Mindset is Key

I'm working on a healthy weight-loss program to help shed some pounds I've put on in part through stressing over caregiving, etc. Call me crazy for doing this during the holidays, but things are going well, and my enthusiasm is high. Even better, I recently came across a book that I feel will help keep me energized and committed over the long haul. I believe it's also going to assist me in maintaining my weight loss - because I'm changing my MINDSET toward weight management!

This book is so transformational I believe it can significantly assist anyone who wants to get to a healthier place get there. In case you are interested, it's The Shift: 7 Powerful Mindset Changes for Lasting Weight Loss, by Gary Foster, Ph.D. I just listened to it over the past few days on audiobook while doing housework, etc. It's so good I've now ordered the hardcopy as I want to reread it, underline my favorite parts, and keep reading it for inspiration.

Foster is the chief science officer of Weight Watchers, but the book isn't really as much about the WW program as it is about cultivating a mindset that can help empower each of us to manage our weight in a healthy way. It doesn't matter which healthy weight-loss program you are on or want to go on, strengthening and fortifying your mental game will only help you become more successful!

I found Foster's clinical experience working with overweight and obese patients, the scientific research he pulled from, and his empathy for those who struggle with weight issues to add impact to his powerful insights on what mental attitudes and strategies do and do not foster healthier choices and better weight management. Much of what he said resonated with me, and I'm excited to have started using the new mental tools he advocates.

Foster offers seven mindset changes to employ. One is learning how to cultivate self-compassion and become more realistic in how we see ourselves. The biggest problem many of us have is getting down on ourselves and letting that self-talk derail us from making healthier choices either temporarily or even longer. When our self-talk is negative it makes us feel bad and feeling bad tends to kill our motivation and resolve, fosters self-defeating behaviors, and tends to spur overeating, Foster explains.

Do any of the following self-negating statements sound familiar?

If I was a stronger person, I wouldn't be so overweight.
I'm heavy, so what's the use of trying to look good.

I messed up by eating too much at the party, so I might as well give up on the whole thing.

I just don't seem to have the willpower to make healthy choices.

What's the use of losing weight, I'll just gain it back. I always do.

Foster shares specific techniques for counteracting those thoughts by questioning the reality of them and cultivating more body-positive thoughts such as

I can choose to use strategies that will better serve my weight management.

I do weigh more than I would like, but when I fix myself up and dress well I feel better about myself.
I've chosen to eat healthy most days this week. The party was only one day.
I can take steps to make it easier to make healthy choices.
I can maintain my weight loss by cultivating an ongoing healthy lifestyle and addressing setbacks.

After listening to the book I feel better about myself and more equipped to cultivate the self-talk and the mental strategies that will help me to become even more effective in weight loss and maintenance. Best of luck to you on your weight journey!

Dancing Does So Much

So many ways to dance: Zumba, line dancing, folk dancing, ballroom, belly dancing, flamenco, jazz, tap, just shaking your booty ... Which are your favorite ways to get your kicks?

Dancing may seem like too much fun to be an important form of exercise. The good news is that dancing is great exercise, serving as a moderate-to-high-intensity calorie-burning cardio workout and building our strength and flexibility at the same time. The fun factor is a major plus, because it means we’re more likely to do it. So consider spicing up your exercise routine by dancing one or more days a week.

Moving to music can be especially beneficial for those of us who don't play a sport that challenges our balance, agility and coordination. (Think about it. Walking, cycling or stepping on the elliptical – and I love to do all those - are great for the heart, but only use our muscles in limited ways.) Don’t think dance can be compared to sports? A University of Hertfordshire study compared members of Britain’s Royal Ballet to a squad of national and international swimmers. The dancers scored higher than the swimmers in seven out of ten areas of fitness.

As we struggle to learn or create the steps of a new dance step, style or choreography, we’re working out our mind as well. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that ballroom dancing at least twice a week made people less likely to develop dementia. No partner, no worries. Zumba, line dancing and belly dancing all challenge the mind of the solo dancer.

One of the easiest ways to incorporate dance into your exercise routine is just to turn on some peppy music and shake your booty. I started doing that as a toddler and periodically throughout my life have just given myself over to moving with the music. When I was working on taking off weight several years ago, I used the shake-your-booty method more systematically. I found it was a great alternative to walking outdoors when the weather was bad or if I had to delay exercising until after dark.

Eventually I progressed to wanting more dance in my life. Luckily, I heard about Zumba, which can incorporate most any dance step you’ve ever seen or heard about, depending on the instructor’s interests and ability. Although I knew I wanted to teach Zumba the first time I took Zumba, I had a long way to go. At first I did well just to get some of the steps right. Later I added some arms. Much work and many months later I was licensed to teach Zumba and taught several classes a week for years. Now I have a fuller schedule teaching yoga, etc., I Zumba at home for fun and fitness.

Among the most rewarding developments I’ve seen in myself since I’ve begun dancing regularly is the the increased strength and power I feel in my core. My cardio health, while good before thanks to walking, is even better now. And I look forward to exercising.

Dancing regularly has unleashed and empowered my inner dancer. I am listening and dancing to music from places I’ve traveled to or wish to see, which makes my exercise experience more meaningful. It moves my spirit as well as my body. I feel the music in me!

Maybe dancing will also speak to you now or in the future as a favored way to get moving. If so, and if you want to go beyond shake-your-booty and aerobic move basics, don’t stop till you find a class you enjoy.

