When Life Gets You Down - Keep Swimming

 

Tough times are hard, but let them be used to shape who you are meant to be.

 

I hope that each time I post, I am helping someone out there is who is struggling to find their way and making a difference in the lives of people around me.  I struggle too, I struggle with how I am to move forward in life and how to get out of the defeated hole I have dug for myself.

It's not easy. I have always found myself in an internal battle with the saying, "where there's a will, there's a way".  It's okay to accept that there are bumps and problems in life. Don't just try to write them off as opportunities to learn if you're not accepting that it's okay that these issues will come up, and that yes, it's okay to struggle in these times. Times like these are hard, but they are used to shape you into the person you're meant to be. 

 

I didn't take a life coaching course to become a coach, though in the back of my mind I hoped I could be one of those people whom others could turn to for support and guidance to get on with the challenges life was giving them.  I enrolled in a coaching course to help myself be a better version of myself. To find out what choices I was making, and how my behaviour was giving me the life I wasn't happy in, and when I found that I was good at helping others find their voice and courage to ask for what they deserved I pursued being a coach.

 

I have always been someone who's a realist and on the edge of a pessimist depending on the situation and context of a situation, especially when it's a personal issue. With others, I find myself always being more enthusiastic and optimistic. It is a constant struggle for me to always seek to find the good in the times when life seems to just keep beating me down. While I know those times will pass, it's not always easy to choose to believe that 100%. I'm just being honest. Over the past couple years I have really been trying to focus on my attitude and self-talk when it comes to a tough season in life. Even though it's hard to choose to be positive and to keep on going, those efforts and shifts in attitudes really make a huge difference.

 

Anger and  bitterness only bring you down. It's okay. Your feelings are valid. It's okay to feel! When it comes to anger and bitterness, try not to dwell there, because they will only end up beating you down even more. It has been a tough year and I was beginning to feel like I was getting chipped away at, and not feeling so about myself, questioning my self-worth, my inner value and started to feel ashamed of where I got to...and didn't feel good enough.. in my head.  I just felt so defeated and I was angry that these things were happening to me But, sometimes it is more difficult to convince the rest of yourself. I honestly think that the stress I wasn't releasing and that the bitter taste I was holding onto just distracted me from any kind of joy I might have found in the situation. I best advice is to drop the anger and bitterness. Let yourself find rest.

 

The truth is, bad situations happen to everyone at some point. It's not always because of something you did. Sometimes life just happens. Acknowledging that fact will help you to become more free and relieved. Keeping a grateful heart is so, so, so key in trying circumstances. While it may seem impossible to find things to be thankful for in tough times, it's completely possible. When you start to count your blessings rather than your situations of bad luck, you'll find more joy in your circumstances.

 

Sometimes a tough time is just a bad day, but often times it's a bad week, month, or even longer. It's always important to remind yourself that you WILL get through it. You will persevere and rise above! In these times of trials, remind yourself of all of the truths! When life gets you down, remember that it's only shaping you to be a stronger version of yourself.

I have learned lessons through every situation life throws at me, it means even more to me that one day I'll be able to use my experience to relate and encourage others. It's amazing to see how trials can be used for good. It's humbling to be a part of the process of encouraging someone through their own journey.

New Way vs Old Way

 

Coaches often are called upon to help people transition to the next thing. Sometimes clients don’t even know what the next thing is, only that it’s time to do something different. And sometimes the choice is not theirs but is being imposed on them. For many of us, it’s not so much the change that is stressful, it’s the transition between what is and what will be.

 

A  few years ago I moved from Vancouver to my home town. Fortunately, it was my choice to move. Still, the process was exhausting. Step one was making the decision to let go of what I had come to enjoy and take the leap. Changing jobs, saying good-bye to friends and the lifestyle I had become accustomed.  Then came the endless details – letting go of most of the things that had been accumulating for all of those years. I had a month  to pack up and get out. Next was making the new place home, which was actually easier than I thought, because I was moving home, but I moved in with family which had the potential of changing everyone's lives and way of being.

