Orriant Health : exercise

Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

American Heart Month

February often makes us think of LOVE, HEARTS, Chocolates and Valentine's Day. Did you know that February is also American Heart Month?
In the U.S. the leading cause of death for both men and women is heart disease. However, with just a few lifestyle changes, you can help control and prevent it.

Here are 5 ways to be kind to your HEART this month.

1. Know your numbers
Do you know what your numbers are? When was the last time you had your Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, Glucose, and weight checked? If you don't know the answer to these questions, make an appointment with your Primary Care doctor. Having increased levels of LDL(bad) Cholesterol, low levels of HDL(good) Cholesterol, High Blood Glucose, and High Blood Pressure (over 134/90) significantly increase your risk of Heart Disease, Stroke, and heart attack. Excess weight, especially around the mid-section(abdominal area) can increase risk as well. By decreasing your weight just 10%, you can significantly decrease your health risks.
If you are unsure about any of these areas, check with your doctor and Orriant Health Coach to help create a lifestyle plan to improve these numbers and your overall health.

2. Get Moving

Your heart is a muscle. Just like your bicep and quadriceps it needs to be exercised to keep it strong and efficient. Ideally work for at least 150 minutes each week of brisk exercise that challenges your muscles and breathing(30 minutes a day). Try something like a brisk walk, bike ride, trips up and down the stairs at home or work, swimming, or an exercise class. Afraid to try it on your own? Invite a friend, co-worker or loved one to join the fun!

3. Eat the rainbow

Filling your plate with colorful fresh fruits and vegetables has been shown to improve heart health. Working towards 5 servings a day of fruits and vegetables is ideal. Fruits and Vegetables are naturally low in sodium, saturated fat, Cholesterol, and refined sugars. Fruits and vegetables also are high in fiber and antioxidants that can help prevent damage caused by processed foods and environmental factors. While doing your grocery shopping this month, steer your cart clear of the snack food isle and pick a some high fiber, high flavor produce!

4. Read the Labels

Pay attention to harmful ingredients in processed foods. Things such as Trans Fat, Hydrogenated Oils, High Fructose Corn Syrup, high sodium content, and artificial sweeteners can be harmful to the body. Sodium can increase blood pressure and sugar can pack on the pounds. Choose foods with a short ingredient list with words you can pronounce! Usually the foods with the shortest ingredient list are healthiest.

5. Eat the "Good" Fat

Try to consume at least 3 servings of healthy fats each day. Foods such as Avocados, Almonds, Walnuts, Flax Seed, and fish have a good amount of healthy fat called Omega 3 fats and unsaturated fats. Although higher in calories, these foods pack a nutritional punch and can help lower the unhealthy fast in the blood stream. In the end, helping the heart operate at its best.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

"Honey, I'm headed to the gym (aka the living room)."

Whether you love it or hate it, the gym is a great place to get in a good sweat session and burn some calories. Although, the expense and travel time required to use a gym may be reasons keeping you from getting in your workout.

Here are 5 fun ways to turn regular household objects into your own personal gym equipment.

Chairs: These can used to help maintain balance while doing squats, leg swings or lunges. They can also be used to hold onto for tricep dips. Be careful not to dip below a 90 degree angle for joint safety.

Cans of food, bottles of water, milk/juice jugs: All of these can serve as free weights! The best part is, you most likely have a few of these items already, giving you a range of weights. If you need more of a challenge, try filling an empty bottle or jug with sand for added weight. A gallon jug of sand weighs about 30 lbs.

Tables/Counters: Depending on the height of the table, these can also be used for tricep dips. Regardless of the height, tables and counters work great for push-ups. Make sure you keep your abdominals tight and your belly button pulled back toward your spine throughout the move.

Towels: While holding one end of a towel in each hand, put your arms over your head and pull as hard as you can in opposite directions and hold it. Maintain for several seconds and repeat. This will help build muscles in your arms and shoulders. Towels can also be used to help you stretch at the end of your workout - wrap them around your calf, ankle or foot, and pull toward you for a deeper stretch.

