#19 - Because you want to stand taller

Photo By theNovice

One of the first people to comment on my recent weight loss and healthier choices was my chiropractor.  He sees that I'm holding my body straighter and taller.  The adjustments are becoming less necessary.  My body is starting to feel better overall. 

If you have back pain, you'd think that it might be best to avoid activity, but recently I've learned that movement increases healing processes within the body.  Our body knows that it must heal if we're moving around.  Always contact your health professional to choose the healthiest route to recovery if you're in pain. They may suggest physical therapy or individual exercises that you can do at home.

Find your first step to getting your strength, health, and fitness on track.

Stand tall.

Crys

Fitness... What about Beer?

Photo By walknboston

Calories IN < Calories Out (burned) = Weight Loss

That's it.

As with so many things, moderation is key.  Generally, moderation is defined as 1-2 beers a day for men and 1 a day for women.  The average beer is about 100 calories (about the same as 20 roasted peanuts).  You can't save up your weekly six pack and drink them all on one day of the weekend if you want six pack abs.  That's not moderation.  Also, you have to fit in fitness.  If you add in a minimum of 20-30 minutes of physical activity, your 1-2 beers shouldn't increase your belly size.  However, if you want to shrink what's already there, it's a good idea to curb the beer habit for a month or two (or more) while you get your metabolism in check. 

Crys

#18 - Because it lifts your mood

 

Photo By Jerry Bunkers

When we exercise, our brain releases endorphins, adrenaline, serotonin and dopamine. These chemicals all work together to make us feel good. Also, after exercising we may feel a sense of success and our muscles will relax deeper because of the workout – easing tension and strain. We come back to our everyday life with a sense of calm. 

Yoga has been shown in studies to reduce tension and stress while improving mood. Yoga focuses on a range of stretching, breathing and motion that create a release of negative emotions in the body. Yoga, interestingly, has been shown to be particularly effective for men (compared to other exercises like swimming).  Men know that stretching is good, but they don't often consider adding yoga to their workout regimen.  Consider adding a day of yoga stretching to your weekly workout schedule.  Your mood will be elevated, and your body will thank you. 

To increase the chemical mood high, add in some intense cardiovascular exercise and aerobics.  Bike riding, running, dance classes, anything that gets your heart pumping will help increase these good mood chemicals coursing through your body.  This is especially important when your daily life includes a high stress, children, and multiple extracurricular activities. You want to be your best emotionally, and you want decrease the damage that stress can do to your body.  Even if your life is generally calm, it’s a good idea to keep from getting down and blah from inactivity. 

Keep fit, keep moving…

Crys

 

#17 - Because you want to look better

Photo By lululemon athletica

A friend of mine recently posted an image and a quote "Lose Weight to look better in clothes, Workout to look better NAKED."  Absolutely true!  You can do all the dieting you want, you can slim down, but to really make a difference in your appearance, you have to add in some sort of workout.  Whether it's low impact Hatha yoga for long slender limbs or INSANITY with Shaun T for high intensity.  You are deciding what you want to look like naked.  It’s true that there’s a lot more to life (and self-esteem) than appearance. However, I enjoy looking as vibrant as I feel.  When we're not feeling healthy it shows. 

If you want to look better do what we already know to be true: eat well, get a good nights sleep, and then go play.

crys

#16 - Because you want to be an athlete

Have you been tempted to join one of the many mud obstacle 5k races that are happening all over the country?  There's Warrior Dash, Tough Mudder, Rugged Maniac, Mighty Mud Dash, The Dirty Dash, Dirty Girl (for women only)... I'm sure you've heard of others that I've not heard of.  Sometimes they tempt me.  I want to be an athlete.  I want to push myself to my absolute limits and see how far I can go. I was never an athlete in school.  I was always one of the last girls picked for the volleyball team.  I'm uncoordinated, slouchy, and slow, but these muddy crazy sounding courses intrigue me. Last year I saw several people around me  talk about, prepare for, and then do the Warrior Dash. It finally pushed me to start thinking about fitness.

Photo By VoxLive Davis Staedtler

Still not an athlete, but I'm starting to get there.  With fitness and nutrition, but mostly with determination and drive, I'm starting to see an athlete underneath this regular girl's body.  Finally, it feels like the work is paying off.  It took a bit of a system reset, strict diet, and some pretty heavy workouts to get things going in the right direction.  I hear some people can just cut sugar out of their coffee in the morning and lose weight, but I can't do that anymore.  Really, I want more than to be thin.  I want to look great under the clothes that fit great.  I want to be strong and healthy.

