Michele Vaughan

November 19, 2008

Staying Active and Fit in The Winter

With winter beginning, many of us stop doing the physical activities we enjoy outside and stay cooped up indoors. Human beings however were not built to hibernate and we need to get moving every season. Working out in the winter does not have to be an unpleasant process. Just like anything else, your attitude towards the exercise makes a world of difference.

            You can choose to workout inside or outside. If you want to be outdoors, some great activities include walking, running, snowshoeing, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, sledding, and skating. Depending upon where live, your access to hills and mountainous terrain for snow activities will vary greatly. If you live in Florida, the winter months are often the most enjoyable months for outdoor running and biking. On the other hand, if you live in Colorado or Vermont, getting revved up for winter workouts outdoors means being out in a snowy terrain.

            If you are working out in a colder environment, the most important factor to enjoying that workout is by ensuring your comfort. You can do this by dressing warming. Layering up is advisable. You can always remove the outermost layer as you get warmed up, while the layer that is closest to your body will keep moisture away. Winter workouts often do not result in a lot sweating, which is perfectly fine. Sweating in winter is something you actually want to avoid to prevent getting chilly when the layer closest to your body gets damp. If you are out in a snowy or wet environment, you will want to have a top layer that is resistant to both water and wind. Before you head out, be sure to warm up your muscles and stretch, loosening up stiff muscles and getting blood flowing.

            Be sure to drink enough water even if you do not feel thirsty. Try to workout in the winter always in the daytime. When you do return indoors, slowly remove layers to prevent hypothermia that can happen when your body loses heat too quickly.
            Cross-country skiing is a wonderful exercise for the winter, providing a full body cardiovascular workout with far fewer risks unlike downhill skiing. Cross country skiing is also affordable, since your expenses after you buy your ski poles, skis, and boots, is minimal. If you just want to try it out, you can rent equipment first and check it out. You may want to have a short lesson. Cross country skiing can be very enjoyable, getting you outdoors and enjoying natural beauty, while burning calories, and releasing endorphins.
        You can also workout in the winter easily indoors, at home or at a gym. Working out indoors does not have to be boring. You can modify exercises and choose music, have a workout partner, and try out new videos for variety. Many health clubs offer both circuit weight training to build up strength as well as cardiovascular exercise in the form of treadmills, Stairmasters, stationery bicycles, rowing machines, and often fitness classes such as spin, kickboxing, dancing, yoga, and pilates. You can join an exercise group such as a walking group that explores different areas every week, both indoor and outdoor. If you prefer to workout at home, you can invest in a home gym. If you have access to a swimming pool, try doing laps or take a water aerobics class. You might want to buy a treadmill or bicycle but you can just as easily, invest in smaller products that still have a huge effect such as a pair of dumbbells, an exercise ball, jump rope, and stretch bands. You can also buy or rent videos of different workouts so you do not get bored and still have heart-pumping cardiovascular exercise. Park further away from your destination so that you walk and climb stairs more. 
            Whatever you choose to do, just make sure that you have a balance of cardiovascular and strength training exercises every week. Keep exercising even if it is cold and you will find that you are much healthier and happier.

For Michele Vaughan

November 19, 2008

Feeling Tired? Boost Up Your Energy Level

With busy schedules and juggling various roles, you might start to feel lethargic, irritable, and sapped of energy. Transitions such as changing jobs, relocating, and relationship stress can wreak havoc on your body over time. Fatigue built up over time can rob you of much-needed deeper sleep as stress keeps your mind active into the wee hours of the night. The constant cycle of multitasking or fitting in too many activities in one day and then failing to get enough sleep, rest, or nutrition, will leave you cranky while reducing both your productivity and pleasure.

While breaking this cycle when you have constant demands on you may seem impossible, small and simple steps you take every day can add energy back into your day, while restoring calmness and balance. Exercising, eating well, sleeping enough, and stressing less will do wonders for both your mental and physical wellbeing. Before you know it, you will have more energy than you could remember, and a smile to boot!

Stay Hydrated

Get your daily dose of water. Drink water daily and if you find it hard to down a bottle of water, just keep one by your desk and take it with you when you go somewhere so you can sip it on the go. Drinking enough water keeps nutrients flowing through your body more easily. You can tell how much water you are drinking by the color of your urine. If it is light yellow or colorless, you are drinking enough water. However, if it is darker in color, you are not hydrated enough.

