Have It All: Health and Fitness Tips, Life Lessons

Use health and fitness tips and techniques to help you reach your mental and physical goals.

We have one life to live, one chance to achieve our wildest dreams, one opportunity to pursue our passions. Why not throw our cards on the table and make the decision to have it all!

In health and fitness and in life, it is our decision to achieve a goal that leads to our success or demise. From having the most envied beach body to opening a business, our dedication will help us reach any goal no matter how far fetched it may seem. In the pursuit of excellence, the biggest obstacle that stands in the way are our own self imposed limitations.

• I don't have time

• I'm too old

• I'm not creative enough

• I don't have the money

• I'm not smart enough

• I'm not attractive enough

And the list goes on!

Try this exercise. Imagine that there are no limitations on what you can achieve over the next 12 months. From a physical perspective, what would your body look and feel like from head to toe? From a mental/spiritual perspective, how would you describe your state of mind and the impact you're having on those around you? Write down what a typical day would be like in your new life?

After you've spent a few minutes on this exercise step back and notice how you feel about this imaginary life. If you're smiling from ear to ear and excited about what you've written then it is time that you consider reevaluating your health and fitness goals.

The items that you've written are goals that you have ignored for far too long. The good news is that this brainstorming session is the first step toward achieving them. Reexamine the goals you've written and identify the steps necessary to achieve those goals, you may be pleasantly surprised that your goals may not be as unrealistic as you once believed.

Try working from the inside out by taking control of your mental and physical state.

Health and Fitness Tips

Free Your Mind With Cardio - Incorporate 20 minutes of cardio at least 3 days a week. When the weather is nice take a walk or jog outside and keep your eyes on the horizon. Observe your surroundings and the people around you. Enjoying new environments is a great way to enhance your creativity and reduce stress.

Train your body and your perseverance - Weight training challenges the body to endure discomfort for the purpose of gaining strength. The rhythmic and controlled movement will calm a distracted mind. Incorporate strength training into your routine 2 to 5 days a week. Call on the services of a personal trainer to guide you through proper technique and weight selection to ensure you get the most out of each workout.

Breathe for Peace and Focus - Meditation is an excellent way to get your mind ready for the most difficult challenges. Those new to meditation may find it difficult to stay focused. Use the wave breath to calm your mind. Sit in a chair or a comfortable crossed-legged seated position. Close your eyes. Take a shallow inhale through the nose to allow the air to rise from your pelvic floor to your belly button then release the air the way it came. Take a deeper inhale to allow the air to rise from your pelvic floor to your lower ribs then release the air the way it came. Inhale to allow the air to rise from your pelvic floor to your breastbone and release the air the way it came. Complete three cycles of this breath and continue for 10 to 15 minutes, breathing steadily through the nose. During this time take your focus to the path of the breath as it rises up the spine, expands the rib cage and releases the way it came.