A Little Health...The Lioness and the Lunges

Post as seen on Couragezone.com

When I was a teenager, I watched a nature film of a lioness and her cubs. The cubs were crawling all over her, tugging at her ear, and bounding over her. I thought, "When I'm a mom I'm not going to be like that tired momma cat! I'm going to be the mom that throws the ball, tackles her kids and bikes them to the grocery store to get milk!" Truthfully, I now understand the exhausted lioness, and no, I don't bike the kids to get our milk. However, as a group exercise instructor and master trainer, I know first hand that making your physical health a top priority will enable you to achieve many of your family dreams and personal aspirations.

I used to feel like I couldn't realize many of those dreams. I vividly recall reoccurring kitchen table conversations with my husband over the last years. "Rob, I feel so sick and tired. I have no motivation to clean the house at all. I'm not doing any projects with the kids I always wanted to do. I haven't washed my hair in five days. I don't want to cook and I feel guilty wasting our money on fast food. Why am I so unhappy?"

My Prince wisely and kindly replied: "How is your nutrition going?" Crickets. I realize I've been getting my meals from the kids' leftover plates. "How is your hydration?" Crickets. I have been "going for the gold," because urine that color is a sure sign of dehydration. "Have you been able to get out and exercise?" Head shake no; I used that time and energy running an errand. "How is your sleep?" Ugh. I had been staying up way too late surfing the Interet.

I had "don't-take-care-of-yourself-itis."

The cure for this ailment has particulars that can be individually tailored to your likes and lifestyle. However, whether it's walking, dancing, a sport or pilates, the benefits of exercise and proper nutrition apply to every mother because it:

increases your energy levels, allowing you to finally do activities that you want with your children
releases endorphins, making you more calm and clear minded (meaning less anger and frustration)
increases your cardio endurance-- you can do more for longer and it hurts less (chasing toddlers or teens)
increases your muscle strength--you can do more for longer and it hurts less (from heavy groceries to babies to book bags)
allows your mind to function in a different zone, which rests the brain and opens you up to new ideas and perspectives
delivers more oxygen to your brain and flushes out CO2 build up, allowing you to think more clearly, increasing memory
gives you a feeling of hope and confidence, reducing depression
deeper and easier sleep
enhances digestion and ssuppresses appetite
boosts self confidence--your children and husband will sense the new power in you and it will flow to them!
makes us more decisive and affectionate (you can become your husband's girlfriend again, not just roommate).

Sometimes we can't get to the gym, funds aren't available for babysitters or the weather is too cold or hot to run. I tell my clients to do their age in push ups, sit ups, squats and lunges everyday. House cleaning counts-I burned more calories scrubbing walls and floors for our cleaning company than I did in spin class! Turn on any music that you love and just go for it.

Sometimes we don't feel like exercising. How can we keep our physical health up when life gets in the way or our will power wanes? You must plan a regular time to work out and make that space sacred time. Tell the children "I will be a nicer mommy after I do this workout!" Or better yet, invite the children to do the workout with you. I remember the first time I practiced a Zumba routine in my bathroom mirror. My four and two-year old watched me in silence, literally gaping open-mouthed in shock. Then they burst out laughing. And now we dance together.

If you had more energy, what things would you do with your family or in your career? What personal aspirations do you think you could pursue?

Set a specific time each day to move your body this week. In your daily planner or journal, write down all of the food you eat. Look over the list after three days. What patterns do you notice in your nutrition? Introduce one healthy change to a pattern you see, i.e. more water, a better breakfast, more greens, no skipping meals.