Enjoy a healthier diet with Creative Substitution

I’m pretty wimpy about self-denial when it comes to food, as many of us are. Anytime I even think I may be denying myself, the strategy tends to boomerang. If I let my stomach rumble for too long, I end up eating twice as much when I do eat. Heaven knows what might happen if I watched as others ate birthday cake while I swallowed hard and shook my head “no.” I can’t remember ever letting that happen. You may be wondering how I maintain a normal weight.

I owe much of my success to Creative Substitution (in addition to regular exercise of course). The concept likely can help you stay full and satisfied while managing your weight as well. You may already be employing it at times without thinking. But it’s an even more powerful tool when you consciously use it. It’s easy: Just look for ways to cut calories and boost nutritional value by substituting one less-healthy food or drink for a healthy version that has a similar taste, texture and/or satisfaction level. The small pack of nuts I always keep on hand has saved me from gobbling down a fast food burger innumerable times when I get hungry away from home.

Another example of Creative Substitution: I have a bit of a beer tooth. Those liquid calories add up quickly, so when I committed myself to losing weight I decided to find a delicious low-calorie alternative. Diet ginger ale with lemon served the bill beautifully with almost zero calories. Sometimes I even serve it in a chilled mug. One more example: Because I like to have a crunchy snack while I watch TV movie, but also prefer being fit and relatively trim, I have shifted from dip and chips or nachos to microwave popcorn. I make my own microwave popcorn using a brown lunch bag and several tablespoons of generic or on-sale popping corn kernels. I season with sea salt and/or Mrs. Dash (when I’ve had my sodium quota for the day).

Creative Substitution even helps with portion control. Those healthy, low-calorie frozen meals seemed seriously small to me, and were not filling, until I started serving them on a bed of fresh spinach. A can of healthy soup can easily turn into a meal when I microwave it with fresh or frozen veggies such as broccoli, mushrooms, onions and tomatoes. I thought I was a little strange about my need to pump up my food until I saw “The Hungry Girl” on the Dr. Oz Show. She has taken the idea of bulking up meals with high fiber, nutrient rich foods and gone wild with it. I love her idea for using cauliflower (cooked from fresh or frozen) in combination with a small portion of pasta and healthy sauce of choice to make your dish seem like you’re eating a restaurant-size portion.

By employing Creative Substitution every day I find I’m not on or off a diet. I’ve simply made a lifestyle change in my dietary habits. If I occasionally indulge in the high-calorie food or beverage I typically substitute for, I can do it without guilt because I know that overall I’m eating well. A friend looked at me suspiciously the other day when I ordered a small serving of ice cream while she opted for black coffee at the coffee shop where we met. Our orders cost about the same. I preferred to spend my money on a real treat, plus I needed a boost of protein and carbs after two back-to-back exercise classes. I know better than to let myself get too hungry!

Meditation and Mindfulness 101

Scroll down to see the meditation/mindfulness resource list below the lead in.

How do I meditate/be mindful? Let me count the ways … So many ways to enter that meditative/mindful state and get some of the benefits of deep relaxation.

Those benefits include de-stressing, boosting mood, lowering blood pressure, relaxing the cardiovascular system, and improving sleep - as well as improving mental focus and other cognitive abilities. Through meditation we learn more about ourselves from the inside out, appreciating our life more, and deepening our compassion for others.

Meditation/mindfulness may not be a cure-all but it is an improve-much tool. But where to find time? Luckily we can mix and match meditative/mindful techniques to fit our schedule, interests and needs. The techniques build on each other over time as we invest time in them and ourselves.

I will note a few simple ways to start or take a few steps more along your meditation/mindful journey, and then point you to a resource list (below) you might want to check out and pull from to learn much, much more about meditation and mindfulness.

Start by giving yourself the gift being present for a few moments now and then. You may want to schedule the time or pair a few moments of mindfulness with a regular activity. Notice in a relaxed and accepting way what is going on right now inside and/or outside of your body.

When we are witnessing the moment, noting what is, allowing what is to be for this moment, we are present and relaxing. When we are swept into a torrent of thought worrying, judging, justifying, or resisting, we are over activated, which often isn't helpful.

When directing our attention in, feeling the sensations of the breath, the bodily sensations our sitting or standing or lying down. Scanning our body and noticing what is happening inside moment to moment, either directing our attention in a comfortable way or letting that attention float. When sensing outside, noticing sounds, sites and other sensations from the world around us. Letting thoughts or judgements drift away, bringing back our awareness to what is.

Yoga, Tai Chi, Walking Meditation, Seated Meditation, and other mind-body practices are methods of being present. Watching birds, fish, your pet or wildlife are other ways of being present. Actively listening to music or ambient sounds by focusing on tones, rhythms and other sonic characteristics can be mindful. Many, many paths for accessing that meditative mind. Enjoy!

Online

Mindfulness-Based Stress Relief course – Free 8-week program with breathing, body scan, yoga and other guided mindfulness exercises as well as links to related articles and videos. Visit palousemindfulness.com

Mindful magazine online – Offers a wealth of free how-to articles and guided meditations. See mindful.org

Tara Brach – A leading mindfulness and meditation instructor offers numerous free video lectures and guided meditations. Visit tarabrach.com

Other online mindfulness resources that offer some free content include Sounds True, Headspace and 10% Happier.

For further reading
Practicing the Power of Now: Essential Teachings, Meditations, and Exercises From The Power of Now. By Echart Tolle. Essential insights by the highly regarded philosopher into how to spend more time in the present moment, developing the meditative mind and its accompanying benefits.

Everyday Mindfulness: 365 Ways to a Centered Life. By Phoebe Morgan. Inspiring quotes by contemporary to ancient observers on incorporating mindfulness and its enlightening perspective into our lives.

