Get YOUR chores done before school is out. Take advantage of the last few weeks of the school year to get things done for yourself that are best done without having children in tow. Make a list of those items that are easier to do sooner versus later and those which can be done with your family around.

Confirm your summer daily schedule before summer begins. Plan the activities your children and family will be participating in: camps, get-aways, at-home activities. How will your children be occupied? They don’t necessarily have to participate in scheduled activities every waking moment of every day – yet there should be some structure to the days. Before summer officially begins, call a family meeting. Ask all family members to sit down and share what they would like to do with their days. Perhaps new life skills can be developed, for example the children could learn about cooking dinners, since they won’t have homework to contend with. Follow through with a written and posted schedule, so all family members are aware of who is doing what, where and when.

Plan non-planned time. Be sure to allow for adequate “down time” as students work hard over the course of the school year and most will enjoy sleeping in for a change. If a family vacation is in the plan, try not to make it an endurance run – take everyone’s needs into concern. Ask each family member what they would like to do and aim to accommodate each request as best as possible.

Post a written list of activities. For example, heading to the local farmers market, attending a festival in your local park or participating in an activity at your library. Make a chart of “things you can do this summer” for the children and place it within view so when they come to you after a week whining “I’m bored” you can direct them toward the chart to pick an activity.

Planning ahead for the summer, will make the time spent more rewarding and less stressful for all family members!

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

Parents Guide to Summer Survival by Juli Shulem

Adventure for Every Fitness Level by John Taylor

Mud runs offer adventure activities for every fitness level
 

In April of 2011, I asked my students to participate in an activity they had never been exposed to before…a mud run. I believed that they could all complete a military-style obstacle course where they had to climb over 12-foot high walls, propel their bodies across rope swings, crawl underneath razor sharp barbed wire, and dive into mud pits that were 3-feet deep.

Many of my students were scared about signing up for the event, and were even more apprehensive about going to the starting line once we actually got to the race. However, due to the encouragement from teachers and peers, every one of my learners completed the 3.1 mile obstacle course.

Imagine that…my students came to me at the beginning of the school year with obese BMI scores, and they have now conquered an event that many Americans would be too timid to even sign-up for.

The reason my students and I love mud run events is because teams can go at their own pace to complete the race, each member of the team can help one another overcome every obstacle, and in cases when a person is unable to complete a certain task, they can simply go around the impediment and continue their journey.

Of course every mud runner would benefit from physically preparing for the event through an ideal training regimen, but finishing in the top 3 in your age group is not what a mud run is about. Events like the Warrior Dash, Spartan Race, Rugged Maniac, and Primal Run are meant to help friends and colleagues work together to complete a common goal and have fun.

If you are looking to physically prepare for one of these events, here are a few tips to help you train for a mud run competition:

Work on your upper body strength. In many mud runs, you’ll have to go across monkey bars and crawl through some pretty thick mud. Strengthening your shoulders, triceps, and lats will really help your efforts

Build up your cardiovascular endurance. Most people only think of the obstacles when mud runs come to mind, but there is a lot of running in-between these obstacles. Make your training more realistic to the actual event by doing trail and hill sprints and jogs.

Bring sympathy, understanding, and encouragement when you compete in a mud run. Remember, you may be able to get through every obstacle with ease, but your teammate who has just begun working out may struggle. If you are demanding that they “try harder,” do you think they’ll want to compete in one of these events again? The goal is to provide support and encouragement for fellow athletes!

By John Taylor, MS. Star of Emmy-nominated reality television series, “Too Fat for 15: Fighting Back” Follow John on Twitter: @tvfitcoach. Find John on  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Coach-John-T/151964238255488?ref=tn_tnmn or reach him via email, jtaylor@wellbalance

Adventure for Every Fitness Level by John Taylor

Working up a sweat with a friend is a great thing, especially if you hate to exercise.  Having a buddy keeps you accountable. It is much harder to skip your daily exercise if you know there is somebody counting on you to show up. Exercise is more enjoyable when shared with others. It fulfills the human need to socialize.

