Archive for August, 2011
Happy Fall Fitness!
So, just as fast as your summer went by, the holidays will come. You know it. Yes, it is only August 20th. But school supplies have been bought, pumpkins and gobs of candy are next, then the turkey and your holiday season is…wala… right on top of you. Then, guess what? Happy New Year! So, instead of joining the New Year’s Resolutioner’s on hangover day, get a head start. Yell out, “Happy Fall Fitness!” way before the neighbors annual holiday party.
Before your calendar gets filled up with this new “season,” fill it in with you. Schedule time for your health and fitness. By ”schedule,” I don’t mean think about what you are going to do and make a tentative plan in your head. I mean get out your calendar, on whatever device it may be on, electronic or paper, and spend 10 minutes filling in time for you. And, once you make that appointment on your calendar, keep it.
As a fitness enthusiast, of course, I want you to schedule walks or runs or tennis matches, or something to get your body moving. I’d like for you to do that at least three times per week-ideally, every day. But you get to pick, customize it to you, and then write it in your calendar. WRITE IT IN YOUR CALENDAR. It is now an official appointment. Now, schedule 10 minutes at some point in your day (first thing in morning or night before) to just pay attention to what you are going to eat. I’m not telling you to go on a diet. I’m asking you to just spend some time thinking about how you are going to fuel your beautiful body. Are you going to your favorite restaurant? If so, what’s the healthiest thing on the menu? Are you ordering out because of kids activities or working late? Where is the healthiest place to order? And, do you need to look up their number now so you have it in your phone on the way home? Just put conscious attention on the source that gives you energy and the ability to LIVE! Paying attention to the process that we sometimes just do automatically will result in better choices naturally because you are no longer on auto-pilot.
So, here is one version of what this might look like: a brisk 15 minute walk every morning before the kids get up, followed by list of planned eating that you keep in your wallet. Another version: Mon/Wed: Yoga at 9:30, Tue/Thur: meet friend at gym; log onto LoseIt every night for 5 minutes to plan what to eat tomorrow. It’s not hard to plan, you just have to DO IT. Make your own version. Create your own version of a Happy Fall Fitness way before Happy New Year crosses anyones lips. And, when it does, you will be reminded that your new year started a few months back.
