Lead a Fit and Healthy Life
Posts tagged exercise
How Bad Do You Want It?
02 months ago
Yesterday, I read this NYT article: It’s the Sugar, Folks
Sugar is indeed toxic. It may not be the only problem with the Standard American Diet, but it’s fast becoming clear that it’s the major one.
A study published in the Feb. 27 issue of the journal PLoS One links increased consumption of sugar with increased rates of diabetes by examining the data on sugar availability and the rate of diabetes in 175 countries over the past decade. And after accounting for many other factors, the researchers found that increased sugar in a population’s food supply was linked to higher diabetes rates independent of rates of obesity.
In other words, according to this study, obesity doesn’t cause diabetes: sugar does.
There are more problems that we need to address of course, but sugar definitely plays a large role in creating our obese society. And we already know that diet is 80% of the health and wellness equation. The other 20% – exercise! You have got to move your body, challenge your body –and when I say body, that means your mind too. Challenges that tax you physically and mentally are key to maintaining a quality of life well into your older years. Muscles are meant to be used –and when we all sit around on computers or on the couch or at our work desks for hours on end — it contributes to many of the problems we all suffer from.
The other day my friend and coach Colleen adjusted her own schedule to set up a special intro session at CrossFit for a prospective customer that had so many issues with making any of the normal times we offer these sessions. It took weeks to find a day and time that worked for her but they finally did. The day came and five minutes before the scheduled intro, the person called and cancelled. I looked at Colleen and said “if it was that difficult to schedule, that person doesn’t want it bad enough and it was never going to work out. She wasn’t ready.”
If you are into something and really want it to happen – you will go to the ends of the earth to make it happen. It takes work, focus, vision and most of all a commitment. I hear quite often how amazing people think my dedication to working out is and they could never do it. Well, first off – that’s not true. I am not any more capable than most people. It’s also not amazing –i made a commitment almost five years ago and have remained steadfast and focused on it. Occasionally I do stray, but by doing it for the last five years –it’s so ingrained in me now, I don’t think I could stop without it driving me crazy. My point is, it didn’t happen overnight but by doing it over and over again without fail – it is now a part of who I am. I redefined myself by staying committed, focused and determined. You have got to want that for yourself.
When I start to feel less focused, I try to think of things that could happen if I let it all go. We all have seen those older folks, hunched over, in those motorized scooters at Target -wherever. Some of them have legit reasons for being impaired, but many of them, simply do not keep moving into their elder years! I NEVER want to be like that –and this is the surest path to avoid it. This, healthy eating and FISH OIL! BOOM!
Kids and Health: The Decline of Good Nutrition and Fitness Programs in Schools
108 months ago
Kids: Get them Moving & Eating Healthier. They will Learn More. Guaranteed!
Physical Activity
During my training as a CrossFit Kids coach, we really dived into how much research is available regarding how exercise and physical fitness helps kids learn. Getting kids to move throughout their day is vital to their learning. So when I hear about schools cutting or lessening recess and gym time in schools it makes no sense at all. it’s PROVEN that having kids move will help them learn, which is why they are at school in the first place. We want them to do better, learn what they are supposed learn, develop the important skills to help them succeed in life. We know that the two biggest health threats to our kids today are Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity – and we know that both can be lessened and managed with proper diet and exercise –but yet we don’t put an emphasis on either of these in our schools. It’s the #thingsthatmakeyousayhmmm….
Here are some articles that go into some of the harm that comes out of cutting recess and gym time:
- Decline of Physical Activity
- Despite Obesity Concerns, Gym Classes Are Cut
- What Ever Happened to Gym Class? Budget Cuts and the Rise of Childhood Obesity
Nutrition standards
They are starting to make changes in the lunch offerings at the schools – but there is no concerted national effort to really make changes. When I do a Google search, I see articles about specific schools pushing through changes but nothing that sweeps the nation. From time to time, I meet my kids for lunch at their cafeteria and man –what they call a salad – iceberg lettuce, a few shreds of lettuce and maybe, a non-appetizing tomato. That’s a salad!?? In the tinest bowl and of course rich, high fat, high caloric dressings available in abundance.
Both my kids bring their lunch — Nate is gluten free so I really don’t have a choice and HB prefers what I offer. Its not strict Paleo but it’s definitely healthier than what they can get there.
