A Lifestyle Choice: Getting Fit!
Here's a sad fact: About half of those who start a new exercise program abandon it within three to six months. It's not our fault. Evolution has instilled in each of us a strong instinct to avoid unnecessary exertion. So if you want to build a lasting exercise habit, you need to overcome this instinct.
The good news is that in recent years, the busy field of exercise psychology has come up with a number of effective tricks to help us in this process. Here are seven of them.
1) Find the Right Fit- Studies have shown that people are more likely to stick with exercise when they choose an activity they like. There are literally dozens of effective forms of exercise (weightlifting, walking, running, tennis, yoga, swimming, basketball, bicycling--the list goes on). The best one for you is whichever one you'll enjoy enough to stick with.
2) Deflate the No-time Excuse- Lack of time is the number-one cited reason for failure. Instead of beginning each day with a general intention to exercise, plan a specific activity for a specific time and place 24 hours in advance. These tips can help you fit a workout into even the busiest schedule!
3) Reduce the amount of time you spend watching TV- Find other ways of reducing "waste" from your schedule. Consider walking or riding your bike to work to limit commute time. Go to bed 30 minutes earlier and exercise first thing in the morning.
4) Choose an activity that you can do anytime, anywhere- Jogging or walking is an excellent option! Purchase a piece of home exercise equipment, such as an elliptical trainer.
Find a way to work out during your lunch break. Combine your workouts with another daily necessity, for example by running errands on foot instead of in the car.
5) Give It Purpose- People are more likely to stick to an exercise routine if workouts have an immediate practical purpose. For example, walking on a treadmill has no immediate practical purpose, but walking your dog does. Riding a stationary bike has no purpose, but riding a bike to and from work does. If you can find a way to kill two birds with one stone with an activity, chances are greater you'll keep at it.
6) Set Goals- Why are goals so effective? Goals set us up for what are called "success experiences," which motivate us to keep doing whatever sort of activity leads to them. In order to experience successes in exercise, it helps to set measurable goals, so there's no doubt whether you've achieved them.
- Increase your training schedule from four workouts to five next week
- Increase your circuit training workout from one circuit to two circuits next week
- Complete a 5K running race in three weeks
- Reduce your waist measurement by one inch in one month
- Lose 10 pounds in one month
- Reduce your body fat percentage by five percent in 50 days
7) Make It a Team Effort- All kinds of research has shown that people are more likely to stick with exercise if it's a social affair than if it's a solo exploit. Training with a friend, spouse or family member, getting a personal trainer, and joining some kind of exercise group (e.g. a bicycling club) are other effective ways to get social motivation!!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday March 30, 2009
Spring Into Fitness!!!
Well hopefully everyone received our email discussing the new Spring Into Fitness Program! We hope that everyone will be motiviated to participate in this program, and we are here to answer any questions you may have!
Coming up are a few 5k races...this Saturday don't forget is the StillPond to Betteron Tree Run 5k run/walk at 10:00am...I have attached the registration form, and why not come out and join this race and support your community!
Plus, you will be on your way to a great start for the Spring Into Fitness Program! Also coming up is the DragonFly Heart Camp 5k run/walk on Saturday April 11th at 10:00am!!!
http://dragonflyheartcamp.org/fundraising/5Krun/5kand1krun.html
Well hopefully everyone received our email discussing the new Spring Into Fitness Program! We hope that everyone will be motiviated to participate in this program, and we are here to answer any questions you may have!
Coming up are a few 5k races...this Saturday don't forget is the StillPond to Betteron Tree Run 5k run/walk at 10:00am...I have attached the registration form, and why not come out and join this race and support your community!
Plus, you will be on your way to a great start for the Spring Into Fitness Program! Also coming up is the DragonFly Heart Camp 5k run/walk on Saturday April 11th at 10:00am!!!
http://dragonflyheartcamp.org/fundraising/5Krun/5kand1krun.html
Friday, December 5, 2008
Holiday Fitness Strategies
The CBS Early Show and their Fitness Contributor Minna Lessig provide some good tips for the holiday season. As you peruse the tips, you shouldn't feel overwhelmed but look for 1 or 2 strategies that are realistic for you to incorporate into your daily regiment.
