April 27, 2024

More Tricks, Fewer Treats…here’s how to do it!

October 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Terrified by the start of the holiday binge season? Spooked by warnings about high fructose corn syrup and peanut allergies? Haunted by documentaries of the chocolate industry’s dark side?  Relax, Halloween can be plenty of fun without plenty of candy.  Here’s a few tricks that can help you beat the temptations around you or at least result in less guilt….

Break the Spell
• Instead of bags of cheap chocolates, bring home visually appealing sweets that aren’t quite so tempting for binges — sour or chewy candies, packaged fruit and nut treats.
• Search cookbooks and the Internet for fun, bite-sized, holiday-themed treats like peeled grape eyeballs, carrot fingers, yogurt strawberry ghosts, caramel apples and pumpkin pancakes. Look for recipes with less sugar or salt, and use healthy substitutes where possible.
• Talk with coworkers about ways to limit candy and other treats being brought to the office.
• When you do enjoy a treat, take time to really pay attention and savor it. This can reduce mindless snacking.

The Little Goblins
• Start the conversation a couple of days before trick-or-treating. Go in with a strategy on the rules about how many pieces of candy will be eaten each day, and make sure they have some input.
• Have them eat a meal prior to heading out and keep them hydrated, we turn to the candy more when we’re thirsty.
• When the bags come home, let the kids enjoy some reward. But then, help them sort through and decide what they really want to keep.
• Get rid of the candy that doesn’t matter to them, so it’s not sitting there to be used for mindless eating.

Keep your Halloween, safe, fun and healthy! 

By Chanda Fetter
www.imxsb.net
IM=X Pilates Studio, Owner
IM=X Pilates Master Trainer
ACE, NASM, TRX, SPIN, IMX
NAWBO Board Member

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Make Family Fitness a Reality by Maggie Ayre

October 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The latest research suggests that exercise is hugely beneficial for kids of all ages. In addition to health benefits we also see active children sleeping better, participating more and concentrating easier in class, as well as enjoying the benefits of additional self-confidence and raised self-esteem. Young people who lead active lives are likely to have more friends and enjoy a better body-image and body-awareness. They are likely to feel happier and more fulfilled and feel better able to cope with what life throws at them. Try the following approach for successfully instilling healthy habits:

Open Discussion. The best way to talk to your child about living healthily is to find a quiet relaxed time, perhaps out on a walk, and bring it slowly into the conversation. Ask your child what they know about living healthily and what it means to them. Ask your child how exercise makes them feel and if they have any particular activities they enjoy. Suggest ways you can incorporate these activities in their life and make suggestions for other activities based on what they particularly enjoy. Keep things relevant to the benefits they can experience now such as drinking more water for a better complexion, eating fruit and vegetables to feel better. Try not to concentrate on future health benefits as these have little relevance to children who want results now.

Family Time. One of the best ways to start being active as a family is through computer games such as the wii fit. Start slowly and keep it fun. Once your children are used to being active as a family, suggest bicycle rides to the park, walks that include a picnic, trips to the beach or swimming pool etc. You can be active around your house by having a race to see who can tidy their bedroom the quickest, or who can get dressed/un-dressed quickest, or by getting one member of the family to set a treasure hunt or obstacle course for the rest of the family to follow.

Prepare Healthful Snacks. As children get older it becomes harder to ensure their healthy food choices especially as you’re no longer with them all the time. The best way to ensure they eat healthily is to talk to them regularly about the benefits of eating healthy foods and why other foods may not be the best choice – healthy eating will ensure they have more energy, less mood swings, less illness, sleep better etc. This has to be backed up by being a good role model and ensuring that you enjoy a healthy diet too. Most teenagers will still look to their parent’s example before following what their friends and peers are doing. For many children the biggest time for slip-ups is coming home from school when a trip to the convenience store is just too tempting – help your child by ensuring they have a healthy snack in their bag to eat on their way home or let them know there will be something tasty waiting for them when they arrive home.

Maggie Ayre
Fitness Coach for Teenage Girls
www.maggieayre.com. www.seabreezefitness.co.uk
 
Maggie is also the author of the 3G Program for Teenage Girls, www.femalefitnessrevolution.com

Filed Under: Kids/Teen Corner Tagged With: , , ,

To Lose Fat, do this not that! By Brett Klika C.S.C.S

October 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

For adults, losing body fat is a matter of forcing the body to get rid of something that it perceives as necessary for survival. For thousands of years, man was err to the cycle of feast and famine with food consumption. Sometimes there was plenty of food, other times there was none.  Storing body fat helped man stay alive when there was no food because the stored fat could be broken down and used as energy. Only recently have we been faced with a situation in which we have an over-abundance of food. The body still thinks it needs to save up for when there is another famine.
To replace old, ineffective methods for fat loss with an updated, scientifically proven program try the “Do this, don’t do that” approach to your exercise outlined below. 
 
