Exercise – Dawn Lupul

August 13, 2019

Do What You Say, Not What You Do

Snow yoga – not something I would be excited about doing again!

I have a good exercise habit going on. For the last five years or so, I have been pretty consistent with getting up and getting it done.

For me the mornings always work best. If I leave it until later in the day, I find that the excuses become easy to make and my willpower disappears.

I’ve gotten used to exercising first and eating later. It works for me, and so that is what I do.

That’s the key. You can listen to what other people do, think that it sounds good, and then try it and find out it isn’t for you. It’s not a bad thing – there is something that works for everyone. You just have to experiment until you find it.

Because there is definitely no one thing that works for everyone, trying to make someone else’s routine fit yours can be a frustrating pursuit.

Knowing that you can do something and then choosing not to do it is another matter.

Sometimes I have a bit of an argument with myself when I know I said I would do something and then I just don’t feel like it. It always seems easy to make the plans, set the intention to follow through, and then find enough reasons not to do it .

I have always been good at starting things, but there have been many times when I haven’t finished. And I never feel good about it after.

As I’ve grown older, I now try to commit only to projects that I am passionate about. I guard my time better and am able to say no to things that take me away from what is truly important to me.

My reasons for wanting to do something have to be powerful. I get up and exercise because I love feeling fit, strong, and it gives me energy. If I don’t do it I feel lousy.

Make goals, and make the reasons why you want to achieve the goals so important to you that not following through would be more painful than doing the work.

Strong reasons lead to strong willpower and powerful motivation. You can accomplish almost anything if you want it badly enough.

July 16, 2019

Stretch Your Fine Self!

Make like a tree and stretch to the sky!

As I travel along the fitness path, the thing that comes up most often for people is the desire to stretch. We all know that it feels good, but we just don’t do it.

Why? I honestly have no idea.

If you have to pick just one type of physical activity, make it stretching. It’s that important.

When done properly, stretching assists the body in maintaining strength, flexibility, range of motion, and is great for relieving stress.

When done improperly, you can hurt yourself. So make sure that you take it slow, get someone to check your form if you are unsure, and consult your doctor if you have any limitations that may prevent you from stretching properly.

We instinctively stretch, sometimes in the morning right after waking up and again after sitting for long periods of time.

We know that it is important, but still we don’t do it consistently.

Stretching goes hand in hand with exercise as well, as properly stretched muscles perform better, receive more blood flow, and are less prone to injury.

It doesn’t have to be a big deal either. Five to ten minutes of stretching done consistently will have benefits that are noticeable.

You will just feel better!

So if you are looking for an easy way to start to fine-tune that wonderful body you live in, stand up and reach for the sky. You might just touch a star, and if not you will feel like a star yourself!

July 14, 2019

Making Habits Work For You

I feel good. I’m into the second half of my life and I don’t think I’ve ever felt as good as I do now.

Is it because I’m lucky? Sure, that probably has something to do with it.

But I also work at it.

Six days a week, I wake up early and exercise. Every week, week after week, even when I don’t feel like it. Because after I’m finished, I always feel fantastic.

A few years ago I made a decision that I wanted to be fit, to have lots of energy, and to feel good about myself. At the time I was 20 pounds overweight, sluggish, and not sleeping well.

So I started a morning fitness routine. At first it was running, then I got into yoga, and now I am big on strength training.

My workouts have changed, but the working out part hasn’t. I don’t even think about it anymore – I literally climb out of bed right into my workout clothes.

I’ve come to recognize that the most important thing to do is develop good habits. Since we spend most of our lives on autopilot, it’s important that your habits take you in the direction you want to go.

Developing good habits gets you away from having to argue with yourself. Remember, the part of you that wants to change old behaviours will never win, especially at 6:00 in the morning! You have to consciously outsmart your old habits, because they are comfortable and friendly and crafty.

They will try to beat you every time.

To defeat and replace them, you need to make it easy on yourself. Get clear about why you want to change, make your reason extremely important to you, and then prepare a plan in advance. Put the gym clothes beside the bed. Move your alarm clock into another room. Fill the fridge with healthy food.

Outwit, outsmart, and outmaneuver the little you who doesn’t like change.

Five Ways to Make Your Habits Work For You

Make a Decision – Every act has to start with a decision. By getting clear with what you want, it is much easier to take action.
Start Small – It’s nice to want to change everything in one day, but we all know these changes seldom last. Just think how effective New Year’s resolutions are! By making one small change at a time, you are much more likely to stick with it.
Check In – Be honest with where you are and how committed you feel. Remember that you are completely in charge of this. Hold yourself accountable and have strong reasons for why the change is important to you.
Commit For a Specific Time Frame – Make it at least 30 days. Research shows that this is often long enough for most people to make changes that stick.
Reward Yourself – Having something to look forward to that is a direct result of your new habit is important. Most people respond much better to positive encouragement rather than negative reinforcement.

Make it easy to succeed. Pick a change that is very important to you, but isn’t the thing that frightens you the most. Once you get the hang of it, the bigger changes won’t seem so impossible!