 As we come to the end of fitness month we would like to do our monthly recap. Fitness is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and one the reasons we wanted to share this topic in December. It is a chance to create some momentum for your best year to come.
I must tell you I enjoy exercise and lifting weights. I have for years now however there was a time when I was afraid to walk into a gym to get a membership. You see, I was about 100 pounds overweight and it felt like I didn’t fit in going to the gym. Crazy, right? And yet when I finally did step into the gym and began the journey of lifting weights I was hooked. So, when you’re exercising and lifting weights, there are many different important factors that will impact on the outcome of your training. There’s the program you pick, there’s your dedication to the training, what your goals are, what your WHY is, and there’s the amount of time you dedicate to it. Yet, one of the most important factors of all and something that often gets overlooked, is the importance of your thoughts and mindset about your fitness. There are many reasons why how we think is critical for your training, check it out.
Our topic for January 2021 is Fasting. Hope you will follow along Share any comments or ideas in the area below. Be sure to get in touch with us and let how know how we can help you. Subscribe to our newsletter here
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Journaling for Fitness Success We are discussing fitness this month and today we are sharing ideas on journaling your way to massive action fitness success. We believe that journaling is not just for kids! Journaling can be a powerful weapon in your get-it-done arsenal, and it’s easy to do. You can and must put all kinds of ideas in a goal journal, not just your thoughts and feelings on a given day. Journaling is just one way of tracking your actions and successes, and yes, even your setbacks and failures. It also keeps your goal right in front of you, so you keep on top of taking action steps each and every day. It keeps all your ideas and revelations in one place so you can go back and review whenever you want. For example, if you are having trouble getting inspired and motivated one day because you feel like you’ve been working hard, but making little progress, going back into your goal journal is a wonderful way to help you see that all of those little actions really are paying off in a big way. So, what should you keep in your fitness goal journal? Start with these journaling ideas and add to them as you see fit. 1. Detailed goal -- Write down your exact goal in as much detail as possible. Describe it in a way that makes you feel excited about what your life will be like when you achieve your objective. 2. Your Why -- Your WHY is the big reason why you want to reach the goal you have defined for yourself. It’s the reason you are willing to take the massive action steps needed to change your life for the better. We’ve written about clarifying your WHY here 3. Massive action plans and schedule -- When you make the plan for how you will go about reaching your goal, write it here. Writing it down is important so that you can track your efforts so you can see what actions are creating the most results. 4. Brain dumps -- A brain dump is just a list of actions that you need to take in no particular order. Sometimes all the tasks you need to take build up in your head, making you confused about where you should start and what you must do next. 5. Prioritize -- After you do a brain dump, organize the tasks into a priority list and add them to your daily and weekly to-do lists. 6. Daily to-do list -- Write out your to-do lists here so they are always handy. 7. Aha’s -- As you take massive action, you will have inspiration or aha moments when something becomes clear. Capture those ideas here so that you can refer to them later when you are ready to put them into action. 8. Journal entries -- Yes, you must actually journal. Sometimes there’s nothing better than a stream of consciousness writing to help you solve a problem or get your worries off your chest. It’s a therapeutic and inspirational way to work. I have used journaling for many years now. I journal my workouts by tracking what I do, how I feel and over time allows me to see the progress whether it be walking further or faster, lifting heavier or doing more reps for example. I use journaling to ensure I am eating well daily. I have written many times in my journal about how I am sleeping, meditating, breathing and how I feel daily. This journaling practice helps me stay on track, see my progress and definitely inspires me and motivates me to continue on my daily fitness practice and habit. How about you? Will you implement Journaling Your Way to Massive Action Fitness Success starting today? Share any ideas in the comments below. Be sure to get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you. Subscribe to our newsletter here https://mailchi.mp/d44da570a49b/newslettercontent When Change Is A Challenge As we continue to discuss fitness this month today, we are talking about change. You see, creating a good practice and habit of fitness might just be one of the things that will require you to make a change. Our fitness topic today is Change When Change Is A Challenge For Your Best Life. Change your thinking about fitness and ultimately health. Change in the thinking around this new practice in your life. Today we will share some simple tips to help you if you are ready for change. Change is a part of all our lives. How we deal with change is often a determining factor in how happy and successful we are. Sometimes we get lucky, and change is gradual or even easy. Other times, change is hard, overwhelming, or downright scary. This kind of change will have a serious impact on our lives when we embrace it. How do we do that, though? Follow these tips to find out how. Make Change Normal It would help if you changed your attitude about change in general. If you fear even the smallest change, how do you think you will react when changing is hard? Start fostering a more positive, inspired attitude towards change. Get used to embracing the easy changes in your life, so your mind is prepared for the hard ones. Bring a Friend Along If you are struggling with making a big change in your life, it can help to bring a friend (or more!) along for the ride. For example, maybe you haven't been able to change to a more healthy and fit lifestyle. You might want to see if any of your friends are also struggling with this change. Doing it together might make things easier, and you will find yourself accountable to each other. In fact, this is exactly what I did when I began my journey into fitness. I struggled with joining a gym, was at the front door of the gym three times and yet I didn’t walk inside to get my membership. Then I had a conversation with a friend, and we decided to join the gym together and that is exactly what we did. Over the next year with my friend, I was able to get in shape, and we had a blast. And it was one of the best things I did for my long-term health and fitness. Make a Plan Change is often scary because it is the unknown. You might be comfortable in your life now, and you aren't sure what happens when things change. If that sounds like you, then make a plan. Creating a plan of action to deal with a specific change will make it easier for you to make that change when the time comes. We have written about creating a plan and you can read more here: https://wendybottrell.weebly.com/blog/what-motivates-motivates
Be sure to get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you. Subscribe to our newsletter here Share any questions or comments below Get Moving Get Moving - We have been discussing fitness this month and today our message is simple. Get Moving! For Your Best Life
