"Sometimes it seems your ever-increasing list of things to do can leave you feeling totally undone." ~Susan Mitchell and Catherine
Christie, I'd Kill for a Cookie

Making your health the #1 priority

I have several to do lists either hanging on my bulletin board, taped onto my steering wheel, inputted in my Blackberry, marked on my calender, stuffed into my gym bag, and taped on the inside of my locker. To do lists are essential. They assist in organizing and structuring my time. However, they can also strangle my breath, elevate my shoulders up to my ears, and cause a deep pain in my tummy.

Sound familiar? How do we do it all? What reigns on the top of the priority list when there are many important things to do in one given day? And with all of this - work, school, relationships, children, social events - how do we set aside 30 minutes to 1 hour for ourselves to exercise?

I have pondered this question for the past week more than ever, for I am a personal trainer in a gym and I still have trouble getting a workout in at least 4xs a week. I asked another trainer the other day, " If I am missing my workouts and I am in a gym for 8 hours a day how do I expect my clients to exercise when they have full time jobs, family, kids, and a house payment?"

His answer? If health is not the #1 priority then nothing else will be fulfilled to it's highest potential. Simple answer, and at first I said to myself that there are just some days that I just cannot get a workout in and nutrition is the least of my concerns and there are many days after I train clients and teach classes I just do not have any more to give.

I sat on this for a while, for I get truly upset when I see clients struggle with consistency and openly admit that they just don't know how they are going to maintain their workouts and still accomplish everything on their to do lists, and oh yeah, have a minute to themselves that does not pertain to exercise and portion control. So how do we do it?

Health is the # 1 priority. This is the truth and this is the answer. If we are not healthy then we will not have the energy to complete and check off each task on our to do lists; play with our children; finish the proposal for the deal that you have been working on for months; study for the big test that determines your year end grade; enjoy date night with your spouse; finish redecorating your house after it has been remodeled; complete an entire spin class or Shirly's Kickboxing class; and live with vitality, whether you are at the gym, at home, or at school.

Health is our life line. It is the source of our energy. It is our priority. Living a healthy life enables us to reach our potential in every area of life that we have committed ourselves to.

I have asked you this question before. What is health to you? What does it mean to you to be healthy? I will ask you another question today. Take a moment and definitively think about your answer.

How do we maintain our health within our ever increasing busy lifestyle?

Think about this:

Heath - "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
"Physical fitness refers to body health, and is the result of regular exercise, proper diet and nutrition, and proper rest for physical
recovery. This is also influenced by the standard of living and quality of life."

"Mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution
to his or her community."
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health)

Without the health of our body and mind, we do not function at our optimal capacity, and thus all other areas of our life will suffer. Without our physical and mental health we will be sick, unfit, self-conscious, stressed, fatigued, achy, and depressed. We will find daily tasks and obligations arduous and inconvenient. Without our health and fitness we are taking small steps backward each day, and this, you know from personal experience, only makes forward momentum seem nearly impossible.

I will leave you with this.

Regular exercise, adequate nutrition, and sufficient rest and recovery will increase your quality of life. Remaining consistent with your exercise game plan will assist you in accomplishing the many important items that sit on your daily to do list. Living fit and healthy will promote vitality! And what is life without vitality?

Without our health we will soon lose the joy of our lives.

If you are unable to get to the gym: Become creative and productive

* Take a 30 minute walk or run on your lunch break
* Do a 20-45 minute workout video at home
* Find a stair case and perform walk/run intervals for 10-30 minutes
* Do 20 squats and 20 push ups 4-8xs
* Can't leave the office? Go to You Tube and find several small workouts to do right in your office.

If you only have 30 minutes in the gym:

* Do half of a kick-butt class. Just inform the instructor that you need to leave early.
* Do 1 exercise each, 4xs, for your back, shoulders, chest, legs and abs
* Jump on the stair master for 30. You will be amazed at your heart rate.




"If you don't do what's best for your body, you're the one who
comes up on the short end." Julius Irvin