The Four Pillars of Health

My [ever supportive] husband pointed out that this graphic does not represent pillars, but rather are arrows. If I had to draw “Pillars”, they wouldn’t look like this. touche. So, I thought I would write a little something about why I use this graphic & what it represents to me. First, as a wellness coach, these are the areas I work with my clients. These areas of health are my boundary. I don’t help clients with organizational, financial or relationship skills. I work with them on areas of health: their nutrition, activity, sleep management and stress management. The way I see it, these areas are so tightly connected that if one fails, they all tend to fail. I’m sure you’ve noticed that during times of high stress, that if you don’t take proper care of yourself, your nutrition starts to falter. When we stray from those foods that are good Read More . . .

General Training Guidelines For Beginners

Always start with big the muscle groups first. For example, always do chest before triceps and shoulders, always do back before biceps. Work each body part once per week with the exception of abs and calves, you can work them 2- 3 times per week if you’d like. Allow at least 48 hours before you work the same muscle group again. Never train a sore muscle. For big muscle groups (like chest, back, legs), I recommend 3-4 exercises per muscle group and 3-4 sets per exercise. But use your best judgement, if it’s too much then cut back until your training level increases. For smaller muscle groups, I recommend 2-3 exercises per part, 2-3 sets per exercise as these groups are also worked when you exercise the big muscle groups. Just remember, more is not always better. Pick a weight in which the last rep or two are very hard, on Read More . . .

Introducing: Health with Friends!

I’ve recently added a new service for my customers that I’m really excited about. I’m excited about it because I am in this business to help folks be healthy. I want my clients to live better lives than they are right now & I know so many of them can, but just don’t know how, or where to start. Some folks don’t have the social support that they need at home to be successful. That’s where Health with Friends comes in. Health with Friends is a Goals Based Support Group. As a Health Educator, I assist my clients in making behavior changes where their lifestyle is concerned. I work within the 5 pillars of health: nutrition, activity, sleep, stress management and smoking cessation. Health with Friends also works within these 5 pillars of health, but rather than being accountable to just me, their wellness coach, nutritionist or personal trainer, they’re Read More . . .

This is why I do what I do

Last week, I had a really bad night's sleep, but had set my alarm to wake me early to go running. As I lay in the dark, I had contemplated blowing my run off, but really, I was already awake & decided to use that time productively. Before I headed out, I checked my email & overnight had received an email from my sister letting me know that she had been diagnosed with Lobular Carcinoma In Situ (LCIS). LCIS is defined as:  "Lobular carcinoma in situ is a condition caused by unusual cells in the lobules of the breast.It is usually not considered cancer, but it can indicate an increased risk of future cancer. Unlike Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS), LCIS is not associated with calcification, and is typically an incidental finding in a biopsy performed for another reason." There were two lumps close together, which her surgeon removed. Her Read More . . .

AARP Trainer Program

I just joined the AARP Trainer Program. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) & American Council on Exercise (ACE) have teamed up to provide affordable personal training to AARP members. It's a new program, so we'll see how it does. I think it's great that seniors are getting more active. It's really interesting for me to compare clients at similar ages. Those clients who have been exercising for years appear to have better cognitive function in addition to balance, coordination and strength. It's really encouraging. Not that I can't wait, but knowing that my body and mind will be better because of the things I'm doing today makes me feel better about aging.     Read More . . .