Remember growing up when someone would dare you to do something and you couldn’t resist the challenge? The idea of taking a risk was so filled with adventure that fear, if it existed, was something you were willing to face just to prove you were up the dare. The idea of taking a risk is like fuel, it gives us the courage we need to play by our own rules and go out on a limb. Risks don’t have to be big in order to be impactful. They can be small changes, or even decisions we m

What do you call it when you walk for a cause, volunteer for something you believe in, and share your love for fitness and health? I call it a cathartic experience, and that’s what I had when I participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer's. Last year I led the warm up for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in my local community, St. Charles, Illinois. This year I had the opportunity to lead two more warm ups for two Walk to End Alzheimer’s events. I’ve lost both of my parents to demen

Thanksgiving is days away, and while we appreciate the joy of family, friends, and celebration, we want to feast without adding fat. Like most prescriptions for a healthy diet and proper exercise, it’s much simpler than we think. With a little modification, we can avoid packing on the pounds while still enjoying the holiday festivities. Check out these five tips. 1. Avoid famine before you feast. Many make the mistake of thinking that if they starve themselves up until it’s

1. Did you know that chewing your food more before swallowing can help you slim down? When we chew more, we spend more time eating and less time consuming. If you're a fast eater you can consume a lot of calories in a short amount of time, which can quickly translate to unhealthy weight gain. The next time you take a bite count the number of times you chew before swallowing, then increase that number, double it if you can. By slowing down, we’re paying attention to the signa

1. Listen to Your Body’s Signals: Did you grow up the way I did, where you were instructed to finish your dinner before you left the table? Somewhere along the way we may have been so busy listening to instructions that we forgot how to listen to the signals our body sends telling us when it’s hungry or full. Our body knows what it needs. It's up to us to get our signals straight and it may be that we need a little retraining. Try This: The next time you sit down to dinner gi

The kids are back to school, the weather’s getting cooler, and we’re falling back into a fitness routine. Exercise is an investment of our t

What do you do when the couch sounds better than cardio and you’d rather make muffins than work on your muscles? Try these six strategies that are sure to give you success. 1. Prompts are Powerful: Prompts are little reminders that serve as motivators, such as posters or sticky notes that you hang throughout your house reminding you to workout. When you place your shoes by your bed so they’re waiting for you in the morning, or you put your workout clothes in your car so you’r

Last week I wrote a blog about exercise relapse, what causes it and how to distinguish a lapse from a relapse. Now it’s time to talk about prevention. Two of the most critical considerations when starting an exercise program are learning how to identifying situations that put us at risk for relapse, and learning how to avoid relapse. How to Identify Situations that Put You At Risk: 1. Reflect: Think about past situations where you fell off the wagon and stopped exercising. Wh

Nothing parallels the power of female connection and few things soothe the soul more than a girls’ getaway. Women for me have always been a source of comfort, security, and unconditional love, and it’s because of their profound support that strong female connections have become my life support. It’s also the reason I foster my friendships and find ways to make girls getaways not a luxury, but a necessity. I’ve had two girls’ getaways in the past few months. The key I’ve decid