“Don’t go without a buddy!” That frequent reminder of childhood is good advice at any age. Whether it’s swimming in the ocean or riding life’s currents, buddies watch out for one another. Whether you’re part of a couple or share your home with a friend or relative, the buddy system can be your pathway to a healthier life. The likelihood of staying on track and just showing up increases when you’re committed to a buddy.

Maybe you’re feeling it’s time for some change. You know what you’d like to do – exercise more, eat better, stress less – but you’re bound to face challenges. You might decide not to exercise today because it’s pouring outside and just too much effort. Or you stop at a fast-food place because you’re in a rush – what else can you do? Maybe you’ll wind up watching TV all night, when you really meant to take a walk after dinner. Even your 10-minute meditation has bitten the dust. When you forget to exercise, you’re more likely to remember the cookies and ice cream, too.

It can be tough to keep yourself motivated day after day, in the face of uncooperative weather, moods and the other million details of life. It’s even harder if you’re living with someone who’s not on the same track. Many areas of life could be pleasanter and more rewarding if you and your partner agreed to live healthier together. As Alice Steinfeld, Life Management therapist at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, explains, “Chances of success improve when you combine a personal sense of commitment along with mutual commitment to provide support for a healthy lifestyle.”

So where do you start? Honest communication, respectful negotiation and practical goal-setting can get you on a shared path. Then keep track, acknowledge success, cheer each other on every day.

At the gym, on the trail. The buddy system helps you get out of your chair and get moving. If you promise to work out with your mate, you’re less likely to back out at the last minute. When you plan a hike or schedule time on the tennis court, you won’t want to let your partner down. And when one of you feels sluggish, the other can be the booster. Your combined energy and commitment raises the shared bar.

Look for fun and different ways to exercise, too. “Explore new running or walking paths, join teams, enter competitions, raise money for charities,” Alice says. “Become part of a community interested in the same goals. Enjoying these positive experiences together enhances your relationship in many ways.”

At the table. How can you eat healthy when the person you live with subsists on cheeseburgers, chips and donuts? Talk it over. You’re not trying to deprive anyone of anything. The idea is that you support each other in eating well and deliciously. Once you decide together to improve the household eating habits, things can progress quickly.

Go to the farmers market together and find wholesome foods you both like. Stock your pantry by consensus, limiting the nutrition-free temptations and keeping plenty of healthy delights on hand. Look through cookbooks for healthy versions of meals you both enjoy. Take a cooking class together. Dining out as a health-minded couple can be helpful; since restaurant portions are often twice times as much as you need, you can easily share a dinner, halving the calorie count and the bill.

In real life. When you agree on a smoke-free lifestyle, moderation in food and alcohol, and choosing active pastimes rather than sedentary ones, you can make it all happen. Together you can choose activities, places and people that support your goals, avoiding situations that might derail you. You’ll be each other’s safety zone and can create new lifestyle patterns that reduce stress and incorporate habits that keep you fit, joyful and in charge.

Alice suggests these buddy system tips:

• Strive to encourage, not criticize.
• Set periodic goals and celebrate milestones.
• Put your shared workouts and active outings on a shared calendar.
• Choose vacations and weekend activities that are fun, active and help keep you on track.
• Try something new together – scuba diving, ballroom dancing, rock-climbing or volleyball, for instance. When you find something you both love, it will be easy to stick with it.
• Let each other know when you notice progress and results.
• Commit to a varied fitness program, including weight exercises, outdoor activities and indoor classes. Consider team sports and active hobbies and interests.
• Invite friends for bowling, tennis, cycling, after-dinner walks and picnicking. Think creatively to add fun to ordinary days.
• Check local newspapers for noncompetitive community events that encourage teamwork and group support.

Make a promise to each other to stay healthy and happy together. You’ll be glad the rest of your life.

“Don’t go without a buddy!” That frequent reminder of childhood is good advice at any age. Whether it’s swimming in the ocean or riding life’s currents, buddies watch out for one another. Living as a couple, the buddy system can be your pathway to a healthier life. The likelihood of staying on track and just showing up increases when you’re committed to a buddy.

