Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews

Freezing Knee Pain: How to Stop Cold Weather from Irritating Knee Arthritis

by Suzanne Andrews

When winter comes, arthritis sufferers brace for the accompanying pain. Why does the cold make knee arthritis worse? Is there any way to help ease the pain? To uncover the mystery surrounding cold weather knee pain, read on.

Why it Happens
There is a great deal of speculation in the medical community as to why cold weather exacerbates knee arthritis. According to Dr. James Fant, this can be partially explained by barometric pressure increases. The increased pressure causes swollen tissues to shrink, which in turn pulls on nerves and causes pain.

It is also known that decreased activity, which is common in areas with a cold winters, can cause joints to stiffen and become painful. Undoubtedly this is a contributing factor to the winter knee pain.

What to Do About it
While the precise mechanism remains unknown, there are ways to lessen those winter knee aches. A truism among physical and occupational therapists is "movement is the best medicine.”  While it might be tempting to curl up under a blanket and hibernate, it is important engage in gentle movement and stretches to help alleviate some of the pain.

Introducing some warmth to the affected knee is also a good way to stave off pain. Whether this is done using a heating pad, warm bath, or just sitting close to a fireplace, heat is known to help ease discomfort.

Simple changes like stretching and flexing of the knee before getting out of bed in the morning will make that first step less agonizing. Careful exercise can strengthen the muscles around the knee, which helps keep the joints in place. It also helps the knee release synovial fluid, a kind of kind of joint nutrient and lubricant.

It is also a wise idea to set up living spaces with the goal of minimizing painful movement. This could mean organizing commonly used items so they are at waist level, keeping objects away from table edges to keep from having to pick them up when they fall down, and leaving heavy lifting to others.

While cold weather is seldom enjoyable for knee arthritis sufferers, with some planning and preventative measures, it can be a lot more bearable.

Get moving for the rest best of your life and let me know if you have any questions. I’ll be with you every step of your way to a pain free life!

P.S. I got the idea for this Halloween video promo (below) because I feel like this until I do my morning workout.  Check it out and leave a comment on Collage Video Facebook. Feel free to share it with your friends.

Suzanne Andrews is a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician with 30 years exercise expertise. Airing to over 49 million on Public Television, Suzanne Andrews, a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician, (they specialize in function) creates evidenced based fitness programs for specific health conditions. Originally created in 2008 with it’s first run on WDSC TV, Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews broadcasts on 113 Public Television stations.

Back from the Brink: The Power of Meditation

by Suzanne Andrews

At 5’2”, a tremendous strain was placed on my knees and hips from excess weight. The simple act of walking was an arduous task. Since walking places a force of 3 times your body weight on the critical joints of your body I had 528 pounds of pressure with every excruciating step. I developed bursitis in my hips creating an inflammation so severe that I couldn’t walk. My condition had gotten so severe that I couldn’t even play with my newborn.  Exercise was out of the question. I could barely see my toes—being able to touch them was a fantasy. I used the pain as an excuse.

 My wake-up call came two years later, at my son’s birthday party. When I saw the videotape of the celebration, I didn’t even recognize myself. It was time to make a change. I understood why I had no energy. Staring me in the face, right there on the screen was the reason my hips and back ached so terribly. Every day was another dose of my harsh reality. Commuting to work on the bus was a humiliating experience, as I had to endure the cruel snickers when I couldn’t fit into the seat. I had enough. It was time for a change.

 While I was working at CBS Television, a guest panelist and psychologist told me about how meditation could benefit me. I was skeptical, but desperate to try anything that would make me feel whole again. I needed to be there for my son. I decided to give it a try. At first I didn’t understand how a sedentary activity like meditation could help me to lose weight. It was not long before I discovered the secret---during meditation your mind is the CEO and your body the dutiful employee. You tell your body what it needs to do and it follows suit.

The ritual of meditation was the spark that jumpstarted my weight loss plan. I felt energized to exercise daily, choose healthier options and control my portion sizes. The meditation motivated me in ways I never thought imaginable, helping me lose the excuses and get on the track to better health. I started with gentle yoga combined with what is now my TV series, Functional Fitness. This not only helped me start shedding pounds, but also made my day-to-day tasks more manageable.

