Teamwork Works

I got my debut as a coach when I was a senior in college at Stanford. That's not the cheapest place to get an education so I worked several jobs. One that I remember quite fondly was nanny to a fourth and second grader, Jennifer and Michael. Jennifer was thoughtful, even wise if a ten-year old can be considered wise. Michael was a tow-headed bundle of energy. I worked for a single mom who worked for Stanford by day and left her children in my care while she went to lawschool in the evenings. She was funny, upbeat and also full of energy. I liked sharing her house and her family for that brief year.

I got the idea that it would be sad if Michael could never contribute a coach to the parenting pool so when he signed up for T-ball I signed up with him. If you've read stories about crazed little league parents let me tell you T-ball Menlo Park style is entirely different. Everyone roots for everyone! I consider the memories of those kids slapping each other on the back and yelling out encouragement to be a picture of what sports can be for children and it is certainly what I am trying to introduce them to in Exercising Values, my family fitness program.

Today, as program manager for Heritage College's Personal Training program I am seeing a different kind of teamwork in action. We've paired our student personal trainers with a staff member for a ten week transformation contest. I have invited the participants to comment on their experiences on the blog. I hope that they will be able to let all my readers know how valuable it is to get social support when making a change. Various studies report it will yield anywhere from 25-75% better results. In Exercising Values that support comes from those in your own family. If you have a young child it will make you their first and maybe favorite coach.

One consequence of the transformation is the stairs are more crowded than the elevators. Another is office chairs are often replaced by exercise balls. These are two simple changes most of us can make. When it comes to fitness little things do make a difference. Do the math on what just 100 extra calories a day will do over the course of a year. On the other hand the extra calories left on the stairs will also add up. We make a thousand little choices every day that either move us toward our goals or away. Knowing that you don't want to let your "team" down may be just the edge you need to make the right choice.  If you are looking for a team please join the newly formed Exercising Values group on Facebook.