Several months back, I wrote a post titled ‘One Step At A Time’ in which I used one of my newest clients (with her permission of course) as an example of progress (to read it click here).  I’d like to continue that story just a little, to really show you the progress that she has indeed made.  To date she has lost 76 pounds…SEVENTY SIX!  If that were not impressive enough, she just hit a major mile stone yesterday and I was lucky enough to be with her when she did.  I’d like to tell you about it.

After returning from the trip I wrote about in my first post, Cindy set a goal for herself to hike to Delicate Arch, a 3 mile hike round trip.  She was doing some hikes in the Salt Lake area to prepare herself and continued coming to the gym and kicking butt during her workouts.  She was doing fantastic and was on track to make her goal of hiking to the Delicate Arch a reality when she hit a few road blocks that were out of her control.  So many people at this point choose to give up, but not Cindy.  She had a picture of the arch above her desk with the words ‘Dare to Dream’ printed on it.  It was amazing motivation for her.

She kept going, doing as much as possible to ensure her success while dealing with the road blocks head on.  The road blocks she was up against persisted for several months, and though she was definitely disappointed, she never gave up.  The end result however, was that she had suffered some setbacks, some of them more significant than others, and she knew it.  In fact, she even asked me about a month before the trip to Moab was scheduled if it was going to be able to happen or not.  At that point, it didn’t look good at all.

That month passed with amazing speed, and she found herself overcoming some of the road blocks and finding ways to deal with others that she had not overcome as yet.  She kept coming to the gym, kept losing weight and ultimately; kept making progress.  On Friday, April 26, 2012 we made the drive to Moab in hopes of making a dream, a reality.

On one of the most beautiful Saturday mornings in April that I have ever witnessed, Cindy and I (accompanied by her friend Beth) set out to hike up to Delicate Arch.  She was so excited to be on the path that she knew led to her goal, she could hardly stand it.  I got excited just watching her level of excitement!!  There were a few spots on the trail that she had heard about that had her (as well as myself) concerned, so there was definitely a little bit of anxiety but for the most part, pure excitement.

The weather was beautiful and the temperature was cool, perfect for hiking.  Off we went!  I had never been to Moab before, never seen Arches National Park so I was beside myself with the beauty I was surrounded by.  I think I spent more time taking pictures than talking, and (for those of you that don’t know me personally) that’s saying something!!  Lol.

I am PROUD to report that SHE DID IT!!!  To be there with her as she saw the arch for the first time in person was truly an honor.  To watch her as the tears of joy slid down her cheeks, as the realization of what she had just done really sank in was nothing short of AMAZING!  As she motioned for me to join her for a picture under the arch, I couldn’t help but think how far beyond grateful I am that she invited me along for the  journey.  What a complete honor.  I got a tear in my eye myself thinking how truly lucky I am to be able to witness the amazing progress she has made, and will continue to make.

To all of you I say, be like Cindy; DARE TO DREAM!

If you grew up around the same time frame as I did (nice try, I’m not telling you how old I am), you already know who the two figures above are…or at least, you should!  I remember sitting down to watch He Man and She Ra (The Princess of Power) every day with my younger brother.  It seemed that just when the situation would seem dire and impossible, somehow He Man, She Ra or a combination of the two, would save the day.  When my cousins would come over to play, there was never any question as to which game we were going to play, just the question of who was who this time around.  We turned sticks into swords, and before ya knew it, by the power of Grayskull, we had the power!  In our minds, we WERE INDEED transformed into our cartoon heroes.  And we would play like that for hours.

I look back on those times now and it brings a smile to my face.  Those times are without a doubt fond memories that I will cherish for years to come.  However, even more than that, I look back on those times and wonder if I realized the message that our games embedded in our minds.  I strongly doubt that, as a 7 year old girl, I fully comprehended the ideals and mentalities I was sending myself.  When the situation is dire, when all hope seems lost, simply hold your stick (which I swear to you always looked like She Ra’s sword in my mind’s eye) and call on the power of Grayskull.  Lol.  Okay, okay, maybe not Grayskull now that I’m all grown up.  Maybe you believe in God, maybe you believe in a higher power of another kind.  Maybe you only believe in being the best you possible.  Regardless of what you believe in, we all call on the power of…something deep inside us when we feel we are at the road’s end.  By doing so, we are able to “save the day” so to speak, to come through unbelievable and excruciatingly hard circumstances holding our head’s high and having a deep sense of accomplishment.

