Posts filed under 'Fitness'
September 22nd, 2009
Homes with multiple gables, cable knit sweaters, interior designs with multiple textures, all of these items are complex and beautiful tapestries. A beautiful scene is a tapestry of leaves, soil/sand, blue sky and the movement of water. Fall is nature’s grandest display of tapestry with the vibrant color displays of orange, reds, browns combined with the beautiful and multitude shades of green.
The tapestries of our lives are enriched with multiple activities from work to play to family and friends, cultural events, media and natural wonders.
The tapestry of our body is built upon the interweaving of cardio, muscle strength, muscle flexibility, nutrition and mental focus.
A healthy body like a gabled home, a cable knit sweater or a well designed room with multiple textures looks good. But more importantly, a healthy body feels good.
Our goal should not be to look like the body builders, the movie stars, but to feel good. Our goals should be to feel strong, to feel healthy. My grandfather used to say, if you have your health you have everything. And yes, he stated this quote before and after his stroke. He exercised every day and while he was prone to being diabetic from his love of food with a special fondness for sweets, he successfully fought that horrific disease for decades of his life with daily exercise (and a canine companion that mandated that he exercise daily helped tremendously too!).
The human body is a complex tapestry of muscle, ligaments, joints and organs. We have 640 muscles in our body. When we stand we use 300 muscles. Doesn’t that tell us the importance of our muscles to our daily lives?
To feel good, from just exercise, is the sexiest drug we have in our tool box in life. The tapestry of a healthy human body is sexy.
My goal is to increase your understanding of fitness, make it simple and fun and increase your quality of life. If you found this helpful and motivational, please share with your friends. Feel free to publish it on your blog or website (please don’t forget to mention the original source wwww.HealthyRockford.com). Kelly@AmericanSonProducts.com
September 22nd, 2009
Muscle is medicine. The greatest prescription for wellness is the least prescribed and the very least sought after. And yes, this simple medicine does offer a glimpse of the fountain of youth. Muscle will increase our strength, will increase our endurance, and will prevent bone loss and will prevent many diseases.
Research studies have shown that exercise and proper nutrition can prevent many billions of dollars of illnesses. What we don’t adequately convey or highlight that it is muscle that helps the body. Exercise is the action that creates the muscle. But muscle is the real piece of gold at the end of the rainbow. Just as we take an aspirin for a headache, so too, we should be building muscle to protect our body.
Do we need to look like a body builder – absolutely not. But we do need to tone our body with resistance exercise. A great fitness program is not just cardio, it is also strength training, flexibility and proper nutrition.
The other day as I was volunteering at the hospital, I walked to the end of the corridor to use the stairs (I always take the stairs when I am not caring for a patient), I happened to hear a private conversation of apparently two nurses speaking with a patient in the patient’s room. The door was open and I just happened to over hear 3 sentences of the conversation. The staff members of the hospital detailed that physical therapy and occupational health do wonders for their patients. They were trying their best to “sell” the creation of muscle to their patient and motivate the patient to follow-through with the PT prescription for exercise.
Ironically that same day, the volunteer who I work with, her husband stopped by after his physical therapy for his knee. And he complained about his wife’s diligence in getting him to exercise.
Why do hospital staff and wives put forth these efforts? They know that muscle is the very best medicine for the human body. But muscle has not had the right public relations campaign.
For decades, the government has been trying to promote exercise, preplanned movement. And what has happened in those 50 years? Our obesity rate has risen to alarming rates. That is the bad news. The good news is we are finally gaining momentum with the dramatic shift in the medical community now joining in with fitness. The AMA is finally partnering with fitness groups. Prescription for physical therapy is now being prescribed before surgery as well as after surgery. But we still have a long way to go.
I am awaiting the day when all psychological prescriptions are accompanied by a physician’s written prescription for exercise.
I am awaiting the day when fitness is clearly defined as a daily event, an integral part of our daily activities and that exercise is a pre-planned event designed specifically to build strength and endurance.
I am awaiting the day when muscle is the first medicine of choice for both individuals and for physician.
I am awaiting the day when preventive medicine starts first and foremost with building muscle.
