So, how do you take the soothing effects of your Yoga practice and apply them to the rest of your day? Develop a system where you use your time wisely. This is the wisdom of time management, as applied to “real life.”

We’re not discussing a “catch phrase,” or short-term solution, where a manager goes to a one-day workshop on time management, and then comes back lecturing his, or her, staff, about their time management.

The irony is that, most of the time, this type of manager is aware of time management because he, or she, wastes plenty of time. This usually goes on until the next workshop, and then management will learn a new catch phrase to tell the staff what they are doing wrong.

What we are discussing is a lifestyle, and possibly a big change, just like the first time you visited a Yoga class. In a “nut shell,” we have limited time on this earth and we cannot afford to waste it thinking about future worries, past regrets, fighting with loved ones, or leaving goals on hold.

Most of us leave dreams, goals, relationships, and ambitions on the “back burner,” while the daily routine of life goes by. No wonder people complain about the monotony of daily tasks. Very often, we hear, “I don’t have time to learn new skills, go to night school, practice Yoga, or become a Yoga teacher.”

Remember when you were a child and life seemed to go by so slowly? You had time to play, watch television, listen to the radio, and lay around, without a care in the world. Now, welcome to adulthood, life is flying by at a rapid pace, and goals sometimes seem further away than ever before.

Your starting point is today. All you have to do is write your list of tasks for tomorrow. This is commonly called a “to do list.” You can post it on a piece of paper, on your desktop, in your PDA, or anywhere you will refer to it in a day.

To be honest, I put the piece of paper in my pocket and refer to it during the day. Sometimes, the lesson plan for my next Yoga class can be found in my pocket, too. This is a reflection of my time line, and my generation, but my son would put it on his PDA. Whatever you choose is fine, as long as you refer to it, and get something done.

Notice, I did not say get everything done. Somehow, life throws us curves and your “well laid” plans may not fit into the daily time frame. You learn this in your Yoga practice too. It is absolutely necessary that all of us accept change. These days, change occurs on a daily basis, so there is no need to become tense about it. This explains why so many corporate fitness centers have Yoga, or meditation programs, for their employees.

Be prepared to make modifications to your plans or “turn on a dime.” Deadlines should be taken seriously, but sometimes life gets in the way. There are times when the path you are on will have to be altered. So, be prepared to have a backup plan.

Remember the Serenity Prayer: “God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference.” It goes without saying, that you will waste a lot of time and energy, if you don’t know the difference.

The next point to cover is when to multi-task. What is this? You say, “This doesn’t sound very Yogic.” Yoga refers to “unity” or “union,” and we must exist in harmony with life as it is today. The mind naturally multi-tasks so, let’s make the most of our time.

In ancient times people multi-tasked, too. Why else would people around the world practice meditation for thousands of years? Why else would the people of India practice Yoga for over 5,000 years? Stress was one of many things our ancestors, and the ancient Yogis, have in common with us, and we know that stress is a killer. Most likely stress is linked to every ailment that connected to mankind.

True irony is when you consider planning time, and start to make excuses why you don’t have time to manage, or plan, your time wisely. If you like to watch television, you could do a little planning at the same time. Ideally, it is best to be totally focused, thinking clearly, and be in a quiet place when planning time.

However, there are other forms of multi-tasking you can do such as listening to an audio book in the car, using an exercise bike while watching television, and reading or listening to books while traveling. There are a number of Yoga, and Yoga philosophy audio books, available.

On the other hand, we know multi-tasking can go too far. I will never forget commuting into Boston, stuck in traffic, and seeing a guy next to me reading a newspaper on his steering wheel! Within the same month, I saw a motorist driving with a hamburger in one hand, and a milk shake in the other, while driving through stop and go traffic on Interstate 95!

We’re not considering reckless multi-tasking, but consider combining tasks that don’t require 100% focus. For example, you cannot focus entirely on an audio book while driving, and you may have to listen to it quite a few times before you mentally digest all the material.

