Perfectly
Fit
“You have
to stay in shape. My grandmother started
walking five miles a day when she was 60.
She's 97 today and we don't know where the
hell she is.”
Ellen Degeneres
Have
you ever:
- Resolved to
walk 20 minutes daily and forgotten
your resolution when other “to-do's” filled
your schedule?
- Paid a fortune to join a gym and never
gone?
- Wished an Exercise Genie would magically
appear at your door and give you the
body of your dreams?
You're
in good company. And, while that alone
does not help to create your “perfectly fit” body, it does bring
us to the very important fact that you MUST
feel good “all under” in order to present
your very best all over.
Yes, we can work miracles by dressing appropriately
for our bodies, styling our hair, and surrounding
ourselves with colors that flatter. However,
there is no replacement for the radiant
glow that emanates from a healthy, well-energized
body. Your health, strength, and vitality
shape your image and directly impact how
you see and feel about yourself.
Unfortunately, in the daily tug and pull of life, health is often taken
for granted and not made a priority until it is too late. Stress and strain,
physical or emotional, have a way of making our bad habits look good. Physical
activity and good nutrition are most often the early victims of this battle.
It's not that we don't care. We do. Over and over again we try to change
our evil ways. We set out to exercise, eat right, get enough sleep...and then...oh,
no...the bag of Doritos...the box of Krispy Kremes...the textures, the flavors,
the sharp packaging, the incessant advertising...all while you're watching
the midnight rerun marathon of Desperate Housewives (by the way, five women
who have most likely never eaten a Twinkie). Most of us need not be led to
temptation. We manage to find the way quite easily by ourselves.
All too often, we believe that good health
and nutrition require an all-or-nothing
level of engagement. This is simply not
true. In reality, the best health strategies
don't feel like punishment at all. They
fit neatly into your life and lifestyle.
Taking a few minutes to determine what
will truly work for you will make all the
difference and, hopefully, set you up for
great success.
About Exercise: Is there a particular form
of physical activity that you already enjoy?
Could you create more regular opportunities
to include it in your daily schedule? Do
you prefer:
- Team or shared sports or activities?
- Solitary sports or activities?
- Working out at a local gym, community
center or at home?
- Working out with a personal trainer?
- Starting your day with exercise?
- Ending your day with exercise?
About Nutrition: Are there
particular healthy foods that you already
genuinely enjoy? Could you add them into
your day with greater regularity? Do you:
- Eat a balanced diet of proteins, grains,
fruits and vegetables?
- Enjoy numerous small meals throughout
the day or fewer large meals?
- Eat mostly in stressful situations
or at the end of the day?
- Eat mostly sugar-based foods to provide
energy boosts throughout the day?
- Drink at least one gallon of water
throughout the course of each day?
Spending a few minutes with
yourself, answering these simple questions
honestly, and identifying one or two things
that you are willing to do differently could
make a big difference on your journey toward
becoming Perfectly Fit.
To your health! |
