Archive for the ‘Exercise’ Category

Key Steps to Achieve Your Goals

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

There are some key steps you need to take in order to meet your goals – whether they are financial goals, fitness goals, weight loss goals, career goals, etc.

First you need to know where you are today. What is your current situation? Where do you stand?

Next step is where would you like to be? Where do you envision yourself going? Set specific goals. How much money do you need to save, how much weight do you need to lose………whatever the situation is? Look at the people you know who are healthy or who are doing well financially; then compare their habits to those who are unhealthy or not doing well financially. Look at the people who are involved in positive relationships, and compare their habits to those who aren’t. Look at the people who are successful in their jobs; compare their work habits to those who struggle. Positive habits yield positive results.

Third step is can you get there? Based on your current situation and future requirements, is it realistic and obtainable?

Fourth step is how do you get there? What strategies do you need to implement to make your weight loss goal, career goal, retirement goal, etc? Write down your plan. Ask others to hold you accountable.

Last step is how can you stay on track? Reevaluate your goals and plan on a periodic basis. For weight loss and fitness goals that may mean weekly. For financial and career goals that may be annually. Keep a written log or chart of your progress. Keeping score is a powerful motivator. If any of your goals or circumstances have changed, make appropriate updates that address you evolving needs.

The Heart Matters

Friday, March 6th, 2009

You hear the stories of young athletes suffering heart attacks and runners dropping dead. But don’t use those stories as an excuse not to exercise. The benefits of exercise far outweigh the risks. Most of the people in those stories had an undiagnosed congenital heart defect.

 

Your heart is a muscle and muscles need exercise. Regular aerobic workouts will keep your heart strong and efficient. Exercise expands the blood vessels around the heart which can save your life if a blood clot forms.

A sedentary lifestyle is a much greater risk than exercise is. When fat infiltrates your heart muscle it can interfere with electrical impulses which can cause arrhythmias or sudden death.

 

Your heart will not "wear out" from exercise. Regular workouts lower your resting pulse so at the end of the day a well-exercised heart will have beaten fewer times overall.

If you have heart disease, regular exercise is especially important. Follow your doctor’s recommendation for target heart rate based on your blood pressure, recovery time and electocardio response

Don’t be afraid to get your heart rate up a little. Exercise at a pace that allows you to maintain a conversation and as always follow your doctor’s advice.

Here’s to a happy and healthy heart.

For more on personal finance and wellness visit http://www.debtandmoneyinfo.com.

What It Takes To Lose A Pound

Thursday, January 15th, 2009

You need to burn 3,500 more calories than you take in to lose a pound of fat. If you set a goal to burn 500 calories more than you consume each day you should lose a pound a week. If you burn 250 extra calories by exercising and eat 250 calories a day less you can also accomplish the one pound or 3,500 calories a week.

What are some ways to burn those 250 calories?
Walk at a 3 mph pace for 60 minutes
Walk up stairs for 27 minutes
Play tennis for 27 minutes

What are some ways to cut back 250 calories?
Cut out 1/2 cup ice cream
Cut out 1 donut
Cut out 1 small order of french fries


For more information on calories visit http://www.calorieking.com/
For more information on activity visit america on the move

Walking

Rule Number 1: Assume Failing Is Impossible

Monday, January 5th, 2009

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? Think about that for a minute in regards to your personal, family and business life.


If you assume that failing is impossible and let those thoughts govern you life, you will be more innovative, willing to take on risks and push to create what’s next. It doesn’t matter in the end whether what you do turns out good or bad. What matters is that you experience it as if you could not fail. Dream big, innovate, challenge yourself, push to create what’s next. Own the choices you make. You are accountable for everything you do. Accept things that scare you as you have the most to learn from those things. You will learn more mastering something new to you than you will from doing the things that you already know.

Top 10 New Years Resolutions

Monday, January 5th, 2009

The following are the Top 10 New Year’s Resolution categories… those items most likely to show up on ‘the list’. Have you ever thought about the idea behind setting resolutions… a new year thus a time for new direction in your personal life? Do you make resolutions… do you keep them… do you get a bit depressed when you don’t?

