On a different level my profession is all about change. Take someone overweight and help them get lean. Take someone injured and help them get stronger. Slow to fast, stiff to limber…you get the idea. After working with over a thousand clients over the years I recognize what a huge leap of courage and faith it is to decide to change and to enlist some help.

The final push that causes my clients to transform is a major life change: divorce, illness, new baby, wedding, death in the family, etc. Sometimes something will jar us into realizing that if we continue to do things the way we always have we won’t get the results we dream of. Whether the impetus is happy or devastating it has empowered us to at least take the first step in a new direction.

Resistance to change is a classic sign of the aging temperament. A sound mind must simultaneously hold to some truths that don’t change while being open to new ideas and new directions. Identifying these unchangeables is part of the challenge. Letting go of what no longer serves us or the greater good is an art.

We face fundamental questions about our country’s future and about the way we choose to live our own lives. What will we fight to keep, hate to lose, be relieved to be done with? As always I hope you’ll share your thoughts.

Crum et al (2007) showed that this Biblical principle applies to weight loss and fitness.   Eight-four women who clean hotel rooms for a living were divided into two groups.  One served as the control group while the other was told (falsely) that their occupation fulfilled the Surgeon General’s standard for an active life.  Behaviors did not change between the two groups but the latter were given examples of how their work was the equivalent to significant exercise.  These women began to believe that they were now athletic.  Their bodies responded by losing weight, lowering body fat, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing their body mass index and waist to hip ratio!  Again no change in actual behavior had occurred.

So shall we just think ourselves thin, strong, fast,….?   If you try it and it works please let me and the world know.  My recommendation is simply to recognize that your thoughts are a critical element to your success or failure.

It might be a good idea to inventory the thoughts you have about your athletic or weight loss goals.  I don’t expect you to jot down every one of your 50,000-100,000 daily thoughts but do try to note recurring themes such as “I’ll never lose weight, my entire family is overweight” or “I always choke in races”  or “I’m too slow, too old, too lazy to ever win.”

Also note self-messages like “that was a great workout, you are really on track” or I’m getting experiencing.  You just may not realize how much it is impacting your achievements. Negative self-talk produces momentary stress relief by making it seem that there is nothing to be done.  In the long run it will hamper performance.  It is not unlike the dieter who eats a chocolate bar for the temporary happiness it brings even though the consequences of doing so repeatedly is the antithesis of what will help reach weight-loss goals.  Owning up to the fact that you are getting something by being negative will actually help you change the habit.  It feels good to have an excuse.  It feels better to succeed.

In the weeks ahead I’ll mostly be writing on the sound body part of the equation but I’m counting on you to avoid futility and hopelessness in your thoughts.  Choose to believe that as you apply sound fitness principles that they will work for you.  Trying to improve is stressful and this stress won’t disappear.  But you will be better equipped to handle it when you give a little thought to your thoughts.

The perfect antidote is our new Springtime Outdoor Stride and

Ride Program.  The catch is you have to get up early because we

are out the door at 7am.  On Mondays we run, Thursdays we walk (strollers

are welcome), and on Saturday we bike.  It’s fun to do it as a group and all your

friends are welcome because it is open to non-members.  In fact, when they come they

will be given a free class pass so they can try our indoor classes as well.

The program started this week and will run until June 14.  Hope to see you there!

    In addition to teaching Zumba, AnnMarie Cotto may be a familiar face because she was selected to be in a Zumba informercial.  She lost weight through fitness classes especially her favorite, Zumba. She is very suited from her professional training and experience to help you reach your fitness goals. She is knowledgeable , sympathetic , and motivating.

      Participants are encouraged to work with Scott Hamblen and his crew of professional trainers to reach their specific goals.  Blue Springs Fitness owner, Kurt Mueller, is offering a one year free membership to the participant who makes the most progress toward their fitness goals as judged by a four member panel.  Unlike other contests, dramatic weight loss is not the only way to win. Goals can also include putting on muscle, running faster, or even improving your golf game.  Some members will compete as teams including mothers and daughters. Teenage participants may also attend the Wednesday 3:15 pm Teens on Weights class
    This is not the first contest Blue Springs Fitness has offered. The Holiday Fitness Challenge ran from Thanksgiving to Valentines Day and had forty-eight member participants plus their invited guests.  Cheryl Selleck won a six month free membership, She had perfect attendence in five classes, brought friends and tried new classes. In addition, all participants were entered in a raffle for a $100 Mary Kay package.

    Owner Kurt Mueller enjoys offering these contests and special events to help members get the most out of their memberships and to encourage non-members to try all that we have to offer. Fees for the program are $45 for members and $60 for non-members. You may register by e-mailing fitness coordinator Pam Davenport at  Pam@bluespringsfitness.net or calling her at (816)785-4525 or by dropping by the gym. Questions can also be directed to AnnMarie at (816) 554-9383.

    If this particular program does not work for you , remember group classes are available six days a week, and the personal training staff is always available to help you.

Today I head to Arkansas for my son’s gymnastic meet. When did I realize that I’d be making this ten-hour round trip? Yesterday. This is my sixth child and he has the wondrous belief that there are always people looking after him, keeping track of schedules and events, and that just generally have his back. When my oldest daughter was his age and there were five equally busy siblings below her she quickly figured out that if she wasn’t going to be late for an event, have all her forms turned in on time, etc. that she would have to take some of the responsibility. If this had been her meet there would have been reminders on the refrigerator and sticky notes everywhere.

Research shows that oldest children are high achievers becoming astronauts and curing cancer. Parents of more than one child have a pretty good idea how they got that way. They were helping us. It’s that simple.

I realize that some of you may be alarmed to find that I can forget things like school picture day and I admit that I would never be making such a confession if I didn’t know the basics were covered. Inspite of never shellacking fruit for a centerpiece ala Martha Stewart, my children all at least eat their fruits and vegetables (and that may be as far as I can go on that list since three are vegetarians). But my point is I adore my children and more importantly even as teenagers and as they become adults I respect them.

I think I got some of the big jobs done like: instilling values, teaching responsibility, giving them confidence, teaching respect for others, and giving them freedom to be different from me and to follow their own dreams. As to the details, let me point out that both my husband and I are youngest children so… yep, we can use all the help we can get (and secretly expect).

You may attack your fitness goals like a firstborn attacks their problems. You have a list of goals, you’ve checked out the credentials of the personal trainers, know the class schedule by heart and you keep a fitness journal. Forgive my stereotypes, but you may be more like the happy-go-lucky youngest who thinks he’ll buy a gym membership and then someone will see to it that he first has goals and then succeeds at them. Middle children who love approval and comraderie are often everybody’s buddy in the gym and in the classes.

Whatever your strengths and weaknesses you’ll find there is a place for you at Blue Springs Fitness.  Our group exercise instructors and personal trainers will assist you, inspire you, and make you work harder than you would alone. As you get to know other people in the classes these fitness buddies will become good friends. Sometimes taking responsibility means accepting help.  We are here to help you.  And as for me, a last born, I know you’ll also be helping me be better at this job with the things you’ll teach me.  There’s a reason our home page says we’re a family.  We really do need each other.

I’ve decided to call this new group exercise blog for Blue Springs Fitness: Teamwork.  I believe the name embodies what we are trying to accomplish by offering these varied classes and special programs.  Here you’ll find annoncements on upcoming classes and activities as well as general information related to health and fitness.  Welcome and thank you for visiting the site.

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