Tag: Wellness

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Take Some Half-Days Off

In reviewing my schedule at work, checking my vacation time remaining thru yearend, and realizing that I needed some downtime, I took multiple half-days off recently. Since the afternoons were going to be filled with sunshine and 70’s, it was amazingly efficient to work in the morning and then effectively “fun” to enjoy the lovely weather.

These half days helped me get some projects done that had been dragging on for months. Walking in the sunshine and laying by the pool gave me time to think. Yes, think. The thinking time for many of us also requires time to do the execution.

Here it is, prior to Thanksgiving, and I have my goals thru midyear next year already written down and why. I’ve registered for the National Senior Games, which are in late July-early August; expecting that this completed registration will help hold me accountable to stay in shape without getting injured, so that I can “show up” for these NSG.

Another goal was truly looking at my over net worth, as well as the investments that make up my Health Savings Account (HSA) and 401K. Research continues to reinforce that the best investments are “passive”, buy and hold style investing. I was pleased to see that the investment decisions I made for these HSA and 401K accounts are well above the S&P 500 trajectory.

Also, I was able to go to bed much earlier and catch up on some sleep, as the half days off gave me the opportunity to get stuff done instead of squeezing so much in from 5pm-9pm.

Recommendations: 1) Use every single hour and day of vacation time, as you will NEVER get it back. 2) Vacation days can be used for YOU, and not just a week or long weekend vacation. 3) Be aware of what you need, and if it’s “time to think, and then time to execute”, think about a few half days off.

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Treat Yo’ self

This week prior to Thanksgiving tends to be a light work week; many are vacationing or taking half days off to travel, complete the meal prep, or simply relax before the friends and family arrive.

So, what is a recommendation for YOU? Go treat yo’self. This week, I’ve scheduled a few 1/2 days off, a pedicure, a massage, enjoying time by the pool, walking, relaxing, reading, journaling. All of this is “me stuff”. And it’s ok, because come the holiday, it’s all about helping my mom and family have a wonderful time together for Thanksgiving.

Recommendation:

If you are scheduled up to the very last minute, ask yourself why? Why is it that you’re so busy, that you don’t have time to focus on you? Start identifying what must continue, what can be delayed or stopped, and what can actually be done by others. In our coaching lingo, we call this this “Start, Stop, Continue” exercise.

Start with you.

Stop doing everything, and delegate.

Continue what you can do.

By implementing the Start, Stop, Continue, you’ll be amazed that even 15 or 30 or 45 minutes a day, during busy weeks that come with the holidays, can give you time to Treat Yo’ self. And, teach others how to own things that you normally do.

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Falls Kill – 10 Tips to Keep You Upright

When I was 42 years old, I broke both wrists horribly during a Sunday afternoon game of full court basketball with other women players. The fall didn’t kill me, however as we age, falls kill. According to AARP, falls that cause hip fractures are to blame for nearly 30 percent of fall deaths among adults 65 and older. These unintentional falls are the leading cause of injury and death for seniors.

In recently finishing Peter Attia’s book, “Outlive”, he spent a full chapter on stability. And I’ve been working on my stability with a variety of exercises. Why? Because during my 50’s, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis. At 60 years old now, here’s my small and simple list of exercises that I do to help improve my balance and stability:

  1. One leg step ups, 12 on a side. Three sets.
  2. Squats, 15 reps, 3 sets. Add weights to each side, go slowly up to 15 reps, 3 sets.
  3. Brush your teeth standing on just one leg, then switch. Do it for 2 minutes in the morning and also in the evening while brushing your teeth.
  4. Lunges, with and without weights. Three sets of 18.
  5. Going up stairs with hand on rail, two steps at a time. Yes, two steps at a time. Think knee to chest or marching movements.
  6. Coming down the stairs with one hand on the rail, one step at a time. Keep your eyes on the step. Don’t multi-task and don’t carry too many items.
  7. Toe/ankle raises, as you floss your teeth and then again when using mouthwash. Every evening.
  8. Abs; many varieties, like crunches, bicycles, leg lifts, med ball turns, planks.
  9. Get on the floor and do three sets of bridges and birddogs, 15 reps, then get upright without using anything to pull you up. Yes, that’s right, stand up with zero help.
  10. Wear a watch or device, so that can call someone IF you do fall. (Ex: I wear an Apple watch, now that I’m 60, when I’m taking a shower, exercising and doing projects inside and outside of the home). Also wear identification. (Ex: I wear a RoadID bracelet; it identifies who I am, who to call, and what allergies that I have).
  11. Free extra tip: Buy some nightlights so that we can see in the evenings and early morning hours, when nature calls or you need something to drink. There is no reason to fall because you didn’t want to turn on the light.

