Exercising with arthritis: Improve your joint pain and stiffness

As you consider starting an arthritis exercise program, understand what's within your limits and what level of exercise is likely to give you results.

Exercise is crucial for people with arthritis. It increases strength and flexibility, reduces joint pain, and helps combat fatigue. Of course, when stiff and painful joints are already bogging you down, the thought of walking around the block or swimming a few laps might make you cringe.

You don't need to run a marathon or swim like an Olympic competitor to help reduce the symptoms of your arthritis. Even moderate exercise can ease your pain and help you maintain a healthy weight. When arthritis threatens to immobilize you, exercise keeps you moving. Not convinced? Read on.

Why exercise is vital
Exercise can help you improve your health and fitness without hurting your joints. Along with your current treatment program, exercise can:

• Strengthen the muscles around your joints
• Help you maintain bone strength
• Give you more strength and energy to get through the day
• Make it easier to get a good night's sleep
• Help you control your weight
• Make you feel better about yourself and improve your sense of well-being

Though you might think exercise will aggravate your joint pain and stiffness, that's not the case. Lack of exercise actually can make your joints even more painful and stiff. That's because keeping your muscles and surrounding tissue strong is crucial to maintaining support for your bones. Not exercising weakens those supporting muscles, making your bones more prone to breaking.

Check with your doctor first
Talk to your doctor about how exercise can fit into your treatment plan. What types of exercises are best for you depends on your type of arthritis and which joints are involved. Your doctor or a physical therapist can work with you to find the best exercise plan to give you the most benefit with the least aggravation of your joint pain.

Exercises for arthritis
Your doctor or physical therapist can recommend exercises that are best for you, which might include:

Range-of-motion exercises
These exercises relieve stiffness and increase your ability to move your joints through their full range of motion. Range-of-motion exercises involve moving your joints through their normal range of movement, such as raising your arms over your head or rolling your shoulders forward and backward. These exercises can be done daily or at least every other day.

Strengthening exercises
These exercises help you build strong muscles that help support and protect your joints. Weight training is an example of a strengthening exercise that can help you maintain your current muscle strength or increase it. Do your strengthening exercises every other day — but take an extra day off if your joints are painful or if you notice any swelling.

Aerobic exercise
Aerobic or endurance exercises help with your overall fitness. They can improve your cardiovascular health, help you control your weight and give you more stamina. That way you'll have more energy to get through your day. Examples of low-impact aerobic exercises that are easier on your joints include walking, biking and swimming. Try to work your way up to 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week. You can split up that time into 10-minute blocks if that's easier on your joints.

Other activities
Any movement, no matter how small, can help. If a particular workout or activity appeals to you, don't hesitate to ask your doctor whether it's right for you. Your doctor might give you the OK to try gentle forms of yoga and tai chi. Tai chi may improve balance and help prevent falls. Be sure to tell your instructor about your condition and avoid positions or movements that can cause pain.

Tips to protect your joints
Start slowly to ease your joints into exercise if you haven't been active for a while. If you push yourself too hard, you can overwork your muscles. This aggravates your joint pain.

Consider these tips as you get started:

-Apply heat to the joints you'll be working before you exercise. Heat can relax your joints and muscles and relieve any pain you have before you begin. Heat treatments — warm towels, hot packs or a shower — should be warm, not painfully hot, and should be applied for about 20 minutes.

-Move your joints gently at first to warm up. You might begin with range-of-motion exercises for five to 10 minutes before you move on to strengthening or aerobic exercises.

-Exercise with slow and easy movements. If you start noticing pain, take a break. Sharp pain and pain that is stronger than your usual joint pain might indicate something is wrong. Slow down if you notice inflammation or redness in your joints.

-Ice your joints after exercising. This can reduce swelling and pain. Use a cold pack on your joints for 10 to 15 minutes. Trust your instincts and don't exert more energy than you think your joints can handle. Take it easy and slowly increase both the amount of time and intensity of your workout.

