Tag: exercise

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GOOD INTENTIONS OFTEN GO ASTRAY

Have you noticed all the new people at your fitness center or aquatic class?  It looks like a lot of folks decided to  get in shape this year.   Great!  Glad to see them.  But there are lots of other New Year’s resolutions that don’t involve losing weight.  Quit drinking alcohol.   Cut down on video games.   Call home every week.  Stop smoking. Take French lessons.   The list goes on and on.  And they’re mostly about stopping or starting something.   But statistics indicate that most of those resolutions are abandoned by January 18. Good Intentions often go astray.

Why do people give up so easily?  They wanted to do something to improve their lives or happiness. And yet, they lacked the to follow through on their good intentions.  Now, they feel a little bit disappointed in themselves.  The truth is, they probably would have wound  up in a much better frame of mind if only they’d had a little more of that good old stick- to-it-iveness.

GOOD INTENTIONS OFTEN GO ASTRAY. By the end of Jan, most have given up
Good Intentions Often Go Astray. Most New Years’ Resolutions are given up by January 18.

The strategies for stopping or starting a habit are completely different.  Psychologists tend to focus on the stop issue, because the undesirable habit often involves some type of addiction, which is difficult to overcome.  There are long lists of suggestions :  join a support group, avoid triggers, etc. etc.  Alcoholics should not go places where they serve beer, or keep it in their frig.  Smokers should not have a pack of cigarettes in their purse or hang out with other smokers.  But the truth is, most addictions are a reaction to stress and anxiety, and it’s hard to quit a bad job or stop worrying about your rebellious  teenager.

Starting a new habit calls for an entirely different set of mental muscles.  You go to the gym for one class and then never go back.  Why?  It was too much trouble changing clothes.  Walking a treadmill is boring. Whatever.  You signed up for French lessons and you couldn’t even speak a whole sentence after the first class.  It’s way too challenging and when are you going to Paris, anyway?  But what if you hadn’t given up so easily?  By summer, you might not mind putting on a bathing suit.  Or, you could decide to vacation on the French Rivera instead of going to Vegas.

However, there’s one approach that works for both kinds of resolutions :  Mindfulness meditation. I  know, it sounds kind of new age and hokey.  But it works.  And it’s really quite simple.  Before you decide to re start a bad habit lean back in your chair and take a few, cleansing deep breaths.  Next, acknowledge and accept your feelings, without judgement.”  I  really need that fix from nicotine or alcohol because I’m feeling stressed about my …job…marriage….. I can feel it in my  bones.”  Stop, breathe some more.  The stressful situation won’t last forever.  You can do this.  More deep  breaths.  The urge has come and gone

Use the same technique if you’re tempted to quit the new, desirable behavior.  Deep breaths.   Walking the treadmill is boring.  Going to the gym is  too much trouble.  I’m  not seeing any immediate results.  Breathe in, breath out.    Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. You know you will feel much better after a few workouts.    Keep going.

Getting started with mindfulness is simple  in this high tech world of ours.  There are apps like Calm which can be downloaded for free or for a small fee.  Mindfulness meditation should be your best New Years resolution.  Good intentions often go astray.   Don’t let that happen in this Happy New Year of 2023.

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WARNING! WALK OUTSIDE MAY BE UNHEALTHY

Walking is considered the number one way to lose weight, postpone aging, and provide  a host of other benefits.  But some days, it  could be hazardous to your health .  As an example, I decided to walk in the park on a Saturday afternoon. The tennis courts were full. A baseball game was taking place.  There were few places left where you could sit on a blanket and enjoy some peace and quiet.    The  roads were lined with parked cars and a constant stream of traffic.   Every shelter was filled with people using the barbecue pits. Consequently, the air was hazy  with smoke.  I found a parking place and set out to walk.  All of a sudden, I felt dizzy and a bit shaky.  My throat burned, and my eyes itched.  Therefore, I turned around and walked back to my car.  I hadn’t even done a mile. Warning! A walk outside may be unhealthy.

Back home that day, I felt a bit disgusted with myself.  Why had I given up on my walk? Was I becoming a wimp?  I picked up my new iPhone, and looked at the weather app.  Scrolling down, I noticed something that had never really interested me before: Air Quality Index.  That day, it was a high 154.  Consequently, this  meant that walking outside  was bad for  almost everyone, but especially sensitive people.   At my age, I guess I fit into that category.  As a result,  walking in the park  had not been a good idea. However,  I could have walked in the mall if I wanted the exercise. .  But who wants to walk inside on a sunny day?

