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	<title>Christina Chitwood</title>
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	<link>http://christinachitwood.com</link>
	<description>San Diego, California</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Fri, 11 May 2012 08:00:14 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Making a Difference – Heroes with a Heart 2012</title>
		<link>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/05/making-a-difference-%e2%80%93-heroes-with-a-heart-2012/</link>
		<comments>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/05/making-a-difference-%e2%80%93-heroes-with-a-heart-2012/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 May 2012 08:00:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christina Chitwood</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Google+]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[performance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[google+]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heroes with a heart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[make a difference]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[making a difference]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[skate-a-thon]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[ Help a Child. Change a life. Build a Future. The Salvation Army Kroc Center in San Diego is in the middle of its very special annual fundraising campaign called “Heroes with a Heart.” We’re hoping to raise $75,000 to provide financial assistance to children, families, and seniors so they can participate in Kroc Center programs and services they could not otherwise afford. I’m an ice-skating coach at the Kroc Center Ice Arena, and I love to see the benefits to children and adults using the scholarship program. I truly believe the scholarship program changes lives. Here’s a list of Heroes with a Heart Events 100% of the money donated is used to help underprivileged individuals of all ages participate in Kroc Center events and classes. For more information about donations, please contact the Kroc Center Community Development Director at 619.269.1408 Heroes with a Heart Skate-A-Thon It’s the second year for the Kroc Center Skate-A-Thon. This year, the Skate-A-Thon is Friday, May 18, from 9-10:30pm. The Skate-A-Thon will support the Heroes with a Heart campaign. If you’re a skater who’d like to participate in the Skate-A-Thon, you must raise a minimum of $100 to be entered into a drawing for prizes. Skaters must be present at the drawing to win. Bring as many friends as you can. They just have to pay $5 to skate in the Skate-A-Thon session, although they won’t be eligible for the drawing. Here’s a reminder of the Skate-A-Thon rules: Skaters set their own personal goal and receive pledge envelopes from the Kroc Center ice. All registered skaters will have the opportunity to skate and earn tickets for prizes while trying to reach their goal. Please be on time. Skate-A-Thon skaters need to be ready to skate at 9pm on the 18 th . Drawing will take place 10:15-10:30pm. Skaters must register for the Skate-A-Thon and turn in all pledges at either of the drop-off times: Friday, May 11, 4:30-5:30pm or Saturday, May 12, 12:00-1:30pm. Look for the table in the Kroc Center Ice lobby to drop off pledges and register to receive a wrist band for the session. (Note: If you haven’t already received an envelope, ask the front desk at Kroc Center Ice for one.) If you have a wristband, you don’t have to pay to get in to the Skate-A-Thon session. Again, bring as many friends as you can. They just have to pay $5 to skate on the Skate-A-Thon session . (There’s a Friday Night Heroes public-skating session tomorrow, too! ) Here’s my post from last year with more information about Making a Difference – Heroes with a Heart . ]]></description>
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		<title>Christina Chitwood Performance on Google+</title>
		<link>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/04/christina-chitwood-performance-on-google/</link>
		<comments>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/04/christina-chitwood-performance-on-google/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:00:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christina Chitwood</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Google+]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[performance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pilates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zumba]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[google+]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pilates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zumba]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://christinachitwood.com/2012/04/christina-chitwood-performance-on-google/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Christina Chitwood Performance has a Google+ Page ! In case you’re new to my blog, here’s a bit about me: My bachelor’s degree in Performance and Professional Practice is from England where I was a competitive ice dancer representing Great Britain at the World level. I’ve also performed as a professional ice dancer. And I’m certified as a personal trainer, Zumba instructor, and Pilates instructor. As a figure skating coach, I love to help skaters with their performance abilities as well as their technical skills. At Christina Chitwood Performance, I enjoy using my experience and current research to give ideas and information focusing on performance in sports and arts as well as performance in everyday life. You’ll find tips from makeup and hair to smiling and improving your confidence. Where will you find some of those posts? Hair Makeup Tips Self-Confidence Performance Tips Performance for Everyday Life Please add me on Google+ ! Please also add the Fit Body Full Life Google+ Page for posts from the blog I co-founded with my husband, Tom. And check out the right sidebar for ways to connect with me on other social media, such as Twitter and Facebook. In the right sidebar, you’ll also find a list of the most popular posts at Christina Chitwood Performance right now! ]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Fit Body Full Life on Google+</title>
		<link>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/04/fit-body-full-life-on-google/</link>
