March 19, 2024

Take Responsibility for Your Fitness!

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Take responsibility for your health and fitness!

YOU are in charge of your workout! If you want to feel better, look better and function better, log consistent workouts. You can have more energy. You don’t have to live in pain. You don’t have to settle for poor posture. You can have strong muscles. Take responsibility RIGHT NOW by:

Get up earlier and log a home workout via YouTube, DVD or App.

Exercise at lunch.

Walk as much as you can during your day.

Sit less, take more breaks during your day.

If you don’t enjoy your workout, or at least part of it, try a new type of exercise. Keep trying new exercise until you find what works for you.

Join a community sports league or exercise class.

Train for an event like running or triathlon.

Schedule workouts with friends, instead of happy hours and meals.

Download a stretching app and do it every night after work.

Commit to a daily practice of deep breathing and meditation.

 

 

 

 

 

Need a Workout Motivation Boost?

Need a motivation boost? Join #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat every Monday 5pmP/8pmE on Twitter! Chat with fellow fitness-enthusiasts, pick up workout motivation and fitness tips.

Here’s how to join:

Log in to your twitter account. Enter #HealthyWayMag to follow the chat. Discussions questions will be posted as Question 1, “Q1″, Question 2 as “Q2″ and so on. Simply note your answer with designation “A1″ as answer to question 1. Tag your answers with #HealthyWayMag. Chat, interact with others and have fun!

 

Monday February 1, 2016 Giveaway from ROLL Recovery:

All athletes know workout recovery is just as important as the workout itself. Recover well with ROLL Recovery’s award winning and revolutionary massage rollers. The R8 model adjusts for different body areas and sizes, such as the upper leg and lower leg. It’s portable weighing in at only 2.5 pounds, so logging a deep tissue massage is easy just about anywhere.  Their new R3 Orthopedic Foot Roller is ideal to decrease foot pain and discomfort by targeting the inside, outside and center of your foot. It’s compact, non-slip and easy to use on any surface. This roller also works well to target smaller muscles. Follow them via @ROLLrecovery on Twitter to learn more!

 

 

 

Thinking of Quitting? By Nicole Bryan

Ask any exerciser and just about every single one will tell you there have been days where they wanted to quit. Give it all up. Forget healthy living entirely. However, something or someone inspired them to keep going.
You want to quit your workout? Here’s why you shouldn’t:

There will be progress. In fact it’s almost a given or guarantee, if you stick with it long enough that is. Many of your body’s systems are trainable. You will become stronger and more efficient with repeated practice. For example, your cardiovascular system, or your heart. Your heart will become stronger when you make it work through exercise. Physical changes from exercise and healthy eating are both externally and internally based. They are based on human biology and physiology, so if you’re not seeing results do an honest inventory. Are you truly following the guidelines on a daily basis? If so, double-check or fine tune your approach. Maybe what you’re doing isn’t right for you or your body. Consult a Fitness Professional to dial in all aspects of your healthy living schedule. Stick with it long enough and you’ll get where you need to be.

Difficult times will pass. Schedules change, demand on our time change, responsibilities will change. Adjust your healthy choices, but keep at it. Just because it’s hard now, doesn’t mean it will always be that way. Focus on getting what you need from your workout. Your needs will change, and they should change. Why give it all up just because you hit a bump on the road? Don’t.

You won’t ever regret your effort. Plain and simply put, you won’t ever regret healthy choices or a healthy lifestyle. Your workout will always be worth your time and effort. When you have a few more years of healthy living behind you, you’ll never say you wish you didn’t do it.

Personal pride. What about the confidence that comes from setting a goal and accomplishing that goal? There is tremendous personal pride that will come from improving your lifestyle, your body and your overall health.

Makes your life easier. Being in good health makes life easier in many ways. You have energy to complete your tasks. You have strength to lift what you need.

