Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Being Motivated By Others

Hi Everyone,

Are you gearing up for the holidays?  Where does time go? Since it flies by so fast, I want to make the most of every day and every thing, don't you?

I recently made the most of an idea I saw on someone else's blog.  Katie, a very energetic and positive Canadian gal  at http://realfoodkatiesway.ca/  always writes about working out to Leslie Sansone's exercise tapes.  Tapes, schmapes.  (I made up that last word.)  I never was one to get excited over exercise tapes.  But, then recently she mentioned that she came home one day to see her husband working out to one of the tapes! Now, that piqued my interest, and I ordered one of Leslie's tapes.  It's called, Belly Blasting Walk.  Today I tried the tape, and was really pleased with it.  For one thing, it's mostly walking, and Leslie makes sure the beats per minute in the music are fast enough that you are at a 15 minute mile pace, which is 4.0 miles per hour on the treadmill.  It's better than a treadmill walk, however, because you're using your arms much more, lifting your knees, and even doing some squats, (good, but ugh!).  After the two mile walk there are two more segments, one that works on the core muscles, and one that works on the arms and gluts, (aka the butt muscles).  I was so tickled, that I put the tape back on and did the first mile again!  You know those rainy days when you just want to stay inside?  Well, here's my answer--a Leslie Sansone walking tape!

Have you been motivated by someone else's example?  I bet you have, and I bet each one of us has motivated several people, in a variety of ways. Anyway, here are a few more things to ponder:

*First up is a tip from Weight Watchers International.  If many of your meals are in restaurants, try to keep a mental hold on ordering too much food, or the wrong food choices with this strategy: Make conscience good food choices if you are eating out just because you need to have the meal. (You know, dressing on the side; substitute steamed vegetables; lean protein;  yada, yada, yada.) Save any splurges for those special dining occasions- birthdays, holidays, etc.  This strategy can really save you from adding extra pounds because you are thinking ahead about how you approach each meal.

*Consider making this healthy rule for yourself:  Never step out without sun protection. Keep it next to your toothbrush. 

*It's important to at least go for walks or take a class that has you bouncing a bit.  Why?  Once you hit 30, your bones stop accumulating calcium.  Weight-bearing exercise is required to keep bones strong.  Putting weight on a bone makes it recruit calcium in order to build itself back up. So, just swimming and biking isn't enough for me, as far as what I do for cardio workouts, even with the bad hips.
 
*Other vitamins and minerals are important in building healthy bones:  Vitamin D to help absorb calcium, (think salmon, shrimp, D-fortified milk and orange juice); Vitamin K to enable certain bone-forming proteins do what needs to be done, (think kale, broccoli, Swiss chard and spinach); and potassium, which scientists think might help neutralize acids that suck the calcium out of your body, (think sweet potato, white potato, nonfat yogurt and bananas). 

That's all folks!  Be well!  Enjoy the holiday season.

Mary R.




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