There’s an 87-year-old woman at my fitness club who takes the same cardio classes and weight classes that I take. She uses her own three and five pounds weights, she’s no taller than five feet and I’ve never met a human being more enthusiastic and energetic than she. One morning, I went up to her and asked, “How do you do it?” I wanted to know how she found the motivation and energy to come to such a strenuous fitness class every week when I was having such a hard time getting out of bed some mornings. Her answer still gives me chills and has greatly changed my perspective. She looked me right in the eyes, smiled at me and said, “Two reasons: I’m lucky and I’m grateful.”  (more…)

One of the biggest impediments to getting in shape is loss of motivation. It’s hard to get off the sofa. It’s painful to get in your car and drive or walk to the gym. And I am the first to agree, it’s oftentimes agonizing to eat an apple instead of a humungous slice of chocolate cake. Not only that, but it’s seemingly impossible to break a habit. If I get into a routine of eating fast food and lounging on the sofa, I don’t care how much it affects my health. I’m comfortable!  And as a species, we all inherently want comfort. (more…)

If you’re anything like me at this time of year, you get excited about the spring and also a little panicky about trying to slip back into a bathing suit for summer. Don’t distress or let the calendar scare you. Summer is a good three months away, and a perfect amount of time to get back in shape if you’ve spent the winter months packing on a little weight for warmth.  

For starters, remember that getting in shape takes brainpower, motivation and a pretty sturdy determination to be healthier. If that sounds like a lot, don’t fret. Start small. Building endurance for a healthier you takes time and patience. The three areas you need to focus on are nutrition, fitness and mind. We’ll address all three—but first, nutrition.  (more…)