Reading this article about food workers attending the School Nutrition Association conference in Denver this summer — they offer some good tips and advice.
A Colorado State University professor studied the dining habits of kids in Loveland, with an eye toward measuring ways to get them to choose healthier foods. Leslie Cunningham-Sabo, who photographed “before” and “after” pictures of kids’ lunch trays, found that kids eat more fruits and vegetables if they have lunch after recess, instead of before recess. She found that corn consumption went up when generic “corn” labels were replaced with colorful cards describing the vegetable as “mellow yellow corn.”
“Don’t put veggies in opaque containers or give them boring labels like ‘corn,’” Cunningham-Sabo told the lunch workers, showing diagrams of how to lay out a service line to encourage trips to the salad bar.
Another trick — just like supermarkets place impulse buys like candy and chewing gum by the checkout, lunch lines should place easy-to-grab fruits and veggies by their own cash registers. Her study saw cafeterias double their sales of fresh fruit when they placed it colorful bowls in a convenient place.
Think about the local school cafeterias – they certainly don’t spend a lot of time on presentation or marketing. Kids love marketing –hence it’s a multi-billion dollar industry and our kids want that sugary cereal or latest toy that breaks weeks after you buy it. If you make an effort, it shows. Those cafeteria’s don’t scream Fun to me!
Whenever we go to a potluck or party, without fail –the stuff that is eaten & finished first is the homemade food. People appreciate that it was made and not store bought. A little effort goes a long way and our kids’ nutrition and health is more than worth the effort.
Here are some related articles to get you thinking about ways to approach this with your own kids:
- Rethinking The Kid-Veggie Relationship
- Why school lunch gets some kids sick
- Healthier lunches for Brockton-area students, but what’s the cost?
- Healthier Lunches Will be Part of Back to School This Year
My workout this AM was about Sumo Deadlift High Pulls! Some people love em, some don’t. I’m in the middle — when I have my form great, they are great! I had a lot of issues with catching my breath this morning. This humid air is killing my lungs!
Warmup
- 800m jog
- DROM
- Drills
- Shuttle Run
- 10 Pass Thrus x2
- 10 Good Mornings x2
Skill
SDHP
K2E
WOD
20,15,10
- SDHP (65#)
- KTE
5:54 – I had to stop and breathe more than I would have liked!
Saturday Ramblings from Suburbia
09 months ago
My boy is growing up. He tried out for flag football today and from the looks of it, he did pretty well. He was Fast! I really think it’s been the CrossFit Kids he has done that has helped me tremendously!
The gym is closed today for training and I am sort of glad. I pulled something in my upper shoulder/neck area and it is tight and uncomfortable. Every time I lift something over my head (yesterday’s push press for instance) it sets it out of whack. It’s like I have a twisted muscle or nerve that gets aggravated.
I’m going to get a massage very soon to see if that can get the kink of out of it. We shall see….
Hope all of you out there are enjoying the weekend. The weather in the DC area is incredible! And I got a babysitter for tonite, so I am going out with the Silver Fox! Here’s to a great time had by all.
Here’s a few articles I have read lately that may be of interest to you all –
Life with Cancer Improves with Exercise
No shit about this one. Exercise IMPROVES Life, Period. End of story.
Studies found that exercise may have beneficial effects in health-related quality of life, including physical functioning, role function, social functioning, and fatigue.
21 Day Sugar Detox Results
I’m doing my detox starting two days ago,so I have been reading about others experiences to help inspire me! PaleoOMG is always a great place to start! I gotta tell you though, today my stomach was not kind to me. I am not sure if it’s my body saying get this shit out of me –but it sure has! Sorry if that is TMI — i guess I can look at it like a good thing!
And finally this is a GREAT Post that couldn’t have come at a better time:
Two Paths
When were we taught to compare ourselves to others? When were we taught that what someone else did was better than what we did? Did it start in grade school when we got picked last for the kickball team? Or maybe in high school when our classmate Jessica did something right while we were scolded for doing the opposite? Or was it when we got older and our best friend lifted more than we did at the gym?
Whatever the situation may be, we compare ourselves. We compare ourselves to friends, classmates, coworkers, and even our significant others. We worry about what others are accomplishing and dwell on what we have not. And while worrying, we forget our own accomplishments. We forget our goals. And we forget how far we have come.
