For most people, aging is not fun. At times, the changes that aging brings can be humiliating. Aging gracefully requires hope and perhaps even requires that we do things to slow it down, like getting some exercise.

You may have heard some of these exercise tips before: daily walking is good, weight training strengthens the bones, and stretching is great for joint mobility. What you don’t realize is how these health tips become more significant as we age.

What price would you pay if you knew exercise would prevent you from having to check into a nursing home? What effort would you take now if you knew three daily walks per week would save you from a broken hip in two years? Maybe a heart attack is in your future and you feel like it’s too late to do anything about your health, but the truth is that whatever you can start doing today will most definitely help you.

What price would you pay for confidence in the health of your body? What kind of price tag can you put on something like that? There really is no amount of money that could equal good health.

Today, I encourage you to do something: take a walk around the neighborhood, go to the mall and walk, and do something to strengthen your mind, as well. Having confidence in your legs and heart as you get older is immeasurable and priceless.

Click here for more information about exercise for seniors!

“Exercise Resistance” or ER means a conscious or subconscious block against participating in a regular exercise program. Studies show that some people have barriers built up from past experiences that give them a negative mindset toward exercise and healthy food.  In many cases, this prevents a person from starting or following through on an exercise program.

Do the math! Numbers don’t lie. You either accept the road less traveled or you face the consequences. It’s just that simple. This may resemble a scare tactic, but the bottom line is this is a reality. If you think for one second you are exempt, above reproach, or just relying on luck or faith, think again. Your best defense is a good offense. Denial, pride and laziness will always creep in to make you miserable. They’re probably already in your life and you don’t see them, but you feel them.

Why now? Resenting the need to exercise is a waste of energy. Never starting because you are afraid of failure is a copout. Striving to exercise to perfection is a bit unrealistic for anyone. Comparing your current condition with how it used to be is a losing battle. And setting expectations so high that your lifestyle prevents you from accomplishing anything is a “accident waiting to happen.”

Why now? The truth is that you will pay the doctor, eventually, if you allow any of the excuses to get to you. Exercising and eating right is the best thing you can do for your mind, body, and your heart. It will take work, but the benefits are priceless.

In a Nutshell:

Let me shoot it to you straight: you’re scared. You’re fearful of the outcome of a medical test and the reality your situation. You resent the fact that you haven’t thought about doing anything until now. You’re afraid of not living up to your own expectations, or in fear of looking bad, or even worse, that it’s too late to make a difference. I have three words for you: get over it!

Are you having a hard time getting started with your exercise program? Click here to learn more how to have success with your health and fitness goals!

Deep down, are you seriously in denial of your current fitness level? Really, think about it! Most people are in some sort of denial – that’s one reason why so many New Year’s resolutions fail.

“Well, my health isn’t really that bad.” “I’ve gain a little weight, but not that much.” “I’ll start working out tomorrow.”

Have you used any of these excuses before?

In order for you to succeed in your goals for the new year, you have to go from being in denial to having a heartfelt desire to get healthier – no matter what it takes. This is not always easy to do. The desire to exercise usually occurs after something scares us to death; only then we have the will to get up and take a walk. The doctor says your blood pressure is high or your cholesterol is up or you’re a candidate for diabetes; all of these situations may just motivate you to get off the couch. But truly, is this the best type of motivation? Not really. It’s a negative one, in the form of fear.

Fear motivation works in beginning but it usually fizzles out in a few months, once the sense of urgency wears off. Exercising is not easy, but eventually you can learn to look forward to that feel-good emotion afterwards. You might not think you can get to this point, given the fact that right now you can’t even fathom walking a mile, but you will get there, but only if you have a heartfelt desire to do so.

Click here to learn more about how to enjoy exercise, not fear it!

Whether it comes from a close friend, the nightly news, or from a letter in the mail, it’s hard to face the truth at times. Hearing it can really cut us to the core .

Today, fitness books are mostly filled with advertisements, pill pushers and unrealistic programs that give people false hope. My intention with this blog site is to give you real hope and with that, you’ll get straight talk.

It is not my intention to force anything on you or to come across in a harsh way. While the words may be tough to hear, understand I don’t know how else to say what I have observed for all these years. We Americans have been HAD because we have not received the truth about what it really takes to be fit and to stay healthy. Quick fixes abound, but the truth is tthat here are no quick fixes that really work…or that last.

It is my responsibility as a fitness professional to provide you with the facts. And it is my hope that you read this with an open mind and that you understand that if you don’t do anything about your health today, tomorrow you may say,

“If only I had known.”

Here’s an excerpt from “Truth or Consequences,” one of my books  available at at http://www.resolutions.bz.

IF ONLY YOU HAD KNOWN!

I didn’t have much time to pack my bags that day;  as a matter of fact, I‘m still wearing the same clothes I put on that morning. I met all three of them on the way up here. They said they would hitch a ride, but they weren’t sure they would be welcome where I was going.

