Mind-body connection

Knowing THIS Will Help Your Balance (And Prevent Falls!)

balance and proprioception

Click on the image to watch the video

Feeling off-balance or constantly afraid you’ll fall is more than a worry. It impacts your life, holding you back from activities you want to do and sapping your confidence. Many balance programs focus on standing on one foot or doing random balance drills, but true stability is much more complex, and so is the path to improving it.

Why Most Balance Routines Fail and What Actually Works

Cookie-cutter approaches to balance just aren’t enough. They’re too general, ignoring the layered complexity and uniqueness of every body. To truly improve your balance, you need a holistic plan that addresses your structure, your “soft tissue” (muscles, ligaments, fascia), and your neurological “computers”—your proprioceptors.

1. Structural Alignment Your Foundation

Imagine your body as a house. If the foundation or walls are off, everything above is unstable. Your bones must be aligned, and your hips and pelvis balanced, to channel force smoothly through your entire frame. This is more than posture—it’s about the interplay of hard (bone) and soft tissue (muscles, fascia, ligaments) all working together for stable movement.

Fun fact: Your bones adapt to repeated forces and movement—if you’re off balance or compensating, your skeleton will actually remodel around those forces, making misalignment worse over time. That’s why generic “adjustments” alone never last; your muscles and fascia must be trained, too.

2. Biotensegrity The Body’s Inner Suspension Bridge

Ever heard of “tensegrity”? It just means the harmony between tension and compression—how your soft tissue web, not just bones, is what actually keeps you upright and balanced. Your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia are all interconnected and play a major role in stability, not just movement.

If you’re missing strength or mobility in one area, the whole system suffers. Generic exercise routines or bouncing between fad workouts without addressing your personal gaps won’t help. The key is specificity—testing and building up your weak links.

3. The Glute Medius Your Hip’s Hidden Hero

Your glute medius stabilizes the pelvis and is foundational for staying upright, stepping, and shifting your weight. If it’s weak or poorly coordinated, your “house” tips and daily movements become risky. The best assessment and strengthening moves isolate different fibers in the glute medius (not just doing “clamshells”), with your leg in various angles and a strong, fixed core for real-world benefit.

4. Proprioception Training Your Balance “Computers”

Balance isn’t just muscle—it’s knowing where your body is in space, thanks to proprioceptors (“position sensors”) in your feet, spine, TMJ, eyes, and ears. If one system’s off, your brain’s internal map is wrong—you feel “off” even when you look straight, and compensations leak through the whole body.

To improve this, you need:

  • Targeted foot and ankle work: barefoot balance, one-leg stances, standing on soft surfaces
  • Spine awareness: core and trunk engagement, rotational exercises
  • Head, jaw, eye, and ear alignment: gentle neck exercises, gaze stability drills

Proprioceptive training should progress from simple (e.g., static one-leg balance) to complex (eyes closed, dynamic reaches, unstable surfaces, dual-tasking). Key: Always train specifically for your deficits—not just generic drills.

5. Start Where YOU Are

You can’t address everything at once—successful balance training means finding your lowest-hanging fruit. Use a notepad, test your strengths and weaknesses, and focus on two or three new habits or drills at a time.

If you want a body that’s truly balanced and ready for life—whether that’s hiking, gardening, or just moving with confidence and without fear of falling—you need to address all the interconnected parts: structure, soft tissue, proprioception.

[Book a free consult] for a holistic assessment and personalized program that will target exactly what you need to regain control, improve your balance, and enjoy every activity with confidence.

it’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.

Find out more @

Facebook

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Bluesky

Working Out FOR a BETTER Life: It’s About the Foundation, Not Just Fitness

holistic health fitness program

It’s not just working out—it’s building a foundation for a better life. That’s not just a slogan. It’s the driving insight behind what a true health and fitness routine is supposed to achieve. When approached holistically, fitness is the gateway for transformation: physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually.

My Journey to Holistic Fitness

I’ve felt this in my bones since I was young—even before I had the words. Sports, movement, and healthy eating gave me structure and focus growing up, and I soon realized the value of incorporating mindset, visualization, and positive belief alongside physical training. What began just as sports and healthy eating soon became routines in goal setting, journaling, and affirmations. These simple but powerful strategies enabled me to go beyond what teachers or diagnoses thought possible—and most importantly, to start believing in my own potential.

