Targeting Problem Areas of the Body

Ahhh..."Bingo Wings" strike again! That jiggly loose flesh on our triceps region is a pain! I have good and bad news. First the good news, I do have help for you. Next the bad news, the "Bingo Wings" are stretched out skin with fat in them and you cannot do any specific exercise to "target" fat in a specific area. If you could, gum chewers would all have skinny faces.

I know ads say this or that exercise will target….

Unfortunately it is scientifically impossible to spot reduce (remove fat from one area by doing a specific exercise). This is why. Fat is stored in our bodies much like gas is stored in a tank. The fat cells all work simultaneously to store or burn this energy resource. Unlike a car, our tanks grow. We do not choose where our tanks (fat cells) exist in our bodies. This is heredity. If most of my fat was in my lower body (common in many women) and I spent many hours daily using and upper body ergometer (bike wheel you turn with your hands.) ...then added seated upper body exercises and reduced my caloric intake: I WOULD ACTUALLY LOSE FAT ON MY LOWER BODY!!!! My arms might even get bigger from the muscles I was building there if I really pushed it hard. 

I always feel so sorry for the girls with big thighs at the gym doing all the lower body exercise machines thinking this is the way to lose the fat there. Any exercise will help and they would be so much better off with a well rounded program that actually focused on building upper body muscle, while losing lower body fat. Result - a more hour glass shape!

Do not despair! We still have ways to work on a specific area.

Remember this is loose skin with excess fat so...

1. You are already building your engine capacity to burn the excess fat reserves on your arms by lifting weights.

2. Both your weight lifting and cardio sessions are burning up fat. If you only do cardio, you will burn up muscle too (not good!!!) This is why I have you doing both. I will have another blog post on this called:

“Body sculpting” It will give more detail.

Kathryn Upper Body

Now to get specific on how to attack the “Bingo Wings”. (I call it the Queen’s wave. Arm lifted gently waving but another wave is going on below!)

1. The Bicep and Triceps exercises (and shoulder to a degree) will start to fill up the extra skin and create FIRM defined muscles; simultaneously, you will be reducing the fat there (and all over your body) – the extra unnecessary fat just jiggles. The workouts you are receiving, along with cardio and diet will reshape everything.

When it is all said and done, nothing short of plastic surgery will remove older stretched out skin. However, as we age, as long as what is under the looser skin is firm and has a healthy amount of fat (rather than excess), it will look great!

Keep in mind also that we all have areas we do not like but we all have areas we do. That is because everyone has fat somewhere or other. My best friend used to walk in my office at the gym and say, “I wish I had your legs.” I carry very little fat on my legs and her body fat is much more prevalent from the hips down (giving her a tiny cute waist that I will never have!)

One day when she pined, I said, “OK, deal, I will trade my legs for your waist.”

“Hmmm…maybe I should be happy for what I have.” was her response. Truthfully, she loved her tiny waist and she liked her girly hips. I am very square and more boxy shaped than most girls. We really must be grateful for how beautiful we are and then do our best to work on sculpting as best as we can. I work on building bigger shoulders and butt to detract from the straight look of my body. It works! It makes my body much shapier than it would be otherwise.

I will help you with these areas and steer you in the best direction for your specific shape!

Balancing A Fit Lifestyle

Look at my crazy family in action and you'll know that humans are happiest when we move, laugh, enjoy...We ARE Bodies In Motion! Preserving and enhancing the ability to move freely and feel great is the goal of my company, Feel Better Fit

I am not trying to turn everyone into a body builder. Some individuals are born athletes or discover their passion for athletics or competitive weight lifting and that's wonderful. My purpose, however, is to improve lives through fitness educating, training and mentoring. Part of the process of change is learning and practicing; developing new habits and even cleaning and cleansing. It can be likened to taking a class. Eventually, the rigorous part is over and it's implementation time!

