Area 151

Picking An Exercise That Is Right for You

It’s important to select an exercise that is “right” for you. Often, New Year’s resolutions are broken due to poor activity choices. With one month of 2010 down (WOW–oh wow, can you believe that?), it’d be worth your while to think about the following points when you plan the remaining year’s exercise portion of your wellness program.

1. Pick an activity you enjoy doing. This is key. The only way you are going to keep doing this activity is if you enjoy it. Make exercise something that you want to do, not have to do!

2. Pick an activity that someone else will do with you, like dance, running, a yoga class, bundling up to walk outdoors. This other person will help motivate you to keep going, as they are a part of the activity as well.

3. Pick an activity that you can afford to keep doing. Group aerobics may look inviting at the expensive health club in your town, but you can get the same exercise experience from your local YMCA/recreation center at a lower cost.

5. Pick an activity that you have the equipment for. Remember it is more likely that you will play golf if you have a set of golf clubs, than if you have to rent or borrow a set each time. At the same time, borrowing is a great way to try out a sport before committing to the expense. Three years ago, an agent friend of mine brought over his wife’s bike for me to try triathlons. I have since replaced the wheels, clips, and added tri bars! It’s still his wife’s and I check back every 3 months, but it allowed me to get into a sport and try it out first. Now I know I love it and will continue for many years to come.

6. Select an activity that you can do. Indoor cross country ski trainers provide a great workout, but they can be difficult to use correctly. As a result, many people quit using them because they don’t feel like they are getting the most out of the machine.

7. Participate in an activity that you are able to keep doing. Jogging may be something you enjoyed when you were younger–but now that you are older you may find that walking is a better choice because it is less demanding on your body and, thus likely to cause injury.

8. Find an exercise environment that is right for you. If you like to workout with others, join a club. If, on the other hand, you want to be alone when you work out, all you might need is a pair of running shoes and a stretch of road or path along a creek.

Stay on track. Remind yourself why you are committed. And. stay strong. Be healthy. You deserve FIT.

“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain!”

Running Rules of the Road

You know how I enjoy the end result, net-net, the bottom line and/or Cliff Notes summaries? Well, when I came across some “Rules of the Road” in Runner’s World magazine, I just had to share them…right after I enjoyed a chuckle. Runner’s World Magazine adapted this summary from the book, “The Runner’s Rule Book.” Enjoy.

1. If you see a porta potty with no line, USE IT! Even if you don’t need to.

2. If you have to ask yourself, “Does this driver see me?”… the answer is no.

3. If you have to ask yourself, “Are these shorts too short?”…the answer is YES.

4. 1 glazed doughnut = 2 miles. ‘Nuff said.

5. You rarely regret the runs you do; you almost always regret the runs you skip.

6. Not everyone who looks fast really is, and not everyone who looks slow really is.

7. Nobody has ever watched “Chariots of Fire” from beginning to end. Not even the people who made it.

8. You can never have too many safety pins in your gym bag.

9. Running any route in the rain makes you feel 50% more hard core than covering the same route on a sunny day.

10. If you care even a little about being called a jogger vs. a runner, you’re a runner.

Short Workout Anywhere, Anytime

I love short burst workouts that you can do anywhere. This workout is from the boys over at Best Life and it is a good anywhere/anytime workout. Go from one move to the next with no rest, but do take a 3 minute break in between sets. Have fun and get fit!

Squat-Thrust Jump. Aim for 15 reps.

Towel pull-up with knee-raise. Work up to 10 to 15.

Walking Push-Up. For one minute.

One-Legged Squat. Do 10 to 12 reps on each leg.

Sit Up, Pull Back. For one minute.

7 Habits for Longer Life

Author Dr. Mark Liponis had a short one pager in the weekend Parade insert about a week ago. He shared that life expectancy for women has increased from 48 to 71 (from the early 1900’s) and for men it has risen from 46 to 66. Across the board, experts agree that the lifespan increases are due to better nutrition, health care and disease prevention/treatment. Here are his 7 quick hits for increasing YOUR lifespan!

1.) REST UP-at least 7 hours a night is needed for optimal longevity.
2.) EAT RIGHT-meaning at LEAST 5-6 servings of fruits and veggies…or another easy way to remember this is: fruits & roots, greens & beans, seeds & weeds. And, there you have it! Add to this exercise, limiting alcohol and STOP smoking!
3.) MAKE FRIENDS-this can make a 22% difference!
4.) USE IT OR LOSE IT—your mind, that is…keep your brain engaged and…exercise!
5.) MIND YOUR MIDDLE-going back to the waistline again…but it’s a big predictor or mortality. Every inch you lose, adds years. Do something NOW if your waist is over 44” for men or 41” for women. This makes a 25% difference in longevity according to the author.
6.) GET FRESH AIR- if you live in the city, get active in clean air initiatives. Together we CAN make a difference.
7.) MAKE IT A FAMILY THING-if your family members live long lives, it is likely you will, too.