Life throws obstacles at us all the time.  Sometimes it’s a plateau, sometimes it’s an issue with a loved one, it could be a work related stress or even something as simple as needing a change in the weather.  Everything we experience has an impact on our daily life, which in turn has an impact on our fitness goals (and whether or not we reach them).  The one thing we all get to choose, no matter what, is how we react.  Choose wisely, taking a detour around the obstacles thrown in our path always takes more time than dealing with it head on.

Seriously though, think about it.  When life deals you situations that feel as if all hope is lost, call on the power of…well, you fill in the blank here, and then go make it happen.

You may or may not know that there is a new Angry Birds game.  I downloaded the free version to my Android for those moments when keeping a child happy and quiet simultaneously are essential to one’s sanity…if you’re a parent, you know exactly what I mean by that.  ;)

My middle son was playing a game as a reward for having completed an extra chore I had asked him to do.  I heard the usual, “Yessssssssss!”, “One more pig to gooo……yeah!  I got him!”, “Hahahaha, die stupid pig!” and “”Take that!” that I am accustomed to hearing when he plays.  What caught my attention was the new phrase he used this game.

After playing a particular level multiple times I could tell he was getting frustrated with it’s level of difficulty.  He somehow stumbled upon the fact that the birds can be flung in more than one direction in this version.  Discovering this fact, of course, led to all of the pigs’ destruction and of course…dun, dun, dun…the next level (feel free to insert oooo’s and ahhhh’s here, lol).  Upon seeing for certain that he had indeed cleared the level, he said (rather proudly, mind you) “Well Mom, that just goes to show you, there’s more than one way to smash a pig!”  I laughed right out loud!  I gave him a high five and told him I was proud of him.

It got me to thinking about the saying I used to hear my Dad (among others) say when I was younger, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”  While this is as true as Tyler’s statement about smashing pigs, I couldn’t help but think of the “twist” that each generation puts on things from the generation (or two or three) before them.  Honestly, I don’t know if my kids have ever heard the saying about skinning cats or not.  They certainly haven’t heard it from me!  (I try very hard not to use most of the annoying sayings my parents used on me…though I am sure that the ones I do use my children find equally as annoying…lol).

Somehow, that thought led me to thinking about how today’s generations find different (and usually much easier) ways of doing the same things the generation before them had to.  Like the other day, My son and I (it happened to be the same son, actually) were walking out of a store.  He opted to go through the automatic door while I went through the one I “had to” push open myself.  He looked at me like I was crazy as he said, “Mom, why did you do that??  I always go through the door that always opens for you because that way you don’t have to do anything, it’s way easier.”  My eyes about popped out of my head as I said to him, “Whoa buddy…THAT was the WRONG thing to say to your Mother who also happens to be a personal trainer.  You get your cute little fanny back in that store and you go through the door you have to open for your self…and while you’re at it, do it ten times.  That kind of thinking is exactly what got our country in the morbidly obese state that we have found it to be in.  Why would you not want to use the perfectly healthy body that the good Lord gave you to do things for yourself?  Oh no sir, I’ll have none of that on my watch!”

How many times a day do you fall victim to something as lazy as not walking through the door you have to push open for yourself?  This week, I am issuing each and every one of you a challenge.  Walk through the door you push (or pull) open, walk up the stairs rather than waiting on the elevator or standing mindlessly on the escalator, don’t use the microwave to warm up your food (use the stove top and a pan..Oooo, archaic idea huh?), if you sit down to watch TV don’t use the remote…get up off the couch and change the channel yourself (it never killed me) or hey, park at the back of the parking lot and walk a few extra steps into the store, library or work.  Take the initiative to do just a little extra this week, burn some extra calories, take some extra steps and use your perfectly healthy body to do things for yourself!

Plyometrics…Ahhhhh, I can feel the burn just thinking about it!  Personally, I love plyos and incorporate them into my own workouts.   Plyometrics are defined as a type of exercise training designed to produce fast, powerful movements, and improve the functions of the nervous system, generally for the purpose of improving performance in sports. Plyometric exercises may also be referred to as explosive exercises. Plyometric movements, in which a muscle is loaded and then contracted in rapid sequence, use the strength, elasticity and innervation of muscle and surrounding tissues to jump higher, run faster, throw farther, or hit harder, depending on the desired training goal. Plyometrics are used to increase the speed or force of muscular contractions, providing explosiveness for a variety of sport-specific activities. Plyometrics have been shown to be beneficial to a variety of athletes with benefits ranging from injury prevention, power development to increased sprint performance.  (Also known as “plyos”).

