Fitness

Hey Guys! Happy Tuesday. This week’s chapter focused on fitness. I learned a lot of new things from this chapter and discovered some very helpful tips that I plan to include in my health journey. There are several benefits that can result from the appropriate fitness routing including benefits to your physical, mental and social well being. This weeks chapter lines up nicely with my anatomy course because we were just discussing blood pressure and the importance of keeping it in check. Regular physical activity can help us keep our blood pressure down and keep our bodies healthy. I learned that being sedentary or lots of sitting time can increase your risk of colon and breast cancer as much as 25%. This scared me! Breast cancer has always been a fear of mine since I am at a genetic predisposition for it, since my grandmothers on both sides have battled with this type of cancer. I have always feared the same future for myself or my sister and learning this new information was a wake up call in that I need to stick to my fitness goals. The chapter discusses the health benefits of physical activity and exercise and its amazing to me how many benefits there are specifically just to the brain. Increased exercise can reduce anxiety and depression and increase concentration. As I approach graduation it is difficult for me to stay focused and keep stress at bay so all the more reason to make physical activity a priority. I have always envied the people who LOVE to work out. I wish that I was more productive with my stress management techniques because there are times when I choose to isolate myself because of stress and putting my negative energy into something physical for a positive outcome has been part of my goal. The portion of the chapter that discusses getting motivated to work out spoke to me. I am definitely guilty of the “I don’t have time,” excuse. This is silly because while I am crazy busy and lead a hectic life, there is always time for me to binge watch Netflix. I liked the pointer of multitasking. Read or study while riding an exercise bike. My mom recently got an exercise bike and I’m definitely going to try this. I learned that to set goals that will be successful you should use the SMART technique. SMART goals are specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, and time-oriented. The part referring to specific is my biggest fault. I need to focus my energy on one thing at a time when I often find myself overwhelming myself with multiple thoughts and ideas. Incorporating cardio-respiratory fitness into daily life is an important concept from this week that is often overlooked. Not only does walking and riding a bike as a means of transportation help our bodies and physical fitness, but it can have a huge impact on the environment as well. Since we have been so reliant on our cars our world and bodies have taken the negative impact! Staying motivated with a mindful plan suggested some great strategies to keep me motivated and consistent with my fitness journey. These tips are helpful to my overall health journey as well. Some of the tips included developing a plan, keeping a journal and noticing how your body feels. Keeping a journal is a good way to keep track of what works and what didn’t work so well, and also is a way to hold you accountable. As stated by the chapter a strong core is important to posture and your body. My favorite way to develop my core is through yoga. I have been practicing yoga for a while now and the ability to hold poses has gotten better overtime thus bettering my core strength. Before my practices in yoga I always had lower back pain, but through my practices I have eased the tension and improved my posture. I think the portion of the chapter about activities and exercises for special populations is important. It is important to think that there may be some limitations making the process a bit more difficult for certain people. Some of these special populations addressed included those with asthma, diabetes, hypertension, obesity and older individuals. Nutrition and exercise is a topic that deserves our attention. Certain nutritional habits support our exercise regimes. Timing your food intake is one of the habits that should be recognized. When you eat should be just as important as what you eat. We should eat 3-4 hours before we exercise. Increased fluid intake is also important.Drinking plenty of water helps us prepare and recover from work outs. It is important to wear a good pair of sneakers when working out to prevent any work out related injuries.

I didn’t realize how much the weather had been weighing me down until the sun started shining and the weather started warming up. I feel so much more motivated when the weather is nice. I have been going on out door runs recently in the morning before class and it leaves me feeling so good and motivated for the day. I have no problem with the staying hydrated portion of nutritional habits, but I have been having trouble with eating the appropriate eating habits. I find it hard to eat at the right time. I am always running around so I pretty much eat when I can. Something I plan on taking more action with is eating at appropriate times, especially 3 or so hours before a work out. I received my first compliment from a regular patient at my work the other day about my weight loss and I have to admit it felt good! It is a nice feeling when someone recognizes your hard work. I have not lost all the weight I want, but I feel more fit and healthy. I have a ways to go but I feel confident with my overall success despite set backs and lack of motivation from time to time throughout this health journey. I feel as though keeping this blog is beneficial in that it is holding me accountable. I hope everyone crushes their goals this week and enjoys the beautiful weather!