Thursday, July 28, 2011

Convenience - Friend or Foe?

Have you ever noticed how we have become somewhat demanding of all things convenient? We stay plopped in our cars to get dinner, do our banking, pick up the drycleaning, have prescriptions filled, and even to check the mail when we get home from work. All the fitness experts claim that small changes, such as parking your car farther from the door to a store will help burn calories (which, by the way is true!), yet more and more of us would rather sit on our tushies and watch the world go by.

No wonder obesity rates continue to rise. Convenience is making us lazier than ever.

Yesterday as I was driving, I noticed a man cutting his grass on a riding lawn mower. This was not a thin man, and his yard was quite small -- so small, as a matter of fact, that he was having a hard time even negotiating this behemoth of a mower in such a tiny yard. Now, I do realize that maybe this gentleman has health issues that may warrant his use of a riding mower....but if I had to guess, any health problems he may have are likely related to his weight. It's ironic - an obese person needs to move, but when they do it causes severe pain or difficulty, therefore they elect not to move, or to choose the simplest path of resistance. It's a vicious cycle that is difficult to break free from.

So what is the answer to this dilemma? I wish I could wave a magic wand and solve the riddle. To me, the most logical solution is to prevent obesity from happening in the first place. I know, easier said than done, but what choice do we have? Have you taken a look at a group of teenagers lately? More than half of them are tipping the scales beyond a healthy weight, and could be facing a lifetime of chronic health issues because of it. Fast food & lack of exercise are taking their toll on our future generations. Computers and electronic media are keeping our kids from getting outside and actually engaging in physical activity. The world is at their fingertips.

I say forgo convenience! Park the car and actually WALK into the bank....what a novel idea! Make small initial changes to your activity level, and I bet you will find it easier and easier to increase your exercise with time. Rome wasn't built in a day, of course, and you won't be able to run a marathon tomorrow if you haven't trained for it. If you haven't been active for some time, be patient but consistent, and don't become discouraged. 10 steps to the mailbox today could become 15 tomorrow, and 20 the next day...you get the idea.

I speak from first hand experience -  I couldn't even stay on an exercise bike for 5 full minutes several years ago. My journey began with the smallest of baby steps, maybe even some crawling in the beginning. Every day I grew stronger and fitter. There were days I wanted to quit as I had in previous attempts (and there were many of those, unfortunately) but I stuck with it. I finally got it; I knew I HAD to move to become healthier, simple as that.

My challenge to you is this  -- find ways in your everyday routine to add more steps, more movement, some increase in your physical activity. For those of you that have kids, set a great example and encourage them to join you. Take them swimming, or go for a bike ride together, even do some "mall walking" to escape the heat. Not only will you be getting some exercise, but you will also find this to possibly be a great bonding time with your children.

And please, stop using the drive thru's! Your car is NOT an appendage of your body!  :)

Monday, July 25, 2011

Bad Days -- We all have 'em

Even the best athletes have their off days, from the weekend warriors to the Olympian contenders. We can train properly, get plenty of rest, pre-fuel and hydrate, and STILL bonk or have a lackluster performance come race day.

My husband has begun running with me, and I have been training him for a 5 mile race on 7/30. Last Saturday we had planned a longer run, and I told him to be sure and eat and drink properly before we left. Did he listen to me? No, he did not, and he paid dearly for it. He struggled from the minute we started until we finished our run an hour later. It was a valuable lesson to be learned, no doubt about it.

He was feeling pretty discouraged, and I did my best to tell him that even if he had done everything right, he still could have had a bad run. I have plenty of experience in that arena, I assure you! The human body is such a mystery, and oftentimes can take us totally by surprise by reacting differently than we expect. Sometimes I find that my left brain & right brain are at a total war with each other during an exercise session, and I have to be very creative to keep my thoughts occupied on something other than what I am presently doing so I can get thru the workout.

The key is to do your best, no matter how cruddy you think you are doing; when you are finished, do a little detective work to determine WHY it happened. Did you eat properly? Get enough rest? Are you dehydrated? It could be that there is no reason for it, and that's OK. Don't beat yourself up over it! Rest assured, your next run or workout will be much better!

And, I promise you will cherish those awesome workouts just a little bit more next time.........

Be well!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Exciting News!

I hope that everyone is surviving the brutal heat we have been forced to endure the past couple of weeks. Please be kind to yourself and make sure to pay attention to how you are feeling when performing any type of activity, inside or out. Hydrate, take breaks, and listen to your body!

I'm so excited to report that I have signed on as an independent contractor with Southside Fitness Club http://www.southsidefit.com/  located in Cross Pointe Center. I love the atmosphere in this gym, and their philosophy totally mirrors my business model and beliefs about exercise and personal training. This club is vastly different from the "chain" clubs who pounce on potential members the minute they walk in the door; rather, they truly have your best interests at heart, and are totally devoted to improving quality of life for their members. No high pressure sales and no false promises of any kind - these folks have true dedication to their clients, and I am honored to be working with them.

It's great to be able to work with folks who share my same core values and beliefs when it comes to health and wellness. If you want to learn more or check out the club, give me a call!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Weeds

This morning I was doing some yard work, enjoying the warm sun and the symphony of the singing birds greeting the day. It was idyllic to say the least. I was not, however, enjoying the plethora of weeds that have invaded my flower beds. As I sat there lamenting about the number of weeds present, something hit me -- no two weeds were alike, not completely anyway. Sure, on the outside they may look similar, but each one had different structure and growth. There are weeds that have blooms, some with thistles, and some that seem to creep every which way. Some weeds are resilient and continue to grow despite being pulled from the ground or hit with the weed wacker -- they never stop fighting to grow.

Then my thoughts took a step deeper......weeds are like people. Just go with me on this for a second, and think about it if you will. Some weeds are sunny and bright and are quite cheerful when you look closely at them. There are weeds with beautiful dainty blossoms that smell sweet as honey; some weeds that creep and invade every space they can without concern for anyone else...they just choke out everything in their path. There are some weeds that you don't even dare touch, because of the thistles and "prickers" (as we used to call them as kids) because of the pain they can inflict.

And then there are weeds that look innocent enough, they may even draw you in with superficial beauty, only to discover hidden invisible "prickers" that can stay lodged in your finger for days causing pain. This is no different than an unpleasant encounter from a "thistley" person, whose words or actions leave you harboring a wound for days, or even a lifetime in some cases.

The correlation between weeds and people cannot be denied, not in my mind anyway.

I've never understood the obsession with killing off clover or dandelions in one's yard. Clover has an intensely sweet fragrance, and the honey bees feast on the nectar to make their honey. Dandelions are incredibly beautiful to me in their own way....have you seen a brighter, more determined flower, bloom without needing any care whatsoever? What parent hasn't been presented with a bouquet of dandelions lovingly hand-picked from their children?
What young girl hasn't weaved a headband of dandelions on a warm summer day?
Dandelions represent warmth, childlike innocence, and steadfast determination to me. Thankfully, I am very blessed to have known some people in my lifetime who have these traits. They are precious to me.

Unfortunately I have also known some folks with thistles, and have learned to steer clear of what their thistles represent. I'm also guarded with creeping weeds as well, as oftentimes they will trample anyone or everything in their path to get what they want.

There are life lessons all around us, we simply need to take the time to notice them. I am very thankful for the weeds in my flowerbed, they certainly taught me a valuable lesson this morning!