The cost for some of the devices (Apple Watch + Road ID bracelet + night lights) are less than $1,000. However, the return on this investment could be life changing. And then doubled or tripled when you add in the stability and balance exercises mentioned above in #1-#9.

Being Fit and 60 takes some work, and it’s my goal to stay upright for as long as possible. And if I do fall, then I have a way to communicate/call someone and if I’m found, others have three names who to call.

Recommendation: Since falls kill, recommend that you start now and do a few things daily and weekly to help improve your balance and stability. This will help your body react, if you take a bad step off of a curve or a rail lets loose or a step breaks or you’re bumped in to by another person. You can also control many things, including wearing a watch with calling capability and an ID that will help people act quickly. Give me a ring or message if you’d like to chat further about your stability or balance goals.

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Fit and 60

How fit are you now? How fit do you want to be and by when? What do you know you need to do to implement your desired outcome(s)? These are questions that I am really asking myself now, as I recently turned 60 years old.

Maybe some context will help here. In May 2022, I was invited to watch my bestie play women’s basketball at the National Senior Games in Fort Lauderdale, FL. In one word, it was: INSPIRING. She played and dominated in the 55-59 year-old age group, as well as her age group of 60-64. She won the gold medal for team’s women’s basketball and was named the women’s basketball outstanding player. While in Ft. Lauderdale, I completed the “Senior Athlete Fitness Exam” (SAFE). Quickly realized that I was in pretty good shape overall, but I was a bit overweight and I also needed to improve my balance (due to osteoporosis) and my unflexible ankles.

Fast forward 2.5 years later, I’ve lost 12 pounds thru really focusing on reducing sugars in my overall food intake, focusing on high quality sleep of 7 hours with a heart rate that lowers to the low 50’s, eating 400-500 less calories on most days by tracking what I put in my mouth with a food journal, exercising 12-22 minutes more per day (than previously) and with more intensity. completing balance exercises two times daily, and other doing strength training exercises multiple times per week. And yes, for the last two years, I got an annual infusion for my osteoporosis. However, the other items mentioned above give me the greatest hope, especially after recently reading the audible book, “Outlive”, by Peter Attia, MD. He reinforced that exercise is the single greatest “medicine” that you can do.

Recommendations:

  1. Ask yourself how fit are you now? and then how fit do you want to be? Attia referenced the common items that occur in our 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and beyond that most want to do, but lose the ability to do: picking up a grandbaby, getting yourself up off the floor when playing with grandkids, hiking up some steps to the top of a stadium, bringing in the groceries with a bag in each arm, opening a tight jar, tossing your roller bag above your seat, traveling in car or RV or plane, walking to a ball game or musical performance, etc. You get the point: the ability to continue to easily be able to do these things will allow you to be “active and fit”, or “Fit and 60”. If you simply don’t know how fit you are, take a SAFE exam.
  2. Identify the gap(s), and make some slight changes. Attia indicates in his research that exercise has the greatest return on your investment of time, so any type of exercise is better than none. For example, if you are NOT walking, start walking 10-15 minutes/day. If you are not stretching, stretch during TV commercials 3-4 times/week. If you are struggling with your grip, start working on grip exercises with bi-cep curls. If you can’t get up off the floor without using both hands, start working on improving that to get up using just one hand. Anything is better than nothing.

If it can work for me, who’s been an athlete my entire life, then I know it can work for YOU.