For this very reason, you should not consider listening to, and concentrating on, meditation audio books, while driving your car or operating machinery. Yoga philosophy is one thing, but trying to listen to or practice with a meditation audio book, while driving, is quite another. Therefore, be very careful about the safety factors involved in multi-tasking.

Another point to cover is logistics. When you consider where you are going, always plan to avoid “back tracking.” For example: If you are picking the kids up from school and have to get groceries, make it into a combined trip. If you make it into two trips, this is truly a waste of time. Therefore, plan your trips, whether they are time spent in a car, riding a bike, or walking.

Lastly, make time for family, friends, and loved ones.

Unify your time for a balanced life. Life is not, “all work and no play,” but life is not sitting around living the life of a “couch potato.” Remember one of the best excuses for not attending a Yoga class: “I don’t have the time.”

© Copyright 2005 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

What Is Your Goal?

Before purchasing an exercise bike, treadmill or other type of home fitness equipment, it is important to decide what it is you hope to accomplish. Are you trying to lose weight? Perhaps you want to get in shape, tone your muscles? Maybe you want a good cardio workout? Or you may have several of these results in mind. Exercise equipment varies in its effectiveness in certain areas and by knowing what you want from your workout, you will be able to focus on those that do what you want.

Assess your Fitness Level

Also do an assessment of your comfort level with different types of exercise or movement. Do you have weak knees or a bad back? Would you rather sit than stand? How is your balance? Each type of home fitness equipment requires you to use different posture and movements and you don’t want to pick something that will cause injury or irritate an existing condition. You also don’t want equipment that is uncomfortable to use because it will be difficult to stick to your routine.

Space Considerations

The fact is, if you live in a small apartment or have limited space in your home, you may not have room for a large piece of equipment like a home gym or weight sets. Many pieces of equipment fold up for storage, but if you have to move the coffee table or love seat every time you want to fold out the treadmill, you are less likely to exercise on a regular basis.

What’s In Your Wallet?

Some exercise equipment can be quite expensive, especially for a quality product. On the other hand, you can purchase some equipment off TV ads or special promotions for a very reasonable price, but does the stuff really work? And will it last for more than a few weeks? Most experts recommend that you wait to purchase home fitness equipment until you can afford to purchase something that has good customer satisfaction ratings and is made by a respected fitness equipment manufacturer. Also be aware that some types of equipment cost more than others and may not fit your needs or your budget no matter how long you save.

Consider Your Choices

Once you have assessed your needs and situation, you can evaluate the different types of equipment against your criteria.

Exercise bikes have been around for decades and have improved in design and function over the years. They have been proven to provide weight loss and health benefits if used consistently and correctly. They offer a good cardio workout as well, while limiting impact and injury to knees and other leg joints. They typically do not fold up and can tend to take up space. Exercise bikes fall in the economy or moderate range for price in comparison to other types of home fitness equipment, although some can be quite expensive, especially if they are computerized.

Recumbent exercise bikes, which put users in a slightly reclined position, place less stress on the back and knees but tend to cost more. Some people find the position and motion uncomfortable if they are used to traditional bike riding.

Treadmills are another type of fitness equipment that has been around for some time. They also provide a good cardio workout if properly used, and many come with built in features such as an adjustable platform and computerized workout to help enhance the effects of your exercise routine. There is some jarring and joint stress involved with running, on a treadmill or other surface, so this equipment may not be a good choice for those with knee and hip concerns.

Some treadmills fold up for storage, making them a good choice for those with limited space. Treadmills run the gamut in price range, and can usually fit in any budget, but in most cases you get what you pay for and a very inexpensive model may not be safe or effective.

Elliptical trainers are the latest craze in home fitness equipment. They provide the exercise benefits of walking or running while eliminating the impact on hips, knees, or ankles. This can be good for those with injuries or weakness in those areas. But others who are concerned about building or maintaining bone density may prefer a different type of equipment.

