Did you know that when you neglect your core, you develop poor posture that leads to injury, tightness, poor range of motion, difficulty in performing regular everyday tasks like bending over to pick up a basket of laundry, etc.? And did you know that when you neglect your core, the weak muscles need help so other muscles have to pick up the slack resulting in injury, soreness, poor balance, and loss of motion? And did you know that strengthening your core can alleviate low back pain?
Even when we are on a fitness program, we don't always give our core the attention it needs to perform its best. This can be especially true if you are one that relies on the nautilus equipment. Free weights engage the core so much more than that equipment. I am not a fan of it. Also, it's designed to fit the "average" sized person, whatever that means.... If you prefer to do weights, use the free weights and a stability ball or stand when you can.
Our core is our center. Without out a strong core, little things start to become challenging in our day to day lives. The problem with losing strength in the core, is that it's a gradual thing that you don't notice until its pretty far gone. The good news, you can fix it.
Don't get me wrong. You shouldn't place all of your focus on strengthening your core. You need a good balance. My point is to stop neglecting it and realize that if you are having any of the issues I listed above, a weak core is most likely to blame.
There are MANY core strengthening movements that you can experiment with. If you need suggestions, there are numerous example online. YouTube even has demonstrations on how to perform exercises. Never do anything that causes pain. Listen to your body. If it hurts, skip it and move on to something else. But whatever you do....don't neglect your core.
I will be taking a break from writing through Christmas. Try to stay focused and don't let yourself get off track. Get some exercise and don't eat everything in sight. Have a great Christmas!
Friday, December 21, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
One step at a time
Making a lifestyle change takes a lot of time. If you jump in with both feet, it makes it so much harder to keep it going. Just thinking about the list of bad habits that need to be changed is overwhelming. This is a cycle that many get stuck in. It doesn't mean you're incapable of success. It only means you need to slow it down.
There may be people in your life that are able to succeed at things when they jump in with both feet. And watching them succeed may make you feel like it's easier for them and may make you feel discouraged. It's important to focus on YOU and the changes that YOU need to make and how YOU can successfully make the changes you need to make to live healthy. It's important to stop comparing your results to others and stop beating yourself up when you need to take a different approach then so and so.
Make a mental list of your bad habits. Write them down on paper if it helps you. Put it where you can see it daily. Whatever helps remind you of what changes you need to make. Take it slow and conquer one or two at a time. Start with the easy ones. It has been said that will power is a learned behavior, and this is a technique that helps you improve your will power. Maybe one of your bad habits is skipping breakfast. Make it a point to get a healthy breakfast in every day then move on to the next habit. Once you overcome one, move on to the next.
Will power isn't easy for everyone, and not everyone has the same habits they struggle with. Focus on you're own will power struggles and overcome them one by one.
Good luck on kicking bad habits, one by one! And don't move onto the next until you've got the current habit under total control. I hope this helps you with your healthy journey. Every little thing counts!
There may be people in your life that are able to succeed at things when they jump in with both feet. And watching them succeed may make you feel like it's easier for them and may make you feel discouraged. It's important to focus on YOU and the changes that YOU need to make and how YOU can successfully make the changes you need to make to live healthy. It's important to stop comparing your results to others and stop beating yourself up when you need to take a different approach then so and so.
Make a mental list of your bad habits. Write them down on paper if it helps you. Put it where you can see it daily. Whatever helps remind you of what changes you need to make. Take it slow and conquer one or two at a time. Start with the easy ones. It has been said that will power is a learned behavior, and this is a technique that helps you improve your will power. Maybe one of your bad habits is skipping breakfast. Make it a point to get a healthy breakfast in every day then move on to the next habit. Once you overcome one, move on to the next.
Will power isn't easy for everyone, and not everyone has the same habits they struggle with. Focus on you're own will power struggles and overcome them one by one.
Good luck on kicking bad habits, one by one! And don't move onto the next until you've got the current habit under total control. I hope this helps you with your healthy journey. Every little thing counts!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Find what you love
I may be naive in thinking this, but I have a hard time believing that we can't all find some form of exercise that we really enjoy. I think it's all about variety and attitude. Mind over matter. So many people have a negative attitude about exercise, but I believe this is a result of not finding something you enjoy.
Usually people have a certain routine that they like to stick to. It probably gets the job done. It probably gets you the results you're looking for. At least for awhile. It's like a comfort zone. You probably have it pretty perfected by now. You know what you're doing and feel pretty confident when doing it.
