Month: March 2020

Contingency Plans: ITTT

/ Mark A Nutting / Leave a comment

Let’s face it, our plans for the near future are out the window. In many states (and countries) people are finding themselves restricted to their homes and away from normal activities. This confinement or isolation, whether self-imposed or otherwise, can play havoc on our mental and physical wellbeing. We are now in new territory. How can we manage our behaviors and stay healthy?

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Start With Journaling.

In order to manage what we do, we need know what it is that we’re doing. Patterns are going to start to emerge and writing down what you do will help you decipher the good from the not so good. Set an alarm on your watch, your phone, Alexa, or other device to go off every hour. Stop what you’re doing and just note what you did in the last hour. i.e. 9-10am watched TV for 45 minutes, got up, made a cup of coffee and grabbed a danish, sat back down and continued watching TV. After a couple days of journaling, you will start to see the patterns, like grabbing that danish with your coffee each morning. Then, with it laid out in front of you, you can start to determine what needs to change. Make a list of those changes.

ITTT: If This, Then That

Take that list and come up with contingency plans. If this, then that (ITTT). Write down those plans.

Say that you know that danish is going to catch up to you and pack on a few pounds. ITTT, “If I get up for your coffee, then I will have a piece of fruit instead of the danish.

Maybe you realize that you’re sitting too much. ITTT, “If I sit for an hour, then I will go outside and walk around the house for 10 minutes before I sit down again.”

What if you find yourself feeling very anxious and fearful about what’s going on in the world. ITTT, “If I find myself thinking about COVI-19 and am fearful for myself and others, then I will take five minutes and meditate, focusing only on my breath. (Try the Headspace app)

You could also find yourself feeling very isolated these days. ITTT, “If I don’t talk to anybody outside of my household by the time I finish dinner, then I will call or face time one of my friends before I do anything else.” After all, social connection is very important to our mental health.

The use of ITTT is very much like stacking habits, but, hopefully you’re managing these behaviors before they actually become habits.

I hope this helps. It’s a new and stressful time for everyone and you’re not alone.

Stay safe. Stay healthy.

What if Starting a Fitness Program Was Easy?

/ Mark A Nutting / Leave a comment

Getting started always seems to be the hardest part. Once you’re going, it’s not as difficult to keep going. What if I told you that starting doesn’t have to be so hard? What if it was actually easy? The fact is, it can be.

What makes starting such a challenge? There are a number of things that can make it seem that way. Here are some of those:

  • You can’t find the time to exercise
  • You don’t have enough energy
  • You’re not motivated
  • Your body hurts and you don’t want it to hurt more
  • You’re not sure what to do
  • You’re where to do it
  • You can’t afford to do it

Untitled design (79)and here is the reality:

  • Time – You can literally start with just a few minutes
  • Energy – Starting with minimal time and effort doesn’t require much energy and, as you increase the time and effort, so will the amount of energy you have
  • Motivation – If you didn’t have at least a little motivation, you wouldn’t even be considering exercising and you only need a little if you are starting small.
  • Body discomfort – Moving more, even if it’s only a little more, decreases our sense of pain.
  • Unsure what to do – This is where consulting with a professional is important. Generic programs can be found online, but they will never be perfect for you.
  • Where – You can start right in your living room, your backyard, a park, or wherever you like, equipment is not necessary.
  • Affording it – The only real expense is hiring a professional to get you set up (and possibly to update your program periodically). This is an investment in your future and isn’t it worth getting it right rather than wasting your time and running the risk of hurting yourself with programs that aren’t going to get you where you want to go? BTW, this can also be more affordable than you may think.

So, knowing this, what’s holding you back from getting started?