Some elliptical machines fold up to save space when not in use. They generally fall in the mid to higher price range compared to other types of fitness equipment, and again, price often reflects quality.

A stair stepper provides another choice for those who want to burn calories and get a good cardio workout with reduced impact to knees and hips. Stepping height can be adjusted to accommodate different body sizes and fitness levels, however, it can be easy to put too much stress on ankles and back when using a stair stepper. Both size and price are in the moderate range.

Some people prefer the variety and intensity provided by a home gym or weight training station. People are more likely to exercise if they have several different options to choose from, and a selection of different or adjustable equipment provides the opportunity to target all areas of the body. However, home gyms tend to take up more space than other equipment and will almost always cost more for quality equipment. It may also be important to have instructions before using some features of the gym to avoid injury.

There are many other types of home fitness equipment, including free weights, ski machines, ab machines, and hybrids like exercise riders. Be sure to research a piece of equipment before buying and avoid those that make claims that sound too good to be true – they probably are.

Many fitness experts and trainers recommend that you try out a piece of equipment before purchasing to be sure it feels comfortable. If buying online, try to find a gym or exercise store that has the equipment and give it a test ride. Most companies charge shipping and handling to return online orders if you return an item for reasons other than manufacturer defects or damage.

With all the choices for home fitness equipment available, you are sure to find a machine that fits your needs and budget. It just takes a bit of realistic planning.

About the Author:

C.J. Gustafson is a successful writer for Fitness-N-Exercise-Equipment.com,
your complete guide to home exercise equipment, the
best treadmill reviews, ab machines,
weight
training equipment and more.

Copyright 2005 Fitness-N-Exercise-Equipment.com

Permission is granted to publish this article on your site only if the
author’s byline is included and all links are hyperlinked.

Call them fitness centers, health clubs or whatever terminology you choose, they have come a long way in the past decade. Some are glamorous and high tech; some are comfortable and low-key. There would seem to be an atmosphere for everyone. But in truth, many people have valid reasons why they would rather not go to the gym. For them, a home gym is a much more attractive way to get in their daily or weekly exercise. Fortunately, setting up a home gym can be a fun experience that doesn’t have to cost a fortune or require a degree in fitness education.

There are many rural communities that do not have a public gym. Or there is only one and it is always soooo busy. Some people can’t afford the membership and others just aren’t comfortable working out in front of anyone else. For many people it is a matter of motivation. It is much easier to hop on the treadmill when it is only ten feet from the couch. But ask someone to go out in the cold to start the car, drive to the gym and then back again and it quickly becomes easy to just put it off all together. For a host of reasons, many people are much more likely to exercise regularly when they have the equipment they need right in their own homes.

Claim Your Space

The first step in creating a home gym is to find an area to use. You may clean out a section of the basement or garage. Perhaps you are lucky enough to have an entire room you can devote to your equipment. How much space you have will determine what type and how much equipment you can include. If there is a particular machine you have your eye on, you will need to make sure you have room for it.

Will you be able to leave your equipment set up or do space limitation dictate that the gym will need to be torn down after each workout? With home fitness equipment that has heavy parts such as weight stacks, or expensive electronics, such as some elliptical machines, you may want an area that can be secured from children.

Assess Your Goals

The next thing to consider is your exercise goals. Are you focusing on aerobic exercise? Do you want to lose weight? Maybe you are trying to bulk up. Different types of equipment work best for different goals. If an overall workout is what you want, you will need several types of equipment.

Consider Your Budget

Closely tied in with your exercise goals is your budget. You may have Olympic goals but a student’s budget. In that case, you may be better off to use the equipment at the school or Y club. Off course, you don’t have to buy new equipment. There are many places to purchase quality used equipment at reasonable prices. Several experts recommended going this route if you are new to exercise and not certain you will stick with it.

