“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” Buddha

Many struggle with the balance between commitments and taking care of themselves. Personal neglect causes one to disconnect from their sense of mental and physical awareness. Examining the state of “Now” takes some courage and must be addressed for change to truly happen.

Many questions will arise as an opportunity when one is ready for personal transformation——such as———How did I gain weight? Why am I so stressed? Where is my joy?

Learning to listen to the amazing gift of your life– AKA— your body/mind connection—- will improve your abilities to observe all of your life with more clarity, understanding and compassion.

When you are present, the ordinary world becomes more interesting and wonderful. You will feel more alive.

There is no need to check out with a Hollywood imposed fantasy when real life is right in front of you.

Things that seem common to most will become fascinating and something you can appreciate, specifically you!

We are all born with an amazing energy I call “Life Force”

Along the path of life’s experiences, one can become “injured” in ways that shut down our natural response that guides one into a place of optimal choices. Clouded judgment will cause one to react in ways that do not produce fruitful results. Actions can also include omissions. One example is commonly seen in the elderly, often called ” Failure to thrive” or general “Malaise”. If this state becomes ingrained, one will find themselves not really living but rather just going through the motions.

Discovering personal ability to live fully can be frightening as well as extremely liberating for anyone who has lost their personal power. I also believe from my personal experience that there is no way around any personal wake up call—( AKA )—- discomfort— it is only (through) that we make discoveries to our potential . This process of personal evolution cannot be had by simple going around in circles, grabbing quick fixes to compensate for getting what you really want.

Remember this: ( When the student is ready, the teacher will appear )

The mind will challenge deeply ingrained beliefs and pre programing. Faith is being willing to go to this place (The present moment) and observe what is honestly being revealed. Letting go of what is no longer serving us is a big part of the process. Once you break through these barriers, you will get better results in everything.

A wonderful sense of ease will arise. When you see things from this new vantage point, it will remove any struggle created from within. Life becomes so much more enjoyable. To begin—-Focus on what’s right in front of you—- Right here—- Right now.

Being present through awareness dictates positive choices.

When we are aware, we plan better, and we are clearer about what is important to us.

This also includes how we move and communicate with our body.

To be fully present, we must embody self-awareness. Our bodies have the ability to feel balance, muscle tension, and coordination. Working on kinesthetic awarness can be a challenging process.

Dysfuntional movement patterns can feel “right” when they have become responsive to past conditioning that develops into habit. To overcome improper movement patterns, it is crucial to have a professional trainer (certified in body mechanics) evaluate your posture and create a program of corrective exercises.

Correct structural integration is imperative if you want optimal results in all areas of you life.

Mindfulness is an exercise practice for the brain and nervous system.

Becoming aware of how thoughts and feelings affect the body can begin now. Pay attention to the experience of eating and drinking, to colors, smells, textures, flavors, temperatures, and sounds. Pay attention to the experience of the body. Where in the body do we feel hunger? Where do we feel satisfaction?

Look for signs your body is experiencing whatever your mind is thinking about.

Your nervous system will tell you—IF– you are paying attention. Think of the mind and the body as one vehicle. In order to effectively go toward our desires, they must dance together.

http://www.faqs.org/sports-science/Ba-Ca/Biofeedback.html

Do your best to understand the emotional context behind all communication. When we truly know ourselves, we develop empathy which is defined as “A respectful understanding” of feelings, needs, and desires.

In all relationships, you can create a vibe of openness and trust if you have personally done your work.

It all begins in the relationship we have with ourselves.

Being present is an integral part of wellness. When counciously living and really experiencing positive emotions (happiness, gratitude, and love), appreciation will fill you with feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment.

When our life force is fully awakened, we have the ability to be truly content.

In our Body Now! —— Sending you love!–Deborah

Get in top condition and be ahead of your game with our NEW EXTENDED HOURS!

New! Mark your calendars! Beginning in November, Body Now will Now be open on Sundays! from 9am to 12 noon. We are also offering a Special Power Yoga class from 9am to 10 am by popular demand. This will be a community coed class as requested by our members who want to share our fabulous facility with their friends and families. This class is FREE to members and a drop in rate of 10$ for guests.

