The purpose this fitness blog is to encourage our friends and prayer partners to live a healthy lifestyle. We need prayer partners who are healthy and able to pray for us over the long haul. The following tips are here to help you along the way. Our prayer is that God would use these pages to encourage you. Let us know about your success stories.
These are our favorite fitness tips from resources that we trust. Send us your favorite fitness tips. Maybe we will add them to this page. Be sure to give us your source, so we can give them credit for their work.
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So tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day — a holiday that for many is synonymous with a socially sanctioned binge. So how can you resist the pressure to get stuffed? Try these suggestions from the American Dietetic Association:
- Eat an apple 30 minutes before dinner to take the edge off your hunger.
- Resist the pressure to sample everything on the table just because it's there. Rate items on a scale of 1 to 10, and stick to your personal 9s and 10s.
- Keep portion sizes in check. Don't pile your plate.
- Use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. You'll eat less because you can't fit as much on it.
- Don't go back for seconds. Instead, pack up a plate to take home for another meal.
- Be aware of emotional eating. Don't eat just because you feel tense.
- Think before you eat. Ask yourself, "Do I really want this?" and "Am I still hungry?"
- Eat the pie filling but leave the crust behind.
- Go for a walk after dinner instead of settling in front of the television.
While it's not news that exercise is good for the body, researchers say it's also good for the brain! One study divided a group of depressed patients into two sets — those who walked on a regular basis and those who took medication. To their surprise, researchers found those who walked recovered from their blues just as well as the antidepressant group!
Even if you're not clinically depressed, regular exercise will strengthen your mental reserves against the stresses and strains of everyday life. While scientists don't understand exactly why this is, they know exercise sets in motion many chemical reactions in your body that work to your benefit. So when you're feeling overwhelmed, try taking a walk instead of a nap! You'll be surprised how much calmer and in control you'll feel!
Ten tips to keep fit at home
Sat, 23 Jun 2007
The American Heart Association gives us these ten tips to stay fit at home. Their expert's tell us it's convenient, comfortable and safe to work out at home. It allows our children to see us active, setting a great example for them and our spouse. We can combine exercise with other activities, such as watching TV. If we buy good quality exercise equipment, it's a one-time expense that the whole family can enjoy. It makes it easy for us to have short workouts several times a day.
- Do housework ourself instead of hiring someone else to do it.
- Work in the garden or mow the grass, not with a riding mower! Rake your leaves, prune, dig and pick up trash.
- Take a short walk before breakfast, after dinner or both! Start with 5-10 minutes and work up to 30 minutes.
- Walk or bike to the corner store.
- Pick up the pace when walking. Walk a hilly route. When watching TV, sitting up. Walk on your treadmill or pedal on your stationary bicycle while watching TV. Hide your remote controls. Don't ask someone to bring you a drink, get up off the couch and get it yourself.
- Stand while talking on the telephone.
- Walk your dog.
- Park farther away and walk the extra distance with a smile. Wear comfortable shoes and sneak in an extra lap or two around the mall.
- Stretch to reach things in high places and squat or bend to look at items at floor level.
- Keep your exercise equipment repaired and use it!
Stay Safe in the Sun!
Sat, 2 Jun 2007
Hot, sunny weather can be dangerous. We enjoy exercising outdoors, but high temps can be dangerous without proper precautions. Experts at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommend lowering your risk of heat injury. Keep their tips in mind when you play outside:
- Drink plenty of water. Don't wait until you become thirsty — keep yourself hydrated throughout your workout.
- Take breaks, especially if you're trying a new activity or if you weren't active during the colder months.
- Schedule your workouts in the morning or evening, when it's cooler. Avoid working out during the hottest part of the day — between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- Slow your pace on hot days. Your workout may take longer, but heat exhaustion can come on quickly when you exercise at an intense pace. Take it easy!
- Wear lightweight, breathable fabrics; light colors will help reflect the sun's heat.
- If you suspect heat exhaustion, stop what you are doing immediately. Move to a shaded area, remove excess clothing, fan or wet your body to reduce your core temperature, and seek medical care immediately.
Keep safe outdoors, and stay cool this summer!
Some Fats Make You Hungrier
Fri, 18 May 2007 by RealAge.com
That fatty bacon cheeseburger may be loaded with calories, but at least it stomps out your hunger. Right?
Not necessarily. Compared to low-fat meals with the same number of calories, meals high in saturated fat will produce lower levels of leptin -- a hormone that turns off appetite. Here's how to get leptin levels up.
All fats, saturated and unsaturated, have 9 calories per gram. Because they provide equal amounts of energy, you'd think all fats satisfy your appetite in the same way. But they don't.
To get leptin levels up, you need to eat healthful unsaturated fats. You'll find them in nuts, seeds, olives, fish, avocados, and vegetable oils.
And while you're cutting back on hunger-amping sat fat, watch your alcohol intake, too. Alcohol also inhibits leptin.
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