Boze's Archive
Here you will find a wide selection of articles we published in the past.
These articles can be very useful for you workout and healthy living
resources. Enjoy!
Use visualization to help you succeed!
Visualization can help you achieve your goals. Athletes have been using the technique for years to mentally prepare for competition. So have professional speakers before a speech and actors before doing their scene. The images we create in our mind have tremendous power, and so do the emotions that go with them. You can use this power to your advantage to help you stay fit and active.
Research suggests that visual cues are also important factors in helping meet your goals. A picture of what you want (or don’t want) to look like; a vacation postcard that you’re using as a reward; a detailed account of your personal goals listed on the fridge, on your car dashboard, on your desk at work - these images can all help you stick to your plans.
How Do Visual Cues Work? First, let’s review how the brain processes information. The mind simply can’t keep up with the millions and millions of visual data that bombard it. So the conscious mind doesn’t even bother trying. It simply passes most of the info along to be processed somewhere else. According to brain specialist Amy K. Hutchens, 99% of learning is done on a non-conscious level - that is, vision dominates your brain activity and behaviors. Basically, what we see can determine how we act.
Your brain needs a method of filtering through the clutter and locking onto what’s important. A process known as the “reticular activation system” (RAS) sorts through those millions of bits of data and makes sure you’re only aware of certain things. It calls your attention only to the details that you don’t want to miss, such as hearing your name in a crowd.
Have you ever thought of buying a new car? Once you made a conscious decision to start shopping it probably seemed like you were seeing the model you were looking for everywhere. In actuality the probability of seeing that particular model of car didn’t change - you just noticed them more often. That’s because this specific priority was now “registered” with your RAS.
Being active is also a priority that can be “registered” the same way. For example, if you write down a solid detailed vision of your goals your vision will pop up when you need it. Once you write something down or see a picture of your goal, your brain starts to work on that goal without you even realizing it. You’ll be drawn toward making the right decisions more often.
Another way visual cues can help keep your motivation high is through the power of positive association. Seeing a positive stimulus increases the production of serotonin, which is responsible for feelings of well-being and satisfaction. Seeing that same cue often enough builds a pattern of positive response that creates momentum. I call this effect the self-fulfilling prophecy - the satisfaction of doing positive things for the body manifesting over time. S
o write your goals down! Plaster that fridge with positive pictures. Tape an inspiring message to your computer screen. Do whatever it takes to surround yourself with visual cues. You’ll see success – both in your mind and in your life.
It’s a New Year - “now what”? |
If you are like most of us you probably over-indulged a little bit during the holidays. Don’t despair - your body is very forgiving, and a little exercise combined with sensible eating are all you need to return to good form in 2007. Here are some tips to help you get focussed. Good luck. ∙ Set reasonable goals. Setting unrealistic goals are likely to end in failure. For example, If weight loss is important to you set a goal to lose about 1 lb./ month. Remember, as you exercise you increase muscle mass, so your body weight may not decrease as much as you expect. Use more than body weight to measure success or failure of your exercise program. ∙ Start slowly. You didn’t get into the shape you are in overnight, so don’t expect quick results when you start exercising. Your body needs time to adjust to changes (i.e. eating less, exercising more, etc...) so take it slow and easy. If you are unaccustomed to exercise you must ease into exercise. Include stretching after your workout and give yourself a day or two off between workouts to recuperate. ∙ Don’t believe the “quick-fix” messages in the media. There is no magic potion, no special diet, no “5 -minute a day” exercise program that will get you in shape and keep you in shape. Having a healthy body takes time, and yes, some effort, but you can do it if you make positive changes in your lifestyle. You have to make time for exercise, and Health Canada recommends at least 30 minutes of active living every day. ∙ Don’t quit if you “fall off the wagon”. If everyone quit when they didn’t stick to their pre-designed plan there wouldn’t be anyone working out today. Everyone slips up from time to time, so don’t beat yourself up over missing a workout or eating too much. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start over again. Today is a new day - so give it all you’ve got. Send David an email if you'd like to know more about this subject! |
How do you motivate yourself to exercise when your mood is getting in the way? Try some of these ideas to get yourself back on the right track: 1. Overcome your distractions - remind yourself how precious exercise time is-- there will be plenty of time to return to distractions when your workout is over. 2. Examine how your body feels - are you feeling fatigued, stiff, tense, lethargic, or restless? Perhaps you are training too hard and need to cut back a little, or perhaps you need to increase your stretching and cut back a little on cardio. 3. Visualize your achievement - imagine how good you will feel after fulfilling your exercise commitment. 4. Talk back to your gremlins - do you often tell yourself “I’m too out of shape”, “I’m too old” or, “I’ve tried this before and it didn’t work then”? Talk back to negative self-talk by filling your mind with positive affirmations like “I can do it”, “I am stronger” and “I can do this one step at a time”. 5. Listen to your joy - choose activities that you like. If you aren’t getting enjoyment from your activity you may need to look for a workout that better matches your personality and interests. 6. Examine your plateau - ask yourself “what needs to change for me to feel good about my exercise?” Clarify the gap between what you are experiencing and what you want to experience - then make the change. 7. Wake up your routine - try a new kind of workout or change the sequence or frequency of your exercise. 8. Compromise your approach - if you decide to skip your morning power walk, plan on taking a 10 minute walk at lunch and another quick walk during your afternoon break. Plan ways to make up for lost exercise time. 9. Recommit your goals - remind yourself that positive habits are created one choice, one moment at a time. 10. Reinforce your exercise values - spend 20 minutes writing down the reasons why staying active is important to you and why you can’t quit now. The secret to success is not willpower, it’s want-power. Choose to stay active not because you have to, but because you want to.
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