Warming up is not stretching.

Let’s take a closer look at what it is, if it’s not stretching.

Warming up has many purposes.

It provides a smooth transition from the resting state to the higher level of energy expenditure and effort you experience in the main part of your workout.

It also raises your heart rate from its resting state gradually and safely in order to prepare your heart for more demanding activity.

It prepares you physiologically and psychologically for physical performance and also lessens the possibility of injury.

–A proper warm-up raises your body and muscle temperature, can stretch your tissues permitting greater flexibility, and prepares your joints permiting greater mobility.

–The time needed for a satisfactory warm-up varies from person to person and tends to increase with age. This depends on how fast your body takes to feel loose and break a steady sweat. For most people this is usually 5-15 minutes.

–The colder the weather, the longer the warm-up.

–General ideas for warming up are jogging or easy running, stationary biking, rowing or other light aerobic activity. You need sufficient duration and intensity without developing fatigue.

–The nature of the warm-up varies in some degree in relation to the activity.

You want to simulate as close as you can the physical activity you’re about to engage in. Many exercises and athletes use stationary biking with minimal resistance as their warm-up. It raises your heart rate gently and loosens up your entire lower body.

So, make the most of your warm-up!

shelli

You could walk from California to New York and still not be fit.

Why?

Because walking by itself will never get you fit.

Walking can put undue stress on your back and knees.

It tightens your hamstrings and other leg muscles.

It can cause foot and ankle problems.

It does nothing to increase your upper body strength, and does very little to strengthen your abdominals.

It does very little to increase your agility, balance, and coordination and does little to increase your strength and muscle endurance.

Walking does not increase your cardiovascular conditioning as effectively as other exercises and it takes a lot of time to see results (whether they are fat loss or conditioning results).

There has been a walking craze.

It’s not expensive, needs no equipment except for a good pair of shoes, and doesn’t require a lot of effort.

However, in most cases you’re better off seeing walking as a leisure activity.

Walk for fun, not for fitness. Engage in your regular fitness program and use walking as a supplement.

If you do want to include walking in your exercise program make sure you do two things: walking fast enough to get your heart rate up in order to realize some physical benefits and make sure your walking technique is solid. 

Yes, there is a proper walking technique, but that’s a topic for another article. 

Walk on,

shelli

How do you define fitness? 

It’s a good question, I think.

Generally speaking, here’s a good working definition.

Fitness is your ability to do whatever you ask your body to do.

Can you run a mile without spending the next 2 days recovering from your run?

Do you have sufficient flexibility?

Can you lift a 10 lb. dumbbell and do a circuit routine of upper body exercises?

Can you jump rope for 10 minutes or more?

Can you ride a stationary bike for 15 minutes and maintain 90-120 rpm?

If you can answer YES to these, then you are fit.

I hope you get my point.

Fitness consists of many different elements.

You may be exercising regularly but not be very fit.

It is essential to exercise properly, efficiently, and effectively so that you attain a sufficient level of fitness.

Can you motivate yourself to make exercise and getting and staying fit a good health habit?

If you can, then you are on the road to fitness.

That’s great. Congratulations!

If you have been exercising but are not on the road to fitness (as I’ve explained it here), then get started. It’s never too late.

All around fitness is a key to optimizing both your health and longevity: two things I’m betting you’re interested in.

shelli

Genetics do play a role in flexibility, but everyone can increase their flexibility if they learn the correct techniques.

Stretching prepares your body for the physical demands you put on your muscles.

Good flexibility increases your ability to avoid injury because it permits a greater range of movement within your joints, ligaments, and other tissues so they are not easily strained or torn.

It also permits greater freedom of movement in all directions.

Hyperflexibility, however, must be avoided.

Loose-jointed people are more prone to dislocations and other injuries. Extremes in flexibility are of little value because it results in weaker joints.

Stretching promotes circulation and feels good.

The correct way to stretch is a relaxed, sustained, static stretch concentrating on the muscles being stretched.

The wrong way to stretch is to bounce up and down or to stretch until you feel pain. That does more harm than good.

When you stretch hold it for 10 – 60 seconds. Do this with each stretch. This is called static stretching.

Hold a static stretch so that the specific joint is immobilized in a position that places the desired muscles and connective tissues passively at their greatest possible length. Little risk of injury exists if static stretching is done like this.