People are social animals, and thrive on the feeling of being “in this together.”  Exercise buddies both motivate you to keep your exercise commitment, and celebrate your victories, such as pounds lost or miles walked. They encourage you when the scale is not budging, and keep you focused. That is, if you have chosen the right partner.

Here are the essential qualities to consider when choosing an appropriate exercise buddy:

They keep it positive. The person you choose to exercise with needs to possess a positive attitude.  Negativity is the enemy of long term success. Exercise is supposed to make you feel good. How can you feel good when your focus is on what is ineffective? Patience and persistence are good attributes in a workout buddy, especially if you are not. Impatience undermines the most well intentioned exercise plans, because, despite being bombarded by get-fit-quick messages, it takes at least twice as long to get fit than to become unfit.

They possess a stick-with-it quality. You don’t want a partner who easily gives up when it gets tough. And let’s face it, getting fit is tough.

You share similar capabilities and exercise experiences. Look for friends who have similar goals and fitness levels as you. If your buddy is too advanced or too far below your fitness level, you or they will be likely to quit due to difficulty or lack of results. 

Their personality is a match for yours. Most important, you need to enjoy the company of the person you workout with and the activity you choose. No one sticks long-term with something or someone they dislike, regardless of activity results or progress.

Set a goal to find a workout buddy, and then commit to an activity you both enjoy. You will survive your exercise program and reap the benefits of better health. 

By Mary Miriani. BA Exercise Science; ACSM Health/Fitness Specialist.
Reality Fitness, Inc.; Naperville, IL. Contact her via email, mary@miriani.com.

The Buddy System by Mary Miriani

Five Essentials of Running your First Marathon by Jim Lynch
 

So, you’ve finally decided to run a full marathon. Congratulations!  First and foremost, you will need to train a minimum of six months before your marathon.

Here are 5 essentials to successfully completing your first marathon:

Believe.  A marathon is 26.2 miles, no more, no less. If you get in your car and drive 26.2 miles you will think to yourself, how in the world will I ever be able to run this far?  Guess what…you can! Many have done a marathon that thought they never could. It’s a very self-rewarding accomplishment. Just believe you can do it and you will be 50% of the way there.

The Proper Running Shoe. There are many theories on running shoes. Most wear them, some don’t.  Since you are running your first marathon, get yourself a good pair of running shoes. Don’t try to save a few bucks; your running shoes are vital to overall successful running and especially running a successful first marathon. If you have a local running store in your community, they will hook you up with the best pair based on your personal running form.

Train, Train and Train. Take your training serious and be consistent. If you have a local running group, join it.  You’ll meet professional coaches, as well as like-minded runners who will help you develop a training plan. Training with others makes the process an enjoyable experience. Stop by your local running store for running group recommendations.

Once you have your plan laid-out, follow it as if your life depended on it. You will slowly build up your mileage and reach benchmarks along the way. Eventually you will build up to 20-mile plus training runs. Logging miles into on-line programs such as Runkeeper, MapMyRun, Daily Mile or LogYourRun is also helpful and will boost motivation as you see the miles compound.

There are many components to marathon training such as nutrition, fluid intake, performance gels, hill work and speed work. By belonging to a running group or reading on-line articles, running blogs or running magazines, you will get acclimated quickly and understand what these mean, and how important they are to a successful marathon.

Target Your Marathon. Choose your first marathon to be a well-established race that has a proven positive track record. Go to www.marathonguide.com for a list of all marathons and read comments from people to get a feel for their experience. Marathons are popular these days and fill up fast when registration opens, so once you find one you believe you’d like, register early! 

Some first-timer marathons worth consideration are Chicago, Twin-Cities, Houston, Disney and Phoenix. The Rock N’ Roll series also have some great well-run marathons.

Preparation. When you finally register for your first marathon, book your flight and hotel right away. Having these details confirmed in advance, will allow you to focus on your training with no worries before race day.

Finally, to really understand what a marathon is like, pick up the DVD, “Spirit of the Marathon.”  It will speak to you.

 Crossing the finish line of your first marathon will change you forever!