What have we missed on the idea of Why Is It Important To Get Moving Well For Your Best Fit Life Be sure to get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you. Subscribe to our newsletter here  We are talking about all things fitness for the month of December and today it is time to talk about why setting achievable fitness goals now for your best year in 2021. It is our intention this month to help you create a good habit and the daily practice of fitness in your day for your best life. So, think about it this way, as a rule, New Year’s resolutions are notoriously prone to failure. We all know that right? Every year, so many of us set goals for ourselves with great intention, only to find them unfulfilled when the end of December rolls around. For whatever reason, the fiery motivation and inspiration felt in January begins to wane and we fall off the wagon. Many resolutions have something to do with fitness, health and physical improvement in general. This is abundantly evident by the wave of new people flooding the gym each January and the endless television commercials pushing the latest piece of fitness equipment promising that with their product, your body transformation will be a piece of cake (no pun intended). The problem with many New Year’s resolutions, especially pertaining to fitness, is that people set goals that are either not specific enough, not sustainable or based on unrealistic expectations. Today, we are going to breakdown some of the more common mistakes regarding fitness goals that will hopefully set you on the right path to sticking to your fitness resolution this year! Baby Steps Are Okay So, you are all geared up to charge headfirst into a year full of quality workouts, clean eating and endless workout selfies on social media. You have purchased a shiny new pair of sneakers, armed yourself with new gym outfits and maybe even acquired some sleek new headphones. There is nothing wrong with any of these things but let’s hit pause for a second and talk about your plan for structuring your new workout and real organic food eating practice. Often times, the enormous amount of motivation felt when starting a fitness routine leads to attempting drastic changes to an individual’s lifestyle. People try things like being determined to go to the gym seven days per week or immediately cut out every bite of junk food from their diet. The problem with this mentality is that it is not sustainable. Any kind of change is hard; therefore, it is important that you ease into the process. Start small with your plan and go from there. For instance, make it a point to workout 2-3 times per week, and as you are in the process don’t change a thing in your eating practice right now. Fitness Requires Playing The Long Game The media makes it seem like physical transformations should be immediate and that noticeable results can be an overnight process. This notion is far from the truth. Buying into these ideas will only leave you discouraged and burnt out in a short amount of time. It is crucial that you understand that transforming your body can certainly be an enjoyable, fulfilling process, but it takes time and effort! The people that you see on magazine covers and infomercials didn’t get their physique by knocking out a few sets on whatever product they are pushing “15 minutes per day, twice a week.” Having a sound understanding of the investment required to achieve your fitness goals is a must if you plan on sticking with your resolution and avoiding the disappointment of not seeing the results you are looking for overnight. Think of fitness as a lifestyle rather than something you will do for a season. Enjoyment Promotes Consistency The biggest determining factor of your success in any goal you set for yourself, especially regarding fitness, is consistency. Without it, the workout you choose, and the eating strategy you follow don’t mean a thing. That being said, your fitness journey needs to be one that you enjoy. Human nature is inherently prone to avoiding unpleasant experiences and seeking enjoyment whenever possible. Have fun. Going to the gym and eating healthy can’t be a miserable endeavour, or you will not be consistent. Having fun while being disciplined and working hard can undoubtedly happen simultaneously! What Is Your WHY Begin with your WHY! What is your WHY to go to the gym 3-5 days a week? Why do you want to develop the habit of exercise? We wrote about finding your WHY in this blog post – http://wendybottrell.weebly.com/blog/what-motivates-motivates My WHY was I wanted to reduce my weight, have more energy, feel better and get in the best shape of my life. I have heard it said knowing your WHY is 95% of the way to success. The how following your WHY will be where you accomplish your goal and that is simply the last 5%. Will you be someone who starts moving toward your goal and is open to handling everything in the GAP between you starting and realizing your goal. The GAP will be all the challenges, issues and feelings that will come up to put you off your path if you allow them to. If you make your WHY clear enough, big enough and handle everything in the GAP you will become unstoppable. It would be great to hear from you. How are you Setting Achievable Fitness Goals In 2021? Share any ideas in the comments below. Be sure to get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you. Subscribe to our newsletter here https://mailchi.mp/d44da570a49b/newslettercontent Boost Your Well-being Today For Your Best Life We are talking fitness for this month and so you might wonder how this blog post fits with our theme. Stick with us because fitness is an impactful practice for wellbeing today and always. Physical fitness is one of the Pillars of Well-being that helps keep people healthy. Our topic today is 3 simple ways to boost your wellbeing today. "Establishing healthy habits - like eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep, and participating in regular exercise - can also go a long way to improving how you feel. Similarly, getting rid of destructive mental habits, like engaging in self-pity or ruminating on the past, can also do wonders for your emotional well-being." Amy Morin In the year 2020, you might hear more about the immune system than you ever have before. At least we hope that you are hearing this and developing good health practices each day. Before we get to the simple ways to boost your well-being today, let me ask a question. Does it seem like you’re always sick? Do you seem to miss work more than any of your coworkers? This was me many years ago. It seemed I caught a cold every September and had it until May each and every year. I missed work, social events and fun in life because I was sick. Until I learned that there are simple ways to boost your wellbeing starting today. In order to boost your immune system back to full health, you’ll take a few steps to give it the boosts it needs. 1. Get a Sufficient Amount of Sleep – The Forgotten Pillar of Wellbeing Sleep – the throwaway commodity! Lack of sleep causes many health problems. I heard Robb Wolfe say that if people just went to sleep earlier most illness would just go away. This may come as a surprise to you, but one of the easiest ways to boost your immune system health is simply by ensuring you get sufficient sleep every night. According to the Mayo Clinic, while you sleep your body produces proteins that help fight infections as well as lower your cortisol or inflammation levels. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research has found that for best immune system functionality, an adult gets at least seven full hours of sleep a night. Sleep is vital for your wellbeing. For many of us, this is something that must be focused on to improve. Making a plan or a practice of getting to bed at the same time each night is a good start. Getting to sleep by 10:30 pm is ideal. This would mean to begin getting ready, winding down the day, lowering the lights and calming/relaxing earlier than bedtime is an excellent habit to get into for your wellbeing. 