Have you ever noticed that birds of a feather seem to flock together.  And it’s true for people too.  If you’re having a weight problem – maybe it’s time you check your flock. 

Birds of a feather flock together – and so do people.  When it comes to eating right at restaurants – that can have a huge impact on your life.  Here’s what I mean. 

All of us get into habits and we all hang out with generally the same type of people – people like us.  It’s human nature to be in our comfort zone.  When it comes to your diet, remember that restaurants cater to certain types of people. 

A restaurant that serves junk food has a very different customer than one that serves healthy food.  Improving your eating habits is as easy as joining a new flock. 

It’s simple modeling. 

Figure out where the healthy, average weight people eat and go there.  It’s very likely, you’ll have the same food choices – just a healthier version. 

I know, it sounds simple – but sometimes simple works. 

Hey, it’s all about moving – do some now so that you can do more, later. 

If you’re a woman over 40 who doesn’t workout, when’s the last time you raised your arm and waved hello to somebody?  You know what mean? 

As we get older, the skin on our bodies loses it’s elasticity and begins to sag – and there’s no better example than the famous arm that keeps waving.  It’s one of the problem body parts that women over 40 seem to have in common.  And if you’re gained or lost weigh in your life, it’s even worse.  So what’s the solution? 

Remember, your skin is not just sagging because of lack of elasticity, you’re also losing the underlying muscle at the rate of about 1.5% per year.  When you lift weights, you maintain and build muscle. 

When you exercise you’re triceps, all that new muscle pushes up against the skin, filling it out and away goes the wave. 

And not to pick on woman only, the same thing applies to guys – but it usually shows up in the chest.  Not a pretty site.  Two words.  Lift Weights.

Hey, it’s all about moving – do some now so that you can do more, later. 

When it comes to getting health and fit – there seems to be lots of confusion on exactly what that means?  So what does it mean? 

When it comes to being healthy and fit, we all need a little exercise every now and then.  But the question is how much?  It depends on what you want.  Here’s what I mean.

If you’re eating a reasonable diet – fruits, vegetables, watching your fats and keeping an eye on calories, your body does ok.  But how much exercise do you need. 

Surprisingly little.  As little as 20 minutes, threes times a week to exercise your heart and arteries and give your lungs a boost too will go a long way to giving optimal health.  A little more exercise will make you functionally fit – allowing you to take on all your normal day to day activities with ease.  And that’s good, because believe it or not, walking up one flight of steps really shouldn’t take your breath away – if it does… now you know what to do.

Hey, it’s all about moving – do some now so that you can do more, later. 

Are you one of those folks who needs to take off a few pounds but don’t know whether you should focus on your diet or your exercise? 

I spend a lot of time working with folks who are trying to shape up in one way or another. 

I also get to spend a lot of time chatting with professionals like Personal Trainers, Group Fitness Instructors…and Doctors.  Here’s something we all agree on. 

When somebody needs to lose weight, popular wisdom says to hit the health club and burn, burn burn.  To some extent that works.  But there’s just no way of getting around the fact that if you need to lose weight – you need to diet.  That’s why we call it “Diet AND Exercise”. 

If you’re a frustrated not getting the results you deserve I can almost guarantee your missing part of the Diet AND Exercise equation. 

The trick to getting results and enjoying the process more?  Strike a balance between a healthy diet and regular workout.

Hey, It’s all about moving.  Do some now so that you can do more later.

So you finally got yourself to go to the health club for a workout and when you get there you find that the club is closed… or your class is cancelled… or it’s too busy.  Now what?

This morning I ran into my friend Don at breakfast.  I can always count on visiting with him at our favorite coffee shop – right after his daily morning workout. 

Did I mention Don was 89? 

But this morning it turns out, the club canceled Don’s daily Kickboxing class. 

Did I mention that Don is 89? 

So I asked, “what did you do?”.  Turns out, Don is a pretty flexible guy and just walked over and took a 30 minute walk on the treadmill – he said, “I can’t miss my workout, that’s what keeps me alive”. 

Remember, no matter how well you plan, life will get in the way and you may have to come up with another option - Plan for it now and you’ll be far more likely to stay on track with your workouts instead of taking advantage of an easy excuse that may come your way. 

Hey, It’s all about moving.  Do some now so that you can do more later.

More Fitness Boost episodes at MotivationToMove.com

• Getting Up Early to Workout
• Fat Loss and Muscle Building
• Benefits of Weight Lifting
• Life’s Many Purposes

When it comes to exercise – are you at a total loss and don’t have a clue where to begin?  Hmmm… you must have forgotten everything you learned when you were a kid.

I remember when I was a small child spending hours and hours running and exercising.  We used to call it playing – and you did it too.  And in gym class the coach in the funny shorts helped us learn about exercise.  Then, after high school… we forget everything – got married, ate meat loaf got fat. 

When it comes to exercise, folks are always telling me, “I don’t know what to do”.  Sure you do. 

When you run off to the health club, just remember that being fit means having a strong heart, strong muscles and flexibility.  Run, walk, jog, bike or take a class for a strong heart – that’s cardio.  Lift weights, do push-up, pull-ups or crunches for strong muscles – that’s resistance.  And the best part?  Sit on the floor and stretch – that’s flexibility. 