WARNING! WALK OUTSIDE MAY BE UNHEALTHY. i When the air quality index is too high it can cause many respiratory problems.
Warning! Walk outside may be unhealthy if the air is polluted.

Much to my relief, I checked the air quality index today, and it was back down to a good 30. However it’s  raining.  Maybe it will clear up this afternoon.   It’s  depressing to realize that many of my walks during the past few years have actually been bad for my health.  From now on,  I won’t walk in the park until after I’ve checked the air quality.

 Air pollution is caused by solid and liquid particles and certain gases suspended in the air. These  can come from car and truck exhaust, factories, dust, pollen, mold spores, volcanoes and wildfires.

Poor air quality may cause the following  health symptoms in sensitive people:

. Headache

. Fatigue

. Shortness of breath

. Sinus congestion

. Coughing

. Sneezing

. Dizziness

.Nausea

 

Be sure to check the air quality index before walking in the park.  You’re not a wimp if you decide to stay inside  that day.

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HOW LONG DO YOU WANT TO LIVE?

If you read the local obituaries, you know that more people are living longer than ever before. Modern health care and improved nutrition has extended the age that we die , far beyond  the normal age of death a century ago.  The question is, how much time, money,  and effort do you want to spend in order to extend your life.?   Do you  want to deprive yourself  of food and drink for decades,  with the hope of living longer than your ancestors.  How long do you want to live?

DO YOU WONDER HOW ITALIANS LIVE SO LONG?

A strict vegetarian diet is supposed to add 6 years to your life.  It’s not clear how long you have to give up ice cream, meat , butter, fish,  honey and eggs in order  to reap the benefits.  If , at age 40, your meals consist of broccoli, carrots, beans, . and you continue to deprive yourself of yummy food for the next fifty years, will you look back and regret it? How many picnics and family dinners will have left you dreaming of a piece of fried chicken and a slice of chocolate cake?

Let’s say you decide to take the exercise and fitness route to longevity. How many hours will you sweat it out on a treadmill or weight lifting machine in a musty gym? How many months and years of time must you spend jogging through the park in summer heat and winter rain?  And then, around the age of 60, will you  need knee or hip replacement for those joints you wore out in decades of pounding the pavement and pumping  iron?

Some health researchers advise us to skip alcohol altogether.  Or, if you must imbibe, limit yourself to one glass of wine a week.  Doesn’t that make you wonder how Italians, and Germans with their beer, ever make it to 90?

THE USDA FOOD PYRAMID IS STILL THE BEST GUIDE FOR A HEALTHY DIET

No , I’m not recommending that we all become obese couch potatoes.  I simply think that moderation in all things leads to a happier life.   As a dietitian, I still believe the USDA food pyramid is the best guide to a healthy diet.  A 4 oz  strip steak  is a better choice than a 16 oz rib eye.  https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2017/09/26/back-basics-all-about-myplate-food-groups    But you can limit your calories to around 2, 000 a day while still enjoying an occasional piece of cheesecake .

I believe that all of us should exercise at least 15 to 30 minutes a day as long as it’s possible.  Maybe a little bit more if you’ve not yet retired.

Moderation in all things might not get me past the century mark, but I’ll take eighty good years of enjoying life as I like it.

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WHO WANTS TO LOOK LIKE JANE FONDA?

Jane Fonda is smart, beautiful, and thin.  She’s an inspiration to all women over eighty.   But most of us know we’ll never look like that.  Anyway, who wants to look like Jane Fonda.?

According to her bio, Jane Fonda is  5’8”” and weighs 128.  This gives her a Body Mass Index of 19. * Wow!That’s just one point away from being underweight.  Some people have a great metabolism and have always been able to eat anything they want and not get fat.  But not Jane.  She says she was an overweight twenty-something and suffered from bulimia for years.  And so, Jane, like most of us, has to work at staying thin.

How does a an eighty year old movie star maintain the BMI of a teenager?  Other than a ton of exercising, and maybe some help from a plastic surgeon, I’m thinking she would have to go on a diet of lettuce leaves and pickles.

Do you really want to be as think as Jane Fonda.
Jane Fonda is an inspiration to octogenarians. But most of us know we will never be that thin.

Do I really want to skip my lunchtime smoothies, my pork chop and mashed potato dinners, my chardonnay, and ice cream for dessert?   Should I  spend hours exercising at the gym or doing pilates?  Supposing I decide to load up my frig with spinach  and kale, and throw out the good stuff like cheese?  Is it worth it to be admired for my figure?   The National Institute of Health says no.

The NIH  has found that underweight  older women with a very low BMI are actually more at risk for mortality than women at the high end of normal.  Slightly overweight seniors at the high end of the healthy body mass index range  of 27 to 29  were at lower risk.

