps towards big results.

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Yoga, the Alexander Technique, Craniosacral Therapy, Tai Chi, the Feldenkrais Method, and Rolfing all agree: as young children we move with ease and grace, but without body awareness as we age, our posture deteriorates. A lack of body awareness allows us to hunch our shoulders forward, slouch in our chair, or pouch out our stomachs. Repeated over time, these unwanted actions will become habit. Add stress, illness, or injury to our “bad” habits and our postural alignment is doomed. Without proper alignment, our natural movements become awkward, inefficient and can result in back pain, arthritis and sciatica.

We need to correct our posture in order to avoid a potential future of pain. The question is “Where to start?” Perhaps all we need to do is recall the barking orders of our parents, “Stand up straight!” We know the advice was well intended, but without proper training on how to correct poor posture, it’s difficult to accomplish the orders. So, K2 decided to research various techniques that teach proper posture. Below, we’ve provided brief summaries of each teaching technique. If one piques your interest, consider finding an introductory class in your area in that discipline. If you enjoy the first class, sign up for a session. You may also want to consider downloading our Coach on the Go posture cues to your iPod, then print and post our posture tips on your refrigerator. The goal with trying any of these approaches is to bring your awareness to your posture so that you can walk tall, sit straight and move pain free. (more…)

1. Find a friend or group of friends who share your interest in getting fit. (Don’t be afraid to send out a blast email to friends and acquaintances, you’d be surprised by how many people want to get fit.)

2. Select an hour a day 3-5 times a week to call your own and treat it like you would a doctor’s appt (which you’d never cancel!)

3. Don’t worry about the intensity of your exercise, at least at first, enjoy the time together with friends while you move your body.