FamilyInShape

Walking- taking small steps for big changes

 

"shadows of a walk" 

Walking has to be the cheapest, safest, easiest form of physical exercise out there. It is a great way to start a fitness program without actually paying gym fees or going to a gym, can be done with family, friends, kids on bikes or strollers, etc.  Did I mention it was free? It is, unless you feel the urge to purchase cute walking outfits and cool walking shoes; which is not such a bad idea.  Still cheaper then gym fees.

Since I moved I have taken up walking with my toddler in the stroller and my young peanut on her bike.  My walks become runs every now and again when the peanut decides to go far ahead of me and I have to catch up.  Try doing that uphill with a 30 lb kid in the stroller!  Ouch on the bum and legs is what you'll be saying.

I have to admit though, that this walking thing is really giving me some great quality time with the kids and often with myself.  I love to listen to music and when I'm at home I can't always turn up the radio and forget the world because inevitably, the moment I do, someone wants to have a conversation with me and if I say not now then I'm being mean.  I know, I'm a terrible mom for desiring to sing out loud! Ugh!!

Anyway, because I love my music and don't mind the walks I find myself looking forward to walking everyday and when I don't or can't I look longingly at the street in front of my house and wish I was there and not here sitting on my ever expanding behind, reading or writing or waiting for the nap to be over.  OK my behind is not expanding because I was fortunate enough to get my mother's genes which dictate that I gain weight from the waist up - oh yeah that's always fun.  I do have some control over that now that I've started my push up challenge and will soon add the sit up challenge to the mix.  That's right, got to nip it in the butt or is it bud? Hmmm - American idioms get me every time.  I should just stay away from them.

So, I have the whole food thing under control, again - yay for me!! Until I start spinning (hopefully soon) I am walking and doing push ups with the kids.  The changes I'm making are having a positive impact on my body and mind.  Physically I feel more energized, mentally I feel rested.  And with my last semester just getting started, I need all the physical and mental energy I can get!

Small steps for big changes... this is how we do it!!

Stay well,

Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

Holiday Party Cookies from erincooks

Is that even possible? You know, to not gain any weight over the holidays?  Well for some people it is. They are the ones who can easily say no to the sweeter things in life.  Just so you know, I'm not one of them. For some reason, holiday baked goods just taste so much better between November 1st and January 1st.  It's like comfort food for the soul.  Except the only thing getting padded around here are the hips, waist, back legs and arms.  

But seriously, why is it that we require food to enjoy the holiday season? And it is a requirement I tell you.  I've conducted an experiment and invited friends over for coffee and the first thing they say is, "what can I bring, I can make cookies or a quiche?" Hmmmm, that sounds yummy! I have to admit that the first thing I think about is "what should I make?" you know, to serve with the coffee because it would be a sin to have JUST coffee.

Well, this is who we are and this is what we do.  We are trained to celebrate everything with food and there's no better time to "get away" with over eating like the holiday season.  The media and every medical profession in the media has been telling us that, on average, people gain five to seven pounds during the holiday season.  OUCH!  They say from November to December, more accurately it all begins on Halloween, October 31st and ends on New Year's day, January 1st.  So, even though we know this to be pretty accurate, we still manage to fall into the trap of the holiday weight gain.  We eat the tasty treats, the delicious foods, and the drinks and begin the process of putting off fitness as a new year's resolution. We simply give in to the fad.

So what do we do now?  The "weight gain season" has already begun.  Do we just stay on this slippery slope and start our healthy habits next year OR is it possible to avoid becoming a statistic? Of course it is. Anything is possible if you really want it to be.  I have tips, you have wants, so lets put it all together and see how we do.

  

 1.  Start moving NOW!  Why wait until after you've gained the weight to realize you need to get back in shape.  Start now!  

 

Exercise: Measure out an area that is safe for you to walk from your home and back.  Invite some neighbors to join you after dinner, early in the morning or middle of the day.  Do the math.  Walk two miles a day, times seven days a week-- that is just over a marathon in 2 weeks.  Challenge yourself and add a mile to your walk OR cut back on the time it takes to walk 2 miles. As you can see, you don't have to join a gym or hire a trainer. Make it fun for the entire family and take the kids for a bike ride, roller skates, or a hike through the park. However, if you feel inadequate about walking alone or working out alone, then by all means join a gym, hire a trainer, start taking classes.  Arm yourself with a fitness routine that does not allow you to cheat yourself out of enjoying special holiday treats.

2.  Eat well, everyday! If you haven't already started, spend a couple of days logging everything you eat before making any changes.  This will help you identify problem areas with your current nutrition plan (because we all know we have one right?)  