A big part of adopting the overall fitness lifestyle is being flexible with the dips and peaks of normal daily life. It's a lifestyle, not a job. In the beginning, change feels like a job because we're learning, sorting things out and developing new habits. All of this takes concentration and will power.

It's human nature to get caught up in this and get too focused; even become negative in our self evaluation. Avoid being harsh on yourself. Don't give in to discouragement nor fall into an obsessed mindset. The goal is self education and improvement. Adopt and adapt into a better overall way of living. Value your accomplishments and refuse to be self critical! You've come a long way! You've seen your body has some pretty amazing potential you weren't aware of!

Becoming and staying fit is like having a pet. It requires some commitment but it shouldn't rule the household. There's training involved and changes but eventually they become a daily routine. Some things get abandoned. Some become normal. Others are intermittent. It should enhance your life, not control it.

When your pet annoys you, you remember how much joy he/she also gives you and why he/she is around. Then you figure out if this is a passing moment of annoyance or something you need to address.

Haha, relationships with humans aren't much different I guess! Appreciating value in anything ENHANCES it's value and enjoyment of it! Focusing on the negative just takes away all the joy in life!

Back to the pet analogy - Jubilee was my best friend (chow) for many years. I never felt scared living out in the boonies, despite not having a man in the house. She was right there at my feet wherever I went and loved me endlessly! She didn't chew furniture, bark or mark the house. I had trained her not to touch food unless it was in her bowl and she NEVER did! She was very private so she only pooped in the woods lol! She was nearly a perfect dog!

Then she lost bladder control while sitting or sleeping. She was pretty old, so I went to the vet thinking I would find out that she had some incurable disease. I was prepared to face the painful task of putting her to sleep. BUT, she just needed a pill every day! Problem solved! I crushed it into a smidgen of canned food each morning and she lived on, as my best friend for quite a few more years.

Right after she died, for the first time ever, I felt scared leaving for work at 4am in the dark. It didn't occur to me me right away why I was scared. Then I realized Jubilee wasn't just my best friend, she was my body guard too. I still miss her "love" and companionship that she always gave immeasurably! No wonder kings had chows for pets!

So when your new "pet" - a healthier lifestyle gets in the way, set limits, put up fences, do some research or one on one training; get expert advice if needed. DON'T forget the benefits or let the "pet" rule your life! DON'T throw out the baby with the bath water! Clean things up in your mindset. It may be that you need to morph to the next stage of becoming fit. This may be maintenance or a new pursuit....or just slowing down a bit, if momentum has got you out of control! I can promise you that if you "lose" your fitness altogether, you will see all of the things about it that you took for granted! You will miss your "body guard"!

Life can be a pendulum swing. We're WAY out of whack in an area, so we swing WAY too far (mentally anyway) in the opposite direction. This is OK at first. It helps us to get away from bad habits and really feel the effects of change. However, we need to settle the pendulum into the center - get balanced! Take stock of the positive benefits of our learning experience and determine to be flowing and flexible always.

Life is fluid, not rigid! Growth is fun! Enjoy it! Don't focus on the workout you didn't do or the cookies you ate. Remind yourself that you used to sit on the couch and eat the whole bag after scarfing down Mac n Cheese for dinner. Now you have learned why to eat lots of veggies, drink lots of water and limit empty calories. You know cholesterol only comes from animal products and how much is a safe amount daily that you can ingest before running the risk of blocking up your arteries! You are aware of all the hidden garbage and empty calories that you didn't know existed in your diet. You'll still eat the foods that have them, but you will limit the intake. Ahhh...now you understand why he/she could easily say, "I'll just take a small slice. Thanks!" It was education and experience, not self control that inspired and empowered your friend!

You used to think you were weak and just not able to do physically challenging things. Now you know what you are capable of. You have learned that your body responds to challenging physical activity by adapting...becoming stronger!  You use to think you were "a bit of a glutton, with no self control" lol. Now you understand the blood sugar roller coaster that was affecting your system and telling you what to do! You know that some of those snack cravings were just thirst in disguise. You grew some new taste buds and found out appetites can be retrained to like new things! You know how damaging it is to starve yourself! You know muscles are your body engine and do not want to lose them. You've been freed by education and diligence! You can apply these principles in other areas of growth too!