While it is true that plyos are awesome for various athletes to improve their performance, they are also good for the majority of us to improve our functional strength, power and flexibility as well.  Now, that being said, plyos are not for everyone…not by a long shot.  Anyone with any kind of joint injury or issues should avoid plyos without first consulting their physician.  Likewise, anyone who has not included weight lifting ( a.k.a. resistance training or strength training) for at least 6 months in their workout routines should also avoid plyos, as the tendons and muscle attachments are not strong enough yet.

However, the rest of you (and yes, you should be picturing me with an evil smile on my face, rubbing my hands together while saying “I’ll get you my pretty!”) are good to go and should at least consider the benefits you could be reaping from plyos!

 Better Performance Overall

• Increased Vertical Jump Performance
• Increased Muscle Endurance
• Increased Muscle Power
• Increased Metabolic Rate
• Increased Leg Strength
• Increased Acceleration
• Improved Balance
• Overall Agility
• Bone Density (especially in younger participants)

One of my clients and I were having a conversation last week.  The topic, though fitness related throughout, jumped from one area to another for the entire hour session.  I love sessions like these where I get someone who genuinely wants to know about all the crazy cool things our body will do for us if given the proper stimuli and nutrition.  Amazing.  Love it.

Anyway, she had one question that was rather in depth.  I explained to her what was happening physiologically on the molecular level and then gave her an analogy to help her understand it better.  She seemed to understand what I had explained and overall, satisfied with the answer.  She asked me a few more questions, which I happily answered, and then hit me with the original question again.

I sat there trying to quickly think of another way to explain the answer to her since I had obviously not been as effective as I thought I had with my first answer.  You know how when you’re in a situation like this it feels like the entire world is sitting there waiting, while drumming their fingers, for your answer when in all reality, barely a few seconds have gone by?  Yeah…that’s what it felt like that day.  My mind was racing trying to figure out how to tell her what I had already told her without making her feel stupid for asking again (because in all reality, only stupid DON’T ask questions when they don’t understand something).  In a split second, the words fell out of my mouth, “Well, to put it simply, you’ve GOT to have your head in the game rather than the sand.”

Or, in other words, you have to pay attention to what it is you’re doing rather than going blindly about your business.  It is so simple that most anyone who reads this will roll their eyes at the computer screen and either think to themselves or say out loud, “Well duh Laura.  Of course you do!”  HOWEVER…how many of you have been driving down the road, realized where you are and thought to yourself  ’I don’t remember driving this direction’?  How many of you have walked through the aisles in a grocery store and walked right past what you were there for in the first place, had to turn around and go back down that aisle to put it in your cart?  Aha!  That’s what I thought…so don’t you roll your eyes at me!  Lol.  :)

The weight room is no different.  In order to get the most benefit out of the time you spend in it, you must stay focused on why you are there, what you are there to work on and how you work on it.

A prime example of this is the Ab Crunch machine.  Most people who “use” this machine do not have correct form and as a result, get a great tricep workout. Confused by what I’m saying?  Let me explain.   Most people sit down on the seat (which is of course haphazardly positioned where the last person who used it happened to leave it rather than making sure it is adjusted properly for them specifically), put their arms on top of the padded armrest and press it down to their lap using their arms, like I said; a great tricep workout, but not so effective at isolating the abs (okay, to be honest with you, now I’m rolling my eyes…ugh).

The proper way to use this machine is to sit on the seat (which should be low enough that the padded armrest is at the same height as your chin), place both arms atop the armrest and use your abdominals to bring the armrest down to your lap, imitating the same movement as a crunch, and then controlling the weight by slowly bringing the armrest up to about an inch or two below starting position.  Doesn’t seem so hard, right?  WRONG.  Try doing it using the same amount of weight you usually use but also using correct form.  Most people have to drop the weight to do it right.

Just like using the Ab Crunch machine correctly requires having your head in the game rather than the sand, hitting your fitness goals does too.  In order to create change in your body, you must stay focused.  It comes back to the three things I mentioned before.

Why are you there?

Well, why are you?  Why do you go to the gym?  Is it to get or stay healthy?  Is it to tone?  Lose weight?  Gain strength?  WHY are you there? Keeping your goals forefront in your mind, focusing on them and knowing why you are there for each and every workout is critical to your success and ultimately leads you to the next question…how convenient!  :)

What are you there to work on?