Don't overdo it
You might notice some pain after you exercise if you haven't been active for a while. In general, if your pain lasts longer than an hour after you exercise, you were probably exercising too strenuously. Talk to your doctor about what pain is normal and what pain is a sign of something more serious.

Tell your doctor if your exercise causes:

• Persistent fatigue or increased weakness
• Reduced range of motion in your joints
• Joint swelling
• Continuing pain

If you have rheumatoid arthritis, whether you should exercise during general or local flares is up to you and your doctor. Consider working through your joint flares by doing only range-of-motion exercises, just to keep your body moving.

Exercise programs for people with arthritis
Check with your doctor about exercise programs in your area for people with arthritis. Hospitals and clinics sometimes offer special programs, as do local health clubs.

Make Over Your Motivation

Having a motivation meltdown? Follow our plan to keep cruising toward your diet and fitness goals.

Week 1: Take Baby Steps

Ever start a diet or workout routine with the enthusiasm of a late-night infomercial host only to have your motivation disappear in no time flat like a canceled sitcom? You're not alone. Research shows that a quarter of weight-loss plans fall by the wayside within two weeks. On the other hand, stick it out for a month and your odds of success skyrocket. "Doing something for 30 days ingrains and strengthens the brain's neural pathways, so you're likely to keep that behavior going on autopilot," says Lawrence Perlmuter, PhD, a professor of psychology at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago. Use our four-week bail-proof guide to survive the first crucial month of a healthy-lifestyle makeover without losing your thin-spiration.

Like a Marine drill sergeant with a class of new recruits, you're at your motivational peak. But trying to do too much too soon can sabotage even the best-laid weight-loss plans. "Make small, steady progress toward your ultimate goal during the first week — no drastic changes," recommends psychologist John Norcross, PhD, coauthor ofChanging for Good.

Stick-with-It Strategies for Week 1
Start small.

Aim to make one tweak a day: Add a new fruit to breakfast, skip your before-dinner cocktail, take a walk after lunch, do whatever you can to nudge your weight down. Once you adjust to these new habits, it will be easier to add more ambitious exercise and diet changes as the month goes on, Norcross says.

Don't waste your willpower.

A recent study published in Psychology & Health suggests that people have a finite amount of self-control, and that it can run dry, just like a bank account. To keep from depleting your source of inner strength during this first week, avoid situations that present temptations. Plan to have dinner at home instead of at restaurants; don't walk by the doughnut shop on your way to work. And squeeze in a workout first thing in the morning, before your motivation runs out.

Vary your vocab.

Saying you "should" do something, like exercise, immediately implies that you feel the activity is a burden, says Michael Sachs, PhD, an exercise psychology professor at Temple University in Philadelphia. Instead, replace should with want in your vocabulary. "By telling yourself that you want to work out today, you'll get into the right mind-set to go to the gym," Sachs says.

Do the write thing.

You've heard that jotting down your weight-loss goals makes them more likely to stick. "The very act reinforces them in your mind," Perlmuter says.

Week 2: K.O. Cravings

Congrats! Seven days down and you're still with the program. Next challenge: Squelching the urge to splurge. "Cravings worsen during the second week of a diet," says Elisa Zied, RD, an American Dietetic Association spokesperson and the author of Nutrition at Your Fingertips. It's partly physical — your body isn't used to running on fewer calories — and partly psychological. Suddenly, treats become more desirable simply because they're off-limits.

Stick-with-It Strategies for Week 2
Downsize your sweet tooth.

Adjust your palate by reducing sweets to only 10 percent of your caloric intake. So if you eat 1,600 calories a day, allow yourself a 160-calorie indulgence (about six Hershey's Kisses or a half cup of Dreyer's Grand Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream). "Giving up too much makes you feel deprived," Zied says. "By gradually cutting back on sweets, you'll eventually stop craving them.

Get fitter with Twitter.

Tempted to make a beeline for the candy machine? Tweet an S.O.S., suggests Connie Diekman, RD, director of university nutrition at Washington University in Saint Louis. You might write, "Candy bar craving! Need ideas for healthy alternatives." You'll be bombarded with supportive, encouraging words.

