Do you have “bad feet”? Have you often wondered if it’s genetic?

It can be.

I read a recent report that supports this claim, particularly if you have bunions or high arches. Some researchers believe that foot function and mechanics may have more to do with mimicking parents’ movement rather than heredity.

In either case, given that your foot has 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments, some regular foot care seems appropriate so you don’t get to feeling deFEETed!

1. Take care of your foot tissue health by using a small ball. I use a tennis ball and when I’m standing I’ll put it under my arch and roll out my feet. By this I mean roll your foot back and forth over the ball.

2. Walking barefoot on grass or sand or around the house gives your feet plenty of proprioceptive information. Without getting too technical here, this is a good thing! When your feet are hidden all day in shoes, they forget how to be feet. So go barefoot and let your bones, muscles, and joints come alive.

3. Many of the tendons that attach to your feet come from muscles that originate from above your ankles. So while focusing on your feet, remember to pay attention to any tension or aches you may feel in your calfs or upper legs.

4. Yoga Toes. I’ve mentioned Yoga Toes many times and I’ve been using mine for years as part of my foot care program. At the end of the day they are great.

So don’t TipToe around these helpful hints; give them a try!

shelli

More and more good news keeps coming out about boosting brain health for seniors.

I think it also applies to the rest of us, which is why I pass this information along to you.

Our brains are capable of superior performance even into the 10th decade and beyond!

If the brain remains healthy and free from disease, it can continue to function normally for as long as we live.

What can you do for your mental and physical health to promote a healthy brain?

The answers will, I hope, not be much of a surprise!

1. Exercise.

Neuroscientists recommend swimming, dancing, gardening, knitting and more frequent use of the nondominant hand and leg, and walking 10,000 steps on a daily basis.

In one study it’s suggested that aerobic exercise is the key to lowering the odds of getting Alzheimer’s by 60%. A daily 20 minute walk can cut the risk of having a stroke by 57%.

Think of exercise as fertilizer for your brain!

2. Mental activity.

Use your brain to keep it healthy. How? Play board games, do crossword puzzles, learn a second language, read, take a class and acquire new skills.

3. Healthy diet.

Balanced nutrition is essential for brain health. Emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts and decrease added sugar. Water is also essential for nervous system electrical transmissions that will keep your brain functional.

There you have it. Maybe nothing new, but a good gentle reminder.

If you’re lacking in these three areas, get with the program now. It’s never too late to give your brain cells a boost!

shelli

To salt or not to salt? That is the question, and it’s a good one at that.

To some folks, salt is a four letter word.

However, for centuries it’s been used and praised as a spice and as a preservative.

Also, today some athletes are told to swallow salt tablets to offset the salt they lose through sweat.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the misconceptions about salt.

Salt, or sodium, is one of the electrolytes (a group of mostly minerals).

Table salt is technically sodium chloride, a combination of electrolytes. Electrolytes play an important role in your body. They are crucial for bone formation, blood clotting and the transmission of nerve impulses.

One of sodium’s most crucial roles is to help maintain optimum fluid levels in body tissues.

Sweat contains electrolytes and the main one lost in sweat is sodium. How much you’ll lose when you sweat varies from person to person. That’s why athletes who sweat excessively are advised to replace electrolytes and fluid losses.

People with existing hypertension are generally advised to lower their sodium intake.

The easiest way to do this is by avoiding processed, fast, and restaurant foods and by salting less.

Of course, reducing alcohol intake, eating more plant foods and getting more exercise will also have a positive effect on hypertension. Fruits and vegetables are high in potassium and this balances out sodium levels. In particular, potatoes, bananas, avocados, pinto and kidney beans, and artichokes are especially packed with potassium.

A new lower recommended intake for ADDED sodium (not including what naturally occurs in foods) is no more than 1500 mg/day (about two thirds of a teaspoon). In practical terms that’s 7 generous sprinkles with the salt shaker or 17 pinches of salt added to the food you cook.

Yes, salt can be a concern for some folks. But if you’re healthy, active and eat plenty of fresh plant foods and fruit, you’re probably safe in the salt category.

shelli

Swimming, swimming, in the swimming pool. When days are hot, when days are cold, in the swimming pool. Do you remember that children’s tune?

I can talk about the virtues of swimming all day long because I LOVE to swim.

Many of you who have known me for a few years might remember that I even became lifeguard certified! You might also recall that it was one of the hardest things I ever took on. I also taught water aerobics at a community college and it was a blast.

But enough about me. Let’s talk about YOU and swimming.

Training in the water is a great way to take care of building that essential core strength.

The muscles of your torso stabilize your spine and provide a foundation for all movements. Since water is gentle on your body and it offers natural resistance, it’s a great environment to train in.

Before doing these movements warm up for 5-10 minutes. For this you can walk in the shallow end of the pool. These moves will require water dumbbells and a noodle.