2. Eat a Real Organice Food Diet As a child, your mom probably encouraged you to eat all your vegetables so you would “grow big and strong” and she was right, a balanced and healthy real organic food diet is critical for boosting your wellbeing. Some people don’t even realize that when you eat a diet high in processed, sugary foods, this has a direct effect on your level of wellbeing and immunity. Not just that, but when you reach for something sweet or salty, you’re probably skipping out on a food that would be packed full of the nutrients you want to stay healthy. Nutrition – how much thought are you putting into your eating habits? Most don’t put much in and then wonder why they are not getting good results. Eating REAL ORGANIC FOOD is always the best choice, cooking this food in your own kitchen and eat at your dining table is a good habit for your best life. The next thing is to eliminate SUGAR & PROCESSED FRANKEN foods is the easiest place to start. The easiest way to eliminate sugar and processed foods is to shop only the outer part of the grocery store. You know the real food sections of the store. For many maybe consider eliminating gluten. Dr. Tom O’Bryan states that “No human can digest gluten.” 3. Exercise When you live a mostly sedentary lifestyle and don’t get enough exercise this increases the level of the stress hormone in your blood and leads to feelings of chronic stress. Chronic stress is one of the main ways to damage your health/wellbeing and immune system long term. The easiest way to battle these high levels of cortisol in the blood is by exercising daily. The benefits of aerobic exercise and its ability to boost your overall wellbeing will go even deeper. In a study carried out by Science Direct in 2019, it was discovered that exercise had a number of positive effects on the immune system, by increasing the production of white blood cells and antibodies present, while also lowering the levels of the stress hormone found in the blood. (The Compelling Link between physical activity and the body’s defence system, David Nieman and Lauren Wentz). So instead of spending your time on the couch, engage in a good movement practice which can include everything from a walk around the block to biking, or even a dance session in the living room to your favourite music. For best results, engage in 30 minutes of moving well each and every day. You will also want to do some form of resistance exercise. Bodyweight training, yoga, flow, pilates or using dumbbells, kettlebells for example. In conclusion, boosting your immune system and ultimately your wellbeing may seem like a complicated process, yet if you simply start sleeping more, eating better, and exercising—you might find you’re feeling better than you have in years. These are 3 simple ways to boost your wellbeing today. Share any ideas and comments below. Be sure to get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you. Subscribe to our newsletter here Home Workout RevolutionAs we continue to share ideas all about fitness today topic is about a product that we have had in our exercise toolbox for a very long time. The Home Workout Revolution System - What You Need To Know. We open up our online the home workout revolution system and share with you some of the different programs and why we feel it is a valuable tool for you to use in your workouts. We feel that the follow along system will help you win with your home exericse plan. Having a supportive voice walking you through the program is motivating to say the least. That voice or we like to say coach knows exactly when you or I would be slowing down and there is a motivating word. It really does the make difference to the workout. Here is the video: The Home Workout Revolution System Link And you can go directly to the website to order The Home Workout Revolution System Here 2c19blcdzhs9-i5r2pqiq3y0fb.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=BLOG Be sure to get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you. We invite you to subscribe to our newsletter here  December is Fitness month and today we want to help you learn why to get fit for your best life. It has been over twenty-five years since I got back into a consistent fitness practice that has changed my life. You see way back then I was struggling with multiple autoimmune issues, low energy, poor eating habits and I was about 100 lbs overweight. Life was just not fun. The night I was called to the hospital because my mother had a fall and broke her hip and had to have surgery to replace her hip was a big message for me to make changes in my life. That was the night I realized without a doubt that if I didn’t begin to make changes in my life, I was going to be my mother in twenty years with huge catastrophic health issues. The next morning, I began my health and fitness journey. And there is not one day that I am not grateful for that moment. Getting and staying fit is a great way to boost your energy level. When you start exercising regularly you will notice a difference in how you feel within just a few days. Increased energy leads to more physical stamina and this helps make your daily chores more manageable. You will find that you are not as tired and that you feel better and happier for no apparent reason at all or at least this has been my experience. Being active and getting fit also benefits your concentration levels and as well as helping you to sleep better at night. If you find you don’t sleep solidly try walking for 20 minutes each day in the morning sunshine. You will find that you start sleeping more soundly. Exercise also helps to relieve stress. If you feel as though you may be suffering from anxiety or depression starting an exercise practice can really help. Exercise has another huge benefit and that is of impacting your health as you age. By making time to stay fit and healthy now you are reducing your chances of developing heart disease, Type II diabetes, obesity to name a few. Leading a healthy lifestyle as we get older helps to minimize potential bone loss that could lead to osteoporosis and arthritic conditions. In addition, you will find that you are more mobile and your joints aren’t as stiff and achy as older people who do not exercise. Here are the top reasons to get fit and healthy as you age: • Helps you maintain a good weight • Keeps your lungs and heart strong • Helps to reduce stress • Helps to prevent and fight heart disease • Helps you sleep better at night • Helps improve memory and brain function When we talk about exercise, we don’t mean you have to train for a marathon or a bodybuilding competition. Small amounts of exercise are beneficial, and this includes things like: • Taking a daily 20-minute walk (best done in the morning sun) • Taking the stairs instead of the elevator • Walking to the corner store • Parking your car further away from the mall entrance • Getting off the bus one stop early and walking home Some great exercises for beginners include: • Walking • Resistance Exercise/Bodyweight Training - We use and recommend The Home Workout Revolution System as a part of any fitness practice. Ideal for home workouts whether you are a beginner all the way to those with advanced training experience. The follow-along videos make this program what we feel is the best part. Learn how to exercise and get fit while you follow along and do the sessions. Check it out and let us know if you have any questions - http://go.earlytorise.net/SH1X • Biking • Swimming including taking aquafit classes • Dancing • Yoga What ways have you found to stay fit? Share your successes in the comments area below! Be sure to get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you. Subscribe to our newsletter here Walk More Each Day For Your Best Life Fitness is the topic of the month to help you to begin to create a solid practice with good momentum for the New Year. We know that most who create a fitness goal for January 1ST fail because they haven’t created a big enough why and when they don’t see results within a few weeks quit. So, let’s talk about how to easily incorporate more walking into your day for your best life. Walking is one of my most favourite fitness activities. I have walked over 3 Million steps in one year and taken a photo every day that I shared on social media for my accountability. It was a great experience for my mind, body and soul. "Walking gets the feet moving, the blood moving, the mind moving. And movement is life." - Carrie Latet Walking has helped me get outside every day, move well, reduce stress and think through complex life and business issues in my life. Getting out in the morning helped me feel accomplished in my day because I had reached a goal before I even began my