Exercise Increases Your Metabolism!  You can tell this immediately for yourself!  Your heart beats faster, and your breath comes more quickly. Your cheeks flush and you can certainly feel your metabolism jump into overdrive. But, do you know that after you’ve stopped your exercise your metabolism continues to run faster? Continuing to exercise each day will keep your metabolism turned up; that means feeling more peppy, and you can really imagine a little furnace just burning up all of those calories in your body all through the day and night!

Exercise Increases Endorphins!  Endorphins are those excellent little body chemicals that can help to make you feel happy and optimistic!  People who do aerobics, running, and other cardiovascular exercise that kicks up their endorphin levels call it an endorphin rush, and many rate that rush to be the thing that helps to keep them motivated and on the move. It’s worth giving it a try!

There are so Many Ways to Exercise! It would be nearly impossible that there is no form of exercise that you would like; and no way to become bored. There are the aforementioned aerobics classes where you can lose pounds and inches and find friends.  Yoga classes are popular to tone mind and body; kung fu, karate, and tai chi are also disciplines that could work for you; and we haven’t even mentioned dance!  Ballet, belly, folk, jazz and modern; you can do these individually or grab your partner for jitterbugging, tangoing, square dancing, ballroom, boot scooting  fun.  Or why be so formal?  Just get out on that dance floor and groove to whatever music is playing!

Exercise Increases Energy!  You might have been wondering how a person, exercises and dances her way through a busy day and manages to get dinner (healthy and low fat, of course) on the table on time?  Increased energy is the answer!  Not only energy to help you through your busy day, but we are talking increased mental focus, improved self-esteem, and a newer, heightened sense of control also help you in your daily life! It takes energy and stamina to be this happy; it’s being depressed and low that doesn’t take pep, but who wants that?

Exercise Increases your Social Life!  There’s nothing like a room of sweating, grunting women for forming friendships!  Not only friendship, but a support group with similar interests and goals that can really understand what you’re about because they are about that, too! You could find women with children near your kids’ age, with similar outside interests as yours, such as liking the same kind of films you do, or having the same political philosophy.  Instant friends! Instant walking buddies, coffee buddies, instant emergency babysitters!

So, are you ready to give it a try?  These wonderful ways to motivate yourself can not only change your dress size, but could motivate you to change so many things in your life for the better!

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The first item on the agenda is having everyone in the family on board.  Announce the date dieting and getting fit is to begin.  Of course, you may have a family member or two that shy away from this little project. They will at least have to eat what the rest of the family eats, and hopefully can be motivated to join the fun.

Perhaps the family should create a name and a theme for this new way of life. How about something like “The Pirate Family Jones Sets Sail for Bikini Island” or “Team Smith Sacks the Calories”?

Some lifestyle changes also have to happen. It must be an absolute rule that no eating of any kind happens away from the table.  It is a fact that people who eat at a table and away from TV or other distractions will consume fewer calories. 

Speaking of munchies, all those empty-calorie and sugar-laden eats are definitely out of bounds in your house.  No sticking them up in high cupboards for the duration; they are gone! There should always be a big, fresh bunch of veggies on hand.  Rice cakes, apples, and plain popcorn can help soothe the crunchy yearnings. Fruit, fresh or canned, will help with wanting something sweet.  In fact, summer is a really good time to put on a family diet because of the abundance of fresh fruit, which is tasty anytime.  Buy and chill a family-size watermelon, cut it up, and have seed-spitting contests.  Summer is also a good time because the weather is warm and the sun is up later so all kinds of fun exercising can take place.  Can’t bat another ball or sprint another inch?  Have mom and dad dig out their goofiest old-fashioned music and have a family sock-hop! A rousing game of take-no-prisoners charades can be a great aerobic exercise!

