Excuses, Excuses, Excuses – Part I
If you have ever begun an exercise regime, chances are that you have found a myriad of excuses threatening to side-track your efforts. Maybe you have discovered the secret to overcoming your excuses and, if so, congratulations on your success! But if the excuses won out and you have stopped exercising, or you still battle the day-to-day excuses while trudging through your exercise program, let me offer some solutions to getting and staying on track.
Excuse #1: “I am too busy to exercise.”
The conventional approach says to “just do it” – find the time. While this sounds sensible, a deeper look into this excuse is needed.
Experience tells me that people make time for what is most important to them. (This is true in all areas of life, not just fitness.) Some of the busiest, most successful people I know make exercise a priority. So what starts out as an issue of time is really an issue of priorities.
It is helpful to put your attention on the value you place on exercise, rather than the excuse itself. Taking a larger view, I encourage you to make a list of your life’s top five values, for example family, health, or spirituality. Once you have made this list, do you see how exercise supports one or more of those values? If exercise is not a top priority (or does not support one), consider holding off until it becomes one. Or, make it a priority – begin writing a list of all the pros and cons you can think of for exercise. Given enough attention, you will likely find the reasons you need to make exercise a priority.
Excuse #2: “I hate to exercise.”
If you truly do not enjoy exercise, I understand the struggle you might have in keeping consistent with your program. Similar to excuse #1, turning your focus to your values and the benefits you want from exercise, can help you overcome this issue. Think about other things you do not like to do, but do them anyway because of the results. We do simple things such as changing a baby’s diaper, washing dishes, or taking the car in for an oil change because we do not like the alternative and we like the outcome once the chore is done.
While you may never love to exercise, unconventional thinking can increase the enjoyment factor. Exercise does not have to take place in a gym or on a piece of equipment, nor do you have to push yourself to exhaustion running around a track. Find activities that are the “lesser of all the exercise evils.” This way you will be more motivated to follow through.
Watch for Part II of Excuses next month in the Fitness Motivation Monitor!
Message From The President: 
I read the following quote in an inspirational email I received several weeks ago:
Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out... ~ Robert J. Collier
In my lifestyle fitness coaching business this is a concept I hope to instill in my clients. Do you frequently get caught up in the emotion or business of the moment? The thought of making a small effort does not usually occur to most of us. However, rather than skip a workout because you are too busy, try fitting in just ten minutes and see how it adds up. Rather than skip a meal, take the time for a quick bite and avoid ravenous hunger and over-eating later. It all adds up.
Of course, the quote is applicable to many facets of life. What I appreciate most is that it removes any expectation of perfection or that only big efforts matter. It acknowledges that all of our efforts make a difference and work toward our success. This is good news on a day when a small effort is all we have the time or energy for. What small effort would make a big difference in your life?
To your health,
Amy Lundberg
Aim For It, President
Beat the Heat This Summer!
Summer is in full swing and you likely have your plans set for fun in the sun! Be careful though. Activity and exercise in the heat can be hazardous if you do not prepare. While exercising on a hot day, the body needs blood sent to the working muscles and to the skin to increase heat loss. This “competition” causes less blood to be distributed to both places and can cause problems including heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and most dangerous, heat stroke. You can take precautions to prevent heat illness in most hot environments. Although, when heat and humidity are extremely high, it may be better to put off your outdoor exercise or activity until it cools off.
Certain people, due to age or health conditions, are more vulnerable to the effects of heat and humidity including the following:
- Older adults
- Young children (preadolescent)
- Cardiovascular disease
- Obesity
- Infection and fever
- Hyperthyroidism
If you are dehydrated, wearing heavy clothing, taking particular drugs (alcohol, amphetamines, diuretics, blood pressure medication), or are in a new climate to which you have not yet acclimated, you may also be at risk.
Here are some general guidelines to prevent heat stress or heat illness this summer:
- Wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing
- Take more rest breaks during days that are hotter than you are accustomed to
- Avoid activity between 10am and 2pm, the hottest part of the day
- Drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise
- Reduce the intensity of your regular workout
- Allow at least eight days to acclimate to a new hot or humid environment
- Avoid alcohol and drugs, such as stimulants, that are dehydrating or indicated as unsafe for use in the heat
- Beware of the early signs of heat stress including dizziness, cramps, clammy skin, and extreme weakness
- If you do not tolerate heat or humidity well, try exercising indoors in an air-conditioned environment on extremely hot or humid days.
Have a wonderful, safe summer!
Intuitive Eating- Reported By CNN And People Magazine
*Learn to stop the stress of the struggle that may be holding on your weight
*Discover an anti-dieting philosophy that replaces external eating with a hunger-based approach
*Choose a program that gives you back YOUR POWER that deprivation diets have taken from you.
*Gain knowledge and tools that radiates self esteem and self confidence!
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Apple Crisp for Summer Time
(or any time)
Baseball and apple pie… everything Americana. Throw in barbeques and fireworks and you have everything needed for an Independence Day celebration plus weeks to come of summer fun.
Is your mouth already watering? Mine too! And while nothing quite compares with a home-baked apple pie, it is a time-consuming endeavor. In search of a good substitute, I found a recipe for a hearty, tasty apple crisp. I am especially pleased with the lower amount of sugar in this recipe than most. To my pallet, a syrupy, sugary recipe ruins a good apple crisp (or any other fruit dessert). With less sugar, you can enjoy all of the flavors, especially the apple!
Recipe:
- 5 cups thinly sliced apples
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup oatmeal
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- dash salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss the apples with lemon juice and water. In a separate bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, sugar, nutmeg, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Using a pastry blender, add in butter. Add nuts. Transfer apples, with the liquid, to a 9 inch square pan. Cover the apples with the flour mixture. Bake 40-45 minutes until top is brown. Best served warm.
Serves 6-9, depending on how much everyone wants!
Another bonus to this dessert is fiber. It is recommended that we get 20-25 grams per day in our diet, which for many people is a challenge. Apples and oatmeal are both excellent sources of fiber.
In an effort to be fit and healthy, the calorie value of foods is important. So is the taste factor. A good question to ask about any food is, “Does this food meet my requirements for taste and nutrition, while containing an acceptable number of calories for me to reach my goals?” When a dessert answers “yes” to all three, it has my vote!
Could your friends and family use some fitness tips and strategies? Refer them to The Fitness Motivation Monitor. Have them call (218) 846-1525, email aimforit@arvig.net or gift them a subscription!
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