Happy New Year!

I want to thank all of you who have been a part of the Joy Of Active Living family-the place to be for living a life full of activity and possibility. Your support has meant the world to me and I will continue to serve you and your friends in learning how physical activity can create possibility in your your life.

In years past I have written articles on approaching the New Year with a vision of who you want to be and how you want to define your active life.

This year is different. I have some exciting news! My upcoming book, “Off The Couch: How to Find Joy in Physical Activity Even If You Hate to Exercise” is fast approaching its release date. Here is an excerpt from an interview. The questions help illustrate how this book can help you or your BFF get a clear vision for living an active life.

Why did I write this book?

Having worked in the health /fitness industry for 30 years in a variety of settings including clinical, medical fitness center as well as working as a group fitness instructor and personal trainer, I have seen people successfully change from a sedentary unhealthy lifestyle to one of activity and possibility. There are traits these brave souls exhibit that I saw as universal. Combined with my training as an exercise physiologist and a Certified Health and Wellness Coach, I wrote this book to be used as a conversation starter for anyone wanting to live a more active life.

So does this book tell the reader what to do?

No. That is probably the biggest misconception of this book. Because of my long tenure of fitness instruction and personal training, people expect this book to be a daily or weekly record of workouts based on training adaptations. There is a plethora of books already out there telling people what to do. This book asks the reader to go within and reframe what exercise means to them. There are activities in this book that help the reader judge how ready he/she is to change and then to devise a plan that meets them where they are in that process.

What do you hope the reader come away with after reading this book?

This book shows the reader options for living an active life. They will realize that there is no one way to live actively. They develop a clear vision of how they want to live actively and why it is important to them. This is key because their vision helps identify with something bigger than weight loss, pre-diabetes or high blood pressure. These are all great benefits of exercise but research suggests that they are not what keep people active.

So it sounds like this book focuses on the mind and the role it plays in lifestyle choices?

Yes, that is exactly right. True change begins from within. What we know about change is that once a person defines for themselves what they want and why it is important to them, there is ownership and an internal commitment that helps goals and aspirations. It can be really an exciting time, too.

What is your hope for someone reading this book?

My hope is that, after reading the book, the reader will have a broader perspective of what living an active life can mean for them and that it is possible to change no matter what your history, even if you hate to exercise. The other thing I like to add is we are all seeking progress, not perfection, and anything you do is better than nothing at all.

How can I find out more?

Click here and sign up to be notified of the book’s release date!