Meditation even saved my life, and prevented my son from becoming motherless at 10 years old. The same breathing techniques that I used to control my appetite and regulate stress delivered me from the brink of death, when a medical miscalculation caused my heart to stop on an operating table. As doctors frantically performed CPR, my body started to shut down, turning my lips, hands and feet a chilling blue. Near death, I was transported by ambulance to the intensive care unit. My body was on the verge of giving up. My kidneys shut down and my veins constricted so tightly that doctors could not administer a lifesaving intravenous line. My body and my spirit were determined to live. I would not die. I would live. I would see my son again. I started to meditate. After five minutes of willing myself to survive and using my meditation skills, my body started its journey back from the edge. My kidneys started functioning again. My pulse strengthened and my veins opened up. Later, my cardiologist would proclaim in amazement, “I’m an Indian doctor and my patient is teaching me how great meditation is!”  The News Journal heard about it and did a story.

After that day, I had a renewed sense of purpose. I had to motivate others who were struggling with their health. My weight could have been a death sentence, but meditation and determination was my pardon. I’ve made it my mission to help others on their journey to finding the healthy and slim person within. You are the CEO of your health. Exercise and be healthwise!

Suzanne Andrews is a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician with 30 years exercise expertise. Airing to over 49 million on Public Television, Suzanne Andrews, a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician, (they specialize in function) creates evidenced based fitness programs for specific health conditions. Originally created in 2008 with it’s first run on WDSC TV, Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews broadcasts on 113 Public Television stations.

5 Top Foods To Ease Arthritis Knees

by Suzanne Andrews

Help! I Have Knee Pain, but Don’t Like Taking Medicines to Workout

5 Top Foods To Ease Arthritis Knees that Work The Same As Medications!

According to recent studies, arthritis suffers can relieve pain in their knees by eating five unique foods. Each item has the same pain-fighting properties as over-the-counter medications.

1. Red Grapes

Red grapes have a strong compound that eliminates specific enzymes that cause tissue degeneration. Although unprocessed grapes can ease tension around the joints, your pain symptoms will reduce faster if you drink a glass of red wine or red grape juice instead. The pain-fighting compound absorbs quicker in a liquid form.

2. Ginger

 Ginger is commonly used to improve digestion. However, it can also relieve severe knee pain. Studies have shown that a ginger extract reduces soreness after a workout.

3. Soy

 Soy-based products can decrease pain symptoms by nearly 20 percent. Scientists at Oklahoma State University discovered that typical patients will need less pain medications if they eat 40 grams of soy for 90 days. Soy milk and tofu are very effective, but patience is required because the anti-inflammatory properties will not take effect until two or three weeks later.

4. Coffee

 Most over-the-counter medications that treat headaches and cold symptoms have caffeine. According to doctors, caffeine has properties that enhance the effectiveness of painkillers. This is why patients who consume caffeine moderately reduce joint pain by nearly 50 percent following an intense workout.

 Caffeine can also increase your pain threshold. However, if you drink too much coffee, minor health problems may occur. To achieve the best results, drink one cup before each workout session.

5. Fish

 Fish has omega-three fatty acids, which can manage inflammation that is caused by rheumatoid arthritis. At the University of Pittsburgh, 60 test subjects experienced less muscle tension after they consumed fish oil for 90 days. Many of the patients did not take any pain medications throughout the trial.

According to doctors, arthritis suffers should eat about two meals that contain a fatty fish every week. Typical options include trout, snapper, tuna, sardines, and mackerel. If you do not like fish, consider taking a supplement that has DHA and EPA. Consult a doctor before consuming any omega-three supplements because the EPA and DHA can increase the effects of certain medications.

The other 50% of relieving pain is to do evidenced based exercises demonstrated in therapy because they are medically proven to ease arthritis pain.

Suzanne Andrews is a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician with 30 years exercise expertise. Airing to over 49 million on Public Television, Suzanne Andrews, a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician, (they specialize in function) creates evidenced based fitness programs for specific health conditions. Originally created in 2008 with it’s first run on WDSC TV, Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews broadcasts on 113 Public Television stations.

