September 5, 2011 by Donnella

Hello to all and welcome to my first monthly newsletter focused on movement and health!

In these newsletters I'll  give you my thoughts on issues that are near and dear to me.  And, I would love to see the BodyWise blog as a tool for all of you to share your thoughts, feelings and ideas about these topics.  This is a community space for sharing and learning. This month I offer you6 Tips to Help You Meet Your Fitness and Health Goals.

I know moving my body regularly is just what I need to help me feel more energized and meet life’s challenges in a more grounded way.  Practicing intelligent movement regularly helps us develop healthy ways of moving and reduces injury and supports us in feeling more psychologically sound.  And yet, like so many of us, I have a hard time making my practice consistent.

So how do we cultivate a regular fitness practice - one that feeds us and makes us want to show up?

From working with clients for over 15 years, I know everyone is wired differently. What motivates one client doesn’t work for another.  The suggestions below are gathered from multiple sources:  books, personal experiences, clients, family, and web searches. As you read them see what resonates with you.  (As someone who has been a striver for much of her life, I no longer want to have only focus on getting to the goal. I want to enjoy the process of getting there).

6 Tips to Help You Meet Your Fitness and Health Goals:

1. What’s in It for Me: Identifying Why a Goal is Important to You

Meaning is motivating!  When we are clear why a goal is important to us, we are more likely to take it to heart and pay attention to it.  In my case, I am working toward having a daily movement practice at least an hour in length.  I know every time I spend time moving, I feel strong and supple in my body. I feel like I am able to be more present in the World and I am more able to touch and be touched by the people and the landscape around me.  That’s motivating!

2. Seek Support from Others

Make your goal public to at least one other person and ask that person to support you.  That person could be friend who is working on a similar goal, a fitness coach, or a support group (even if the support group is virtual, like the BodyWise blog).  Think about what kind of support you want: daily phone calls, email check-ins, a movement buddy or something else.

 3. Make it Manageable

Our lives are complex so we need to make sure that we can realistically accomplish what we set out to achieve.  This means, be specific and keep it reasonable.  So with my desire to move at least an hour a day, I could set myself on a 3-month plan. I might start with the goal to move 20 minutes each day or 20 minute two times a day. Some days that might be all I have time for, but there may be days that I can and will move longer.  Two weeks later I could increase the time to 30 minutes. For me the hardest part is starting something, so just showing up is the biggest accomplishment. 

4. Make a Ritual Out of It

Twyla Tharp, one of America’s greatest choreographers, talks about how she starts her day at 5:30 with a ride in a cab to her gym.  Her ritual begins the minute she sits down in the cab and tells the driver where she is going.  In that moment she knows she is going to the gym whether she likes it or not.  If we begin an activity the same way each time the body settles into what is going to happen next. Some people light candles. Some people walk around the block. Some read a poem. The repeated preparation is what is important not the kind of event itself.

5. Get Creative

Some of us can’t make it regularly to a class or go for a long walk or run every day. Sometimes we need to think a little outside the box to make movement work in our lives.  For example, in my life I don’t have childcare every day, nor do I often have the energy to get up before my toddler’s 5:30 waking time.  So I’m experimenting with Family Movement Time where my toddler and my partner sometimes join in.  Of course, I have to adapt and adjust my expectations about what movements I can do.   I know that my movement practice will not exclusively be focused on me, but at least I’m moving.  Maybe there is a window in your day at work or maybe you can do movement when you take your dog to the park.  The more we can see that our practice is something that fits into our life the more successful we will be.

6. Record Your Success

I used to be embarrassed by the fact that I need a wellness checklist to remember how I want to take care of myself.  But now I enjoy my list.  On the checklist, I have included a variety of health priorities from drinking 8-10 cups of water daily to which days I will do aerobic activity.  I don’t always succeed in doing all of them, but it helps to visit my checklist daily so I remember what is important to me.  And, I get a lot of satisfaction in filling in the boxes and seeing what I have accomplished.

I invite you to share your goals, your challenges, and your strategies. You can post your comments here.

What motivates you?  What keeps you going? What takes you off track?  How do you attend to your need for rest and activity?  How do make the pathway to achieving your goals feel juicy and satisfying? For those of you who have a regular practice, what keeps you committed?  Let’s learn from each other and support each other! 

I hope these suggestions are helpful.   I look forward to hearing from you, learning, and supporting you in meeting your goals. 

Yours in health and movement,

Donnella

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