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Design your Own Exercise Program

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Exercise, Goals

Design your Own Exercise Program

Do you have a lot of fitness experience (taking classes, playing sports, or working out under guidance of coaches and trainers) and want to design your own exercise program? If so, you could then essentially design a fitness program yourself, likely saving time and money.

To accomplish creating your own exercise program. you want a program that covers aerobic, strength, flexibility (stretching), and balance. If you’re an athlete, add agility work.

There are many resources online, some trustworthy and some sketchy. Just because a guy has big muscles, and a YouTube channel does not make him qualified to advise others on fitness. The exercise routine that works for him might be totally unsuited to your goals. Research this thoroughly.

For an exercise library, a good resource is the ACE (American Council on Exercise)

For strength exercises, read up on the different muscle groups and the order of exercising them (for example, large muscles before small muscles).

Also be aware that many personal trainers will design a program for you and let you go off and work out on your own. They will also review and fine-tune a program you’ve designed yourself.

Good luck with designing your own program!

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How to Hire a Personal Trainer

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Exercise, Goals, New Year's Resolutions

How to Hire a Personal Trainer

So many plan to lose weight at the beginning of a new year. One way to help you do so is to consider hiring an expert to guide you. In fact, a personal trainer can design an exercise program that helps you reach your fitness goals, suits your personality, and accommodates any physical limitations you might have.

When hiring a trainer, look for the following:

  • Qualifications
  • Experience
  • Compatibility

Qualifications

How do you determine if a trainer is qualified? Do so by asking what certifications they have. (If they are not certified, then pass on them.) Personal trainers are not licensed; anyone can hang up a “personal training” shingle. However, there are many, many organizations that certify personal trainers. The best require the candidate to pass a comprehensive written exam, to maintain CPR/AED certification, and to stay current in the field by completing Continuing Education Units (CEU) on a regular schedule. There are some fraudulent businesses that sell personal trainer certificates (among other types of credentials, such as diplomas). Some businesses also have a low bar on what knowledge a candidate must demonstrate to be “qualified” to train others.

The best certifications are:

  • ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine). The gold standard!
  • NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association)
  • ACE (American Council on Exercise)
  • NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine)

You can get a sense of how rigorous the training is by going to the website and looking at the requirements.

Experience

Don’t measure experience only in years, but in relevance to your needs. If you are training for a specific sport, has the trainer worked with others in that sport? Basically, you want a trainer who has worked with others with goals like yours.

Compatibility

You and the trainer must click. It is a subjective evaluation, but an important one. You must feel comfortable with this person to, basically, avoid throwing your money away.

Good luck with your search if you decide to go this route!

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Best Wishes for a Fabulous 2023!

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Exercise, New Year's Resolutions

Best Wishes for a Fabulous 2023

Goodbye 2022. Now is a good time to reflect on the past year. How was it for you? Did you achieve any goals, learn new skills, or take the vacation you planned pre-pandemic?

While it can be fun to reflect, this is also a good time to look ahead: What kind of year do you want 2023 to be? Is this the year you change careers, downsize, buy your first house, get married or divorced, or make other major changes? Alternatively, is this merely the year to go with the flow, keep things steady, and not rock the boat?

We wish you a 2023 that is everything you want it to be. Happy New Year!

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If You Are Planning on Starting an Exercise Program in the New Year, Read this First!

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Exercise, New Year's Resolutions

If You Are Planning on Starting an Exercise Program in the New Year, Read this First!

One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to start (or re-start) an exercise program. To increase your odds of your success, here are some factors to consider:

Do you feed off the energy of others when you exercise? If so, investigate joining a gym or an exercise class. Community ed (adult ed) and town recreation programs often run inexpensive classes if you do not want to pay for a gym membership that you think you will not use. Also, not all gyms that offer classes are the same. Some have a wide range of class types, for different styles (dance, yoga, Pilates, or weight training) and levels, while others have limited programs. If the gym you are considering advertises classes, ask to see the schedule before signing up.

Are you the type of person who prefers to exercise in private? Then you will not be happy sharing space in a regular gym. Some personal trainers offer private or semi-private sessions in their studios (even at some gyms) or will come to your home.

When looking for a gym to join, stay close to home. If you must travel more than 12 minutes, research shows, you are unlikely to stick with it.

You might be more inclined to stick with an exercise program if you have a friend join you. You will at least be accountable to each other!

If you are looking into joining a gym, visit during the hours you would most likely work out so you can see how crowded it is, who works out at that time (are you comfortable working out around guys who deadlift 400 lb.? teens?), and what the staffing level is then. Does equipment appear to be in good shape, or are there “out of order” signs on machines? Is the equipment you would use available? Also check the facility (including restrooms and locker rooms) for cleanliness.

