My health and fitness philosophy is derived from my career as a classical musician. While I am currently a personal trainer, Bootcamp and group fitness instructor for a health club in San Francisco, I have 25 years' experience as a private flute teacher, chamber music coach, public speaker and national presenter. Although the two professions may be different, my passions have been the same: understanding how people learn and then using my understanding to be of service to them.
My philosophy is summed up in one motto: "Yes, you can". I believe that peoples' mindsets, children or adults, are a critical determinant to whether they achieve their desires. My own temperament is naturally up-beat and optimistic. I have a can-do attitude and expect success in most situations. I believe that from beliefs flows action and behavior. The adage "whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right" is absolutely correct in my opinion. From teaching flute as well as training clients, I have seen people with exceptional talent and skill underachieve due to a lack of faith in themselves. Conversely, less talented folks have reached seemingly impossible goals through great intelligence, determination and perseverance.
The specifics of my philosophy include: working with people as part of a team, assisting them in identifying their goals, meeting them where they're at and helping them create a realistic plan in which to achieve their goals. I am their collaborator, not a fitness guru. Clients may want to follow me thinking that I have more knowledge and/or experience. However they are the experts on their own lives. I am not interested in being blindly followed, therefore I prefer to walk along side my clients and gently guide them towards better health and well-being. To me, an effective leader is one who leads by example. In evaluating leaders, I ask the question: do they "walk the walk and talk the talk"? In my opinion, leaders' beliefs and attitudes are best demonstrated by their actions. My fervent desire in working with clients is to promote their self-awareness, cultivate independent thinking and increase their self-confidence.
I also include a healthy dose of humor. I love to exercise and understand that many of my clients do not. A light-hearted quip from me will often get clients laughing. Perhaps they start to have fun during our sessions. At the very least, humor can be a positive distraction from endless lunges and squats!
My health and fitness philosophy has also been influenced by my personal reading. I am a voracious reader and have read material on sports psychology, martial arts, Eastern philosophy, applied positive psychology, nutrition, food production, brain fitness and neuro-plasticity. Authors I have read include Terry Orlick, Don Greene, George Leonard, Martin Seligman, Jeffrey Schwartz, Sharon Begley, Norman Doidge, the Dalai Lama, Daniel Goleman, Michael Pollan, Gary Taubes and Eric Schlosser among others. In addition to reading about martial arts, I trained in kempo karate, chi-gung and T'ai Chi for a number of years earning the rank of brown belt in karate and becoming a certified T'ai Chi instructor. My main goal at the time was to earn my black belt and open a dojo for women and girls, helping them become more emotionally empowered and independent through physical training in martial arts. A number of significant injuries prevented me from achieving my goal, however, this experience led to my current career in health and fitness.
The major theme in my reading has been the intersection of mind and body and how one influences the other. I continue to be enthralled with the subject matter. My on-going desire is to find ways to apply what I've read. The Health Promotion Management program at American University, particularly the multi-disciplinary focus, seems to offer the most effective structure and environment to assist me in synthesizing and building on my years of informal learning.
My career objectives are to continue helping people learn about themselves and apply that learning to assisting them in crafting more healthy, happy, satisfying lives. Given my interests and beliefs, the field of wellness is a natural progression for me and a culmination of my previous careers. Obtaining an advanced degree such as the Master's program at American University offers me the education, tools and skills I need to continue my work.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Books
I'm an avid and voracious reader, mostly non-fiction. Here are some of my recent reads:
Norman Doidge "The Brain that Changes Itself"
This is a re-read for me. I picked up even more info the second time around. An excellent and accessible book on brain fitness and neuro-plasticity or how the brain can continue to change, adapt and grow even as we change.
Inspiring!
Dalai Lama and Daniel Goleman "Destructive Emotions"
This book is part of an on-going series, a compilation of a conference held in 2000 in Dharamsala, India. The Dalai Lama has provided a forum for Western scientists to meet with eminent Buddhists to discuss wonderful topics like emotions, education, sleep. Daniel Goleman is the author of the bestseller "Emotional Intelligence" This book "Destructive Emotions" is substantial and somewhat dense (maybe that's just me!) read.
Norman Doidge "The Brain that Changes Itself"
This is a re-read for me. I picked up even more info the second time around. An excellent and accessible book on brain fitness and neuro-plasticity or how the brain can continue to change, adapt and grow even as we change.
Inspiring!
Dalai Lama and Daniel Goleman "Destructive Emotions"
This book is part of an on-going series, a compilation of a conference held in 2000 in Dharamsala, India. The Dalai Lama has provided a forum for Western scientists to meet with eminent Buddhists to discuss wonderful topics like emotions, education, sleep. Daniel Goleman is the author of the bestseller "Emotional Intelligence" This book "Destructive Emotions" is substantial and somewhat dense (maybe that's just me!) read.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Ho Ho Ho! Not-
Conventional wisdom says that the average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day is 5-10 lbs. I see this figure all the time in women's magazines, on-line, in the news, etc.
However according to a study done by the NIH, that statement is wrong. NIH says the average holiday weight gain is 1 lb or less. Is this cause for celebration? Absolutely not! The average American does not lose this 1 lb post holidays and actually continues to gain at least a 1 lb every year for many more years of their lives translating into a cumulative, substantial weight gain.
