Motivation

10 Keys to Happiness

10 Keys to Happiness

Published by on July 20, 2016 | Leave a response

Everybody wants to be happy, but only few are brave enough to put in the work to be so. It’s not some magical feeling that finds its way to your life.

You need to be self aware in order to even begin to find happiness. It really starts with you. You need to get to know yourself, what you’re looking for, what you like, what you don’t like, things like that.

There’s a lot of learning involved before you can say you are truly happy. It’s a constant process, not some prized possession you leave in a trophy case.

Here are some of the things we need to let go because they hinder us from finding true happiness:

1) Others’ approval

Basing your life decisions on other people’s feelings about it is insane. You know that you can’t please everybody, you know that there will always be something someone won’t approve of or will displease them.

Why bother seeking comfort in others’ approval when it means sacrificing what would make you happy? That’s not comforting at all. That you have to give up what would make life better for you for people who aren’t going to live it for you.

Your life is yours alone. Live it according to you.

2) Pride

Nothing ever gets resolved with this. If you’re stubborn and refuse to believe you’re wrong, especially when you are, then you’re not helping yourself.

Part of growing, of evolving into the person you’re supposed to become is in knowing when you’re right, and knowing when you’re wrong.

If you know you’ve made a mistake, have the humility to admit it.

3) Expectations

Yes, the golden rule, treat others the way you would want them to treat you, is a good measure of how you should be, but it doesn’t guarantee that others will follow suit.

You can’t expect people to act and react the way you would given a particular situation. You can only hope that they do right by you, but if they don’t, you need to be the one to adjust accordingly.

4) Anger

Staying mad at people who have wronged you will only make you feel burdened. It’s going to weigh heavily on you, not them, if you don’t learn to let go of it.

Anger is consuming and if you don’t know how to handle it correctly, it can and it will take over your life–how you see things, how you feel about people, etc.

It’s always best to forgive people, even if you haven’t received an apology.

5) Idea of Perfection

Life isn’t perfect, people aren’t perfect, even the perfectly planned vacation isn’t always perfect.

Why insist on perfection when nothing really is?

Learn to recreate your definition of what perfect is, something that’s attainable. Like, a perfect day is getting to see at least one of your loved ones, or going home to your family, having a nice dinner, and sleeping on a comfortable bed.

Your definition of a perfect partner, a perfect life, is up to you. Make it count.

6) Greed

The quest for more could land you in a lot of trouble. Sometimes our lust for more power, more money, more danger, takes over reason and logic.

You need to ask yourself what’s driving your ‘need’ to want the things you want. You’d be surprised how little you actually need to live a happy life. Less is more.

7) Excuses

You will always find a reason to do something and not do something else.

Our reasoning depends on how much we want to do one thing.

Stop making excuses for why you’re not where you want to be, why you’re not doing what you’re passionate about, why you don’t have the body you dream of, etc.

If there’s a will, there’s usually a way.

8) Thoughts of the past

Staying stuck in the past could really hurt your chances of being happy now.

Stop thinking about your ex and what they did to you. They are out of your life for a reason, and one of them is so that you wouldn’t have to think about them anymore.

Stop thinking about friends who stabbed you in the back or pushed you down.

If they’re not part of your life anymore, then you’ve done yourself a favor.

That promotion you didn’t get last year, then try your best to get it this year. That vacation you couldn’t afford, book it now. Move up and move on.

9) Insecurities

There will always be people better than you. There will always be someone better looking, more hardworking, sexier, more intelligent, and the list is endless.

But it doesn’t matter.

You need to be enough for yourself, in your own eyes.

Most of the time, your loved ones already know that you don’t need to be more for them to love and accept you. You need to see yourself through those eyes from time to time.

10) Control

By now you already know that as much as you like planning things to the detail, there is a very real chance that they won’t be followed.

Life is more than the things we plan.

The spontaneous things, the ones that surprise us are the ones that really make us feel alive.

Also, attempting to control how others see you or how they feel about you is a futile effort. The best you can do is make yourself the kind of person that you want to be and the right people will love you for exactly that.

Control is good for certain things, but it’s not something you should attempt to do all the time and get anxious about when things don’t go your way. Learn to let things happen as they will.

happy face

Cheers for more happiness!

Jay

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3 Beliefs for Change

3 Beliefs for Change

Published by on April 11, 2016 | Leave a response

timeforchangeclockDo you wish you could change something about your life right now?

I’m here to argue that change can happen in an instant.

I know this goes against popular thought. Most people believe that change has to be worked at for months or even years. We expect to try and fail numerous times before we ultimately give up or succeed.

How many people do you know who struggle with their weight? They want to make a healthy change by getting in shape, but the change never seems to take hold.

Is there something in your life that you want to change? Do you have weight to lose? Do you have high blood pressure? Do you have a pair of pants that you wish you could fit into?

What is keeping you from making a positive change in your life?

According to professional speaker and author, Anthony Robbins, it’s the getting ready to change that takes time. In the end there’s a single instant when the change occurs. Robbins goes on to outline three specific beliefs that you must have in order to instantly create a lasting change.

Belief #1: Something must change.

Do you sort of want to get into shape, or do you absolutely have to lose the weight? Does dropping a few pounds sound nice, or is living another day in your current body unbearable? In order to make a lasting change you must be convinced that the time has come.

Belief #2: I must change it.

It is vital that you take full responsibility in making the change. Sure, others may assist you, but in the end you are the one who is going to make it happen. You have to need this change enough to make it your personal mission—no one else will do it for you.