Photo from Freedigitalphotos.net/lionessandcub.Rob Bunneywell

A Little Health... Soda Pop and Performance

Does Soda Pop Affect Performance?

photo:  norcalblogs.com

The majority of American’s are overweight or obese for a reason. I believe this is largely due to the “empty calorie” consumption of soda pop and the increased use of convenience foods. While there are many other factors that lead to fat American’s like fitness (or lack of it); a large factor is diet. Unfortunately soda pop is a staple in the average American’s diet today. Let’s consider the ramifications of this lifestyle choice. Over the many years as I have worked as a weight loss specialist I would say the majority of the people that I have worked with that wanted to lose weight drank an average of three 12 once sodas a day before starting the program. This is about 130 grams of sugar or 520 empty calories. To burn this off an average 150 pound person would have to run about between 3.5-4 miles. Alright, so let’s say they decided to switch to diet soda after they figured this out. No calories no problem right? True no calories, but what about the other substances found in soda? Soda pop is high in the mineral called phosphorus. Extra phosphorus in the body is excreted through the urine and is accompanied by calcium which is often lost in the urine. If the body doesn’t consume adequate amounts of calcium (soda often replaces milk in the diet) then the body takes calcium from the bones often making them porous. This leads to osteopenia and finally osteoporosis, a painful chronic condition. This once “aged” disease is now being seen in children.

So let’s say you are a full-sugar soda drinker – no diet for you – yuck! Let’s explore for a minute how sugar can affect you. A large bolus of sugar at one time (over 45 grams found in most 12 ounce cans of soda) will cause the blood sugar to raise quite suddenly triggering insulin production. This can also trigger a hormonal response which can eventually leave to a feeling of being tired and makes us feel hungry even when we are really not. This leads to over eating and weight gain which is not going to help with performance.

photo:  blogs.roanoke.com

Another chemical found in soda is caffeine. Although caffeine can be a performance enhancer when used properly, it is also a well-know diuretic and leads to water loss. If you are trying to lean up you need water. Have you seen a steak dry out to be a piece of beef jerky? Simply muscle is made up of water and if you aren’t getting enough water you will not build muscle. People that drink soda in place of water are missing out on the benefits of a well hydrated body. Hydrated body tissues perform and function better. Soda pop gives you very little water and often requires more water to process the chemicals in it. Another thing to consider with soda consumption is the dehydration. Soda drinkers often consume pop in lou of water, combined this fact with a soda containing a diuretic (caffeine) then the individual is in a constant state of dehydration. One of the many symptoms of dehydration is impaired ability to think clearly. I don’t know about you, but I want to think clearly during my training and in a running race or triathlon. Soda pop simply does not help you.

So what about carbonation in soda pop? Does it hurt you? Bubbles are made of carbon dioxide. Correct me if I am wrong but isn’t this what we are getting rid of when we are breathing out? Putting this into your body on a regular basis just doesn’t make sense to me. While I enjoy the flavor of a soda (rootbeer – my favorite – yum!) – it is certainly more of a treat than a staple in my diet since performance is important to me. If you are striving for optimum health, then reach for a glass of water.

photo:  vastate.files.wordpress.com

Love, Lora, aka "Blonde Runner"

A Little Fitness... Healthy Weight Loss Success

By Lora 

"Making small changes such as incorporating exercise into our daily routines, simple substitutions, drinking water and consuming more fruits and vegetables are all keys to weight loss success," says Lora Erickson, B.S. CPT, CES, owner endurance coach and certified personal trainer of Blonde Runner Health LLC.

With everyone's minds on the New Year and the desire to lose weight and get healthy, here are some keys to long-term weight loss success:

1. Incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Even small bouts of exercise can have a significant positive impact on your health. Here are some ideas: Get up a few minutes early and do some resistance exercises such as push ups and crunches. Incorporate a walk into your day after lunch with friends. Use a pedometer with the goal of 10,000 steps per day. Get creative.

A Little Fitness... Sleep

By Dawn
The truth is that weight loss, muscle building, mood stability and higher energy can only happen if we get adequate sleep each night. 30% of your life done right (sleep) will greatly influence the other 70%!

Here are some interesting sleep facts:
1. Enough sleep (which is actually 8-10 hours for most adults) aids in the repair of your body’s tissues. Muscles rebuild, wrinkles smooth, and your mind sorts through the stimuli of the day. Without enough sleep, our muscles cannot grow and our brain cells cannot recover. We have trouble with agility, memorizing, coping with stress and being creative on low sleep.