Given the temptations for seasonal overindulging and also given the tough economic times we all are facing, maintaining your current weight seems to be a reasonable plan during this holiday season. Some people may argue that a 1 lb weight gain doesn't seem so bad in the scheme of things. However people eating a little bit more during the holiday season and therefore have gained weight, won't necessarily cut back after January 1st. Or they may jump on the resolution band-wagon, join a gym, hire a personal trainer and exercise like a crazy person along with lots of other crazy people for the first 3 weeks of January until they collapse in a heap on their couch in time to watch the Super Bowl and inhale platefuls of nachos and potato chips, ending up right back where they started from. Ouch.
Here are some tips to help you maintain your weight:
If you're exercising, add a couple of minutes to your cardio and increase your intensity slightly.
For instance if you've been doing 3 sessions of cardio per week on the treadmill for 30 minutes at 3.5 mph and no incline, then add 5 minutes (35 total) and bump your incline up to 2-4%. You'll burn more calories and should huff and puff a bit more as well. Also give yourself a big pat on the back for keeping up your exercising.
If you're not exercising or don't belong to a gym, start walking more. Depending on where you live, you may have access to a track at a local high school or community college where you can walk with a friend (always helps to have a work-out partner). Many towns now have bike trails where you can ride as a family, walk or run with a friend. In-door walking programs are sometimes offered at malls, particularly in areas which deal with long winter months. Ask around your community, the local town hall or local high school and see what's available to you.
Of course you can join a gym now. Have reasonable expectations for yourself for attendance. Maybe start with a group fitness class or hire a personal trainer. Many health clubs offer a complimentary introductory personal training session to train you on their equipment.
Take advantage of that session. Part of my job is to call new members, invite them to schedule that appointment and take them through their intro session. I can't tell you how many folks are not interested or cancel last minute, never to be heard from again. This is your benefit-use it!
Keep a food journal. This idea, like many ideas, appeals to some and not to others. That's fine.
If you don't like the idea of writing in a journal, there are plenty of on-line food tracking programs available. However you feel about a journal, do know that there was a study done which demonstrated that folks who keep a food journal consume 15% less calories than those who don't. I don't remember where I read this but I do remember thinking that any technique which helps you eat a bit less is probably a very good thing. I keep a food and exercise journal.
If you like your alcohol, try to cut down the amount rather than cut out the alcohol entirely.
If you don't drink as a regular thing, don't start over the holidays or feel pressured to have a glass of wine in your hand just because everyone else is drinking. Maintainence is the goal, here, so keep going with your own personal habits. Living in San Francisco, most of my clients enjoy their wine enormously. If they have a weight loss goal (particularly over the holidays) I will advise them to cut down on their alcohol intake since alcohol has no nutritional value (yes, I understand about red wine and a link to better cardiovascular health).
You can cut down in a variety of ways: literally cut out 1 drink. If you like 2 glasses of wine with dinner, have 1. If you're at home, pour less in the glass per drink or use a smaller wine glass to start with. You may want to measure the amount in your glass using a measuring cup and water. I do that with my breakfast cereal. I pour the amount in a measuring cup, then pour it in my cereal bowl to make sure I know how many calories I'm getting.
My father use to say: "your eyes are bigger than your stomach" and even now, many times he's still right.
Tips for holiday parties:
Stay away from the Buffet table! Stay away from the Buffet table! Run for the hills!
Buffets are tricky situations (like open bar). The food is presented in eye-catching ways, the smells are heavenly and there's mounds and mounds of all kinds of delectable treats. Your will-power may vanish instantly and an insatiable appetitie for everything takes over.
Let's talk turkey for dealing with this potential free-for-all:
First, scope out the table without taking anything. See what's offered. What appeals to you? Make a mental note of what you want. Go get a glass of water, talk with friends, listen to the entertainment or use the restroom.
Then eat the courses in order, in shifts, in small amounts.
For instance, if there's soup or salad offered, grab a small bowl or dessert plate for the salad, get
a small portion of either and go sit down (far, far away from the buffet) and eat that course.
Bring a glass of water with you. After that course, mingle with guests, go to the restroom, listen to the music or whatever entertainment is available and then go back for your main entree.
If you want more than one entree, take 1 spoonful or forkful of whatever you want, enough for a good taste (not 5 helpings). Avoid bread, stuffing, rolls, sandwich bread (you can eat a sandwich open-faced or no bread at all with utensils) or foods with heavy sauces, particularly cream based sauces. Especially avoid fried foods. If you absolutely must have these kinds of food, take a half portion or less of what you want. Again, use a smaller plate like a salad or dessert plate and
step away from the buffet and enjoy your food elsewhere.
Again after finishing, take time to socialize and mingle, letting your food settle before being tempted by another glass of wine or by dessert. If you're with friends, you may decide to split a dessert.
The point here is to allow yourself the pleasure of food and alcohol over a good amount of time and without feeling like you've eaten enough for 2 weeks. Your body cannot process very large amounts of food all at once. And surely you must know that it takes 20 minutes of eating for the body to register that it's full. Food is fuel to your body. Holiday parties usually happen in the evenings when your body is winding down for the day. It doesn't need (or want) 2,000 more calories at 9PM.
Also while I advocate not depriving yourself, 15 sugar cookies or 5 eggnogs is excess to the hilt. After a certain point, sugar cookie # 3 or eggnog # 2?, your brain isn't even participating in the eating experience.
Be kind to your body!
Happy holidays.
In health and with affection,
Laura
However according to a study done by the NIH, that statement is wrong. NIH says the average holiday weight gain is 1 lb or less. Is this cause for celebration? Absolutely not! The average American does not lose this 1 lb post holidays and actually continues to gain at least a 1 lb every year for many more years of their lives translating into a cumulative, substantial weight gain.
