Pages

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Keep It Strong: Mind — Body — Spirit

Wikipedia defines fitness as a general state of good health, usually as a result of exercise and nutrition. To me, the achievement and sustainment of good health requires a holistic regimen because fitness is not just about keeping the body strong; it’s also about nurturing the mind and spirit.

My promotion of holistic fitness stems from a discussion I had with a high school friend. She is a licensed psychologist and has experience counseling children with a range of learning and behavior challenges. We discussed holistic treatments for children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) because my daughter was diagnosed with the disorder at age five. Following a holistic health regimen is an unending — but very worthwhile — challenge because every member of my family benefits. In addition to better managing my daughter's ADD, my husband is lean and mean. Plus, I have more energy and a number of strategies for managing stress.

Each week, look for one or two comments — from me — to feed discussion about fitness for the mind, body and spirit. Also, I will link you to relevant online resources and articles.

Mind – When my brain feels fatigued, I spend 10 minutes solving crossword or Sudoku puzzles; or I play Scramble on Facebook. What recharges you?

Body – I strive to workout at five days a week for 30 minutes each session. Sometimes, I only get in three days; especially during busy times such as the holidays. If I miss, I don’t break into a cold sweat. I just try to do better the following week. How do you feel when a workout is missed?

Spirit – Meditation/prayer is my catalyst for generating “big picture” ideas, fueling creativity and gaining clarity. How much time do you devote to spiritual development each day/week?

Helpful links…

Good Enough Just As We Are from Laura Harvey, editor of the Daily Word. I found this post to be very insightful, important and timely.

Get Some Sleep from Lisa Shives, M.D., Sleep Expert, CNN's The Chart Blog. This post brings back memories. Before children, I made numerous flights from Detroit to Las Vegas and to various cities in California to manage tradeshows. I would wake up at 4/4:30 am (I am not an early bird) so that I could manage EST action items in additon to my tradeshow responsibilities.

The information/commentary on this page is not and does not intend to convey health advice. I am a work-at-home mom with two children who have delays with fine and gross motor skills. Advocation of a consistent, balanced fitness program is a necessary component to their intervention plan; and has promoted a sustained active lifestyle in my family. It is intended to encourage discussion about timely health-related topics. For personal health advice, please consult with a physician, medical professional, personal trainer, nutritionist, or fitness expert.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Feel the Rush

Well, it's official. The rush is on. Deck the halls. Send wishlists to the North Pole. Visit Santa. Complete daily shopping marathons. Attend school and church functions. Give generously. Do homework. Bake. Party all weekend. Update far flung family and friends.

It's all good. The Grinch, Rudolph and Frosty are regulars. Snowflakes are flying. Plus, Starbucks has those gingerbread lattes at the ready.

Guess what? I skipped out on decorating, shopping and baking during the Thanksgiving holiday. Instead, I opted to watch Pulp Fiction, Kick-Ass and Jungle Book 2; ride the Yak Attack and stomp spiders at Jeepers; and eat french fries at McDonald's. Funtimes with my children rule. Plus, is anyone really going to miss a few dozen cookies?

BTW, how about some controversy to sparkle the season? Here's a link to a CNN article about dueling holiday billboards at the Lincoln Tunnel in New Jersey. Why can't people just get long? http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/30/dueling-billboards-face-off-in-christmas-controversy/?iref=allsearch