Top 10 Lists
It seems that every magazine has a top 10 list of what ever. I recently received an e-newsletter with a top 10 list of things to improve my running. Number 8 was the most intriguing. It was Stop Whining and Do it.
Why We Whine
First we have problem and sometimes these problems, though are actually small, at the time seem insurmountable and we need support. So we whine. Sometimes we whine out of frustration. Sometimes we loose our ability to see that everyone has problems and we whine about the grass being greener on the other side. It may be that we can't see the other persons perspective and can only see our own, so when things don't go our way, we whine. This list could go on and on.
Whining About Our Weight and Health
I hear a lot of people whine about their weight, their health, and their inability to do certain things because of their health. These people whine for many of the reasons I have listed above and it is always accompanied with a reason or frustration. "I just don't have time to exercise." "There is no way anyone could live off that little amount of food." "So and so looses weight so easily, why can't I?" All of these complaints focus on an external condition, and not on the whiner.
Be Proactive
Being proactive means to first recognize that we have more control over our situation than we dare admit, even to ourselves. Second, it means to recognize that our response to uncontrollable circumstances is just as important as the circumstance itself.
Where Is The Time
All of us have busy schedules. Work, kids, cleaning house, school, church, and the list can go on and on. The things we do take time for are the things we have decided are important. you may say "No, I go to work because I have to." That is not true, and to say that is to be reactive not proactive. What you should say is "I have a choice of weather or not I go to work. I have decided the rewards for going to work are worth more than the consequences of NOT going to work." It is the same with everything we do in life.
Make Time to Get Fit
When I look at my schedule, and then compare it with what I actually did, there is a lot of down time where I watch TV of spend too long on the computer. I have chosen to cut some of that time out and I walk and run. you don't have to do it all at once either. Do at least 30 minutes of a fitness activity a day and you will see the change.
Wanting To Look Good Is Not Enough
The hardest things to do are those we have very little motivation to do. For example, it would be very hard to go to work, if they quit paying you. Simply loosing weight so that you will look good is very hard for this reason. Unless your are a supermodel or a professional athlete, no one will pay you to loose weight or stop paying you if you don't. It has to be more than that.
Body Image Problems
People who loose weight to look better often don't keep the weight off. On reason is that don't end up with that perfect body when the weight is gone. People who are healthy and loose weight and keep it off, do not have body image problems. As soon as you are happy with yourself, regardless of what you look like (even if you are really over weight) the easier it will be to accomplish anything.
I Can Do It Now
Be proactive and start a fitness and nutrition program today. You will feel better and be healthier than you ever imagined.
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Question and Answer: Starting An Exercise Program
Q: Dear Fat Butt,
What advice do you have for an overweight 30-something who wants to begin an exercise program who has lead a largely sedentary lifestyle for the past few years?
Sincerely,
RunningMooses
A: Dear RunningMooses,
As I tell everyone, please see a medical professional before starting any kind of exercise Program.
Why A Walking Fitness Program
Walking is one of my favorite starting off exercises. People were meant and design to be walkers. When walking we are able to burn fat more efficiently than any other exercise, next to running. Walking can be done with out taxing our body like other sports and generally speaking people walk at about the same pace. That mean we can walk with friends. even at a brisk walking pace you can still have a nice conversation.
How to Get Started With a Walking Fitness Program
I am going to assume you have not been doing any exercise such as walking and I don't know if you have any time constraints. So, to start out with I would suggested walking 2 miles every other day, at a brisk pace. This should take about a half an hour. Try this out and see how you feel at the end of the week.
How Should You Feel At The End Of The Week?
If you just were not able to do it because it was so tiresome, then start again with 1 mile every other day. If you did the 2 miles every other day and feel really tired at the end of the week, or even after the day off you feel tiered, do it again for another week but with only a mile and a half. This should take about 20 minutes. If it took you longer than 30 minutes and you just don't have time, walk briskly for 30 minutes. If it was too easy and you don't feel like you did anything, try 2 and a half miles a week the next week. You should feel like you did some exercise at the end of each walk. Starting out you may feel some muscle soreness, but it should not be painful. Every other day you have a day off. You should feel rested after that break.
Eating Habits
Not only should you exercise, but you need to make sure you are eat properly. You need to be getting enough protein and eat carb as you exercise. With walking, drink a fruit juice before you start and a half of a peanut butter sandwich after. This will help stop the feeling of starvation many people feel after they exercise, and keep you body properly fueled for the walking. Drink water as you feel thirsty. Drinking too little will cause dehydration and too much will make you uncomfortable.