            Starting out your day, you might crave that cup of coffee or tea or other caffeinated beverage. Having a little caffeine is one to kick your nervous system into gear but having too much results in dehydration, increased anxiety levels, and prevents you from having a good night’s sleep. Also avoid loading your drink with sugar and too much dairy, which packs on the pounds. Switch to decaffeinated drinks for the afternoon and fruit juices. Check the label and make sure that any drink you buy has mainly natural ingredients (names you recognize) and is free of high fructose corn syrup.

            Eat The Good Stuff

Throughout your day whether you are firing away at a proposal, managing, working outdoor, taking care of patients, or being a parent, you need fuel to keep you going. Eating regular meals will make your body happy and do wonders for your energy level and emotional balance. Go for five or six small meals throughout the day instead of heavy meals that leave you tired and sleepy. Eating smaller meals more often helps maintain your blood sugar level. By going for a good balance in carbohydrates, protein, an fat through three regular meals of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with two small snacks, you will notice significant improvement in your energy level. You will also no longer be depleted of energy.

Be sure to stay within your caloric limits. The Mayo Clinic has a handy calculator which is helpful too if you are trying to lose or gain weight. With regards to snacks, you just need something small such as an apple with several almonds. Apples, oranges, and pears instantly give you a boost of energy, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, without adding to your weight. Vitamin B also is a great energy booster, helping your body turn food into fuel, while revving up your immune system with powerful antioxidants. You can take a vitamin B supplement and also get it naturally from bananas, nuts, fish, lean beef, whole grains, some seeds, and poultry.

Get Your Z’s

Sleeping seven to eight hours a day is the minimum requirement for a healthy functioning adult. Failing to do so and trying to make up for your lost sleep during the week on the weekend does not benefit you. You might find yourself having difficulty sleeping well and are more lethargic. If you are finding it difficult to fall asleep, try taking a hot bath or shower before you sleep. If you can and are inclined, you can try power naps of twenty to thirty minutes in the afternoon. Some people who are self-employed, in school, or have flexible schedules, may like to sleep for longer in the afternoon for several hours like a Spanish siesta. This might give them the energy they need. Just be sure however to keep your afternoon naps or siestas to a certain limit in order to keep you functioning well the rest of your day and getting enough sleep at night.

Exercise

Moving from stretching to walking, running, biking, and other cardiovascular activities has powerful effects on your energy level, releasing positive hormones called endorphins, while shedding pounds, building strength, and helping you gain focus. Regular exercise also helps with many other health issues and also improves sleep. Your skin also will improve in quality from the regular blood flow and good circulation. Strength-building exercises such as Pilates and working out with weights in the gym add definition to your body, giving you more strength to perform daily tasks, while also balancing out your heart-pumping cardiovascular activities. Finding it hard to have the time? Start out with just a ten-minute walk in the morning to get you moving. Working out in the morning is the best time for the body ideally.

By having good thoughts about your workouts and your goals, you will notice a significant improvement in your energy level and enthusiasm for exercise. Bring some music, a friend and invest in new clothes or shoes so you feel comfortable and happy working out. Try out exercises that you know you will enjoy (dancing, rock climbing, biking, skiing.) Feel good about what you are doing and you are more likely to keep doing it.

Reduce Stress

Finally, consciously try to reduce the stress in your life. While there are many factors that are outside of your control, there are many that you do have control over and taking charge of your life with just small steps can make significant improvement in your life. Make sure you have time to rest your mind too. Just take a break to sit on a bench, chair, or the couch and do nothing for ten minutes. Tune out the noise in your environment. Better yet, go for a short walk so that you get exercise and are able to reconnect with yourself. By quieting your mind, you will able to access your own potential, remove any entangling or disturbing thoughts, and replace them with positive energy. Changing your mental patterns is the most effective method of gaining control over your interactions and reactions to people and your environment. This can take some time but through conscious effort, you can change both your reality and your energy. Every day is a new one so by just affirming the positive things occurring in your life and appreciating what you do have, you can shift your focus from negativity and depression into positive and uplifting thoughts that both boost your self-confidence and your energy level.