When you walk through the gym doors, do you know what muscle groups you are there to work on?  Do you have a plan?  Do you have a workout routine outlined in any way, shape or form?  If not, what are you doing there?  Whether you are doing cardio or weights, you should walk into the gym knowing exactly why you there (which goals you’re trying to reach) and what you are doing today to make progress towards those goals.

How are you working on it?

Whether your goal is weight loss, toning or gaining strength you must work out a specific way in order to achieve the results you desire.  If you wanted to go the the mall, why would you drive in the opposite direction?  Same thing applies here.  If you’re unsure of how to workout to meet your goals, do some research online, check out a book at the library or talk with a trainer at your local gym to find out what you need to be doing and how you should be doing it, which means are you using proper form?  If not, you are either wasting your time by not getting the maximum benefit out of the exercise or you are going to get hurt.  Either way you go on that, there are no good outcomes.  Form matters.  Immensely.

Have you asked yourself these three questions?  If not, what are you waiting for?  Time will continue to pass whether or not we reach out and embrace the change we desire to see in the future.  A year from now you could be more healthy, more energetic and more fit…or you could just be another year older.  You get to choose.

Where is your focus?  Is it in the game or is it in the sand?

Among the most common injuries that athletes and non athletes alike suffer from is either a tear or impingement of the rotator cuff, including yours truly.  The rotator cuff is a group of muscles that work together to provide the shoulder joint with dynamic stability during rotation (that’s why they are called the rotator cuff).  The four muscles that make up the rotator cuff are:

• Supraspinatus
• Infraspinatus
• Teres Minor
• Subscapularis

also referred to as the SITS muscles.  The most commonly injured rotator muscles are the Supraspinatus and the Infraspinatus.  Because of the function of these muscles, sports that involve a lot of shoulder rotation, such as swimming, kayaking, or pitching in baseball, often put the rotator cuff under a lot of stress and strain, making it more susceptible to injury.

When an injury does occur in the rotator cuff, it can be classified into one of two categories – Tears of the tendons/muscles or inflammation of the tendons (tendonitis).  There are two types of tears, acute and chronic.  I’ve listed symptoms of each below:

Acute Tear

This kind of tear tends to happen as a result of a sudden, powerful movement.  It might include falling, catching yourself with a flat outstretched hand, making a sudden thrust with the paddle in kayaking, or following a powerful pitch.

The symptoms will usually include:

• Sudden, tearing feeling in the shoulder, followed by severe pain through the arm.
• Limited movement of the shoulder due to pain or muscle spasm.
• Severe pain for a few days (due to bleeding and muscle spasm) which usually resolves quickly.
• Specific tenderness over the point of the rupture or tear.
• If there is a severe tear, you will not be able to raise your arm 0ut to the side without assistance.

Chronic Tear

A chronic tear develops over a period of time.  They usually occur at or near the tendon, as a result of the tendon rubbing against the overlying bone and is commonly associated with impingement syndrome.

• Usually found on the dominant side.
• More often an affliction of the 40 age group.
• Pain is worse at night, and can affect sleeping.
• Gradual worsening of pain, eventually some weakness.
• Eventually unable to abduct arm (lift out to the side) without assistance or do any activities with the arm above the head.
• Some limitations of other movements depending on the tendon that is affected.

If you currently have, or have ever dealt with, a rotator cuff injury you know how painful they can be.  The question I most often hear in association with any injury of the rotator cuff is

How long will it take to heal?

Good question, and one I’ve asked myself on more than one occasion.  However, the answer isn’t as straight forward as those of us affected would like it to be.  There are several factors that come into play where healing is concerned.  Obviously, the extent of the injury is a huge factor to consider as well as age.  Unfortunately, as we age, it takes longer to heal due to changes in our physiology.  The good news here is that it is possible to rehab a rotator cuff injury.  The success rate range isn’t as high as I wish it were, 40-90%.  In severe cases, where a chronic tear is the source of the problem, surgery might be necessary.  In that case, 94% of people who undergo the surgery are happy with the outcome, claiming that it gave them lasting pain relief and improved function.

Obviously the best thing to do is prevent an injury from occurring in the first place.  So, what should you do to accomplish that?  It really comes down to common sense.  If you have a job that is rather physical and demands a lot of use out of your shoulders, take frequent breaks, or rest periods, to avoid over use and strain.  Make sure to stretch your rotator cuffs to achieve, and maintain, a good range of motion (ROM).  As always, drink lots of water (a gallon per day) to ensure that your muscles are all properly hydrated.  Performing exercises to provide strength and stability to the joint as a whole, and the rotator cuff specifically is another way of avoiding an injury.

