Recently in Health & Wellness Category

Bored with your current fitness routine? Here are a few ways to shake things up...and get results.

Running-Bored with your running routine? How about changing the route, throw in some sprints, run with a fitness buddy or run with different music playlists for different days of the week? For a completely different experience you can also take it indoors and use the time to watch your favorite shows, movies or even read using the " chip clip trick." With the chip clip trick, you place your book or magazine on the reading rack of your cardio machine (you can also purchase lucite reading racks that fit directly over the front of your machine) then put a clip on both the left and right pages of your book so the pages stay secure and don't move. Gently unclip and re-clip the right sides as you flip from page to page and notice how much longer you're able to stay on the machine because you were absorbed in your reading! Even if it takes a few tries to make this work, it's worth it. Think about all of those great books you've been eager to read. Here's an opportunity to get to them while getting fit at the same time.

So often we set goals for ourselves and look forward to the feeling of success when those goals are achieved. We set the bar high and look forward to the day we can celebrate our accomplishment and for pushing ourselves to a new level of personal or professional achievement. Maybe our goal is to lose 20 pounds, regain our health, improve our business, our financial status or reconnect with loved ones. Regardless of the goal we set, here's what often happens...

While these goals can inspire us to be, do and have more, we're often left with a keen sense of disappointment if we fail to achieve them.

We feel frustrated, upset, and angry with ourselves as we identify a failure to reach the goal we set as somehow failing ourselves. We may assume that failing to achieve the goal means we're not capable of change. So often, we also respond to these setbacks by giving in, giving up and staying exactly where we are.

So, here's a thought...

How do you create lasting change this year in the areas that we struggle with most? As always, it starts with a plan and to help get you started, here's a six-step plan for success:

1. The first step is to re‐evaluate the previous year. Start by asking yourself "How did it go? How did you handle things? Did you handle yourself the way you wanted to?" Find your answers using the areas we typically struggle with most.

Nutrition/Healthy Eating: How did you handle yourself with food? Did you do a lot of social/binge/emotional or mindless eating?

Fitness/Exercise: How was your fitness? Were you motivated, did you enjoy your workouts and did you get the results you wanted?

Stress Control: How did you handle stress? Who or what was stressful for you and how did you handle it?

Emotional Health/Mindset: How was your emotional outlook? Were you as positive or optimistic as you would have liked?

Relationships: Take a look at your relationships. Were they supportive, loving, nurturing or toxic and destructive?

Business/Finances: How did you do with your business and finances? Did you reach your goals as far as the growth of your business, finances and career?

Personal/Spiritual Development: Did you grow personally and spiritually? What did you learn and were you living with passion and purpose?

With the holidays upon us, we often celebrate by traveling to those we love, vacationing...and overindulging in lots of food. Is there a way to enjoy the holiday season guilt and weight gain free? Here are 10 tips that can make it happen

1. First, ask yourself what do holidays, time away and vacations mean to you? If you're a chronic dieter, time away often means time off from healthy eating. This "diet mentality" creates changes that are temporary at best as we find ourselves either "on or off," "all or nothing" or "good or bad" leaving a holiday as a prime opportunity to go overboard with our choices, our portions and our behaviors.

You've heard the saying "If you fail to plan then plan to fail." That's certainly the case when it comes to holiday traveling and eating. Where does the plan begin? It begins before you even leave for your trip. The planning actually begins...in your closet.

I wouldn't call myself a Grinch, but it's unlikely you'll find me decking the halls or swapping holiday gifts.  For various reasons (mostly stemming from loss), I tend to operate on autopilot and strive to achieve personal balance during "the most wonderful time of the year."

Whether you're fully committed to seasonal festivities (cheers!) or simply trying to skate by, I know I'm not alone in my annual endeavor to find balance and make it to the New Year unscathed. I used to give into seasonal stress, but I've since co-opted a series of take-care-of-me techniques to get through the holiday season.  Here's how I do it:

Bathing suit season is here. Are you ready? Here are a few tips to try so you can "strut your stuff" this summer.

1. Get your portions under control-Do you have a case of portion distortion? While our portions are steadily growing bigger, so are our waistlines. Measure out your food or learn what a standard portion size looks like then use that as a guide when serving yourself meals and snacks.