Help I Want to Stop Shrinking in Height But Don’t Know How!

by Suzanne Andrews

On a good day, I’m 5 foot 2 inches tall. I sometimes treat sweet little old ladies who claim that they are 5 foot 2.  What I don’t have the heart to tell them is that they were 5 foot 2 and now they’re 4 foot 8.  I took a medical certification course to see if there is anything us ladies over 40 can do about vertical shrinking and here’s what I learned….

It's been said the two things you can count on in life are death and taxes. It turns out there's a third thing that is nearly universal as we age: shrinking. That's right, most people begin losing height after the age of 40.

Shrinking with age has two major causes. The first is directly related to a combination of gravity and the discs in the back. The second is a disease known as osteoporosis. In both cases, poor posture can lead to an even shorter appearance by presenting a look of being slouched over.

Gravity and Discs

The discs in the back are composed of flexible, fibrous tissue that acts as a lubricant and a shock absorber for the spine. Each of the discs is positioned between two vertebrae, giving the spine the flexibility it needs for bending, twisting and turning.

As we age, the discs lose some of their flexibility and gelatinous nature. They also dry out, shrink and become hard over time. The lack of disc volume results in a natural loss of height in the same way pulling bricks out of a wall would reduce its overall height.

Keeping your bones strong as you age is the smartest and best thing to do for a good quality of life. Since a bone density test is the only way you’ll know if you have osteoporosis (thinning bones) or osteopenia (pre-osteoporosis) it’s important to talk with your doctor to see if you need one.

Other people who should undergo a bone density test include anyone who needed to use corticosteroid drugs for longer than three months, anyone with a family history of osteoporosis, people with chronic arthritis or kidney disease and those who have had any type of hormone treatment in the past. It's also a good idea to have a bone density test if you are a woman who has gone through menopause at an early age, or anyone who has noticed that they've lost at least an inch of height in a short time or who smokes or drinks heavily.

Osteoporosis happens as people age and bones become weaker and more brittle. There are steps to prevent osteoporosis fractures and to strengthen bones in anyone who has already been diagnosed in the early stages of osteoporosis. When a person with osteoporosis falls, bones not only break more easily, breaks can be more severe and fatal hip fractures can occur.

Most people are aware that getting extra calcium in the diet as we age is a good preventive measure. What most people aren't aware of, however, is that weight training also helps to strengthen bones and to keep the onset of osteoporosis at bay. Walking and other weight-bearing exercise is always recommended for overall good health. In addition, training by using and lifting weights a specific way also helps to increase strength and to strengthen bones and build more bone mass.

Because rehab therapists go through years of education and continue that education with medical certification courses using evidenced based techniques that demonstrate not only how much weight should be used, how many repetitions a person should do to see the most benefit, but also the correct speed at which the weight should be lifted for the most bone gain with the least injury risk.  So get going and put a deposit in your bone bank today!

Suzanne Andrews is a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician with 30 years exercise expertise. Airing to over 49 million on Public Television, Suzanne Andrews, a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician, (they specialize in function) creates evidenced based fitness programs for specific health conditions. Originally created in 2008 with it’s first run on WDSC TV, Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews broadcasts on 113 Public Television stations.

I’m Eating Right, But Still Can’t Lose Weight…

by Suzanne Andrews

I’m Eating Right, But Still Can’t Lose Weight…

Belly Blasting Weight Loss Recipes and Motivation to Help you Stay on Course!

 

 You can lose weight incorporating these high taste, low fat recipes into your weight loss diet as long as you make sure to eat only one portion size. Eating right is half the way to win the battle and the other 50% is through exercise. I’ve seen some claims that food is 80% of weight loss, but this simply is not true, especially after 40.  To speed up your metabolism and weight loss, you must exercise.  No ands, ifs or buts. Exercise daily and you will be rewarded with weight loss, good health, lower health care costs, and a happier life.

