This is an except from my book, Your Life Force.

Sometimes it can be a challenge to get started with exercise. After a long workday, you might just want to plop down on the couch and take it easy. But it is in these situations that training is most important. You need to recharge your batteries.

There are tricks to use when lethargy strikes. I usually try to muster enough energy to lace up my training shoes. Once I’ve done that, and left the sofa behind, it’s easier to get going.

Some lines I use to motivate myself go like this:

• I will feel more energetic as soon as I start to exercise
• My thoughts will become clearer even though I’ve had a hard day
• With new strength – mental as well as physical – I will come to see myself as capable and attractive

Test it yourself. Think up some bracing arguments to use after a long, dismal workday when everything feels tough.

Image: Lady-bug

My training is my life force. I have learned to exercise in a way that feels almost meditative. I don’t mean calm and soothing, but that the only thing going on in my head is the task at hand. My breath. My motion. My strength. My focus is complete, as my body moves to renew itself and to live … and sometimes just survive.

This is a process that has taken a long time and has been born from my joy in physical movement, my mental focus, and repetition, repetition, repetition. One day at a time, one week at a time, from moment to moment in a never-ending flow.

When I am healthy, I follow my plan with the big picture in mind, knowing that every moment spent on the health and well-being of my body and mind is worth every drop of sweat and minute of pain. That is reality for me. I realized early, coming from a family that was prone to illness and stress, that my health was a privilege and not something to be taken for granted.

A sure path to unhappiness is to avoid the reality of your immediate world. Sometimes it is easy to get stuck on something that is not real, and then a whole existence is built upon a foundation that is unstable and unreliable. Maybe this resonates with you. I think we all carry that defense mechanism; I know I do! It can be anything that hurts: a friend who is not truthful or honest (but we choose to not say anything about it), or telling yourself that smoking is not really bad for you (you smoke because you “choose” to).

And exercise really falls in the same category. The body is meant to move. Not moving causes illness and discomfort, which has been proven by endless studies. Just the phrase, “I don’t have time to exercise” usually hides other issues. But it’s like saying, “I don’t have time to be alive and healthy.”

A client of mine would come to the gym with a constant hangover, tired, grumpy, and if it wasn’t “food poisoning,” it was almost always “sore knees.” Of course, the sore knees and pains were some kind of cry for help in my ears, and it was also a clear case of this person not wanting to stare reality in the face. It was going to take sweat, effort, and sometimes pain to get healthy. It was also going to take a detox of alcohol and sugar! Defense mechanism ON! I used to be a smoker a very long time ago, and I did the exact same thing. I could light one up and completely “forget” that I was literally putting a time bomb in my mouth.

I designed a plan for my client that was not only a physical journey of the body, but also a cognitive journey of concepts. Dream world versus reality. Establishing a foundation for feeling good more often versus the instant gratification of quick fixes. When the body starts to detox, it wants more of what makes it feel better!

But without a destination we care about, we won’t end up in the right place. Without focus, the task at hand seems unmotivating and unimportant. Without repetition, we can’t establish a new healthy pattern. Next time you are slipping away from your conscious living, remind yourself of the beauty you will create by seeing and being present.

The reality is, we can’t all look like Jennifer Aniston … but we can do the best with what we have. That is one thing we all share. There is NO point in buying expensive supplements, fancy gym memberships, or personal trainers, if you don’t use your body and mind with full focus in the process.

The closer to the truth we choose to live our lives, the fewer misunderstandings and surprises we will encounter. All of a sudden, you will have created a satisfying life environment where you will experience flow, love, joy, sadness, and most of all balance. That is a foundation to build lots of goodies on and you are definitely worth it!

Live Life Loud!

Want the tools to develop life-long health habits?
Check out my e-book, Your Life Force: Training for Strength & Harmony.

Fall is here! It’s the season of dramatic color and chilly nights. In the colder and darker areas of the country, the decrease in sunlight signals our bodies that it’s time to hibernate. (California might not experience it to the same extent but trust me, we feel it here, too.) It can be difficult to find motivation, but slowing down is not necessarily an obstacle, just merely a bump in the road on our long and exciting journey to a healthier body and lifestyle.

A big part of living a healthy life is listening to what the body needs, and accepting the changes it goes through. Let’s invite some new movement to play with, to get the body going and the mind motivated again. Here are a few things that bring the fun into staying fit…

Hula hoops
Go back to the old days when you were hula hooping on the playground! Did you think that it was exercise? Hula hooping can be a fun cardio workout as well as core and abs all in one. It can burn up to 400 kcal per hour! It’s very important to stretch before and after, but other than that, it’s a safe and fun exercise. There are hoop DVDs, but the easiest thing is to go to the nearest Target, pick up a hula hoop, and get going!

TRX Suspension Training
These are traditional strength exercises performed while hanging suspended from the ceiling. Your core must be involved and you will be working out your entire body, as you use your own body weight as resistance. Of course, it is important to receive proper guidance to avoid risks. In my business of personal training, everyone seems to have a TRX Suspension Training strap available for anywhere and anytime training!

YOSPIN fusion
Mix 30 minutes of yoga with 30 minutes of spinning for an excellent body-mind workout. The cardio-intensive cycling followed by flexibility-increasing yoga helps stretch and condition muscles. Switching between the two activities can lead to injury, so a mindful stop and switch – waiting until the heart rate recovers before starting yoga – is imperative. If you don’t have spinning or yoga at your gym, go to a spinning class, download yoga to your MP3 player, and do your own thing!