Gyms across the country are full to the brim each January 1st with New Year resolution-ers who have, once again, decided that this is the year that they are going to lose the weight.  However, even more startling than the number of said resolution-ers who have already quit coming to the gym by January 8th, is the percentage of people who are successful in losing some weight just to turn around and gain it back again.  A whopping 95% of “successful dieters” end up gaining back the amount of weight they lost, and most of them actually put on a few extra pounds while they are at it.

Today I want to focus on the 5% of people who lose the weight, and more importantly, keep it off.  What is it that allows them to keep the weight off when others cannot?  What are their secrets?  I’ll tell you!

• Eating a low fat diet.  I use the term “diet” rather loosely here, it simply refers to the food eaten on a daily basis, not an outlined, restrictive diet plan that makes you feel deprived.  Once you’ve lost the weight it can be rather tempting to allow yourself to indulge here and there, which can quickly lead to more often than not.  In that case, the pounds will creep back on, I assure you.
• Regularly engaging in high levels of activity.  Just like you have to watch your diet, you have to remain active in order to keep the pounds away.  At a minimum, you should be taking 10,000 steps per day.  Do you get that many in?  If you’re not sure, purchase a pedometer the next time you’re at the store and find out.  If you find that you fall into the category most Americans typically do and you’re only taking about 5,000 steps per day, challenge yourself to increase it gradually each day.
• Self monitoring, whether through daily weigh ins, keeping a food journal or an activity log is critical.  You have to be aware of the smallest changes.  It is a lot easier to work off a pound or two than it is to work off ten.  The rewards of remaining vigilant and aware most definitely outweigh the instant gratification of indulging in something, that ultimately, wasn’t worth the calories anyway.  :)

While losing weight is no easy task, studies show that maintaining your weight loss proves even more difficult.  While that can sound daunting and depressing to say the least, there is always a silver lining.  In this case it is this; it gets easier.  As you go through the process of losing weight, changing your nutrition, exercising and working out, there are changes that your body goes through other than the physical transformation you see on the outside.  Your pallet changes and foods taste differently, which helps in two ways.  First, veggies aren’t as bad tasting as you remembered from when you were a kid and secondly, you find that the foods that once were such a temptation don’t taste like you remembered them tasting.  All of a sudden, you taste the fat and nastiness that is really there, and it enough to make you sick…every single time.

Another change that can help maintain weight loss is the physiological adaptations to cardio and strength training that we go through.  Cardiovascular and strength training adaptations include increased stoke volume (the amount of blood pumped out of the left ventricle with each beat), increased VO2 Max (the greatest amount of oxygen that can be utilized on a cellular level for the entire body), increased cardiac output (the amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute), increased muscle strength as well as endurance and power are all increased as is our Type I and Type II (slow twitch and fast twitch) muscle fibers.  In addition to that, on a personal level I can tell you that I have long been at the point where I truly enjoy working out, especially weight lifting.  Now it’s true, it wasn’t always that way and not everyone gets to the point I have.  Some folks prefer cardio to weight lifting, some prefer it visa versa while others always dislike all of it.  The important thing is to keep doing it no matter what.  :)

I would love for the statistics to improve, for there to be a much higher percentage of people who not only lode the weight initially but keep it off long term as well.  I can only speak for myself, but I can’t even begin to tell you how much happier, and healthier, I am now than I was five years ago when I had just begun my own journey.  It is *so* worth every single second of discomfort that you’ll go through.  It is *so* worth every single dessert you’ll turn down.  It is *so* worth it my friends, join me and find out for yourself!  :)

You may have read the name of this article and thought to yourself, “What in the world?  Last week she went on and on about not giving up and getting past the speed bumps…now she’s saying there are benefits to quitting?”  Yep, I sure am!  While it is true that I do not want any of you to give up on your fitness goals, there are some cases where quitting is actually better for you!  The one I’d like to address today is smoking.

Now, before I continue, I’d like to make it perfectly clear that the intent of this article is not to anger or rile up those who have chosen to smoke, rather it is to voice my opinion on the matter as well as provide information that may be of benefit to someone who is trying to quit.  So, with that being said…let’s do this thang.  Lol.