Now we must discuss the black sheep of this pudgy flock.  Nearly every family harbors one of them.  We are speaking of the family member who is…skinny.  Who knows where they came from and how they got here; they just don’t or can’t gain weight no matter how many chocolates and yummies they eat.  These family members can be very helpful during this Family Quest.  They can help by not being smug, for one thing.  They can help with salad preparation, thinking up new taste treats for the family and dishing out the occasional frozen yogurt or other frozen low calorie treat. They can spritz or drizzle the salad dressing, apportion the chocolate rice cakes with chocolate chips, in short, do the portion control that the rest of the family cannot.  The skinny one can also tell jokes and do comical dances to keep the family’s morale up, and to not take it personally when someone throws a slipper at them.

So there you have it.  Do your dieting as a Family Quest and it won’t be just deprivation.  Have fun with it and encourage everyone else.  Perhaps some good new lifestyle changes will become the norm at your house, and your collective waist can feel the difference.  The most important thing is you are a family, and that you share life together.

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In other words, kids got a bunch of exercise because there really wasn’t much else to do.  The combination of outside stimuli and frenetic childhood energy just naturally had kids whooping and hollering until that first streetlight came on and it was time to come in.

Nobody had to tell us that the outdoors was fun; but for a multitude of reasons modern children haven’t gotten that message.  How, then, can today’s parents motivate their children to exercise?

The time to start your children exercising is before they can walk!  Put them on your back and show them you enjoy the outdoors; point out birds and cats and other interesting features of the neighborhood. Whistle and hop a little bit (babies like hopping) and give them the fun feeling of a body in motion and the idea that being outside is a fun place to be.  When they begin to walk, take them out to practice. If you have a bike, put them on the back for fun rides.  As the child gets older, supply them with some fun stuff to do.  This doesn’t have to be expensive; a tire hanging from a tree could suffice.  Also important is to furnish them with a nice, welcoming lawn, if possible.

Make exercising a fun family activity!  Start early by trooping the whole family out for a walk around the block for no reason except it’s nice to walk.  Be silly and sing at the top of your voice if you want (soon your children will be mortified if you do so, so take advantage now). Go hiking, swimming, and kicking around whatever nature is near to you.

Speaking of nature, while teaching your kids that the outside is not radioactive is also a good time to teach, or to let them discover, that nature is to be protected and respected.

Encourage any aspect of the outdoors they might be interested in, be it fuzzy caterpillars, birds, or animal tracks. This will also encourage them to be out and active.

Sports are another fine way to encourage exercise. Have family or neighborhood softball or whiffleball games.  Take your kid out to have a catch. Go to school games to encourage your child to strive, if that is his nature.  Even if your kid is a born spectator, that’s all right; he’s outside, jumping up and down, and yelling for his team.   

Perhaps you have noticed my drift, which is: it’s hard to get your kids up and motivated about exercise if you’re not.  Sitting on the couch and telling them to go out in the fresh air and run around may not sound as if you really mean it. If all of a sudden you decide that your kids are not fit enough and need to exercise, it will probably sound like one of mom or dad’s wild hairs that will go away in time if ignored long enough.

Taking your kids out and kicking around outside not only tells the kids that you like the outside and exercise, it tells them that you like them too, and that spending time with them is something you enjoy.

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Perhaps because the idea of a personal trainer is a relatively new concept, it might be thought of as an extravagance. But is it?

Let’s look in your closet for just a minute.  Just as with most of us, there are several outfits that are a size or two too small.  You bought them in the anticipation of losing ten or so more pounds; bought for the summer, bought in anticipation of a big event a few months away; put bluntly, you haven’t worn them yet.  Many of us have wardrobes that consist of several different sizes; to put it bluntly, you are storing clothes you paid very good money for that are doing you absolutely no good.  Grab your calculator and tell the truth now; how much money is being wasted?

As your mother is probably fond of saying these days, none of us are getting any younger.  The stark truth is that today is the day that you can be making a big difference in your future health.  Diabetes and heart disease are two diseases that you can avoid or mitigate by your own actions right now, with your choices regarding diet and exercise.  You don’t need your calculator to realize what a price you would pay, should you not take your health seriously today.