We learn that exercise is needed. But somehow we have not “sold” muscle as medicine. Muscle is the only true organic medicine. If green has taken the marketplace by storm, muscle should be the next green movement. It is only muscle that changes our metabolism, it is only muscle that protect our joints, it is only muscle that gives us energy. Muscle is the ultimate medicine.
My goal is to increase your understanding of fitness, make it simple and fun and increase your quality of life. If you found this helpful and motivational, please share with your friends. Feel free to publish it on your blog or website (please don’t forget to mention the original source wwww.HealthyRockford.com). Kelly@AmericanSonProducts.com
September 16th, 2009
How to Use the Stairs for Exercise Actual stair climbing (verses the use of machines) is a great exercise for aerobic, strength and flexibility. Of course, climbing the stairs is a life skill that maintains our independence also. Climbing the stairs is a simple and effective functional movement that activates multiple muscles and multiple joints. Multi-joint exercises are efficient because they use multiple muscle groups so you will burn more calories and build muscle much quicker. One set of stairs is the completion of the stair case from bottom to top and then down again. The number of steps in a set of stairs will vary, always count the number of risers, not the number of treads – that way you are including the landings consistently.
Climbing the stairs should be only a small part of your exercise training. You need to add other exercises, other activities and proper nutrition in order to stay fit and healthy. The recommended exercise level for healthy persons is 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise, 5 days a week, plus strength exercise two days a week.
- Inhale, check your posture, arms at your side, and use the railing or balustrade for added stability building up to no railing for greater balance/core conditioning. Start at the bottom of the stair case.
- Exhale; use your entire foot leading with your heel followed quickly by the ball and tip of your foot.
- Always use caution when walking down the stairs. Safety is number one.
- Measure the number of sets, record and track in order to monitor your progress.
- Alternate your lead leg. Start with your right for one set at the bottom of the landing, next set lead with your left leg.
CUES:
- Breathe deeply. In through the nose, hold and out through the mouth. Your exhale should be twice as long as your inhale. So if you inhale for 2, exhale for a count of 4; inhale for 3, exhale for a count of 6, etc…Work on building your deep breathing during stair climbing. Remember your lungs are an important organ that can also use strength training.
- Keep Hydrated. Our muscles are made of 75% of water. Drink plenty of fluids, before after and especially during your exercise.
- Watch your posture. Chin should be level, shoulders back, and abdominals are tight.
TARGET MUSCLES: Glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps (butt, legs and thighs). TIPS:
- Do 3-5 sets, starting slowly and building over time according to your fitness goals.
- Keep your time between your set of stairs under 30 seconds.
- Beginners should use no added weight. As you progress add weight with dumbbells and increase the number of sets.
- Warm-up exercise (such as jogging) prevents injuries by increasing the body temperature, increasing our blood circulation and preparing our muscles and joints for more strenuous exercise. Our muscles are very precious, always take the time to warm up and increase the blood circulation to our 640 muscles.
Added Baseline Benefit:Climbing the stairs is a great exercise that will clearly provide a baseline of physical improvement that can easily be monitored and measured over time both by you and your personal trainer.
Alternatives: Take the elevator down.
Proper Technique:
- Remember the better the form, the better the results.
- Proper technique includes a controlled vertical movement, no leaning forward. Remind yourself shoulders back, chin level. A personal trainer who is actively spotting you is very helpful because as you tire the trainer can remind you and prevent an injury from bad technique. Caution: Consult your physician before beginning a strength training program, especially if you have been inactive or have any health conditions.
My goal is to increase your understanding of fitness, make it simple and fun and increase your quality of life. If you found this helpful and motivational, please share with your friends. Feel free to publish it on your blog or website (please don’t forget to mention the original source wwww.HealthyRockford.com). Kelly@AmericanSonProducts.com
September 16th, 2009
How to do Aerobic Steps (aka Step-ups)
Aerobic steps (also commonly known as Step-ups) are popular because they are both a functional movement and a multi-joint exercise that all of us need. Multi-joint exercises are efficient because they use multiple muscle groups so you will burn more calories and build muscle much quicker.