Whether you are a smoker or a non smoker, it is a health issue that we all face.   We all know someone who has smoked in the past, who currently smokes or someone who will begin smoking in the future, so to say it is an issue that only need be brought to the attention of a few, is misguided thinking.   We’ve all been taught that smoking is bad for our bodies, we’ve seen the pictures of blackened lungs, we’ve watched the commercials, we’ve read the warnings and we may have even had someone near and dear to our hearts pass away from the side effects of smoking.

Those of us who do not smoke become irritated that you cannot even walk into a grocery store or movie theater without breathing in at least one breath of smoke filled air.  We know the side effects of second hand smoke are just as dangerous , if not more so, as breathing in first hand smoke.  To have made the choice not to smoke and then have to breathe it in, and have our children breathe it in as well, is infuriating to say the least.

Yet those who have chosen to smoke are allowed the same freedom to choose as we non smokers are.  I know several smokers, some of them I know better than others, yet it seems that one common thread is the irritation of having to stand back away from public doorways the allotted 50 feet, especially in winter time when it is cold out.  One of my friends who is currently a smoker made the comment that one of the things he noticed after his last failed attempt at quitting was the smell that accompanies anyone who has just had a smoke.  I agree, it is obnoxious, and for me at least, brings on a crazy nasty headache that does not subside easily or quickly.  Ugh.

So, why quit?  Well at the top of my list are two things.  The first is that you’ll smell better (this statement applies in two different ways.  First, your sense of smell will improve and you’ll be able to smell things better and secondly, you won’t smell like cigarette smoke everywhere you go.  Bonus!).  The second reason is that whomever your significant other is will enjoy kissing you a whole lot more (and that’s a reward that you have to admit in and of itself is worth quitting for…lol).

Seriously though, you already know at least a handful of reasons, or least of all, one; you’ll be healthier.  As I’ve made mention before, our bodies are amazing.  They will do astounding things if we just play by their rules.  Below is a timeline of healing that the body goes through correlates with the length of time from the last puff.  Pretty amazing if ya ask me!  Check it out!

Within …

• 20 minutes

Your blood pressure, pulse rate, and the temperature of your hands and feet will all return to normal.

• 8 hours

Remaining nicotine in your bloodstream will have fallen to 6.25% of normal peak daily levels, a 93.25% reduction.

• 12 hours

Your blood oxygen level will have increased to normal and carbon monoxide levels will have dropped to normal.

• 24 hours

Anxieties peak in intensity and within two weeks should return to near pre-cessation levels.

• 48 hours

Damaged nerve endings have started to regrow and your sense of smell and taste are beginning to return to normal. Cessation anger and irritability peaks.

• 72 hours

Your entire body will test 100% nicotine-free and over 90% of all nicotine metabolites (the chemicals it breaks down into) will now have passed from your body via your urine. Symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked in intensity, including restlessness. The number of cue induced crave episodes experienced during any quitting day will peak for the “average” ex-user. Lung bronchial tubes leading to air sacs (alveoli) are beginning to relax in recovering smokers. Breathing is becoming easier and the lungs functional abilities are starting to increase.

• 5 – 8 days

The “average” ex-smoker will encounter an “average” of three cue induced crave episodes per day. Although we may not be “average” and although serious cessation time distortion can make minutes feel like hours, it is unlikely that any single episode will last longer than 3 minutes. Keep a clock handy and time them.

• 10 days – The “average ex-user is down to encountering less than two crave episodes per day, each less than 3 minutes.

10 days to 2 weeks
Recovery has likely progressed to the point where your addiction is no longer doing the talking. Blood circulation in our gums and teeth are now similar to that of a non-user.

• 2 to 4 weeks

Cessation related anger, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, impatience, insomnia, restlessness and depression have ended. If still experiencing any of these symptoms get seen and evaluated by your physician.

• 21 days

Brain acetylcholine receptor counts up-regulated in response to nicotine’s presence have now down-regulated and receptor binding has returned to levels seen in the brains of non-smokers.

• 2 weeks to 3 months

Your heart attack risk has started to drop. Your lung function is beginning to improve.

• 3 weeks to 3 months

Your circulation has substantially improved. Walking has become easier. Your chronic cough, if any, has likely disappeared.

• 1 to 9 months

Any smoking related sinus congestion, fatigue or shortness of breath have decreased. Cilia have regrown in your lungs thereby increasing their ability to handle mucus, keep your lungs clean, and reduce infections. Your body’s overall energy has increased.

