A river runs through…

2013 A new year is upon us.  How are you going to face this year?  What new challenges are you going to embrace?  What yearly promises are you actually going to keep?  I want share a quote I recently read: “STRENGTH- a river cuts through rock not because of its power but because of its persistence!”  How about building 2012 around that?  You may not always be able to work out every day, always train to the highest potential, always eat the perfect thing or always be stress free and relaxed.  Persistence is the answer; if you miss a day or eat wrong, DO NOT give up in another famous quote we learn that “life is not a sprint but a marathon”.  Just as the little stream turns in to a raging river, over time we will get stronger – if we stay on course.  SO keep it simple, without long lists of DO’S and DON’TS.  Just be persistent in following a healthy path and you too can carve your way through rock.  Have fabulous and healthy 2013!

On the 12 days….

On the first day of the holidays the candy and cookies start to build, try some fruit.  I believe the partridge will give you a pear from his tree.

On the second day of the holidays avoid the dove bars, burn some extra calories by parking further from the mall you will also get a cardio workout.

On the third day of the holidays the French hens suggest drinking plenty of water and eating a balanced meal before heading out for your holiday party.

On the fourth day of the holidays you have a calorie burning opportunity by decorating the outside of your house.  Climbing up and down on the ladder stringing lights is how the calling birds stay so fit.

On the fifth day of the holidays my true love gave to me five golden rings.  I laid them down on the ground and set up a tire run for an excellent agility training workout.

On the sixth day of the holidays get together with all your little geese and walk a mile or two to sing carols at a hospital, nursing home, or your neighborhood.

On the seventh day of the holidays the swans can’t swim because it’s too cold, but check out a local ice rink and take a twirl on the ice to burn some calories.

On the eighth day of the holidays try small portion sizes of seasoned nuts for a healthy treat. The Maids need a break from milking to make all the butter for the cookies.

On the ninth day of the holidays march to the beat of your own drum and take the stairs to go to different floors in the mall instead of taking the escalator or elevator.

On the tenth day of the holidays the stress builds as the piper pipes.  Relax! Don’t add extra pressures on yourself.  Take time to laugh and enjoy (Laughing actually burns calories and tightens up the core).

On the eleventh day of the holidays host a holiday party using a gym or park to do activities putting a seasonal twist on them or just join the ladies dancing.

On the twelfth day of the holidays the lords are leaping!  Give yourself a day to eat and drink as you please. Enjoy the holidays as a special time for family and friends.  

Have a wonderful holiday filled with peace, joy and health for you, your friends and family.

 

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What is your Salt intake?

A study released in 2010 by Stanford University shows a 10 % reduction in sodium in a person's diet could help many Americans avoid heart attacks and fatal strokes. Sodium is essential in small amounts. Your body needs some sodium to function properly because it helps maintain the right balance of fluids in your body, helps transmit nerve impulses, influences the contraction and relaxation of muscles. Your kidneys naturally balance the amount of sodium stored in your body for optimal health. When your sodium levels are low, your kidneys essentially hold on to the sodium. When sodium levels are high, your kidneys excrete the excess in urine.

According to a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average American adult consumes about 3,300 milligrams of sodium each day. That is at least 1,000 milligrams more than people should be eating. If for some reason your kidneys can't eliminate enough sodium, the sodium starts to accumulate in your blood. Because sodium attracts and holds water, your blood volume increases. Increased blood volume makes your heart work harder to move more blood through your blood vessels, which increases pressure in your arteries. Such diseases as congestive heart failure, cirrhosis and chronic kidney disease can make it hard for your kidneys to keep sodium levels balanced.

 Oftentimes, foods high in sodium do not taste salty. The foods that are the biggest sources of sodium may be surprising. According to the U.S. CDC, bread and rolls are the top sources of sodium in the American diet, followed by cold cuts, pizza, poultry and soups.

Great ways to eat less salt and sodium:
*Check food labels before you buy and choose foods with less than 400 mgs of sodium per serving.
*Fill up on fruits and veggies. They taste great and are low in sodium.
*Use spices, herbs or lemon to flavor your food instead of salt.
*Look for "unsalted," "low-sodium," or "no salt added" options for deli meats, cheeses, soups and snacks.
*Limit consumption of pre-made sauces and condiments.

MORE BENDABLE, LESS BREAKABLE

Be more bendable and you will be less breakable. What a fantastic visual flashes in my head! That statement applies to so many areas of our lives.

If you ever suffered from a sore back or a stiff neck you might agree that a more bendable spine would be a good thing. If you ever suffered from a hamstring or groin pull you might agree that having more flexibility at the hip and surrounding muscles would be beneficial. In the exercise perspective, the more we create three-dimensional mobility (“bendability”), the better chance we have of not hurting ourselves. Flexibility also creates greater ease of motion. If the body bends, it chances are it won’t break.

This theory can also apply to the mind. Getting locked into a set thought pattern runs the risk of not “bending” your mind to any other possibility. This could set us up for damage to egos, relationships and future successes. I suggest our challenge this month is to work on improving the “bendability” of your body to reduce the chance of breakage, and to open our minds up to new possibilities…

GOLF CONDITIONING:

Are you ready to improve your golf game?