It’s ME!   Deborah Power, NASM, CPT  —YEAH—  I Did It!

I’m back after a long pause from blogging for an updated post. I didn’t intend to go 8 weeks without posting, but life and studying like a crazy woman got in the way.

And study I did, up to 3 hours a day! This was for my long term goal of receiving the NASM Personal Training Certification.  Many have asked me, why NASM? I have 30 years experience and multiple certifications including ACE ( The American Council On Excercise ).  My answer–I want to be my best so I can help you be your best!

The National Academy of  Sport Medicine  Personal Trainer certification is the “Gold Standard”  for trainers. It is the only comprehensive training program based on current scientific research that provides undisputed results. This was the only certification I was going to be on solid ground with in really serving my clients, so the word is— GO FOR IT!

I’m happy to report that I passed “The Exam” — Wahoo! I will tell you that running a full time business and being a mom makes studying one thousand times more challenging after completing a formal education.                                                      This was not EASY.  

 This is about following through with goals and taking them from a dream state into reality.                                                             I made a promise to myself, and YES— I Did It!

 FYI—–NASM personal trainers do more than just understand human movement science, anatomy, physiology and essential scientific elements, perform functional assessments, including physiological, performance and strength assessments. We create individualized, complete personal training programs for clients while demonstrating and teaching proper exercises and form.   And we have the knowledge and credentials to analyze clients’ nutritional needs and make informed dietary recommendations.

As a certified NASM trainer , I will give you a comprehensive and individualized kinetic chain assessment.  This is a head to toe evaluation of strengths and weaknesses in posture, movement, power flexibility, and athletic performance.  Depending on your current condition kinetic chain dysfunction, you will receive guidance to correct any existing imbalances toward your fitness goals or sports performance program to—- Ensure Success—- without injury.

 Now, for a little story; I’ve been SERIOUSLY studying for this test for 6 months and it has been my life, as in living and breathing NASM.  I carried my materials with me everywhere to grab as much study time as possible. My goal was to master the training so thoroughly that I could nail the exam and actually teach others how to pass the test, therefore, translating the information so well to my clients that they could also teach and help themselves and their families.

I loved the course and it solidified so much of what I have spent 30 years learning about. Human potential and Health with a SOLID science foundation—–YES—I was born to do this!

Then the day came to take the exam. I was so nervous. Reading so many discussion boards about how the test tries to trick you and the practice test is NOTHING like the actual exam can create a big case of jitters!

So here I am, having a fretting moment that woke me at 1 AM—- and the test was at 10 Am!—– UGH!—- Ok—– –I thought to myself,   “Look at how much you have learned, you went thoroughly the text 4 x’s, you practiced all of it. Breathe! You will pass the test with flying colors, Yeah!”
The entire time spent studying for this test can be compared to training for a marathon. You put in time, you prepare, you live it and then you succeed. Just like running, it doesn’t happen overnight.  

My message to YOU, no matter what your goal is———Remember this——–LIVE LIKE A CHAMPION————Be patient with yourself and success will come.
                        

                            ” Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions  stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of  living.”  Anais Nin
                                                     Remember——-You can do what your heart desires, and YOU deserve to be all that you dream of.

And PS, for some reason FACEBOOK——AKA——Spacebook—–: )  is making me wait to reactivate my personal account after someone reported –me— not being— me—HAH! So lame! Hopefully I’ll be back on soon, or just start a new one!

             Tell me “Your Stories”–Lets motivate each other! Cant wait to hear yours! And hear YOU SAY—–I Did It!

               Love, Deborah  xoxoxo!

My family and I watched the Olympics recently and witnessed history in the making. Seeing the amazing women gymnasts was such an inspiration and a great example of The power of the human spirit. I know most of us would never even dream of achieving this level of physical mastery, but I can only hope that each of us will feel the energy of those who demonstrated their abilities to work through life’s obstacles to achieve their vision.