So check it out, of the 7 factors above, 6 of them are in your control. So it’s up to you if you want to live better, longer and wiser.

Burn Fat FAST!

In the muscle building world, folks wanting to add muscle keep an eye on the amount of rest time between sets and transitions– keeping it to no more than 30-60 seconds. Taking this a step further is circuit training. That’s movement from one exercise to another with little to no rest. There are multiple variations, however usually resistance exercises are interspersed with bursts of cardio. Put it all together and you’ll get an effective way to blast some fat.

Researchers at U of CA at Santa Cruz studied two exercising groups recently. One group did up to 60 seconds of intense cardio intervals before each set of strength exercises and the other rested between sets. After 11 weeks of study, those in the interval group gained twice as much muscle AND lost 5 times more body fat than the resting group. Pretty interesting stuff, if you ask me. How and why did that happen? According to the dude in charge of the study, elevating your heart rate pumps more nutrients to the working muscles and helps clear waste. This helps accelerate muscle recovery and growth. And the neat part is that any type of cardio will do–so pick your pleasure & get moving!

 

Interval Training You Can Do At Home

Interval training is one of the the quicker routes to weight loss due to the combination of cardio and strength training. I promised I would give you a work out you can do at home. Try this 3 days a week. Then follow this workout with 15-30 minutes of power walking or running and you’ll be burning well over 400 calories in just one session!

Here goes:
Minute 1: Squat slowly, watch your knees, chest up.
Minute 2: Jumping Jacks.
Minute 3: Jump squats in a diamond and back.
Minute 4: Alternate front kicks with side kicks.
Minute 5: Squat low, side shuffle right 5 steps & back.
Minute 6: Mountain climber.
Minute 7: Jumping Jacks.
Minute 8: Walking lunges.
Minute 9: Squat thrusts.
Minute 10: Push ups slow from knees.
Minute 11: Diamond jump squats again.
Minute 12: Alternating knee lifts–want it harder? Hop.
Minute 13: Spider man climb or elbow plank.
Minute 14: Lunge back, twist arms to opposite side.
Minute 15: Jog in place.

Now you are ready to walk or run to finish your workouts.

Bernarr Macfadden, An Eccentric Health Millionaire Ahead of His Time

Bernarr happens to have been the guy who started America’s health craze way back in the 1920’s. This is the guy who discovered Charles Atlas and helped invent bodybuilding, but he also was an early pioneer of alternative medicine publishing “Physical Culture” an early health magazine.

While some of his advice is a bit weird, much of it is repeated today by doctors and health gurus.

One of the things he recommended was fewer calories–which happens to fall in line with many of our longevity studies today. Macfadden used to eat two large meals a day–a brunch and an early dinner, which resulted in about 20% fewer calories.

He also recommended chewing. Simple, huh? Slowing down and chewing food well makes it impossible to overeat.

Another one of his recommendations is to eat more raw foods and freshly squeezed juices. We can all benefit from that little nugget.

 

Exercise & Allergiest

It’s ironic, isn’t it, that the most wonderful time of the year to exercise outdoors is also the time the air is most filled with pollen and other allergy triggers? Our weather in Texas has been warm, cool, cold, wet, warm and very windy—and all in the course of one week! On a 12 point scale, the pollen has been 11+ for several weeks now. I’m one of those asymptomatic allergy folks…I don’t usually sneeze or get a runny nose…but I have the reverse drainage down my throat. That means I sometimes end up with a sore throat before I realize there’s a problem. According to an article I read, we can drain a liter of mucus a day down the backs of our throats? Yuck. And how in the world did they determine THAT? It does explain the sore throat opportunities, however.

