Back in the saddle again

Where has Jane been?

It has been a month and a half since my last post.  Wow.  I guess I got busy again.  Not drained, certainly not dragging, but juggling lots of balls in the air at once.  Should my fingers spend too much time on the keyboard, one of those balls might drop.  Yikes!  Can't have that, now, can we?

One wonderful thing which has come into my life is my weekly Local Farmbag (thanks, Carrie Smith!).  Local Farmbag delivers fresh, often organic, always locally grown fruits and vegetables in a big brown bag or two onto your doorstep every week.  Or, if you prefer, every other week.  There are different sized bags for our differing produce-consumption needs.  For me and the sweet-ums, the single bag is more than enough.  And believe you me, we eat our veggies and fruits every darn day.

You can add artisan baked bread, local grass fed beef, local free range poultry, wild caught fish, local eggs, and other nourishment to your order week to week.  Support local farmers, enjoy a variety of new foods and recipes, and feel better from the inside out!  This is such a win-win, it's amazing.

See for yourself, Low Country residents: http://www.localfarmbag.com/

Has Local Farmbag made me busier? I find myself blanching and chopping a little more on Wednesdays and Thursdays than I had been when I just bought all my produce at Kroger.

But my ASPIRE/ALIVE program studies with Phil Kaplan have really been taking up a big chunk of time.  I am still in the midst of a 16 week training program, which includes weekly conference calls and weekly testing and some kind of activity every single day toward the completion of this Trainer Training.  It's been wonderfully evolutionary, unconventional, challenging, affirming, and synergistic.  All of which gives you little to no detail, except to point out that I am jazzed about my investment of time, money, and energy so far.

(Speaking of jazzed, I've been busy with a few singing gigs, too.  Prepping, practicing, drilling... yes, vocalists do all these things, we don't just show up and start warbling.)

There is a great deal I cannot yet tell you about the ALIVE protocol.  In a couple more months, I expect you won't be able to get me to shut up about it, so enjoy the quiet while you can.
Here is a sample of the mindset of the innovator who brought this protocol and Trainer Training program together.  I've studied with Phil in a professional development context before and always found his advice to be thought-provoking and rewarding.

Let me know what thoughts this article provokes in you, ok?
http://bebetterproject.wordpress.com/2011/11/10/the-new-synergy/

Be Well!

More Sharing

Oh, it's so nice to share!  And it's such a blessing to be able to easily access resources that are well expressed, well researched, engaging, entertaining, and educational.  I am loving me some internet.  Thank you, Michael Scott Scudder, for posting this and inviting me to share it.


I will want to view this repeatedly myself.  The first questions that came into my head will not be the last questions I have about this material.  Please remember, this information is only covering aerobic activity.  There's more... but we'll get to that another time.


If you are viewing this in the first place, you know me or you work with me and there's an awfully good chance you are already following this recommendation.  So please pass it on to your friends and family who haven't embraced the message.


I encourage you to post your questions in the comments section.  Other readers may have the same questions, but even if they don't they may be interested in the answers.


Be Well!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aUaInS6HIGo#!

Too Good Not To Share

OK, one more list to get your New Year started.  A few lines are a bit tongue in cheek, so have a sense of humor, alright?  Because it's mostly true (except #9, which is utterly false).

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203471004577140900388728374.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_News_BlogsModule

Be Well!

You Are GREAT! But Just In Case There's Room For Improvement...

I haven't posted much in the way of specific programs I conduct but there's nothing like a new year to get me trying new ways to get good information into more and more hands/hearts/minds.

The Back Care For Life program is all about giving you the tools to regain your comfort in your own skin.  It meets twice a week for six weeks.  If you have postural imbalances which are causing back or neck pain, we’ll find them and you’ll learn how to correct them.  If your exercise program isn’t addressing movements to actively and safely load and unload your spine, you’ll learn which movements to include.  Movement is medicine!  And I'll provide thorough coverage of stretching, stability, and balance exercises, with homework handouts. 

 

The comprehensive Back Care For Life program features a before-and-after postural assessment, so you can see documented progress over the course of the six-week program.  I can also modify exercises as appropriate in the event you have osteoporosis or a diagnosed back or neck injury, or other joint problem.

A new six week session of Back Care For Life begins at the Oakridge Fitness Center of The Landings Club on Tuesday, January 24th.  The sessions are held from 1:00pm to 2:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  If you have been through the program (this will be our third) and you know someone who might benefit from it as you have, I thank you for sharing this information with them and encourage them to register in advance at the Front Desk of the Fitness Center.


