Category: Exercise

How to Start your New Year with a Health Self-Assessment Instead of Resolutions

Well, it’s likely that you’ve fully embraced your New Year’s resolutions and are hot on the path of pursuing them, you have them written down, or you have them tallied up in your mental storage.

But if you want to make life changes, is that the best way for you to start?

Instead of coming up with an endless list of resolutions, why not try a more focused approach, one that is more likely to bring you success.

Why not try formulating an annual overall health self-assessment first?

 

Advantages of first doing a health self-assessment—

Most people realize that the majority of New Year’s resolutions are abandoned with the first month of the new year. While there may be many reasons for that, an important one is that the resolution was either not carefully thought out or planned out.

There really was no solid basis for the resolution and logical path to follow to get there.

 

What is a health self-assessment?

With a self-assessment, you can gather the critical information to allow you to take a magnifying glass look at exactly where you are in life, identify the paths that need the most attention, care and adjustment and give you a guide for designing a change blueprint, making those important changes, increasing your chances of success and enjoying satisfying and effective life changes.

But what areas should you target in your assessment?

 

5 self-assessment focus areas—
  1. Spiritual. While most professionals will list physical s the first category, I argue that your spiritual life is the most important one and the category upon which you structure and develop the other four.

Why is spiritual so important? Because a healthy spiritual life, with weekly church or religious organization attendance and involvement, has been shown to be a critical component in all communities where longevity and effective aging are the most successful. (We’ll explore this more when we talk about Blue Zones.)

Studies show spiritual health is associated with greater wellness. So if your aim is for wellness, why not use spirituality as your strong foundation? Something that involves more than just personal meditation (which is a critical component), or interacting with nature (also important).

My Meditation Mondays blog posts can help you with the spiritual category; but for now, make a personal assessment on how much time you spend—

  • Meditating
  • Praying
  • Attending church or a religious service
  • Gathering with like-minded friends of the same faith

 

Decide what you need (more Bible study, more prayer, engage with a local congregation) and take whatever steps are necessary to open and enrich your life to your spiritual needs and health.

 

  1. Physical. Always focus on staying healthy, but make sure you fashion your fitness plan or program to meet specific goals.

Don’t be vague or general. Make a list of specific goals you want to meet. If you want to gain a certain cardiovascular fitness, decide what that fitness level will be and what it will take to reach it and maintain it.

What if you’re older and just want to aim for having more energy to run around with your grandkids, without having stiff knees or back, or couch-calling fatigue. What is it that’s driving you and the change or goal?

Knowing the specific answers to these questions will help you stay motivated and enjoy more success.

 

  1. Intellectual. Make sure you devise a category, and activities, to exercise your brain and mental stamina.
  • Learn something new.
  • Play board games or crossword puzzles.
  • Study a subject you’re unfamiliar with.
  • Pick up a new activity. Exercise a different way. (Yes, this does trigger brain neuron growth.
  • Take a class at a local college or community college. Many colleges allow senior citizens to audit classes without charge.
  • Take an existing passion or skill to a new level. Improve upon what you already do or know.
  • Join a book or chess club, or conquer your public speaking fear by joining Toastmasters!

 

  1. Social. This is another Blue Zone must—having a strong social network. We’re not talking a fraternity house number of friends, but a handful of really close people you can share your heart with. People who support and encourage and pray for you. Those you can call for help and rely on. People you can laugh and cry with, dine with, and live out life with.

 

  1. Financial. Stressing about financial issues is one of the type 5 stressors on the life stress and depression-triggering list. It’s also one of the top reasons couples end up in counseling and divorce court.

So do the dirty (and probably unsavory) work of figuring out your financial status and what you need to do to improve it. While some of the changes you have to make may be drastic, like forgoing any dining out or downsizing from a spacious home to a cozy apartment. Purging the stuff you hoarded and stored in the garage. Living more simply.

These are not quality of life changes, but they might be quantity. Once you bite the bullet, so to speak, and make them, you’re likely to enjoy the simplicity and freedom you feel as you reduce your debt and feeling of being chained to work and monthly debt payments.

Decide what you want to do—like travel more, maybe—and draw up some plans and charts to meet that goal.

 

So start your 2019 right! Take the steps to really make this new year happier health-wise.

 

NEXT WEEK: We’ll take a quick look at the new fitness guidelines and talk about what they mean for you!

