Dream BIGGEST:
So often we put ourselves in an invisible box, limiting us to what we think we should or should not do, or worse, what we can or cannot do. Do not allow fear of failure or pressure to fit a perceived mold hold you back from living your dreams. We all have unique gifts and talents which, if developed and used, will be the source of great satisfaction to us and others. Whoever you are and whatever phase in life you may be, my suggestion is to do what you love. If you love to bake, bake. If you love to write, write. If you love to dance, dance and use your gifts to lift those around you. In every case, I believe there is a way to live your dreams without losing sight of what is most important. Living with passion is what keeps life novel and exciting. Without it, our days can feel joyless and mundane. Contributing something unique to the world is a great source of fulfillment and self-confidence.
Thought of the Day: Dont worry about what you dont have... focus and enjoy what you do have
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
10 Tips for Mental Health
1. Build Confidence
Identify your abilities and weaknesses together, accept them build on them and do the best with what you have.
2. Eat right, Keep fit
A balanced diet, exercise and rest can help you to reduce stress and enjoy life.
3. Make Time for Family and Friends
These relationships need to be nurtured; if taken for granted they will not be there to share life's joys and sorrows.
4. Give and Accept Support
Friends and family relationships thrive when they are "put to the test".
5. Create a Meaningful Budget
Financial problems cause stress. Over-spending on our "wants" instead of our "needs" is often the culprit.
6. Volunteer
Being involved in community gives a sense of purpose and satisfaction that paid work cannot.
7. Manage Stress
We all have stressors in our lives but learning how to deal with them when they threaten to overwhelm us will maintain our mental health.
8. Find Strength in Numbers
Sharing a problem with others who have had similar experiences may help you find a solution and will make you feel less isolated.
9. Identify and Deal with Moods
We all need to find safe and constructive ways to express our feelings of anger, sadness, joy and fear.
10. Learn to Be at Peace with Yourself
Get to know who you are, what makes you really happy, and learn to balance what you can and cannot change about yourself.
Identify your abilities and weaknesses together, accept them build on them and do the best with what you have.
2. Eat right, Keep fit
A balanced diet, exercise and rest can help you to reduce stress and enjoy life.
3. Make Time for Family and Friends
These relationships need to be nurtured; if taken for granted they will not be there to share life's joys and sorrows.
4. Give and Accept Support
Friends and family relationships thrive when they are "put to the test".
5. Create a Meaningful Budget
Financial problems cause stress. Over-spending on our "wants" instead of our "needs" is often the culprit.
6. Volunteer
Being involved in community gives a sense of purpose and satisfaction that paid work cannot.
7. Manage Stress
We all have stressors in our lives but learning how to deal with them when they threaten to overwhelm us will maintain our mental health.
8. Find Strength in Numbers
Sharing a problem with others who have had similar experiences may help you find a solution and will make you feel less isolated.
9. Identify and Deal with Moods
We all need to find safe and constructive ways to express our feelings of anger, sadness, joy and fear.
10. Learn to Be at Peace with Yourself
Get to know who you are, what makes you really happy, and learn to balance what you can and cannot change about yourself.
Upper/Lower Body Relationship to Walking
Who knows why when you take a step forward with your left foot (when walking/jogging/running/sprinting) your right arm comes forward? Why doesn't your left arm follow your left foot? Why then (maybe) if we walk properly allowing, our left foot to step forward and our right arm to go forward, will that enhance our posture? This explanation is going to get pretty wordy, so find a picture of human anatomy online somewhere if you want to learn/understand even more. Let us take a trip down the glory of anatomy lane...
When you step forward with your left foot, your right foot is now back behind you. This means your right glute (butt) is flexed. Your glute is attached to the aponeurosis of your erector spinae, also called your lumbodorsal fascia, (I know they're big words, but it really just means the middle of your lower back). This all attaches to the vertebrae in your spine (lower back/lumbar area) and so does your Latissimus Dorsi muscle! (your mid-back muscles) So your opposite Lat muscle flexes, being your left Lat, pulling down your scapula (wing-looking bone in your upper back). As your left Lat pulls down your left scapula, your left deltoid muscle (left shoulder) comes down with it. This in turn swings your left arm forward. Whoo - Now breathe...yes, breathe.... There is a direct relationship (because of the aponeurosis of your erector spine) between your opposing gluteal and latissimus dorsi muscles, which is why your arms swing opposite your legs. What does this mean for our walking posture? Oh i'll tell you, but in the next paragraph.