Oven Fried Chicken

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Ingredients

• 1 package of skinless chicken legs rinsed in very cold water
• 1 sandwich bag
• 1 cup (crushed) corn flakes
• ½ cup flour

Directions

1. Season corn flake/flour mixture with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to your taste.
2. Arrange on a cookie sheet tray. Give the chicken a spritz of the olive oil cooking spray. This will help brown and crisp up the coating.
3. Place on the lower rack of the oven and bake until the chicken is golden and crisp. Cook for 20 minutes on one side, turn and cook for another 20 minutes. The temperature should register 160 F when fully cooked.
4. Transfer to a serving platter and enjoy!

1 piece of chicken is 86 calories.

Oven Fried French Fries

Ingredients

• 2 large baking potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), scrubbed well
• Olive oil cooking spray
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Pat the potatoes dry and cut them lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Turn each slice flat and slice again lengthwise into even 1/2-inch-thick fries.
3. Place the potatoes to a large baking sheet and arrange them in one even layer. Turn them over halfway through, until golden brown and crispy, about 20 minutes each side.

Serve hot. 118 calories per potato.

If you've looked in the mirror and shrieked, Oh no, I can barely squeeze into my jeans; get moving!  You need to burn off 3500 calories through exercise and eating low calories food choices to burn one pound of fat. It's definitely worth it. Dr. Oz stated, "you can live 20 more years just by eating right and exercising." So get going and enjoy your life the way it was intended to be – fabulous and functional!

Suzanne Andrews is a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician with 30 years exercise expertise. Airing to over 49 million on Public Television, Suzanne Andrews, a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician, (they specialize in function) creates evidenced based fitness programs for specific health conditions. Originally created in 2008 with it’s first run on WDSC TV, Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews broadcasts on 113 Public Television stations.

Tips to Keep Going

by Suzanne Andrews

I Start Working Out, but keep Stopping and Re-Starting – Any Tips to Keep Going? 

Staying or getting in shape isn’t always easy.  Whether you’re beginning or beginning again, here’s an inspiring behind the scenes story filming my last DVD, to help you keep going when the going gets tough!

Scary turbulent plane ride, brutal weather, computer crashes, my series producer, Glenn Poyer, recounts the harrowing behind the scenes events filming Arthritis Relief Walking Workout… 

When Suzanne Andrews read Amazon’s Vine Voice five star review (by Deborah Broadhurst) of Arthritis Walking Workout, tears of joy streamed down her face, as it was the realization of a dream 10 years in the making – “one that had been diverted many times,” says Suzanne, who consulted with several doctors during the six month writing and research process that goes into each and every Suzanne Andrews Functional Fitness DVDs. “There were two, maybe three times that this walking program never got made.”

As happy and motivating Suzanne Andrews seems in Arthritis Walking Workout, you’d never suspect the founder of Functional Fitness on Public Television just completed one of the most harrowing projects of her career.  Sure, Arthritis Walking Workout, based on medically proven movements to ease arthritis pain, was shot at the most beautiful gardens in North America, the Butchart Gardens, with an exquisite plethora of flowers in the background, giving the viewer the image of serenity. But getting there was just the beginning of harrowing moves you don’t see on the DVD.

Before we were about to leave, Suzanne had a major accident while preventing a patient from literally getting crushed to death. The patient was OK but the 400 pound impact tore Suzanne’s rotator cuffs, leaving her with 0 function.  She couldn’t even lift her arms, dress, or wash her hair so how was she going to film a fitness video? After emergency surgery, she did three hours of therapy a day in excruciating pain.  It took one year to go from not being able to lift her arm at all to regaining 99% function.

During recovery, Suzanne interviewed many doctors for the project.  Because all the doctors mentioned reducing stress retards arthritis symptoms, Suzanne travelled 4000 air turbulent miles to add a stress releasing atmosphere to the workouts. A trip that should have lasted seven hours turned into twenty five harrowing hours!