Real Happiness : The Power of Meditation. By Sharon Salzberg. Excellent one-stop source for creating a basic mindfulness and meditation program for yourself, including free audio meditation downloads.

Full Catastrophe Living. By Jon Kabat-Zinn. Extensive overview of the famous 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Relief program from the father of MBSR. For those looking for user friendly yet in-depth knowledge on the subject.

Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-to Book. By Dan Harris and Jeff Warren. ABC television journalist Harris and meditation instructor Warren take us on a journey across the country to help explore and overcome common barriers many of us have in establishing a meditation practice. The book works well in tandem with accessing free related video and audio content of Harris’ 10% Happier app.

How to Sneak More Meditation Into Your Life: A Doable Meditation Plan for Busy People. By K. Kris Loomis. A yoga and meditation instructor highlights key steps of various types of meditation and how to add them to your day in her no-nonsense, compact book. A quick overview for experimenting with various forms of meditation.

A Beginner's Guide to Meditation: Practical Advice and Inspiration from Contemporary Buddhist Teachers. Edited by Rod Meade Sperry. Some of the world’s most respected meditation teachers share the essentials of getting started with meditation and deepening the practice. The top experts make trying and succeeding at meditation much easier.

Staying Well with Guided Imagery. By Belleruth Naparstek. The psychotherapist and guided imagery instructor explains how using imagery meditations can reduce stress and improve mental and physical health. Included are a variety of helpful imagery exercises.

Fitness and "The Traveler's Gift"

Have you ever read "The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions That Determine Personal Success," by Andy Andrews? As I read the book in one sitting I was struck how its principles apply to pursuing fitness as well as various other aspects of our life. Success depends on the decisions we make. All seven decisions that Andy explores are superpowered by a spiritual component.

First Decision: The buck stops here. I am responsible for my past and my future. The book takes our discouraged out-of-work hero on a time-travel adventure where he meets historic characters who inspire him to look at and conduct his life in a different way. The first is Harry S. Truman, who schools him on personal responsibility. Where ever we are on our fitness journey, whether it be losing weight or reaching a new level of strength, it's empowering to realize its up to us where we go from here. It's in our capable hands to find out what we need to know and do what we need to do to get where we want to go. Taking baby steps, changing one small unhealthy habit for a healthier habit, time after time, adds up to a transformed body and life. I am still traveling that road.

Second Decision: I will seek wisdom. It's amazing how little most of us really know about getting and staying fit. If you were/are a high school and/or college athlete, physical education major, fitness professional, health nut, or such, you're likely an exception. The average person knows less about what makes the body function at its best. Until late 2009 when I began my career shift to fitness I had only a basic understanding. Now I have good foundational knowledge and continue adding to it by keeping abreast of current exercise science, nutrition and other health-related research as well as consulting with allied health care professionals. The more I know the better I'm able to train/treat my body and help my clients. Please check out some of the health resource links on this site to learn more about exercise, nutrition and other ways to improve your health.

Third Decision: I am a person of action. I seize the moment. I choose now. Some day may never come. Today is here. Every time we exercise (in a prudent and safe manner based on our health profile) we improve our health. It's a scientific fact that the benefits of exercise begin to accrue almost as soon as we start our first exercise session. Also, when we add the right fuel to our body, in the form of healthy foods, we get an almost immediate benefit as the macronutrients and micronutrients are digested. Talk about instant payoff! The more such healthy actions we take, the more we'll see significant improvements in how empowered we feel as well as how mentally and physically healthy we are. We get healthier step by step by pursuing fitness.

Fourth Decision: I have a decided heart. My destiny is assured. It's not "if I become more fit," or "if I lose weight," it's "as I become more fit," or "as I lose weight." Decide you're going to adopt specific healthy lifestyle behaviors and do it by tackling those behaviors step by step. When you get 100 percent behind your commitments to yourself success is pretty much guaranteed because you just don't let anything stop you. If you look hard at what stopped you or others from achieving certain goals in the past, you'll easily realize that it's because you or the other person gave up the fight. When I look back at failed attempts at weight loss or increased fitness, I have to admit I gave up too easily. As my Dad always told me: "You can do anything you really want to do."

Fifth Decision: Today I will choose to be happy. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit. Abraham Lincoln said we're just about as happy as we choose to be. Happiness isn't about what's outside of ourselves or whether we have a perfect physique in the world's eyes. It's about how you look at yourself and your life. Do you focus on how you have been blessed and what you do have, or do you focus on what you don't have? Are you unhappy because you feel entitled to something you don't have? I have to admit that periodically in my life when the going gets tough I think "If only X, Y, or Z, I could really be happy." Fortunately so far I've been able to get past that over time and look at the world again with gratitude through an optimist's eyes. I'm happy to be alive.

Sixth Decision: I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself. This is a particularly good one for fitness. It's way too easy to get down on ourselves for not meeting our expectations for fitness and/or weight loss goals. Unfortunately that can lead to our sabotaging ourselves with self-defeating behavior creating more problems for ourselves. The classic is eating the whole sack of potato chips because you ate a half a bag of chips and hate yourself for it. It's best for our long-term success with health and fitness as well as the other aspects of our life to be gentle with ourselves. If you stumble, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, resolve not to repeat the error and go on. Love yourself the way you love or would love your own child, unconditionally. And forgive others. Holding a grudge not only poisons our spirits but also our bodies
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Seventh Decision: I will persist without exception. I am a person of great faith. Faith has been the key element of any success I've ever had, especially with weight loss and fitness. Praying and meditating give me the strength to keep seeking what I need to do to continue to improve my health. After I kept failing to lose weight a number of years ago I had a "V8" moment and realized I needed to pray for help. That moment of transformation led me to find the right resources to educate myself on what I needed to do to lose weight. A "healthy lifestyle and weight loss" program set me off in the right direction. Then I started yoga, strength training, Zumba, etc., and I continue to work on my fitness levels. I persist because I have faith that my Higher Power will continue to help bolster and guide me.