Ah, welcome to the next paragraph. Next time you walk, watch your arms and legs. If you take short steps, you are more than likely not having your arms swing much. Or if you are taking good sized (comfortable) steps and your arms don't swing much, don't be alarmed. Most people (and I do mean most) have 'tight' Latissimus Dorsi muscles that have become weak because of over-worked/stressed upper Trapezius muscles. Next time you walk, try to swing your arms a little bit while keeping your shoulders down and locked in place (not letting them move up/down/side to side). The more the swing, the more your Lat's work and the better your posture becomes. Your Lat's are one of the muscles that, if strong, holds you up very tall and relieves most back pain. Do your best to check yourself out when you walk, and swing those arms a bit to enhance that posture!
When you step forward with your left foot, your right foot is now back behind you. This means your right glute (butt) is flexed. Your glute is attached to the aponeurosis of your erector spinae, also called your lumbodorsal fascia, (I know they're big words, but it really just means the middle of your lower back). This all attaches to the vertebrae in your spine (lower back/lumbar area) and so does your Latissimus Dorsi muscle! (your mid-back muscles) So your opposite Lat muscle flexes, being your left Lat, pulling down your scapula (wing-looking bone in your upper back). As your left Lat pulls down your left scapula, your left deltoid muscle (left shoulder) comes down with it. This in turn swings your left arm forward. Whoo - Now breathe...yes, breathe.... There is a direct relationship (because of the aponeurosis of your erector spine) between your opposing gluteal and latissimus dorsi muscles, which is why your arms swing opposite your legs. What does this mean for our walking posture? Oh i'll tell you, but in the next paragraph.
Ah, welcome to the next paragraph. Next time you walk, watch your arms and legs. If you take short steps, you are more than likely not having your arms swing much. Or if you are taking good sized (comfortable) steps and your arms don't swing much, don't be alarmed. Most people (and I do mean most) have 'tight' Latissimus Dorsi muscles that have become weak because of over-worked/stressed upper Trapezius muscles. Next time you walk, try to swing your arms a little bit while keeping your shoulders down and locked in place (not letting them move up/down/side to side). The more the swing, the more your Lat's work and the better your posture becomes. Your Lat's are one of the muscles that, if strong, holds you up very tall and relieves most back pain. Do your best to check yourself out when you walk, and swing those arms a bit to enhance that posture!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Nutrition 101
When starting a new fitness program it is important to review all areas of your fitness and nutritional habits. Sometimes changing old habits or establishing new ones is required to reach your goals. Make small changes at first. Here are a few ideas to help you:
Eat your breakfast! ½ cup dry Oatmeal w/fruit or yogurt, 1 cup cereal, or 1 egg/1 egg white w/1 slice of toast is a healthy choice.
Drink one cup of water upon waking every morning. This will wake up your digestive system. Add a little lemon or apple cider vinegar if you wish
Plan and prepare. On a Sunday night or a quiet time is a good time to boil 6-8 eggs, prepare a garden salad or a fruit salad or cut up veggie’s. If its there in the fridge it becomes easier to make choices when you are hungry.
It’s not what we are eating: it’s our portion size! Your meat portion should be approx. 3 oz. (the size of your palm.) A normal restaurant meal is approx. 3-4 times the portion size that we should eat. So when you order ask them to place at least half your meal in a take out container and now you have a meal for the next day.
Eat fat!!!!! It may help you to lose weight by maintaining the efficiency of your bodies systems. (This only refers to healthy oils) avocado, nuts, fish. Use avocado on toast instead of butter/margarine
Healthy Food Choices:
1 pc. Multigrain (healthy bread) with 1/8 avocado instead of butter ( pre- post workout)
1 whole egg and 2 egg whites. (You can boil these up to 3 days prior and leave in fridge) or scramble with onions, peppers. (Add some salsa to your eggs for flavour)
Snacks:
A garden salad is considered free food. Eat as much salad as you wish. (Again be creative add salsa for a change, low fat dressing (under 30 calories per spoonful)
eat at least 1-2 pcs. Of fruit per day (buy frozen berries and add then to yogurt, salad
You MUST eat 30 minutes after your workout. While you exercise you deplete all your bodies energy systems. After you have a window of 30 minutes to replenish the energy or you will not recover efficiently.