1. Stand with feet together in front of the aerobic step or bench.
2. Inhale, check your posture, arms at your side.
3. Lead with your right foot, step on to the bench, using the entire foot.
4. Exhale, place your entire weight on your lead leg, bringing your trailing leg to stand on the bench. Keep your torso upright, the power in your movement comes from the lead leg; keep the trailing leg active for balance only.
5. Step off the bench again leading with the right leg, left leg trailing.
6. Repeat all reps on the right leg before switching to the left.
CUES:
- Breathe deeply. In through the nose, hold and out through the mouth. Your exhale should be twice as long as your inhale. So if you inhale for 2, exhale for a count of 4; inhale for 3, exhale for a count of 6, etc… Work on building your deep breathing.
- Keep Hydrated. Our muscles are made of 75% of water. Drink plenty of fluids, before after and especially during your exercise.
- Watch your posture. Chin should be level, shoulders back, and abdominals are tight.
TARGET MUSCLES: Glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps (butt, legs and thighs). TIPS:·
- Do 1-3 sets of 8-15 repetitions, starting slowly and building over time according to your fitness goals.
- Keep the time between your set of exercises under 30 seconds.
- Beginners should use no weight and no extra risers and a lower number of repetitions. As you progress add weight with dumbbells and increase the height of the step with additional risers.
- Once comfortable in your workout routine, try supersets, two exercises back to back with no rest in between. Supersets add efficiency to your workout and are more challenging.
Proper Technique:Proper technique includes a controlled vertical movement, no leaning forward. Remind yourself shoulders back, chin level. A personal trainer spotting you is very helpful because as you tire, you loose perfect posture and tend to lean forward. A personal trainer can keep you from injury with bad technique.
Proper technique includes no hopping/jumping. To avoid “hopping”, consciously place your trailing foot heel down first, toes to the nose, then your full foot.
Caution: Consult your physician before beginning a strength training program, especially if you have been inactive or have any health conditions.
My goal is to increase your understanding of fitness, make it simply and fun and increase your quality of life. If you found this helpful and motivational, please share with your friends. Feel free to publish it on your blog or website (please don’t forget to mention the original source wwww.HealthyRockford.com). Kelly@AmericanSonProducts.com
September 16th, 2009
MUSCLE & ARMOUR – OUR FREE INSURANCE
Muscle is our armour that serves to protect us. It is muscle that increases our endurance. It is muscle that can protect our joints. It is muscle that eases the pain of our ailments. It is muscle that cures us quicker over time. And while our medical staff calls it therapy, the actual goal of the therapist is to stretch and build our muscles, tendons and ligaments to increase the range of motion which serves to accelerate our recovery.
The human body is truly miraculous. It is the only machine that can heal itself. It is the only machine that can actually build strength from within. And if you study the anatomy and closely observe personal trainers and body builders you will see and experience their triumphs first hand. They are living proof that we all can build muscle.
OUR SILVER SLIPPER – THE POWER WITHIN One of my favorite movies is the Wizard of Oz. While most historians do not attribute a moral to the story – I take another perspective, I love the journey Dorothy and her friends traveled along the yellow brick road. But my personal take away was that she (and each of her friends) held the capability all along to realize their dreams/their needs. For Dorothy her desire was to return home which was achieved simply with the click of her ruby read heels. Interestingly the original slippers in the book were silver slippers not red! And thus my analogy is we all own “silver slippers” – we all have the ability to create, change our destiny. We also have the miraculous ability to build our own armour – click by click or link by link.
CHAIN AMOUR AND ITS SIMILAR STRUCTURE TO OUR MUSCLES Armour was first created with the use of chains over 3 thousand years ago – 3 millennia! Chains were simply linked together. These tiny chains would conform and drape over the human body and serve to protect from warfare. Similar in structure to the very first armour created, so too, is the structure of our muscles. Muscles are thousands of fibers held together by connective tissue. Ligaments and tendons surround our muscles and serve to connect to bone or hold organs in place. Within each muscle is various types of fibers forming a very efficient and intricate weave - in many aspects similar in nature to the very first armour made from tiny chains. And just as armour went on to advance to elaborate sheets of metal, so too, our medical profession is learning the natural prescriptive qualities that exercise and building muscle can provide.