Mind and Body

It’s so easy to get absorbed in our worries, plans and dreams in this busy, high-tech world that we lose touch with ourselves. Somehow when we spend too much of our time in our head we become disconnected with our physical and sensory being. We may easily come to think and feel like it doesn’t matter so much if we don’t give our bodies enough rest, hydration, nutrients and movement. Or if we stuff processed food mindlessly into our mouths while trying to zone out in front of the TV.

Luckily exercise, especially mindful exercise, is a great antidote to the many ills caused by overthinking and the harried “monkey mind.” Exercise naturally leads to a more focused mind, elevated mood and honoring our bodies. It can help us to get back to sensing, being and reconnecting with ourselves. More like we felt as children in wonder over the magic of experiencing our world in the moment. 

Any exercise, including walking, weight lifting, etc., can help integrate brain and body - especially when done mindfully. But some exercise modes, such as yoga and tai chi are specifically designed to focus our awareness on the here and now. Those disciplines in particular teach you to breath slowly and deeply, noticing and concentrating on the sensations of your physical self, including the activation of your muscles.

One of the greatest benefits I’ve received from exercising regularly, especially practicing tai chi and yoga, is to have reawakened my sensory system and developed a more unified sense of my mind-body. I'm more often present and aware, experiencing more moments vs. being on autopilot. In general I feel I'm living more fully and intentionally. A greater sense of mind-body unity has made me feel more confident, positive, relaxed, patient, empowered and spiritually centered. Not that I never feel agitated, anxious, bummed out or disconnected, but just less often and less intensely.

The body and mind are one and the same on both a physiological and spiritual level. And the mind-body system works much better in harmony, when our sense of the here and now is not always ignored and suppressed. The good news is that if we consciously choose to spend more time focusing on our sensations and reconnecting with ourselves we will feel more comfortable in our own skin. We will develop more energy and will power to shape not only our bodies but our lives.

Being dominated by non-stop thinking can leave us feeling unhappy and stressed with little relief except to sedate ourselves with food, medications, alcohol or other less-than-healthy relaxation options. As an alternative, we can choose to relax and reconnect by becoming mindful of our breath, noticing our surrounding and the sensations of our body as we exercise and/or even when we go through the activities of daily living. Mindfulness makes us more aware and boosts our feelings of gratitude for the many blessings of our life - which is the key to happiness. Try it! All you’ve got to lose is some stress, disconnectedness and self-doubt. And maybe even some extra weight!

The joy of flexibility

Like most girls, I first started stretching in gym class. I remember my gym teacher saying "It's important to stay flexible," and although I didn't know why, I dutifully stretched. As I was a fan of gymnastics and ballet during junior high and high school, I did a lot of stretching in association with those pursuits as well. Fast forward to college and beyond, and my stretching almost completely fell to the wayside.

I didn't notice too much of a difference because I wasn't particularly athletic and my primary form of exercise was walking. But I was losing range of motion little by little and sometimes experiencing muscle pain. By the time I was in my late 40s, I was stiff and found it difficult to bend down and to twist my head back. When I stretched my arm back to get something behind me I would sometimes pull a muscle. As I was also 40-plus pounds overweight, I basically felt like a sluggish lump. I attributed my fatigue, aching muscles, and limited range of motion to the natural process of getting older.

What I didn't realize was that more than getting older, my lack of flexibility and aching muscles were caused by disuse. I wasn't moving very much all day long. Primarily I sat at my desk for hours and did a bit of walking here and there. Back then, I didn't understand how weak and stiff muscles, ligaments and tendons can become unless they are challenged on a regular basis. (I get that now after studying anatomy and exercise physiology to become a personal trainer and group fitness instructor.)

I began stretching a bit more as well doing resistance and cardio exercises about eight years ago after I started on a healthy lifestyle and weight loss program. That helped some. But it wasn't until I started taking yoga that I really began to methodically stretch my entire body from my fingers to my toes. At first I was seriously stiff and had the least range of motion of anyone taking the class, but I kept with it.

Over time, my tendons and ligaments loosened up as my muscles became stronger. I regained the strength and flexibility I had in my 30s. Let me tell you right now, as I have said before, life is better when you're fit and flexible. During a flamenco show I attended after I regained flexibility, one of the dancers came to our table and asked me if I wanted to get up and learn how. Without thinking I jumped up and jumped right into it, shaking it with the best of them.

To continue drinking from this fountain of youth, I continue to work out, including stretching, consistently. I now teach yoga and other forms of senior fitness as well as practice it. Yoga has become part of my workout routine and part of how I train my clients and teach group exercise. Stretching makes me feel so good, I do it now not because I have to but because I want to. Just as I can't imagine not brushing my teeth every day, I can't imagine not stretching.

Attending yoga classes isn't the only way to add more stretching to your exercise regimen, but it's a simple and effective one. An excellent book on stretching for do-it-yourselfers is "Stretching" by Bob Anderson. It's thoroughly illustrated and includes stretches targeting various sports and activities.