Do This:  Intense Resistance training
Not That:  Cardio only
To burn more calories and fat, you need more lean muscle. Resistance training is how you get it.  Lean muscle works like a car’s engine to use fat as fuel. If you have a small engine, it doesn’t matter how hard you do cardiovascular exercise, you can only burn so many calories. Doing whole-body, large muscle group resistance training creates a bigger lean muscle engine to burn calories and fat both while exercising and resting. Add 2-4 days of resistance training to your program every week.

Do This: Whole-Body Metabolic Resistance Training
Not That:  Body-Part Splits (chest, shoulders, triceps, etc)
Body part splits became popular with bodybuilders as they allow for focus on certain muscle groups, in addition to ample recovery days in between training. For the average adult trying to lose maximal body fat in minimal time, this program comes up short. In comes Metabolic Resistance Training. Pair your exercises with opposite movements together into supersets.

Do This:  Focus your time on large muscle groups
Not That:  Focus your time on abs, arms, and other smaller muscle groups
When time and fat burning efficiency is of the essence, these smaller muscle groups do relatively little to stoke the metabolism to create more lean muscle mass or burn fat and calories. 
Focus your work on the legs, chest, and back with movements that incorporate the entire body like squats, lunges dead lifts, push variations (push-ups, bench press), pull variations (pull-ups, 1-arm rows).  As you will see, these exercises are much more taxing to the system and do a lot more for your fat-burning goals.

Brett Klika C.S.C.S., Director of Athletics at Fitness Quest 10, is a world renowned human performance specialist, motivational speaker, author, and educator. In his 14 year career, Brett has accrued more than 20,000 hours of training with youth, athletes, executives, and every day people.  He uses this knowledge and experience to motivate individuals and audiences around the world through his writing, speaking, DVD’s, and personal correspondence.  For a copy of his new e-book and exercise program “The Underground Workout Manual- Exercise and Fat Loss in the Real World” visit www.undergroundworkoutmanual.com.  To contact Brett, send correspondence to brett@fitnessquest10.com.

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Make the Commitment: a 5k/10k Race on Your Horizon

October 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Signing up to run a 5K (or even a 10K) run is the perfect way to kick-start a fitness routine and/or shed those unwanted pounds. For many beginning runners, the initial training routine can seem daunting. However, there are a few tips to follow that will not only make training manageable, but also fun. 
Many beginning runners chose to enter the race world by participating in a recreational run. By beginning with a structured and realistic training routine, you will begin to create a healthy and active lifestyle for yourself that you can carry through the holiday season and into the New Year.
Here’s a list of five essential tips to get you hitting the pavement and ready for the starting line, healthy and injury free.  
Sign up for the race. I know, I know, you don’t want to sign up until you know how you are going to feel or what your plans might be or if you will even want to run, but don’t wait! Without making the commitment to yourself and registering for the race, it is too easy to give up if the going gets tough or procrastinate until it’s too late. There is no time like the present; sign up before you lace up! It will be the motivation you need to complete your goal.
Set a realistic goal. It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you are to anyone but you. Set three goals per race: your big goal, your moderate goal and your minimum goal. The big goal is the time that may not possible to attain, but the one you’re aiming for. The moderate goal is a time you know will require an all-out effort to achieve, but it can be done. The minimum goal is the time that you must hit.  For example, if my average pace is 8:30 on a typical training day, my 5K big goal may be 23 minutes (sub 7:30 pace), my moderate goal may be 24 minutes(sub 7:45 pace), and my minimum goal may be 25 minutes (about an 8:00 minute mile pace).   
Create your program. 5K and 10K training plans are available online and can be obtained through a Professional Fitness Trainer, or located in fitness or running magazines. There are many training plans to choose from, so the trick is to find one that is simple, easy to understand and works for your lifestyle.  The basic training premise should be at least three days of running per week, with additional days of strength and/or cross training.  Once you have your program, write it on a calendar and stick to it!  Training is a matter of commitment. If you are committed, you will achieve your goal. Be committed! 
Get the proper running shoes.  Go to a specialty running store and have your feet and gait analyzed. Treat your feet right and they’ll protect the rest of your body. Running in the wrong shoes or worn out shoes could lead to injury and won’t bring you to the start line, let alone the finish line.
Start running!  Your training program should include at least one day of speed work, a day of moderate to easy running, and a day with a long run. Rest is important as you train and you have to let your body heal after each of your workouts. To keep your focus and motivation, make sure to mix it up. Don’t run the same route every time, download a new podcast or album, or try some fartleks (speed plays). 