Should you need any encouragement or other tips, send me a message. Coach Jen

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From A to Z, What I Learned During a Global Pandemic

In early March 2020, life changed as we knew it. We were dealt the card of immediately living life during a global pandemic. Most people on the planet had never faced anything like this, since the Pandemic of 1918. In late February 2020, I had read about COVID-19 starting to afflict people in the Northwest USA. When I went to the dentist on Feb. 27, 2020, I asked my dental assistant for a mask. She quietly gave me one, tucked in my bag with dental floss, tooth brush and paste. After spending the weekend with my mom in Carmel, IN, on March 1st, I flew from Indianapolis to Palm Beach…with my mask ON. Asked to pinch hit for another speaker, on March 3 I flew to Houston to speak. When I walked in to the large, hotel conference room, there were more bottles of sanitizer on the tables than there were seats/people in the room. At that moment, I knew something was extremely different. As soon as I completed my speech on March 4, we wrapped up the work conference, and ALL meetings with travel were cancelled. I flew back from Houston to Palm Beach on March 4, and didn’t get on an airplane again for over a year.

Felt it would be wise to capture, “What I learned During A Global Pandemic?” And, let’s do it with the simplicity of “From A to Z”.

Here we go…

A: Always be ahead. We were always thinking ahead. At the beginning of the pandemic, we went grocery shopping very early in the morning, when less people were there. Then we switched to having the groceries delivered via Shipt. We drove north to get our COVID vaccine in early March 2021, when our age group just kept waiting in Florida. We were “all in it together.” Again and again, we stayed ahead, whether it was double masking before the CDC recommended it, or ordering N95 and KN95 masks. In late October 2021, we got our booster shot as soon as it was approved by both the FDA and CDC.

B: Bikes and electronic bikes became all the range. Since the country shut down in March and April 2020, and employers encouraged many of their employees to work from home, cars and trucks were driven less…and so we started biking more to get outside, away from the house and get some exercise. Bike shops were slammed, as people were cleaning out their garages, pulling out their bikes that hadn’t been ridden in years.

C: Care for yourself. And if that means have 3X to 5X the vitamin C that you normally have, then do it. Early on during the pandemic, I intentionally met with two natural health doctors, and they provided a list of things that could be done to help increase immune response. Sauerkraut, pickles, vitamin D, garlic, walking, sunshine, get and wear an Oura ring to measure activity and sleep, etc. I continue to consume more garlic and Vitamin D & C over a year and a half later. New cooks were born, as cooking at home and on grills drastically increased, while restaurant spending dropped substantially. The quarantine reminded us of the importance of our kitchens and backyard grill and smoker.

D: Daily devotionals were implemented, as I found not one but two devotional books given to me years ago from my sister in law (Candy) and my high school best friend (Suzanne). These devotionals helped center me, knowing that if I did get COVID, I’d be ok…heading to heaven. How did I find these devotional books? Going thru every box that I had in the house and under the beds. And during this quarantine, the DOGS definitely won; they loved that their owners were home…all the time…being walked and well fed, and many had new homes.

E: Educate yourself. We read more than just the news. We just kept saying, “we’re in a pandemic, so stay educated.” We watched the case count closely, the of deaths, and which age brackets were dying, and why. Then in 2021, we had extreme focus on reading the various vaccine results (that were approved for the three vaccines), which then migrated to who was getting vaccinated, and then watching the break-through cases closely. Education for our kids and college students changed substantially; kids were trying to learn thru Zoom classrooms…ultimately fell behind. College students graduated early, as the college experience dissipated in to thin air, or didn’t return to campus. Many Americans didn’t have an “Emergency Fund“, and now millions of people realize they need one for the future. So many people lost their jobs within days of mid-March 2020, and had nothing in reserves. Oh, and did I mention that eating at home soared. We ate at home ALOT. And actually enjoyed it.

F: Fraud was alive and well. With the abundance of gov’t aid that was made available in the Payroll Protection Program, people were tapping in to these forgivable loans. With so many people at home utilizing the internet for commerce, fraudsters were all about scamming any and everyone, including the elderly. Freedom took on a new meaning, as some Americans wanted the freedom not to wear a mask (in federally mandated areas like airports and airplanes) and to not get vaccinated. While other countries and global peoples were begging for life-saving vaccines, our freedoms in America were killing people here, even though the vaccines were free and masks were widely available.

