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lady.
1) Allow Yourself to Be Happy
Good health is multifaceted—it’s
physical, it’s internal, it’s my diet, and my emotional state. It’s
all tied together. Throughout my life, I’ve learned to make choices
that make me happy and make sense for me. Even my husband is
happier when I’m happy. He has always said, "You figure out
what you want to do," because he’s discovered that personal
happiness is connected to everything.
Try these instant get-happy tricks.
2) Find Balance as a Mother
I think my mother taught me what not to
do. She put us first, always, sometimes to the detriment of
herself. She encouraged me not to do that. She’d say being a good
mother isn’t all about sacrificing; it’s really investing and
putting yourself higher on your priority list. You can be a good
mom and still work out, get your rest, have a career—or not. She
encouraged me to find that balance.
13 healthy life lessons to teach your kids
3) Make Yourself a Priority
I have freed myself to put me on the
priority list and say, yes, I can make choices that make me happy,
and it will ripple and benefit my kids, my husband, and my physical
health. That’s hard for women to own; we’re not taught to do that.
It’s a lesson that I want to teach my girls so they don’t wait for
their "aha" moment until they’re in their 30s like I was
(laughs). Maybe they can experience it a little earlier.
Follow these tips to keep your body beautiful and fabulous for a
lifetime
4) Embrace Your Age
Nothing really scares me about aging. I
look at my mom—she’s 72, and she’s happy and looks great. To me,
with age, everything has gotten better. You have way more control;
you know yourself better. My goal is to be a great-looking
70-year-old! I won’t mind being 70, but I want people to say,
"You’re 70?"
Learn how to look gorgeous with gray hair.
5) Define Your Own Happiness
You know, happiness for me really is when
my kids are good and when my family is whole. Moving [to the White
House], whatever stresses would be on my husband and me, we could
handle; we are grown-ups. But it wouldn’t be until the day that my
kids came home and said to me, "I like it here," that I’d
feel like I could breathe and know that we’re all going to be okay
here. And that happened very early into the year. My happiness is
measured against theirs—when they’re in a good place, I feel really
good.
Find out what healthy women want out of life.
6) Get Healthy While You’re Young
I always want to be in the best shape
that I can be. What I’m discovering is that the older you get, the
more work you have to do to stay there. When I was younger, I could
eat whatever I wanted, as long as I exercised; or if I didn’t
exercise and just watched what I ate, I’d maintain. Well, now I
have to do both. I’m varying my workouts so it’s not just cardio
but also includes moves to maintain my flexibility. I incorporated
Pilates and do much more stretching. I try to tell young people to
get in shape now, because it’s easier. If you’re 30 and want to
drop 10 pounds, all you have to do is just walk
(laughs).
Enjoy the benefits of Pilates, here’s how.
7) Do Workouts You Enjoy
I’ll do intervals because I don’t run
long and those are killer, so I’m always happy when I’m finished. I
enjoy arm exercises because you can actually see what it’s
hitting.
8) Enjoy Everything in Moderation
I try to have no absolute nos. I love
french fries, I like a good burger, and I like pie. And that’s
okay. I would be depressed if I felt I could never eat the things
that I love. I also don’t want my girls to be obsessed about food.
We don’t have a "no junk food" rule—I just want them to
think about their choices. When my older daughter asks, "Can I
have pie?" I’ll say, "Did you have it yesterday? Well,
what do you think?" And she’ll come to the conclusion that,
you know, you’re right, I shouldn’t eat pie every night.
Find out what fast foods nutritionists eat.
9) Nurture Your Relationship
One of the things that attracted me to
Barack was his emotional honesty. Right off the bat he said what he
felt. There are no games with him—he is who he appears to be. I
feel fortunate as a woman to have a husband who loves me and shows
me in every way.
Learn how to talk to your spouse so he’ll listen.
More Ways to Live a Happy and Healthy Life from Prevention:
Surprising Signs You’ll Live to 100
The Healthiest Time to Do Everything
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[photo via Yahoo! News]