Leave it to the editors at Men’s Health to come up with a nifty little allergy guide to help you combat this issue. It discusses symptoms and treatments:

The Cliff Notes version for managing allergies this time of the year is below:

1. Be fickle. In other words, opt for a form of exercising that exposes you to less…like neighborhoods vs. major traffic areas. Cement tennis courts vs. golfing on grass. That kind of thing.
2. Exercise inside. This will be my alternative mode until the pollen count drops some.
3. Lighten your allergy mode…that is, dust mites, Mitty the kitty AND running outdoors when the pollen is high is overloading your immune system.
4. Dust mites-substitute washable throw rugs for wall to wall carpet, which like down comforters and curtains are mite havens.
5. Dog and cat dander. Figure a way to keep Mitty and Muffy outdoors, out of your bedroom at least, off your favorite chair and perhaps find someone else to bathe them.
6. Indoor mold—use a dehumidifier to dry out your basement and exhaust fans in areas like the kitchen or bathroom. I always leave my shower door open a few hours after a shower to allow it to dry out quicker and faster. If you’re a plant lover, be aware that mold loves soil…

Good luck on all that. I’m not a huge fan of indoor running, but it will have to suffice because it beats being sidelined due to a sore throat or sinus infection!

Plyometrics, Anyone? Training You Can Do Anywhere!

You’ve got to love plyometrics. The exercises are simple, you just use your bodyweight in most cases, and you can perform them anywhere. They’re explosive movements and can be very high-intensity. Please don’t attempt plyometrics if you are injured, healing from an injury or are overtrained. Plyometrics can be very effective to your training routine so long as the exercises are done correctly, with safety and injury prevention as your primary concerns. 

So, how do they work?  Well, plyometric drills/exercises excite the elastic component of the muscles so that the muscles are trained to react powerfully and explosively. By performing upper and body plyometrics several times per week, upper and lower body power has been shown to dramatically improve power and performance.  Usually, you see them incorporated into agility type of training, like in football. However, they are making their way into mainstream training. If you try them, you will see why.

My favorites are the jump squat, box jump/step down, plank walk (up and down on bosu ball, block, or stairs), and the jump lunge. They totally kick my butt. The goal is to perform them for 30-60 seconds. 

     Remember, it is important to alternate upper and lower body plyometric exercises with weight lifting so that both the upper and lower body do not get overworked on a given day.   Good luck and GET STRONG!

Quick, Easy Recipe That’s Good for YOU!

Folks often ask me what and how I eat. I don’t know about you, but I enjoy eating! You’re not going to find me skipping meals. In fact, I typically eat 5-6 times a day. Now those are not full meals, but smaller “mini” meals or snacks in between meals. I find this keeps my energy strong throughout the day by preventing big swings in blood sugar levels.

A little something that I almost always have in the fridge is what I am sharing with you today. It’s super easy to make. You can eat it as is, as a dip, on top of rice cakes-chicken-fish-eggs, or rolled into a flour or corn tortilla! Plus, it’s quick to make and keeps for several days in the fridge.

1 can black beans

1 can chickpeas or white kidney beans

1 can rotel tomatoes

1 can corn

2 large avocados

Il rinse and drain all of the above, with the exception of the rotel tomatoes. That helps remove some of the excess salt. In fact, when possible, I buy organic salt free versions of the veggies. There is plenty of sodium in the tomatoes. Cut up the avocados into small chunks and mix it all together. If you really want to make it more “dip-like” go ahead and mash it up or use a food processor. I’m not big on “kitchen-time” so I usually leave it as is.

That’s all there is to it. Quick and easy. AND, healthy for you. You will get a wonderful source of protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates. Try it and let me know what healthy recipes you have to share. Especially if they prep time takes < 5 minutes.

EAT REAL (real food, that is) and stay strong!

Serendipity…when is the last time your schedule allowed for it?

I’m a fan of David Allen (www.davidco.com ). The man is a master at time management and ways to make the most of your time. I completely agree with his suggestion to write your action plans out, COMPLETELY, so that your mind is free to focus wholly on the effort at hand. But, do you think we’ve now gotten to the point of too much agenda? I know for my ESTJ self, that can quite often be the case. I’ve been thinking about serendipity a lot lately. How in the world can we experience the pleasure of surprise, spontaneity, or fate if we’re too scheduled and just too doggone busy? I think we need to make a conscious effort to plan OPEN time to allow opportunities for enjoyable, pleasurable, non-structured activity. Or, maybe even trying something new. I bet some of your most precious memories to date are those things you didn’t expect or plan–paths crossing, or strangely wonderful, creative ideas. Lets face it, we all know that stress can lead to weakened immunity, anxiety,  depression or heart disease. It’s time to chunk the agenda out the window–at least for some part of your week and see what life throws your way.  I bet it will be an adventure!

Why Eat Breakfast?

