Life On Shuffle

Every morning I get in the car to go to work at Whole Body Fitness and the first thing I do is plug in my iPhone to hear some good music on my commute. The coolest thing happened to me the other day when I plugged my phone in: during the software update I must have accidentally switched the music play mode to SHUFFLE.

Instead of the same playlist that I am used to hearing over the course of the last few months, with the same songs, the same mood being set, I heard selections that I haven't listened to since I don't know when. I was instantly struck by the contrast in my morning routine and was refreshed by the realization that I had been in a RUT.

That’s the first step to getting out of a RUT or, for that matter, making any kind of change. We have to recognize where we are at before we can set a course for change or behavior modification. I am speaking to all of you creatures of habit out there.

Variety is the spice of life-no? “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got!” Insert fifteen more quotes here about the importance of variance in life……

Here is where my Life on Shuffle relates to your health and wellness-

As the seasons change and the weather plays its usual winter-spring-summer games with our climate, I encourage you to shake it up a bit. Work on an area of health and wellness that is NOT your strong suit. Here are a few common areas that most folks can improve in:

Flexibility- Do you stretch your hamstrings, shoulders, and neck often enough to maintain proper posture and range of motion? If not, get to it! Come to one of our group classes at WBF that focuses on these areas.
Cardiovascular Endurance- When was the last time you broke a sweat in steady state exercise? If the answer is longer than a few days, get to it! Again, come to one of our group classes. We are constantly building new classes into our schedule to meet the needs of our members.
Body Composition- Meal prep and quality nutritional coaching are the way to get your body fat down and keep it there. Metabolic Profiling is a sure fire way to reach your body composition goals, come in to speak with Natalie or Stephanie ASAP. Swimsuit season is around the corner!

Now take a good look at your “playlist” of health and wellness activities and hit SHUFFLE. You will enjoy the variety and your mind and body will thank you for your new groove.

Attitude is Everything

Is your mind right? What is that one thought that keeps circling in your consciousness? Let me make a suggestion:

You can do it. Better yet, I can do it.

A few months ago Crystal wrote an article about Self Talk and it hit home with several people that I consider influential to my life. A few of those folks are trainers here at Whole Body Fitness. Echoes of their encouragement float through the gym like the sweet-sweet scent of hard work, as I prepare myself for my own workout and that has me PUMPED for my “Me Time”.

In that moment I recognized that I have eaten a healthy meal the night before, packed my meals in the morning, and took a gloriously warm shower to start my day. I am filled with gratitude as I hear myself reflecting on the past 24 hours. It strikes me that my preparation for this workout started with a simple decision I made Sunday afternoon; I chose to turn off Netflix and make a weeks’ worth of healthy breakfasts. 

In that moment it was affirmed that a positive thought (I can do this, not that) carried momentum forward into the preparedness of my workout. Good decisions stacked upon good decisions had prepared me to continue actions that lead towards habit. It is for this reason that I suggest monitoring your thoughts in order to set small mental goals that will eventually “ripple” towards actions that will help you build character in the form of physical, mental, and emotional strength.

Start here. Start now. YOU CAN DO IT!