Taking it slow and steady

Most of us get impatient when it comes to losing weight, toning up, building strength or other fitness goals. We typically want to make faster progress than is realistic. Consistently following a healthy diet and exercise program works magic, but it is slow-working magic.

When dieting, it can be pretty tempting to try short cuts such as using the latest diet-aid fad, skipping meals, or driving ourselves with extreme exercise. Unfortunately, most often such attempts at cheating nature end up setting us back on our health and fitness journey. I’ve definitely experienced that a time or two myself. Try to avoid falling for the short-cut trap, or if you fall in, climb out, dust yourself off and begin again with a wiser, more patient attitude.

One colleague I know who has tried to lose weight for more than six months has gained weight instead. She continues to set herself up for failure because she won’t recognize what she’s doing wrong or try a different strategy. She severely restricts her calories during the day because she’s “dieting” but then she has strong food cravings at night and compulsively binges. If she ate enough during the day, properly fueling her body with healthy foods, including a balance of lean protein, veggies, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats, she likely wouldn’t be famished and binge at night. She would end up eating fewer calories.

The best way to promote weight loss is to keep your body fueled. Otherwise not only do you develop cravings, your body goes into “famine mode” and burns less calories. It’s important to address your hunger throughout the day. I keep a pack of peanuts or another healthy snack with me whenever I’m out so I can satisfy my hunger if need be rather than becoming ravenous and later shoveling in food indiscriminately.

Another woman I know who is trying to lose weight heard on television about the wonders of using green coffee bean extract to boost metabolism and assist in appetite suppression. I discouraged her from using a diet aid unless it was part of a reputable medical weight-loss program supervised by a physician. Unfortunately, soon after beginning to use the supplement she developed atrial fibrillation. While there is no way of knowing whether the caffeine (or some other substance) in the supplement precipitated her health condition, her doctor told her not to take it anymore because the effects of the supplement have not been thoroughly studied. Also, dietary supplements are not FDA approved and vary by manufacturer.

A third common mistake when it comes to short cuts is to overdo it with exercise to the point that you hurt yourself or give up on exercise. In part I blame cultural influences such as “The Biggest Loser” for making folks want to push themselves so hard. It’s best to start off slow and build your cardio, strength and flexibility over time. Listen to your body. When you first begin training especially you should be able to talk comfortably while you’re doing your cardio.

When I hear about gyms that provide a bucket to vomit in for those who are really pushing themselves, I truly believe we have become far too enamored with the boot camp approach. The reality is that it’s completely unnecessary to drive yourself that hard in order to get fit and/or lose weight. The bottom line: Research has proven that high intensity exercise leads to more injuries and higher exercise dropout rates. Why short cut your way to a set back? Like Aesop said, “Slow and steady wins the race."

Getting fit little by little

One of the things I enjoy most about being relatively fit is that life is so much easier than when I was out of shape. It’s easier to carry in the groceries. It’s easier to pick things up off the floor. There’s virtually no spot on my back I can’t scratch. And I can twist to get something out of the backseat of my car without risking a back spasm. My energy level is higher, and I sleep more soundly.

I had no idea I was taking sips from the fountain of youth eight years ago when I started what has become a regular fitness program. How did I get going? Fed up with being sluggish, achy and tired, first I began walking most days of the week. Then I started working with light dumb bells two days a week. Later I took yoga classes to build my core strength and flexibility.

I benefited from regular exercise so much that I wanted to share it with others and began studying to be a fitness professional.  Over time my strength, endurance and flexibility improved so much I now feel 20 years younger.

Are you game? To create a good balance of physical activity, opt for aerobic workouts (walking, dancing, tennis or such) at least three to five times a week and strength training two to three times a week. Warm up before you exercise and cool down afterwards, finishing with stretching.

If that sounds like too much time, remember many benefits of exercise accrue with a minimum of 150 minutes of exercise a week, according to scientific research. That’s 30 minutes 5 days a week or however you want to split up the time. Check with your doctor if you have health concerns to learn if you need to limit or modify exercise in any way.

If you have a hard time scheduling large blocks of time, accumulate activity in increments of 10 minutes or more several times a day. What about stretching or lifting dumb bells (or cans of food) while you watch TV? What about a short walk? Ten minutes here and there can kick start your fitness program.  Life is not only easier with exercise, its better.

What works for you

Starting off the New Year with new resolutions – especially those concerning fitness and wellness - is an energizing feeling, but the key to fulfilling them is a combination of desire, will and strategy.

Sometimes following a resolution is a snap. You decide to go after something, and you just seem to do it. Love it when that happens!

But many times a resolution may be challenging to fulfill. If you slip up it’s important not to be too hard on yourself and give up. Instead you can “fail forward” by becoming a student of your own behavior; learning from what went wrong and making adjustments.

Social scientist Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., recommends analyzing what does and does not work for us in her book “The Willpower Instinct.” She says it greatly helps to consider what obstacles we may face and how we will overcome them. For example, if you can’t resist ice cream, but want to cut down on it to reduce calories, best not to keep it in the refrigerator at home. If you tend to forget your gym bag, put it by the door the night before.

Another aid to boosting our willpower is reducing stress in our life. We need down time to refresh ourselves whether it is listening to music, walking through the woods or meditating. The more stressed we are, the more difficult it is to make healthy choices, research has shown. When we are agitated we tend to seek relief, including through comfort foods and watching too much TV.

Not addressing internal conflicts may keep us from being fully committed to our goals and derail us.  For example, is a loved one pressuring you to do something you want to do but you are resisting doing it because of their insistence? Or is a friend trying to talk you out of doing something you want to do? Find an individual or a group who will be in your corner and maybe even exercise, diet or quit smoking with you.

