August 27, 2009

For a Happy Marriage, Get Lost!

Studies have shown that women who take 2 (or more) vacations a year are more happily married than those who rarely get out of town, because they are less likely to be depressed, tense, stressed, tired, or bored.
I believe this study included both women traveling alone and women traveling with their husbands, so get outta town, see new places, and reap the benefits for a healthy marriage and home!

Do Something Good

Looking for volunteer opportunities? Go here: www.dosomething.org to search by your zipcode for opportunities near you today!

Overweight America

The National Center for Health Statistics say that two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese.
Being overweight can cause health problems ranging from diabetes, heart disease, some types of cancer, bad joints (from carrying the excess weight around), to possibly even strokes.
Even losing a little bit of weight has been shown to decrease your chances of having heart disease, so start cutting those calories and exercising (both cardio and weight lifting for maximum results & benefits), and aim to lose about 1 pound a week. Making these changes into a lifestyle habit is the healthiest & most successful way to lose weight and to keep it off for good.
So come on America, let's change those statistics and get healthier! Our bodies will thank us!

Metabolism Slows As We Age

Did you know that your body's metabolism slows down about 5% every decade, starting in your mid-thirties?
Five percent may not sound like much, and it may not be a big deal for an active person, but what if you're more sedentary? If you're inactive, this 5% decrease will likely mean that you will slowly gain weight as you age. If you desire to stay at your current weight, you will need to begin eating less calories. If you desire to lose weight, you will need to continue cutting calories, but cutting too many calories out of your daily diet can be dangerous.
What's the best way to combat this 5% decrease in metabolism every year after 30? Exercise! Lift weights! Get rid of "empty" calories! Drink more green tea & water!
Exercise is extremely important as you age, because it creates a healthy heart & cardiovascular system, making you much more healthier and less prone to disease and sickness. Exercise also raises your metabolism by teaching your body to burn calories, even while resting.
Lifting weights increases your muscle tone and mass, which helps lower your BMI and helps prevent osteoporosis, a common debilitator in older women. Plus, muscle burns more calories than fat, which will help raise your metabolism!
Getting rid of "empty" calories means cutting back on sodas, candy, sugary snacks, fancy coffees, and all other foods that have no real nutritional value, and are mainly eaten as "treats". As your metabolism slows, these foods will cause you to gain weight if you're not careful.
When choosing calories to ingest, remember quality, not quantity. Choose quality "whole foods" snacks that have real nutritional value, and cut back on empty calories.
Drinking green tea has been shown in recent scientific studies to mildly boost your metabolism, no matter your age. And while these boosts may be small, any little boost will help you in the long run. Besides, green tea has many other health benefits (like powerful antioxidants that help prevent cancer) too!
Also, drink plenty of water because water is what literally holds our bodies together and helps them run properly. Water supports your body's metabolic processes, not to mention many of your other bodily systems!

August 21, 2009

3 Weeks Have Passed

I have been unable to run on a regular basis for 3 entire weeks now, due to strained left groin & hamstring muscles. Bummer!

At first I was feeling dull pain in my groin muscle, so I thought maybe I had just run too much without adequate time off to rest & recover, then that started to heal and I realized that the back of my upper leg (right under my glute) was hurting as well!

So I've tried to run a very slow 3 miles twice, but, while the muscle eventually warmed up and felt good while running, cooled down and became a bit worse than it was before running. So I realized that maybe I should save the running until I was completely better. So I guess my "active recovery" is simply walking on it!

I have been going slightly crazy and trying not to get too bummed out by my inability to run. I've been focusing on the fact that, in the grand scheme of my running life, 3 weeks is not that long.

I have still been performing core & ab strengthening exercises, lower back exercises, bicep & tricep curls, lunges to work my quads & glutes, and lower-leg exercises to strengthen the muscles in my shins, to help prevent shin splints.

So, anyone else out there who is laid up from physical activity because of an injury......TAKE HEART! Don't give up!

Take good care of yourself now, let yourself heal properly, and get back into your activity very slowly! Do some strengthening exercises that work the injured area to prevent it from happening again! And you'll be back to your old self in no time!