Got my computer! Whoot! Now to get things back on track....
How did my exercise go last week? I don't want to talk about it... Okay fine. I didn't do much. I went for a walk with my husband one night and drank lots of water! But I didn't complete my plan like I wanted to.
My excuses:
Bad weather
Bad weather
Good weather, but fussy baby
...
Excitement for the upcoming weekend.
Too Tired..
Yeah they don't really work for excuses. There was plenty to do inside!
So a new week is here and I am so pumped to get going again. I really really really want to be in shape so I can dance! I miss dancing SOOO much. I have taken breaks before and remember how NOT fun they are. (By the way, does anyone know of a good studio or company in the SLC area I can just go dance with?)
Anyway, I decided I needed to work out more than 2 times a week. Maybe that will help, we'll see.
Well what I mostly wanted to bring up in this Fitness post was Cardio! I love Cardio! Well, I used too- when it was good. Since I haven't been able to run for a while I have lost my cardio endurance! So now I am like scared, or something, to run. I know I will be out of breath, I know it will be hard and I know that I will get a side ache. Well the Dr said to take it slow. So here's an idea of how to slowly build up my cardio again.
Walk 5 minutes
Jog 5 minutes
Walk 5 minutes
Jog 5 minutes
Walk 5 minutes
OR
Walk 5 minutes
50 Jumping Jacks
50 Jump Ropes
Repeat 3 times
OR
if that gets boring and you are watching TV instead of working out do this
Walk in place when the show is on
Jumping Jacks throughout commercials.
Shows are usually an hour? That's a great workout!! Make sure to have a water bottle handy and drink at least 3 of them.
So I'm going to try it! While watching The Biggest Loser, which is my netflix addiction. I love that show! I always wanted to be a trainer like Jillian Micheals!!
I encourage ALL of you reading this that need to start getting on track to do this. Try one each day or just find what works for you. If you want a different idea or have a different idea don't be afraid to comment and let me know! I love feedback!
Happy Cardio!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Brains + Oxygen = Love - Headaches
I'm behind on posts! My husband needed to take the computer to work the last few days of the week. My computer is not with me, but I will be retrieving it soon! Anyway, I hope I can remember all that I wanted to post on nutrition this week, if it doesn't make sense let me know. or just ignore it. ;)
Brains love oxygen. That's just all there is to it. I was sitting in Anatomy and Physiology class one day and we were discussing the respiratory system. I don't remember the whole conversation and I'm not sure if this is exactly what the teacher said, so don't quote it!
"Most people have headaches because they aren't getting enough OXYGEN to their brains!!"
Meaning- BREATHE PEOPLE! How many of us focus on our breath all day? Yes it is part of our autonomic nervous system to breath, but are we effectively breathing enough? I don't think so.
Being a part of the dance program in school I took a class called Somatics. Soma= body, so to make it simple for those of you who don't know what the class is about.. we studied and discovered connections in the body. (My favorite!) Well the first connection we make when come into the world is breathing. Don't you think that if breathing is the very first thing our bodies learn to do in the world, that it's kind of important? THE ANSWER IS YES!
Breathing Exercise:
Close your eyes
Inhale- Counting to 10 slowly, hold it at the top for 5 slow seconds. You should feel a rising starting with your stomach and filling up your lungs. You should feel like you can't fit anything more into your body- hold that, then begin exhale.
(Imagine you are filling up a cup of water as you inhale.)
Exhale- Counting to 10 slowly, hold it at the bottom for 5 slow seconds. You should feel a sinking starting with the top of your lungs all the way down to your stomach. You should feel smaller and like you just emptied your body of all unwanted things. (Think of a balloon with a small hole, slowly leaking air- getting smaller and smaller)
Repeat 3 times. Or as many times as you would like. It is most comfortable to do lying down, but do whatever is comfortable for you. If you are at work, just sit back in your chair. If someone interrupts you, you can slug them later. :)
I love breathing. If I can't fall asleep, which is rare with a newborn baby, I do this exercise and actually fall asleep in the middle of it! It is so nice because it not only gets oxygen to my brain, it also supplies more oxygen for my whole body! It is as if I can feel every muscle relax because now it has oxygen! It's so relaxing!
