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Show Page 12 The Ogden Valley news Volume XIV Issue XV May 1, 2007 You Better Belize it! – Choosing to rise above life’s challenges Do you know where Belize is? If you do, you are one of the few. Belize is a small English speaking country located in Central America. It has a meager population of 250,000. Motivational speaker Doug Nielsen of Eden recently traveled to Belize to give three motivational speeches to uplift and provide tools for his audiences who face tremendous challenges on a day to day basis. He addressed members of the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and death row inmates at the Belize Central Penitentiary. He also appeared live on national television on Belize’s version of Oprah. Motivational speaker Doug Nielsen of Eden with Belize talk show host. As Doug began his research and assessment of the hurdles his audience faces, he found that the people of Belize where up against formidable challenges, including political instability, major economic downfalls, crime, poverty, political corruption, and an overall sense of powerlessness and depression—all of this and more. This was the first time he had ever been asked to address such horrific challenges. How do you help people and organizations overcome such challenges? Clearly, there is no simply solution. Doug’s message to all three audiences had the same core theme—gain control of your individual, personal life . . . no matter the circumstances. Doug shared truths that he had learned from his hero and mentor Viktor Frankl. “Frankl was a concentration camp survivor, and author of ‘Man’s Search for Meaning,’ a best selling autobiography chronicling his experiences living within Nazi death camps during World War II. I was privileged to have a personal conversation with Viktor; that conversation changed my life.” Viktor told Doug how he was able to unleash the human spirit of greatness in one of the most inhumane circumstances imaginable. “They murdered virtually everyone he knew and loved, yet, somehow, he was able to rise above the uncivilized and horrendous environment that reduced many into selfish clods or inhumane animals. “He was able to act with compassion; with hope and faith instead of allowing fear, anger, and selfishness to destroy his spirit and dignity. He chose to find meaning in his hell; thus, find mental liberation. He made the decision, deep within the marrow of his soul, not to allow others to control him—mentally, emotionally or spiritually. He was free, even in a concentration camp, because freedom is, foremost, a mental process. “Frankl learned, through his pain, that we don’t have to relinquish our freedom of choice to circumstances or other people. We do not have to give up control over our choices or actions. No matter the circumstances around him, he chose to maintain a dignified and meaningful attitude. Because of this attitude, he was able to take control of his environment by making a conscious decision about how he would respond.” Building upon this, Doug shared practical ideas on how his audiences could immediately gain control of their lives in order to pursue their life dreams. He relates that his audiences were simply outstanding, warm, and receptive to his message. Belize gained their independence from England in 1981. Their fist language is English making it easy to vacation there. The ethnic heritage of Belize’s population is a mixture of Hispanic, Mayan Indian, Black, and Caucasian. “There are so many things to do and see in Belize, including world famous scuba diving with a phenomenal barrier reef full of colorful marine life. There are numerous Mayan ruins dating back to 1500 B.C. Jungle exploring, cave tubing, and rain forest zip lining are just a few of the activities you can get involved in. It is an easy place to fall in love with,” Doug states. “It has all the amenities that make for a great destination vacation.” You better Belize it! This country is not only beautiful; the people are warm and friendly too. Doug says that he was most impressed with the spirit of the Belizean people, and their ability to rise above their challenges. “It serves us to be grateful for the blessings we have, and to try and remember to make the world a better place no matter where we are!” In conclusion, Doug challenged you and me to live a simply Unbelizable Life! Enjoy Your Golden Years—It’s never too late to improve your health! The golden years are an important time to enjoy your life! Now is the time to improve your health and quality of life. Growing older doesn’t mean you have to lose your ability to do everyday tasks or even to train for that race you have wanted to participate in. Research from the National Institute on Aging suggests that exercise and physical activity can help you maintain and/or restore your strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance. Many of the changes our bodies experience that decrease our strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance are due more to inactivity than aging. Staying physically active and exercising regularly can help prevent or delay many diseases and disabilities. Moderate exercise and physical activity can also improve cardiovascular fitness. A longitudinal study found in the Archives of Internal Medicine (Franco,O.H; De Laet,C.; Peeters, A.; Jonker,J.; Mackenbach, J. & Nusselder, W., 2005) demonstrated that people age 50 and older who engage in moderate or high levels of physical activity live longer and have less heart disease. Adequate strength, flexibility, and endurance are required to accomplish everyday tasks. Exercise improves muscular strength that may increase your ability to carry out the many functions of daily life. Recent studies have also shown that the risk of osteoporosis is lower for people who are active, and especially those who do load-bearing, or weight-bearing activities at least three times a week (University of Arizona, 2005). Weight bearing exercises such as strength training with and without weights, yoga, running, walking, and dancing can improve osteoporosis or bone mineral density. Strength training classes at High Altitude Fitness (HAF) in Huntsville are small, and all instructors take the time to make sure exercises are performed correctly. Alternative exercises are given when needed to allow for limitations or past injuries. “It is our quality of instruction that makes us unique,” says Chandra Barrong, part owner of HAF. “No matter who you are, or what your level of fitness, we are able to show you exercises appropriate for your body, teach you the correct way to perform the exercises, and introduce new exercises to your regular schedule to keep things interesting and the body responding to the class.” Exercise is safe for people of all age groups. HAF can assist you in enjoying every moment of your life through improved health and fitness. HAF offers programs designed especially for older adults. Senior Strength Training classes run Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m.; and Yoga for Seniors on Fridays at 10:25 a.m. Yoga for Seniors can assist in increasing strength, balance, and flexibility; and are paced at an appropriate level for seniors. Strength and Tone classes are taught to increase muscular fitness, bone health, and to improve overall range-of-motion. Call 745-2653 to register, or mention this article and try a class on us. Continuing an active lifestyle is an effective way to achieve healthy aging. Go golden! Note: Article written by Shauna Mayer, B.S. in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of Utah 2002, ACSM Personal Trainer Certification 2003, Personal Trainer for 24 Hour Fitness 2003, Elementary Physical Education Teacher 2004-2005, Masters Degree from Washington State University in Elementary Education 2006 Amateur marathoner and triathlete 2000-2007. Spring Run-Off—Ogden Marathon Scheduled for May 19 The 7th Annual Zions Bank Spring RunOff, better known as the Ogden Marathon, will be held Saturday, May 19 beginning at 7:00 a.m. Choose to run a 5K, half-marathon, or full marathon. Registration for all events is available online at <www.ogdenmarathon. com> All races have limited numbers of positions. If you enjoy 26.2 miles of amazing mountain scenery, ample sunshine, and bubbling waters, the Ogden Marathon is your race! To really get the sense of this race, please read the detailed course description found online at <http://www. usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=101421> The start line of the marathon begins just below Red Rock Outfitters Ranch at the top of beautiful Ogden Valley. This is located 8 miles east of Huntsville on Highway 89. The finish line is at Historic 25th Street and Grant Ave at the Ogden Municipal Gardens. |