Tracey Jackson » GO TRACEY!

May 12, 2010

GO TRACEY!

This is not a sexual reference or me egging myself on into my – gulp- sixth decade. Though I have been hovering here in the sixth for two years, these are the words I long to hear every morning at they gym when I do something right.

I don’t get to hear it often as usually I hear–

“Stomach in Tracey”

“Leg longer – Tracey.”

“ Round your back more – Tracey.”

“You can go deeper –Tracey.”

So when I hear – “Go Tracey” It makes my day – or certainly the next two hours of it!

Since I’m turning a new age today and I’m moving ahead here down the road to what the French call “ The Youth Of Old Age.” – I truly feel better and am in better shape than when I turned thirty. It’s true. I’m not bragging.

It’s a fact and it’s not due to my battalion of doctors. But boy do I have a great new ENT guy….

It’s due to the fact I work out six days a week.

Why am I sharing this with you? Partially because I have to start blogging some times about things that pertain to my upcoming book, the title of which changes on a daily basis.

This week it’s called NOT YOUR GRANDMOTHER’S FIFTY. If you don’t like it, that is great send me a better one and I will send you a kick ass gift.

But WORKOUT….that is really all I want to say. DO it, Do it five to six days a week. If you are over fifty it is vital for everything from your sex life to your heart your state of mind – your joints. I can keep going.

And if you are under fifty – it’s just as important, especially if you want to hit fifty and not look or feel it. If you’re thirty – ditto.
The people I know who do not look or act their age, nine out ten times WORK OUT- A LOT.

It is the single best thing you can do for yourself.

But everyone has an excuse.

I’m not going to go on about this as I write a lot about it in the book, only better and funnier and it will be well edited by the oh-so-terrific Jennifer Barth.

But there is no excuse. You know what’s funny? You know who makes the most excuses? Doctors. I ask all my doctors, all 456 of them. No I don’t have that many. But almost none of them, well, actually none of them has ever told me he/she works out. When I ask, which I do, they all say “No time.” But hold on, they always tell me to do it.

MAKE TIME.

Glenn works out at five am every day.

He does. He would rather sleep. Who wouldn’t?

I wake up alone. It’s good. I’m proud of him. He has reversed all sorts of age related hereditary conditions by doing it, that and a few pills. But the working out is HUGE.

It costs nothing – you can run, walk or turn on the TV to an exercise show.

You can get friends to do it with you.

You can take a class.

Just do it for yourself. Not only because you will look better – because you will. But you will add years to your life and they are quality years.

If you’re reading this – you are part of my TRIBE….we will talk about that later in the week.

I want my TRIBE to be strong. Me want strong TRIBE.

Me want healthy friends.

Today I am fifty-two – I have the arteries of an eighteen year old and the bone density of a forty year old and it’s because no matter how I feel I get my ass to the gym six days a week. Lucy told me I may be thin but I still have cellulite. Maybe she was Mussolini in Babyville.

If you’re reading this and are saying well I exercise two days a week, I’m not impressed. If you are reading this and saying I have a bad knee, work around it. I did it for years and now the knee is fine.

If you are reading this and saying my joints ache, yeah well, that’s because they aren’t getting worked out.

If you can’t touch your toes, then skip lunch today and go now.

I care about you. That is why I’m saying this.

Make it your birthday gift to me and it will turn into your life gift for you.

Best way to start your day!

Don't mess with Bergen - She's the best!

And if you don't want to leave your room until you look like this buy the DVD

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Posted in Tracey Talks

http://www.TheKindnessRevolution.ME rebecca renaud

Thanks for the push and the reminder. Today I have been sitting in a chair – working on the soundboard and recording and broadcasting a meeting since 8:00 this morning – I started work at 6:30 – I may be here until TEN tonight – I WISH my core was stronger – my back wouldn’t hurt and I would probably be less tired.
I am making a PACT with you to get up and go to the gym (yep I have a whole year membership) every single week day starting on Monday! GO US!
http://claireandmia.com Claire

Tracey, you go better than most anyone I know, and you make everyone you touch want to go, too. Happy happy happy birthday!
xo
tracey

YES REBECCA…LET’T START A CLUB HERE ON THE BLOG….
YOU GO FOR A WHOLE YEAR – MANDY’S SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM WILL BE THE OTHER WINNER. $5.00 a day every time you go – goes to THE KINDNESSREVOLUTION!
DO IT FOR MANDY.
SHE WOULD WANT HER MAMA STRONG. I THINK SHE TOLD ME TO WRITE THE BLOG!!!!!!!
PS – I’m not doing this with everybody. Rebecca was the first to sign on.
http://www.lassiwithlavina.com Lavina Melwani

Tracey, those are words everyone should hear! I’ve been tied to my computer all day and know I need to get my sneakers on and move. I did manage 20 minutes of yoga in the morning but that’s not enough. Enjoy your birthday – having a healthy body is the best gift anyone could ever get.
LINDA

I DO AND SOOO AGREE…THANKU HAPPPY BIRTHDAY… REALLY LIKE YOUR BLOGGING
nicole eastman

Happy Birthday!!! I hope daily yoga classes count!!
tracey

DAILY YOGA TOTALLY COUNTS! GO NICOLLE!!!!!!!!!
http://mannafromthehamptons.blogspot.com Marianna