You've learned tricks to cleanse your body when its stuck in a rut, on the sugar roller coaster or habitually eating badly. You've been enlightened about some of the myths. You understand better how the body machine works. You can take all this now and fly where you want with it! You'll probably eat salad dressing part of the time but now, when you do, you will likely have it "on the side". And when your pants get snug, you'll switch to lemon juice for awhile and start exercising again! The difference is that now you know how to safely do it!

Unless you're a gardener, you don't habitually plant gardens however you do cut the grass regularly and trim bushes and fertilize when needed. You may even spray some weed killer or spread some seeds!

The point is, you don't have to be an all out athlete or body builder to Feel Better Fit, but you will benefit if you continue to:

...cut the grass, fertilize, trim, weed, sow seeds and maybe you'll even plant a award winning garden once in awhile.

The naked truth is that I was a figure competitor and power lifter. I learned amazing things about my self and I will always be grateful for that. I am not either of those now! I go days or weeks without lifting a weight, taking a jog, hanging from my homemade suspension gear or making up dance/exercise routines in my dining room. I am still a fitness/movement/nutrition enthusiast! I recently started running again after months of inactivity and within a few weeks ran farther than I have ever gone! I set a new personal record for myself. If I had stopped exercising all together because I became self-defeating toward myself when life was too busy...if I had ignored the nagging desire to "hit the pavement" because I knew there would be some catch-up conditioning involved...I would've missed this milestone!

Why am I not always regimented? I have a life! I don't lose every benefit when I choose other activities or responsibilities. I still am active, fit and know what I am capable of! I miss it when I don't have time for it but it will be there when I return from other pursuits. I try new things and re-invent fun on a regular basis. 

Let fitness be your tool to free you, not your master to control you! Stay balanced! Stay positive! Keep improving and being a body in motion!

Celebrate Success! Learn From Mistakes!

Keep Going Forward!

Feel Better Fit!

The Kinetic Chain

Picture a tow truck with a massive chain, pulling a large vehicle out of deep mud. Now, replace a few links of the chain with a weak small chain. Despite the strength of the larger links or the power of the tow truck, the job is impossible. The weaker links fail.

The body in movement is very similar to the chain of the tow truck. If any required areas are weak, the body is unable to complete the desired task. If pushed beyond capacity, the weaker links will break and injury will result. Unlike the tow truck chain, in the human "chain", when weak links are protected, other areas jump in to do the job, effectually overstraining themselves. The outcome; the weak gets weaker, the strong become over worked and tight and movement is imbalanced, risking the tearing of connective tissue and the wearing out of joint padding as bones unevenly rub across joints. Eventually, we hear cracking of ligaments and crunching of bone on bone. The resulting deterioration of joints is responsible for many aches and pains.

Osteoarthritis, degenerative disk disease, sciatic nerve pain, fibromyalgia, sometimes even migraine headaches find their true cause, or bare minimum an inflaming of symptoms related to muscle imbalance. Most of these issues can at least find some relief from strengthening and balancing the kinetic chain.

We hear alot about core strength, and rightly so. In an age of "sit and slump" at a desk, in a vehicle, in front of a TV, and even on exercise equipment, we are prone to neglect the core of our body. I'm thrilled that everywhere, people are getting up and moving their bodies!

Now, it's time to address HOW we move! The next step in overall body health and strength improvement is to create more balanced movement in general, and specifically to strengthen the "weaker links" in the kinetic chain. There are several areas of the body that trainers see neglected and in need of strengthening. Overall, I find the muscles that surround the shoulder blades to be the most common area of weakness in most individuals. Unfortunately, many common ailments are either caused or negatively affected by this inferior "link" in the chain of everyday movement.

