Top 10 Wellness

By: Dana Neer

Feeling good and living well are ideals we all strive toward.  No one ever attains 100% health, but we progress one experience at a time while pursuing balance. 

The 10 laws of total health were shared with me a number of years ago by Drs. Tom and Laurie Ousley, owners of Nature’s Best Wellness Center.  Holistic health encompasses the mind, body and spirit, building upon all three for continual growth and development.  It is my pleasure to pass these thoughts on to you and welcome your input on these subjects via e-mail at the address below.

1. Nutrition – The benefits of a good diet are plentiful, chief among them is energy.  Fruits, vegetables, healthy carbohydrates, proteins and juices accelerate our energy supply, allowing us to fight fatigue all day.  Enjoying a good meal with friends and family is still one of the best activities on the planet.
2. Exercise – Six or seven days a week for 20 or more minutes of cardiovascular exercise is what our bodies crave.  The best way to ensure success is to plan ahead.  Schedule the best time of day and pledge a covenant with yourself.  Many times we dread working out, but afterwards we are always glad we have accomplished the goal.
3. Pure Water – Sometimes the easiest things to do are also the most elusive. Drinking 4-6 glasses of water a day can make a significant improvement in how you feel.  No magic health tricks or punishing penance – just drink more water while eliminating the bad drinks, and watch your energy soar.
4. An Attitude of Gratefulness – We have been given thousands of gifts in life to enjoy.  I started making a list last week of both small and grand benefits of being a citizen on this planet.  My incomplete list currently has over 200 amenities.  Wow!  Start your list too. 
5. Fresh Air – Fresh air is pure joy to our cardiovascular and respiratory systems.  Inhaling deep breathes also clears our minds and activates many neurological responses, relieving built up stress and tension.  Three deep cleansing breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly, several times a day is totally free and always refreshing. 
6. Sunshine – Soak in a reasonable amount of sun whenever it shines.  Research shows we need it.  Physically and psychological benefits are numerous.  On cloudy days, still plan to spend time outside in the daylight – every little bit helps.  p.s. tanning beds do not count.
7. Rest – How much rest do we really need?  Individual requirements vary, but experts claim 6 – 8 hours of rest per day help us function with mental and physical clarity.  I have always sided with the 6 hour timeframe because it represents only one fourth of my day rather than the 8 hour investment costing one third of my day.  My personality wonders what adventures I might miss out on if I spent those additional 14 hours per week asleep.  I do enjoy sleeping, but I probably need more.
8. Trust in God – God knows us intimately and has our best interest in mind.  He plans to prosper us spiritually as we trust in his goodness and grace.  He never abandons us.  He always provides. 
9. Moderation of all good things - We are blessed to enjoy many freedoms with few restrictions or regulations.  Boundaries are wide and spacious as we live responsibly.  We need to try and avoid the two deadly extremes – Overindulging our rights or miserly forfeiting the joys of living.  Both extremes are dangerous.  Striving for balance is our goal.
10. Benevolence to our Fellow Man – Our community provides many opportunities to serve and care for those in need.  Each of us should take our turn giving, and at times, we may find ourselves on the receiving end too.  With a mixture of organized charitable functions and privately helping people in need, we simply give to others because it is the right thing to do. 

Each of these focus points are essential to attaining holistic health – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.  Best wishes to a happy and healthy 2012.

Outdoor Activity

By: Dana Neer

 

Fifteen minutes of outdoor activity per day may prevent sickness, depression and fatigue this winter. 

Most Hoosiers enjoy spending time outdoors during spring, summer, and fall seasons.  However, when our winter foe returns each year many of us retreat into the warmth of indoors and hunker down awaiting its passing.  Reading about adventures in books and watching movies seem very appealing compared to the enemy lurking on the other side of the walls and windows. 

But, research indicates that spending as little as fifteen minutes outdoors, even in the coldest of weather, will most often be the preventative measure to avoid depression, illness and fatigue.  Fresh air, no matter what season, is a prescription for healthier hearts, lungs, minds and souls. 

My son recently returned from a hunting weekend with my brother-in-law and 80 year old father.  The trio ventured outdoors five times over a two day period, returning with tales of camaraderie and exploration.  They were cold, tired and hungry by nightfall, contrasted by joy, humor and satisfaction of a day well spent.  The muzzle loader my son received from my dad on his fourteenth birthday was the catalyst that brought them together creating memories of their hours in the woods that will last forever.  Experiencing physical and mental exhaustion from a strenuous day outdoors is healthy.  THE FATIGUE OF EXHILARATION ALWAYS OUTWEIGHS THE FATIGUE OF BOREDOM.