		<comments>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/04/fit-body-full-life-on-google/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:00:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christina Chitwood</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Google+]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[google+]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[networking]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[ Fit Body Full life has a Google+ Page ! In case you just found Fit Body Full Life, let me tell you a bit about our blog: We’re Christina and Tom , a husband-wife duo in love with health and fitness (and with each other)! I’m Christina Chitwood-Parkin (Christina Chitwood from my days as a competitive ice dancer). My husband, Tom Parkin, is British. I met him at university when I was an ice dancer representing Great Britain. At Fit Body Full Life, we offer information about health, fitness, weight loss, golf, and golfing fitness. We provide ideas to to spark motivation, inspiring you toward achieving your goals. We aim to help you achieve your best version of yourself rather than just aspiring to be like others. Here are just a few of our post categories: Fitness Or more specialized fitness, such as: Golfing Fitness Golfing Tips Running Pilates Zumba Yoga Housecleaning Workouts Please add us on Google+ . And check out the right sidebar for ways to follow us via other social media. In the right sidebar, you’ll also find a list of the most popular posts on Fit Body Full Life right now! ]]></description>
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		<title>Top 10 Ideas for a New Daylight Saving Time Exercise Boost</title>
		<link>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/03/top-10-ideas-for-a-new-daylight-saving-time-exercise-boost/</link>
		<comments>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/03/top-10-ideas-for-a-new-daylight-saving-time-exercise-boost/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:00:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christina Chitwood</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Daylight Saving Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Exercise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exercise boost]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[daylight saving time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exercise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fitness]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://christinachitwood.com/2012/03/top-10-ideas-for-a-new-daylight-saving-time-exercise-boost/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Daylight Saving Time has come again, and most of us are now adjusted to more light later in the day. I wish it were like this all year round. But since it’s only available for half of the year, take advantage of Daylight Saving Time and use it for a boost in your exercise routine. A lot of people have felt the motivation from their New Year’s resolutions start to dwindle by now (if it hasn’t disappeared already). Everybody needs boosts at different times of the year. More hours of sunlight in the evening can help you feel happier and more motivated to be active when you come out of work into pretty, sunny weather (depending on where you live!). Here are some ideas for exercising in the longer daylight hours: 1. Take a walk. You could go by yourself, with a friend, partner, kids, or pet. (Usually I would say walk your dog. However, I recently saw a teenage girl walking her pet lizard!) Also, take advantage of a scenic route. You can just walk around your neighborhood, or you can walk around a park, on a beach, on a trail, or in the mountains. 2. Take a bike ride. Riding a bike is not only great cardio exercise, but it can also be relaxing, especially if you have a good trail near you. It’s nice if you don’t have to worry about cars. 3. Go for a swim. Go to a heated outdoor pool (unless it’s warm enough where you live), use a pool at your gym, or swim in the ocean if you’re lucky enough to have an ocean near you. I tend to use a wetsuit if I’m going to be in the ocean for awhile, as our water in San Diego isn’t that warm. If you live somewhere like Hawaii, you might just need a swimsuit year-round. 4. Surf. Surfing is great exercise, and it can feel very peaceful. 5. Rollerblade. Rollerblading can be lots of fun with friends or family. It’s a similar workout to ice skating, but you can enjoy the sunshine at the same time. 6. Go to the gym or an exercise class. Although you might not be in the sunshine at the gym, it’s much easier to exercise when you finish work and it’s still light outside. If you feel motivated, go for it! 7. Golf. Go play some golf either on the driving range or on the course. If you have enough energy to have a pull cart and walk the course, you’ll get an even better workout. 8. Play any sport outdoors. You could play basketball, tennis, soccer, football … any sport you like. It’s even more fun when it’s light outside. 9. Take your workout outside. If you do bodyweight circuits or exercises that don’t require weights or many weights, take your workout to your local park. Some parks are now geared more toward exercise (such as Nobel Athletic Fields in the UTC area in San Diego with exercise stations around the park for pullups, pushups, dips, and other exercises.) 10. Go for a jog or a power walk around your city. Just because you live there doesn’t mean you can’t explore your city or go to your favorite areas and power walk or jog around them. Hopefully, you’re feeling more happy and energetic with the extra sunlight in the evenings. So choose your favorite type of exercise or one of the ideas above, and try to get some exercise in every day! Enjoy your new exercise boost! Photo Credit: Photo by Joits at Flickr Creative Commons ]]></description>
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		<title>Have Fun with Your Hair This Spring</title>
		<link>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/03/have-fun-with-your-hair-this-spring/</link>
