by LeAura Alderson
LeAura@MyTrainerFitness.com 

Seth is real.  He made lunch for us–all 12 serious entrepreneurs with bright eyes–  healthy, wholesome, organic food he prepared himself.  It was scrumptious.  He served us tea and nutritious, gluten-free wholegrain muffins and ambrosial cake made by his wife in her burgeoning bakery.  Addicting. I’m glad I don’t live nearby.  When the smoke alarm screeched awake over sautéing onions, it was funny.  When the fire trucks came roaring up, it was hilarious.  And when Seth sliced avocados in the middle of all this while continuing the meeting in between greeting the firemen, it was endearing.  This was Seth.  And when he told us the hard things…things we came for but maybe hoped we wouldn’t hear, it was hard.  Seth is honest.  He won’t cater to your ego to protect his.  He will push you to dig deep and to ship…to be more of who you can be and share that with the world.  Because the world needs you.

I’m not a starry-eyed celebrity fan or faithful disciple of any guru.  No thanks.  Been there, done that.  But I’m as passionate about lifelong learning and growth as I am passionate about health and fitness.  Both are integral to a dynamic life.  There are numerous prominent global thought leaders from varied backgrounds, whose wisdom and knowledge I value and regularly enjoy learning from.  Generally, they’re rebels and out of the box thinkers.  Imagine that.  Seth Godin is definitely at the top of the box…outside of it actually, regularly calling to those stuck inside, to come out and ‘Poke the Box’.  Seth’s work is the “get out of jail” card for ordinary.

The Purple Cow of now, Seth knows a lot, says a lot, shares a lot and does more.  He regularly, daily, implements what he recommends.  He stands up, stands out, takes chances, and ships and he’s beseeching us to do the same.  He won’t toss us the life ring, or a coattail.  He tells us where and how to find our own (hint: Tribes!).  Seth celebrates failures as steps closer to success.

Seth is weird.  Consider that weird may be good because, well, when did we decide it wasn’t?  He says We Are All Weird, and makes a case for weird as the new norm.  Beginning in grade school, we learned quickly that anything or anyone that was different, was weird.  We learned quickly how to stifle our creativity and look around to see what others were doing to know what we were supposed to do. The problem with that is that everyone is looking around, so, who do we become?  Captives of furtivity, and derivatives of mediocrity.  (Yes, I know, “furtivity” is a weird non-word).

Seth is an oft quoted linchpin of business of our era.  If you run a business, get his book, Linchpin, for yourself and every employee. In exercise we know that reaching failure is good for muscle growth and fitness.  We rest and do it again.  Seth would say, do your work, ship it, and if it fails, recover and ship again.

This is not a sales letter for Seth, this is a Thank You to him for calling us all out to play bigger, and I hope it encourages you to unleash your brilliance in the world and Ship It!

By Renée Erdman

Parents Would Rather Talk with Kids About Sex, Drugs and Alcohol than this:

Can you believe it?  The research is in: Parents are more likely to be reluctant to speak with their kids about obesity than they are drugs, alcohol and even sex! But we need to have these conversations.

Yikes… the Stats Don’t Look Good

It is estimated that children in the United States are spending 25 percent of their waking hours watching television. Schools are decreasing the amount of physical activity during school hours with only about one third of elementary children have daily physical education.1  So it’s no wonder that one in five children in the US are obese. From experience, I can say that it’s much easier to prevent obesity than having to battle the bulge after the fact.

Most of us like gadgets and technology; television, video games, the Internet and portable electronics. It’s easy for children to keep entertained by simply flexing their fingers with video games, and this can be a welcome distraction for busy parents, but in the end it really compromises health and happiness.

The number of adolescents who are overweight has tripled since 1980 and the prevalence among younger children has more than doubled. What this means is inactive children = overweight children = unhealthy children that become unhealthy adults. Not a fun prospect! Our bodies are designed for activity and children and adults alike should be active every day for at least 60 minutes!