Until then,

Blessings,

Andrea

“Certainly there was an Eden….We all long for it, and we are constantly glimpsing it.”  —J.R.R. Tolkien

Finding Hope, Healing, and Purpose in the New Year!

Are you facing 2019 with doubt, uncertainty, frustration, life fatigue, or lingering heart and brain naggings about your past, ones that hold you back from accomplishing your hopes and goals or keep you from having dreams?

If so, I’d like to leave you with a few thoughts today that may give you insight and encouragement, to remind you that you do have a hope and a future.

 

There are so many things I could say to offer you encouragement, but I’m going to give you some uplifting quotes that may give you a new or fresh perspective, or simply cause you to nod in agreement or put a smile on your face. Get you all excited about the New Year! Ones you can write down and keep with you to read when you need a pick-me-up.

So here it goes!

 

I can’t say I’m a huge Willie Nelson fan, but he did say something I agree with and like:

 

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”

 

Why do you think that’s true?

Maybe it’s because having a positive attitude and demeanor completely changes your perspective on everything you do and encounter in life. People respond differently to you, and you treat them differently. I think you’ll enjoy life more.

 

The aging paradox—

Wisdom is supposed to come with age, but sometimes it feels as though you’re not gaining anything, except a slower mind and droopy skin.

We’re all getting older, but some of us are feeling our aging more than others, and we’re concerned. Keep these things in mind when doubts nettle your heart and brain—

 

“Don’t feel obligated to act your age.”

 

And this one—

 

“Your body may be tired, but you can chase squirrels and leap fences in your dreams.”

 

Both are quotes by Cynthia Copeland in her adorable book Really Important Stuff My Dog Has Taught Me.

How true that second quote is. And it actually keeps your brain young!

 

And along with that thought, here’s what C.S. Lewis had to say about aging and dreaming—

 

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”

 

In her wonderful book, Really Important Stuff My Dog Has Taught Me, Cynthia Copeland also writes about aging gracefully—

 

“Age neither defines a dog, nor overwhelms his thoughts. Because they live in the present, dogs don’t see time the way we do, regretting years gone by and obsessing over the days that are left. An old dog doesn’t focus on what he can no longer do, but what he still can do. Dogs cope, they adapt, they look for reasons to wag their tails. And no matter what, they never do the math and figure out how old they are in dog years.”

 

Whenever I’ve used the “I can’t do that, I’m (so many years) old,” my younger son Cory says, “Now, don’t look at it that way! You’ve got to keep going, keep dreaming. You can do whatever you set your mind to do!”

He’s right, only sometimes I have to alter what it is I want to set my mind to do. There is reality, but that doesn’t mean I have to stop dreaming. Like any old dog, I may sleep more and longer, take shorter walks, jump lower and catch fewer balls. But I’ll still try.

And if being able to do something means I need to change my eating, sleeping or exercise habits to accomplish or enjoy it, then making those changes seems worth it to me.

So putting all of those ideas into perspective, I can whittle it down to a good bullet list:

 

  • Don’t let my age define me (young or old!) or anyone else.
  • Don’t waste time or mental real estate thinking about my age.
  • Stop regretting the years gone by, the mistakes, the sins, the missed opportunities. (This is probably one of the biggest problems I, and many others, have. We saddle our brains and hearts with what ifs.)
  • Don’t think about the days you have left. No one knows the answer to that anyway. Thank God for every new day you wake up to serve Him and enjoy your family and friends and life.
  • Focus on what you can do not on what you can no longer do.
  • Cope and adapt. Look for reasons to wag your tail and give thanks!
  • And stop counting the years!

 

I made a mental note to stop counting the years this last birthday—my big 6-0. I had a party and told my family and friends it was the last formal celebration I’d have (and maybe even the last birthday I’d really recognize), until I turned 70, if—God willing—I lived that long or Jesus didn’t return first. My older son said, “Yeah, I don’t believe that.” (Snark.)

But I intend to keep my word. This February will be a new birthday, and I will officially “end” my yearlong 6-0 celebrations. Celebrating for a year sounds self-indulgent, I know, but I had some very good reasons to do that. I returned to Hawaii to face some personal mental demons and slay them. I went to Disneyland for my actual birthday to relive some precious childhood memories. While there, I realized that I could, if I wanted, still fulfill a childhood dream to work at the Happiest Place on Earth. There are plenty of “older” people working in the park, doing fun things like entertaining children and dressing in really cool costumes. (That speaks to my residual thespian heart.)