Not a Landings Club member?  Interested in attending the program in Savannah?  Let's get a minimum of six individuals registered for the program and we'll find a satellite location to hold the program... Strong Gym, for instance.   Email me to register.

More Self Improvement -- Here is a link for an excellent top 10 list for strengthening your resolve, to make your health and the health of the people whose lives you touch a top priority for 2012 and beyond:


http://drhyman.com/is-being-healthy-a-revolutionary-act-2959/

When I have previously inserted other author's blog posts in this space, it has caused confusion and led some readers to believe that I wrote the article.

So I am going to try to be more consistent about posting the link instead.  I had been copying and pasting just the text of other blogs in order to save you from some of the advertising the blogs feature.  Often, I will agree with the content of a blog article but I don't wish to be seen as endorsing the products being advertised. 

So please don't assume that I am the author of content of the link above.  Nor should you assume that I endorse or approve of the advertising.  If you want to know whether I approve of a certain product, ask me:-) 

I am counting on you, dear reader, to be media savvy.

OK, now you are all revolutionaries -- or health and fitness freedom-fighters, if you will.  Right?


Be Well!

Break On Through to the Other Side

My favorite running coach, Jim Bowles, told me once if he told me a thousand times: "Run THROUGH the finish line, not to it."

My husband's favorite golf coaches tell him: "Swing several inches PAST the ball, or your swing will decelerate at the ball."

Your instincts, oh you novice exercisers, and yes you too, seasoned movers and shakers, seem to be telling you to flop to your knees/your hands/your behind/your tried and true slouch, just as you are approaching the halfway point of your last repetition.

Please, don't slouch halfway.  See it through.  Finish what you started with all the great technique and oomph and breath and determination you can muster!


Shall I go on at length about the neuromuscular sequencing, motor learning, and proprioception benefits to a strong finish?  No, I shant.  Are you more likely to take it from me given my use of those five dollar words?  You probably shouldn't but I'm kind of hoping so....


Let's insert a slight re-framing.  A strong finish is good for your self esteem.  Do your very best, with a significant -- even uncomfortable but not painful -- effort, and you will feel better about your movement and more confident in your ability to repeat your fine performance in the future.  You will also feel confident transferring your stick-to-it-ive-ness to other demanding tasks.


Follow through.  Go beyond.  That's the spirit!


May blessings surround you at the holiday season and then some -- Be Well!

If you weren't already thinking about food....

It's the holidays. It's visits with friends and families. It can be wonderful... it can be taxing... it can cause toxicity, inflammation, and excessive weight gain!

Listen, food is a big part of nearly every cultural celebration this time of year.  OK, check that, ANY time of year.  We break bread together, we eat and talk, we do lunch, we get together for a drink... and that nourishment is emotional, physical, spiritual.  But does it really have to be over-the-top overindulgent?

I've been a personal trainer for 20 years now.  Every year at holiday time, one or several of my clients starts baking, or shopping, to distribute confections for gifts.  Thoughtful, yes.  And no. Baffling, it is. I have to admit, there were some instances in which I received some really decadent, rich, truffle-ly gift and thought there might be a sinister, passive-aggressive motive behind it.  Probably correct only half the time on that score, though. 

Over time I have come to take myself less seriously, and thus take less offense at these gestures.  But if you know someone who doesn't eat a lot of sugar/butter/cheese/chocolate/cream/sugar/shortening/sugar/flour/sugar for a reason, wouldn't it be more considerate to go the extra mile to present something delectable without all those ingredients?  The fresh fruit basket thing is AWESOME, really it is!  The cake or the cookie platter is going to go to waste.  Will I eat one or two servings?  Sure will, if it's there I'm going to taste it.  But eating more than one or two will make me feel sick.  See, it's not a guilt thing, vis-a-vis, "A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips."  Frankly, I exercise a lot, for a living and for a lifestyle, so I doubt the cookie will be camping out on my thighs. 

But people who eat sweet/rich stuff regularly don't feel sick from it.  People who don't?  It's going to mess up my digestion, make me grumpy, give me a headache, increase my sinus congestion, make my hormones act up, interrupt my sleep patterns. 

How about your friends with diabetes? Or arthritis? I hear more friends and acquaintances being diagnosed every day, it seems.  Even if they are on medication to control their symptoms, the rich/heavy/sweet stuff will exacerbate their conditions so they'll need more medication to feel alright.  Not to cure the condition, just to feel alright with the condition.  A considerate treat would be...an herbal tea sampler? An organic nut tray? 

