Find Your Personal Reasons To Exercise

Here are some strategies to use to help you make, find and maintain your personal reasons to exercise.

1. Setting realistic results and clear obtainable goals. Make one goal at a time.
2. Create the timing for exercise. If you can't find 30 minutes a few days a week then think about how your have organized your day. Perhaps you can find 3 - 10 minute periods to exercise.
3. Use inspiration, whether it is music, videos, articles, write in a journal or use a Fitness by Phone exercise diary, what ever it takes to get you moving.
4. Timing for exercise, what time of day works best for you, morning, afternoon, evening.
5. Cross train, do something different to move whenever you can, biking, walking, dancing.
6. Reward yourself for your successes.
   

Chew Slowly

During dinner the other day my husband announced that he read an article that said to chew each bite 40 times and that he worked on doing that at every meal he ate that day.

First of all I gave him an incredible look, like I have not been telling him to slow down when he eats for years! But he was amazed because he ate less at every meal and felt full and satisfied.

What is the message here, yes listen to your wife if she happens to have the education and knowledge.

But also this is very true that eating and chewing slowly will help you eat less and feel satisfied faster.

Get Rid of the Negative Voice

We all have one, the little voice in our heads that throws negative comments and thoughts our way.

This voice can come up when there is something in our schedule that is not appealing to do or when we our making a decision that is difficult. It can impact how we eat, whether we exercise or how we take care of ourselves.

How we deal with that voice can impact our lives daily and long term. Working through this negative voice and changing the tone is key to making better choices and decisions. This is true in health, work, family and general wellness.

What will you do this week or this day to change the tone of your negative voice?

What Happens To Your Workouts On Vacation?

This is a dilemma many of us have. We get a routine going, getting to the gym after work on regular nights, making time during our day for a walk, setting a schedule to workout weekly.

Then vacation comes along and the plans can sometimes go array. Our schedule is different, we feel different, getting up later in the day, relaxing with the family or friends. Sometimes it is harder to find the motivation to make the time for some formal type of exercise. This is all understandable.

If you workout hard 51 weeks out of the year and you want a week off then take it. There are studies that show an "active rest week" can regenerate your desire to exercise. The Fitness by Phone program actually suggests this as a way to prevent burn out and give the body and mind a rest.

But if you are the type of person that works out on a more sporadic basis, you may not want to take and entire week off from exercise. Perhaps you don't want to loose your momentum but it can still be difficult to make the time during vacation to exercise.

Making some specific plans before you leave for vacation can help. Plan a few days you can get up a little earlier, slip away after dinner any time you may find to add in a little exercise "me time". Make the goals ahead of time and you are more likely to keep them.

Another good idea, if you can manage it would be one or two days of simple strength training. A few push ups, some tricep dips, and some abs. This will keep whatever muscle conditioning you have accomplished before you trip in shape and prevent soreness when you start up exercising again.

Have a great vacation week whatever you decide to do for exercise or not!

Don't Eat It

I am writing this blog because I did it again.

Felt good with what I ate all day and wanted to treat myself that night. Standing in front of the pantry with nothing really appealing but still feeling the need to treat. Rummaging around found some candy. Made myself sit down to eat as I always preach. But I must admit it was not hitting the spot. It never really tasted that good...but I ate it anyway!

Why, I had it in my mind to find some sweet treat and it did not seem to matter how it tasted I was going to eat it. I will have to admit I even when back for more. Crazy I know, but I think we have all been there.

I went to bed wondering why I ate the sweet that tasted so unappetizing. I have no answer I just know I will think a little harder before doing that again! How about you?