THE NEED FOR MUSCLES As we age, we lose muscle tone. Loosing muscle tone causes our metabolism to slow down. A slower metabolism is typically followed closely by weight gain. Additionally, research has connected the loss of muscle to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time. Fractures and sprains become more common as our bone density decreases.
MEDICINE AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE Research has shown that resistance exercise is an effective method for improving strength, muscles mass and bone mass and connective tissue thickness. Resistance exercise improves general fitness and athletic performance, reduces injury risk and can have significant health benefits, including reduction of coronary heart disease risks, improvement of glycemic control (blood sugar levels) and reduction of type II diabetes risk. In the elderly, resistance exercise is an important tool for reducing osteoporosis and fracture risk, minimizing age-related sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass and strength common in our aging population) and improving function in activities of daily living.
MUSCLE = FREE INSURANCE Building muscle is our only free insurance to preventing injuries. Muscle is the human body’s natural form of armour. And we have the ability within us just as Dorothy had her silver slippers to create/design our own destiny.
My goal is to increase your understanding of fitness, make it simple and fun and increase your quality of life. If you found this helpful and motivational, please share with your friends. Feel free to publish it on your blog or website (please don’t forget to mention the original source wwww.healthyrockford.com. Kelly@AmericanSonProducts.com
July 15th, 2009
I’ve never been a fad kind of gal. Never owned a Thighmaster, never followed the Atkins diet, and never did Pilates. And I never had to worry about my weight. Never say never. I’m over 40 now and my metabolism is no longer that of a teenage girl. I can’t live on Coca-Cola and Hostess cupcakes anymore. Well, I could, but my butt would start to look like a couple of cupcakes.
Over the last twenty years, I have attended various aerobics classes and I did Jazzercise (once). It was for fun and friendship, not fitness. Then something shifted. I think it’s called flab. This past year or two, gravity landed on me with a thud. My clothes got tight. I opted for denial. And more cupcakes.
I joined Curves. I rarely went. I could go around the circuit with pushpush chatchat and not break a sweat. No one to blame but myself. I joined Peak. I went once. The trainer told me perhaps I should get in shape before I attempted their classes. Hmm. Talk about needing a cupcake. Then I saw an ad in this very paper for a kicking/boxing/variety kind of workout class at Rockford Academy. I had just read a magazine article about a gal who had tried everything for exercise and a boxing class was her cure. I called. The trainer made me come in for an appointment. I walked in and he said, hello, give me twenty pushups. And he made me punch a bag, and squat and jump. I was a sweaty beast after thirty seconds.
But I signed up. That was last October. The first night I thought I would pass out or puke. I go two, three, four times a week. The class is 30 minutes and every night I am a sweaty beast. Our trainer, Master An, always asks if it was a good workout. For me, just showing up is a good workout. I am seeing change in my arms and legs and stamina.
I want to look as buff as Madonna does at age 50. Well, maybe. I want to be able to wear my clothes and be able to walk a flight of stairs with a laundry basket and not get winded. I also want toning and a hint of definition. I’m pretty sure Madonna could take me in an arm wrestling match (or a dance-off), but for me, this is the closest to a fitness routine that I have ever had. And it feels good. I like when my body feels a little sore. I know it’s a good sore. And I know if I keep up with the workout, I can fit in my jeans and still enjoy my Coke and cupcakes. (Just don’t tell Master An.)
June 9th, 2009
TWO WOLVES
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.
One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
This Indian wisdom is making the rounds in the email world. It reminds me that in all my decisions, I have a choice. What wolf do I choose to feed? It’s up to me.
May 27th, 2009
The most important thing we can do in this life is to pay attention and realize what makes us happy. So often we go through our days on automatic pilot, just doing what we always do. So what’s good for you? Only you know. And it’s up to you to find out.
Yes, the basics are good for you – eating right, exercise, plenty of sleep. Those things matter. Self-care is more than that though. It is what makes your heart happy. And your heart is different from mine so you need to examine yours and start paying attention to what brings you joy.