Given the temptations for seasonal overindulging and also given the tough economic times we all are facing, maintaining your current weight seems to be a reasonable plan during this holiday season. Some people may argue that a 1 lb weight gain doesn't seem so bad in the scheme of things. However people eating a little bit more during the holiday season and therefore have gained weight, won't necessarily cut back after January 1st. Or they may jump on the resolution band-wagon, join a gym, hire a personal trainer and exercise like a crazy person along with lots of other crazy people for the first 3 weeks of January until they collapse in a heap on their couch in time to watch the Super Bowl and inhale platefuls of nachos and potato chips, ending up right back where they started from. Ouch.
Here are some tips to help you maintain your weight:
If you're exercising, add a couple of minutes to your cardio and increase your intensity slightly.
For instance if you've been doing 3 sessions of cardio per week on the treadmill for 30 minutes at 3.5 mph and no incline, then add 5 minutes (35 total) and bump your incline up to 2-4%. You'll burn more calories and should huff and puff a bit more as well. Also give yourself a big pat on the back for keeping up your exercising.
If you're not exercising or don't belong to a gym, start walking more. Depending on where you live, you may have access to a track at a local high school or community college where you can walk with a friend (always helps to have a work-out partner). Many towns now have bike trails where you can ride as a family, walk or run with a friend. In-door walking programs are sometimes offered at malls, particularly in areas which deal with long winter months. Ask around your community, the local town hall or local high school and see what's available to you.
Of course you can join a gym now. Have reasonable expectations for yourself for attendance. Maybe start with a group fitness class or hire a personal trainer. Many health clubs offer a complimentary introductory personal training session to train you on their equipment.
Take advantage of that session. Part of my job is to call new members, invite them to schedule that appointment and take them through their intro session. I can't tell you how many folks are not interested or cancel last minute, never to be heard from again. This is your benefit-use it!
Keep a food journal. This idea, like many ideas, appeals to some and not to others. That's fine.
If you don't like the idea of writing in a journal, there are plenty of on-line food tracking programs available. However you feel about a journal, do know that there was a study done which demonstrated that folks who keep a food journal consume 15% less calories than those who don't. I don't remember where I read this but I do remember thinking that any technique which helps you eat a bit less is probably a very good thing. I keep a food and exercise journal.
If you like your alcohol, try to cut down the amount rather than cut out the alcohol entirely.
If you don't drink as a regular thing, don't start over the holidays or feel pressured to have a glass of wine in your hand just because everyone else is drinking. Maintainence is the goal, here, so keep going with your own personal habits. Living in San Francisco, most of my clients enjoy their wine enormously. If they have a weight loss goal (particularly over the holidays) I will advise them to cut down on their alcohol intake since alcohol has no nutritional value (yes, I understand about red wine and a link to better cardiovascular health).
You can cut down in a variety of ways: literally cut out 1 drink. If you like 2 glasses of wine with dinner, have 1. If you're at home, pour less in the glass per drink or use a smaller wine glass to start with. You may want to measure the amount in your glass using a measuring cup and water. I do that with my breakfast cereal. I pour the amount in a measuring cup, then pour it in my cereal bowl to make sure I know how many calories I'm getting.
My father use to say: "your eyes are bigger than your stomach" and even now, many times he's still right.
Tips for holiday parties:
Stay away from the Buffet table! Stay away from the Buffet table! Run for the hills!
Buffets are tricky situations (like open bar). The food is presented in eye-catching ways, the smells are heavenly and there's mounds and mounds of all kinds of delectable treats. Your will-power may vanish instantly and an insatiable appetitie for everything takes over.
Let's talk turkey for dealing with this potential free-for-all:
First, scope out the table without taking anything. See what's offered. What appeals to you? Make a mental note of what you want. Go get a glass of water, talk with friends, listen to the entertainment or use the restroom.
Then eat the courses in order, in shifts, in small amounts.
For instance, if there's soup or salad offered, grab a small bowl or dessert plate for the salad, get
a small portion of either and go sit down (far, far away from the buffet) and eat that course.
Bring a glass of water with you. After that course, mingle with guests, go to the restroom, listen to the music or whatever entertainment is available and then go back for your main entree.
If you want more than one entree, take 1 spoonful or forkful of whatever you want, enough for a good taste (not 5 helpings). Avoid bread, stuffing, rolls, sandwich bread (you can eat a sandwich open-faced or no bread at all with utensils) or foods with heavy sauces, particularly cream based sauces. Especially avoid fried foods. If you absolutely must have these kinds of food, take a half portion or less of what you want. Again, use a smaller plate like a salad or dessert plate and
step away from the buffet and enjoy your food elsewhere.
Again after finishing, take time to socialize and mingle, letting your food settle before being tempted by another glass of wine or by dessert. If you're with friends, you may decide to split a dessert.
The point here is to allow yourself the pleasure of food and alcohol over a good amount of time and without feeling like you've eaten enough for 2 weeks. Your body cannot process very large amounts of food all at once. And surely you must know that it takes 20 minutes of eating for the body to register that it's full. Food is fuel to your body. Holiday parties usually happen in the evenings when your body is winding down for the day. It doesn't need (or want) 2,000 more calories at 9PM.
Also while I advocate not depriving yourself, 15 sugar cookies or 5 eggnogs is excess to the hilt. After a certain point, sugar cookie # 3 or eggnog # 2?, your brain isn't even participating in the eating experience.
Be kind to your body!
Happy holidays.
