It’s the time of year that the stress of the holidays and the shifting of your schedules lends itself to not working out. Have no fear babies, JoJo is here! Quite a few years ago, I regularly posted weekend challenges on an Operation Boot Camp blog that you can find HERE. They are no equipment needed workouts that you can power through and there are enough that you can do one for every day of the holiday season. Fo’ free. Yup, reread it, friend I said free. And here’s a little tip from me to you: working out is a great way to get some alone time that family members 1. don’t usually want to participate in and 2. don’t argue for you to stay with them instead. It’s 3 gifts in one: exercise, stress release and alone time. You’re welcome America.

Other ideas for holiday themed workouts: Turkey Squats – hug that butterball to your chest and do some full squats. Cranberry curls – 14oz cans one in each hand and curl them up from hip height to your chest. I recommend you do that one in front of the mirror. Pick that turkey back up and get yourself into a row boat/v-sit position. Start with the turkey in the center then twist and touch it on the ground moving side to side. Agility – get all family members to lay down on the ground and proceed to hurtle/jump over them. 1-3 family members repeat 10 times, 4-10 repeat 8 times.

Source: Decatur – Tips

I’m sure you’ve done it because I have and since we’re besties it’s likely you’re like me. So in addition to singing ROAR at the top of your lungs-like me-you have probably also committed to do something you know is good for you and you just.aren’t.doing.it-you just.don’t.wanna.

I’ve been doing some personal growth work with More to Life which puts a large emphasis on the unconscious messages you’re telling yourself-their term is mind talk. I think of it as even deeper than

self talk-it’s trickier. It’s deeper; self talk is in there and you catch yourself doing it. Mind talk is what’s under the reason you’re even saying the first thing to yourself. Too deep for you? Take a break and look at THIS. Ok, glad you’re back. So, even though you rationally understand that statements like “if I’m not perfect people won’t love me” are not true there’s something in there telling you that or something like that (the perfection crap is one of mine. I mean even though I know rationally perfection doesn’t exist my deep hidden under the layers (maybe somewhere in the intestines-I mean those things are crazy long) self is still acting like it’s real.) How can I tell? Well, when someone points out a mistake I’ve made and I say “oh thanks” and then I’m moody and grumpy. This mood change assures me that there’s something I’m not acknowledging. Because who wouldn’t start feeling crappy about being told that people wouldn’t love you if you didn’t do it all right? Ain’t no one got time for that!

So back to the point about not doing something you know is good for you. I’ve begun to wonder if the stupid mind talk is what’s going on when I regularly do not do something that there seems to be no physical reason I’m not able to.

So sister from another mister/brother from another mother is there something you know that you’ve committed to doing just for you (yoga comes to mind for me . . .) and you’re skipping? Or letting other things be more important? Are you telling yourself “it doesn’t matter if I go or not, I’m always going to be unhealthy/overweight/slow/unathletic?” Or maybe something about not being as important as someone else and not wanting to inconvenience them? This week I invite you to go deeper than your self talk, get in there and find out what scripts your mind is telling you and ask yourself “is this absolutely true? or is it bollocks?” My experience is that it’s almost always false. Once you’ve recognized whether its T/F choose how you are going to behave or how you want to behave. You know you are worth working out/going to bed early or eating right. How do you demonstrate that to yourself? Do that. Exactly that-go Paul Simon on it and set yourself free.

Source: Decatur – Tips

But your need to eat ice cream, queso dip while suckin’ down margaritas doesn’t go into hibernation in winter and sister/brother, neither can

you. Whether you’re hittin’ the pavement with us at Operation Boot Camp or you’re working out with your family on the weekends you can’t let the cooler temps keep you from being active. It can be intimidating to work out in colder weather but the difference between getting out there and rockin’ it and getting out there and turning around is your gear. And frankly, layering. A lot of it is layering.

So, when it’s reallly cold, like 30-20 degrees I wear the following:

1. What yo’ mama calls “long underwear.” Bottom and top. Look for styles labeled “active” to make sure they’re moisture wicking.

2. Pants on top of your long underwear, a quarter zip long sleeve jacket on your top. These jackets are usually a little lighter weight and the quarter zip is nice if you need to cool down a little but the high neck is good for real chill chill days.

3. Jacket or fleece on top. Something that zips and is moisture resistant is ideal-the grass gets wet and then you get wet.

4. I HAVE to have something on my neck. And luckily, there’s a product made just for that. No, not a scarf. I mean obviously I could use a scarf but that is probably not moisture wicking and I’ll probably lose it. SO I wear a Buff. It serves the same purpose but I can’t lose it and it wicks my liquid awesome.

5. I use the buff to cover my ears but if you’re not into that you’ll probably want a fleece headband that covers your ears.

6. A hat. duh.

Now on to the extremities:

1. Good socks. In the summer you may like those low cut it looks like I’m not wearing any socks but in the winter go high school gym coach tall. We’re a fan of the smartwool brand socks. I personally put on a pair of my tall argyle socks (somewhat thin) and then my regular running socks.

2. Gloves. You have to have ‘um. My all time favorite are Seal Skinz. They are the most waterproof gloves I’ve found. When it’s not quite Seal Skinz cold I go with a convertible glove. They are mittens or gloves and I like to start as mittens then when I warm up it’s gloves! That’s 2 for 1 ya’ll!

Make sure your layers are moisture wicking. It’s a real thing, people and without it you are going to be soaked in sweat and that shit gets cold.

