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5 ways to get the upper hand on your 2020 fitness goals

5 ways to get the upper hand on your 2020 fitness goals
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Jovan Abernathy is an international marathoner and owner of Houston Tourism Gym. To claim your free tour, contact her at info@tourismgymhtx.com. Follow her on Twitter @jovanabernathy. Instagram @TourismGymHtx. Facebook @TourismGymHtx

January is the time that everyone is thinking about getting healthier and losing weight. What new fitness goals do you have for 2020? I am often asked for tips to getting a jump on goals. Here are some tips on how to get ahead of the curve on your 2020 fitness season.

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Personalize your workout clothes.

Do not be afraid to be yourself in your workout clothes. If you think of the outfits that you wear the most, your workout clothes should be in the top three. If you have new fitness goals, you will be spending a lot of time in your workout clothes. Don't be afraid to personalize them and add colors. Make sure that they are appropriate for the activity that you are doing and that everything fits right. You will be suprised at the difference this will make in your attitude towards your workout.

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Replace old running shoes with new ones.

People who are new to fitness often miss the importance of this one. Shoes wear down and go bad over time. Even if they are not being used as often as you think, the material that the shoes is made of goes bad. It makes me cringe when I ask someone when was the last time that they got new shoes and they reply with 5 years. YIKES! It is time to replace the shoes. Your whole body will thank you for it.

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Get an accountability partner.

I do not know many people who are so disciplined that they can do everything alone. Even if you are, who wants to? That is no way to live. An accountability partner is a perfect workout complement who can keep you on track and can help you step up your game and set higher goals. Do not be surprised if you see your goals achieved much faster. Just chose wisely.

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Keep track of your metrics.

I do not care how you do it. You can invest in a pencil and a notebook labeled workouts, download an app, or buy a device like a FitBit that keeps track of all that, just keep track of something. Honestly, i say do it all. I have found some books of my workout notes in my closets in the past and have found them useful. It would be useful to track sleep while you are sleeping though.

Cross train with your running.

Choosing one or two more exercises helps with so much. You do not get bored. Choosing an activity that helps develop a different muscle group or skill like yoga for flexibility, strength training, and boxing for cardio and balance. Either way, it keeps it interesting and you get to meet a different set of people with different interest than your runner friends.

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Start taking supplements.

Maybe you are still young and can get revved up naturally. However, if you are anything like me and need a little help, a supplement is just the thing that your need to get going and see some results. Confused with all the choices? Start with a multivitamin. This will give you some energy and is the building block of all other supplements. It will keep you from being sick from gym born illnesses like the flu. Next to add, are fish oil pills, calcium pyruvate, and alpha lipoid acid are a great combo. That is not even getting into creatine and all that.

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Astros lose to Braves, 6-2. Composite Getty Image.

Reynaldo López struck out seven over six scoreless innings, Orlando Arcia homered and the Atlanta Braves won their third straight, 6-2 over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

López (2-0) allowed four hits and walked one in his third straight sterling outing to start the season.

“It’s like I’ve always said, for me, the important thing is to focus,” López said through an interpreter. “To have the focus during the outings and then, to be able to locate those pitches.”

He has given up one run in 18 innings for an ERA of 0.50.

“He threw the ball really well against a really good hitting club,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “Another solid one.”

Arcia hit a solo home run to left in the second and a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Luis Guillorme and backup catcher Chadwick Tromp each hit a two-run double in the ninth to put the Braves ahead 6-0.

“Tromp has done a good job ever since we’ve been bringing him in these situations and filling in,” Snitker said. “I’ve got all the confidence in the world in him back there. ... He’s an aggressive hitter. He’s knocked in some big runs for us in the limited time that he’s played.”

Kyle Tucker homered for the Astros leading off the ninth against Aaron Bummer, and Mauricio Dubón had a two-out RBI single to cut the lead to four. After Bummer walked Chas McCormick to put two on, Raisel Iglesias induced a groundout by Victor Caratini to end it and secure his fourth save.

“They pitched well, and our guys are grinding out at-bats,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “Even in the ninth inning there, we’re grinding, fighting until the end.”

Hunter Brown (0-3) yielded two runs on five hits with three strikeouts and three walks in six innings. Brown allowed nine runs in two-thirds of an inning in his previous start, last Thursday against Kansas City.

Brown said he executed better Tuesday than he had in his previous two starts.

“He mixed all his pitches well,” Espada said. “The breaking ball was effective. He threw some cutters in on the hands to some of those lefties. He mixed his pitches really well. That was a really strong performance.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Braves: 2B Ozzie Albies was placed on the 10-day injured list with a broken right big toe. IF David Fletcher had his contract selected from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Albies’ place on the roster.

Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (right shoulder inflammation) threw a side session Tuesday, but Houston will wait until Wednesday to see how Verlander feels before deciding whether he will make his first start this weekend against the Nationals, Espada said. ... RHP Luis Garcia (right elbow surgery) threw around 20-25 pitches off the bullpen mound, and RHP José Urquidy (right forearm strain) also threw off the mound, Espada said. ... LHP Framber Valdez (left elbow soreness) played catch off flat ground.

UP NEXT

Atlanta LHP Max Fried (1-0, 8.74 ERA) starts Wednesday in the series finale opposite RHP J.P. France (0-2, 8.22).

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