		<comments>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/03/have-fun-with-your-hair-this-spring/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:00:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christina Chitwood</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[performance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fishtail braid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hairstyles]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[ Spring is a great time to experiment with new hairstyles and start getting ready for summer. This doesn’t have to mean changing your hair color or cutting your hair. You can do so much with fun braids and more! A great site that I like to get e-mail tips from is Daily Makeover. Recently, Daily Makeover had some videos on “5 Easy Spring Hairstyle Tutorials.” I wanted to share them with you, as they are very straightforward but can freshen up your look! My favorite is the fishtail braid, and Lauren Conrad shows an easy way to do it yourself . Plus, fishtail braids are being seen right now on the red carpet and also as an everyday look. Quick steps for the fishtail braid: 1. Make a side ponytail with a clear elastic or fairly invisible elastic. 2. Separate your ponytail into two chunks of hair. 3. Take a small piece of hair from the outside of the 1st chunk and bring it forward and across to the 2 nd chunk. 4. Repeat step 3 with a small piece of hair from the 2 nd chunk, bringing it forward and across to the 1 st chunk. 5. Continue to repeat until you are happy with how long your braid is. 6. Put an elastic (or a ribbon for fun) at the bottom of the braid. Extra Tips for the Fishtail Braid: It’s OK if the braid is a little messy, as it gives it some character. You can cut out the top elastic or keep it in. If you have some flyaway strands, spray some hairspray onto your hand and lightly smooth down your hair. It’s also fun to add clips, sparkle, and bows. Have fun with your new or renewed hairstyles! Photo by Elaine Whitney at Flickr Creative Commons. ]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Workout for Bloggers and Other Computer Users</title>
		<link>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/02/workout-for-bloggers-and-other-computer-users/</link>
		<comments>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/02/workout-for-bloggers-and-other-computer-users/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Feb 2012 20:00:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christina Chitwood</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[daily activity workout]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daily Activity Workouts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Exercise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fit disc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fitball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fitball chair]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[workout for bloggers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[daily activity workouts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exercise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fitness]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[ If you’re a blogger, work at a desk most of the day, or just find yourself seated most of the time, you can still improve your health and fitness. The trick … exercise while you’re seated! Exercise Tips for Bloggers and Other Computer Users Whenever you’re seated, it’s important to think about your posture every now and then. Make sure that your back is straight, you’re not slouching, and your head is in alignment. If you have a fitball, try replacing your typical office chair and instead sit on a fitball so that you can get better abs, posture, and fitness. Another great option is to keep your office chair but get a gel fit disc , place it on your chair, and sit on the gel disc throughout the day. The fit disc creates an unstable surface that is comfortable but challenges your muscles. If you have a weaker back, back pain, or just want a bit of padding for your back area, you could get a fitball chair . A fitball chair is adjustable so that you can set the height for your desk and support your back. It still is challenging for your muscles. Don’t just sit on your fitball or exercise disc. Make an effort to rock from side to side and front to back. Make circular motions each direction as well as figure eights. Also, lift your feet off the ground and balance on your fitball or disc. It’s very important to be aware of your posture any time you’re doing movements as you’re training your muscles. Not only will your muscles be working out more throughout the day, but moving rather than sitting still will help you be more alert. I would still recommend trying to exercise a little bit every day in addition to your seated workout and/or scheduled workouts at least three times a week . Remember, it’s not about the time you work out. It’s about working out consistently and trying to improve your health. For example, if you’re used to being sedentary most of the day, start out with 10 minutes of additional exercise every day and work up to more. My mom, Deb Chitwood , is a full-time writer/blogger. She credits her toned abs to using a fitball chair and fit disc on an office chair. (She rotates the two for variety.) She also works out for an hour three times a week but says she saw a very noticeable improvement in her abs just from sitting on a fitball or fit disc. If you stick with the workout for bloggers and other computer users, look forward to more toned abs and better stability! Challenge yourself and enjoy a healthier you! Photo Credit: Photo by anabananasplit at Flickr Creative Commons. ]]></description>
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		<title>Competition Makeup Tips</title>
		<link>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/02/competition-makeup-tips/</link>
		<comments>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/02/competition-makeup-tips/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:30:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christina Chitwood</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[performance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competition makeup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competition makeup tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[figure skating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[makeup tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[performance tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://christinachitwood.com/2012/02/competition-makeup-tips/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Competition Makeup at the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships - Mark Hanretty and Christina Chitwood (AP Photo Antonio Calanni) When you compete in an event that is judged, appearance is typically taken into consideration. Even if there isn’t a mark for appearance, your appearance in how you present yourself can affect how the judges perceive your ability. As much as it would be nice to believe that only ability is judged, the human eye tends to be drawn toward those who are well presented. If you’re in a sport such as figure skating and you’re female, makeup should be an important part of your competition regimen. Here are competition makeup tips for figure skaters or anyone in a similar sport or art. Competition Makeup Essentials In bright-lit ice arenas or on the stage, your face tends to look washed out. So brighter colors than would be worn for everyday makeup are necessary.  