I watch people compare themselves every day in the gym. I watch them stare at another person’s barbell while they load their own. I watch them worry about beating another person’s time so much they completely throw form out the door. And I watch others sink into frustration and sadness when they don’t beat their friend’s score. But what is that accomplishing? How are we improving ourselves if the only thing we are doing is steering off our own course and trying to follow the path of another?
Define your own fitness program
0
My workout this morning was the kind that kicked you to the curb right off the bat. I even said out loud during the first set of 50 ring dips — ’50 of these eh?’. You know it’s going to be tough when that is how I start off. I could feel the burn in the arms after each rep and I tried as hard as I could to squeak out 10 at a time — yeah, that didn’t go so well.
So, why do I do this — work out so hard and do things that many people think are crazy? Well here are 2 stories that really highlight the benefits that come from doing CrossFit.
Over the weekend we bought a new chaise lounge couch for our family room. It’s like a couch with no arms. Scott brought it home but unfortunately, while he was trying to get it out of the box and not waiting for me — he threw his back out. So I took on the challenge of getting that darn thing in the house. I did see if the neighbor teens were home, but they weren’t. So yes I did get that thing in the house — and although it was awkwardly shaped and I had to fiddle with it, I got that thing in the house with very little problem. I thank my intense workouts for that –
And this morning, I was talking with my friend James who started CrossFit around the end of the winter. He shared with me how he was in Florida this weekend and he and his cousins went kayaking for 4 hours. Later that evening, all of his cousins were super sore but not him. He was fine. He said he thanks CrossFit for that.
So as you can see — High Intensity Interval training and CrossFit workouts prepare you for LIFE. Life is all about unexpected challenges – whether that means picking up your baby and carrying her around everywhere, moving chaise lounges, or kayaking. Constantly varied, high- intensity, functional movements is what life is all about. And it’s also the overall approach that defines Crossfit.
I don’t want this blog to seem like I am all about selling CrossFit. I am totally into it obviously, but I want everyone out there to be inspired to get active and fit. You don’t have to do what I do –but do SOMETHING. The reason that this program works for me is that it’s never boring – each day brings a new workout, you get to workout with a great group of people, you are challenged on a regular basis by a great group of coaches and you get to feel success regularly. If that is not what we all are looking for in a workout program, I don’t know what is. But if by chance it’s not and you are searching for a program that works for you — stop and think about what defines a great fitness program for YOU.
If you could create a fitness program that is tailored towards you – what would it be?
Would it be solo or in a group?
Do you need coaching? or time with a trainer?
Inside/Outside?
AM or PM
Music or no music?
travel time to get to your ‘gym’
If you choose a program that doesn’t meet most of your criteria, I can guarantee that it won’t work long-term. This is about making a change in your life — so that’s why I think CrossFit works. It combines a bunch of stuff and constantly varies it. We do gymnastics, strength training, endurance, mobility, mental conditioning and I meet the most amazing people – who support, cheer and party with you.
Deadlifts and Double Unders – Oh my!
01 year ago
I am one sore lady this AM. Not over sore, where I can’t move but I can definitely feel the workouts this week. It feels good tho. The good mornings we did on Tues are still reminding my hamstrings who is boss! I’m not sure if I mentioned but this weekend, I am going to get my CrossFit certification by attending 2 all day sessions along with a test. I have been studying and you know what — I find the info fascinating and I am eating it up. It’s so funny when you find your passion or have a serious interest, it doesn’t feel like work. It’s true what they say – do something you love, and you will never work another day in your life…
Warmup
800m run
x2
10 Pass thrus
10 Whirly Birds
10 Bendy Whirly Birds
10 Hollow Rocks
10 Seated Hamstring Stretches
10 Standing Hamstring Stretches
Skill
Back Bendovers
Dead Lifts
WOD
Deadlift
5-5-5-5-5 reps
95-135-185-205-215
5m AMRAP of Double Unders = 71
Image Flip Book: The Women of the CrossFit Games 2011
Getting to the core of what kids love
01 year ago
N.J. fathers create toys that combine old-fashioned play, online excitement
Love this idea. Combining real outside exercise with what many kids love – unlocking game benefits.
