Jingle Bell Run/Walk 2009

On December 5, 2009, the Arthritis Foundation is having its yearly festivities with their Jingle Bell Run/Walk. This run/walk will raise money for, of course, those stricken with arthritis. If you have arthritis or know someone with arthritis you know that they are in severe pain at times and suffer not only from pain, but also from generalized stiffness and achiness. Help them out and raise money so that more research can be done to alleviate this pain and stiffness that they must suffer with. You can participate in this event by finding a Jingle Bell Run/Walk event in your … Continue reading →

Spring Forward to Action: It’s a Wrap

Good morning and welcome to Friday. Today marks the end of the fourth week of our Spring Forward to Action challenge. Wow, four weeks went by quick. I started off this fitness challenge with the idea of building up endurance. My initial goal was to overcome the lethargy and weakness brought on by a prolonged recovery period after my surgery. Stamina Makes All the Difference When it comes to choosing a fitness plan and implementing one, stamina makes all the difference. It’s hard to maintain a workout program if you flag after just ten minutes of walking. The only way … Continue reading →

Spring Forward to Action: Running Tips for Kids

Encouraging our kids to get more exercise is a parent’s duty. We need to kick them out of the house and off the video game players and out into the yard, to the park or to the playground where they can run. Where they can be kids, playing with other kids and being active. I can’t stress this enough because it’s important and with childhood obesity on the rise and the fact that the choices our kids make right now will affect their lifestyle choices for the rest of their lives. But you know that. I know you know that. … Continue reading →

Spring Forward to Action: Week 4, Day 2: Happy May Day!

Welcome to the first day of May here in the Fitness Blog as we count down the last week of our Spring Forward to Action Challenge. How are you doing with your workout? As I described yesterday, I’m feeling pretty great about my workout. Today is a strength-training day and I’ll make use of my free weights and my balance ball. Balance Balls Are Great For Core Workouts They allow you to focus on key muscle groups and provide you with strong support. Performing crunches, sit-ups, and 7-7-7s with the balance ball is straightforward and easy enough to do. When … Continue reading →

Spring Forward to Action: Week 4, Day 1

It’s the last official week of April, a technical distinction since May 1st begins tomorrow, but as this is our last week as part of the Spring Forward to Action challenge, let’s talk about our workout goals for this week along with our workout style. We’re going to alternate cardiovascular training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with strength and flexibility training on Tuesday and Thursday. I’ll leave the weekend up to you. Cardio Training For cardio this week, I’ll be walking on Monday, riding my bike on Wednesday and roller-skating on Friday. Instead of performing these for a designated amount … Continue reading →

Spring Forward to Action Week 3, Day 5: Creating Weekend Adventures

It’s the end of the week and you may have spent a great deal of time this week working on your physical activities, your day to day jobs and taking care of your house and family. Chances are, you’re as ready for the weekend as I am. I woke up this morning pretty tired, but we’re off and running again to sub at the school along with getting a number of other tasks and chores finished. Exercise & the Weekend It’s the weekend and weekends often mean taking care of the lawn, hooking up with friends, going to the park … Continue reading →

Spring Forward to Action Week 3, Day 4: Turning Down Free offers

There was a special going on at a local fitness club this week and they called to invite me in to enjoy the benefits of this special offer. For a few minutes of my time, I could go in and enjoy a ten-minute tour of the facility. During the tour, they would give me all the reasons why their club is the place for my business. Then, if I happened to be interested, I could sign up for a membership without any registration fee and pay a bargain basement price of $30 a month. Sounds like a great deal right? … Continue reading →

Spring Forward to Action Week 3, Day 3: Bad Habits & Exercise

I’ve talked about making exercise a habit before. A good habit is one that is beneficial to you and helps you to feel good in positive ways. Regular exercise can increase dopamine levels in your brain. Dopamine is the chemical that increases your feelings of well being, joy and elation. It’s this elevated dopamine that can keep you coming back for more, each and every day. Bad Habits Exercise is a great habit and forming this habit is one of the best things you can do for yourself. In the meanwhile, as you work on generating a great habit with … Continue reading →

Spring Forward to Action Week 3, Day 2: It’s Raining, It’s Pouring

Storm clouds are gathering outside and the gray sky is oppressive. It’s hard to regret the rain during a time when my area desperately needs it. We’ve been in a severe drought since last year and many of our local bodies of water have been significantly decreased. We went weeks and weeks without rain and when we did get rain, it was always in drips and dregs. An Exercise Drought It seems that we as a nation have been in an exercise drought for a lot longer than the last couple of years. We need exercise as regular and as … Continue reading →

Spring Forward to Action Week 3, Day 1: Where Are We?

Has it really been two full weeks since we got started? I’m thinking it’s time for a change. I’ve said from the get go that this year’s Spring Forward to Action program is about building endurance and regaining my personal strength. Since my surgery in February, my energy levels flag pretty quickly and it’s important to me to get back that level of energy once more. So What I Am Doing? I started off with my regular walking program, yoga and some strength training. This week, we’re kicking all of that in the head and we’re ramping this program up … Continue reading →