An apple and 4 celery stalks with ½ tsp. peanut butter (again can be pre made and kept in fridge (good pre or post workout)
If you in your vehicle each day stock up on bottled water (drinks) and snack. Bring some fruits veggi’s with you to keep the energy levels up
½ can tuna on top a salad is a great idea! Or a sandwich. Try mustard instead of mayonnaise. (If mayo is used it MUST be fat free) Try tuna, peppers, onions all mixed together on a bed of lettuce
Things to consider:
Watch the carbs (white pasta, starchy foods, breads (unless you are pregnant) then watch the TREATS!!!!!!!
Remember: 80/20 Rule
80% of the time you must make a healthy choice with food because 20% of the time you will be somewhere the choice is not that easy to make.
Ask yourself: Is it more important to eat my snack/treat or is it more important to reach my goals!
Helpful Hints:
Use salsa on baked potatoes or green salad, or a dip for raw veggi’s
Use 1/8 avocado instead of butter on toast
Mix 1/8 avocado in your salad or soups
By a slow cooker and make some healthy soups full of vegetables, lots and lots of vegetables
Mix tomatoes, peppers, onions, cucumbers, carrots (any veg) into a bowl and add some low fat dressing and keep it in the fridge so you have it ready to snack on. Make a big bowl so it lasts a few days. Then take some and sauté it with grilled chicken (a protein) for supper or just sauté with a little soy suce or balsamic for lunch
Sometimes in our crazy and hectic world we tend to get a little carried away at times. I always like to try to keep it simple. How we deal with our health & fitness has become so complicated. We hear of all the exciting new fitness trends, nutritional fads that are the answer to solving our problems. Eat this and you will stay healthy or try this and you will lose those 20 lbs and avoid diseases. So you try it and maybe it doesn’t work so well... Next month there is new marketing that tells you to try something different and you will get even better & faster results. So again, you try it and maybe works a little but……….time consuming, Frustrating...Now what?
KISS: Keep It Simple Silly!
We are smart individuals with a whole world of information available to us and sometimes it all seems so overwhelming that we seek a simple solution. Really what is the simple solution to our healthy lifestyle? I assure you that if you eat your fruits, vegetables, nuts, avocado's, whole grains avoid processed and fast foods, and simply exercise 2-3 times per week your body will rebalance itself, detoxify and start functioning the way it was designed to function with little or no effort on your part.
Try it, you will be surprised.
Simple ideas for some serious results
1. Drink a cup of water upon waking each morning. Add a little lemon or apple cider vinegar to get your digestion system going
2. Eat your oatmeal w/fruit or yogurt. Try to avoid breads for breakfast because the chance of you craving bread later is greater. I really don’t care if you not a breakfast person your body is!
3. Drink your water but not during your meals. (slows down digestion) Most water to be consumed before 3 pm
4. Never go longer than 3-4 hours without eating something. (see snacks)
5. Do not eat sugar. Just don’t unless it’s a special occasion or a rare occasion.
Must do’s
• Stop consuming 2 ( what I call unessasary) items from your nutrition for the next 30 days. (pop, ice cream, chips, cookies, alcohol) Remember just make small changes.
• The couple of hours you spend with your trainer each week is not enough to get serious results. This is a lifestyle and what you wish to focus on now is making small lifestyle changes. Spend 15-25 minutes 2-3 days per week at home exercising, stretching or go for a walk.
Nutrition
Use salsa on baked potatoes or green salad
Use avocado instead of butter on toast
Mix 1/8 avocado in your salad or soups
Do not consume any mayo or creamy dressing!!!
Eat well, Stay healthy.
Eat your breakfast! ½ cup dry Oatmeal w/fruit or yogurt, 1 cup cereal, or 1 egg/1 egg white w/1 slice of toast is a healthy choice.
Drink one cup of water upon waking every morning. This will wake up your digestive system. Add a little lemon or apple cider vinegar if you wish
Plan and prepare. On a Sunday night or a quiet time is a good time to boil 6-8 eggs, prepare a garden salad or a fruit salad or cut up veggie’s. If its there in the fridge it becomes easier to make choices when you are hungry.