Arriving just hours before the hair and make-up call time of 4 AM, the crew awoke sleep deprived to an atypical bitter cold rainy day for summer weather. Graham Bell, Public Relations director at the gardens, came to the rescue by providing umbrellas to protect the specialized light weight professional cameras that took three years of savings.   Suzanne Andrews, who is susceptible to the cold due to a thryoid disorder, kept moving - even in between takes - to stay warm. After continuous takes of three (8) hour days to film the two workouts (imagine exercising for 8 hours straight!) and six months of editing,  the finished editions went to our presenting Public Television Station to receive frame by frame scrutiny from the program director and the station engineer. Suzanne anxiously awaited their constructive critique. After one particularly long day of treating rehab patients, Suzanne opened up her email and began shaking.  The episodes were rejected. People were in the background and the station would not accept the film that way. After the initial shock, a serious problem solving session ensued and after another 4 weeks of specialized editing, the people in the background vanished.

The workouts were finally ready to be sent for DVD mastering and the unthinkable happened – the external hard drive with the entire edited workouts crashed.  All that hard work - gone! What to do? Were the raw clips on another hard drive? A huge sigh of relief.  All the raw clips were on another hard drive. The editing process began once again. The end result? A high production broadcast quality DVD featuring two walk workouts in the most beautiful garden in North America.

To say we are thrilled to introduce Arthritis Relief Walking Workout is an understatement. Getting a 5 star review makes us want to do the happy dance!

Have you gone through a tough time in your life?  How did you get through it?  Leave a comment and together, we can help each other get in the best shape ever!

Suzanne Andrews is a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician with 30 years exercise expertise. Airing to over 49 million on Public Television, Suzanne Andrews, a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician, (they specialize in function) creates evidenced based fitness programs for specific health conditions. Originally created in 2008 with it’s first run on WDSC TV, Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews broadcasts on 113 Public Television stations.

I Want to Lose Weight But How Do I Stop Pigging Out on the Weekends?

by Suzanne Andrews

I Want to Lose Weight But How Do I Stop Pigging Out on the Weekends?

Are You What You Eat?

Yesterday I received a phone call from a 95 year old lady who watches my show, Functional Fitness, on Public Television. Considering my audience is from 40 – 70, this was remarkable.  Even more remarkable - she does the standing version, not the seated version. She sounded healthy and vibrant.  She mentioned her secret to a long life was the pride she felt about her kids and no surprise here, she eats right and exercises regularly.

Have you noticed that after a weekend of wolfing down sinfully delicious foods you don’t feel at your most attractive? Maybe even felt “clogged” up? Wise old men (and women) have stated from ancient times that the stomach is the key to good health, i.e., you are what you eat.

You might be surprised at how much better you will feel by just changing your diet. Eating balanced, nutritious meals with moderate fat and caloric intake can help change your whole attitude and give you the energy to make further progress on creating a new you.

Of course, again, it is not all that easy. If it was, then we would all be eating perfectly and not having any fat or other related problems. We all know how tempting unhealthy food can be. For whatever reason, the forces that be decided to make the unhealthiest foods also the most difficult to resist. A chocolate cake, from the standpoint of the health-conscious, is obviously the creation of the devil. Heck, they even have a version called Devil’s Chocolate Cake. (So delicious!)

Remember it’s not about willpower, it’s about want power.

Once you break the habit of overindulging in unhealthy foods, you often wonder how you were able to eat so much of that stuff in the first place. I’m not suggesting to never indulge.  Just do it less, instead of every weekend, plan on every other weekend or even once a month.  Many people say they lose tolerance for excessive sweets or fatty foods once they’ve established good eating habits over a period of time.

Just think of the end result when you are having difficulty dieting or exercising. Do you want to still look and more importantly feel like you got hit by a truck every morning? Or do you want to rediscover the person that you once were: someone you actually recognize when you look in the mirror? By concentrating on the end results, you can work through the inconvenience to get to the results to feel and look years younger!

*If you have chronic symptoms of upset stomach, excessive thirst or feeling like you’re full after eating very little, see a gastroenterologist as soon as possible.

Suzanne Andrews is a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician with 30 years exercise expertise. Airing to over 49 million on Public Television, Suzanne Andrews, a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician, (they specialize in function) creates evidenced based fitness programs for specific health conditions. Originally created in 2008 with it’s first run on WDSC TV, Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews broadcasts on 113 Public Television stations.

I Want to Lose Weight ‘But’ How Do I Overcome My Genetics?

by Suzanne Andrews

I Want to Lose Weight ‘But’ How Do I Overcome My Genetics?