Let's talk about why variety is so important in fitness...... For starters, it is so boring to do the same thing every single time! You may be pumped in the beginning and give it all you've got, but then you grow tired of it and stop pushing yourself so hard, dread the workout, and eventually just stop doing it at all. In addition to the mental staleness you experience with monotony, your body will begin to experience something very similar. It will catch on to what you're doing after about 3-4 weeks of a routine. You will see changes during this time, but after 3-4 weeks, changes slow down or even stop when our bodies have adapted to the routine. This is one of the things you can blame the plateau on. After this time period, if you don't add intensity in some way, you will stop seeing progress.
Having said all of that, it is most important to enjoy what you're doing if you intend on having success. If you hate to run, but you always associate running with exercise and never venture out and try new things, you're most likely not going to stick with it for the long haul. If your idea of a workout is going to the gym and using the nautilus equipment, and you dread it every single time, the odds of keeping it up are not in your favor.... Don't allow yourself to become stagnant. Don't allow yourself to become bored. Don't allow yourself to be afraid of trying something new.
I have heard a lot of people say "I've always wanted to run, but I just can't". I don't believe that. You may be in no shape to go on a 3 mile run today, but with the right training and right frame of mind, I'm sure you can meet that goal. Find a passion. Something you've always wanted to learn. Something you've always wanted to try or master. I encourage you to set a goal and work toward it. You will have speed bumps. There will be challenges. But stay focused and accomplish that goal. No one can stop you, but you.
If you are tired of your routine, go to workout program, ask yourself what type of goal you would like to set. What do you want to learn to do? But don't stop there. Don't get stuck in monotony. Variety is very important mentally and physically in exercise. Mix it up. Keep it interesting and fun. Learn to make changes when you get bored so that you keep moving forward. Find a friend that is in similar physical condition and conquer a goal together. Whatever you do, have a good time! Quit turning to the boring routine that doesn't motivate you. You will see amazing changes when you learn to enjoy your exercise and look forward to it.
Today is the day to start! Good luck to you with your goals!! Have fun!!
Usually people have a certain routine that they like to stick to. It probably gets the job done. It probably gets you the results you're looking for. At least for awhile. It's like a comfort zone. You probably have it pretty perfected by now. You know what you're doing and feel pretty confident when doing it.
Let's talk about why variety is so important in fitness...... For starters, it is so boring to do the same thing every single time! You may be pumped in the beginning and give it all you've got, but then you grow tired of it and stop pushing yourself so hard, dread the workout, and eventually just stop doing it at all. In addition to the mental staleness you experience with monotony, your body will begin to experience something very similar. It will catch on to what you're doing after about 3-4 weeks of a routine. You will see changes during this time, but after 3-4 weeks, changes slow down or even stop when our bodies have adapted to the routine. This is one of the things you can blame the plateau on. After this time period, if you don't add intensity in some way, you will stop seeing progress.
Having said all of that, it is most important to enjoy what you're doing if you intend on having success. If you hate to run, but you always associate running with exercise and never venture out and try new things, you're most likely not going to stick with it for the long haul. If your idea of a workout is going to the gym and using the nautilus equipment, and you dread it every single time, the odds of keeping it up are not in your favor.... Don't allow yourself to become stagnant. Don't allow yourself to become bored. Don't allow yourself to be afraid of trying something new.
I have heard a lot of people say "I've always wanted to run, but I just can't". I don't believe that. You may be in no shape to go on a 3 mile run today, but with the right training and right frame of mind, I'm sure you can meet that goal. Find a passion. Something you've always wanted to learn. Something you've always wanted to try or master. I encourage you to set a goal and work toward it. You will have speed bumps. There will be challenges. But stay focused and accomplish that goal. No one can stop you, but you.
If you are tired of your routine, go to workout program, ask yourself what type of goal you would like to set. What do you want to learn to do? But don't stop there. Don't get stuck in monotony. Variety is very important mentally and physically in exercise. Mix it up. Keep it interesting and fun. Learn to make changes when you get bored so that you keep moving forward. Find a friend that is in similar physical condition and conquer a goal together. Whatever you do, have a good time! Quit turning to the boring routine that doesn't motivate you. You will see amazing changes when you learn to enjoy your exercise and look forward to it.
Today is the day to start! Good luck to you with your goals!! Have fun!!
Monday, December 17, 2012
Curve balls
Life throws us curve balls. One right after the other, so it sometimes seems. How do you let it affect you? How do you react?
So many times, you get on a program and you're diligently sticking to it for a good period of time, when, from out of nowhere, life throws something unexpected at you. Maybe you are injured or ill and have to take a rest. Maybe you have some sort of major stress that steels you away. Maybe you get extremely swamped with something and just can't stay on track. It happens to us all. And the natural response to something so drastic, is to become paralyzed by it. And sometimes that's necessary. Sometimes you have no choice.