In other words,  it’s healthier for elderly folks to be slightly overweight than it is to be underweight.

 

That welcome news for me, because there’s no way I’m ever going to have a 25 inch waist again.  And now, I have a perfect excuse to relax and enjoy the delicious things in life.

Ladies, there’s no reason to suck in your tummy when you put on your bathing suit this spring.  You just  might live longer than those skinny seniors.

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*BMI

Body mass index, or BMI, is a number based on your weight and height.   In general, the higher the number, the more body fat a person has. BMI is often used as a screening tool to determine if you have a healthy weight.

BMI  defines different weight groups as follows:

  • Underweight: BMI is less than 18.5
  • Normal weight: BMI is 18.5 to 24.9
  • Overweight: BMI is 25 to 29.9
  • Obese: BMI is 30 or more

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STOP! DON’T WEIGH YOURSELF TODAY

The holiday is over, and now you’re ready to step on the scales.  How much weight did you gain after all that dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, rolls and pumpkin pie?  The average Thanksgiving meal contains about 5,000 calories, which is more than you ordinarily consume in a couple of days. But,  before you take off your shoes, stop! Don’t weigh yourself today.

Thanksgiving meals are loaded with salt and sugar.  Both will make you retain fluids.  You may be holding an extra three or four pounds of water  in your body tissues.  It takes awhile to get rid of all that extra water, assuming that you resume your healthy , low sodium, low sugar diet.

Too much salt causes a flud buildup
WHY YOU SHOULD WAIT A FEW DAYS TO WEIGH YOURSELF

In addition to the big family meals, you may have been on the road for a day or two visiting family.  How do you eat when you’re traveling?  Fast food, of course.  Who wants to waste time sitting in a restaurant when you are anxious to arrive at your destination before the weather gets worse.  Maybe you don’t ordinarily eat French fries, but they smell so good when you walk into Burger King. And how good are fries without salt?  Lots and lots of salt.  There you go, more fluid retained in your sluggish body cooped up for hours on end in a car, and no exercise whatsoever.

And so, if you step on the scales the minute you get home, you’re apt to be in for a shock. You don’t need that guilt trip just yet.  It could make you so depressed that you reach for a candy bar just to cheer yourself up.  For the rest of the week, eat lots of salads, vegetables, and lean meat.  Walk at least 30 minutes a day.

Okay, on Friday, it’s safe to step on the scales and find out how  much you weigh.  You may have gained a pound or two, but that’s doable.  It’s easier to diet away one pound, rather than four.

Now, you have a few weeks to prepare for those Christmas parties.   Reduce your caloric intake, and fix some carrot and celery sticks to keep in the frig in case you get hungry. Take advantage of sunny days to walk in the park.  The average person gains a total of six pounds over the holidays.  But that statistic needn’t include you!

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SELF HELP WHEN YOU’RE FEELING BLUE

If you were around in the 50’s or 60’s, you might remember that popular ballad by one of the greatest vocalists of all time, Nat King Cole.

“Pretend You’re Happy When You’re Blue” lyrics went like this:

 Pretend you’re happy when you’re blue
It isn’t very hard to do
And you’ll find happiness without an end
Whenever you pretend
Remember anyone can dream
And nothing’s bad as it may seem
The little things you haven’t got
Could be a lot if you pretend
 

We all have “blue,” days.  Maybe you had a disagreement with a friend, got into a fender bender, or lost your purse.  Perhaps you’re sick and tired of hearing about Trump and feel like the world is falling apart. Whatever the reason, you haven’t slept well, and you wake up in the morning feeling down and out.  What to do?  Mope around all day? Overeat or feed some other  addiction like nicotine or alcohol?  No, just pretend you’re happy and act accordingly.

 

Smile. If it’s a nice day, put on a clean outfit and a pair of walking shoes, put one foot in front of the other, and take a walk through the park.  Watch the squirrels chase each other’s tails.  Listen to the birds singing.  Laugh as the geese stop traffic while nonchalantly walking across the road. Admire the flowers. Watch green tree leaves fluttering with the wind.  Feel the warm sunshine on your back. Keep going until you feel your mood lift. 

Come back home, fix a cup of tea.  Get up and go out with ordinary people, some of whom may be handicapped, yet still going on with their lives.  Retail therapy helps if you don’t go overboard.  Or maybe an hour in the reading room at the library.  Whatever lifts your spirit and makes you realize your troubles aren’t nearly as serious as you thought.

And if you sing this melody
You’ll be pretending just like me
The world is mine, it can be yours, my friend
So why don’t you pretend?