Walls, Stairs and Door Frames: Don’t forget the house itself! You can do wall sits, and walk or hop up and down stairs to work your lower body. Also, try standing in the center of a door frame, place your hands on either side of you, pushing on the frame. Push and hold at intervals for an upper body workout. Make your house work for you!

Getting in a great workout does not have to be time consuming or expensive. Get creative and look for ways you can turn everyday household items into your new favorite workout equipment. These tips also come in handy if you are traveling and want to get in a workout, without leaving your hotel room.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Feeling a little confused about what walking or running shoes to buy?

Here are some tips that will help you make the right choice:

· Buy shoes at the end of the day when your feet are more swollen. This will give you a feel for the true fit of the shoe, when you are exercising and your feet swell a bit.

· Wear the same socks you will be using when you are walking or running. That way you already know if the shoes will work with the socks. This is not one area where you want surprises.

· Try on both feet. Believe it or not, many people’s feet are different sizes. If you know one foot is larger than the other, make sure the shoe you select fits comfortably on the larger of the two.

· Consider width and length. Part of making sure you have a good fit is knowing the shoe fits the width of your foot, as well as the length. Shoes come in many different width types, so know if your feet tend to fit better in wide versus narrow shoes.

· Know your arch type. Your choices are high arch, neutral arch, or low arch (also know as flat feet). To figure this out, dip your foot in water, then step on a piece of paper, cardboard, or anything where you will easily see the pattern of your foot. If the middle of the foot is mostly there, you probably have a low arch. Conversely, if there is little of the middle of your foot in the imprint, you likely have a high arch.

· Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Many fitness stores (especially those geared towards walking, running) have personnel who are able to watch the way you walk or run, and help you choose a shoe that will be best. Utilize their expertise to find the shoe that works right for you.

Whatever shoe you choose, make sure to keep track of your mileage and buy a new pair of shoes every 300-600 miles. This will help you to stay injury free and avoid any hiccups in your fitness journey. Happy Moving!

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Ron's Marathon Journal - Slowing Down and Eating Clean

The last few weeks have gone well, with a lot of miles run, and some crazy, unpredictable weather to run in. I ran the Canyonlands Half Marathon a couple weeks ago, and paced one of my good friends to help him get his personal best time.

With just a few weeks left before Boston, my training focus has shifted to speed work. This entails finding a high school track, and running 1 mile repeats, then following that by running the bleachers. I've also included hill sprints, and 800 meter repeats in my training. In one week I will start my 'taper' for Boston, meaning I will lessen the miles I run and decrease the intensity. This will allow my body to heal and get rested up for the marathon.

I've attached a short video where I talk about my training diet. It's also been a great diet to maintain while I'm not training (although there are variations of meals from what is in the video) to help keep healthy.

I'll try and post one more blog before I head to Bean Town. Live healthy and happy!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Ron's Marathon Journal - Feeling Closer to Race Ready

Wheeler Machinery employee and Orriant participant, Ron Fehr, gives you a peek into his training and progress as the Boston Marathon gets closer.

February has been a great month of training and I’m beginning to feel close to marathon shape. In March, I’ll be running the Canyonland’s Half Marathon, which will be a great training run to see where my fitness level is for Boston. I am excited and am loving the great Spring running days the past week or so. I’ve been running twice a day, on my lunch break and when I get home from work. It is the best way for me to log more miles. From here on out, I will be spending more time working on increasing my speed by interval training, mile repeats, hill sprints, and tempo runs. I hope everyone is living healthy and happy!

Monday, February 17, 2014

Mommy Blog - We reach our goal....but not always.

It is February! How did the 3 days a week of exercise commitment turn out for you? What challenges did you face? What successes did you accomplish? What did you learn? I'd love to hear comment below.

I met the goal, some weeks by the skin of my teeth, but I made it. Here's what I discovered:

1. I still haven't learned that arguing with myself about exercising or staying in bed is not productive. Just get up already and stop wasting time!

2. I have let the busy schedule of my day keep me from eating well. I need to have more quick on the go, healthy proteins available.