In the last several years I’ve worn braces. I told my family and friends that I didn’t know how many more years I have, but if I happened to live as long as my parents (88 and still going at 97!), I might as well have straight, healthy teeth. Then came the unexpected gum graft this year, brought on not by age but by genetics and overzealous teeth cleaning. Then I recently had that bone spur chopped off my big toe, something I’ve putting off for a couple of years. Next year I plan to have regenerative medicine injections.

A friend recently said, “Wow, you’re having everything worked on!”

I laughed before saying, “Yeah, but there are few parts that need work that I won’t be doing anything about!” Then we both guffawed together. Since she’s in her late 70s, she understood.

 

Some life possibilities in the back of my mind—

And I can find a good ukulele teacher and go back to playing that instrument. And take acting lessons, learn how to speak French much better than I do, and attend our church’s Spanish church to sharpen my Spanish language skills for when we return to Spain for another leg of the Camino, again, God willing.

And then there’s the calligraphy program I have that I haven’t cracked open. It’s been sitting on my shelf for years, along with special ink pens my family has gifted me. I used to be quite adept at it, and even calligraphied the addresses on all of my wedding invitations and thank you cards. It appealed to my artsy side, and I found it relaxing. I also liked to crochet for the same reasons. I’ll be making blankets this year for the family members.

 

I’m sure if you sat down and re-hashed your long-forgotten dreams you’ll arrive at some you’d still like to pursue, even if it means you won’t ever be able to excel in them because of your age and lifetime limits.

And don’t feel obligated to change the world. If we all tried to make our little corner of it better, the ripple effect would be tremendous.

 

Are you hanging on too tightly to your past?

In her wonderful book The Choice: Embrace the Possible Dr. Edith Eva Eger says something that snagged my heart and gave me so much release of guilt and regret of unfulfilled or damaged dreams.

 

“If I’d know my mother would die that day, I would have said a different word. Or nothing at all. I could have followed her to the showers and died with her. I could have done something different. I could have done more. I believe this.

“And yet. (This “and yet” opening like a door.) How easily a life can become a litany of guilt and regret, a song that keeps echoing with the same chorus, with the inability to forgive ourselves. How easily the life we didn’t live becomes the only life we prize. How easily we are seduced by the fantasy that we are in control, that we were ever in control, that the things we could or should have done or said have the power, if only we had done or said them, to cure pain, to erase suffering, to vanish loss. How easily we can cling to—and worship—the choices we think we could or should have made.”

 

Read these particular lines again:

How easily the life we didn’t live becomes the only life we prize.

How easily we can cling to—and worship—the choices we think we could or should have made.

 

Is there a memory or regret you’ve been clinging to, something you’ve cherished and won’t let go, to the point of worshiping and making an idol out of it?

 

There are several things on my list, and I’ve determined that I must—for my mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health—boot them off the memory idol throne and put them in proper perspective.

 

And finally, two more quotes to rev up your New Year—

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is.” Albert Einstein

 

And one by the most well known and popular children’s book writers that ever lived—

 

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” Dr. Seuss

 

Happy New Year!

Start dreaming, hoping, healing and forgiving,

and make it great!

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

Doing a 2018 Health and Wellness Checkup and Planning for 2019

Even though Christmas 2018 is now in the annals, you’re undoubtedly looking ahead already to 2019 and all that you hope to accomplish in the New Year. And maybe thinking about what you didn’t accomplish that you hoped to in the outgoing year.

Specifically,

 

Did you achieve your health and fitness goals for the year?

 

I would recommend you don’t spend too much time dwelling on the areas where you missed the mark. Instead, I encourage you to look forward to what you hope to accomplish and how you plan to get there.

Be realistic, and hopeful.

Spend some time thinking seriously about what your priorities will be, and commit those to the Lord in prayer. He may have different (better) plans for you.

Think improvements and changes in bite-sized increments, not huge chunks or grandiose changes that are certain to make your brain rebel.

 

And make sure you write them down, read them often, and post them in a place where you can regularly read them. People who actually write down their goals are far more likely to achieve them!

I recommend starting with no more than three. If you accomplish those, then you can add a few more. Or, if necessary, alter or adjust what you did plan for.