Taking your health into consideration right now, it is common knowledge that out of shape people take more sick days (and in some cases the sick days you use equal less vacation days later on), they also have more headaches and backaches. Checking this out on your calculator would only make you depressed, so don’t bother.

So, which is the biggest extravagance?  Wasting money or taking steps to improve not only your body, but your emotions and outlook as well?

A look through newspaper ads and the directory will show you how many personal trainers there are these days.  More trainers mean better rates, especially if you live in the city or the suburbs.  You will certainly want to talk to several to see which one is right for you.

It is important to visualize the kind of personal trainer that you would like, because a bad fit will only leave you hating the trainer and yourself for having been stupid enough to hire her.  This is the time to ask yourself the question: do you want a jolly, encouraging sort or an absolute fanatic when it comes to diet and exercise?  Do you want someone to go through your fridge and cupboards and trash all your fave foods?  Or do you want someone gentler, who will lead by example? You are the only person who knows what you will respond to for the desired goal.  There is another good question: do you want to lose significant weight, or rather to just tone up; do you want a total change of lifestyle, rather than just a healthy improvement?  Remember, the more sweeping your desired change, the more it may cost.  You must also make the commitment to act on all your trainer’s suggestions, because cheating on yourself is just silly.

As your training begins to take affect, you will look and feel better and your friends’ compliments will make nearly all of it worthwhile. But what could be more worthwhile, though, than the looks on your friends’ faces when you say, “Wish I could stay for a slice of pie, girls, but I need to go meet my personal trainer.”

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A look through your newspaper shows you there are many deserving charities that are working hard to raise money.  You will likely see announcements for pancake breakfasts, spaghetti dinners, soda can drives, paper drives and more.  Beyond ingesting a lot of carbs and realizing a clean space in your garage (for the moment!) you can donate your time and your own personal talents.  Setting up, cleaning up, waiting on tables and generally running back and forth might even make a steamy pile of pancakes and a bit of syrup not such a disaster to your diet!

If pushing pancakes sounds too much like work and you are feeling deprived of that beautiful Saturday morning, the perfect solution is a charity athletic fundraiser.  These are ways you can donate yourself, and in a capacity far greater than your budget might allow.  There are many functions, such as Relay for Life, where you can find people willing to sponsor you in your activity, in other words, every lap you walk your sponsors pony up a specific amount of money.  So, if you have ten sponsors, every lap you walk makes ten donations more than if you only walked on your own or if you wrote out a check only.  How exhilarating to feel such an accomplishment! It may even inspire you to walk another lap or two.

If walking isn’t your speed, you will find that there are many charity runs and marathons in which to participate. There are many cities and towns, especially in the beautiful Northwest, which sponsor a number of these events every summer, usually timed to coincide with their festivals.  These runs become bigger every year, as the participants get to run through some really wonderful scenery, and many people travel to meets such as these. Some of the larger charities sponsor their own runs. For those not so physically ambitious, Fun Runs are also becoming quite popular. You can even run in a costume if you feel so inclined!

Just about any physical activity can be an inspiration for a charity athletic fundraiser.  Softball, soccer, and football games are popular choices, as are tennis and golf. One activity that may not be thought of as athletic is dancing.  A dance floor under a warm summer night with live music can attract a crowd.  If you have access to a high school gym or a similar space, a ‘40s jitterbug theme, ‘50s sock hop, or ‘80s dance night can be maximum fun and make good money for your charity. Dancers can be charged admission, and the sponsorship idea can work there as well.  And if you don’t really think of dancing as athletic, just see how you feel after a night of rock and roll!

If your town has a number of beautiful gardens, lovely old houses, or art galleries, a sponsored walk encompassing any of these locales is a little bit of aerobic exercise and a pleasure for the senses.  A little wine tasting during the walk is also good for the heart and for your charity’s coffers.