In health and with affection,
Laura
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Statement of Purpose
My main purpose has been and continues to be a strong desire to help people. Throughout my lifetime I have been very fortunate to weave my personal interests regarding how people learn, emotional and mental health, sports psychology, health, fitness and well-being in a way which is of service to people. I have worked in several different industries, however, the common thread is my focus on assisting others. From a young age I wanted to be a physician. However, at the time, college chemistry and math courses stymied me. During my college years, I began my career as a flute teacher, returning home each weekend from school to teach private lessons to hometown children. After graduation I turned to medical social work, which I thought was the perfect marriage of my interests in mind and body. After a few years working in the field, I returned to teaching flute and had a long, successful and happy career as an educator, performer and public speaker. Upon moving to California in 2004, I entered the health and fitness industry, becoming a certified personal trainer, Bootcamp and group fitness instructor for a tennis and swim club in downtown San Francisco. I have a wonderful schedule of classes and private clients, most of whom are women of all ages and fitness levels seeking to improve their health and fitness.
At this point in my life, while I love my clients and classes, I want to influence health care policy. I very much enjoy the ability to work one-on-one with people. However I also want the ability to affect change on a larger scale. The field of wellness is a natural progression for me since I see wellness as synthesizing my ideas on learning, emotional and mental health, fitness and physical health. Wellness is an avenue to continue to integrate and build on my previous work as a flute teacher, medical social worker and personal trainer. I define wellness as a state of optimal health including physical and mental health. From a young age, I have seen how the mind influences the body and vice versa. My version of wellness is holistic, incorporating the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual and aligns nicely with my philosophical outlook on life, one of hopefulness, optimism and a "can-do" attitude.
Holism, for me, is an interconnection among parts. Our bodies affect our minds and our minds affect our bodies. If one part is changed, other areas of our lives are affected, sometimes with unforeseen and startling results. I have seen this amply demonstrated in my work as a personal trainer. A client may hire me to help her fit in her skinny jeans. As a result of that initial goal, she becomes healthier and physically stronger and she may discover that she has become emotionally stronger as well. What appeared to be a very specific desire to wear a pair of pants becomes a catalyst for other far reaching changes such as leaving a demanding job, limiting contact with toxic family members or returning to school for an advanced degree. I am a prime example of this: from an initial focus on losing weight, I completely remade my life in the space of two years, losing 80 lbs (and maintaining that weight loss), moving cross-country to California, changing professions (from classical musician to personal trainer and group fitness instructor) and getting divorced. Now I am applying for graduate school at American University to further my studies in health and fitness. Because of my previous training and career as a classical musician in addition to a recent educational opportunity in fitness, I am confident that if accepted I will be very successful earning this advanced degree and continuing my career in health.
For a large part of my life, I was a professional musician, spending hours a day in a practice room, perfecting and maintaining the skills I needed to play my instrument well. During those many hours of practicing, I relied on myself. While I did study with many fine flutists over the years, those flutists spent little time with me compared with the time I spent practicing. Unlike athletes who compete in team sports, in music, a musician does not have a coach organizing daily practices or telling her what she's doing right or wrong. There are no teammates present to lean on for company or moral support. There's the student, the instrument and the practice room. Self-discipline, self-awareness, concentration and organizational ability are just a few of the skills required to be a well-trained, high-caliber musician.
In my late 20's (considered past the prime for such an endeavor), I successfully auditioned for graduate school in flute performance. I was given a scholarship (even more remarkable for a flutist-good flutists are regarded as a "dime a dozen") and received my MM in Flute Performance from The Boston Conservatory. I was inducted into a national music honor society on the basis of my GPA and academic work. In addition to attending conservatory full-time, I continued teaching my private flute students thus successfully balancing the demands of both school and work.
In 2007, I had a similiar experience in fitness. My company sent me back to school at the University of San Francisco to take "Clinical Exercise Physiology" in the Exercise Sport and Science Department. The class is an upper level undergraduate class requiring prerequisites such as human anatomy and introductory physiology. The requirements were waived although I had not taken the stated prerequisites . Returning to school was an epiphany for me on several levels: I discovered that I loved the subject matter and I studied assiduously and joyfully to learn the material. I also discovered that I was able to again successfully balance working full-time with school, taking what was essentially a double class since both lecture and lab were required. Lastly, I found that I had the skills and talent to excel in a health and fitness
field receiving an "A" for my work. Perhaps that statement does not seem earth shattering. For me, however, my experience was profound. I demonstrated academic success in my relatively new field of health and fitness thus gaining great confidence and faith in myself. As a direct result of taking this class, I knew that I could achieve even larger goals such as returning to graduate school at American University, again moving cross-country and creating a new life in a new place.
Why American University? The program to which I am applying, Health Promotion Management, is described on the AU Web site as multi-disciplinary encompassing health policy, health management, health communication, global health and exercise science. Prior to applying for this program, I seriously considered Arizona University (exercise science/wellness), Columbia University (applied kinesiology/nutrition/wellness), The University of Pennsylvania (Applied Positive Psychology) and several University of California and California State University schools. Health care is a complex issue affected by many different areas. While every one of these schools and programs have their merits, they do not have the scope which the program at American University offers. Based on my research and discussions with the graduate advisor for the Health Promotion Management Department at AU, the program seems to be the best fit for me well above and beyond the others.
Additionally the school is located in Washington, DC the capital (literally and figuratively) of national policy making as well as headquarters for many health associations and institutes. By attending American University not only will I receive a world class education but I will also be at the epicenter of on-going health care debate and reform.
