Question: I’m trying to stick with my fitness program, but lately there’s been a lot of family and work stress in my life. I don’t want to stop working out, but I can’t seem to juggle everything. Help!
Answer: The answer is somewhere in the middle: Don’t give up exercising, but don’t expect your absolute best athletic performance right now. Work and family stress contribute to our
performance. We have to pay attention to our lives. Try to control those things you can.
Use the tools discussed in my article about relaxation and visualization. These tools aren’t just for working out. Just take eight to 10 minutes a day to quiet your mind. Visualize your life coming together. Imagine the day that’s before you, and then go out and do it.
Question: I’ve signed up for a weekend adventure race—the kind where you and your
teammates do several different events and you race through the night in all kinds of conditions.
I’m starting to get nervous about it. Got any tips on how to cope?
Answer: This type of event tests your ability to be flexible. You also have to be able to
state your opinion and listen to others. You will be successful to the extent to which you can
communicate. You need to express your opinions in a way that people can hear, using constructive
feedback. A sense of humor helps too. I’ve never done an adventure race, but when I was in
pilot-training school in the Navy many years ago, they dropped us in the jungle for five days in
groups of three. We had nothing. We used our parachutes for tents and had to hunt for food. Boy,
did we get to know each other. What got me through was a sense of humor. You have to see
the lighter side of things.
More Articles & Tips:
Redlining How to tell you've overexercised--and what to do about it
Fitness Kick Actor Jackie Chan shares his fitness regimen.
Get Fit Faster! Training at higher intensities isn't just for competitors. Everyone can benefit from varying the pace of workouts.
Make Time for You Nowadays it's easy to feel that you don't have time to exercise. Don't let those feelings keep you from taking care of yourself.
Build Your Life Your Way Starting an endurance lifestyle is easy and has several benefits.These include improved cardiovascular health; reduced body fat and greater muscle mass; stronger immune system; more social opportunites; more enrgy; and a brighter outlook on life.
Bring Out Your Inner Athlete Although you may not think of yourself as an athlete now, you have the potential to motivate others as well as yourself to live healthier, more active lives.
Weekend Warrior Syndrome Does your fitness regimen consists of going nuts on Saturday and Sunday? Get out of warrior mode and learn to workout without risking injury.
Overcoming Setbacks How to learn from setbacks and failures in order to succeed.
Top 10 Sports Movies! Park your deriere on the couch, grab your dumbells and popcorn, andprepare for a visual workout of ten of the best sports flicks.
Race Lessons and Affirmations Mental-fitness expert Jerry Lynch, Ph.D., encourages you to learn from your bad races and practice visualization and reciting affirmations.