 

Nutrition: Ask yourself, am I eating enough fruits and vegetables? Five a day is what they say. Make them fresh or frozen, raw or cooked.  More is best.  To keep the fresh vegetables from going bad in the fridge, eat them within a few days or cook and refrigerate or freeze them so that they are ready to be used in soups and stews over the colder months.  

 

Speaking of soups and stews, stay away from creamy soups that only add on the pounds.  I know, it's the comfort food we crave when we're cold and it's OK to have them in moderation. But if you don't think you can have just one serving then stick with the less creamy soups loaded with vegetables, legumes and lean meats.  Best to choose good carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables, whole grain, sweet potatoes, etc.  Low fat dairy, lean meats and fish are also important in your diet as they provide you with well needed protein your muscles will crave. Take this opportunity to teach the kids what a serving is and what's in that serving of food. Lead by example.

 

3. Rest, de-stress, sleep! I am so bad at doing any of these.  It seems I'm alway running somewhere (and I don't mean that literally, otherwise I would have nothing to worry about if I was really running,) cleaning, packing (for an upcoming big move), doing homework, and staying up late for no good reason.  

 

A lot of women do this in search of quiet, meditative time and that's great if #1 we can still manage to get enough sleep and #2 if we use that time wisely, i.e. meditating, stretching, etc. I'm back to putting meditative time on my schedule.  We don't need a lot all at one time, 10 - 15 minutes of being with oneself, in our thoughts, in our minds, and revisiting our souls is all.  Do it a few times a day, do it while waiting in line at the store, or upon rising, before bed.  There are opportunities, we just fail to seize them and instead go to bed with a mind full of junk we can't resolve in our sleep.  So rest your mind, sleep and the result will be = controlled stress management. Again with the family, take some time to read to your kids or with your kids; teach them how to be silent for one whole minute - make it  a game and then ask what they were thinking when they were still.  You'd be amazed at the stories you get. 

 

4. Drink Water.  Oh yes, this is a biggy.  I am terrible at drinking water in the winter time.  Did I mention I'm from the Caribbean?  As much as I love the beautiful fall foliage and a crispy cold winter's day, it is not my cup of tea to live in it everyday.  Definitely tropical and if I want winter I can drive to it instead.  That's ideal.  

 

Back to water.  Since I know that drinking anything cold is not all that attractive to me I make it a point of drinking plenty of water before, during and after my workouts.  Carry water with me wherever I go so that I'm not tempted to buy coffee or food.  I also keep my water bottle on the counter to maintain the room temperature.  I find that my kids don't drink nearly as much water as they should - I think sometimes they skip it all together, so new rule:  when they say they are bored or hungry I offer them a glass of water while I make a nutritious treat or plan an activity like going out to play in the piles leaves.  One other option if you don't like cold water is a cup of warm water with a twist of lemon in the morning is actually pretty good too.  My dad was told (prescribed by his doctor) to drink this every morning to keep his digestive system running smooth.

  

The Challenge:  To avoid any weight gain over the holidays.  Go ahead, challenge yourself to be different this year.  Don't bother making a resolution to get healthy, do it now.  Get in the best shape of your life starting right now.  Get the family involved in getting and staying active, even if you don't have weight to lose, living a healthier lifestyle IS the new fad.

Disclaimer: If you want to lose weight, PLEASE, keep in mind that this process takes time, it's not going to happen over night, it's not going to happen in ONLY 10 minutes a day.  However, with a little determination and motivation, it will happen as you burn 500 calories a day exercising, cleaning, chasing the kids around.  As you eat 300 less calories a day replacing junk food with good-for-you food.  It will happen as you burn off 1-2 lbs a week and replace body fat with lean muscle mass.  It will happen if you want it bad enough!

Let's do it together!! What are you waiting for?  Tell me, how will you avoid the holiday weight gain in 2009? I want to know! 

Stay Well,

 


Lessons from a Senior Fitness class

I teach a class at my gym called Senior Strength and Flexibility. Just about everyone in the class is a senior, you know, over fifty. In fact, I think over sixty and over seventy would still be accurate for some; but you get the idea.  The class consists of some aerobic workout, muscle conditioning and stretching.  Not necessarily in that order and not limited to this list.  I teach this class every week and, without fail, they show up unless of course there's medical reason or something really important getting in the way.  

Every week I try to introduce a new exercise or something different to the class for two reasons - first, I like to challenge the mind and body of everyone in the class, and second, I get bored doing the same old thing week after week. Recently, I missed a couple of classes due to my kids being sick and in the mean time I sort of stopped planning for the class.  I think I was waiting to be enlightened, I tried sitting under a tree but that didn't work for me.  I had no idea what I was going to do on this particular Thursday, that is, until I played a 70's Disco CD I borrowed from a friend.  There I was, dancing in the car on the way to class.  I felt the energy, the fun music and immediately started to come up with fun ideas for the class.   At first, I was a little hesitant because I'm always being told that "the older groups don't do well with change."  Oh well, I decided I'd give it a try anyway.