Stretch until you feel a mild tension and relax as you hold the stretch. The feeling of tension should subside as you hold the position.

If it does not, ease off and find a degree of tension that is comfortable.

While stretching breathe normally; exhale as you bend forward and continue breathing as you hold each stretch.

shelli

Are you making excuses or CREATING HABITS?

When we find ourselves overwhelmed with stress, exercise is usually the first thing we stop doing.

Yet exercise can be a powerful tool to help us through stressful times.

Time constraints should not be an excuse to forgo those workouts. That’s the #1 excuse I hear for not working out.

The other 4 are:

1. Not motivated enough
2. Don’t like to exercise
3. Never see results
4. Some physical constraint (bad back, bad knees, obesity)

All of these are perceived constraints.

It’s interesting to me as a health and fitness professional that when it comes to exercise, so many people NEGOTIATE with themselves about whether or not to exercise.

They haven’t made exercise a HABIT, so it’s negotiable.

Do you negotiate with yourself when it comes to brushing your teeth, wearing your seatbelt, going to sleep at night or watching TV after dinner?

Probably not, because those are habits.

When you make exercise a habit then it will require less thought.

Everyone needs to exercise so making fitness and exercise a habit is a good idea.

shelli

Want to know how to sleep well again?

A client of mine had been having trouble sleeping.

For a whole host of reasons, her sleep quality and sleep patterns had been deteriorating for years.

She decided it was time to take charge and improve her relationship with sleep.

She was successful and shared what she did with me, and I’m very glad to be able to share some of what she learned and accomplished with you.

She decided to contact a doctor who specialized in sleep disorders.

Now what I’m about to tell you came as no surprise to me. Most of what was recommended fell into the category of REDUCING STRESS.

This included things like yoga, exercise, and meditation, along with reducing her intake of caffeine, alcohol and sugar (all things I’ve been recommending for years).

Other recommendations were changing the layout of her bedroom, removing the clock from her nightstand, not reading in bed and turning the lights off at the same time each night.

She also underwent testing and found out how many sleep hours she required.

We’re all different, so this was valuable information for her and she no longer needs to lay around in bed expecting to get more sleep. We’ve all had that experience of waiting for sleep to come. It can be very stressful!

Other blood tests showed chemical imbalances which indeed affect sleep patterns. She’s using supplements to fix those imbalances.

She’s regaining a healthy sleep routine and feeling much better.

She knows if her sleep feels off, she can look back over her checklist and make sure all these good ideas are in place.

Does your relationship to sleep need an overhaul?

Maybe it just needs a few tweaks.

In any case, think about what I’ve shared with you and see if any of it helps.

shelli

Healthy skin reflects outer beauty and inner health.

Treat your skin both inside and out to create a glowing complexion.

Internally, you can nourish your skin through good nutrition and positive lifestyle changes. Taking healthy nutrients into your body is the best way to keep skin healthy.

Vitamins A, E, and C improve the synthesis of collagen. Vitamin CoQ10 promotes collagen production. Anti-oxidants remove free-radicals that damage skin cells.

Why is collagen important?

Skin is made of collagen and elastin. These are elastic fibers that relax as we age, causing wrinkles.

To rebuild collagen eat foods high in vitamins and anti-oxidants. Since moisture is important, drink plenty of water each day.

Buttermilk and coconut oil are very good for your skin and are often used in moisturizers.

Almond oil contains fatty acids that are good for your skin, which is why you find it in many skin care products.

Lavender tightens skin with natural tannins and grape seed extract is a strong anti-oxidant that protects collagen and forms more elastic skin cells.

Consider this information as you go through your day, when making your choices about what to eat and how to take care of your skin.

shelli

Balancing hormones can be challenging, so here are some helpful hints.

Your endocrine system uses chemicals called hormones that affect numerous functions in your body. Most hormones cause slow changes at the cellular level.

These effects keep your body working properly, but when imbalanced they can lead to health problems.

Some hormone related diseases are adrenal insufficiency, PMS, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, infertility, and unpleasant menopause symptoms.

Hormone imbalances can also affect the cardiovascular system, blood sugar control, energy levels and aging.

You don’t have to live with hormonally related health problems.