Now a trio of New Jersey fathers has developed an online interactive game with a real-world component in which leaving the tangible toy behind is not an option.
It’s only by going outside and kicking a ball around that kids can advance through this new online destination.
Called FunGoPlay, the sports-themed website provides kids with actual toys — soccer balls and Frisbee-like flying discs — after they subscribe online. Both the site and the toys are designed to make sure the sports equipment is taken outside and put to use.
As children horse around with the equipment, sensors in the toys track how many minutes are spent playing and how many times the soccer balls are kicked. After about seven minutes of play, the equipment generates a code. That code unlocks a cache of points and rewards online, which kids can use to enhance their virtual athletic abilities.
Exercise works
01 year ago
by Stephy
in Fitness/Exercise
Why Exercise Makes Us Feel Good
Why does exercise make us happy and calm? Almost everyone agrees that it generally does, a conclusion supported by research. A survey by Norwegian researchers published this month, for instance, found that those who engaged in any exercise, even a small amount, reported improved mental health compared with Norwegians who, despite the tempting nearness of mountains and fjords, never got out and exercised. A separate study, presented last month at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, showed that six weeks of bicycle riding or weight training eased symptoms in women who’d received a diagnosis of anxiety disorder. The weight training was especially effective at reducing feelings of irritability, perhaps (and this is my own interpretation) because the women felt capable now of pounding whomever or whatever was irritating them.
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High School Students need to MOVE!
21 year ago
CDC: High school students don’t exercise enough
High school students aren’t doing much running – and when they do run, there’s a good chance it’s to a vending machine.
Roughly one-third of high school students in the U.S. drink two or more sodas, sports drinks, or other sugary beverages per day, but only 15% get the one hour of daily aerobic exercise that health officials recommend, according to the results of a nationwide survey released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Although 51% of students do engage in muscle-strengthening exercise (such as push-ups or weight lifting) at least three days a week, as guidelines recommend, the overall picture is less than ideal.
“Regular physical activity has so many benefits to kids,” says CDC researcher MinKyoung Song, Ph.D., who coauthored a report analyzing the survey results. “Not doing enough can lead to numerous problems later in life, like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.”
0
1 year ago
Today is the last day of school for the kiddos. What a crazy year this has been for us – but that’s life. We had a bit of extra time this morning because our internet is out at the house, so I decided to walk the kids to school. Here is the pic I took as they headed on their way. You realize how fast time goes by when you look at a pic like this.
Today’s workout was even more torturous to me based on the workout yesterday. Doing 50m lunges are super painful and then having to do squats the following day –well that’s mean.
Warmup
Sampson Stretch
Hollow Rocks
Whirly Birds Stretches
Whirly Bended Birds
30 DUs
5 Pull Ups
10 OHS
10 Pass thrus
Skill
HSPU
WOD
4 RFT
400m run
50 air squats
time: 14:38
Double Unders
0I realized on my way to a Girl Scout bridging ceremony how freakin tired I was yesterday. Little miss ‘Kelly’ took all the energy I had so by the end of the day, all i wanted to do is go to bed. But as fellow parents know – when you work full time during the day at your ‘professional’ job, coming home is really starting your other job. Granted, its rewarding, loving, etc — but you can’t ignore that it’s another job – and in many ways, even harder. With that in mind, there are days when all I want to do after work is get under some covers and go to sleep. But family time is next, then dinner, activities – baths, prepping for tomorrow. Sleep comes many many hours later. I am positive I am not alone in this — and on most days, I’m cool with it. It’s my life and totally worth it. Last night was just an ‘off’ night —
Well that off night also caused an off morning and for a brief moment I thought to myself — stay in bed. But I am glad I didn’t listen to the sleep monster and I got up and headed out. Coach Jerry has been one of my biggest supporters and I love his training mixed with gymnastics, so if I am wanting to take a rest day — not on one of his coaching days.
Warmupx2
25 Jumping Jacks
5 Head Rotations
5 Trunk Rotations
5 Cherry Pickers
5 Hip Rotations
5 Shoulder Rotations
Skill
Handstands
Ring Work
WOD
5 RFT
10 Push Ups
10 Ring Dips
25 Double Unders
Guess what? I did Rx’d and finished in 18:26. My DU’s weren’t perfect but they are getting better!!
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