In Health,
Laura
At this point in my life, while I love my clients and classes, I want to influence health care policy. I very much enjoy the ability to work one-on-one with people. However I also want the ability to affect change on a larger scale. The field of wellness is a natural progression for me since I see wellness as synthesizing my ideas on learning, emotional and mental health, fitness and physical health. Wellness is an avenue to continue to integrate and build on my previous work as a flute teacher, medical social worker and personal trainer. I define wellness as a state of optimal health including physical and mental health. From a young age, I have seen how the mind influences the body and vice versa. My version of wellness is holistic, incorporating the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual and aligns nicely with my philosophical outlook on life, one of hopefulness, optimism and a "can-do" attitude.
Holism, for me, is an interconnection among parts. Our bodies affect our minds and our minds affect our bodies. If one part is changed, other areas of our lives are affected, sometimes with unforeseen and startling results. I have seen this amply demonstrated in my work as a personal trainer. A client may hire me to help her fit in her skinny jeans. As a result of that initial goal, she becomes healthier and physically stronger and she may discover that she has become emotionally stronger as well. What appeared to be a very specific desire to wear a pair of pants becomes a catalyst for other far reaching changes such as leaving a demanding job, limiting contact with toxic family members or returning to school for an advanced degree. I am a prime example of this: from an initial focus on losing weight, I completely remade my life in the space of two years, losing 80 lbs (and maintaining that weight loss), moving cross-country to California, changing professions (from classical musician to personal trainer and group fitness instructor) and getting divorced. Now I am applying for graduate school at American University to further my studies in health and fitness. Because of my previous training and career as a classical musician in addition to a recent educational opportunity in fitness, I am confident that if accepted I will be very successful earning this advanced degree and continuing my career in health.
For a large part of my life, I was a professional musician, spending hours a day in a practice room, perfecting and maintaining the skills I needed to play my instrument well. During those many hours of practicing, I relied on myself. While I did study with many fine flutists over the years, those flutists spent little time with me compared with the time I spent practicing. Unlike athletes who compete in team sports, in music, a musician does not have a coach organizing daily practices or telling her what she's doing right or wrong. There are no teammates present to lean on for company or moral support. There's the student, the instrument and the practice room. Self-discipline, self-awareness, concentration and organizational ability are just a few of the skills required to be a well-trained, high-caliber musician.
In my late 20's (considered past the prime for such an endeavor), I successfully auditioned for graduate school in flute performance. I was given a scholarship (even more remarkable for a flutist-good flutists are regarded as a "dime a dozen") and received my MM in Flute Performance from The Boston Conservatory. I was inducted into a national music honor society on the basis of my GPA and academic work. In addition to attending conservatory full-time, I continued teaching my private flute students thus successfully balancing the demands of both school and work.
In 2007, I had a similiar experience in fitness. My company sent me back to school at the University of San Francisco to take "Clinical Exercise Physiology" in the Exercise Sport and Science Department. The class is an upper level undergraduate class requiring prerequisites such as human anatomy and introductory physiology. The requirements were waived although I had not taken the stated prerequisites . Returning to school was an epiphany for me on several levels: I discovered that I loved the subject matter and I studied assiduously and joyfully to learn the material. I also discovered that I was able to again successfully balance working full-time with school, taking what was essentially a double class since both lecture and lab were required. Lastly, I found that I had the skills and talent to excel in a health and fitness
field receiving an "A" for my work. Perhaps that statement does not seem earth shattering. For me, however, my experience was profound. I demonstrated academic success in my relatively new field of health and fitness thus gaining great confidence and faith in myself. As a direct result of taking this class, I knew that I could achieve even larger goals such as returning to graduate school at American University, again moving cross-country and creating a new life in a new place.
Why American University? The program to which I am applying, Health Promotion Management, is described on the AU Web site as multi-disciplinary encompassing health policy, health management, health communication, global health and exercise science. Prior to applying for this program, I seriously considered Arizona University (exercise science/wellness), Columbia University (applied kinesiology/nutrition/wellness), The University of Pennsylvania (Applied Positive Psychology) and several University of California and California State University schools. Health care is a complex issue affected by many different areas. While every one of these schools and programs have their merits, they do not have the scope which the program at American University offers. Based on my research and discussions with the graduate advisor for the Health Promotion Management Department at AU, the program seems to be the best fit for me well above and beyond the others.
Additionally the school is located in Washington, DC the capital (literally and figuratively) of national policy making as well as headquarters for many health associations and institutes. By attending American University not only will I receive a world class education but I will also be at the epicenter of on-going health care debate and reform.
In Health,
Laura
Friday, November 7, 2008
A big thank you
Thanks to all of you who took the time to read (some of you read many versions!) my recent posting on my health and fitness philosophy. Most of you know that this is an essay required as part of my application to graduate school. For those of you who don't know, I am applying for a Master's degree in Health Promotion Management at American University in Washington, DC. This program is multi-disciplinary and includes global health, health policy, health management, health communication and exercise science. It is perfect for silly folks like me with too many interests!
I have begun my second essay "Statement of Purpose" which is posted on the blog in a rough draft. Your opinions and comments are most welcome on that essay as well.
I take the GRE's in December and plan to submit a completed application by January 1st. My interview and visit to the school will happen in late January. American University has rolling admissions policy so as soon as my application is complete and I've had my interview, I should find out whether I've been accepted almost immediately. I'll keep you informed as the process unfolds.
With affection and appreciation,
Laura
I have begun my second essay "Statement of Purpose" which is posted on the blog in a rough draft. Your opinions and comments are most welcome on that essay as well.
I take the GRE's in December and plan to submit a completed application by January 1st. My interview and visit to the school will happen in late January. American University has rolling admissions policy so as soon as my application is complete and I've had my interview, I should find out whether I've been accepted almost immediately. I'll keep you informed as the process unfolds.
