If you have been having a hard time motivating yourself to get up and move, try to make exercise work for you. It is important to enjoy what you're doing so you won't get bored and stop. To choose an activity that's right for you, ask yourself these questions:

Are you a goal-oriented person?

  If you like to feel a sense of accomplishment, you might want to choose activities like training for a local 5K charity walk or run where you have a goal, set plan, and have an end date.

  Wear a pedometer and heart rate monitor to gauge and record your progress.

  If you need some accountability, you might enjoy working with a fitness coach to help you set goals.

Do you like to exercise in a group setting or would you prefer
to exercise on your own?

  If being around other people will motivate you, take an exercise class at your gym, walk with friends, or join a running club or tennis league.

  If you prefer to exercise on your own, get outside and walk, hike, roller blade, bike, or run. You can also swim on your own or join a swimming club at your local recreation center.

Are you a morning exerciser or an evening exerciser?

  It is really important when planning your exercise schedule to think about what time of day will consistently work better for you.

  If you are a morning person, then creating some space in the morning - before you start your day - might be your best bet. If you are not a morning person, you might want to exercise on your lunch break or first thing after work. You will also want to schedule your exercise in your calendar just like you do all of your other appointments.

Choose activities that you enjoy doing and that you can enjoy for the rest of your life. Remember that exercise doesn't have to be intense. It is more important to just get up and move. Try to find ways every day to add more activity into your life. Your health depends on it!

Staying organized takes a lot of energy. It's not just about the act of putting things in their place. It has a lot to do with what is going on in your brain. In other words, your home affects your health to a great degree. When your home is organized, so are the other areas of your life.

There is a common link between organization, nutrition, health and fitness. Would you ever think that the secret behind weight loss is organization? If your refrigerator looks like the top of your counters or the cluttered masses around your house, the energy you need to stay focused and organized simply doesn't exist.

Naturally, if your kitchen is organized, you will be much more inclined to reach for healthy items to cook versus canned, processed, refined products. So organization does lead to weight loss, amongst other things. So what's in your refrigerator and your stomach is directly connected to your ability to stay focused and organized!

One's home should be a place of simplicity, ease and flow. One's home should be a sanctuary. When you clear a space, it allows for new things to come into it.

You have to ask yourself, "Have you stopped entertaining and inviting people over? Are you neglecting your body and health, not eating properly and not getting ample exercise? Are you wasting money on duplicative items?

Stay tuned next month for five positive, little-known secrets you can implement now to live a more organized life.

Cheryl L. Perkins is a Professional Residential Organizer.
For more information visit her website at www.creating-balance.net.

Nutrient status is a vital foundation of health. Each micronutrient plays an indispensable role in promoting optimal cell function. When some cells do not function at their best, the foundation of our health is compromised, setting the stage for the development of disease.

Identifying and correcting nutritional deficiencies is an important step in the long-term maintenance of optimal health. Arthritis, Parkinson's, alcoholism/substance abuse, behavioral disorders, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic fatigue, macular degeneration, diabetes, immune disorders, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and osteoporosis have been linked to nutrient imbalances. Studies published in 2002 in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirm the connection between nutrient deficiencies and disease processes.

SpectraCell's FIA™ testing is an innovative assessment of a patient's nutritional status. Unlike traditional serum, hair and urine tests, SpectraCell's FIA™ evaluates how an individual's white blood cells respond to varied environments of over 30 vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. As a result, individual differences in metabolism, age, genetics, health, prescription drug usage, absorption rate and other factors are taken into consideration in determining deficiencies that need to be corrected.

SpectraCell's LPP™, unlike traditional cholesterol tests, directly measures both the size and number of several classes of lipoprotein particles providing an accurate assessment of cardiovascular risk.

Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists are now offering SpectraCell Testing. Give them a call to learn more and to get your SpectraCell kit. Within 2 weeks you can learn about your nutrient profile and begin correcting any deficiencies you may have.

Stacey Whittle, RD, CPT and Dorothy Bernet, MS, RD, CPT are Co-Founders of Healthy By Design Nutrition Specialists in Santa Monica, CA. For more information visit their website at: www.healthybydesignnutrition.com

You have made it easy to eat right and exercise in spite of how busy I am - that is something that I never thought was possible. I have more energy, am less tired and stressed, my body is stronger and, best of all, my clothes fit better!

- Nicole, Fitness Coaching Client

What are you waiting for? Call 310-200-6223 for more info on Healthy Balance Fitness' Coaching Programs.