Hit (the track) and Run

WINTER HAS NEVER been the ideal season for health and wellness. Heavy holiday feasts inevitably lead to the purchasing of larger-sized, cold-weather wardrobes in anticipation of the expanded waistline. Too many fruitcakes could be battled with a few trips to the gym, but a focus on fitness has never been part of the holiday season. The dark days of winter make hibernation appealing—especially when faced with the prospect of scraping the ice off the windshield and driving to the gym. Fitness can wait until bathing suit season, right? Wrong. These concessions can mean the holiday weight never gets shed.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, making it the second leading cause of preventable death. An estimated 400,000 deaths per year may be attributed to poor diet and low physical activity. Extreme cases of obesity aside, a whopping 127 million American adults are carrying around excess weight they can’t seem to lose. Extra weight leads to numerous and frightening risks down the road, not to mention the lifetime of poor body image, low self-esteem and depression people with weight problems frequently suffer.

Recently, the promotional products industry has gotten hip to the growing need to make fitness an everyday element year-round. In fact, health and wellness products are gaining presence in the industry. Some of the top suppliers are preparing to expand their health and wellness product lines this year, and now is the time to get a jump-start on the trend by promoting with a focus on fitness in the new year.

New Year’s resolutions are overwhelmingly fitness-based. A poll by GNC found that 55 percent of people resolve to eat healthily, 50 percent promise to exercise more and 38 percent are gunning to lose weight. But, only 30 percent of resolutions are still alive come February, and only 20 percent make it past the six month mark.