Do those three things and exercise will quickly become play all over again.

Hey, it’s all about moving – do some now so that you can do more, later. 

Right now, across the world, health clubs are filled folks rushing to shape up.  Why?  Well, they’ll be quitting in 3… they always do.  So how do you keep going? 

If you’re off to the health club for the first time in a while congratulations on getting yourself to do it… that the hardest part.  What’s next hardest part?  Sticking to it.  So what do you do? 

Don’t exclude exercise from the rest of your life.  Making it something special that you have to do until you get results won’t work.  You’re human, exercise is not special, it’s necessary – but it has to be enjoyable or you won’t do it. 

So, whether you go to the gym, ride a bike, dance or take martial arts, do with friends.  And if your friends won’t exercise, which is possible if you’re making a change in your life, make new friends.  Where do you find them?  At the gym, riding a bike, dance or martial arts class.  See how easy that was?

Hey, it’s all about moving – do some now so that you can do more, later. 

Are you one of the thousands of folks who have decided that this year you’re going to hire a personal trainer to shape you up?  It’s a good idea – but who do your hire?

Hiring a Personal Trainer to get your body in shape is a great idea – and most folks really enjoy the experience.  But where do you begin?

Well, I say It’s a personality thing.  Trainers make great money and so do health clubs so you’ll have a virtually unlimited selection. 

A certified pro will have the paperwork to prove they know what they’re talking about – but after that, if you’re going to spend your money and time – it really comes down to if you like them and want to spend time with them. 

Hiring a drill instructor to make you exercise doesn’t work unless it’s your Uncle Sam.  So, instead, think of a Personal Trainer as hiring a coach and mentor to get you where you want to go.  It’s a partnership.  Keep that in mind during the “hard sell” at the gym, you’ll make the right decision.

Hey, it’s all about moving – do some now so that you can do more, later.

Every year at this time, thousands of folks wake up in the morning, jump on the scale and say – that’s it – I’m going on a diet.  OK - now what?

If you’re like the average person in this country, you probably gained 7 pounds over the past 7 weeks of celebrations.  Now what? 

Well, the truth is, for some folks, that weight is here to stay – and after a couple of years, instead of 7 pounds, it’ll be 47 pounds – and that’s a lot harder to lose.  So what do you do?  It’s easier than you think. 

Start by getting back to your regular eating habits – that’ll stop any gain and you’ll probably naturally lose a couple of pounds. 

Next, remember, a pound is 3,500 calories – so reduce your daily calories by 2 soda’s and a cheeseburger and the weight will be gone in 7 weeks – about the time it took to put it on… that’s reasonable.  Want better results?  Exercise – and you’ll be back to normal in 3 weeks. 

So lose the drams.  A small adjustment will get you right back on track.

Hey, it’s all about moving – do some now so that you can do more, later.

So the New Year is finally here.  Happy New Year!  Now, about that resolution you made on New Year’s Eve?  You know, the fitness resolution?  I think it’s time we get started. 

So we’ve rung out the old – the New Year is here and you are ready to lose weight and shape up.  It’s time to grab the credit card and head off to the health club right?  Not so fast. 

I say… take a breath.  Breathing is the heart and soul of a healthy lifestyle.  It feeds your body fresh oxygen and helps you relax and get focused.  So take a breath, then ask yourself why you made your fitness resolution.  What does it mean to you?  Why are you doing it?  How are you going to feel when you make you goal. 

It’s important because 25% of new health club members will drop out before it’s time to play the Super Bowl.  Remember, you may have time to exercise now, but life will get in the way again. 

Knowing why your started will help you keep going for a long time to come. 

Hey, it’s all about moving – do some now so that you can do more, later.

• Sneaking in Extra Exercise
• How Long Until Friends Notice My Weight Loss?
• Changing Your Body’s Auto-Pilot

Are you one of those folks is always wondering IF you’re doing things right at the gym?  Well, it’s hard to do things wrong but some things can be done better.  I say, fire your muscles. 

I was at the gym the other day when a friend of mine asked if I would monitor her workout and see if she was doing thing correctly.  Sure – you workout me watch – that’s a deal. 

So she jumped on the bench press and with no delay started lifting.  I said…whoa.  Slow down – and by the way, which muscle are you working? She said, “My chest”?  Right – but did you tell your chest that?  That’s when I got the look – you know the one. 

But the truth is, if you’ll take just a second before every exercise and “fire” your muscle you’ll get better results.  What’s fire? 

It’s kind of like priming a pump - which is what a muscle is.  A quick squeeze or tightening of the muscle before lifting tells your body what’s coming so it’s ready… and focused. 

Try it, you’ll see faster results and really begin to understand how your body works.

Hey, it’s all about moving – do some now… so you can do more later. 

This time of year, there’s lot gifting going on.  And one of the most popular gifts is home exercise equipment.  The stores are filled with it just waiting to go home with you.

I bought a new treadmill a couple of weeks ago and when I told a friend, the first thing she said was, “you’ll be hanging your shirts on it 2 weeks”.  Hey, my shirts are perfectly happy on the floor thank you.