You’re More Than a Body. Fitness Should Reflect That.

As I grew and eventually became the owner of SolCore Fitness, I kept seeing the same problem: too many programs—especially in big-box gyms—treat exercise like a checklist. Do these reps, burn these calories, and move on. But a fitness foundation built only on the latest routine, without guidance or purpose, can’t address the depth of who you are or the layered challenges you face.

A holistic fitness plan must consider:

  • Physical Health: Building strength, mobility, and injury resistance so you can move, play, and age well.
  • Mental Health: The right routine improves focus, battles distraction, calms a busy mind, and boosts creativity and resilience.
  • Emotional Wellbeing: True fitness reduces stress, increases confidence, and helps you bounce back from setbacks.
  • Social Connection & Purpose: Working out becomes a vehicle for belonging, accountability, and compassion—for yourself and others.
  • Spiritual Health: Movement connects you to what matters—whether it’s a sense of purpose, gratitude, or something greater than yourself.

True Holistic Fitness Builds on Strong, Integrated Foundations

Every phase of your life brings new challenges, losses, and opportunities. Sometimes you might feel invincible; other times, a single injury or setback can shake your identity to its core. I know this firsthand—after a significant injury, I had to rethink everything. Gone were the routines that used to work. In their place, I found osteopathy and the “structure dictates function” principle. I became obsessed with weaving together strength, nutrition, movement, mindset, and deeper learning.

When you combine physical, mental, and emotional progress, transformation happens:

  • You learn to appreciate what your body CAN do (not just what it looks like)
  • You wake up parts of yourself—muscle chains, mental habits, creativity—that had “fallen asleep”
  • You discover new reserves of resilience and motivation, even when you “fail” or meet resistance

Most importantly, you realize: Every challenge is an opportunity to know yourself more deeply, and every victory unlocks another level of growth.

It’s Not “Just” About Longevity—It’s About Quality and Purpose

We all want to live as long as possible, but what about living vibrantly and joyfully, every step of the way? A holistic fitness program is about creating that positive trajectory, so you can:

  • Stay active and pain-free through every decade
  • Play with kids, grandkids (or great-grandkids!)
  • Try new activities, travel, garden, or pursue passion projects
  • Feel mentally clear, socially connected, and emotionally grounded—even when times get tough

A complete, individualized fitness plan helps YOU decide what kind of life you want to live…and then gives you the tools (and the confidence) to achieve it.

[Book a free consult] if you’re ready to discover what a true holistic health and fitness plan can do—not just for your muscles, but for your entire life journey. Let’s build the foundation that keeps you strong, joyful, and inspired for decades to come.

it’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.

Find out more @

Facebook

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Bluesky

Master Your Mindset To Succeed In Your Fitness Program

Do you end up starting and stopping workout routines?🙅‍♀️

Does it feel like you are going around in circles? ⭕️

These 4 steps can help you get out of your rut.

1️⃣ Set realistic goals that are sustainable and help you slowly improve.

2️⃣ Journal to track physical progress and bring awareness to how you are doing mentally and emotionally.

3️⃣ Practice mindfulness emotional meditation. Allow those thoughts and feelings that derailed you before to be processed and not take you over.

4️⃣ Find a program that not only progressively takes your body through it, but your mental emotional as well.

Does this resonate with you?

Give a “yes” or “no” in the comments below.

it’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.

Find out more @

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Mental health Is Part of Holistic Health

Mental Health Is Part Of Holistic Health

I’ll be honest, working out nowadays is more about keeping my body balanced so that my emotions are regulated more than what it is doing for me physically. Yes, I have physical goals and areas that I want to keep working on and improving, but the regulation of emotions is the most immediate benefit.

I run a little fast am type A and because of it have anxiety. The good thing for me, I have always been active, so it never took me over. But I noticed when I got hurt and couldn’t move like I wanted to, my anxiety became palpable. When I started moving again, I felt the physical benefits, but more importantly, I felt a rush of tension leave my body, and a cooling calming effect sleep over my body. And this was only from a couple of stretches, so it wasn’t even long enough to be confused with endorphins. I got familiar with what anxiety felt like and how quickly doing the right exercises could get rid of it at the right intensity.