Maybe you’re feeling it’s time for some change. You know what you’d like to do – exercise more, eat better, stress less – but you’re bound to face challenges. You might decide not to exercise today because it’s pouring outside and just too much effort. Or you stop at a fast-food place because you’re in a rush – what else can you do? Maybe you’ll wind up watching TV all night, when you really meant to take a walk after dinner. Even your 10-minute meditation has bitten the dust. When you forget to exercise, you’re more likely to remember the cookies and ice cream, too.

It can be tough to keep yourself motivated day after day, in the face of uncooperative weather, moods and the other million details of life. It’s even harder if you’re living with someone who’s not on the same track. Many areas of life could be pleasanter and more rewarding if you and your partner agreed to live healthier together. As Alice Steinfeld, life management expert at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, explains, “Chances of success improve when you combine a personal sense of commitment along with mutual commitment to provide support for a healthy lifestyle.”

So where do you start? Honest communication, respectful negotiation and practical goal-setting can get you on a shared path. Then keep track, acknowledge success, cheer each other on every day.

At the gym, on the trail. The buddy system helps you get out of your chair and get moving. If you promise to work out with your mate, you’re less likely to back out at the last minute. When you plan a hike or schedule time on the tennis court, you won’t want to let your partner down. And when one of you feels sluggish, the other can be the booster. Your combined energy and commitment raises the shared bar.
Look for fun and different ways to exercise, too. “Explore new running or walking paths, join teams, enter competitions, raise money for charities,” Alice says. “Become part of a community interested in the same goals. Enjoying these positive experiences together enhances your relationship in many ways.”
At the table. How can you eat healthy when the person you live with subsists on cheeseburgers, chips and donuts? Talk it over. You’re not trying to deprive anyone of anything. The idea is that you support each other in eating well and deliciously. Once you decide together to improve the household eating habits, things can progress quickly.

Go to the farmers market together and find wholesome foods you both like. Stock your pantry by consensus, limiting the nutrition-free temptations and keeping plenty of healthy delights on hand. Look through cookbooks for healthy versions of meals you both enjoy. Take a cooking class together. Dining out as a health-minded couple can be helpful; since restaurant portions are often twice times as much as you need, you can easily share a dinner, halving the calorie count and the bill.

In real life. When you agree on a smoke-free lifestyle, moderation in food and alcohol, and choosing active pastimes rather than sedentary ones, you can make it all happen. Together you can choose activities, places and people that support your goals, avoiding situations that might derail you. You’ll be each other’s safety zone and can create new lifestyle patterns that reduce stress and incorporate habits that keep you fit, joyful and in charge.

Alice suggests these buddy system tips:

• Strive to encourage, not criticize.
• Set periodic goals and celebrate milestones.
• Put your shared workouts and active outings on a shared calendar.
• Choose vacations and weekend activities that are fun, active and help keep you on track.
• Try something new together – scuba diving, ballroom dancing, rock-climbing or volleyball, for instance. When you find something you both love, it will be easy to stick with it.
• Let each other know when you notice progress and results.
• Commit to a varied fitness program, including weight exercises, outdoor activities and indoor classes. Consider team sports and active hobbies and interests.
• Invite friends for bowling, tennis, cycling, after-dinner walks and picnicking. Think creatively to add fun to ordinary days.
• Check local newspapers for noncompetitive community events that encourage teamwork and group support.

Make a promise to each other to stay healthy and happy together. You’ll be glad the rest of your life.