Be an inspiration. You never know who you’ll be inspiring with your dedication and discipline. Chances are you were inspired to live healthy from another person, be that person for someone else. If you can’t do it for yourself when times get tough, do it for someone else until you find your groove again.

You never know where your health will take you. Being healthy opens you up travel, adventure, athletic competitions, community events, making new friends and family fitness endeavors. Be open to expanding your fitness.

So, if you want to quit your healthy living, firstly you are not alone. And secondly, don’t. Find what works for you and keep going. Early, late, long, short, high intensity, low intensity, home, gym. Don’t ever quit. Keep after it.

Need Workout Accountability? By Nicole Bryan

Who are you accountable to?

It’s so easy to skip workouts! Before we know it, five other “responsibilities” have usurped our once preciously guarded exercise time. Then days become weeks, weeks become months, and so on. Before we know it, we’re asking ourselves “It can’t be six months since I’ve been to the gym…can it?” Enlisting the help of others to hold us accountable is a great method to sticking with our wellness plan. Having others to check in with and report back to, in a sense, renews or creates our health as a priority.

So here’s how to do it:

Form an accountability group to stay on pace to reach your workout goals! Similar to the Mastermind Principle that has been around for decades, and sometimes also referred to as a Think Tank or Advisory Board, an accountability group is simply a group with a health and wellness focus or base of principle. There’s one prerequisite to becoming a member in an accountability group; being able to handle honest and constructive feedback. Can you handle it?

Step 1. When searching for others to invite to your group choose those who bring something different than you do to the table. The first step is to write down a list of all the qualities you will bring to the group. For example, you are always willing to try new exercise classes, you like to participate in community events and you are really good about finding new healthful recipes to try.

Step 2. The next step is to write down aspects of health and wellness for which you need support. For example, your Friday workouts tend to be forgotten. And maybe that early morning spin class has been on your list to try for months, but has yet to happen. Perhaps your healthy eating down fall is heading for the vending machine at 3pm for a candy bar to get through the remainder of your work day.

Step 3. The third step is to compose a list of friends, coworkers, etc who are successful at what you’ve not been. Or who you feel represent a well balanced health and fitness lifestyle. Someone who not only talks the talk, but who walks the walk will inspire other members to do the same. Someone who possesses qualities you respect and admire. For example, invite one who balances children and competitive running; invite one who has had success in weight loss while working full time. Invite another who successfully manages a chronic illness while teaching fitness classes. Since a secondary purpose of the group is to provide a functional health and wellness network, consider that as well when inviting members. For example, if a member is looking for a dietician, the participant who’s successfully lost weight could possibly offer a referral. If a member is looking for a health club, another can provide a solid referral, and so on.

Step 4. The final step is to create the basics of your meeting. Holding regular meeting times helps set the pattern of your group.  The frequency is up to the members and how in depth the goals of the members. Designate a facilitator, either rotating or a single person for a set period of time much like a Board of Advisory functions will maintain structure. Follow the same format each meeting to maintain order and stay on task. The goal is to listen more than you talk. Each response should stay on point, with the facilitator bringing the group and conversation back into focus when topic strays. Posting a roundtable question is also a diplomatic approach to brainstorm solutions. Keep tabs on the trend of the conversation (negative thoughts, self-sabotage, not taking responsibility.)

Step 5. A final consideration toward creating your group is to designate a member who maintains writing down goals and questions for discussion. Writing down goals forces members to be accountable for what was said and agreed upon. The bottom line goal of a Health Accountability Group is to learn from one another, as well as to build a network for one another.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated or unmotivated on your journey to wellness, you are not alone! Find others to share your challenges with, and most importantly to share solutions!

How to Encourage by Nicole Bryan

Encourage, don’t Discourage

It’s tough to watch someone we care about make poor lifestyle choices. And yet it seems the more we “suggest” how or “recommend” they should get in shape or take their health seriously, the more the power struggle ensues. Here are a few ideas how to encourage a loved one’s healthy living choices.

