Balance | Theme of My Week

What a great time to reflect how we use our time.  As we sprang forward an hour last week our nights were pushed later and we can now get that one last thing done before the sun goes down.

I know this post is a bit late since we observed daylight savings last weekend, but I challenge you to use this coming week to track how you use your time and reflect on it.  I had lots of “plans” this past week and instead of reaching any of them I filled my days with MORE.  More is not always better.  This is where balance comes in.  I recommend finding balance in your day, week, and year: physically and mentally.

Triathlons require a balanced training plan to make sure you are ready for each activity.  Your training plan can certainly be customized to favor one event over others, either your weak section or your favorite.  This all depends on your goals.  If you do not implement a balanced plan you will find out on race day which area you should have paid more attention to.  Even worse, if you do not practice balance in your training it may result in injury.

In addition to triathlon training I would like to add how important balance can be to your personal life as well.  I have been struggling the past few weeks with this balance as my work load and training load have been increasing.  My race event is only a month away, so it’s easy to want to fill any free time with training.  I am always seeking ways to help find this balance.  I heard news this past week of a high school friend who passed away suddenly and it caused me to reflect on how I spend my time.  The first step to finding balance in life is reflection.

How do you find and practice balance in your fitness plan?  I recommend a scientifically proven NASM OPT training plan.  I also strongly recommend incorporating Yoga into your weekly plan.  The more you cross train, stretch, use a balanced workout plan and stay mentally strong the better you will reach a balanced fitness level.

Thanks for reading J

Move More. Live Healthy+

Jason

Happy New Year! Resolutions…

There is lots of talk about New Year resolutions so to change it up a bit let’s kick off 2013 with a plan to achieve better Focus, Fitness and Faith.  It’s estimated that only 40% of resolutions are maintained or achieved past 6 months.  If we put some energy and effort into these three areas of our lives we can accomplish new levels of greatness.  Let’s create new habits that will enrich our lives for the long run.

Focus - Finding Focus can be tough.  In today’s multi-tasking world this is more difficult than ever.  How do you find yours? As we begin a new year it is a great time to spend some time thinking about how you can create better focus in your life.  I find my best focus while running, riding and swimming.  Other ways I find focus include writing, listening to music, practicing yoga and reading.  Challenge yourself to focus on what is important to you.

Fitness - Record your baseline and set some realistic benchmarks for all levels of your fitness.  Think beyond physical fitness and include goals for financial, mental, family and your community.  Set SMART goals.  Create a plan to reach your goals and be ready to work hard.  It is best to set goals with different deadlines.  I recommend setting a goal for each of these areas to achieve by the end of today, the week, the month, mid-year, end of year, 2 years, and 5 years.

Faith – This is a very important yet very personal aspect of finding balance in your life.  Today I want to share the below blessing with you.  This Irish blessing made an impact on me this past weekend, may it stick with you throughout the year.

May the road rise to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face

May the hand of a friend always be near

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Les Mills RPM Update...

“A great reminder about setting goals, challenging yourself & keeping your chin up.” - continued...


As many of you may already know from my earlier blog post I spent a weekend back in September to become certified as a Les Mills RPM spin instructor.  As I got further into this I realized it was not just a  long tough weekend it was much more than that.  Les Mills programs are successful because of their process and their quality control.  It's been a challenge to balance this with family and work.  I had to file for an extension on my final video submission which was due November 16th and took a short break from learning release 56 so  I could examine my purpose and goals.  I had until December 21st to submit my video with my extension request or I would have to re-enroll in a new class and start from scratch.

I filmed yesterday and finally submitted my video and have now co-taught 4 classes and 4 classes on my own :-).  I made several mistakes on the video, but hope it was good enough to move to the next level.  It is becoming more natural and I love motivating people to push hard and experience the magic of an RPM class.  Below are a few action shots of me teaching at the Gold's Gym in Forest Acres.  I will keep you posted once I am on the regular schedule and not just a "substitute" so you can come experience it for yourself and help me fill the class.  Come get in shape and reach your goals!

I would also like to mention what a great group of people I met during this process.  All of them with similar goals and passion for fitness.  I am very blessed to be a part of this group.

**A special thanks to David, Brenda, Dan, Margaret, Courtney and Todd for all of your support.  I look forward to the ride :-).

May God Bless you

Week 6: Balance...Need I Say More?

Working on your core strength and flexibility is a great way to build a foundation for building great fitness.  Yoga would be a great activity to incorporate into your weekly schedule.  Many yoga positions focus on balance and will provide great benefit to reduce injury, aches and pains.  If you cannot participate in a yoga class don’t let that keep you from working on your basic core strength and flexibility.  You can incorporate this into every workout. 

You can work on balance in your workouts in more ways than you may think.  Beginning with some light stretching and warm-up exercises and ending with a cool down and light stretching is a great way to balance out your workout.  Each week you can not only balance your individual workouts but your weekly workouts as well.  Make sure you mix up your daily exercise routines to help create a balanced full body workout.  Exercise is no different than anything else in life so overuse can cause problems and you should always practice moderation.

In regards to balance, balance in your life this is the most important take away this week.  Spend some time this week focused on finding balance in your personal, professional, physical, and mental life.  I wish I could tell you I was an expert in this, but instead I will tell you to practice what I preach not what I do J.

Focus + Fitness + Faith = Balance

Jason

Focus | Fitness | Faith - A New Mission

I have been busy working on a logo to capture my vision of helping others find their Focus, Fitness and Faith.  I do love training and competing in triathlons and want to share my love of this sport with others, but more importantly I want to help others find happiness.  The more I dig into why and how I want to help people the more I realize there is so much more to getting in shape and reaching temporary fitness goals.  I believe we all must reflect on what we really want and why?  It is so easy to get side tracked and to focus on the wrong things for the wrong reasons.  Although my mission statement is still work in progress I am committed to help others mentally, physically and spiritually.  I want to make a difference with my abilities and skills that will transform lives and provide a better future for others, their families and our world.  I believe if we strive for balance in our lives we can accomplish great things.

My Mission: "To help others reach their health and wellness goals with a well established plan that includes focus, fitness & faith.

I believe we can all make a difference and find happiness when our intentions are pure and goals realistic.


A good friend shared the below scripture with me while cycling and I found it helpful in my quest.

"Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you.  Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you:  A prophet to the nations - that's what I had in mind for you."  Jeremiah 1:5