Tracey – Happy Birthday and thank you for the encouragement. I always have excuses and its just wrong! I have to tell you a quick story. When I was 15 and at Performing Arts High School in Chicago – I had a chance through friends of my parents to have dinner with Ann-Margaret whom I idolized as a child in all those Viva Las Vegasy Elvis movies. The advice she gave me was- work out!!! She said to start then because by the time you’re forty or fifty you’ll regret not doing it earlier. She especially told me to lift weights – this was in 1981. Did I listen? Not until I was in my 30s in the 1990s- but I always remember that advice. At the time I thought it was odd advice as I wanted to know about acting – who did I think I was dealing with Dame Judy Dench?
Lynda

Great blog today and wonderful sentiment to share with your friends. You look great, btw. I’m working out again but appreciate the virtual push, too!
http://www.harrietcabelly.com Harriet Cabelly

Making time – that is the key.
I also get up at 5:15 on weekdays to do my morning routine which includes walking, yoga and meditation. I take a yoga class one morning a week. I’ve been working out at the gym with Steve, my trainer, for the last 10 years; however he just stopped seeing clients as he became a new daddy. My loss, so I have to find a new trainer. I started my exercise regimen 16 years ago when I was getting divorced. The best thing I ever did – both exercising And getting divorced (ha).
Daily walking kept me going during my daughter’s year long critical illness. I believe it helped keep me healthy, strong and able to cope.
My daughter’s doctors felt that her heart remained strong throughout her illness possibly due to her strong cardiovascular health, built up by her daily walking.
I always say- we shower, eat , read in the bathroom, etc. so exercise needs to be included as a part of one’s day as well. Exercise is a mindset, and it sets the body up for life.
Dina

Happy Birthday Tracey! So true what you said about Drs. I confess to being in that group of procrastinators.Will/should try harder.Thanks for the PUSH!
Cindy

Hope your birthday was great Tracey and that you felt the LOVE!!

I have first hand experience… when the joints hurt – move it! I have a wee bit of rheumatoid arthritis and the days I ache, I soooo don’t want to exercise, but I do, I go for a long walk and I ALWAYS feel better for it.

Walking, weights and pilates, my exercises of choice. AND I intend to love making love to my hubby forever, so exercise is grand!

Hugs and Thanks!

Cindy
tracey

GO CINDY!
tracey

GO HARRIET!
Lydiah Maina

Happy birthday Tracy! though belated,
Its encouraging to hear from an agemate because I believe it can also work for me , Tell me Tracy, will the same trick work for AR? The joints of my fingers aches and it is very worrying cause they are taking a different shape!

Keep up Tracy

Lydiah
tracey

Lydiah – I am not a doctor. I assume AR is arthritis. I think it works for everything. The more you work your joints even when they are stiff – the better they feel. But I would check with a doctor.
http://www.TheKindnessRevolution.ME Rebecca Renaud

LOL – how great – well 1 day down – did the resistance band workout (which kicked my butt by the way) – thanks for the encouragement!
http://www.TheKindnessRevolution.ME Rebecca Renaud

Okay – so day two – I did 1/2 hour on the treadmill changing pace and incline constantly to keep my heart rate at it’s peak – talk about sweaty!
Then I get down to the locker room to pull out my clothes and head for the showers and ahhhhh NO BRA??!!!

Thank God for Target which is just around the corner from the spa! LOL

And for those of you who want to track your progress – Jenny Craig has a great online tracking tool that’s free and you don’t have to purchase any of their food to get on there – it has a journal and an activity sheet – which is where I am tracking my days at the gym and my progress!

http://www.jennycraig.com/etools in case you want to check it out
tracey

LET’S GIVE IT UP FOR REBECCA!! SHE IS NOT ONLY GOING TO BE HEALTHIER, SHE WILL HAVE A KICK ASS BODY. AND MANDY IS WATCHING THIS AND SMILING. MANDY DID THIS
SHE NEEDS YOU STRONG TO DO HER WORK!!!!
http://www.TheKindnessRevolution.ME rebecca renaud

Harriet – your words are an inspiration – thank you!

Tracey – Ohhh Yes I just know that Mandy (the sweet little minx) had her hand in all of this!
http://www.TheKindnessRevolution.ME Rebecca Renaud

Wow – okay I am beginning to remember why I loved going to the gym.

Even though some of my muscles are still trying to figure out what on EARTH I am doing do them and why – the rest of me is feeling energized!

I did two resistance band workouts this morning – Wow I realized again today what a clutz I am but I made it through both the stretching one and the abs and core!

The best part about going to the gym is that I start to work on other things as well – I don’t want to eat crap after spending the effort in the gym – so I think about what I am eating.

ONLY FOR YOU Tracey would I be drinking this smoothie! Coconut water, a tangerine Emergen-C powder, blueberries and pinapple along with a tablespoon of flaxseed oil… blended up with ice – let’s just say I am NOT a blueberry fan but read that they were good for me soo..

I am also in LOVE with the 0% fat FAGE Greek Yogurt – I used it today to make my chicken salad for lunch instead of mayo –

Can’t wait to see what the scale says next Monday – I will keep you posted!
http://www.TheKindnessRevolution.ME rebecca renaud

Well first FANTASTIC NEWS! Joined forces with the Teach with Africa Project and we are sending our FIRST Mandy representative (Katie Burke) to Africa NEXT MONTH! You can read all about it at http://blog.thekindnessrevolution.me/

And for the second bit of good news! I have lost 4 inches off my body since I started back at the gym! GO ME!

Thanks Tracey for all your support!
tracey

GO REBECCA!!!!!
Dorothy

TRACY, JUST FOUND THIS ARTICLE YOU WROTE , YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT …… 6 DAYS A WEEK , I TRY TO GO EVERY DAY , IT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD!!!