“You train best when you’re the happiest," some conditions apply

Recently someone shared a quote with me that said, “You train best when you’re the happiest.” This is true but some other conditions apply to make this happen. For example, if your sleep deprived and food deprived, your exercise routine won’t be as great. In our busy day and age and overly committed lifestyles, it’s sometimes hard to get 8 hours of sleep a night. Researchers are now saying 7-8 hours of sleep is adequate and men have a tendency to need closer to 8 hours or more. In addition, skipping meals is not going to work if you plan on doing some vigorous exercise or any activity for that matter. When you skip meals you deprive your body of much needed energy to get through not only your exercise routine but also through the day; without having an emotional or medical breakdown. The solution to get though your “skipping meals dilemma” is just to not skip meals. Not only do you burn more calories at a consistent rate but your happier, have more energy and have a better workout. Keep in mind that the food choices you make will also make or break you for the day, so be smart and have a happy healthy day.

Making Exercise A Priority

We recently added a new addition to our family, a puppy. Although he is quite adorable he brings back memories of being up late at night with my son when he was an infant. All those sleepless nights of crying and wanting to be feed and changed. Our puppy requires almost as much attention as an infant with exception to being crate trained. Last time I check, you couldn’t crate train a baby? Despite being a little sleep deprived and juggling life's daily task, I still manage to make myself a priority when it comes to exercise and good health. Koda (our new pup) is an opportunity for me to get some extra “activities of daily living” in. For example, my son and Koda both join in a game of chase around the living room and fetch outdoors, my dog of course, not my son. However, he helps to teach our new puppy what to do with the ball once he gets it. After about 20-30 minutes or so, everyone is pretty tired out enough to where we can all enjoy an afternoon cat nap or in my case a dog nap and a quick snooze on the couch and my son, well it takes hours to wear him out. Exercise is not just this chore that’s impossible to fit in, it’s a lifestyle and can take place at anytime and anywhere. It’s just up to you to make the effort to make it happen.

Pass or Go?

Have you had one of those days that you wished you were able to preview the day in advance before you actually started it? I would go as far as to say, what if you could hit the “pass” or “go” button, depending on how the day looks? In other words, if it’s a good day you can continue, if not just hit “pass.” Well we don’t have a “pass” and “go” button, however, we do have the opportunity to make it a pass or go day. Even though we don’t have a remote control to direct the day to suit our best interest such as; hitting the mute button when the kids won’t stop fighting and making our spouses clean on demand, we can make it a “go” day. The choices we make at the beginning of the day will dictate whether it’s a “go” or “pass” day. If your days are hectic and time is of the essence and exercise is just not at the top of your list, it should be. Getting up an extra 20-60 minutes before you start your day to go for a brisk walk or jog can help get your day headed in the “go” direction. Exercising can work as a coping mechanism to life’s stress by allowing the release of endorphins. Endorphins are a natural occurring hormone in the body that is produced by the pituitary and hypothalamus gland. Endorphins are known as the “feel good natural drug.” With a dose of Endorphins first thing in the morning or evening (depending on your schedule) can help get your day started or ending in the “go” direction.

Breast Cancer Awareness

This is breast cancer awareness month and it’s vital that women not only acknowledge this subject this month but on a monthly bases. The statistics are 1 in 4 cases of cancer is said to be from breast cancer and early detection is important as well as prevention. I can’t stress enough, how important it is to live a healthy lifestyle. Eating healthy is not just about depriving yourself of the foods you much rather eat but it’s about balance. Eating in moderation is the key when it comes to eating not so nutritious foods such as the 100-calorie Little Debbies. Although the 100-calorie Little Debbie is better than the regular high calorie Little Debbie, a serving of raspberries or blueberries would be a more nutritious choice. Berries are loaded with antioxidants that can help fight free radical cell damage that can contribute to cancer. Also, making sure 20-30 grams of fiber is a part of your daily diet. This can easily be met if you’re consuming 5 plus servings of fruits, veggies a day and making whole grains a part of your daily diet. Exercising for most days of the week is important too. Take a 20-minute jog or a 30-minute brisk walk will not only help provide you with a days worth of exercise but it will help relieve stress.

Monthly self-breast examinations are a must. If your anything like me, you can easily get wrapped up in lives daily demands, especially if you have a family. A schedule is a part of my life and if it’s not written down in my schedule, it might as well not exist. If this is the case for you, you might want to consider scheduling yourself a self-examination after your monthly cycle. It’s recommended that you do a breast exam after your cycle because breast tissue is “more normal” during that time because of the drop in hormones. Every woman’s breast tissue is different, which is why you should do this on monthly bases to become familiar with your breast tissue so you can determine what is normal and abnormal for you. For more information on what to look for during a breast exam, you can visit http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/BreastSelfExam.html. In addition, every woman should know about her family history. There is a greater risk for breast cancer if you have a family history. Women who are over the age 40 should get a mammogram every 1-2 years, if they’re not at heightened risk. If you have a greater risk of breast cancer or breast problems due to family history, you should get a mammogram before age 40 and when in doubt, ask your physician. Life is short but it can be very sweet when we not only care for those around us but ourselves as well.