It can help to shore up your resolve to fulfill those New Year’s resolutions by listening to inspirational speakers or reading encouraging literature. Journaling about the ups and downs of your wellness journey can be helpful. And many find calling upon their higher power makes all the difference. Find out what works for you and make it work for you!

Working out alone vs. with others

When choosing the right exercise strategy for you, one question is whether to exercise alone or with others. I like opting for a mix!

Working out alone is easier to schedule and comes in handy when all your friends are busy. Some people enjoy the quietude of exercising just with the sound of music, nature or their breath. It can be a time for reflection or meditation.

Exercising can also be done a little at a time when you are on you own. Ideas: A few glut bridges before you get out of bed, a simple balance challenge while brushing your teeth, neck and upper back stretches in the shower, a few chin tucks at red lights, and/or some ankle circles and seated breathing and posture exercises while watching TV.  Restorative, conditioning movement throughout the day is great for the body!

Exercising with others, on the other hand, is also beneficial. It can serve as a reminder and motivator to exercise more regularly. Scientific studies show that people who exercise with others tend to exercise more often. Extroverts tend to be drawn to groups while introverts may prefer to exercise with one or a few people they know very well.

You may already know one or several people who would like to become exercise buddies. Walking with a spouse or a friend or strength training with a buddy at the rec center or gym are all options. If you enjoy larger groups, going dancing, taking group exercise classes, or playing sports can be rewarding.

If you feel hesitant to try a new exercise class, it can be less intimidating if you take a friend the first time, especially if the class is large. Senior center and church exercise classes tend to be a little more user friendly from the get go for the solo participant.

Another option, especially if you have specific physical challenges or want to improve your fitness level before you take a group class, is to work with a personal trainer. You may find you only need a few sessions to get you going. Or you may like the coaching and exercise customization so much that you opt to train on an ongoing basis.

Try experimenting a little to find the right combination of exercising alone and with others that is right for you!

The magic of tai chi

I began taking tai chi in September of 2014 through a Tai Chi for Arthritis program at my local senior center. Just having turned 55, I was eligible for membership. Woo hoo! My main reason for joining the center was to learn tai chi, which I had been fascinated with after seeing it on TV and in movies. The slow, graceful choreography of the moves appealed to me and I have read and heard much about tai chi’s many health benefits.

Although I had done much core and balance work previously, I soon began to feel even greater strength and stability. The mind-body aspect only enhanced what I had developed in yoga and Pilates in recent years. And something more, I began to sleep more deeply as I had heard I would.

Wanting to share this with my group exercise students I took Tai Chi for Arthritis instructor training in Memphis and began teaching tai chi classes at Dawson Memorial Family Recreation Center in Homewood, Ala., and several area senior facilities. It’s rewarding to see others benefit from the gentle and health-producing martial art. Plus it has deepened my own tai chi practice.

Dr. Paul Lam, an Australian physician, developed the Tai Chi for Health programs - including Tai Chi for Arthritis - incorporating up-to-date medical knowledge a number of years ago. These programs are proven by medical studies to improve health. Both the CDC and Arthritis Foundation recommend the Tai Chi for Arthritis program. I was fortunate to be able to follow up my initial Tai Chi for Arthritis training with an intensive in-depth tai chi workshop led by Dr. Lam in Cartersville, Ga. in Sept. 2015.

If you have any interest in learning tai chi, please try it. And if you don’t have access to classes please visit Dr. Lam’s Tai Chi for Health Institute website at http://taichiforhealthinstitute.org where you can order instructional tai chi DVDs.

Here are a few basics for beginning your tai chi practice:

CULTIVATE THE HABIT OF TAKING SLOW, DEEP BREATHS - The more slowly and deeply you breathe the more relaxed you will feel. Deep breathing is abdominal, meaning that your diaphragm contracts fully and creates a vacuum to more fully fill the lungs with air. When you breathe in deeply your belly will naturally bulge out like a baby or opera singer. On the exhale the belly will flatten.

CHECK IN WITH YOUR POSTURE PERIODICALLY. Hold yourself up so you can breathe freely; Lifting the rib cage, elongating the spine, shoulders up and back, chin parallel to the floor, balancing the head above the body. Gently stretch out your joints.

MOVE SLOWLY, SMOOTHLY AND CONSISTANTLY AS IF THROUGH GENTLE RESISTANCE, SUCH AS IN WATER. Slow down your pace and gently control your movement by becoming mindful of it and your breath. By relaxing and patiently going through the exercises at whatever your level or ability you will gain strength and improve your balance. You will also develop greater inner calm and improve your sleeping patterns. Don’t worry about doing it “exactly right.” Just move in your range of comfort. Tai chi is a process and works its magic as we practice it, however imperfectly.

MINDFULLY SHIFT YOUR WEIGHT AS YOU WALK IN TAI CHI. Slowly shifting our weight to one leg and then sinking into that foot before lifting our other foot and stepping out (then slowly transferring our weight to that foot) develops core strength as well as leg strength. It also challenges our inner balance control system and improves our stability over time.

Strong or flexible?

When it comes to being strong or flexible, which is best for keeping your muscles and tendons healthy?

Okay, it's a trick question as it is best to be both. Muscle-bound weight lifters can lose range of motion and become so stiff they walk funny. Ultra-flexible yoginis can injure themselves because of too much muscle and tendon laxity and little strength.