Lead by example. “Stop nagging me!” Words such as these, we often hear from our spouse upon gently reminding them to head out for their daily walk. Changing our approach to simply lead by example encourages better results. For example: it’s a beautiful day outside, let’s walk to breakfast. The grand kids will be here soon, lets walk to the corner to greet them. Parking is a bit tight, let’s walk from the dry cleaners to the grocery store.

Make it social. Exercise is way more fun if we’re doing it with our friends. Combine getting healthy with social outings and experience less resistance from your significant other. For example: coordinate a coffee-group after the morning gym visit. Schedule a walk and talk visit with long time neighbors who’ve been traveling. Enlist the help of an exercise professional and plan for a small group circuit class along with your favorite music; the small informal fitness format will be less intimidating.

Get inspired. Encouraging friendly competition or goal setting is an instant way to improve motivation for others and ourselves. Register to participate in an event that supports a cause near and dear to your heart. Many communities sponsor walk or athletic events with a local non-profit as the beneficiary. Your spouse will be inspired to head out for daily walks to prep for the event, knowing his/her participation is raising awareness. Encourage others to join you to form a team, or choosing to participate in honor of a loved one will also encourage activity.

Focus outward. Instead of making it about them and their needing to exercise, make it about helping someone else. Offering to walk an ill neighbor’s dog a few days every week or offering to push your friends’ wheelchair around the neighborhood will take the focus away from exercise and the negative connotations many associate with the term. You’ll now be simply focusing on helping your friend or neighbor, and getting healthy at the same time.

Eliminate the punishment. Many of us were raised where physical activity was used as a punishment. For example, not paying attention in gym class- take a lap! Not following directions- 20 pushups! Exercise should make us feel good, which means we should not be wishing for it to end or staring at the clock every minute! Changing the intensity and mode of what we’re doing will instantly change the meaning we associate with it. Nonchalantly suggest one new activity a month “accidentally” until finding enjoyment. Walk a little further, dust off the old bikes in the garage under the pretense of cleaning them up to sell, revisit dancing at the local non-profit gala for example. Look for opportunities to letting exercise into your day randomly and unplanned, without calling it “exercise!” Getting healthier doesn’t always mean wearing certain clothes, having certain gadgets or equipment, having set aside a certain time frame or even being in a certain location; moving our body is moving our body and all moving burns calories and will strengthen our heart and lungs.

Give up the power struggle and use your energy to get healthy. Simply moving is more important than winning an argument after all, right? Be creative, think of outside of the box exercise options and never ever admit that you were up to something!

In need of a little friendly competition? By Nicole Bryan

Up for a little friendly competition?

Choosing to participate in a race will inspire your workouts and motivate you to work harder. Bringing some friendly competition into your exercise routine will peak interest, and you’ll be less likely to miss a workout when your ego is on the line. Let nerves and jitters of a little friendly competition inspire a source of empowerment to better fitness.

Here are just a few reasons why racing should be on your list of exercise goals:

Competition builds confidence that spills over into all aspects of life. Improved confidence and self esteem means you’re more likely to set goals in other areas of life. Learning how to tap into an inner strength, determination or perseverance to cover that last mile or last lap will give a boost of energy to accomplish other non-fitness dreams.

Competition keeps you coming back for more. There will always be an aspect of our participation we could have done differently; maybe prepared a little better, executed with greater precision, thought out a more effectively.

Competition promotes additional healthy behaviors. Racing is just one aspect of fitness. When working toward a competition other areas creep into consciousness for example insuring better sleep, better food choices, and better time management.

Competition eases stress and leads to mental or emotional clarity. Sometimes the physical fatigue of racing allows us to be still enough for our psyche to process emotional happenings of life. This is a good thing and results in feelings of rejuvenation.

Competition encourages new friends. Competing alongside a fellow athlete creates an instant bond and understanding of effort, dedication and sacrifice. The kindness and generosity in the spirit of good sportsmanship often seen in competitions results from an automatic camaraderie rarely experienced in other settings.