You get the idea.  The generosity is appreciated.  The indulgent taste is definitely flavorful.  But the lingering effects have room for improvement.  Does health take a holiday?  Sometimes.  But there's a price to be paid for it.  If the holidays put you in more of a "pay it forward" kind of mood, then make the choice of treats healthier.  You and your recipients will feel so much better inside and out, physically and emotionally and spiritually.

Be Well, and Happy Healthy Holidays!

Dear CEO of American Express:

I just sent this email to the CEO of American Express. If you have had a similarly ridiculous "customer service assistance" experience, please feel free to share with your friends. And encourage them to share with their friends. And so on, and so on, and so on....

Dear Mr. Kenneth Chenault, CEO, American Express:

I wasn't furious about Monday's attempted AmEx gift card transaction until after I called your toll-free assistance number. Now I hope to share my indignation about your "procedures," as the customer service representative put it, far and wide.

A couple of weeks ago, I was the happy recipient of an AmEx gift card. Yesterday, Cyber Monday, I decided to make an online purchase of a pair of athletic shoes. But the transaction would not process, even though the purchase price was well under the value of the card.

I called the merchant, as suggested on my screen. The merchant's rep stated my purchase was not processed because my gift card did not reflect a billing address for payment validation. She also mentioned that there would likely now be a hold on the gift card, in the purchase amount. She recommended I call AmEx to get the hold lifted, then call back to resume the ordering process.
Since there were only two pairs of the sale shoes left in my size, I called immediately.

The AmEx automated card balance system confirmed the diminished value of my card, reflecting the exact amount of my failed purchase.

The living AmEx customer service representative also confirmed the hold was in place, but would happily be lifted. The process would take 8 days.

He informed me that if I had registered my card prior to making an internet purchase, then a billing address would have been linked to the card and prevented the purchase hang-up.

I grasp the value of the process of registering and assigning ownership with a valid address to the gift card. However, there is nothing on the gift card packaging, and no mention in the enclosed Cardholder Agreement insert, regarding card registration. Nothing. Nowhere to be found. I re-read the documentation while I was parked on hold by the CSR, who was checking to see if the hold on
the card could be lifted any sooner. Writers are notoriously good readers, but still I wanted to make sure I didn't miss something in the fine print or the FAQ section. Especially in the internet purchases section.

CSR reported that the hold could not be processed any sooner than 8 days. If I had performed a retail POP transaction, the hold could be removed right away. But not for an internet purchase. So I asked him why there was no mention of registering the card on the literature accompanying the card? Why was I, in effect, being penalized for not following a procedure about which I was not
informed prior to the transaction?

The CSR said there was no further alternative. I asked to speak to a manager. He said he had spoken to a manager and nothing more could be done. I asked him if he had explained the situation to the manager in the exact same manner as I had.  He said the only procedure available had been followed.

I demanded to speak to a manager. He asked if I could wait on hold again for 2 minutes. I said yes. Twelve minutes later, still on hold, never speaking to a manager or the CSR again, I hung up. This, I assume, is exactly what the CSR hoped I would do.

I wonder, did your CSR follow the proper procedure for handling the request of an unsatisfied customer to the letter of the AmEx customer service representative procedure manual?

And how is it in the least bit sensible for a gift card holder to learn of a card registration procedure only AFTER a transaction has been refused by an online merchant? Only AFTER a hold has been applied to a card balance?

It is a disincentive to using an AmEx gift card for online purchases. Effectively, it is a restriction, and one which is not listed on the Cardholder Agreement.

And so I, the consumer, get to pay the price for your error of omission. The cost of my wasted time on the phone, and on hold, with your customer assistance staff (now, there's a misnomer). He had ample opportunity to make some good come of my phone call, and he chose to duck and hide. Exemplary customer service training.... The cost of 8 days waiting for the hold to be lifted from the gift card. The cost of my time in firing off this letter to you and the U.S. Consumer. The cost of my aggravation at tripping over your extremely sloppy online purchasing procedure - or better stated, your lack of a clearly communicated online purchasing procedure.

Communicate. Inform your customers. Train your staff. Incentivize online purchases.

How can you possibly afford to have a bumbling gift card program?

With AmEx it's been my experience that cardholders have to ask ahead if merchants accept it. Why is that?

Sincerely,

Jane Ogle