Nov25
It’s a delicate balance.
It starts from the minute we’re born.
Life requires one balancing act after another!
Babies must learn to sit, pull up, crawl and walk. Balance.
Children learn to ride a bike, play a sport, play active games on the playground. Balance.
Things adults take for granted, the basic functional movements: reaching into the cupboard, bending down to tie a toddler’s shoe, getting in and out of the car, climbing the stairs, putting your pants on. It all requires balance.
Balance skills are not only an integral component of healthy aging, they are absolutely essential to maintain the quality and safety of our lives. The CDC cites accidental falls as the leading cause of death and injury among older adults. A full 30% of adults over age 65 in the United States experience a fall every year. This is unacceptable and can be reversed through excellent nutrition and exercise. Age should never become the sole excuse for restricting movement!
So how is YOUR balance? Here’s a quick test to find out.
Stand up, close your eyes, place one foot in front of the other, heel to toe and imagine (just imagine…don’t do it.) you’re going to walk forward on a straight line. (The basic inebriation test.) Remember, don’t actually move, just hold still, close your eyes and maintain your balance for 30 seconds.
How’d you do?
If you were able to maintain for those 30 seconds, your balance is pretty good! If you were wobbly the second you closed your eyes, or even before, then your balance is poor.
No worries. Balance is something that can be improved, and we SHOULD work to improve it.
Once again, you don’t have to be a member of a gym to workout. There are many easy and enjoyable exercises that can help maintain balance and stability and can be done while you brush your teeth in the morning.
One of the most basic balancing exercises is to practice balancing on one foot. Lift one leg slightly, hold for several seconds, and then change legs. Feel free to hold the back of a chair if you need some help starting out. As this becomes easier, then challenge yourself by lifting your leg higher, extending it out the the side or by reaching up and down with your arms while balancing. Then challenge yourself even further by closing your eyes and repeating these movements. You WILL notice a difference if you simply invest 5 minutes a day in balance challenges.
After you’ve mastered some of the basic balance exercises, you can proceed with some more serious balance training tools/toys. If you’re a gym member, most of these will be provided in your gym. If you’re not a gym member, these balance-training tools are just a click away on your computer, or at your favorite local discount or sporting goods store. Some of these items are pricier than others, and as I’ve said before, equipment isn’t essential-it just takes you to the next level.
Stability ball ($10-$30)
Simply by sitting, lying or leaning on this ball to perform your exercises helps improve balance. One of my favorite tips for my office worker clients is to swap their chair for a ball. Builds that core strength and sharpens balance skills.
Versa Discs ($20-$30)
These little inflatable discs pack quite a punch to your exercise routine. You can sit, kneel or stand on these inflatable discs to increase the intensity of whatever exercise you are doing. Try placing one under each foot while doing bicep curls, or under both hands while doing pushups.
BOSU ball ($100)
BOSU balls are versatile. You can use this to perform a wide variety of exercises that help improve your core strength and balance. The BOSU ball usually comes packaged with exercise helps and sometimes even a video to help. One of my favorite exercises utilizing the BOSU is to hold a moderately heavy set of dumbbells and then perform a squat to an overhead press!
Start NOW. Improvements come quickly.
Balance training is good for people of every age, so get the family involved. Everyone from your preschooler to grandparents can benefit and, because it is so fun, they may not even recognize they are exercising!
Google “balance exercises” to learn more exercises to do to keep your routine fresh. Take a Yoga Class.
While your friends are aging and becoming restricted to life in a chair that has to lift them to their feet, you’ll be thankful that you can leap out of bed, dress yourself with ease, tie your running shoes, and get out to compete in your seasonal triathlon through your 90’s. Keep taking the stairs and working to keep your body finely tuned by adding balance exercises to your daily active lifestyle.
Tags: Balance Training, Improving Balance, Lakeland Personal Trainer, Learning Balance, Strategic Boot Camp, Strategic Wellness, Whitney Cabrera RN
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Nov19
You’ve got to be kidding!
I’m not much of a TV watcher. Besides nightly re-runs of “King of Queens” and an occasional ever-perplexing episode of “Lost”, I really have no idea what’s going on out there in TV land. Truthfully, I’m really not interested. I want to experience my own life, not get caught up in someone else’s drama.
Last week however, the TV really did catch my attention. I was making my bed between Boot Camps (you know, as neat as my hubby is, in our 25 years of marriage, I think he’s made it twice) and turned on the TV to try to catch up on the news.
While putting my favorite terry-covered body pillow on the bed, I heard the most blatant deception I have ever experienced in a commercial:
“There is nothing wrong with High Fructose Corn Syrup. It comes from corn and can actually be good for you.”
I nearly tripped on a slipper and passed out.
No wonder we are all confused in America! We’re getting
bombarded on every side with conflicting information.
How about these claims:
1. “Cheerios can help lower your cholesterol”
You’ve got to be kidding. Eating processed grains can actually make your cholesterol rise! Cheerios only has 1 gram of soluble fiber per serving. Ditch the box! Eat the oatmeal, not the highy processed cereal made from oats. Yes, oatmeal is GREAT for you…but the kind God would recognize.
2. “Milk does a body good”
You’ve got to be kidding. Check this link out for some very interesting ideas on milk consumption.
The Milk Letter
Our bodies are not equipped to digest conventional milk. Many of us are intolerant and have no idea that many of our health issues are tied in with pasteurized milk consumption. Did you know that a calf will die after 30 days of drinking pasteurized milk?
If you have to drink milk, organic is a must and raw is a much better choice. My suggestion is to try Lite Almond Milk that has no sugar added.
Commercials are responsible for one thing: Selling us their product. Deception that is duping the public into believing that they’re living a healthy lifestyle is rampant. Sharpen your Baloney detector! Be an informed consumer.