Here are some more holiday fitness tips from Minna:
There are many tempting foods and you should not deprive yourself. Make sure that you can enjoy the moment of splurging, and then return to your original preparation plan. Regaining control and getting back to your regular eating style and workout schedule is what is important. Feeling guilty will only weaken your motivation and prevent you from being active.
Keep track of how many calories you are burning and how many calories you are taking in.
Here are some popular Thanksgiving food and drinks:
Here are some more holiday fitness tips from Minna:
- Add exercise to your "to do" list and give it the same importance as your other errands.
- Maximize your time. Use your lunch break to walk to a nearby shopping center to do holiday errands. Try to do anything that gets you moving. All activities add up -- lugging a toddler around house, taking stairs instead of escalator when shopping, or going window shopping.
- Focus on fitness during the weekends. Get outside for an hour or more of skiing, snowshoeing, hiking or sledding with your kids. If you're in a warm-weather state, use the time for a long bike ride.
- Shoveling snow or chopping wood is a great workout. You'll burn several hundred calories doing either task. Just make sure to protect your back.
- Keep an exercise journal. This can help you stay motivated by making daily exercise goals for yourself and keeping track of what you have accomplished. This also might deter you from overeating.
There are many tempting foods and you should not deprive yourself. Make sure that you can enjoy the moment of splurging, and then return to your original preparation plan. Regaining control and getting back to your regular eating style and workout schedule is what is important. Feeling guilty will only weaken your motivation and prevent you from being active.
Keep track of how many calories you are burning and how many calories you are taking in.
Here are some popular Thanksgiving food and drinks:
- Eggnog, 1 cup serving, 342 calories 18 grams of fat
- Cranberry sauce, 1 slice, 1/2-inch thick, 86 calories 0 fat
- Stuffing, 1/2 cup, 178 calories 8.6 fat
- dark meat turkey, no skin, 3.5 oz., 187 calories 7.2 fat
- gravy, 1/4 cup, 30 calories 2 fat
- homemade pumpkin pie, 1/8 of a 9-inch pie, 316 calories 14 fat
- homemade pecan pie, 1/8 of 9-inch pie, 502 calories 27 fat
- Brussels sprouts, plain with salt, 1/2 cup serving, 31 calories 0 fat
- Carrots, plain with salt, 1/2 cup serving, 26 calories 0 fat
- Stationary bike (at moderate level): 504 calories/hour
- Elliptical trainer (general): 648 calories/hour
- Stairmaster: 432 calories/hour
- Running (11.5 min/mile): 648 calories/hour
- Walking (17 min/mile): 288 calories/hour
Monday, November 10, 2008
Nutrition and Energy Tips for the Workday
Energy management should be one of the principal concerns of the working man, and yet the average guy fuels his body the way he gases up his vehicle: when it's running on fumes.It's a red warning light response, and it usually triggers a pit stop for a cafe au lait and a croissant. But there's a better way to wake up that doesn't involve overpriced coffee: Eat smart. And eat often. More specifically, snack often. By snacking on the right foods at strategic times, you'll keep your energy levels stoked all day, says sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, R.D. Here's what to eat when, with the prep time you've got.
7 A.M.: Jump Start Your Body
They call it breakfast for a reason: You haven't eaten for at least 8 hours. Your blood sugar level is at its lowest ebb, and now it's time to fuel up with protein and some fat, but mostly with complex carbohydrates.
At home: Grab a bowl and mix together a 3:1 ratio of Fiber One cereal plus Honey Nut Cheerios (Or cereal of choice). Add 1⁄2 cup of 2 percent milk. That'll give you fat, protein,and long burning fiber, plus a little sweetness to spike your blood sugar and help wake you up. Researchers at Cardiff University in Wales gave 150 men and women either high fiber or low fiber cereal every morning for 2 weeks. At the end of the study, those people who ate the most fiber also reported feeling the most energetic. "Fiber helps slow down the absorption of food in the stomach, so you have more energy over a sustained period of time," says Elizabeth Kunkel, Ph.D., R.D., a professor of food science at Clemson University.
In the car: Munch on a pack of Frito Lay Trail Mix. These single serving tubes of nuts,raisins, and chocolate chips cost just a dollar, and you can dump one right into your mouth while you navigate rush hour traffic. The raisins provide potassium — a mineral your body needs to convert sugar in the blood into energy. As for the nuts, they're high in magnesium.When magnesium levels are low, your body hikes its production of lactic acid — the same fatigue inducing substance that causes your muscles to burn when you're pushing yourself to crank out that third superset.