Work it out

Pining for a peanut butter cup? Take a hike. "Exercise eases stress and distracts you from thinking about food," says Heather Chambliss, PhD, a professor at the University of Memphis specializing in health behavior and exercise motivation. In a recent study in the journal Appetite, a 15-minute stroll reduced cravings in chocoholics, perhaps because exercise boosts levels of the feel-good chemical serotonin in the brain. Another study found that working out may release satiety hormones that keep your appetite in check for a full 24 hours.

Picture a new you.

Find an old snapshot of yourself that you love and post it on your fridge as a reminder of your goal for when the munchies hit. Keeping images of a trimmer you top of mind may help you think like a thin person, making it easier to choose healthy foods and toss out negative thoughts that could sabotage your diet, Perlmuter says.

Week 3: Find Support
Make the world your ally.
In Norcross's research on dieters trying to keep New Year's resolutions, those who took their promises public fared best. No need to wait until your next dinner party; spill the beans ASAP by starting a blog. The pressure will keep you on track: "If you cheat on your diet or stop exercising, you let down your readers as well as yourself," Norcross points out.

Find fit friends.

Enlist a pal to be your regular gym buddy so that you have someone to keep you accountable and share your struggles with. If you can't find a willing recruit, no worries; just ask a friend to check in with you every few days to see how your workouts and eating are going, Chambliss suggests. Making friends at the gym can help too. Strike up a conversation with the biker next to you, scan the bulletin board for workout buddies, or sign up for a group fitness class.

Get competitive.
Walk or run with people who are faster than you or position yourself next to speed demons in Spinning class so you'll push yourself to keep up. This also works outside the gym. "In the mall parking lot, try to beat other people to a store's entrance," Chambliss suggests, "or race up the stairs to see if you can arrive before someone who is taking the elevator." Even these mini triumphs will keep your motivation high.

Tech yourself out.

Set the alarm on your cell for when it's time to head to the gym (some phones have a "remind me" feature that will send you a text message). Clock your meals too: Eat breakfast within 45 minutes of getting up, then program the alarm to go off every three hours to remind you to have a small meal or snack, Diekman says. Eating frequently helps steady your blood sugar levels, keeping energy up and appetite down.

Week 4: Solidify Changes
Stick-with-It Strategies for Week 4
Think back.

List all the changes you've made in the previous three weeks and star the ones that have been easiest to maintain. Is bypassing booze something you can keep up forever? What about working out every day? Modify any changes that are proving difficult (hit the gym four times a week, not seven!) and keep only the ones you can live with permanently, Zied suggests.
Create an exercise alter ego.

"Calling yourself a runner, swimmer, or cyclist can make it easier to stick with the activity because it's now part of your identity," Chambliss says. You'll be less likely to blow off exercise sessions, as fitness is no longer simply a means to a weight-loss end; it is the end. Reinforce your new, athletic persona by surrounding yourself with like-minded people. Start a biking group (try meetup.com) or join a running club (go to rrca.org to find one near you).
Plan for real life.

Let's face it, sometimes you're going to pig out on kung pao chicken or skip your date with the stairclimber. Slip-ups are inevitable; it's how you respond that matters. "Feeling strong enough to get back on the wagon right away is empowering," Zied says. Don't beat yourself up over those egg rolls; go through your takeout menus and highlight five healthy options. Set up a plan B for no-gym days, even if it's as simple as running around the block or doing lunges and squats in your living room.

Believe in yourself.

Borrow a page from a kids' book and chant, "I think I can!" when your willpower reserves run low. Sounds cheesy, but it can make the difference between powering to the top of the hill on your a.m. run and wimping out. Newbie exercisers who strongly believed in their ability to succeed were most likely to still be exercising one year later, according to research from Miriam Hospital in Providence. So leave your no-can-do attitude in the dust and hit the road to a better body for life.

HOW TO LIVE TO BE 100

We’ll let you in on a little secret: Being an old geezer is great. Age wins you respect, a license to run your mouth, steep discounts at your neighborhood movies, and plenty of time to pile on the memories.

