That’s been me of late, as I wrote about a few days ago in a post.  I’ve had a hard time staying on the exercise wagon lately which all started when I injured my knee.  Add on having the shingles and finding out my gym was closing, and you can see why I’ve gotten into a serious gym funk.  Motivation? Out the window. And with all our rain lately, even walking outside seems less than compelling in the midst of a downpour!

But getting back on track is all about taking a new approach to shake things up. The easiest thing I could do would be to just sign up for another gym and quietly go through the motions again.  Hello?! Why in the world would I do that? I want change, not more of the same. And since summer is a time of new beginnings for me, I’m all about looking at exercise from a different perspective.

So I thought it fortuitous when I saw my friend Steve the other day at a party. Steve just got certified as a yoga instructor and when I asked about where and when he was teaching he mentioned that he has a Tuesday evening class at a yoga studio minutes from my house. He said that it’s a beginners class, and even though I’ve done a fair amount of yoga, it struck me that taking his class would serve me well — I’m the queen of overdoing it and easing back into yoga with the basics immediately resonated with me.  Besides, I’m going easy on my knee and the last thing I want is to make it worse.

I’m leaving for vacation for a week tomorrow, but when I’m back, I’m committed to kick starting a new exercise routine with a healthy dose of yoga from one of my favorite people.  And then we’ll see about the gym situation and what makes the most sense.  In the end, it’s about taking small baby steps to get back on track and that’s my plan. 

When it comes to exercise, when was the last time you really shook things up and tried something different?

But that’s exactly what happened recently when I headed over to Bally’s last week just to find a sign posted that they’d be closing in a week.

Funny thing is, I used to be devoted to exercise — a nice combination of weight training, cardio and yoga. I was so into it that I actually met my husband at the gym four years ago when we both used to workout out at 5:30 in the morning before heading to work. And if I missed a day of my routine you would almost think the world was coming to an end.

But shoot, things sure do change sometimes, don’t they? That’s before I started running a business, juggling multiple priorities and trying to make it all work with limited time.  You know that feeling you get when you don’t go one day and swear you’ll go the next?  But when the next one comes around, there’s a compelling reason why it won’t quite work either. That’s what started to happen to me of late. And then throw in the fact that I injured my knee in Step class several months ago and got the shingles, and you can see how a girl can get in an exercise funk.

So now that the gym is officially closed, it does beg the question about what I’m going to do to get back on track and get my gym mojo back. First on the list, my overdue physical therapy for my knee.  I’m going to couple that with some low impact walking at least three days a week. And we’ve even been contemplating getting Bruce a bike so we can ride together.

Bottom line: we can all fall off the wagon sometimes but it’s all really about the small, baby steps we can take to get back on track. I’m keeping my plan simple and doable.

What about you? What do you do to get back on track when your exercise routine falls by the wayside?

But the key to accurately monitoring your steps is all about buying a high quality pedometer, not one of those cheap ones that works for a week and then is useless. I’ve had more than my fair share of pedometers I’ve gotten at trade shows or as promotions that were anything but reliable.

Several months ago I came across a pedometer, purely due to experimentation, that I really love. It’s the Omron HJ-112. I love it because it’s highly accurate, monitors regular and aerobic steps, measures distance and calories, and tracks your steps over the last 7 days.  Plus you can wear it on your belt or in your pocket. It’s one of the best I’ve found. And I see that you can get it for as little as 21.99 on Amazon.  I paid 25.00 when I ordered it from HRM so this is even better.

I love this pedometer so much that I’ve ordered them for Bruce and my mom. And I’m about to order one for my mother-in-law too.  Ever tried it? What did you think? What’s your favorite pedometer?

When Bruce and I arrived in Florida last week, we vowed we’d get in 10,000 steps a day. We brought our handy and oh so accurate pedometer with us and having been tracking our steps.  But truth be told, we haven’t walked that much everyday.  Some days yes, but yesterday, on my birthday, going to a pancake breakfast and then getting my nails done sounded much better than 10,000 steps.

Today, though, we made a pact to get at least 8000 steps in before the Patriots-Bills game. And even better, we invited our niece, Ella, to join us on the walk. Ella is 8 and cute as a button, but she was bummed out this morning because her best friend Andrea got sick last night thwarting their sleepover plans.