Your posture and mental health

I tell people that their structure dictates their function, and it is usually in regards to some physical issue or goal they have. But “function” has to do with how your organs work, how well you think, and the regulation of your emotions.

There are physiological reasons your thoughts and emotions may be off. Your sympathetic nervous system has extensions on the front part of your vertebral body.

So if you have bad posture and your spine is out of place, the sympathetic nervous system won’t function and affect your mental and emotions.

So when the stresses of 2020 combined with it being the holidays seem to be taking you over, incorporate a holistic exercise program to keep yourself moving correctly and regulate your thoughts and emotions.

A proper holistic exercise program combined with:

•          Meditation

•          Time in the fresh air and sun

•          Meaningful connections with others

•          Plenty of sleep

•          And healthy food and plenty of water

It will go a along way to keeping your mental health well. And never be afraid of seeking out help.


it’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.

Find out more @

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Personal Training Success Story Santa Fe

Personal Training Success Story Santa Fe – Pat Murphy

Pat is one of the happiest people I have ever met. Just look at that smiling shot for goodness sake! She seems to not have a care in the world. But on the flip side Pat is a very hard worker and has really proven herself over this past year of being with us.

Pat came to Santa Fe after a whole other life in South Beach Miami. She was in Miami before it even started to become the international metropolis that it is now. She was a social worker there working with clientele that had severe head wounds and/or was about to die. All day long that was the majority of her days, until finally she had enough. If she had to fill out one more report she was going to lose it. So she packed up her stuff and Lou (her husband) and moved to Santa Fe.

She had been coming here for 25 years and it seemed like the perfect fit for her new life. She also completely switched gears on what she wanted to contribute in this life. Instead of dealing with death and destruction (literally) she focused on the new joyous beginnings and became a wedding officiate.

I met Pat while networking and right after my “60 second commercial” she said, “You’re talking about me,” with a big ol’ smile on her face. Well I never know if somebody is really serious or not but sure enough she contacted me about a week later.

When she first started it was difficult! We were doing a myofascial stretching hip flexor routine and it was hard because it was new and hard because she needed it. And at the end of the session I said to myself like I say about everybody, “I hope she doesn’t quit.”

Well as I already told you, she made it through that class and all of the others throughout the year. And along the way she has made some amazing progress, so it wasn’t even a question to have Pat be our September Member of the Month.

 

1) What made you decide you wanted/needed to start a program?

I started to notice that I was getting weaker and starting to have a lot more pain. I also saw that many of my friends were going down the road of surgeries and illness, and there was no way that I wanted to do that. When I heard you speak, it really resonated with me and I knew it was for me.

 

2) What did you do before?

I tried Pilates, Yoga and some regular group exercise classes, but I didn’t like any of them. They just didn’t know how to address what was going on with me and I was afraid I was going to get hurt.

 

3) What results have you achieved since starting your program that you are proud of?

The pain I was constantly in is pretty much gone. I feel so much stronger and I am really proud of myself each time I finish a class.

 

4) Do you have a favorite exercise? Least? What do you like or don’t like about them?

I like the 90/90/90. My hips feel so good and balanced after we do them. I do not like the frogs. I know they are good for me, but they are hard.

 

 5) What are some challenges or goals you are currently working on?

I just want to keep showing up. If I show up good things happen. If I were to stop I know I would go backward.

 

 6) What do you like best about our program/ having a trainer?

I love being in a group where everybody is working hard! And the attention to detail and the knowledge that you guys provide us is wonderful.

 

 7) What advice would you give to the other SolCore Fitness members?

Just keep coming!

 

 8) What would you say to someone on the fence about joining our program?

Just try it and see what you are capable of!

Find out more @

Facebook

Google Plus

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

WillPower: Are you missing it?

WillPower has been the “magic key” to the people I have seen achieve amazing success in their Personal Training program.

What’s the most important factor when it comes to being successful at life?

Your I.Q.?

How good-looking you are?

Your social skills?