Of course, you can also create your own fusions of your favorite exercise routines! Do you have any tips to trade? Any fun workouts like hula hoping that you would like to share? Please let us know!

Live Life Loud!

Want the tools to develop life-long health habits?
Check out my e-book, Your Life Force: Training for Strength & Harmony.

Images: AmandaLouise, Amazon.com, Fitness Anywhere, Gaiam Restorative Exercise for Relaxation Kit

A: Hello! Yes, exercise sounds very boring. Yes, it doesn’t seem like too much fun. Have you ever been a person who likes to move around? Are you trying to start a new healthy life all by yourself? Feeling better, happy, and motivated requires a catalyst. It is not something that comes in just a few weeks!

Usually it doesn’t help at all that OTHER people are giving you reasons why you need to do this or that… You need to ask yourself and create your own reasons! Sit yourself down and answer these questions about yourself and your life:

• Why do you need to start working out?
• How do you want your life and your health to look in 5, 10, 15 years?
• Are there activities that you would like to do with others, but you’re just too tired and feel inadequate?

How does this sound: join a group that works together to become healthier! Not an online group, but a physical group with real people?

With programs like Weight Watchers and Biggest Loser Club, you can find a few friends who feel the same way. It is easier to do this in a group, and it does not necessarily mean you should go to the gym right away, which can be a bit uncomfortable at first.

If you feel that there are other things that are preventing you from working out, such as depression or other issues, seek out a skilled life coach or psychologist who can help.

Good Luck!

Tanja

Do you have a question? Don’t be shy – ask it here!

Even if you are an avid fitness enthusiast who keeps a consistent training regimen, the likelihood of hitting a plateau with your progress and energy levels is a given. Your body’s energy systems work hard to adapt to your energy output. But the demands you put on your body, doing the same thing over and over again, will slowly make it seem as if your body is changing less and less frequently. It might show up as actual weight gain or lack of energy.

This stagnancy not only happens to your physical body, but to your mind and spirit, as well. Do you ever have the feeling that you’re standing still or stuck when it comes to certain situations in your life? That uncomfortable feeling starts growing inside, and perhaps you want to jump-start some kind of change.

The bottom line is: you need to change it up, shock your body, give it something new to chew on!

One of my favorite ways to break through a plateau is to do a plyo workout. Make sure you feel strong enough first, and thus safe, and then try adding a few jumps to your training schedule. It can be as easy as including 3×20 squat jumps, 3 times per week, in the middle of your regular workout. Not only are they energizing, but it’s also a great way to incorporate all that core work you have been working on. You will be amazed at how much energy you will gain after just one week, not to mention the boost in your metabolism!

Now transfer that process to real life. What needs a boost in your daily life for change to happen? Is there an area where you feel you want to improve? Which tools can you use? Do you long for more focus? Maybe a short daily meditation practice could be implemented. Do you feel a lack of motivation at present? Perhaps an inspiring book about someone’s true life story about overcoming hurdles is the tool to use. A few of my personal favorites: reading poetry for instant inspiration, listening mindfully to the lyrics of my favorite musical artist, or reading a new book. It isn’t difficult or complicated to create change in the status quo. It only takes action.

Here’s a quick energy-booster workout:

1. After a short warm-up, do 5 sun salutations in a row. Be mindful of breath and movement. Reach arms overhead, do a swan dive forward, stay in a forward bend for a few breaths, and the return to a standing position.

2. Squat deep and jump up in the air, landing back into another squat. Repeat for 20 if you can.

3. Do 3×30 second planks, in a push-up position.

4. Repeat the squat-jump sequence.

5. Do 10 slow roll-ups lying on the floor.

6. Repeat the squat-jump sequence a third time.

Repeat this short energy workout three times a week for two weeks, and experience an uplifting change in your energy, metabolism … and in your smile!

Live Life Loud!

Image: d’n'c

A: The secret is DEFINITELY to stay active as much as possible. It is difficult sometimes, because your body is seemingly and obviously gaining weight because it is making a baby. But just the thought of how much easier it will be to regain your energy and body after delivery, is hopefully a good motivator.

Also, it is in the calories!! A baby-making body doesn’t require more than 200-350 more calories per day. Moms often “eat for two,” which can mean that there is a food frenzy at every meal. When you find the balance, stick to it!!

Here are some little sayings you can use to motivate yourself:

• I am doing this for the health of my Baby
• I want to get in Hot Mama shape quickly after I deliver!
• I am instilling the value of health into my precious baby already!
• Exercise makes my body stronger, healthier, and wiser!!
• Any little thing I do is valuable!

Tanja

Note: This article is for educational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical counseling. Before starting this or any other diet or fitness program, consult your physician to determine if it is right for your needs.

Do you have a question? Don’t be shy – ask it here!

A: Hi, Lisa! I think the key is to make a decision and then learn to do one or two new things at the same time. Not 10! It is possible to form new habits, but it takes some time and patience and effort. When you look upon that road that leads to whatever destination you want to reach, it can be overwhelming and long if you try to make it in one drive, but if you stop a few times along the way … maybe it can even be enjoyable?

I would recommend going back to Week 1 of the Body-Mind Transformation in this blog. Why don’t you take a week or two to focus on one task at a time. Take the form of exercise you like the most and make a commitment to do that 2-3 times per week to begin … and start building from there! Also explore the 10 Powerfoods in other blog posts … Honestly, just by reading and following the blog, you can gently create a healthier lifestyle.

Wanna try? Do you think you are worth it? To give yourself an HONEST chance for something better?
I believe you can. Live Loud!

Do you have a question? Don’t be shy – ask it here!