eHarmony Free Communication Weekend!
September 5, 2009
It’s another free communication weekend at eHarmony, as most long weekends are! Take this opportunity to check out who’s out there and see if maybe you can find your perfect match!
If you find someone and want to send them a message, you might be wondering what you should write – check out this Online Dating Response How To from Mashable!
<< If you decide to sign up – make sure to check out our eHarmony discount code to save money! >>
Routine versus Rut #1
September 4, 2009
When is a routine good and when is it bad?
Good:
You have a plan everyday to fit in what you need to get done, including a workout!
Bad:
You do the same workout everyday in the gym. You don’t want to just be a hamster on a wheel!
Planning an hour for exercise everyday is great, but you want to make sure that you are really making that time count. Doing a 3 mile jog and the same 6 weight- lifting exercises is not going to be your best plan. I’m a big fan of cross-training but even if you just bike everyday, you can mix up the routes that you travel and the intensity in which you travel them.
- Change your intensity – maybe even do slow vs fast intervals.
- Switch exercises or cardio method – maybe try a hike this weekend or swim a few laps!
- Reverse your path – only like to run? Instead of your usual loop, loop it in reverse!
Just a few ideas to help you mix up your exercising and help to keep you safe from repetitive motion injuries!
Yes, I’m checking myself out…
September 1, 2009
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Who’s got the best workout form of us all?!
I hate staring at myself in the mirror when working out and didn’t really think I needed to… Wrong!
Today I took a Pilates class for the first time in a few years. I’ve been doing Pilates on my own for awhile and thought I was fully aware of my positioning throughout the workout. I don’t have a mirror to stare into when I’m working out at home, but I did have one today during class. I couldn’t believe all the tiny corrections I was able to make because I could see them but not feel them.  This wasn’t the first time I’ve noticed this issue, either. When I’m doing exercises for camera, I don’t get to stare at myself and correct along the way, like I would if I was working out in a gym or training someone else. Sometimes I look at the footage and its completely unusable because something is off by just an inch. (Now training the director to spot issues before it’s too late!) I know that I am very aware of how everything feels when I’m working out and overall have pretty good positioning, but it is amazing how you can still miss the tiniest things when you aren’t given the ability to see yourself.
Lesson of the Day:
Workout in front of a mirror!
No matter how good you are, you will benefit from being able to look at yourself while doing an exercise and correct your movements.
Yes, It’s Recyclable!
August 28, 2009
A wine cork, a packing envelope, the phone book — ever wonder how you can recycle these things instead of tossing them into the trash? Re-Nest has given you a list of the 10 Things You Can Recycle You Didn’t Know You Could
Here are a couple of my personal notes to their post. I want to recycle everything but don’t want it to be a big project or costly, so…
- I have found that you can return old medications to the pharmacy.
- Old batteries can go to most electronic stores for recycling.
- Yes, Home Depot takes old/broken CFLs.
- Most recycling centers will let you put phone books in the ‘Paper’ container.
- Also, I donate my old cell phones to charity causes such as those for local domestic abuse victims or Cell Phones for Soldiers.
Need Anti-Inflammatory Pills to Exercise?
August 27, 2009
Take anti-inflammatory meds for injury or exercise? You might want to check out this post on SparkPeople.com. I take IB200s before and sometimes after I run instead and have since my injury last year, it was doctor’s orders. However, I still take them often so that I can workout to some degree and I’m wondering if maybe the fact that I keep my knees “un-inflamed” is the reason that they just won’t seem to heal. I was thinking that as long as I kept them from being angry, I was doing the right thing (plus, they hurt). Definitely going to hit up a sports med doc in the coming weeks and really examine what the issues are and if this might be part of it…Â Â Â It’s definitely something to be aware of.
<< Read Full Article on SparkPeople >>
Newly Added to Superfood Category – Popcorn
August 21, 2009
Popcorn. Popcorn at movies, popcorn during TV, popcorn at our wedding…my husband loves popcorn. It seems to be a hereditary trait. His whole family loves popcorn. Ever seen the Whirley Pop popcorn popper? That was the family business for years. Getting the picture?