3. I have to be flexible, but at the same time keep firm to my commitment. Life happened and my plans for exercise didn't always happen as I planned. If I let myself get stressed or aggravated over it, it ruined my day and I was likely less productive. So, I must be committed to my exercise, but flexible in which day and what type. Always have a plan B.

So this month I'd like to focus on Plan B.

Here's an idea for Plan B. “Hit the Deck” workout (should take 15-20 min. if doing multiple rounds).

Try doing it just before you hop in the shower or even let the kids join in. It's short, intense, and productive!

This workout uses a deck of cards. You can choose a deck of Face cards, Uno cards, Rook cards.... etc.

Assign one exercise to each color/suit. Then you will perform repetitions of the exercise represented by the number on the card (if using face cards, all royalty are 10.). As soon as you complete one card, flip over the next so that you are going through the exercises one right after another. Shuffle the deck and let the fun begin! Try to make it through the cards once. Then as you get stronger you can try 2, 3 rounds etc. You can also change the exercises that you do for each round.

Here's an example:

Round 1: (repeat or go to round 2)

Hearts: squats

Spades: Push ups

Clubs: Tricep dips (use a chair, stair, or foot board)

Diamonds: bicep curls (If you don't have dumbells, use exercise bands, book, gallon of milk, canned food, a child :))

Round 2:

Hearts: burpees (Drop into a squat position with your hands on the ground. Kick your feet back, while keeping your arms extended. Immediately return your feet to the squat position. Stand up from the squat position.)

Spades: switch lunges (Bring one leg behind you. Lower the front knee to a 90 degree angle. Stand up. Switch legs).

Clubs: sit ups

Diamonds: thrusters (holding dumbells at shoulder level, squat down as far as comfortable. Stand up tall. Then press dumbells overheard with straight arms.)

Finish up with a plank (get in push up position with the body's weight borne on forearms, elbows, and toes.). Try holding for at least 30 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat 6 times.

If you want to focus in on a certain muscle group, and don't know an exercise, comment below and I'll get back to you with an option. Also, if you need a modification for a certain exercise, I can provide that too.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Ron's Marathon Journal - Training In Bad Weather

"The inversion in the air made running difficult, especially being forced to log many, many miles on a treadmill."

Wheeler Machinery employee and Orriant participant, Ron Fehr, won't let anything derail his training for the Boston Marathon. Ron shares how he kept his workout schedule on track regardless of the weather forecast.

The past 2 weeks of training have been excellent, and last week I exceeded my personal best in total mileage for a week by running over 90 miles. The inversion in the air made running difficult, especially being forced to log many, many miles on a treadmill. That being said, long mileage on a treadmill is actually great mental training as it forces a person to be strong and fight through the boredom. I do not listen to music when I run, so it can be even more challenging.

As far as the inversion goes, if you’re going to be exercising outside and live in Utah, I highly recommend keeping an eye on http://www.airquality.utah.gov. They do a great job updating the air pollutants hourly and offer a simple color pattern to determine whether or not you should be participating in strenuous activities outdoors. They even have apps for Android and iOS mobile devices so you can check if you’re away from a computer. I check it multiple times per day to plan my outdoor running schedule. That’s it for now, live healthy and happy!

Monday, January 20, 2014

Ron's Marathon Journal - Fighting Through Setbacks

Wheeler Machinery employee and Orriant participant, Ron Fehr, won't let anything derail his training for the Boston Marathon. Ron shares how he made it through the last few weeks.

December wasn't the best month for my training. The first 3 weeks were incredible and I was even ahead of my goals. I then suffered a shin bruise which made it impossible to run, and nearly impossible to walk. On top of that, I was put down with flu-like symptoms for 3 weeks. Needless to say, it was rough. My mileage goals and speedwork goals were not met, but that's okay. It happens every now and then. I have finally been able to run again without pain in my leg and am excited to have a great January!

Monday, January 13, 2014

Mommy Blog - When 'Life Happens'

Since my last post, I have had child #4. I was feeling pretty confident leading up to his birth that I could keep the early morning exercise going. I had it all planned out that I would go to workout classes on certain days and times... THEN LIFE HAPPENS!

