After being married for going on 10 years, I've learned something important: You can't make other people do what you want. You may want them to exercise and eat healthy but they won't always do it. You may even want them to, say, pick up their dirty socks or stop leaving 1,000 pairs of shoes by the door, but they won't do that either (not that I'm talking about anyone in particular). For some reason, these people we get involved with tend to make their own decisions. I know...what's up with that?
I bring this up because of a few interesting comments I got in a reader's response article, Who sabotages your weight loss? and some readers mentioned loved ones as a common culprit. One woman said:
"Husband is heavy, I lost 160 pounds and was so proud of myself...I told him the compliments I was getting (big mistake). What followed was anger and fighting and jealousy. I just wanted him to be proud of me. I have now gained almost all of it back and even if I try to lose it will not come off. Sometimes I wonder if I don't want it bad enough. I do not want to go through what I went through before. "
On the other side of that is the self-described enabler who said:
"Looks like hell is other people. In my house, I'm the cook, the one who makes fatty, sugary, salty, carby meals, and who is overweight. I'm a foody, I can't stand to limit portions, exercise hasn't helped much in the past. I'm doomed!"
In previous posts, I've talked about ideas for encouraging them to exercise, but what do you do when you've changed but your loved one hasn't? How do you handle things when you have to make separate meals or find ways to avoid their unhealthy cooking? What do you do when your loved one gets upset about your exercise time?
Whatever your goal is, nutrition is a big part of it. You need a healthy diet to help you lose weight and keep your body in top shape to perform all the things you do in a day. So, how do you know if your diet is healthy? You should take a look at the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid to figure out if you're getting the recommended number of servings of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, protein, dairy, etc.
Your first step is to determine if your diet is healthy and figure out how many calories you need each day. You can use the women's calorie calculator or men's calorie calculator to get an estimate your daily calorie needs. You can also compare your diet to the USDA's recommended diet to identify any changes you need to make. Rather than trying a trendy diet that might not be safe, try to make small changes in your diet each day. For example, if you usually skip breakfast, make it your goal to eat something every morning. Skipping breakfast can actually slow your metabolism down, which won't help if you're trying to lose weight.
Experts also recommend that you eat smaller meals 5 or 6 times throughout the day to keep your blood sugar on a nice even level. Also, eating more frequently actually speeds up your metabolism. You never thought you'd have to eat to lose weight, did you? The trick is to:
• Keep track of what you're eating to avoid mindless munching that can pack on the calories.
• Be aware of emotional eating or nibbling out of boredom. Find out what triggers this type of eating and keep yourself busy during those urges to munch.
• Stay hydrated. Often a feeling of hunger is actually your body telling you it's thirsty.
• Eat lots of fruits and veggies...the fiber will help you feel full and your body will thank for all the vitamins and minerals.
• If you're starving, eat something. When you wait too long, you may end up eating more food to satisfy that gnawing hunger.
Just like younger kids and adults, adolescents need 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day to stay healthy. And exercise has particular benefits for pre-teens and teens, as it can:
• Reduce anxiety, stress, and depression
• Improve self-esteem
• Boost academic performance
• Help establish lifelong healthy habits
That's in addition to helping teens and tweens manage weight, build muscle strength and bone mass, and control blood pressure.
Pretty convincing! And yet physical activity tends to decline as kids get older. They're busier with school and friends, they are easily discouraged if they feel their performance doesn't measure up to their peers, and puberty can make them feel ashamed of their bodies.
Since only a fraction of middle and high schools provide daily physical education classes, pre-teens and teens need lots of opportunities to stay active outside of school hours:
• Team sports: For kids this age, organized sports provide not only physical activity, but good friendships and lessons in teamwork, motivation, and staying organized. Most schools have many different sports options, both competitive and intramural. If your child's favorite sport isn't offered, check out recreational leagues and community centers.
• Individual pursuits: Team play isn't for everyone. Some pre-teens and teens prefer activities they can practice on their own, such as running, biking, yoga, horseback-riding, or snowboarding. If one of these is more your child's style, help her embrace and enjoy it!