But you have to earn the decades; unfortunately, whoopie pies, annoying in-laws, and chronic disease stand in your way. Take your cane and knock death back a few years. We’ve compiled the latest mortality research to help you earn your walker.

Get your ass off the couch

Even if it’s for just 20 minutes. A new study from Cambridge University analyzed the activity habits of more than 334,000 participants and found that people who burned just 90–110 calories—roughly the equivalent of a brisk 20-minute walk—every day reduced their risk of early death by as much as 16–30%.

Fall in love with a health nut

Finding a healthy partner could actually save your life. University College London researchers studied 3,722 couples and found that 67% of men became more physically active if their partner was, and 48% quit smoking once their partner had. You know the saying: healthy wife, healthy life (or something like that).

Take some lessons from the world’s 100-year-olds

Travel journalist Dan Buettner has spent more than a decade studying what he’s dubbed “international blue zones”—tiny areas of the world that have outsize populations of centenarians. His book, The Blue Zones Solution, out this month, offers valuable lifestyle tips from the planet’s elders. Some of the best include: Stop eating when your stomach’s 80% full, drink one to two glasses of alcohol a day (but not more), and eat more plants.

If all else fails...cut off your balls

Not really. But, hey, it would work: A 1969 study from the Journal of Gerontology found that castrated men lived more than 13 years longer than their intact brethren—and, in the process, unintentionally created the best “would you rather” question of all time.

How to Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Body

"A mind is a terrible thing to waste" -- such a profound and inspirational statement that speaks to us all.

And, yet, all too often we do just that, waste it, by cluttering it with thoughts of fear, anxiety, worry, resentment, anger, and expectations. The list goes on. This state of mind soon causes us to neglect our bodies; and, in a sad turn of events, we essentially waste both.

For the past nine years, I have been helping people "break up" with their minds and "make up" with their body and soul.

Fitness and nutrition have been my trusted allies on this journey, coupled with an innate ability to make people feel comfortable being who they "truly" are. Aligning these three aspects of life ultimately leads to a deeper connection with ones own intuition, which is the blueprint to our happiness.

A key element in my success with clients is that I understand their struggles firsthand. For years my mind controlled me, with obsessive, self-destructive, dreadful and downright ridiculous thoughts that rained in my head like endless confetti. It felt like I was dealing with a mental bully from which there was no escape.

One event that stands out as a major catalyst in my adopting such a worry-filled mindset is the abrupt death of my mother at the age of 37. I was 9, my brother 18. With no father in the picture, we both moved in with our grandparents. Her death is the hardest thing I've had to deal with in my life thus far. I felt abandoned and betrayed. It drove me inward. I found it hard to open up and trust anyone. "They're just gonna leave anyway" was my rationale.

This carried into my early adult life, manifesting itself as dysfunctional relationships, abuse of alcohol and nicotine, sleeplessness, and eating everything on my body's "please don't feed me that" list. And although regular exercise was always a part of my life, I felt horrible.
Then one day it dawned on me that I was the sole proprietor of my mind and body. I was in control.

Sometimes we have "Aha" moments and other times we have "Duh!" moments. This was the latter. I began to reprogram my mind by honoring and listening to my body. I stopped overeating. I exercised more, cut out alcohol, slept more, read every book and health-related article that I could find, and surrounded myself with like-minded people.

The changes were immediately noticeable. That voice in my head got less and less audible, and I began to look and feel younger and younger. It wasn't easy, but to me, the alternative was a thousand times harder.

Here are some tips that have proven valuable to me in my journey out of my head back into my body. I hope you will find them useful.

FEED YOUR BODY WHAT "IT" WANTS, NOT WHAT YOUR "HEAD" WANTS

Filling our bodies with large amounts of foods that it doesn't want is like filling our car with diesel fuel when it takes premium and continuing to pour gas in it even when the tank is full. Insane right!? I know. I've been there! Try this. Eliminate fast and processed foods from your diet. Drastically cut your sugar and salt intake. And stick to eating organic fruits, veggies, fish, chicken, and lean beef, and lots of water. Cut portions by a third, cook at home more, and be creative with your food. The possibilities are limitless!

