A Brand New Day Trivia Quiz

Answer: Grapefruit diet

Bocce, bodybuilding, and geocaching are all safe ways to improve your fitness and health, but any diet that eliminates all but one food, such as the grapefruit diet, approach with caution. Our bodies need a range of nutrients, and extreme diets may promise quick results, only to be followed by negative consequences. Weight Watchers was voted the number one easiest, and number one best weight-loss diet, as well as the third best diet overall (US News World Report 2015) while Jenny Craig, Mayo Clinic, and the Mediterranean Diet are all popular and safe alternatives. Even Dr. Oz and Deepak Chopra offer diet advice.

The "South Beach" diet was voted number 19 and the controversial Atkins was number 32. Do your research and choose what is right for you.

Answer: What is my health goal?

Whenever we have goals, it's helpful to have a specific method for attaining that goal. If my goal is to increase the speed of my left hand throw, then possibly Frisbee, baseball, regular volley with my dog, swimming or weight lifting are considerations. Bicycling might be more convenient for me, it has health benefits and I'd enjoy it, but it would bring me no closer to my goal.

As to where will I get my last piece of cake? Many of us splurge the night before we start a new health regimen. Instead, plan on eating a quarter piece of cake (or a 1/2 beer, bit of sleeping in, or hour with the iPod) once a week. We don't have to completely give up the "bad" things we enjoy. We can strive for balance, and moderation.

Answer: The method to attain my goal

Using the excitement you feel about your new health goals, dream big and decide the method you want to use. Ask questions like, "Does this idea make me smile?", "Is it realistic for who I am?", "Is it something I can commit to?" Choose a method accessible to you, within your financial range, and FUN. If you think sweat is disgusting, by all means avoid the gym! If you are seriously shy, ballroom dancing lessons might not be your thing. If you haven't left the couch since disco was in, maybe karate isn't the place to start.

But cast a wide net. There are so many fun and positive ways to improve your fitness and health.

Answer: See a doctor

Once you've decided on a type of health program, it's important to go see your General MD. The reason is you need an "all clear" for the type of health goal you've chosen. Your doctor will check basic factors indicating any health problems a change in exercise or lifestyle might stress. For instance, say your arch is painful and the MD finds a bone spur in your foot.

Then jumping, jogging or step-class would only make it worse. You'd do better with swimming. You'll also get a starting weight, height, insulin and blood pressure "base" you can compare yourself to later! A lot of people find it's not just their weight or strength that improves.

As for buying gear and announcing your brand new health goal to friends, go for it!

Answer: False

False. Weight lifting for most people, especially beginners, is not about heavy weights. Lifting creates microscopic tears in your muscles, and it's the healing of those tears that makes you stronger. For "free weights" (those not on a machine) you gain grace, balance and strength in many smaller muscles that machines do not work. Whether free or machine, it's really about smooth movement, repetitions, and going back regularly. Lift a weight that is too heavy, and you are likely to damage and strain your muscles, causing pain, which will discourage you from going back.

In this case "Use the Force, Luke" is not apt advice.

Answer: They have measurable increments

Creating realistic and measurable goals we can reach in small increments makes a health program more successful. One reason our New Year's resolutions fail is we set our goals too high, expect to reach them too fast, or fail to notice our small achievements along the way.

Instead of, "I will stop smoking", try "This week I will smoke just 5 cigarettes a day" or "After jogging I will not smoke the rest of the night". Check your progress regularly, and then set a new goal for a new increment. This way, each step is progress toward the final goal. If you don't make your small step that week, it's an opportunity to look at why, and make changes.

Answer: Give yourself rewards

Most of us have put money into a new health goal, to buy gear, DVDs or outfits. We've tried paying for an entire program upfront, so we'll lose money if we quit or don't go. And we've dressed ourselves down with insults or "motivating" threats. These may work for some, but the majority of creatures, humans and others, respond best to positive rewards. So along with your small steps to reach your goal, build in rewards. Rewards can be anything from gold stars to time for a favorite movie, a small purchase, or a great salad at your favorite restaurant.

The reward is not "I've reduced my blood pressure so I can have that 6 pack of beer I miss!" Rewards support your new health program, and motivate you to the next rung.

Answer: Yoga

Yoga involves different poses, postures and "asanas", depending on the form. Yoga (meaning "union") has been around for centuries, and science confirms its profound positive impact on our bodies and health. Nearly anyone of any age or health condition can do Yoga, and poses can be modified for your personal goals.

In the Western world Yoga is not a religious practice, but an exercise program made up of stretching, breathing, and postures. Yoga benefits bones and muscle, heart and circulation, spine and breathing, and improves many ailments such as stiffness, headaches, weight gain, depression, and insomnia. Start slow, find a teacher suited to you, and set up incremental goals. Aikido is a Japanese martial art. Akita is a breed of dog.

Answer: A maintenance plan

After all your careful forethought, dedication, and those stepped rewards, you arrive at your new health goal. That's a big deal! Very important at this point is a plan to hold on to your gains. People sometimes forget that once they attain their health goals, they still need to maintain the behavior that brought it about. Find ways to make your new healthy practices a part of your daily habits and lifestyle, so that what was a brand new way of living is now part of who you are. If you notice a slip back into old ways, that's okay. Just make an adjustment back to healthy choices, and reclaim your health!

Answer: A brand new goal

When you've achieved a health improvement goal, make another one! You learned to scuba dive? Fantastic! Now take up dancing. You improved your mobility and flexibility? How about learning to make a great low-calorie smoothie? The world is amazing and vast. Our health and fitness is essential to enjoying this earth and all it has to offer. So let's get started. It's a brand new day.