You don’t have to buy everything at one time. Many of the most impressive home gyms have been developed over several years, with pieces added as budgets allowed. Start with the basics, whether that be a good set of weights and a quality bench for those looking to add strength or bulk or one piece of equipment that you know you enjoy and are likely to use often.

Select Your Equipment

Some people choose equipment that is the hardest to find available at the fitness center. Elliptical trainers and treadmills are very popular as are exercise bikes, rowing machines, and stair steppers. Others like the versatility of free weights, Smith machines, or other multi-purpose home fitness equipment. Some people have workouts that target certain areas of the body, so they incorporate ab machines or dumbbells. Keep in mind that most experts recommend that any kind of heavier weight lifting be done with another person to spot you to be sure you are using correct form and to help with the weights if you suddenly reach your limit.

Many fitness experts feel that one piece of equipment does not a home gym make. If you are using your equipment to replace a fitness program at a health club, you will need to incorporate some of the same versatility. This usually requires some equipment for aerobics and cardio, and others for strength training and endurance. This could be as simple as an aerobics video and a quality elliptical trainer. The point is that you get a good workout.

Some people develop home gyms to supplement the time they spend at the fitness center. Maybe there are days you know you can’t make it to the gym, or some exercises you would rather do in private. Let the health club pay for the big buck equipment, and select the less expensive pieces for your home gym.

Comfort Counts

Whether you choose to create a single-station or multi-station home gym, the important thing is that you use it. One way to make exercise more appealing is to make your space attractive. Make sure there is adequate light and good ventilation. If you will be doing exercises on the floor, invest in a comfortable mat. Maybe you want to decorate the room with inspirational or motivational posters or pictures of athletes or power lifters you admire. The main point is that if the space is not comfortable and welcoming, you will be less likely to use it.

As a society, we just don’t get as much exercise as we used to. Fitness centers have done an excellent job of trying to help address this concern, but some people are not comfortable with a public workout. Others just like the convenience of working out at home. There are a variety of reasons people choose to set up a home gym. With a little planning and self-assessment, the options are plentiful, and the results can be very effective.

About the Author:

C.J. Gustafson is a successful writer for
Best-Home-gyms.com, publishing home gym reviews on weight lifting equipment,
recumbent exercise bikes, elliptical machines
and more.

Copyright 2005 Best-Home-Gyms.com

Permission is granted to publish this article on your site only if the author’s
byline is included and all links are hyperlinked.

The role of the arms is to stabilize the torso so that power can continue to be efficiently transferred through the hips. It is this ability to transfer power effectively through the center of mass that not only improves rate of acceleration, but also facilitates reaching maximum velocity, maintaining those top speeds and reducing the rate of deceleration.

So, as you can see, the arms both directly and indirectly influence the ability to run fast.

Now let’s get into the specifics of improving our arm action.

When running, it’s very important to keep your hands relaxed. Think about holding a potato chip in each hand. No matter how hard you run, no matter how tired you get, you can’t clench your hands so that the potato chip breaks. This is a good way of thinking about how loose your hands should be at all times when running. When you start to clench your fists tightly, that tightness spreads like through your forearms, biceps, shoulders, neck and face. Once you tighten up and lose range of motion in your arms, it reduces stride length, which is difficult to get back without burning a lot of energy.

While sprinting, it is important to get a full range of motion with the arms. Remember, speed is a product of stride length and stride frequency. Stride length and frequency are determined, in part, by the motion of the arms. If you are lazy or passive with your arm action, you are limiting your potential for speed.

Your front arm angle should be between 60-90 degrees at the elbow and your back arm should be between 90-120 degrees, also at the elbow. If your arm angles fall outside of this range, your running mechanics will be negatively affected. In short, you’ll run slower and get tired faster. When running, arm swing should be initiated at and through the shoulders. You should think of your elbow as being locked in place.

Elbow angle should only change slightly, as a result of elastic response. Range of motion with the arms should generally be hip to cheek. That is, the hand clears the hip in the back and comes up to about cheek height in front. Much more than that, in either direction, will result in over striding which, as mentioned before, will cause breaking and can lead to strains, pulls and tears in the muscle.