How can coaches help people through times of transition? Here are some suggestions:

1. Help clients focus more on the positive aspects than on the stress. Invoke their imagination by co-creating an image of the future state. What do they see? How do they feel? What are the benefits of the change? Help them mentally leap over the bridge between what is and what could be.
2. If the client is resisting the change (and who doesn’t resist change, at least at first?), ask them some high-octane questions to help them out of their numb state. What is the cost of maintaining the status quo? How can they trust themselves more? How might they see this change in a more positive light?
3. Once a client has made the decision to change—or if they have no choice—they’ll need help going through the process. How can they clear the deck of optional activities that take time and energy during this transition? This is not the time to go it alone. It’s time for them to call in the support system of friends and family.
4. The client needs to have a plan, but should expect surprises—some pleasant, others not so much. It’s all part of the process. How can they increase their capacity to handle ambiguity?
5. Encourage the client to make time for stress management. Most people get so caught up in the stress of change, they forget to take time to take care of themselves.
6. Team with the client to help them keep their forward velocity. Encourage them to celebrate the steps along the way, not just the final outcome. When they get derailed, be there to help them get back on track. Keep moving toward transformation.

Transitions are tough. A coach can provide the energy and perspective needed to help a client successfully move to their next thing—whatever it may be.

Be More With Less

 

 

 

I started to ask myself, "Is less really more?" recently and have come to the place realizing you get into the simplifying of habits, things become much easier with less. Quality results are more likely to be achieved. Life becomes more fun and enjoyable. The pace of life becomes closer to what it should be by slowing down your pace. You feel more anchored, but is feeling anchored just that, an anchor???   That question led me to an important discovery about my life: an anchor is the thing that keeps my sailboat at bay, docked in the harbour, stuck in one place, unable to explore the freedom of the ocean. Perhaps I am anchored, I know that I am not truly happy with my life —and perhaps being anchored isn't necessarily a good thing??

 

In life you attract the energy you put out and teach people how to treat you. The universe will keep sending you problems and annoyances that hit an issue you have within yourself as long as they remain useful to you. Once that issue is resolved, the problem no longer stimulates your personal growth and therefore no longer needs to happen. Happiness therefore lies within a shifting of perspectives in the present moment. Choose to be present and not idealisms, like shoulda, woulda and coulda,  choose to move from panic to be present in the moment and watch a world of magic and bliss open itself up to you.

All well and good, but let's take a moment  to identify the things in our lives that anchor us and hold us back from realizing real freedom - I discovered big anchors (debt, bad relationships, etc.) and small anchors (credit card, internet, iPhone bills, material possessions, etc.) It turned out being anchored has kept me from leading the life I wanted to lead. Not all our anchors are bad, but the vast majority prevent me from encountering lasting contentment.

 

Are you an anchored person? Is that a good thing? What are some of your anchors?

 

Which brings me back to my original set of questions: Is less really more? If so, is more actually less?

 

I suggest the answer to both is yes.

 

Owning less stuff, focusing on fewer tasks, and having less in the way has given us more time, more freedom, and more meaning in our lives. Working less allows us to contribute more, grow more, and pursue our passions much more.

 

Having more time causes less frustration and less stress, more freedom adds less anxiety and less worry, and more meaning in our lives allows us to focus far less on life’s excess in favor of what’s truly important.



 

So, more is less? Yes, more or less.

What Friendship Means

 

 

 

Seems to me the causes of social problems, from Facebook bullying, to divorce and obesity, and everything in between are often thought to be based on stress, or poverty or unhappiness.  But a big part of me feels we are overlooking something very important:  friendships.  I feel like our society is ignoring the importance of friendship.  After a great road trip with my BFF Lynn, I came home to the busyness of life and got all caught up in what needed to be done and the things I should be doing, and started to feel isolated but soon realized how important true friends are, especially in times of misfortune - they are our refuge.

 

Friendships are vital for wellbeing, but they take time and can't be artificially created.  But, it is "time "society claims we don't have. We are too busy for our friends, it is no wonder they are at risk of being neglected.  Nevertheless, I believe we are all aware of the value of friendship, because surprisingly, we are often most like our friends ourselves.   Studies show, if your best friend eats healthy, you are more likely to eat healthy yourself. Married people say friendship is more than five times as important as physical intimacy within marriage.  Those who say, they have no real friends at work, have a "best friend", at work - because when employees find friends at work they feel more connected to their jobs.

 

I believe friendship comes from living a good life, strong  personal values, such as honesty, character and passion. Our culture, for all its benefits, tends to focus more on commerce and taking the magic bullet rather than to help us live a good life.  A friend to me is a person with whom I can be myself and most sincere.  A close friend is a mirror of our own self, someone you realize that you are not alone. Friendship cultivates virtues, such as creativity, and compassion which by the way are essential to a society that flourishes.  If we can't cultivate friendship, we can't lift the burden of our apparently unhappy isolated selves.

