YOUR LIFE A-Z:EXERCISE

NEVER SKIP IT

EXERCISE

EXERCISE is also a great de-stressing tool.  Some of you love to EXERCISE and can’t wait to get to the gym or on your mountain bike.  Others of you hate EXERCISE and have to be forced into doing it.  I would wager that those of you who hate to EXERCISE are EXERCISING for the wrong reasons and doing particular EXERCISES that you just hate.  Before I talk about different types of EXERCISE, let me get clear EXERCISE, whether you like it or not is important to your health.  Thus establish an EXERCISE rule.   The only rule needed is to EXERCISE at least thirty minutes a day whether you like it or not.  The simplest way to EXERCISE is to walk for thirty minutes.  Other than a good pair of walking shoes, walking EXERCISE does not require anything else and almost everyone can do it.  If you can’t walk then you need to discover other ways to EXERCISE.  Stretching is a good choice of EXERCISE and it does not require any fancy equipment.  Learning to make EXERCISE as part of your daily routine is a very important part of self-care.  The goal is to EXERCISE more days a week than not.  EXERCISE will help you stay flexible and healthy as you age.  And unless you die early, you will age.  If you want to get around in a healthy body as you age EXERCISE is important.  Make it your goal to discover an EXERCISE that you don’t hate and then do it on a daily basis.  It is simple.  The only goal is to do it.  Don’t do it to lose weight, do it because you love yourself.

YOUR LIFE A-Z: ZUMBA

MOVE YOUR BODY 

ZUMBA

ZUMBA began by accident when Beto Perez was teaching an aerobics class and forgot his music.  After digging around in his bag he pulled out a CD of Latin beats.  The class loved moving to the music and thus the rage began (source Web MD by Samataro).  The great thing about ZUMBA is that you do not have to practice any choreographed dance steps but can allow your body to feel the music and move to the music, keeping pace with the rapid Latin beat.  ZUMBA can be done in the privacy of your own home for thirty minutes prior to stepping into the shower in the morning or you can join a ZUMBA group at a local gym.  You usually don’t have to worry about injuring your back or overworking a muscle group.  However, if you have healthy issues that concern you about physical exercise by all means obtain your doctor’s permission. Also, reportedly ZUMBA burns more calories in an hour than an intense yoga class or other aerobic exercises and the added bonus is that the time flies by.  Walking or working out on a machine such as a treadmill or an elliptical can be an hour of pure will power where a ZUMBA class moves fast and the time flies right by.   The exhilaration and energy you   feel as a result of letting your body move empowers you for a longer period of time post workout.  If you are exercise phobic, try downloading some Latin music and dancing to it in the privacy of your own home. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z : WALK

WALK, FOLLOW THE PATH OF ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER

WALK

You don’t need me to tell you that our lives would be better if we walked more.  You have heard things such as“park far away in order to WALK further.”  It is best for our heart if we WALK 10,000 steps in a day.  Wear a pedometer and see how few steps you actually take when you are not actively working on it.  There are other reasons walking can benefit your soul.  It is probable that many of you have not heard of walking as a way of prayer or walking as a spiritual practice.  

I will be talking about the Labyrinth in the next “L” word, but I thought I would introduce you to it through this important “W” word.  To WALK a Labyrinth as a part of a spiritual practice, means meditating about putting one foot in front of the other while staying on the one path to the center and back out again. Walking for no other reason than to pray.  Carving out a twenty-minute moment in your busy life to walk as a way of reflection.  To WALK means to move; to move means taking steps forward; taking steps forward allows us to become more of who we want to be. Action is the best way to change.  To WALK is one of the easiest actions that we can do.  If you can’t WALK, imagine walking.  Some of the most important things that we can do in our lives are the simplest.  Determine to WALK more this year, physically and spirituality.

YOUR LIFE A-Z : STRENGTH

BE STRONG ENOUGH TO GET WHAT YOU WANT

 STRENGTH

There are many definitions of the word strength.  When you first saw the word this morning what images came up in your mind?  For me, strength needs to take a positive connotation. Unfortunately, the first word that comes with strength is Core Strength.  I judge myself harshly for not having core strength and not enjoying any of the exercises one must do to obtain core strength.  Thus I set up a self-defeating pattern and usually stay stuck.  In order to have core strength one must work at it. Core strength provides us with stability, flexibility, and balance.  The core is so important to our ability to stay active and mobile as we age.  Core provides us with grace of movement.  It gives us the ability to move with intensity.  Intensity creates space and energy allowing us to accomplish goals, projects, and dreams.  Having our core strength in shape helps usmaintain good health, good posture, and an agility to accomplish things we once thought impossible.  Thus, the theme of nurturance, mindfulness, possibilities, are helpful in working at something that will bring good to our lives even though we are not crazy to go after it with Zest.  What are you willing to do to strengthen those areas of your life that will bring you positive outcomes even though they are not pleasant or exciting to do?  I am willing to lift upper body weights three times a week and I enjoy planking.  So I do that, nothing more, nothing less.  When I hear my critic on my back, I say,  “I have done my commitment to myself.”  Make small goals so that you can succeed.