Jim Lynch is a Runner and author of One Foot in Front of the Other – expected to be released in fall of 2012!  Jim has completed 87 marathons and is certified for completing a marathon in all 50 States plus DC. Jim Lynch may be reached via @authorjimlynch on Twitter and http://www.facebook.com/authorjimlynch  If you sign up for updates at Jim’s website at http://www.authorjimlynch.com you will receive free the first chapter of his upcoming book. You may also read Jim’s blog published twice weekly at http://www.authorjimlynch.com/blog

Essentials of Running your First Marathon by Jim Lynch

There is no one magic pill that will make you healthy, no one perfect exercise that will get you in shape and no one super food that will give you all the energy you need to face the day. The truth of the matter is being healthy takes a multi-faceted approach: eating right, getting regular exercise and taking vitamins to ensure you are the healthiest you can be. 
 

Eat Right

Before you grab something to eat, plan a meal for your family or pull something off the shelf at the grocery store, ask yourself a couple of questions. “Did this food grow from the ground?” and “What nutrients are in this for my health?” You will find very few truly healthy foods wrapped in cellophane or sold in cardboard boxes.

Buy fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown and not processed. When choosing cereals, breads, pastas, and rice, choose ones that use the whole grain, 100% whole wheat and very little additives or sugar. When planning a meal, make sure you include protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables and open as few packages as possible.

Eating right gives your body the fuel it needs to be healthy.

Exercise

There is no avoiding this one. In order to stay in shape and feel good, you must move. Your heart, your lungs, and your brain all need you to move. Exercise gets your blood pumping and keeps all the systems of your body in shape to keep you going!

Find something you enjoy doing at home, outside or at the gym. Fit in 15 minutes here and another 15 minutes there, then increase that 15 minutes to 30 minutes or more. Find a workout buddy, mix up your workout often to stay motivated or buy a workout DVD and use it regularly. Get your heart rate going.

Exercise gives your body the energy it needs for a healthy lifestyle.

Vitamins
Do you really need to take vitamins? The perfect diet is rich in all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to keep your immune system functioning and ward off viruses. Truth is, not many of us eat a perfect diet. You need to eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains, and protein daily to get all the vitamins you need.

Since many of these nutrients are water soluble, they pass through your body and require daily replenishing. Taking vitamins is like a backup plan, it provides the nutrients your body needs should your diet not make the minimum requirement that day. Certain vitamins such as Vitamin D, Omega 3s, B-Complex and B12 can be difficult to get from foods alone and taking a supplement ensures you are covered.

Vitamins give your body the nutrients it needs, when your body needs the nutrients, for overall health.
 

Deb Lowther is a mother of 3 young daughters who, when not running after the kids, is running in the trails! She blogs about Raising Healthy Kids and ensures her own have fun while eating healthy & staying active. Visit her websites to learn more www.iron-kids.com & www.adultgummies.com

The Health Triangle by Deborah Lowther

For the young-uns among us, Thirty Something was a TV drama during the 80′s and it was about a group of 30-something yuppie-types in Philadelphia. Two of the main characters worked at an ad agency. They would often play nerf basketball in the office in the middle of the day! Nerf basketball! At work! You know, when they were supposed to be ‘working’! Anyone who sets up a basketball hoop in the office understands something really important about how human beings operate:

We need breaks. Breaks matter.

There’s a reason that companies like Google and Zappos are consistently ranked as the best places to work. They seem to understand this fundamental concept about people. We need time to play. We need breathing room at work to reconnect to who we are – because not only does it make us happier in general, but it makes us better at our work.

Here are just a few of the benefits of taking a little breather throughout the course of your day:

Taking a break can spark your creativity by helping you look on your work with fresh eyes.
Regular breaks can actually help you accomplish more, because they help renew your energy and focus.

A 5-minute break gives you an opportunity to get up from your desk to stretch or move your body.

Breaks are a great stress-reducer.

Think about it. We have built breaks into our calendar year in the form of holidays and vacations. We have built breaks into our week in the form of the weekend. And we even have the lunch break built into each day to make sure we take time to eat. We seem to know on some level that it’s important not to be all work and no play.

Find ways to take multiple breaks throughout the course of each day. Breaks could consist of:

A break can be as simple as a single minute spent focusing on your breath.

A break can be a few moments spent staring out the window.