Speaking of the heart, it will do yours good. The feeling of joy and accomplishment will not only lift your heart, but your spirit as well. The sense of being part of a larger good is one of your rewards for volunteering.    

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Why Charting Your Weight Loss Progress Makes All the Difference

Why does charting all of your weight loss progress make so much difference when it comes to succeeding in your weight loss regime? There is one simple key to charting your weight loss progress, and that is it increases your sense of motivation. Motivation is the key to successful long-term weight loss. Without motivation, you simply cannot accomplish your weight loss goals. Here are some tips for helping you chart your weight loss progress so that you never feel tempted to abandon your weight loss goals for good.

Creating Your Own Personal Weight Loss Progress

The good news is that tools abound when it comes to creating your own personal weight loss progress chart. There are many web sites online that allow you to create your own personal weight loss progress chart so that you can see exactly where you have been and where you are going. You simply have to fill out your starting statistics and update on a weekly basis. Of course, you can also create your very own weight loss progress chart so that you are inspired every morning when you rise and look at it in the morning.

Hang Your Personal Weight Loss Progress Chart in a Space You Will See it Every Day

Make sure you place your personal weight loss progress chart in a place where you can immediately see it every day. You can hang it in your kitchen, in your bedroom, or perhaps in your home office—pretty much any place where you can see your progress chart on a regular basis. Still, you do not want to become obsessed with charting your progress every day. Put your weight loss progress chart somewhere where it is accessible and easy to view, but not where you will automatically be tempted to do calculations or obsess over it all the time.

Use A Large Graphical Chart That is Easy to Read

Don’t simply jot down on a random piece of paper your weight loss goal and your progress. Treat it a little like a fascinating research study. Buy a white board or put together a graphical chart that shows all your weight loss progress so far, and which is easy to update.

How Often Should You Update Your Weight Loss Progress Chart?

The best way to go about it is to update your weight loss progress chart on a regular basis. Once a week is a sensible goal for updating your weight loss progress chart. Again, do not become preoccupied or obsessed with charting your weight loss chart, but do use it to your advantage whenever you want to see your progress on paper.

Using Your Weight Loss Progress Chart as Your Great Motivator

What is the greatest thing about keeping track of your weight loss progress? The best thing is using your weight loss chart as your personal motivator. Whenever you feel as if you have not made any progress or perhaps you are feeling down after a bad day, take a look at your weight loss progress chart. Charting your weight loss progress is an important step that many dieters overlook when planning their weight loss goals.

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Why Does the Buddy System Work?

Why does the buddy system work, and why does it work so well? The buddy system works because it simply helps you stay motivated when you most need it. Doctors and trainers have long recommended the buddy system because it really works. There is simply no better substitution than finding someone else who is interested in getting in shape and helping each other achieve those important fitness goals. Here are some ideas on how you can get started in the buddy system.

The Buddy System Helps You Make a Long Term Commitment

There are many reasons why the buddy system works, but perhaps the number one reason why the buddy system works is simply that it helps you make a commitment. If you promise a trusted friend that you will jog with him or her every weekend morning at 8 am (or play tennis, or go golfing, etc.), if you are a good friend you will probably feel some sort of pull to fulfill this commitment. So basically, the buddy system puts pressure (good pressure) on you to go through with your exercise plans.

The Buddy System Makes Physical Activity Fun, Or At Least Bearable

Another big reason why the buddy system has brought about so many favorable results for all kinds of people is that it makes exercise fun again. Running on a treadmill is a great way to get exercise, but let’s face it, after a while it can get dull. Avoid making exercise a dull chore that will be eventually put off. You can do this by finding an exercise partner that you look forward to meeting with and exercising with. This can make physical activity fun again, and even something to look forward to.