 

You know the ones that make you feel the most YOU. The ones that lift YOU up and help you remember who YOU really are! They are the ones that even if you don't see them face to face you feel them heart to heart.

Life Lessons on The Road

 

There are only two mistakes one can make along the road, to not go all the way, and not starting at all!  And, I can add another, not looking at what is right in front of you.

There are so many life lessons to be learned from traveling, and since I have just returned from fulfilling a bucket list item and sharing it with a long time BFF, I figured I have some sharing to do with others.

 

There is nothing like taking a step out of your comfort zone to make you realize that you are a newbie to life no matter what your age.  There are so many things to learn, like how to maneuver your bike down famous trails in mountain biking's mecca-Moab-the premier mountain destination on the planet!  Wherever you go you make friends, and you are never alone.  All it takes is to be the first to smile, and make an effort to join in their celebrations or ask about their lives.  You may not see these folks again, and that's ok. You learn to enjoy transient relationships, because they bring the experiences of others to your journey and perhaps a simple promise to look them up when you visit the area again.   Whether you are staring at a menu or meeting new people, or trying something for the first time, it is all about getting yourself into situations and turning them into amazing experiences and realizing there are no "mistakes'!   Ok, maybe don't eat anything you wouldn't step on in your bare feet, but go have some fun. Read up on the adventure you are about to embark upon, and when something goes off track to you can turn it into something exciting and learn from that too!

 

Every time I travel, and it is not often, but, I  find that I view my life from the outside and find solutions or changes that I never would have seen if I had not gotten away from my everyday life.  As I rode my bike on the trails on Moab and hiked the canyon walls of the Grand Canyon, I reminded myself to stop and look up.  As we live our lives, we keep our heads down and we keep on keepin on - any problems we have, we are in them.  I have found when I travel, I get outside of them slightly.  We always have solutions for other peoples problems but struggle with our own.  That is because we are IN our problems and don't lift our heads and thus can't find solutions to something we are inside of.   You begin to understand a different way of being.  You see everyone differently, that they all have stories. You overlook faults and you open up your eyes to look at life you never knew existed.

 

There is nothing like living amongst people from other cultures to make you understand why people do what they do.  Other ideas, and moral codes and art and religion came from somewhere, each culture has its treasures, so dig them up and enjoy them.  Of all the benefits of traveling, I think that people are our most treasured gifts. Go meet them. Develop a love for travelling and other cultures, religions and lifestyles.

Reasons to Take Advantage of Group Training & Clubs

Every year we get bombarded with so much health and fitness information it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. How’s a girl or guy to figure out the best approach to getting to a healthier place?

Here’s the harsh reality: There are no shortcuts to getting “fit.” However, there are lots of approaches you can take. What is important is that you know how to judge whether a program will be effective for you. When you understand more about the different components needed to see changes in your fitness level and your body, you’ll find it easier to find the perfect fitness program for you. And when you find the balance between effective and enjoyable plans, you’ll be more likely to stick with it long-term. There's the magic bullet!

There are literally hundreds of different group exercises available to be found, there really is something for everyone's fitness goals, whether that be a relaxing yoga class, a high intensity interval training or a circuit training class, or a team game there will be something for you.

In many gym memberships, group exercises classes come as an added bonus, yet many people overlook their benefits. 


Some reasons why taking advantage of group training or clubs is good for you!!

1. Time.

Keeping your workout efficient would be much more difficult with a solo routine, making group exercise classes the optimal choice for those wanting to fit more into their week effectively. If you're lucky, you may even find a free class at your local gym too. Time can not be bought or sold, yet we spend vast amounts of our life working and sleeping with very little to spend on the activities we enjoy.

2. Challenge

Whether it's a yoga class or a body pump class, provided you have an effective instructor, the second reason you should be taking advantage of group exercise classes is that they are challenging.

3. Develop more than fitness

Aerobic capacity, flexibility, strength and speed are some components of fitness, but overall health is also developed.  Mental and emotional wellness - groups and clubs and classes can still offer an opportunity to develop and strengthen your weaker areas which will help you perform better in your chose event - 5k or 10K or even life choices.

4. Accountability

Group exercise is, you guessed it, completed in a group setting. The interesting psychology of this is that working out in a group can actually ensure you work harder. Working out with company has been shown to have a positive impact on how hard you work at the gym, one study revealed that 64% of people who exercise, push themselves harder when they are with company compared to working out alone - plus if you're slacking off everyone will know!

