Got optimism?

Do you know a person who always seems to be happy and has a smile on their face? They may have to work at appearing that way, believe it or not. If you practice smiling, your really will feel happier. Just nodding to someone on the street with a smile on your face can be uplifting. If you think you are having a rough day, they may have just gotten the worse news of their life, and your smile might help them to put things in perspective. Think of a smile as a little gift that you can give to everyone you come into contact with. You might brighten their day and you will certainly lift your own emotions.

When you practice having a positive outlook you will find that things are not looking so bleak. Maybe you lost your job, but putting a positive spin on the situation means it could open up a whole new career path. If you look for the silver lining rather than the "woe is me" attitude, you might just find something positive comes about as a result of change. The people who learn to be resilient in the face of adversity are healthier and could possibly live longer by learning to "go with the flow."Put a smile on your face and see if it doesn't come back to you.

House chores burn calories too!

Do you hate making your bed each day or cleaning out your car? Those activities can burn calories too. If you have a clean house you will feel more organized and you might even find that item that you've been looking for. If you replace television watching or face booking with a creative project you'll help your brain out too. Journaling or scrapbooking are considered creative activities. When your brain is involved in a creative project it tends to block out all those worrying thoughts we have. It helps bring the focus inward, maybe even creating a sense of calm.

 Other things you can do while watching TV include stretching or hula hooping during the commercial breaks or between episodes, if you watch shows online. If you are looking to lose weight, the key is expending more energy than calories consumed. So every little bit helps!

Want to burn more calories? Add these tips to your daily routine.

Think you are too busy to get in a full workout? You can do little things throughout the day that will help give your metabolism a boost. If you work in a cubicle, leave your desk at least once an hour and take a trip to the water cooler. The water will hydrate you and keep your body working at it's best. If you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. If you are at a mall, skip the escalators and elevators, take the stairs instead. When you go shopping, park in the furthest spot in the lot, unless it is night and doesn't feel safe.

Some activity is always better than nothing! So if you are too busy to head to the gym, taking the dog for a walk or playing with your pooch can help to elevate your heart rate. I'll add a few more for tomorrow's post so be sure to check back.

Have goals? Make sure they are realistic and attainable.

The calendar says it is spring, even if it might not look like it in your area. I've been waking up to trill of birdsongs for a few weeks now. The robins have moved back into the nest above my front stoop, a sure sign that spring is here.

If you feel like you slipped in your fitness routine over the winter, this is a great time to get back on track. With more daylight it is easier to fit in a walk or a run after the evening meal. Maybe you have wanted to try your first 5K? If you set a realistic goal, you will have an easier time attaining it. Don't sign up for the race that is right around the corner. You won't have time to train effectively and will feel stressed. Give yourself about 8 weeks to get ready for the race.

Having specific goals that are measurable can give one a great sense of accomplishment. If the goal is relevant to your life, then it will mean even more. Signing up for a "benefit" race will support a worthy cause and also help you to get in shape. There is a plethora of races out there to choose from and you can even claim the entry fee as a charitable deduction on your taxes. So what are you waiting for? Lace up those running shoes and get out there to enjoy the spring breezes.

What's the deal on free radicals?

You may have heard of free radicals but do you know what causes an excess of them in our bodies? Cigarette smoke and environmental toxins are two of the biggest culprits. Pesticides in our food and too much alcohol can also trigger free radical production. Even too much exercise can increase the production of free radicals. Normal cell function produces a certain amount of free radicals and the body hopefully produces enough natural antioxidants to protect us from the rigors of oxidation. When too many free radicals are around though, they damage the DNA of the cell, which can lead to disease. To augment what the body produces naturally, a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and beans ensures that you have more protection against cell breakdown.

Even if you are not a vegetarian, it can't hurt to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. You might even consider going veggie a couple of days a week. There is a reason we hear so much about antioxidants, they are one of the best defenses we have in today's environment.

Got flexibility?

You may wonder why this is important? Ever have trouble getting out of bed in the morning because you tweaked a muscle turning over. Flexibility doesn't just improve posture, it helps in those everyday activities we do like getting things out of a cabinet that is just beyond reach or even going from a sitting to a standing positon. Any good exercise program includes cardio, strength resistance, and flexibility. Leave out any one of these aspects and your body suffers.

Want to be able to get down on the floor and play with your kids or grandkids? Keeping your body flexible by doing yoga, tai chi, or any discipline that keeps your body supple will ensure that you have many years of joyful play with your offspring. In addition, maintaining flexibility will help to keep you injury free as well as make traveling and all the other activities of daily living much easier and more enjoyable because your muscles are happy to move.

Resistance training, to do or not?