I’m using my treadmill but it would be easy not to – after all, it’s in your home, where you normally relax. 

If you bring exercise equipment into your home, it really helps to have a plan of how and when to use it – for exercise.  Otherwise, believe me, that excuse you used then you bought it, “I’ll save time by not having to drive to the gym”, won’t last long. 

It’s simple human nature. 

Without a purpose and a plan for owning the equipment you won’t have the emotional desire actually use it.  And before you know it – your clothes won’t be on the floor anymore and somebody will get a great deal at a yard sale. 

Hey, it’s all about moving – do some now so that you can do more, later.

Have you ever had somebody offer you candy during the holidays?  Just one or two – it’s the holiday season, live a little.  That’s exactly what I’m trying to do – live a little…. longer. 

During the holiday season, we all get together with friends and family for celebration and that can be a challenge. 

This year it happened when my daughter came home from collage – with a big bag of chocolate.  She said, “If I kept it at home I would eat it all myself when I got back so I brought it for all of us”.  Thanks! 

Did you know it takes about 3 minutes on the treadmill to burn one chocolate kiss?  One!  Eat 10 and you just added 30 minutes to your workout – to maintain where you are. 

Not me!  A couple is fine, the rest, I say pay it forward.  You know all the folks delivering candy and chocolate to you – it’s time you become one of them.  Enjoy a couple and give the rest away.  It’s kind of life calorie re-gifting.  Hey, nobody will know… except maybe your scale.

Hey, it’s all about moving – do some now so that you can do more, later. 

Have you even been working out at the health club with weight and felt a little unsteady?  I bet it’s your feet.  Not the size of your feet – but the position of your feet.  It’s makes a big difference. 

The other day I was teaching a group fitness class exercising our shoulders with dumbbells.  And I noticed that out of 40 people, about half were swaying left and right – not feeling balanced at all. 

The problem was a common one, and very fixable one.  It’s all about foot position – otherwise known as your foot stance. 

Whenever you’re exercising with weights while standing, you want to feel grounded and centered.  You achieve that by positioning you legs about shoulder width, bend your knees just a little to soften them and hold your head, shoulder and chest in a neutral position – in other words level and comfortable. 

Having a proper foot stance will dramatically improve your form, keep you safe and give you a feeling of control when you workout.  Try it next time.

Hey, it’s all about moving – do some now so that you can do more, later. 

• Mixing Up Your Cardio with Intervals
• Alcohol and Weight Loss - A Calorie a Calorie, Right?
• Encouraging Words Can Come from Anyone

Every year thousands of folks just like us make plans for our annual ski trip.  And right about now, panic sets in.  I better get in shape.  Yeah!

Ski season is here and that means thousands of otherwise sedentary, out of shape folks will jump on a ski lift and huff and puff there burning legs to the bottom of slope across this great country.  Well, it’s time to get ready, and that means hitting the gym. 

With limited time before your trip, you need to train specifically for skiing and that means two things… Cardio and legs… in that order. 

The best athletes have lungs that can process lots of oxygen – and more oxygen to the muscles means more endurance.  And with the best skiing at altitudes over 10,000 feet, you’re going to need all the oxygen you can get.  And when you put on some extra muscle in your legs, you’ll easily handle the extra demand on them. 

So hit the treadmill, bike, elliptical or join a class before you hit the slopes and really enjoy this years ski trip.

Hey, it’s all about moving – do some now… so you can do more later. 

Christmas is near, and New Years is about a week away – and that means you’re probably only 7 or so days away from making a New Years Resolution.  I’ve got a better idea. 

Every year at New Years, most folks I know wait until the clock strikes midnight and make a resolution to force them self to do everything this they didn’t do last year.  It never works.  Well a few years ago I changed my thinking. 

Instead of making a resolution, sometime around Christmas, I sit down and give myself a gift.  I make a list of things like more time to exercise and eat right, more time with family, more money – you know the basics. 

The trick is, I give those things to myself as a gift – and since I respect the person who gave them to me – I use them.  It may sound funny but think about it.  What if somebody did give you more time, more money, a better body - would you take it?  You bet you would. 

So do the same for yourself.  Don’t resolve – gift.  I know it sounds simple – but sometimes, simple works.

Hey, it’s all about moving – do some now so that you can do more, later.

The holiday season is in full swing and that means that normally exceptional folks you like and I are doing our best to become average – one calorie a time. 

It seems the holiday season is longer and longer every year.  No, the calendar doesn’t change, the advertisers do.  It’s simple. 

The sooner the folks on Madison Avenue can get you in the holiday spirit and the longer they can keep you there – the more you’ll let your guard down - let the spending and eating begin. 

Years ago, the average American gained 8 pounds during the season – today, some estimate our average gain to be almost 15.  Let me ask you a question?  If you haven’t been able to lose weight all year, how are you going to get rid of the extra your gaining right now? 

It’s easy to give up and become average until January but it will make things harder later.  So don’t let your guard down – keep watching what you eat and exercise right through the season. You’ll really appreciate giving yourself that gift in January. 

Hey, it’s all about moving – do some now… so you can do more later.