When running, emphasis should be placed on driving the elbows down and back. When runners fire their arms straight back, without first driving them down, it often leads to bunched up shoulders, which causes tightness and limits range of motion. It is important to focus on driving the arms back as they are recovered elastically by the stretch of muscles in the shoulder. So, don’t drive your arms up and forward because stretch reflex is going to bring them forward anyway.

Another aspect of arm action is to avoid lateral deviation beyond the saggital plane. What this means is that your arms, when they are brought in front of you, should never cross the midline of your body.

Your right arm should stay on the right half of your body and your left arm should stay on the left side.

When you move your arms laterally, across the midline of your body, you rotate your hips which basically burns much needed energy and makes you run slower and get tired faster, all for no reason other than laziness and lack of concentration. Remember, you compete like you practice, so if you don’t correct technical issues in practice, you can’t expect them to be fixed in competition.

SAMPLE EXERCISE This drill can be practiced either in a group setting, or alone be standing in front of mirror.

Stand with the feet between hip and shoulder width apart. Bring your weight forward onto the balls of the feet. You should be far enough forward that your heels are slightly off the ground, but not so far forward that your toes curl to maintain balance. It is this slight, 2- 4 degree lean, that is ideal for simulating sprinting.

Start with one arm forward, 90 degrees at the elbow and one arm back, also 90 degrees at the elbow. Perform this drill following the guidelines presented in this article.

Arm action at 50% intensity 2 sets of 30 seconds 15 second rest between sets

Arm action at 80% intensity 2 sets of 20 seconds 20 seconds rest between sets

Arm action at 100% intensity 4-5 sets of 10 seconds 25-30 seconds rest between sets

Like anything that is popular you can get some very good discounts on treadmills at the moment, but before you start looking it is a good idea to do a bit of research to find out what machine is the best for you. If you start looking for the best deals first, then you might end up buying one just because it is being offered for less that the others. This might be a good buy but you need to make sure that it is not being sold cheaper because it is not popular or an unreliable treadmill based on consumer feedback. You can find new treadmills for sale at a discount even if it is a good model, but you need to make sure that you are getting the best machine, so it is a good idea to try to find out what machine will be the best for you before you try to find the best prices.

There are many discount catalogs where you can find some of the best new treadmills for sale at a good discount and they usually have a very good range available. Because they do not have the same costs as the major retail stores they can keep more treadmills in stock and offer them at a lower price. Even if you would rather buy your treadmill from a nearby store it is still a good idea to find out from a catalog what is considered the market price in order to get a better idea of what it should cost.

Another good place to find new treadmills for sale at a discount is at the online exercise stores. They very often have a good stock and are able to offer the machines very cheaply and there are a great many of them online. They are many options for buying treadmills and it is a good idea to look around before you decide which one you want purchase in order to save money and get the best treadmill.

The secret to infrared saunas lies in their lower temperature infrared heat waves emitted, which due to their longer wavelength have the ability to penetrate deeper into the body’s tissue. Japanese studies on Infrared saunas have concluded that the sweat generated inside infrared saunas contains up to 300% more toxins than sweat expelled during exercise or traditional steam sauna use.

As your body stores waste and harmful toxins the regular use of Infrared saunas can help rid you of these toxin build ups, and burn up to 600 calories in a single infrared sauna session. Infrared saunas help to purify your body cells and detoxification is made safe and easy through the process of deep tissue infrared heat and elimination sweating. Your whole family can enjoy the safe benefits of using an Infrared sauna. Infrared saunas are now used in health and healing facilities for a range of health problems such as menopause, cancer pain, ulcers, fibromyalgia, and insomnia. In addition, other alternative healing practitioners have suggested Infrared sauna use for hemorrhoids, cystitis, and cirrhosis of the liver, gastritis, hepatitis, asthma, bronchitis, and it’s known to help with allergies.