A break can also be 15-minutes of nerf basketball or a mini dance-break in your office!

Finding ways to refresh your energy while you’re at work results in feeling better and thinking better, both of which add up to improved work productivity. How can you give yourself more breaks?

Nicole Burley, M.Ed is a certified Life Coach and Health Coach in NYC. Her motto is, “Health is fun. Diets are not”. Nicole helps frustrated dieters find a happy, healthy weight – no dieting or deprivation allowed! Nicole holds a masters degree in education from DePaul and a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell. She is a graduate of Coach U and a certified member of the International Coach Federation. Contact Nicole via www.NicoleBurley.com or on Facebook.com/NicoleBurleyCoaching and Twitter: @YourCoachNicole

Go ahead, take a break! By Nicole Burley

By making subtle changes in your child’s diet and lifestyle you can really boost their brain power for exams.

Keep Hydrated to Maintain Focus. Our bodies are 70% water. We need this balance to exist in order to be healthy. Just a slight drop in water levels leads to massive changes in our ability to concentrate, focus and reason. We become weaker and our bodies function far less efficiently. If we don’t drink enough water we start to function at a lesser, slower rate. Water is essential for our powers of learning. It is the most important thing our bodies need to be able to concentrate, study, focus and remember effectively.

Our level of hydration also affects the speed we are able to work at and fills us with energy. Water can affectively turn the slowest most slovenly teenager into sharp, focused and energised student.

Keep the Healthy Snacks Handy Who doesn’t snack whilst they are revising? Many teenagers surround themselves with energy drinks, chocolate bars, packets of crisps and bags of sweets as the only way to get them through revision time. However, there is a better way! In fact healthy snacking can be just as comforting whilst at the same time providing you with energy to keep going on those mammoth through-the-night sessions. It is important to snack on the right sorts of foods like raw vegetable sticks, walnuts, grapes, strawberries, bananas and so on. So stock up on healthy snacks and have them readily available for your teen.

By planning in advance and preparing the food ahead of time, you’ll eliminate the stress and enable your teen to concentrate purely on the matter in hand; revising for their exams.

Ensure a Good Night’s Sleep and a Good Start to Exam Day. You probably know that avoiding caffeine and sugar are a good idea when you want a good night’s sleep but did you know that walnuts are a natural source of melatonin which helps us fall asleep? Melatonin occurs naturally in the body but a lack of it can cause insomnia. Walnuts bridge the gap, making them an ideal addition to diet during stressful revision and exam periods when sleep can elude us. Hunger, tiredness and dehydration can all have a significant impact on how well your teen does in an exam.

Research tells us that young people who don’t eat breakfast demonstrate a 20-40% reduction in their concentration, alertness and thinking skills. This can have an effect on any day but on an exam day the results could be catastrophic. Ensure they stock up on eggs, blueberries and smoked salmon before an exam for an extra brain boost.

Maggie Ayre is the UKs leading Fitness Coach for Young People. She has just released her latest book; “Nutrition for Exam Success – A Parent’s Guide” which is available on Kindle from Amazon or can be downloaded as an ebook (along with several of Maggie’s free reports) from www.maggieayre.com/maggies-books.html

Preparing Your Teen for Exams, the Healthy Way by Maggie Ayre

Participate in your company’s wellness program. Rising healthcare costs are compelling more companies to implement wellness programs. Such programs are low hanging fruit for employees. They often include educational information on topics like weight loss, smoking cessation, nutrition, and more. You might even score a discounted gym membership or free health screenings that can aid in early detection of health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and such. Often cash incentives are offered to increase employee participation. Consult your human resources department to learn what your company offers. Your inquiry may be the nudge the company needs towards wellness.

Move more. Keep moving throughout the day. Many mistakenly think that working out after work and on the weekends is enough. Being a weekend warrior will not overwhelm the effects of sitting all day. Research shows that sitting for long stretches may be just as bad for your cardiovascular health as smoking. The body goes into metabolic shut down when we sit. It’s much like what happens to our computers when left idle for a few minutes. To combat this, stand up and move every hour. Take calls standing, walk to your boss’s office to discuss business instead of firing off an email and conduct walking meetings. 