Seeing athletes in motion makes me consider the will to live that every creature is born with. We all have energy within that drives us toward our desires. You see this energy in most children and very few adults. When seeing a thriving adult, fully embodied, vibrant and positive I ask them what they do. Tell me your secret, and they are always willing to share. Their wisdom always goes back to– Develop Healthy Habits, ones that work. When an 85 year old who is healthy and happy share’s their wisdom, it’s important to listen. Generally, these people don’t have the extra cash and are way too smart to fall for gimmicks. They work on all of life’s issues–Body Mind and Spirit– One woman I know who is especially alive told me along with jumping rope every day and eating homemade meals, that she works on gratitude for building happiness. Her formula works and she is a walking example. It’s so simple, yet in our world of mass information, confusion will takes its toll on anyone who can be misled.

It’s exciting to learn about the revolutionary breakthroughs in modern medicine, but please Do not confuse sound science based information with the “health industry“.

The voices of true health leaders are seldom heard today in the midst of marketing gurus. So many “new age” exercise programs use feel good testimonies that validate emotional based claims. Despite trends and availability, people are unhealthier than ever before.

Is it no coincidence that obesity and all health related diseases are at an all-time high, rising in with current cultural attitudes. We want what feels good, sounds good, and tastes good, and we want it NOW! Gratification built upon nonrealistic approaches to health will show up sooner than later. If you are questioning the effectiveness of your health and fitness program, check out your health scores and get a fitness assessment from a Nationally Recognized Trainer or Physical Therapist.

Studies demonstrate it takes 12 weeks to form new habits and 21 months to create a new lifestyle. We are creatures of habit, and quick fixes satisfy the human side of addictive behaviors.

BUYER BEWARE——–

Convincing sales techniques are used to appeal to the weak side of human nature. Many health and fitness gimmicks all have a common thread of lure!    Such as……….

“Follow our easy program and you’ll be fine”

“No need to push yourself!”

Indulge AND lose weight, without exercise…”

And “How to transform your body and your life with one workout.”

With this, the down-sizing trend of exercise has gone all the way to zero in some cases: Some “experts” say “You don’t need ANY exercise at all.”…… With this acceptance comes a big price tag–Your Health! —– Some movement is better than nothing, although the quality of life, through attitudes that are easily persuaded by gimmicks, creates a deterioration of overall health. Checking in and reviewing your health scores every year is a great reality check to see where adjustments need to be made. If it’s not up to par, this is a BIG CUE to review your goals and examine where you may have gotten off track.

The major contributing factors are aversion to exercise and the effort it takes to be conscious about what we put in our minds and bodies. Human beings are capable of reaching breathtaking heights; we also have a lazy side hard-wired into our natures. We must extend ourselves to overcome inertia. We can be inspired to look up and reach for the stars instead of settling for less than optimum results.

It is not enough to just say yes to changing habits that build health. We must cultivate an environment that supports you in taking the very best care of yourself. Understand that acknowledging where shortcomings are can be very uncomfortable, but they must be addressed if you want success. Know that a healthy life is based on choices that will not always be immediately pleasurable.

It’s easy to be seduced into forgetting all the real benefits of basic health practices as we are lured into giving our paycheck to programs that make empty promises.

Remember this– When anything sounds too good to be true and defies common sense, it probably is!

Do you want the truth? …

Your Body is BEGGING for Honest DAILY Exercise.

And Healthy Unprocessed Foods.

And Loving Real Relationships.

The human body-mind is the most remarkable creation in the universe, and it is designed and engineered to be used often and vigorously. You won’t fall apart by getting your heart pumping every day – YOUR BODY WILL THANK YOU FOR IT!

To be vibrant and healthy, the “easy part” is to just do the work. There are no secret shortcuts to this. As always, you can message me on our Body Now! fan page, and I will personally answer any questions you have regarding sound guidance toward your concerns on getting on the right track with your wellness goals. Here’s To A Healthy And Happy You….. With Love, Deborah

Join Cheryl Lemmer for Pilates 1 Reformer and Movement Principles at Body Now Womens Fitness. Reformer 1 includes an introduction to the Pilates Reformer including set up and safety, beginning exercises, program sequencing and teaching tips for group classes. By the end of the course, you will be able to teach a beginning Reformer group class or personal training session. When:

Friday 09/07/12  1:30pm to 4:30pm

Saturday 09/08/12  10:30am to 5:30pm

Sunday 09/09/12  9:30am to 4:30pm

For more information and registration, visit Pilates.com. For *Location select Oregon, for *Educator select Body Now Womens Fitness. Or call 877-745-2837.