At your desk: Dig into Knudsen Cottage Doubles while checking your email. These to gobowls of cottage cheese come with a side of fruit. Eat them separately or stir the fruit in to the cottage cheese to make it more flavorful. Besides being high in muscle building protein,cottage cheese is a good source of calcium and phosphorus, two minerals that help build your muscles' energy reserves. Researchers in Denmark found that men who replaced 20 percent of the carbohydrates in their diet with a high protein food like cottage cheese not only had more energy, but also revved up their metabolisms, increasing the number of calories they burned each day by up to 5 percent.
10:30 A.M.: Prevent Midmorning Malaise
It takes your body 2 to 3 hours to break down the sugars in the food you eat, release them into your bloodstream, and convert them into energy. Go longer than that without eating again and your energy levels will start to fade.
At your desk: Drink a bottle of lightly sweetened tea — we like Tazo and Honest Tea. The sugar will help to elevate your blood sugar, while the caffeine improves your mental alertness. Compounds in the tea itself also help boost metabolism. Swiss researchers found that men who drank green tea burned more calories during the day than men who didn't;USDA researchers made a similar discovery regarding men drinking black tea. And if that weren't enough, drinking tea also helps prevent dehydration. "Losing just 2 percent of your body's water weight can decrease energy levels by 20 percent," says Susan M. Kleiner,Ph.D., R.D., author of Power Eating.
In a catered meeting: Skip the dough nuts and pastries and grab a handful of fresh berries instead. Since fruit breaks down slowly in the body, it provides a more gradual dose of sugar for the bloodstream. "Your brain is constantly burning sugar for fuel, so maintaining an adequate supply of sugar in your bloodstream at all times is one of the key strategies for keeping energy levels high," says J. Mark Davis, Ph.D., a professor of exercise science at the University of South Carolina.
Noon: Eat a Power Lunch
By lunchtime, your blood sugar level doesn't need an immediate boost. Instead, stock up on sources of longterm energy to get you to quitting time.
At a business lunch: Order the tuna fillet. The omega3s found in fish are one of the primary building blocks of brain tissue, so they're vital for keeping your mind sharp."Omega3s also increase the flexibility of red blood cells, boosting blood flow and the supply of energy providing oxygen throughout the body," says Douglas Bibus, Ph.D., a lipid researcher at the University of Minnesota and editor of Omega3 News.
In the cafeteria: Drizzle olive oil and vinaigrette dressing over a salad topped withc hicken, ham, or hardboiled egg. The oil in the dressing will help slow down digestion of the protein and carbs in the salad, stabilizing blood sugar levels and keeping energy levels high, says Richard Podell, M.D., a clinical professor of medicine at Robert Wood Johnson medical school in New Jersey.
At the drive thru: Order a Taco Bell bean burrito with extra hot sauce. Australian researchers found that men who'd eaten spicy foods stayed alert and energetic longer than men who'd eaten other foods. A burrito's power comes from its beans, which are rich in riboflavin and niacin — two vitamins your body needs to convert sugar into energy.
3:30 P.M.: Beat the Afternoon Slump
Work stress has taken its toll. Fight fatigue with these.
In the cafeteria: Grab a carton of Dannon Light n' Fit yogurt when your energy starts to waver. High protein foods like yogurt are good sources of amino acids, such as tyrosine. "The body uses tyrosine to create a chemical called nor epinephrine, which helps reduce the effects of stress, boost energy levels, and keep the brain alert," says tyrosine expert JanBerend Deijen, Ph.D.
At your desk: Snack on crackers and peanut butter, which provide quick carb energy plus long burning protein and fat.
7 A.M.: Jump Start Your Body
They call it breakfast for a reason: You haven't eaten for at least 8 hours. Your blood sugar level is at its lowest ebb, and now it's time to fuel up with protein and some fat, but mostly with complex carbohydrates.