Sixteen per cent of Americans are actively participating in golf.  These individuals (including you??)  spend billions of dollars each year in the pursuit of the perfect game.  A set of clubs can cost upwards of $4000.  The technology in golf keeps improving every year, but the average handicap for men and women has not decreased in over 15 years.

A good set of clubs is wonderful, and when fitted properly can make a great improvement in your game.  But what happens when they fail to live up to their expectations?  Many blame the clubs and begin the quest for the perfect set.  What some people forget is that no matter how good the clubs are, they are only as good as the individual swinging them and the swing is only as good as the ‘Swinger”.  Therefore, to improve the golf swing, the first step is to improve the golfer (YOU!)

At this point, most golfers turn to a pro.  The golf pro can help improve your stroke and teach the correct swing by addressing the five factors that control ball flight: clubface alignment, swing path, angle of attack, hitting the sweet spot, and club head speed.  As the pro observes your swing, he can identify the aspects that are causing the problem and attempt to correct the faulty mechanics.  Often, more than one of the flight factors needs to be addressed.  The pro will introduce swing modifications that may include stance, swing amplitude, hip/shoulder rotation, grip and so on.  These “corrections” are often necessary to compensate for imbalances in the musculoskeletal system.  An experienced pro can often supply the golfer with an alternative and help the player “correct” the swing fault.

Unfortunately, many times the real problem is not being addressed.  Often, it is a biomechanical issue that will be compensated for, but may cause more problems down the line.  A better alternative might be turning first to a conditioning specialist to improve your game.

There are five neuromuscular factors that affect the golf swing: muscular balance, flexibility, static and dynamic posture, strength and power.  Most golf pros can recognize the faults of a golf swing, but only a few are able to connect it to the underlying physiological factor.  This has motivated many golf pros to team up with conditioning specialists to work in a combined effort and make permanent corrections to swing faults by establishing the connection to the neuromuscular system.

Muscular balance, flexibility, and static and dynamic posture have the greatest influence on the golf swing.  These will effect the golf face alignment, swing path, angle of attack and ability to hit the sweet spot.  By identifying any deficiencies in these three factors, improvements in joint mechanics, muscle recruitment and consistency of movement can be made.  Once these issues have been addressed, strength and power can be worked on to improve club head speed.

As you may have guessed, most individuals begin a conditioning program by first focusing on strength and power development.  Often times, this increases the imbalance in the musculoskeletal system and although they may see improvement in club head speed, it is the main cause of poor and inconsistent swing mechanics.  (Now your slices and hooks go 250 yards out of bounds, instead of 200.)  Therefore, our goal is to improve the player, not the club.

Has Breast Cancer Touched Your Life?

Are you currently a breast cancer patient? Or a survivor? Do you know someone who is? Or someone who did not survive?  Chances are everyone reading this will answer yes to one of these questions. 1 in 8 women developed some form of breast cancer.   The good news is that the survival rate has been improving each year since 1990, thanks in part to early detection and improved treatment techniques.

Exercise is one of the improvements in treatment. Doing regular exercise will cut down your risk of developing the disease, as well as preventing its return, if you're a survivor.  Three to five hours weekly (30-40 min a day) of moderate activity has been shown to give protection from breast cancer.  Physical inactivity may contribute to the breast cancer. Women who are overweight produce and store more estrogen in their bodies. Exposure to estrogen is linked to breast cancer. Obese women have a greater amount of breast tissue, causing it to be more difficult to detect breast tumors, which often times results in late detection.

As a cancer survivor performing regular exercise can help return you back to normal function.  It has been shown that beyond the benefits of weight management, reducing the risk of recurrence and improving range of motion at the surgical site, exercise can aid in a multitude of “symptoms”.  Exercise has been shown to improve mood, raises your self-esteem, and gives you a better body image. Exercise improves muscle tone, strength, and endurance.  After the trauma of surgery, exercise can help reincorporate the body back into a whole. Up to now the focus had been on the breasts.  By performing integrated whole body exercises, postural distortions and muscular compensation can be improved and even reversed. Research has shown that exercise can even help the dreaded “Chemo Brain”.

At Morton Plant Hospital we have a program called Power.  It provides a continuum of care from diagnoses through recovery. A team of individuals including surgeons, oncologists, nurse navigators, counselors, physical therapist and exercise physiologist work together to ensure each patient is getting the optimal treatment.

GET OUTSIDE AND PLAY

We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world with many opportunities to get out and explore our environment.  But many hide in the air conditioning and never take advantage of all the great opportunities.  This inactivity does not go unnoticed by our children and other young people in our lives.  It is time for ourselves and those we love to get out and PLAY!

The rise in childhood obesity is frightening, which is why teaching healthy behaviors at a young age is essential. Behaviors involving physical activity and nutrition are the cornerstone of preventing obesity in children and adolescents.  Physically active children have fewer chronic health problems than kids who are sedentary.  It is also evident that fit children do better in school, have greater self-confidence and higher self-esteem. The childhood obesity trend is not only producing unfit children but promoting a society of individuals with a myriad of health issues. Get your kids moving!  You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on teams and sporting equipment, just get your kids outside, running, jumping, biking – just playing.

As parents, friends and teachers we can not only help ourselves improve our fitness levels and lose those extra pounds, but we can be good role models to the current youth and help them see that fitness and a healthy life style can be fun and a central pillar in our pursuit of happiness!