As you are about to face 2011, I have some suggestions that will give you a clear path to a healthy you.

There’s nothing sexy or trendy about these recommendations but if you want results, then these suggestions will flat out work.

If your goal is to make 2011 your best year ever, then you need to address three key areas.

Dennis Angileri , owner of DNA Fitness (www.dnafitness.org),says you need to make sure you have the right mindset before you start an exercise program and essentially before you make any major changes in your life.

According to Angileri, the right mindset means removing all excuses and setting realistic goals.

Regardless of your past failures or attempts at exercise you can be as successful as you choose. No matter how difficult your situation, there are people accomplishing the things you want with a lot less.

I wholeheartedly agree with Dennis and have talked about this in the past. When I work with someone that is totally committed and is not willing to give up I know with absolute certainty that they will accomplish their goals and I always enjoy the journey with these individuals. Most fitness professionals can tell within the first week if a new client is going to accomplish their goals.

The second area you need to address is your exercise program. This one should come as no surprise to readers of this column. All I will say here is that if you are going to commit to anything less than three days per week (four days is ideal) than you are not setting yourself up for success. If you are going to commit, then FULLY COMMIT!

Your exercise program should consist of a minimum of three strength-training sessions (15 to 20 minutes), three cardiovascular sessions (20 to 45 minutes) per week and each session should end with 10 minutes of stretching. You should be pushing yourself slightly outside of your comfort zone in order to maximize the benefits. There should be no great surprises here. We have talked about many options for each of these components this past year and I will continue to expand on these ideas in 2011.

The final piece to the puzzle is your nutrition. I don’t know anyone who is achieving their health and fitness goals without making some reasonable changes to eating habits. No amount of exercise will make up for poor eating habits.

Some simple suggestions here are to make sure you are eating lots of fruits and vegetables, fibre-rich foods and nutrient-dense carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Also pay attention to portions. A simple search for Canada’s Food Guide is a great way to get started.
There are lots of ways for you to achieve your health and fitness goals in 2011.

Regardless of the path you choose, if you are going to be successful you are going to need to incorporate the above guidelines as the core of your program.