5. Advice

Gyms and clubs or group exercise classes will have selected who they think is the best person to lead a fitness class in terms of motivation, knowledge of exercise physiology and health and safety. Not sure about that aching in your hip when you squat?  How about the best post workout nutrition to eat after a workout?

6. Structure

Without a plan you might find yourself spending too long on the warm up, leaving yourself without enough energy to set a new personal record for the bench press. Following a workout routine will ensure you not only start the main section of your exercise ready to set new personal records, but the final period of the class should kick start your recovery process, maintain your flexibility, help to eliminate muscle soreness and even ward off injury.

 7. Make New Friends & Be A Part of A Team

You'll always met some really great people when going to fitness class or group training, people who are like minded, who inspire you to push out an extra repetition and who can make you laugh once the class is over. 

Effective teams outperform groups of individuals. They push each other harder, support those who need it and generally have lots more fun in doing so.  Being part of a team will not only increase your motivation, but workout out with other people has been shown to increase the intensity in which people workout, thereby increasing the calories burnt even further. Of course, more calories burnt often translates into more fat burnt too! Think of it as heading into the gym alone, but instead of the other people in the gym working out in their own worlds, they are completing the same exercises as you and cheering you on in the process.

Not only will you be surrounded by people who will grow to be friends, but you'll be in an environment that supports you and your goals.

Conclusion

In many ways, group training or clubs can give you the benefits of the ability to build strength, endurance and flexibility, the team mentality and the sessions being led by a qualified instructor. 

 

Groups and clubs are fantastic for truly building not only a fit body, but a healthy mind and soul plus having fun while you're at it. 

I recently joined a group, called the WholeLife Fitness Manifesto.  I tell ya, it feels great to be a part of a group of individuals who are cheering for each other.  I am only in day #2 and while fitness and my over all wellness is a lifestyle choice for me already, joining a group of people who are all striving to be a better version of themselves makes be better. I am challenged, I am held accountable, I make time for them and the commitment I made to myself, I get advice from Dai Manuel[group leader] and others in the group, AND i also get to lead, inspire and motivate others!

I invite you to check it out. AND join!  

http://www.wholelifefitnessmanifesto.com/

Spring Cleaning

ITCHY EYES. SCRATCHY throat. Relentless sneezing!

It's spring time!  And allergy season, yet again. Try a few of these tricks to keep your symptoms in check, instead of going to the drugstore for antihistamines!

1.) Take off your footwear.

You can track pollen and other allergens all over your house. leave your shoes at the door. Indoor air pollution levels are already up to five times higher than outdoors.

2.) Purchase an air purifier.

Look for one which traps tiny particles like viruses and smoke.

3.) Bedtime Showers.

It'll keep you from rubbing pollen you've gathered all day onto your pillow and then inhaling it at night.

4.) Workout Inside for the time-being.

Especially if you're a morning person, pollen counts are said to  highest between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m.

5.) Put on your sunglasses

Sunglasses help keep airborne allergens out of your eyes, and wearing them even when it's cloudy.

6.) Try natural remedies.

Eat more leafy greens, blueberries, red wine, green tea, kale..the antioxidant helps to block histamine. The super-food known as quercetin, a natural compound tied to what all of us seek: better longevity, heart health, endurance, immune system and more. Other remedies include fish oil and herbs. 

7.) Wash your vehicle.

And clean the inside, too. After all, you're in your vehicle an average of 20 hours per week.

8.) No sugar and dairy.

Milk and its by-products can increase mucus production, so cutting back when you have symptoms will help you breathe easier. Sugar's even worse. A single teaspoon of the sweet stuff can hike your body's inflammation levels and suppress your immune system by more than 50%.

9.) Invest in a neti pot.

Some may find these teapot-looking remedies a bit weird, but they're effective at reducing sinus pressure and flushing out your nasal passages.

DrinkAware

The Irish are famous for two things. One, they can drink like a fish and keep the spirit flowing. Two, they know how to take a joke. The Irish also love to joke, especially about themselves. They don't care about political correctness and other such mumbo-jumbo. For them, a below-the-belt barb is an expression of endearment.  So while you are out celebrating the day for the Irish with your pals...here's just a wee note to remind you the effects on your body from indulging in your favourite green coloured beer and cocktail.

 

Alcohol comes from fermenting starches and sugars. Alcohol has about 7 calories per gram. These are considered "empty" calories because alcohol contains no beneficial nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals  Calories from alcohol are 'empty calories', they have no nutritional value. Most alcoholic drinks contain traces of vitamins and minerals, but not usually in amounts that make any significant contribution to our diet. Drinking alcohol also reduces the amount of fat your body burns for energy.

