Are you lacking balance?
Topic: General Health

Does this sound familiar?... "I've never had good balance".  

 I hear this too much, honestly.  Sure, there are sometimes uncontrollable reasons why a person may not have good balance, but guess what the major reason for not having good balance is?  Not working at it!  

 

Professional athletes don't just happen to be good at what they do - they practice and work at it.   Trade workers aren't fantastic and knowledgable because they were born that way... they learn, they practice, they improve.  The same principle applies with balance training. 

 

 Why do we need it? It activates the CNS (Central Nervous System);  that hard-wiring our body has that helps send signals and messages throughout the body (from brain, to muscle, to organs, to tissues etc...) I'd say it's a pretty important part of the human body don't you think?  This will in turn allow us to develop increased body control and awareness.  It's beneficial to everyone;  younger children need balance to help develop body control and awareness... pre-teens and teenagers need balance to help maintain body control throughout puberty as the body goes through many physical and mental changes....  Children to adults need balance to help increase performance in sports and make daily activities easier for the body to perform... Older adults need balance to help perform daily activities with greater ease, and to reduce the risk of falling.  The list goes on and on.... Not to mention, it gets a lot of muscles working at once too!

 

It doesn't need to be anything fancy. You can train balance by simply utilizing your body and a single leg. Try just standing on one foot for 30sec.  If that's too easy, but your arms straight up over your head rather than out to the side. If that's still too easy - try it with your eyes closed.  Lots of options....

 

 The biggest thing you need to teach yourself is never to be negative by saying "I've never been able to do this", unless you truly have trained and practiced the exercise, and tried to improve on it, you never know what you're capable of.  

 

 *Watch for my new article with more balance training information and tips on www.mylivingenergy.com SOON! *

 

 

 

Power Food - The secret we all already know
Topic: General Health

I was answering a number of questions this week regarding nutrition... I was even reading in the paper this morning about a local weight loss group doing their registration again soon (I did guest speaking for them a couple years back) which got me thinkin'...  The question I'm often asked;  "what should I be eating?"

 Obviously, nutrition varies by person, goals, health etc... But the number one thing that is for sure - that most people lack.... VEGGIES, VEGGIES, VEGGIES!  

I can here you now... "oh no".  But it's not that bad.   Look at it this way;

• Veggies give you more than most foods out there (as far as quality and the amount of nutrients the body utilizes from them). You can't beat their quality!
  
• There's a wide variety of veggies out there
• There's a wide range of ways to eat/cook them
  
• Your body responds so well to them
  
• You can eat as many as you want!  
  

Canada's food guide suggests 5-10 servings per day.  A nice range, but more is ideal.  What's a serving of veggies?  Half a cup.... that's it... Half a cup.  That's not much is it? 

 Remember, you can get them into you in a lot of different ways as well; 

• Raw
• Steamed
• Boiled
• BBQ'd
• In your smoothies
• On your pasta or rice
• As a salad

So many ways... You just need to be creative.  The nice thing is.. they all get those necessary servings into you.

 
Our bodies were designed to utilize certain foods more efficiently (i.e. Natural foods). Our ancestors ate off the land... Guess what that means? Meats, fruits, vegetables.  Simple.  

Another bonus to vegetables and getting lots in each day: You can't go wrong.  Vegetables....

• Allow the body to receive essential vitamins and nutrients to work at it's best.
  
• Increase energy
• Increase immune system strength
• Help maintain body weight
• Help decrease body weight (if desired/necessary)
• Help increase overall strength
• Help increase athletic performance and recovery
• Help maintain focus and mental health 

The list goes on and on.....

 To sum up my blog today..... The best thing you can eat, that will give you the most "bang for your buck" so to speak.... VEGETABLES. We all know they're good for us, yet many of us avoid them.  Funny aren't we?

The ultimate pre-workout meal???
Topic: General Health

I am able to experience some great things and meet some fantastic people in my line of work.  Often, I experience some funny things too. Today was no exception....

I had one of my post-rehab clients in today.  He mentioned he had a lunch meeting prior to coming in. I asked where.  "Kelsey's" he replied.  Ok, you can eat decently there if you're careful.  Having said that here was his lunch prior to coming in for his workout today;  Sonoma salad..... Chicken skewers.... Decent eh? I was impressed.    And to wash it down, a nice Coors Light on tap!!!  LOL  He now calls this lunch, "The Olympian". LOL 

 We had some good laughs about it, and of course I was sure not to let him live that down. All play aside though, it really was an unfortunate pre-workout meal (the beer I mean).  Our workouts currently involve regaining strength, stability and range of motion through his hips after having bilateral hip-resurfacing surgery.  Lots of glute medius work, glute maximus, hamstrings, core, balance etc...  So overall, obviously it's working his body hard because of the surgery.  But, in the grand scheme of things we're at a lower intensity workout.  

Proving how important proper nutrition is... his body felt it today. He had a great workout, but as far as "feeling good".... he wasn't great. His exact words, "won't be doing that again". LOL Again we had a good laugh.  