When something comes at you in this way, what's your reaction? When you have to take a break from your fitness program, do you just throw in the towel on the health plan as well? Do you give up completely? When stress gets the best of you and you begin to revisit some of your old bad eating habits, do you still make yourself get out there and burn off those calories? Try to stay on top of it so that all of the hard work isn't a total loss?
It is hard to get back in the swing of a routine that takes work and discipline when you are struggling with something. It is hard to stick with it when life isn't going so smooth and you are overwhelmed.
When life throws you a curve ball, you need to do your best not to give yourself permission to just give up all together. You need to hold on to those results from all of the hard work you put in. Those results you earned. And when life throws something at you that steals your focus, you need to not let it win.
We are going to get off track sometimes. We are going to mess up. Get distracted. Backslide. It's all part of the challenge of living a healthy lifestyle. You do your best and don't let it control you. And when you DO have to take a break from exercise for whatever reason, or feel too overwhelmed to continue pushing yourself due to certain circumstances, you need to work through it and get back at right away.
If we can learn how to work through our struggles, we have a far better chance of success. If we can keep going and never give up, even when life throws a speed bump in front of us, we have a much better chance of success. When you get off track, it's important to try your best to maintain what's already been accomplished, so that when the time of struggle passes, you are picking up where you left off.
Nobody likes to start over, so never give up!
So many times, you get on a program and you're diligently sticking to it for a good period of time, when, from out of nowhere, life throws something unexpected at you. Maybe you are injured or ill and have to take a rest. Maybe you have some sort of major stress that steels you away. Maybe you get extremely swamped with something and just can't stay on track. It happens to us all. And the natural response to something so drastic, is to become paralyzed by it. And sometimes that's necessary. Sometimes you have no choice.
When something comes at you in this way, what's your reaction? When you have to take a break from your fitness program, do you just throw in the towel on the health plan as well? Do you give up completely? When stress gets the best of you and you begin to revisit some of your old bad eating habits, do you still make yourself get out there and burn off those calories? Try to stay on top of it so that all of the hard work isn't a total loss?
It is hard to get back in the swing of a routine that takes work and discipline when you are struggling with something. It is hard to stick with it when life isn't going so smooth and you are overwhelmed.
When life throws you a curve ball, you need to do your best not to give yourself permission to just give up all together. You need to hold on to those results from all of the hard work you put in. Those results you earned. And when life throws something at you that steals your focus, you need to not let it win.
We are going to get off track sometimes. We are going to mess up. Get distracted. Backslide. It's all part of the challenge of living a healthy lifestyle. You do your best and don't let it control you. And when you DO have to take a break from exercise for whatever reason, or feel too overwhelmed to continue pushing yourself due to certain circumstances, you need to work through it and get back at right away.
If we can learn how to work through our struggles, we have a far better chance of success. If we can keep going and never give up, even when life throws a speed bump in front of us, we have a much better chance of success. When you get off track, it's important to try your best to maintain what's already been accomplished, so that when the time of struggle passes, you are picking up where you left off.
Nobody likes to start over, so never give up!
Friday, December 14, 2012
Little things matter
There are so many little everyday things that we can all focus on to improve our health. We tend to get lazy with the little things, but they really do matter. Practicing poor posture, sending the kids to grab your slippers for you, driving to the mailbox instead of walking, etc. Think about what a difference it could make in your overall health if you removed laziness from your daily life in these small ways.
In addition to these things, there are little extra things that you can focus on during the day to improve your health. Stand up straight. Contract your core as much as you can. Pull your belly button in. This will tighten your core. When getting up from a chair, don't use your hands. This engages your core. Plus its easier on the chair.... Don't be afraid to get on the floor. Practice getting up and down from the floor so that's its not something you try to avoid. Lay on the floor and stand up several times a day. If you don't use it, you lose it! When you are waiting for a table in a restaurant, stand. Why do we have to sit? You can sway from side to side to add a little movement to it. Get up and do some sort of exercise movement during a commercial break instead of hitting fast forward.
These small things all add up at the end of the day. You would be surprised if you paid attention to all of the small ways you can be lazy. And before you know it, it's a chore to tie your shoes or get up from a chair. Focus on these and make changes when you catch yourself in a lazy moment. You will see a difference.
In addition to these things, there are little extra things that you can focus on during the day to improve your health. Stand up straight. Contract your core as much as you can. Pull your belly button in. This will tighten your core. When getting up from a chair, don't use your hands. This engages your core. Plus its easier on the chair.... Don't be afraid to get on the floor. Practice getting up and down from the floor so that's its not something you try to avoid. Lay on the floor and stand up several times a day. If you don't use it, you lose it! When you are waiting for a table in a restaurant, stand. Why do we have to sit? You can sway from side to side to add a little movement to it. Get up and do some sort of exercise movement during a commercial break instead of hitting fast forward.
