Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

Amanda Licatatiso

Recent Posts by Amanda Licatatiso:

Meditation for Beginner's

ThinkstockPhotos-79214896.jpgDaily stress can make you unhappy and irritated, which in turn affects your overall health. Meditation is a simple addition to your daily activities that can help improve your quality of life and put you in a more positive mindset.

How Meditating Helps You Emotionally

Although you may feel like there is no time to meditate because of everything on your plate, it actually helps you become more focused and productive to get those things done and feel more calm while doing it. You can correct your thoughts from a more negative mindset to a positive one and understand why you feel the way you do.

Your mood will fluctuate and meditation can keep things on a more even keel to prevent anxiety. You can then handle outside situations that arise without feeling out of control. Just a few minutes a day will help reduce overall anxiety, stress, and even depression.

How to Get Started

Here is a step-by-step guide to start a simple meditation practice.

  1. Take a comfortable seat with your legs crossed and ensure your posture is proper.
  2. Place your hands in your lap with both palms facing up.
  3. Let go of tension in your back and soften your jaw.
  4. Keep your eyes slightly open.
  5. Focus all your thoughts on your breath. As you breathe in, imagine it is all positive blessings that surround your life. As you exhale, blow out all negative thoughts and distractions.
  6. Continue until you feel relaxed and peaceful.

Meditation doesn’t need to take a large chunk of time. Even 10–15 minutes daily can make a big difference in your health and wellness. Try it first thing in the morning to start your day off right, at the end of the day to de-stress, or in those moments when you feel the most overwhelmed—whatever works best for you!

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Topics: stress health and wellness meditation depression anxiety

Positive Thinking and How Attitude Affects Your Wellness Goals

ThinkstockPhotos-506910700.jpgThe second you tell yourself you can’t do something (without even trying), you are not even giving yourself a chance. It blocks you mentally from wanting to do something out of your comfort zone. When you have a negative thought of “I can’t” or “I won’t,” you aren’t even giving yourself the option to succeed at wellness or anything else.

Working Instead of Wishing

Of course, you can’t just “wish” for something to happen; you need to work for it as well. But telling yourself that you are capable gives you a push to believe in yourself and overcome any fears involved. Positive thinking and emotions broaden your horizons and open your mind to new options. They help you see the bigger picture, which in turn gives you multiple paths to reach your overall goal.

Positive Thinking Helps You Build Skills

Regardless of your situation, you can always make the most of what is given to you. You can improve the quality of your experiences even if you can’t change the situation. This is where positive thoughts come into play. Positive thinking is more than just being happy. This attitude adds value to your life by helping you build skills that move you forward. A negative emotion narrows your thought process and closes you off to other opportunities that surround you.  Consider how attitude affects your wellness goals, below are some ways to to switch your mindset.

How to Be More Positive

Focus on meditation, journaling, and enjoyment.

  • Meditation: Meditation quiets the mind and helps you focus on the task at hand. You will want to sit comfortably and focus on breathing smoothly and calmly. Imagine a path you are walking and make positive statements along the way. If a negative one pops into your mind, acknowledge it, correct it, and move on. Make sure to continue to focus on your breathing. This can also help relieve stress and anxiety, so it can be done on a daily basis, whether in the morning to start your day or at the end to relieve any tension.
  • Journaling: By writing out your thoughts, or journaling, you can make yourself accountable for your goals by putting it in print. This accountability makes the tasks a bit more real, and you may work harder to make it happen. You can list the steps you want to take to reach the end result and what roadblocks might get in the way, and then set dates for when you want to achieve these goals. Most importantly, you can write down positive statements like “I will” or “I can” to keep you motivated. You can also write down what you are thankful for in your life at that moment. At the end of each day, write down three things that went well, even if you had a rough day. This helps you focus on the good rather than the bad.
  • Enjoyment: Enjoyment is a bit different from meditation and journaling. This is about doing things that make you happy during the process of reaching your goals, but that might not be related to them. For example, your goal may be to work toward a promotion at work, but you really enjoy having time with your family. If you are working a few more hours during the week, make sure to schedule a fun activity, like going to the zoo, on the weekend and leave your work phone at home. If you don’t mix in quality time for enjoyment of what makes you happy, you will stop working toward your goals because you will feel it’s hurting you rather than helping you.

Be happy regardless of goal achievement. Just because you didn’t get chosen for a promotion or you missed a workout doesn’t mean your worth is lessened. It just means you are meant to do something different or that you need to change your plan of action and try something new. At the end of the day, you need to love where you are in life and desire to make improvements. So think positively and give yourself a chance.

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Topics: goals wellness attitude positive thinking

NIFS Confessions of a Health Coach: The Right Shoe

lacing up shoesTen years ago I decided to run my first half marathon. I have never been much of a runner, so I wanted to challenge myself. I went straight to my local department store and bought a new pair of shoes and hit the pavement. After a few weeks, I started to notice some knee pain. It got worse as I went into longer runs and eventually my back started getting the aches as well. When the pain became too much, I went to see my physician. His first reaction was for me to buy new shoes and a pair of inserts. Could this really be the only reason for my excruciating pain?

YES.

I went to a running store and had my foot analyzed, ran on a treadmill, and tried on a new pair of kicks. I found the right fit according to the employees along with inserts for extra support. Then I went back to my training. The pain magically went away and I was able to complete my half marathon with ease.

Turns out, since I am a woman with hips, my knees were curving inwards as I ran. Without the extra support for my arch to straighten me out, it was causing the pain.

Moral of the story? Get the right shoes for you. Every activity requires a different type of footwear. Make sure that you are coordinating properly for your exercise whether it's in your corporate wellness center, or out in your neighborhood.

A few tips as you shop:

  • Try on shoes at the end of the day when your feet are more swollen
  • Lace them properly to make sure the fit is not too loose or tight
  • Stand on your toes to make sure your heel doesn’t pop out
  • Wear socks you plan on exercising in to have the right thickness

What is your foot type? Normal, flat, or high-arched? What kind of stride do you have? Do you over pronate and roll your foot inward, or do you under pronate and not roll your foot in enough? Or is your stride normal? An employee at a fitness store near you will be able to help you get these answers and find the best fit. Make sure you run around the store to make sure it’s comfortable. Wiggle your toes and make sure you have enough room.

Try to avoid an all-purpose shoe. This won’t give you the right backing for each activity. Running, walking, hiking, and other sports all have different criteria and need different support. Having a proper shoe for each activity will help with comfort and prevent injuries and pain.

It is also important to replace your shoes every 300-500 miles. Pay attention to how the shoe feels as you go. If you aren’t getting the same support, it might be time to get a new pair. It never hurts to have your foot analyzed each store visit and to try different shoe brands. They are constantly evolving with new options.

Lace up and be pain free!

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Topics: exercise wellness proper shoe fit health and fitness