1. A foundation and/or powder matched to the skin color will help even out skin tone and help make your skin look more perfected. If you’re in a sport where you perspire more, you may want to use a primer under your foundation or powder to help it last longer. 2. A bright blush applied to the cheeks helps bring out the color in the face as well as defining the face. 3. A bright lip color shows off your expressions. For most sports, you’ll want to blot the lipstick and avoid lip glosses (hair will get stuck to the lip gloss). You can apply a shimmery Chapstick over the lipstick to create a bit of sheen if desired. 4. Mascara is a definite necessity for all ages to help bring out the eyes and make sure they don’t disappear from a distance. The above four items are good for any age and should be a must for most female competitors. For many competitors, though, a bit more definition and done-up look is desired. Competition Makeup Extras 1. The eyes are used for expression, so makeup should be used to help your eyes pop. 2. Try not to go too dark, as this can sometimes make the eyes appear smaller. 3. Also avoid very neutral colors such as nude eye shadows. Different shades of purple work well on most skin tones. 4. Eye liner is helpful to define the eyes a bit more, but try to avoid making it too dark or too wide. Try out the tips you like at your next competition. Have fun competing, performing, and looking great! ]]></description>
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		<title>Gaining Confidence through Competition</title>
		<link>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/01/gaining-confidence-through-competition/</link>
		<comments>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/01/gaining-confidence-through-competition/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:00:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christina Chitwood</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flexibility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[performance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[confidence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[figure skating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self-confidence]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://christinachitwood.com/2012/01/gaining-confidence-through-competition/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Christina Chitwood and Mark Hanretty with Christina's Mother and Mark's Parents after Christina and Mark Won their First Medal in British Senior Ice Dance, January 2008 Confidence is a wonderful character trait to have in life. Confidence helps you do well in an interview, do well in school or college, meet more people, do better in sports … in general, confidence helps you perform more successfully. Confidence is an important character trait to develop at a young age. If parents, teachers, and coaches help children develop confidence, they will turn out to be much more confident adults. Benefits of Competing in Figure Skating Healthy competition is a fantastic way to develop confidence in children and teenagers. Ice skating in particular is a wonderful sport to help children and teenagers develop confidence. If you’re in singles, skating helps give you confidence in yourself as an individual. If you’re a pairs-, dance-, or synchronized skater, it helps you develop confidence in yourself as well as develops the ability to work with a team member or members. Ice skating in any discipline helps to improve posture. Posture plays a huge part in confidence because you appear more confident when you have good posture. At the same time, you feel more confident with good posture because you’re standing taller. Also, ice skating helps your health and fitness which naturally gives you more confidence. Strength, flexibility, and endurance are gained through ice skating. Competing is especially helpful because when you compete, you’re under pressure. If you perform well, it gives you confidence. If you get the added bonus of a good placement, that gives you confidence. The more competitions you do, the more confident you become in yourself and your ability. Later on in life, you can look back and say, “If I competed in ice skating with that big of an audience, then I can do this.” Even if your performance isn’t your best one, you can still be confident in the fact that you are able to go out and skate in front of large audiences. More about Figure Skating and Confidence My mom has posts at Raising Figure Skaters about how my brother and I gained self-confidence from competitive skating: Self-Confidence Makes Everything Better Success after Competitive Skating Isn’t Just Luck Confidence is also a common theme in this video with lots of skaters answering the question, “What’s so great about figure skating?” Click here to view the embedded video. Have fun competing! ]]></description>
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		<title>Set Goals throughout the Year</title>
		<link>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/01/set-goals-throughout-the-year/</link>
		<comments>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/01/set-goals-throughout-the-year/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:15:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christina Chitwood</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[goal setting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Motivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Year]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[set goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Setting Goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[goal-setting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[motivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new year]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[setting goals]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[ It’s not too late to set goals this year. The New Year has passed, but year-round goal setting can help you immensely to achieve what you want. One key aspect in health and fitness is consistency. Set a goal to work out a certain amount of times each week