Your physical health?

According to Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter and author Charles Duhigg, the most important factor in determining your success is willpower.

“Dozens of studies show that willpower is the single most important keystone habit for individual success. Self-discipline has a bigger effect on academic performance than intellectual talent,” he says.

So how do you teach willpower?

Duhigg says the answer is through your habits.

In a 2013 TED Talk called The Power of Habit, he talks about an experiment that took place in the sixties involving willpower.

A researcher used his four year old son and his son’s classmates as subjects. Each subject was seated in a room with a desk and a marshmallow. The researcher’s instructions to the child were “I’m going to leave the room for ten minutes. You’re free to eat the marshmallow. But if when I come back into the room and the marshmallow is still here, I will give you a second marshmallow.”

Only about 15% of the children were able to resist eating the marshmallow.

The kids who ate the marshmallow tended to focus on the marshmallow; they would touch it, smell it, stare at it and generally let it dominate their thoughts.

On the other hand, the children who didn’t eat the marshmallow blocked it out of their mind. Duhigg showed a video of one boy who told himself if he were successful, he would gobble down both marshmallows at once. In other words, he gave himself a reward.

Years later, the researcher asked his son how his classmates were doing. From his answers he noticed a trend (which he then decided to examine more fully.) The children who had been able to resist eating the marshmallow were doing better in both in school and in life. They showed up for class on time, always had their homework done, had better grades, got into better colleges and had higher paying jobs. Plus, they were more popular.

Duhigg then explains what’s known as a “Habit Loop.” It consists of three components:

1) cue;

2) routine (the behaviour itself);

3) reward (which helps your brain remember the habit for the future.)

He points out that every time habits are talked about, from Aristotle to Oprah, people have focused on the behaviour. BUT, it’s actually the cue and the reward that influence how habits function.

So how do you get rid of bad habits and replace them with good habits? You predetermine the cue and the reward.

For example, your cue could be that after work three times a week you head to the gym. Your reward could be a night of guilt free TV watching or your favorite dessert. Duhigg points out that eventually, when it comes to exercise, the neurotransmitters such as the endorphins and endocannabinoids that are generated (which make you feel great) serve as their own reward.

He adds that the key to making this work for you is that you must be very specific. Simply stating, “I want to get more exercise” or “I want to lose weight” won’t do it. Instead say something along the lines of “After work on Monday, I will head to the gym. Then I will reward myself by treating myself to a smoothie.”

Now let’s switch gears for a moment and take a look at another study Duhigg references in his TED Talk.

He describes a study that involved placing rats into a very simple maze. In the maze, he placed some chocolate. To measure its brain waves, each rat’s cranium was hooked up to about 150 censors.

Upon being placed into the maze it took the rats an average of about 13 minutes to find the chocolate. Initially they concluded it took the rats that long because rats are pretty dumb.

The brain activity throughout the 13 minutes was pretty constant with a spike at the beginning (the cue) and at the end when they eventually found the chocolate (the reward).

They duplicated their maze experiment about 150 times with each rat. It gradually took the rats less and less time to find the chocolate. What they found was that while there was still a spike at the beginning and the end, during the middle part the rat’s brain showed limited activity – almost as if the rat was asleep.

What happened with the rats is remarkably similar to the marshmallow test.

In both cases, when success was achieved there was a cue (the rat was put in the maze, the child was given instructions) then there was a period in the middle (the behaviour) where there was precious little focus on the dilemma at hand, followed by a reward.

By NOT focusing on the specific issue both rat and child didn’t allow themselves to consider alternatives to their task at hand.

Perhaps you can relate to what happens when you do focus on the issue or task. For instance, have you ever planned to go for a walk and then at the last second you talk yourself out of it? You convince yourself you’re too busy, the weather is not quite right, or you have something else better to do.

Like the examples noted, wouldn’t you agree that you’d be more successful if once you received your cue you eliminated any self-conversation that might make you change your mind and instead just focused on reaping the promised reward?

Or to sum it up in the three words of a well-known sports company slogan, instead of looking for reasons not to do something you…

Just do it.

