The most common excuse for not exercising is "no time." But examine that excuse at close range and it's usually about something deeper, says Lavinia Rodriguez, PhD, clinical psychologist. "Typically, it's lack of motivation, lack of enjoyment, negative associations, fear or maybe low self-esteem."
Busy as we are, we have less trouble finding time for television, social networking or even boring household tasks because there simply aren't the same steep psychological barriers to those activities. If you want to exercise, you will make the time. Here are some simple strategies to get a handle on finding time. Can you find one or two to implement into your lifestyle?
Find five minutes. Even if your day is packed with meetings and other commitments, you absolutely can scrape together five minutes for yourself. That simple act of self-care has the potential to change your life. It is OK to start small. A five-minute walk now can easily turn into daily thirty-minute walks a few weeks from now.
Log off Facebook. We spend, on average, a whopping seven hours a month on Facebook. We all know what average means...that for some it is less and some it is more. Seven hours a month works out to 105 minutes each week or exactly 15 minutes every day. Don't banish Facebook. Just limit it to two short sessions a day. Then log off and stay off. And that doesn't include any of those games you might be playing. How much time do you spend playing with an app?
Limit screen time. Don't aimlessly surf cable channels of the Internet. That's a surefire way to wast time you could be spending in more active ways. Most of us occasionally watch shows we don't love because we're bored. Consider trading just 30 minutes of that low-value television time for exercise. And when you do watch TV, be an active watcher and make the most of it. Keep fitness equipment, like a kettlebell, resistance bands, a jump rope, near the TV. Use the commercial breaks to mix in brief cardio intervals by running in place or up and down the stairs.
Be a hot date. Dinner and a movie is so cliche. What if, instead, you took your partner to a cycling class or a dance lesson, went on a hike or a picnic, or kicked a soccer ball around the park? You get a bonus on this one: research shows that shared activity builds attraction.
Socialize on the move. Next time a friend suggests meeting for lunch, dinner or drinks, counter with an active invitation. How about joining you for a Zumba Fitness or yoga class or a quick walk around the lake? Instead of spending time on the phone or emailing back and forth, suggest that you catch up on the latest news over a leisurely bike ride, or bond by trying an athletic pursuit that neither of you has ever tried.
Be yourself. Part of the reason you can't make time for exercise may be because you are not focusing on the right workout for your personality. For example, don't assume you are a runner just because your best friend loves to run. Instead, analyze your lifestyle and personality and find something that suits you. Once you understand your fitness personality, you will be able to identify activities you enjoy and squeezing them into your schedule won't be as hard.
Work while you wait. Do you find yourself waiting by the practice field or cramming in one more errand while your kids are at their activities? Why not take a bike with you and ride around near the fields while the kids practice? Or just put on your sneakers and take a walk for the hour.
We all have reasons for not exercising, but it comes down to time management and fear. Fear you will get injured, fear of embarrassment, fear of failure. Instead we should be afraid of what will happen if we don't exercise. Find something fun, something that you can enjoy, because you want to make it part of your lifestyle, not some grueling punishment for eating that extra treat.
Explore. Have fun. I'm here if you need help.
gettingfitwithbj@gmail.com
barbarajlaird.zumba.com
Monday, August 19, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
Simple Nutrition
A group of my colleagues are currently engaged in a weight-loss challenge. Although I do not subscribe to "Biggest Loser" type approaches nor a focus solely on weight loss, I admire them for their commitment and wish all great success. Early in their program they are inundated with recommendations on quick fix diets and supplements and all kinds of well intended morsels of advice and factoids. I share today's blog post with all in the hopes that it can simplify your journey and the choices that confront you.
As more and more information abounds on healthy eating, even basic nutrition facts can become confusing. While most of us understand that a healthy lifestyle is based on a healthy diet and exercise, it can be difficult to navigate how food facts are applied to daily living. One thing is certain, you can't just pluck out one little morsel of factoid (like citrus can help muscle result during training or calcium is a productive supplement during weight loss). Although both tidbits of information have some literature and application to support them, neither can stand on their own in the midst of other non-productive behaviors.
Although weight-loss may come from reducing the number of calories we take in, it is not all just about calories in and calories out - content matters. We can all accept that 1800 calories of just one thing, whether sugar or protein or fat or whatever wouldn't produce a long-term healthy, sustainable result. Evidence also demonstrates that we can restrict our caloric intake too low for too long (much literature suggests that extremely reduced calorie diets - say less than 1000 - 1200 calories per day) cannot be sustained for more than one week without slowing down metabolism. And when metabolism slows down, the body starts to hold onto all of its calories and weight loss stalls or stops entirely. Calories equal energy to our bodies and we need a certain amount of productive calories for the body to function well.