Most gyms will give you a free pass for a day or a week so you can try it out before signing a contract and paying membership dues. They do not always advertise this, so ask!

After reading this, you are probably considering whether you, yourself, would in fact prefer to work out at home, on your own, or with a personal trainer. If so, check in again for a future blog with suggestions on how to go about doing so.

Good luck with your exercise program, whichever route you choose!

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Five Ideas for Decorating for the Holidays on a Budget

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Budget, Christmas, Crafts, DIY, Finances, Holidays, Home, Shopping

Five Ideas for Decorating for the Holidays on a Budget

With prices for everything on a seemingly endless spiral upward, you might want to go DIY for holiday decorations this year. Even if you are not an artsy-craftsy type, here are five ways to add a festive look for pennies:

  • Candy cane garlands: hang a string or ribbon across the wall from which to hang the candy canes.
  • Gift wrap your door: wrap ribbons (horizontal and vertical) around your front door and add a bow to make it look like a wrapped gift.
  • Painted pinecones: add a dab of white paint and behold, snow on the pinecones! Alternatively, skip the paint and go natural.
  • Christmas card tree: tape string on your wall in the shape of a tree (or go abstract!) and hang your cards from it.
  • Candy jar centerpiece: Fill a candy jar with peppermint candies, pinecones, cranberries (or fake berries), ornaments, or cinnamon sticks.

There are so many creative and cute decorating ideas that are simple and inexpensive. What are a few of yours?

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A Hand-y Guide to Food Portions

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Christmas, Food, Holidays, Kitchen, Thanksgiving, Winter

A Hand-y Guide to Food Portions

We are in the middle of National Eating Season. OK, admittedly, it is not a real thing, but you know what I mean: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Christmas, and New Year’s. Those my friends, comprise too many occasions to over-indulge in delicious meals and snacks.

You do not need me to tell you what to eat; by now, you already know what is considered nutritious and what is junk food. However, do you know what is considered a healthy serving size? More to the point, are you really expected to tote measuring cups and measuring spoons to your in-laws on Thanksgiving? Thankfully, we have a couple of fairly accurate measuring devices on our person already: our hands. Indeed, it is true, so here is a “hand-y” (pun intended!) guide to using your hands to give you an approximate of what nutritionists consider to be a serving.

1 Cup = one fist. Use to measure cold cereal, milk, soy milk, whole fruit, or yogurt.

½ Cup = half a fist. Use to measure fruit and vegetables (fresh, frozen, or canned), fruit juice, pasta, legumes, or rice.

¼ Cup = cupped hand. Use to measure dried fruit, nuts, or seeds.

1 teaspoon = tip of your thumb. Use to measure oil, butter, margarine, or mayonnaise.

1 tablespoon = thumb from tip to first (top) joint. Use to measure oil, butter, margarine, or mayonnaise.

Open hand. Use to measure a slice of bread or half a bagel.

3 oz. = palm of hand. Use to measure meat, chicken, or fish.

Two thumbs held side by side, Use to measure cheese, or peanut butter.

Hopefully, making use of these tidbits will enable you to enjoy time spent with friends and family without coming out of this holiday season gaining weight you do not want.

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How to Prepare your Home and Car for Winter

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Car, Fall, Home, Safety, Winter

How to Prepare your Home and Car for Winter

Thanksgiving is over as we now turn our attention to the winter holidays. Have you already prepared your home and car for winter? As we all know at any point a storm may hit our area. Look what just happened in Buffalo, NY! If you live around the Great Lakes, you have already experienced that very same powerful winter storm. Let’s make sure that we are all prepared this year for winter and, heaven forbid, just such a storm.

Take a walk all around your property, making sure that your leaves, loose sticks, and other yard debris have been cleaned up. Leaves left on the ground once frozen with snow piled on top of them can make for a very hazardous situation. You don’t want to slip and fall – or have a visitor or delivery person hurt – because you did not clean up those leaves.

Store your patio furniture. Make sure to clean and dry the cushions as well as hose down the furniture before storing it.

Drain outdoor hoses, disconnecting and storing them in your garage or shed.

Have your heating system checked and cleaned by a professional to make sure that you are warm all winter long.

Turn off your outside water spickets to avoid freezing and potentially bursting pipes.

Install driveway markers to help either you or someone you hire to plow your driveway so that everyone knows where the driveway is. 

Prepare your car for winter by purchasing new windshield wiper blades. Top off your antifreeze, and check your battery and tire pressure on all season tires. Change your oil if it’s time. Depending on the car and where you live, you may need to swap out your tires and install snow tires.

Preparing for winter now will not only save you money but will also provide you peace of mind.