With affection and appreciation,
Laura
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Health Fitness Philosophy
Recently for one of my graduate school essays, I was asked to state my health fitness philosophy and career objectives. I thought I'd share some of my thoughts here.
Prior to thoughts on any specific careers, I have always been driven by my desire to help people. As a child, I wanted to become a doctor. I was fascinated by the human body and thought I could help people by treating and healing their illnesses. In high school, I volunteered as a "candy striper" at a local hospital and enjoyed being in a medical atmosphere. Becoming a physician was my goal until college, when I was stymied by the science and math courses required for pre-med majors. During my college years, I was a flute teacher, returning to my hometown each weekend to teach area children. However I considered that a "college job" and not a future career path then. After college, I turned to medical social work which nicely married my interests in medicine with my desire to help people. After attending and graduating from an innovative program at Massachusetts General Hospital, devoted exclusively to medical social work and the first of its kind in New England, I worked for several years in an acute care hospital as well as a rehab hospital. My caseload consisted of geriatric cardiac and stroke patients as well as their families. Sometimes my patients returned home, many times they did not. Finding an appropriate extended care facility for those who could not return home was my responsibility, whether that was a chronic care facility or a nursing home. Ultimately I found this work very difficult emotionally and returned to teaching flute and had a long, happy, successful career as a music educator, performer and public speaker.
Twenty five years later, I still teach flute, however my primary career is working as a personal trainer, bootcamp and group fitness instructor at a health club in downtown San Francisco. The majority of my clients and class members are women of all ages and fitness levels. Again my fitness career combines my interests in the human body and helping people quite well.
I feel blessed to have worked in several different industries. However different the industries, my career objectives have remained the same: what can I contribute to peoples' lives? My interests in the human body, how people learn, understanding how they think, what they feel and how all of that translates into behavior are well served by my work in health and fitness.
As a flute teacher working with children and as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor working with adults, I have always been enthralled with observing how the mind and body are entwined and the affect one has on the other. Early in my flute teaching, I discovered the field of sports psychology and read books by Don Greene, George Leonard and Terry Orlick to help my flute students successfully deal with performance anxiety. I explored many martial arts both physically by training and by reading ideas and philosophies concerning martial arts. I delved into Martin Seligman's work on applied positive psychology, authentic happiness and learned optimism. I read many books discussing the ideas of brain plasticity and psycho-neuro-immunology such as the works of Jeffrey Schwartz, Sharon Begley and Sandra and Matthew Blakeslee. These books support what I learned from the sports psychology material as well as the bodywork I personally have undergone such as many years of taking Alexander Technique lessons and my martial arts training in Tai Chi and Kempo Karate. After all of this reading and particularly the reading I did on brain plasticity, I realized that I wanted a more formal education. However, that education needed to be very broad in nature in order to satisfy all of my varied interests. I considered many schools before finding American University's program in Health Promotion Management. I feel this program with its multi-disciplinary scope as well as the specific knowledge base best suit my interests. After completing this education, I intend to step onto a bigger stage and move from the micro of working with people one-on-one to the macro of influencing health care policy and health care delivery.
My health fitness philosophy arose from teaching flute lessons. My motto to flute students is "Yes, you can", which I said in order to counter their common refrain of "I can't". Throughout the years of teaching, I could easily ascertain a student's level of faith and confidence in themselves by whether or not they used those words. Watching people learn (flute students and training clients) has been a huge gift, because I am privileged to see someone's beliefs and thought patterns in action. If someone responds "I can't" when encountering a learning challenge, the attitude behind the statement is often more correctly "I won't" or "I don't know how" accompanied by a tone of defeat. My philosophy "Yes, you can" has a tone of confident expectation of success. It reflects a "roll-up your sleeves, can-do attitude". It says things can change, life can be different. It also implies that from beliefs and attitudes flows behavior. The adage "whether you think you can or you think you can't, either way, you're right" is absolutely correct.
With my private clients at the health club as well as my class members, I work with both their minds and bodies. Training itself is obviously physical. However if I don't understand clients' motivations for wanting better health and fitness or identify their goals or even more importantly uncover their hidden agendas and fears, then I run the risk that their minds will sabotage their best efforts.
Clients may look to their trainers or their group fitness instructors to lead them, to be a role model for proper diet and exercise, health and wellness. I basically agree with their assessment: an effective leader is one who leads by example. Do he/she "walk the walk and talk the talk"? Core values are illustrated by actions. I look for consistency in behavior and in spoken words which helps me to trust someone. This is good advice in which to evaluate any relationship not just a leader! Some of my clients may view me as a leader although I prefer to have them think of me as a partner who's a little further down the road in terms of knowledge and experience. I am still human, still improving and not done with my journey towards better health and fitness (and happiness and compassion and kindness, etc). Certainly I am willing to share my knowledge with clients and share what worked for me and what didn't. However, my experience doesn't necessarily mean that my tools and strategies will work for them. I honor and respect their own individual paths. If people are inspired by the example of my life or find strength in the example of someone else's life, so be it. I am not a guru or fitness goddess seeking accolades or adulation. I want my clients to be fully empowered and ultimately independent of me. I work tirelessly to insure that they have the tools and knowledge to get what they want regardless of whether they train with me or not.