work. I had the opportunity to connect with people in my neighbourhood for a quick hello or a nice chat. Over time I have used my walk as a learning experience by listening to a podcast. I enjoy both ideas of taking some time to be disconnected as well as the time where I have connected to learn. "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." --John Muir What I learned most about getting outdoors for a daily walk is that movement matters for the mind, body and spirit. As human beings, we are not meant to live inactive lives. It feels amazing to get outside and walk. So, if you have been wanting to get all the health benefits from walking and yet struggling to find a way to add more healthy movement into your day, we can help! If you are looking for support to help you achieve your walking and fitness goals with a good solid plan first figure out Your WHY. Then take action. Here are some super easy tips that will help you walk more each and every day. Walk Instead of Drive A simple way to get in a few more steps each day is to walk places that are within a reasonable walking distance. Sure, if you are getting a week’s worth of groceries, walking back from the store isn’t convenient. But if you are running an errand that is a 10-minute walk from your house, why drive? Consider all the places you drive to that you could easily walk to. This might be picking your kids up from school, dropping your dog off at the groomer, dropping a book off at the library, or going to Starbucks for a quick cup of coffee. There are probably many missed walking opportunities in your regular schedule. Take The Dogs on Longer Walks Many people with dogs often just let them out in their backyard to go potty and get some sunshine, but walks are important for them and for you! Most dogs love going on walks, whether it is a light stroll once a day, or you take them to the park for longer walks. Consider going at least 1-2 times a day where you don’t just let your dog out to potty but use that as an opportunity for a longer walk. Take a different route in your neighbourhood, or head somewhere quiet that you know dogs are allowed. Get Your Family Involved A super-easy way to walk more without thinking much about it is to involve your family in the new routine. If you are the kind of person that likes the support of others then walking is so much easier to do when you aren’t going alone and only have yourself to rely on when it comes to motivation. Maybe your partner or spouse wants to go in the evenings, or your kids want to walk with you over the weekend. Grab some friends on your lunch break at work to walk for a few minutes after eating lunch. Start a New Morning or Nighttime Program When you are working on improving your morning or nighttime routine, you can easily add a short walk to it, and it becomes its own form of self-care. This makes it easier to add to your schedule, and since it is part of your routine, you don’t even really have to think about it. It becomes such an easy way to get more walking in. If you are beginning a walking program you might find it easier and less stressful to use time as your walking guide. What I mean is begin with a 15-minute daily walk and then increase your time each week. This will help you accomplish your goal each day while not overdoing it as you begin, and you will see progress over your first few weeks. As you progress from a beginner and have your walking program installed in your life as a solid habit you can add using a pedometer or fitness tracker that will tell you how much you are walking each day and month. We know these tips work because we have used most of them to help us in walking over 3 million steps in a year. Did we miss anything? Share any ideas in the comments below. Be sure to get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you. Subscribe to our newsletter here Exercise Is Cool It is Fitness month and today we are sharing ideas on Why Exercise is Cool – Quality of Life and Independence. Have you ever considered why exercise is cool or do you tell yourself that you don't enjoy it? Today I want to share why exercise is cool and how exercise improves your quality of life and independence! A few days ago I wrote about the Why Is Exercise Essential For Great Health and Your Best Life! If you want to get a refresher here is the link for you to read more here Here is what I mean. Exercise has been a part of the human experience since the beginning of time. As hunter and gatherers exercise was a part of survival. Squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling, bending, twisting, walking, jogging and full-out running was a part of everyday life if these people wanted to survive. Today as humans in our modern, hectic life we must do the same basic movement patterns for our survival however because of our lack of practice or daily exercise in these natural movement’s life has become a challenge for so many people. We are living in a time of Diseases of Ageing, weight issues, health issues, lack of energy, stiff, painful bodies that are not allowing us to live life the way it was meant to be lived. Below are some examples of how we perform these basics movements in modern time: Squat - Each time we sit or go to the washroom we squat. Now I have seen firsthand what happens, how challenging life is when this very simple activity can not be performed! Quality of life is reduced. Independence for that individual is no longer. If a person can not sit on the toilet they simply are not independent. Lunge - When a person is not able to lunge a fall can happen to result in broken bones, mostly hips. Now I know you are thinking of falling is for old people. Not true today. The lunge is also a big movement in sports. Push - We push each time we are in the grocery store or push a baby stroller for example. Other examples of pushing might be putting the plug into the socket, closing a door or cupboard, cutting veggies for dinner, or even brushing your hair. Pull - We pull in many household and daily activities and in sports. Pulling the vacuum, pulling a door open, pulling a cupboard door, pulling on a pair of pants, for example. Bending - Bending is an everyday event. Picking up the kids, the groceries, packages. You name it we bend to do it. If bending is not done properly again injury can happen. Twisting - Twisting is a part of many other movements and if we are not able to incorporate it this is when an injury occurs. It seems that most injuries happen when twisting and bending are combined. Walking, Jogging, Running - If we lack balance the movements of walking can result in falls which result in injury. Today we know that fewer people jog, and even less today would run or sprint. All of which require balance. Again, so vital for quality of life and independence. So exercise and good movement practices are essential for our quality of life and independence. Why exercise is a cool example workout! So how do we practice these movements? By creating a plan and doing it every day. The fitness plan can be as simple as learning these basics movements for example: Do this program for 3 sets, use a timer and do 40 seconds of exercise, and 20 seconds of rest. Go through this circuit 3 times • Start with learning the basics of doing Push-ups for 40 seconds • Start with learning the basics of the Lunge (weak leg first) for 40 seconds • Learn the basics of an Inverted row (can use the dining room table) 40 seconds • Burpees 30 seconds, So why exercise is cool is because our quality of life is improved through daily practice. Independence can be achieved through the practice of these movements on a day-to-day basis. This is what I teach my clients. Exercise is about the immediate benefits, better thinking, better digestion, reduced stress, healthier cardiovascular system, better sleep to name a few. Yet more important than those amazing benefits that for most would be enough to develop an exercise practice is the long-term benefits of quality of life and independence. For me, this topic is of very personal importance. I watched my mother at a young age (early '50s) begin to struggle with all these movements. As she was not able to do these movements her quality of life and her