Stretching Is Important
Before and after walking (especially after) there are four stretches I suggest. First stretch you calve muscles. Stand in front of a wall, then with your left foot step back. Keeping your left foot strait and your heel on the ground, lean forward against the wall. Use your arms to brace yourself up and keep your feet strait, pointing at the wall. Don't let your hips turn. you can keep them strait by moving your left hip forward. You should feel a stretching sensation that is not painful. If it hurts the lean less against the wall. Hold this position for 30 seconds, then repeat with the right leg.
Next stretch the front of your leg. Stand about 1 front in front of the wall. Move your left leg forward then squat down on your left leg. your weight should be right over your left knee. you should feel a stretching sensation in the front of your leg and your ankle (at least with my bad ankles I do.) If you feel any pain, let up on your squat. Keep your legs and hip strait. hold for 30 seconds, then repeat with the right leg.
Next sit on the floor with your legs strait in front of you. Keep you feet together and bend forward and try and touch your toes. Many people do this standing up, bending at the waist and touching their toes. Lean as forward as you can. You should feel a stretch down the back of your leg. If it is painful, lean back a little. Hold for 30 seconds.
Last, roll over on you stomach. Lift your left leg and grab it with your left hand. Pull your leg toward your butt. You should feel a stretch in you left thigh. Keeps your hips on the floor and stay flat, don't turn or twist your body. This should not be pain full. If you feel any pain, simply hold your leg in place or pull less.
Debate about Stretches
There is some debate about doing the last two stretches. Most people do both standing up. Some experts argue that when standing, it is too difficult to keep your body in the correct position to stretch properly and there may be additional force against your knees that could cause future problems. These experts suggest doing them on the floor as I described above. I have no real opinion and the debate still goes back and forth. I personally prefer to do them on the floor and find I stretch better when on the floor.
What Next
Increase your daily mileage by a quarter of a mile the each week and keep walking every other day for a total of 4 weeks. After that, email me back at getmyfatbuttinshape@gmail.com and let me know how it is going. We can change your walking form there or we can add in a little jogging. Lets see how you do. I look forward to hearing back from you.
Last, My Daily Activity
I walked another mile to the barbershop and back. Later on I walked another half mile. So for the day I had 1.5 miles, for the week, month and year, I have 3.5 miles total. Yeah!
What advice do you have for an overweight 30-something who wants to begin an exercise program who has lead a largely sedentary lifestyle for the past few years?
Sincerely,
RunningMooses
A: Dear RunningMooses,
As I tell everyone, please see a medical professional before starting any kind of exercise Program.
Why A Walking Fitness Program
Walking is one of my favorite starting off exercises. People were meant and design to be walkers. When walking we are able to burn fat more efficiently than any other exercise, next to running. Walking can be done with out taxing our body like other sports and generally speaking people walk at about the same pace. That mean we can walk with friends. even at a brisk walking pace you can still have a nice conversation.
How to Get Started With a Walking Fitness Program
I am going to assume you have not been doing any exercise such as walking and I don't know if you have any time constraints. So, to start out with I would suggested walking 2 miles every other day, at a brisk pace. This should take about a half an hour. Try this out and see how you feel at the end of the week.
How Should You Feel At The End Of The Week?
If you just were not able to do it because it was so tiresome, then start again with 1 mile every other day. If you did the 2 miles every other day and feel really tired at the end of the week, or even after the day off you feel tiered, do it again for another week but with only a mile and a half. This should take about 20 minutes. If it took you longer than 30 minutes and you just don't have time, walk briskly for 30 minutes. If it was too easy and you don't feel like you did anything, try 2 and a half miles a week the next week. You should feel like you did some exercise at the end of each walk. Starting out you may feel some muscle soreness, but it should not be painful. Every other day you have a day off. You should feel rested after that break.
Eating Habits
Not only should you exercise, but you need to make sure you are eat properly. You need to be getting enough protein and eat carb as you exercise. With walking, drink a fruit juice before you start and a half of a peanut butter sandwich after. This will help stop the feeling of starvation many people feel after they exercise, and keep you body properly fueled for the walking. Drink water as you feel thirsty. Drinking too little will cause dehydration and too much will make you uncomfortable.
Stretching Is Important
Before and after walking (especially after) there are four stretches I suggest. First stretch you calve muscles. Stand in front of a wall, then with your left foot step back. Keeping your left foot strait and your heel on the ground, lean forward against the wall. Use your arms to brace yourself up and keep your feet strait, pointing at the wall. Don't let your hips turn. you can keep them strait by moving your left hip forward. You should feel a stretching sensation that is not painful. If it hurts the lean less against the wall. Hold this position for 30 seconds, then repeat with the right leg.
Next stretch the front of your leg. Stand about 1 front in front of the wall. Move your left leg forward then squat down on your left leg. your weight should be right over your left knee. you should feel a stretching sensation in the front of your leg and your ankle (at least with my bad ankles I do.) If you feel any pain, let up on your squat. Keep your legs and hip strait. hold for 30 seconds, then repeat with the right leg.
