Having a positive attitude to healthy eating and exercise undoubtedly benefits our general health and wellbeing. But how can we help ourselves to develop a positive mental attitude when we are beginning to feel the effects of ageing?

I remember the motivational guru, the late Richard Denny*, teaching me how to develop a positive mental attitude when I was at a crucial stage in my career. What I learned from him, changed my life.

I have adopted and adapted so many of his ideas over the years and taught them to others, particularly helping folks to lose weight and become fitter. Whilst we might have clocked up a few years since then, the facts still remain as valid today – in some cases, even more so.

Here, I have developed some of Richard’s tips to help us transform the way we think now:

1.  We all need a goal. Whatever our age, we all need something to aim for. Set yourself some weight- and fitness-goals to motivate you to succeed, and jot them down. We are much more likely to achieve our goals if we put it down in black and white.
2. Be persistent. Failure cannot live with persistence. If we say I can do something… we almost certainly will. But if we say I can’t, we almost certainly will not! If we fall off the wagon with our healthy eating plan, don’t worry. Let’s pick ourselves up and start again tomorrow.
3. Mix with positive people. As we age it is really important that we avoid the ‘negs’- a term used to describe those negative folks who moan about everything! We really don’t need them in our lives.
4. Never give up! Remember, we don’t fail until we stop trying. Attempting to exercise is one of the most rewarding activities we can do as our body responds so positively, enabling us to progress more quickly than we ever might have expected. Practise your exercises and be amazed at how quickly your body develops stamina and strength. Try the progressive exercises featured in The 28-Day Immunity Plan Workout to see for yourself!
5. Nobody’s good at everything. Realise our strengths and acknowledge our weaknesses and work around them. If jogging is out of the question, a strong walk is brilliant exercise and great for our fitness and fat burning.
6. Success comes one step at a time. As we focus on our goals, we need to keep a note and measure our successes. Why not try the DIY Fitness Test and monitor your progress and check it again in a month? Try using a Magic Measure and see your inches disappearing each week.
7. Keep a ‘Positive Notebook’. This is a notebook where we can jot down anything positive – a pound lost on the scales; an inch off our waist; a dress that now fits… plus kind remarks people say to us. Keeping positive notes about our day, and about how we feel, helps us feel better about ourselves.
8. Stop making excuses. Try to stop finding reasons to put off doing those tasks we are resisting. Do the worst tasks first and then we will feel great about ourselves and achieve so much more!
9. Every goal achieved is important. Success breeds success and when we achieve any goal, no matter how small, it helps us to grow in confidence, and self-confidence super-charges our positive mental attitude.
10. Enjoy every day and keep smiling. A smile is infectious and people can’t help but smile back, and when they do, it brightens up our day too!

This video, where I chat to Neuro-physiotherapist JD Hylton, sums it up perfectly: Positive attitude, the key to success!

*The Richard Denny training organisation continues today at www.denny.co.uk.

And Finally...

Wishing you a great week ahead. Have fun and stay positive!

With love and best wishes,

LIVE LONGER | LIVE HEALTHIER | LIVE HAPPIER