The interplay of hormones is important. Balance is key.

To keep your hormone levels appropriate, there are feedback mechanisms that help your body orchestrate this chemical dance. We can either help or hinder this balance by the choices we make and how we approach keeping ourselves hormonally balanced.

Step One

Avoid exposure to xenohormones.

Xenohormones are endocrine disruptors. Sometimes they are also called xenoestrogens. These are chemicals in our world that mimic hormones, namely estrogen.

These synthetic chemicals can be found in pesticides, plastics and in industrial compounds such as PCB’s and PVC’s. Another source of harmful synthetic hormones is from pharmaceuticals such as birth control pills, HRT, fertility drugs and synthetic hormones given to livestock. There are also xenohormones in personal care products like lotions, cosmetics, soaps and hair products.

Xenoestrogens have been associated with increased rates of cancer, birth defects, uterine fibroids, depression and anxiety disorders. Learn more about xenohormones and begin step by step to eliminate them from your world.

Step Two

Get a proper assessment.

Testing a woman’s hormone levels through a single blood test rarely gives meaningful information.

Since hormones rise and fall throughout a woman’s cycle, to get the full story it’s better to take a series of samples throughout the month.

One of the best ways to do this is with saliva testing. This can detect subtle imbalances. There are specific saliva tests for peri-menopausal, menopausal and post-menopausal women.

Step Three

When you get a proper assessment and begin to outline a plan for yourself, remember that effectively treating hormone issues requires looking at your WHOLE self and your unique story.

You want to help your body restore its ability to self regulate hormonal production.

You’ll find help with dietary and nutritional adjustments, physical activities, detoxification, and some herbal remedies.

Because mood, emotions and spiritual feelings have such an immense impact on your physical body and hormone health, part of your plan should focus on nurturing these parts of yourself.

Step Four

Commit to following a new course of action.

The challenges you face are the result of actions that have accumulated over years and they may take some time to reverse.

When you address the foundations of health by eating better and nourishing your organs and systems, you’ll restore hormone balance and achieve a new level of health! This will motivate you to stay the course!

shelli

With all that we have going on in our lives, it can be difficult to find the time to stay healthy and re-charge.

A few simple changes in your daily routine will take you closer to a higher level of health and a whole new energetic you.

Here are some easy steps to help you maintain a healthy weight and live a more active lifestyle.

1. Get a good night’s sleep. This will improve your focus and concentration throughout your day.

2. Exercise. Being in good physical condition helps you BETTER do the things you enjoy doing. For your first goal aim to get 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week.

3. Choose the right foods to help you maintain a healthy weight. Learn about healthy nutrition and weight loss. Find out what constitutes a healthy diet so even when you’re choosing from a restaurant or vending machine, you’ll know the healthiest choices.

4. Set realistic goals. Do you know what a realistic rate of weight loss is? I find most people OVERestimate this number. Normally, one to two pounds a week is a great goal. As an example, a reduction in calorie intake by 150 calories a day could result in a 20-pound weight loss over the course of a year.

5. Create a plan. The saying “fail to plan and you plan to fail” really has merit when it comes to increasing healthier behaviors. A specific plan for losing weight and eating healthier works best. This way you know where you’re going and how you’ll get there.

Feeling overwhelmed when you’re making changes comes from doing too many things at once.

Gradual change is best and leads to the highest levels of success.

Build on your successful lifestyle changes and use the confidence you’ve gained to keep going.

Making these changes will also spill over to all areas of your life, so enjoy that special feeling of success!

shelli

I know that for all of us at some time and in some place, there’s going to be a drive-through fast food experience.

Don’t sweat it.

When it happens, here’s how to turn those unhealthy drive-through choices into healthier ones.

1. Keep your portion sizes small. Two or three beef patties is too much, so resist the urge to super-size.

2. Order side dishes like salad or a fruit bowl, instead of fries or onion rings.

3. Opt for grilled items and avoid fried or breaded foods. The fried and breaded items are high in both fat and calories.

4. If your entree comes with condiments, see if they offer a healthier low-fat option.

5. For your beverage choice order water, unsweetened ice tea, or sparkling water. Add a piece of lemon for some flavor.

We all, on occasion, eat on the run. However, take the time to slow down and make smart, healthy choices!

shelli