To all of you out there, who are trying to stay mentally sharp well into high age: Throw out all of your brain training software or videogames such as memory activities.  You are just wasting time, at least according to a recently published study in the Journal Neurology of the American Academy of Neurology. Instead, start running, biking, swimming, hiking or whatever kind of physical exercise you may prefer. The study showed that only physical activities were a significant neuroprotective factor.

Close to 700 people in Scotland, all born in 1936 and 70 years old when initially surveyed by the researchers participated at the study. They were asked about exercise habits and physical activity level, and also about their social life with friends and family or whether they did mentally stimulating activities.

Three years later, at age 73, the participants were given MRI brain scans. The result was that those, who did more exercise had less age related brain shrinkage and fewer white matter lesions. Participation at socially or mentally stimulating activities on the other hand didn’t make a difference in regards to the aging effect on brain size.

In conclusion, there seems to be no way around it: If we want to stay physically and mentally healthy as long as possible, exercise is the method of choice.

For me, these are expected but not necessarily welcome news. I don’t enjoy working-out and exercise though I’m regularly running 15 to 20 miles per week even in winter. I started a few years ago when age-related weight and health issues became bothersome. As I found out, it’s tough to completely change your lifestyle when you are already over 50 but with self-control and motivation, it’s doable.

It’s much easier when you have outside support and this is where a life coach can really be of tremendous assistance. A life coach will help you to set the right goals and develop a plan with you how to achieve these goals. There are many things to consider: for example don’t set the goal too high to prevent disappointment but high enough to be challenging. Also, if you add roughly three hours of exercise time per week as recommended, where do you find the time in your schedule? What would you be willing to give up to free time for exercise? How could you incorporate physical activities in your daily schedule like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking to the post office or mowing the lawn and raking the leaves yourself instead of hiring a company? A life coach will also cheer you on and celebrate your victories with you. I’m a life-coach and psychologist myself and I know I couldn’t have done the change from a couch-potato lifestyle to running a 10 k  without using my professional knowledge for my own benefit .

This being said, it’s a nice sunny and moderately cold November day outside and I will go now for my daily run.

This post was written by Christiane Turnheim. Christiane is life-coach at Coach4U.net and teaches psychology at a community college in Massachusetts. Email her for a free introductory coaching session at ten.u4hcaocnull@enaitsirhc .

More about the topic exercise: http://www.coach4u.net/content/healthy_lifestyle_coaching/#entry_675

Sources for the blog entry: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121022162331.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29

http://www.aan.com/press/index.cfm?fuseaction=release.view&release=1111

Research studies confirm that coaching leads to positive outcomes. Among others, coaching will increase self-confidence about reaching goals. In surveys, clients often list as most helpful the input of the coach and feedback that they receive . 

However, often overlooked but nevertheless extremely powerful is another aspect of coaching: Accountability.

In a good client-coach relationship, the coach will regularly inquire about progress toward goals and what has been accomplished since the last meeting. As it turns out, this is a strong motivator: Knowing that the coach will follow up, makes the client more likely to follow trough with necessary action steps.

“If someone has thought about taking some action, but is the only person who knows about it, it is much easier to postpone taking action.” (Jack Zenger, American Society for Training & Development)

In sum, coaching works because the coach will ask the client to commit to action by asking typical coaching questions such as “What will you do?” and “When will you do it?” and later then follows up with questions about the status of the plan. 

Author: Christiane Turnheim. Christiane is Life Coach, teaches psychology at a community college in Massachusetts and is author of the book “Job-Satisfaction – Learn to Love Your Job”.  Website:  www.coach4u.net ; email: ten.u4hcaocnull@enaitsirhc

Are you feeling stuck in your old job? Are you unhappy with your current line of work?  Then you are not alone. Many people dream about a new and more satisfying job but only a few dare to take the necessary steps.

 So, what is holding you back? Fear of the unknown? Afraid that you would have to take a pay cut? Doubt about your skills and abilities? Feeling “too old” for starting over?

It’s true, making a career change can be a scary prospect – but think of the payoff: Loving again what you do, feeling challenged, seeing purpose, helping others, having fun… In all, working in your dream job means so much more than just getting a paycheck.

It’s not an empty phrase when I say that it is never too late to make a career change. In my college classes, I have every semester a few students, who are well into middle age. They are eager to learn, inspired by their goals, and therefore are often the highest achievers in class.

If you have a strong desire for a career change, don’t allow your fears to hold you back.

Many people find it difficult to find the energy, time and information needed for a successful career change. They worry that they may make a wrong choice and waste money on expensive retraining programs.

My Career Coaching Program can help you to find the right career for you.

I will help you:

• Identify your interests and abilities
• Explore career alternatives
• Find your dream job
• Compare and evaluate education and job training options
• Make an action plan witha  step by step guide to achieve your career goal
• Plan your finances
• Overcome roadblocks and obstacles that you may encounter on your way to a more satisfying new career.

 Email me to find out more:  ten.u4hcaocnull@enaitsirhc

 Christiane Turnheim is psychologist and Life & Career Coach. She also teaches Psychology at a Community College in Massachusetts. Visit her website at www.coach4u.net

Quick question: What happened to your New Year’s resolutions? It’s April, and therefore I think it’s reasonable to ask how many of your commitments survived that far into the year? If you are like most people,  it may be time to review and adjust your original goals and then start over. Who says that you have to put your resolutions on hold until  January 1st, 2011?

First step, find out why you gave up on your goals. Did you want to lose weight and were frustrated because you didn’t shed the pounds as fast as you had hoped? Was it too difficult to stop smoking altogether? Did bad weather or sick kids keep you from going to the gym regularly? Review what happenend and how you felt about your commitments as long as the memory is relatively fresh.

The main reason why many people don’t follow through with their New Year’s resolution is that they want too much too fast, and they strive for perfection. Any setbacks, and they give up. If you think that’s you, take another run on your goals – this time only slower and allow for slip-ups.

First, when setting your goal, follow the SMART rule: Define your goal in a way that it is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound. For example, instead of “Eating healthier” commit to eating two pieces/servings of fruits and a salad and to drink one glass of orange juice daily for the next three months. At the end of each day, you will know whether you kept to your plan. If not, ask what kept you from achieving your daily goal and then make corrections.  If you discover for example that you would prefer salad or cooked vegetables over fruit, go for it.

Don’t be a perfectionist. If you didn’t eat any fruit before, it’s already progress to eat one piece of fruit, even if your plan called for two. Therefore, give yourself credit for it.  Don’t focus on how much you fell short of your goal, instead think positive and focus on how much you achieved.

Take babv steps. If you want to lose weight, don’t aim for losing ten pounds in a month. By aiming too high, you are setting yourself up for failure. Set a realistic goal, like losing one pound per week. If there is a week where you don’t even achieve this goal because of a birthday party or because the muffin in the coffe shop just was too tempting , see it as a learning experience. Temporary set backs are normal, so don’t beat yourself up about perceived weakness.

Tell other people about your goals, and write reminders or use motivating pictures and put them at places where you will see them often. 

And if you still struggle, hire a Life Coach to support you. Think of all the seemingly perfect celebrities you may admire. Most of them have personal trainers or nutritionists to help them stay on course. So, it’s nothing wrong with a little outside help. And if your goal is about your health, see it this way: a little money spend now on a Life Coach could save you later more money spend on doctor fees and hospital bills.

Written by Life Coach Christiane Turnheim. Visit her website at www.coach4u.net or email her ten.u4hcaocnull@enaitsirhc