By Laura Ouimet, Dana Point Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, and a marathon/ triathlon coach and trainer. To learn more about the Dana Point Turkey Trot and to sign up, visit www.turkeytrot.com.

Filed Under: Big Picture of Health Tagged With: ,

Developing Healthy Habits

October 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Lead By Example. Kids learn habits from their parents. If they see you exercise regularly, and eat nutritious food, your kids will pick up that behavior and make it part of their daily routine. Research shows that kids who eat breakfast do better in school and have more energy during the day, compared to kids who skip breakfast. If you eat breakfast, your kids will too, so make a big deal out of the first meal of the day!

Make Exercise Fun. Children benefit most from unstructured physical activity. Make it a family event, and enjoy the time you spend together. Go outside and play tag, or a game of catch. Race up a hill, or chase around butterflies. Even indoor games like playing dress up or making the bed can be made into physical activities. Use your imagination and be creative.

Teach Habits Early. It is never too early to instill healthy eating habits. Talk with your children regularly about where your food comes from and the benefits of vitamins and minerals. Take your kids grocery shopping and make a game out of spotting the healthy snacks like apples and nuts. Let your children take ownership of their food by having them help you prepare dinner for the whole family. The earlier you invest in your children’s understanding of food and how it helps them become big and strong, the more they will want to learn.

By Derek Peruo, CSCS, CPT

646-820-8246

bodybydrock.com

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Children and Eye Exams by Dr. Stephanie Burris, O.D.

October 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Vision is closely related to a child’s overall mental and physical development. While some vision problems are obvious, some are very subtle. A child may pass the vision screening at school or at the pediatrician’s office with flying colors and yet still have a very significant visual problem.  Sustained visual tasks, such as reading or looking at an iphone, or tasks that require frequent eye focusing changes, like copying from a chalkboard or playing sports, stress the eyes in a different way than reading letters on a chart.
 
A thorough eye and vision exam will determine how clearly a child sees AND how well the child is able to use her eyes together. Each eye must receive a crisp, clear image on the retina for both distance and near viewing, and the eyes must work as a comfortable, binocular system. An eye care professional will perform the following:
 
• visual acuity for each eye, potential need for glasses
• eye health, checking for eye allergies, growths inside the eye, etc.
• coordination of the two eyes together, depth perception, etc.
• focusing (or accommodation) of the eyes for sustained near vision tasks
• the need for referral to a specialist for vision therapy or eye health conditions
• discussion of how eyes are affected by nutritional and environmental factors
 
The American Optometry Association recommends an eye exam for children at age 3 and age 5 to assess baseline visual function and eye health, and to determine the risk of any visual or health disorders for that child’s future. Please schedule an eye exam sooner if you notice any symptoms, such as closing one eye frequently, one eye turns in or out frequently, one eye appears different especially in photos, or redness, tearing, discharge from the eyes.

Filed Under: Research Update Tagged With: , ,

How to Get Your Kids to Hit the Pavement: Running for Fun

October 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Kids love running, they just don’t know it, yet. Take a look at any school
playground during recess and you will see kids of all ages engaging in many
types of activities and games that revolve around running. From soccer to
tag, to basketball and hide and seek, kids are running every single day!

To encourage kids to run, activities must be fun and also safe. Here are
seven tips to help get your child into a pair of running shoes and loving
running for life.

Warm up, before you lace up. Start your child with a few warm up and
dynamic stretches (moving stretches, not static or stationary stretches).
As a parent, your goal is to ensure that your child avoids any injury while
running. Moving stretches gets the blood flowing, the heart pumping, the muscles
warmed up and allows for less potential injuries. To warm up, try jumping
jacks or jogging in place with high knees. To make it fun, turn it into a
contest to see how many the kids can do in one minute.

Keep pace in mind. Kids will run as fast as they can and have a
lengthy endurance. For kids, the motto is: “full speed ahead!” A great way
to teach your children that they need to have control when running is to
have them run at their fastest pace (laps, time or distance) for as long as
they are able. Have your child repeat this step, completing the same amount of
laps, time or distance at a moderate consistent pace, this allows your child
to hold a conversation as they run. Once this pace is determined, keep
practicing at that pace.

Technique is important. Teach your child the proper form first:

Stand up straight and shoulders back.

Your child should be able to fully fill their lungs, slouching
will hurt their back and not allow them to breathe properly.

Arms should swing forward to back, not side to side.

