New Year's Resolution Check - Half the Year is Over

I don't know about you, but sometimes one of the most overlooked aspects in life of a woman "of that certain age" is her heath. Millions of Americans make New Year's resolutions that they have forgotten about by February. And this goes on year after year.

How do I know? I keep a goal diary - with a list of the things that I want to accomplish. Mine is a little different than most people's probably, because I don't make my New Year's Resolutions in January, I do them in November about a week before my birthday. That's my time for looking over my life for the past year and planning for the future. Why am I bringing this up in July?

Well, right now I am in the middle of trying to make room for the latest mail bag of books that I had sent over from the states, and I happened to run across my book. And guess what goal has consistently been in it for the last 5 years? To lose those last, stubborn 10 pounds! (Ugh!)

But, I'm not the only one who doesn't manage to keep their goals each year - in fact, a lot of us generally end up adding on a few more pounds before the next January 1st rolls
around.

This is a terrible habit that will have major repercussions the older we get. In fact, whether we like it or not, a major part of living well and feeling great is personal fitness.

What kind of shape are you currently in? I'm going to take a wild guess and assume that you
(like me) could be in better shape. Hey, it all starts with a little motivation! And I am inviting
you to jump on the physical fitness bandwagon with me, and lets see what we can do about it! I know summer's here - which actually makes it easier for me, because of the huge cornucopia of really delicious fresh fruits and vegetables that are available right now. But no matter what our current habits are, there's almost always room for improvement, and there's no time like the present!

Everyone knows that working out and eating healthy leads to a healthier body. The better
your diet is and the leaner your body, the more energy you are likely to have. I can't
stress enough how good being in shape can make you feel. It's a physical and emotional
surge.

Because when your personal fitness levels are up-to-par, you not only have more
strength and energy, but you also have more confidence. You know that you look great and
that you can do things like head down to the beach in a swimsuit or wear less clothing in
public.

But when you're overweight, you feel the need to cover up and hide from the world.
This can often lead to depression and feelings of regret. Well, I say NO MORE!

It's time to put more time and effort into our personal fitness schedules.

So this is where I'm going to begin.

I took my desktop calendar, and I'm choosing five of those days to exercise every week, throughout the month of July.

Because July is a busy month (including the week when we're going to go to the mountains to get away from the heat), I'm having to fit the exercise in around our schedule. So sometimes I will be exercising on the weekends, and sometimes not.

Now, to get started you may want to try three days of cardio and two days of weight training,
alternating days. For me, because my arthritis is still an issue, I'm going to have to take it slow and easy on both the cardio - swimming is about the only cardio I can do right now) and strength training, but I'm going to do it.

Remember - having a regular personal fitness regimen will get your body in shape the way it's supposed to be year-round. Being in great shape is NOT just a summer thing - and just because summer's here shouldn't be an excuse for putting it off!

Eating right is imperative. You need a balance of good carbs, proteins and vitamins.
Typically you can consume as many vegetables as you please.

We need like 8 a day, so go for it. As far as proteins go, try lean poultry and fish. Then with good carbs, shoot for brown rice, whole grain breads and low-fat granola. And I know, none of this is news to you - or to me. But the truth is, the older we get, the more personal fitness relies on your diet. Without a nutritious one, you're doomed before you start!

I hope you'll join me on this personal fitness quest. Feel free to post on the blog and let me know how you're doing!

Talk soon!