Ease into a Healthy Lifestyle

Life is a balancing act

Happy Friday everyone!  I hope you have plans to stay active this weekend.  Or maybe you still aren't convinced that an active, healthy lifestyle is doable in your situation.

You hear all these stories about people living at the gym, making fitness a lifestyle.  Meanwhile, you're swamped with responsibilities, managing health issues, working long hours, taking care of your family, and so on.  When will you ever fit in a workout?  How can you possibly afford healthy food?

Sound familiar?  Well, it doesn't have to be like that.  You don't have to live at the gym.  You don't even have go to a gym.  You can work out at home, outside, with a friend, on your own, in a group, or, yes, at the gym.  Pick something fun.  Walk the dog, garden, play tag with the kids, swim, job, hike, bike, play tennis.  Whatever activity you enjoy doing or would like to take a crack at, do it.  It doesn't have to cost a cent.  It just depends on what you want to do.  

Give yourself 30 minutes a day to exercise.  That's the equivalent of one sit-com.  If you can give up one sitcom a day (or record it to watch later), you will have enough time to get your workout in.  If that still seems too hard, break your exercise up into three 10-minute bouts throughout the day.  Take a walk outside or down the hall, walk up and down the stairs a few times, do some stretches or jumping jacks.  Anything to get your blood flowing and your heart pumping.  That doesn't sound so hard, does it?

It just takes a little effort to get into the groove; make exercise a habit.  Make a point to include little bouts of exercise each day.  Set a timer or enter a reminder on your phone or daily planner.  Do whatever works to help you make exercise a habit.  Over time, you may very well notice that you have more energy, feel better, sleep better, and many other benefits, and that can help motivate you to keep exercising.

Same goes for the lifestyle change.  It doesn't have to happen overnight.  Make a couple changes here and there.  If you smoke, attempt to quit.  If you have trouble doing it on your own, seek out help from your doctor or a support group.  If you drink alcohol on a regular basis, try cutting out one drink per week at first.  If you're a night owl, try going to bed a half hour early one night a week.  If the thought of eating vegetables makes you turn green, start slowly.  Just add one new veggie and see how it goes.  Find fun ways to prepare it online.  Do that with fruits, lean meats, whole grains and healthier fats as well.  Look for sales on healthy items.  Cut back on designer coffees and junk food, putting that money toward healthier food items.  Ease into it.  Experiment with different recipes.  Make it fun.  If you find that you don't like fish, try turkey.  If you don't like one vegetable, try another.  There are oodles of them out there to choose from.  Add herbs and spices to jazz up these new foods instead of loading them with fat, salt and sugar. 

Working out and adopting a healthy lifestyle don't have to be difficult.  Take your time.  Adopt a positive attitude.  Be patient.  Think of it as an adventure.  You'll get there.

Keeping Up with Your Exercise During Wintry Weather

Courtesy of Pixabay.com

Hey there, folks.  I hope you had a good weekend.  Lots of places are snowy right now, so it might be hard for you to get out and about to exercise.  But you can make a snowman or snow fort, have a snowball fight and the like to burn calories.  Once the roads clear out, or even beforehand if you have some land, you can go skiing, skating, snowshoeing, and sledding right out the back door.  

Where I live is sunny and quite mild in comparison to the areas of the country being hit by snowstorms, so my husband and I did some yard work over the weekend.  We put some muscle into trimming trees and bushes for a few hours in the afternoon.  It felt so nice to be out in the fresh air.  It was still a bit chilly, but we worked up a bit of a sweat during the clean up.  

I'm anxious for the days to get even longer so we can go for walks later in the day.  By the time we finish work, there isn't much daylight left, and I don't like to walk in the dark.  Especially not when it's chilly.

Whatever the climate or weather conditions, find something active to do.  Don't wait for the perfect conditions for a particular activity like running, walking, skiing or snowboarding.  Do something else in the meantime instead of hanging out on the couch watching TV.   If you're snowed in, walk in place, use the treadmill that's gathering dust in the basement, dance around the house, play charades...anything that gets your heart pumping.  If you can safely navigate the roads, hit the slopes, hiking trails, or the gym.  The important things is to keep moving, while also staying safe.

Take care out there!  Feel free to sign up for email updates and also visit my website Making Fitness Fun for all sorts of information on fitness.  Have fun!

How to Stay Healthy at the Gym

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

Hi all!  I hope you had a great weekend, including lots of physical activity.  This flu season has gotten me thinking of staying healthy at the gym.  No matter how fun, friendly and invigorating the gym may be, there are also a lot of germs hanging around there, too.  Here are some tips on staying healthy through flu season and beyond.

1.  Ask gym management even before you join what their cleaning procedure is:  how often the equipment, bathrooms, pool, and so on, are cleaned and what products are used.

2.  Wash your hands often.  Not only should you wash your hands after using the restroom, but also make it a point to wash them periodically during rest breaks and following your workout.

3.  Clean equipment before and after you use it.  Many gyms provide cleansing spray or you could also bring your own sanitary wipes.  You can also bring a towel to use specifically for wiping down machines.