Maybe getting up early and starting your day on your deck with a cup of coffee with the morning paper brings you a sense of calm. Maybe planting flowers with a child makes you giggle. Maybe taking a walk with a friend lightens your heart.
Or maybe you are a night owl and getting up early makes you cringe. Maybe digging in the dirt gives you hives and taking a walk gives you shin splints. So you need to pay attention to what brings YOU joy and not what others tell you or what you think is expected of you.
What brings you a smile as you go through the day? A favorite song on the radio. Lunch with a friend. A glass of wine on the patio in the evening. That works for me. Wine, women, and song.
The first step is to heighten your awareness. Pay attention to what makes you happy. The little things. Write them down. At the end of every day, jot down three things that gave you a moment of bliss. The more you become aware, the more you will recognize what does – and does not – bring you joy.
Change your focus from grumbling (“The puppy pooped on the carpet.”) to gratitude (“Wow! My children cleaned up the puppy mess today!”) Little things mean a lot and the more you see the little things, the brighter the big picture becomes.
April 8th, 2009
My last 30 days included trips to Asheville, NC (GORGEOUS!); Vegas; San Diego; and Vegas again. (No, I am not a gambler.) I believe travel is “good for you” but I know some people don’t think so. I can say travel is good for me. Going new places, learning new things, meeting new people are good for all of us. No air travel required.
I recently read a blurb that a 20-second hug is the best release of endorphins (besides sex). So take it from the experts, hugs are good for you. And the best place to witness long hugs is the airport. Airport hugs are the epitome of all hugs.
Goodbye hugs can be tearjerkers. People have to do that curbside now, but I remember when you could walk your loved one all the way to the gate. It could be pretty emotional. And being greeted right as you stepped off the plane was a thrill that now has to be postponed until the baggage claim area.
Security rules may have tightened and changed our routine, but the hugs are the same. Hugs are the language of love, no words need to be spoken. It does not matter nationality or language. Watching hugs, you witness love and affection between parent and child, friend to friend, and lover to lover. In my one year living abroad, I was in many European airports. Hugs are universal. Even the French with the kiss-kiss cheek-cheek also hug.
Newborn babies like to be held close to the chest because they want to feel the human heartbeat. Hugs are the same kind of thing. We want a heart to heart connection. The beautiful thing about hugs is that both parties get the endorphins. Give a hug, get a hug. Either way, it’s good for you.
March 24th, 2009
As the newest blogger for healthyrockford.com, I am not here to tell you how to eat (Coke and pretzels are on my desk right now), or to get plenty of rest (I like to write all night), or the best exercise (I think any exercise that makes you sweat counts as “good for you.”) The experts here can help you with all of that. My purpose: to exalt the joy in life. We sometimes lose that in our busy lives. We get caught up in the shoulds, and musts, and “I really need to …” that we overlook the little things that make a BIG difference. If you are not enjoying life, then you are not truly healthy.
My tip for today: pretty underwear. Yep. Matching bra and panties do wonders for any age and any body type, and for your mindset. What you decide to wear is not for anyone else (unless you want it to be); it’s for you. Look good, feel good. Living in France for a year, I learned the law of lingerie. Stores, and even outdoor markets, sell nothing but matching sets. I realized that if I was in an accident and the paramedics had to cut my clothes off, they would see my boring mismatched underthings. They would know that I was not French and leave me for dead at the side of the road. Pretty panties became a priority.
It’s a habit I have kept. Knowing that my underroos are attractive makes me feel attractive. Don’t roll your eyes. Try it. You don’t have to get expensive stuff. Get whatever your style is – lacy, leopard, or Looney Tunes – the point is that you like it and it makes you feel good.
Trade in the old, faded, ratty underwear for something new. The clearance racks always have good deals. Get bras in the same color as panties, or matched sets. When you start your day with something a little nice on your body, it sets the tone for the whole day. It does not matter if your daily outer attire is a uniform, sweats, or a business suit. Like your mom always said, what matters is on the inside.
Give it a week and see if you notice a difference in your daily “feel good” factor. And guys, this motto applies to you too. Get rid of those dingy old undies with holes! How you start your day affects your overall well being. The underwear experiment now begins! (No, please do not send in pictures.)
www.whenlifestinks.com
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