As director of Body Now! and a Health Advisor, I have the privilege of meeting many women and hearing their concerns. The topic of weight loss comes up so often I must share my findings. The first is when I ask an individual about health goals, and the answer I get 90% of the time is “lose weight.”  Most often, there is deadline. Examples include weddings, vacation, etc. Events can prompt one toward their goals and also brings a personal opportunity to review where the individual is going with her focus. This can be a great start to long lasting success. I cannot express the joy that myself and my team feels when we see women take charge of their wellness and have— Lasting Success.

At Body Now!, our staff is trained to educate our cliental on how to build their metabolic health. We say fat loss–instead of weight loss. We all want to look and feel our best. For real results, this requires a different approach than what many are conditioned to believe. The No Diet–Live Strong—- is our mantra.

It’s so simple. Eat well and exercise. If you are not nutritionally supported you will not have the ability to exercise properly. We hear the word diet and put faith in the end result, not considering that when you get to the gym to have trainers give instruction, the energy and recovery will not be available to make your workouts count. The very word “diet” is punishment. Most give up and enter back into the world of unconscious eating while carrying negative feelings toward themselves and feeling like a failure.

In a world filled with experts trying to sell you something, remember this—Healthy living is NOT some special, complicated, magical process. This is perhaps one of the longest standing dogmas in the world of “weight loss.” I have seen countless diets confuse people, cost them time and money and they end up sacrificing their fitness and health. I have also witnessed what works.

As a Health and Fitness professional, it is my responsibility to represent the industry of health and guide my clients and the general public to legitimate sources that will empower every individual with knowledge that is in alignment with science and medical research. Acknowledging many need help getting started in developing healthy habits, most  will need to go on an eating “Program”.  With many companies now offering incentives, I endorse Weight Watchers as one program that continues to work. It is a relatively inexpensive program to get started, and many employers as well as insurance providers are also covering the costs. We all need to be on track, and this is one way that works in making lasting changes.

The Dangerous Yo-Yo Diet Cycle

We all have seen celebrity spokespersons for expensive weight loss programs that require you to purchase their products. We see them months or years later… they gain all the weight back plus more. The rule is—- If you can’t sustain it, it’s not going to work. Go for lifestyle changes, It’s the only way!

A good nutrition program should tell you what is best to eat for optimum health.  Creating a consistent calorie deficit is challenging and it’s important to know the facts. Not all foods are created equally. A calorie of protein and a calorie of sugar will have a different impact. Weight Watchers has recognized this and changed their points system to reflect the greater impact of sugar and starchy foods. Say NO!!! to the Yo-yo diet cycle of losing weight and gaining it all back. It is stressful to our mind, body and spirit. This behavior pattern will weaken your immune system and your self-esteem.

Diets focus on the outcome rather than the journey.

If one is going on a “diet,”  they are missing the key ingredient from this personal journey toward health and self-nurturing. Pick a sensible eating plan that you can live with for the rest of your life. Crazy–Questionable—and Wacky— don’t work!!!   Following plans that are far removed from one’s lifetime desires of wellness make it easy to fall back to old habits when stress and frustration take over!

An effective healthy journey should ensure the following:

•Learning real ways to get and stay in shape

•Apply skills into a long-term lifestyle that you enjoy.

•Learn to appreciate the impact eating certain foods has on your body (both positively and negatively).

•Learn how to exercise effectively.

Learn how to fuel and move your body to encourages optimum health and reduces body fat! By making lifestyle changes, you can lose fat without feeling deprived.

It is impossible to put extreme limits on the food you eat long term. You can eat well, lose fat, and feel great. This is accomplished by MODIFYING your food intake and lowering fat and sugar consumption—-and—-exercising frequently makes healthier food choices easier.

