Time to Tone!

Did you make a resolution to tone some muscles in this new year? We all instinctively respond to the clock of the yearly transition. Most of us resolve to seek some level of personal growth or change. We either want to set new goals, maintain status quo, or just tweak things and change them up a bit. Exercise is typically at the top of most lists.

Maybe you want to work on just your stomach muscles – the core muscles for better support and balance – maybe it’s your legs that need to be strengthened – maybe your arms need to be able to lift more – maybe you want to increase your stamina so you can move more. A good starting point would be to strengthen the muscle that seems to be the weakest. What if I told you that you could isolate one muscle that can change your life this year? There’s no need to get the gym clothes out, no need of any external equipment...not even necessary to get in the car! Once you isolate and learn how to tone this one muscle you can strengthen, support, lift, and even move mountains! I know, it sounds too good to be true – like one of those infomercials where one product can perform so many functions! If you are ready to tone this muscle, you will need to agree to do some heavy lifting – I didn’t say it would be easy – just that the results will amaze you with a little effort. Ready? You can start right away! This muscle if already strong, flexible, tireless, but since you can’t hide it under your clothes, it must be worth toning, right? A quick science fact here before beginning –this muscle has many nerve endings that draw your attention to it quite often with it’s sensitivity, and unlike most other muscles, it does not have a supporting bone. This is why we need to strengthen and support it. Without the proper mindset, this muscle can cause irreparable, long-lasting, and unnecessary damage if not attended to.

Okay, so by now you may have guessed - it is the tongue! Since we are all unique, we will require various exercises, so, you get to individualize your own plan! First decide what your goal is- is it to strengthen your mindset, to support yourself or others...do you want to lift others up with it...do you want to move mountains of kindness???

Next, choose a new plan, circuit training works well for this. Simply incorporate as many new concepts into your training as you feel necessary to maintain your goal. Some good beginning exercises are; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Finally, decide how often should you practice these exercises. Again, that is personal...you can incorporate these exercises as much or as little as you wish into everyday activities. A fair warning though, once you begin to feel the benefits, you may notice some backsliding if you aren’t exercising enough. Symptoms often include, but are not limited to - a bitter taste in your mouth, the need to bite your tongue (or hold it- yuck), tongue in cheek syndrome...

Most new exercise plans work well on the buddy system for accountability, so why not find a friend and ‘chew the fat’ together! Amazing how the effects of one exercise can inspire that ripple effect!

....always be the love that you are