FELLOWSHIP WITH NATURE

The shear scale and power of the natural world snaps us out of our over-stimulated minds, forcing us to become more aware of our surroundings and how our body interacts with it. Hikes are great for this reason. Hiking challenges the body and gets you up close and personal with nature. Be sure to pay attention to the plant life, the sounds and smells. If you go with a friend, try not talking to one another for long periods. Allow your mind to take a back seat. Planting a small veggie garden is helpful and falls in line with the first tip. Create a place of natural serenity where you live, even if it's just a corner of a room.

BE MORE AFFECTIONATE

How many times has a warm hug snapped us out of a bad mood? I don't have an exact number either, but I can recall many such occasions! A hug is such a simple, yet highly affective action. Yet many of us can go weeks, even months, without a loving hug or touch, but endure traffic and watch TV on a daily basis. No wonder our minds have taken over! Change this by hugging at least three people a day. Make one of them a stranger. This might sound strange, but if you come from a place of sincerity and love, people are surprisingly responsive. Also, get regular massages. Mental stress hides in our bodies, massage helps in the cleaning process. Couples, you can start by giving each other five minute neck massages daily.

TRY YOGA

I can't stress this enough. Yoga changed my life. I was a skeptic at first. But a chance meeting with a yogi in Washington Square Park in New York changed that. I was stretching after a run. She came over and said, "Do you really wanna be flexible?" I said yes. She took me through an hour long, one on one yoga class. I left her feeling electric! Colors were vibrant, sounds were crystal clear, my spine was loose and nimble. I was hooked! The focus on breathing, the meditation, and the confronting physicality of it opens the door to a deeper, richer relationship with your mind, body and spirit. And it keeps you long and lean as a bonus.

GET UP AND GET DOWN

In other words...DANCE! As kids we all loved to do it, and we didn't care if we were shirtless in a pamper while everyone looked. When and why did we loose that freedom? I find it to be such a fun way to stay fit and let go. So stop worrying about who's looking and be the first one on the dance floor. After the first five minutes, you'll forget who's looking anyway.

It really all boils down to LOVE. If we are to affect positive change in this world we must give LOVE. That giving starts within.

Love is an action word: the more we love and honor our body and mind, the more we will love and honor others.

Prenatal Pilates for Each Trimester (Pilates for Pregnancy)

Lauren Small, of the American Fitness Network, performs several standard Pilates exercises and gives modifications for each trimester. As a Pilates instructor who is in her second trimester, Lauren shows how to make Pilates safe and effective. If you were not working out or performing Pilates exercises regularly before your pregnancy, talk to your doctor first. Many doctors advise waiting until after the first trimester before incorporating Pilates into a prenatal fitness program.

2 Moves That Triple Your Calorie Burn

"Integration" refers to integrating multiple muscles at once, rather than just working one at a time. After all, when you're lifting a bag of groceries in the kitchen or hoisting your luggage into the overhead compartment of an airplane, you're not just using one muscle group. You're bending, twisting, and stretching, using compound movements that incorporate your arms, back, core, and legs. So imagine how effective it is to train all of those muscles simultaneously. Not only does it protect you from aches, pains, and risk of injury, but it will optimize coordination, balance, and agility. Best of all? It revs your metabolism - and your calorie burn - through the roof.

Try adding these moves to your routine - they're fun, functional, and will make your Fast Track results even faster!

BOTTOM BLASTING MOVES

Step Back Lunge with Cross Chop

Reach your arms diagonally across your body to the left as you step back with your right leg and dip into a lunge. Pull your arms across your body to the right hip as you slide your right leg back to standing. Repetitions: 12 on each side.

Tips:
a) Step back far enough into the lunge so that the front knee is directly over the front ankle.
b) When your arms reach diagonally above your shoulder, hold your core muscles tight to keep the lower back from arching.
c) The move can be done with a towel or hand weights.

For a challenge, lift your knee toward your chest, balancing on one foot instead of coming just to standing.

