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Weekly Health Tip: Wherever
you go there you are When my master and I were walking in the rain, he would say, - Shunryu Suzuki You can see also the weekly health tip on the Recess home page at: http://www.recessfitness.com Spam filters - such haters!
Things we love and want to share with you...
Portland Picks publisher Kathi O'Neil visited our super secret boxing
society. Kathi was feeling the love for probably a week after class, "I
was sore for 6 days....the BEST and hardest workout ever, and I work out
- a lot." And that's a quote, people. City Search. We all know City Search, right? And rightly so. Now is your chance to get 10% off coupons for Recess services only from CitySearch. While you are there, keep the lovefest going strong and write a review - now is your chance share your opinion about Recess' classes and services with others. Portland, OR: Super secret boxing and yoga societies
Healthy lifestyle D.I.Y. - Love your life, but start small
Remember all of those New Year's resolutions to be healthier? Yeah, I hate to bring up a sore subject, but why do we tend to be so unsuccessful when we begin the year so earnest and intent? The study of habit formation leads us to believe that identifying and practicing change is a far more effective means of learning new behaviors than simply willing the change to occur. Instead of revamping your lifestyle, and ultimately dooming it to failure,
write a list of small things you would like to change (i.e. get 8 hours
of sleep a night, say hello to my neighbor each morning, go for a walk
at lunch time). Pick something from the list and put that change into
practice for 21 days straight. Give yourself a reward when you achieve
your goal (a massage or a new article of clothing). Doing things this
way makes change easier and more sustainable. This can be applied to virtually
any aspect of your life. If we take diet as an example, many people believe that to lose excess weight, they must take drastic measures i.e. dieting, working out intensively. The truth of the matter is, no one becomes overweight or out of shape overnight. Falling out of integrity in any portion of our lives whether that is nutrition, exertion, relationships or coping with stress, has been a steady and slow process of erosion for most of us. Conversely, a hopeful process of reestablishing good health must be slow,
steady and deliberate, not sweeping and dramatic. The accumulation of
subtle changes made with discipline and intention are more effective in
the long term at producing results. A recent New York Times article on high calorie beverages in schools
as they relate to childhood obesity contains an excellent example of how
small, nearly imperceptible changes can really add up: Sugary sodas, which have about 150 calories per 12-ounce serving,
are just one element in the high-calorie diet of many young people, Mr.
Clinton said, and most children do not exercise enough. But he said that
studies show that if an 8-year-old child begins cutting his food intake
by 45 calories a day, "every day until he graduates from high school,
he will weigh 20 pounds less." 45 calories a day. That's 1/3 of a soda, half a candy bar, or a teaspoon
of sugar in your tea or coffee. Would life really be so awful without
that forgone indulgence? What about having just one piece of office candy
instead of two? What about having a cookie every OTHER day instead of
every day? Put a modest strategy into play for 21 days, make it your new
habit and then watch, over the years as you see steady results. The principle of slow and steady change applies not only to food, but to every other aspect of health as well. Is there a way that you interact with your spouse or friends that you would like to change about yourself (that they would like you to change)? Why not resolve to simply be mindful of that change for 21 days? How does it impact your relationship? How could you make subtle efforts to change the dynamic? As an example, try starting every conversation with "How are you?" and really stop to listen to the answer, ask questions, try being interested. It needn't turn into a one-on-one therapy session with your conversation partner, but watch as it changes the dynamic of your interactions and the way you feel as a result.
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