 

Alcohol use constricts metabolism and endurance. Being physically fit and well-conditioned is the hallmark of a champion. However, no matter how many wind springs and laps you do, drinking alcohol constricts your aerobic metabolism and endurance.

Alcohol use requires increased conditioning to maintain weight. Alcohol holds very little nutritional value to the athlete. The relatively high calories in alcohol are not available to our muscles. Alcohol calories are not converted to glycogen, a form of stored carbohydrates, and thus are not a good source of energy during exercise. Each drink contains approximately 100-150 empty calories. The body treats alcohol as fat, converting alcohol sugars into fatty acids.

 

Alcohol use inhibits absorption of nutrients. Not only is alcohol devoid of proteins, minerals, and vitamins, it actually inhibits the absorption and usage of vital nutrients such as thiamin (vitamin B1), vitamin B12, folic acid, and zinc.

• Thiamin (vitamin B1) is involved in the metabolism of proteins and fat and the formation of hemoglobin. It is also essential to optimal performance for its role in metabolizing carbohydrates.
• Vitamin B12 is essential to good health. It helps maintain healthy red blood and nerve cells.
• Folic acid is an integral part of a coenzyme involved in the formation of new cells; a lack of it can cause a blood disorder called "megaloblastic anemia", which causes a lowering of oxygen-carrying capacity and thus negatively affects endurance activities.
• Zinc is also essential to your energy metabolic processes. Since alcohol depletes your zinc resources, the effect is an even greater reduction of your endurance.

Alcohol use prevents muscle recovery. In order to build bigger and stronger muscles, your body needs sleep to repair itself after a workout. Because of alcohol's effect on sleep, however, your body is robbed of a precious chemical called "human growth hormone" or HGH. HGH is part of the normal muscle-building and repair process and the body's way of telling itself your muscle needs to grow bigger and stronger. Alcohol, however, can decrease the secretion of HGH by as much as 70 percent! Also, when alcohol is in your body, it triggers the production of a substance in your liver that is directly toxic to testosterone. Testosterone is essential for the development and recovery of your muscles.

 

Remember that you don’t have to use alcohol or other drugs to have fun. Eat well before you leave home. A full stomach slows the absorption of alcohol. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a casual exerciser, are in the gym every day, or compete in regular matches or events, anyone who cares about playing sport or keeping fit needs to understand the effects alcohol can have on their performance. Not having a balanced approach to alcohol could be what gets in the way of you reaping the rewards from all the work you've put in.

See Yourself Healthy

All this talk of health care reform in the USA has got me thinking about how we can take control of our own health.  Instead of restoring health care why not start at the core?!? Teach people how to look after themselves from the inside out, to be proactive when it comes to their own well-being, to make good, educated choices instead of reacting to a health problem and medicating it after the fact.  Healthcare is all backwards.  Besides government - like NDP and Liberal - should only set policies - not do the work that takes money and opportunity out of the pockets and hands of the people they serve.  Another story for another day!

Even small changes can be difficult and I coach people in making changes to their lives. 

We all read interesting information, yet the majority of us will forget about it very shortly after, no matter how interesting. When you sit down and attend to your new daily plan; you think about how what I’m saying applies to you. That creates a new way of thinking that sets you up for long term success.   

 

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”   George Bernard Shaw 

 

Health is the most frequently ignored aspect of our lives.  And often health is the thing that gets put lower on the priority list - below work, taking care of others, and whatever else that comes along.  Changing the foods you are used to eating, giving up things you love to eat and making time to exercise, more often than not meets resistance. When this resistance happens, it is harder to stick to your new plan. I invite you to start by looking at the bigger picture.  

 

Why is it that we know something is good for us but we stubbornly hold on to what we are used to? 

 

Here are some steps to success:  

• create a vision board
• spend time visualizing yourself in your future; enjoying everything you are working for 
• create affirmations that are in alignment with your vision for yourself (and your family).

Key areas that often need attention in the pursuit to [Re]Fre5h and [RE]Start your life.

1. Health takes planning and dedication.
2. Food and fuel: look at food as fuel for your body. Are you fuelling your body or feeding fat?
3. Metabolism, energy, and all functions of your body are regulated by hormones: and hormones need fuel.
4. Regulating blood sugar by choosing your fuel from low glycemic index foods.

Will you say -  "I wish I had, or "I am glad I did"?