I will be the first to admit, it's been harder to get a routine going this time around. I am really blessed that I could return to normal activity so soon after childbirth. I started walking with the kids on day 2, and went back to the gym on day 10. While I want to get my body back in good physical condition again, it ultimately comes down to sanity. That 1.5 hours is my time! It’s the one time I am able to do my own thing without interruptions; like a little one tugging on my shirt or settling arguments. Let’s just say everyone is happier when I get my exercise.

Emily with husband Darin, and their children
Madelynn, Owen, Isabelle, and Garett.

Even though I know how much exercise helps my sanity, still, it's been a struggle this time around. I am sure we can all ramble off reasons why our exercise is not as intense or regular as it should be, but I am still determined. I have chosen at least 3 days a week that I will get up and go to the gym by 4:30am. It might be following a restless night, but is one more hour of sleep really going to take away that fatigue? I have also equipped my computer with 4-5 different exercise videos that I can do on other days. Oh yes, the videos can also be used on days when I might successfully talk myself out of waking up early… it has been known to happen.

So, who's with me? I am not suggesting you have to get up at 4:30 am, that is just what works best for me and my schedule. What I am asking is that you pick at least 3 days a week, with a specific time, and write them on your calendar or in your phone. For the remainder of January, commit that you will stick to it every week. Then come February, we will re-evaluate and keep it going. If you need ideas of what to do, speak with your Orriant Health Coach℠ or check out our awesome Tabata workouts. Recruiting an exercise buddy is always a good idea too.

In closing, New Year's resolutions are not something we vocalize, do for a month, then feel guilty because we “failed”. They are goals that we set, write down, and revisit on a regular basis. Make sure you feel confident and excited about what they will do for you. Envision the change! Until February, here's to making a routine happen.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Top 10 Workout Songs of 2013

Here it is! Orriant’s Top 10 Workout Songs of 2013…which one is your favorite?

Katy Perry- Roar
Alicia Keys- Girl on Fire
Imagine Dragons- Radioactive
Avicii- Wake Me Up!
P!nk- Try
Taylor Swift- Knew You Were Trouble
Selena Gomez- Come & Get It
Icona Pop- I Love It
Maroon 5- Somebody
Neon Tress- Everybody Talks

Monday, January 6, 2014

Ron's Marathon Journal - How Ron Fehr Got Started

“When people ask me about running, I tell them that I was not a runner when I began this journey. A half marathon or full marathon seemed absolutely crazy.”

Wheeler Machinery employee and Orriant participant, Ron Fehr, shares his transformation from overweight to athlete.

In 2005, a friend snapped a photo of me while we were fishing. It was hot, and I’d removed my shirt to cool off. After he showed me the pic, I was startled into action. After being active most of my life, I’d let myself slip and weighed in at 230 pounds. At 29 years old, I decided to make some health goals, and my first goal was to complete a sprint triathlon. Not being a swimmer (at all), this was a daunting task. After a year of training, I lost 50 pounds and completed the St. George, Utah Triathlon. After that, I began cycling and running not only for fitness, but because I had begun loving it.

Since then I have completed a dozen triathlons including the St. George Ironman, at least a dozen half marathons, 5 marathons, a 50K trail race, a 50 mile trail race, LOTOJA twice (a 206 mile bike race), and the Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance trail run the last two years. Although I went to Boston in 2012 and finished the race, it was more of a leisurely jog than a race due to a previous injury.

In 2013, I decided I wanted to run Boston again. My employer, Wheeler Machinery, has been generous enough to sponsor me. I set a goal to qualify for Boston by running the Missoula, Montana Marathon under 3 hours. My training was intense for 7 months, but when race day came, I was able to push myself across the finish line in 2:58. My new goal is not only to run hard (and injury free) in Boston, but to finish in under 3 hours.

My preparation for Boston began in October 2013. I have been working with my Orriant Health Coach℠ to both lower my cholesterol and discuss my training regimen, which includes two-a-day runs. My current goals involve speed work, intervals, and hill training. My diet goals were a little lax due to the quantity of calories I burn, but I buckled down in December, cutting back on sweets and all the holiday goodies.

