National Body Challenge 2008

Every year we look for new ways to help us with our resolutions. One of the most popular resolutions is to lose weight. In November, I updated about Women's Health Magazine's 2007 Ultimate Fitness Plan they devised to help participants keep on a healthy track for the year. Although I found the plan towards the tail end, I promised to look for another program I thought would be equally as helpful for those looking to start out the New Year right.

I came across a Discovery Health program for 2008 called the National Body Challenge. According to the plan, they take your current statistics and offer you a personalized program with breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack options as well as an alternating fitness plan. They work with your preferred diet and current level of fitness to create your specific plan.

Another interesting feature of the program, is their Free Bally Fitness Center Pass. Although I have yet to truly look into this aspect of the program, the information I've read states each person who signs up for this program will receive an 8 week free pass at Bally's. While this won't nearly last you the entire year, it would be a good start to getting on track for the year and potentially lead to a full year membership.

In addition to their nutrition, fitness and progress checking options, the program has tons more to choose from. There are videos, new weekly features, support stories and connections, mind, body and spirit articles and features, as well as updates from a doctor, games, recipes and reminders. Because the program is run through Discovery Health, they have a guide of Discovery Health programs on television that match up with more healthy education.

There's also access to the Discovery Health store where you can take a look at different products, for additional help on your quest. For those already stuck on their current fitness programs, or not quite interested in all that the Discovery Health Program has to offer, I'd still highly recommend signing up for the program. If nothing else, you will have access to a fully planned menu at all times that you can tweak to your liking.

You can also continue checking back with your measurements to determine if you're in a healthy zone or not. And if the Bally's free pass idea doesn't excite you, you may be able to pass it off to a friend. The program is great for those on a budget, because you could ultimately use your Bally's pass during the colder months and continue your workout routine outdoors when the weather turns nicer. All in all, the program looks very promising. Discovery Health offers so many opportunities to get on track, take advantage and poke around on the site!