independence were affected for the remainder of her life. This is why exercise is cool for me. Quality of life and independence. Your turn! What is Your WHY to make exercise is cool in your life? Share your style of exercise that is helping you create a long-term plan for quality of life and independence? Share any comments below. Get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you. Be sure to stay in touch with us by filling in your name and best email: https://mailchi.mp/d44da570a49b/newslettercontent Hit Your Fitness Goals Easily As we share ideas for your best fitness life today, we wanted to write about How to hit the bullseye easily for your fitness goals. Now you may wonder what a bullseye has to do with fitness. Let me explain. My favourite sports to play are ice hockey, basketball, and tennis. I have played all of them for years; in fact, I have played all 3 sports since I was a kid. When I think of these sports I do think of a bullseye. Because these sports are about putting an object into a net or placing a ball precisely in a certain area of the court! In playing these sports one must hit the bullseye regularly to play well. This idea of thinking of fitness as a bullseye came to me a while ago when I went over to shoot some hoops at the neighbourhood courts. Now, the goal of basketball is to get the ball into the basket! From the Free Throw Line, it is 15 feet to the basket! I hadn’t played basketball in many years, and it was soon obvious that my skills were not at the same level as when I played the game competitively. Frustration clearly was setting in. I was missing every shot from the free-throw line. It was not fun. Check out what I did to change this quickly and easily: How did I hit the bullseye? •I moved way closer to the net - right under the net, in fact •I practiced the skill of shooting from this position and the ball began to go in the net easily •I began to feel what I was doing correctly each time the ball went in the net •It was beginning to feel natural again •I was having fun again •And I had success •I was averaging 8 shots out of 10! I then took a step back and began again. The same idea of practicing the skill of shooting only from a step back further from the net. It was the same result. More balls began going into the net. So, what does this have to do with Health/Fitness and Your goals? Everything! How many times do we set goals to exercise, reduce our weight, eat better, get more sleep, drink more water and quit before we have our desired success because it is too difficult, not fun? Maybe if we began to see the bullseye from a much closer distance and practice the skill before we move on, we would feel better about the success we have, and we would have more success, or we like to call it WINS. And maybe that success/WINS would make us an expert at that closer distance so we could move back a few inches and be willing to begin again to create more success and WINS with our practice, maybe even allow ourselves to have bigger successes and more permanent WINS. What can you do today to move closer to the bullseye? Example of moving closer for success – Getting outdoors for a Walk: •Rather than setting the goal of getting out to walk 10 miles if you haven't been active in a long time •Move closer to the bullseye by committing to show up ready to walk – put your sneakers on and get outside. I’ve heard it said many times that 80% of success is simply showing up. Show up as ready to walk. •You will have success by increasing your walking distance if you simply show up and take the first step. •Once you become an expert on putting your sneakers on and getting outside, then those first steps are your WIN and now you can go your first ¼ mile, then the ½ mile and so on. It is the practice of showing up every day and hitting that bullseye of walking, that is the success in it •You will now be in the habit and practice of walking and you are on your way to becoming an expert in the area of walking for your fitness goals. As you continue to get outdoors and practice walking daily you might even begin to notice how much stronger you are becoming. You might begin to enjoy walking. You may notice how you feel as you are putting on your shoes, maybe a bit excited to get outdoors and move well. Notice how you feel after a few steps. Notice how you feel if you don’t show up for your walking/fitness practice. This is when you become aware that you have hit your bullseye with your walking/fitness practice. Then your goal might be to go further, take on a more difficult and challenging route. Hike the trails. Have you ever tried to move closer to the bullseye for your fitness success? What is one thing you can do today where simply by moving closer to the fitness bullseye you will create that fitness success for you? Share any ideas below! Be sure to get in touch with us if we can help you. Subscribe to our newsletter here I CAN Challenge As we continue to discuss fitness this month today I wanted to take some time to discuss the idea of helping to reframe and learn how to turn your I can’t into I can to see what changes for you. You see during my time in sales one of my mentors gave me the idea of I Can. Actually, what he gave me was a card with a photo of an eye and a can. This was meant to be a reminder for me to always know that I CAN no matter what. I have never forgotten that lesson. This got me thinking about myself, my clients and how we forget that we can do anything if we put our minds to it. I think mostly it is a bad habit of forgetting how capable we are. I had a young client who was morbidly obese when we started working together. He had seen many different types of health and fitness coaches and yet I was the only one that helped him achieve his health, fitness and weight loss goals. One of the reasons for this is I helped him realize what he was capable of. I helped him turn those I CAN'T beliefs into powerful I CAN beliefs. You can do the same. Now is the time to begin the I CAN Intention challenge! Have you made any goals for your health and fitness for the New Year? Maybe you have had the same health and fitness goals for years. Are you willing to resurrect those long-standing health and fitness goals now with your own I CAN challenge? Do you want to turn some of your I can't thoughts and beliefs around for next year into your most powerful I CAN, I Will, I Must! And see what changes for you in your life! Ideas to help you get started with your I CAN Challenge! • Consciously Re-Frame your beliefs! Be aware of where you are telling yourself Take the I can't and Re-Frame it to I Can! Imagine if it is that simple because it is that simple • Set a 30-day Intention of I Can. What will the new I CAN belief be for you? • Write down your action steps - What will you do to begin to achieve your health and fitness goals over the next 30 days? • Take action now for your I CAN success • Journal your results to see what works for you, how you are feeling and thinking about your process and how you are able to turn your I Can't into I Can! “You are today where your thoughts have brought you and you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you” James Allen Here Are Some I Can Quotes To Remind Of How It Is Possible For You To Achieve Your Health and Fitness Goals • I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. Jimmy Dean • Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me. Carol Burnett • I can, therefore I am. Simone Weil • I can accept failure; everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying. Michael Jordan • I do the very best I know how - the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end. Abraham Lincoln Your turn. How will you turn your I CAN’T into an I CAN and achieve your best health and fitness goals this year? Share any ideas in the comments below. Be sure to get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you. Subscribe to our newsletter here Do Not Sabotage Your Fitness Lifestyle How is your fitness going this month? Are you getting out for a walk, lifting weights, practicing yoga? Well, as we continue to share ideas on fitness this month today our topic is Sabotage Your Fitness Lifestyle No More With These Simple 10 Tips.