1. YRBSS Fact Sheet: Physical Activity. Found at: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/pdfs/trends-pa.pdf

I Know What It’s Like

No one wants for their child to struggle with their weight. Kids have enough challenges and pressures in school as it is. Being bullied or teased can make life really stressful for children, I know first hand. I was overweight as an adolescent from about 12 years old to 16 and let me tell you, I could have done without it. I felt self-conscious which only made me turn to food and participate less in activities for fear of being judged. I skipped PE class and frequented the vending machines and the nearby convenience store and at my highest I needed to lose 30 pounds. My parents encouraged me to participate in extracurricular activities but when my mom started to exercise with me, that was what really helped. We worked together to change my eating habits and it stuck. I lost the weight and kept it off.

So here’s the thing:  parents are often complaining about two things: 

1.  Not enough time to exercise

2.  Not enough time for the kids.

So, the simple solution to both is to combine family time and invigorating activities for a minimum average of at least 30 minutes every day.  Substitute passive activities for active pursuits and you’ll be well on your way to a happier, healthier and more balanced family life because the awesome bonus to active recreation with kids is that it becomes a fun and spontaneous time for more positive interaction.

5 Ways You Can Get the Kids Off the Couch

1. Set a Good Example

It doesn’t work to tell our children “you need to exercise” if we aren’t doing it ourselves.  And it doesn’t work to complain about and bemoan exercise time. If you do, they will.  If you set the stage for the fun and exhilaration of active times, they will take your lead.  Schedule it and stick to it and you’ll be teaching your kids how to do the same while giving them a head start at developing healthier patterns for life.  Be sure to make it fun and encourage and praise your children for their efforts, while also challenging and encouraging them to push themselves for their best.

2. Get out the Planner

Familes are busy. Period. Between work, meal times, homework and hopefully some down time it’s difficult to get the family to sit down for a meal together let alone some activity time. Take a few minutes and sit down to go over everyone’s weekly time commitments on a large planner and slot in times for fitness. Or use a log like this! Keeping a schedule to stay on track will increase the likelihood of following through. Things come up, that’s life but making activity a priority for everyone in the family is a great habit we should all develop.

3. Keep It Interesting

Remember, you’re competing with engaging videogames, the Wii and TV, so getting everyone in the family involved in deciding which types of activities to participate in is key.  Keeping it simple may make a routine easier such as biking, walking or visiting the local recreation center in which family members can choose different forms of exercise from swimming to weight training. Try to mix it up and try something different on the weekends. For sunny days consider My Trainer Fitness for Kids workouts six different workouts for kids to do alone or with others (including mom and dad!) and take the thinking and planning out of your activity time and make it fun!

4. Encourage Extra-Curricular Activities

Do your children have aspirations of becoming a kung-fu master or a soccer star? Maybe your teen is interested in MMA. Group or individual-based activities within classes are a great way for children to engage in healthy movement and interact with other like-minded healthy friends. If budget is a concern most community centers or YMCA’s are reasonably priced.  But if you take kids lessons and athletics, don’t forget your own!  Many fitness centers are getting on board with offering adult classes during the same time as children’s classes so that parents can workout instead of sit it out.  In some communities moms walk or together, taking care of their fitness while the kids are taking care of theirs!  If you want to watch your child during class, that’s fine…if it’s an hour class, then you can exercise for half of that time and watch your kids progress during the other half.  Just don’t forget that you need it as much as they do!

5. Encourage Non-techie Activity

Ever wonder how much time you and your children really spend on mindless activity? Keep a log for a week and you’ll be surprised! The more time we spend idle in front of a screen the more likely we all are to consume more food, and that’s a double-whammy:  Idle + food = fat.  Many households keep the tv on for background noise which increases the likelihood of watching more than intended.  Limit internet access and use time slots as a reward. Don’t forget that cell phones, ipods and other handheld devices prevent your family from being active as well.  It’s not easy to dissuade your children from the tempting electronic world but by making “real life” activities more appealing they may find themselves more interested in activity.

By increasing the activity your family engages in on a daily basis, your connection with your children will also increase. You’ll learn more about each other, spend more quality time together and improve relationships and health. Growing stronger bodies together grows stronger bonds with better health for all while cultivating a lifetime of healthy habits for your kids.

So if your family traditions orbit around food, you can create awesome new traditions and a healthy family legacy!  Thanks, Mom!