These small things all add up at the end of the day. You would be surprised if you paid attention to all of the small ways you can be lazy. And before you know it, it's a chore to tie your shoes or get up from a chair. Focus on these and make changes when you catch yourself in a lazy moment. You will see a difference.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Think about it.....
My husband was telling me awhile back about an article he read on how bad wheat is for you. Naturally, I argued with him..... But then I stumbled on the same article and others just like it, claiming how bad wheat is for us and that eliminating wheat from the diet has made drastic health improvements among people suffering from SO MANY illnesses. I have a cousin (young woman) who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, and when I shared this with her she couldn't wait to start trying it. So today I'm just going to post that article. Go read it. It's something to think about!
http://wellnessmama.com/3486/do-you-have-a-wheat-belly-interview-with-dr-davis/
http://wellnessmama.com/3486/do-you-have-a-wheat-belly-interview-with-dr-davis/
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
My Opinion
I'm not a very political person, but I have my beliefs and I understand things a lot better than I can talk about them. I learn a lot from my brother who is extremely educated in this area. I don't want to start a debate, but I want to point out my opinion on how taking care of yourself is more important than ever before.
With the new Obama Care coming into effect, we are going to lose the ability to make decisions for our own healthcare. Those of us that didn't want this, need to do our part. With the government taking control over your treatment options, doesn't it make sense to try to do everything you can to fight health issues off by making a lifestyle change? We can blame so many health issues on bad habits. No exercise= lack of cardiovascular health along with many other issues. A diet rich in fat= high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. A diet rich in refined sugar= diabetes. And all of these result in obesity which contributes to a whole other list of health issues. And I'm only pointing out a few....
Did you know that you can reverse, improve, and even cure a HUGE list of health issues through diet and exercise? Instead of slapping a bandaid on it and taking a pill, why not be responsible and try to prevent, reverse, or improve your condition? Why not try to prolong the onset of health issues into old age? I understand there are genetic reasons that some of us suffer from certain health issues. That doesn't mean you can't improve your condition through healthy choices. That doesn't mean you can't prolong bigger problems due to certain health issues by taking proper care of yourself.
A lot of us feel as though we have lost in this area. And I agree. And that's my opinion. But I know that I can do my part to control my own health by eating responsibly and exercising regularly. It doesn't have to be about being at your dream weight, or about looking good in a bikini. Although those are great goals to have, they shouldn't be your primary focus. Trying to control your own health should be a great motivator and a great reason to quit making excuses for living an unhealthy lifestyle. Do your part and pray every day that you never have to give up that control over your own health.
As I already said, this is my opinion. As Americans, I believe we are irresponsible with our bodies. And what I do know is that I can rest easy knowing that I am doing my part to prevent illness. I will not say that living healthy makes you immune to anything. But we have for sure learned that unhealthy living WILL catch up to you. It's just a matter of time.
Do your part. Be responsible and do your best to control your own health so that you later don't lose the ability to make decisions for yourself.
That's my opinion......
With the new Obama Care coming into effect, we are going to lose the ability to make decisions for our own healthcare. Those of us that didn't want this, need to do our part. With the government taking control over your treatment options, doesn't it make sense to try to do everything you can to fight health issues off by making a lifestyle change? We can blame so many health issues on bad habits. No exercise= lack of cardiovascular health along with many other issues. A diet rich in fat= high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. A diet rich in refined sugar= diabetes. And all of these result in obesity which contributes to a whole other list of health issues. And I'm only pointing out a few....
Did you know that you can reverse, improve, and even cure a HUGE list of health issues through diet and exercise? Instead of slapping a bandaid on it and taking a pill, why not be responsible and try to prevent, reverse, or improve your condition? Why not try to prolong the onset of health issues into old age? I understand there are genetic reasons that some of us suffer from certain health issues. That doesn't mean you can't improve your condition through healthy choices. That doesn't mean you can't prolong bigger problems due to certain health issues by taking proper care of yourself.
A lot of us feel as though we have lost in this area. And I agree. And that's my opinion. But I know that I can do my part to control my own health by eating responsibly and exercising regularly. It doesn't have to be about being at your dream weight, or about looking good in a bikini. Although those are great goals to have, they shouldn't be your primary focus. Trying to control your own health should be a great motivator and a great reason to quit making excuses for living an unhealthy lifestyle. Do your part and pray every day that you never have to give up that control over your own health.
As I already said, this is my opinion. As Americans, I believe we are irresponsible with our bodies. And what I do know is that I can rest easy knowing that I am doing my part to prevent illness. I will not say that living healthy makes you immune to anything. But we have for sure learned that unhealthy living WILL catch up to you. It's just a matter of time.
Do your part. Be responsible and do your best to control your own health so that you later don't lose the ability to make decisions for yourself.
That's my opinion......
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