Healthy Summer Tips

Summer is a great time to build up your fitness program, enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, take a vacation, and have fun. There are so many delicious fresh food options available during the summer. Start by exploring your market for summer fruits and veggies. It’s also a time to pay attention to your health and safety. Below are tips to help you stay safe and healthy this summer and all year long.

In the warmer, longer, lazier days of summer, even adults tend to adopt a "school's out!" attitude in summer. That's why this is a perfect time to improve your health in a fashion so seasonally laid back you'll barely notice the effort.

First off: Get Outside to Exercise!

Pick one outdoor activity -- going on a hike, taking a nature walk, playing games such as tag with your kids, cycling, roller blading, or swimming -- to shed that cooped-up feeling of gym workouts. The summer is also great time to play outdoor games, garden, or walk. Start a new routine that combines fun and physical activity. Active people are less likely than inactive people to be obese or to have high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, coronary artery disease and stroke, depression, colon cancer, and premature death. It's recommended that adults should get 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity most, preferably all, days of the week.

Children and adolescents should participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity most, preferably all, days of the week. Start at an easy pace and increase time and distance gradually.

Don't overdo it. And remember, the family that plays together not only gets fit together -- it's also a great way to create bonding time.

Next: Sleep Well

Resist the urge to stay up later during long summer days. Instead pay attention to good sleep routine by keeping the same bedtime and wake-up schedule and not drinking caffeine within three hours of bedtime. It's also a good idea to avoid naps during the day unless you take them every day at the same time, for the same amount of time.

Third: Practice sun safety by keeping yourself hydrated with plenty of water during all your outdoor activities and always use sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat to protect your skin from the sun.

Lastly, enjoy the summer. Whether it's vacationing or spending time with family, make the most of the longer days of summer to enjoy yourself and have fun!

MoveCalifornia!

The California Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association has created a great webpage for the general public that addresses topics of interest for all types of people. The webpage is part of their MoveCalifornia effort to help Californians take charge of their health. The topics range from your golf swing to senior wellness and female athletes. Check it out today! 

Hopefully you are continuing exercising and eating right on your road to better health. You know what else releases endorphins and is addictive? Fun. If you are having fun while exercising, not only will you be less focused on your labored breathing and tired limbs, but you will come to associate exercise with fun, further increasing the likelihood that you will re-engage in said activity. It's true. Remember when you  ran really hard when you played soccer as a kid, and you were eager to go do it again and again (on a Saturday, no less!) So what should you do? Whatever you like doing. If it's dancing, dance more. If it's rock-climbing, go rock-climbing. Join a running or walking club, or sign up for yoga classes, or go hiking. What sounds like fun to you, personally? Do more of that, as often as you can. You'll work harder—and address a wider range of muscle groups—when you're enjoying what you're doing. Not only will this get you into better shape, but it'll also increase your overall happiness.

Follow the example of a role model. Say, for example, you wish you had Michael Phelps' body. Michael Phelps didn't become a great swimmer because he had an amazing body, but he got that amazing body because he swam all the time.

The same thing goes for people who take up surfing, yoga, running. Obviously, what you eat remains important, and so is the intensity at which you engage. But if you continue to push yourself—safely and healthily, but continuously—your body will adapt, and that adaptation may take the form of the body you desire. Nothing happens overnight but you can continue to make healthy changes today and to take charge of your health. Get Moving and let the endorphins flow!

Getting Started: Healthy Eating and Exercising

 The little voice inside your head is telling you it's time to make some changes but you're not really sure where to start. Eating healthy and exercising will be the best thing you do for you body, here's how to get started. 
1. Set a reachable goal- without a goal you don't  have anything to work towards. Whether it's running a 5k, fitting into a dress for your sister's wedding, or to look great in the next family photo shoot.   Write it down and tell everyone. This will help motivate you and hold you accountable.

2. Start small- set mini goals for yourself. Eat more fruit and veggies each day, Start moving even 15 minutes a day. Drink less soda, eat less sugar, eat more veggies, eat more lean protein.

Walking is one of easiest things to start out with because it requires no equipment. Get a buddy and head outdoors. 

3. Don't get derailed. If you have a setback, get back up and try again. Setbacks are a natural part of progression, learn from them and move on.  Technology can be a helpful tool to keep you on track. Many apps count calories and track miles for running/walking and some even give exercises to do each day. 



4. Overhaul your life. Overhaul the fridge with baggies of fresh fruit and veggies cut up. Keep snacks on hand that are GOOD for you. Air popped popcorn, almonds, greek yogurt. You need to plan ahead so you don't get so hungry you'll eat anything.  Overhaul your gear. Check your athletic shoes and if you need to, buy a new pair! If it helps, set it out your stuff the night before , pack your gym bag and go before or after work. 