Working with my clients is very satisfying to me. What is most meaningful is observing how people stretch and grow in the process of reaching for their dreams. I know many people are keenly interested in achieving the end result. However the very act of envisioning something different for themselves begins the process of change. Embarking on a quest for better health and fitness can provoke seemingly unrelated changes. Clients may leave an unhappy relationship, an overwhelming job or may break ties with toxic family members. In learning how physically strong they are, they may uncover equally impressive emotional reserves, what Dr. Martin Seligman, the father of positive psychology, calls "emotional resilency". Having the inner confidence that you can weather life, that you can go through difficulties and still emerge intact is as the ad for the credit card company states "priceless". The process of discovering emotional strength through physical endeavor is common although almost miraculous in nature since you wouldn't suppose such a relationship exists. If I told a client that doing 12 push-ups when she can do none currently or that jumping rope when she can't climb stairs without huffing and puffing might lead her to other changes completely unrelated to fitting in her pair of skinny jeans, changes like being able to say "no" to her overbearing boss or demanding child, she would probably laugh in my face and mutter "crazy lady". However I know this to be true.
I know that monumental change can happen this way because I've done it. Six years ago, I lived in Boston and weighed well over 200 lbs. Unhappy in my marriage and discouraged with the politics at the music school where I taught, I was still recovering from physical injuries which were also emotionally devastating to me. My injuries forced me to stop exercising and to stop training in my beloved martial arts thus effectively ending my dream of attaining black belt and opening a dojo for women and girls. This was a significant loss for me. Additionally my elderly father was ailing. In short, I faced trials and tribulations no different than what many American women face on a regular basis. I was sliding down the slippery slope of depression quickly with no real end in sight. Rather than focusing on all the "bad" things in my life, I decided to focus on feeling better and starting working on the things I thought I could change: number one being my health. I hired a personal trainer and began the slow process of losing 80 lbs which I have successfully maintained. From that first step of hiring her, I began to totally remake myself. It was and is a long road filled with many challenges and adventures. Today I live in California, am divorced and instead of being a black belt teaching karate to women and girls, I am a fitness professional teaching adults about health and exercise. I'm applying to graduate school to further my studies. I owe a lot to all my personal trainers and healthcare professionals who was so instrumental in helping me. I also owe a lot to myself, that I cared enough about myself to say "enough, I want better".
My life's work continues to be helping people. My career objective is to promote wellness in all areas-physical, mental, emotional. I have many choices as to how I accomplish this. I have been fortunate enough to improve peoples' health and well-being one client at a time and one class at a time during my last 4 years in the fitness industry. I have also touched students' lives through my flute teaching. Now, to further my objectives, I believe that gaining a solid base of education and knowledge in the health care field is paramount. I think the program at American University will give me that and will afford me even greater career opportunities. From there, I intend to be open to different avenues to promote wellness in a larger setting and make the best choice for me given my specific skill set and interests.
In health,
Laura
Prior to thoughts on any specific careers, I have always been driven by my desire to help people. As a child, I wanted to become a doctor. I was fascinated by the human body and thought I could help people by treating and healing their illnesses. In high school, I volunteered as a "candy striper" at a local hospital and enjoyed being in a medical atmosphere. Becoming a physician was my goal until college, when I was stymied by the science and math courses required for pre-med majors. During my college years, I was a flute teacher, returning to my hometown each weekend to teach area children. However I considered that a "college job" and not a future career path then. After college, I turned to medical social work which nicely married my interests in medicine with my desire to help people. After attending and graduating from an innovative program at Massachusetts General Hospital, devoted exclusively to medical social work and the first of its kind in New England, I worked for several years in an acute care hospital as well as a rehab hospital. My caseload consisted of geriatric cardiac and stroke patients as well as their families. Sometimes my patients returned home, many times they did not. Finding an appropriate extended care facility for those who could not return home was my responsibility, whether that was a chronic care facility or a nursing home. Ultimately I found this work very difficult emotionally and returned to teaching flute and had a long, happy, successful career as a music educator, performer and public speaker.
Twenty five years later, I still teach flute, however my primary career is working as a personal trainer, bootcamp and group fitness instructor at a health club in downtown San Francisco. The majority of my clients and class members are women of all ages and fitness levels. Again my fitness career combines my interests in the human body and helping people quite well.
I feel blessed to have worked in several different industries. However different the industries, my career objectives have remained the same: what can I contribute to peoples' lives? My interests in the human body, how people learn, understanding how they think, what they feel and how all of that translates into behavior are well served by my work in health and fitness.
As a flute teacher working with children and as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor working with adults, I have always been enthralled with observing how the mind and body are entwined and the affect one has on the other. Early in my flute teaching, I discovered the field of sports psychology and read books by Don Greene, George Leonard and Terry Orlick to help my flute students successfully deal with performance anxiety. I explored many martial arts both physically by training and by reading ideas and philosophies concerning martial arts. I delved into Martin Seligman's work on applied positive psychology, authentic happiness and learned optimism. I read many books discussing the ideas of brain plasticity and psycho-neuro-immunology such as the works of Jeffrey Schwartz, Sharon Begley and Sandra and Matthew Blakeslee. These books support what I learned from the sports psychology material as well as the bodywork I personally have undergone such as many years of taking Alexander Technique lessons and my martial arts training in Tai Chi and Kempo Karate. After all of this reading and particularly the reading I did on brain plasticity, I realized that I wanted a more formal education. However, that education needed to be very broad in nature in order to satisfy all of my varied interests. I considered many schools before finding American University's program in Health Promotion Management. I feel this program with its multi-disciplinary scope as well as the specific knowledge base best suit my interests. After completing this education, I intend to step onto a bigger stage and move from the micro of working with people one-on-one to the macro of influencing health care policy and health care delivery.