Do your current physical activities strengthen or weaken the area between, below and around the shoulder blades? Does it really matter? What spinal position do you spend the majority of your workday in? Do you experience any shoulder pain (front, back or shooting down the side of arm), neck, middle or lower back pain?

The region of the upper back spanning from neck to just below the shoulder blade, and across the back, virtually from arm pit to arm pit is probably the weakest link in the kinetic chain for most people. This holds true, especially for those who spend long hours at a computer. It can also be a problem for athletes because, with very few exceptions, sports usually strengthen muscles in the front of the upper body more than the back.

Most workouts neglect the majority of the 17 muscles attached to each shoulder blade, resulting in an imbalance in upper body movement. An old trainer's adage holds true, "Most people only train what they can see in the mirror." Not only can we not see the upper middle back without strategically placing mirrors to do so, most people can't even reach it, due to opposing tightness in the front of the upper body! In my many years training athletes, competitors, kids, seniors, post rehab patients and average exercisers, I have found this to be the overall MOST neglected area on almost everyone and unfortunately the underlying cause of most shoulder and neck injuries. Weakness in this area also contributes to lower back problems.

Babies are born with a concave curve in the spine reflecting the snuggled fetal position. Almost immediately, an instinctive impulse to "see the world" kicks in and the infant struggles to lift the head (or when being held upright, to thrust backward). This lifting movement strengthens the muscles supporting the spine in preparation for bearing the weight of standing and eventually walking. As the muscles strengthen, the spine realigns out of its former curve and into the optimal position to evenly and safely distribute body weight for upright movement.

Unfortunately, as we age, life's burdens tend to lean us back forward into the prenatel position, wreaking havoc on the discs and bones of the spine, while also stretching out and weakening the upper back and rotator cuff muscles. The resulting slumping position rolls shoulders and entire upper body weight forward, putting tremendous pressure on the lower back. I don't even need to start discussing how much damage this does to the lower back. It would be a conservative estimate to say that 75% of people have some type of lower back malady by the time they reach their 30th birthday!

I'm guessing, right this moment, your straightening up out of the slumping position you assumed to read this. You may also be lifting your rib cage, stretching out the chest, considering that pain you've between concerned about or the stiffness in your lower back.

Now settle back into your comfy little forward slump and think about your belly. The abdominal muscles are totally at rest in this position, while the lower back is both stretched and strained simultaneously. Ideally, in any upright position, the entire core, both front and back muscles are recruited simultaneously. If we could trigger tiny lights in each muscle fiber as it's fired, we would see a sparkling light show of constant movement around the core of our body as it balances the mass weight of the head, shoulders, arms, back and chest. So, if the majority of your day, the light show (especially in the abdominals) turns off....well, you really can't expect it to easily jump into action at command, much less display an amazing six pack at the beach!

By now, I hope the importance of addressing weaker areas of the kinetic chain, is starting to take it's rightful place of importance in your quest for improving your health and fitness. Even adequate breathing is constrained by the slumping forward position that compresses the diaphragm, preventing full aspiration of the lungs. Like most insidious bad habits, this one sneaks into our sitting, standing and moving norms and then strengthens its own cycle unless we actively work on reversing it. Follow the example of the newborn, "training" the weak muscles to "see" what they're missing out on, and you will most likely be physically rejuvenated while diminishing aches and pains, achieving greater overall strength and presenting a more attractive, confident stance. Like mom said, "Stand up straight!"

I include a variety of exercises, addressing upper back and shoulder stability in my client's training programs, as well as in my own workouts. I'll be introducing a number of these, complete with tips and pictures to assist you in proper form. Of course, an awareness of good posture usually arises when we begin to address this problem area. Hopefully, this will spill over into your everyday activities and help you develop a lifestyle conducive to strengthening your entire upper body for greater balance and strength.