It’s not what we are eating: it’s our portion size! Your meat portion should be approx. 3 oz. (the size of your palm.) A normal restaurant meal is approx. 3-4 times the portion size that we should eat. So when you order ask them to place at least half your meal in a take out container and now you have a meal for the next day.
Eat fat!!!!! It may help you to lose weight by maintaining the efficiency of your bodies systems. (This only refers to healthy oils) avocado, nuts, fish. Use avocado on toast instead of butter/margarine
Healthy Food Choices:
1 pc. Multigrain (healthy bread) with 1/8 avocado instead of butter ( pre- post workout)
1 whole egg and 2 egg whites. (You can boil these up to 3 days prior and leave in fridge) or scramble with onions, peppers. (Add some salsa to your eggs for flavour)
Snacks:
A garden salad is considered free food. Eat as much salad as you wish. (Again be creative add salsa for a change, low fat dressing (under 30 calories per spoonful)
eat at least 1-2 pcs. Of fruit per day (buy frozen berries and add then to yogurt, salad
You MUST eat 30 minutes after your workout. While you exercise you deplete all your bodies energy systems. After you have a window of 30 minutes to replenish the energy or you will not recover efficiently.
An apple and 4 celery stalks with ½ tsp. peanut butter (again can be pre made and kept in fridge (good pre or post workout)
If you in your vehicle each day stock up on bottled water (drinks) and snack. Bring some fruits veggi’s with you to keep the energy levels up
½ can tuna on top a salad is a great idea! Or a sandwich. Try mustard instead of mayonnaise. (If mayo is used it MUST be fat free) Try tuna, peppers, onions all mixed together on a bed of lettuce
Things to consider:
Watch the carbs (white pasta, starchy foods, breads (unless you are pregnant) then watch the TREATS!!!!!!!
Remember: 80/20 Rule
80% of the time you must make a healthy choice with food because 20% of the time you will be somewhere the choice is not that easy to make.
Ask yourself: Is it more important to eat my snack/treat or is it more important to reach my goals!
Helpful Hints:
Use salsa on baked potatoes or green salad, or a dip for raw veggi’s
Use 1/8 avocado instead of butter on toast
Mix 1/8 avocado in your salad or soups
By a slow cooker and make some healthy soups full of vegetables, lots and lots of vegetables
Mix tomatoes, peppers, onions, cucumbers, carrots (any veg) into a bowl and add some low fat dressing and keep it in the fridge so you have it ready to snack on. Make a big bowl so it lasts a few days. Then take some and sauté it with grilled chicken (a protein) for supper or just sauté with a little soy suce or balsamic for lunch
Sometimes in our crazy and hectic world we tend to get a little carried away at times. I always like to try to keep it simple. How we deal with our health & fitness has become so complicated. We hear of all the exciting new fitness trends, nutritional fads that are the answer to solving our problems. Eat this and you will stay healthy or try this and you will lose those 20 lbs and avoid diseases. So you try it and maybe it doesn’t work so well... Next month there is new marketing that tells you to try something different and you will get even better & faster results. So again, you try it and maybe works a little but……….time consuming, Frustrating...Now what?
KISS: Keep It Simple Silly!
We are smart individuals with a whole world of information available to us and sometimes it all seems so overwhelming that we seek a simple solution. Really what is the simple solution to our healthy lifestyle? I assure you that if you eat your fruits, vegetables, nuts, avocado's, whole grains avoid processed and fast foods, and simply exercise 2-3 times per week your body will rebalance itself, detoxify and start functioning the way it was designed to function with little or no effort on your part.
Try it, you will be surprised.
Simple ideas for some serious results
1. Drink a cup of water upon waking each morning. Add a little lemon or apple cider vinegar to get your digestion system going
2. Eat your oatmeal w/fruit or yogurt. Try to avoid breads for breakfast because the chance of you craving bread later is greater. I really don’t care if you not a breakfast person your body is!
3. Drink your water but not during your meals. (slows down digestion) Most water to be consumed before 3 pm
4. Never go longer than 3-4 hours without eating something. (see snacks)
5. Do not eat sugar. Just don’t unless it’s a special occasion or a rare occasion.
Must do’s
• Stop consuming 2 ( what I call unessasary) items from your nutrition for the next 30 days. (pop, ice cream, chips, cookies, alcohol) Remember just make small changes.
• The couple of hours you spend with your trainer each week is not enough to get serious results. This is a lifestyle and what you wish to focus on now is making small lifestyle changes. Spend 15-25 minutes 2-3 days per week at home exercising, stretching or go for a walk.