• Everyday play and movement: Outside of more organized workouts, other physical activities count toward that daily 60-minute goal. That could mean housework, yardwork, biking to school, dancing, walking the dog, or playing tag with kids in the neighborhood.
What You Can Do
Parents who are physically active tend to have kids who are active, too. So strive to be a role model. Make time for exercise in your daily life and find family fitness activities to share (such as a Saturday picnic at a park—pack jump ropes and Frisbees along with the sandwiches and lemonade).
Support your teen's athletic endeavors. Yes, driving to practices and games can be a drag, but you may be able to set up a carpool with other parents. If equipment costs and team fees are prohibitive, talk with the coach or school guidance counselor about scholarships and sources for used gear. If you don't have a backyard or nearby park, consider a membership at a YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, or other fitness facility.
Celebrate your athlete's achievements. Tell your child how proud you are! Go to games and display trophies and medals. Kids notice.
Limit screen time—television, computer, and video games. Too much sedentary activity (more than 2 hours a day) crowds fitness activities out of your child's schedule.
Exercises of the Week - Tri-Stretch for Better Flexibility
Some of my Type A clients have a lot of trouble making time at the end of their workouts for a stretch and I know how they feel. It's hard to slow down and relax when you have to so much to do - Who has time to stretch, right? Unfortunately, you're doing your body a disservice when you skip stretching. Not only can you improve your flexibility and relax your body, you can also work on those chronically tight areas that only get worse as the day goes on (like the hips, back and chest).
To help my busy clients out, I put together 3 simple yoga-based moves that stretch multiple muscles at the same time. Each move flows well together, so you can do them as a series 2-3 times, which should only take a few minutes. In fact, these stretches are great at any time, so you should probably do them right now...just watch for the boss.
Warrior I
Step forward with the right foot into a lunge, keeping the back leg straight and the left toes pointed out at about 45-degrees, heel down on the floor. Keep the right knee directly above the ankle and the hips squared to the front. Sweep the arms up and overhead and look up as you slide the shoulders down and away from the ears. Stretch and hold for 10-15 seconds and move into Modified Triangle.
Modified Triangle
From Warrior I, turn to the side and take the right arm down, resting the forearm on the thigh. Take the left hand straight up over the shoulder. Focus on keeping the spine straight rather than rounding over the leg. Hold for 10-15 seconds and move into Low Lunge with a Twist.
Low Lunge with a Twist
Get into a low lunge with the left leg back, back knee resting on the floor, right knee forward and directly over the ankle. Twist to right, bringing the left elbow outside of the right thigh and pressing the palms together in a prayer position. Use the arms to deepen the twist, feeling a stretch in the hip flexor as well as the back. Hold for 10-15 seconds and then repeat the series on the other side.
Aging Gracefully: The Benefits of Exercise for Older Adults
The notion that exercise is good for you has been around for quite a while, but until recently seniors have been left out of the picture.
Everyone Benefits from Exercise
Today, new information is emerging from research: people of all ages and physical conditions benefit from exercise and physical activity.
• Staying physically active and exercising regularly can help prevent or delay many diseases and disabilities, including dementia.
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) report that even moderate exercise and physical activity can improve the health of seniors who are frail, or who have diseases that accompany aging.
Don't Be Afraid to Exercise
Exercise and physical activity are among the healthiest things you can do for yourself, but some older adults are reluctant to exercise. They may be afraid that exercise will be too strenuous, or that physical activity will harm them.
Research from the NIH shows that actually the opposite is true:
• Exercise is safe for people of all age groups.
• Older adults hurt their health far more by not exercising than by exercising.
An inactive lifestyle can cause older adults to lose ground in four areas that are important for staying healthy and independent: strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance.
It's Never Too Late to Start Exercising
Even if you have had an inactive lifestyle, there is good news. It's never too late to improve your health.
Research suggests that exercise and physical activity can help you maintain or partly restore your strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance.
Growing older doesn't mean you have to lose strength or your ability to do everyday tasks. Exercise can help older adults feel better and enjoy life more, even those who think they're too old or too out of shape.
