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The thing about change is that is seems so permanent. If it is too last, permanency is what we're after, right? But it is the long term aspect of change -  that feeling that we'll miss what we're moving away from so much that we'll barely function without it - that prevents most of us from ever taking a step toward it in the first place.  To succeed with any new health outcome, you'll have to change something, so buck up and get over it - change isn't so bad. Let's address a few of the factors that  make change so difficult in the first place, and hopefully by the end of this post, you'll h......
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What purpose does food serve for you? Have you thought about it before now? It is okay if you haven't  - I didn't either, until recently. While defending myself for making certain food choices, I realized I have a food philosophy, and that having such a thing actually enabled me to embrace a lifestyle that has resulted in lasting changes, nutritionally speaking. Mind you, my diet was not always nutritionally sound. There was a time when a giant  soft pretzel and a diet Coke was a meal on Friday night. I was young and stupid then. Happily, I've seen the light. My philosophy is now that food s......
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I’m addicted to watching The Biggest Loser (don’t worry, I’m gearing up for a loooong series of posts re: this show very soon – later this week, actually, so sit tight.) I love watching the massive transformation that takes place in a relatively short time. It is amazing, don’t you think? Off the show, people just like that are able to lose weight, and keep it off. They aren’t famous, of course, like the contestants, but they should be. Keeping weight off is HARD work. So how do they do it? I want to know, don’t you? Fortunately, weight loss is a subject that colleges and univers......
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Sometimes it is good to make a mistake.  Here are 5 mistakes that can help you reach your goal... 1. Skipping a workout (or two). When you are focused on trying to shed pounds, you might think missing a workout is taboo. But, let's assume you miss that workout not because you choose to skip it, but because something came up. Bad weather when you planned a run outdoors, or the power went out at the gym, or your 4 yr-old comes down with a fever and hour before your kickboxing class at the Y. Life happens. First off - this isn't a mistake, but an opportunity to troubleshoot. Bad weather? Hike in......
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One of the reasons so many people have a tough time getting started with a weight loss plan is enormity of the project before them.  It is like standing in front of Mt. Everest, with no idea how you got there, or how to begin scaling that monster. Not to oversimplify the complexity of health behavior change, but sometimes the easiest way to tackle a mountain like that is to take just one step.  Addendum: one step that leads to another step. Here is a great example of a real person who lost 135 lbs (it took 10 months - which is a little more than 1 lb per week - a very healthy pace): Fitness ......
Mar

07

We stump, stoop, slouch…so much so that the quality of our everyday lives can be directly affected from these posture problems.  I thought of this while sitting at the computer working, and had to stretch to relieve that nagging tightness between my shoulder blades. At the same time, I noticed a whole slew of other bad habits I was committing, and quickly set about practicing what I preach.

Why good posture is important:

Practicing good posture can improve your breathing, decrease your risk of injury, help you move more easily through the tasks of daily living, and also improve your sports performance.

Some signs you might need to improve your posture?

-      Do you have one hip higher than another?

-      Do you have one shoulder higher than another?

-      Does one side of your body rotate slightly more to one side?

-       Does your pelvis tip forward, back, or to one side when you stand?

-       Does your head juts forward beyond neutral alignment?

-       Do your chest and shoulders roll inward, as if your slouching, even when you’re trying not to?

-       Are the arches of feet are collapsed?

9  Pointers for Improving Posture

  1. Check your posture throughout the day, and note some of your back habits.
  2. If you spend a lot of time hunched over your computer keyboard, take time to stretch your chest muscles, lower your shoulders, stretch your neck, and roll  your shoulders down and back into proper position.
  3. If you have a habit of crossing your arms in front of you, try clasping them behind you.
  4. If your pelvis tips forward, try engaging your glutes. Standing in line at the grocery or a check out line is a good time to practice this, or even while driving in your car.
  5. Take time every day to stretch muscles that tend to be tighter for most people: chest, hip flexors, hamstrings: too much tightness in these areas can cause posture problems
  6. If you always sit or stand in the same position, vary your position from time to time.
  7. Shoulders have a tendency to creep up toward our ears…try to keep them rolled back, and down, as if your placing your shoulder blades into the back pockets of your pants.
  8. Consider yoga or Pilates – both help realign the body and strengthen the muscles that improve posture.
  9. If you continue to have problems, see a physical therapist, chiropractor, or orthopedic specialist.

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