Hi,
What is your favorite exercise? Do you have one? Do you have a least favorite? Is it still your least favorite? If you don't have a favorite exercise, then there are some opportunities out there to explore. Maybe this month or this week, it would be a good idea to try 10 to 20 different fitness exercises and see which ones you like best. It could be anything from walking to bicep curls, to crunches. Most of my clients prefer medicine ball exercises, like slamms, side tosses or throw and catch drills. I personally like hiking and jogging with pullups as a distant second. If havent exercised in a while, this might be a fun project that could start a healthy habit. Have fun! 
Hi everybody,
Sometimes you need to do things for other people. Exercising and healthy eating can be something you do for your friends, coworkers or family. You can bring it into their lives by doing it with them or in front of them, by making it part of your life, you make it part of their lives. Do something to inspire someone to health. You don't have to be good at it, you just need to do it to pass it on and be an inspiration. 
It's getting hot outside. But the outdoors is still a great place to workout, or just get some exercise. I challenge each of you to find a trail or place outside that you can do some exercise or movement in the shade, and make that your go to place on a hot day. Make it your me time and your exercise time, and you have got something really effective and efficient. Now, go out there and find it. 
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to remind you that flexibility is good for you. I know you know that, but it's just as important to moving as other things you do for yourself, like brushing your teeth or balancing your budget. My advice? The next time you are about to do a great workout but just don't have the motivation to get off of the couch or out the door. Pick your top 3 most needed stretch areas of your body and do a stretch for them. Mine are my neck, upper shoulders and groin. If you are feeling good go ahead and do more body parts, if you now feel like heading out and doing more, great. If you still don't feel like doing anything else. Try again tomorrow.
Thanks for reading, see you soon and check out goodlifefitness.us for more tips, tricks and videos.
P.S. I have a new eating guide called Slim Body Simple, you can get it for free at Good Life Fitness.
Thanks,
Mac Dodds
Sometimes when we think about what to do in our exercise programs, we go into what we know best, even if that hasn't been very successful for us. For me, working different muscle groups, and making sure to fit each one in during the week was something that made sense for what I wanted to accomplish for years. Sometimes we think about, doing cardio, or weights, and stretching each week (another direction I went in for quite some time) in order to have a more rounded and pain free body. I think your fitness needs determine what you do for exercise.
What you want to get from the exercise is important and it's a good place to start when you are creating a new routine, or adjusting your current routine. That way you can still have the outcome you want from the exercises even though the equipment or actual exercises you do may change. For instance we changed one of my clients programs today to include lateral and linear power exercises each week, because he wants to function better getting in and out of streams as a fisherman. Power training and upper-body flexibility are the types of exercise that we will work on to meet his fitness needs. What physical needs can be met from your fitness program?
Thanks,
Mac Dodds
I think we all need to do some type of exercise outside. For most of us it's not possible year round. It gets hot in the summer and it get's cold and wet other times of the year. Exercising outside at those times can take more planning and be less comfortable. So, why not get out and go for a hike or a jog, or do some stretching and pushups or lunges in your back yard. If you get in the habit now, it will be easier to continue when it starts to get hot this summer.
Thanks,
Start living now! 
When you think about what you are doing this weekend, or asking someone what they are doing this weekend. Is it active? What do you consider active? Is it gardening, housework, washing the car? Or are you taking a hike, playing catch, helping someone move? (great exercise by the way), how about doing a workout with your partner, spouse or friend? Maybe a 20 minute rejuvination stretching session is in order. I think all of those things could be considered active, and there's no wrong answer. Be active this weekend and let activity become the habit that you use to keep your mind and body fresh and engaged.
I was talking to a client this morning about getting the body they want and we discussed the 5 components of fitness. She did not know what they were and that each area should be considered in a well rounded fitness program for the general apparently-healthy population. So I decided to list them and let you consider how each plays a role in your own exercise programming.
1. Cardiovascular Fitness
2. Muscular Strength
3. Muscular Endurance
4. Flexibility
5. Body Composition
A side note: Adults age 55 and over need to consider mobility, agility, flexibility, and power as major components of functional daily living program to fight off disability as you age! I will talk more about gracefull aging in my next blog post. Thank You!
We all get tired and we all have lots of responsibilities, yet we all need to exercise our bodies. When you are tired and not feeling like you can make it through a whole workout. Don't. Do something but don't do the whole thing. Try doing the first half or the last half of your workout. If you just feel like stretching, do that. But don't skip it all together. If you pick one thing to do you will keep moving in the right direction and feel better about yourself at the same time. Don't be hard on yourself, just do something and feel better. That's what life long fitness and good living is all about.
Take a minute to look at the big picture of your fitness life. If you are just starting look at how you can make your "me time" your "exercise time". For the rest of us who deliberately exercise more frequently, revisit what it is that you want most or need most from your body. Here's the different part, don't think about it, feel it. Pay attention to your body when you are sitting, standing, and moving, Do you need flexibility, or to get some energy out? What if you feel your legs getting tired while you do stairs, or your arms and neck getting tired, when you do dishes, or work at a desk. Listen to your body this week and see what your body needs to feel it's best. Then see if you can work on that area during your next "me time" opportunity.