I don’t know about you but I can always walk away my troubles with a pair of sneakers and some time outside.  When we left, Ella was slightly reluctant. I could tell she was feeling a bit down about the sleepover but it didn’t take much to get her focused on the beautiful scenery. We walked by her school, we talked about playing hopscotch, why 3rd grade is fun and who her closest friends are.  We skipped down the sidewalk and had a competition with Bruce to beat him and checked out the wildlife.  We picked up pine cones, talked about alligators and sadly, even saw a dead squirrel.

3.5+ miles and 8000 steps later, we arrived home tuckered out but in great spirits.  The skip-walk-run to beat Bruce in our “competition” got the sleepover off Ella’s mind and we all had a great time, laughing and talking all the way there and back. We even managed a little hopscotch on the way home. 

I just love a great walk and this one was one of my favorites.  In the end, I got to be a kid too.  How can I not be in a good mood after this?

For me, having lots of energy has everything to do with what I’m putting into my body, how much rest I’m getting and how much I’m exercising. I’m a huge fan of exercising to energize ourselves – a simple and natural way to feel better without having to gulp down a double mocha latte , often followed by a whole lot of sugar. This is really about how we create optimal health for ourselves and in this case, less is more — less quick-fix trends, more getting back to basics and tuning into our bodies with simple forms of exercise.

Check out today’s audio tip where I talk about exactly how exercise helps fuel our energy levels and some simple things you can start doing.

Personally, I love a brisk walk outside or a yoga class to help me feel  totally energized. What about you, how do you get energized during the day and how does exercise help you?

I believe one of the simplest and most compelling actions we can take to improve our health is to invest in a pedometer, commit to wear it everyday and monitor our steps. Pedometers are inexpensive (you can buy them as cheaply as $5 and on up), easy to use and a great way to get into action.

In fact, research shows that walking is one the simplest and best methods of exercise – it’s easy on your joints, it doesn’t cost much, and almost anyone can do it.  And you can start at a pace that’s right for you and work up. Even if you start with 5 or 10 minutes, you can increase from there, in a moderate fashion. When it comes to weight loss, walking is the way to go and it without having an expensive gym membership. Not to mention the other health benefits you receive – more energy, it suppresses your appetite, you get to be outside in nature, and walking is totally meditative, just to name a few.

I use my pedometer everyday. And I don’t have one of those top of the line, fancy schmancy pedometers. I think I paid about $14 for it several months ago and has some pretty basic features.  But I love it because it’s a serious wake up call for me and reminds me of when I need to get more into action.

Case in point, yesterday I walked about 1000 steps all day. 1000…that is both ridiculous and pathetic! You probably know that we should walk about 10,000 steps each day, or roughly 5 miles. While that may seem like a lot, if you live in a city or do lots of walking for you job, it’s not at all out of the realm of possibility. But yesterday, I barely moved. Just so happened that all my appointments were on the phone and I worked from home. And because I happen to live in a relatively small place there’s just not a lot of space for walking (although that is so not a good excuse when I can step outside and walk!). And I had planned to go to the gym yesterday, but truth be told, I didn’t make it enough of a priority and I let my work get in the way.

But today is a whole other story. Wearing the pedometer and seeing how few steps I walked yesterday has motivated me to go to the gym today and get in sufficient amounts of cardio. In fact, I’m going at lunch time so there’s no temptation to not go. Will I make up for yesterday’s missed steps? Definitely not, but it’s all I needed to get my butt in gear and to stay active the rest of the week. As an aside, I will say that I feel a little better because last Saturday I walked to and from the farmer’s market with my husband Bruce and it was a good 5 miles. And I’m planning to do it again this Saturday too.

So the question I have for you is do you own a pedometer? If so, do you wear it regularly and how does it help you? If you don’t have one, what are you waiting for? And what will inspire you to get one? To give you some easy ideas, check out the website where I bought mine, there are tons to choose from and it’s really just a matter of choosing what features you’re looking for or go to your local sporting goods store and pick one up. But don’t go crazy, start simple, get walking and get in the mode of better health.

