Whenever I see a sign posted in a retail establishment reading “under new management”, many thoughts go through my head.  What happened to the “old management”?  Are things around here going to stay the same? My routine driven lifestyle and habitual rituals of picking up the same coffee drink, visiting the same corner pharmacy, and ordering from the same Thai food take-out restaurant are suddenly facing the possibility of newness.

I will admit however, that once the fear of  change disappears, I am always excited to find a new item on the menu or a new product on the shelves.  Change is good and my routine can continue with a new vigor and I take a big breath in and realize that “under new management” means fresh and exciting things!

I am happy to say that I am the “new management” of Pure Style Fitness!  As new owner , I have made it my mission to seek out the most comfortable and stylish fitness clothing and accessories for women and men.  In my years as an instructor and business owner, I know first hand the importance of quality and comfort and I plan to bring these to you!  I am thankful to the previous owner for building a great business, for seeking out great clothing lines and for providing Pure Style Fitness with great energy to grow!  I look forward to adding new products and featuring organic and sustainable yoga, Pilates and fitness clothing!  Looking forward to seeing photos of all of you in Pure Style Fitness wear on our Facebook page!

Pure Style Fitness Owner, Michele Fulkerson in Doce Vida

We’ve hit June and that means half the year is OVER! I know…I can’t believe it either!  So, why does it matter that it’s the middle of the year?  Because you STILL have 6 months to accomplish those New Years Resolutions.  Uh oh…I brought it up…New Years Resolutions.  Many of you may have already forgot what yours was but you shouldn’t.  Especially if your resolution was to get fit, you still have time.  Even if you’ve given up, you can start again.  Just call it a Mid-year Resolution. 

The best way to keep a resolution is to reward yourself for the small accomplishments.  Those small accomplisments are a big deal because ultimately they lead to the big accomplishment. You can treat yourself starting here at Pure Style Fitness with a new piece of clothing.  Find something that makes you feel confident…we have plenty to choose from! Good luck!

Pure Style Fitness has launched 3 new lines of spring clothing for fitness and yoga fashionistas! Three popular brand names have introduced their new 2012 spring lines and Pure Style was sure to include them.  Check out the latest 2012 fashions from Jala Clothing, Green Apple and Alo Sport for your upcoming spring trips.  What is more comfortable to wear than figure flattering fitness wear?

Pure Style Fitness has always focused on offering fitness and yoga apparel that not only wears well in the gym but out and about as well.  Versatility and functionality adds value to any piece.  And when you’re spending your hard earned cash, be sure to get more bang for you buck.  Shop Pure Style Fitness for your flexible wardrobe.  Another perk to versatile fitness wear is that aside from being able to wear it all the time, it also travels well!  Fitness apparel ismade of fabric that rarely to never wrinkles. Easy and cute….SOLD!

What spring break trips do you have coming up?  What clothes do you plan on packing?  Check out a new look below:

Member at Pure Style Fitness are sticking to their New Years Resolution, of staying fit or getting fit in 2012, by using the Kellogg’s My Plan.  The My Plan has 4 options, take the Spcial K Challenge – lose 6 pounds in 2 weeks, get ready for an event, set a weight goal or to maintain current weight.  What’s great about these options is that every person will fit into one of these categories.  Based on your plan option, Special K provides you with a recommended daily calorie  intake, suggestions on what to eat during the day, recipes, way to interact with other “dieters” and ways to share you feelings and experiences. 

Pure Style members have found this program non-threatening and easy to follow.  Its made sticking to a New Years Resolution personal. 

How are you sticking to your New Years Resolution?  Have you tried this program?

I found an article listing the top 10 New Year’s resolutions and was in 100% agreeance.  The list was as follows: ?1. Stop smoking 2. Get into the habit of being fit 3. Lose weight 4. Enjoy life more 5. Quit drinking 6. Organize yourself 7. Learn something new 8. Get out of debt 9. Spend more time with family and 10. Help people.  I personally think this is a great list and that every person will have some sort of resolution that could fall into one of these 10 categories.  I feel that in actuality you could complete all 10 resolutions in one year.  The first thing to note is I said year, not first 2 weeks of the New Year.  That means, you have 365 days to accomplish these common resolutions and feel great about yourself.   So how do you accomplish 10 difficult resolutions? Start by using resolution number 6, organize yourself.  Create a list or goal sheet with each of the above listed resolutions and how you can accomplish them.  Your dead line ise December 31, 2012. 

So really…how can you accomplish 10 resolutions?  Well as a fitness connoisseur myself, let’s start with numbers 2 and 3.  Right there, you can combine two of the listed resolutions.  If you get into the habit of being fit, losing weight will just come natural.  And I feel that being fit is about forming habits.  You can’t be fit for a week and expect it to stick.  It’s about forming habits for the long run and that is what keeps the weight off and you healthier.  Two major things that help keep you healthy is by not smoking or drinking.  I understand occasional drinking occurs, and that is just fine.  It’s the cocktail you have every night with dinner that starts to add up.  Remember, alcohol is made with lots of sugars, and there in lies the problem.  So, by accomplishing resolutions 1 and 5, you are assisting the completion of resolutions 2 and 3. 

I have never been a smoker but I can appreciate the difficulty of quitting.  If you too have never been a smoker or heavy drinker, you already can check off resolutions 2 and 5.  If you are a smoker or drinker, use the support of family and friends as your foundation.  They love you and want you to be around for a long time.  Remind yourself every time you pick up a cigarette or drink you are subtracting time away from your life as well as time you have with others.  It’s tough love to say but it’s not all about you.  Don’t be ashamed to use over the counter products or medical assistance.  No one says you have to go at it alone.  Remember , you have 365 days to accomplish your goal.  You can also think about this resolution as a never ending resolution and each year refresh the same resolution.  By being smoke free and/or alcohol free you are forming those healthy habits (resolution number 2)!   