Weak and/or tight muscles – often associated with poor posture and body mechanics - can lead to muscle spasms and painful trigger points that can only temporarily be relieved by massage. The underlying problem needs to be addressed.

Another problem weak and tight muscles - as well as muscle strength and flexibility imbalances - can lead to or worsen is osteoarthritis. Healthy (strong and flexible) muscles and tendons help keep joints working properly. A balanced exercise routine to avoid repetitive use and injury of the joints is also important.

Any time you participate in strength training, please stretch afterwards. Resistance training tightens the muscles and over time can lead to loss of range of motion. Also, when you can, stretch after walking or other cardio.

Yoga and/or pilates can improve your flexibility overall. After doing my fitness turnaround several years ago, the increase in my range of motion, just through a bit of yoga and additional stretching, has me feeling 20 years or younger than my actual age.

For do-it-yourselfers: As I have mentioned before, an excellent book on stretching is "Stretching" by Bob Anderson. It's thoroughly illustrated and includes stretches targeting various sports and activities. There are numerous books on strength training. The American Council of Exercise website offers a wealth of information on balancing strength and stretch.

No matter how you approach it, just remember the archer’s bow. Seek to be both strong and flexible.

A few tips for healthier holiday eating

It's just way too easy to mindlessly overindulge during the holidays and then have extra work to do at the beginning of the new year to lose those extra pounds. Fortunately with a little focus and a plan we can reduce the amount of extra calories we're taking in during the festivities and still enjoy ourselves. Here are a few of my favorite strategies for healthier holiday eating.

Always carry a healthy snack. A small bag of nuts (100 to 150 calorie portion) can be a good choice. Use them when needed to take the edge off hunger. Otherwise if you let yourself get to the point of ravenous hunger before a party, when you are presented with a table full of holiday treats, the natural course of action is to go wild devouring goodies. I've done that more than once and it's not pretty.

Seek out raw fruits and veggies first. Fiber and well-hydrated food (versus food that is sugary, fatty, dry and/or crisp) is our friend. Our favorite fruits and veggies can keep us full and satisfied. So if we eat plenty of salad or the carrot sticks and apple slices first, we'll likely eat less of the calorie-laden casserole, chips and cookies.

Opt for whole grains versus stripped down wheat, rice, etc. when available. Again, the more fiber we eat, the more satisfied we will feel. Plus whole grains are soooo much more nutritious.

Avoid going back for seconds or grazing. When you can see how much you truly are eating, you eat less. We tend to underestimate how much we have eaten when we go back to the table over and over again. It's especially insidious when we're having a wonderful time talking with our family and friends over the holidays. Studies have shown that people actually tend to eat more when they are happy!

Stay hydrated and avoid excess alcohol consumption. Drinking plenty of water will help keep your appetite down. Sometimes hunger is actually pangs caused by dehydration. And please watch out for how alcohol affects your food consumption. Because alcohol loosens our inhibitions in general, it tends to promote heavier eating at meals and more frequent snacking between them.

Toys vs. the machines

You don’t have to be a gym member to get or stay fit. Working on those bulky weight machines may seem to be the be-all-end-all, but they definitely aren’t the only way to gain strength and better health as well as improve your appearance. Exercise props or “toys” as some of us like to call them, can be just as effective and in some cases more effective. So don’t despair if the gym is not for you for whatever reason!

Before I studied to become a personal trainer and group exercise instructor I relied on weight machines for my resistance training. But when I started training to be a trainer I became better educated about the advantages of toys. I’ve come to use them pretty much exclusively for my own workouts because of their convenience, flexibility and power.

Instead of struggling with machines that are often awkward to adjust, I can custom tailor my workouts and those of my personal training clients as well as my group exercise classes. Another advantage: You get more core work in by tightening and stabilizing your abs and lower back muscles, etc., when doing resistance while sitting on a stability ball or standing.

Exercise toys are extremely inexpensive and portable. You can buy them at many discount or sports stores. Getting a basic set up can cost you less than $50, approximately the price of one month of a gym membership. I use toys all the time when I do in-home training, carrying dumb bells, bands, a weighted ball and ankle weights in a bin and a mat under my arm. Some of my clients invest in their own set of equipment plus some additions, including a stability ball. Having toys on hand makes working out so much more convenient and private. Some of my clients take exercise bands or tubes with them when they travel in case their hotel doesn’t have a fitness center.

I also use toys in my group exercise classes. My students love the variety. Instead of doing two or three sets of the same arm and back exercises on a machine, for example, we vary the sets by training the arms and upper back as well as the core stabilizers first with dumb bells, then with exercise bars and then with tubes. Afterwards we get down on the mat and really work that core some more! Seated crunches on a machine get awful boring by comparison to Pilates-style body work on the mat.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not dissing exercise machines. Machines can be valuable for gaining and maintaining strength if you regularly get to the gym. Some of my clients who are gym members prefer them for at least part of their regimen. And if you are exercising without a trainer, machines require less memory work. They often include instructional displays in case you forget how to adjust or use them.

Still, I recommend even those who have access to and enjoy machines to learn how to work with dumb bells, exercise bands and the like whether at the gym, home or when traveling. Toys give you more options and ability to do strength training!

To move or not to move?

Machines that aren't regularly maintained with proper coatings and lubricants and kept moving tend to rust. Their moving parts move only with difficulty or not at all. Over time their rusting metal gets so brittle that it breaks into bits, disintegrating little by little. Kind of sad and a waste of a beautiful mechanism that's useful life was cut short.

Most of us wouldn't let that happen to one of our treasured possessions. Unfortunately some of us do let a similar process of disuse and decay happen to our bodies. Fortunately it's reversible if we get off the couch, out of our chair and up and moving.