When people ask me about running, I tell them that I was not a runner when I began this journey. I did not enjoy running, nor did I have any desire to run more than a 5K or maybe a 10K. A half marathon or full marathon seemed absolutely crazy, and an ultra-trail race seemed certifiably bonkers. Running didn’t come easily to me. It took thousands of miles, countless hours, a monitored diet, and immeasurable support from friends, family, co-workers, and my Orriant coach to be where I am today. The joy I feel from running is something I try to share with others through my enthusiasm. It wasn’t easy at first, but it gets easier and is something that I believe most people will enjoy, if they let themselves.

That’s it for now. Three and a half months until race day! In the meantime, live happy and healthy!

Watch Orriant social media sites as Ron will continue to update readers as he prepares for the Boston Marathon.

Friday, January 3, 2014

Rise to Success - Matt Geiger

“It’s like a cloud over your head, almost a level of depression,” recalls Matt Geiger. At least, that is how he used to feel before exercising on a regular basis. “I don’t have stress looming over my head from not working out. Now that I am exercising, I don’t feel guilty anymore.” When Matt’s employer, Benchmark Brands, implemented Orriant’s Corporate Wellness Program he thought it “seemed silly at first”. During his initial Orriant Health Assessment℠, he discovered he weighed a little more than he expected. Shortly after, he quickly gained an additional 10 pounds during the Christmas holiday season. Matt realized if he was going to change, he needed to start now.

“Since January, my weight is down 23 pounds,” said Matt with a grin. “It’s not just about dropping weight; it’s about toning your body. I’ve put on muscle and my clothes are fitting better. I’m happy and my wife is happy.” Matt is the father of 4 children and is far more active with them today than he was a year ago. “I’m playing with my kids a lot more and I’m feeling better about myself.”

Not long ago, Matt switched job locations which cut down on his daily commute time. “I thought, ‘I have no excuse anymore. Let’s see what happens.’” Matt decided to dedicate 60 minutes a day to exercise, 2/3 of the time he gained back from his shortened commute. “Exercising in the mornings means I get the blood going and I’m wide awake when I get to work. I’m happier at work and I’m healthier,” says Matt, “It’s made a real positive impact.”

Calling his Orriant Health Coach℠ seemed like a silly thing at first too, but “ultimately, it’s been a good thing for me. I hold myself accountable in the end.” Matt appreciates the one-on-one interaction he has with his coach, Rachel. “I feel like she has a genuine concern for my progress. Rachel gives me ideas, tips and tricks. It is encouraging.” One such tip was inspired by Matt’s nightly routine of watching TV after his kids are in bed. While Matt watched his favorite shows, he found himself mindlessly snacking on junk food. Rachel suggested he keep his hands preoccupied by using free weights instead of eating. “I grab those free weights and do curls, tricep extensions, whatever,” says Matt with a chuckle, “I look like a fool doing it, but it’s better than eating a bag of Cheetos!”

Matt has plans to hike different parts of the Appalachian Trail throughout the upcoming year. His goal is to hike 10-20 miles on any given weekend. To help make this goal a reality, he trained for and completed his first 5k. “Before, I couldn’t run 50 yards. Now, I can run a mile without stopping.”

Joining Orriant’s Corporate Wellness Program has made a lasting influence. “I’ve always been active, but I wasn’t doing it consciously. I was only doing the fun part, instead of making an effort to be healthy.” Matt continues, “Now, I actually enjoy kayaking instead of suffering through it. I am hiking and enjoying it again. I’m looking around at the scenery instead of sucking wind. Not only do I enjoy it, but I look forward to it.”

Friday, December 27, 2013

Orriant Advanced Cardio 4

Here is another "Finish In Minutes Workout".

Warm Up

Advanced Cardio 4

Cool Down

Friday, December 20, 2013

Rise to Success - Jesse Dimick

In only 4 short months, Jesse achieved all three goals he set with his Orriant Health Coach℠. Since July, Jesse 34, has met his desired weight (lost 34 pounds to do so), is exercising regularly, and lowered his blood pressure to within a very healthy range. The change began when Jesse switched jobs and started working for Wheeler Machinery, a partner with Orriant, a corporate wellness company. Before joining Wheeler’s team, Jesse often traveled 3-4 times a week. This schedule made it difficult for him to eat healthy – often eating on the road. “Since I’ve been working at Wheeler, I can go home every night and eat good food instead of fast food.”

