It does not take long for the week to just get crazy. Some days seem endless, with a multitude of things to have to get done. It just never seems like there is enough time in the day. But, we all get 24 hours. Planning, and prioritizing, need to come into play. Saturday was a great example of how things can be when the weather cooperates. It was just a nice day to sit out in the shade, and relax. Relax, and let your mind wander. Let your body wind down and forget about all of the other commitments in life, and just take it easy. This week was actually very good for that as well.
One of the days that I took Zeus for a walk early in the morning, it was actually a little cool compared to the weather here lately. The fog was really thick over the lake and the golf course, and it was quiet. It just was a good time to relax and think…and Soothing…
My usual morning route is going by the lake. When the winds are calm, it is one of my favorite places to be. The birds are chirping. It is a great time to unwind, relax, and plan for the day. I would not trade it for anything!
Remember this! It is easy to get caught up in all of the pressures of life, but you have to keep yourself in mind as well. Take a deep breath, and just relax! It is amazing how much easier it is for things to fall into place when you remember this.
One of the other mornings this week it had been raining earlier, and a perfect rainbow came out over the lake. When you get scenery like this, you forget you are even out exercising. There is no comparison when it comes to where I would rather exercise at: outside, and along the lake, versus indoors on a treadmill. Indoors really does feel like work!
How true is this? The weekends just fly by, and the week drags on. So, make the most of your work day week, or week in general, and get out and move and enjoy the scenery. Let your mind wander, and think. You never know wheat ideas will develop, or how your plans can change…for the good!
So take a deep breath, start getting ready each day, and just go. Go exercise, but go and relax too. Here Zeus is helping Sarah stretch before we went running on Saturday. Even he knows he needs to learn to relax, and if you do, you will learn to enjoy life more! Take in what life all has to offer. All the adventures, new things to see, new things to experience. No two days are the same. Take advantage of them all!
You know there are going to be things that come up that are stressful, and just down right crazy. Accept it! Plan on it! Develop a plan for how you are going to deal with it, and if things are anticipated, then you know how to deal with it, and it won’t be such a big deal! Get in the exercise routine, and learn to go with the flow. Enjoy life, and appreciate all it has to offer. None of us know everything, so there is always something to learn. There is always something else to experience as well. Strive to Survive! Take a deep breath, and Just Relax, and enjoy the ride! Keep moving everybody!
There are many components to living a healthy life, but healthy eating and exercise are at the top of that list. So, what does it take to provide you and your family with healthy meals and regular exercise….with an already busy schedule? Here are a few tips to get you on the right track:
1. Drink water – Drinking enough water during the day will help you feel fuller at meals, clear out unwanted “junk” from your body, and can aid in weight loss. Aim to get at least 8 glasses (64oz) of water every day. Send a water bottle to school with your kids and also keep one with you throughout your day.
2. Get adequate sleep – Getting adequate sleep can be difficult with a busy schedule, but it is very important to provide proper recovery from exercise and to help manage stress and mood. It also helps keep you and your family focused throughout the day. Aim to get at least 7-8 hours of restful sleep a night.
3. Get moving – Try to get outside a few nights every week with your family. Exercise boosts calorie burn and promotes healthy bones, muscles, and hearts. Get active 30-60 minutes every day to maximize these benefits. Biking, walking, swimming, are a few ideas.
4. Prepare meals ahead of time – Grabbing fast food has become an easy way to fill up without spending much time doing it, but it is not a great option when it comes to overall health. Meal preparation is a great way to eat healthy while also saving some time during a busy day. You can control what goes into these meals, and will help cut back on eating fast food when in a hurry. You can also try batch cooking where you make a bigger batch of a meal, separate into smaller containers, and freeze. They are easy to grab and prepare in a pinch! Chili, casseroles, taco meat, and soups are great to try with this.
5. Spend time with healthy people – The people you spend the most time with have a large impact on your habits. Being around people with healthy habits will have a positive impact on your own personal habits. Along the same lines, your children learn from the examples you set for them. The habits they form now are habits they will have as they grow up. Make time to sit down and have meals together, engage in family activities, and involve your children in healthy living practices.
There are many pieces that go into living a healthy lifestyle and it is important for us to practice improving each one of them. Keep in mind that simple, small changes can lead to large benefits in the end! Focusing on lifestyle changes and improvements is key to success long term. If you would like more help improving you and your family’s nutrition, activity, and wellness, contact us today! -Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
It’s hard to believe school will be starting again in about a month! It can be a difficult transition for kids on many different levels. One of the hardest aspects of going back to school is getting up in the morning. With young kids getting out of bed can be hard and getting them into the car to get to school on time is even harder. However, just because you might be short on time it is essential that kids get a healthy and nutritious breakfast. When kids eat breakfast in the morning it is setting them up for success throughout the rest of the school day. With their little tummies full they will be able to focus on learning and have the energy to get through until lunch. Here are some simple ideas that are quick for those morning when you are running late to ensure you set your kids up for success. Getting back into the habit of a healthy breakfast is a good habit to get back to now, to help the transition to school go better!