Although at times adversarial, the months of January and February can be the proving ground for health and fitness.  Here are a few things to consider: 

1.    If you participate in a regular cardio workout and the frigid weather forces you inside to the treadmill, insist on spending the first fifteen minutes of your exercise outside, even if you must bundle up.

2.    Keeping your New Year’s resolution of walking each day can be tough this time of year.  Meet friends outside for the first part and enjoy the rest of the walk in the warm abode of the mall or fitness center.

3.    Pack a hot thermos and drive to a local park or downtown area to walk, cross country ski, sled or run.  Your car will be close if you need it, plus the change of scenery will be pleasant.  Don’t be mentally tricked into thinking that you are the only one odd enough to be out in the elements.  You may be surprised how many people have the same toughness level as you do.

4.    Our county has many small streams and creeks to walk along – take your camera and capture the beauty of a snowy day.  A great foot care product called yaktrax will provide you with better traction for walking or running needs.  Yaktrax simply attach to your shoes or boots and can be purchased locally at Wal-Mart for less than $20.00.

Winter dynamics can be difficult, but let’s commit to pray for daily patience and appreciation for the weather that God gives us, knowing that in less than three months (March 20^th) spring will arrive!

Cold Air Exercise

By: Dana Neer

Senior year, winter of 1981.  January winds wickedly blew across northern Indiana and by the time I scheduled my training run at 6:00 p.m. darkness had crept in, plummeting temperatures to single digits.  Home was warm and cozy.  The tundra foreboding and unforgiving.  Simply taking one step outside hurt my lungs, so how was I realistically going to accomplish a 4 mile workout in these extreme conditions?  Breathing that night was a difficult chore and breathing outside this winter may also produce pain in our lungs and chests.  What are we suppose to do?  Must we wait for April to get serious about fitness?  Here are a few helpful tips as you prepare for the winter season. 

1. Acclimate – We have enjoyed one of the most pleasant autumns in recent memory, but all Hoosiers know, we will probably pay later on.  Gradually introduce cooler air to your body by exercising outside while temperatures wane.  Fresh air is vital to your health even if that air is cold and unfriendly.  A burning sensation in your chest when you inhale cold air is totally normal.  “Your body warms outside air quickly – three inches down into your neck it is already 98.6 degrees – but even that is not fast enough to prevent the sting,” says Daniel Carey, Ph.D., Assistant Professor for the Department of Health and Human Performance at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.  The good news is exercising in freezing temperatures has no negative effects on your lungs, according to a study Carey published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.  To make it less annoying, he suggests something that we all know to do, pull a neck warmer up over your mouth to warm the air.
2. Predetermine your temperature limits – What is your bottom line temperature for exercising outside?  Many people draw the line at 20 degrees, finding solace in knowing the treadmill is nearby if the thermometer dips into the teens.  Remember, the sun can be very warm even on a cold day.  The wind and ice are vexed enemies compared to cold air.  Windy, icy days are prime moments for treadmill use.  I would suggest mixing up your training by exercising outside half the session and indoors the other half.  Group training can be one of your greatest motivational pieces during the tough months ahead.  Knowing others have expectations of you forces the right decision. 
3. Indoor Exercise - We live in an age of many electric cardio-vascular machines and large buildings like the mall to find refuge when temperatures spiral downward.  During icy conditions a good workout designed to increase the heart rate is difficult to achieve.  Look for resources around you and find a way to accomplish your goal.  For example, roads lined with trees may help break the wind.  Parks may provide an oasis of shelter and a safe place to park your car, gaining access to your engine’s heat any time you may need it.  Our Indiana winters can be harsh at times, but sticking with your fitness plan not only brings physical benefits, but holistic health as well- psychologically, mentally and spiritually.    No one ever regrets completing a workout. However, many people wish they had the discipline and dedication to accomplish a daily routine of exercise.  As an example, during a normal weekly workout plan, I feel great and motivated two or three days, feel decent a few days and feel tired or heavy the rest of the time.  Please remember, no one feels good every day.  Do not think that you happen to be the unlucky recipient of some “bad gene” that causes you to lack motivation.  We all have to make ourselves exercise.  After thirty four straight years of running every day, I struggle too.  Make it happen this winter!