Losing extra weight is something Jesse has wanted to do for about 5 years now. Orriant’s wellness program was just the thing to encourage him to not only make changes, but to stick with them. Jesse explains, “Setting the goals has been helpful. Before I eat something, I think about it. As far as my workouts go, Orriant helps me to stay focused. It keeps me in check.”

It is no surprise that exercise and proper nutrition are the secrets to Jesse’s wellness successes. Even though he is physically active at work, he understands it is important for him to exercise outside of his job. Now that he is setting goals with his Orriant Health Coach℠, Jesse exercises 4 days a week. His workout routine usually consists of 20-30 minutes of running, followed by 10 minutes of light weight lifting. When asked if his new exercise program was an adjustment, Jesse responded with, “It wasn’t too bad.”

Jesse admits that working with his health coach, Nate, is an important key to his successes. “He has been great and really good in helping me set my goals.” Nate also helped Jesse separate myth from fact when it came to his metabolism. “Nate explained to me the importance of eating a little bit more to maintain my body weight and the process behind it all. That has really helped me out.”

Nate describes Jesse as a ‘great guy’ and ‘a very hard working individual’. “The most substantial change I have seen in Jesse is his mindset,” says Orriant Health Coach℠ Nate. “He is always looking to succeed and is never afraid of failure.” Jesse acknowledges that taking the time to focus on his health has given him more than just physical benefits. “My days go by easier than they did before,” says Jesse with confidence, “It makes you feel better about yourself.”

Jesse is grateful for the experience to work with his health coach and wellness company. “Orriant has provided some great accountability and awareness in my life. By doing so, it has enabled me to accomplish my wellness goals. It feels great and I want to continue my progress.” Jesse’s current goals are to maintain his overall physique and fitness level. Specifically, he is looking forward to increasing his muscle mass. Nate is confident Jesse will surpass these new goals, just like he initially did, only a few short months ago.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Rise to Success - Linda Kreitman

Linda used to exercise regularly until she was injured a few years ago. Her recovery was slow after her injury. One of her main goals when she began working with her Orriant Health CoachSM was to get to a point where she could exercise consistently the way she did before her injury. Linda started walking regularly and incorporated some light strength training at home. Shortly after, she traveled for work and found that her endurance had really improved in just a few short months. Linda took a lot of stairs when she traveled and she realized that they became easier and easier each time she used them. She was pleased that she wasn’t out of breath either. She was very thrilled to see her improvement with her endurance and stamina simply from increasing her exercise routine in just a few short months.

In the last year Linda walks everywhere, as much as she can and makes going to the gym a priority at least 2-3 times a week. She is trying to make her gym trips a habit in her weekly schedule. By incorporating her gym trips she feels her body is "in balance" and she’s able to try more fun things like bowling and hiking. In addition to her gym trips, she has been practicing portion control regularly and tries to be more conscious of how much she really needs to eat and not getting uncomfortably full. She has learned that she really does need less food.

Her biggest success is that she feels better in her clothes overall and feels in control of what she does. Linda eats to feel better for her and not for other people. Linda believes the biggest contributing factor is tracking everything - holding herself accountable to the goals she makes.

The girls she works with have started to make better choices after seeing Linda’s success with weight loss and with tracking her food. Her success has even rubbed off on her family. Her husband has been trying to cook healthier meals for both of them as well. Linda plans to stick with it and continue to track everything to get to her ultimate goal weight.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

The RISE Newsletter - December 2013

The December issue of The RISE Newsletter is here - a perfect stocking stuffer of knowledge for the holiday season! In this month's issue:

Steering Clear of 'Food Pushers'
'Food Pushers' are those who, intentionally or not, derail your nutrition goals. We got tips on how to handle these situations this holiday season.

Get More out of your Workout Routine
Have you finally hit the dreaded plateau with your workout routine? Here's how to advance forward through small changes.