Belief #3: I can change it.

Don’t let past failures get in your way. The truth is that you do amazing things when you put your mind to it. Believe that you are capable of losing weight or making any other positive change in your life.

Why do most people fail to make lasting change? They leave it up to willpower. This works for awhile, but you’ll always revert back to what’s comfortable. The solution?

Change what you’re comfortable with.

You’ve probably heard that humans are motivated by two things: 1) to avoid pain and 2) to gain pleasure. When you want to change a behavior pattern the key is to associate pain with the behavior that you don’t want and pleasure with the behavior that you do want.

You know that you want to lose weight and that to do so you need to quit eating comfort food late at night. You also know that you need to start exercising on a regular basis. Up until this point your brain is trained to associate pleasure with eating comfort food late at night and to associate pain with exercise.

It’s time to retrain your brain to feel good about exercise and to feel bad about eating late at night. Think about all of the negative things about being overweight and connect these unpleasant thoughts to your late night snack. Now think about all of the wonderful things about being in shape and connect these pleasant thoughts to exercise.

You are capable of making a big change in your life. Start by calling or emailing me for your no obligation fitness consultation.

Remember, change can happen in an instant.

If you’re ready for a change in the losing weight and getting more fit department then contact us today for a consultation absolutely free.  We have helped literally thousands of people to transform their lives and now it’s your turn.  You can call us at 612-454-6409, send us an email to office@altmanfitness.com or you can fill out the form on our website.  www.altmanfitness.com

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Seven Exercises to Get the Most Out of Your 2016 Workout

Published by on December 15, 2015 | Leave a response

The new year is right around the corner, and you’re making plans to finally achieve that beach body in 2016. The problem is, you’re kind of at a loss of where to start. There are literally thousands of exercises out there, and while you know eating well will help you, you really want to tone your body and finally get in shape.

If you’re tired of trying to determine what exercises you should do, read through the following seven simple exercises and give them a go!

 

Walking

You may take it for granted as you get from point A to point B every day, but walking is a complete body workout. In order to walk, your muscles must all work together to propel your body forward. When walking is done in a conscious manner, meaning you’re keeping your speed at a certain level and your form proper, you can burn a lot of calories!

Start your day with a quick 15- to 20-minute walk in the morning in 2016. You’ll feel much more awake and ready to conquer the day! If you can’t do a regular workout routine with weights or at a gym, just take a walk. Something is always better than nothing!

 

Push-Ups

Push-ups are also a fantastic full-body exercise. Although the main strain is on your chest and abs, if you’re actively engaging your muscles, you’ll feel it in your hip flexers, quads and even your shoulders.

There are a ton of variations of push-ups that will target different muscle groups. If you’re starting out, begin doing push-ups from your knees so you don’t strain your back too much if your core is not strong enough yet. As you progress and the exercise gets easier, begin to change up the type of push-up you do to keep those muscles guessing.

 

Squats

When in doubt, squat it down! Squats for some folks can be very intimidating, but they don’t have to be. Even if you’re just using your bodyweight, squats can literally transform your body. They activate your abdominals, hip flexers, quads, glutes, hamstrings and many more muscles to burn a ton of calories.

Whether you’re a pro at squats or a newbie, you’ll want to constantly be focused on your form with this exercise. Squats can cause injuries if you’re not careful in your form. Start out with no weight in 2016 if you’re new to them before piling up the 45s on the bar.

 

Interval Training

So you like to walk, but it gets kind of boring if you’re not in a scenic location. The good news is you can get your heart rate up just by doing some simple exercises. Interval Training focuses on doing two or more exercises which will require you to vary speeds.

An example would be doing 20 squats and then moving into 20 jumping jacks. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is not for beginners, but with a few adjustments, you can do intervals at your level. Our staff at Altman Fitness is well-versed in interval training, so get in touch today!

 

Hip Extensions or Glute Bridges

If you’re looking for a great exercise for your glutes, hip flexers and back, the hip extension (or glute bridge) is the one you’re waiting for. When lying on the floor or with your upper back only on a bench and your feet firmly planted on the ground, you’ll engage your core, legs and glutes to force your feet into the floor, which lifts your butt off of the floor.

This exercise is great for anyone with lower back pain or for someone who wants to tone their glutes and thighs.

 

Superman

A sedentary lifestyle can wreak havoc on your back. Reverse the pain with a simple exercise you can do while lying down!

The superman exercise move is easy and can be modified for your skill level. Lie flat on your stomach and outstretch your arms above your head. Pretend someone is grabbing your arms and legs, pulling them away from one another, elongating your body.

When you’re ready, you can either lift your arms and chest, your feet and legs, or both up off of the ground. Hold for 10-20 seconds, and then release. Your goal should be to get your limbs as high up off the ground as you can. This exercise is perfect for your abs and back!

 

Pull-Ups

Pull-ups are no easy exercise, but they are so worth it! They’re a great upper body workout because they engage every muscle group above your waist.
If you’re not at the point where you can do a pull-up, that’s okay! Use resistance bands for assistance, or perform negative pull-ups or jump pull-ups. Just be careful how many you do when you’re first starting out! You can and will be very sore from these exercises.

If you’d like some guidance on what other exercises to try or if have any questions about form, give us a call at Altman Fitness! Our phone number is 612-454-6409.  We can help change your life and body from the inside out for your 2016 New Years resolution!

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