Predetermine your cues and reward beforehand. Break any annoying habits you may have that have been dragging you down.
Get more information @ 

Facebook

Google Plus

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

 

 

Personal Training Success Story

Personal Training Success Story: Deborah Trouw

There are times when even I am amazed at the personal training success that somebody can make in our program. There are so many factors that go into it that you have to assume it will take a person a little time to put it together. After all it is not easy to switch how you operate on a deep level. But Deb Trouw was one of the people who put it all together from the start. Within the first month she had just crushed the workouts I had given her and was ready for more.  Within the first three months she was basically already at her goals to the point where we had to set her new goals. I actually knew that she was going to do well. There is is a level of acceptance that I get from people who are really ready to change, and I know that there are going to get there fast. But this fast was a little surprising. But Deb has shown this for all her life, and the more I get to know her the more I realize that this is part of her character.  Deb was born in the UK the oldest of 4 and came to the US with an optometry degree but was unable to us it here in the US. So along with raising two great kids she worked herself up form a Tax Preparer at H&R Block to a   Financial Adviser for Waddell and Reed. But Deborah Trouw is not “Just” a  Financial Adviser at Waddell and Reed, but one of there top 6 years running!

*Side note: When you are reading the interview you have to read the answers in a really cool English accent!

 I am proud to announce Deborah Trouw our April 2015 members of the month’s Personal Training Success Story:

What made you decide you wanted/needed to start a personal training program?

My weight had been creeping up and I would lose a few pounds then put back on over the winter. I knew I wanted to weight train but was also aware that I wasn’t standing straight and didn’t want to compound that working out by myself.

What did you do before?

Nothing at all for quite a few years except a bit of hiking with the family. Before that, step aerobics.

What results have you achieved since starting your program and are proud of?

Getting stronger, losing weight and improving posture as well. Sticking to the program for a entire year!

Do you have a favorite exercise? Least? What do you like or don’t like about them?

I like mostly that we rotate thru different types of exercises, keeps it interesting and I can see progress when we do an exercise that we didn’t in a while and I am able to do more.

What are some challenges or goals you are currently working on?

Haven’t reached the point that I feel that i am “there” yet and can just maintain current status.

What do you like best about the our program/ having a trainer?

Accountability, and knowing that I’m working hard but not over- doing it. I haven’t had an injury so far. You know what works best for my type of body.

What advice would you give to the other SolCore Fitness members?

Mostly to take YOUR advice, and to know that if they are feeling low energy and don’t want to come to the gym to do it anyway, that you will modify the workout as needed.

What would you say to someone on the fence about joining our program?

Check it out for 3 moths – you can’t tell by just talking about the program!
Get more information @ 

Facebook

Google Plus

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

 

 

How 1 Hour And 17 Minuets in Santa Fe Put Me In My Place…

A couple weeks back I competed in and finished the Santa Fe Triathlon, and boy did it teach me a lesson.

I think of myself a pretty good athlete. Picking up sports and learning new physical activities has never been that difficult for me. We all have our talents, and that is one of mine. Wanting to be fit and healthy has led me to be a personal trainer and to start a personal training company  here in Santa Fe, New Mexico so I can help others achieve their health goals also.

Ever since college I have thought it would be a good challenge to do a triathlon. That year I incorporated it into my program and went for it. Problem was I didn’t have a bike and there weren’t any near me. “Oh well” I told myself “I tried.” Then about 6 years ago in LA the Malibu triathlon was coming around and I caught the need to do it again. Again I trained and raised funds for it, but right before the race, I hurt my knee. Nothing serious, but there was no way I could run long distances on it. “I tried” I told myself, but I was annoyed I again couldn’t do it.

The Santa Fe Triathlon provided me a way to get that monkey off my back.

I have always used visualization to propel me toward my goals.  I have been doing it so long it wasn’t called making a “vision board” it was putting pictures on the wall of things you strived for.  About a year before I moved to Santa Fe I made a “vision board,” putting all things I wanted in my life on it. And of course I put all the usual suspects on the board: career goals, family, individual goals, and within all this, something was right in the forefront: “Try a Triathlon.” I stuck it in there not knowing when it might happen.