Consider adding in some friendly competition to your workout regime. Once a year or many times each year, preparing for a race will fire up motivation and quality of exercise. Attending a few events or competitions of interest to observe as a spectator is a great step toward determining if it’s for you. Enjoy the motivation and commit to participate the next time around, and pass on the inspiration.

Pilates Anywhere By Chanda Fetter

Owning a Pilates and Fitness Studio, I often hear my clients offer excuses as to why they can’t seem to stick to their program.  We all tell ourselves stories that help us explain away why we haven’t gotten something done when in truth we always seem to find a way when we really want something.  So my first piece of advice would be to change your story!  Likely this is a pattern that follows you beyond exercise, you must stop making excuses and take the small steps needed to improve the quality of your life, you deserve it!

The following three exercises can easily be done at home, in a hotel room or even in an office break room!  They will give you a boost of energy, reduce your back pain and tighten your tummy.  As always, consult your physician before beginning exercise.

Forced Exhalation Breathing – Sit up tall in your chair or lie down on the floor.  Place your hands between your ribcage and your belly button.  Take a long deep inhale through your nose, then exhale through pursed lips, pulling your abdominals in towards your spine while contracting your Pelvic Floor Muscles (otherwise known as Kegel or bladder muscles).  When performing the exhale you should make a “shhh-ing” sound to ensure the pressure is great enough to create the contraction needed.  Do this a minimum of 10 times then use this breath when performing the remaining exercises.  This generous flow of oxygen will do wonders for your brain as well as your abdominals.  Each time you perform this breath you will be engaging 80% of your abdominal wall!

Hundreds – Lie on your back with your legs in one of the following positions – knees bent / feet on floor making sure your lower back is in neutral position, knees bent with feet off floor / table top, or legs extended away from body on a 45 degree angle so as to stress the lower abdominal section.  Reach your arms long down the side of your body, bring your head and shoulders into a tight curl and pump your arms up and down so as to engage your back muscles, ie Latissimus Dorsi.  Using the forced exhale technique above, inhale for 5 pumps, exhale for 5 pumps and do for a count of 100. The curl is a constant, high hold.

Swimming – Lie on your stomach with your arm and legs stretched out like Superman/woman.  Extend long through your spine as you lift your arms and legs off the floor.  Be careful not to arch extensively into your spine but rather lengthen out of it.  Using the forced exhalation technique above flutter your arms and legs up and down for total of 10 breaths.

Chanda Fetter
IM=X Pilates, Owner

www.imxsb.net

Stick to it in 2013! Written by Brett Klika

GO GREEN AND GET FIT! This article is sponsored by AC4 Fitness. AC4Fitness is a neighborhood style health club specializing in strength training and cardio-equipment along with 24/7 access for members. That’s right, as an AC4 Fitness member you receive your own key allowing you to workout at any time that is best for you! And as featured in the LA Times, AC4 Fitness is a showcase for cardio-equipment that produces rather than uses electrical energy. Every time you exercise on an Elliptical your human power is fed into the electrical grid. Taking care of the environment while taking care of yourself just seems like a smart thing to do. And as a membership option you may also enjoy HydroMassage, Tanning, and Wi-Fi—all in a non-competitive, and clean environment with No Sales People. If you’re looking for an alternative health club that is: Simple – Affordable – Comfortable – Convenient – AND A LITTLE GREEN, give AC4 Fitness a look.You won’t be disappointed. Check out our modest membership fees and “paperless” enrollment process at www.AC4Fitness.com or visit us at 52 N Fairview Ave., Goleta, CA.

Stick to it in 2013!
Written by Brett Klika C.S.C.S.

Good resolutions are simply checks that people draw on a bank where they have no account.  ~Oscar Wilde

Ahh, The NewYear’s resolution. It’s often a little white lie we tell ourselves to paint a picture of hope, change, and a flat stomach for the year to come. It’s not that we’re dishonest. It’s not that we don’t really WANT change, we just don’t know how to stick to a program.

