Nearly everyone struggles with confidence from time to time.  We all know women—and even girls as young as 8 years old—who suffer from poor self-esteem.  Men are not immune to feelings of self-doubt either but it often presents differently; men may come across over-confident when their self-esteem is low.

The great news is that YOU can change the way you see yourself–starting today.  We all know that exercise makes your body look better but it also helps increase your confidence–which boosts both your inner and outer beauty.

1. You’ll have better posture. Posture is one of those measures of first impressions.  When you meet someone, if he or she is slouched over, you may wonder what is wrong.  Regular exercise improves your posture which helps you look more confident.   So stand up straight!
2. You’ll be Stronger. A strong body gives you the confidence that you can handle just about anything that comes your way.  Get as strong as you can and feel good about yourself.
3. You’ll have more endurance. Have you ever turned down an activity because you didn’t know if you had the stamina to finish?   Being fit allows you to go on beautiful long hikes or bike rides without having to worry about whether or not you can keep up with your children and friends.
4. 4. You’ll be more flexible. There are a number of great exercise disciplines—such as dance, yoga and Pilates—that will improve your flexibility.   Staying limber is a great way to maintain confidence as we get older.  Maintaining flexibility will help keep you on the dance floor for years to come.
5. 5. You’ll be leaner. Exercise helps you get firm, lean body.  Knowing how to manage your body weight is a super confidence booster.
6. You’ll be smarter! Exercise helps your brain receive more nutrients and oxygen which helps your think faster.  If you’re having trouble understanding this sentence, please stand up and go for a brisk 5 minute walk!
7. You’ll be happier. That’s right.  If you’re in a bad mood, a quick workout will help you blow off steam after a rough day.  Regular exercise has even been proven to help fight depression—so get moving.
8. You’ll have more energy. When you’re feeling exhausted, all you want to do is lie on your couch and watch a movie.  When you have more energy, you’ll be more likely to get outside and be active.
9. Because you’re happier and have more energy, experts say this may lead to a better sex life. Besides that, exercise increases blood flow which, well you know!

10.  Due to increased circulation (as mentioned above) your skin will look better.  When you sweat during exercise, it helps remove toxins from your body and the increase in oxygen helps boost collagen production.  And we all know how great rosy cheeks look after an intense activity.

11. You’ll sleep better. Sleep deprivation is devastating.   When you’re exhausted, it’s hard to stay positive and maintain a healthy self-esteem.  Regular exercise has been shown to improve quality of sleep which has a positive impact on your mood and your overall health.  Just don’t exercise 3 hours before bedtime as it may keep you up.

12. You’ll try new activities. When you’re feeling fit, you’ll want to try all sorts of new activities.  Whether you’re thinking about giving golf or rock climbing a try, exercise will help improve your performance and enhance the enjoyment of the sport.

13. You’ll have better balance. Balance is something we take for granted until we experience a problem with it.  I used to teach a “balance” class to 80 and 90 year olds at a retirement home.  The exercises really improved their balance and stability and also helped diminish their fear of falling. 

14.  You’ll get fewer colds and other viruses.  Exercise has been shown to improve the function of your immune system.  It’s hard to keep your self-esteem up while you’re sick!

15.  You’ll be healthier. Your bones, your heart, your muscles, your brain.  Your entire body will thank you for exercising.  So get moving today.  Improve your confidence, improve your health and improve the way you feel.

Smile and be confident,

Molly

“Originally published in GO, GlobalFit’s online healthy living newsletter.”  http://www.globalfit.com/gonewsletter/default.asp

We all have good days and bad days. Today is one of my “bad” days. I’ve been curled in a ball for about 15 hours and I’m finally able to sit up long enough to write this article.

When you’re sick or in pain, it makes you stop and realize how many things in your life that you actually take for granted. Most days, I take a few moments to reflect on how grateful I am for my life and more importantly, the people in it. But I know I can do better. I still get aggravated over things that don’t matter. I get really frustrated when I get lost while driving (even though I have a GPS) and get upset when my shiny black granite kitchen floor is dirty—which is every day because it shows every crumb and dog slobber puddle. I sometimes clean that stupid (yet beautiful) floor 3 times a day. What an incredible waste of mental and physical energy.

How do we program ourselves to let go of the things that don’t matter and embrace and appreciate the things that do?

Anyone who has been diagnosed with a serious illness will tell you how often we take our health for granted. When you feel good, how often do you stop and notice that? On the flip side, when you have a bad cold or are doubled over in bed, all you can think about is how BAD you feel.