To keep working on 2 and 3, you can use resolutions 7, 9 and 10.  Let’s start with 7.  I’m sure there has always been something new you’ve wanted to learn.  Well now’s your chance to sign up for ballroom dancing lessons, study a new language or learn how to ice skate.  All activities take energy and when you use energy you are burning calories.  You’d be surprised to learn just how many calories you burn by participating in various activities.  Check out http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc, type in your weight and how long you participated in a certain activity and it can tell just how many calories you burned.  For example, a 145lb women participating in 1 hour of ballroom dancing burns 200 calories. So get moving and learn something new!

Number 9 should be a very easy and rewarding resolution to participate in, as well as assist you with resolutions 2 and 3.  Spending time with family allows you to strengthen the bond and trust among each other.  It is particularly important for parents and children to bond in order for that trust and openness to grow.  Some activities that you can partake in as a family are playing a board game, going to a family movie, having a family dinner, going to the park or volunteering together.  Again, all these activities take energy and using energy burns calories.  Some other more vigorous family activities could be taking a hike, going on a bike ride or building something for the home.  By participating in fitness related activities as a family, you are also instilling the importance of health and fitness.  Children will understand the importance of physical activity and it can become a healthy habit they form at an early age. Also by showing your children activities like hiking or building you may introduce them to an interest they may not have known before. 

As stated earlier, volunteering is a great family activity and it satisfies the number 10 resolution.  But even if you are single or don’t have children, volunteering is a great way to get in physical activity, feel good about yourself, and help those in need.  Let me guess what you’re thinking? “But I don’t have time to volunteer.”  I understand that feeling, and I will tell you that not everything has to be accomplished immediately.  Again, you have 365 days to complete a resolution before its time to start a new one.  And whether you volunteer once a week or once a year, one time is just enough to make a difference.  Here is a great article about how to fit volunteering into your own schedule, http://www.divinecaroline.com/22347/39337-ten-ways-volunteer-own-schedule.  As suggested in the article, start local.  Volunteering can be done in your own back yard by helping a neighbor with yard work, or cooking dinner for the couple with the new baby.  You can also look at volunteering events put on by your church, park district, schools and community centers.  For example, in the summer when the park district puts on that 5K race, look to volunteer.  It is one morning, for a couple of hours, and is largely appreciated by those running and organizing the event. 

Probably the most difficult resolution to accomplish is number 8.  You’re probably wondering how it can be linked with all the others.  Let’s use number 6, organizing ourselves, to help us accomplish number 8.  Now that the end of the year is approaching, sit down, either by yourself or your significant other and review your finances.  Look at the expenditures of the past year.  What big purchases did you make, what purchases do you make on a weekly or monthly basis, what was an unexpected expense, etc.  Once you’ve categorized your expenses, decide in what areas you can cut back in (groceries, entertainment, clothes shopping, etc.) and set a number of by how much you will cut back.  Make the number realistic.  Choosing an unrealistic number is the first mistake you can make because if you can’t accomplish it within the first two months you may become discouraged and give up on all efforts made.  Start with a small realistic number that you can cut back on spending for the first two months and then revisit it.  Can we cut back more?  Should we continue with this number for a couple more months?  So, now that you’ve cut back spending how can you lower your debt?  Use the money you’ve cut back in spending to pay down your accumulated debt.  Again, you may feel that you aren’t putting a lot towards paying down your debt but any amount is better than none at all or increasing your debt.  Again, this is another area you shouldn’t feel embarrassed about receiving help with.  Be proud that you are doing something about lowering your debt rather than being too prideful to get the help you need.

But how is resolution 8 linked with all the others?  First, by lowering your debt you are forming new positive habits.  These habits go in hand with resolution number 2.  I know resolution number 2 states “getting into the habit of being fit” but fit is more than just your physical body.  How about being fit mentally?  When you are fit, you are healthy all over and that includes the mental health.  Debt is a burden that causes a lot of stress.  Once you can reduce some of that stress you mentally become much more fit.  So what are some ways that you can reduce your spending?  Spending time with your family should cost little to nothing.  Spending a night in around the dinner table or playing a board game you have tucked in the closet is great entertainment and a great way to satisfy resolution number 9.  Another way to keep busy is by volunteering.  Volunteering is again free to you and very rewarding.  So don’t think that by cutting back you have to be bored.  There are plenty of options!

If you have worked at accomplishing all 9 resolutions discussed above then there should be no doubt that you’ve accomplished resolution number 4, to enjoy life more.  By forming healthy habits, you can lose weight.  Great ways to get in shape are by getting involved with your family, learning something new and volunteering.  Decreasing your debt is probably the most difficult and time consuming resolution.  It won’t happen overnight and it may even spill into the next year’s resolution, but it can be done.  And if you’ve sat down with yourself or the ones you love and organized a way to accomplish each resolution, you’ve made it easier on yourself to succeed in accomplishing not 1 but 10 resolutions, all in turn allowing you to enjoy life just a little bit more!  What a rewarding year you have ahead of you.

What keeps me on the fitness track during the holidays?… A little self motivation! To keep myself motivated, I allow myself to buy a new fitness piece.  Having a new fitness top or bottom gets me excited about continuing my workout.  I can’t wait to wear it! What keeps you motivated? Share here!