Here's a great suspension exercise that targets this area:

1. Hold arms dirctly above head to find starting position.
2. Keep feet in that position and drop into a squat.
3. Use lower body to raise yourself up while lifting arms above head. Near top, start using arms to complete lift, while squeezing shoulder blades back and down.
4. Afer reaching top (shoulder blades squeezed firmly back and down) return to squat position and repeat.

Keep arms straight throughout movement. Use as much lower body as needed, then allow arms to start working when they are able.

Shoulder Workout At Home

This workout is a superset routine. I wanted to get done quickly and still have maximum results. For this type of training, one area rests, while another works. Then we alternate back and forth. This tends to keep the heart rate up so it's tiring. It works best with light to medium resistance. Otherwise, you'll run out of steam.

Super setting is great for busy lifestyles. It's also frequently utilized by body builders and figure competitors during "shredding" which refers to the time preceding a show when maximum bodyfat reduction with minimal muscle loss is the goal. Competitors may experience a reduction in overall strength during shredding because they are limiting calories. Using high energy, yet lower strength emphasis workout is ideal for their needs.

With a normal healthy diet, this type workout will help you convert (lose fat, while gaining muscle tone) to reach your goals in no time!

Alternating Exercises - 3 sets each. Choose/adapt resistance to complete suggested repetitions in good form.

Dumbbell shoulder press, squat/switch 40 reps

Alternate with:
Suspension squat/straight arm overhead raise 10-15 reps with good form
Clicking on picture below will take you to Kenetic Chain Post. Directions to preform exercise correctly are at bottom of post.


Tubing front raise 20 reps
Alternating with:
Rear dumbbell fly 20 reps each side

Dumbbell shoulder presses 15 reps
Alternate with:
Cobra exercise (hands free)
Face down on mat, contract abs, raise head, arms and feet. Hold 6 seconds. Rest and repeat 3 times

Tubing Lateral Raises
Alternating with:
Ball Exercise Crunches

Home Workout - Chest Strength/Muscle Growth
Superset 2 exercises - 3 sets each
Dumbbell chest press on exercise ball - 15 reps
Alternate with:
Exercise ball crunches using tubing for extra resistance - 20 reps
Tubing fly - single arm - 12 reps, each side
Alternate with:
Tubing external rotation for rotator cuff strength - 15 reps each side
Suspension pushups (or regular) - to failure
Alternate with:
Kneeling opposite arm/leg raise - 20 reps
This workout focuses on strength and hypertrophy (muscle growth). The suspension push up recruits stabilizers. The arm/leg raises develop balance and core strength. The rotator cuff muscles are unseen, yet integral shoulder stabilizers that affect chest, back and shoulder movement.
Training Tip:
Warm up with a light weight dumbbell chest press. Choose a weight that you can preform 25-30 reps of. 2 sets - rest between.
Diet Tip:
Beans and peas - incorporate in after workout meals. They are typically 1/2 carb and 1/2 protein. Season with interesting herbs, etc (garlic, onion, parsley, basil, cilantro).

Back Strength Workout

Gym Workout - Back Strength/Muscle Growth
3 sets each, rest between sets
D-handle bar lat pull down - 15 reps (adjust resistance accordingly)
Low rows -15 reps
Smith machine pull-up to failure: kneel on floor head BELOW bar n use to of feet to give slight assistance. To set up, stand by machine and set bar to chin height approximately. *Make sure your knees are in front of bar (when kneeling), head below it and suck your belly in to protect and strengthen abdominal muscles.
Alternate these 2 exercises without rests between sets:
6 second static crunches - 6 times
Light weight dumbbell rows - 25 reps each arm standing on opposite leg (beginners keep other hand lightly touching wall or exercise ball till better balance is achieved)
This workout focuses on strength and hypertrophy(growth). The last two exercises are added to develop balance, recruit stabilizers and focus on neuromuscular development in the core. They may get the heart pumping a little too, if done quickly!
Weight Loss Tip:
Follow workout immediately with 20+ minutes of cardio.
Diet Tip:
Eat within 1 hour a meal containing-
Complex carb
Protein
Vegetable

Setting A Goal

I desire change and change usually follows a set of steps that typically go something like this:

1. A desire to achieve something
I desire to improve my current fitness level.

2. A realization that it can be achieved is arrived at, accompanied by thoughtful questioning of "how to" complete the task.
I am always more committed to a task if I can see some greater good to others so I will record my experience. The feeling of being productive combined with the accountability factor will increase my motivation to be consistent.

