Archive
Monthly Archives: August 2016
August 15, 2016
- in fitness , guest/interview by allan
Play Golf Forever | Suzanne Clark
Yes, we're staying on our “play” theme for just one more episode. In episode 136, I explained how playing sports can help keep you motivated to workout as a way of improving your performance on the court, field, or in this case, golf course. Our guest, Suzanne Clark, author of Play Golf Forever, shows you how to make sure that you're in shape for golf, but these lessons are applicable to any sport you choose to do.
Key take aways from this episode:
Sarcopenia is a muscle wasting that affects us as we age. It can begin as early as age 30. Most of us will lose 1% of our muscle mass each year, which means we've lost 30% or more by the time we're in our 60s. Resistance exercise is the best way to slow or stop sarcopenia.
To avoid injury on the course, players should:
- Get lessons: Taking golf lessons will ensure you're swinging the club properly and help you avoid injury.
- Conditioning: Having an “off the course” workout program can ensure your body is properly conditioned for the game.
- Warm up: Have a regimen of warming up before you practice or play. Having your muscles warm and primed for the work ahead does matter and so many golfers skip this step.
With attention to your body you can ensure you stay healthy and uninjured. And then you can play golf forever.
Contact Suzanne Clark at: Fitter Forever
The value of play part 3
This is part three of a three-part series on play. In episode 136 we covered sports and in episode 137 we got into kids games. In this episode, I want to go back even further to when we were babies and toddlers.
While you probably don't remember what it was like for yourself back then, I'm sure you've seen babies and toddlers. But did you pay attention to the movements they were doing?
Being on the floor, crawling, squirming, standing and sitting. These movements are primary for helping us build strength and balance and maintain mobility. And the nature of children had us constantly working at a progression, getting stronger, faster, and more capable across multiple fitness modalities.
When was the last time you sat on the floor?
Just the practice of getting down and getting up are valuable movements. I've developed a mini-course that I've opened up. This Uncommon Exercises mini-course will help you go through some movements that are similar to what we did as kids. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
The value of play part 2
This is part two of a three-part series on play. In episode 136, we discussed the value of sports. In this episode, I want to go back a bit and explore some of the games we played as kids.
Be it hopscotch, foursquare, or kickball, the games we played as kids were integral in helping us build important fitness modalities.
Let's just go through hopscotch. Tossing the rock to land on a square for hand-eye coordination. Hopping on one foot for balance. Bending to pick up the rock for mobility and balance.
Add to that, the joy of playing with children and I think you can see how playing kids games can be a great way to build fitness and live a more joyful life.
The value of play part 1
This is part one of a three-part series on play. Play was an integral part of us developing fitness modalities as we grew up. Unfortunately, we abandoned many of those aspects of our lives and as a result, have lost fitness. In this episode, we are going to explore the value of sports.
What sports did you play as a child and teen?
Even if you weren't the best at it, do you remember the joy of playing? How it kept you moving even when you were fatigued? Competition, being on a team, having fun. All this helped you keep you more fit.
Perhaps it is time to look for a sport you can begin playing now. Or at the every least, start working on your fitness so you'll be able to participate in a sport soon. Sports can be quite motivating and you deserve to play again.
August 5, 2016
- in fitness , health , solo show by may lynne Sim
A secret weapon in your health and fitness journey
In this episode, I reveal a secret weapon for health and fitness.
The secret weapon I’m talking about is keeping a journal or a log. It allows you to collect information about the things you do in life and gives you the opportunity to look back and understand where you were.
One of the things you need to do once you’ve started writing a journal is to express gratitude every day. This simple act puts you in a frame of mind that great things will happen. Start your day right by documenting how good your life is. If you’re having a bad day, pull out that journal to relieve yourself of stress.