When we moved to Santa Fe we were unpacking the boxes and my wife came in and asked if I still wanted to have my vision board up. At first my feeling was “Ah that was a long time ago, I need new goals.” And I was about to tell her to throw it away, but something stopped me. So I told her I would put it up. And after that I really didn’t look at it to much until….

Sticking to your goals will help you do the Santa Fe Triathlon…or any other goal for that matter.

I was at a Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce event talking to a group of people when all of a sudden somebody mentioned they were doing the Santa Fe Triathlon and immediately I perked up. It was the same feeling I had had the previous two times, but this time everything was lining up. It was three months away, I had a road bike, and I know how to train to keep my body in balance so I wouldn’t get hurt. Oh it was on!

I set my program and was off! And then something funny started happening to me. Negative thoughts and feeling. It didn’t make sense to me. I was SUPER ATHLETE! I could do anything! But the thoughts and the feelings stayed. And even worse they got more significant as the race got closer. And it still didn’t make sense because I had really progressed in my training. I was down 20 lbs, I had knocked off a minute per mile in my run, and I could make the 400m swim now. Demons were in my head, but I persisted.

Three fourths through my training both my wife and I noticed something on my vision board.

Santa Fe Triathlon

I had totally forgotten about this! This gave my confidence that I could do this even though I felt like my stomach was going to crawl out at any point.

It all came to a head the day of. Of course I hardly slept and my stomach resisted the food I was trying to give it. I always get a little “ancy” before anything athletic and especially before a competition, but this was way overboard. I had to make a conscious choice to go slower than I wanted. Had I gone out the way I wanted I would have destroyed my nervous system and once you push your nervous system too far, the only way to “get it back” is to rest. Resting is not the best way to compete in a race.

Then it was time for the race. I went at the pace that I felt was appropriate concentrating only on what I was doing at that time. Pretty soon I noticed that “what I was doing at the time” was passing people. I was actually kind of in shock, but I tried not to think to much about it because in the Santa Fe Triathlon the swim is last and I didn’t want to drown.

I finally go to the swim portion and I had no idea where I was in the race, so I continued along my pace. I just cleared my head and dove in. I am a very good swimmer, but I did not know if I could run, bike, and THEN swim.

Again, I stayed at my pace and swam. Once again, to my amazement, I started passing people. At fist I didn’t want to because I thought that I would get in people’s way, but once I started I really started gaining confidence. Half way though I was so stoked because I realized that this wasn’t that hard for me and that I should go faster!!! It was awesome!!!

Here I was, the big bad athlete who thought he could do just about anything athletic, being “taught a lesson” by the Santa Fe Triathlon.

My fear tried to prevent me from participating and winning, but through focusing on my goals, and win. I am getting all emotional about it right now just thinking about it!

This is not something just I can do. I’m sharing this so you’ll know that if you set your goals and focus on the task at hand you’ll know that what you are doing is winning!

CLYDESDALE DIVISION RESULTS

356 EKEMBA SOOH TOTAL PLACE  #1      SANTA FE

RUN    #1   23:57   1:55.4 transition                

BIKE    #1   39:23.0   3:00.0  transition                   

SWIM   #2   9:18.5        

 1:17:33.3  

Santa Fe Triathlon         

 

Get more information @ 

Facebook

Google Plus

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

 

 

You don’t have to work out like an NFL player.

By the time this blog is posted, the NFL season will be on its way. YEAH! I love NFL football, and since moving to Santa Fe, I miss living close to NFL action.

But don’t think I’m going to ask you to work out like an NFL player. I know what an NFL exercise program is like and I know it’s not complete. But there is something to be said about the NFL player’s exercise routine, which includes consistency and pushing yourself a little beyond what you can do each time to get a little bit better each day.

Consistency, pushing yourself, and trying to get a little better each day — these are the keys to any exercise program. And that last part is something you will hear NFL players and coaches say all the time: “We’re just trying to get a little bit better each day.” It is cliché, but it is absolutely true.

How to put a little NFL and a little kaizen in your exercise program.

Kaizen is a Japanese business philosophy of continuous improvement in all areas of business practices and personal development. I preach similar principles to all my clients and the people I work with here in Santa Fe. Gradual, steady improvement is the only way to approach a long-term goal without driving yourself crazy. I wanted everything now, so this was a big, uncomfortable pill for me to swallow, and I still choke on it now and then. But the alternative — the highs and lows and the stress that it produces — is not worth it.

