Do you want to get fit?

I am always looking to vary my workouts to avoid boredom and fitness plateauing. I just recently bought a TRX suspension training kit. After watching the start up DVD and reading the set up manual, I took it for a test drive! I was totally in my element. TRX was designed by Randy Hetrick, a former Navy Seal on "location" using parachute straps. TRX builds strength, balance and flexibility, not to mention that it blasts fat. After minutes of being suspended in the air, balancing on one hand, I soon realized that although I am super stoked about the TRX, this type of training might make others want to vomit. It got me thinking about why and how people get fit.

There are thousands of excuses as to why people don't exercise daily, but with every single one of these reasons, comes a solution. The question is "Do you want to get FIT?" Ask yourself this simple question and if the answer is a wholehearted YES, examine the roadblocks that are keeping you from starting. Is there a reason you aren't starting today? Too tired, no time, injuries, intimidated or just plain lack of motivation? There are simple logical solutions to these problems, it is merely a mind over matter attitude. I promise, that once your "feel" how good exercise is for you, there will be no going back to a sedentary lifestyle. If the answer is "NO, I don't want to get fit" then you are digging yourself an early grave because you are on the road to DIS-EASE.

Too tired or no time? Get up just 10 minutes earlier and start with deep breathing techniques that will bring more oxygen to your system, then perform two sets of 15 simple abdominal crunches, followed by two sets of 12 lunges alternating legs and two sets of ten push ups. Done. Feel the difference and note your body-mind connection. You will be rejuvenated and ready to face the day.

When you are injured, it is generally in one area of the body. Rest this area, but work the rest of your body... You lower body should not suffer just because you have a sore shoulder. Be kind to your body by moving it, as this is part of the healing process!

If you feel intimated to start an exercise regime, then ask a friend to join you. There are power in numbers. Exercise buddies look out for each other and create an ambiance of security and comfort. I have lost count at the number of times that members of my group classes say "I really needed that class! I feel so much better now that I have exercised and at the same time had a chance to get my issues off my chest."

Lack of motivation is a big excuse for why people don't exercise daily. I can guarantee you that if you start by scheduling exercise in your day; like you do with the thousands of other commitments, such as going to the grocery store, dentist appointment, cooking dinner, attending your children's needs, it will soon become part of who you are and what you do and not be seen as a scheduled chore. It has to be something that you like to do so that you stick with it. Not moving, is not an option. Ten minute increments are just as good as extended workouts, so you don't need to do a block of exercise to get the benefits.

I hope that the next time you are asked the question, "Do you want to get fit?" you can answer with an enthusiastic, "I AM....fit, fun and fantastic!" What better gift to give yourself and your family?

Namaste

Time

Happy New Year! It is often this time of year that we think about how fast the last 365 days have gone. We identify what we have accomplished, we make resolutions, we reminisce about the events during the year gone by and wonder what our future has in store. One of the greatest gifts that I gave myself in 2011 is the gift of time. I made a conscience effort EVERYDAY to sit with myself. It is a time I use to quiet my mind. In the silence, I stretch my mind to a place of calmness, less stress, no rush to be anywhere but right where I am. By giving myself time to just "be", it sets the tone for my entire day and I am able to accomplish much more. There is a saying the hurrier I go, the more behind I get. This rings true when a person doesn't give themselves the necessary time to reflect.

There have been moments in my life where I wish I could have reversed the clock. Perhaps it was when I sat through a really bad television program, or spent my precious time with a person who brought me down, rather than lifted me up, or enrolled in a course that I wasn't particularly passionate about. Unfortunately, I can not get that time back. The only thing that I can do about it now is remind myself in everything I do, AM I HAPPY DOING WHAT I AM DOING? As Benjamin Franklin said "Lost time is never found again". Make the most of every minute!

I am reading a book called Bounce by Matthew Syed. In this book he speaks about the importance of practice for success. One of the single ingredients needed for practice, besides motivation is time. I wish I embraced this concept twenty years ago.

Furthermore, if we all gave ourselves the gift of time we would have less conflicts, since we would have time to think rather than react. When you find yourself in a place of panic, anxiety or fear it can be helpful to conjure up a special place that you know will interrupt your train of thought. Take a few minutes to visualize yourself having the time of your life in this special place; laugh, smile, enjoy and feel relaxed. Trust me, it works. I like to set a date with myself in the wee hours of the morning, but you are free to return to that special place anytime you need to instill a calming sense of well-being and just give yourself a little time.

Don't count every hour in the day, make every hour count!

Older=Wiser

This morning I woke up one year older. There were no fireworks going off, I didn't feel overwhelmingly excited about the day, I guess in one word I could describe my feeling as "peacefulness". In the greater scheme of life, being at peace is a wonderful place to be. Don't get me wrong, I still have made a big long list of "to do's" this week, but for the moment, I was satisfied to just "be". I needed to ask myself, "At what point did I switch from being the complete planner with ten things on the go, to just being?" Where did this woman come from? How did I get here? I am still attempting to answer these questions, but for the time being, I am satisfied with the fact that perhaps I am just getting wiser with age. I am able to sit back and really appreciate what I have, rather than dash out to do more, be more, give more. Over the years, I have learned a few key factors for healthy living. On the weight and exercise front; it is simple, energy in combined with energy out equals a balanced body. On a deeper more intellectual scale, I discovered that a sense of purpose is not something that you find; it's merely something that you are. As author, Dr. Wayne Dyer puts it; You create your thoughts, your thoughts create your intentions, and your intentions create your reality. If I read that quote when I was in my twenties, I would have thought, what a bunch of bananas. Now, that I have had life experiences, I know that we are in the driver's seat of the car of life. Each experience that I have had has made me who I am today, in the present. I am now able to step out of the time dimension and enter into the now. Which brings me to my next point. Time. This is where the wisdom comes in... There is never a time when your life is not "this moment" and I didn't get this until now. As a toddler, I wanted to be in pre-school where my big brother was, as a young child I couldn't wait to be a teen. Once in high school, I was anticipating being in University, and so forth. At 41, I finally get it; be where you are. Look around. Be aware of the space that allows everything to be. Listen to the sounds; don't judge them. Observe the rhythm of your breathing; feel the air flowing in and out, feel the energy inside your body. Allow everything to "be". Within and without. So, yes, I am another year older. Today marks the first day of my 41st year, but rather than making big goals for the year, I am only going to focus on today, this moment, right now... and I am confident that the rest of the year will fall into place.