The Age of Accountability

I received an email from a client of mine this morning, it contained the photograph above.

Funny as it is, the sad reality is that this may be more exercise than most folks get in a day.

Tip O' Thursday: Take a walk around the building you work in throughout the day, to decompress, to breathe, to get exercise, to listen to the sounds of nature (or cars and trucks if you are in Northern VA with me...). Make each day count, and take the small steps. It DOES make a difference. The responsibility is YOURS alone.


Question for you: How do you manage your stress? We all have it....and it is actually good for us. It is how we deal with it that can make or break its overall effect on our health. Send me some of your strategies....  epolis@corewellness.net

A time to play

When I see a child scrape their knee or worse, it is a reminder to me how resilient their growing bodies are. As men and women go through life stages,our ability to recover from injuries decreases. Or does it?

I believe in the body's ability to adapt. Whether through habitual posture, exercise programs, weekend activities and the like; theses are the means by which our body is stimulated to grow, shrink, become conditioned (or de-conditioned if your favorite workout is how long you can sit on your sofa), have good bone density, and so much more. Take a moment and think of your parents. Think of their injuries, possible surgeries, or even tasks they complained about. Now think about their lifestyle choices; did they walk often, do chores around the house, watch a lot of tv, ride bikes, sit or stand at work, play a sport, do yoga or pilates, etc. I know that both of my parents maintained a relatively sedentary work day; with intermittent walking anywhere from desk to car, up to miles around the Columbus Zoo. One parent never set foot in a gym, the other; committed to spending at least 3 days a week combining weight training, flexibility (yoga), stability (yoga, pilates) and conditioning (interval work on cardio equipment and spinning classes). It doesn't take a college degree to guess which one is in better condition, nor to guess which one has more health issues.

The more you play the healthier you are. Making playtime a priority is a must. You have so many things to choose from, be it running, frisbee throwing, handstands, gardening, hopscotch...think like a kid; and look at the world as an endless array of fun and exploration. The more you can diversify this the more healthy you are overall. This means that the more you mix it up, shake it up and swirl it around...the easier it will be for your body to transition through small injuries and bumps in the road. If you are up for the challenge, there are also triathlons of varying intensities and distances that are a prime choice. (Be warned: this is a time consuming, and can be expensive-ease these stressors by doing it with a friend).

Make time to play today. Combine that with a delicious nutritious meal and you are on the road to wellness...one block at a time :)

Check out my colleague Amy Arnold for more information on the wonderful world of Integrated Nutrition and why you NEED her:

Amy Arnold
Vital Self
http://www.vitalself.com/