Well, for me that’s easy. I love to eat…I wouldn’t dream of missing a meal because of the simple pleasure I get from eating! Having said that, the other reasons just fall in line…I know what happens to my body if I go without food for more than 3 hours. It’s not good (and a whole other blog or two!). So many folks skip breakfast because it’s an easier meal to skip and a cup o’ Joe can often make you “feel” like you’re doing fine without your morning meal. Not so fast, Joe. Think again.

Breakfast eaters are usually slimmer than their non-eating breakfast compadres. They tend to eat fewer calories in a day–believe it or not. Eating breakfast keeps your healthy and helps boost your immune system. It also is good for your brain power. You’ve seen the studies, right? Memory and brain function get a boost from breakfast. It’s not just something good to do for school age children. The same holds true for adults. Numerous tests have been performed in this area.

According to Men’s Health (one of my favorite sources!), “ A   typical breakfast is just a couple of hundred calories, mostly in the form of simple carbohydrates that spike blood-sugar levels and leave the body starving for energy a couple of hours later.

Even a classic fiber-rich breakfast- say a cup of raisin bran with blueberries and skim milk — provides less than 300 calories and only about 10 grams of protein. An ideal breakfast needs to be much larger — between 500 and 600 calories. And it needs to be packed with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, including at least 20 grams of protein and at least 5 grams of fiber. That will give your body a high-quality, long-lasting, steady supply of energy to help you through the morning.” And of course, this is directed to the gents, so ladies, our caloric needs are a tad less.

Top 5 Reasons Wheatgrass is My Friend

I love the fact that there is a Jamba Juice on all my normal run-around-town-routes so I can get a shot or two of “green gold” or “pure liquid sunshine” as Jamba Juice calls it. According to our JJ friends and many other wheat grass fans, the reasons are numerous and all good. Here’s a few proported from our JJ neighbors about its benefits:

1.) Wheat grass helps cleanse & detoxify your blood

2.) Wheat grass helps make your skin look great

3. ) Wheat grass aids in digestion

4.) Wheat grass helps metabolize energy and fat

5.) Wheat grass helps bolster your immune system (it’s full of amino acids, vitamins, iron and vitamin K–necessray for clotting and studies show the green stuff fights free radicals, promotes better circulation, and gives you energy)

Now, I don’t always have the luxury of my fave shot o’ green, so if I am on the run from the house, I’ll make up my own little concoction added to a bottle of water, usually Now Chlorella 1000mg or Barley Grass, or Berry Green 360 grams. I’ll add a drop or two of green tea concentrate with stevia, shake it all up and do my body some good.  It’s not as good as the fresh stuff, but I swear I can tell which days I don’t do the “green”…seriously.  Aside from how it makes me feel, just knowing what wonderful goodness I am ingesting makes me happy.  Do you body good and go GREEN!

Dear (Food) Diary…

According to Sanjay Gupta, M.D. and a host of other scientists who’ve done studies on dieting success, those dieters who kept a food diary lost twice (yep, that’s “TWICE”) as much weight as those who didn’t.  According to the August 4 issue of Time magazine, the latest study to confirm this was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (this August). It tracked close to 1700 overweight or obese adults across the country who were at least 25 years or older.  All of the participants were encouraged to eat less, have weekly group sessions and exercise moderately–as well as keep a food log.  The most effective method “hands-down” was keeping a record of what was eaten.  In 6 months, the food log dieters lost an average of 18 lbs vs. 9 lbs lost by the non-journaling dieting compadres.

Writing down what you eat helps not only track calories and keeps you honest, but it also helps identify some habits that need adjusting. 

The best part of all of this is that every inch lost from your waist or every pound you lose has positive impacts in so many areas: helping to control high blood pressure, reducing your risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Plus, your joints will thank you and your sleep and energy levels are likely to improve.

And if you need some additional motivation, check out Dara Torres’ pix in this Aug. 4th Times issue. She’s 41 and kickin’ tail!

Want a “Back-Break”?

According to the American Physical Therapy Association, there are multiple ways you can prevent back injuries–as well as many ways you can hurt your back.  Take care of your back by keeping it in good shape by:

Lifting with your legs–bend your knees and keep your back straight. Try not to twist.

Sit carefully and make sure you have good back support…it’s really not the best thing for your back at all, so be sure to get OUT of your chair and move around!

Watch your weight so you don’t put excess stress on your back.  Exercise regularly, stay active, and eat a healthy diet low in fats and processed foods and high in fruits and veggies.

Drive in comfort and ergonomically correct by selecting a position where you rknees are slightly bent and your back is arched. And, like sitting in a chair, stop frequently and get out and MOVE!

You only get one back.  Take care of it and it will thank you.