You become an average of the five people you spend the most time with. Choose those people wisely. Physical Health So pretty much exercise is good for absolutely everything ... except weight loss. What!? I know. But read this, and stick to your goals. Exercise for the amazing benefits. Eat right for the weight loss. https://www.shape.com/weight-loss/tips-plans/exercise-for-weight-loss-not-effective Eat Well Want to eat more healthfully? Want to have a positive frame of mind, and enjoy life more? Same emotion can help you with both. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/this_emotion_can_help_you_eat_healthier Be Active Not everyone loves time in the pool, but here's some news: we'd all benefit from it. Swimming laps is a great off-season (or anytime!) exercise. Even better news might be that if you are not that good at it, it is actually a better workout than if you are (why? You thrash and splash more). https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a24688318/benefits-of-swimming/ Let's move! You're going to start out with a quick tabata workout (6 exercises, 5 rounds of each for 20 seconds). Then you'll move into the following plank series. Find the Tabata here: http://www.intervaltimer.com/timers/8201157 For each of these plank variations, do 20 repetitions. If it calls for one side and then the other, do 10 on each side. Let's start from a good plank form: your hands should be directly under your shoulders. Try to line the 'eye' of your elbow (the inside of the bend) with the space between your thumb and forefinger for each hand. Keep your shoulders out of your ears, drawing your shoulder blades down your back; this should also open the front of your body a bit. Your hips should be tucked just a little, and pay attention that they don't start pushing upwards as you get more fatigued. Your shoulders, hips and heels should basically be in a line. Don't allow your hips to sag or push up. For more challenging position on the planks, keep your feet closer together, creating a smaller area for balance. For easier balance, keep your feet a little wider. You can do these in order as they are written, or you can mix it up. I wrote each one on an index card, gave them a shuffle and then got started. 1. Plank + hip drops (from a high plank swivel your hips from side to side in an arc, trying to keep your shoulders and feet as still as possible) 2. Plank + pike (from a high or a low plank, push your hips up - like down dog - and then drop them back to a true plank) 3. Plank + frog kick ( from a high plank, jump your hips into the air, and pull your knees into your armpits/upper arms; push your feet back, landing on your toes. You can do a less challenging version by alternating drawing each knee into the same side upper arm). I would recommend starting with 10 of these. 4. Plank + knee in (same side elbow. Hold the knee in for a count, moving deliberately and slowly) 5. Plank +leg sweep (from a high plank, sweep your foot along the ground in an arc out as far as you can, keeping your heel up and toe down, toe as close as possible to the ground. Do not allow your opposite hip to push out to counterbalance the leg; only go as far as you can without breaking the plank form) 6. Plank walk (from a high plank, walk your right hand and right foot out to the right, taking three 'steps'. Repeat to the left.) 7. Plank + punch out (from a high plank, punch out with alternating arms, like you are punching straight over your head. if you were standing up, it would be a punch directly up) 8. Plank + batwing (from a high plank, sweep your alternating arms out in an arc until they are parallel to the ground and directly out from your side. You should feel a squeeze at the top of the arc in the middle of your back) 9. Plank + shoulder tap (from a high plank, lift your right arm and tap your left shoulder. Repeat with left hand and right shoulder. Keep your hips as level and still as possible. If your hips are swinging too much, move your feet apart a little) 10. Plank jacks (from a high plank, jack your feet in and out) 11. Plank + knee in (straight to your chest. Hold the knee in for a count, moving deliberately and slowly) 12. Plank + knee in (opposite elbow. Hold the knee in for a count, moving deliberately and slowly) Spiritual Health What is spirituality? And what is it not? https://blog.sivanaspirit.com/md-sp-myths-spirituality/ Mental & Emotional Health This is such a great article about emotions and how accepting them is such an important part of emotional health. Getting past labels such as 'good' or 'bad' emotions and accepting all (much like labeling foods as good or bad, right?), developing your skill set to experience more difficult emotions and moving past ... all part of becoming emotionally savvy. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_you_think_about_your_emotions_matters Social Health I put this here on purpose; while drinking is definitely something you 'eat' (in most senses of the word), it is (should?) also be something we do socially. If we are drinking alone, hiding how much we consume, etc, then this is a sign of a larger problem. Should you stop drinking? Would that make you happy? I guess a lot of that depends on the hold alcohol has on you. https://greatist.com/live/moderate-drinking Posts from FB/Blog Love love love this suggestion because who doesn't want to share their music? You never know, we big people might find other music we like, and little people might find that there actually is a reason why we love the songs of the 80s and 90s https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2019/01/21/earbuds-made-my-teens-tune-me-out-so-i-changed-how-we-listen-music/ Happy Monday! One thing pretty much every parent deals with is water bottles. More specifically: where they are, who forgot theirs where, whether or not any liquid was consumed from them, and how clean they might be. I can't help you with all of those questions, but at least we can get the darn things clean. https://www.cookinglight.com/news/how-to-clean-water-bottle-reusable New post: crunchy, creamy, a little bit sweet and spicy ... such a good combination! https://www.healthyexpatparent.com/single-post/2019/01/29/Carrot-and-Avo-salad New post: A few last thoughts to sum up the info-dump I've given you on Wellness. In the end, most important message? Take care of you, take care of your family. https://www.healthyexpatparent.com/single-post/2019/01/31/Wellness-thoughts---Putting-it-all-toghether Be your best, s