Jeff Phillips Fitness

Meditation, may not be what you THINK!:)

Jeff — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 21:26:06 +0000

Overview of Meditation:

Throughout the day, when we experience stress, our bodies automatically react in ways that prepare us to fight or run. In some cases of extreme danger, this physical response is helpful. However, a prolonged state of such agitation can cause physical damage to every part of the body. Meditation affects the body in exactly the opposite ways that stress does, restoring the body to a calm state, helping the body to repair itself, and preventing new damage due to the physical effects of stress.

The Benefits of Meditation:

The benefits of meditation are manifold because it can reverse your stress response, thereby shielding you from the effects of chronic stress. When practicing meditation, your heart rate and breathing slow down, your blood pressure normalizes, you use oxygen more efficiently, and you sweat less. Your adrenal glands produce less cortisol, your mind ages at a slower rate, and your immune function improves. Your mind also clears and your creativity increases. People who meditate regularly find it easier to give up life-damaging habits like smoking, drinking and drugs. Meditation research is still new, but promising.

How Meditation Works:

Meditation involves sitting in a relaxed position and clearing your mind. You may focus on a sound, like “ooommm,” or on your own breathing, or on nothing at all. It’s necessary to have at least 5 to 20 distraction-free minutes to spend. (Longer meditation sessions bring greater benefits, but sometimes starting slowly can help you maintain the practice long-term.) It’s helpful to have silence and privacy, but more practiced meditators can practice medtation anywhere. Many practitioners of meditation attach a spiritual component to it, but it can also be a secular exercise.

Pros Of Meditation:

Meditation is wonderful in that it’s free, always available, and amazingly effective in short-term stress reduction and long-term health. Benefits can be felt in just one session. An experienced teacher can be helpful, but isn’t absolutely necessary.

The Cons of Meditation:

It does take some practice, however, and some people find it difficult to “get it” in the beginning. It also requires a little patience, and may be difficult for people with little free time (like some stay-at-home mothers who get little privacy from small children). However, the time and effort it takes to learn and practice is well worth it in terms of the benefits it provides.

How Does It Compare To Other Stress Reduction Methods?:

Unlike some medications and herbal therapies, meditation has no potential side effects. People with physical limitations may find it easier to practice than strenuous physical exercise for stress relief, plus, no special equipment is required. Unlike enlisting the help of a professional, meditation is free. However, it does take discipline and commitment, so some people may find it more difficult to maintain as a habit than methods that enlist the help of someone or something outside themselves for added motivation. Also, some people may find it more difficult to free their minds of the thoughts of the day, and thus find it more difficult than methods like journaling that involve focusing on these events, or methods that in themselves are distracting, like physical exercise or the use of humor.

Flexibility

Jeff — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 21:45:52 +0000

Flexibility is key to a *successful and happier life. When our bodies and our minds are flexible, we tend to bounce back better. Like the tall tree, if it won’t bend as the wind blows. It can break. Contemplate your own flexibility, in your life and with your body. It’s easier than you think !

Are you too ridged in your life?

Send me your thoughts about being flexible.

JeffPhillipsCFT.com

10 Best Excercises for Women

admin — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 17:52:51 +0000

Nora Tobin is a fitness professional and had these suggestions for women wanting to firm up for the summer. “When summer is right around the corner, I start to focus my training on those body parts that haven’t seen the sun in a while. ” Here’s her list:

Single Leg Deadlift
Side Plank
Pushup
Second Position Plies
Intervals
Triceps Extension
Step ups
Bridge
Plank with arm raise
Shoulder stand

Read the full story at Shape

Your New Intention

Jeff — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:53:15 +0000

“As you pursue your intention, you accumulate knowledge and develop skills and abilities. Some of these are related to the intention you have chosen, but many are not. All of these new insights and abilities percolate inside you until, one day, you see another intention; something you couldn’t have seen from the place you started when you picked the original intention. From this new vantage point, another intention becomes clear. Now that you see the new intention, it looks shinier and brighter than the original intention. And you change intentions.”
Set your new intention today!
JeffPhillipsCFT.com
@JeffPhillipsCFT

Creativity

Jeff — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:22:35 +0000

Cash, unfortunately, is a common constraint for many of us. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The funny example of the low-budget movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Describing one scene where viewers hear the sound of horses in the distance.
As the “horses” get closer, we see that it’s really a soldier banging coconuts together to mimic the sound of hooves. Not only does it illustrate that less is more (and make the scene a lot funnier), but it shows the importance of reframing problems in a creative way.
“By asking the question ‘How can we re-create the sound of horses,’ as opposed to ‘How do we get horses,’ the range of solutions shifts dramatically.”
Fun!:)

Perfection

Jeff — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:02:52 +0000

Most people strive for perfection in life: perfect test score, perfect game, perfect marriage, perfect body. But life isn’t so black and white, right and wrong, good and bad. And as much as there are times I long for perfection, I believe that there is something much better out there.
Most of life is about the ‘almost,’ the ‘not quite,’ the ‘pretty good.’ It’s about finding joy in the variations and colors of everyday. It’s about finding peace and acceptance. It’s about always growing.

Things to remember

Jeff — Sat, 12 May 2012 18:19:22 +0000

Taking good care of YOURSELF should be your #1 Priority.

Your age and your current shape aren’t as important as you might think. Getting started is! Choosing your own health is a simple act of self care. Weather you are an athlete with good health & fitness habits, or just can’t seem to follow through on better habits, make the choice every day to do your best.

You already have everything you need to get started!

Start Here