Weight management is about avoiding the harmful diet entrapment. It’s about being healthy. Successful weight management includes physical activity with managing your ‘calories in versus calories out’. Eating healthy is achieved through better awareness of nutrition and changing your behavior and attitudes about your body and your relationship with food.

Diets Slow Your Metabolism

Not eating a variety of healthy foods or enough, prevents you from getting nutrients for health and your immune system suffers. Dieting causes loss of valuable bone mineral and muscle tissue. Remember–We want FAT LOSS—A happy woman is energetic, healthy and strong! Depriving oneself of essential nutrients saps your energy. Without getting enough ‘fuel’ to keep you going there will be no way you can stick with an effective exercise program. Your body reacts to fewer calories by slowing down your metabolism — burning fewer calories each day just to maintain your body functions. If you don’t add real exercise you will lose lean muscle and your metabolism is slowed even further. Even worse, the weight will come back on as fat rather than as the muscle you lost. Your body will look and feel flabby, weak, and less healthy. Your body responds by slowing your metabolic rate and you lose lean muscle, bone mineral, energy, and focus.

It takes a conscious approach to increase exercise and eat well.

The goal is to eat more nutrient-dense foods and keep you fueled so you can feel happy and exercise. This lifestyle change will help you maintaining lean muscle while losing fat, and will be gradual rather than dramatic. You will notice clothes fitting looser, your waistline shrinking, and your energy level higher.

“Successful eaters” eat high quality foods, plan and prepare meals, and regulate their food intake. The key factors that increase the likelihood someone will have success with weight management lifestyle include being flexible. Following diet rules to an extreme is insane. The all or nothing mindset makes misery.  Research proves those with “rigid control” gain more weight over time than those with “flexible control.”
Be smart and select a better fit for real life.

Rather than gaining a few pounds each year like most adults, you will be losing body fat and building your metabolism. Friends who haven’t seen you will be impressed by the difference. Best of all, you will not have abused your body with a diet, but instead have been feeding it appropriate amounts of better food while giving it the exercise it needs for overall health.

The clients who have been the most successful are the ones who make peace with themselves, have a high desire to maintain health habits, and understand the difference between restriction and setting limits. They eat in moderation, savor life, enjoy all foods, and exercise regularly.

May you feel peace, joy and have the energy to celebrate every precious moment of this life!   With love, Deborah

While attending, I was able to meet with physicians, nutritionists, mental health experts, educators, and many others from the public and private sectors. By far the most enjoyable and enlightening person I had the pleasure meeting was Pamela Peeke, MD, Author, Women’s Health Specialist.

According to Dr. Peeke, the unique hormonal and life challenges that all women go through over the course of their lives can dramatically affect our ability to build health and maintain a healthy weight. In her popular Body-for-Life Program, Dr. Peeke offers sound advice and describes how daily stressors and destructive habits add up. Her primarily aim is to remove what she identifies as the greatest obstacle to woman’s health —-our reluctance to focus on own needs. While Dr. Peeke stresses her programs holistic nature, correct and effective exercise, she says, is paramount and essential to overall health. 

Taking notes at her lectures provided great insight into my passion — Women’s Health!  Dr. Peeke is spot on with her message “ Do what’s best for YOU!  In all my years working with women, I have found that there are elements in lifestyles which will work for or against them. Could you run for your life? How fast could you get up if you were by yourself and fell?”

“The goal is alert and vertical! We’ve created a society with foreign stresses that the human being does not adapt to. We are made for physical activity and healthy expression.”

She described a common dilemma in today’s world with women aging, explaining that at age 40, many women begin in increments, by decreasing full physical movement. Becoming more sedentary adds up and contributes to poor lifestyle choices. This places us in a state of overall weakness. And combined with hormonal changes, it builds a cycle of stress. These feelings of helplessness and defeat are associated with Toxic Body Fat. It becomes much easier to pack on unhealthy body fat when stress hormones take over. Toxic Body Fat—is—Visceral. Intra-abdominal fat is the deep fat inside the abdominal muscle wall, and it is highly toxic. “We want to be below 35 inches across the bellybutton. Most women are astounded to find out they are beyond this benchmark.”

Without stress busting skills, no program will work in the long run.