If you want to get into a smaller pair of jeans with the genes you’ve got, this ‘visualization technique’ shows you how!

 Are these the excuses that keep you from losing weight?

• “Both of my parents had weight issues, so there is nothing I can do about it.
• “It isn’t my fault, it’s just genetic.”
• “My family has a history of low metabolism making it hard for us to lose weight, so why exercise?”

Great news! Recent research suggests that obesity is not genetic but learned behavior.  (Being 30 pounds overweight is considered obese). Genetics only play a part in how we react to the environment, not how much food we eat or how much exercise we do.

Each of us chooses whether or not to have just one more cookie or to say yes when asked, “Would you like to supersize that?” We choose whether or not to drive to the corner bakery for a donut or whether we walk to the park. That, of course, is not to say you should blame yourself or beat yourself up over the extra weight. Every single person makes mistakes and has weaknesses.  I’ll be the first to admit my weaknesses are ice cream and chocolate! 

When my husband comes home with ice cream, I melt. It is more difficult to start a fitness routine when your family’s behavioral inclinations have affected you. Daughters of obese mothers are ten times more likely to be obese, and sons of obese fathers are six times more likely. It is not easy to break the behavioral pattern, but you can move beyond that. Who knows, maybe once you start exercising and are fit, others in your family will come to believe that they can do it too. Set a good example for your family and prove to them that none of you are stuck being overweight. How? Consider any famous athlete, like the golfer, Tiger Woods whose ability to visualize exactly what he must do each time he swings his club is paramount to being the greatest golfer of our time.

  

Visualization Weight Loss Technique

• Close your eyes and visualize yourself at your goal weight while inhaling deep breaths in through your nose and exhaling out your mouth.

• Visualize what outfit are you wearing? Continue visualizing as you focus on slow, relaxing breathing exercises.  (If you have a thyroid disorder, the breathing exercises help to boost your metabolism).

• Now visualize an event you are attending as the slim you. How do you feel?

 Do each step for one minute every day.

 It may be that your particular genetics do in fact make you more susceptible to conditions that cause weight gain to be more likely. Hashimoto’s Disease is one example. (See last week’s blog to learn more).  If you believe you suffer from a genuine medical condition that is associated with weight problems, then get a physician’s advice. Once you are treating the condition, start exercising consistently. With the combination of treatment and exercise, you will be feeling like your younger self in no time and change the course of your life.

Take the next step now with Beginners Dynamic Yoga: Release Stress and Lose Weight where you’ll learn the same guided visualization techniques Suzanne Andrews used to motivate her to shed 60 pounds of stubborn fat!

 

Suzanne Andrews is a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician with 30 years exercise expertise. Airing to over 49 million on Public Television, Suzanne Andrews, a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician, (they specialize in function) creates evidenced based fitness programs for specific health conditions. Originally created in 2008 with it’s first run on WDSC TV, Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews broadcasts on 113 Public Television stations.

Overcome Weight Loss Resistance!

by Suzanne Andrews

Have you tried to get the weight off and it just won't budge? I can relate.  I was sixty pounds overweight and still have to watch it or the pounds pack on.  Recently, my weight had been creeping up and I just couldn’t understand why. I’ve been doing what I always do; Functional Fitness combined with sensible eating. After six months of really trying, I decided enough was enough, it was time to visit the doctor and so I went to the endocrinologist. Thank goodness I went and wish I’d gone sooner. Could you have the disease that causes weight loss resistance? Physician’s Assistant, Kimberly Shapiro reveals some surprising reasons you’re struggling to lose weight and when to see your doctor.

  

  If you’re trying to lose weight, don’t give up!  Here’s another important reason to lose weight.

 Fat tissue creates chronic inflammation in your cells. The more excessive adipose tissue (fat) you carry, the higher the level of inflammation and the lower your immune system will be. Fat makes you older.  Aging is not a disease. Aging is damage to your body cells. When you take in more than you burn off, you’re feeding age damaging fat cells to your body. Stress ages your body as well.  That’s why the first thing you should do is find a way to release stress.  For me yoga was the first step.  At sixty pounds overweight, I needed a yoga that didn’t involve contorting into a pretzel and that’s how Beginners Dynamic Yoga for Stress Release and Weight Loss was developed.  It’s the first step to getting the weight off.  Tune in next week for the second step and you’ll be looking and feeling younger!  Do you have a special event you want to look and feel younger for? Let me know.  I’ll help you get there! 