Remember to breathe as you perform these exercises. Perform the movements slowly and make sure you feel the muscles you are targeting actually doing the work. Using the natural resistance of the water, you can make these moves as easy or as hard as you’d like.

1. Abdominal Rolls: Lie face up in the water holding a dumbbell in each hand. Stretch your arms out to your sides and extend your legs. Pull your knees to your chest. As you do this, roll onto your stomach. Now from your lying face down position, pull knees to your chest and roll again. Perform 8-12 reps of this (one rep includes a back and front position).

2. Reverse Crunch: Place one dumbbell under each knee as you lie on your back. Place your noodle under your arms, across your upper back. You are now in the crunch position. Extend your legs and bring them back in. Remember to breathe. Perform 8-12 reps.

3. Deep Water Walking: Hold one dumbbell in each hand, legs directly under your body. Walk your legs under water. Keep walking your legs. Remember, you are in deep water so your legs are not touching the bottom of the pool. Walk slowly or speed up. Start with 30 seconds at a time and work up to one minute.

4. Oblique Side-Lying Flutter Kicks: Holding the dumbbells, lie on one side with good alignment, and flutter kick for a count of 8 to one side. Switch sides and flutter kick for 8 beats on the opposite side. Move back and forth a few times on each side.

So enjoy the water and let me know how you like working with these moves.

shelli

I’ve been noticing that more and more gizmos, online tools and fitness books are coming on the market to help people exercise and get fitness results. However, you’d get a huge bang for the buck (actually forget the bucks), if you used your MIND as an exercise and fitness tool.

Your thoughts control everything from how fully your muscles contract to how difficult an exercise feels. You must use your mind to get the best and quickest results from your efforts.

Here’s how!

1. Are you working on your abs or core strength? Set a difficult goal.

You may just achieve more than you thought possible. In study after study on human performance, people who aim for a specific goal significantly outperform those who just aimed to do the best they could. People generally underestimate their own abilities. Aiming high allows you to push past your own perceptions.

2. Do you ever get bored, particularly when you do cardio exercise?

Many people tend to focus on boredom, fatigue or discomfort while they do their cardio routines. That usually leads to those sensations feeling even worse!

Instead, try focusing on unrelated thoughts.

I read about one study where researchers instructed one group to try and recall the names of every teacher they’d had since kindergarten while cycling for 15 minutes. Another group was told to focus on their exertion level. The name game group found their routine to be at least 10% easier.

3. Do you get tired or discouraged while doing your strength training?

While staying focused on what you’re doing, try filling your mind with affirmations. Make up some of your own or use ones like “I can feel my muscles growing.” Positive thinking lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Also, motivational self-talk boosts performance.

4. What do you use your mind for when you’re waiting on line or generally waiting for something or someone?

You can use your mind and imagine yourself doing a push-up, for instance.

Picturing an action activates the nerves that make muscles move and triggers an actual contraction. Please read that again, because it’s a very crucial point in understanding just how important your mind actually is in what you can accomplish.

Studies have shown that people who practiced exercise visualization for 5 minutes a day were able to increase their muscle strength by 35% in 12 weeks, without ever stepping into a gym.

Of course, don’t forget to use visualization when you ACTUALLY exercise! Always imagine yourself using proper form as you move.

5. As you complete your chores, what do you think about?

Try thinking about the muscles you use to do daily chores.

Carrying things up and down stairs, for instance, works your quadriceps, butt muscles and hamstrings. Again, concentration strengthens the neurological connection between the brain and the muscles, prompting the body to use up to 30% more muscle fibers during a movement. This added muscle action helps speed muscle growth while increasing caloric expenditure. That’s a GOOD thing!

So remember that your mind is not only an incredible tool in your health and fitness journey but it’s free and accessible to you ALL the time!

shelli

Want three ways to hedge against dementia?

Who doesn’t, right?

Three studies presented in July at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference pointed towards exercise, tea consumption, and vitamin D as promising to keep dementia at bay.

1. Those who engage in moderate to heavy levels of physical activity have a lower risk of developing any type of dementia. How much lower? About a 40% lower risk.

2. Studies have been done examining the relationship between tea consumption and change in cognitive function over time. Researchers found that people who consume tea had significantly less cognitive decline, between 17-37%, than those who were not tea drinkers. The greatest benefit accrues when you drink tea 1-4 times per week.

3. Researchers find that the odds of cognitive impairment were about 42% higher in people who are deficient in vitamin D. If you’re severely deficient, the odds jump way up to 394%. That’s a scary finding!

I recently had my vitamin D levels checked, so I’m OK in that respect.

And I don’t know about you, but after I finish writing this article I’m going out for an invigorating walk and after that I’ll make a nice cup of tea!

shelli

Three nutritional tidbits for you today!

1. Are you thinking of buying organic fruits and vegetables?

One of the questions I get asked most often is, “If I want to buy organic fruits and vegetables, which ones ARE on the MUST buy organic list?”