 

 

  1. Be Healthy: Welcome this never experienced New Year with a resolution of getting in shape and being healthy and fit. A dieting plan, teamed with regular exercise, is the key to shed those extra calories and get to be in perfect health throughout the year. Make a resolution to be healthy and then feel the difference of glowing health.
  2. Spend More Time with Family: Make that little difference with your presence amidst your family and dear ones. Make a resolution to spend more time with your family and bring back the joy of bonding to your life.
  3. Quit Smoking: Shake off the bad habit of smoking and say goodbye to the costs and negative impact on your health. Make a resolution to quit smoking and feel the pleasure of a smoke-free world.
  4. Quit Drinking: Why not greet the New Year with a resolution to quit drinking and lead a healthy life. Leading a sober life can be very fulfilling
  5. Enjoy Life More: Get out of the stress of daily chores and enjoy the spirit of living an easy life. Make a resolution to enjoy life more to get the maximum pleasure out of the New Year.
  6. Get Out of Debt: Make this year the start to a debt-free year. Repay all your debts and start saving beginning this year. Take the pledge of getting out of debt to mark this New Year with financial security.
  7. Learn Something New: Have you vowed to learn something new this year? It will help you in every way, be it to improve your career or your personal life. Make a pledge to learn something new this year and enjoy the difference new knowledge makes.
  8. Go on a Vacation: Get out of the drab chores of routine life. Make a resolution to plan a vacation that makes this year significantly diverse from past years.
  9. Help Others: Lets’ make a popular and non-selfish resolution of helping others. There are lots of others who can use your help.
  10. Get Organized: Let’s take this New Year seriously and make a vow of getting more organized… it simplifies your life.

 

 

Anything above stimulate something specific that you’d like to act on? In the potentially tough year to come, some of them have added economic value. In business, we’d consider these as annual objectives, so I challenge you to think of resolutions more like goals… something to move towards, with a plan, knowing that plans do not always become accomplished 100%. This removes the stigma of “failing” to keep a resolution, but showing progress towards the objective. And remember what gets measured gets inproved – track you progress.

 

 

What Gets Measured Gets Improved

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008

My career has always been in the quality management field. One of the sayings in quality management that I have liked is “what gets measured gets improved.” At this time of the year, that thought can be applied to New Year’s resolutions. Whether you have resolutions pertaining to weight loss, smoking, finances or something else – you can come up with a way to measure your progress. And if you measure your progress you will have a greater likelihood of success.

If you have weight loss goals, you can document your starting weight and measurements (pounds, chest, arms, waist, hips, thighs, etc) and then log them on a periodic (weekly, maybe even daily) to see how you are doing. The best way is then to also plot them on a chart so you can visually see your progress.

If you have financial resolutions, you can start by determining your current situation – total debts, net worth, total investments, whatever your goal pertains to. You can plot those also on a chart or in an Excel spreadsheet. Date your entries and update monthly, quarterly and you can also see your progress. For net worth there is a website www.networthiq.com where you can document your net worth progress and create your “badge.”


Do you have any other ideas for measuring your progess?

Create a Plan For Your Life

Friday, November 7th, 2008

In order to reach what you want in life (whether it is in terms of personal development, business, wellness, self-help, spirituality, financial management, etc) you have to develop a plan and set goals. Here are some valuable rules for setting life goals:

Until its written down, it is not a goal – it is a slogan. Write your goals down. Make a list. I love lists.

Make sure your goals are specific, measurable and provable. List the details. What will you do. By when will you accomplish it? How will you know you made it?


Take immediate action on your goals so that you start movings towards them. Get started within 48 hours.

Once you have written down your goals, put them someplace where you can see them everyday. Put them on your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator, your automobile steering wheel.

Share your goals with someone that you love and trust. Verbalizing your goals to another person makes them more entrenched in your mind and the other person can may be able to help keep you on track.

Develop goals that fit in with your values. What is important to you? Is it security, independence, freedom, helping others, helping family, happiness…..

Review your goals at least every twelve months. Are you on track? Do you need to adjust, redefine?


Remember, if you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got! Reach for the stars.

Maze