4.  Get enough sleep.  A good sleep schedule can help keep your immune system strong.  The amount of sleep needed varies, but generally between 6 and 8 hours will help to keep you refreshed, alert and healthy in and out of the gym.  

5.  Wear clean clothes to the gym.  Shower and change into another clean set of clothes after your workout.  Bring bags to keep clean and dirty clothes separate.

6. Wear swim shoes in the shower at the gym to avoid germs that can cause Athlete's Foot and other infections.  Flip flops are okay, too, but my husband slipped on his and cracked a couple of ribs, so I tend to be wary of recommending them.  Also, keep your feet covered during exercise, too.  The floors may look clean, but could be crawling with germs.

7.  Bring your own mat for floor exercises.  Although gyms often provide mats, that doesn't mean they are clean.  Be safe by providing your own and clean it regularly with soap and water.  Dry it completely before use.

8.  Bring a water bottle instead of using the water fountain.  You never know whose lips have touched the spout.

9.  Bring a towel to wipe down your face when it gets all sweaty.  This can help reduce the amount of sweat that drips onto the equipment.

10.  Keep on exercising as it can help boost your immunity.  When I exercise regularly, I hardly ever get sick.  Don't push too hard, though.  Overdoing exercise can compromise your immune system.  Find a happy medium that both challenges you and keeps you healthy.  

Comments are always welcome.  Leave them below or email them to me.  Thanks.  Have a great week!

 

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a great time over the holidays.  I also hope you were able to keep the weight gain to a minimum.  

For me, the holidays were crazy busy.  Lots of fun getting together with friends, spending time with my husband and our fur-babies, and volunteering.  I also spent a lot of time eating.  Since menopause kicked in several years ago, my mouth has not listened to sense.  No matter what the trainer in me thought, I just kept shoveling in food.  I've also had little energy for exercise, especially the last couple months of 2013.  

What's the deal?!  Here I am a trainer and I'm stuffing my face, and exercise is no longer a passion.  Menopause is a bear, let me tell you.  It throws all your senses out the window.  I've struggled the last few years and regained a good portion of what I'd lost between 2007-2009.  I'm thankful I'd lost those 25 pounds before I hit menopause big time.  Otherwise I'd weigh considerably more now.  

But there is good news.  I don't know if menopause is waning or I'm just becoming stronger in my ability to fight the cravings, but I've started 2014 with the determination to lose weight, be more active, and live healthier.  It's as if on January 2 a switch was flipped.  I have a totally new outlook on life.  I've recommitted to exercise, working out most days of the week again.  I've also cut out junk food.  Maybe it's because I'm turning 50 soon.  It seems as if 50 is the wake up call of ages.  Although I don't consider 50 old, the older we get, the higher the risk for health problems.  And I don't want being a bit chunky to cause those health issue to crop up.     

I've always eaten quite healthily (I grew up on a farm and my mom grew a huge vegetable garden, plus we had fruit trees, so we always had lots of nutritious foods to eat and I've continued eating in that way through adulthood), but the snacks get me.  Chocolate, and Hershey bars in particular, is a huge weakness.  I could go without pretty much anything else when it comes to snacks, but if chocolate is in the house, I find it, and devour it.  It's crazy!  It doesn't help that my husband has a sweet tooth but can pace himself.  He can save sweets for weeks.  They're sitting there staring me in the face, or hidden on a high shelf--either way, I know they are there. 

Having a treat now and then is fine, so I don't expect to ban chocolate from my diet, but I'm taking a break from it for a couple weeks to get my system back in order and my head on straight.  I intend to treat myself to a bit of my favorites next weekend though.  That's when I turn 50 and, while I'll eat sensibly for the most part, I'm not missing out on my chance to have chocolate and maybe a frozen yogurt sundae.  I'd much rather have that than cake.  But then on the 13th, I'll be back to eating healthy again.  

If you've been waiting for a good time to start getting fit, it's now.  If you've been into fitness in the past but have fallen off track, get back on it now.  Join me in a commitment to fitness in 2014 and beyond.  Let me know what you plan to do in this New Year to live a fitter, healthier life.  Take baby steps and build up to more aggressive workout and meal plans over time.  You've got to start somewhere and it all counts.  And remember, make it fun!  Email me at iwrite41@yahoo.com or comment below.  Here's to a healthy, fit, and happy New Year!  Take care.  

So, How Did Halloween Go?

Courtesty of pixabay.com

Hello all.  So, did you have a spooktacular Halloween?   Did you forego the candy for healthy treats or did you just sample a bit of candy?  Did you have party?  Or did you shut the lights out and spend the evening relaxing or at the gym?  I hope it was fun.  And healthy!

A friend came over to help me pass out treats to the various goblins, angels, faeries, and superheroes that came by.  I was thinking of dressing up as "Heidi," since I'd dressed like her for our Oktoberfest celebration just a couple weeks earlier, but opted instead for a t-shirt with a black kitty sticking his head out of a pumpkin.  Being a kitty fan, I was happy with my choice.  We watched The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Munsters Go Home.  Fun! 

Now, Thanksgiving's just around the corner.  Whoa!  This year is just flying by!  Hold on tight and enjoy the ride.  Take care. 

 

Getting Fitness Back

Hello again!  Today's post is for all of you who were enthusiastic about fitness for awhile, but then something happened.  You're not sure what exactly, but you started skipping workouts and snacking on unhealthy treats you hadn't had in months or years.  You also started gaining back the weight you were so determined to keep off.  I'm there, too.  

Yep, I'm a fitness coach. Coaches just don't do that, right?  Ah, I wish.  We also have our weaknesses.  Some can keep their old habits at bay better than others.  

Menopause is what interfered with my progress.  My appetite ballooned.  I started eating everything in sight, even though I kept telling myself it was not a good idea.  "What are you doing??!  You're a fitness professional, for Pete's sake!"  But that didn't seem to help much.  It seemed as if I had two minds--one that was directly connected to my mouth and out of control and the other that was rational and horrified at what was happening.  I started to find some of those 25 pounds I'd lost.  

Of course, even during this time off the tracks a bit, I have eaten healthy consistently.  I've just been snacking on too many treats and taking extra helpings.  My exercise has suffered too.  Although I've continued to walk and hike, I haven't done much weight training.  I'm not as energetic as I used to be.  I can't seem to get the motivation to do weight training.  I've put together a few different weight training programs to help boost my motivation, but they haven't been that successful.  It doesn't help that I've been injured during weight training over the years more than during cardio.  

But something happened over the past week that made me sit up and take notice.  Actually, I fell down and took notice.  I've had health issues since birth (courtesy of spina bifida), including problems with balance.  When I started working out on a regular basis, my balance was so much better.  I hardly ever fell.  When I tripped, I'd catch myself pretty easily.  That was such an improvement!  Well, in the last week, I've fallen twice.  Once on a walk and again over the weekend at a store.  When it happened on the walk, I was upset.  When it happened at the store, I was livid.  I smacked my nose and it bled quite heavily.  It didn't break, but could have.  

Enough already!  I'm healthy.  I'm strong.  But I can be healthier and stronger with more consistent exercise and better snacking choices.  It just took a nose dive for me to realize that my behavior wasn't acceptable any longer.  Never was.  Yes, menopause is still nagging me, but it's a natural part of my life and not a death sentence.  I'm determined now to stand up to it, realize what is happening to me and why I'm craving everything in sight, and refuse to cave in.  Sure, a treat is fine now and then and a day off from exercise is too, but I've renewed my commitment to consistently healthy choices, for life.  Please join me.

What has caused you to reduce or abandon your fitness routine?  Please share your story with me and what you plan to do to get back on track again.  I'd love to hear from you.  Leave a comment below or email me at iwrite41@yahoo.com.  Thanks!  Take care.

Navigating Halloween (and all the other occasions and holidays of "Candy Season")

Courtesy of www.pixabay.com

Hey there! Halloween is coming up fast.  Are you ready for it?  I call it the start of the "candy season" because it seems as if candy is everywhere from now until Easter.  For those of us with a sweet tooth, cravings, and weight loss goals, it can truly be a nightmare.  But it doesn't have to be.  Here are some tips on how to make Halloween healthy and fun.  

1.  Skip it altogether.  Plan a getaway for the night or make it into a long weekend.  However you spend your time, make it active and focused on health.  Go hiking, cycling, or swimming.  Work out in the hotel fitness room, volunteer to pick up trash on a hiking trail, run in a 5K, go for a walk.  Also, practice mindful eating--eating only when you're hungry.  Ask yourself, "Am I eating this brownie because I'm hungry or because it's there? "  Or, "Am I really hungry enough to eat everything in the fridge, or am I reacting to stress?"  Before you grab something to eat, stop, think, then put it back or grab a healthy alternative such as a piece of fruit or a serving of yogurt.  

2.  Give Out Healthy Alternatives:  If you decide to hand out snacks to trick or treaters, make them healthy.  Buy low fat or sugar free snacks instead of the usual less healthy offerings.  You can also hand out glo sticks and other small, relatively inexpensive items rather than food.  I think it would be awesome to hand out fresh fruit, but since some sick people decided to put razor blades and other nasty stuff in them before handing them out on Halloween, they aren't that popular with parents anymore.  All it takes is one jerk to spoil the fun (and healthy) aspects of Halloween for everyone. 

3.  Buy Only Candy You Don't Like:  For me, that would be anything with nuts in it as nuts bother my stomach.  I don't like hard candy either.  Pick whatever you don't like and bring it on home for the trick or treaters.  

4.  Don't Save Left-Over Candy:  Give any left-over candy to a local food bank, or donate it to an organization that sends care packages to sevice men and women.  

5.  Have a Healthy Party:  Throw a party and invite only people who are supportive of your goal to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle.  Serve only healthy foods, and if you decide on a potluck, request that your guests bring healthified dishes as well.  Bob for those healthy apples, dance, have a "health/fitness/nutrition" costume contest to see who can come up with the most original one, play Halloween-themed charades and other games, and tell ghost stories. 

I'm sure you can come up with other fun and fit ideas.  Share them with me via email (iwrite41@yahoo.com) or in the comment section below.  Have a safe, fun Halloween!  Take care.