 Nutrition plays such a vital role in our existence it's unbelievable!  The way we feel, think, perform, battle diseases and viruses etc... a major contributor is nutrition!!!!! A few simple things to remember for your everyday health:

•  Stay hydrated. Plenty of water
• Load up on fruits and veggies (especially veggies)
• Ensure quality nutrients are going into your body - it's more of "what" than "how much" in many cases
  
•  Eat small "meals" often, rather than 3 big ones per day
• The more natural the food, the better!!!! Our bodies were designed to utilize and deal with these foods efficiently and they help us the most.
  

And another friendly reminder.... Save the beer for the weekend at the cottage or watching the big game rather than before (or after) a workout.

Olympics 2010 - Vancouver, Canada!!!!!
Topic: Sports

The 2010 Olympic Winter Games are here!!!! Tonight is the big night! Opening ceremonies (9pm on TSN. Preview show at 7pm). 

 Such an exciting time.  Not only is Canada hosting the incredible games, but we get to watch our athletes on their own home turf.  Being around athletes on a daily basis, I love seeing these athletes perform.  Training incredibly hard, consistent and dedicated for 4 years leading up to the games, for in some cases a 1 or 2 minute chance to win their event!  Wow!  4 years of hard work - 1 small chance to achieve victory!  Unbelievable. 

 We should all admire and embrace the dedication these athletes show to their training and their sport.  With your own goals, you need to be an olympic athlete. You need to train hard, be dedicated, train consistently, and not make excuses for yourself.  See your goal and go for it! 

 I hope that we'll all be watching our athletes with pride and passion over the next couple weeks. As I write this, I'm wearing my olympic gear, and I'm so excited for what we're about to experience these next couple weeks.    ENJOY!

Quinte West Half Marathon
Topic: Running/Event

I recently learned that Quinte West is hosting a half marathon this summer!  Very cool!   Sunday April 25th, 2010 is the date. 

 After participating in the 2008 PEC half marathon, and seeing how exciting and rewarding that experience was, I think it's fantastic to have something even closer to home this year!  

 Although I won't be doing the half marathon again, but I may enter the 5k or relay races.   I'd love to support TMH foundation and of course, Quinte West.

 

For more information and registration, visit www.city.quintewest.on.ca 

My Living Energy revamped website up and running!
Topic: MY LIVING ENERGY NEWS

Mylivingenergy.com  has now been updated and refreshed to start off 2010!!!!!  Check it out, and pass it along to friends and family.

 Keep watching for more updates to the site and blog.  :o) Enjoy!

MY LIVING ENERGY UPDATED!!!!!! 2010
THE NEWLY UPDATED MY LIVING ENERGY WEBSITE (with sleaker, cleaner design) will be up and running early January 2010.  KEEP WATCHING!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!
Topic: MY LIVING ENERGY NEWS

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!! Such an exciting, fun (and stressful) time of year.  But, in the end, it's always all worth it. 

I hope your holidays are filled with time spent with those closest and dearest to you.  Enjoy your time with others and have fun with all those presents.

It's always sad to see another year go by, but exciting to be rejuvenated with the beginning of a new one.  If you're one of those people who love new year's resolutions remember to make S-M-A-R-T goals.  (Simple, Measurable, Action-oritented, Realistic, Time Stamped).  It takes some more planning and thought to make a S-M-A-R-T goal but these have a much higher chance of success than just waking up one morning and saying "I think I'll start doing this today". 

Plan. Think about it. Know what you want.  Want what you want. And then... Go for it!  Nothing stops you!  Planning your new years resolutions will allow you to see greater success in terms of reaching your goals in 2010. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND THE VERY BEST IN THE NEW YEAR! 

Holiday workouts
Topic: General Health

The holidays are here!  The rush and stress of daily life gets to us at a much higher level during this time of year. So how does that impact your workouts?

 My experience with clients is (the majority) either get depressed or stressed about their workouts (trying to fit them in, or because they're missing some).  The other thing I see is people completely go crazy and don't even bother with them and set themselves back. 

 The holidays are a wonderful time of year. Get-togethers, family, friends etc... Enjoy them for sure. I feel your goal over the holidays should be to try to maintain where you're at currently fitness wise.  Some people need to cut their workouts down (time), perhaps lighten up on the intensity to ensure mentally you're up for it during this busy time... That's all ok. The amount of workouts may change a bit too. Perhaps rather than 5 days per week you drop it to 3 days for your 1-2 weeks of holidays.  It's ok, because you're still keeping a routine. 

 Try to keep some sort of routine going for your physical activity so that once the hussle-and-bussle of the season ends, you can jump into your fitness routine without a problem.

 Enjoy your Christmas everyone! :o)

An Energizing start to your day
Topic: General Health

Getting into a nice morning routine, helps jumpstart your day and gets you energized, positive and motivated to have the best day possible. 

Of course, for many of us, it's tough to get up a bit earlier to start our day with a little activity or something other than sleep.  Just like anything else, it just takes time and creating a new habit. I was once one who tried to do workouts later in the day, but I would sometimes be sluggish or life would get in the way.  Now, I get up earlier, take my time to wake up, have a bite to eat and let it digest a bit... then get a workout in or something to energize.. and away I go on the rest of my daily journey.

 Give it a try:  It doesn't have to be intense or hard at first.  10-15 minutes of yoga or meditation, a 15-20 minute flexibility routine, a 20 minute brisk walk (yes, even in the winter).... Try some different things. You may be surprised the changes you'll feel.