What does breathing have to do with nutrition? Well it helps our bodies to keep working the processes it needs to. It helps Metabolism to happen.
Another reason, (I learned from Anat/Phys), that humans get so many headaches is because they aren't drinking enough water.
The body needs water! and the brain particularly in order to function optimally. Here is a link to a great article about how much water the body really needs.
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html
Check it out! It's a short read and very interesting!
So how much water do you need to drink in a day to get the right amount for your body? Well it's different for everybody. Depending on your amount of lean muscle, amount of activity, and body type, you'll need to figure out how much water your body needs. Here are some guidelines to go by.
Water Guidlines Make sure to read both pages!!! It's a great article from the Mayo Clinic Staff.
I try to carry a water bottle with me everywhere I go. Any time I have a second I take a sip of water. I can usually get through my 30oz bottle 3 times in a day. According to the Mayo Clinic, that is not enough! Well my goal is to drink more water in a day. The hard part is remembering to bring it with me when I move into another room and to not get distracted by other beverages!
So take on the challenge with me and set a goal to breath more and drink water!!! Let's take care of our bodies!
Brains love oxygen. That's just all there is to it. I was sitting in Anatomy and Physiology class one day and we were discussing the respiratory system. I don't remember the whole conversation and I'm not sure if this is exactly what the teacher said, so don't quote it!
"Most people have headaches because they aren't getting enough OXYGEN to their brains!!"
Meaning- BREATHE PEOPLE! How many of us focus on our breath all day? Yes it is part of our autonomic nervous system to breath, but are we effectively breathing enough? I don't think so.
Being a part of the dance program in school I took a class called Somatics. Soma= body, so to make it simple for those of you who don't know what the class is about.. we studied and discovered connections in the body. (My favorite!) Well the first connection we make when come into the world is breathing. Don't you think that if breathing is the very first thing our bodies learn to do in the world, that it's kind of important? THE ANSWER IS YES!
Breathing Exercise:
Close your eyes
Inhale- Counting to 10 slowly, hold it at the top for 5 slow seconds. You should feel a rising starting with your stomach and filling up your lungs. You should feel like you can't fit anything more into your body- hold that, then begin exhale.
(Imagine you are filling up a cup of water as you inhale.)
Exhale- Counting to 10 slowly, hold it at the bottom for 5 slow seconds. You should feel a sinking starting with the top of your lungs all the way down to your stomach. You should feel smaller and like you just emptied your body of all unwanted things. (Think of a balloon with a small hole, slowly leaking air- getting smaller and smaller)
Repeat 3 times. Or as many times as you would like. It is most comfortable to do lying down, but do whatever is comfortable for you. If you are at work, just sit back in your chair. If someone interrupts you, you can slug them later. :)
I love breathing. If I can't fall asleep, which is rare with a newborn baby, I do this exercise and actually fall asleep in the middle of it! It is so nice because it not only gets oxygen to my brain, it also supplies more oxygen for my whole body! It is as if I can feel every muscle relax because now it has oxygen! It's so relaxing!
What does breathing have to do with nutrition? Well it helps our bodies to keep working the processes it needs to. It helps Metabolism to happen.
Another reason, (I learned from Anat/Phys), that humans get so many headaches is because they aren't drinking enough water.
The body needs water! and the brain particularly in order to function optimally. Here is a link to a great article about how much water the body really needs.
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html
Check it out! It's a short read and very interesting!
So how much water do you need to drink in a day to get the right amount for your body? Well it's different for everybody. Depending on your amount of lean muscle, amount of activity, and body type, you'll need to figure out how much water your body needs. Here are some guidelines to go by.
Water Guidlines Make sure to read both pages!!! It's a great article from the Mayo Clinic Staff.
I try to carry a water bottle with me everywhere I go. Any time I have a second I take a sip of water. I can usually get through my 30oz bottle 3 times in a day. According to the Mayo Clinic, that is not enough! Well my goal is to drink more water in a day. The hard part is remembering to bring it with me when I move into another room and to not get distracted by other beverages!
