Practice Proper Hydration!

urine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With as long as our winters last, I certainly do not want to complain about the hot temperatures, but I do want you all to practice proper procedures to ensure you do not suffer from any heat related illnesses such as heat stroke or dehydration. With the high temps and humidity, it’s extra important to make sure you get enough fluids! It is important to stay hydrated throughout the day, as it is too late, if you wait to get a drink when you feel thirsty. Especially for those older adults, it takes longer for them to feel thirsty even though they  may be severely dehydrated.

Tips for getting adequate fluids:

  • Keep a glass or bottle of water with you during the day so you can sip on it. Drink when you are thirsty and even when you are not thirsty.
  • Drink more water instead of sugary beverages, milk and juice to avoid those extra hidden calories. Alcohol will increase your water loss. Plain water always works the best.
  • Increase your fluid intakes if your diet is high in fiber, protein or salt.
  • On days where you may be sweating alot or burning extra calories such as an all day softball tournament in 80-90 degree weather, or doing yardwork/landscaping in the heat all day…you may need to add electrolytes such as Gatorade or Powerade. I prefer G2 Gatorade as it’s lower in sugar, yet still has plenty of electrolytes. **Please note, these drinks are not necessary when you’re doing less than an hour of light activity or more sedentary activities as they just add extra calories and sugar.
  • Consult with your doctor or dietitian if you are on a fluid restricted diet and would like further help with your hydration needs.

Use the above chart to determine your hydration level by the color of your urine.

-Kelsey

Graphic Reference:http://www.brownsburgathletics.com/images/urine.gif

Zeus on the Loose!

It takes time getting comfortable with a new training partner, especially if they are new at it.  Zeus is getting bigger all of the time, just weighing in at the Vet this week at 37#.  We can go 2 miles at a time with him, walk, jog, and then often times we will take him out for a second time for maybe a mile.  He is getting stronger everyday!

Zeus 1 web

Here he is saying Hi!  Look at the size of those mitts!  He is ready to go anytime, we just get out the leash.  He still likes to start out walking himself, holding the leash in his mouth.

Zeus 2 web

Please take me out for a run/walk, Please!!!!  Patience is a virtue.  All training partners need to get accustomed to each other.  Later on, you start thinking alike, and you just go.  It is not different with any training partner.  Just find that one that helps you as much as you help them.  It does you both good.  Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  2487

Back from Vacation and Back to Reality

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I apologize for my lack of posting lately!! I was on vacation the end of June and first week of July and last week was a bit crazy catching up from being gone that blogging got neglected! I’m sure as many of you know vacation is great, but it’s hard to adjust back to reality and get back into the grove of things! When you’re on vacation, everything gets disrupted, including sleep, eating, exercise, etc and by the time you adjust to being on vacation, you’re back to work! Here are some tips that help me adjust and get back on track with my wellness goals…I hope they help you as well!
1) PLAN! Take a look at your schedule and figure out when you’ll have time for exercise and have a basic (or detailed plan for you over-planners) of what you will eat for meals when you get back to reality. Take out the meat from the freezer, get groceries, and get ready for the week! Prep some of your meals such as brown up the hamburger and have it ready in the fridge or slow cook some chicken breasts so you have them ready…you can also do some batch cooking such as making up a few casseroles, soups, or BBQ meat to lessen the pressure, time, and stress of getting the meal ready after work. Think about these things like you do your job or other obligations and have a plan for them. Your health and wellness should be top priority as without health, you can’t enjoy all life as to offer!

2) Be Flexible: it’s part of life that things are going to come up or you may stay at work a bit longer than usual so don’t be too hard on yourself, getting back to the real work will take a bit of time to adjust and having a plan (from #1) will help lessen the stress and allow you to be flexible with whatever happens. I have to remind myself of this daily as I tend to like to have a plan for everything and that’s not always how life works!

3) Prioritize: You won’t be able to tackle everything you missed at work or at home in the first few hours of returning, so prioritize what needs to be done and tackle the most important things first. I apologize that the blog got put at the bottom of the list as I needed to take care of my patient care duties first! You will be hearing from me more again now that I’m back to reality! 😉

-Kelsey

Running as Play

Dan and Steve Disney web

I had stated in an earlier post about Dr. George Sheehan…cardiologist, runner, writer, and philospher.  Sheehan believed that life should be simple, that people needed to free themselves from the things that squash creativity adn play.  Play, he believed, was serious business, and people should make time for it.  For Sheehan, running was play.  That is how I try to make it too.  Here above is Steve and I at the Disney Goofy challenge, stopping at about mile 8 for our wives to take a photo.  We presented ourselves well from South Dakota.

Sarah and I keep that in my too, not only in how we take each run, but how we take life.  You need to have fun.  Of course, there is a time to be serious, and get things done, but it can be done in fun ways as well.  Here we are the one year for a halloween run.

Sarah and Dan Halloween web

Have fun!  Be healthy!  Life is too short not to do this.  Take each day as a gift, and do with it what we can.  At the end of each day, we should be able to look back and say…”What did I accomplish today?”  We should then feel good about what we did accomplish.  There are always challenges, pressures, things to get done.  Always!  This will never change.  But, making running fun…play…allows us to handle things in life much better as well.

More thoughts from Dr. Sheehan in posts to come!  Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise day #:  2480

Holiday Festivities

This 4th of July holiday weekend was a great time to spend with family/friends, and enjoy life.  Things get hectic enough, and sometimes you just need to unwind and relax, spend time with those around you, and have it be OK to indulge in some great food!

Hauck family reunion web

Saturday was the 4th annual Hauck ribfest!  Great food, great company.  There was an assortment of ribs to try, and not a bad one in the lot!  Serious competiton, with judging and everything.

Hauck ribfest judges

Here the judges go through all of the entries.  There were 10 entries this year, with the winner going to Jeff Hauck.  Sarah tried it this year as well.  The food was incredible!  This is what holidays are all about.  You can work on your food intake, and exercise, all of the other days.  It is OK to indulge and enjoy the good foods that life has to offer as well.  It would be a different story if we did this everyday!

Hauck family reunion sign web

Hopefully your holiday was a great one.  Remember, have fun and enjoy what life has to offer.  You can get back on track following these times.  Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  2473

Running Within…

Dan Disney photo

Why do I run?  I have been asked this many times.  How can it be fun?  The elements to have to contend with;  the boredom of being on a treadmill;  doing all this when you are tired; how do you have enough time in the day;  these are all statements I hear.  Bottom line:  It is my escape.  It is my time to get away from all of the stress of everyday living.  It is my time to think.  It is time for me…We all need to have “me time”.  How we do this is up to us.  We can choose to be healthy about it, or not.  I choose the healthy route.

running and thinking

It is perfect for me…to look, escape, think…just me and nature.  I love it, and will do it as long as I can!  The famous physician, cardiologist, Dr. Georeg Sheehan, who helped shape the running revolution, has authored some amazing books about running.  I am currently reading them.  I think I will expand on some of the topics he wrote of in this blog.  There is a lot to learn from him, and he wrote a lot of this in the 70’s and the 80’s.  Incredible inspiration behind all of this.  Stay tuned…

Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  2466