Infra red saunas come today in custom sizes that are bound to fit in most any room in your home. If you don’t think you have the space it may be a pleasant surprise to know that you can even purchase Infrared saunas in portable and blanket models. If you feel your lifestyle could benefit from regular detoxification and elimination of pollutants, including burning significant calories in the process you owe it to your body’s health to explore the many benefits of Infrared Saunas.

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Basic nutrition is absolutely essential to making the most of your sports training.

Food calories supply energy and nutrients to the body during exercise. Without proper basic nutrition you loss energy more quickly resulting in a less intense workout. While simple sugars are used up almost immediately, complex sugars or complex carbohydrates provide prolonged energy to the muscles during exercise. Protein is composed of amino acids which support growing muscles. In fact, basic nutritional deficits can cause you to lose hard earned muscle to muscle tissue breakdown or catabolism.

According to Joel Marion, prior Body for Life 2001 Grand Champion, not only are the foods you eat important but proper timing in relation to workouts plays a vital role in maximizing your performance, optimizing fat loss, and minimizing muscle loss. The intensity of your workout is directly related to the amount of calories and fat you burn. You can not be at full intensity if you are suffering from lack of proper nutrition.

In addition, intense exercise can increase muscle loss in people who are not meeting their caloric needs.(1)

There are six nutrients needed on a daily basis. These include: water, vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates and proteins. There are three types of calories including: carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Carbohydrates are converted to sugars during exercise. Complex carbohydrates are what your body needs to perform at optimum levels. Fats also fuel the body for exercise. Saturated fat is what you should strive to avoid while monounsaturated fat is the least detrimental to the body. Protein helps build and maintain muscle mass.

Foods high in protein include chicken, egg whites, lean beef, beans and skim milk.

It is recommended that your daily diet consists of 50% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 20% protein. If you exercise regularly you may want to increase your carbohydrates and protein intake while slightly decreasing your fats.

To improve your nutrition you should try to consume five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, drink eight glasses of water (more if you are consuming a lot of proteins and complex carbohydrates), eliminate junk food and unnecessary fat like in whole milk, and consume only lean meats. If you want to maximize your work outs while eliminating unnecessary muscle breakdown, it is recommended that you consume a nutritional supplement before and after workouts to restore glycogen and creatine levels, decrease muscle tissue catabolism, and encourage muscle tissue growth.

1. Marion, Joel. Active Nutrition. http://www.eas.com/nutrition/articles.asp?cmsID=1038

In 1993, Dr. Dean Ornish came out with a book entitled Eat More, Weigh Less. The primary focus of the book was to urge people to boost their consumption of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables while decreasing their consumption of fat. Ornish subsequently made headlines by becoming a dietary consultant to McDonald’s, helping the hamburger giant to develop the fruit and walnut salad which now appears on the restaurant’s re-vamped menu.

Ornish’s work began in 1977 when he was studying ways to combat heart attacks. He hypothesized that heart disease could be successfully treated by cutting the fat in a patient’s diet, as well as reducing the amount of unrefined carbohydrates he or she consumes. During his research, he noticed that his patients lost about 25 pounds each and managed to maintain the weight loss for five years.

Ornish offers two different diets, the Reversal Diet and the Prevention Diet. Those who suffer from heart disease and who are trying to decrease their risk of another heart attack would conceivably benefit from the Reversal Diet, while the Prevention Diet is designed for people who have high cholesterol levels, but who have not developed heart disease. Both versions are vegetarian, consisting of 10 percent fat, 20 percent protein, and 70 percent carbohydrates.

If you decide to follow the Ornish diet, you will be eating a great deal of fiber, little fat, and a great deal of vegetables. Under the Ornish program, you can eat as many beans, fruits, grains, and vegetables as you want. However, non-fat dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt should be eaten sparingly. The same holds true for fat-free desserts and yogurt bars.