Reward yourself along the way with a reusable water bottle, new workout clothes or a new gym bag this will help keep you motivated. As your body starts to adapt you will start to crave the good feeling you get from exercising and eating healthier. So get up, don't wait until tomorrow, start  NOW!

Make This Your Year To Try Something New

Surprisingly, stepping out of our comfort zone can boost our mood and help our health. “When we take a risk and it results in a good payoff; we get a spike in dopamine, a neurotransmitter that improves muscle movement, attention and concentration” says Michael Frank, Ph.D., assistant professor of cognitive, linguistic and psychological sciences at Brown University, Rhode Island.

“Taking risks creates new neurological connections in the brain,” says Dr. Alyson Schwabe, a psychotherapist in Boulder, Colorado. “Conquering a fear creates an opportunity for new parts of ourselves to emerge.”

Choose an activity that you have never done before, but are always thinking about. Some ideas to get the creative juices flowing:  Take up a new sport. Some examples: Archery, Golf, Bowling, Billiard, Skateboarding, Skating, Roller-blading, Ice skating, surfing, Water rafting, Kayaking, Wakeboarding, Sailing, Scuba diving, Snorkeling, Swimming. Go skiing, Learn horseback riding, Be a mentor to someone, Do an extreme sport – Bungee jumping, Skydiving, Parachuting, Paragliding, Ice climbing, Climb a mountain, Write a book, Fly in a hot-air balloon across a country, Sing your favorite song to an audience, Offer your service to a humanitarian cause, Travel around the world, learn a new language, run a marathon, start your own business. Learn a martial art, swim with dolphins, go backpacking, knit a scarf, take up dancing; salsa, tango, tap dancing, plant a garden, go on a safari. 

 Start writing down what comes to mind as you read these questions:

What if you were to die tomorrow? What would you wish you could do before you die?

What would you do if you had unlimited time, money and resources?

What have you always wanted to do but have not done yet?

Any countries, places or locations you want to visit?

What are your biggest goals and dreams?

What do you want to see in person?

What achievements do you want to have?

What experiences do you want to have / feel?

Are there any special moments you want to witness?

What activities or skills do you want to learn or try out?

What are the most important things you can ever do?

What would you like to say/do together with other people? People you love? Family? Friends?

Are there any specific people you want to meet in person?

What do you want to achieve in the different areas: Social, Love, Family, Career, Finance, Health (Your weight, Fitness level), Spiritual?

What do you need to do to lead a life of the greatest meaning?

Act! And remember, one step at a time is how the Great Wall was built. What college is nearby? What would I major in? What financing is available to me? Just calling a local college for a brochure may seem insignificant but so did the first Great Wall brick. If it's something you never did before it is a HUGE step.

Flu Season and Staying Healthy

It’s that time of year again, the time when you start hearing coughing and sneezing throughout the workplace and a box of tissues is placed conveniently near your computer keyboard.

 The cold and flu season typically runs from November – April. Readily spread when people are indoors, cold and flu viruses are often passed along from person to person and surface to surface in the workplace. According to the CDC, people are most contagious during the first 2-3 days of contracting a cold and almost immediately and for about 5 days thereafter after being infected with the flu – even before symptoms develop. However, there are many actions you can take to prevent the spread of cold and flu viruses at work.

1.  Wash Your Hands for at least 15-20 seconds with soap  many times a day  or sanitize with an alcohol-gel hand sanitizer, especially  following contact with  potentially contaminated surfaces

2.  Avoid touching your face, eyes, or rubbing your nose

3.  Wash out your water bottle daily

4.  Clean shared items such as phones, keyboards, handles and door knobs with alcohol wipes or other sanitizer- type wipes

5.  Avoid close contact with anyone who has a cold or flu

6.  Sneeze and cough into a tissue, throw the tissue away, and then wash your hands. If you don’t have a tissue cough or sneeze into your elbow rather than your hand

7.  Drink plenty of fluids, but do not share drinking cups or straws

8. Get lots of fresh air

9. Exercise regularly and frequently

10.  Eat healthy foods such as whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables

Treating a Cold or Flu

1. If you do get sick, stay at home

2.  Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water or juices – between 9-13 cups per day)

3. De-stress and avoid strenuous activity – physical, emotional, or   mental stress can be      

    major drains on the immune system

4.   Get plenty of rest – most people need seven to nine hours of sleep each night

5.  Drink green tea or ginger tea each stimulate the immune system to fight off infections

6.  Ask your doctor about over the counter drugs which may alleviate symptoms