for the next month. It doesn’t have to be a hectic schedule. Just figure out what is manageable for you and try to stick with it. After a month, review to see if it’s working in your schedule and if you are getting the results you want. Life is unpredictable, so it’s important to review. Your schedule might have changed, or you might want to add in another workout if you have the time and want to get better results. S.M.A.R.T. Goals A great way to set goals that works with the above is setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. Smart goals stand for: S pecific M easurable A ppropriate R ealistic T ime-Bound Here’s an example of a S.M.A.R.T. goal: S pecific: You want to lose 5 pounds. M easurable: You should be able to objectively measure your progress. Weigh yourself weekly and also measure yourself. If your weight is staying the same but your measurements are going down, you’re losing fat but gaining muscle. Therefore, you’re healthier and could still be considered achieving your goal. A ppropriate: The goal should be appropriate for you. For example, if you’re considered underweight for your height or your doctor is telling you you’re too thin, then this isn’t an appropriate goal for you. If you’re carrying an extra 5 pounds, then this would be an appropriate goal for you. R ealistic: If you have a health issue that makes losing weight difficult for you or you tend to struggle with losing weight, set your goal longer than the typical goal of losing 1-2 pounds per week. Also, you don’t want to be losing more than 1-2 pounds per week because you’d be losing muscle and not fat. That would be detrimental to your health and not a realistic goal to improve your health. T ime-bound: If you lose 1-2 pounds per week, set your goal for a month or 5 weeks for losing 5 pounds. If you’re 150 pounds, you would write your affirmation or goal as “I am 145 pounds by February 11, 2012.” If you’re planning to ultimately lose more than 5 pounds, you could say, “I am 145 pounds or less by February 11, 2012” in case you’re one of the lucky ones who loses 2 pounds per week. Posts on Goal Setting Here are some other posts on goal setting you’ll find here and at Christina Chitwood Performance: Go for It with All Your Energy! Bring in the New Year with Goals New Year, New Goals ]]></description>
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		<title>New Year, New Goals</title>
		<link>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/01/new-year-new-goals/</link>
		<comments>http://christinachitwood.com/2012/01/new-year-new-goals/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:00:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christina Chitwood</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[performance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[figure skating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[goal-setting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[performance tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[s.m.a.r.t. goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smart goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[word art freebie]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://christinachitwood.com/2012/01/new-year-new-goals/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ To be a good athlete, you need strong motivation. However, levels of motivation can vary throughout the year. So it’s important to find ways that spark your motivation. One of the best and proven ways to keep on track with your athletic plans and increase motivation is through goal setting. What better time to set goals than the New Year?! As an NASM-certified personal trainer, I was taught to set S.M.A.R.T. goals. Smart goals can stand for: S pecific M easurable A ppropriate R ealistic T ime-Bound How to set a S.M.A.R.T. goal: I’m going to give an example of how you could set a S.M.A.R.T. goal if you’re a figure skater. Maybe you’re working on your double axel and wanting to set a goal to achieve it. You are very close to landing a clean double axel (only a quarter-turn cheat away). S pecific: You set your goal to land a clean double axel in 2 months by a specific date. You’ll write: “I have a clean double axel on March 7, 2012.” M easurable: The nice thing about skating jumps is that they are measurable. You can tell if a jump is rotated all the way around by looking at your landing tracing on the ice, having your coach watch and evaluate your jump, and/or having your jump videotaped. A ppropriate: You and your coach should have decided that getting a clean double axel is a priority for your skating right now. R ealistic: This is similar to appropriate. It should be realistic that you could land your double axel clean within 2 months. If you’ve never started working on a double axel before, it wouldn’t be realistic to set a goal to land it clean within two months. Even though this could happen for certain skaters, it’s unrealistic for most. T ime-bound: Your measurable goal goes along with your time-bound goal. Your measurable goal is that you’re going to land it clean. Your time-bound goal is that you will have it clean in 2 months on a specific date. More ideas about goal setting: The above goal is more of a medium-term goal. It’s good to set daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, medium-term goals of a specific number of months, and yearly goals. Find what works for you. Goals and affirmations of a certain consistency are proven to help. Goals are not set in stone. Sometimes goals need to be revised. You may achieve a goal sooner than expected. Your goal may not be appropriate for you anymore, or it may need to be altered in some way. Your goals are to help you get the most out of your practice and become the best that you can be. If your goals are getting you discouraged, I would advise speaking with your coach about your goals. You might be able to set up a plan of attack for goals that work better for you. My sister-in-law, Chea, who’s a skating coach and Sport Psychology Consultant with a Ph.D. in Sport Psychology also has a helpful post on goal setting: Learn to Set SMART Goals in Figure Skating . If you’d like a visual reminder for S.M.A.R.T. goals, here’s a word art freebie designed by my mom, Deb Chitwood , that you may print out for your goal book or locker. To download word art, click here , then right click on the image and choose “Save Picture As . . .” Photo Credit: Photo at top of post by Niharb at Flickr Creative Commons ( License ). ]]></description>
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