Piece of toast with peanut butter and milk
Low-fat yogurt with some fresh or dried fruit or granola
Apple slices and peanut butter
Cheese stick and cup of fresh fruit or 100% fruit juice
Activity in the summer has challenges just like winter– we often use excuses like “we’re too busy, it’s too hot out, it’s raining, etc” to not stay active. Check out the ideas below to help you stay active in the summer and make the most of the nice weather while we have it! These ideas will help you get your 30 minutes of exercise in/day.
Swimming lessons or sports clubs are a great way for kids to get regular, scheduled physical activity.
Take in the zoo! You’ll get to explore and check out the animals, but also enjoy a nice walk. My son Corbin loves the zoo–the picture above is of him checking out the tiger. We get great activity in at the zoo!
Take a walk through the park! Many towns have bike trails or hiking trails that will keep you off the couch. Watertown has an awesome trail system–get out and use it!
Most yard work is great exercise that will burn tons of calories. Try using a push mower over a riding one for exercise!
Are you competitive? Join a softball team or go golfing. If it’s rainy outside, bowling is also a fun activity for indoors.
Sign up for a 5k race! If running isn’t your thing, you can always grab a friend and walk together.
If you don’t belong to a gym, try exercise videos at home when the weather is acting up.
Work your muscles if you’re on the lake or river! Waterskiing and tubing are great workouts.
There are always challenges to trying to exercise. But, even more, there are excuses. I have made plenty of them myself as well. You can try to come up with anything feasible, at least in your mind, not to go exercise. But I have found that once I get going, and then especially when I get done, I feel much better, and I am glad I did it! It needs to become a habit to get to this point. It can’t feel like a chore all of the time, or you will never do it. There are definitely those days when exercise feels like a chore. It is inevitable. But there are more good days than bad days. Yesterday was a good example. It was the Run Around Kampeska Half Marathon. It was delayed for an hour due to lightening, but then still rained through the majority of the race. That did not stop these people.
I am still coming back slow with the running, otherwise I would have been out there too. I was relegated to transport, water carrier, and photographer. I would rather be one of the runners! There are those other times when we have to contend with the heat.
You have to time your exercise, and go when it is cooler out. But, you also have to come up with creative ways to stay cool!
I could say Sarah was just going to help me cool off by throwing me in the lake, but I would be lying. I will never say no to her again!!! Hee Hee! But before you know it, it will be back to the cold and snow again!
You can still exercise outside, you just have to dress for it, and be more creative. Sometimes though, you just outright give up, and surrender!
One thing is for sure, it is always more enjoyable exercising with other people. It helps take your mind off things. It is still nice at times to work out on your own, but the group activities is much more fun. There are days when you just wonder why you even bother.
You can be so exhausted afterwards that you wonder why you even bothered. But, then later, when you are doing other activities, you have more energy, feel stronger, and have more endurance. Like I said, the good days still outweigh the bad days. We all want days when we feel like this:
So, go after it. If you are not exercising you are just falling back on another excuse. Make a decision, and go for it. Enjoy life to its fullest. Don’t take things for granted. I am finding out your health is not always going to be there. Control what you can, and then learn to deal what can’t be changed. You can still live your life to the fullest. Appreciate what you have when you do! Keep moving everybody!
Why Exercise Alone Might Not Lead to Weight Loss: Exercise is an integral piece to the weight-loss puzzle, but it certainly doesn’t stand alone. Eating right is just as important for weight loss as exercise alone. The best weight-loss prescription, of course, is to do both—watch what you eat and exercise regularly. These tips can help you get maximum results from your hard work and diligence.
Level of exertion: Make sure that your exercise gets results by working at your ideal level of exertion. The best way to do this is to check your pulse against your maximum heart rate. You can calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. You should have the ability to speak without gasping for air, but should work hard enough that you don’t really want to have to talk much. You will need to take in 500–1000 calories/day less than what you expend in order to lose 1–2 pounds/week.
Extra food: Avoid the tendency to eat extra food on days that you’ve exercised. Remember that all of those extra bites and spoonfuls can really add up.
Exercise routine: Doing the same exercise routine every day can lead to less energy expenditure over time, because you burn more calories when you’re first learning a routine. Interval training, such as walking fast for 2 minutes and then jogging or running for 30 seconds, is recommended to increase the number of calories burnt.
Sports drinks and supplements: Many sports drinks and bars contain nearly a meal’s worth of calories. They are more appropriate for a person who is running a marathon than for a person who is taking an aerobics class or going for a brisk walk.
Time vs intensity of workout: Rather than increasing the
length of time that you spend exercising, most experts agree that it can be
more beneficial to increase the intensity of your workout to promote weight
loss, while keeping the time spent the same or decreasing it.
If you are struggling with weight loss and need some extra help, please send
me an email or call! I would love to work with you and help you improve your
health and wellness!