Finding the Perfect Exercise Partner

If you are convinced that the buddy system is the only way to go—good for you. The buddy system is a great way to get your regular dose of physical movement and exercise, and to develop skills and practice sports and activities that you enjoy in good company. What sort of attributes should you look for in an exercise partner?  There are many things to consider when it comes to finding the perfect exercise partner. For starters, ideally you will want to find an exercise partner that is a good friend. That way you have something to look forward to every time it is time to exercise.

Other Important Attributes in Your Ideal Exercise Partner

What are the other important attributes to look for in an ideal exercise partner? There are many other things to look for. Ideally, you will want to find an exercise partner that is at a similar physical level as you are. That way you will never feel pressured to under- or over-perform for the sake of your exercise partner. Another important attribute is to find someone who you know has similar interests as you. For instance, if you have always wanted to learn to play tennis, you will probably want to find an exercise partner who is also a beginner in the sport and has some interest in playing on a regular basis.

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Muscle Myth #1: Lift Slow and Watch Those Muscles Grow

This is one of those things you can see at just about any beach: big muscled men lifting enormous weights, enormously slow. So does this mean that lifting very slowly will automatically help grow very large muscles? Not exactly. The reason that so many people apparently make this type of connection is because lifting slowly usually leads to a slower, and thus longer, work out. However, researchers at the University of Alabama have concluded that the best way to lift, that is the best way to lift for maximum strength, is to do the up phase as fast as possible, and then doing the lowering phase slowly and with control.

Muscle Myth #2: Fill Up On Protein to Grow Your Muscles

Is it true, as some muscle men claim, that eating lots of protein will grow your muscles? Protein is definitely important if you plan on building up your muscles, but that doesn’t mean that you have to drink protein shakes three times a day. In general, dieticians recommend that you consume roughly one gram of protein per pound, but only if you are really working your body hard. Any more protein than this and you are probably wasting money on expensive protein shakes.

Muscle Myth #3: Always rest sore muscles.

It is definitely true that you should never overexert your sore muscles, but like most things, there are some exceptions. First, try to determine exactly how sore your muscles really are. If your muscle is sore to touch, this is a definite sign that you need to take it easy and rest that muscle. However, for light sore muscles, you may just benefit from what some trainers and doctors refer to as active rest. This means that you can do a little light stretching and lifting, and that it can even help you ease some of that strain and pain.

Muscle Myth #4: Use a Swiss medicinal ball to build a stronger chest, shoulders and arms.

Although a Swiss medicinal ball certainly won’t hurt, it is not absolutely necessary in order to build up your chest and shoulder muscles. In fact, a Swiss medicinal body is probably what you want to use if you need variety. However, if you really want to build up your chest muscles and shoulders, you will need a sturdy surface like a bench in order to do chest presses and shoulder presses.

Muscle Myth #5: You should use free weights to work out.

This is one of the bigger myths about building muscle. Many people believe that free weights are the only way to go when it comes to building muscles. However, do not discount what the machines can do for you. Some pieces of equipment can isolate muscle areas in a way that lifting free weights could never do. Also, some free weight exercises are not a good idea simply because they can be hard to do right if you are not experienced. Save the free weights for when you become a more advanced weight lifter. Take advantage of the machines that can help you build the muscles you need in order to become stronger and do more advanced free weight exercises.

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If you think that you suffer from a profound lack of motivation, than perhaps you would benefit from a professional motivation coach. There are many different kinds of motivational coaches and therapy styles to choose from these days. Here are some tips for finding the right kind of motivational help so you can meet your personal health objectives.

Search For the Underlying Cause of Your Health Concerns

Before you seek out a professional motivational coach, you will want to seek out the underlying cause for her health concerns. If you are overweight, make a list of all the reasons why you think this is the case. Take your time and be very honest with your self. Does it merely have to do with lifestyle choices? That is, do you think you have simply developed a lot of bad habits, such as overeating, not exercising, eating at off hours, etc. Or maybe you think your health concerns have more to do with emotional reasons. Perhaps you understand that underneath it all you eat to stave off fear, loneliness, nerves, etc. It is important to find the underlying reasons for your health concerns in order to find the right kind of professional motivational coach and to meet your health objectives.

