Jamie here, with this week’s health and fitness blog. For the blog this week, we decided to pose an interesting question to our training staff. The question was… What are you doing for self- improvement? Essentially, what do you do to do to challenge ourselves to become better, brighter, more powerful (physically or mentally). After all, life is full of choices and it is certainly full of stress. We have to do something to keep us going and to keep us motivated. Here are the answers from some of the members of our staff.
Gena
Besides exercise, I keep my self sane by reading (currently, I’m
reading Thomas Friedman’s “The World is Flat”), traveling (beach, to see friends and family, random places) and keeping my thoughts focused on current goals I have at any given time. One current goal includes becoming involved in policy-making groups, so I’m networking now to create that path.
Caroline
I am a goal setter, born and raised. I am constantly, possibly too constantly, reassessing myself and all that I do in order to strive to be the best version of me. I set physical goals for my weekly training each Sunday. I also set mental goals for myself each morning, anywhere from reading and educating myself or using positive self-talk to keep my day on the right track. The combination of physical and mental goals in tandem with self-awareness and assessment keep me continuously working toward self-improvement.
Paul
I exercise hard five days a week doing CrossFit and always try to get
outside for some recreation during the weekends. I try to eat healthy about 80% of the time. I sample new foods, especially vegetables, meats, and fish to explore and find new things I may enjoy. I cook my weekly meals every Sunday because otherwise I would eat restaurant food every day. I read at least one hour every day, whether it’s sports magazines and websites, fiction novels, stuff related to my job, or anything else I find interesting. I try to get at least eight hours of sleep every night. Finally I try to keep my apartment and workspace organized and clean at all times as I believe this helps keep me sane.
Aaron
Golf – no big surprise here…I love being outside and active
Reading- Usually read recommendations from clients
Travel/Photography – the more the better
Tom
I have a machine that pops baseballs. It can pop up to 20 baseballs to me (soft toss) and I hit them into a field then jog out to the balls and throw them back into the fence where I hit from.
When I am at home and the kids are playing outside I throw baseballs into a net that bounces them back to me or shoot hoops on my portable goal in the culdesac.
I also like to take the kids hiking on different hiking trails. Finally, I listen to books on my iPod while driving or mowing lawn.
Jessica
After a meeting with one of our managers in which we discussed the Team Culture at Empower, I started thinking: ìWhat do we all do to better ourselves?î and then I asked my self ìWhat am I doing for self-improvement?î And, the answer I came up with is: Not enough! Having a baby really has taken a lot of my focus and attention. I have poured myself into being a good mom ñ which is great and I love it, but I realize that I will be doing myself and her a big disservice if I donít also tend to my own needs and personal growth. Therefore, I have come up with two things I would like to work on for self-improvement:
1. Spend at least 1 hour per week working on organizing some part of my life ñ pictures, music, cabinets/closets etc.
2. Increase my workout/exercise duration to 45 mins ñ 1 hour daily.
Jamie
As for me, I just try to be the best person and best husband that I can be. That usually means helping out around the house (washing dishes, cooking some, vacuuming a couple times a week, making sure the dog doesn’t destroy the house) and keeping the yard clean. Believe it or not, I really enjoy cutting grass and Iím kinda sad that the fall is coming. I really hate raking up leaves. It completely sucks. I also like to stay in shape by doing some kind of crazy exercise routine 4 or 5 days a week. Lately, Iíve been doing a lot of bootcamp style training outside, as I donít enjoy the indoors as much. Catch me at the Eno River on the weekends as I continue to hone my fly fishing skills. Fishing, now that is something I could do every day. Oh, and never underestimate the importance of grillin’ and chillin’
Jamie Ives, MA, CSCS
Jamie has several years of experience in the fitness industry, working with clients of various ages, ability levels, and health conditions. He enjoys using his knowledge as well as his experience in exercise prescription and program design to help each of his clients reach their individual wellness goals and improve their quality of life. For more information about Empower Personal Training, please call (919) 401-8024
