First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move program http://www.letsmove.gov/ is a fabulous resource for children and adults. You will find ways to improve your fitness, learn how to eat better, and find out how to get involved with your community to make improvements for our society at large.
Hats off to the First Lady for bringing the childhood obesity (and adult obesity) epidemic to the public's attention. Statistics indicate that the epidemic may have, at last, peaked at around 36 percent. That's 36 percent of adult Americans are obese. If that number doesn't stagger you, 69 percent of Americans are overweight. . .
Reflect on the numbers here: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/overwt.htm
Friday, January 31, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Little Changes Add Steps on Your Fitbit
Yesterday was cold with temperatures in the high teens and a north wind. Not a pleasant day for a long walk. But I wanted to get out into the fresh air and sunshine and needed human interaction. I also needed groceries. Rather than shopping at the grocery store closest to me, I set off for another, seven blocks further. I took the "long-cut," as my son used to say when he was little, to add another quarter-mile or so to my journey. By the time I got to the store, my fingers were numb.
I quit using shopping carts decades ago, unless circumstances require an especially large purchase for a holiday party or a return from a vacation. My routine is to shop frequently and to use the small baskets rather than the large carts. Whatever I can fit into and carry around the store in the basket (Sometimes I even use two baskets if am using a car.) is what I take home. I try to purchase only what is on my list. Not having a lot of room in the basket limits impulse purchases of processed foods. If grandmother didn't eat it, neither should I.
I purchased bok choy, brocolli rabe, shitake mushrooms, tofu, a large container of yogurt, and a bottle of olive oil. There was still room in the basket, but there was nothing else on the list. I glanced at the endcaps for special sales items, but nothing on sale was needed in the pantry.
The walk home was direct, with about 8 pounds of groceries divided into two bags--four pound weights in each bag. Sometimes I held the bags together so I could keep one hand warm in a pocket. I walked briskly, and, thankfully, didn't have to wait for lights.
Over time, little things add up. The "long-cut," the basket on my arm instead of the cart on wheels, the weight of the groceries on the schlep home, a short aerobic burst or two to stay warm--over the course of the year add up to many more miles of aerobic activity and hours of weight-bearing exercise to improve bone density. Park further away from the store when you have time. Get off the bus a few blocks before your stop and walk. Carry the groceries around the store and all the way home. You'll be fitter and feel better.
I quit using shopping carts decades ago, unless circumstances require an especially large purchase for a holiday party or a return from a vacation. My routine is to shop frequently and to use the small baskets rather than the large carts. Whatever I can fit into and carry around the store in the basket (Sometimes I even use two baskets if am using a car.) is what I take home. I try to purchase only what is on my list. Not having a lot of room in the basket limits impulse purchases of processed foods. If grandmother didn't eat it, neither should I.
I purchased bok choy, brocolli rabe, shitake mushrooms, tofu, a large container of yogurt, and a bottle of olive oil. There was still room in the basket, but there was nothing else on the list. I glanced at the endcaps for special sales items, but nothing on sale was needed in the pantry.
The walk home was direct, with about 8 pounds of groceries divided into two bags--four pound weights in each bag. Sometimes I held the bags together so I could keep one hand warm in a pocket. I walked briskly, and, thankfully, didn't have to wait for lights.
Over time, little things add up. The "long-cut," the basket on my arm instead of the cart on wheels, the weight of the groceries on the schlep home, a short aerobic burst or two to stay warm--over the course of the year add up to many more miles of aerobic activity and hours of weight-bearing exercise to improve bone density. Park further away from the store when you have time. Get off the bus a few blocks before your stop and walk. Carry the groceries around the store and all the way home. You'll be fitter and feel better.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Petition McDonald's to Add a Veggie Burger to the Menu
Sign this petition https://www.change.org/petitions/petition-for-veggie-burgers-veggie-macs-at-mcdonalds at Change.org to encourage McDonald's to serve veggie burgers (and preferably healthy, not-laden-with-meat-fat veggie burgers). McDonald's Canada has two veggie wraps that would be good alternatives for a start.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
A Ditz, Not a Geek
True confessions time: neither a technophobe nor a Luddite, I am not a geek. After much trial and error, a little head banging, and tutorials from my sons or my husband, I can usually learn how to work a new piece of technology. As much as the boys in Cupertino like to tell us, technology is not intuitive. If it were, I'd be working for them instead of writing a blog about fitness and health. Another confession: I live in a household of early adopters or lighthouse customers. We love gadgets.
As I enter my sixth decade I am becoming more scatterbrained and, yes, ditzier. Learning something new takes longer than it used to for me. But making the effort is so worthwhile! Meditation, yoga, crossword puzzles, social interaction, and a consistent aerobic routine help keep the brain young and elastic.