G: Gratefulness was something that we embraced, as we were able to do some things at home that we hadn’t planned to do (organize every box in the home, go thru photos and greeting cards). Gardening spiked, as people realized that if they were home, why not start a garden with some herbs, vegetables, etc. Gun sales skyrocketed; many people deep down were scared, unsettled, and felt the need to care for themselves, especially with the 2020 Presidential election and the Jan 6, 2021 insurrection at The Capitol.

H: Home was our fortress. Worked from home. Exercised at home. Remodeled our homes in FL and IN. Stayed home and didn’t travel. Now more than ever, people realized that health mattered; many COVID patients who ultimately died were obese, older, inactive, diabetic, or had pre-existing conditions. We all learned the importance of taking care of our health.

I: Don’t be an idiot. We wore our masks. We kept our distance. We used sanitizer. We wore gloves in stores and when we pumped gas. We didn’t bring up our stance in public; we just did what we needed to do to remain healthy, and be respectful of others. Adjustments were made to our auto insurance. Why? Because we were driving less. Crazy, who would’ve thought we would have ever gotten an insurance credit during a pandemic? We became much more aware of our immune systems, asking frequently what could we do to improve our immune strength. ICU units were slammed with intubated patients in the summer of 2021, with unvaccinated patients. Doctors became weary, tired, and disgusted. Vaccines were proven and free, yet millions weren’t getting vaccinated.

J: Unlike the Pandemic of 1918, this COVID pandemic did not attack young adults and juveniles. COVID was especially hard on our seniors. It was my priority to send masks to my parents, keep my distance when around them in 2020 during their 60th anniversary party outside of their home and for a quick visit inside their home in Kentland, IN. Job losses were quick and vast in March thru June 2020; and thousands of those jobs will never return. And employees now view “jobs” and “work” differently; employees want to be paid fairly, and they want flexibility. I have realized that I don’t need to travel for all my coaching work, and yet I can still be quite successful and helpful to those that I coach.

K: Pandemics can kill 100’s of thousands of people very quickly. Many had underlying conditions, but COVID killed them. They could no longer breathe, their lungs were filled with COVID. Kids missed proms and homecoming, athletic events, singing auditions, theater performances, as schools were mostly operating virtually.

L: Longing set in quickly. Longing to go to a restaurant, a sporting event, or even a wedding. The longing started to dissipate once the vaccines were approved and available in early to mid 2021, and people became more confident to travel via airplanes, instead of safely in their own car, like I did during multiple trips back and forth from Indiana to Florida. Leadership lacked. And leaders lied about the seriousness of COVID early on; they knew it was an airborne disease.

M: Masked up, and during late 2020 and early 2021, we double masked up. And wore two masks when we were on airplanes in 2021. Masks were darn near free, fancy ones costs no more than $10 each. Masks that wouldn’t fog up my glasses were a premium.

N: Nursing homes were infected quickly, from the aids and nurses who were actually caring for the patients in early 2020. Nursing homes had COVID outbreaks, and 1,000’s of seniors died in the early months of COVID due to a lack of understanding and also a lack of quality control. Nurses in the ICU units, in the winter of 2020-2021 were our heroes. By the summer of 2021 with the surge of the COVID Delta variant, nurses and doctors were exhausted, taking care of people who chose not to get vaccinated. Meanwhile at home, Netflix viewership increased, as we were at home, binging on all types of films and series.

O: We kept our opinions to ourselves, mostly, and only shared them with very trusted friends and a few in our family. Online usage skyrocketed, from working online to shopping online to teaching online to trading online. Who knew that people would start online trading accounts, and put their money to work in the stock market?

P: Never dreamed that a pandemic would be so polarizing, and so political. But it was. We persevered, and did what we needed to do to stay healthy and safe. We were patient, as the pandemic didn’t go away in two weeks if everyone stayed home. The campaign of “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” worked in March and early April, but then business owners started pushing the limits, opening up, and serving customers again. And people became eager and cranky to get back to their normal routines in life, at the expense of risking their own life, or the lives of others in their own household.