Now, about that High Fructose Corn Syrup.
“There is nothing wrong with High Fructose Corn Syrup. It comes from corn and can actually be good for you.”
You’ve got to be kidding!
The latest stats say that new cases of diabetes have increased by 90% in the last 10 years. That means that diabetes or pre-diabetes will now strike 1 in every 4 Americans!
Scientists have clearly linked, time and time again, the use of HFCS to the epidemics (yes, epidemics) of obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome in America.
But despite all of the hard scientific evidence, the industry persists in claiming these findings are untrue. They feel that HFCS is the same as sugar.
Am I the only one, or does this remind you a bit of the tobacco companies fervent denial of the link between lung cancer and smoking?
Here’s a great video for you to put in your arsenal:
High Fructose Corn Syrup Deception
So, how much High Fructose Corn Syrup is in YOUR diet?
Start reading the labels of the products you have in your home right now. You’ll be shocked to see that it can be found in every type of processed, pre-packaged food that you can think of.
Trying to lose body fat? Check out this research done by Dr. Elizabeth Parks from the UT Southwestern Medical Center.
“Our study shows for the first time the surprising speed with which humans make body fat from fructose. Once you start the process of fat synthesis from fructose, it’s hard to slow it down. The bottom line of this study is that fructose very quickly gets made into fat in your body.”
Trying to improve your overall health? It’s really quite simple. To lose weight and decrease the risk of developing cancer, diabetes, heart disease and many other life-altering illnesses, drink pure water, (distilled is best….but not from the plastic jug), stop drinking soda and processed fruit juices and eat whole foods.
And by all means, refine your baloney detector!
Now, go shut the TV off, will ya?
Enjoying the journey,
Whitney Cabrera BSN, RN
Tags: boot camp, Florida, Lakeland Boot Camp, Lakeland Personal Trainer, Strategic Boot Camp, Strategic Wellness, Whitney Cabrera
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Nov9
How old ARE those athletic shoes you’re wearing? Have you ever had a custom analysis of your gait done before you bought a pair of shoes? Do you heels, feet, knees, or lower back hurt while running? It’s probably time to replace your shoes with a pair designed just for you!
Are you noticing any of these things:
~Aches or pains in feet, ankles, knees, lower back?
~Slight muscular fatigue (different that the norm)?
~New tightness in any area, including shoulders?
~Shin Splints?
Running in old or worn out shoes is asking for trouble. Shoes lose stability and shock absorption before you can even notice the signs of wear on the shoe itself. Over time, this added stress can lead to overuse injury. Ask any serious runner. It’s miserable to be sidelined before an event, especially when you’re on a roll and have been enjoying a new found fitness level. This can be prevented by simple strategy (one of my favorite words), including replacing those running shoes when they wear out.
Most running shoes need to be replaced between 350-550 miles. The lower end of this scale is for heavier runners. Lighter runners can get more out of their shoes. (Another plus for dropping unneeded pounds).
Are you logging 25 miles/week? Then you’re going to need to replace those shoes every 3-4 months.
If you wear glasses, you most likely have a prescription customized to our exact specifications. You wouldn’t share this prescription with your best friend or your spouse. You have your own unique needs.
It’s the same with your feet. Don’t buy the same shoes as your girlfriend or husband! You need to know what type of foot and gait you have to empower you to purchase the right shoe just for you!
Treat your feet right. They’re your foundation. You need to take very good care of them so they’ll serve you well forever.
Knowledge is the solution. You need to find a store that has trained professionals working, who know how to do a gait analysis. They will take a look at how you stand and how you walk on a treadmill and from a few other simple tests, will be able to determine what type of shoe you need to have on your foot.
Specialty running stores are a good place to start. If you are in the Lakeland, Florida area, try Fit Niche. Rich does a fantastic job not only fitting clients properly, but also empowering them with strong, scientifically based knowledge.
I have Rich come in and do a gait analysis on all of my boot camp clients as they are getting started to ensure foundational protection. Your feet take a beating every day. Take care of them.
Enjoying the journey,
Whitney Cabrera RN, BSN
Strategic Wellness
Strategic Boot Camp
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Nov3
Short on time?
Don’t belong to a gym?
Have no equipment?
Traveling?
Have VERY limited space?
Then this workout is for you!
Don’t let these obstacles keep you from getting a fantastic workout!
(It is always a good idea to get a doctor’s permission before beginning any workout program.)
THE NO EXCUSES WORKOUT!
Depending on your current level of fitness, perform the first exercise for 20 seconds to one minute and then rest for 30 seconds before beginning the next exercise. If you need more challenge, shorten or sans the rest period.
Work until you can build up to doing 4 circuits back to back.
1. Plank-In Push Up Position on toes and hands. Hold for desired time. If you need more challenge, push yourself back away from your hands, until your hands are in front of your head.
2. Push ups – (Knee push ups are fine.)
3. Wall Sit – Back up against wall. Feet are 1-2 feet away from wall. Bend knees until your legs are parallel to the floor and you are in a sitting position. Hold for desired time.
4. Stationary Lunge Left Leg-Take a big step with Left Leg. Bend Both Knees and return to starting point. Repeat for desired time.
5. Stationary Lunge Right Leg (See above)
6. Jumping Jacks
Repeat. Work up to repeating a total of 5 times for maximum fat burning.
This workout can even be split up into several sessions a day for similar results.
Got 6 minutes waiting for your coffee to brew? Do one set.
Need a computer break? Do a second set.
Watching a commercial? Do a third set.
With your children at a soccer practice? Do a fourth set. (Grab the mom next to you to join you.)
Stir Frying dinner? Do a fifth set!
You can work it in!
NO EXCUSES!
Enjoying the journey,
Whitney Cabrera BSN, RN
CPT, Wellcoach
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