At home: Grab a bowl and mix together a 3:1 ratio of Fiber One cereal plus Honey Nut Cheerios (Or cereal of choice). Add 1⁄2 cup of 2 percent milk. That'll give you fat, protein,and long burning fiber, plus a little sweetness to spike your blood sugar and help wake you up. Researchers at Cardiff University in Wales gave 150 men and women either high fiber or low fiber cereal every morning for 2 weeks. At the end of the study, those people who ate the most fiber also reported feeling the most energetic. "Fiber helps slow down the absorption of food in the stomach, so you have more energy over a sustained period of time," says Elizabeth Kunkel, Ph.D., R.D., a professor of food science at Clemson University.
In the car: Munch on a pack of Frito Lay Trail Mix. These single serving tubes of nuts,raisins, and chocolate chips cost just a dollar, and you can dump one right into your mouth while you navigate rush hour traffic. The raisins provide potassium — a mineral your body needs to convert sugar in the blood into energy. As for the nuts, they're high in magnesium.When magnesium levels are low, your body hikes its production of lactic acid — the same fatigue inducing substance that causes your muscles to burn when you're pushing yourself to crank out that third superset.
At your desk: Dig into Knudsen Cottage Doubles while checking your email. These to gobowls of cottage cheese come with a side of fruit. Eat them separately or stir the fruit in to the cottage cheese to make it more flavorful. Besides being high in muscle building protein,cottage cheese is a good source of calcium and phosphorus, two minerals that help build your muscles' energy reserves. Researchers in Denmark found that men who replaced 20 percent of the carbohydrates in their diet with a high protein food like cottage cheese not only had more energy, but also revved up their metabolisms, increasing the number of calories they burned each day by up to 5 percent.
10:30 A.M.: Prevent Midmorning Malaise
It takes your body 2 to 3 hours to break down the sugars in the food you eat, release them into your bloodstream, and convert them into energy. Go longer than that without eating again and your energy levels will start to fade.
At your desk: Drink a bottle of lightly sweetened tea — we like Tazo and Honest Tea. The sugar will help to elevate your blood sugar, while the caffeine improves your mental alertness. Compounds in the tea itself also help boost metabolism. Swiss researchers found that men who drank green tea burned more calories during the day than men who didn't;USDA researchers made a similar discovery regarding men drinking black tea. And if that weren't enough, drinking tea also helps prevent dehydration. "Losing just 2 percent of your body's water weight can decrease energy levels by 20 percent," says Susan M. Kleiner,Ph.D., R.D., author of Power Eating.
In a catered meeting: Skip the dough nuts and pastries and grab a handful of fresh berries instead. Since fruit breaks down slowly in the body, it provides a more gradual dose of sugar for the bloodstream. "Your brain is constantly burning sugar for fuel, so maintaining an adequate supply of sugar in your bloodstream at all times is one of the key strategies for keeping energy levels high," says J. Mark Davis, Ph.D., a professor of exercise science at the University of South Carolina.
Noon: Eat a Power Lunch
By lunchtime, your blood sugar level doesn't need an immediate boost. Instead, stock up on sources of longterm energy to get you to quitting time.
At a business lunch: Order the tuna fillet. The omega3s found in fish are one of the primary building blocks of brain tissue, so they're vital for keeping your mind sharp."Omega3s also increase the flexibility of red blood cells, boosting blood flow and the supply of energy providing oxygen throughout the body," says Douglas Bibus, Ph.D., a lipid researcher at the University of Minnesota and editor of Omega3 News.
In the cafeteria: Drizzle olive oil and vinaigrette dressing over a salad topped withc hicken, ham, or hardboiled egg. The oil in the dressing will help slow down digestion of the protein and carbs in the salad, stabilizing blood sugar levels and keeping energy levels high, says Richard Podell, M.D., a clinical professor of medicine at Robert Wood Johnson medical school in New Jersey.
At the drive thru: Order a Taco Bell bean burrito with extra hot sauce. Australian researchers found that men who'd eaten spicy foods stayed alert and energetic longer than men who'd eaten other foods. A burrito's power comes from its beans, which are rich in riboflavin and niacin — two vitamins your body needs to convert sugar into energy.
3:30 P.M.: Beat the Afternoon Slump
Work stress has taken its toll. Fight fatigue with these.
In the cafeteria: Grab a carton of Dannon Light n' Fit yogurt when your energy starts to waver. High protein foods like yogurt are good sources of amino acids, such as tyrosine. "The body uses tyrosine to create a chemical called nor epinephrine, which helps reduce the effects of stress, boost energy levels, and keep the brain alert," says tyrosine expert JanBerend Deijen, Ph.D.
