With 2008 quickly coming to a close, it's time to begin looking at plans and goals for the new year. As always, thousands (if not millions) of people will pledge to make 2009 the year to get in shape. It's by no surprise that most fitness professionals consider January the best time of year to be in the fitness business. However, without fail, after 2-4 weeks of an individuals trying to get fit, old habits will slowly creep back in and by the time mid February rolls around most resolutions have gone by the wayside. With this in mind, let's take a look at a few ideas that will help you get and stay on the fast track to fitness in 2009.

Transform Your Mind

Before changing your body, it's imperative to change your mind. Over the years, we have all picked up bad habits that have led us to unhealthy lifestyles. Maybe it's exercise or poor nutrition? It could be poor sleep habits. No matter what the cause of your previous failures, come to the conclusion that fitness is a total lifestyle change. In order to make this change we must be steadfast in our mind that this is the path we want to take. If there is any uncertainty, rest assured, you'll be making the same resolutions for 2010

Eat Well

Proper nutrition is 80% of the game when it comes to meeting your fitness goals. Individuals who making "good" eating a priority see faster results than their less disciplined counterparts. Remember this saying, "You can't outwork a bad diet." In other words it doesn't matter how many miles you run or weights you lift, if you want to see results from your fitness program, you must eat well.

Try this simple rule of thumb: If you can kill it or pick it from a bush, tree or from the ground, you can eat it. Other then that, stay clear. A nice mix of fresh fruit, vegetables and lean proteins will become addictive after eating this way for a few days. By all means, cut out the useless sugar and junk foods. There is no nutritional value in these foods, not to mention the fact that they can lead to weight gain, anxiety issues and sleep disorders.

Join a Fitness Boot Camp

Most people ended up quitting their fitness goal for 1 of 2 reason. 1. They don't know what they are doing so after a few weeks they don't see anymore results. 2. They have no accountability. As wonderful as many fitness clubs are, they usually don't give much guidance to members as far as exercise prescription and selection. Personal trainers are great but with today's economy $$30-$60/session can add up in a hurry. Enter the fitness boot camp.

In a boot camp type setting, clients receive the same workouts as personal training but in a group setting. This provides built in enthusiasm, accountability and significantly reduces the costs but almost 50%/session. Once experiencing a fitness camp, many clients could never return to any other way of training!

Sleep Well

As much as we are conditioned to be busy all the time, I propose we make 2009, the year of sleep. Make a goal of getting at least 7-9 hours of sleep each night. This is the number that scientist recommend we get each night in order to function at our highest capacity. Lack of sleep leads to increased stress, weight gain and emotional problems, do yourself a favor and get your rest!

Perform High Intensity Exercise

Several years have passed since it was thought that slow aerobic type training was the best way to burn fat. Unfortunately, many individuals are still training this way. Recent research has shown that high intensity interval training burns up to 9x more fat then steady state aerobics. This translates into shorter workouts and more results. In other words, more bang for your buck.

To perform an interval, work at a high intensity for 30 seconds and then back off to a lower intensity for 60-120 seconds. Repeat this process for 20 minutes, 3 days a week and watch the difference it makes in your training program.

No need to wait until 2009 to get started on the "new" you. Take these tips and apply them to your life today, that way when the January 1, 2009 rolls around you'll already be 2 weeks into your new lifestyle and that much closer to living a healthy, fit life.

Copyright (c) 2008 Kirk Ream