Go Be Fit!

I am off to the White Mountains later this afternoon for some weekend hiking and swimming. As far as I am concerned, exercising in the great outdoors and being in nature is the best experience to rejuvenate oneself! Although yesterday was a good day to exercise indoors at the gym or take a day off and recover. Being outdoors seems to awaken and touch all of my senses – that said – I do my best to get out as much as I can. Summer is here – the days are longer so there’s more time to get out and take a long hike!

I took a TRX Suspension Training Course today! A navy seal invented this convenient training system to prepare for the rigors and demands of combat. I don’t need to prepare for combat, but I am always looking for ways to kick my workout up a notch or two. I had been meaning to take this course for a while and finally got around to doing it. I love body weight training – add suspension and you get an even more challenging workout. Check out http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/ to learn more about this amazing tool! I plan on using this with my clients and hope to teach a TRX group fitness class some day soon!

Ah – there is something sweet when your coveted pair of old and tight jeans fit once again! I dug through my drawer and pulled out an old pair that I had out grown. No I didn’t get taller – a bit wider I’d say in the butt!!! Damn – is this what happens to middle aged women?? We wake up one day and discover that we’ve put on a few pounds in the wrong places??? A month ago I couldn’t pull these jeans up over my derriere and now – voila – they fit perfectly. Yes I exclaimed in a moment of such sweet satisfaction and triumph – “just like prior times when these old jeans fit!”

I credit this accomplishment to hiring myself as my personal trainer – I was told to strength train 3x a week, do brief and intense cardio intervals – keep a food log and track my workouts.

My golf lesson last Friday paid off as I tested my new grip at the driving range today. With an easy grip, a relaxed body and mind, I hit a bucket of balls only to miss a few. “Wow,” I thought to myself in disbelief, as I watched the balls land straight and far. I think I may have mastered my grip and swing with one simple change. Golf is like life – it’s challenging – your game can be fabulous one day and completely off the next. If one thing is for sure it is to take it in stride, keep cool, laugh and have fun – after all it’s only practice at the driving range.

It’s always interesting to notice people’s beliefs and attitudes about fitness. Some people think that optimum health and fitness are out of their reach, that one must be fit to exercise, an athlete, that it’s work, it’s too hard, it’s no use, it takes too much time and energy or it’s an investment etc. These type of beliefs and attitudes keep them stuck in a holding pattern and therefore not ready to make a lifestyle change.

How do we deal with blocks, a negative attitude or distorted beliefs that prevent us from taking an initial step towards better health and or fitness? First, we acknowledge our beliefs and attitudes. We accept that we have them, then we look at what we truly desire in terms of our health and fitness, and gently ask, – “What it is going to take for me to achieve my goal?” We can also look at the pros and cons of not changing anything and remaining stuck. We don’t try to fix anything. We just mindfully notice what comes up when we think about change – in this case in the area of our health and fitness.

May is officially National Mental Health Month. Mental health is a very personal and sensitive topic for many people. I have seen people deal with a crisis and it was exercise that was of tremendous help to them. I can speak authentically and honestly on the ability to be resilient emotionally and physically. I understand the connection between mental and physical heatlh. Remember – Attitude begins with you. Do everything that you need to take care of you!

Many of us have been guilty of focusing on the external rewards of exercise such as looking good, or muscular or the ability to wear a tight fitting pair of jeans. One of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the exercise payoff are the emotional rewards.

I work with clients who suffer from low self esteem and simply can’t imagine making physical and emotional changes via exercise. They are stuck in a mindset or holding pattern that blocks them from moving forward. My job is to coach them to achieve their goals. I also work with clients who suffer from depression. Over time their mood has improved just because they exercise regularly. One client experienced a powerful internal transformation when she discovered her physical strength, she tapped into her emotional strength.

This year exercise has helped me cope with a crisis that was the worst that I have ever experienced in my life. I was able to see the stuff that I am made of – a solid and emotionally resilient foundation that is there when I need it!

May is the month that my mother died at the age of 59. On May 19th, it will be 21 years since her death. She died of a stroke. This was an unexpected and devastating loss. My mother was a brilliant, multi-talented and passionate woman who suffered from debilitating depressions. The kind of depressions that leave you battered and unable to function. The kind that ended up with her hospitalization.

May is Mental Health Month. This blog entry is perhaps one of my most candid and painfully personal entries, a “coming out,” if you will. I have lived with my mother’s illness and seen how destructive it was for her and my family. I still recall her darkest times, which I witnessed and experienced as a young child.

NAMI – The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that 1 in 4 people suffer from a mental illness. Perhaps you or someone dear to you is or has been ill. Support and treatment are crucial but so is telling your story. Whether private or public, we must break the stigma. We must take a proactive stance and advocate, because there is no other way to heal as far as I am concerned.

During the month of May I am going to blog about mental health. Let me start by saying that there is a connection between mental and physical health. What manifests itself as depression – an emotional state can create inertia in the mind and physical body. What I am trying to say is that an emotion like depression – self directed anger can show up in the body and remain there, unless it is addressed. I have seen depression wreak havoc on loved ones, myself included.

Therefore, I don’t take mental health for granted. There is a history of mental health issues in my family. It is my mission to advocate for those who are affected by mental illness and to break the stigma of serious mental illnesses. More on this in future blogs.

Physical activity/exercise has a huge impact on mood. There has been much recent research as to how exercise affects mood. Runners will tell you that they run because of the post runner’s high! I can tell you that even a small amount of exercise can boost one’s mood, especially being out in nature. On the flip side, I can appreciate how difficult it can be to exercise when depressed. The very thought of exercise can be enough to stress someone out who is predisposed to depression. The point I am making here is that there is a deep connection between one’s mental and physical state. Pay heed to your mental health – take care of yourself!

April is National Stress Awareness Month. This year in particular has been a very stressful one for me. I am doing my best to notice my stress and take action. Stress will stay in your body if you don’t do something to alleviate it. It likes to hang out in my shoulders and trapezius muscles. I can tell when it’s there by the tightening and the feeling of weight or heaviness trapped in my shoulders.

I like to relieve my stress lest it linger and suck me into the abyss! I use various modalities like exercise, eating healthy, stretching, breathing, singing, listening to music, being in nature and more to control my stress. Lately I am trying just to stop – to slow down and do nothing. Life can get hectic for me and it creates stress. What’s your stress and how do you manage it? You may not even know you’ve got stress until one day it hits you – whoa!!!

The best thing about the challenge of strength training appropriately (out of your comfort zone) is the post workout protein shake. I am strength training 3x a week these days. During these sessions I am working hard. This means that once the session is over I need to recover with a delicious shake. I swear by Biochem’s Whey Isolate powder. It’s quick, convenient, easy to prepare, gentle on the stomach and tasty too, without all of the calories of a protein bar and added sugar. Today’s workout called for a chocolate banana shake – 2 scoops of whey powder, a banana, 3/4 cup of water and some crushed ice. Protein helps the body recover faster after a tough workout. You should be sure to have protein at each meal in an adequate amount for your specific needs. The next time you workout treat yourself to a shake. Notice that your recovery between workouts will be that much efficient!