Q: Qanon and conspiracy theorists became a new “word” and a group of people. Never had ever heard of them. Hope to never hear from them again either, but sadly, they are here to stay.

R: The real estate market sputtered in March and April 2020; appraisers didn’t know how to value homes in this pandemic. Then, in June 2020, the real estate market took off, prices rose, people had been in their homes for 2-3 months straight, and found that they either didn’t like their home, or wanted a new home, or wanted to relocate, or remodel the one they were in. Routines are important in every human’s life. And those routines were completely disrupted. Lastly, RV sales and usage took off. People realized that they could work from anywhere, so why not travel, see the country, and work during the day via Zoom meetings and conf calls…as long as you had internet access.

S: Realized that I just needed more sleep. Pandemics and changes in our routines are exhausting. I slept more during the week, and I could because I didn’t have to get dressed up for and then commute to “work”. People saved money. They were getting stimulus checks from the Fed Government, and then not spending on restaurants and travel. Savings rates soared! In the future, if you’re sick, stay home. If you have the flu or the sniffles, stay home!

T: Togetherness was in full force. Whatever unit of people was in your home at the beginning of the pandemic, you were together. As we all became more comfortable in the summer and Fall 2020 and learning how to live with the pandemic, we would eat outside, keep our distance, and enjoy others. Tik Tok became so popular, that even nurses in COVID units were making time to rehearse, video and release their gigs on Tik Tok. Air travel, train travel, subway, Uber and bus travel all declined drastically, as people weren’t comfortable being in close proximity to others, prior to the vaccines being available. Travel picked back up, once vaccines were being put in arms. Technology thrived; stay on your tech game. Don’t fall behind with tech, ever. And always trust yourself, after taking time to educate yourself on what to do.

U: Up, stock up! Who knew that toilet paper and ammunition would be hoarded? But indeed, that’s what happened. Me on the other hand, I wanted peanut butter and crackers, because I knew I could live on that for a very long time. Utilize everything in your cabinets, from spices to canned goods to utensils and appliances that had been under-utilized.

V: Vaccines were wanted, and we got three approved for use in the USA. And then when we got them, millions of Americans chose not to get vaccinated. Meanwhile, around the globe, fellow humans were begging for them. Domestic violence increased, as family members were quarantined at home and were forced to deal with other. Violence has continued to soar, especially gun violence, as the pandemic appears to affected many people with depression, anxiety, and stress. Some vax-resistors have also been violent to flight attendants on planes. Who would have ever predicted that we would get violent toward a flight attendant, all because of a $3 mask…and yet these same people just went thru TSA pre-check, put on their seat belt on the plane, and agreed to not smoke on the plane.

W: Washed our hands, and indeed we do still, alot. We sanitized our hands. We washed our clothes after being out and about. Walk, walk, and more walking. I realized that walking was the key to my sanity during the entire pandemic. It got me moving, enjoying the outdoors, clearing my head, and allowed me to listen to audible books or give a phone call to family and friends.

X: XRays and optional, non-priority medical procedures were delayed, cancelled, and postponed for months. Diseases went undetected. Cancers metastasized. Mammograms, dental cleaning, and eye checkups didn’t happen for a year or more.

Y: You, Yourself, and I. Only you can take care of you. I really learned and appreciated the value of good physical, emotional, and spiritual well being.

Z: Zoom became a one word brand that everyone knew what it was: remote and virtual business meetings, which then turned in to happy hours, conferences, family gathering, etc. As the pandemic loomed on, well into 2021, Zoom fatigue happened. People were tired of staring in to a screen, and faking like they were paying attention. Keep your zeal for life, and your zest to learn, adapt routines, and become a better human being during a pandemic.

Jen Wilfong 10/24/2021

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Learning From Centenarians

We all have life goals. One of my top life goals is to remain active, healthy, and really embrace wellness throughout life. Recently finished a few books about Centenarians, because I want to gain their insights and wisdom regarding what they did to hit 100+!

