Fall Work Statements

For anyone who works with a lot of people, this one is for you.

 

A couple of months ago, an article came out in the news about how your co-workers can make you fat. Well, it is still a battle and...and a choice if you would like to lose self-control over body image. However, it is a temptation when your colleagues bring in cookies, cakes, pies, donuts, danishes, chips, pies, cakes, cookies, muffins, truffles, cakes, pies, donuts, and...wait. Did I say cookies twice yet? When you see these vittles on the kitchen or conference room table, you have to brace yourself. It can be easy for someone else to knock you off your game and towards straight gluttony. Will power? Oh, it will kick in. Discipline? It's on all cylinders.

 

What do you do?

 

You have to make and set a statement. You have to tell yourself that you will not eat what everyone else is eating solely because the food looks or even tastes good. So what, if someone else says, "Oh, you're missing out. Missy's apple crumb cake tastes really good. Go cut a piece in the kitchen." No, do not! Please, do not let anyone else break you off your goal...the pursuit and achievement of your goal. Truthfully, you are not missing out on anything because, for one, the "Missy" or the "Trent" of your office can make another random apple crumb cake in a different week. Trust it - "Missy" and "Trent" have more ingredients at home. Do not be rude though. Just be disciplined. When you are disciplined, in this case, others will follow when they see your results.

 

OK, I am done for now on this topic.

Injuries Engined

Injuries are common with movement. But, if we take care of our injuries through preventative methods, then we can diminish their affect and the amount of times they occur. Ah, so some consider their bodies as injury prone. Injury-proners really may need certain training methods included in their regimen or even simply specific coaching and proper education on avoiding injury. Actually, I think there is a bit of a fear factor for anyone who thinks they are injury prone. For example, do not think about getting injured before the activity occurs. Think about completing the activity and training properly first and foremost. A few things on injuries:

• Massage - Treat yourself to one. It helps your muscles. It helps you to relax. Even the toughest athletes receive daily massages. Too expensive? Then, purchase a foam roller or The Stick.
• Warm-up - It really works. It preps your muscles. Many trainers spend a lot of time on the warm-up, which is a good thing. Even the toughest athletes warm-up. Not enough time? Then, shorten your warm-up; but make it as specific as possible. For example, you can only get 10 minutes of running and lifting. Perform leg swings, body weight squats, arm circles, and neck warm-ups to, at least, start to avoid the possible muscle tweak!
• Cool Down - It also works. It tells your body, "Thank you for moving today." Not enough time? Again, make the cool down as specific as possible. That is, whatever muscles you trained are the ones you stretch.
• Rest and Sleep - Get it in. Enough said. Start with 6 to 7 hours of sleep if those two numbers are difficult to achieve. If you achieve over 7 hours already, then you are well on your way to a great day.
• Fitness Level - Do not rush it. If you would like to participate in a Tough Mudder Race, but working out is not your thing, then you might want to start working out. Even injured athletes have set timetables on their return because their fitness level is not up to par due to the injury and rehabilitation time period.
• Occupation - Oh boy! There are physical occupations and non-physical ones. Physical ones possess the most danger as in construction, timber cutters, and more. Non-physical ones include working in a cubicle, which is the most dangerous for your posture. Either way, physical or non-physical, working out plays a large factor in avoiding unnecessary time-off from work.
• Stupidity Level - Do not be! If this level is high, then you are in trouble. If it is low, then trailblazing is up your alley. If you want to figure out what the Grand Canyon looks like on a motorcycle, then know the results of a bad landing. Yes, think positive. But, do know that you better stick the landing. Everything else on this level is included as well.

Progressing,

Derek

Honduras - From a Fitness Perspective

A couple of weeks ago, I had the great opportunity to attend a church mission's trip to Honduras.

Great trip. Great exposure.

