I cannot promise that all mental health professionals take their own advice, but I try not to speak outside of my own experience. I suppose I could say the same thing for dance instruction. Recently, when working with a fairly new salsa student, I encouraged him to try to get the pattern of the basic step cemented by just walking around his house left-right-left-pause, right-left-right-pause, stepping toe to heel rather than heel to toe. While I worked with him for almost an hour just reviewing all the details of the basic step, I was reminded yet again what a great workout just this basic dance step can be. If you really concentrate on proper technique and body isolations, you are using a lot of different muscles, and I find just one song can have me out of breath.
Recently the question has been posed to me in various variations of ‘how do we reach the teens’? As a therapist and working closely with INShape Indiana on health promotions, I understand that you cannot work harder for someone than they work for themselves, or you cannot care about their growth more than they do. Doing so would be a fast track to burnout and poor client relationships, which helps no one. I have taken to regularly texting and chatting with a few of my teen cousins to try to make sure I understand their culture and what is motivating to them. (We didn’t have texting when I was a teen!) If we find it difficult to motivate real life change in adults who generally have a wider perspective on the real costs and benefits, how do we reach teenagers and help them develop healthy habits early?
When playing blackjack are you more likely to bet on the cards you can see or the house hand which you cannot? It may feel like gambling to attempt a lifestyle change, diet, or fitness program. The “reward” is not guaranteed but you will have to ante up something whether it is mental energy, hours of sleep, a favorite television show, your favorite foods, or a preferred beverage.
I was not as consistent as I was instructed to be with my physical therapy routine after my last surgery, probably because it had been more than two years since the original injury. I no longer remembered what it was like to have a pain-free joint, thus I had difficulty visualizing the goal I was trying to achieve. I suppose a part of me did not believe it was possible. As an entrepreneur it was easy to dedicate my time to so many other tasks.
I have written a lot about the power of our thoughts and positive thinking, so it came as a surprise to me to come across this article. New research suggests that the common prescriptive of positive self-talk may not be positive for all people, after all; in fact, it might even be dangerous to some. The people most in need of encouragement and self-coaching are those with low self-esteem; however, such positive affirmations may be outside the realm of what they find to be believable. Thus, these ideas can be immediately dismissed or the individual may immediately internally contradict such statements. If you found Stuart Smalley to be ridiculous, you will have a hard time believing yourself saying such things.
One of my top ten tips for parenting includes the reminder that the idea ‘do what I say, not what I do’ never works. I encourage parents to consider the characteristics, habits, and values they want their child to have as an adult and to allow that to help them shape their parenting. Once we pass a certain age, most of us realize that we are becoming more and more like our parents (for better or for worse). Do you want your children to be like you when they are your age? What else do you want for your children?
Whether your children are old enough to start joining you in your fitness routine or you even have children yet, now is the perfect time to start developing the habits in yourself that you want your children to adopt. Your child is unlikely to want to join you in activities that you do not enjoy. Your child, who sees you as a role model, is more likely to do the things you do. I rode in bike races as a child because that was what my father did.
Bloggers are full of good ideas. We will give you reasons to run, tell you what to have for breakfast, encourage you to try a trendy fitness class, suggest gifts for your mom, and even tell you where to live.
Ultimately, however, ideal is not always realistic, and it will not be ideal if you won’t follow through. You are more likely to be successful if you choose the diet and exercise plan that works best for you and in your life. Often that may not be the “best” plan. Just like I believe lifestyle changing New Year’s resolutions have a very high failure rate, I would not encourage you to take on a fitness routine that seems tortuous to you. Presenting raw cauliflower to someone that has never eaten vegetables does not seem like a path to success either, does it?
Too often we think about exercise as a “work” out and some sort of punishment. (I knew I shouldn’t have eaten that piece of wedding cake.) When you were a kid, you likely got plenty of exercise by playing with your friends and exploring your environment (as long as you weren’t allowed to spend all your time in front of the TV or video games). Kids don’t naturally find exercise to be something to be dreaded. Remember the joy you felt spinning as fast as you could with your arms outstretched or grasping tightly to those of your friend? Do you remember the laughter when you tumbled into the grass feeling dizzy?
A really excellent way to control your eating is to be aware of what you are eating. Too often we eat while watching television or working, sometimes not even looking at what we are eating before putting it in our mouths. Being a busy, involved individual, I have had to work on breaking the habit of eating too quickly, while driving, and other mindless eating habits. Many find when they start keeping a diary of what they are eating that they are actually eating much more than they realized. Even if we know how much we are eating, it is hard to actually enjoy food that way.
People choose their hometowns for many reasons such as job requirements, family and friends and weather, but have you considered choosing a city because it is a healthy place to live and can help you meet your fitness goals? The American Fitness index recently released a listing of America’s Fittest Cities; 45 metropolitian areas were accessed on 30 scales including causes of death, diet of residents, mental health, physician availability, and percentage of the population that walk or bike to work. Forbes was surprised that Washington D.C. was ranked as America’s fittest metropolitan area, beating out Denver, Seattle, and San Diego.
America’s Top 10 Fittest Cities:
1. Washington DC
2. Minneapolis
Memorial Day weekend can be the start of the vacation season for many people. It’s a time to escape the routine requirements and experiences of life and find rest and renewal. 
Relaxation and renewal are important to our ability to think clearly and creatively, manage stressors, and feel good about ourselves and our lives. Common ways people try to achieve this relaxation on vacation is to lay on the beach, feeling the warmth of the sun and hearing the rhythm of the waves crashing, curl up with a good book, spend quality time with loved ones, and/or surround yourself with beautiful scenery. Calming your mind and body, focusing on your environment, absorbing yourself in literature, being with supportive people, and experiencing beautiful sights can all be positive ways to relax. But have you considered an active vacation?
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