You need a laid-out, realistic exercise program in which you push yourself a little further than you are comfortable with. And uncomfortable comes in many different flavors — physical, mental, and emotional. For any success to happen you have to be OK with the uncomfortableness.

  • This means your muscles may burn a little more than you’d like, or if you live in a high altitude as we have in Santa Fe, you may be huffing and puffing more than you’d like.
  • This means you may have to put away your ego and what you think is right, trust in the program you have chosen, and do it.
  • This also means you will have to be OK with the feelings that come to you before and during your exercise program. Nothing comes for free; you’ve got to work it.

Say yes to your inner NFL player.

Scene: You standing at the mirror looking at yourself in the morning. “I’m just trying to get a little bit better today.”

Sounds hokey, doesn’t it? It feels even hokier when you actually do it…at the start. It gets easier and easier each time you say it. You don’t have to use that exact sentence. Keep the idea and find your own words.

From Washington, DC, to North Carolina to Los Angeles to Santa Fe I have used this with varying levels of consistency and with my own words. When I am more consistent in saying those words, they come true. Now combine that with a thought-out program and being OK with the uncomfortableness that goes along with it, and what do you have? Success. Meaning you are a success. Now go stand in front of the mirror and make yourself uncomfortable.
Get more information @ 

Facebook

Google Plus

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

 

 

These 3 Motivational Words Will Put Your Exercise Program In Overdrive And Have You Looking And Feeling Better Than you Have In Years!

What three motivational words can you say to yourself that will put your exercise program in overdrive and make your fitness dreams come true?

“I Want To!”

Too often we approach our fitness routines with the thought “I have to,” and it produces a counterproductive attitude toward our fitness program. Say both phrases out loud (if you’re in a public place you can wait till you get home…or not) and pay attention to how it feels within your body. “I have to” produces dread and a “heavy” feeling.  “I want to” produces an extra pep in your step and a joy associated with whatever you want to do.

How I used this phrase to help me.

I’ll be honest, getting myself to work out is not difficult at all. I just set a plan, follow it, and adapt along the way. It’s one of the reasons I became a personal trainer; it has pretty much come easy to me. But there are goals I have had that have really challenged me mentally and emotionally. In fact I am going through one right now.

Back in February I threw caution to the wind and hired a French teacher to, well, teach me French. I knew French back when I was a wee tike but lost it when we moved to the States. And ever since I could remember I have wanted to relearn it. So I started doing my research, looking for a teacher, and I found Sabine. Born in France, she has a PhD in French studies and is a teacher…DING DING DING! I stalked her down and got her to meet with me, and after a nice chat I knew it would work. So even though I was still trying to build my business, take care of a baby, and learn a new city, I committed. I told her I would be with her for at least a year, and we got started.

(P.S. There are a lot of really good teaching points in this last paragraph about achieving your goals. You might want to go back and reread it.)

This Santa Fe French teacher is kicking my butt!

I was so gung ho those first couple of classes, and I was feeling really excited about finally being able to speak French. And then I got hit smack in the face with reality. I remember it really clearly, that feeling of being overwhelmed and all the negative thoughts flooding into my head. “There is no way I can learn all this.” “You’ll never get this.” Etc., etc. I continued because I do not like to quit, but I was trying to power through these thoughts and feelings. I “had to” do this! Push Push Push!

Then the thought came to me, “I want to do this,” and I felt the calmness that came with it. Done. I don’t question things when they are this clear. So I started to approach learning French in this manner, and it has helped me tremendously. Do I still get frustrated and impatient? You bet I do! But I don’t let it become me. Because I “want to” I can now relax, have fun, and consequently learn more efficiently.

What’s running in your head?

Do you “have to” go work out? Or do you “want to”? If you “have to,” you are fighting yourself and it will make accomplishing your goals exponentially harder. If you “want to,” you are enjoying the process and it will allow you to get to where you want to go quicker. So add a little “want to” in your life.

 

Get more information @ 

Facebook

Google Plus

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube