Healthy, Happy, Resilient People

Aug 16th, 2009

Seated Stretching Routine

Jul 14th, 2009

When you get tired and a little stressed, what do you do?  Do you walk to the vending machine?  Or do you get physical?  You can save a lot of stress-related calories if you do something physical.  You don’t have to worry about time because you can pep up or calm down in just a couple of minutes. 

Here are 7 stretches that reduce stiffness and tension . . . and you can do them while seated at home or in your office. 

Self-care is the rudder when chaos threatens

Jun 2nd, 2009

Mom’s in rehab recovering from a stroke, dad’s at a nursing home angry that we won’t let him stay alone…..that’s the backdrop for my successful self-care program this week.

Often when the winds of chaos and worry blow in to my life, my self-care routine suffers.  This time it’s been different.  I have a deep belief in the powers of wellness and self-care to heal all wounds…self-care is kind of like the balm of Giliad.  So I’m sticking with it.  It’s my rudder.

When  I get serious about something (like self-care or fitness), I follow through – even when life hands me a little chaos.  And I’ll bet you do too.

Here’s a peek at my fitness routine since Friday.   (Note:  I’ve been walking a dog for years – that hasn’t changed.  That’s my base.  Everything else listed below has been added to provide intensity, cross-training, and strength.)

Friday:  walked Toby 60 minutes, yoga for 35 minutes (felt very virtuous about adding yoga in after years of abstinence)

Saturday:  walked Toby 60 minutes, strength training (lower body) 40 minutes, exercise bike (hills) 10 minutes high intensity, sauna (pooped – went to bed at 8:30 to read; slept hard and long)

Sunday:  strength training (upper body) 40 minutes, water wheel rowing machine 5 minutes (felt like 15 min.), sauna, walked Toby 60 minutes (felt tired and a little stiff but not as tired as Saturday)

Monday:  walked Toby 60 minutes (felt my body needed a break from heavy lifting)

Tuesday:  didn’t do any fitness (raining and had a sketchbook journaling class in the evening)

Wednesday:  will go back to the gym for lower body strength training, exercise bike, and walking Toby. 

Here’s what I’ve been eating:  veggies veggies, veggies….and fruit, fruit, fruit.  Today a colleague joined several of us for lunch so I broke from my healthy eating routine an ordered brisket and fries (oh my!)  If that shocks you…..let me tell you what I had for breakfast and dinner.  For breakfast I had an apple, a fig, 2 prunes, and a small handful of walnuts.  Then for dinner I had a simple vegetable soup I made in minutes – more on that another day.  The point here is there is room for variance from a strictly healthy diet.  I didn’t feel at all guilty because I knew I’d balance it out across the day.

Your Turn:  What been your fitness routine so far this week?  How’s it going?  How’s the healthy eating going?  Any challenges or successes to share?  Please share at the comment link below.

Tornado Warning

Apr 25th, 2009

Do you have difficulty remembering the difference between a tornado watch and a warning?   I do.  Even when I try really hard to remember!

We were just under a tornado warning in Kansas this evening so I had a chance to remember again what the difference is.  A warning means that a tornado has been spotted or it is highly likely as determined by radar.  So it could be serious.

The sirens went off, the skies looked ominous, and it felt like something was trying to happen.

I closed my windows and packed up the following things to take to the basement:

• Purse with ID, credit card, etc.
• House keys
• Day planner
• Cell phone
• Regular phone
• Battery operated radio
• Life/work planning notebooks
• Glass of water
• Laptop
• Dog bed and bowl of water for Toby
• Toby (the 60 pound Jack Russell terrier look alike)

I have one of those “icky” basements that you try not to spend time in – dashing in and out to do laundry, getting tools, or sitting in a lounge chair waiting for the all-clear signal.  Thankfully warnings last only 30-45 minutes.

My Emergency Kit

I also took my Emergency Kit to the basement – that’s a permanent kit (clear plastic file box with a handle) that contains a bottle of water, candle, butane lighter, weather radio with batteries, flash light with batteries, and a thermal blanket.  I’m always thankful that I have it…and that I’ve never had to use it.

Imagine….if your house blew away, what would you need?  What would you critically need, that is?  You might not need your lipstick or your sports magazine.  But then again…

I hollered into my neighbor’s open window…”Do you know we’re under a tornado warning?”  They said yes, thanks, they were trying to ignore it.  I think they have an icky old-house basement too! 

I’m always tempted to ignore the warnings, but I’ve created an emergency system that I can get together really quickly if I need to.  So the barriers to leaving my cozy upstairs to go to the basement are minimized.  Do you have such a system?

100 Healthy Habits That Can Save Your Life, Your Money, and Your Planet

Apr 21st, 2009

Just came across an interesting list of 100 small things you can do to save your life, your money, and your planet.  I thought you’d enjoy reading it…..and posting it where you can see it now and then.

Dog, Cat, Rat – Amazing Trio!

Mar 25th, 2009

A friend recently sent me an email about a kitten and parakeet playing together – I asked if she thought that would last when the cat grew up.  She sent me an email saying the following:

Maybe if they grew up together they’d remain friends. When Michael took his mom to Santa Fe for a vacation, there was a guy in the plaza with a dog, a cat, and a rat. The dog had a harness that the cat held onto and the rat sat on top of the cat. They were all piled up and just hung out that way: a rat on a cat on a dog. Why can’t we all just get along?

So I did a search at Youtube.com and found THE VIDEO – I love how easy it is to find information on the Internet.  It connects us in ways that until recently were unheard of.  In the search box I typed: dog, cat, rat, and this charming video emerged to delight me.  (If your company blocks YOUTUBE.com and there’s a gaping hole below, open this post at home.  It’s worth it). 

March is National Kidney month

Mar 25th, 2009

Here are some ways to protect your kidneys:
· Regular Exercise
· Limit use of over-the-counter painkillers
· Maintain Healthy Weight
· Regular physician check-ups
· Maintain Healthy diet
· Know your family health history
· Regular blood pressure & cholesterol checks
· Become knowledgeable about kidney disease
· Avoid tobacco use and alcohol abuse
· If you are at risk, be tested

EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique

Mar 23rd, 2009

Have you heard about EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique.  It’s a very interesting way to manage physical, emotional, and spiritual stressors.  You an get rid of headaches, learn to stick with a healthy living plan, calm down, or manage just about anything else. 

Here’s a 6 minute video that gives you a quick strategy for using the technique.  The EFT practitioner demonstrates the technique to get rid of a headache.

Have you used EFT?  What has been the result? 

Do you know how to breathe?

Mar 19th, 2009

I used to think it was silly to take a class to learn how to breathe……because we breathe all day every day.  But then I learned about rejuvenating, healing, deep breathing and life has never been the same.  It’s been better.

If you would like to better manage stress, center your thoughts, and activate your natural energy, try these breathing exercises from Dr. Andrew Weil – a wellness pioneer.

Add these breathing exercises to your daily wellness routine – you’ll notice a big difference in the quality of your day.

Any deep breathers out there want to make a comment below?

Finish What You Start

Feb 26th, 2009

"Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they’ve started."

David Allen

David Allen is an expert on getting things done.  I’ve read several of his books and think he’s swell.  You can find out about his strategies to get things done here.

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