Nutrition
Use salsa on baked potatoes or green salad
Use avocado instead of butter on toast
Mix 1/8 avocado in your salad or soups
Do not consume any mayo or creamy dressing!!!
Eat well, Stay healthy.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Active Seniors Enjoy Life More
Active Seniors Enjoy Life More
Good news for older adults: part of the prescription for a healthier, better retirement is exercise. Physical activity protects against declining health and fitness and adds years to your life. Join the growing number of older adults who are actively demonstrating that exercise helps keep a body strong.
The Best Retirement Is an Active One
Did you know that moderate-intensity physical activity can help you live longer and reduce health problems? Regular exercise helps control blood pressure, body weight and cholesterol levels, and cuts the risk for hardening of the arteries, heart attack and stroke. It conditions muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones to help fight osteoporosis, keep your body more limber and stabilize your joints, thus lowering the risk of everyday injury. It also improves digestion and is good for managing low-back pain, arthritis and diabetes. Regular physical activity helps you maintain your independence. And recently, there’s been more research that suggests an active lifestyle lowers the risk of some cancers. But perhaps the best reason for incorporating regular exercise into your life is that you’ll feel better. Exercise helps you sleep better and manage stress better, and gives you more energy to enjoy work and play.
Fitness Is Golden
A good exercise program includes cardiovascular exercise, muscular conditioning and flexibility exercises. The best cardiovascular exercises for seniors are non-jarring, such as walking, swimming and cycling. Start with a light regimen and gradually build up to a total of at least 30 minutes of activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. Playing with children, gardening, dancing and housecleaning are other ways to incorporate activity into your daily routine.
Strengthening exercises such as lifting light weights (or even household items such as canned foods or milk jugs) help to maintain your muscle mass and promote bone health. Plus, research suggests that adults older than 50 years who do not perform resistance training lose nearly 1/4 pound of muscle mass per year. Since muscle mass is directly related to how many calories your body burns each day, resistance training is important for weight management. And strong leg and hip muscles help to reduce the risk of falls, a cause of considerable disability among older adults. Aim to participate in resistance training at least two days per week, making sure to exercise all major muscle groups through a full range of motion.
End each workout with stretching exercises to help maintain your mobility and range of motion and decrease your risk for injury.
A Few Safety Tips
Always remember to keep safety in mind when exercising.
Wear comfortable, well-fitting shoes.
Avoid outdoor activities in extreme temperatures.
Drink plenty of fluids to stay well hydrated.
Listen to your body when determining an appropriate exercise intensity (and keep in mind that monitoring intensity using heart rate isn’t accurate if you are on heart-rate-altering medications such as most medications for hypertension).
Be aware of danger signs. Stop activity and call your doctor or 911 if you experience any of the following: pain or pressure in your chest, arms, neck or jaw; feeling lightheaded, nauseated or weak; becoming short of breath; developing pain in your legs, calves or back; or feeling like your heart is beating too fast or skipping beats.
Discover the Exercise You Like Best
The best way to keep fit is to choose exercises you enjoy. Favorites among some older adults include aqua aerobics, yoga, Pilates, tai chi, line dancing, square dancing, ballroom dancing or simply walking the dog. You may enjoy group exercise classes, since they offer an opportunity to socialize and develop friendships.
When you’re deciding on a class or program, make sure the instructor is certified by an accredited professional organization such as the American Council on Exercise and has completed specialty training in senior health and fitness. And remember the other elements that contribute to good health in your golden years: A well-balanced diet, not smoking and seeing your doctor regularly.
Look at your retirement or senior years as an opportunity to do things you have never done before. Most of all, enjoy yourself!
Additional Resources
National Institute on Aging: www.niapublications.org/exercisebook/ExerciseGuideComplete.pdf
NIH Senior Health: www.nihseniorhealth.gov
Medline Plus—Exercise for Seniors: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/exerciseforseniors.html
International Council on Active Aging: www.icaa.cc
Good news for older adults: part of the prescription for a healthier, better retirement is exercise. Physical activity protects against declining health and fitness and adds years to your life. Join the growing number of older adults who are actively demonstrating that exercise helps keep a body strong.