 

Personal successes and failures—

Even though my beloved and I managed to scale the Pyrenees in our Camino de Santiago journey, I certainly—for a variety of reasons—fell short of my hopes.

I ended up having a major surgical procedure that curtailed my training. That added to the difficulty I had on the Camino, with my bad knees giving out on me.

Old, athletic injuries from decades ago were aggravated and are still hampering not only my workouts but also my daily life.

A bone spur removal surgery before Thanksgiving has further irritated my knees and slowed me down. But the surgery was worth it, and I’m already have much less difficulty with the range of motion in that toe. That will help my gait, which was severely compromised.

But even with the stumbles and failures, I’m looking forward to 2019 and the health and wellness program I hope to implement, like:

 

  • More outdoor exercise in a variety of settings—hiking, walking, cycling, swimming, canoeing and camping.
  • A probable regenerative procedure in March or April that will (hopefully) restore cartilage health to my knees! I’ll be filling you in on the process as I prepare for and undergo it.
  • Building a large vegetable garden area in our backyard, something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. But gardening in the Southwest is challenging (we refer to it out here as Blast Furnace Gardening); and what the sun and wind don’t burn and whither, the wildlife devour. So that means fences, netting and shade cloth. We’re already in the planning and preparatory stages. (Yes, this does fall under the heading of health and wellness, for several reasons. I’ll cover those as I keep you up-to-date about our successes, and failures.)

 

And I have a lot of current topics planned for you too! Like:

  • The Benefits of Low Impact Exercise
  • Blue Zone Living Methods
  • Exercises to help you Maintain Your Balance
  • Cognitive Exercises and Brain Beneficial Supplements
  • How to Effectively Re-train Your Brain to Change Your (Negative) Habits
  • and More!

I’m excited to share all of this with you in the new year; and I hope you’re looking forward with excitement to the changes—big and little—you can make to enhance your health and fitness,

 

so you can live a better, more balanced—and energetic—life!

 

Happy end of 2018!! (Make sure you celebrate what went well!)

Blessings,

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

3 Reasons to Maintain Your Exercise Program Throughout the Holidays

When the schedule falls apart, so usually does the exercising.

And this time of year is no exception. Company parties to attend, family get-togethers to orchestrate, open houses, special events, Christmas decorating, Christmas shopping, Christmas present wrapping can all put a big snag in your hallowed workout schedule.

But they shouldn’t.

You need to keep exercising for some critical reasons:

 

  1. Exercise keeps your brain happy and alert!

When you’re exercising your body, your brain is reaping most of the benefits. You’ll think better and function better. And sleep better too.

And that’s helpful for a lot of things, including keeping your immune system in top shape for battling colds and the flu, big culprits this time of year.

 

  1. Exercise helps keep depression under control.

Not everyone enjoys the holidays or looks forward to them with eager anticipation of family celebrations. For many reasons, the holidays can be tough, and depressing.

December is always a roller coaster of emotions time for me because my beloved cousin, Jeff, was killed in a tragic car accident just a week before Christmas when we were in college, and my Dad died on December 11.

Exercising helps keep the happy hormones (endorphins) running through your body. And getting outside to exercise is even better for you. So make a point to keep up your exercise routine and also try to head outside for some deep breathing and walking.

 

  1. Exercise helps manage stress.

There can be an overload of stress during the Christmas season, and exercise helps you burn that off. It can also keep your distracted from the stress swirling around you. Again, exercising to crank up those happy hormones is a stress-reducing benefit.

 

BONUS:

Keeping to your exercise program will also tamp down the guilty feelings after you’ve nibbled on one too many treats at a holiday party. So maintain your program, pat yourself on the back, and head into the New Year on track!

 

Until next week, keep that body and brain happy!

Blessings,

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

How Gratitude Affects Physical and Mental Health

If you decided to keep a gratitude journal once a week for 10 weeks, how do you suppose that might affect your gratitude levels? What about writing a gratitude or thank you letter to someone?

Researchers are finding that gratitude and gratitude activities are having significant effects on physical fitness, self-esteem, heart patients, the chronically ill, depressed and suicidal patients, and with relationships and in the workplace.

 

Gratitude is a prescription for a healthy heart—

A 1995 study found that participating patients that experienced appreciation had improvements in heart rate variability, a function associated with good heart health.