For every gym rat or devout jogger you see, there are probably three or four other people who think “exercise” sounds as much fun as a day in the dentist’s chair. Many of us, thanks to our stress-filled lives, have become reluctant couch potatoes: We want to improve our health, but conventional forms of exercise just don’t look appealing — especially after a long day at work.
Fortunately, even if the thought of exercise leaves you bored or reluctant, there are still ways to get fit. Many hobbies, home projects and fun pastimes have surprising health benefits. If you make time in your schedule for these activities, you’ll find yourself feeling healthier and happier, without ever having to hit the gym.
Gardening.  Get your green thumb ready; gardening is an activity that benefits mind, body, and environment. While it may not look strenuous, the actions you perform while gardening (weeding, digging, mowing, or chopping, for example) work all the major muscle groups. Your get a workout with stretching, repetition, posture, movement, and even some weight lifting — all basic components of a rounded workout. You can burn as many calories while gardening as you would by taking a leisurely walk or bike ride, playing a round of golf, or even (depending on intensity) in certain organized sports.
“Weeding and gardening is something I enjoy, and it’s definetly active,” says Judi Edelen, an advanced fitness specialist at Canyon Ranch in Tucson. “I’ve gotten sore and broken a sweat many a time. It also calms me. I get into a rhythm when I’m weeding, digging and planting.” In fact, the calming effect a garden is supported by science. A study in environmental psychology shows that gardening lowers both blood pressure and stress, and may even inspire a meditative state in our brains as our senses are energized.
Other aspects of gardening are also beneficial. Working out in the sun will provide your body with necessary vitamin D. And if you decide to grow produce in your garden, you’ll receive nutritional benefits as well. “It feels fabulous to see what you’ve planted begin to grow — and if you grow your own vegetables, you won’t believe the flavors,” says Edelen. “I grew lettuce on my deck one year. I had no idea lettuce had flavor; I thought it was just a crunchy thing. I was wrong. When it’s fresh, it has an amazing flavor.” Not only will you become fitter from weeding between those vegetable plants, you’ll also have delicious food on the table as a reward for your hard work.
Gardening, like any exercise, requires preparation. Find out which types of plants grow  well in your climate; have all the proper tools and equipment on hand; and be sure to protect yourselves from the elements (for example, sunscreen and a hat to prevent sun damage). If you have joint or back problems, you can consult a physician to determine which gardening activities would be best for you. Oh, and don’t forget to stop and smell your roses!
Home improvements. Houses always seem to need attention, don’t they? Instead of bemoaning the fact, look at it as a way to burn calories. Both indoor and outdoor tasks can provide a workout, which means “home improvement” exercises can last the year-round.
Like gardening, housework can improve your muscle mass, balance, and coordination, as well as give you practice in stretching and weightlifting. Painting the house, whether indoors or out, can actually give you a workout in all those areas. In fact, painting burns an estimated 250 calories per hour. Other tasks can be even more beneficial. For example, if you want to lay down new carpet in your living room (which would usually involve moving furniture), you may burn as many as 400 calories an hour. In the great outdoors, you can chop wood, mow the lawn, or even clean out storm gutters to burn hundreds of calories an hour.
If your own home doesn’t require much attention, you can always look for ways to help someone else with a house in need. That way, you’re not only getting a “home improvement workout,” but you’re doing a good turn for someone. See if any of your sick or elderly neighbors need their storm windows put up, or if your buddy down the street needs help on a landscaping project. To find out about other opportunities, call local charitable organizations. Or contact Habitat for Humanity (http://www.habitat.org) to see if there’s a home-building project in your area. You’ll be improving your health and the lives of others.
Following the pitter-patter of little feet. As any parent can tell you, keeping up with children is quite a workout. So why not join in the fun? Instead of just watching kids play, try diving into their action. Run around the park, take a role in their play-acting, throw a ball back and forth, swing as high as you can on the swings — there are endless ways to play, so long as you remember that having fun and bonding with your children (or grandchildren) is the primary objective.
Edelen suggests checking your community for play opportunities. “If you’re a new mom, you might find a Moms & Babies event, stroller walks, or something similar in your area. Check with the local parks departments, town newspapers and activity boards for ways to connect with other new parents and lose your babyfat.”
By playing with children on their terms, you also set an excellent example for them. They learn that entertainment doesn’t just come from a TV or computer screen, and that there is fun and fulfillment in moving their bodies.
Pet projects. Caring for a pet offers endless physical and emotional benefits — and the playtime opportunities are plentiful. Long walks with your dog can be both invigorating and relaxing — all while getting a good workout with your best pal. A 45-minute walk at least three times a week will do wonders for your heart — and your dog’s.
Have fun! You don’t need to push yourself into an exercise program you hate. How about a playing with friends? A friendly game of volleyball, tennis, badminton or basketball can be great fun and a terrific workout (regular training will improve performance and safety, of course). Or jump in the pool for an hour – whether you’re swimming around or playing water polo, you’re getting exercise and having a ball. Remember, laughter is good for you, too, while you’re exercising or any other time at all.
So, instead of pulling on those sweatpants and heading out for a workout you dread, think of all the pleasant alternative for staying in shape. You’ll never regret getting fit and feeling great!

