Since we are “celebrating” National Puppy Day this month, I thought I would write about Becca. Many of you have seen her, ensconced on her throne, minding the comings and goings of the neighborhood and office and greeting you as you arrived. Perhaps you have heard her dulcet tones in the office, enhancing the soothing music from our playlist as you relax on the table. 
She takes her job very seriously, working day and night.
Like all of us, she needs to get exercise to stay in shape and perform at her best. The problem is, the minute the idea of a walk is suggested, she acts like we are proposing an unspeakable torture. She goes to great lengths to avoid putting on her harness, which we use to protect her from injuring her neck since she tends to pull on her leash. You see, it’s an unfathomable mystery. She avoids the walks, and yet once she gets walking she really enjoys it!!!
Aren’t we all like that? We know things we should do to improve or maintain our health. Maybe it is to do certain exercises regularly, maybe it is to drink more water, eat certain foods (or NOT EAT certain foods!) or go to bed earlier. Yet the very mention of these things cause us to react like Becca to her leash. “Oh no! Oh no! I’m not going to like this” we protest, until we start doing it and find we really like it after all. Our body thanks us and we feel good!
Implementing strategies that will improve our health and wellbeing takes planning and forethought. We probably don’t have someone that will sneak up on us with a leash hidden behind their back- we have to put the strategies into place ourselves to make things happen. There are things we can do to help get started or keep things going.
1. Buddy system- it is easier to exercise, or change a habit if we have a partner to help with motivation and keep us accountable. With the freedom gained by cell phones, we can have a partner that lives in another city and still “go for walks together”, or challenge each other to get to bed on time with a text!
2. Put some money on it! Buy some new exercise clothes or pay for a series of classes. When we invest in a program, this can provide some added motivation to follow through.
3. Remind yourself of the benefits of your plan. Just as we remind Becca of all the spots of yellow snow she is going to get to sniff on her future walk(!) if she will just get her leash on, we can motivate ourselves to start and follow through by understanding the benefits of our proposed health strategy and visualizing how great we will feel when we implement it!
4. Get regular Network Care! In a study by R. H. Blanks, Ph.D, of the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, he stated that “Network Care has a direct effect on client self-reported wellness which is twice that expected from healthy lifestyle practices (exercise, risk avoidance, optimal food choices). Network also has a major indirect effect on wellness by promoting healthy lifestyle choices.” This is because the more effectively our “brain : body” connection is working, the more we will respond to the body’s needs and the better care we will take of ourselves!
And to help you “get the leash on”, we are offering a Posture workshop where we teach valuable tips and demonstrate useful exercises in improving and maintaining your posture. We are also organizing another Spring Movement Challenge to develop some healthy habits over the ten weeks, and provide community and accountability as you set your own health goals. Sign up- You might even win $400!