Today is May 15 which means I’ve been sitting down each week to pen insights on fitness and wellness for 15 months. This boils down to roughly 60 columns, 180 pages and 72,000 words. At this time, however, I have decided to give up my post and pass along Fit for Life to another passionate professional. Before I sign off, I thought I’d put together a sort of “best of” column that includes my favorite “magic bullets” for living a holistically healthy and fit life.

Do you remember how much you hated it when that old snaggle-toothed teacher from grade school used to scold you for slouching? I used to think it was just another fictional rule evil teachers created to torture students. Much to my dismay, I eventually realized Mrs. Stankbreath might have actually been interested in my health: maintaining good posture – especially while exercising – is paramount to healthy living. Ailments such as repetitive stress injury (think carpel tunnel syndrome or sciatica), fatigue, migraines and digestive problems can actually result from poor posture. You’ll also end up having to become church buddies with the hunchback of Notre Dame. Here’s how to make sure all your bits are aligned properly: Facing to the side and starting with the ankle, you should be able to draw a straight line through the mid knee, mid hip, mid shoulder and that little protrusion covering your ear hole. You’ll need to lift the arches in your feet a bit; make sure the knees face the same direction as your first and second toe; gently contract your butt and abdominal muscles (aligns your pelvis); pull your shoulders back and down; and lift up tall through the crown in your head. It takes practice, but I guarantee you’ll feel less tension, will look more confident and you’ll probably gain a few inches in height!

Isolation training – or working only one muscle at a time – is yesterday’s news. The key to developing an athletic-looking (who wants to look like Ahnold anymore?) and functionally capable body is to integrate as many body parts into your workout routine as possible. There are a variety of reasons full-body workouts are being touted by the majority of fitness experts and athletic trainers. First, they are more time efficient. Choosing exercises that involve several muscles or muscle groups will keep you from spending hours at the gym. A chin up is a great exercise that hits all the muscles of your back and your biceps. Second, full-body workouts keep you lean. Performing exercises that involve a variety of muscles causes the body to burn more calories per session. Third, a functional body is an injury-free body. Most of the movements we perform in daily life involve multiple joints and a variety of muscles (think climbing stairs, opening the front door while carrying a bag of groceries, etc.). Teaching them to work together will reduce potential for injury.

Nutrition is one of the most important aspects of a healthy lifestyle. However today’s dog-eat-dog world requires many of us to rely on heavily processed foods to banish hunger pangs. Unfortunately many of these so-called “nutrition” items that are marketed as healthy snacks are actually loaded with sugars, fats and a host of multi-syllabic chemicals. While it’s tempting to pick up a jug of colored water and a nutrition bar to quash your appetite, these products may actually be doing more harm than good. Avoid hidden diet disasters by eating whole foods. One rule of thumb I use is if the item has multiple ingredients I leave it on the shelf. I also suggest avoiding anything that lists a variety of chemical additives as well. Stick to the perimeter of the supermarket and choose fresh vegetables, fruits and lean meats. When preparing a meal fill 3/4 of the plate with vegetables, nuts, legumes, etc. and 1/4 with lean meats. Several weeks of increased fruit and veggie intake will provide you with more energy and balanced emotions.

One of my coworkers who happens to be a marathoner swears by a variation of the 80/20 rule. The rule is simple: make healthy food choices 80 percent of the time and allow yourself to make less healthy choices 20 percent of the time. For example, during the week my colleague is extra vigilant about what she eats and has amazingly strong resolve when pot luck time comes around. However when the weekend arrives she allows herself to indulge a bit in the things she enjoys. She doesn’t go on a long weekend bender, though she takes pleasure in consuming a large slice of chocolate cake or a few glasses of wine. Some might even employ this rule on a daily basis. The point is the 80/20 rule allows you to satisfy cravings for the things you enjoy without feeling guilty about it. Many people fall into the guilt trap and figure since they already screwed up, they might as well go whole hog. The 80/20 rule gives you an “out” should a craving come on strong and allows you to get right back on that horse once the craving has subsided.

The human body has an amazing ability to adapt to imposed tasks. As a result, many exercisers experience frustrating, results-busting plateaus. One surefire way to avoid falling into this trap is to continuously change up the routine so that your body cannot adapt to the demands. Called periodization, this type of training requires the exerciser to make changes on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. One sample program might involve changing the amount of weight lifted each time you hit the gym. This program can also work weekly or monthly. If you’re a cardio lover, changing the resistance or speed each time you exercise will also help shock the system and fast-track results.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this column as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I also hope that something I’ve presented during the last 15 months has been of use to you and that you’ll continue to integrate some of my tips and suggestions into your life. I wish you all the best. Here’s to continued health, love and happiness!