Welcome to Walk-Write-WIN for Wellness!

Wellness matters. People who are in excellent health are almost twice as likely to be happier than people in good health. But people in poor health are 70 percent less likely to be happy. Yikes. And, a sense of well-being is linked to greater longevity and less risk of disease.

I started Walk—Write—WIN! because I am committed to supporting people in transforming their lives for the better right now. As a long-time walker and writer, I know of no better tools for wellness.

I cannot imagine my wellness journey without these tools. Walking and writing have supported me in achieving my goals as well as helping me overcome difficulties. Because of walking and writing, I've been able to write ten books while parenting and working. These tools have also helped me overcome anxiety and manage my asthma.

The Walk—Write—WIN! is based on scientific research. Both walking and writing contribute to health, happiness, and longevity.

According to the research, exercise has great health benefits.

Regular exercise:

• reduces cancer risk
• improves cognitive function
• improves quality of life
• prevents depression
• improves mood in people who are depressed

Writing has great health benefits, too. In a study conducted with asthma patients at the State University of New York, Stony Brook, School of Medicine, study participants wrote about their most stressful experiences. The control group wrote about their daily activities. “Starting at two weeks, 47 percent of the patients who were treated showed clinically relevant changes in lung function, as compared with changes of 24 percent in the control group.” (Shafer and Greenfield, Asthma Free in 21 Days, p. 139) Notice this: both groups—whether writing about trauma or daily life—experienced changes in lung function that could not be explained by medication.

In other studies, writing has been shown to:

• improve memory and sleep
• boost immune cell activity and reduce viral load in AIDS patients
• speed healing after surgery
• improve mental and physical health of patients undergoing cancer treatment
• increase general feelings of well being

Are you ready to transform your life?

You can start right now.

Here's how to win big RIGHT NOW with Walk—Write—WIN!

This program will help you:

• Identify your wellness goal
• State your goal in a way that works for you
• Develop a walking and writing schedule that works with your internal rhythms.
• Learn how to stick to that schedule
• Discover and use journaling exercises that will support you in becoming well and transforming your life.
• And much much more.

You might be asking, "How do I start?"

First, take advantage of these free resources:

• Walking and writing tips on the blog!
• Inspirational playlists!
• Weekly writing tips at Write Now! Coach

Then, sign up for the three-session Walk-Write-WIN program. You'll get all of the helpful tips promised above and—EVEN BETTER—it'll be geared toward you. This isn't one of those one-size-fits-all programs. It's geared to support you in your life, your work, and your schedule. And the price is right at just $297 for three individual coaching sessions: one 45-minute session and two 30-minute sessions. Let the Walk-Write-WIN! program work for you. Contact rochelle@rightnowcoach.com to schedule your session RIGHT NOW!

Music Transforms Your Life!

You don't need to read a book or get a PhD to transform your life. All you need is some good music.

Seriously! Four years ago, I set out to learn new music. What I discovered was a whole new way to challenge my existing ideas and inspire me to move forward. My iPod gave me access to the best life coaches I know: musicians. Whenever I need a particular kind of boost (or challenge), I create a playlist. I use when I workout, clean the house, cook (okay, that rarely happens), or just hang out.

As a special gift to you, I am sharing my amazing playlists. The title's say it all. Listen to move on, change your life right now, or learn how to shine!

Walking Basics: Get Your Pedometer

Here are some walking facts you need to know:
• The recommended daily steps: 10,000 or five miles.
• The recommended amount of walking time: 30 minutes a day.
• Take your 30 minutes all at once or spread it out into three 10-minute walks: both work just as well.
• Always warm up first and stretch afterwards.

The Basics
Get a Pedometer
I've lost, crushed, flushed, washed, and dried pedometers. Some cost more than $30, while others I picked up for free at health fairs. My advice: get a cheap one. Then test it. Try it on different areas of your waistband to see which gives you the most accurate read.

Wear your pedometer daily for the next week. The goal for this first week is to see how many steps you are currently taking per day. Record your “score” each night. (I record my daily step total in a calendar that I keep by my bed.) You may also want to record some of your daily activities—so you can tell what you are doing to get the steps. For example, yesterday by 2:00 PM, I had more than 6,000 steps. Of course, I'd worked out at the YMCA, walked to the coffee shop to write, and then ran around the house doing laundry. Today, it is 2:30, and I have a paltry 2,392 steps. But all I've done today is sit on my big ol' bottom half (in my penguin pjs) and worked on the computer! Time to get out and move.

Increase your current activity level. Once you know your routine, you can add steps. If you have yet to reach the recommended 30-minutes a day, add 10 minutes of walking on three of the next seven days. If you currently walk 30 minutes a day, then increase your workout by 10 percent—by adding 3 minutes of walking to three of the next seven days.

Think small. Most of us fail at exercise programs because we think big (I'll run every day!), fail miserably (after that first day, you're too sore to move!), and give up. Better to take small steps. The runner John "the Penguin" Bingham began running when he was 40ish and overweight. On the first day he ran down the driveway. Yup, that's it. But this small first step enabled him to take bigger ones. You might walk to the mailbox. Park farther from the store entrance. Take the stairs. Little steps add up. Try it!