The Rocky Mountain Triathlon is happening in Silverthorne this summer.  They have a "sprint" run for those of us who are thinking of doing their first triathlon.  It's already sold out for this year, but I'm thinking I'll be ready for next summer.  Who's with me?
Crys

#15 - Because your body was made to move

Photo By ElvertBarnes Elvert Barnes

If your job is sedentary, you're not alone.  As we increase our use of technology and conveniences, we sit more.  We sit all day and feel exhausted afterward.  Our back and shoulders hurt even though we’ve done nothing physical to warrant the pain.  We get cold and run space heaters when the room temperature is set at what should be comfortable.  We get headaches from staring at the computer and go home weary and sit in front of the TV.  We go through the drive-thru on our way home instead of walking inside.  When we finally crawl into bed and turn off the light our minds keep going.  We don’t sleep, or the sleep we do get is restless.  It’s a vicious cycle that we need to end. 

If you used to like to ride your bike, go swimming, hike, or snowboard, how did you feel afterward?  Your muscles and body are warm.  You don’t feel stiff.  Energized, you’re confident and proud of yourself.  This is how you feel after a workout, with your blood pumping providing oxygen and energy.

We are made to move.  Our bodies are made to move.  So let's get moving. What are you waiting for? It won’t get better until you do something about it.

Crys

 

 

More, more, more:

In order to accomplish the basic requirements for daily physical activity one should do 30 minutes of activity that will raise the heart to 50-90% of its maximum capacity (MHR) using large muscles. In other words it should make the individual warm & slightly out of breath. This can be broken down into 3 x 10 minute sessions.

Which type are you?

You can vary your vibe depending on what time you decide to exercise. We are unique and who we are will determine when we have our peak energy levels.

• The early bird — makes you feel like you've embraced the day.
• The in-betweener — gives you a quick time out and breather to help re-align during the day.
• The wind down — chills you out and set you up for a super-relaxed evening.
• The achiever — makes you feel like you have accomplished the impossible.

Choose exercise to suit your mood

• Aggressive — kickboxing, martial arts, aerobics.
• Interactive — hockey, touch rugby, squash, tennis.
• Tactical — rock climbing, golf, skate boarding.
• Endurance — walking, running, spinning.
• Solo — canoeing, swimming, biking.
• Aesthetic — trampolining, dancing, surfing.
• Relaxing — yoga, tai chi, gardening.

 

#14 - Because it reduces your risk of cancer

We're young and generally healthy.  We don't spend a lot of time thinking about cancer.  However, after researching today's topic, I think maybe we should spend time thinking about it while we are young and healthy.  We should think about how much sleep we're getting and how much physical activity we're involved in each day.  If we make the habits now, we'll avoid the pitfalls in the future. 

As spring comes on in our little valley, the outdoors is more and more inviting.  We've been hungry for the suns warm rays and the buds on the trees to turn into beautiful green leaves.  Let's go outside and enjoy a brisk early morning walk, play a game, or go for a run.  When the wind picks up, let's meet at the gym and get a good workout in.  We don't have to wait and see what life holds for us.  We can do some prevention and maintenance early on in life. 

Here's some interesting facts I found online:

According to the Mayo Clinic's article  "Cancer prevention: 7 tips to reduce your risk" you should maintain a healthy weight and include physical activity in your daily routine. 

Maintaining a healthy weight may lower the risk of various types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, prostate, lung, colon and kidney. Physical activity counts, too. In addition to helping you control your weight, physical activity on its own may lower the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer.

As a general goal, include at least 30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine — and if you can do more, even better. Try a fitness class, rediscover a favorite sport or meet a friend for daily brisk walks.

For women: A recent study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research suggests that regular physical activity can lower a woman's overall risk of cancer – but only if she gets a good night's sleep.

The American Cancer Society recommends that you exercise for 30 to 45 minutes at least five days each week.

For men: Finnish researchers recently concluded that, if you wish to ward off lung or gastrointestinal cancer, you might want to spend your leisure time jogging instead of picking berries, mushroom gathering or fishing.

 

So, get a good nights sleep and make sure you sweat every day to help prevent cancer.  We're not sitting around waiting for life to happen TO us.  We're living.

Crys