Time to get on the exercise train! But how and where do you start?

We've got some ideas to help you get into your personal health groove...

Elephants are cute, but they tend to become less endearing if you feel a little bit like one! A few days ago, my aunt sent me a photo from last summer. As I looked at it I thought, "Do my eyes deceive me, or was my face thinner then?!" True my vanity kicked in a little but it at least got me contemplating exercise. Then another old photo popped up among my papers and it has pushed me into the "take action now" mode!

The biggest challenge we have to wrap our heads around is beginning. The secret to maintaining a healthier lifestyle is just getting started! So what can we do to make this seemingly gigantic leap into the little step it is?

Make exercise and your health a priority. In such a fast paced society, making that mental shift in favour of health is a little step that can work wonders!

Visualize success. Here's another mental exercise that will work wonders to motivate you.

Get support. Who says you have to make this change on your own?! Whip out your smart phone apps, talk to a professional (trainers, instructors, nutritionists, etc). Need a personal cheer squad? Get your friends in the loop!

Pick activities that you enjoy. Chances are that if you like what you are doing, you will do it. Make exercising and movement enjoyable and it won't seem as impossible to continue. Working out doesn't always mean chugging along on a treadmill. Dance, hula hoop, swim, play ultimate frisbee, swing from the monkey bars... the possibilities are endless.

These are just few tips to making that first step back into an exercise routine easier. But my biggest tip of them all? Don't procrastinate! In the end, procrastination seems to be what really delays the exercise train (and I know this from personal experience!).

Good health to you all!

Image source and more tips at: "With exercise, the trick is just getting started," Julie Deardorff, The Chicago Tribune

Barefoot running seems to be all the rage right now, but can your feet handle it?

With baby steps and dedication, you'd be amazed what you can do.

I love shoes; can't get enough of them. But even though the relationship between people and shoes goes way back in history (ancient Egyptians and the ancient Mesopotamians?), there was a time when humans were completely minimalist and didn't value shoes (if they had them) the same way we do today.

Now some people, specifically runners, have decided that it's time to get in touch with their inner minimalists and forego the sneakers during their daily run. Like any change, it's best to ease yourself and your feet into this style of running to avoid injury.

Want to know more about the baby steps to barefoot running? The Chicago Tribune has the details for you and your feet.  But if you're like me and not too keen on the idea of completely bare feet, toe shoes might be a better option.

Happy running and keep fit!

Image sources: Striperpedia and Ecouterre

Remember those young hula hooping days? PGX says get your hula hoop on today!

Exercise doesn't have to be boring. Just grab a hula hoop (or two or three or even four) and start moving!

Not only does it make a great workout, playing with hula hoops can be a lot of fun! No wonder kids are in such great shape. It's not just all that energy they seem to be bursting with, it's their choice of activity. The hula hoop is a great way to get your body moving.

What does this kind of activity do for you? With just one hula hoop, you can have a low-impact, calorie-burning workout that doesn't require a gym membership. The movement that keeps the hoop spinning around your waist is excellent for toning your core, strengthening your back, and improving your balance and flexibility. Plus it's way more fun than running on a treadmill, watching a TV station that the person next to you picked.

If one hula hoop can do all that for you, imagine what two or three or four can do! Want to know how many calories you can burn with a hula hoop?

The Chicago Tribune's Joan Cary has got the numbers and a little bit of hula hooping history for you.

Happy Hula Hooping!

Image sources: Heddaphoto via WeHeartIt and gr8day2save.com.