What she said really resonated with me. Many of you know that I’m a big fan of slowing down and tuning into one’s body – I feel like it’s one of the most important things we can do to sustain our health. So walking as meditation is really an extension of that and a way to get exercise too. Interestingly, I decided to forgo my trip to the gym yesterday in favor of getting outside and going for a walk. I’d been holed up in my windowless office all day and with Deb’s inspiration I set off for home to change my clothes and get into action.

I often do a lot of walking but typically I walk with my fiance. We look forward to connecting at the end of the day and getting some fresh air, and we have several different routes we like to take through the neighborhood. It’s always something I look forward to, especially now that the weather is warming up. But walking by oneself is a whole other experience that I love just as much. As I hit the streets yesterday, I really reveled in getting quiet, listening to my footsteps, the birds, feeling the crunch of dead pine needles beneath my feet. Not only did I slow down but I tuned into my body and felt what was going on – I was totally present in the experience, not just in my head. And as I went, I naturally forgot about my long list of things to do and just really enjoyed some time to myself.

I love this concept of walking meditation as a tool for better health. Do you ever practice walking meditation? What’s it like and how does it make you feel? I invite you to share your thoughts here.

I’ll be the first to tell you that unless I make a plan in the beginning of the day to get into action if often doesn’t happen. Why? Because I spend the bulk of most days behind a computer or on the phone. I bought a pedometer several months ago, and just taking that simple action has increased my awareness immensely…but that’s really not enough! It’s all about getting into action. This week I’ve taken advantage of our 50-60 degree days and gotten outside for some great walks. When I combine my workouts at the gym with house cleaning, running errands and going to appointments, it’s not so hard to hit the 10,000 step target.

How are you doing with your steps and what helps you increase your walking? Share your thoughts with us!

How do I know? I’ve recently gotten hip to just how few steps I walk in a day. I spend several days during the week situated behind a desk working with clients either on the phone or at my office – that sure doesn’t require lots of walking! Other days I may be out and about going to and from meetings so it’s increased. But unless I’m getting in a workout at the gym, in addition to the rest of my daily routine, it’s really hard to meet that target (which is inspiring me to increase my workouts).

I was in New York City last weekend with friends and we went to the Museum of Natural History. After walking around for quite some time there and in other parts of the city, you’d think I’d easily have 10,000 steps, but no, didn’t happen.

Hence, the importance of pedometers. I bought a bunch of pedometers recently to test them out. I’ll be including one in my Don’t Worry, Get Healthy Starter Kit that will soon be debuting. It’s full of healthy information and products to jump start great health and using the pedometer is one of the single easiest things we can do to monitor and then improve upon our health. I’ve gotten completely motivated by seeing how many steps I take and how many I don’t. And it’s inspiring me to step things up.

And it’s not just me. Research shows that when we monitor our steps, it’s an important catalyst for increasing them. Check out Pedometers are Proven to Increase Exercise for more information on this topic.

Above all, I hope you’ll consider getting a pedometer yourself. Doesn’t have to be an expensive one with all the bells and whistles, simply a tool to help you tune into your body and increase your steps. Optimal health is only 10,000 steps away!

Do you have a pedometer already? Share your thoughts on how it helps you to monitor how far you walk.

Why’s walking so great? Research shows there are numerous health benefits including weight reduction, decreasing the risk of heart attack and stroke, reducing blood pressure, reducing the risk of certain cancers and diabetes and building muscle, bone and joint strength. And of course, it’s also a great stress reducer.

And there’s lot of other benefits as well:

• It’s free – no gym membership required!
• It’s a Do-It-Yourself sport – no special equipment is needed
• You get to be outside and enjoy nature
• Anyone can do it. Even if you feel you’re out of shape and think you can’t do it, you can. Simply start slowly and build from there. Ten minutes can quickly turn into twenty, and so on
• You can walk at your own pace – fast, slow or somewhere in between
• It’s a chance to connect with a friend or significant other away from the hubbub and fast pace of life
• Provides an opportunity to get quiet and calm your mind

Your Assignment: Get Walking! Challenge yourself to get into action and figure out how you can build this into your weekly routine – walk at lunchtime around the block, schedule it into your calendar and make it a priority, find a friend who wants to get active too and start walking together – there are endless possibilities. What is realistic for you to do and when can you start?