Squat with Rotating Twist

Stand with feet hip distance apart, holding light weights in each hand. Push your hips back until your knees are bent to about a 90-degree angle, pulling weight to your chest. As you rise keep the left foot and hip parallel but pivot on the right toe, turning your whole body to the left. As you pivot on the right toe, squeeze the right glute while bringing the weights overhead toward your left side.
Repetitions: 12 on each side

Tips:
a) As you squat, sit back into your heels and keep your chest up.
b) Squeeze your glute as you pivot.
c) As the weights do overhead make sure that you remain in control. Do not let your back arch or round. Keep your core braced.

Why Physical Fitness is Important

We all know that being physically fit is good for us, but exactly why is physical fitness important? Here are the top 10 benefits of physical fitness:

1. You're more likely to live a long and healthy life. Regular exercise reduces the risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and several types of cancer. It also reduces the risk of having a stroke. In one eight year study of more than 20,000 men, those who were lean but unfit had twice the risk of death as those who were lean and fit.

2. You'll control your weight. If you try and lose weight simply by dieting, you'll lose primarily water (which is easy to gain back), some muscle, and a little bit of fat. If regular exercise is part of your weight loss program, you'll lose primarily fat and be able to maintain (or even gain) lean muscle mass. Most people who lose weight end up gaining it back because they don't exercise.

3. You'll have more energy, strength and stamina. People who complain that they don't have enough energy to exercise fail to realize that working out gives you energy. In one study, middle-aged women who lifted weights for a year became 27% more active in daily life than before they started lifting weights. Regular exercise also increases your strength and stamina, allowing you to better handle common activities such as carrying a heavy bag of groceries or climbing a flight of stairs.

4. You'll keep your bones strong. Both men and women start losing bone mass around age 35. Lifting weights can not only halt the decline, but in some cases can reverse it. This drastically reduces your risk of osteoporosis. Weight bearing exercises like walking and running also help keep your bones strong.

5. You'll keep your mind sharp. Multiple studies have confirmed that regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your mind. It improves brain function, which helps prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

6. You'll prevent or reduce low back pain. Strengthening your abdominal and lower back muscles can help prevent low back pain. It can also reduce discomfort if you already suffer from this pain. Also, you might be able to avoid back surgery by strengthening your abdominal and lower back muscles. In one study, 35 of 38 people who had been recommended for back surgery were able to avoid surgery by following an aggressive strengthening program.

7. You'll get sick less often. Regular exercise strengthens your immune system.

8. You'll improve your mood. A large amount of research shows that you have a better sense of well-being following a workout. Thanks to chemicals released in the brain during exercise, feelings of anxiety, depression, anger and stress are diminished during a workout.

9. You'll sleep better. People who exercise regularly fall asleep faster, sleep longer, and wake up less often during the night than people who are sedentary.

10. You'll enjoy life more. Life is much more enjoyable when you're fit and healthy. You have more energy, strength and confidence, and you're more productive in everything you do.

Why is physical fitness important? The bottom line answer is that many of the problems commonly associated with aging, such as disease, increased body fat, and loss of bone mass, energy and strength, are often the result of a sedentary lifestyle and can be minimized or prevented by improving your physical fitness.

Quick Ways to Boost Your Energy

We are multi-taskers to the core of our being: child-rearer, family nurturer, career-builder, social director. When we feel ourselves crashing, whether physically, mentally, or emotionally, it is easy and tempting to reach for something sweet or caffeinated, even though we know later on there will be an inevitable sugar crash or sleepless night. Many, however, are discovering healthier non-food options that keep them perking along until bedtime. Here are nine quick ways to boost your energy.

Give your brain what it craves: novelty
Your brain is a thrill seeker. Fresh challenges give it an instant boost. Anything new helps to keep your brain sharp and supple. Try learning a new language, a musical instrument, or a new sport or activity – something that offers a fresh challenge. When you begin to feel a slump, five minutes of practicing a foreign language stimulates the growth of neurons, creating alertness. Consider doing something that increases adrenaline such as sky diving. Try one new activity each month for the whole month. When your brain is inspired, this inspiration can translate into renewed, more consistent, daily physical energy as well.