These 100+ year old people have always made me smile, but so many of these stories had me taking notes, crying, sharing the story out loud with others, and wanting to find more books to keep reading and learning.

What are some of the common traits that help them live to 100? My handwritten notes inside the front covers of all three books, that obviously impacted me the most, highlighted these areas of life:

Faith: Worship and believe. In something. And a willingness to give and be charitable.

Connection: Being around friends, family, and remaining social, as well as connected to a purpose. If that means making tortillas daily, and walking to the market to sell them, then so be it. That gave them the connection needed to keep going, at their pace.

Consistently physically active: Many of the children and grandchildren mentioned that their centenarian father or grandfather probably lived a long time, because they were always staying active on the farm, gardening, walking, traveling, or attending exercise classes.

Moderation: These centenarians really embraced the phrase, “all things in moderation”, especially with food, alcohol, (no)smoking, mood swings, etc. A bit of wine daily worked for some.

Sense of Humor: Many loved to laugh, and sought out being fun, funny, memorable, and unique. Being happy! And having a positive outlook, living peacefully with others.

Easy Going/Embrace Change: They understood the natural flow of life. The highs, the lows, and how to be resilient, as well as having the foresight to embrace change to forge ahead.

Water: They drank water, and ate from their own land. And were located near water, where it’s warm.

Lifelong Learner: Many of the stories focused on how they had to learn new skills, to handle job changes, relocations, and new things being introduced at rapid rates in the 1900’s.

Bottom line: keep one foot in front of the other, head up, living with no regrets, and moving forward in moderation. How are you doing with these? If you aren’t really focused on them, what do you want to focus on that’ll make you happy? In my future, I foresee myself interviewing centenarians, to share their incredibly resilient stories…and continuing to learn from their wisdom.

Jen Wilfong, Sept. 2, 2021

sources: If I Live to Be 100, by Paul Mobley; The Blue Zones, by Dan Buettner; Aging Gracefully, by Karsten Thormaehlen

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142,000 COVID deaths = The 737 Airplane Crashing 811 Times

More than 142,000 Americans have died due to COVID19, according to public health data. And yet, some Americans are resisting this data, and many are not wearing masks for the health and well being of themselves and others.

Let’s take a completely different look at some data points:

The popular 737 airplane, that many global airlines utilize, seats between 162-189 passengers. Let’s round that to 175 passengers. The 142,000 COVID deaths would be similar to a 737 plane crashing and killing all aboard for 811 straight days. We ALL know that if this were to really happen more than 2-3 days in a row, all 737’s would be “shut down” from flying. They would be “grounded” immediately.

And here are some other mandated data points:

In most states, smoking is not allowed in most public places. This is due to facts of first and second hand smoke being potentially lethal. Why do we now have “no-smoking” laws? for our own safety and well being of others.

In every town and city in America, we have state laws that require us to wear our seat belts. And for child seats in the back seat for our children under certain ages. Why? for our own safety and well being of others.

On every road in America, we have “boundaries” with white and yellow lines and dashes painted to remind us of where to drive, how to stay in our lane, and when it’s ok to pass and merge. Why? for our own safety and well being of others.

When you fly anywhere now, you must pass thru security and provide your identification, and prove that you are not carrying any item that may harm others. Why? for our own safety and well being of others.

When you renew your drivers license, you must pass an eye test. I just completed this last week, and it was gratifying that I could do it easily…but the person next to me absolutely could not see nor read the eye test. Why do we succumb to the eye test? for our own safety and the well being of others.

When restaurant workers go to the bathrooms in their restaurants, they are required to wash their hands, since they are handling the food that we are about to eat. Why do we ask them to wash their hands? for our own safety and well being of others.

When you go to the dentist for a cleaning or checkup, notice that the dentist and the techs are all wearing gloves and many are wearing face shields…and have been wearing them way in advance of COVID19. Why? for our own safety and well being of others.

My request to anyone who is resisting wearing a mask when asked to: just wear it. Be reminded of ALL of these examples above, and many other examples that I haven’t listed, that are in place for your own safety and the well being of others. Wear Yo Mask. #WearYoMask

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It’s Worth The Drive

17.5 hours to drive home.