• 1 year

Your excess risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke has dropped to less than half that of a smoker.

• 5 to 15 years

Your risk of stroke has declined to that of a non-smoker.

• 10 years

Your risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer is between 30% and 50% of that for a continuing smoker. Risk of death from lung cancer has declined by almost half if you were an average smoker (one pack per day). Your risk of pancreatic cancer has declined to that of a never-smoker, while risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus has also declined.

• 13 years

Your risk of smoking induced tooth loss has declined to that of a never-smoker.

• 15 years

Your risk of coronary heart disease is now that of a person who has never smoked.

• 20 years

Female excess risk of death from all smoking related causes, including lung disease and cancer, has now reduced to that of a never-smoker. Risk of pancreatic cancer reduced to that of a never-smoker.

*Information from whyquit.com (to see original table complete with links to the studies quoted, click here).

If you, or a loved one, is a smoker looking to quit, click here to read an article on the harms of smoking as well as find a list of smoking cessation programs and hot lines, or here for FAQ’s and quitting support from the American Cancer Society.

Everyone who has ever set out to reach a goal, be it fitness related or not, has experienced (at the very least) a setback or two.  How we choose to handle these setbacks defines us and ultimately, decides whether or not we actually meet our goals.

Setbacks, be they an unexpected injury/health concern, financial issue, emotional issue, plateau or otherwise, are frustrating to say the very least.  Especially when they come after we have experienced some success and progression towards our goal.  To then hit the proverbial wall, especially when we have no idea how long we will remain at said wall, can feel not only frustrating but overwhelming and unbearable.

Our personality, attitude and outlook on life has a HUGE influence on how we handle these kinds of situations.  Do we stand tall, chin up, smile in place and face it head on or do we cower in a corner afraid of the unknowns?  Do we seek answers to our questions and try to find solutions to the issues we face or do we stay in bed and throw a pity party for one?  This is where each of our innate personalities come into play.  We all have the choice, we all get to decide how we handle each trial, issue and setback placed in our path.

As you may recall from an earlier post, I talked about the difference between the soft path and the hard path.  I’ve placed an excerpt from my November 1, 2010 post to review below…

Recently, I had the opportunity to take some training sessions with a man who talked briefly about the paths of life.  He said there are only two paths in life, the hard path and the soft path.  Most people take the soft path because it is comfortable.  If you choose to walk the soft path, you can expect a pretty uneventful experience.  You will not come across anything that will make you feel too challenged.  Nothing that will feel too difficult or hard.  Nothing that would require you to get too dirty and nothing that would make you feel too uncomfortable.  However, when you get to the end of the soft path, you’re not much stronger, wiser, braver or more self confident either.

On the other hand, there is the hard path.  There is a reason that the hard path is named what it is!  There’s no sugar coating, no creamy nougat center and there is no candy coating shell.  It’s hard.  It’s steep.  It’s difficult.  It’s rocky, bumpy and muddy all at the same time.  And as if that’s not enough, there are huge obstacles placed in your way that you must get around.  Giving up is not an option on the hard path.  It is a path that requires motivation, dedication, hard work, sweat, sacrifice and perseverance to follow, but if you follow where this path leads you, the rewards are amazing!  At the end of the hard path lies a you that is self confident, strong, healthy, wise and happy, and that is just the beginning.

As we walk through life, we must choose one path or the other, that much is inevitable.  What kind of you do you want to see in the mirror each day?  The you that will be the end result of the soft path, or the you that will be carved and chiseled out by hard path?  I urge each of you to pick your path wisely, there is a lot at stake.  Time will march on regardless of which path you choose to walk and the decisions you make from that point on.   Whether or not I had begun my journey back in 2006, I would still be here in 2010, albeit a different person altogether.  I can tell you from my heart and my own experiences, that what you do today matters more than you could ever dream of in terms of the life you’ll live in each and every one of your tomorrows.  The person that I am today, is a direct result of choices I made then.  Apply your strengths to overcoming your weaknesses and you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish!

…keeping this in mind, are you going to allow a setback, no matter it’s size, intensity or length it must be endured to stop you from being the you that you’re meant to be?

Most of us will go out of our way to help someone else in any way, shape or form.  If someone else’s betterment is at risk, we are much less likely to give up and quit for fear of letting them down.  But for some reason we have no problem what so ever letting ourselves down…why is that?  Why would we allow a temporary situation to become permanent, especially when it is an undesirable situation that we set out to change in the first place?  When put that way, it doesn’t make much sense, does it?

