Winter Blues

Sometimes winter can get a bad rap and can be referred to as the SAD season. Don’t let the early sunsets and cold temperatures affect your mood. There are things we can do to prevent the seasonal mood changes. 

Start by embracing the day and finding time to get outside at some point before sunset. As little as 10 minutes of sunshine can provide benefits of Vitamin D along with a mood lifter. With the holiday season, there are a lot of cookies and family recipes that often make their way into the workplace. It’s important to not cave into the carbohydrate cravings!  Enjoy a taste of it, but be sure to include energy packed vegetables and lean proteins as well. 

As always, keep moving! With the frigid temperatures, it can be a challenge to get out of bed early to work out, yet many studies show those who get their morning workout in before their work day, are more inclined to keep up their routine and have the added benefit of burning calories in the morning, essentially eating a larger breakfast, lighter lunch and a balanced dinner. If it’s a weight workout, you’ll have the added benefit of burning more calories throughout the day. 

It’s also a great time of year to try something outdoors that you don’t typically do. Gather some work out buddies and find an activity or two that you can experience together. Most importantly, get your sleep and take your vitamins. You can’t replace sleep with an energy drink or extra coffee. Take the time to reenergize your body by getting enough rest and the vitamins will ensure a strong immune system to stay healthy throughout the winter season.

Take Time for Yourself

It’s a new day, and a fresh start. Yesterday was a time to enjoy with friends and family, sharing our favorite recipes and hopefully a little exercise by participating in an activity with a loved one.  Whether you spent most of the day in the kitchen cooking, or spent time enjoying the Macy’s Parade, it’s time to think about your action plan to get moving today and throughout December.

 Think Short Term!

It’s easy to plan ahead to what you will do come January 1, but ask yourself what you need to d now to keep fit, and get fitter throughout the holiday season. Are there any local charity workouts that you can get involved in? Perhaps a holiday run or bike ride. There are so many charities looking for volunteers this time of year, and many of the duties require lifting, moving things and some sort of running around. It not only helps us to feel better about our body image, but we feel better knowing that we are also contributing to a good cause. Couple this with healthy meal and snack options and you’ll be feeling ready to take on the New Year!

Motivation can easily unravel...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holidays are upon us and so are the extra calories that come with the season. Oh, that didn’t sound so wonderful did it? The more you prepare to do something about it now, the better you’ll feel after the holidays. You won’t dread going the gym, eating healthy won’t seem like a chore and you won’t feel the guilty about overindulging because you’ve kept off the extra holiday pounds. 

How can you make this a reality this year? First, don’t deny yourself a little indulgence with your favorite family recipes.  Make a commitment to be vigilant about watching your portion size and make a mandatory appointment everyday to workout. Yes, EVERYDAY! It doesn’t mean that you have to get a full workout in at the gym every day, but make a commitment to get moving every day. This time of year, it’s getting colder outside, so we are less inclined to be active outdoors and start to slow down. Be mindful of how much you are moving everyday and make conscious effort to move more- Take the stairs, get up from your desk at work, take a walk before or after work, buddy up and find someone to support you in your effort.  Most importantly, don’t let one bad meal or a lazy day get you off track…Everyday provides us with a new opportunity to decide what healthy choices we are going to make.

Tip: Keep an extra set of workout clothes and sneakers in your car to ensure you’re always prepared for your workout! 

Not all running shoes are the same

I found a great website from Runners World magazine that I highly recommend for finding the best-fit shoe for you! With so many choices, it’s easy to quickly get overwhelmed with all of the options.

If you are looking for a new pair of running shoes or just curious to see what shoe is made for your foot, check out: runnersworld.com/shoefinder.  I recently took a look and it was so accurate that it found a running shoe that I currently run in along with other great options. Furthermore, it takes it a step further and allows you to compare the shoes that it selects for you.

The shoe finder will ask you for some basic information- sex, weight, and height. It then proceeds into questions about your running experience, mileage, pace and any recent injuries.  The last few questions are optional, but helpful to include if you know the information. It will ask about your arch. Do you have a flat, medium or high arch? Do you under/overpronate and goes on to ask a few more detailed questions. Again, the last few questions are simply to provide more about you so the shoe finder can choose wisely!