I have been working out, playing sports for most of my life. Yet in my twenties when I began the journey to get fit and reduce my weight, I had no idea how to do that in a gym. In fact, I was petrified to walk into a gym to get a membership. It took me months to do that. At that time, I needed and wanted some exercise tips so I would succeed. This made the process easy for me. Learning those exercise tips allowed me to find a way to exercise that has made a difference for me and my health for the past 30 years. Did you know that "Leading an inactive life increases your risk of heart disease as much as if you smoked a pack of cigarettes a day, according to Dr. Rippe." Here are some helpful ideas for you so you stop the sabotage of your fitness • Begin with your WHY! What is your WHY to go to the gym 3-5 days a week? Why do you want to develop the habit of exercise? We wrote about finding your WHY in this blog post - wendybottrell.weebly.com/blog/what-motivates-motivates My WHY was I wanted to reduce my weight and get in shape. I have heard it said knowing your WHY is 95% of the way to success. The how following your WHY will be where you accomplish your goal and that is simply the last 5%. Will you be someone who starts moving toward your goal and is open to handing everything in the GAP between you starting and realizing your goal. The GAP will be all the challenges, issues and feelings that will come up to put you off your path if you allow them to. If you make your WHY clear enough, big enough and handle everything in the GAP you will become unstoppable. • Workout with a friend. As I said I joined the gym with a friend and we met at the same time, on the same days to do the same exercises for the first 8 weeks. We were consistent. We had each other for support and encouragement. This helped up both with the challenges of the GAP. Find a friend to do the same for you and with you. • The goals we set when we started working out together was to show up at the gym 4-5 days per week. It was really that simple. • We were put on a program where we spent some time either running or on a stationary bike - 20 minutes, then we did a complete bodyweight training program for about another 45 minutes. Find an exercise program that you will follow. If you plan on exercising at home, we recommend The Home Workout Revolution – a follow along at home video workout program that is perfect for the beginner. As you progress with your training you will find more advanced training programs with the Home Workout Revolution System – this program is in our fitness toolbox. You can check it out here: http://go.earlytorise.net/SH1X (affiliate link) • Now you don't have to go to a gym to have success with exercise. Learning a few basic exercises will take you a very long way to improving your health and fitness. Decide where will you do your exercise program? Home, gym? If you decide to exercise at home, we recommend the Home Workout Revolution System - http://go.earlytorise.net/SH1X • Find a way to enjoy what you are going to commit to your exercise program. It is vital that you find a way to develop a positive strength and fitness habit in your life. Whether you do bodyweight exercises, weight training, walk hills, enjoy the activity. Your mindset toward how you feel matters. • I find that my exercise timing is best in the afternoon. It is the time I enjoy the most, I get the most accomplished. Experiment with the timing of your training. Are you a morning person? Maybe you want to take time out of your stressful day and exercise during your lunchtime. Or maybe like me the best time for you is after your day at work where you can take the time to decompress from the day and train at the gym or home. • Be sure you take the time to learn the proper way to exercise. This will take you a long way in getting the results you want without injury. Be sure to ask for help either by hiring a personal trainer to guide you or by asking the staff at the gym if you have questions to help you. Either way, learn the proper technique for your training program. • An exercise program is not a quick fix for what ails you. It is a lifestyle. Exercise and fitness are a lifetime wellness practice for you to live your best life. I teach my clients that they are not working out for today, they are working out today so they will be able to work out well into the future. Stay independent and have a quality of life. • Make Exercise Fun - no matter what you choose to do to get fit have fun with it! Today I have shared exercise tips that will help you move forward to have success in exercise and not sabotage yourself. For me exercise has been a very empowering activity. These very tips I have shared were given to me over the last almost 40 years. They have helped me stay on track even on those days when my workouts were the last thing I wanted to do. My WHY has helped me move through the GAP between starting and realizing my goals each and every time. What has exercise done for me? I feel exercise changed my life. No matter what has happened in my life, illness, stress, exercise has been a constant. No matter if I go for a walk or lift weight exercise has been a time where I connected mind to body. I am strong, fit, mobile and flexible. I’ve had a lot of fun with my training or some of the adventures taken because I am physically and mentally able to. I’ve made a career in this field. These tips have helped me with it the habit of exercise. Do you exercise consistently? What is holding you back from starting a program? Get a friend, be consistent, find a program that you will follow, decide if you want to go to the gym or train at home, bodyweight or weights, learn proper form, know your why, know it will be a lifestyle program for independence, strength, and quality of life. Hope you found some value in these exercise tips? Share how you will begin or stick with your program below in the comments. If you have any questions or if we can help you get in touch with us.  We are writing and sharing ideas about fitness this month and today’s topic is Why Is Exercise Essential For Great Health and Your Best Life! Do you exercise? Either way, let’s dive in with today’s topic. There are many articles written every day about using exercise for better health. And some even discuss using exercise/moving well as medicine. Now, what the heck does that mean, right? Well here is what I have felt and now continue to learn, exercise, fitness, will transform your health and as David Katz, MD says “Lifestyle is Medicine.” Now in my mind, that is powerful! And exercise can no longer an action that is postponed to some future date. You must take action to transform your health, your fitness, your life and today is the perfect time to begin. We really need to get up and get moving well to have a positive healthy and fit lifestyle. Here is what I have learned so far about why exercise is so vital for your health and best life • exercise reduces stress (the topic of stress comes up every day, and especially now as we live through this global pandemic, so stress is a big deal) • if you are not participating in exercise/movement right now, begin a program as an experiment to see for yourself how much better you can feel • exercise makes a difference for a healthy heart • the fitter you are the less plaque you will grow, the healthier you will remain • exercise is the first of the 6 pillars of wellness according to David