Next sit on the floor with your legs strait in front of you. Keep you feet together and bend forward and try and touch your toes. Many people do this standing up, bending at the waist and touching their toes. Lean as forward as you can. You should feel a stretch down the back of your leg. If it is painful, lean back a little. Hold for 30 seconds.
Last, roll over on you stomach. Lift your left leg and grab it with your left hand. Pull your leg toward your butt. You should feel a stretch in you left thigh. Keeps your hips on the floor and stay flat, don't turn or twist your body. This should not be pain full. If you feel any pain, simply hold your leg in place or pull less.
Debate about Stretches
There is some debate about doing the last two stretches. Most people do both standing up. Some experts argue that when standing, it is too difficult to keep your body in the correct position to stretch properly and there may be additional force against your knees that could cause future problems. These experts suggest doing them on the floor as I described above. I have no real opinion and the debate still goes back and forth. I personally prefer to do them on the floor and find I stretch better when on the floor.
What Next
Increase your daily mileage by a quarter of a mile the each week and keep walking every other day for a total of 4 weeks. After that, email me back at getmyfatbuttinshape@gmail.com and let me know how it is going. We can change your walking form there or we can add in a little jogging. Lets see how you do. I look forward to hearing back from you.
Last, My Daily Activity
I walked another mile to the barbershop and back. Later on I walked another half mile. So for the day I had 1.5 miles, for the week, month and year, I have 3.5 miles total. Yeah!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
People Were Meant To Walk
Walking and and the Human History
No matter what you believe on the origin of man, one thing is for certain. Until recent history people walked everywhere. Mass migrations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas have occurred. Towns and cities throughout history have an average distance of five mile. That is what one person can reasonably walk in one day, do work, and walk back. Armies walked to battle, pioneers walk to new homes, workers walked to work, mothers walked to the store, and children walked to school.
Domesticating The Horse
Around 4000 BC humans began to domesticate the horse. Though you could ride a horse, most people used the horse as a work animal. They plowed field, pulled wagons, or moved and lifted heavy objects. Rarely to you ride your horse for transportation.
Mongols Riding the Horse
The great Mongol army of Genghis Khan few road the horse as transportation. The group had soldiers and their families and they walked to combat. Once they arrived near an enemy, the soldiers would mount their horses. As soon as the battle was over, they got off. A few would ride to heard the horses and other farm animals to the next battle.
Hollywood and the Cowboy
In every western I have seen cowboys road horses everywhere. It actually seemed everyone road horses everywhere. Cowboys crossing the plains on unending rides. Horse hitches outside every building. Everyone had a horse.
The Real West and the Horse
Though horses were common, most people walked to town. They would never waste the strength of their horse to go to town. Hitching up a buggy took time also. If you had a buggy, you had a servant that would set it up for you. Even then, you took the buggy to church or to town, and then spent the rest of the day walking around. At the end of the day you took the buggy home. You would still walk to work, to school or to town.
How Far Can A Horse Travel
If you race a horse, it can run almost two miles and then it is to tired to run any farther. If you road a horse at a run, you could reasonably take it 10 miles. This was also the distance used by the pony express to change horses. If you walked a horse it could go 20 to 40 miles. For quick long distance travel the horse was great, but around the home and town. You still walked.
Our Body is Designed to Walk
If you look at the way our bodies are designed you quickly see that walking is the most efficient way for us to travel. You might say "Duh, No Kidding." Though it is obvious, everything behind the design of our body revolves around walking. We burn fat most efficiently when walking. Our legs can take use 10 miles in a day at an easy pace (with a couple of breaks) and you would not feel tired. The way our eyes see allows us focus on an object even when walking at a fast pace.
Why We Don't Walk
Well, someone invented the car and then Ford made them cheep enough for everyone, then the government made roads and freeways every where. Now the store is too far away to walk to. Work is too far away to walk to. School is too far or too dangerous to walk to (though I walked to school, elementary, Junior high, and high school. Even college.) The mall is no longer down the street, the movies are on the other side of town, and we have altered our culture to be about cars. So without a car we are in trouble.
How We can Become A Walking People
First you have to (including me), decide we are going to walk. If it is close enough, walk. My grocery store is a half mile away from my house. Unless I am buying bags of groceries, I walk to the store. Get out your front door and walk with someone. Meet at a park or walkway with friends and walk. When you take kids to the park, don't sit on the benches, walk around the playground. It does all start with deciding to walk.
How Far We Should Walk Every Day
Everything I have read about walking for fitness or walking to loose weight points to one magic number. That number is not a measure of time or miles, but steps. Every person should walk 10,000 steps every day. you are probably thinking "WOW! 10,000 STEPS! ARE YOU HIGH!" Well, I'm not. I put on a pedometer last spring and walked 2000 steps just doing laundry. Walking back and forth between the dirty cloths, the Washer, the dryer, and where I folded cloths, and then putting them away. I walked 2,500 steps just to the store and back. I walked 15,000 steps mowing my lawn (long story).