The Community of Sport

 

 

 

The value of sport extends beyond sport for sport’s sake. It can play a role in bringing communities together, having a social and cultural impact, developing social capital and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour. Whether you’re a die-hard sports fan or just don’t understand what everyone gets so excited over, chances are you’ve never taken the time to reflect on why athletics are so important. But there’s got to be something to sports that allows them to make people so happy, sad, and sometimes even a bit crazy.The bottom line is, sports create a sense of community and togetherness among people from all walks of life. Teammates and fellow fans develop a connection that bonds them for life through competing or spectating.

 

There’s a reason we call someone who handles competition – and even defeat – with grace a “good sport”. Sportsmanship is something many of us learned through participating in athletics as kids, whether it was your high school team or just kicking the ball around in the backyard. Sports teach you how to win and lose with a certain amount of character.

They also show us a sense of order and fairness. Our favorite sports would not be nearly as entertaining without the rules, restrictions, and limitations that control them and make it all interesting. There is always a referee or umpire watching to make sure they’re adhered to and doling out penalties and ejections where necessary.

 

Sport can build better community relations and deliver a better understanding and respect for the rights and traditions of everyone, while contributing to the building of a cohesive society.  Sport can teach us honesty and fairness and how important it is to uphold the highest standards of respect. It teaches us that in order for communities to remain positive, peaceful and productive we must act with the upmost integrity at all times. A diverse and inclusive sporting environment is most likely to be realised when people who differ from one another are valued and appreciated.

 

The platform of sport provides a means of identifying social issues which limit social progress, inclusion, equity, and have an impact upon the lives of individuals and the community. Programs initiated by sports or involving sports as a force for social change, have addressed a number of major social issues. Sport has the potential to address gender, cultural, and disability barriers to a greater extent than many other sectors. Sport also provides an opportunity for persons to 'connect' with others within their community – social connectedness may be defined as the level of an individual’s integration into his or her social world. Sports participation is linked to improved health status, both physical and mental, as well as long-term preventive health benefits. The notion of ‘wellbeing’ also extends to improved self-concept, satisfaction, quality of life, and increased opportunities for social interaction.

 

The evidence suggests that sports programs offer great potential for building cohesive communities. However, in most cases sport is only one of several ways in which programs and social policies are delivered. Sport alone is not enough, but the contribution of the sport sector is recognized in numerous reports and research has generally identified sport as a key influence on community development.

Create a Connection in Eating

Growing up, my family never thought much about  a super-healthy lifestyle. And Whole Foods wasn’t a store it was food that came from the farm - beef, eggs, milk, bread and butter, a fresh garden with potatoes row on row, beans, cabbage, beats - you name it. If we didn't grow it, most of our food choices were what was available in the local grocery store. The terms “gluten,” “hydrogenated oils,” and even “organic” were never mentioned in our household, we grew up on a farm, where cattle grazed, hogs rooted up mud and dirt, and fields were farmed for grain. If we wanted to get organic “whole foods,” we had to dig them up!

What you eat is just as important as how you eat, so refrain from making excuses and start acting like it. We had busy lives on the farm, but we were home for dinner every night.  Look for ways to build relationships and family integration in something that sustains you each day you are alive. So much in life is connected to how we eat: the way we feel on a daily basis, our overall physical health, the way our mind processes information, our emotions, our ability to get a good night’s rest.  The act of eating is not simply a chore that must be done to get through the day, but also an act that affects every other aspect of life.

Here are some ideas to make positive changes. This is meant to challenge you! The easy way is rarely the best way. Also keep in mind that these tips are to be taken generally. The idea is to create a health-minded environment, not six-pack abs for the whole family. 

1. Control Your Environment

2. Make Healthy Shopping Choices3. Educate Those Around You4. Stop Sitting And Get Moving5. Treat Yo Self!

One of the keys to self-control is eliminating temptations from your environment. If chocolate chop cookies are your weakness, just don’t have them around—or buy them as a treat, in smaller amounts. Less temptation means less unhealthy living. It’s as simple as that!

Your healthy environment stems from many other choices. Make sure to make healthy purchases when you are at the market. Stick to the grocery list, the outside isles and don’t shop when you’re hungry! Let your brain do the deciding for you, not your cravings.

It’s easier to get on board with a change if you understand it, especially when you’re dealing with questioning kids or set-in-their-way adults, so make sure to share the WHY behind your healthy choices. Every decision has a benefit! If you highlight those, and your family is able to recognize and start experiencing them, you’re more likely to create decisions that will last.

