Turn Your Life Around - This Summer!

As a personal trainer and wellness coach, I hear a lot of negative self-talk, especially at the outset of working with a new client.  My two personal hot-button statements?  I can't, and it's too late.

The former, I can't, is a common one from all ages, sexes, and ability levels.  Whether it's running a sub-20 5K or being able to jog for a full minute on a treadmill, clients looking to make healthy changes are often intimidated by the scope of their own goals.  Simply saying it out loud - "I want to become a runner" or "I will eat more vegetables" - can be a scary first step.

However, we here at bene-fit are firm believers in the power of, well, empowerment.  The world is full of people that will tell us that we can't.  We are often surrounded by naysayers, sometimes working under the guise of protection or caution, that hold us back from reaching our full health and fitness potential.  bene-fit believes that you can.  You.  No matter who you are. 

Summertime is a perfect occasion to review your personal goals and set some new short-term ones as well.  June marks the midpoint in the calendar year, and for those of us who made New Year's resolutions, it can be a wake-up call on our progress.  It also marks the "race season" for runners and triathletes, meaning goals can be set and reached with accountability to a given event or PR time.

The second statement, it's too late, is the one I most often hear from my older clients, particularly women who have had children or men who were former athletes.  There is a common misconception that as bodies change and mature, they are less capable or valid as they once were because they are not identical to how they once looked and functioned.  Simply because you cannot pitch a 90mph fastball anymore or there's a bit more roundness to your tummy is no excuse to avoid setting - and reaching! - fitness goals.

A simple first step is to combat every negative self-statement with a positive one.  If you look in the mirror and say, "These thighs are too fat to stand," counter back with something like, "But I bet they'll gain strength quickly once I start cycling again."  If you wake up in the morning and skip breakfast, instead of thinking, "Yep, here's another day of unhealthy eating habits," reassure yourself that "This is a great opportunity to eat a high-protein, vegetable-packed salad for lunch."

The second step is to qualify negative self-talk with realistic improvements.  For example, you might honestly say that "I can't run even one mile."  Don't end it there - add a qualifer: "...but with once-a-week training sessions with bene-fit, I will be able to run that mile by the end of the summer."

A final step in combating the negativity in your head is to look forward to the end result.  On mornings you might feel like skipping a workout or eating a doughnut for breakfast, remind yourself about why you began pursuing this goal in the first place.  Telling yourself, "I'd like to have a doughnut, but a bowl of oatmeal is a better choice for my cholesterol" is a great way to reinforce your healthy choices.  Also try incentivizing your goals by celebrating small victories: "As long as I eat a healthy salad for lunch each weekday, I will go see that movie I've been wanting to check out on Friday night."

In a less corny variation on "turning that frown upside down," reverse the negative self-talk in your life by starting sentences with I can, I will, It's never too late, and I want to.  Go find your bene-fit with renewed energy this week!

Tweak the Season

First of all, a quick note to our loyal - and patient! - readers. As they say in the business, I've had to "taper" my posting over the past two weeks due to the simultaneous whirlwinds of a cross-country move, helping my parents move and retire, and enjoying a brief summer vacation. Worry not - from here on out, the bene-fit blog will still be updating on Mondays throughout the summer and all year long! 

That said, the harried activity of early summer - such as trips, big events, and general warm-weather fun - can make it near impossible to maintain a regular exercise schedule, much less a semblance of a healthy diet. Barbecues, weddings, and international travel can be seen as obstacles to keeping up with your regular routine.

But wait - isn't a bit of "breaking routine" exactly what summer is about?  Those "obstacles" can also be seen as rewards or release.  Longer days and early sunrises don't necessarily mean summer is the best time to start training for a marathon or squeezing in extra workouts. It might just be that your body (and mind!) are telling you to beat the heat, enjoy some much-needed rest, and free yourself from the confines of your otherwise stressful "regular" schedule.

Whether your break consists of two lavish weeks in a Tuscan villa or two hours in a bubbly bathtub at home, we here at bene-fit have a few easy suggestions for tweaking your health and fitness routine to make room for some summer fun: 

IF YOU...like to get up and run first thing in the morning.

TRY...changing up your 6am jog with a sunset stroll. Take down the intensity and enjoy the long summer evenings without having to worry about cutting it short or getting to work on time. 

IF YOU...mix up a boring green salad every day for lunch. 

TRY...switching up your veggies for some sweet summer fruit.  Instead of lettuce, use water-packed and low-cal melon as the base of your salad and build in berries, nuts, and Greek yogurt dressing for a real treat. 

IF YOU...take yoga from an instructor inside a studio. 