The above dilemma is why more than 50% of people who begin a workout plan in the New Year find their way back to the couch within six months.  The notion of “working out every day” looks good on paper in December but as the reality of time, energy, and motivation set in, the idea loses its sizzle by summer.

Do you find yourself in this same predicament year after year with diet and exercise? If so, let’s make a change in 2013.

Here are 5 tips to help you stick to your program in 2013.

Instead of just writing your resolution, write why you are making that resolution.
If there is a strong enough “why” we can make anything happen. If there was a $100 in the middle of a busy freeway, would you run out to get it? Probably not. What if a loved one was trapped in the middle of that freeway? It would probably change your motivation.  Your “why” for behavior got stronger!

If exercise is your plan, why? What will exercise do for you physically, mentally, and emotionally? What are the ramifications if you don’t succeed?

Find activities you enjoy.
Regardless of what the media marketing machine tells you, there is no “one” best way for everyone to exercise. Odds are, there are activities you enjoy doing more than others.  Do activities you enjoy (or dread less) and do them frequently. Don’t set yourself up for failure by resolving to do something you hate doing.

Get an “accountabilabuddy.”
Research has shown that you are more than twice as likely to exercise if you do the program with someone else. Why? Accountability!  It’s a lot harder to sleep through that alarm when you know a friend is waiting for you at the gym.

If you’re having a tough time finding a friend to commit, a personal trainer is a probably the most effective option there is for building accountability and expertise into a program.

Set realistic and specific goals.
Goals are easy to write. They are much more difficult to fulfill. Instead of saying you want to “lose 60 pounds by not eating any junk food and exercising every day”, you may want to be more specific and realistic. While 60 pounds may be your big goal, you can start with 10. If you currently don’t exercise at all, aim for 2 days per week and 30 minute workouts. If your diet is poor, make some subtle adjustments like “no sugary drinks Monday through Friday.”

These goals are more attainable and will deliver you increments of success. You can always build on them!

Exercise at the same time every day.
If you wait to “find the time” to exercise, it’s not going to happen. You need to make the time and build in a portion of your day reserved for exercise. For most people, first thing in the morning is the time of day they can control. Even those who claim to “not be morning people” eventually come to enjoy the uninterrupted solace of morning.

If it’s not the morning, create a time such as your lunch break, or on the way home from work, where you can commit to getting fit!

Exercise these tips as you’re committing to health and fitness in 2013!

This article is written by Brett Klika. Brett Klika C.S.C.S., author of “The Underground Workout Manual- Exercise and Fat Loss in the Real World” (www.undergroundworkoutmanual.com) is a world renowned human performance specialist, motivational speaker, author, and educator. In his 15 year career, Brett has accrued more than 20,000 hours of training with youth, athletes, executives, and everyday people. He uses this knowledge and experience to motivate individuals and audiences around the world through his writing, speaking, DVD’s, and free blog. To try the Underground Workout Manual for FREE and check out his blog, visit www.brettklika.com.

Focus on FUN, Not Fitness! By Robert Hopper, PhD

A New Way to Build Your Exercise Program—Focus on Fun, Not Fitness!

If you’ve had difficulty sticking with an exercise program, consider a new approach. Instead of attempting traditional fitness activities like treadmill and elliptical machine workouts, look to enjoyable recreation such tennis, golf, dancing, swimming, hiking, volleyball, softball, bowling, even gardening. The health benefits of these physical activities will come almost effortlessly—as a natural byproduct of having fun!

Focus on fun. To start your new program, all you need to do is make one simple shift in how you think of exercise. Rather than “no pain, no gain,” think “pleasure is the measure.” The key to long-term exercise success is choosing physical activities—I call them “lifetime sports”— that are fun to do. Why? It’s easier to stick with something if you truly enjoy it. You can choose from more than 100 leisure and recreational activities. Let your imagine run free. Have you always wanted to dance the tango, play tennis, or take up bowling? Now’s the time! The next steps—also among what I call “the best practices for exercise success”—are just as easy.

