We have a VERY Special post today coming to you from Danielle Dillard, the newest addition to our Forte Fitness Team!

I already told you she was AMAZING, but now you can see for yourself

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What’s up Everyone!? I jumped at the chance to write my first blog post for Forte Fitness and come up with a challenge of the week for us, and this week will not disappoint!

Since this is my first blog post, I should probably start with a proper introduction.

Hello, I’m Danielle! Many of you know me because I’ve been shadowing Alicia at evening boot camps for the last two weeks (plus I’ve been a member of Forte Fitness for the last three months), but if you don’t know, I’m the newest Forte instructor! Woo hoo! I’m looking forward to meeting all of you and helping you achieve your individual goals as a member of your support team!

This week we are going to focus on our goals because a big part of Forte Fitness’s presence in our lives has to do with achieving our personal goals, right?

Forte Fitness has helped me not only with fitness goals and getting into the best shape of my life, but with encouragement and support for achieving a big personal desire of mine; becoming a certified group exercise instructor, and I’m extremely thankful!

Sometimes it takes someone on the outside looking in at you to help you realizing you have what it takes to meet your goals head on.

Many of you are just finishing up the Little Black Dress Project (LBD) so there is no time like the present to reevaluate and adjust your goals, set some new ones, and check your support system.

Those of you not involved with LBD may have “loose” goals in mind; now it is time to make them more concrete and get them down on paper. Perhaps you recently hit a weight loss goal, or mastered pistol squats or made it to class every day in a week, or (insert your goal here) and so it is time to think about a new fitness direction for your life. Here at Forte Fitness, we can help!

First of all, goal setting has proven to be successful in all areas of life: personal, professional, family, fitness, etc.

Goal setting is very important because it makes you accountable to yourself and to others if you choose to share, and then it translates into reality once the goal is met.

This reality translates into motivation to excel and achieve even more, and so the cycle goes on and on. Keep this in mind: some like sushi, others like a well-done steak. Some say tomato, others say “tommato” but we all share the same desire to be fit and healthy, so we can ALL benefit from setting goals.

One way to develop goals is to imagine where you want to be in 10 years. Consider even sitting down alone, closing your eyes (this sounds cheesy, but can be very effective) and really painting the picture in your mind of what you want. Then, cut that goal in half, down to 5 years, and then down to 1 year. What could you be doing today that could realistically get you where you want to be in 10 years?

So, what exactly are your specific goals? Make up your list and then create a timeline, fitting those goals into it and including the necessary steps to achieve those goals.

Finally, take action, and remember there is no better time like RIGHT NOW, TODAY!

This week I challenge you to set (at least) THREE S.M.A.R.T. (Specific-Measureable-Attainable-Relevant-Time-Bound) goals:

A professional goal, a personal goal, and a fitness-related goal. If you can set more, go for it!

I encourage you to not only write them down, but to read over them daily this week. Breathe them in. Memorize them and manifest them in your life.

Create your own set of goals and share them on our group Facebook page (if you’d like) or with a friend. Believe in your goal, surround yourself with support and believe in yourself! It’s all about YOU!

Now wait a minute, you didn’t think I was going to let you off that easy in my first official blog post, did you? No way, I have to set my standards now!

In that case, I am also challenging you to join in celebrating September as National Yoga month and attempt 20 minutes of yoga each day. This may be easy for some of you and hard for others.

Please consider this challenge for several reasons. We know the importance of stretching, but what other benefits comes with incorporating yoga into our routine? Increased flexibility, strength and balance, are all side effects of yoga. Let’s dive even deeper.

Building muscle strength through yoga has the added benefit of making your muscles more flexible and will make you less prone to injury, according to livestrong.com.

Heavy training schedules stress the muscles & joints and diminish range of motion; yoga restores this.

There are psychological benefits of yoga as well. It improves your sense of well being by forming a connection between your physical body and your mind. Yoga can also be deeply relaxing and meditative, making it good for practicing first thing in the morning or at night before bedtime.

So, this week I challenge you to introduce 20 minutes of daily yoga to your regular workout schedule.

Whether you try this in the quiet of your home or try and catch one of Ashley’s amazing yoga classes this week at Baldwin (half yoga on Thursdays and 9 a.m. Saturday), I hope you make it to your mat this week!

Let’s review…you have been challenged to set goals for different areas of your life, to visualize those goals, perhaps even creating a visual representation to share on our Facebook page. You have also been challenged to attempt yoga for 20 minutes a day in celebration of National Yoga Month during September.

Therefore I hope I see you at one of Ashley’s amazing yoga classes this week at Baldwin (half yoga on Thursdays and 9 a.m. Saturday.)  If that doesn’t fit into your schedule, then check out apps for iPhones, Google “basic yoga”, or view a fitness video on Netflix.

Let us know what you think after a few days by sharing your comments. Do you feel more balance in your life? Are you becoming more reflective and calm? How is your stress level?

Namaste!