We set up the class, everyone had two sets of dumbbells, a Swiss ball kept in place by a riser, and a floor mat.  We set up in two rows, facing each other. The plan was that two of us would do some type of disco dance down the middle while the rest worked on muscle conditioning then we would switch.  To help them along I volunteered to dance with each and every one of them, needless to say there was some woohooing going on at the idea of them dancing.  Imagine that, exercising and having fun- what a concept. 

As soon as the music started their faces lit up. You could almost read their minds--I heard a few laughing and saying "oh my goodness, 70's music, how fun!" or "I can't remember how to dance to that," and "I loved the 70's." It was too cute.  They were all smiling.

They all started moving along, dancing with each other, with me, by themselves.  Needless to say, that was our warm up.  This is about the time when I started to relax and just go with the flow. Next, I gave them instructions on their first strength workout which was Military Press (3 sets/8 reps).  Meanwhile, I danced up and down the middle with the first lady, Ann. Then they did squats while I danced with Beth. We moved back to bicep, triceps, lunges, etc., until all seven ladies had a chance to dance and all of them did their strength workout. Every time I was done with one of them they all laughed and clapped and often times they cheered for the others.  

I was really amazed at the moves they were teaching me instead.  They had such a great time, I think they laughed the entire time.  Even the people in the hallway stopped to check us out.  It felt so good to see them having a great time while exercising.

Ellen, one of the ladies in the class, stayed behind to chat with me while I shut down the studio and collected my things and she said some really beautiful things.

"You know Terie," she said, "I had so much fun in this class and in every class you teach." 

{{Blush, blush}} "Well thank you, how sweet of you to say that."

"I'm not just saying this, we all say this.  When you are not here to teach us, we really, really miss you." 

Again, if my skin wasn't already the color of a cinnamon stick I would be red all over.  I'm sure I was, it just didn't show--Ha!! 

Anyway, she went on to say this: 

"The ladies in this class are so amazing.  They know the true meaning of happiness.  They know that laughter is the best medicine and we all come to this class because you always make us laugh, sweat, and leave us with the desire to come back every time and we get a chance to socialize and check on each other before and after class.  People have to realize that if they surround themselves with lots of people and laugh at each other and with each other they will be relieved of stress and their body will not be ailing so much, at least not due to stress.  Sometimes stress is the culprit of most of our ailments, people just have to start laughing, start loving, and start living, and I mean really living." 

Ellen and her northern European accent were about to make me cry.  She boosted my ego and my own self esteem, but more importantly she impressed upon me the importance of learning to lookout for ourselves and for each other very early in life so that when we reach the young age of 70 we may be able to continue laughing, loving and living a long, active life.

I was really touched by her words of wisdom.  I walked away feeling proud, happy, and with a lesson on life I will always treasure.

Stay well,

 

Photo by Michelle Gibson

Family, Fitness and Fighting Fat

It is not suprising that so many children are being diagnosed with adult diseases at such an early age.  It is a sad situation but we (family, educators, neighbors) need to step up to the plate and set the example. We have to get up, get moving, and show kids the fun side of living a healthy, active lifestyle.  Guest blogger, Sarah Scrafford  has written this really great article with some excellent tips on getting the whole family moving to get and stay healthy.  Read on.

Stay Well, 

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You and your spouse are your children’s first and most influential role models, so it’s up to you to do the right things so that they will want to emulate you. And this is why, in a nation that’s filled with junk food and obese children, it’s important to get your butt off that couch and set the pace on a routine that’s sure to keep your kids on their toes, and as a result, fitter, slimmer and healthier. Instead of family affairs centered around the television or the new PlayStation, plan outings that involve equal amounts of activity and fun. You’ll be surprised at the positive effects that such a schedule reaps. Here are a few ways to make exercise and fitness a family affair: 

·     Plan trips that involve cycling to picnic spots close to where you live. You could make it an all-day affair with lunch on lush green grass, games like tag and catch after your meal, and a refreshing ride back home.

·     Coach a junior team in a team sport like baseball, softball or basketball. This is a surefire way to get your kids interested in sports.

·     Take a trip to the park or the beach and play catch using a ball or a Frisbee. Include your family dog in the game and see how boisterous things become in a short while. You’ll find yourself both laughing and breathing hard as you try to keep up with the boundless energy your kids seem to have.

