Name: Val Coulman
Age: 39 (really!)
Where you live: Oregon
Award-winning writer and artist Valerie Coulman uses her imagination to stay active in a pretty sedentary job. See her imagination at work here.
1. What activities do you enjoy most in winter?
"Back home" (in Canada) - snowshoeing, walking. Here (in Oregon) - I have an aerobics video I enjoy because it rains a lot in the winter.
2. What equipment is a "must" at this time of year?
Our Wii (and Wii Sports). It keeps me moving instead of just curled up with a book.
3. How do you feel about New Year Resolutions?
I think they're a great idea. I think goals in general are a great idea because it's hard to be intentional about anything without a plan. But I also think they can add a lot of pressure if we make them too ambitious. I've learned to set pretty small goals so that I can reach them almost without trying. Then I'm motivated to set the next one slightly higher/harder.
4. What was the best resolution you've ever made?
In general - to give up shopping for 40 days. No grocery stores, no malls, no online shopping, nothing. For health and activity - to not eat if I'm not hungry. I snack when I'm procrastinating and with deadlines looming, that can mean a LOT of extra calories. Once I recognized that pattern, I dropped a pant size by cutting out the delay munchies.
5. What was the worst resolution you've ever made?
To ride an exercise bike every day. It lasted about two weeks, then the bike became more of a modern art statement in my family room for two years than a practical piece of equipment. Someone else is riding it (or staring at it) now.
6. How do you manage to keep up your resolution into the summer?
By setting small steps. Really small, if necessary. Rather than resolve to work out every day (which I find very hard to do with my schedule), I actually rearranged some things in my house to be less convenient. The number of steps (walking) this added to my day was surprising but effective. I'll turn on music to clean the house and dance my way around with the duster or the vacuum. We also try to make activity a family event - the whole family goes for a bike ride or a hike so its something fun to look forward to.
7. Do you share your resolutions with anyone?
Yes. My husband and I sit down together at the end of each year and plan for the next one - everything from budget to projects to fitness to business to spiritual goals. We set short-term (1-3 month) and long-range goals (up to 5 years) so that we have achievable goals but aren't afraid to dream big.
8. Do you record your resolutions anywhere?
Yep. We write them down and pull them out to review the next year and see how we did. It's huge to be accountable to another person or even just to that sheet of paper.
9. What top 3 health tips do you have to manage in this holiday season?
Age: 39 (really!)
Where you live: Oregon
Award-winning writer and artist Valerie Coulman uses her imagination to stay active in a pretty sedentary job. See her imagination at work here.
1. What activities do you enjoy most in winter?
"Back home" (in Canada) - snowshoeing, walking. Here (in Oregon) - I have an aerobics video I enjoy because it rains a lot in the winter.
2. What equipment is a "must" at this time of year?
Our Wii (and Wii Sports). It keeps me moving instead of just curled up with a book.
3. How do you feel about New Year Resolutions?
I think they're a great idea. I think goals in general are a great idea because it's hard to be intentional about anything without a plan. But I also think they can add a lot of pressure if we make them too ambitious. I've learned to set pretty small goals so that I can reach them almost without trying. Then I'm motivated to set the next one slightly higher/harder.
4. What was the best resolution you've ever made?
In general - to give up shopping for 40 days. No grocery stores, no malls, no online shopping, nothing. For health and activity - to not eat if I'm not hungry. I snack when I'm procrastinating and with deadlines looming, that can mean a LOT of extra calories. Once I recognized that pattern, I dropped a pant size by cutting out the delay munchies.
5. What was the worst resolution you've ever made?
To ride an exercise bike every day. It lasted about two weeks, then the bike became more of a modern art statement in my family room for two years than a practical piece of equipment. Someone else is riding it (or staring at it) now.
6. How do you manage to keep up your resolution into the summer?
By setting small steps. Really small, if necessary. Rather than resolve to work out every day (which I find very hard to do with my schedule), I actually rearranged some things in my house to be less convenient. The number of steps (walking) this added to my day was surprising but effective. I'll turn on music to clean the house and dance my way around with the duster or the vacuum. We also try to make activity a family event - the whole family goes for a bike ride or a hike so its something fun to look forward to.
7. Do you share your resolutions with anyone?
Yes. My husband and I sit down together at the end of each year and plan for the next one - everything from budget to projects to fitness to business to spiritual goals. We set short-term (1-3 month) and long-range goals (up to 5 years) so that we have achievable goals but aren't afraid to dream big.
8. Do you record your resolutions anywhere?
Yep. We write them down and pull them out to review the next year and see how we did. It's huge to be accountable to another person or even just to that sheet of paper.
9. What top 3 health tips do you have to manage in this holiday season?
1. Don't eat if you aren't hungry. Or cut back the portion size so you're getting a taste without eating so much. Or chew a stick of gum instead of eating that slice of pie. There is so much food around at this time of year! Even a drink of water might help. A nutritionist once told me that your body doesn't always signal properly if you're hungry or just thirsty so when you feel like snacking, it may be that a glass of water will fill the bill just as well.
2. Plan for extra activity. It may be as simple as parking farther away from the store entrance but find a way to do more to keep your body moving. I'm involved in a drama production every year and with set construction and rehearsals, etc. it means lots of lifting, stretching, hauling, walking, bending, climbing and running stairs. It's plenty of movement that's sometimes hard to come by in the winter but all adds up to calories burned. It also relieves holiday stress and means less of an impact on your health and well-being when the holiday treats show up.
3. Get your rest. Sleep shortage short-circuits your emotional well-being, increases your stress and can even reset your metabolism (and not in a good way). Take care of yourself so you're free to enjoy the holidays.
Thanks, Val! I agree that chewing a stick of gum can do the trick to dispel hunger pains and keep my mouth busy. I’ve recently enjoyed Trident Splash because it has a tasty squirt in the middle and I can blow bubbles with just one piece.
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Blessings on the road to health!
**
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