Fitness in the Workplace: Part 1

Part 1: The Definition of Fitness

Hi everyone. This is an interactive article, so be prepared to play along. Okay, raise your hand if you are fit. Now, raise your hand if you are unfit. I noticed that only a few of you responded confidently. Never mind how I noticed, I just did!

Why was it so difficult? Well, being fit means different things to different people. In fact, fitness is not a quantitative value at all, but more of a sliding scale, with superb athleticism on one side, and ill health (or, in the extreme, death) on the other. Individual factors like body fat, heart rate and body mass index can be measured, but until we establish where our personal fitness goals sit along that continuum, the definition of fitness is elusive.

Let’s review three general categories that pertain to fitness goals and Consider where you “fit”!

Those with athleticism as a goal train long and hard most days of the week to support activities like marathons, mountain climbing or being a professional dancer. Any activity that places high demand on the body’s resources for skills and performance is athletic and training methods might include running, functional training, and sport specific drills.

To increase physical fitness you’ll spend an hour 3-4 times weekly performing activities that fatigue the muscles and make you sweat. The goal is to maintain a healthy body composition and achieve optimal functioning and increased health benefits. Activities often include weight training, fitness classes, leisure sports and swimming laps.

Never underestimate the impact of health and wellbeing as a fitness goal. This defines the non-negotiable minimum activity level required to maintain basic health and participate comfortably in daily activities. Yes, non-negotiable; like bathing, and brushing your teeth! Engage in activity for 30 minutes, 3x weekly that is active enough to elevate the heart rate and respiration so that you must breathe though your mouth, and your body feels warm. Active living pursuits include vigorous housework, walking, climbing stairs and leisure activities like pleasure skating or swimming.

So, now that we have defined fitness in terms of goal categories, shall we try again? Where do you see yourself now in terms of immediate and long-term fitness goals? Well, unfortunately, we are out of time; next time we will pinpoint some challenges and obstacles that faced when trying to work fitness goals into busy lives, and some solutions to get us on the right track!

We'll talk soon!

Pleasure and Pain!

It is known that human beings are motivated by the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. It is easy to see why (at least at the outset) it can be so difficult to begin habits that are "good for you". Often there is a result that can initially be uncomfortable (perceived by the body as the precursor to "painful") and that has the effect of dissuading us from continuing the behaviour.

Take dieting, for example. Many diets cause the participant to feel hunger early in the process. Hunger is uncomfortable, and human beings avoid discomfort. So, we end up giving up on the whole dieting thing and go back to our regular habits.

What about exercise? Same deal: there is some discomfort at first, when beginning to wake up muscles and body processes that may not be used to functioning fully or regularly! There is delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) which can, in fact, be quite uncomfortable. (Some ads for painkillers are even suggesting they be taken to relieve DOMS!) The fear of that discomfort can be enough to reduce a person's effort, or even stop someone from exercising altogether!

So, what to do?

1) Avoid the discomfort of "hunger" by eating regular, small amounts of quality foods! Check with your nutritional advisor, or do some research on your own. Access Fitness has a great Nutrition Department that can assist with this. Call 519-940-0300.

2) Learn to avoid or minimize DOMS with a few simple tips: stretch after your workout; drink plenty of water, before, during and after your workout; stretch; if you trained hard, take time for an epsom salts bath within 24 hours of the workout; and did I mention.... you need to stretch!?

3) Also, try to re-program your "pleasure/pain" meter! Many agree there is a fine line between the two, and you can shift your attitude and perception. Enjoy that little hunger pang; it just means your body needs fuel, so honour that and grab a healthy snack! Many people really enjoy the feeling of pushing a workout to the next level; all sorts of "feel good" hormones kick in and it feels fantastic! Celebrate that achy muscle feeling because it means you are doing the body good!

We'll talk soon!

Baby Steps!