Lastly, don’t miss the tabs at the top of the page. I almost missed them! They offer, “Shoes like mine”. This option is helpful if you have a pair of shoes that you absolutely love and want to find another pair similar to them. There is also an “Advanced Search” which allows you to get very detailed for those of you who are extremely particular about your shoes!

Don’t wait to buy your new shoes for the New Year- Make it your motivational tool to get moving in December! 

Try to move more everyday...

If you can't exercise for a 30-60 minutes, try 10-15 minutes several times a day. Consider your daily routine and the options to enhance your fitness routine.

Some of these options are simple changes that you can add into your day to make a big difference in your physique:

Take the stairs every time! It’s an opportunity to stretch your legs so take advantage and to tone the backs of your legs. Already do this? Make your step a little bigger and step up every two steps.

Park as far away as possible! I understand time can be a factor, and we can find so many reasons to want a VIP Parking space, however I encourage you to find a spot that will get your legs moving, and if you’re in a time crunch, it ensures you’re walking a little quicker.

When putting away groceries or doing chores around the house or in the garage, I recommend using your legs to bend down and pick something up. Many of us face issues with back pain. Bring awareness to what you are physically doing and make adjustments. For example, when you are putting away groceries, bend down into a squat position to pick up the item instead of hunching over and causing stress on your lower back.

Lastly, if you have a few spare minutes, but can’t head out for walk, make a class at the gym and just not too sure what to do, I suggest turning on the computer, and streamline a workout video- try youtube. A colleague of mine recently used this option when traveling. Type in “Best workout videos” and give one a try!

Healthy Kids

I have discovered a wonderful website which I wanted to share with all- actionforhealthykids.org.

I recently signed up for their newsletter because I'm concerned about the nutrition and exercise our nation's children. In their most recent newsletter, I found one article in particular shocking and helpful. Check out: Raising a Healthier Generation-

http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/assets/pdfs/childrens-health-and.pdf

I was reading the article, The state of children's health by Dr. Reginald Washington, and he states in his first paragraph that childhood obesity has tripled in the past three decades. This statement clearly reflects how things have changed and why it's crucial for adults to be role-models for our children.

As a former teacher, I strongly support physical education classes. Unfortunately the budget cuts have resulted in more class time and less "moving" time. We tend to blame ADHD for the root of the "fidgety" student, but it's important for us to consider the amount of physical activity that students currently receive on a daily basis. Now that summer is here, get them outdoors and moving! It doesn't need to be an organized activity however that might be a good place to start.

On the road...

When traveling, it can be difficult to keep to a schedule and eat healthy. Whether you're traveling for work or are enjoying a summer vacation, it's important to remember to keep a few things in mind:

1. Drink water... then drink some more! Traveling is exhausting and it's important to stay on your toes when your on the road.
2. Pack snacks- It helps to avoid stopping for fast food or getting junk food in a gas station or in an airport.
3. Eat when your hungry and not because you see others eating! When we see or smell something delicious that someone else is eating, we tend to think that we are hungry too. Try drinking water and chew gum. If you are still hungry after 30 minutes then have a snack.
4.  Get moving- Exercise can be hard to squeeze in on the road, so stretch it out when you can and any opportunity you have to walk or climb stairs... go for it!

Lunch Hour... Time To Move It, Move It

How do you typically spend your lunch hour? Sometimes we find ourselves stuck at our desk and don't make time for it. Other times we run our errands for the day, and when we find the time, we enjoy a lunch out with colleagues and friends.

On days when you feel sluggish at work or need a workout but don't have the time, I encourage you to take advantage of your "Lunch Hour"!  Schedule it as an appointment. Take  30-45 minutes to get your muscles moving. In the United States we have over 70 million people who are obese. Contributing factors clearly include lack of exercise along with the food we eat. We can't seem to find the "time".

Now your thinking what can I do during my lunch hour?

- Is there a place around your building where you can go walking or running?

-Do you have a park close by?

-Do the streets have sidewalks? Use them!

- Start a “lunch hour” walking club

Start thinking about options to get moving!