We’ve always known that popcorn is a healthy snack (when not piled with butter) but now it seems that its full of antioxidants as well. This means – another reason for the Macs to eat popcorn!!
If you find popcorn dry without butter, try adding cinnamon or other spices like cayenne or garlic or chili powder! This adds flavors without too many calories, if any.
Be creative and enjoy this favorite old-fashioned snack (in moderation, of course)!
Popcorn Hopping With Antioxidants – FitSugar
Just Plain Lazy.
August 20, 2009
For every fitness tip or video I post, I find another item or idea that allows people to be lazy.
I say:
Take a dog for a walk or out to play – you’ll both get exercise and have fun!
They invent:
Go Dog Go Automatic Fetch Machine so you don’t actually have to throw the ball for the dog.
Think I’m going to make this a full column on the site… or maybe I’m too lazy, we’ll see.
Will Sassy Water Be A Success?
August 19, 2009
In looking for recipes to take advantage of the 30 cucumbers in the garden (note to self: next year, less cucumbers!), I found this recipe for Sassy Water. It’s part of the Flat Belly Diet from Prevention and it looks so tasty that I think I’m going to give it a try! If it’s good, I will also start growing spearmint! The ingredients aren’t just for great taste, they also help to soothe your GI tract, prevent bloating and keep you hydrated.
Learn more about the Flat Belly Diet at Prevention.com
Sassy Water
2 liters water (about 8 ½ cups)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 small spearmint leaves.
Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and let flavors blend overnight.
Drink the entire pitcher by the end of each day.
Perfect Sleeping Temperature
August 18, 2009
What is the ideal temperature to get a good night’s sleep?
60-68 degrees, any cooler or any warmer and you may find yourself with restless nights!
According to The New York Times, studies have shown that your core temperature dropping initiates sleep. This is helpful to all of us looking for a good night’s rest and also those suffering from insomnia.
from New York Times…
Avoiding caffeine, sticking to a schedule and drinking a glass of warm milk are the usual tips for a good night’s rest. But the right room temperature can also play a crucial role…
Read Full Article “The Claim:Â Cold Temperatures Improve Sleep”
My Confession: Snack and Power Naps – Love them both.
August 17, 2009
Sometimes, Chris claims that I’m 5 years old. Usually, I argue this point…except when it comes to nap time….oh, and snack time. I never understood why taking a power nap and snacking were considered childish. I find that I’m constantly battling between feeling guilty, defending my cat nap habit, or busy hiding the pillow and blanket evidence (or the dishes from my midnight snack)!
There are days that I take a nap. I don’t sleep really well at night and usually not for a very long time. I would much rather sleep 6 hours at night and take a 2 hour nap in the afternoon, over sleeping for 8 hours straight. I find that the split 8 hours makes me much more productive and energized. (Studies have found that power napping can be very beneficial to your health.) But just try to explain to people that you just woke up from a 2 hour nap in the middle of the day – you WILL get the death look.
I snack everyday, multiple times a day. I don’t eat big meals. I don’t like to be hungry or full, so I have found that eating small meals and then having 2 or 3 snacks works for keeping me from getting grumpy, zoning out or eating junk food. (Studies have also shown that eating small meals throughout the day is healthy for you too!) I always have a granola bar handy and I’m constantly concerned about meal plans when I’m out of town or if someone else is in charge of my day. People seem to be more accepting of this habit, although they don’t realize that when I say politely, but firmly, “I’m hungry”, I mean, “We have 30 minutes to eat or it will get ugly.”
I doubt that confessing my “childish” habits will make me feel any less guilty about taking a nap or obsessive about my snack times, but I do think its important to know yourself well enough to understand what works for you so you can always be at the top of your game.
If you get a chance, take a few minutes and think of things that really work for you. Then, try to incorporate them into your life more often.
Fit Links:
A Place for the Power Nap – Time.com
Power Nap prevents burnout – Nih.gov
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