Down for the Count: Dealing with Injury

In late August, I started feeling a strong discomfort in my right knee. I figured it was a product of overtraining (think teaching three Spin classes and three Boot Camps weekly along with 4-day-per-week 1/2 marathon training) and vowed to "take it easy."

A month of decidedly not taking it easy later, I had to bow out of the 1/2 marathon I'd been training for for 6 weeks due to the knee discomfort, which admittedly had upgraded to an actual injury. Still determined not to seek help, I kept on with my busy schedule, enduring the painful hours of exercise pounding my knee.

Today is October 19th and I have only just scheduled an appointment with an orthopedist. I stubbornly waited until past the point of pain, past the point of injury, and only now will I honestly confess...it was stupid.

Here at bene-fit, we take our mission of consistent physical activity and enjoyable healthy living very seriously - but I was trying to "trade out" the latter for an overload of the former, and it resulted in a frustrating setback.  I'd lived the words of G.K. Chesterton, who once said that "the trouble with always trying to preserve the health of the body is that it is so difficult to do without destroying the health of the mind."  I'd become so focused on the "have-to" of exercise that I'd forgotten the "want-to" of inner peace and physical comfort.

So what can you, as burgeoning fitness buffs or eager newbies, learn from my sob story?  First of all, slow down.  The great part about a healthy lifestyle is that it lasts just that long - your entire life.  There is always time to recover, heal, and emerge an even stronger version of yourself if you are struggling with injury or fatigue.  Get a massage, try practicing gentle yoga, or even just soak in a hot bath with epsom salts.  Thank your body for speaking to you directly - even if it yells! - and repay it with honest rest.

Second, try something new.  When I was sidelined from runnning, I felt lost, as though I'd just begun exercising.  I realized how reliant my fitness routine had become on the daily run, and without it, I needed to reassess my cardio as well as my overall physique and goals.  I began checking out different classes at my local gym and fell in love with Les Mills Body Pump, a high-energy weightlifting class, which fit into my schedule and gave me something to look forward to in lieu of a jog.  I am loving the challenge as well as the added toning bene-fit of a new strengthening workout.

Finally, allow yourself to grieve.  When I first got injured,  I almost literally went through the five stages of grief - denial ("I'm not hurt!"), anger ("ARRRRGH THIS HURTS AND I HATE IT!"), bargaining ("Maybe if I take my run down to 3 days a week, it'll be fine."), depression ("Without running, I'm just worthless.") and finally, acceptance ("There are far worse things in life than a little setback.").  I needed to express my frustration and sadness over losing a large part of my fitness routine before I could buck up and see the light - I still had my health, my new exercise challenges, and my supportive relationships.  What's a little knee pain when most everything else is going so great?

In any arena of life, there are going to be ups and downs.  An illness, injury, or burnout period can be devastating, but it's not life-threatening.  If you maintain a positive attitude and find your bene-fit in new and different ways, chances are that you will recover in less time and with more energy than before.  Stay strong and yes - rest up this week!

Excuses, Excuses: bene-fit Beats 'Em All

Being a bene-fit trainer is not always easy.  Our commitment to personalized, individualized personal training is one we take very seriously - and as we all know, each person's needs are different.  We accept every client that comes to us with dedication and earnest - meaning that we have trained everyone from a 63 year-old grandmother with a hip replacement to a Boston-qualifying marathon runner to a husband-and-wife duo looking to lose over 100 pounds.

If you need to find your bene-fit, we are there to help you do it.  But as I said above... it's not always easy.

Facing excuses is the number-one challenge for fitness professionals of any kind - and on the flip side, making excuses is one of the most common strategies when it comes to clients who are tired, fearful, or stressed about making healthy and lasting lifestyle changes.  We've heard every excuse run the gamut - long work hours, no child care, no clothes to wear, too out of shape to start, don't know where to begin...and so far, we've been able to combat every one with our simple philosophy of individual attention, social support, and group motivation.

Think about it this way: if your child was sick, or if your car broke down, something would have to give.  You would have to move around a "want-to" - whether it meant leaving work an hour early or giving up your favorite TV program at night - to address the "need-to" of the emergency situation.  Granted, exercise in itself does not constitute a daily emergency - but a lifetime of being overweight, unhappy, stressed out, and facing inactivity-induced chronic illness can definitely be considered one.