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A Virtual Organizing Project – Converting a Bedroom Into a Home Office

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Bedroom, Computer, DIY, Filing, Home, Office, Paper Management, Virtual Organizing, Working From Home

A Virtual Organizing Project – Converting a Bedroom Into a Home Office

I just finished working with Susan (name changed to protect her identity), who left her job as a lawyer at a large firm to start her own home-based practice in Connecticut. Her project was to convert a guest bedroom into her home office. Our goals were to tackle the arrangement of the furniture, to set up her files (both computer and paper), and to create systems so that she was able to work efficiently in her home.

Working together virtually, we were able to successfully visualize what the room would look like without the bed in it. Her first task was getting rid of all the excess furniture that would not be appropriate for a home office. She hired a few college students to move the furniture around within her house. She had a lovely antique table brought up to her new office space and had a closet company custom build her bookshelves.

Susan has ADHD and does not like to have anything put in drawers or out of sight, fearing she will forget things. Together we worked on creating a file system that she housed in her bookshelves. In that the home office was not only to be used for her business, but she also needed it set up for her personal files. We very clearly separated the two file systems so that it was easy for her to grab what she needed and more importantly, put it all away when she was done.

Equally crucial to her success, we needed to look at her computer and reorganize her files for business and personal. All her files were loose on her desktop, and we needed to create a better naming convention and a file folder system so that Susan knew exactly where to find what she was looking for. By eliminating all the loose files on the desktop, she instantly felt more relaxed by not having all that visual clutter every time she turned on her computer.

Once the overall structure of her office was established, a file index was generated, so it was easy for her to retrieve and file both her business and personal papers without forgetting where they were or what the file name was. A billing system was also set up, and she then hired a paralegal to help her in her practice.

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Virtual Organizing vs. Hands On Organizing

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in DIY, Hands on Organizing, Virtual Organizing

Virtual Organizing vs. Hands On Organizing

What is the difference between Virtual Organizing and hands on organizing?

Well, I offer both kinds of professional organizing. Some people may ask what the heck virtual organizing even is. Indeed, virtual organizing has been around for at least six or seven years, and – as you can imagine – It exploded with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when clients were uncomfortable having people in their homes. Virtual organizing is the same as in person organizing, except technology is used to enable working together. The appointments tend to be shorter, and I can work with anyone regardless of the geographical location. Some people are also more comfortable not having a stranger enter their homes.

Virtually working with a client is successful if the client is highly motivated, great at doing DIY projects, and comfortable with technology and a reliable Internet. It is equally important that the client be physically able to do the work or have someone helping him/her if unable to work alone. The client needs to be goal driven and needs expert advice and guidance. In that virtual organizing tends to be shorter in session length, time and budget restraints allow clients easier access to working with me virtually. Typically, the project is very well defined and remains the only goal being addressed at a given session.

Hands on professional organizing tends to involve longer sessions. There is often a larger scope of work to be done, and the person tends not to always be a DIY individual. He/she appreciates having the extra set of hands to work side-by-side with and to have the expert on site. Perhaps one distinct advantage here is that immediate results can be noticed: a highly motivating force! What’s more, hands on work allows for more flexible projects as the need arises.

All in all, consider what might work best for you in terms of your personality, work habits, and particular job in mind. If you are puzzled, give me a call, and we will work it out in tandem to focus on your individual organizing needs.

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How to Start a Book Group

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Books

How to Start a Book Group

Would you like to share your love of reading with others? If you say yes, why not start a book group? Not sure how to do so? Well just follow these steps to begin.

Ask your friends what books they read. If you have similar tastes, that is a great start, or maybe their different tastes will introduce you to authors and genres you have never considered.

Choose a theme for your book group. You can base this on types of books (contemporary fiction, nonfiction) or any other criteria. For example, is the book group an excuse for a social gathering and sharing a bottle of wine (no judgment!) or will you delve into literary criticism that will make your college English literature professors proud?

Set up basic ground rules: Where will you meet (private homes, library, restaurants)? How often, on what schedule (third Thursday of the month)? What are the expectations for food and drink: potluck, BYOB, snacks, a full meal (lunch or dinner)? Will the food served be related to the book in some way? Who chooses the book each time? Are any types of books off-limits?

A good number of members for a book group is 10-12. This allows for a good mix of opinions and participation. Larger groups are more cumbersome to organize, with discussions possibly leaving out some people. Smaller groups are move vulnerable to falling apart, as peoples’ schedules and lives intervene. For example, my friend’s book group has lost 3 members due to out-of-state moves in the past few years, but they invited new members to fill out the group.

Invite your friends and get the ball rolling! You can work out details as you go along. And be sure to have fun!

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