 Healthiest blessings,

 Suzanne Andrews

 Suzanne Andrews is a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician with 30 years exercise expertise. Airing to over 49 million on Public Television, Suzanne Andrews, a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician, (they specialize in function) creates evidenced based fitness programs for specific health conditions. Originally created in 2008 with it’s first run on WDSC TV, Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews broadcasts on 113 Public Television stations.

Help! I Want to Exercise, “But” I Lose Motivation!

by Suzanne Andrews

How to Get and Stay Motivated!

 

 If you let a "but" get in the way of losing your "butt," you won't get far towards meeting your weight and fitness goals.  My clients often confide, "Every time I start an exercise program, I lose motivation after a couple weeks."  It's not that these individuals don't know how to exercise - they do. "If only I could keep motivated," these people say, "I could really get my body into the shape I deserve." Such a common problem needs a common solution, and "get over it and get to the gym" doesn't really cut it in this sort of situation.

The truth is that motivation is not something anyone can give to you. Even the most motivating coach cannot make a team play well if the team won’t co-operate. You have to unlock the ability to motivate yourself and that begins with your attitude. If you are filling up your mind thinking about your lack of motivation, you sure aren’t going to get any better. Stop using motivation as an excuse and start telling yourself it doesn’t matter. The health of your body shouldn’t be punished because you are not motivated.   Exercise anyway. You don’t have to be motivated to do some sit-ups or go for a walk. You just have to be willing to do it. Motivation is not about willpower, it’s about want power. What do you want? Weight Loss? More Energy? Better Health. Once you start exercising, you will feel better and then you’ll feel motivated.

The word "Motivation" comes from the Latin verb "Moveo," to move. When trying to get in shape, this takes on a double meaning: you must move yourself internally in order to moves yourself externally, putting yourself into a position to be able to lose weight and get your life on track. The trick is knowing all the benefits and reasons to get up and get moving, then making yourself find a way to feel like doing what you already know is possible.

Motivation comes from within you.  It  can't be imposed from someone standing outside you barking to run faster and harder (well, except in the case of a personal trainer, where it's easy to find motivation from the simple and direct orders of the person you're paying to make sure you work out). Even with the best trainer, you may find that there are days when you just don't want to get out of bed and go to the gym. How can you solve this problem and motivate yourself to take your exercise and fitness seriously?

The first step is to stop using motivation as an excuse, and start telling yourself that whether you "feel" like working out or not doesn't matter. So what if you're not "inspired" to exercise, not motivated to get your heart pumping? Do you think every famous actor or athlete is motivated to get up every day and do their job? (Hint: Are you motivated to go to yours, every day?) The answer is no, they're not. But it doesn't matter. Your health is like a job. Do it poorly and you’ll be terminated. Do it well and you’ll be rewarded.  

The reward is a body that's in great shape, feels healthy and saves you money on medical expenses. Being a healthcare clinician affords me a unique perspective into the health choices people make.   60% of deaths comes from lifestyle diseases!

It doesn't matter if you're motivated to exercise. Nine times out of ten by the time you start working out, the natural endorphins your brain releases will do the job of making you feel motivated, healthy, and excited about the workout you've undertaken. You'll be surprised at how quickly you start to feel the natural endorphins released by exercise. But just like a professional in any field, you can't wait around to be inspired to produce exercise. You're not working toward a paycheck in this situation, you're working toward the most important resource you have in life - your body.

Suzanne Andrews is a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician with 30 years exercise expertise. Airing to over 49 million on Public Television, Suzanne Andrews, a licensed Occupational Therapy Clinician, (they specialize in function) creates evidenced based fitness programs for specific health conditions. Originally created in 2008 with it’s first run on WDSC TV, Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews broadcasts on 113 Public Television stations.