A great first step is to take inventory of your time - whether using time management software, a paper and pen, or just a good (and honest!) memory - and figure out exactly where you can fit in nutritious meal planning and exercise.  You only need 30 minutes a day to get started (two bouts of 15 is just fine).  After you've set aside time, create a mantra that will motivate you and give you purpose on days you just don't feel like working out (something simple, such as "I'm doing this for my family," is great; you can also choose something like "I am getting my Madonna arms!" to make it more fun and energy-boosting).  Finally, schedule your workout into your planner or calendar as you would an appointment - an appointment with absolutely no cancellation policy!

At bene-fit, we are realistic about your time and money - but we ask you to be realistic about your own health.  Finding time to get fit is an investment you will never regret, whether for your own sake or the sake of your loved ones.  Take some time this week to assess your schedule and make yourself - your health - first priority.

31 Days to Stronger Families: October is Family Health Month!

Here at bene-fit, we celebrate national health-related months with gusto - making sure to give you the most up-to-date information about what's going on and what's relevant to your world.  That's why we're so excited to join up with the great folks over at SparkPeople (a great resource for calorie logs, healthy recipes, and much more) to spread the word that October is Family Health Month!

Whether your family consists of a whole bunch of kids or just you and a well-loved canine or feline companion, Family Health Month is a great time to get on track with a healthy lifestyle - making small changes just once a day!  To help you do it, SparkPeople created a cute and printable daily health calendar to post on your refrigerator and help you observe the month in some really fun, creative ways.

For example, check out today's (October 5) tip: Buy some small pieces of equipment to keep around the house.  Encourage your kids to exercise during TV commercials, and stretch before bed each night.  bene-fit challenges you to go even further - join your kids!  Even without any equipment, making a habit of doing sit-ups or jumping jacks during a commercial break is a great way to make TV time less sedentary - and doubling up with a healthy TV snack of carrots and low-fat ranch or sugar snap peas and hummus turns family time into a serving of health!

Since bene-fitters love their sleep, we're extra excited for October 20th: Establish a bedtime routine.  Sometimes the hardest part of the day isn't waking up - it's getting to bed at a reasonable hour!  Run a hot bath, read a magazine or chapter of a book, perform a few nighttime yoga stretches, and most importantly - enforce your bedtime.  Whether adults or children, everyone appreciates an energetic, lively day that can only be the product of a full, undisturbed night of sleep.

Finally, check out the wise words of October 31st: Lead by example.  This may be the most effective way to teach anyone anything. Explain why you choose to order the garden burger and why you work out. Kids are sponges for knowledge!  And yet again - as a central part of the bene-fit philosophy - we believe that role modeling (more so than nagging, yelling, begging or forcing) is the best way to help someone else change their behavior, whether young or old.  Put down the remote, pick up the jump rope, skip the butter-laden mashed potatoes when cooking dinner, or pick up a bag of salad to add color to your table.  The small examples can often be the most profound when trying to establish healthy habits in your household.

We've only got 26 days left of Family Health Month - so start making health a priority for you and your family today and watch the bene-fits grow as you do.

Testing Celebrity Fit Tips: Hype or Help?

We've all seen them at least a few (hundred) times: the eye-catching weight loss headlines on the tabloids surround us at the grocery store, nail salon, or even our own mailboxes.

"The incredible shrinking Drew Carey!"
"Kelly Osbourne: Size 12 to Size 2!"
"Body after baby - 10 amazing celebrity mom slimdowns!"

Stories (and their accompanying glossy photos) like this are easy to dismiss.  Most celebrities have access to all-star personal trainers, top-notch doctors and dietitians, and expensive fitness equipment and services.  "Walk a day in my shoes," we want to mutter, "and we'll see how 'easy' it is to get fit and lose weight."

Outside the protected shell of fame, there are definitely obstacles to getting healthy "like the stars."  Many people have children and cannot pay a child care professional just to steal away an hour at the gym.  Few folks can afford the convenience of a chef or meal delivery service and must count their own calories and/or prepare their own healthy meals, a skill that takes planning and some nutritional education.  Finally, there is the motivation issue - while most of us truly want to live a healthy lifestyle that feels good and bene-fits our bodies, we won't get fired from our jobs if we gain a few pounds or suffer the humiliation of having a photo taken of us enjoying that huge double-dip ice cream cone.

However, after poring over some of this articles (admittedly while getting a pedicure!), I noticed one thing - if you look past the extreme (liquid diets, fasts, detoxes, and three-hour workout regimes), many of the celebrities actually maintain fairly reasonable routines to achieve their health and fitness goals.

