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Emotions in Motion: Exercise As An Anxiety Intervention

Angie Miller, MS, LPC

Dec 23, 2019

Emotions in Motion: Exercise As An Anxiety Intervention

Article published in American Fitness Magazine, Fall 2019: https://blog.nasm.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/AFM_Fall19_SM.pdf In the gym, we expect to use our body’s full range of motion. In life, we’re entitled to a full range of emotions, too. Provided we’re able to express and manage our emotions appropriately, this is healthy. But for some people, emotions can affect health, well-being and self-care, including eating and exercising adherence and habits. One of the most co

I Dare You

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Feb 8, 2017

I Dare You

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

Stay Fit To Fight Alzheimer's

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Jan 29, 2017

Stay Fit To Fight Alzheimer's

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

Five Tips to Feast Without Adding Fat

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Nov 21, 2016

Five Tips to Feast Without Adding Fat

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

Four Ways to Save Calories and Slim Down

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Oct 19, 2016

Four Ways to Save Calories and Slim Down

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

Two Tips to Tackle the Urge to Overeat

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Oct 15, 2016

Two Tips to Tackle the Urge to Overeat

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

Three Fitness Mistakes that Sabotage Our Best Efforts

How to Prevent Exercise Relapse (Part II)

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Jul 18, 2016

How to Prevent Exercise Relapse (Part II)

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

What Causes Exercise Relapse? (Part I)

Angie Miller, MS, LPC

Jul 11, 2016

What Causes Exercise Relapse? (Part I)

Have you ever started an exercise routine and were determined that exercise was going to be a lifelong friend, only to find yourself 6 months, or a year later, looking back at that time and wondering what happened? I teach a workshop on exercise behavior and motivation and one of the most critical components we discuss is how to avoid relapse. This is important, because we have to understand the obstacles that get in our way in order to minimize their impact. It’s similar to

Eight Fun Facts About Diet & Exercise

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Feb 29, 2016

Eight Fun Facts About Diet & Exercise

Did you know? 1. Did you know that 3,500 calories equals approximately 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat? That means you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 pound. If you cut 500 calories from your typical diet each day you'd lose about 1 pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories). 2. Did you know that only doing crunches will not get rid of belly fat? Unfortunately we can’t spot reduce. The best way to target abdominal fat is to reduce your o

Learning to Love Yourself~ An Ode to Valentine's Day

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Feb 16, 2016

Learning to Love Yourself~ An Ode to Valentine's Day

A reflection on love: In Eastern philosophy, self-love is thought to be the cornerstone of inner peace. A journey toward self-discovery is believed to be essential, as introspection promotes understanding and harmony with oneself, which lends itself to harmony and peace with the world. Love is the foundation of human compassion toward others, but first and foremost toward oneself. It would be difficult to embrace the differences among us, and to feel empathy toward those with

Four Ways to Hate Exercise (If you don't already)

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Feb 8, 2016

Four Ways to Hate Exercise (If you don't already)

We don’t lack exercise programming in our society. There are more exercise programs, workout DVD’s, gyms, equipment, ideas, tips, and information than ever before. What we do lack is motivation to start and maintain an exercise program, and that’s something that can’t be packaged or sold. The thing about motivation is that it varies from person to person, depending on interests, lifestyle, upbringing, and beliefs. What motivates me might not motivate you, and vice versa. I’ve

Quick Protein Smoothie

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Feb 1, 2016

Quick Protein Smoothie

Smoothies aren’t just for summer, and nothing tastes better than a cool smoothie after a hot workout. Too often, people share with me that they don’t have time to eat before coming to the gym in the morning. I know that mornings especially can be crazy, but time is about management and priorities and if we want the best return on our investment we have to invest wisely. That means that we have to practice sound nutritional principles to supplement our workouts. Just as we can

Why Are Goals So Hard to Reach?

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Jan 11, 2016

Why Are Goals So Hard to Reach?

Last week I wrote a blog about the power of goals vs. New Year's Resolutions and six steps for goal setting success. I promised to share a goal setting contract this week because contracts are a great way to stay on track and keep us motivated. That said, before we sign a contract it's important to consider potential pitfalls when setting goals, aka mistakes in that stand in the way of our success. Here are Five Potential Pitfalls to avoid and a contract to keep us accountabl

Resolve to Set Goals, not Resolutions for the Year Ahead

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Jan 4, 2016

Resolve to Set Goals, not Resolutions for the Year Ahead

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you might wind up someplace else.” - Hall of Fame baseball legend Yogi Berra Last year I wrote a blog about the importance of setting goals vs. New Year’s Resolutions. As 2016 approaches I’d like to reinforce the power of goals in helping us to achieve our greatest potential. Goals are impactful; they give us direction and help us stay motivated. They lead us to accomplishments we might never have thought possible, and they help us begin

Do You Have a Love/Hate Relationship with Exercise?

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Dec 29, 2015

Do You Have a Love/Hate Relationship with Exercise?

Here's 10 Tips to Get You Motivated If I challenged you to list five things you love about exercise and five things you hate, which would struggle with more? In my past life, my younger years you could say, I had a plethora of things I didn’t like about exercise, but in my life today you’d be hard pressed to keep me away from my workouts. I depend on them for my sanity, self-preservation, sense of routine, and mostly because they provide me much needed mental space, (it’s the

Want to target your core and train your whole body?

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Nov 30, 2015

Want to target your core and train your whole body?

Try These Functional Bodyweight Moves Long before bodyweight training became “in vogue,” those of us who have been around the block for a while trained this way because all the popular “toys” you now see in group exercise rooms weren’t around. We learned the art of bodyweight training and how to properly position our body against gravity because gravity was all we had. Like good and bad fashion, what’s old is new again and bodyweight training is no exception. This is one “fad

How to Stay Healthy During the Holidays

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Nov 23, 2015

How to Stay Healthy During the Holidays

Yes, those two words can be used in the same sentence, even when temptation surrounds us and routines are lost in the flourish of holiday madness. Even when kids are home from school, family is visiting from out of town, and our house feels like an endless hub of activity. I realize that during the holidays time feels like a precious, limited commodity; but I still contend that when it’s most tempting to skip our workout and other healthy habits is when we need them the most.

Today is the Youngest You Will Ever Be

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Nov 10, 2015

Today is the Youngest You Will Ever Be

Sometimes it’s our friends who know us best and sometimes all it takes is a little Dove dark chocolate for some true insight. I’m proud of my age, how about you? Seldom a week goes by where I don’t announce to one of my fitness classes: “Take a look at the clock and note the date and time… Remember, today is the youngest you’ll ever be. This hour will never repeat itself, this experience will never happen again, and you’ll never be as young as you are right now. That said; w

Dear Angie,
Please help me get back on the wagon!

Angie Miller, M.S., LPC

Nov 2, 2015

Dear Angie, Please help me get back on the wagon!

Hello Everyone, This week I wanted to share a different type of blog. It’s actually a letter I received from a reader who wrote to me on my website. She agreed to let me share our exchange, as her concerns and struggles are not uncommon. I believe her words will resonate with many of you, just as they did with me, and it is my hope that my responses will prove helpful to those who might need a little extra boost of motivation and a few tips to get back on the wagon. Kristine'