I admit, I over-think things sometimes. Whether it’s my workouts (”Should I run today or should I lift weights? Or maybe I should do yoga. Or…”) or my daily tasks (”I should probably check my email first…no, wait, my sock drawer is out of control…but what about the books I should alphabetize?”), I often spend more time making a decision than actually taking action.

I’m thinking about this (because, you know, I’m over-thinker) because it’s almost a new year and many of us are feeling that surge of energy that comes with something new. We know there’s nothing magical about January 1, yet there’s a feeling of hope that accompanies a new year, a hope that maybe, just maybe, we can finally change.

That hope can get mixed in with confusion. If you want to start exercising, you might spend so much time setting goals, planning your approach and preparing for your new program that you don’t actually start. What if you do the wrong thing? What if the exercise you choose isn’t good enough? What if it doesn’t burn enough calories or what if it hurts?

Fear of doing the wrong thing can paralyze us, draining that precious energy we could be putting to good use.

If you’ve ever experienced this, I have a challenge for you. Whatever your goals are, make this your year of action. Planning and preparation are important when making any change in your life, but what if you channel your energy, hope and motivation into immediate action? Want to start exercising? Put on some shoes and walk or do some jumping jacks. Do some pushups or squats or pull ups. It’s all exercise and, if it’s more than you’re doing right now, it’s good enough.

You’ll have plenty of time to set your goals and make a plan and I’ll help you do that over the coming days, but there’s no reason you can’t start today. Don’t wait for the perfect time to exercise. Start right now and make that the first action you take in the new year.

Your Year of Action originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Thursday, December 31st, 2009 at 07:00:58.

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Finding balance is hard, even on your best day and during the holidays? It’s even harder. Part of finding balance is to get your priorities straight. The problem is, our usual priorities often go out the window when the holidays hit, leaving us feeling frazzled, overwhelmed and overworked.

Part of finding balance is taking care of yourself and exercise is one of the best ways to take care of yourself when things get crazy. If you need a little motivation to keep exercise at the top of the list, below are some reminders of what exercise can do for you:

Sanity Saver

Exercise is your number one defense against depression and stress, two things that often strike around the holidays. Taking some time to breathe and move, even if it’s just a few minutes, may bring a little more balance to your day.

Health Saver

Stress can do a number on your body, particularly to your immune system. If you’re feeling rundown, you may be more susceptible to colds and flu, but moderate exercise can actually boost your immune system. Try to get 20-30 minutes of moderate exercise (like this Basic Cardio Workout) most days of the week to help protect you from catching a cold.

Body Saver

Exercise is a must if you’re trying to lose weight and, this time of year, we’re often happy just to maintain where we are. If you’re tempted to skip your workouts, remind yourself that a workout (even a short one) can help you keep your weight in check over the holidays.

How do you use exercise to find balance in your life? Leave a comment and tell us more ways we can find balance.

Finding Balance With Exercise originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Wednesday, December 30th, 2009 at 07:00:21.

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I got an email from a client this morning asking: “Could you give me some exercises that won’t squish the cookie-belly I developed over Christmas?” Cookie-belly is certainly a concern this time of year - it seems like there’s an endless supply no matter where you go. There are plenty of ways to work off cookie-belly with exercise, but this week, I’m focusing on some relaxing stretches. There’s often a lull between Christmas and New Year’s Eve and this lull sometimes leads to the dreaded food hangover. The cure for a food hangover is to treat your body well with lots of water, nutritious foods and some exercise. One of my favorite ways to work myself out of a food hangover is with some relaxing stretches.

If you have a little time to get yourself together this week, below are some of my favorite stretches for lengthening the body and relaxing the mind. Do these after your regular workout or use them to motivate yourself to actually do your regular workout.

Pretzel Stretch

Cross the left foot over right knee. Clasp hands behind right thigh and gently pull the leg in towards you, keeping upper body relaxed. Hold for 30 seconds and switch sides.

Pigeon Stretch

Begin on the hands and knees and bring the left knee in, resting it on the floor between your hands (you should be resting on the outside of the knee). Straighten the right leg out behind you and, if you can, bend forward and rest the forearms on the floor. Hold for 30 seconds and switch sides.

Spine Twist

Lying on the floor, place right foot on the left knee. Using your left hand, gently pull your right knee towards the floor, twisting your spine and keeping left arm straight out, hips and shoulders on the floor. Hold for 30 seconds and switch sides.

Exercises of the Week - Relaxing Stretches originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Tuesday, December 29th, 2009 at 07:00:36.