Like everything else in life, you have to make a serious effort if you want to change a behavior. Then you have to work extra hard to maintain it. So let’s make a plan to remind ourselves how lucky we are every single day. There are a few ways we can do this:

• Write down your Core List of 5 things you never want to take for granted. Whether it’s having food on your table every night, the health of your family, or the fact that you live in a country where women are treated as equals, it doesn’t matter. It’s your list. Be sure to read it every day.
• Schedule a daily gratitude reminder in your calendar. Take 2-5 minutes to think about what you’re grateful for and end it with your Core List of 5. Every day will bring something or someone new to your list. It’s invigorating and wonderful to recognize new and old reasons to be grateful.
• The next time you get angry at your significant other because he (or she) messed up the house, think about what your life would be like if he was no longer there. Do you fail to see the good things that person does while spending more energy focusing on the bad? If so, you may be taking this person for granted.

Probably most of the people you know do not have to worry about basic food and shelter. You may take for granted that you live in a house or apartment with heat and running water. You may not think twice about whether or not you will have food in your refrigerator to feed your family. But having adequate food and shelter is not as common as you might think. As you sit down for dinner tonight, think about these statistics:

• Over half of the population in the world survives on $2.50 per day.
• According to UNICEF, over 22,000 children die every day due to poverty. These deaths don’t make the newspapers—these children are dying in small, poor villages all over the world.
• Approximately 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water and 2.6 billion people lack basic sanitation.

Perspective changes everything. We are fortunate and lucky—every day. Let’s keep reminding ourselves. It’s not that hard to do.

And while I love a clean floor, I’d rather have dogs that shed and slobber all over it. I can’t live without my dogs, but I can certainly learn to “survive” in a house with a dirty floor.

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to get in shape this year, then I have great news.  By adding one simple exercise to your weekly routine, you can make a dramatic impact on your level of fitness.  It’s an exercise you probably did as a kid and one you can do it just about anywhere.  You guessed it:  jumping rope.

Many people think they’re not coordinated enough to jump rope.  The first few times are often a struggle and many people decide too quickly that it’s not for them.  If this is you, be patient and follow these simple steps.  You’ll be jumping rope (and burning tons of calories) in no time!

Why Jump Rope?

I have many clients and friends who train for marathons and other long distance running events.   Preparing for a marathon isn’t for sissies.  It requires building up stamina over time and eventually going on very long runs to prepare for the big day.  This leaves little or no time for cross-training.  Along with incorporating strength exercises, it’s also important to add another form of cardiovascular exercise to your routine and jumping rope is an excellent choice.  It not only enhances the endurance built up during those long runs, it also helps develop greater quickness, agility, strength, power and balance.

If you’re not a runner and want to get into great shape quickly, jumping rope may just be your next favorite activity.  Before you begin, buy (or pull out of your closet) the following items:

1. A great pair of athletic shoes that provide excellent support
2. A really good jump rope that fits your body (ask for help when picking one out at your local sporting goods store or order one online)
3. Your favorite get-your-body-moving music

Once you have your jump rope, shoes and music, the fun begins. Jumping rope requires the coordination of many muscle groups to work in harmony which makes it a little frustrating at first.  But keep in mind it’s a super workout.  Jumping rope for 10 minutes burns roughly the same number of calories as jogging for 30 minutes!   So don’t quit because you’ll eventually love the fact you can get such a great workout in a short period of time.

Keep it Simple

For your first workout, simply pretend to use the rope.  Notice how many songs you “jumped” to.  If you made it through 3 songs, you probably jumped for about 10 minutes.  Set a goal of finishing a certain number of songs—this will give you extra incentive and prevent you from quitting mid-song.

Once you can jump for 10 minutes without stopping, bring out your jump rope.  You can either jump while twirling it beside you or jump through it.  It’s up to you—just jump. Make sure you don’t jump too high and always choose a surface that has a little “give” to it.  You don’t want to jump on concrete or stone surfaces as it will make you more susceptible to injury.

The Best Instructor

If you’re serious about jump rope training and want to learn more, look up my friend Buddy Lee’s website.  Buddy, a former marine and 10 time U.S. World Medalist in wrestling, is the leading jump rope training expert in the world. You can learn workouts and progressions for warm-ups, cool downs, sports specific training and sample programs used by elite athletes.  You can even order an official U.S. Olympic Team Licensed jump rope and see videos of Buddy in action.  You won’t believe your eyes.

Jump Your Way to Health,

Molly