The Best Retirement Is an Active One
Did you know that moderate-intensity physical activity can help you live longer and reduce health problems? Regular exercise helps control blood pressure, body weight and cholesterol levels, and cuts the risk for hardening of the arteries, heart attack and stroke. It conditions muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones to help fight osteoporosis, keep your body more limber and stabilize your joints, thus lowering the risk of everyday injury. It also improves digestion and is good for managing low-back pain, arthritis and diabetes. Regular physical activity helps you maintain your independence. And recently, there’s been more research that suggests an active lifestyle lowers the risk of some cancers. But perhaps the best reason for incorporating regular exercise into your life is that you’ll feel better. Exercise helps you sleep better and manage stress better, and gives you more energy to enjoy work and play.
Fitness Is Golden
A good exercise program includes cardiovascular exercise, muscular conditioning and flexibility exercises. The best cardiovascular exercises for seniors are non-jarring, such as walking, swimming and cycling. Start with a light regimen and gradually build up to a total of at least 30 minutes of activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. Playing with children, gardening, dancing and housecleaning are other ways to incorporate activity into your daily routine.
Strengthening exercises such as lifting light weights (or even household items such as canned foods or milk jugs) help to maintain your muscle mass and promote bone health. Plus, research suggests that adults older than 50 years who do not perform resistance training lose nearly 1/4 pound of muscle mass per year. Since muscle mass is directly related to how many calories your body burns each day, resistance training is important for weight management. And strong leg and hip muscles help to reduce the risk of falls, a cause of considerable disability among older adults. Aim to participate in resistance training at least two days per week, making sure to exercise all major muscle groups through a full range of motion.
End each workout with stretching exercises to help maintain your mobility and range of motion and decrease your risk for injury.
A Few Safety Tips
Always remember to keep safety in mind when exercising.
Wear comfortable, well-fitting shoes.
Avoid outdoor activities in extreme temperatures.
Drink plenty of fluids to stay well hydrated.
Listen to your body when determining an appropriate exercise intensity (and keep in mind that monitoring intensity using heart rate isn’t accurate if you are on heart-rate-altering medications such as most medications for hypertension).
Be aware of danger signs. Stop activity and call your doctor or 911 if you experience any of the following: pain or pressure in your chest, arms, neck or jaw; feeling lightheaded, nauseated or weak; becoming short of breath; developing pain in your legs, calves or back; or feeling like your heart is beating too fast or skipping beats.
Discover the Exercise You Like Best
The best way to keep fit is to choose exercises you enjoy. Favorites among some older adults include aqua aerobics, yoga, Pilates, tai chi, line dancing, square dancing, ballroom dancing or simply walking the dog. You may enjoy group exercise classes, since they offer an opportunity to socialize and develop friendships.
When you’re deciding on a class or program, make sure the instructor is certified by an accredited professional organization such as the American Council on Exercise and has completed specialty training in senior health and fitness. And remember the other elements that contribute to good health in your golden years: A well-balanced diet, not smoking and seeing your doctor regularly.
Look at your retirement or senior years as an opportunity to do things you have never done before. Most of all, enjoy yourself!
Additional Resources
National Institute on Aging: www.niapublications.org/exercisebook/ExerciseGuideComplete.pdf
NIH Senior Health: www.nihseniorhealth.gov
Medline Plus—Exercise for Seniors: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/exerciseforseniors.html
International Council on Active Aging: www.icaa.cc
Reaching Your Goals the SMART Way
Are you one of those people who resolve to get back into shape every time the New Year comes around—but for some reason fail to accomplish that goal every year? If so, perhaps you might need to adjust the strategy you use when setting these hard-to-reach objectives.
One proven way to set effective goals is using the SMART goal method. This method will allow you to take those vague ideas and transform them into reality.
SPECIFIC: The goals must specifically state what is to be accomplished. They must be easily understood and should not be ambiguous or subject to interpretation. For example, rather than stating you would like to improve your fitness level, set a specific goal to be able to run a mile in 12 minutes.
MEASURABLE: The goals must be measureable so that there is no doubt about whether you achieved them. Measurable goals also allow you to evaluate your progress. Goals can be measured objectively or subjectively (i.e., how you feel and look), or both. For example, you could measure your percent body fat and body weight, but also monitor how your pants fit.
ATTAINABLE: The goals must be attainable—not too difficult or too easy. Easy goals do not motivate, and overly difficult ones may frustrate you and lead to a perception of failure.
