2016 It’s A Wrap

2016 ended on a particularly sour note for me. My mother was in a car accident and underwent back surgery. A friend dislocated her shoulder, had surgery on that, then subsequently and totally unrelated, was told she needed to have major neck surgery to remove and replace 3 bulging discs. No options there. Then my neighbor had a stroke, and finally, in the last week of the Christmas rush at the store and with family visiting, I was flattened with a severe cold for three days and couldn’t move from my bed.

All of this brought into piercing focus how your health can influence the quality of your life in the most dramatic of fashion. We take good health, the normal stuff of everyday life for granted. But, when things take an unforeseeable turn, it can be life changing for better or for worse.

As I creep up to the threshold of 60 years young (yes), I am reminded that our bodies are our most precious gift. We need to treat it well because there is no replacement that works quite like the original. So now that I have the proverbial 10 pound creep (so the scale says), and a slower metabolism, I have decided that even though I truly eat sensibly and smaller portions, I need to get moving! I ride and train a horse 2 times a week. This is great cardio, but riding muscles are not the same as using those muscles for strength and flexibility. Each year at this time, we all vow to do “SOMETHING” about the extra pounds but slowly wane as the months pass. My thought on this is rather than focus on a number, focus on a daily commitment to get moving, try to cut back on the sugar and the salt, use good olive oil and fresh ingredients when cooking and generally develop a life style habit that will carry you further on the good health meter.

So whatever your goal may be, sometimes the simplest solution is just to get up and get outside. Dedicate 20 minutes of your time every day to getting some fresh air and sunshine. When that is not possible, I can always rely on my exercise routines I have learned from watching Fit-TV years ago. The key is establishing a routine, mobilize from the couch and use your time more wisely.

If not now, and yes, this is my personal call to action, then when? Come on! Let’s have a healthy 2017, lose the squishiness and become trimmer (not skinny) to reveal the new and improved version of yourself.

EAT WELL… LIVE WELL… FEEL FABULOUS!

Are you with me?