I have definitely been guilty of not moving enough at times in my life. I had no idea the price I was paying, especially as I grew older. Now that I'm so much more aware of anatomy and physiology and the danger of disuse because of my personal training study I am super motivated to stay moving and fit.

When we don't move our bodies often enough or in a great enough variety of ways our joints don't get lubricated with synovial fluid as they should. Our tendons, ligaments and muscles stiffen and weaken. Our bones become more brittle. Over time we become weaker, more unbalanced, rigid. For most people the debilities of aging, including the inability to perform regular activities of daily living, aren't so much about the natural aging process, but about disuse.

True, it's often a greater challenge to keep moving as we age because of weight gain and/or a growing number of aches and pains. But we can't let that stop us. Otherwise we'll just start a downward cycle of weight gain, more pain, less and less activity and greater and greater debility.

The truth is that we're either getting fitter or less fit every day because of our choices to move or not to move. The more we move on a consistent basis the healthier we'll be. Even those with health challenges, pain and/or disabilities need to move and can with some medical guidance.

I so admire the seniors in the 70s, 80s and 90s in my exercise classes and personal training sessions who continue to move it on a consistent basis even with discomforts such as arthritis, neuralgia, stroke debilities, and other chronic conditions. They are all younger than their chronological age in terms of physical health, appearance, mood and general well being. They aren't rusting out, they're stepping out into every day like the adventure it is.

Do you really know?

I often hear the complaint from significantly overweight women, especially those middle age and older, that they know exactly what to do when it comes to losing weight but they just can’t make themselves do it. Or if they can lose weight, they can’t keep it off. The temptations of fattening foods like cake, cookies or chips and their desire to avoid exercise are just too great. I’ve been there myself.  I remember feeling just the way they feel.

Food is often the nice person’s guilty pleasure. It’s actually quite similar to the more frowned-upon compulsions of drinking, drugging or gambling too much. It just doesn’t sound as bad or appear to be as harmful … at least until one develops heart disease, diabetes and/or joint problems. Oh yeah, don’t forget having to deal with the daily fatigue, feelings of disempowerment and self-loathing as well as social repercussions of carrying around excess poundage.

But I would challenge these ladies’ assumption that they do really know what to do when it comes to weight management. Otherwise I think they’d be doing it. They are all smart, accomplished, capable women. Like them I thought I knew what to do, but at the age of 50 I actually didn’t. It took finding out about what I personally needed to do to lose weight. In the process, which covered many months, I lost 55 lbs. and now am maintaining my weight loss.

Knowing the caloric counts of various foods and how many calories various forms of exercise burn is important, but is just part of the equation. The most important knowledge is what it takes for to become motivated and empowered to lose weight and keep it off based on your psychology, age and lifestyle. That’s especially true at midlife and beyond as it becomes more challenging to lose weight because of a slower metabolism.

My first best step was calling on my higher power. I had come to a point several years ago that I was going through menopause and didn’t seem able to lose a pound. My blood pressure was on the rise and I feared I would have to go on medication. I was totally overwhelmed, luckily, because it was only then that I remembered to call on God to help me solve my weighty problem. The challenge was just bigger than I was, and I cried out to him for help.

Soon came a big part of the answer to my prayer:  I ran across the book “A Course in Weight Loss” by Marianne Williamson, one of several good books that have come out in recent years that address the spiritual and psychological components of carrying excess weight. Such books alert us that the biggest barrier to weight loss and weight loss maintenance can be our relationship with food.

Do we see food as fuel for our activities, a means of rebuilding our bodies and a healing gift from God? Or do we see it as a way to reward, comfort, sedate, or punish ourselves? Do we overuse it as an avenue for social bonding and acceptance? When we come to rely on food to fill us emotionally and/or spiritually, we develop an unhealthy relationship with food. And an unhealthy relationship can easily lead to dependence or addiction to highly caloric foods that burden us with excess weight.

That was the path I was on. I had come to rely on food as a source of comfort. After my weight had crept up to a certain level, and my life situation had become extra stressful, it was a natural road to take. After all what more harm could a little extra cheddar popcorn, chips, dip, pizza and/or beer most days of the week do? Those things had become my refuge.

For someone else, using food as a refuge could mean indulging in too many dishes at church potluck socials, eating everything on their restaurant-portion-size plate, or binging on cookies or ice cream. It really is like alcohol dependence when you think about it. When I faced my own dependence on food for comfort and that fact that some foods especially (salty, crisp snacks) had an addictive hold on me, it was another step to creating a healthier relationship with food. I resolved to completely avoid foods that were addictive to me and to severely limit my alcohol consumption, including not keeping any at home. I asked God to give me strength to do those things. Such strategies were critical in my successful weight loss journey.

For the person suffering from an unhealthy relationship with food that is too severe for self-help measures, psychological counseling can be helpful and part of the journey to spiritual healing. When thoughts of food and/or weight loss become obsessive and/or when the urge to partake in unhealthy food or even healthy foods in unhealthy amounts becomes compulsive, it’s critical to bring in professional help. It can save years of wasted time and immediately start the psychological healing.

Misusing food is a major stumbling block to losing weight, but it isn’t the only stumbling block. Please take time to examine what’s really keeping you from losing weight and learn how to overcome the obstacles - whatever they are. There are many effective strategies for healthy weight loss, you’ve just got to find out what works for you. Keep seeking the answers and you will find them! Being the size you truly feel fit and are most comfortable with is so worth the effort!!