I thought it was unusual to learn how much they knew about me. Did I meet them at some restaurant where my family and I ate? Did I see them at the doctor’s office? I know – maybe it was at a bunko party or the golf course… I just couldn’t put my finger on how I knew them until today.

It’s pretty nice here, though — peaceful, always something to do, good conversation. However, I sure miss my family. I wish I didn’t have to leave them soon, but how would I have known?

The three of them said they warned me time and time again. How? When? Where? I wondered. I thought I read all the right books and talked to the right people. I even participated in the activities, at times.

Laziness was probably the one I got along with the best during that short time we spent together. He was the only transparent one of the three. Others might have thought, if they saw us together, that we were twins. We were so much alike.

The other two were much more reserved - unfriendly, even. Don’t let those guys fool you. I learned quickly they were stubborn old boys with rough edges — two of the biggest know-it-alls I had ever met. They called themselves Denial and Pride. And if you ever met them, I think you would agree they were named correctly.

As I crossed the line, I will never forget what they said to me as we raised our hands to each other and waved goodbye, “If only you had known.”

________

The health of America is going to get worse before it gets better. Diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, heart disease — are all at epidemic levels. And for the first time in history, the kids of today are projected not to live as long as there parents have. The only way for the health of America to get better is for all of us to be personally responsible, change our attitudes toward exercise, and support one another in the process.

The silent threesome of denial, pride, and laziness has been muted by the fantasy fitness-land programs, promising immediate results. This silent threat is killing you from the INSIDE OUT.

Until a few years ago, it was thought that Americans were healthy. Of course, that’s not true. We’ve had a health problem for years.

We have had a head problem, too. Most of us think that by ignoring them, our bodies will miraculously get better. Doctors saw this coming, but what did they do about it? My doctor’s answer was, “Take two pills and call me in the morning.” (Sound familiar?)

THE BUCK STOPS WHERE?

In the “good years,” more money, more marketing and more-for-me attitudes enabled us to focus on making the big bucks. It allowed us to put off worrying about healthy bodies. The accent was on NOW and not later. But the fiscal wealth we accumulated years ago is NOW being drained by our physical healthcare costs. Eventually, our bad health will consume all the extra dollars we worked so hard to earn.

Some of the responsibility falls with the big corporations, insurance companies, and hospital groups. But at the end of the day, the buck stops with YOU. The reality of this situation bites; however, the solution is not to ignore it, but to encourage people to embrace it. Many of you have either given up on yourself or just flat out are living in denial. Either way, the choice is still yours. The fact of the matter is that there is still hope for America and there is still hope for you, too.

Want to learn more about slowing down the effects of aging? Click here now!

What is preventative medicine; it’s a proactive approach to your health through diet, exercise and lifestyle? The Health Care and the Preventative Medicine (wellness programs) Industry’s will never fully jell; each works against the other, at least in the eyes of administers. Why should doctors want you healthy; that would then eliminate the need for them? As st range as that sounds, deep down in the souls of most it’s true; just look at the money in Pharmaceutical’s. I would prefer taking some preventative action with exercise and eating better as my best medicine. The challenge is, exercise and food discipline takes effort, foresight and hope in the future.

Effort; well either you pay the health care community later or you pay a small price now if you make the effort. Are there guarantees, no but wouldn’t you rather everything be on your terms than some hospital? Foresight, again there are no gimmies you just got to trust that something is better than nothing. Being proactive by getting some exercise builds confidence which is vital later in your life. And Hope, what’s life without it? Hope is what gets you up in the morning, its what keeps you going through out the day.

I’ve been exercising twenty –five years, four days a week on average and the one single thing that has kept me going is; hope that my health care plan will never be on a doctor’s term.
Your best preventative medicine is exercise not Health Care; government or not! Start today.

Exercise programs for Seniors

Eating right and keeping your weight down are not nearly as complicated as you’ve heard or experienced. They do not take as much intelligence as you think, but you do need some discipline and the ability to think ahead.

Weight loss and eating are more about common sense and perseverance than anything. Do you have outside pressures? Sure you do, but that’s no excuse for poor eating habits. Are there programs out there to help guide you? Sure there are, but they don’t possess some magic formula that melts the pounds away with little or no effort.

No matter how you add the numbers up, or subtract the fat amounts, it’s still the same equation; calories IN, calories OUT. It’s really just that simple!

This book will not offer you some magic diet plan or give promises that are unrealistic; but it will give you straight-forward truth about your weight, food and your habits. It is up to you to take it IN—or spit it OUT!

“While eating guidelines are based on good scientific principles, they do not necessarily agree with human nature or common sense. Recent history tells us that we are better off encouraging the mediocre people who are willing to include eating better in their daily lives, rather than forcing guidelines on the majority of those who want to fight the inevitable. In the end, keeping things simple and in a supportive environment will keep everyone happy and committed.”