3. A commitment to move forward takes place and is possibly confirmed by some outward action.
I posted an entry to mark the beginning of my commitment.

4. The goal to be achieved is more distinctly defined.
I have reflected on my goals for several days. I tend to be over-zealous when training so it is important that I set my "bar" of achievement realistically. Since my goal is two-fold in nature (training and writing) I have to intertwine the goals realistically. Here goes:

Training - Increase Muscle and reduce bodyfat primarily by conversion (not weight loss) Final bodyfat goal - 16-17%. Current bodyfat is 21% (I may lose a few pounds but the primary goal would be to increase lean mass; ie: muscle) I expect to allow approximately 6 months to reach my goal. Although I could lose the bodyfat in much less time through more extreme dieting and cardio workouts, and then try to gain the muscle mass afterward, I know that a woman my age cannot gain muscle as quickly as others and the higher bodyfat will actually make gaining muscle and maintaining strength easier. There is also a greater risk of losing muscle if I drop bodyfat too quickly and I LOVE MUSCLE! I'll explain why later. It deserves its own entry!

Writing - Motivate others by making frequent entries that cover many aspects of training.

5. A plan conducive to completion is created.
Take my bodyfat and weight and create a goal (see number 4 above)
Begin daily training and eating optimal diet.
Set ideal times for training and writing to avoid having either goal "slip through the cracks".
Start recording my workout and diet to post.
Actively publish my blog to others in diverse ways.
At least once a week, delve deeper into some aspect of training.
Make monthly assessments of weight and bodyfat and explain their relevance.
Make weekly adjustments to my plan as needed.

6. Possible obstacles are identified and premeditated so that they may be more easily overcome.
I know my schedule changes frequently and that my workouts and writing times will have to be adjusted, rather than skipped altogether.

The first step in my training, defining a realistic developmental goal, has been accomplished. I took a caliper bodyfat test today and did the math to decide what my goal is. I'll start my workout regimine tomorrow. Eating appropriately for my goal is second nature for me but I will spend time in future blogs outlining it for others. My actual training plan is to devote a portion of time daily to resistance training of at least one bodypart (5 days a week). I'll detail my plan in future entries.

Cardio will probably only be 2-3 times weekly because I don't have any real weight loss goal. My purpose in cardio is to develop/maintain cardio-respiratory fitness. I have asthma which has a less negative effect on my quality of life as long as I keep up my cardio. To achieve this, I'll utilize a combination of jogging and practicing new choreographs for Zumba. I am planning to run a 5K in a few weeks so jogging should be at the forefront presently.

Worthwhile pursuits are much easier with a plan. I have a base structure in place. I still need to lock down best time of the day to train and write. I'm leaning toward morning for both because mornings have the least conflict for me currently but as a trainer, my schedule is constantly rewriting itself. Trainers train at the times that work for clients. This requires flexibility. Like most people, I find it much easier to stay on track if I have a specific time of day devoted to developing my fitness goals. The constantly changing schedules I keep are probably my biggest obstacle to success at consistent training. The plan will have to be reevaluated and adjusted depending on how it works in practical application as these changes in my circumstances occur. Some expected changes are:

Presidential Fitness testing time requires extra work
Two new training groups probably starting in the next few weeks
School lets out soon (additional kid duties)
Teenager has to dropped off and picked up from driver's ed class
Online training should be up and running within the next month
New Zumba classes will probably be starting

Now that I have defined a realistic goal, created a workable plan and have determined possible obstacles, I'm ready to begin. I'm eargerly anticipating having alot of fun and a great outcome!

