Why Dance to Music in a Foreign Language?

When I first came to Zumba classes, I found I enjoyed relying on the feel of the music rather than the lyrics. When you don’t have the lyrics in your head to express yourself, you rely on your body to bring out that energy. That means you are working your muscles more and enjoying it at the same time. The time flies!

If you already speak Spanish and know the lyrics, there is good news for you, too! Zumba highlights music from all over the world. In addition to Latin rhythms like salsa, cumbia, merengue, samba, flamenco, axe, and tango, we get to enjoy rhythms like polka, bhangra, soca, and African dance. AND, we still enjoy a sprinkling of familiar English songs that bring a smile to your face and really get you moving! There is something for everyone!

Hale Freezes Over 5k/10k this Saturday

Just in case you are interested:
http://webticketing.haletheater.org/

Scroll to the bottom and register quick!

FREE High School Night at the Orem Fitness Center

February 4 is a FREE after-hours high school party! 10-midnight! I'll be doing a Zumba class from 10:15-11:15 p.m.

Admission is FREE with a current Orem city high school ID. Send all the teens you know. I'll work 'em hard and send 'em home by midnight.

My diet experience

Yes, I’ve been on a diet. Twice. 20 years ago. Of course, just like most people, I gained all weight back, plus MORE. I said, “hmmm, if I keep doing this I’ll keep gaining weight for the rest of my life!” So I promised I’d never go “on” a diet again. Going “on” a diet implies that at some point you’ll go “off” the diet. That’s the part where you gain it all back! Permanent results require permanent changes, so if you want to lose weight, you can’t go “on” a diet and expect it to fix things quick. You’ll have to “change” your diet. The good news is:  those “changes” tend to not be as drastic as many “diets” and the results are much longer lasting!

Count downs are SO last year.

Ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? The excitement is seeing how much progress you can make each time you sit down to work on it. Even though all puzzles start out telling you how many pieces there are, I don’t think anyone spends much time counting how many pieces are left in the box. Instead they enjoy seeing the picture grow on the table and want to see how much of it they can build.

Who would enjoy taking apart a house of cards one card at a time? No one. The fun part is seeing how high we can build it.

Sadly, we don’t see projects in our lives with the same excitement. Too often, we are focused on how many pieces are left in the “box” and not enjoying the fun of how much progress we’ve already made.

It really takes the fun out of it.

We count down how many months left in school, how many more minutes left in a meeting, how many years until the children grow up. We count how many minutes left on the treadmill, how many laps left to run, how many pounds to lose, how many days left on a diet…

It really takes the fun out of it!

If you are taking on a new challenge, try looking at it from the perspective of building up, instead of breaking down. Count the minutes you complete on the treadmill, the days you stick to your diet plan, the number of new healthy meals you create, the times you make it to the gym. Don’t count consecutively. Count every minute, every lap, every day, every meal.  The point is, BUILD. And build up. Don’t even think about “the end.” You may be surprised what a big difference this small change in thinking can make!

NEXT POST: my experience with diets.

WARNING! READ THIS before you make any New Year's Resolutions!

First let's talk about the bad kind of New Year's Resolutions.

The bad kind of resolution would be to set a goal for a result you want. For example:

I want my children to not fight with each other.
I want my boss to give me a raise.
I want to lose 20 pounds.

What's wrong with those goals? They only focus on the outcomes. They have nothing to do with your behavior. Behaviors you can change. You can't always control the result.

Better goals:
I will work to get my children to bed earlier so they have the rest they need.
I will focus more time at work on the things that are most needed, (and spend less time on email!)
I will work out 3 times per week, find healthy snacks to satisfy my hunger, and drink 6-8 glasses of water per day.

Do you see the difference? The first set of goals can lead you to be continually frustrated if you haven't been able to produce the desired effect. The second (good) kind of goals are the ones YOU have control over. At the end of every day, you can say, "Yes, I did it. I can probably do it tomorrow, too." Much more positive.

Check out a podcast segment I did on this very topic four years ago.
http://babiesandmomsradio.com/blog/2007/12/

You'll just need to listen between 7:25 and 22 minutes. There is an article I reference about Chinese footbinding (I do have a point). You can find that article here: http://www.myseveralworlds.com/2007/07/11/suffering-for-beauty-graphic-photos-of-chinese-footbinding/

I want you to be successful and feel good about yourself. I hope this helps. I welcome you to talk to me anytime. 


NEXT POST: a healthier perspective on continuing your goals.