I have an aunt who, throughout my adolescence,  was kind enough to remind me repeatedly to stand up straight. True, it may have been annoying at the time, but I now appreciate the advice. I would also like to thank my yoga instructors who, over the years, have helped reinforce this mantra. Truth be told, the spine can only handle poor posture for so long. Over time, the rest of the body will adapt to an odd curve as “normal,” and oh, the money you’ll spend to fix your aches and pains later. Again, SO thankful for my repetitive aunt

Quickly, let’s review what good, standing posture is:

knees over ankles, hips over knees (knees slightly bent, ankles slightly dorsiflexed), tail bone pointed slightly down, pelvis tilted slightly back (think of the pelvis as a bowl – tilted forward you’d spill you soup), core engaged (lower pelvic floor tight, lower abdominals engaged, and mid-lumbar relaxed), shoulders even (not pulled up to your ears) and rolled down and back, as though you are tucking your shoulder blades into your back pockets.

And good, sitting posture is:

both feet on the floor, weight of the body squarely over the sitting bones, core engaged as above, lower back slightly tensed and mid-back relaxed, and head and neck in a straight line extending from tailbone to skull. True, this is not practical for many scenarios, but it gives you something to think about while driving a car and sitting at your desk. Also, try to keep your butt relaxed. Out of habit, we tend to tense everything, and there is almost never a good reason to do so. So relax your butt, and often the rest of your muscles will follow the lead.

If you have been practicing poor posture for many years, correcting it will take some time, but you will eventually learn what “normal” feels like and your body will prefer this position.

Brush up on posture basics with these “best of” Blue Sky Gym blog posts:

9 Pointers for Improving Posture

5 Ways to give your back the heave ho

The Devil is in the Details

A Primer on Pilates

As you might guess from my lack of presence on this block, summer is a very busy time, and I know this is true for just about everyone (and you’re all nodding, “yes, my kids over-run my schedule too!”), so my “theme” for the week is all about making “healthy choices in a snap.”

It is super easy to slack off during the summer. C’mon, you know what I mean…the pool is more enticing than a trip to the gym, the longer days (often filled with kid-focused activities, which, less face it, suck the life right out of even the most energetic mom, and if you are like me and work from home, it is difficult to get any work done, much less a “work-out.”) Enter moi – also known as your kick in the butt.

You CAN still fit healthy activities and healthy foods into your busy days, it just takes a little more creativity.

Try these tips:

1. Include the kids. Outdoor games, family walks and bike rides,
2. Include your pet. Your dog needs a daily walk, right? Follow these tips for exercising outdoors with your dog.
3. Carve out small bits of time for exercise. You can accomplish a lot in just 10 minutes – seriously, you can!
4. Travel with fitness in mind. With a little planning, there isn’t any reason you can’t exercise while vacationing. I know, you might not want to, but it can be done.
5. Can’t get to the gym? Work out at home. Follow these tips for stocking your home gym with all of the basics.

Easy Peasy Recipes for summer

Stir Fried Chicken Tenders from Eating Well

Old-fashioned Spaghetti & Meatballs from Eating Well

The EatingWell Taco

Ravioli w/ Apples and Walnuts from Real Simple

Roasted Pork w/ Brussel Sprouts and Apricots

There, that should get you started. And also remember that you don’t have to take the “all or nothing” approach. Set out to do something that serves as exercise, and try to make healthy food choices – save the strict nutrition regimen and long, tough workouts for the fall when you have a bit more time for you! Summer is meant to be enjoyed, so go – enjoy.

“Hello Diane,
The biggest key to my success has got to be the high degree of accountability I’ve placed upon myself. When I finally decided that it was time to lose weight and get fit, I told everyone I knew.”
Regards,  Murali

This recent comment really got me thinking…when only you know what your goals are, then the failure to achieve them falls completely on you, and if you tell no one, then does it even really count?

The study of human behavior as it relates to health choices has been studied to the N-th degree. Still, scientists and scholars don’t completely understand what enables one person to succeed at changing his/her health behavior and another to fall short, but many experts do agree that the role of “social support” is crucial to lasting health behavior change. In other words, don’t go it alone!

Without your cheerleaders, you will be less likely to succeed, plain and simple. The larger your support-network, the better. Your support group will keep you up when you feel down (and not to be negative, but there will be times when you will feel like giving up), they will remind you of your goal(s); hopefully will tell you that you can succeed; and will build up your self-esteem. Don’t include people in your support group who can’t fulfill these needs (and you know who these people are)!

When you’ve decided on your goal(s) for the year, tell your family, friends, neighbors, spouses and whoever will listen what your plans are and ask them to help support you along the way. You may even want to give them a copy of your written goals and ask them to check in with you regularly for a progress report. While this might seem a little scary (there is no going back once you’ve handed your list of goals to someone else), remember that a support system will help propel you forward rather than hold you back.

The support you receive could take many forms. Here is one example:

Problem: Your goal is to take a walk everyday, but the temptation to procrastinate because other items on your “to do” list, such as cleaning the house, seem more important.

Solution: Delegate. Perhaps hiring a sitter to watch the kids for an hour, or trading babysitting with a neighbor are other possible solutions. Get creative here – if your changes are to be lasting ones, there will be many obstacles to work around. Developing the confidence that you can navigate obstacles will go a long way toward improving your odds of success.

Your situation will be unique, so invest some time thinking through various obstacles you foresee, and make a list.

Now, having done that, how can you enlist the help of your support network to overcome these obstacles?

Do you have an obstacle that you were able to surmount, thanks to the help of your support network? Please share…I’d love to hear about it.