My Blog
I’m James Burns
Jim has always understood the benefits of exercise and is an advocate of helping schools build more activity time into student schedules to keep our children active and above all healthy. Jim is certified by the National Academy Of Sports Medicine (NASM) as a personal trainer and believes that exercise is the first step in reducing stress and becoming balanced mentally, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. As an educator Jim believes that knowledge is power and that everyone should understand the benefits of exercise. “I Trained For A Quadruple Bypass” (contained as part of this newsletter) explains his journey from the understanding one’s own health and how one can ready themselves physical, mentally, and spiritually and do so without fear. Having a history of heart disease and stroke in his family Jim has learned that we are not determined by our genetics we are only influenced, and we can change our response to the influence at any time.
Training for Quadruple Bypass: Why My Starting Line Wasn’t My Finish Line
If you were to look at my family history, you would see a pattern that seemed almost impossible to escape. Stroke. Heart disease. Cardiovascular problems. They weren't isolated incidents—they were part of my family's story. For years, I believed that perhaps this...
Focus on What You Can Do, Not What You Can’t
One of the greatest obstacles to lifelong fitness isn't an injury, arthritis, a bad back, or even a chronic health condition. It's the belief that because you can't do what you used to do, you shouldn't do anything at all. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a...
The Butterfly Effect: How Small Steps Today Shape Your Health Tomorrow
There is an idea in science known as the Butterfly Effect. It suggests that something as small as the flap of a butterfly's wings can eventually influence weather patterns thousands of miles away. Whether or not that exact example occurs is less important than the...
Movement and Mental Health: Healing the Mind Through Movement
Movement is one of the most powerful yet underutilized tools for improving mental health. While counseling, medication, and other therapeutic approaches remain important treatments for anxiety and depression, research consistently demonstrates that physical activity...
Exercise Is About More Than the Body—It’s About Changing the Mind
I am excited to announce that I have earned my NASM Certified Behavior Change Specialist (BCS) certification. This certification represents much more than another credential. It reflects a philosophy that has shaped my work for years and has become even clearer with...
Stretching Your Soul Like A Muscle
Most people understand that muscles need to be stretched. When we stop moving, muscles become tight, our range of motion decreases, and even simple tasks become more difficult. Flexibility doesn't just happen—it must be practiced. The same is true of the soul. Your...
Don’t Let a Small Ache Become a Big Problem
One of the greatest lessons I've learned after years of working with older adults is that our bodies are incredibly good at communicating with us—if we're willing to listen. Unfortunately, many people don't. A little soreness in the shoulder becomes a nagging pain...
Do Something Nice for the People Who Matter Most
Mental fitness takes many forms. We often think of it as reducing stress, controlling anxiety, or learning to think positively. While those things are certainly important, true mental fitness also involves how we treat the people who mean the most to us. It is...
Practice Gratitude
One of the greatest dangers to emotional fitness is believing that the world owes us something. We see this in children when they develop a sense of entitlement, but adults can fall into the same trap. When we receive things without effort or begin to expect them, it...
Revisiting NEAT: The Secret to Burning More Calories Without Exercise
When most people think about fitness, they think about structured exercise such as walking on a treadmill, lifting weights, attending a fitness class, or riding a bike. While these activities are important, there is another powerful factor that influences health,...