Magic happens every summer for approximately 40 young adults with life-threatening illnesses. For one week in July and one in August, Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, opens its doors to a group of seriously ill 18-25-year-olds – a different group for each week. Under the umbrella of the Dream Street Foundation, these weeks provide a rare opportunity to share an experience that for many will be life changing, and for all, will be a lasting memory.

“Being a child or young adult with a disease is very isolating,” says Selma Bornstein, a former Canyon Ranch guest who later became a fitness walker at the Ranch, and who has donated her time to the free, volunteer-run program each summer for seven years. Her experience as a pediatric oncology social worker gives her a particular affinity for the problems faced by young people with chronic or terminal illness.

Other Dream Street programs focus on children, but the program hosted by Mel and Enid Zuckerman at Canyon Ranch is a unique opportunity for young adults to connect with peers whose lives also revolve around serious medical issues. Designed to create a caring and nurturing experience in a serene setting, the program is conducted by professional counselors and psychologists, nurses and Canyon Ranch staff to provide an emotionally rich, rewarding and healing opportunity.

A week of exploration and sharing
The week begins with an all-expense-paid trip to Arizona. Some of the selected participants have never flown before – some are traveling alone for the first time. They are welcomed at Tucson International airport by a van and Canyon Ranch staff member. Upon arrival at the Ranch, they are settled into a casita that’s been turned into a dormitory and is shared with Dream Street counselors and nurses. Each attendee receives a Dream Street backpack, and seven Dream Street T-shirts – a clean one for each day. Strangers at first, the group will bond magically during the first couple of days, and leave feeling as if they have been friends all their lives.

Carefully crafted focus groups are the heart of the program, conducted by two skilled therapists who create a safe and warm environment for the discussion of highly charged issues. For these young adults – 50-70 percent of whom are terminally ill – questions teem and answers may be hard to find. How to handle relationships, family challenges, planning a future, medical decisions and feeling disempowered and vulnerable are the kinds of issues that are addressed in the twice-daily focus groups.

Evening focus groups are created in an environment of “softness.” Dimmed lights, comfortable pillows and blankets, lots of tissues and healthy snacks and drinks create a “campfire” atmosphere. Then it’s back to the comfort of the casita for further discussion, fun and games, laughter – and an occasional, privately delivered pizza!

Choices abound, with exercise classes, swimming and opportunities for individualized exercise or nutritional guidance. Every Dream Streeter enjoys some pampering services, from massages to beauty treatments. Full-time dedicated medical staff is on hand to administer medical treatments and deal with any unexpected needs.

Symbols of hope, shared experiences
Activities designed to encourage psychological coping skills are part of the program, like journaling, crafting and scrapbooking, with plenty of unprogrammed free time to explore the possibilities of Canyon Ranch. And, most importantly, participants have time to be heard and understood, respected for their individuality and experiences, and honored for their courage.

Toward the end of the week, they work on several special projects. Each person paints a rock, and decorates a “life arrow” and a “death arrow,” with bright feathers, yarn and alphabet cubes. Life arrows bear words of hope, while death arrows may carry expressions of anger, anxiety or fear. The rocks are presented to Mel and Enid, then placed in the rock garden between the Clubhouse and the Double U Café. The death arrows are buried, along with the negative feelings they represent, in a ceremony adapted from Native American culture. Some life arrows, embodying their creators’ positive thoughts, can be seen in trees outside the Pavilion. Others become gifts for someone with whom the camper has forged a close connection during the week.

“To say that it’s selfish to be a Dream Street volunteer is an understatement,” says Bornstein. “It is such a privilege to be allowed into the lives of these special people, and to offer comfort and compassion where it’s needed.” Another joy of the program is seeing young people from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds come together and learn mutual respect and understanding, she says.

“I saw an enduring example of this two years ago when a young man with a serious diagnosis and poor prognosis, a child of the streets and gangs, recoiled from the welcoming embrace of his counselor. Seven days later, in the evening closing ceremony, this same young man offered his life arrow to his counselor, saying that he wanted to give it to the person who’d showed him it’s okay to be loved. He then went around the room and hugged everyone, campers and staff alike.”

It’s just a small example of what can happen when people show compassion without judgment, she says – “When Dream Street honors the lives and trials of young people, and when Canyon Ranch opens its doors for magic to occur.”