MoveCalifornia!

The California Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association has created a great webpage for the general public that addresses topics of interest for all types of people. The webpage is part of their MoveCalifornia effort to help Californians take charge of their health. The topics range from your golf swing to senior wellness and female athletes. Check it out today! 

Hopefully you are continuing exercising and eating right on your road to better health. You know what else releases endorphins and is addictive? Fun. If you are having fun while exercising, not only will you be less focused on your labored breathing and tired limbs, but you will come to associate exercise with fun, further increasing the likelihood that you will re-engage in said activity. It's true. Remember when you  ran really hard when you played soccer as a kid, and you were eager to go do it again and again (on a Saturday, no less!) So what should you do? Whatever you like doing. If it's dancing, dance more. If it's rock-climbing, go rock-climbing. Join a running or walking club, or sign up for yoga classes, or go hiking. What sounds like fun to you, personally? Do more of that, as often as you can. You'll work harder—and address a wider range of muscle groups—when you're enjoying what you're doing. Not only will this get you into better shape, but it'll also increase your overall happiness.

Follow the example of a role model. Say, for example, you wish you had Michael Phelps' body. Michael Phelps didn't become a great swimmer because he had an amazing body, but he got that amazing body because he swam all the time.

The same thing goes for people who take up surfing, yoga, running. Obviously, what you eat remains important, and so is the intensity at which you engage. But if you continue to push yourself—safely and healthily, but continuously—your body will adapt, and that adaptation may take the form of the body you desire. Nothing happens overnight but you can continue to make healthy changes today and to take charge of your health. Get Moving and let the endorphins flow!