Log workouts to keep track of your progress. Log the weights you used before or how far you’ve walked in 30 minutes. Logging gives you a mindset of completion and allows you to see what you’ve accomplished which helps with your persistence. You also achieve patience because you can see you’re getting better as you progress. Occasionally, I log my food, particularly if I notice I’m stalled a little bit.
Log how many hours of sleep you get. If you notice that you didn’t sleep well on the other nights, you can go back to see what was going on.
The data you get from logs is a powerful thing. Don’t shy away from keeping information that will help you become a better you. Logging lets you track your goals. Write your ultimate goal on the first page and mini goals on the next pages. Track how well you’re doing as you progress.
August 3, 2016
- in guest/interview , health , mindset , weight loss by julie
Why can’t I stop? | Dr. Bruce Odlaug
Brian Odlaug received a PhD from the University of Copenhagen in Public Health. He is knowledgeable about and conducts seminars on the topic of behavioral addiction. His new book, Why Can’t I Stop, takes a closer look at behavioral addiction.
When it comes to eating and nutrition, many people wonder if they’re actually addicted to sugar. If so, this addiction is more of an emotional and behavioral issue than simply a lack of will-power. In fact, behavioral addictions are remarkably common. They are under recognized when compared to substance addictions. Often times, there is shame and secrecy involved, and the addiction will go unnoticed and untreated. Many people will continue to function normally in their work and relationships. Over time however, their lack of presence and financial or health consequences may become evident.
So how is a food addiction diagnosed? It’s actually not a formal diagnostic set, but there are certain questions to ask and specific behaviors to look for. Typically, it’s not just the quantity of food consumed, but it involves food consumed over a longer period of time. The individual knows there are consequences to consuming the food and they have a desire to cut back, but they are unsuccessful in attempts to limit themselves. They may even give up other activities to prioritize eating. Cravings and urges are common. Those addicted to food can even become irritable or restless when they are unable to eat. Essentially, if you don’t have the ability to control your urges, you may have a problem.
So how can one overcome a food addiction? Key strategies include eating only at specific meal times, not eating alone, and removing unhealthy foods from the home. Understand your triggers and fill your time with other fun activities. Family members can also get involved by modeling healthy relationships with food, helping with cooking and controlling meals, and encouraging fun and healthy activities.
If you are struggling with a behavioral addiction, you are not alone. Though the solution may require seeing a physician and taking medication, the addiction can be addressed.
August 1, 2016
- in guest/interview , health by julie
Movement for self-healing | Meir Schneider
Dr. Meir Schneider is the founder and head teacher of the School for Self-Healing in San Francisco. Born blind, Dr. Schneider taught himself to see and developed a program for healing and recovery for others. He is also the author of Movement for Self-Healing.
Dr. Schneider explains that everyone has to deal with aging and many will experience back problems. A back injury can be debilitating and prevent people from feeling like they can move. Though the body contains more than 600 muscles, the ones that are commonly used are overused with great intensity. This can cause the muscles to become more spastic and tense, and can lead to immobility, arthritis, and back problems. To age properly, we must become more flexible and start to use the muscles we have never used before. One reason why is because humans are connected organisms. If we are not using one part of our bodies appropriately, this will be reflected in every other part of body.
In our modern world, we sit on chairs and walk on cement. This can tighten the muscles in the hip and lower back. When the lower back can’t support the rest of the back, the neck begins to hurt and you will begin to slouch as a result. Often times, the best solution for back pain is to stand up and look in the distance. To become stronger and better as we age, we need to stretch and move frequently.
Surprisingly, emotions can play a large role in causing back problems. The connection between the body and mind is powerful. Stress and negativity can cause the muscles to be tense. A massage that incorporates movement can also be quite helpful.
The key to self-healing is finding the muscles you never knew you had, opening them up, connecting your body and mind, and relaxing your muscles. Following these steps will help you along your path to self-healing. To learn more about Dr. Meir Schneider, the School for Self-Healing, or his book Movement for Self-Healing, visit www.self-healing.org or call (415) 665-9574.