I have a simple formula to share that can help anyone get on the path of wellness. We first must get to the root of the matter of what’s eating us. This is anything that sets us back and is adding unnecessary stress to our quality of life. For many, it can be uncomfortable to examine personal beliefs and influences that have created a lifestyle that may no longer be serving our best interest. Keeping it as simple as possible, here is a basic, easy to follow, check list:

Physical—-Get an assessment. Find out where any compensations are. Get on a program NOW. You’re only as strong as your weakest link.

Nutritional ——It’s pretty simple. I find it mind boggling that so many complicate this. Issues involving food may be stemming from unexamined sources. If what you’re NOT eating is wearing you out  and you’re in a catabolic state, you need professional support. Life is too short to not be functioning well.

Mental——–Examine sabotaging self-talk to begin healing from the inside. This can be buried deeply and most will need a 3^rd party professional counseling to move forward.

Spiritual——-Derive peace from your practice. Your spiritual beliefs should be serving YOU in your personal growth and wellbeing.
Environment—–Clean, functional, supportive—This includes relationships—-If it’s not working—find a solution.                                                                                                                             

The time is now to embrace total health. Not only for ourselves, but let’s also consider our children. They are taking their cues from us. What are they learning from you? This is a significant factor. The health and future of our world begins as a family issue. We need to first help ourselves to truly help others. Your excellent example of self-care will help them establish healthy habits.

The best medicine is preventive.

It’s never too late to start positive changes that will enhance every area of your life. We begin in our Body Now!—In Health and Happiness—Deborah

Most women do not think of themselves as being the athletic type, but we really are. From being on the go along with balancing many jobs, our busy lives require a tremendous amount of energy and efficiency.  Our lifestyles demand that we be in top condition to do our work, nurture others and live a quality life. The more fit and healthy you are, the more enjoyable your life will be. Changing our mindset by thinking of ourselves as athletes helps us to consider how important is to get proper training, good nutrition and adequate rest. As a certified coach and personal trainer, I can tell you that without a solid game plan, your focus will become lost. After the age of 50, it takes much more effort to recoup your energy, lean muscle and confidence. Not exercising also has an accumulative effect. Some of the signs are –Out of breath easily—Back pain—Weight gain—-and Depression– just to name a few. Why wait for a rude awakening? It’s not too late to begin reversing metabolic loss. Now is the time to focus on fitness.

For women, turning 50 is a milestone. We’re not as resilient as in earlier years. Society tells you it’s a crossroads. Your body underscores the point. Every woman over 50 feels it. “The kids are going to college, and parents are aging. Quite often there are marriage problems and job challenges. It’s a stressful time. Don’t neglect your body.

Make a conscious choice to get moving.

Stop talking about getting fit and healthy and do something about it. Get a physical assessment to identify strengths and weaknesses. Move beyond leisurely walking and increase your pace to build cardiovascular health. Add weight training for strength and strong bones. Do core exercises for stability and balance. And eat well! 

Lose the Excuses

What’s the main reason that 80% of our population does not exercise? Excuses! The following is a list of common excuses and how to respond to them—whether it’s your spouse, your friend, or yourself—and by doing this, you’ll become stronger both mentally and physically.

I don’t have the time. This is probably the most common excuse people use to avoid exercise. Find small windows of time. There are 24 hours in a day, so it seems reasonable that one should be able to find 30 minutes to exercise.

My body hurts too much to exercise. Exercise reduces joint pain, increases strength and flexibility. Throw away the notion that all exercise is regimented and start moving. Even with injury, we still need to move. Any surgical procedure in the hospital get people up within 24 to walk the halls. Get permission from your doctor, then ask a fitness professional to help you design a program. After all, that’s what we’re here for.

I don’t want to look muscular. To get that “ripped” look of a female body builder, it would take loads of very heavy lifting. A basic workout does not cause one to pack on piles if muscle. Strength training increases your metabolism, slows down sarcponia (degenerative loss of strength that occurs as we age) and decrease your risk of osteoporosis.

