Olwen Anderson's Blog

So many of us make resolutions on 1st January to 'get healthier' this year. And yet just a few short weeks later those resolutions are forgotten or abandoned. Here's a tool to help you make sure you achieve all that you want with your health in 2011.

Its a goal setting process that takes you through what you're not happy with now, setting out the results you want by the end of this year, and writing down an action plan to get you there. You can download the goal setting template here.

Enjoy! And if you're feeling brave, tell the rest of us about your new years health resolutions too! Add your comments below....

You know that if your body isn't as toned as you want it to be, then you need to improve your muscle strength and core strength. Challenge your muscles in new ways.

Laura Kate of Laura Kate Australia has released an online exercise routine that just might inspire you to improve your muscle tone. [Disclosure: Laura sent me a free copy of the workout video]. I love the idea of doing this routine on a sunny deserted beach, with the waves gently lapping in the background - and if I close my eyes I'm almost there.....

Take a look at an excerpt of the routine here.....you'll see that it looks graceful and easy, but boy will it ever challenge your muscles! If you want to give it a try, visit Laura's web site

Is this you?

“I want to lose weight and develop a fabulous body, but I don’t want to exercise, and I don’t want to put any more effort than I do now into how I behave around food or the choices I make.”

“I want to get rid of this digestive pain, but I’m not prepared to stop eating any of the foods that could be causing the problem, even for a while”

Want a shapely body? Great skin? Enough energy to enjoy life all day long, and still have energy to spare for your family in the evenings? It’s there waiting for you, but you have to be willing to pay the price.

The price? What do you mean? Shouldn’t you expect to be able to eat whatever you want, exercise only when it suits, and still find your body maintaining the vitality and energy of childhood? Sadly, no. Like a car, your body performs at its best when you carefully maintain it; Your car works best when you use high quality fuel to the tank; regularly service the engine, and check the tyres. Your body works better with careful maintenance too.

The price of good health is the effort it takes to change.

Unfortunately, there’s no magic pill that will make up for years of neglect. Its going to take attention, and effort to retrieve your health and keep it.

Its always an interesting conversation when I  talk with potential clients. We discuss what they’d like to achieve. We explore their current approach to nutrition, and their fitness training regime. And I gently enquire about their attitude towards changing their diet, improving their fitness, managing their stress more effectively. If they’re going to be treated successfully, there’s going to be change. The clients who get the best results are the ones who are prepared to change.

But because so much of our culture now offers instant gratification, its tempting to think that a healthy body can be achieved just by swallowing a few supplements. The brutal truth is that if your body has fallen into ill health, its most likely due to a combination of poor diet and inadequate exercise, or poorly managed stress. All the supplements in the world can’t make up for this.

When you want to feel better, in the long term, you will need to address the reasons why you became unwell in the first place. Then everything will begin to fall into place. And gradually, maintaining your health becomes a joy rather than something you ‘have to’ do grudgingly.

So, what’s your approach to maintaining your health? Are you happy to embrace change?

(P.S If you think you could benefit from a health coaching program shaped to meet your needs, give me a call on (02) 6672 6255 )

I've been shown a great web site of animated medical information. They include anatomy (great for finding out what's going on inside that shoulder joint), as well as disease conditions and medical procedures.

Today's blog is a rather personal note from me to you, so forgive me if I waffle on a little.

Have you ever set a resolution on 31^st Decemberfor the coming year? Maybe you planned to stop eating donuts, start working outregularly at the gym, or even stop smoking. And yet only a few days into thenew year you’ve broken that carefully thought out resolution, and you’re backto your bad old ways. Your self esteem plummets again.  How can you make sure you’llkeep your promise to yourself this time?

To start us off, I’ll let you in on my goal for 2009: I’vealways wanted to participate in a triathlon, so my fitness goal is to be at alevel at which I can participate by the end of the year. By telling you aboutthis goal I’ve already increased the chances I’ll get there. Why? Lettingothers know what I’m going to do will hold me accountable to whoever I’ve told.And I know they’ll call me on it – accountability makes me want to win, to not loseface.

How accountability can work foryou: Choose one or more people that you feelsafe with, and reveal your health and fitness goals to them. Even better, writethem down, hand over the piece of paper, and ask them to check in with you onthe due date. If you really want to add some spice to this process, offer tobuy them an expensive lunch if you don’t do what you say you’re going to!

Now, the next part of the process for you: To achieve mytriathlon goal, I have to take my fitness up to the next level. I’m alreadyreasonably fit, already working out  six hours aweek with walking, weight training and boxing; but triathlon training requirestwice as much time, 13 hours of training a week,  including running, cycling and swimming.Clearly, well outside my comfort zone. It would be all too easy to start training and give up again when thepain and the extra time gets inconvenient. But I’ve got support in the form of my personal trainer, Sandra Colvin. Sandracomes to some training sessions with me and for the other sessions I report inon my progress (there’s that accountability element again). She cheers me onwhen I’m going well, and encourages me when I’m running out of steam.  (Thanks Sandra!)

How support can work for you:Choose a professional in the field whocan give you expert advice, encouragement and support. It’s like having yourown personal cheer squad. A professional knows just what you need to do, andwill identify your wobbly feelings about reaching your goals even before you do.

When choosing your support person, I highly recommend youchoose a professional. Friends and family relationship dynamics may get in theway of providing you with effective support.

ACTION THIS:

1.    1.   Add your health andfitness goals to the comments below. I’ll remind you about them at the end ofthis year

2.     2. Engage a professional tohelp you get there – a personal trainer, nutritionist, counsellor, naturopath,hypnotist, whichever professional field best matches your goals. Do it now! (Ifyou’re not sure which could be the best professional for you, add your commentbelow and I’ll reply.)