Katz, MD • physical activity affects longevity • physical activity affects the quality of life • anyone can exercise anywhere (short bursts of exercise) even if you are living is a small space • “if a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer increases her exercise activity she decreases her risk of death by 45%” Lisa Alschuler, ND Exercise As Love Loving your body and engaging in a regular exercise work-out plan is always a fool-proof way to a healthier you. Physical fitness is your body’s ability to do tasks and leisure activities. It is your body’s capacity to withstand stress, endure and perform certain tasks under certain circumstances. Exercise talks about an over-all focus on the body – the heart, the lungs, the muscles, and the other organs of the body. Your body’s fitness is dependent on your physical limitations and capacities as well as your lifestyle – the life-affirming real organic food you eat and your daily habits as well as your daily practices. Here’s a backgrounder on the different components of exercise. • There’s endurance, the body’s ability to sustain oxygen and nutrients to tissues over a sustained period of time. • Strength, on the other hand, is the ability of the muscle to exert force for a period of time. • Flexibility is the ability to move joints and use muscles in a wide range of activities and movements. Swimming, walking, running, bicycling and jogging are some of the activities that can build endurance while push-ups and weight lifting are good for building muscle strength. Your workout must include activities that focus on and develop these components. Remember to have a warm-up before starting your work-out. A warm-up conditions and prepares the muscles for the more rigorous activities of your work-out plan. At the same time end your work-out with a cool down, a moment wherein the muscles are given time to relax after a heavy work-out session. Remember not to overdo your exercise. A daily walk may sound good, but a daily session of push-ups may do more harm than good to your muscles if you out of fitness and exercise practice. Space your physical activities such that the body is used to a variety of physical activities, ranging from the simple to the more complex, from cardiovascular exercises to strength exercises. Two to three work-out sessions for a week is a good way to start. As you progress in your activities, you can now increase the frequency or duration of your exercises. (The Home Workout Revolution is the program we suggest and use ourselves - http://go.earlytorise.net/SH1X ) Of course, keeping fit and staying fit means listening to your body. Allow your body to adjust to each change in routine and exercises. If you’re experiencing cramps, dizziness or prolonged weakness, stop your work-out and consult a doctor. And most of all, never be discouraged. Take note, achieving the health you want is not an overnight miracle. A physically fit body means lesser chances of acquiring lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease. It also spells a more active and alert mind, improved ability to cope with stress and more reserved energy for your daily activities. And let’s not forget a more confident YOU! How do you see exercise for great health? Have you been able to implement an exercise program for your great health and best life? Share your best exercise and fitness practice below! Be sure to get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you Subscribe to our newsletter here Walking Benefits For Your Best Fit Life This month we are writing and sharing ideas to help you with fitness and today we will share some ideas on how walking benefits your health and fitness. We want to share the idea of using a simple thing like going for a walk to help you begin to improve not only your fitness but your overall wellbeing. "It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable." -Socrates One of the important ideas is to begin where you are. We wrote yesterday about finding and clarifying your WHY. If fitness has not been a part of life for you in a while that is perfectly fine and you will want to start your fitness practice there. If that means simply putting on your shoes and standing outside for a few minutes for the first day or so that is great. Don’t stop there though. Do a bit more each day. Take a few steps and then a few more. Here is why we suggest that. We believe from our experience of getting outdoors for a walk almost every day for the past 4 years in all different kinds of weather, that walking has tremendous fitness benefits. Who We AreYou see, there are a lot of good reasons to go for a walk. • It’s fun, • No special equipment required • it’s relaxing, and • most important it’s good for your health and fitness. OK, that is good however you might be asking at this point what exactly are the health and fitness benefits of walking? It is our intention in this post to help you realize that heading out for a walk each day is a great idea and that it motivates you to stick to your walking schedule so you can begin to see the benefits. Walking Gets You Outside In The Fresh Air and Sunshine The best part of getting outdoors for a walk for me is the fresh air and sunshine and yet I feel it is important to get outdoors in all kinds of weather. So, no matter how fast or slow you walk, walking gets you outside and in the fresh air. This alone will make you feel better as your body absorbs the oxygen and sunshine. Both are important for your fitness, health and well-being. You will find the air quality outside, particularly if you go for a walk in a forest or even in a park, will be much better than the air inside your house. Of course, the sunshine outside will help your body produce all the Vitamin D it needs. Walking Can Help You Get To And Maintain A Healthy Weight Walking particularly at a quick pace and doing it regularly can help you get to and then maintain a healthy weight. Yes, you still need to watch what you eat and aim for a healthy diet, but walking is simply another tool to help you move well and get fit. The nice thing about walking when you’re overweight is that you burn a lot of calories, even on short and slow walks, simply because you’re carrying so much weight around with you. As you start to reduce the weight, your overall strength and endurance increase, allowing you to walk longer, further, and faster. Walking Improves Your Sense Of Balance And Coordination As you walk, particularly when walking over rougher terrain, you’re also working on your sense of balance and coordination. Just getting in the habit of going for a daily walk will help. We have found that getting out on the hiking trails has been a huge benefit to our balance and coordination. Moving well over all different kinds of terrain, up and down hills, tree branches and rocks is not only challenging it is also beneficial. As you improve your walking this is a great way to gain even more fitness benefits. Walking Strengthens Your Bones and Muscles Even though walking is a low-impact form of exercise it helps to strengthen and tone your body. If you’re a beginner, it is all you need to start to get into better shape. As you get more fit, consider adding weightlifting exercises in addition to your daily walks to continue to get stronger and fitter. Another idea is once you see your fitness improve is to add a knapsack with a bit of weight in it. I do this when I get out on the hiking trails. Walking 