So here it is. I suggest printing this list out and posting on your fridge for quick reference.

To avoid pesticides the TOP 10 most contaminated fruits and vegetables are: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, cherries, strawberries, kale, lettuce, imported grapes.

2. Do you need a boost with your math skills?

Chocolate has been shown to improve math skills.

Now I must admit that my math skills are just fine but this study caught my eye anyway.

Researchers from the UK recently showed that “flavonol-rich” chocolate, defined as containing at least 520 mg of cocoa flavonols per serving, significantly improved mentally demanding tasks like arithmetic. You might want to test this theory out yourself!

3. Do you eat breakfast before you exercise?

Researchers report that eating breakfast BEFORE performing resistance exercise leads to greater increases in muscle protein synthesis.

Why should you care?

Because that means you’ll boost your muscle-building power if you eat before you strength train, no matter what time of day it is. You are strength training, I hope?? Eating a small meal (or shake) approximately 30-60 minutes prior to training should do the trick.

shelli

5 Simple Easy Work-Out-in-No-Time Tips!

1. Spend a lot of time cooking in the kitchen?

Hold two 14-ounce cans, one in each hand, palms down. Raise your arms straight out in front of you until they are parallel to the floor. Pause, then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat 15 times.

Benefit: Strengthens your shoulder muscles and your grip.

2. Spend a lot of time in chairs?

Do chair squats.

Stand in front of a sturdy chair as if you’re going to sit down; raise your arms straight in front of you. Bend your knees and slowly lower yourself onto the chair; lightly touch down and then stand back up. Repeat 10-15 times.

Benefit: Strengthens thighs and glutes.

3. Spend time at counters or in front of the sink?

Hamstring kicks are fun.

Stand facing a counter (hold on for balance). Shift your weight to one leg, and bring your other heel up toward your buttocks. Hold and squeeze for a few seconds. Return your leg to the starting position, then lift it straight out to the side, and again back down. Repeat 15 times with each leg.

Benefit: Works hamstrings and outer-thigh muscles.

4. Waiting in line at the mall?

Try calf lifts.

Rise up on your toes and hold for 3 seconds. Lower; repeat 15 times.

Benefit: Tones and strengthens calf muscles.

Also try a balance challenge. Shift your weight to one foot and raise the opposite foot (hold on to something for balance if you need to). See how long you can keep your balance. Repeat with the other leg.

Benefit: Strengthens the supporting leg and improves balance.

5. Find yourself standing at the buffet table or in line to order food?

Tighten your abdominal muscles as if preparing to take a punch. Hold and squeeze for 5 to 10 seconds. Release and repeat 10 times.

Benefit: Strengthens abdominal and core muscles.

Try these and let me know what you thin. And always remember to have fun!

shelli

A sedentary lifestyle can lead to costly chronic diseases……and has many other costs as well.

Do you feel like you’re getting enough exercise?

When I see surveys that look at different states in the U.S., across the board the answer is no.

Generally about half the adult population does not meet physical activity recommendations.

Many people cite that it costs too much money or takes up too much time, however I’m convinced that being unhealthy can cost both more time and more money in the long run.

Inactivity, along with an unhealthy diet (and they are often linked) adds up to gaining more pounds, putting you at risk for chronic diseases that are very costly to treat.

When departments of health or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looks at the statistics and adds up the costs, the numbers are staggering.

In Hawaii, for instance, if all adults were physically active, about $140 million could be saved on hospital costs related to heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

In the U.S. as a whole, health care costs associated with physical inactivity topped $76 billion in 2000.

If only 10% of adults started a regular walking program, $5.6 billion spent to treat heart disease could be saved. Please read that again because that number is staggering.

A 10% weight loss can reduce an overweight person’s lifetime medical costs by $2,200 to $5,300 by lowering costs associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and high cholesterol.

Just how much physical activity is beneficial to your health?

Studies show that 30 minutes of mode

After exercise, Yoga can give you a leg up on recovery!

Whether you’ve been out for a long run, long walk, bike ride, or gone skiing, hiking, or golfing, your legs have taken quite a large portion of the brunt of the workout.

Try this Legs Up the Wall pose.

It’ll give your legs, feet and mind a break after your exercise efforts.

It also speeds recovery by draining fluids from the legs, stretches the hamstrings, and relieves tired legs and feet. Stay in this pose for 10 minutes and feel the difference!

1. Sitting on the floor, slide one hip as close as you can to a wall.

2. Swing both legs up the wall and shimmy your rear end as close to the wall as possible (you’ll be lying on your back). If this hurts your hamstrings, slide a few inches away from the wall.

3. Rest your arms on your belly, or stretch them away from you in a T, W, or V position.

4. When you are done, bend your knees, roll to one side, and rest there, taking a few breaths before getting up.

Try Legs Up the Wall Pose and let me know how it feels for you!

shelli