Words on Wellness

Walking is a great way to meet the 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity. But going for a walk in cold and snowy weather brings special challenges. Ensure a safe outdoor walk with these tips:

• Be aware of the wind chill factor before starting your walk. When it’s windy, think about whether you want to walk into the wind when you are returning and warmed up from exercise or when you begin and are warm from your home.
• Select a route with no snow or ice when possible.
• Dress warmly in several layers of loosefitting, tightly woven clothing. Wear a waterproof coat, hat, gloves, a scarf, or knit mask to cover your face, and waterproof boots. Be careful you aren’t so bundled up that you can’t hear or see what is going on around you!
• Use sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher before going outdoors and reapply as needed. Protecting your skin from the sun is important in the winter even if the air and wind are brutally cold.
• Share your planned route with family or friends in case of an emergency and carry a cell phone, if you have one.
• Take a break when you begin to feel fatigue. Watch for signs of cold weather health problems such as hypothermia and frostbite.
• Walk with a friend! It will help keep you motivated.

fitness cold weather tips, walking, winter

Roller skating or blading is a fun activity and can improve your heart and lung health as
well as muscular endurance. It requires relatively good balance and coordination, but if you want to glide gracefully, you will need a lot of practice. Beginning skating does not have to be an expensive trip to the sporting goods store. Try it out at your local skating rink or check the local parks and recreation office or fitness center to see if they rent roller skates or rollerblades.

If you decide you like skating, get skates designed with a high roller skate boot for maximum ankle support. Skating is a great workout, so try it. Be sure to wear protective gear, including helmet, knee and elbow pads, and gloves before strapping on those skates.

fitness, healthy living fun exercise, skating

Early fall is a great time for hiking. Hiking can offer hours of enjoyment, a lifetime of personal fitness, and is a great stress reliever. If it is a family hike, stronger bodies and wonderful memories can be a joint outcome. Don’t forget when choosing a trail to keep in mind the ages and abilities of the family members who will be taking part. Length of the hike and type of terrain are important to consider. Remember hats, sunglasses, and safe drinking water. Use a sunscreen and follow directions for reapplying. Sturdy, well-fitting shoes keep feet happy and injury-free. Don’t forget to include healthy trail snacks to provide fuel to keep everyone going strong. Enjoy!

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If the hustle and bustle of work, home, or life in general leaves you feeling tense and stressed out, try relaxing with yoga. Yoga is a type of exercise that uses different postures with deep breathing exercises and meditation. Many who have tried yoga share that it leaves them feeling calm and rejuvenated. Yoga was developed more than 5,000 years ago in India for those who wanted to experience spiritual uplifting.

Today, thousands of people still find yoga to be uplifting. However, research has shown that yoga has additional health benefits. Yoga improves muscle strength and flexibility, reduces stress, decreases body fat, improves circulation, stimulates the immune system, and boosts concentration as well as creativity. It also helps you burn calories. A 150-pound person can burn approximately 130 calories in 30 minutes of yoga.

With all these benefits, why not try it? Proper instruction from professionals is strongly recommended to avoid injury. Check out your local library for a yoga video or the local gym for yoga classes. If you have never tried yoga before, here are some tips:

• Start slow — it is better to go slow and take breaks when needed than to wear yourself out too quickly. If you feel tired, take a timeout and drink some water.
• Block out all distractions; focus on correct posture and positioning by following the instructions given on the video or by the instructor.
• Remain focused on posture — this will help increase your yoga stamina.
• If you are taking a yoga class, always ask for extra guidance from the instructor when needed.

Remember to consult your physician before trying any new exercise.

fitness, healthy living relaxation, uncategorized, yoga

Don’t skip breakfast to save precious morning minutes! Try these lightning fast meals that can help propel you and your kids throughout the day.

The Traditional Triplet
Whole-grain ready-to-eat cereal and fat-free milk plus 100 percent orange juice

The Hot and Wholesome Bowl
Microwavable oatmeal with chopped apples and walnuts — made with fat-free milk instead of water for an extra punch of protein, calcium, and vitamin D

The PB & B
Whole-wheat toast topped with peanut butter and sliced bananas plus fat-free milk

The Swirl and Go
Crunchy high fiber cereal, blueberries, and sunflower seeds swirled into low-fat or fat-free vanilla yogurt

The Little Dipper
Graham crackers dipped into low-fat or fat-free fruit yogurt plus 100 percent apple juice

A Little on the Lunch Side
A turkey and low-fat Swiss sandwich on whole-wheat plus 100 percent orange juice

On a Roll
A whole-wheat tortilla wrapped around a low-fat cheese stick plus a bunch of grapes (cut grapes in half for younger children)

The Waffle Tower
A toasted frozen whole-grain waffle piled high with sliced strawberries, a dollop of low-fat or fat-free yogurt, and a sprinkling of sliced almonds

Easy as Apple Pie
A toasted whole-grain bagel half layered with apple slices and reduced fat Cheddar cheese

Something Spicy
Whole-grain cinnamon-raisin toast spread with low-fat ricotta cheese plus 100 percent orange juice

Source: International Food Information Council Foundation, Wake Up to the benefits of breakfast!

For more information about breakfast and health, visit: http://ific.org/publications/other/breakfast.cfm

fitness, nutrition, recipe breakfast, meal ideas

Exercises that increase your heart rate and oxygen intake are called aerobics. These include activities such as dancing, swimming, and running. Aerobics can increase your physical condition and help you lose weight. A common barrier for many people is physical limitation caused by disabilities or age.