 I’m too tired to exercise. Exercise increases your energy and improves sleep. For years, I have conducted exercise programs and often hear people say they are too tired to exercise. After instructing them on energy management through correct training, improvements are made—including increased energy levels and overall feelings of well being.  Get help from a pro if that’s the case. This excuse needs to be never used again—by anyone.  

No matter what your age is, functional fitness should be a part of your daily routine. According to the National Women’s Health Information Center, exercise can also:

• lowers risk of colon cancer and diabetes
• keeps bones, muscles, and joints healthy
• reduces anxiety and depression and improves  mood
• guards against falling and bone fractures
• protects against breast cancer
• aids in controlling joint swelling and pain from arthritis
• increases energy
• improves sleep                                               

Develop good exercise habits now without excuses. To get the benefits, I recommend at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. This includes cardiovascular, strength training and flexibility. If this sounds like too much, then moving even for short periods can be helpful.  A fitness professional can tailor an exercise program to meet your age, fitness level, and individual health concerns.

Game Plan

I am a big believer in belonging to a gym or a running club etc. We are social creatures and are more likely to keep a commitment if we have someone we are accountable to. Being part of a program helps you get the support of the others and helps to stay on track..                    

The American Council on Exercise recommends a regular resistance-training program. The three primary benefits are:                                                                                                                                     

1) Increased strength of bones, muscles, and connective tissue. Exercise decreases the risk of developing osteoporosis and decreases your risk of injury in everything you do.

2) Increased lean muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns. This makes it easier to control your weight.

3) Enhanced quality of life. This becomes increasingly important as we get older. The things we do every day — like carrying groceries in from the car — will become easier as our overall strength improves.

Getting fit and staying fit is a lifestyle.

A mistake many women make is doing the same workout all the time. Don’t plan on staying in your comfort zone!

Our bodies are smart and constantly adapting to whatever demands are put on it in. Change only happens when you move out of the comfort zone. When we get used to a routine, we use less energy. The result is… that you burn less fat. Studies have shown that doing the same workout repeatedly leads to adaptation plateaus and increases the risk of injury.

Incorporate interval training into all your workouts. As you gradually increase time and intensity, it will show up as improvement in your overall fitness. 

Health fads come and go, so make changes that last.

Move away from the idea of being on a ‘diet’ and get back to basics. In a small notebook, write down everything you eat and your workouts for 6 months with complete honesty This will help you become more aware of weak links and gradually implement changes.

Aim to keep your blood sugar levels even throughout the day. Know what foods cause blood sugar levels to spike and crash. This can cause even the most disciplined person to weaken their commitment to healthy eating and exercise.

Think ‘fat loss’ rather than ‘weight loss’. Too many women are hung up on weight when we really need to be be concerned with building strength and lean muscle — the body’s biggest fat-burning machine.

Forget the fads and get fit the old-fashioned way with proper nutrition and exercise. You can always email me with any questions you have, and do be sure to “Like” our Body Now! Facebook fan page where you can check in daily for inspiration!                                                                              

In Love, Health, and Energy,

Deborah

  QiDance bridges the gap between pre-choreography and freestyle with a unique layering process that helps you keep your choreography fresh.
  What to expect:
  We focus the entire day focusing on the skills,  building your tools, and assist you in becoming an elite instructor. We will not waste one minute of your time, and that includes a working lunch. From the moment you meet your Master Trainer, shake their hand and move through the training, you will know that this is your time, a safe space for you to explore your potential as an instructor.

               By attending a a full-day QiDance Instructor Training, you will receive:
     •Real and original music from multi-Grammy winning composer, Kike Santander, only available to Qignition Instructors.
    •Cutting-edge choreography and programming brought to you by Leigh Crews, Fred Hoffman, Petra Kolber, & The Qignition Team.
    •The QiDance Manual, choreography notes, an exclusive soundtrack, and online videos.
    •ACE & AFAA Continuing Education Credits.
   •A License to teach Qignition.
    •The option to join the QiClub – an on-line community that provides access to networking, education and tools to enhance the fitness instructing career of course participants.

Click here to register:  http://qignition.com/workshop/oregon-foundation-course-eugene-free-course

Another community service offering by Body Now! Integrative Health and Fitness.