1. Be mindful. Focus on each day for itself. You have 365 daily opportunities to make life special and meaningful not just this holiday month.
2. Strive for purpose not perfection. Welcome and appreciate all the imperfections.
3. Have reasonable expectations. Now is not the time to solve any past issues with family.
4. Keep exercising, but be realistic. It is more important to stick to your routine and exercise for less time (20 minutes) then to not exercise at all because it takes up too much time.
5. Delegate. You don’t have to do it all yourself. Relinquish control and ask for help
6. Pause often….and ask “what do I want to do?”
7. Get enough sleep. Know that alcohol can really interfere with the quality of your sleep and add to stress.
8. Take time for yourself every day: walk, read, get a massage, drink tea slowly, take a hot bath, meditate, do yoga, watch nature. Do it all without feeling guilty.
9. Create a plan, set priorities and stick to it. Recognize your weaknesses and situations that present challenges and you will be more likely to follow your plan.
10. Go moderate on caffeine, alcohol and food. Too much any of them can lead to feelings of grief that only add to your feelings of stress.

Remember the power to enjoy the holidays resides in you…

Cardiovascular Exercise:

Frequency: 150 minutes/week
Intensity and time: 30-60 minutes of moderate5x/week OR 20-60 minutes of vigorous 3x week
Progression: Gradual
Other info: One continuous session OR multiple shorter sessions of 10 minutes minimum are acceptable. People unable to meet these minimums can still benefit from activity.

Resistance Exercise:

Frequency: 2-3x/week
Intensity and time: 2-4 sets of either 8-12 reps for strength/power. 10-15 reps for older persons new to exercise, or 15-20 reps to improve endurance. Light intensity for beginners or older adults.
Progression: Gradual
Other info: Wait at least 48 hours between sessions

Flexibility Exercise:

Frequency: 2-3x week
Intensity and Time: Hold each stretch 10-30 seconds to point of tightness or slight discomfort. Repeat 2-4x accumulated 60 secs per stretch. Static, dynamic, ballistic, or PNF are appropriate.
Progression: Gradual
Other Info: Warm up first before stretching

Neuromotor Exercise:

Frequency: 2-3x week
Intensity and time: 20-30 minutes/day
Progression: Gradual
Other Info: Include Motor skills ( balance, agility, coordination, gait) Proprioceptive training, and tai chi, yoga, etc.

Definitions

Moderately intense activity: A brisk walk or activity that accelerates the hear rate. “Breaking a sweat” while remaining able to carry on a conversation is considered a moderate intensity activity.

Vigorous intensity activity: An activity such as jogging and it causes rapid breathing and a substantial increase in heart rate.

How do these recommendations address weight maintainance and weight loss? Many people need more than 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity to maintain weight or contribute to significant weight loss. The control of body weight responds to both calories consumed as well as calories expended during activity. Both intake and expenditure need to be considered to prevent unhealthy weight gain or achieve weight loss. For individuals who achieve the moderate-intensity activity for 30 minutes on 5 days a week but remain overweight, an increase in their physical activity is a reasonable component of any strategy to lose weight.

According to ACSM these recommendations are addressing concern that adults in the United States are not active enough. Physical inactivity is a public health issue. Possible diseases due to inactivity include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, depression, hypertension, strokes, colon and breast cancer and anxiety. The recommendations above are the basic minimum for suggested physical activity.

Our solution is our NO-BODY LEFT BEHIND outdoor Fitness classes that meet year round and utilize the outdoor environment in all terrain,all weather to educate, inspire and facilitate meaningful lifestyle changes for all clients and assist them in obtaining their goals.

Our outdoor fitness groups are small and will provide you with a varied workout that allow you to burn calories and increase your fitness level, through cardiovascular, strength, core, agility, balance and flexibility training. Whatever your fitness level, you will be challenged at your own level with success. Enjoy the expertise and benefits of personal training added with a great sense of camaraderie while working out with others.

What: Varied workouts depending on the time of year including snow shoeing, biking, hiking, walking, general outdoor training including cardiovascular, strength, balance, agility and flexibility training and more.

Who: Women of all levels and abilities. You don’t have to be in shape, we will get you there at your own pace!

Current classes: snow shoeing classes with core and flexibility training, walking/core/flexibility classes, general outdoor training classes.

Where: Different locations, parks, playgrounds and the surrounding woods of the Metrowest area.

When: Call or email Lee for summer schedule.

What to Bring: Water, a mat and a willing spirit.

Weather: We work out in most weather, with the exception of thunder storms or heavy rain.

How to join: Call 617-872-7429 or email Lee Nordblom.

How many people do you know that complain daily of aches, pains and bad backs? Are you included in that number? Did you know that 4 out of 5 of us will experience back pain in our lifetime? (Mayo Clinic 2009). Slumping over our car seats, slouching in front of computers, and relying on back rests to support ourselves, all can lead to insufficient core stability. Due to structural amnesia, weakness, tightness and imbalance our muscles can become inefficient and limited in their range of motion. This can create ineffective and painful movement patterns as well as an increase risk of injury.

Our core, which includes muscles of our abdominals, back, hips, buttocks, pelvic floor, and diaphragm muscles, are truly the foundation for proper functioning of our entire body. We need stability in our core in order control the movement of the rest of our body.