Water aerobics is a great option for those with limited mobility because the buoyancy of water puts less strain on muscles and joints. Many people refer to water exercising as a “non-weight bearing exercise” because the water supports most of your weight — instead of your feet, hips, and legs. When you want to change the exertion that you produce when exercising, all you change is the speed at which you exercise.

Water exercises are recommended for people who have limited mobility due to being overweight or having medical problems or injuries. When considering a water exercise program, consult your doctor to be sure you can safely start a routine. Also, exercise with a partner for safety reasons. Even though you’re in the water, you still need to drink enough water to avoid dehydration.

Water exercise is beneficial and easier than regular exercising. Give it a try. Classes are offered at many public pools and YMCAs in Iowa, or you can design your own program. It takes no special equipment, not even shoes!

fitness, healthy living swimming, uncategorized, water aerobics

Whether you prefer to exercise in the privacy of your home or at your local YMCA, you’ll find that dancing is a great way to get your body moving! A person weighing 150 pounds can burn approximately 200 calories in 30 minutes with light dancing, such as ballroom dancing. More intense dancing, such as ballet, can burn upwards of 275 calories per 30 minutes of activity. Dancing is a great way to improve cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility.

Experts also say that certain dancing styles offer different benefits. For example, if you are looking to improve muscle tone in your legs and stomach, ballet or reggae dancing should be your choice. If you are looking to improve cardiovascular fitness, then tap, jazz, and African dance would be the best for you. The wonderful part about dancing is that you do not have to follow a certain style (e.g., ballet, tap, jazz) to get the health benefits. You can just pop in a CD, play the music of your choice, and start boogying in your living room!

• If you have young children, get the whole family involved by having a dance competition. Have the children pick out their favorite song and let them create their own moves.
• Want to try something new with your spouse? How about enrolling in a ballroom dance class? It may take a while to convince your partner that it will be fun, but once the class begins, it will be a guaranteed good time!
• Check with your local park and recreation services to find where classes might be offered near you.

As with any type of exercise, it is recommended that you consult with your physician before starting a new exercise.

Adapted from: “Dancing Your Way to Fitness,” Ebony, Dec 1998

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You hear about “going green” in your daily life and reducing your carbon footprint. One way for you to get a little greener is to ride a bike. May is National Bike Month. This is a great excuse to get off your couch or from behind the wheels of your car and enjoy the thrill and fun of riding a bike.

Cycling isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for you. Casual pedaling burns about 500 calories per hour (for a 150-pound person), all while enjoying the fresh air and sunshine of spring and making some extra Vitamin D for your bones.

Wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet, adjust the bicycle to fit, check the tires and brakes, and be sure to wear white or bright colored clothing so other riders and drivers can see you while having fun this summer on your bike.

Get the whole family involved and ride this May.

fitness, healthy living biking, going green, summer

Are You at Risk?

Thirty years ago, osteoporosis and the broken bones it caused were considered part of normal aging. Fortunately, today we know how to prevent osteoporosis. Eating a nutritious diet that includes adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D, in addition to regular exercise, can maintain our bone health and prevent osteoporosis. Vitamin D plays two important roles in bone health. Vitamin D increases calcium absorption from the food we eat. Vitamin D also will “pull” calcium from our bones if we do not get enough calcium in our diet.

Recommended daily calcium intake for adults

Good sources of calcium are low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese along with foods with added calcium such as orange juice, cereals, and breads.

Recommended daily intake for vitamin D

Natural sources of vitamin D include some kinds of fish (e.g., salmon, herring, mackerel, and tuna). Some foods and beverages, such as breakfast cereals, margarine, orange juice, and soy beverages are commonly fortified with this nutrient. The best source of vitamin D is exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D is vital for calcium absorption in bones and to improve muscle strength.

• Osteoporosis prevention should begin in childhood. Eighty-five percent of adult bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and age 20 in boys. Plenty of physical activity during the preteen and teen years helps to increase bone mass and greatly reduces the risk of osteoporosis in adulthood.
• Get regular exercise. Keep bones healthy through weight-bearing exercises such as walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing, or weight lifting.
• You may not know that you have osteoporosis until a strain, bump, or fall causes a bone to break. You’re never too young or too old to improve the health of your bones.

Get more information from the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

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Flexibility helps prevent injuries and improve simple motions of everyday life. Being flexible allows for better movement and reduced pain in joints making it easier to perform daily activities. It is important to warm your muscles before stretching. Also, remember to stretch after the cool-down portion of each workout.

• Do not bounce into a stretch or during a stretch. Movements should be slow and steady.
• Mild discomfort while stretching is normal but you should never feel pain. If you do, it means you are stretching too far and you need to reduce the stretch so it does not hurt.
• Always breathe through the stretch, never hold your breath.
• Avoid locking your joints in place during stretches.
• Hold each stretch for 15–30 seconds. Repeat each stretch 2– 4 times, trying to extend farther each time.

Here are two stretches to get you started…

Hamstring Stretch – Hold on to the back of a chair or countertop and bend forward at the hips, keeping your back and shoulders straight and your knees together. You should feel a stretch in the back of your thighs.

Triceps Stretch – Lift your arm straight up in the air and bend at the elbow. Gently press the elbow back with the opposite hand. Lift your head and look straight ahead. You should feel a stretch in the back part of the upper arm. Repeat with the other arm.

fitness, healthy living flexibility, streching