Body, Mind and Spirit

Fitness is most often equated with exercise. But it’s so important that when striving for overall health, we look at not only the body but the mind and spirit as well. I like to think of this as a wheel with three spokes. One spoke represents the body, one the mind and the other spirit. When one spoke is broken or missing, everything is thrown off balance. Body is the part where we focus on exercise and eating right. The type of exercise and eating plan will be different for each person. It’s going to depend on where you live, … Continue reading →

Want a Healthy Brain? Exercise!

You can never hear enough reasons on why physical fitness is important. We understand how it can impact your overall well-being, increasing energy and stamina. We know that fitness can keep certain diseases and medical conditions away. We even know some of the emotional benefits to fitness. But what about your brain? Have you ever considered the impact that physical fitness has on your brain? A new study came out that reveals age-related brain changes (related to memory and attention) are decreased when older adults engage in regular exercise. So if you want a healthier brain, keep exercising. Now here’s … Continue reading →

Fit Mind, Fit Body

Did you know that a fit body and a fit mind go hand-in-hand? True overall health includes not just your physical health but your mental health as well. I have been reading several articles over the course of the past month that pertains to mental health. Not only are we seeing Americans struggle with physical issues—cancer, diabetes, heart disease—but many are also dealing with mental health issues. Some blame poor physical health. After all, if you suffer from a physical ailment, you are more susceptible to becoming depressed. Others blame our economy. People are without jobs, struggling financially and so … Continue reading →

Brain Fitness

Did you know that you can exercise your brain? Too often people are so focused on body fitness that they fail to recognize the importance of brain fitness. Keeping your brain fit is just as important. Many people think that your brain stops developing at some point. But the truth is that it continues to adapt and rewire itself, even as you get older. Although mental decline can be caused by disease, if there is a decrease in memory or motor skills, this is usually due to a lack of brain stimulation. If you fail to use your brain, your … Continue reading →

Emotional Fitness: Paying it Forward

Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world.” I agree with the statement because one person, driven enough to speak out and act can inspire group think in others. When you have a group that is driven, even a small one of three to four people, you can have three to four times the effect on others. For example, it takes only one person on the street to really manicure their lawn to inspire their neighbors to do the same. Those neighbors inspire the people next to them and it … Continue reading →

Exercise Benefits the Whole Person

We talk about the benefits of doing something, we often focus on one or two things about it that creates a benefit. For example, why get a job? To pay the bills would likely be the answer most of us give. Yet when we get a job that we enjoy or are successful at, we receive more than just a weekly paycheck. We may receive benefits such as health insurance and access to a fitness program. We receive self-esteem and personal pride. We receive the capability to achieve goals and more. The same can be said for physical exercise. It’s … Continue reading →

Tuesday Teasers – Flex Your Brain

Let’s work on exercising our brains. When I was in school, I had a great teacher for homeroom three years running. Every day, we would arrive in the classroom and there would be a problem on the board. The first thirty minutes of the day was devoted to that problem. They became more complex over time. So with that in mind, I want to introduce a new feature to our Fitness blog. We’re going to call it our Tuesday Teasers. We’re featuring it late this Tuesday, but on most Tuesday mornings, you should be able to find our Tuesday Teaser … Continue reading →

Exercise Your Body; Strengthen Your Mind

We’ve talked about this before, but it never hurts to talk about it again and this time I even have an article from Newsweek on my side. Newsweek magazine published an article called Exercise and the Brain and it described how exercising regularly can increase your mental acuity and brainpower. I have experience this phenomenon myself. I am at my most productive when I am working out regularly. I’ve written books, reams of articles and even more as well as balancing my home and work life far more efficiently. Not to exaggerate, but I used to worry that I was … Continue reading →

Brainstorming – What Counts?

We talked about brainstorming earlier and stimulating your brain. We talked about how it enhanced your mood and boosted your confidence, but what counts as brainstorming? Let’s chat. Brainstorming Brainstorming itself is the act of generating new ideas or solutions for a problem. For example, let’s brainstorm about why we might need to brainstorm. Brainstorming gives us an opportunity to consider our options Brainstorming gives us options we might otherwise dismiss Brainstorming does not require absolutes or perfect ideas Brainstorming can help you create new ideas Brainstorming requires little more than a few minutes of your time and some writing … Continue reading →

Puzzles & Brainstorming Can Really Give You a Boost

Did you know that when you’re really dragging or finding it hard to pluck up the motivation to do anything that a sound session of brainstorming can not only boost your mood, it can enhance it – creating an environment where you are more mentally and physically alert? School Days I was reminiscing the other day about when I was in school. For five years, I was in a program that started every morning with a series of logic problems that grew increasingly complex along with two-minute mysteries and more. During my recovery from surgery, various friends and family members … Continue reading →