Here Is The Walking Challenge
I challenge everyone to walk 10,000 steps every day. Even if all you do is walk around the house, walk to the corner and back, or walk around doing house or yard work. You will feel better physically, feel better about yourself, and you will notice that you will loose some weight too. Next post will be about walking and burning calories.
The Prize
Part of the prize is going to be a very nice Omron pedometer. I have one, my wife has one, and they are great. Tell your friends about the contest and have them check out my blog. Post comments about your walking. We want to hear how your doing. Good luck and have fun walking.
No matter what you believe on the origin of man, one thing is for certain. Until recent history people walked everywhere. Mass migrations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas have occurred. Towns and cities throughout history have an average distance of five mile. That is what one person can reasonably walk in one day, do work, and walk back. Armies walked to battle, pioneers walk to new homes, workers walked to work, mothers walked to the store, and children walked to school.
Domesticating The Horse
Around 4000 BC humans began to domesticate the horse. Though you could ride a horse, most people used the horse as a work animal. They plowed field, pulled wagons, or moved and lifted heavy objects. Rarely to you ride your horse for transportation.
Mongols Riding the Horse
The great Mongol army of Genghis Khan few road the horse as transportation. The group had soldiers and their families and they walked to combat. Once they arrived near an enemy, the soldiers would mount their horses. As soon as the battle was over, they got off. A few would ride to heard the horses and other farm animals to the next battle.
Hollywood and the Cowboy
In every western I have seen cowboys road horses everywhere. It actually seemed everyone road horses everywhere. Cowboys crossing the plains on unending rides. Horse hitches outside every building. Everyone had a horse.
The Real West and the Horse
Though horses were common, most people walked to town. They would never waste the strength of their horse to go to town. Hitching up a buggy took time also. If you had a buggy, you had a servant that would set it up for you. Even then, you took the buggy to church or to town, and then spent the rest of the day walking around. At the end of the day you took the buggy home. You would still walk to work, to school or to town.
How Far Can A Horse Travel
If you race a horse, it can run almost two miles and then it is to tired to run any farther. If you road a horse at a run, you could reasonably take it 10 miles. This was also the distance used by the pony express to change horses. If you walked a horse it could go 20 to 40 miles. For quick long distance travel the horse was great, but around the home and town. You still walked.
Our Body is Designed to Walk
If you look at the way our bodies are designed you quickly see that walking is the most efficient way for us to travel. You might say "Duh, No Kidding." Though it is obvious, everything behind the design of our body revolves around walking. We burn fat most efficiently when walking. Our legs can take use 10 miles in a day at an easy pace (with a couple of breaks) and you would not feel tired. The way our eyes see allows us focus on an object even when walking at a fast pace.
Why We Don't Walk
Well, someone invented the car and then Ford made them cheep enough for everyone, then the government made roads and freeways every where. Now the store is too far away to walk to. Work is too far away to walk to. School is too far or too dangerous to walk to (though I walked to school, elementary, Junior high, and high school. Even college.) The mall is no longer down the street, the movies are on the other side of town, and we have altered our culture to be about cars. So without a car we are in trouble.
How We can Become A Walking People
First you have to (including me), decide we are going to walk. If it is close enough, walk. My grocery store is a half mile away from my house. Unless I am buying bags of groceries, I walk to the store. Get out your front door and walk with someone. Meet at a park or walkway with friends and walk. When you take kids to the park, don't sit on the benches, walk around the playground. It does all start with deciding to walk.
How Far We Should Walk Every Day
Everything I have read about walking for fitness or walking to loose weight points to one magic number. That number is not a measure of time or miles, but steps. Every person should walk 10,000 steps every day. you are probably thinking "WOW! 10,000 STEPS! ARE YOU HIGH!" Well, I'm not. I put on a pedometer last spring and walked 2000 steps just doing laundry. Walking back and forth between the dirty cloths, the Washer, the dryer, and where I folded cloths, and then putting them away. I walked 2,500 steps just to the store and back. I walked 15,000 steps mowing my lawn (long story).
Here Is The Walking Challenge
I challenge everyone to walk 10,000 steps every day. Even if all you do is walk around the house, walk to the corner and back, or walk around doing house or yard work. You will feel better physically, feel better about yourself, and you will notice that you will loose some weight too. Next post will be about walking and burning calories.
The Prize
Part of the prize is going to be a very nice Omron pedometer. I have one, my wife has one, and they are great. Tell your friends about the contest and have them check out my blog. Post comments about your walking. We want to hear how your doing. Good luck and have fun walking.
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