·     Take a trip to the community pool and play a game of water polo there. Alternatively, you could race each other to see who’s the fastest or swim continuously to see who has the most stamina and is the last man standing (or swimming).

·     Make rainy days fun indoor affairs with games of active charades or a session of dancing with the stereo on. You’ll be surprised at how much your kids love to see you let down your hair and have a blast.

·     Cook healthy meals for your family and encourage them to eat snacks that are low in processed starch, salt and trans fats. Fruits and vegetables pack the most nutrients in the least amount of calories making them an ideal in-between meal munching choice. Also make sure that your kids don’t stay up late and that they get enough sleep.

·     Set up a basketball hoop above your garage door and shoot baskets with your children. Even half court games played with one or two players a side can get intense and competitive. Other sports like tennis can also be taken up at a young age.

Besides these methods, encourage your kids to participate in all sports activities and games at school. Exercise not only keeps your family fit, it also helps them keep lifestyle diseases at bay as they grow into adults. So get started today, and make fitness a daily affair for the whole family.

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This article is contributed by Sarah Scrafford, who regularly writes on the topic of ekg tech salary. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: [email protected].

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 Photo credit: Peer Lawther

Mental health

This week's focus is on exercising your mind.  Too many times we get caught up in the daily to-do's and when we do take time to rest we end up thinking about what we could be doing or what we plan to do later or what we could have done.  Instead of wasting your precious quiet time on those mindless worries, why not feed your mind by feeding it, nourishing your thoughts with mind games, reading, puzzles and the like.  Check out these ideas and maybe share some of your own ideas: 

Exercise your mind:  an article on CNN.com states that, "Just as physical activity keeps your body strong, mental activity keeps your mind sharp and agile. One way to do this is to continually challenge yourself by learning new skills. If you continue to learn and challenge yourself, your brain continues to grow, literally. An active brain produces new connections between nerve cells that allow cells to communicate with one another. This helps your brain store and retrieve information more easily, no matter what your age." With news like this, what have we got to loose, except our minds.

Read: Mike on livelife365 says, "Anything that occupies your mind differently, works another part of the old gray matter, is beneficial. Reading is great for you. Toss out that TV and read, every day. Fiction, non-fiction, magazines, newspapers, ahh, blogs? Yes, those too. Expand your knowledge, learn new things--you will enhance your life now, and really help yourself as you age."  Keep a book in the car to help you kill time while waiting for your kids at the baseball field (or wherever they may be), keep one by your bedside table, replace your remote with a book every now and then.  So pick up a book, keep it handy and read a page, read a chapter when you can and throw your mind into a story or a learning  activity that will take you away from your daily tasks.

Puzzles: Tarun from Paranoid Escapes suggests "A few ways to exercise your mind is to do some crossword puzzles, or play common games like solitaire or chess to keep your mind sharp." She also suggest Yoga for mind and body health. I think jigsaw puzzles are fun and progressive.  They take a little longer to complete, but the end result can be a beautiful landscape photo along with a feeling of accomplishment--that makes anyone feel pretty good on a bad day. The idea is to get your mind involved in something that will not only improve your memory and sharpen your mind, but also, take your mind off anything that might me causing stress.

Laugh: Chris from ThatsFit! points us to a study that "examines the total body connection; an understanding that the mind, the body, and the spirit work in conjunction to regulate our psychophysiology."  It's seems clear to me--we all need to start laughing a whole lot more.  Read the Sunday comics, these can be sent to your inbox via email, find humor in life.    Improve your mood and reduce stress watching stand up comedy or funny movies.  Don't miss the opportunity to laugh.

Sleep: Need I say more!  We all want to sleep more, well why not get a cat nap during that scheduled relaxation time.  Colleen from 3DayMom says, "Just snoozing for 20 to 30 minutes can work wonders for a stressed out, tired old body."  She adds that "... you’ll feel better, you’ll have more energy, and your productivity in the afternoon will go through the roof."  I will have to agree with that, even though I am guilty of denying myself a nap in place of doing chores or catching up on emails, homework or other activity.  On days when I listen to my internal mechanism and let myself take a nap, I do feel better the rest of the day.  Granted, when I first get up from a nap I feel groggy, I just drink a tall glass of cold water, iced tea or hot tea and the groggy feelings are replaced by a superb energy.

Music:  I love listening to all types of music.  It can be therapeutic, calming, entertaining and energizing. Whether I'm listening to oldies, classic rock, country or Latin music--it all just boils down to me and my not-so-great singing voice.  In the end, a very happy heart evolves.

Time will pass, the chores will always be there, and the callers and emailers can leave a message.  Don't miss the opportunity to play, read, laugh, and sleep.  Now go play some mind games and stay sharp!

Stay Well,

"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop."--Confucius