Follow Me to Fitness

I recently reached a pinnacle of life; my 50th birthday. But another pinnacle has been conquered. I can proudly say that I have not only given birth to 8 children, I survived 30 years of parenting them. My oldest turned 30 today. He said to me on the phone, "I guess I'm at the top of the hill now."

I chuckled, replying, "No son, I am and at 50, you KNOW you're heading down!"

His woeful, yet humorous response was, "As out-of-shape as I am, I'm going to be a wreck when I'm 50."

I reminded him, as any good trainer/mom should, "Don't worry son, you have an entire 20 years to shape up before the descent."

Since I am officially heading "downhill", I've decided to start the trip off right. I'm embarking on a new personal challenge. Once again, I'll be logging it here on FeelBetterFit Blog. It will be mingled with my trainer's knowledge, supported by professional references and delivered in faith because that's what I'm about. Use my entries to inspire and guide you to make positive changes toward a more healthful lifestyle.

Healthful Living has two components: Change & Maintenance

My plan is two fold.
1. Change
Set a goal and log my workouts and diet. I will utilize assessments to provide measurable results, working toward a specific goal of changing my current fitness level.

2. Maintain
Rather than stop upon reaching a desired outcome, I will share personally how I maintain good health by logging my maintenance plan: healthful living that is a way of life, not just training.

Why am I doing this?

Sharing the way I view life, health, exercise, diet and even temptation, I can arm others with tools to live life more "abundantly!" I learn always; change always; grow in grace always. I am not the person I was thirty, twenty, ten years ago. In fact, I'm not the person I was one year ago or even yesterday!

In life, as I approach obstacles, I tend to view them in a trainer's mindset. Physical training, spiritual training and even intellectual training have many similarities and shared elements. I believe that "practicing" overcoming obstacles in any area can help fit us for the others. In my entries about forming a habit, the concepts of the strengthening of will power and the scientific data backing it are explored. Take a look at these posts, if you haven't done so yet. Training in general, in any area of life will increase our capabilities and make us more useful while also changing who we are and how we think, act and preform everyday tasks. As we "practice" any behavior, it becomes a habit and requires much less effort. Life gets better! We have improved!

All training can be broken down into a series of choices. A student chooses to take a course; show up for class; listen to the professor, study the material, take the exam and hence receive the reward of understanding new concepts and possibly earning a certificate or degree. A child chooses to listen to a parent's instruction; follow it to their best ability; ask questions; take suggestions and eventually they become capable of preforming everyday duties with ease. If we make choices to push through any new activity everyday, it gets easier and we get better at the task. We receive the reward of growing and changing in positive ways. The process of training, although sometimes difficult is almost always rewarding and builds our confidence in our ability to improve who and what we are.

Each day circumstances present themselves and we are changed by them. The outcome of that change is a result of the choices we make. Those choices become stepping stones, or gravestones. Some we build monuments with. Others we mount as jewels. We may lay new paths, create havens, inspire with beautiful mosaics and design bridges that carry us over obstacles. Hopefully we never use them to cast at others. If we step back a bit and view the choices of our lives as stones, we will see an ever changing landscape we are building; a city with many gates and gardens.

In any "city" that a life of choices has built, there are many crooked paths, broken walls and poorly erected edifices. Mine is no different. I easily get discouraged when I see them but I have to focus on the repairs and new construction, and acknowledge that even my mistakes and failures are all a part of what has made me who and what I am. So, should you "Follow Me to Fitness", take the advice I gave my son, and start repairing things with a positive "Moving Forward" attitude. Refuse to give in to self-defeating thoughts. People change and you will be different next year than you are today. If good choices are included between now and then, what can you expect? Change is inevitable. The nature of that change is not!

Use the principles and examples I give to improve your fitness, your will power, your confidence and your spiritual life. Make your experience, one of personal growth, viewing your own life's "city" of choices and don't get too reliant on me, but develop yourself, always looking up!