Your Search for a Professional Motivational Coach to Meet Your Health Objectives

Once you have determined the basic underlying reasons for your health concerns, it will become possible to find a professional motivation coach that fits your life. Are you looking for someone to help whip you into shape? That is, are you looking for a professional motivation coach more in the league of a personal trainer? Do you need someone who can help motivate you to eat well, do exercise, and who can show you the right kind of exercises and movements and activities that will help you meet your health objectives? You can find a professional personal trainer at health clubs and gyms.

Finding a Professional Motivational Coach for Dealing with More Than Health Concerns

Or perhaps you are looking for something more from your potential professional motivation coach. You will probably have to dig a little deeper in order to find this kind of professional motivational coach. Many motivational coaches are also referred to as life coaches. You will want to find a professional motivational coach that you feel comfortable with and whom you can share all your aspirations and hopes with. If you don’t know where to start, seek out recommendations from people you trust. You can also take classes in personal motivation. This is a wonderful way to learn more about personal motivation and there is a chance that your teacher may end up being the perfect fit as your professional motivational coach.

Dealing With the Emotional Side of Meeting Your Health Objectives

Meeting your health objectives may mean that you will have to deal with the emotional reasons of why you eat. A professional motivational coach is a wonderful way to work through any issues you may have and find results in the process. A good professional motivational coach will lead you step by step towards you goal, giving you helpful advice, therapy, and practical steps towards taking control of your life and eating well and exercising on a regular basis.

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Team Up With a Buddy to Retain Maximum Motivation

One of the best ways to make sure you can sustain the kind of long term motivation that is necessary in order for a healthier weight loss plan is to team up with a fitness buddy. Teaming up with an exercise partner is a great way to stay motivated for the long haul. Specifically, teaming up with an exercise partner forces you to make a commitment. So when you don’t feel like doing exercise, you will hopefully be motivated by the knowledge that someone is depending on you.

Turn Exercise Into a Social Event

This is related to the idea of teaming up with an exercise partner. If you can manage to turn your exercise sessions into a social event, you know that you will be set up for the long haul. What can you do to make exercise fun? Choose a sport or activity that you enjoy and get ready to invite your friends over. Organize sports activities and invite interested parties to join you in a friendly game of football, softball, a round of golf, or whatever else you happen to be interested in. This is a great way to exercise and have fun while doing it. Just make sure that you don’t compromise your progress by splurging on pizza and beer afterwards.

Join the Muscle Bound Crowd at the Gym

Joining a gym may seem like an obvious choice, but there is a reason so many men dominate the gyms. For men, a small dose of competition is all that is necessary in order to stay motivated. A health club or gym may be all that is necessary in order to stay motivated. Lifting weights is an important part of bone health, although it should only be one component of your health and fitness regime. Take advantage of the variety and different machines offered by a professional gym.

Don’t Know How to Exercise? Find Someone Who Does

Have you been out of the exercise game for so long that you are not sure if you still remember how to stay in shape? If sounds familiar, you may want to consider finding a qualified professional trainer who can lead you through the sets that you need to do in order to get into shape. Most health clubs and gyms offer professional trainers. Take advantage of this and you will not need to muster your own motivation—your professional trainer will provide enough motivation for the two of you.

Take Up a New Sport or Fitness Activity to Stay Motivated

Variety is the spice of life, they say, and nowhere is this truer than when it comes to exercising. In order to stay motivated, you will want to find a number of physical activities that you truly enjoy. Also, make a mental note of all the sports you have always wanted to try, but have not yet gotten to. Have you always wanted to try boxing? What about tennis? Or maybe you have always wanted to try playing golf. Get together with friends who are also interested and get started in tennis, golf, or whatever catches your eye. This is a great way to keep your workout fresh and interesting.

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