A close friend of mine posted on facebook the other day that she was having a hard time getting to the gym that day for her workout.  As her friend, and her trainer, I know what her fitness goals are; she wants to compete as a fitness model (up on stage in a bikini mind you).  I offered her some friendly advice/motivation.  I’d like to share it with all of you as well:

“We all need motivation every now and then. Life has a way of getting to us sometimes, that’s normal. The important thing is that, when you notice this happening, you stand up (literally if necessary) and take the bull by the horns (totally figuratively on this one…lol). You know what your goals are, but only you can decide how important REACHING those goals is to YOU. When you’re having an off moment where you’re having a hard time getting to the gym…just think of your goals…BUT…think of them in a different light. Don’t think of them as if you still have to achieve them, think of how you’re going to feel when you’re standing on stage…crowd cheering…what thoughts are you going to have at THAT moment? I can tell you right now, at that moment, if I asked you the question, “Was all that gym time worth it?”, your answer would be “HELL YES!!”, wouldn’t it?!! You know I’m right.  Somewhere in our not so distant futures, we all have an improved version of ourselves standing there…just waiting on the current version of ourselves to get busy and uncover them. So get your ass to the gym girl…don’t keep her waiting!”

So, on your journey to improve your life and reach your goals, will you allow the speed bumps along the way to keep you from your finish line?

Have you heard the terms “zen state” or “zen time”?  It is often used in conjunction with yoga, which is what most people associate it with.  However, it is not a form of physical exercise.  The word ‘zen’ originates from a school of Chinese religion dating back to the 12th century but has been further expanded by the Japanese in more recent times.  Zen focuses on self enlightenment through meditation, but in our western world, it has become a word meaning a state of relaxation, inner peace and reflection in addition to meditation.  It is usually used in reference to time away from the rat race lifestyle we all lead, a much needed break from work, co-workers, kids and the pressures of everyday life to.  Zen is a place, which can be physical or virtual, that allows you to be totally calm and become re-energized.

I’ve stood on my soap box before when it comes to this topic, so it shouldn’t be any surprise to those of you who visit often when I say that fitness isn’t always about the strength, conditioning and wellness of the body itself.  Fitness is about the total wellness of our body in addition to our mind and soul.  If the mind and soul are out of balance, the body will soon follow (usually manifested as some form of illness, injury or even a lack of energy/motivation/dedication, etc.).  Through the last year and a half, as I have dealt with some substantially intense personal situations, I have experienced this more than once…just take my word for it.

Finding time for zen is *so* important!!  I know what you’re thinking, your days are already hopelessly full of appointments and meetings, not to mention the to-do list that you haven’t even had a chance to get to by the day’s end.  You’re probably already dismissing the idea of fitting one more thing into your already busy schedule by asking the age old question, “How am I supposed to find time for this too?”.  But before you dismiss it, allow me to give you a reason (or several) to fit it in.  The reality, my friends, is this:

If you don’t fit it in you will find yourself, as my mother used to say, at the end of your rope…your very frazzled and fraying rope.  You’ll be moody, depressed, irritable with your family, co-workers and friends, lacking energy and motivation and in a general state of unhappiness.  The bottom line is that we all need time to ourselves, for ourselves, to recharge our batteries, ground and center ourselves, find that inner peace and re-energize.

As I said before, zen is a place.  Where is your zen place?  All you have to do to find it is think of your happy place!  Don’t know what your happy place looks like?  Well, take a moment to go into a room where you can be by yourself and close the door.  Have a seat, close your eyes and let your mind go.  For most people, zen is found in some form of nature.  As you sit there with your eyes closed, take note of the images your mind creates.  Is there a waterfall nearby?  Or are you in a garden spot?  At the beach?  On a mountain trail?  Is there soft rain falling or bright sunshine streaming down?

I find my zen in the sound of water.  It could be a rippling lake, the babbling of a brook, a river talking as it runs by or the sound of lapping ocean waves on a white sand beach (in which case there would be cute cabana boy too – hey, a girl is allowed to dream!).  Regardless of what your zen place looks like or where it is located, find your spot.  Then, when life begins to get stressful, hectic, chaotic, fast paced and over the top, make the time to go there.  You will be amazed at how it positively impacts your overall well being.  Once you return from your zen place, life’s routines become easier and you are, once again, capable of accomplishing great things – all with a smile on your face.  Bonus!  :)