Behind the (Coaching) Lines - Coping with Loss
A glimpse into a recent discussion of Orriant Coaches. Read as they share ideas on how to help participants who are dealing with the loss of a loved one.

Recipe of the Month
Apple Spice Oatmeal - We dare you to not enjoy this healthy comfort breakfast

Click here to read The RISE - English

Click here to read The RISE - en Español

Monday, December 9, 2013

Mommy Blog - Meet Emily

My name is Emily. I am a mother of 3 (soon to be 4), a wife and an Orriant Health Coach℠. I continually work towards being and staying fit. As I interact with other moms, I often get asked questions like, “How do you stay so fit?”, “When do you have time to exercise?”, or “When do you spend time with family?” Well, just like anything else, it’s what you make a priority. Yes, there are situations that “interrupt” my plans. However, I have found that if I schedule the time, and help my kids understand this is something important that mommy needs to do, I can reach my goals.

Personally, I know that committing to regular exercise and doing something healthy for me, has done the following:

1. Increased my patience and attitude with family, work, and neighbor relationships.

2. Given me more energy to keep up with the demands of being a wife, mother, and Health Coach.

3. Provided me with a more positive image of myself - Which I feel rubs off on my daughters.

4. Helped to set an example to my children of how important it is to care for our bodies.

5. My children see that setting goals and accomplishing them is a healthy and beneficial part of life.

Here’s my take on fitness and being a mom: it should be part of every woman’s life. Keep in mind, fitness is about feeling good about you and finding a balance that helps you both physically and mentally.

My relationship with exercise started as a child, playing soccer and ballet dancing. I don’t think I ever thought of it as “exercise”, just going out and doing something I enjoyed. The love of soccer carried me through high school and into college. For me it was a way to pay for school, and as I progressed in my studies, I found the benefits that it had given to my body.

Once I graduated from college, I had to find something to keep me fit since I no longer had soccer games and training. I turned to running. To be perfectly honest, I was less than excited to take on distance running. At the time, it seemed to be my only choice with my limited income and minimal understanding for other exercises. It was hard to devote myself to it in the beginning, but then I found ways to make it more enjoyable. I recruited friends to run with me and that eventually led to groups preparing for local races. As I became more comfortable with running, I knew it was time to step outside of my shell. I started participating in group fitness classes. I discovered it increased my overall coordination and the variety of exercises is very beneficial to weight management, weight loss, and changing body shape.

Many years, and a few children later, I have really tried to hold onto my ties of being active. It has become a part of who I am. It hasn’t been easy, but my workout begins at 4 am so I can be home when my husband heads off to work at 6 am. It didn’t just happen overnight, this is a pattern I have followed for the last 7 years. I won’t lie - there are days that I struggle to get up either because of a late bed time, or getting up during the night with kids. But since it is important to me, I find a way to make it work.

Sometimes I find ways to include my kids into my workout. I go for runs with kids in the stroller while the older one rides a bike alongside me. I have exercise DVDs that I do in my front room while, yes, the kids watch a 30 minute educational show. Sometimes they watch my exercise DVD with me, and even try to join in. We walk to the park and while they run and play, I can do strength exercises on the playground equipment or I’ll join in on the fun and play tag with them. If nothing else, I complete short, efficient exercises that at least let me accomplish some type of workout.

I don’t know about you, but I started noticing some “selfish” things I was doing. Have you ever snuck a piece of candy when the kids weren’t looking - moments after telling them they couldn’t have a treat? What about the diet soda the kids can’t have, but mom can? I thought, “What am I teaching myself? What am I teaching my kids?” If I didn’t want them taking it into their body, then why was I? Then I thought, “Perhaps I’m being selfish because it’s something that is mine. It seems like I share everything else with the kids. Can’t I have this one thing?” It’s still a work in progress, but I decided if I was going to be “selfish” (as some like to see it) then why not do it with something that’s good for me?

Everyone has to find their niche to feel good about themselves. Wherever you may be in your process of finding what is right for you, remember this: You are important, you are needed. You have the ability to make things happen. Life might say there is not enough time, but to the adage, “where there is a will, there is a way”.