Get a Coach. The quickest, easiest, and surest way to master new skills in your chosen sport is to take lessons from a coach, instructor, teacher, or class leader—a professional dedicated to helping people like you succeed. Start with a series of beginning lessons—group or private—and see how you like the activity. If you’re having fun at the end of the series and want to continue, enroll in intermediate classes.

Join a Team. Your team is a group of people who share an interest and enthusiasm in your lifetime sports and participate in it together. This could be a class, a club, an organization, or a formal team—that is, a fun group of like-minded individuals as keen to ski, hike, tap dance, golf, kayak, or play badminton as you are! Join a group and you’ll have a several potential partners for participating in your chosen sport. Your team leader—your coach—can make that participation easier by reserving facilities, choosing exercise times that are convenient, and perhaps providing any necessary equipment.

Once you reach the intermediate skill level, you’ll likely have a newfound passion for your lifetime sport. Why? Because you’ll have a coach and a team in place to support your efforts, you’ll be participating in your lifetime sport with confidence, and you’ll still be having fun!

Practice these first basic steps on a regular basis and you’ll be on your way to pleasurable and virtually fail-safe exercise program to stick with for a lifetime.

Healthcare expert Robert Hopper, PhD, a former NCAA swimming champion and swimming coach, is the author of Stick with Exercise for a Lifetime: How to Enjoy Every Minute of It! An easy-to-follow guide, the book explains in insightful detail a set of best practices for exercise success—how to enjoy physical activity as a lifelong habit based on having fun. For more information, go to www.stickwithexercise.com. Also connect via Facebook: Facebook.com/stickwithexercise or Twitter: @RobertHopperPhD

Beat Boredom with Out-of-the-Box Exercise by Whitney Orban

This article is brought to you by Kathy Smart. Kathy is a TV nutritionist, host and chef of ‘ Live the Smart Way ~ the world’s first vegetarian and gluten free TV show’ and author of ‘ Live the Smart Way. Check out her website for more information, www.livethesmartway.com.

Beat Boredom with Out-of-the-Box Exercise by Whitney Orban

The windows are open, the sun is shining, and three layers of clothing aren’t required to go outside. Spring is here! What does this mean? Move your workouts outdoors!

If you find yourself making excuses to sleep in or accepting your reasons why it’s okay to cut workouts short, boredom has set in. Sure, when you’re short on time or weather is not cooperating, hitting the gym is a great option. However, if you’re up for a little adventure, try an out-of-the-box-exercise approach!

Embrace Nature. Nature is ever-changing, so it’ll keep you motivated.  Find inspiration in small adventures like taking a jog around town. Simply having the sun on your face, wondering what’s just past that next hill, or watching your dog have fun running along your side will give you energy to keep going. Let’s face it, the view outside almost always beats indoors.

Become an Adventurer. Little adventures will peak your interest to try bigger adventures, like summiting a 14,000’ mountain or taking a trip to Thailand to go rock climbing. Begin with smaller adventures, and allow them to take you to places you’ve never been before. Be open to the excitement adventure brings. Who knows, you might have so much fun you forgot you were even working out. Planning for adventure also creates a goal to improve fitness and workout adherence. It’s unlikely you’ll skip out on the gym because you’ll be focused to get in shape for the big adventure.

Anything NEW is fair game. Not everyone can hop in their car and arrive at a mountain in a couple hours but each workout outside can still be new and exciting. Drive a few hours and take a hike, visit your local park and go for a bike ride, sign-up for a rock climbing class, you might be surprised at what is in your own backyard.

Whitney Orban moved to Colorado from Florida in 2007 and immediately fell in love for the mountains. Follow her adventures on www. bradleysadventures.wordpress.com