Turn the TV off, take the iPhone, iPad and computers  away, and get active! We’ve all become too sedentary, and need to make a conscious effort to add more movement into our days.

Remember, the goal is to create a generally health-conscious environment, not a picture-perfect family! Treat yourself and love your life! Just do the unhealthy things in moderation.

My family has stayed healthy for the most part - we lost our dad due to a heart attack, but we have all emphasized what it means to stay active - our kids are active and healthy, some of us in one form or another are involved in community wellness - whether selling gear, or coaching and participating, and the rest of us maintain active, healthy lifestyles. We’ve even managed, through endless nagging, to annoy our mum into staying healthy as well. THIS is where family health begins. It begins with YOU. It begins with anyone willing to make a difference and control their environment, and spreads to others nearby.

Inspire your family to cook, learn and laugh together in the kitchen.

Getting Back on Track

This time of year with the weather as it is, we often take those long winter vacations - to the beach and away from the snow and the gym. Taking a few days or even a week off is not a bad thing and can be very beneficial to your body's physical and mental progression and you won’t lose all of your hard work.

Constant exercise, whether it is cardiovascular or muscular training, places stress on your body on both a physical and a mental level. Without rest, this can have a negative effect on the immune system, which may produce fatigue, physical illness, or injury. Rest and recovery must be incorporated into every fitness program, especially in the harsh cold of winter.  And, if you are one of the unlucky ones who get the dreaded winter cold or flu, a rest is a must.

But you have to take into consideration what sort of shape you are in when you enter the week long break. If you just began a workout regimen, taking seven days off will slightly decrease your general fitness and you can expect your body to work harder in cardio classes or on the treadmill or elliptical when you return. However, if you have been on a consistent fitness regimen and healthy eating plan, taking a stay-away-cation from the gym is much needed. 

When you head back to the gym after your vacation, consider a couple things:

1. Spend a little more time concentrating on flexibility by incorporating a solid warm-up and cool-down period.

2. Don't attempt to run a marathon on your first day back. Work at 50 to 75 percent of your maximum intensity level. Remember, you not machine.

As life coach/trainer, I know there is no such thing as a perfect client, one who shows up to the gym fired up and ready to workout, day after day. People take breaks from their fitness routines, planned or unplanned. Prolonged breaks happen, ranging from illness and injury to bad weather and vacations. The key thing to remember that, like all programming these breaks - the reason and duration - need to be viewed on a case by case level. No two people are alike and thus returning to exercise should not be rushed and should be considered case by case and safe and effective 

In many cases we want to jump right back where we left off from our long break. Unfortunately, the 'use it or lose it', don't work in the fitness world.  If you are struggling to get back on track or get recommitted reach out to a fitness professional - it emphasizes the importance of making a true, ongoing lifestyle change rather than spinning your wheels, seeing little progress and throwing in the towel.

We all have our own reasons for taking a break from a fitness program or routines, but the reason we leave needs to be discussed carefully so we can examine why exercise become less of a priority and to help figure out how to get you back on track.  The initial goal need only be to reestablish a habit and routine of being physically active you can stick to!

Even Coaches Need Coached

 

At some time, perhaps we all could use a good coach in our corner. Even coaches need a good coach - why not?! Because that is what good coaches do. They stand in your corner. They back you up. They see your strengths and talents, and hold up the mirror for you to see too. They move you to action on achieving your dreams. They work with you to carry your ball down the field.

 

Now consider that person who, instead of competitive sports, is backing you to help you achieve your dreams in life – to find balance for work, family and friends. Someone who can listen to you closely to what is really going on in your life now. Someone who can help you discover and create the fun, the lifestyle and the care you desire and deserve. Imagine a person who is invested in your best interest to empower you to see life in a new perspective with more possibilities.

 

Sometimes you just feel like you are pushing a rope up the hill,  or knocked off your feet with a big change - loss of a loved one, a job loss, a break up or divorce. It's enough to make you question everything you do?   Yesterday, I lost a friend, one I just got to know. A wonderful, warm and kind human being who gave her heart to everyone she met lost her life tragically. She just celebrated her birthday and her wedding day only 2 days away.   I don't want to come off as selfish and compare my grief to those in her family.  I can't imagine how her son, her family and fiancé must be feeling,  My thoughts and prayers are with them.

 

I really just wanted  everything to stop yesterday, to remember a special lady, and for the world to stop turning, but there are bills to pay and people expecting me keep up my responsibilities. How are you supposed to deal with it all at once?  I get all this from firsthand experience. That’s how it felt for me when we suddenly lost our dad and again yesterday when I lost a dear friend.  I am lucky to have met her and had her friendship. Friendship, like love, is built upon a feeling - an instinct that tells us when something fits.

