There are few things in my life I have felt called to do. This new class is one of them.
So many people are trying to live a healthier lifestyle, but their spouse, significant other, coworkers, or friends might not be making those same changes. Sometimes those around us are supportive when we try to better ourselves, but even with support, they might not be making the same changes. Or unfortunately, sometimes those around us are not supportive of healthy changes. Whether those closest to you are supportive or not, making healthy changes in your life can be really difficult. Meeting regularly with a group of people making similar changes can make the process so much easier!
This class will be a blend of learning healthy tips and skills to make lifestyle changes, as well as a group of people to support each other. Sometimes we will share frustrations too, but knowing you are not alone in this process can be a really comforting and encouraging thing.
The class will be on the first Monday evening of each month. I intentionally did not schedule a weekly meeting because I am a believer that the glorification of “busyness” is overrated, and if we all had a little bit more time, we would probably be a little bit less stressed, and have a little bit more fun! Getting yourself more time is mostly about making space in your schedule. I wanted a regular meeting that we can look forward to, not just one more thing to add to our week. I set it on the first Monday of the month, so that each month we can start off on a good note, with encouragement and motivation to continue the lifestyle changes.
As I was thinking about the content we will cover in this class, I was dreading it a little if I’m honest! I’m not great at telling people what to do. I’m a headstrong person myself, so when people tell me I should eat a certain way or exercise a certain amount, my usual reaction is an eyeroll. Diet culture is really effective at telling us we are not thin enough. Our culture in general is really effective at telling us we’re not good enough. Whether it’s advertisements for cars that will make you more like Matthew McConaughey (eyeroll here), or it’s a commercial for diet food shipped straight to you that will surely make you skinny, we are constantly bombarded with subtle messages that the way we are right now is not acceptable. But that’s NOT TRUE! Who you are right now, your fitness level, and the amount of money or possessions you have is not a measure of your worth as a human being. If you stayed exactly the same as you are right now, you would still be worthy of all the love, acceptance, and respect as everyone else.
So please don’t think you need to make lifestyle changes to make you a better person! But if you find yourself exhausted after a flight of stairs, or unable to get down on the floor to play with
your grandkids, or hesitant to go on a family vacation because of all the walking and physical work that comes with travel…
Maybe it’s a good time to make some changes. This class will focus on lifestyle changes to help you FEEL better. Making healthier choices can give you more energy, better sleep, reduce stress, and reduce the strain of everyday life on your body.
Each month we will cover a different healthy living topic, such as nutrition, exercise, healthy sleep, stress relief, even home and life organization, and effective breathing! We will spend about half the time talking about tips and skills to improve these areas of your health, and the other half will be spent as a group, sharing struggles, tips, and sometimes recipes!
When I say healthy living, I don’t mean “skinny living”. I don’t mean losing as much weight as
possible, and I don’t mean having a six pack. When I say healthy living, I mean feeling like you got enough sleep last night, feeling like the food that you’re eating is actually nourishing you and giving you energy and making you feel better.
I mean moving daily because it feels good, and being able to do daily things like getting dressed, picking up your kids or grandkids, cleaning your house, and doing yardwork easier and more comfortable!
Living a healthy life is more about your daily habits and how you conduct your life, than it is about the exact food you eat, how many calories you eat, how many grams of carbs and sugar per day, and how many minutes of exercise you get per week. That said, there are studies on studies on studies that show certain diets like the Mediterranean diet are healthy for you, and a certain number of hours per night of sleep is good for you, and certain number of minutes per week exercising are good for you. But I think if we can build those things into your daily life so you don’t even really realize you’re doing them, they won’t be so hard to accomplish. If you’re walking your dog (like I have to because he’s overweight), that counts as exercise even if you’re still in your work clothes! A big misconception we have about exercising and working out, is that we have to put on a certain outfit, or we have to cut out a certain amount of time in the day, or we have to do certain exercises and work certain muscle groups, but really movement is the key! Movement is the purpose itself. If we can figure out how to make movement the goal instead of burning calories or looking better, how much more enjoyable would that be?! Imagine if you did it because it just because it felt good!
Make lifestyle changes to improve your everyday life, and to feel better longer. It will take longer than a crash diet, it won’t be as trendy as the newest workout, but it can last the rest of your life. Making these types of changes is difficult, but it is SO worth it. And you know what? With a group of people to support and encourage you along the way, it can be fun!
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