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It’s about that time…you know what I’m talking about. The new year is coming and this is a great time to stop and reflect on the past, think about the future and plan actions for the coming year. Here are some ideas for how to spend the time between Christmas and the new year as you gear up for the coming year:

Reflect

How was the last year for you in terms of exercise, fitness and health? Take some time to reflect on what you accomplished, what you should be proud of and, perhaps, what you could improve upon. A few things to look at:

• Exercise habits - Did you workout consistently enough to make exercise more of a habit this year? Think about your overall exercise habits and how they stacked up to your goals.
• Exercise enjoyment - Did you enjoy your workouts, at least on some level? Exercise may not be as fun as, say, lounging on the beach, but you should feel a sense of satisfaction, a job well done and something positive from your workouts. If you didn’t, think about how you could improve things. Could you choose activities you like more or a workout schedule that fits your lifestyle better?
• Success - Did you feel successful this year with your exercise? Whether your goal was to lose weight, get in shape or just make exercise a habit, how did you do? When you look back, do you feel you were successful overall?

Predict

After thinking about what you accomplished last year, think about the coming year. What would you like to improve upon? Some ideas:

• Exercise more consistently
• Push myself harder
• Give myself permission to rest more often
• Try new activities
• Give myself new challenges like training for a race

Plan

The last step is to think about your plan of attack. All those reflections and predictions are good, but taking action is the only way to get to where you want to go. Thinking about your predictions, how will you reach your goals? I’ll be covering this over the next few weeks, but now is a great time to think about putting together a plan of action.

What about you? Do you spend time reflecting, predicting and planning for the coming year? Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Vote in this week’s poll and leave a comment to tell us how you’ll prepare for the coming year.

Vote in This Week’s Poll: What are your New Year’s Resolutions? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Monday, December 28th, 2009 at 07:00:49.

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2010 may be the year that scientists find a cure for vitiligo, or they might not. You don’t have control over their work, but you do have full control over how you live with vitiligo. Will you let it beat you down for another year? Are you going to miss out on social functions because you’re embarrassed to show your skin?
I’m not a big believer in making new years resolutions, but Now is a good time to find a different way of defining what role vitiligo will play in your …

pratyahara (http://www.yogabasics.com/learn/creating-inner-focus-with-pratyahara.html), what the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali define as sense withdrawal. From this place free of external distractions,…

I’ve highlighted lots of weight loss success stories here, but weight loss isn’t the only benefit of exercise. In fact, one of the greatest (and most difficult) transitions we can make is to move from being sedentary to being more active.

It may seem impossible, especially for those of us who grew up in an inactive family, but it can be done - something my readers prove time and time again. Jackie is one of those people. She grew up with the motto, “No pain…no pain!” and lived her life accordingly…at least until she got older and realized she wasn’t happy with the way she felt or looked. As she said, “I had to get my head around the fact that changes needed to be made.”

Once she made up her mind, she started with a simple walking workout and changed from being sedentary to actually looking forward to her workouts. Read more about Jackie’s turnaround and share your own exercise story, if you have one. This time of year, we can use all the motivation we can get.

Reader Success Story: How Jackie Started Exercising originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Saturday, December 26th, 2009 at 07:00:24.

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It’s Christmas and, whether you’re celebrating that or other holidays, I hope you’re enjoying a relaxing day off with family and friends. Stay safe, stay warm and (you know I have to say it) stay fit. Some tips for enjoying this holiday:

• Turn off the computer
• Enjoy spending time with your family
• Get out for a slow, meandering walk today, if you can
• Relax and have some fun!

Thanks to my readers for making this a great year, despite everything going on in the world. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Photo © Photodisc/Getty Images

Happy Holidays! originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Friday, December 25th, 2009 at 07:00:37.

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Wishing you the blessings of warmth and good cheer this Holiday Season.

The best way to make winter exercise easier is to move to Hawaii and exercise there.

There. I said it.

Because moving to Hawaii is unlikely to occur for most of us, the next best thing is to make friends with winter weather and find ways to make it as easy as possible to get outside for some activity. Indoor workouts are always an option, but getting out is critical for those of us in the frozen tundra who treasure our sanity.

There are a few tips and tricks you can use to make outdoor exercise less shocking on the body like putting your clothes in the dryer or having your spouse drive next to you, blasting heat out the window (okay, maybe not that one).

How do you make winter exercise more pleasant? Leave a comment and tell us ways to get out and enjoy the season.

How to Make Winter Exercise Easier originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Thursday, December 24th, 2009 at 07:00:36.

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