So take on the challenge with me and set a goal to breath more and drink water!!! Let's take care of our bodies!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Starting from Scratch
Just like making a cake from scratch for the first time, we have to have a recipe to know the ingredients. Each ingredient is important, without one the cake would not be as effective to your taste buds as it could be. Also, if you eat the ingredients separately, they taste nasty and not like cake at all.
I am not making a cake, but I am trying to make a healthier lifestyle. Well I'm kind of starting from scratch. Like most people, I sometimes don't know where to begin. Although I might have a slight advantage because i studied nutrition and personal training in college. I still have all this information rolling around in my head with no organization, and since I've become a mom it's gotten worse. Well I'm going to try and organize here on the blog. I know the ingredients, I just need to put them in order in my life.
My goals for May: Start exercising again! I'm going to start with 2 times a week for 30 minutes. What am I going to do? That is a good question.
I know the key ingredients: Cardio, Strength and Stretching
Cardio: Go for a brisk walk 15 minutes, break a sweat!!
Either around the neighborhood or walking in place while watching my favorite show. That's right, no more sitting down to watch TV!! It helps me to have upbeat music to walk to so if there is nothing entertaining on TV the IPOD is great!
The best way to tell if I'm getting a good workout is if I'm sweating. Or as my husband says, "Glistens."
Strength: 25 Push-ups, 25 Crunches Repeated 3 times 5 minutes
25 squats, 25 squat lifts repeated 3 times 5 minutes
arms, abs, legs, check! our major muscle groups worked.
Push-up tip: since we are starting from scratch, I can use a counter or dresser to do my push-ups on until I can better support my weight on the floor.
Crunch tip: Breathe!!! Inhale on the down; exhale on the up. Also fill those lungs with air! Muscles love oxygen.
Stretching: Take 10 minutes to stretch muscles worked.
Keep safety in mind while stretching. Keep the knees over the toes. Keeps the hips in line and never put pressure on the inside of your knee.
Here is a good website showing 10 basic stretches, how to do them and safety tips.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/SM00043
Here is a good start. We'll see how it goes this week. Eventually I want to post videos of workouts that are easy to do and include the 3 key ingredients. But for now, let's get baking!
I am not making a cake, but I am trying to make a healthier lifestyle. Well I'm kind of starting from scratch. Like most people, I sometimes don't know where to begin. Although I might have a slight advantage because i studied nutrition and personal training in college. I still have all this information rolling around in my head with no organization, and since I've become a mom it's gotten worse. Well I'm going to try and organize here on the blog. I know the ingredients, I just need to put them in order in my life.
My goals for May: Start exercising again! I'm going to start with 2 times a week for 30 minutes. What am I going to do? That is a good question.
Cardio: Go for a brisk walk 15 minutes, break a sweat!!
Either around the neighborhood or walking in place while watching my favorite show. That's right, no more sitting down to watch TV!! It helps me to have upbeat music to walk to so if there is nothing entertaining on TV the IPOD is great!
The best way to tell if I'm getting a good workout is if I'm sweating. Or as my husband says, "Glistens."
Strength: 25 Push-ups, 25 Crunches Repeated 3 times 5 minutes
25 squats, 25 squat lifts repeated 3 times 5 minutes
arms, abs, legs, check! our major muscle groups worked.
Push-up tip: since we are starting from scratch, I can use a counter or dresser to do my push-ups on until I can better support my weight on the floor.
Crunch tip: Breathe!!! Inhale on the down; exhale on the up. Also fill those lungs with air! Muscles love oxygen.
Stretching: Take 10 minutes to stretch muscles worked.
Keep safety in mind while stretching. Keep the knees over the toes. Keeps the hips in line and never put pressure on the inside of your knee.
Here is a good website showing 10 basic stretches, how to do them and safety tips.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/SM00043
Here is a good start. We'll see how it goes this week. Eventually I want to post videos of workouts that are easy to do and include the 3 key ingredients. But for now, let's get baking!
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