RELEVANT: The goals must be relevant or pertinent to your particular interests, needs and abilities. For example, when preparing for a 5K walk, running quarter-mile sprints would not be the best approach
TIME-BOUND: The goals must be time-bound by specific deadlines for completion. Timelines can be both short-term and long-term and should help you stay focused and on track.
Self-evaluation
If you feel like you are doing everything possible to attain that SMART goal but are still coming up short, perhaps you need a reality check. Try keeping a diet and exercise journal for one week and check to see if you are actually maintaining a program that will get you where you want to be. You can use websites such as www.MyPyramidtracker.gov, which will help you record and analyze your diet and exercise.
Behavioral vs. Physiological
People often start a program with the intention of making a change, but struggle to stick with it. Remember, it is only when you decide that you are ready to make a real commitment to this change and do it for yourself that you expect results. Without a real resolution to change, you will likely encounter many obstacles and barriers that will make sticking with the program difficult. Consider the following tips if you are thinking about starting a program:
Ask yourself why you want to make this change an who you are doing it for.
Write down a list of all the benefits you foresee with making this change and a list of costs (e.g., time, effort and money) that will be required to do so. If the balance swings in favor of the benefits, you are likely to stick with the program.
Identify a support system. Find individuals of significance in your life who will support your desire to change and perhaps even join you.
Select some rewards for achieving major steps in your program. Recognize your achievements with treats such as a purchase, attending a function or even taking a trip. Such rewards will help you stay motivated during the beginning of your program.
Visibly place prompts and cues that constantly remind you of the decision you made to change, and remove any stimuli that may trigger undesirable behaviors. For example, placing visible notes or keeping a workout bag accessible will prompt good behavior, while removing ice cream from the freezer may remove a negative stimulus.
One proven way to set effective goals is using the SMART goal method. This method will allow you to take those vague ideas and transform them into reality.
SPECIFIC: The goals must specifically state what is to be accomplished. They must be easily understood and should not be ambiguous or subject to interpretation. For example, rather than stating you would like to improve your fitness level, set a specific goal to be able to run a mile in 12 minutes.
MEASURABLE: The goals must be measureable so that there is no doubt about whether you achieved them. Measurable goals also allow you to evaluate your progress. Goals can be measured objectively or subjectively (i.e., how you feel and look), or both. For example, you could measure your percent body fat and body weight, but also monitor how your pants fit.
ATTAINABLE: The goals must be attainable—not too difficult or too easy. Easy goals do not motivate, and overly difficult ones may frustrate you and lead to a perception of failure.
RELEVANT: The goals must be relevant or pertinent to your particular interests, needs and abilities. For example, when preparing for a 5K walk, running quarter-mile sprints would not be the best approach
TIME-BOUND: The goals must be time-bound by specific deadlines for completion. Timelines can be both short-term and long-term and should help you stay focused and on track.
Self-evaluation
If you feel like you are doing everything possible to attain that SMART goal but are still coming up short, perhaps you need a reality check. Try keeping a diet and exercise journal for one week and check to see if you are actually maintaining a program that will get you where you want to be. You can use websites such as www.MyPyramidtracker.gov, which will help you record and analyze your diet and exercise.
Behavioral vs. Physiological
People often start a program with the intention of making a change, but struggle to stick with it. Remember, it is only when you decide that you are ready to make a real commitment to this change and do it for yourself that you expect results. Without a real resolution to change, you will likely encounter many obstacles and barriers that will make sticking with the program difficult. Consider the following tips if you are thinking about starting a program:
Ask yourself why you want to make this change an who you are doing it for.
Write down a list of all the benefits you foresee with making this change and a list of costs (e.g., time, effort and money) that will be required to do so. If the balance swings in favor of the benefits, you are likely to stick with the program.
Identify a support system. Find individuals of significance in your life who will support your desire to change and perhaps even join you.
Select some rewards for achieving major steps in your program. Recognize your achievements with treats such as a purchase, attending a function or even taking a trip. Such rewards will help you stay motivated during the beginning of your program.
Visibly place prompts and cues that constantly remind you of the decision you made to change, and remove any stimuli that may trigger undesirable behaviors. For example, placing visible notes or keeping a workout bag accessible will prompt good behavior, while removing ice cream from the freezer may remove a negative stimulus.
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