Ever wonder what stops you from making great choices to exercise and be fit for an active and healthy life?  Is it lack of exercise, or lack mentality?  Does your attitude ever get in the way wreaking havoc on how you “feel,” and blocking your motivation to get up and move? 

Perhaps these simple mind-body health training tips can help you enjoy an active life with a sound mind and healthy body.  Joseph H. Pilates believed that it is everyone’s birthright to enjoy good health!  And this fact is true. But without effort everything falls to ruin.  So how can you keep your Mind and Body in sync to stay healthy?

It would be great if we could enjoy 100% good health every day of our lives, but the reality is there are occasions where we’re sick, injured, or otherwise unmotivated to pay attention to taking care of our body inside and out.  We make no-so-good food choices, don’t get enough rest, are stressed to the max, spend too many hours working and “don’t have time” to exercise…  Whatever the reason, instead of keeping the #1 priority on doing whatever it takes to maintain good health, we fall completely off our own priority list and healthy enhancing activities don’t happen.  The result… aches, pains, increased risk of injury or accidents.  We get grumpy and irritable and try to sooth our souls with food that only ends up making us fatter and sicker, more unhappy, and unmotivated to move.

Every NEW day gives you an opportunity to re-commit to doing better today than you did yesterday to taking care of you!  The New Year is always a great time to re-commit to a healthy lifestyle.  I’m here to encourage you to wake up every morning for the rest of your life and “pretend” like it’s the beginning of a New Year! 

It may sound silly, but if you can keep this attitude, you’ll stay inspired to take action and make great choices for your health from January first all the way to December thirty-first.  Each and every day of your life, if you’re breathing, and have at least a few brain cells firing up – you can make good things happen to improve your health.

Use These 7 Simple Mind-Body Health Training Tips to Keep You on Track for a 100% Healthy, Happy, and Active YOU:

1. Every Morning Start Your Day with an “I Love You” to YOU!
2. Tell Yourself 10 positive things you Love about Yourself Daily.  (Example:  “I AM beautiful, I AM healthy, I AM fit, I AM smart, I AM sexy, I AM caring, I AM passionate, I AM friendly, I AM outgoing, I AM strong….”)  Say whatever comes to mind your words can be different every day!  Say these loving words out loud to yourself (in the mirror if possible.)
3. Wake up 15 minutes early and do 10-15 minutes of morning exercise to get your body up and moving.  (Pilates, Yoga, or the Pulse-Power Daily Dozen 10-Minute Workout is a great way to start the day)  Consider this a moment of moving meditation to wake up your core, and get your brain and body connected for a healthy and active day.
4. Pick ONE Healthy Habit a week and commit to doing it daily for 7 days. It can be anything that you want to improve.  (Getting up 15 min early, meditation, drinking more H20, eating veggies, soup for supper, cutting out sweets, 30 minutes of daily cardio, stretching your hamstrings for 5 minutes…)  ANYTHING that you know will contribute to improving your health.  Bonus tip:  Brainstorm a list and put it in a safe place, so you’ve got a good list of choices handy for a weekly pick.
5. Don’t let minor setbacks cause major layoffs for your exercise program.  There is always SOMETHING you can do.  (It just might not be exactly what you wanted to do, or for as long as you wanted!)  But put your pride aside and be OK to modify and adapt to make safe exercise choices to ensure you keep moving.  Need help feeling confident in knowing what you CAN do that can help, not hurt you?  Seek the advice of an expert.  Consult your Doctor, Chiropractor, Physical Therapist, Pilates Teacher, or Personal Trainer.  Not exercising because one little part of your body is being uncooperative, can spin your attitude and action plan out of control.  Find out what you can do, and MOVE.  Your brain and your body with thank-you!
6. Variety is the spice of life!  Eat a variety of healthy foods, and find a variety of activities that you enjoy for exercise.  Use variety to keep you from getting stuck in a rut.  You might not feel like walking today, so how about riding a bike, elliptical, run, skate, swim, jump rope, take a Zumba class, step aerobics, row, cross-country ski…There are LOTS of other options.  Pilates enthusiasts – OH My… 500+ exercise, thousands of modifications and non-traditional exercises, Matwork, Reformer, Cadillac, Chairs, Barrels, the choices for a workout are endless!  Take advantage of variety to cross-train to keep your body strong, fit, and injury-free.
7. Give Yourself Time for Rest and Recovery.  Find balance for your brain and body between work and play, exercise and rest, action and meditation, being awake and asleep.  Listen to your body, it will tell you what it needs and when it needs it.

Respect yourself, treat your body with care, use these simple seven mind-body health training tips, and enjoy an active life with a sound mind and a healthy body.  The benefit – a 100% healthy YOU.