TRY...grabbing a friend or partner and practicing a few poses (safely!) on a beach or in a nearby park.  Pack up a healthy snack or lunch for post-stretch and renew your personal commitment to your practice. 

IF YOU...always forget to drink enough water, even when it's hot outside. 

TRY...sporting a stylish bracelet that reminds you how many glasses of water you need and inspires you in the process. 

IF YOU...can't afford a big vacation this year. 

TRY...spreading out your two weeks into a series of smaller, health-focused trips.  Try attending a yoga retreat, booking a running tour, wine tasting on a bicycle, or taking a healthy culinary lesson.

As anthropologist John Lubbock once said, "rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time."  Take your time this week and make the small changes that bene-fit you with peace, relaxation, and satisfaction this summer.

Embrace Your Summer Spirit

It's Memorial Day - and whether your version of summer includes wearing white linen, grilling outside, playing football on the beach, or just enjoying some ice-cold lemonade from inside your air-conditioned office, the annual call of early summertime is beckoning - and here at bene-fit, we want to help you answer it!

Use your pre-summer days to do the necessary "prep work" you might need to start the season off on a healthy note.  For example, start a hydration plan that will take you through those hotter-than-usual sunny summer days - purchase a stylish, BPA-free water bottle and make sure to fill it up with calorie-free beverages (try water, unsweetened iced tea, or homemade iced coffee with "coffee cubes") to beat fatigue and limit bloating from those salty summer foods.

Now's the time to establish another daily prevention habit: putting on SPF 50+ sunscreen.  The best time to do it is before you're battling straps, clothes, and makeup - you know, directly after your shower.  Mix sunscreen with an organic self-tanner for a sun-safe glow in one step!

Why not enjoy the other gifts of summer's onset by making your home a healthy haven?  Open the windows, cut and display flowers, use fresh herbs in cooking and crack open the grill, and take advantage of cool mornings by working out at sunrise.  Download some classic summer tunes on your iPod and update your exercise playlists, or put together some great easy listening music to play in the background at a healthy summer cookout (check out these delicious and nutritious recipes for outdoor cooking!).

Finally, use the weather as an excuse to change up your fitness and health routines.  Try eating local during the season when Farmers' Markets are plentiful and enjoy more meatless meals, run on the beach or on a local trail to challenge your legs on new terrain, or move your daily prayer or meditation outdoors to a garden or under a tree for a new feeling of serenity in your life.

Remember, the changing of the seasons is a time of great promise, excitement, and warmth - bene-fit hopes you'll honor your fitness journey and the summer spirit with these great tips.

UPDATE: bene-fit has a NEW home on the web!

Need some more bene-fit in your life?  Check out our NEW and IMPROVED website!

Here you'll find the latest updates from this blog as well as links to our Facebook and Twitter pages, information on our personal training, boot camp and corporate wellness services, and a heck of a lot more.

See you in (a healthier) cyberspace!

Celebrate In A Healthy Way This May

Memorial Day is nearly upon us and the time is nigh to think about our shared national legacies.  You might remember commemorating events like Women's History Month or African-American History Month in elementary school - but did you ever throw a veggie-heavy party for National Salad Month?  How about grilling up a lean turkey patty for your nation's revered Hamburger Month?

Check out bene-fits guide to the healthiest ways to celebrate during the last few days of May:

Take a stroll on your lunch break to clear your head during Mental Health Month.  While you're out there, make sure to check in with your spring sneezes this Allergy/Asthma Awareness Month.  Speed up that walk to a jog and push it a little harder since it's Physical Fitness and Sports Month, too!

All that exercise might make you hungry, so dig in to some fresh fruit for Strawberry Month, or perhaps enjoy an incredible edible - poached or hard-boiled is healthiest - during Egg Month.  Make those eggs into a yummy veggie Benedict in honor of Asparagus Month, or enjoy a spicy south-of-the-border - and low-cal! - condiment this Salsa Month.  Definitely make sure to grill up some healthy proteins (try a marinated chicken breast or a tofu and fruit kabob!) during this Barbecue Month.

When you're enjoying all the foods "of the month," remember in honor of High Blood Pressure Education Month to limit your sodium intake, too!  Try balancing your workouts with some stretching and yoga to raise awareness and encourage prevention in joint celebration of both Arthritis Month and Correct Posture Month.  Need something a bit more intense?  If you have a short (10 miles or fewer) and safe commute, swap it out for a two-wheeler and do your part for Bike Month.

Finally, remember that it's never too late to commit yourself to a healthier and more robust lifestyle - the bene-fit philosophy encourages lifelong fitness this Older Americans Month and beyond!

Stay tuned for more "monthly" bene-fit tips coming soon - in June!