Benefit of Walking

By: Dana Neer

            We are a society of travelers. Constantly on the move, we have more than likely come to overlook the benefits of our primal form of transportation. Even if you don’t keep a record of the distance you walk during the day, I’m sure you would be pleasantly surprised at the amount this added exercise can supplement your daily activity. Walking is accessible to everyone and limitless in its improvement upon our health. Similar to other aerobic exercises, walking can lower blood pressure, trim your waistline, and improve your mood. However, because walking is a lower impact form of exercise, less stress is placed upon your bones - which could better suit individuals with prior joint and muscular damage.

             Last week, one of my friends informed me that she had purchased a simple pedometer to keep track of the miles she walked each day. It was a very encouraging tool to invest in because she was greatly encouraged by the numbers that rolled in. Going to the mailbox, cutting her lunch back a bit replacing it with a fifteen minute jaunt, and strolling downtown to” window shop” started piling up the miles at such an alarming rate that she would lie awake at night pondering new ways to accumulate distance!  While not advocating sleepless nights, lying awake excited with the prospects of grand ideas pressing in her mind is far better than tossing throughout the night from lower back pain due to inactivity and boredom. 

             By forming a group or hiking off alone, take advantage of the many parks our community has to offer. At a minimum, you could burn up to1000 calories by semi-vigorously walking 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. The key to reaping the total benefits walking has to offer is keeping track of your heart rate. Purchasing an expensive monitor is non-essential.  Check your pulse every five minutes throughout the duration of your walk to ensure you heart rate is between 120 to 160 beats per minute. In other words, a leisurely stroll through the park has many benefits, but cardiovascular exercise would not be one of them.

   

            By participating in one of the easiest, safest, calorie crunching activities a person can join, you could trim down to that ever desired dress or pant size. Simply supplementing your daily routine with a brisk walk for two and a half hours a week can reduce your risk of developing diabetes by nearly 60 percent. Furthermore, walking is an activity in which the whole family can partake. Enjoying summer evenings while receiving fresh air with your kids never made you look or feel more alive. Give yourself and your children the opportunity to appreciate the outdoor together.  Many of the most precious memories living vividly within my mind come from the walks I have pounded out with my family while taking advantage of the “teachable moments” of life!

            Maybe you’re among the many in our community that needs the extra motivation of a club group to walk. Challenge your co-workers, friends, and family members to join you in a daily walking regiment. Maybe you’ve already tried that and are still searching for a walking partner or two.  If so, feel free to email me at neerd@culver.org and I would be happy to introduce you to a few of the walking clubs in our area that would fit your schedule and needs. 

Running Club

To our friends in fitness:

Our fitness journey began months ago when we joined up with other fellow runners to run together as a group two days a week. Though we all came from different fitness backgrounds, as well as in all different types of shape, we bonded together over our love of fitness.

 

Each week, we looked forward to the challenging workouts that Dana came up with for our group: from tempo runs to short sprint workouts. Throughout our weeks together, we always looked forward to new people joining the group and watching our little “club” grow into a great mix of runners.

We do not all run 6 minute miles. Some of us have been running for years, and some of us have just picked up running again. We have added a new dimension to our fitness routine with a Navy Seal workout taught by Jon Posner every Thursday at 11:30. This helps build strength condition, with more concentration on body weight cardio exercise then free weights. 

So….here is your own personal invitation to join us Wednesdays and Fridays from 11:45-12:30 and Thursdays at 11:30 to take a little break from your regular work environment.

Hope to see you there!

From

Kelly Norton & Kathy Smart

Letter From Dana Neer.

Dear Miles of Fun and Fitness Members,

Well, it’s February, and most of us have been working at fitness since December, or even longer. 

The most difficult aspect of training is mentally preparing our bodies do it!  Many “enemies” beckon us each day, distracting us from our goals.  Those enemies include:  busy schedules, a warm cozy bed, unexpected meetings or lack of desire. 

Remember, each of us will battle with daily discipline and focus. And remember, do not let your feelings get in the way.  Most of us do not FEEL LIKE working out every day- I certainly don’t.  In any given seven day period, I feel great (light, fast and ready to move) three of those days.  The other four days I feel “ok” or heavy.  No one is exempt from the daily choice to work.  Keep motivated by focusing on your goals and finding a friend to work out with.  We are here for each other- just ask!

Click here for an article I wrote describing my 7 favorite fast energy foods.  Your diet can play a big role on your energy level.  Hope it helps.

Dana