More grateful people also report better physical health. They tend to:

  • engage in healthy activities
  • seek help for their health issues
  • sleep better and longer

 

Heart and heart attack patients who have higher levels of gratitude do better in sleep, have less fatigue, enjoy lower levels of cell inflammation, and greater improvements in emotional well-being.

Higher optimism and gratitude have also been associated with higher adherence to following medical recommendations.

Chronic pain patients and those with chronic illnesses like arthritis or inflammatory bowel syndrome tend to experience less depression and anxiety and enjoy better sleep when they have higher levels of gratitude.

And gratitude may actually prevent chronic illness from occurring.

 

Gratitude interventions—

In 2003, Emmons and McCullough found that the participants they had in the study record 5 things they were grateful for (“counting blessings” or “gratitude journaling”) every week for 10 weeks reported a lot more time exercising ad noted fewer physical complains than the participants assigned to write down 5 hassles or 5 daily events.

 

Gratitude may improve sleep!

Research indicates keeping a gratitude journal improves your sleep.

Maybe doing a gratitude check before bed primes your brain and body chemicals for a peaceful, restful night.

Gratitude journals may also improve cardiac health.

Grateful people tend to enjoy life more and have greater feelings of well-being.

 

Gratitude and materialism—

A few studies suggest that more grateful people are less materialistic, which may be because they’re more satisfied with their lives.

But one study showed that people who were both materialistic and high in gratitude did not have lower life satisfaction. They were just happy, grateful materialists!

 

Gratitude and avoiding burnout—

Studies indicate that gratitude may help employees and athletes avoid burnout; but burnout may dampen feelings of gratitude.

 

More reasons to start counting your blessings—

We need to really take this blessing counting seriously, as more studies have found that being grateful and demonstrating gratitude in some way had the following effects:

  • improved people’s life satisfaction
  • improved
  • alleviated depression symptoms in the severely depressed
  • increased optimism
  • increased happiness
  • decreased body dissatisfaction in women!
  • an increase of trust and positive emotions during a financial transaction

 

Pull out those thank you cards and start writing!

The research showing the multitude of benefits from thank you card writing is impressive. People who do it show higher levels of gratitude. And actually reading the letter to the recipient may really crank up the happiness scoreboard AND decrease depression.

 

In numerous studies, writing thank you notes and letters had a significant effect on the writer’s feelings of gratitude and resulting life satisfaction and happiness.

 

Be grateful to broaden your mind—

It also turns out that gratitude tends to increase your creativity, especially when thinking about an activity that will benefit others.

And gratitude can enhance social bonds and friendships.

And the list goes on and on!

Gratefulness can cause people to:

  • play more
  • be creative
  • push their limits
  • increase their psychological and social resources
  • cancel out negative thoughts
  • increase and improve coping mechanisms
  • re-cast negative events in a positive light
  • put effort into positive behaviors, which in turn leads to self-improvement behavior
  • improve their relatedness (being and feeling connected)
  • improve their feelings of autonomy (and being empowered and in control)
  • improve their feelings of competence
  • decrease their stress levels or perception of stress
  • decrease their depression
  • decrease their anxiety
  • experience fewer suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide
  • have a decreased fear of death
  • be able to respond better to traumatic life events
  • show more humility
  • have more wisdom
  • enjoy pro-social behavior
  • increase their sense of purpose in life
  • increase their sense of satisfaction in school
  • improve their relationships
  • foster more and better relationships
  • improve workplace atmosphere and relationships

 

With all of these amazing benefits associated with attitudes of gratitude and gratefulness, and demonstrating gratitude through behavior and thank you card writing, why would you put off putting them into practice? Of try to make it a habit, or a fundamental, frequent practice in your life?

It just appears that gratitude makes you an all-around better, happier and probably more productive and engaging person. Someone other people gravitate toward and want to be with and like.

 

So as we say goodbye to the official gratitude month of November, and look forward to one of the days on the calendar we should be most grateful for, let’s try to put some of these gratitude-building activities into practice.

Preparing our grateful hearts for the One who loves us most!

 

Until next week, when we’ll start looking at just how much He does love us and the power of love,

Keep making entries into that gratitude journal, or maybe ask for a special one for Christmas!

For more in-depth study on gratitude research, see Greater Good Science Center’s gratitude white paper.

Blessings,

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

Thank You Light by Morvanic Lee on unsplash