I subscribe to eating whole food, in correct portions. Smaller, more frequent meals and snacks that include something from each nutrition group (protein, healthy carbohydrate, healthy fat, fruits & vegetables) in each meal or snack. Buy more of your food from the produce and fresh portions of the market and less processed or prepared foods. Take the time to explore tastes, recipes, and unbiased sources for things you like. Have fun with the exploration because you are looking for things that you will enjoy as a permanent part of your new lifestyle - not just as a short-term "suffering" for weight loss. Read the darn labels (both the "Nutrition Facts" and ingredients) to understand portion and content in your choices.
Find some qualified, objective sources that are not selling products to help you navigate the constant stream of information and design a comprehensive plan that fits you. Good luck to all. I know you can succeed and enjoy the journey along the way.
barbarajlaird.zumba.com
gettingfitwithbj@gmail.com
As more and more information abounds on healthy eating, even basic nutrition facts can become confusing. While most of us understand that a healthy lifestyle is based on a healthy diet and exercise, it can be difficult to navigate how food facts are applied to daily living. One thing is certain, you can't just pluck out one little morsel of factoid (like citrus can help muscle result during training or calcium is a productive supplement during weight loss). Although both tidbits of information have some literature and application to support them, neither can stand on their own in the midst of other non-productive behaviors.
Although weight-loss may come from reducing the number of calories we take in, it is not all just about calories in and calories out - content matters. We can all accept that 1800 calories of just one thing, whether sugar or protein or fat or whatever wouldn't produce a long-term healthy, sustainable result. Evidence also demonstrates that we can restrict our caloric intake too low for too long (much literature suggests that extremely reduced calorie diets - say less than 1000 - 1200 calories per day) cannot be sustained for more than one week without slowing down metabolism. And when metabolism slows down, the body starts to hold onto all of its calories and weight loss stalls or stops entirely. Calories equal energy to our bodies and we need a certain amount of productive calories for the body to function well.
I subscribe to eating whole food, in correct portions. Smaller, more frequent meals and snacks that include something from each nutrition group (protein, healthy carbohydrate, healthy fat, fruits & vegetables) in each meal or snack. Buy more of your food from the produce and fresh portions of the market and less processed or prepared foods. Take the time to explore tastes, recipes, and unbiased sources for things you like. Have fun with the exploration because you are looking for things that you will enjoy as a permanent part of your new lifestyle - not just as a short-term "suffering" for weight loss. Read the darn labels (both the "Nutrition Facts" and ingredients) to understand portion and content in your choices.
Find some qualified, objective sources that are not selling products to help you navigate the constant stream of information and design a comprehensive plan that fits you. Good luck to all. I know you can succeed and enjoy the journey along the way.
barbarajlaird.zumba.com
gettingfitwithbj@gmail.com
Monday, August 5, 2013
Fitness Truths and Myths
Half-truths and myths abound in the fitness community (dieting as well, but that's another post). It often starts with good intentions when someone shares a tip and you pass it along and others have heard the same or similarly. So, you figure it must be true. One over-riding truth about fitness is that we all react differently to exercise. What is true for one person may not be true for another. To some extent, we all have to find our own truths as we explore our healthy lifestyle.
Some myths are harmless half-truths, but others may be harmful and can lead to frustration or injury. However, experts say there are also some fitness myths that just need busting! Here are a few with thoughts from experts.
Fitness Myth: Yoga can help with all sorts of back pain. The truth is that yoga can help with some back pain, but it's not equally good for all types. "If your back pain is muscle-related, then yes, the yoga stretches and some of the positions can help. It can also help build a stronger core, which for many people is the answer to lower back pain," says Todd Schlifstein, DO, a clinical instructor at New York University Medical Center's Rusk Institute. But if your back problems are related to other problems (such as a ruptured disc) yoga is not likely to help. What's more, it could irritate the injury.
Fitness Myth: Running on a treadmill puts less stress on your knees than running on asphalt or pavement. "Running is a great workout, but it can impact the knees - and since it's the force of your body weight on your joints that causes the stress, it's the same whether you're on a treadmill or on asphalt," says Dr. Schlifstein. The best way to reduce knee impact is to vary your workout. If you are confining yourself to cardio machines, you want to mix it up by adding an elliptical machine or riding a stationary bike, both of which will reduce impact on your knees.