At your desk: Snack on crackers and peanut butter, which provide quick carb energy plus long burning protein and fat.
Mulch Walking/Running Trail
With the dedicated help of Sue Brown and her staff, Washington College has a mulch walking/running trail on campus.
Trail Distance and Location:
1 Lap: .65 miles
2 laps: 1.3 miles
The mulch trail starts at the base of the bridge which takes you to the cemetery. It goes along perimeter of campus by cemetery and turns right past the softball field You will then walk between Shriver Field and the bank of the practice soccer field. The trail turns right at the end of Shriver Field, and goes between the 3 fields and the bypass (291/Morgnec Rd.). It then turns right at the corner of bypass 1 and the edge of the RR Bank, and you will finish back at the platform tennis courts and the bridge.
Trail Distance and Location:
1 Lap: .65 miles
2 laps: 1.3 miles
The mulch trail starts at the base of the bridge which takes you to the cemetery. It goes along perimeter of campus by cemetery and turns right past the softball field You will then walk between Shriver Field and the bank of the practice soccer field. The trail turns right at the end of Shriver Field, and goes between the 3 fields and the bypass (291/Morgnec Rd.). It then turns right at the corner of bypass 1 and the edge of the RR Bank, and you will finish back at the platform tennis courts and the bridge.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Trivia Question: Nov. 1-7
Which of the following is the most “desirable” reading for total amount of cholesterol per
mg/dl?
A) 240 mg/dl
B) 230 mg/dl
C) 220 mg/dl
D) 200 mg/dl or less
mg/dl?
A) 240 mg/dl
B) 230 mg/dl
C) 220 mg/dl
D) 200 mg/dl or less
Monday, November 3, 2008
Wellness Bestsellers
Along with the walking, lifting, running, and sweating that we are engaging in day to day, I have offered some of my favorite books that have influenced my life. As we become healthier, I would also like to challenge your brain with this literature, and in doing so, it will add to our knowledge base and our overall health and wellness.
Training and Fitness:
Core Performance (This is for maximizing athletic performance)
Core Essentials (This is for the regular person wanting to improve all aspects of the body)
Core Endurance (This is for the our swimmers, runners, and bikers)
By Mark Verstegen
Mark Verstegen has been one of my main educational resources for performance training and keeping my body flexible, strong, and injury free.
General Health
YOU: The Owner's Manual, An Insider's Guide to the Body That Will Make You Healthier and Younger
YOU: Staying Young
YOU: On a Diet
By Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz
The "YOU" series of books are exceptional at explaining all aspects of healthy living. The simplicity and creative analogies used in this book will open your eyes to easy and fun ways to create a healthier you. They also have an interesting way of predicting your "Real Age". Through the book, they use daily stressors or positives that add and subtract years to your actual age. Check it out for more details
Nutrition and the American Way of Eating:
The Omnivores Dilemma
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto (Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants)
By Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan is a brilliant writer who draws the reader into the issues of health in todays world. Through his research, he provides the reader with data and information about the Western Diet and the need for adjustments and change to become a healthier society as a whole.
Training and Fitness:
Core Performance (This is for maximizing athletic performance)
Core Essentials (This is for the regular person wanting to improve all aspects of the body)
Core Endurance (This is for the our swimmers, runners, and bikers)
By Mark Verstegen
Mark Verstegen has been one of my main educational resources for performance training and keeping my body flexible, strong, and injury free.
General Health
YOU: The Owner's Manual, An Insider's Guide to the Body That Will Make You Healthier and Younger
YOU: Staying Young
YOU: On a Diet
By Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz
The "YOU" series of books are exceptional at explaining all aspects of healthy living. The simplicity and creative analogies used in this book will open your eyes to easy and fun ways to create a healthier you. They also have an interesting way of predicting your "Real Age". Through the book, they use daily stressors or positives that add and subtract years to your actual age. Check it out for more details
Nutrition and the American Way of Eating:
The Omnivores Dilemma
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto (Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants)
By Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan is a brilliant writer who draws the reader into the issues of health in todays world. Through his research, he provides the reader with data and information about the Western Diet and the need for adjustments and change to become a healthier society as a whole.
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