If you’re nervous about what to wear a great resource is this What Should I Wear Weather Calculator . Check it out until you get the hang of it. Remember if you’re at a comfortable temp outside BEFORE your workout, shed your top layer. You did too good a job and you’re going to have to take it off anyway. Oh and as you’re taking it off please, for me, do a little Magic Mike swirl.

For even more ideas & links to buy online check out our Cold Weather Must Haves board on Pinterest.

Source: Decatur – Tips

Long time camper, and new instructor Ari Sarmento was recently featured in the Atlanta Journal Constitution for his 35lb weight loss. Congratulations Ari!

Ari Sarmento, 46, of Atlanta, lost 35 pounds

By Michelle C. Brooks

For the AJC

Source: Decatur – Tips

For something that most people do with their eyes closed, sleeping can be awfully difficult. I struggled with sleeplessness for years and am blown away by how many people I meet who tell me that they have trouble sleeping as well. It’s not that we don’t know enough, aren’t trying hard enough, or are somehow less capable than others of resting and relaxing. Rather, we struggle to sleep because the factors that interfere with sleep are so complex, knowledge alone is not enough, and in a frustrating Catch-22, the harder we try to sleep the less likely we are to do so.

So what can you do when sleep is elusive, your brain is running in circles, and you’re pretty sure you’re going to humiliate yourself when you collapse out of sheer exhaustion during warm up stretches at Bootcamp tomorrow? Following are the 4 keys to sleeping well that I’ve discovered through extensive research, work with clients who have trouble sleeping, and my own efforts to overcome insomnia.

Key Number 1: Sleep Hygiene

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you getting enough exercise?

• Could too much caffeine or caffeine too late in the day be keeping you awake?

• Do you do anything other than sleep or sex in your bedroom? (You want to associate your bed with sleep and rest, so anything you do in it should be relaxing.)

• Does the idea of going to bed make you anxious? (If so, try getting out of bed when you can’t sleep and do something enjoyable—read, do yoga, take a bath, work on a puzzle, play a game, call a friend, listen to music, etc.—until you feel more relaxed. Don’t lay in bed frustrated or you’ll start to associate your bed with that feeling.)

Key Number 2: Quieting the Mind

It seems that some people’s brains didn’t come with an “off” switch like everybody else’s. But even if you know that running over your to do list at 2 in the morning isn’t a good idea, that doesn’t mean you know how to stop. Here’s how you can learn the skill of letting go:

• Meditate. This is a great way to practice noticing your thinking, worrying, and planning without getting caught up in it. To learn how to meditate, take a class at a yoga studio or meditation center or find some guidance online (http://www.getsomeheadspace.com/).

• Schedule your worry time (http://www.helpguide.org/mental/anxiety_self_help.htm). Worry hard during worry time! But when it’s over, let your worries go.

• Address the root cause of your worry. Sometimes worries are based on outdated or limiting beliefs. Sometimes they point to action you still need to take. Other times they’re ways of avoiding feelings like fear or vulnerability. Address the root cause of your worry and it goes away on its own.

Key #3: Positive Beliefs About Sleep

For many of us, our sleeping trouble begins only when we start to think we can’t sleep. I used to think there was something wrong with my sleeping ability until my boyfriend told me I was asleep most of the time I thought I was awake, and he was pretty sure because I was snoring. Relieved and slightly embarrassed, I realized that falling asleep was easier than I’d thought.

Instead of increasing your anxiety by telling yourself how bad you are at sleeping and how terrible you’ll feel if you don’t sleep right now, remind yourself of the following truths:

• Falling asleep is easier than you think it is, and you’re probably sleeping more than you think you are. (If you can’t immediately recall the precise last thing you were thinking, you were probably asleep.)

• If you can’t sleep at the moment, you probably just need some time to wind down.

• If you don’t sleep well, for a few nights or a few weeks, it’s not the end of the world. Research suggests that we can still feel and perform well after a few (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/13/health/nutrition/13BestSIDE.html?_r=1&) or even many (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8986.1974.tb00543.x/abstract) sleepless nights. Usually the effects of being tired are far less dramatic than what you’re imagining at four o’clock in the morning.

Key #4: Self Compassion

This was the hardest key for me to discover, but it’s really relatively simple. I found that when I was pushing myself hard during the day, not listening to my needs, or beating myself up about something I should have done better, sleep didn’t come. When, on the other hand, I worked diligently but still listened to my needs and took my time, took breaks, and made time to have some fun, then I slept fine. When I let myself feel good about my efforts and let go of my shortcomings, I slept even better. Self compassion isn’t an easy thing to develop, but you can learn to take care of yourself while you work (http://www.theenergyproject.com/) and be kinder to yourself when things are difficult (http://www.self-compassion.org/).

Not being able to sleep can feel like the worst luck in the world. It seems like you’ve been singled out for some cruel and unusual—not to mention undeserved—punishment. But sleeplessness can actually be quite useful. It forces us to pay attention to some things that are vitally important to our happiness that we might otherwise happily ignore. So instead of trying to force sleep or do without it, open up to what it might have to teach you. Doing so could help you not only sleep better, but be happier too.

Meredith Walters is an ICF-certified professional development coach with over thirteen years of experience helping people and organizations grow. She has an MBA from the University of San Francisco and has served as adjunct faculty at New Ventures West coaching school. She loves helping entrepreneurs, small business owners, and creative professionals who want to change the world do so with greater joy, ease, and effectiveness. You can find more about her background and her work at http://meredithwalters.com.

Source: Decatur – Tips