In general, it appears that people of all ages have less and less time to exercise or do healthy outdoor activities. This is often due to time demands from work, family and relationships – even such responsibilities as walking the dog. It appears that with all the options available to us on how to spend our time, exercise falls short, and continues to become less important as daily demands increase. Unfortunately, there is a connection with lower inactive bodies and higher levels of “dis-ease”.
Knowing that exercise is paramount for continued health, below is a great technique that you may want to consider and share with others. It was given to me by an amazing personal trainer whom I’ve had the honor of working with, Tracy Benham from Sports Health and Exercise: http://www.sportshealthexercise.org/
One Magic Minute
Here is a great technique to keep up that momentum and keep you moving toward your health and fitness goals — it happens to be one of our favorite techniques here at SHE (Sports, Health and Exercise). We call it the “One Magic Minute” — and before you roll your eyes, read on! The One Magic Minute is not a gimmicky program from a late-night infomercial. It’s really just 60 seconds of an easy mental exercise that will help keep you on track. It’s a technique that will remind you to be clear and decisive, and will keep you accountable to your action plans.
Here’s how it works. Set aside one minute each day — a slim 60 seconds — and schedule it for at least one hour before you have a bit of slack in your schedule. Maybe it’s early in the morning before everyone else is awake or in the evening after work but before dinner. Once you’ve determined that hour, spend one minute ONE HOUR BEFORE that hour to stop and think clearly about your work toward your goals. Hold yourself accountable. Ask yourself, “Did I do what I said I was going to do?”
If you did, spend that moment celebrating. Praise yourself for a job well one. Sing, dance, or laugh at yourself for thinking about singing and dancing. Whatever you do, spend 60 seconds feeling good about your success that day. If you didn’t follow through, then here you are — you’ve stopped, and you’ve acknowledged that — and look! — you still have time to make it right! Use that introspective moment to kick yourself into gear — take a look at your fitness blog or your journal — and figure out a way to earn check marks on your fitness to-do list. And hey — if you just can’t make it happen that day, take that moment to commit yourself to making tomorrow’s plan your number one goal for the day.
You are already on the path to a happier, healthier and more active you — you know that nothing is more important that your health. Keep it up, and use your new strength and energy to make a difference in the lives of your friends and family!
So make it happen every day — spend just One Magic Minute reviewing your progress toward a healthier lifestyle. Acknowledge both your successes and your missteps, and remember that your better health increased energy will be the greatest reward you can give yourself and your loved ones.
And well done — keep it up! You are on your way to living the butt-kicking life you’ve been dreaming of!
Karen PfefferKaren is passionate about sharing powerful programs on communication, empowerment, team building and transformation. With a father from Kansas and a mother from Puerto Rico, Karen has a unique cultural mix that has inspired her to challenge stereotypes and “push the envelope” at every opportunity. She co-founded Fire Power Seminars with Connie Phelan in 2006 to empower individuals, organizations, and companies to achieve more than they ever thought possible.