Did you know that one of the highest risk groups for osteoporosis is caucasian women who are of slight build? Since I am both petite and caucasian I know the importance of strength training in addition to an aerobic exercise program. Twice a week, hitting the major muscle groups in the upper and lower body is sufficient to achieve long-term health benefits. One doesn't have to bulk up to have a positive effect on bone mineral density. Making sure you have enough calcium in the diet is also important. If you can get it from the foods you eat, that is great. Otherwise you should probably invest in a calcium supplement.

Men too will benefit by a strength training program. Lifting weights can boost your metabolism, giving you benefits all day long. Not to mention you are also toning the muscles as well as maintaining strength. Even if you don't belong to a gym, there are many exercises one can do with your own body weight. Squats, lunges, and pushups are just a few of them. For under $100 one can invest in a few sets of barbells that can get you started. What are you waiting for? Adding resistance training can also have positive benefits on your cholesterol levels and cardiovascular function.

Need a quickie workout? Try a circuit routine at home or in the gym.

Tired of the same old treadmill routine or running that same 3 miles outside? Here is a workout you can do when you are at home or at the gym. Warmup first at a moderate rate for a few minutes on the machine or exercise of your choice. If I am somewhere that equipment is available I will start out on a rowing machine for about 5 minutes, then switch to a bike or an elliptical for another 5 minutes. If there are stairs nearby I might run up and down them for 3 to 5 minutes, then follow with jumping jacks. You want to go from machine to machine with 3 to 5 minutes at each. The idea is to keep switching it up until you have completed about 20 to 25 minutes of a moderate to higher intensity workout.

Don't have machines nearby, no worries. Jumping rope,  jumping jacks, fast feet (running in place very quickly) or running up and down stairs will accomplish the same thing You are only limited by your imagination. Too cold to go out for a run or bike ride?  Turn your living room or dining room into a cardio lab. It doesn't take very much space to do this workout. Alternating between the different modalities will keep you from getting bored.  After twenty minutes, you have gotten your heart rate up and you are good to go for the rest of the day. Don't forget to do a couple of minutes of cool down, at a lower intensity, followed by some stretching.

Want a mood booster? Try yoga, pilates, or Tai Chi.

We know that runners get a runner's high but any kind of exercise can give a boost to your mood. Any type of movement can trigger a release of endorphins, the natural chemical that eases pain and makes a person feel happy. Exercise or movement doesn't just lift the spirits for a short time, it can keep them high all day. In addition, swimming, yoga, pilates, or Tai Chi it can remove some of the stress in your life just by getting your mind off other things.

Want to boost your alertness, then go for a brisk walk with the dog. In a study from the University of Illinois, it was found that kids who exercise during the day are better able to focus on their assignments than kids who don't get their heart rates up during gym class or recess. Getting a little tired at work and unable to concentrate on the task at hand. Try walking or running up and down the stairs a few times. If you are not able to get out of your office for some reason, try a few pushups or jumping jacks. If you are unable get down on the floor for pushups, use the wall to push off.

Exercising regularly has long lasting benefits for the brain. You will develop a more positive outlook and will be much less likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. If dancing is your thing but you just cannot stand the music levels in the clubs, put some music on at home and dance around your living room. There are so many ways one can get exercise, you don't have to put on the lycra and running shoes to get an effective workout.

Got poetry? The case for memorizing poems!

You may wonder why it is beneficial to memorize a poem, other than you can impress your friends when you spout off "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" at a dinner party. Memorizing is an important task for helping your brain to remember things. This type of task exercises your brain, strengthening it to remember more information. Memorizing passages over time is a more effective way to make your brain receptive to learning. I'm sure we all remember cramming the night before an exam, maybe we remembered a little bit, but chances are if we had reviewed the material over the course of the semester, we would have retained more.

Memory-forming can be a healthy, lifelong habit. Research has shown that adults who went through short burst of memory training were better able to maintain higher level cognitive functioning and everyday skills, even five years after the training. If you want to memorize a poem, it will help if you pick one one that speaks to you. I saw the movie "Invictus" and afterward googled the poem of the same title. I decided to memorize it and it came quite easily, probably because I enjoyed the film so much. Since I live in Vermont I thought I would try Robert Frost next. When I read "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", I was surprised how it spoke to me.  Now when I drive by the trail that is named after Frost, I can recall one of his poems in it's entirety and it will make the drive much sweeter.

My next challenge will be to learn Shakespeare's most famous sonnet. The language is not what we are used but being a southern girl, how could I not love the line, "And summer's lease hath all too short a date?" In a group of participants aged 55-70, researchers noted that repeated activation of memory structures promotes the neuronal plasticity in their brains. Whatever the case for memorization, sometimes taking a break from all that goes on in our lives and reciting a poem for the fun of it, can change our outlook and uplift our spirits.