Take Drew Carey, for example, featured in this week's PARADE magazine.  He notes that "the hardest diet I was ever on was when I was fat...you don't have energy for anything.  It's horrible."  He goes on to claim that his diet - a balanced routine of three protein-and-vegetable meals and two fruit-based snacks daily - along with 30 minutes of cardio exercise per day was the simple formula to achieve his 77-pound weight loss.  Now that's the level of simplicity that bene-fit can get behind!

How about the aforementioned Kelly Osbourne?  While it is definitely not possible - nor healthy - for every body to transform into a size 2, the petite Osbourne knew that carrying 50 extra pounds on a small frame was going to be a long-term health issue.  She found an exercise she was passionate about - ballroom dancing (in her preparation for Dancing with the Stars) and found that a healthy snack before bed (in her case, an apple) kept her satiated at night yet ready for breakfast the next morning.

And as for those hot mamas, bouncing back almost impossibly after having a baby?  Well, the basic answer is genetics - how well women's bodies cope with the demands of pregnancy varies widely depending on one's hormones, body composition, and health history.  However, some "secrets" - such as practicing yoga at home, jogging with baby in tow, and avoiding snacking off kids' plates - are easy enough for any mom or dad to add to their daily routine.

At bene-fit, we know that our clients are not celebrities - you're everyday people with real-life demands.  That's why we offer health and fitness options in a variety of different formats - from in-home and outdoor personal training to private yoga instruction to online and virtual training programs.  You don't have to be a celebrity to look like one - and you sure don't have to be famous to deserve good health!  Start by contacting a bene-fit professional today and in no time, you'll be feeling like the star of your own healthy life.

Accounting for Health

For many, fall - even more so than spring - is a time for new beginnings.  Students return to school, work schedules reestablish stability after a summer of vacations and flex time, and exercise routines often begin to wane due to the end of swimsuit season.  We here at bene-fit find that the clients that make it through the "autumn hump" (rather than abandon their summer routines) are often the most successful all year 'round. 

Fall can be an ideal time to take inventory of your health and fitness goals and start "accounting" for your past year and future plans.  Rather than wait for the typical New Year's resolutions, why not get a jump start on some new lifestyle changes now?

When I am trying to establish or return to healthy habits in my own life, I find that basic accounting principles are often an easy and organized way of doing so.  While I am neither an accountant nor a mathematician (!), it can be helpful to put an area of your life (like health) into different terms to look at it more objectively and from a new perspective.

First, consider cost.  What have you invested in your fitness goals over the past few months or weeks?  Have you reaped the bene-fits of those investments (such as losing weight after changing your eating habits), or have you squandered them (for example, by purchasing a gym membership and then not going regularly)?  Make sure that the effort and expenditure you're willing to offer is enough to cover the rewards of your work.

Next, assess full disclosure.  Are you frustrated because you're doing all the right things and not seeing results - or because you really aren't staying honest to your diet or exercise routine and actually cheating yourself?  Because your body, health, and well-being are so intensely personal, you must commit to honesty in your habits and expectations, and make sure that you're not establishing self-destructive patterns while trying to get healthy.

Third, I really like the idea of the going concern principle, which reads: " an entity will continue to exist long enough to carry out its objectives and commitments and will not liquidate in the foreseeable future."  In layman's terms?  Try your best to give your fitness program a long-term commitment and consistent effort for as long as it takes to see the results you want.  Giving up a healthy diet after a week or foregoing your exercise program after your first visit to Spin class doesn't give you a realistic chance to reach your goals.

Finally, try to practice revenue recognition whenever possible - even if there are no viable "profits" to speak of.  For example, even if you haven't lost a pound from your first month of clean eating and regular exercise, consider the "revenue" of increased energy, emotional positivity, and long-term health.  Recognize the fruits of your labor in all forms - more sleep, enhanced quality time with a friend or partner, better-fitting clothes - and don't get so blindsided with a singular goal that you can't appreciate all the other bene-fits of your lifestyle change.

Any time the seasons change, our routines inevitably do as well - so this fall, make sure that your seasonal adjustments include plenty of exercise, a good amount of sound sleep, and a healthy diet (it's pumpkin season, after all - why not try a new autumn-inspired recipe??).  Stay accountable for your health and be sure to find your bene-fit.