My health fitness philosophy arose from teaching flute lessons. My motto to flute students is "Yes, you can", which I said in order to counter their common refrain of "I can't". Throughout the years of teaching, I could easily ascertain a student's level of faith and confidence in themselves by whether or not they used those words. Watching people learn (flute students and training clients) has been a huge gift, because I am privileged to see someone's beliefs and thought patterns in action. If someone responds "I can't" when encountering a learning challenge, the attitude behind the statement is often more correctly "I won't" or "I don't know how" accompanied by a tone of defeat. My philosophy "Yes, you can" has a tone of confident expectation of success. It reflects a "roll-up your sleeves, can-do attitude". It says things can change, life can be different. It also implies that from beliefs and attitudes flows behavior. The adage "whether you think you can or you think you can't, either way, you're right" is absolutely correct.
With my private clients at the health club as well as my class members, I work with both their minds and bodies. Training itself is obviously physical. However if I don't understand clients' motivations for wanting better health and fitness or identify their goals or even more importantly uncover their hidden agendas and fears, then I run the risk that their minds will sabotage their best efforts.
Clients may look to their trainers or their group fitness instructors to lead them, to be a role model for proper diet and exercise, health and wellness. I basically agree with their assessment: an effective leader is one who leads by example. Do he/she "walk the walk and talk the talk"? Core values are illustrated by actions. I look for consistency in behavior and in spoken words which helps me to trust someone. This is good advice in which to evaluate any relationship not just a leader! Some of my clients may view me as a leader although I prefer to have them think of me as a partner who's a little further down the road in terms of knowledge and experience. I am still human, still improving and not done with my journey towards better health and fitness (and happiness and compassion and kindness, etc). Certainly I am willing to share my knowledge with clients and share what worked for me and what didn't. However, my experience doesn't necessarily mean that my tools and strategies will work for them. I honor and respect their own individual paths. If people are inspired by the example of my life or find strength in the example of someone else's life, so be it. I am not a guru or fitness goddess seeking accolades or adulation. I want my clients to be fully empowered and ultimately independent of me. I work tirelessly to insure that they have the tools and knowledge to get what they want regardless of whether they train with me or not.
Working with my clients is very satisfying to me. What is most meaningful is observing how people stretch and grow in the process of reaching for their dreams. I know many people are keenly interested in achieving the end result. However the very act of envisioning something different for themselves begins the process of change. Embarking on a quest for better health and fitness can provoke seemingly unrelated changes. Clients may leave an unhappy relationship, an overwhelming job or may break ties with toxic family members. In learning how physically strong they are, they may uncover equally impressive emotional reserves, what Dr. Martin Seligman, the father of positive psychology, calls "emotional resilency". Having the inner confidence that you can weather life, that you can go through difficulties and still emerge intact is as the ad for the credit card company states "priceless". The process of discovering emotional strength through physical endeavor is common although almost miraculous in nature since you wouldn't suppose such a relationship exists. If I told a client that doing 12 push-ups when she can do none currently or that jumping rope when she can't climb stairs without huffing and puffing might lead her to other changes completely unrelated to fitting in her pair of skinny jeans, changes like being able to say "no" to her overbearing boss or demanding child, she would probably laugh in my face and mutter "crazy lady". However I know this to be true.
I know that monumental change can happen this way because I've done it. Six years ago, I lived in Boston and weighed well over 200 lbs. Unhappy in my marriage and discouraged with the politics at the music school where I taught, I was still recovering from physical injuries which were also emotionally devastating to me. My injuries forced me to stop exercising and to stop training in my beloved martial arts thus effectively ending my dream of attaining black belt and opening a dojo for women and girls. This was a significant loss for me. Additionally my elderly father was ailing. In short, I faced trials and tribulations no different than what many American women face on a regular basis. I was sliding down the slippery slope of depression quickly with no real end in sight. Rather than focusing on all the "bad" things in my life, I decided to focus on feeling better and starting working on the things I thought I could change: number one being my health. I hired a personal trainer and began the slow process of losing 80 lbs which I have successfully maintained. From that first step of hiring her, I began to totally remake myself. It was and is a long road filled with many challenges and adventures. Today I live in California, am divorced and instead of being a black belt teaching karate to women and girls, I am a fitness professional teaching adults about health and exercise. I'm applying to graduate school to further my studies. I owe a lot to all my personal trainers and healthcare professionals who was so instrumental in helping me. I also owe a lot to myself, that I cared enough about myself to say "enough, I want better".
My life's work continues to be helping people. My career objective is to promote wellness in all areas-physical, mental, emotional. I have many choices as to how I accomplish this. I have been fortunate enough to improve peoples' health and well-being one client at a time and one class at a time during my last 4 years in the fitness industry. I have also touched students' lives through my flute teaching. Now, to further my objectives, I believe that gaining a solid base of education and knowledge in the health care field is paramount. I think the program at American University will give me that and will afford me even greater career opportunities. From there, I intend to be open to different avenues to promote wellness in a larger setting and make the best choice for me given my specific skill set and interests.
In health,
Laura
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Happy-go-lucky
I saw the British indi movie "Happy-Go-Lucky" last weekend. It's a movie about whether your world view is half empty or half full. Poppy, the main character, is effervescent about life, happy, bubbly, vivacious and almost manic in her optimism. The movie shows how she handles situations where folks do not share her positiveness, including a particularly onerous driving instructor. The scenes where he's attempting to teach how to drive are hilarious as well as disturbing. I identify with Poppy's philosophy for the most part and applaud her ability to diffuse difficult people and support the underdogs. Check it out!
In Health,
Laura
In Health,
Laura
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