There is so much information "out there" about what is healthy; both the TO DO list and the what NOT TO DO list can quickly become overwhelming for those of us trying to follow, introduce or change lifestyle habits.

One of the ways to minimize the confusion and pressure of making changes is to introduce them gradually. Building a good habit (or breaking a negative one) happens over time. Create a list of items that you wish to address for your health, and tackle them one by one over time. Introduce a new idea/habit/task only after you have achieved a level of success with another one. At least a week on a new focus is a good start before introducing something new.

Here is an example of what has worked for me over the past 6 weeks:
Week 1. Drink more water - I researched how much I need, set that goal, and have a system in place to track it. Worked on this one for about a month to build the sipping habit!
Week 2. Healthy snacking - I implemented a few portable healthy snack options to add to my nutrition routine. This was to combat my "I'm so hungry I could eat the fridge" issue when I finally stopped for a meal.
Week 3. New activity - I took a Zumba® training course and started practicing the moves regularly. A fun, new activity can kick start or revive your fitness routine!
Week 4. More proteins - I started throwing legumes in my salads, making lentil soup again, and using protein powder.
Week 5. New Breakfast habit - The first meal of the day seemed to be all about the carbs! Reducing breads and starches in the morning has helped me crave them less through the day!
Week 6. "Does it help my goals?" question - this is the "a-ha" moment that caused me to write the last blog entry. I pause before each action (meal choice, activity choice) and take a moment to decide how the choice will affect my goals and my overall health.

Wake-up Weekend Smoothie:
1 cup Soy milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup frozen fruit (Mangoes or Strawberries...)
1 small or 1/2 large banana (I keep them frozen to add texture to the drink)
1 scoop protein powder
1/4 tsp ginger powder (optional)
a few drops Vanilla Extract (optional)

Pop ingredients in blender (in the order in which they appear) and pulse then blend, about 40 seconds.

Enjoy! We'll talk soon!

Answer me this!

So, I think I have actually figured out how to live the healthiest life possible. No, really! Ask yourself this:

"Does ________ assist me in reaching my health and lifestyle goals?"

The "blank" could be almost any action choice that is in front of you at the moment. Here are a few examples to park in the blank above:

-eating this slice of pie
-having oatmeal for breakfast
-pouring another beer
-skipping my walk
-going to the gym today
-smoking this cigarette
-playing some great music and chilling out

The answer is cearly a "yes" or "no" in all of these examples, with the possible exception of the last one, which could be neutral, but in my opinion, is a "yes"!

Now, asking the question doesn't mean the positive decision will be the outcome 100% of the time. That is a bit unrealistic! If the answer is "yes" 90% of the time, then it's a good bet there will be major progress towards your goals. On the other hand, if yes/no is at about 50/50, then you could be stalled, rationalizing or simply hitting a roadblock.

This simple question can be a powerful tool to help make quick decisions about the little things that can assist (or sabotage) the whole health goals thing.

Of course, I've skipped ahead and assumed that there are goals involved. Perhaps a great topic for another blog post!

We'll talk soon!

This is it!

Okay, this is it! I'm starting this blog. There, I did it!

Now, what do I do? Well, I guess I can start by mentioning why I decided to start this blog!

A few months ago a friend of mine, also a fitness professional, decided to begin a public journey back to personal health and fitness through her own blog. This, she surmised, would keep her accountable for her nutrition, activity and wellness choices, and offer her the greatest chance of success. Following her progress, being in on all her ups and downs, and being able to support her is really empowering! In fact, it has even inspired me to watch my own habits more closely of late. (And by the way, she's doing really well dropping weight and inches, and feeling stronger!)

So I thought to myself, if that blog inspired me, then maybe some "healthy ramblings" will inspire others! The plan is to post tidbits of information, observations, events, tips and random thoughts that are proactive, productive and helpful towards fitness, weight loss or healthy lifestyle goals.

At Access Fitness, that is what we are all about, right?

Thanks for joining me. We'll talk soon!