Fitness Myth: Doing crunches or working on an "ab machine" will get rid of belly fat. Don't believe everything you hear on those infomercials. While ab crunching may help strengthen the muscles around your midsection and improve your posture, being able to see your abdominal muscles has to do with your overall percentage of body fat. "You can't pick and choose areas where you'd like to burn fat," says Phil Tyne, director of the fitness center at the Baylor Tom Landry Health & Wellness Center in Dallas. So crunches aren't going to target weight loss in that area. In order to burn fat, you should create a workout that includes both cardiovascular and strength-training elements. This will decrease your overall body fat content, including the area around your midsection. And don't forget to add some balance and stretches in there, as well.
Fitness Myth: When it comes to working out, you've got to feel some pain if you're going to gain any benefits. Of all the fitness myths ever to have surfaced, experts agree that the "no pain-no gain" method holds the greatest potential for harm. While you should expect to have some degree of soreness a day or two after working out that's very different from feeling pain while you are working out. "A fitness activity should not hurt while you are doing it, and if it does, then either you are doing it wrong, or you already have an injury," Schlifstein says. Experts do not advise "working through the pain." They say that if it hurts, stop, rest, and see if the pain goes away. If it does not go away, or it begins again or increases after you start to work out, see a doctor.
This is by no means an inclusive list of facts and fiction, but it is a good starting point to use in assessing your fitness choices and decisions. For me, rule number one is finding things that are fun, effective, and safe so that they may become a sustainable part of your ongoing healthy lifestyle.
Please let me know if I can be of any help.
barbarajlaird.zumba.com
gettingfitwithbj@gmail.com
Some myths are harmless half-truths, but others may be harmful and can lead to frustration or injury. However, experts say there are also some fitness myths that just need busting! Here are a few with thoughts from experts.
Fitness Myth: Yoga can help with all sorts of back pain. The truth is that yoga can help with some back pain, but it's not equally good for all types. "If your back pain is muscle-related, then yes, the yoga stretches and some of the positions can help. It can also help build a stronger core, which for many people is the answer to lower back pain," says Todd Schlifstein, DO, a clinical instructor at New York University Medical Center's Rusk Institute. But if your back problems are related to other problems (such as a ruptured disc) yoga is not likely to help. What's more, it could irritate the injury.
Fitness Myth: Running on a treadmill puts less stress on your knees than running on asphalt or pavement. "Running is a great workout, but it can impact the knees - and since it's the force of your body weight on your joints that causes the stress, it's the same whether you're on a treadmill or on asphalt," says Dr. Schlifstein. The best way to reduce knee impact is to vary your workout. If you are confining yourself to cardio machines, you want to mix it up by adding an elliptical machine or riding a stationary bike, both of which will reduce impact on your knees.
Fitness Myth: Doing crunches or working on an "ab machine" will get rid of belly fat. Don't believe everything you hear on those infomercials. While ab crunching may help strengthen the muscles around your midsection and improve your posture, being able to see your abdominal muscles has to do with your overall percentage of body fat. "You can't pick and choose areas where you'd like to burn fat," says Phil Tyne, director of the fitness center at the Baylor Tom Landry Health & Wellness Center in Dallas. So crunches aren't going to target weight loss in that area. In order to burn fat, you should create a workout that includes both cardiovascular and strength-training elements. This will decrease your overall body fat content, including the area around your midsection. And don't forget to add some balance and stretches in there, as well.
Fitness Myth: When it comes to working out, you've got to feel some pain if you're going to gain any benefits. Of all the fitness myths ever to have surfaced, experts agree that the "no pain-no gain" method holds the greatest potential for harm. While you should expect to have some degree of soreness a day or two after working out that's very different from feeling pain while you are working out. "A fitness activity should not hurt while you are doing it, and if it does, then either you are doing it wrong, or you already have an injury," Schlifstein says. Experts do not advise "working through the pain." They say that if it hurts, stop, rest, and see if the pain goes away. If it does not go away, or it begins again or increases after you start to work out, see a doctor.
This is by no means an inclusive list of facts and fiction, but it is a good starting point to use in assessing your fitness choices and decisions. For me, rule number one is finding things that are fun, effective, and safe so that they may become a sustainable part of your ongoing healthy lifestyle.
Please let me know if I can be of any help.
barbarajlaird.zumba.com
gettingfitwithbj@gmail.com
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