 

I’m a better person for having met her and being on the other side of loss, But it’s not as simple as,"when one door closes, another door opens", what is missing in that statement is what happens on the path between those doors!  My greatest fear of moving on from losing dad, my friend, aunts, uncles, and my families family and love lost was that I would somehow leave them behind if I moved on – forget them or in the case of love lost they would forget me  – lose the memories – the closeness of their touch, their smile and the sound of their voice. In looking back I realize that I thought letting go of hanging on to feeling the grief and allowing joy back into my life meant letting go of their memory. Today I know that the opposite is true. I have found a way to live a happy life and still hold my dads memory and the memories of those I have lost in life and in love, live close by in spirit.

 

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance” Eckhart Tolle

 

Your family and friends is your treasure chest - cherish them. They are more important than  money, fame, cars, the clothes, houses, boats, or the overseas holidays you may have.

 

It doesn't have to be heartbreak - I survived. I learned that losing someone is a test of life and you have no control over the challenges that life throws at you. What you do have however is the power to control your response to these life challenges.

BFF on International Woman's Day

 

BFF friendships are messy, loving, spiteful, supportive, competitive, joyful, and funny. While some can be enriching and filled with adventure, others are insanely complicated.  Any combination of snubs, slights, misunderstandings, or betrayals can disrupt the status quo — and a rock-solid bond can seesaw into feelings of exclusion and abandonment.  But at the end of the day, they are my BFF's and I wouldn't want them any other way. 

 

I am a strong woman because I have surrounded myself with strong women. Who do not think it is behaving like a man.  Instead, they embrace their feminity and show it to the world, while making sure they take control of the things that they are doing and get them done. Being a strong woman means loving yourself when the rest of society says you're too big or too skinny or too dark or too tall or too short or too much or too little. It means defining your own strength, instead of adhering to a set of standards society has decided women must follow in order to be considered strong. 

 

I have seen my share of ups and downs and if not for the woman in my life and the support of them, I would not be the strong, confident woman I am today! They know who they are ~ they are strong and have already identified their needs and their goals. They always put their dreams over anything else. They are not embarrassed to show their genuine self.  They want to keep growing and improving, which is why they are keen on pushing themselves more even onto new boundaries. They make sure that they don’t only do good, but better. They are not ashamed about still having to learn a lot of things, and willing to teach what they have learned to others. Although they are confident about what they can do, they don’t let it stop them from learning more.

 

Thank you to all the strong woman in my life ~ I salute you!

The Benefits of Small Group Training

There have been many evolutions and trends in the fitness world. Gym operators have grown with the times and continue to adapt and offer more options to their members in order to keep them engaged. Personal training, group fitness classes, spin, and boot camp are just a few examples of the popular offerings that gym members now participate in.

Both personal training and large group classes are great choices; however, the experience offered differs greatly. For example, personal training creates a tailored, adaptable and more focused fitness experience but is usually higher in price. On the other hand, large group classes lack the same degree of attention but are generally lower in price and more motivating. However, there is an increasingly popular alternative that combines the advantages of both of these options: small group training. Simply put, small group training is a session where one trainer instructs a small group ranging from four to ten clients.

 

5 Benefits of Small Group Training

1. Motivation – Small group training provides a culture of motivated people with the same purpose (it is easier to lose motivation by yourself than it is with multiple people cheering you on).

2. Better results – In a small group training setting, you will push yourself a little bit harder, which will help you and your partners achieve better results.

3. Creativity – There are many exercises you can do in small group training that you cannot do in one-on-one training. For example, partner exercises that incorporate two people are a great way to add flavor to a workout.

4. Accountability – In small group training, you are not only accountable to your trainer, but to your partners as well. Remember: you don’t want to be the weak link in the chain.

5. Cost efficiency- Small group training is affordable for the clients and financially lucrative for the trainer.

So, in conclusion, small group training presents a cost-effective, inspiring and fun experience. It all depends on personal preference, but given all of the positive attributes, why not give it a try the next time you’re at the gym?

Still not convinced?

 

Give Tribe Team Training a go https://www.bodybymee.com/tribe.html.  Tribe Team Training offers 3 different programs. TribeFIT - a high intensity functional fitness workout,  TribeCORE - workout that brings toning, strength, stability and power to your core and TribeLIFE - low impact fitness workout that gets you ready to live life to the full.