Thumbs should lightly graze the hip bone.

Head up and looking forward.

Most importantly kids need to know how to breathe. Slow deep
breaths at first in the nose out the mouth. Eventually they will be
breathing in and out through their mouth only as they continue.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Kids may be able to run for great lengths
of time, but they need to hydrate just like an adult. Water is needed for
any run under an hour. If your child can keep going after that, you have a
super star! One thing to note, make sure they drink an electrolyte
replacement or sports drink!

Proper Running Shoes. For safety purposes, make sure your
child has the proper running shoes. Children (and adults) cannot run in
their skate shoes, dress shoes or everyday tennis shoes as much as they’d
like to or tell you they can. Lace up!

Make it fun. Give your child a challenge. Have them set a goal for
themselves. Reward them for their efforts.

Cool down, before you sit down. It’s important for your child to
cool down and stretch after every single run. This is the time to sit and
do static stretching. Proper stretching after a run will ensure their next
run is enjoyable and injury free.

By Laura Ouimet, Dana Point Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, and a
marathon/ triathlon coach and trainer. To learn more about the Dana Point
Turkey Trot and to sign up, visit <http://www.turkeytrot.com>
www.turkeytrot.com.

Filed Under: Kids/Teen Corner Tagged With: , ,

Can’t Decide? Learn how! By Juli Shulem

October 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

First rule of decision making: More time does not create better decisions. In fact, it can decrease the quality of your decision. Decision-making challenges often leave people stuck. Below are 5 easy tools you can use immediately when faced with a making a tough choice.

Consider how important the decision is and how much attention it really deserves. If you spend all your time worrying about it, you may miss the opportunity that it offers altogether!

Informed Decision: Gathering the right data in order to make your decision is often the very first step. If the decision warrants it, learn what you need to know first. Maybe you are choosing between several options. Limit your decision to just a select few, and decide from there. Trying to learn about every single option out there may mean never having time to make the decision OR make use of the item you were trying to select in the first place. While more information may help, dragging out the process without a deadline will create anxiety, not results.

Pros & Cons List: Writing down a list of the benefits as well as the consequences of a decision can often point us in the direction to head when it’s a close call.

Consider Projected Outcomes: Similar to listing pros and cons, often listing what the outcome of each decision would be can help us choose the best scenario for our situation.

Create a Deadline: Taking forever to decide on something can literally lead to the opportunity disappearing, or can result in feeling overwhelmed. Circumvent this by giving yourself a deadline. Put it in your calendar and plan out the steps needed to come to a conclusion. Deciding now frees up your most valuable asset: time.

Use a Mind-Map: These allow you to put all the aspects about the decision in a visual image so your mind stops going around in circles. Often the decision will almost make itself once it’s out of your head.

Begin today and make every decision as soon as you have a reasonable amount of information. Decision making is a skill that with practice becomes easier over time.

Contributed by Juli Shulem (jshulem@gmail.com/805-964-2389), Efficiency/ ADHD Coach. www.julishulem.com, Efficiency Expert since 1984, and author of the eBook, Order! A Logical Approach to an Organized Way of Life, www.getordernow.com

Filed Under: Big Picture of Health Tagged With: , ,

Ask a Pro by Erin McGill

October 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Question: I’m 68 years young and new to exercise. I have no medical issues. What’s best for me, bands or free-weights?  –Judy from Idaho
 

Answer: Being 68 years young and new to exercise offers you plenty of options. Bands are an excellent form of exercise because they provide progressive resistance- meaning the more you pull on them, the more resistance you will place on your muscles. Another ideal component of resistance bands is that they are very mobile and can be used in a variety of ways for upper, lower, and total body exercises. Be creative when selecting your exercises and make sure that you pay close attention to correct form. Free weights will be a great choice for you as well for a number of reasons. When performing resistance training with free weights such as dumbbells, your central nervous system has to work harder to maintain its balance and understand where it is in space, in addition to coordinating the correct muscles to execute the movement. Another benefit of free weights is that you will have more opportunity to increase your resistance/weight as you progress, whereas bands typically are only available to a certain degree of resistance.
 
With that being said, and knowing you are new to exercise, make use of both resistance bands and free weights- they both have great benefits to serve. As with anything new, however, make sure you learn how to properly execute the movements first, without resistance in order to perfect your form. Additionally do not progress too quickly, instead focus on quality of movement over quantity of resistance. This will help prevent injury in the future and ensure consistent results.
 
Erin A. McGill, MA, NASM CPT, CES, PES
Training Manager
National Academy of Sports Medicine
800.460.6276 ext. 1252
602.383.1252
erin.mcgill@nasm.org

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