We can help ourselves tremendously with a daily combined routine of myofacial release and core exercises. This will help to diminish these aches and pains while developing core stability and neuromuscular control. A daily practice of using a few small props for myofacial release, and core exercises can help prevent back pain while strengthening the core for optimal movement patterns. Doing these exercises in the morning to awaken our bodies from stiffness can allow our muscles to become more pliable by increasing the blood flow to the soft tissues. This in turn will help with greater motor control and neuromuscular awareness, which facilitates injury prevention and efficient function (Idea Fitness Journal, January 2010, 25).

For further information and instruction about this program to help with aches, pains and bad backs, please contact Lee at 617-872-7429 or lee@womenswellnessandfitness.com

References

IDEA Fitness Journal. January 2010 P. 25

Mayo Clinic. www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-pain/DS00171;retrieved June 8, 2010

Wilson, J.D., et al. 2005. Core stability and its relationship to lower extremity function and injury. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 13 (5), 316-25

Muscles involved: Abdominal, Obliques, Spinal Rotators and Biceps

Starting position: Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your heels touching the floor with your feet flexed upwards (this engages the core more). Extend your arms out in front of you, palms together. Lean backwards. (The further back you lean the more you will challenge your abdominal muscles.) Only go back as far as you are comfortable.

Movement: Twist your body from right to left as you keep your lower body still. If you want more of a challenge you can put a dumbbell, medicine ball, or kettle bell in your hands.

We spend a lot of our time obsessing about our “imperfect” bodies- our “fat” thighs, our “bad” hair, and our “flawed” skin. The amount of effort we put into comparing our bodies to others, judging ourselves harshly and pressuring ourselves to have the perfect body that the media presents to us, could be put into appreciating and respecting the bodies we do have. The idea that girls, teenagers and women should be extremely thin is being created and cultivated within our society.The demands we put on ourselves to be thin is harsh and ones we would never put on our family and friends. Our conception of how we “should” look has become totally unrealistic.

So how do we overcome these incomplete, inaccurate feelings of dissatisfaction with our bodies? In Nancy Clark’s article “Are you imagining the wrong body?” she states that “the better approach is to build self-esteem and focus on what the body can “do” versus how it looks,” (Clark 1). I agree with Clark; I believe we need to do this not only for ourselves but also to be an example for our children, friends and family. By ridding ourselves of the negative energy we carry around concerning our looks, we can be much better served by creating and instilling the positive energy that allows us to live a happy, productive and authentic life. It’s time to eliminate our mind-body disconnect and take some steps to revere our bodies. Below is a brief list of possible ways we might change our thinking “to find peace with our bodies, redefine our goals, and accept ourselves as being good people,” (Cash 2).

1. Love yourself from the inside out (for who you are) as opposed to the outside in (what you look like). (1)

2. Be aware of how harshly you judge and compare yourself. Would you judge your loved ones that way?

3. Accept and respect the body that you were given.

4. Be aware of perfectionist thinking (striving for a perfect body) and enjoy your given body that is “good enough”.

5. Appreciate all the things your body can do for you on a daily basis. Strong legs (formerly fat thighs) allow you to be active and fit. (2)

6. Respect the genetic differences in body types and sizes.

7. Give a new affirmative name to a body part that you do not like. For instance a “round stomach” is a more reverent name than a “fat gut”. (2)

8. Create positive body talk by identifying the parts of your body you do like, such as silky hair, long legs, or gorgeous eyes. (2)

References

1. Clark, Nancy, M.S., R.D., CSSD, FACSM. Are You Imagining the Wrong Body? ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal. 2010; 14 (7-10)

2. Cash T. The Body Image Workbook: An 8-step Program for Learning to Like your Looks. Oakland (CA): New Harbinger Publications; 2008

3. Lundeman A. Self-esteem: its application to eating disorders and athletes. Int. J. sport Nutr. 1994;4(3):237-52

4. Yager Z, O’Dea J. Prevention programs for body image and eating disorders on university campuses: a review of large, controlled interventions. Health Promot Innt. 2008;23(2):173-89

Athleta carries fitness apparel in petite, tall, and plus sizes.
Title Nine carries all types of fitness apparel.
LuluLemon carries yoga and fitness apparel in regular and tall/long sizes.

Food & Mood: The Complete Guide to Eating Well and Feeling Your Best, Second Edition

by by Elizabeth Somer, Nancy L. Snyderman

Food & Mood – Why does your energy take a nosedive mid-afternoon? Why do you sometimes have so much trouble concentrating? Why do you crave chocolate? Why is your appetite out-of-control?

These questions and more are answered in this completely updated and revised edition of Food & Mood. Drawing from thousands of the most up-to-date studies, this second edition explains in easy-to- read, interactive style why what you eat has a direct influence on how you feel, think, act, and sleep. The revolutionary Feeling Good Diet, as well as the many self-assessments, quizzes, and questionnaires, allow you to customize the step-by-step advice to take control of your eating habits, moods, and mind.

Food & Mood distills complex scientific information into practical tips and suggestions that are east to incorporate into even the busiest lifestyles. Most important, Ms. Somer explains how to adopt habits gradually to make
real, substantial, and lasting changes in our health, our energy levels, and our lives.

Learn more

In our classes an environment is created where women can enjoy the playfulness of childhood, while bonding with other women, and heightening a sense of belonging, trust, and accountability. We have women empowering women through fitness in various outdoor environments. Women are encouraged to step out of their self limiting beliefs and into a world of taking risks, while being treated with respect.

The result is women who are laughing, listening, admiring, and caring for and with others, making it possible for each to accomplish what they thought they never could. An entire emotional and social support system emerges that encourages validation and fulfillment from each other. Meaningful lifestyle changes are taking place in an inspiring and safe environment that leave these women feeling motivated, connected, healthy and well.