Sniff Peppermint
Inhaling peppermint essential oil has long been used by athletes to reduce the feelings of fatigue and legally get that competitive edge. Runners have been known to take a whiff right before they hit that proverbial wall. College students have inhaled the oil to beat mental fatigue and stimulate brain function to help them remember important details from their studying. The Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology and The International Journal of Psychophysiology have both reported on scientific studies showing the positive effects of peppermint odor in combating fatigue and enhancing performance. Consider carrying a bottle of PEO to instantly give you a boost.

Watch Your Language
In her book, Composing a Life, Mary Catherine Bateson views using the word ‘juggling’ as an “uneasy feeling that something is going to fall, something is going to break.” She suggests using ‘improvising” instead. A more meaningful and empowering term for women who “because they are multitasking and have so many responsibilities, find a way to get it done.” Using different words to say the same thing can be enough for a quick energy boost.

Pick Your Battles
When a friend was asked how she managed to keep her marriage fresh and new after 30 years, she answered “I choose my battles.” By knowing what is petty and what is really important to you, many marriage scuffles can be avoided. The same technique can be applied to other relationships as well. Most arguments are unnecessary and by eliminating all but what you deem absolutely essential, you can experience micro energy bursts throughout the day. How do you determine which battles to pursue? Ask yourself this question: “Is this about power or ego?” If so, let it go so it doesn’t drain your energy.

Practice Qigong
Pronounced “chee-gong”, this ancient Chinese exercise form means ‘cultivating energy.’ It combines movement with deep breathing to boost one’s “chi” or life energy. According to Eastern philosophy, doing Qigong for seven minutes can transform the energy in your body. Don’t have seven minutes? Performing just a couple of Qigong movements will provide you with on-the-spot pep. Check out the DVD “7 Minutes of Magic” by Lee Holden, an internationally known Qigong instructor and a PBS favorite who has worked with Deepak Chopra.

Try Creative Combining
‘Creative Combining’ is a term coined by Ann Simonds, a General Mills Vice President responsible for managing 1 billion dollars in sales plus the responsibilities of being a wife and mother. Because of her busy schedule, Simonds had to learn to make creative use of her time to fulfill many needs at once. “I make time for those itches I have to have scratched” by looking for opportunities to combine things that are most important. “I know myself well enough to know this is who I am, what will make me happy and what is uncompromisable. For me, personally, community involvement, having some vital friendships, getting a chance to sing – these are all things I can’t let go of.” Understanding what brings you the most joy and what you consider priorities help you to feel centered and at peace with who you are as a person, and both are energy boosters.

Eliminate “Time Drainers”
All negative thoughts, pessimism, and doubt drain us of energy and time to do what needs to be done - and what we enjoy doing - in our lives. Helene Lerner, author of Time for Me: A Burst of Energy for Busy Women shares the most common time drainers: worry, perfectionism, second-guessing yourself and being unable to say ‘no’. By “becoming aware of the habits that zap your energy and rob you of precious moments you create more time for you”, says Lerner. More time for you equates to positive thoughts, optimism, hopefulness and guess what? More energy.

Use Acupressure Techniques
The University of Michigan Health System conducted a scientific study described in The Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine touting the benefits of acupressure to stimulate or relax. Try one of their quick acupressure stimulation techniques on yourself to increase your get-up-and-go: pinch the point between your thumb and forefinger and hold for two minutes, then gradually release.

Do the Hundred
Joseph Pilates’ exercise, “The Hundred”, is an energetic breathing exercise. By doing the 5 count inhalation and 5 count exhalation with the rhythmical arm movements, oxygen gets pulled into the body, saturating the tissues and stimulating brain cells without the inherent sweating. A qualified instructor can teach you how to perform the exercise based on your skill level and state of health. One cycle of The Hundred and you’ll be good to go.

You know you want to make a change.

You want to see what life is like without extra weight on your body and on your mind. You're committed to making a change for the better.

To make it happen, think of your habits like a road trip. Your next steps become clear, and you start to see your destination ahead.

CHANGE HABITS NOW