Another 2 hours to drive and visit with Mom and Dad.

Another 3 hours to do the drive-in birthday party for my niece on her 21st birthday.

Another 1 hour to drive back to lay my head down for the evening.

And then return back home, another 17+ hours.

Was it worth it? Absolutely.

During my 20’s, 30’s, and early 40’s, there were times when frustration would hit me at my core when someone would die that I truly admired, respected, and loved. After that would happen, I just kept saying to myself that I wanted to ensure that my last moments with those type of people in my life were positive, peaceful, and freeing. Releasing. Like that song, “It Is Well With My Soul.”

Over the last 10-20 years, making an effort to see OTHERS has been so impactful on them; so fun seeing their surprise and feeling the strength of our ongoing relationship grow. Even during this public health COVID19 pandemic, I made the decision to visit all these friends and family. And did it with the safety precautions that were comfortable to me, and respectful to them, too.

Make the drive. Take the trip. Go see the people who matter to you. Make those memories. Live your life. Have no regrets.

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Keep Moving.

Keep Moving.  It’s a healthy thing to do considering the amount of time we are sitting.  But, HOW do I squeeze that in during my busy days and evenings?

Have a walking meeting with a colleague at work (instead of sitting in an office or conference room).

Meet a friend and go for a walk (instead of sitting for a cup of coffee or dinner).

When going to the store or work, park away from the front door or elevator (instead of squeezing into to a close spot, and getting a door ding).

After dinner at home, slide those walking shoes on for a 15 minute walk or jump on the bike for a quick spin of the neighborhood (instead of sliding in to your recliner).

Walk the dog, or the neighbor’s dog, or pet sit.  Dogs will get you up regularly and look forward to walks & being with their humans in nature.

When waiting in the airport, simply go for a couple strolls up and down the concourse (instead of sitting in the uncomfortable and hard seats at the gate).

When in an elevator by yourself, do some toe raises.  Or better yet, take the stairs if they are well lit and provide a sense of safety (instead of just standing).

During the ads on TV shows, stand up. Do a few squats. Squeeze in 10 push-ups (instead of just sitting).

Blue Zones research indicates that people who move naturally live longer.  I am trying to find ways to move naturally during moments throughout the day. What will inspire you to do the same thing?

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Please, Take Vacation.

Please, Take Vacation.
Millions of vacation days every single year in the USA go “unused.”  This makes me shake my head. As we approach the end of our lives, loads of research indicates that our seniors/elders say that they remember the memories and relationships. They also  wish that they would have worked less, and been more bold and courageous. So please, take vacation.
What a recent, one full week of vacation did for me and my partner?
Rest.  We didn’t wake up before 6am and we fell asleep around 10pm or earlier every night. That’s at least 8 hours of sleep. Yes, the amount of sleep that we are encouraged to get by all health experts.
Recover. Enjoyed downtime by the pool and the Caribbean Sea did wonders for my soul and mind. The water and sun were soothing.
Health. The resort had a  spa that was very handy; it offered hydrotherapy, massages, pedicures, manicures, personal trainers, etc. It was integrated right in to the resort, instead of being a separate building. The four restaurants all had vegetarian options, which played right in to my new focus of eating no meat or dairy.
Prioritize. Being away from my coaching work and my companies actually allowed me to refocus and re-prioritize what I needed to improve upon during the next 90 days.  It also gave us both great satisfaction as we reviewed what we got accomplished in the last 90 days.
Read. I finally had time, yes time, to sit and read a very impactful 400-page book. This book, “Being Mortal”, will probably help me age more gracefully and also help us as we help care for our parents as they age, too. It was a pivotal read, and I can’t imagine NOT taking the time to read it. And by the way, it had been on my bookshelf for 3 years…
Write. You see that here.
Reconnect. The time out of country, for the second time this year, allowed my partner and I to really connect, talk, and just be together. We were NOT busy, we were instead very present. We were there for one another. And yet still had our own alone time to do whatever the heck we wanted.
So please, take vacation.  It is good for your soul, mind, body, and your relationships at home and work.