A study from Canada tested women in their 70s who walked to improve both verbal and spatial memory. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23509628 The study proved that "exercise can positively impact cognitive functioning and may represent an effective strategy to improve memory in those who have begun to experience cognitive decline."
If they can do it, so can I and so can you.
Remember: walking may improve memory.
The Ditz
As I enter my sixth decade I am becoming more scatterbrained and, yes, ditzier. Learning something new takes longer than it used to for me. But making the effort is so worthwhile! Meditation, yoga, crossword puzzles, social interaction, and a consistent aerobic routine help keep the brain young and elastic.
A study from Canada tested women in their 70s who walked to improve both verbal and spatial memory. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23509628 The study proved that "exercise can positively impact cognitive functioning and may represent an effective strategy to improve memory in those who have begun to experience cognitive decline."
If they can do it, so can I and so can you.
Remember: walking may improve memory.
The Ditz
Monday, January 27, 2014
Self-analytics
The Fitbit One is not my first self-analytic device, it's my fourth. When training for a triathlon, I got hooked on the Polar Heart RateMonitor http://www.polar.com/us-en This was in 1991, and I've used a heart rate monitor ever since. I use one today for cycling, walking, and even yoga, where it can be very helpful, particularly in recording resting periods, which are, to my mind, equally important as high-intensity workouts.
For over a decade my husband and I have participated in week-long cycling events that require our fitness levels to be higher than at other times of the year. While training for an event such the Stihl Tour des Trees, www.stihltourdestrees.org I use a power meter made by Cycle Ops that measures how much wattage I produce when turning the cranks on my bike -- the torque I put on the wheel, or how much effort it takes to pedal. There are many of these devices on the market. www.powertap.com/collections/hubs/powertap-g3-hub I have had my power tap for over two years now and it's still going strong, though it does require battery changes.
We subscribe to a training service called Training Peaks www.trainingpeaks.com to improve our fitness and prepare for some hill climbing in Oregon, for instance. Our coach tailors workouts for us individually each week. We train for endurance, as during the Tour des Trees we usually ride between 80-100 miles each day, which can take a toll on the body if one hasn't prepared.
Because I am a ditz and not a geek I don't understand output/input ratios. I do know that lolling around on the couch all day is not healthy. Couch surfing has it's time and place, but too much of it leads to poor health.
The folks at Fitbit have figured out that the average person, not the super-athlete needs rewards. For my money it's not the technology of the accelerator that is so impressive in the Fitbit One, it's the rewards program and the community that they are building, that surpass the earlier devices. My wish is that Fitbit would lower the price so that more people could afford, get active, and benefit from the many effects of consistent, moderate activity like walking.
For over a decade my husband and I have participated in week-long cycling events that require our fitness levels to be higher than at other times of the year. While training for an event such the Stihl Tour des Trees, www.stihltourdestrees.org I use a power meter made by Cycle Ops that measures how much wattage I produce when turning the cranks on my bike -- the torque I put on the wheel, or how much effort it takes to pedal. There are many of these devices on the market. www.powertap.com/collections/hubs/powertap-g3-hub I have had my power tap for over two years now and it's still going strong, though it does require battery changes.
We subscribe to a training service called Training Peaks www.trainingpeaks.com to improve our fitness and prepare for some hill climbing in Oregon, for instance. Our coach tailors workouts for us individually each week. We train for endurance, as during the Tour des Trees we usually ride between 80-100 miles each day, which can take a toll on the body if one hasn't prepared.
Because I am a ditz and not a geek I don't understand output/input ratios. I do know that lolling around on the couch all day is not healthy. Couch surfing has it's time and place, but too much of it leads to poor health.
The folks at Fitbit have figured out that the average person, not the super-athlete needs rewards. For my money it's not the technology of the accelerator that is so impressive in the Fitbit One, it's the rewards program and the community that they are building, that surpass the earlier devices. My wish is that Fitbit would lower the price so that more people could afford, get active, and benefit from the many effects of consistent, moderate activity like walking.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Fitbit One
I've been using a Fitbit One since my birthday, on January 8th. Yesterday I got an email from the home office saying that I had logged in 50 miles! Of course this doesn't take into account the shoe leather I burned that One didn't record. . . I've learned that One has to be placed close to the hip bone to pick up my steps. (One day I wore it clipped to my yoga pants too close to my midline; result: no record of steps). And I've learned to charge One every day. In less than a month I have been completely seduced by exploding happy faces, lengthening flower stems, and myriad other forms of positive reinforcement. The folks at fitbit.com know how to keep you moving!
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