10 km with a pack on my back just adds a bit more of a challenge and fun. Walking Outdoors Will Help Connect Mind and Body Finally, the exercise of walking will help connect the mind and body. Getting out walking can be a perfect place to practice slow walking meditation. The practice is not only great to enjoy the slow pace of being outdoors whether it be on the trails, in a park or maybe your own neighbourhood offers the feel of nature, but it also helps you connect easily by breathing in for the count of 4 steps, hold your breath for the count of 4 steps and breathe out for the count of 4 steps. If you are already outdoors walking, you may have a much easier time to allow yourself to get in touch with the pace of nature and enjoy the tremendous feeling of connecting with your breath. We understand now more than ever before the positive and lasting influences that being outdoors in nature can have on how we feel and what we think. What you see, hear, smell, and sense is continually changing your mood as well as physical responses in your body that regulate hormones, nervous system activity, and much more. And natural elements and spending time outdoors is an excellent way to restore balance to your mind and body, which can enhance your fitness and well-being. Give it a try. The next time you’re feeling tired or are in a bad mood, lace up your sneakers and go for a brisk walk. It works like a charm. At least this has been our experience over the past 4 years. Walking has many health benefits, time to share any in the comments below. Be sure to get in touch with us if we can help you. Subscribe to our newsletter here Fitness Month For Your Best Life Today we begin to share ideas to help you prepare now for the New Year with a month of fitness habits and practices so you will begin taking action now for your 2021 health and fitness goals. We do know that beginning can be a challenge and it is important to know your Why. We know today without a doubt that exercise is good for the body, mind and spirit. Getting and staying fit helps the body and mind get and stay strong for a lifetime. We know that it is worth the effort to find your WHY and begin to move well each and every day. “Only by using the body, you can keep it well.” - Sadhguru and “The more you use it the better it gets.” – Sadhguru One of the most effective ways to achieve your fitness goals is to know your WHY! It really does start here, and it really is that SIMPLE! And sometimes if it sounds simple, we make it hard and unachievable! Why do you want to gain your health/fitness? What drives you to succeed at this goal? How will it feel for you to achieve better health/fitness? Write this down and really feel it! See it in your mind how it will feel once you achieve your desired health and fitness goals. Once you do that then gain the knowledge you need to have success with this goal and find the support from people who are around you or find NEW people to support you. I must tell you I enjoy many different ways to exercise and lift weights. I have for years now, however there was a time when I was afraid to walk into a gym to get a membership. You see, I was about 100 pounds overweight, felt horrible most of the time and it felt like I didn’t fit in going to the gym. Crazy, right? And yet when I finally did step into the gym and began the journey of lifting weights I was hooked. Sadhguru went on to say – “One of the simplest things about health is just to use the body.” And – “If you sufficiently use the body, the body has everything to create health for itself.” So, when you’re exercising and lifting weights, there are many different important factors that will impact on the outcome of your training. There’s the program you pick, there’s your dedication to the training practice/habit and there’s the amount of time you dedicate to it. Yet as we wrote earlier in this post the most important is WHY do you want to begin to get fit? And, one of the most important factors of all and something that often gets overlooked, is the importance of your thoughts and mindset about your fitness. There are many reasons why how we think is critical in achieving your desired outcomes, check it out as we begin Fitness Month. Don’t’ Make Your Fitness A Chore Often you hear people talking about training as though it were a challenge or a chore. They talk about how crucial it is to have the ‘will’ to train and to force yourself out of the bed every day, even when you don’t want to. They talk about ‘no pain, no gain’ and ‘eye of the tiger’. And that’s all good and well – drive will certainly help you to get to the workout and commit to your training program. But you know what’s even better? 𝐓𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐨𝐮𝐭. To find ways to move your body that brings you complete joy. Whether it be lifting weights, kettlebells, bodyweight, yoga, Pilates or a martial art. We believe this is how all the most successful athletes feel. This is how Arnold Schwarzenegger describes feeling. This is what gives you unstoppable inspiration/motivation and drive to achieve your health/fitness goals. If you’re going to reach this point, then that means you must understand why it is you’re training and what it is that really appeals to you about the idea of working out. That means you must a vision and a goal, and you need to be able to feel completely inspired/motivated by that ideal. Lifting More - Moving Well - Moving Often This same drive and determination is also what’s going to make your actual workouts all the more effective. That’s because you’ll be able to dig deep to find that part of you that’s capable of lifting more, running further and achieving all that you want out of your training. And to do this, you need to once again be able to tap into the reason for your training and to remember why it’s worth so much to you. My WHY has kept me at my training now consistently for over 25 years. MY WHY has kept me on track to see huge improvements to my health and fitness in fact, in my first year at the gym my weight dropped by 100 lbs. And today at 61-years old I am in better health and better shape today than when I was in my teens. My WHY has created a health and fitness career that has lasted over 25 years now and I am still as passionate today as when I started. It really does start with your vision and your WHY. This isn’t just a pep talk: it changes the entire way your central nervous system works. When something really matters to you, your body will do more… and all these things will combine together in order to give you more focus and more drive when you’re training. So, wrapping up what is Your WHY? What kind of movement do you enjoy? If you are just beginning or have a desire to make change in your health and fitness for 2021 it might be as simple as creating your WHY and get out to start a walking practice. Maybe you have had a desire to find a program to lift weights and are a bit intimidated like I was when I began so many years ago. A bodyweight program might be the perfect starting place for you. We will cover all of this and more over the next few weeks. e do look forward to hearing how we can help you begin the practice and habit of fitness this month. Get in touch with us if you have questions and if we can help. Subscribe to our newsletter here |
Wendy BottrellWe have outsourced our lifestyle for way too long! 
 
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