Still, under the Ornish plan, you will be giving up a great deal. For instance, you will not be permitted to eat meat of any kind, including fish and chicken. You must also pass up oils, avocados, olives, nuts, sugar, and anything that consists of more than two grams of fat for each serving. The diet also forbids the consumption of alcohol. The doctor recommends eating a number of small meals so that you will feel hungry less often. Following this plan, less than ten percent of your calories should come from fat.

Ornish recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise each day, or an hour of exercise three times each week. He also encourages some type of stress management, such as meditation, massage, or yoga. Why? In his book, Ornish writes, “When your soul is fed, you have less need to overeat. When you directly experience the fullness of life, then you have less need to fill the void with food.”

Supporters of the Ornish plan are enthusiastic about its effect on the body. It can successfully combat heart disease, prevent cancer, alleviate the symptoms of diabetes, and help stabilize high blood pressure. In fact, one doctor has said that the Ornish program succeeds because it has a clear scientific basis. Also, the diet is convenient to follow because it does not involve counting calories.

The major disadvantage of the Ornish plan is that it is highly restrictive. This can make it difficult to stay with over the long haul. A number of dieters may be uncomfortable eating food that is so low-fat. The diet also represents a radical change from the typical American meat-and-potatoes fare.

In addition, Ornish fails to recognize that some types of fats are actually good for one’s health. For instance, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils can protect against heart disease. Therefore, Ornish’s prohibitions against fish and nut consumption would seem to be counter-productive.

Is the Ornish diet worth the trouble? If you must not only manage your weight but struggle with heart disease as well, it might be just the diet you need. Also, if you have medical reasons for losing weight, the program is certainly one you should consider. However, if you have difficulty sticking with specific menus–and you love meat–the Ornish diet may be too hard to deal with. When you decide to undertake the Ornish diet, you are making a commitment to vegetarianism. The diet provides you with less protein than the typical diet, which could sap your energy. Thus, a good rule of thumb is to discuss the plan with your family physician to determine if it’s appropriate for your case.

Different Cancer, Different Stages of Lung Cancer

The staging system is a bit more complicated than simply assigning a number. First of all, the stage numbering system differs slightly depending on whether the lung cancer has been diagnosed as small cell lung cancer or non-small cell lung cancer.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer is the more common form and it progresses more slowly than the other type. Non-small lung cancer can be broken down into 4 stages. Stage 1 means that the tumor is local; it has not spread to the lymph nodes. Adding the letter A or B to the stage 1 classification indicates the size of the tumor (“A” means it is less than 3 cm across) and whether it’s larger and growing in a sensitive area (“B”). Stage 2 means the tumor has spread into lymph nodes or the chest wall. Again, an “A” and “B” designation determines the size and the location of the tumor. Stage 3 is more complicated and can mean several things. For example, it can indicate that the tumor has spread, but it’s still only affecting one side of the lung, or that tumors have spread to other nearby body parts such as the chest wall, or that fluid is collecting in the lungs. Stage 4 is of course the worst stage and means that cancerous tumors have spread into a whole other part of the body like the pelvis or liver.

Small-Cell Cancer

In cases of small-cell cancer, there are two stages of lung cancer – Stage 1 and Stage 2. These stages are used to designate whether the cancerous cells are limited in number or whether there exists an extensive amount that have invaded the chest and other parts of the body. When they’re limited in number, patients have a good chance of receiving effective treatment and possibly even resuming a near normal life. An extensive amount however, means treatment options are very limited.

The Staging Challenge

Although the stages of lung cancer seem well-defined, categorizing a person’s cancer into one of these stages is often challenging. Each case of cancer involves so many different factors and the combination of factors can be interpreted in many different ways by different doctors. Proper diagnosis and classification takes time and may take several rounds of testing. CT scans, MRIs, blood tests, bone scans and even testing the pleural effusion (if present) may all be needed.