Plan your meals.Fuel your body and your mind with a healthy breakfast to keep your energy up and prevent over eating. Keep healthy snacks at your desk like fruit and nuts. Whether you bring lunch or got out, a little forethought goes a long way. Pack a healthy lunch the night before. Grab menus from restaurants near the office and establish healthy “go to” meals.  Staying fit at work boils down to smart choices. Small changes over time can yield big results. Set a small goal like drinking more water and focus on it. Once you accomplish that, incorporate another small goal. Over time, you will achieve lasting lifestyle changes.

Kaye Kennedy is the Director of Corporate Health and Wellness at MBS Wellness. MBS Wellness specializes in creating custom wellness programs for small to mid-size companies that yield measurable results. Contact her at Kaye@mbswellness-sf.com or 1.888.957.9940 x1. Visit www.mbswellness-sf.com and follow MBS on Twitter @MBSWellnessUSA.

Wellness at Work by Kaye Kennedy

Question:

Answer: Since you’ve been cleared from your doctor in regards to hormone concerns, toning up and losing inches off your abdomen requires three different actions.

To tone up, do resistance training (lifting weights). Your local gym will provide professional services to teach you how to use the weight lifting machines. Be sure to take advantage of this offering, so you know how to safely set-up the machines and operate them correctly and effectively. Resistance training increases metabolism, and also helps increase bone density. Perform resistance training 2-3 times each week.

To lose inches, add in cardio (at least 30 min of walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, aerobics, dancing, etc) 2-3 times a week. Cardiovascular exercise helps control weight gain, as well as strengthening your heart and lungs. Cardiovascular exercise also helps maintains mobility.

Nutrition plays a critical role in reducing weight gain and improving overall health. Be mindful of appropriate portion sizes, empty calories (for example, drinks with no nutritional value and sugary foods) and try to maintain a set meal schedule. Your body begins to expect fuel when you eat regularly. Skipping meals forces the body into starvation or panic mode and slows down your metabolism. A good start is to adopt the 80-20% rule. If you’re eating healthily 80% of the time, you can reward yourself the other 20%.

By London-based personal trainer Mollie Millington. Mollie may be contacted via www.ptmollie.com or @PTMollie on Twitter.

Ask A Pro by Mollie Millington

Look for these nutritious choices at your local farmer’s market or in the produce section of your neighborhood store. Include them in your healthy eating plan at home or use them as your go-to side dish when dining out. Here are a few nutritious choices, along with preparation ideas to consider:

Beets: Serve on top of arugula, with red onion slices, drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of feta and a squeeze of fresh lemon. However, if you are adventurous in the kitchen, shred and add them to quinoa.

Asparagus:  Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut off the ends of the asparagus and lay on baking sheet, drizzle with oil & place in oven, cook for 10-15 minutes or until slightly brown. Sprinkle with tablespoon of Parmesan cheese and serve. Other great ways to enjoy are to simply throw them into a pasta sauce, an omelet, or steam and puree into a soup.

Artichokes: Enjoy artichoke hearts thrown into a salad or a pasta dish. When in a pasta dish they take up so much room, you need less actual pasta, a real calorie saver. Simply enjoying a whole steamed artichoke drizzled with olive oil and a little lemon (or a tiny bit of butter) can’t be beat for a refreshing side dish.

Strawberries: No recipes needed here. Simply wash and eat. Or top your cereal with them, your oatmeal, or a cup of low-fat Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. If you feel like you would rather be eating a piece of strawberry pie, try taking a cup of strawberries, top with a crushed graham cracker and a heaping tablespoon of low-fat whip cream. You’d just be surprised how easily that piece of traditional pie becomes a memory.

Besides being helpful for your waistline, buying fruits and veggies that are in season are also good for your pocketbook. In season foods are typically less expensive.

By Keri Gans, MS, RD, CDN, Nutritionist in Private Practice in NYC, Media Spokesperson, & Author, The Small Change Diet (Gallery, March 2011) www.kerigansnutrition.com. Follow Keri on Twitter @kerigans and join her Facebook community via www.facebook.com/TheSmallChangeDiet

Springtime Healthy Eating by Keri Gans