Why isn’t every person who wants to be fit and healthy exercising on a consistent basis? If we know what we should be doing, then why aren’t we doing it consistently? Fitness Motivation Coach Lisa Nordquist calls this “The Fitness Gap” and many of us suffer from it.

Knowing that we SHOULD be exercising rarely makes any of us do it on a consistent basis. So, how can we motivate ourselves to practice optimal self care – which includes exercising and eating right CONSISTENTLY? For those people who weren’t born loving exercise, it takes more than JUST DOING IT (at least at first).

We start to practice optimal, and CONSISTENT, self care (even if we find aspects of it painful at the beginning) through a process I call Pain to Pleasure Conversion (PPC). So, as the Robbins quote above suggests, we must find pleasure in what we change our behavior to. But I think he misses a step in getting there. Before we find pleasure in something, we must (even if subconsciously) find MEANING in it.

So, the conversion begins with assigning MEANING to the very concept of exercising. For some, examples of meaning can be stress release, longevity, optimal health, strength development, or even the pursuit of spirituality. Or it could be simply being in a social setting or knowing that you’re doing ‘the right thing’. The meaning that we assign to exercise gets us into the gym and helps us TO BEGIN exercising (after all, how do we know if it will give us pleasure if we don’t try it first … and, in order to be motivated to try it in the first place, we must assign meaning to it). But, finding exercise meaningful alone won’t lead you to do it consistently forever. Now, this is where Robbins comes back into the equation.

The ‘doing CONSISTENTLY’ conversion is complete once the ACT of exercising itself becomes pleasurable. For some, examples of pleasure can be the ‘pump’ from lifting weights, ‘runners high’ from running really long distances, or simply sweating.

Well, what about those of us, you ask, who have never experienced that kind of pleasure from exercise? Most people who don’t find the process of exercising to be pleasurable, will exercise occasionally, but not consistently enough to maximize its benefits. If you can’t stand to sweat or get frustrated by your lack of strength or lack of endurance, how can you start enjoying each and every workout? Who’d blame you?

So, how do we make this entire conversion happen so that we start exercising consistently and make fitness a lifestyle change, even for those of us who don’t find exercising all that pleasurable?

First, assign a meaning to exercise that is important to you. Second, start making some progress towards what is meaningful to you through exercising. Once you start getting the results you want, the MEANS of getting those results (in this case, exercising) will then start becoming pleasurable to you.

The Pain to Pleasure Conversion (PPC) Equation at Work An example of the Pain to Pleasure Conversion at work can be demonstrated through a series of “if/then” statements.

In the Beginning:

Weightlifting (“pain”) = Don’t DO*. *For example: “I don’t lift weights because I’m not very strong and get intimidated by the weights at the gym. But, I want to reduce my stress and get stronger.”

So, if: Living a less stressful life/having strength = Meaning

And if: Weightlifting = Burns off stress/gives strength

Then: Weightlifting = Meaningful

Then, after I start lifting weights and getting stronger and alleviating stress over time (i.e. progressing towards what is meaningful to me) I might find that: Weightlifting = Pleasure

And if: Weightlifting = Pleasure

Then: I will lift weights CONSISTENTLY and start loving every minute of it! And, if I start loving every minute of it, I will do it consistently the rest of my life!!** **Because, as the equation above shows, every single thing we do consistently in life we find pleasure AND meaning in it … somehow, some way.

I know this sounds a little black and white, but if you think about it it’s true. For example, you might say, well, I know people who CONSISTENTLY complain about everything. Isn’t that oxymoronic? My response: absolutely not. That makes perfect sense. I’ve known plenty of people who find intense pleasure in complaining about everything. And so they do it … all the time!

So, by going through the PPC process, you can associate pleasure with exercise and start CONSISTENTLY practicing optimal self care the rest of your life even if it was once very painful for you.

It’s that simple. I’ve seen it work over and over again. In fact, it has worked for me in my life and many of my clients. If you struggle with exercising or eating ‘right’ consistently, try PPC out and let me know how it goes.