There are so many ways to write about this trip. But, since this message is located in this particular blog the best way to talk about the trip lives in the fitness realm. I had the exhilarating chance to lead an obstacle course for kids ages 5 or 6 years old to early tween age through their schoolyard. The teenagers, on the other hand, mostly enjoyed playing futbol [soccer]. As for the obstacle course, it involved the following:

• Start - running one full counter-clockwise lap around a school-center, which measured approximately 100m in circumference. 
• After one full lap and [a return to the start line], everyone proceeded up four steps to hop-scotch drawn on the sidewalk. After finishing hop-scotch, each kid jumped back and forth over a 10-foot linear line also drawn on the ground...we're hitting at agility here. Great for kids at this age.
• After jumping, another run up about 5 steps preceded yet another hop-scotch diagram.
• Something new: no linear line here. The kids had to jump over the "idle-v" as it reached its widest end mark. If you have never seen an "idle-v" (I like to call it that), it simply resembles the letter "v" drawn on the sidewalk. When jumping, start at the bottom of the "v" on either side where it is narrow and keep jumping as the lines separate. It is fun for a kid with a lot of energy. It is more difficult for a someone who is training to improve leg power and agility. But, hey, these types of exercises can train any age level. The intensity is the thing that is lessened or increased.
• We are around half-way complete with this obstacle course - it definitely covered a vast majority of the grounds where the school-center was located. Following all of the jumps, the kids proceeded to the tire-field, zig-zagging or figure-eighting around four tires placed roughly 12 to 20 feet apart. The fifth and final tire was used as the agility part - two feet in-two feet out - just like normal tire agility training. If you can picture what five dots resembles on a domino piece, then you can picture the tire-field. However, the middle dot or tire in this field was placed at the top of the set of four. The higher two tires in the field were placed slightly wider then the two bottom tires. Come to think of it, the diagram probably looked more like a pentagon.
• Plenty of room left. From the tire-field, it was a quick run back down the second set of five steps and on to the sliding board. By now, kids were on top of each other as a line formed to go down the slide. But, these kids did not complain. They did not shove (I do not think they did). They humbly giggled and waited their turn. On to the last lap.
• Finish - Racing down the previous first set of steps, each kid scrambled to run clockwise around the building and finish back where they started. Done!
• Otra-vez ("Again")! Everyone cheered.

Through two tries total for each group  (one morning group and one afternoon group), everyone burned plenty of calories. We covered speed, agility, endurance, strength, coordination, and fun throughout this obstacle course. Oh, and a little vitamin D from the unguarded sun. To tell you the truth, anyone could run this obstacle course. But, the fact that these kids either went to school beforehand or left for school afterwards coupled with their desire to continue playing prior to their long walks home for the evening means they wanted to move. 

I know kids have a lot of energy, but we all can learn something from children. They are youthful and very energetic. They make boring things look exciting. Adults can do the same thing. The enthusiasm may go awry during our late adolescent years when we realize that certain fun activities are not cool because friends and other students will laugh or play lazy. Adults do work all day, but there is adequate time to partake in sound fitness training for working folks. Nike says, "Just do it!"

So, just do it.

During this entire one week trip, futbol was the main sport or movement activity. Futbol fields were located everywhere with their goals made of metal posts or even a fence. Big fields. Small fields. All fields spelled m-o-v-e! Even when a field was not occupied, the urge to move passed as a jolt. For Americans, it is like seeing an empty basketball court, imaging yourself dunking (even when you cannot dunk). It is a thought process. It is a culture. It is a movement.

I asked a couple of the teams in my best broken Spanish if they would like to play Team Handball. Yes, a non-American dominated sport in a futbol culture. No hands to no feet. Was not happening. Thankfully, the teens listened to me explain the sport. It was fitting that the Olympic games were being played in London during this time because it is the only time when Team Handball gets a lot of attention on the world stage. Really, it looks like a cool sport. Yet, we have never medaled in it.

For one week, it was all about futbol, hop-scotch, swings, running, sliding, see-saw, horseback, hiking, walking, bicycling, farming, and even hotel room workouts. Activity in the Danli and Linaca areas of Honduras. Amazing!

Progressing,
Derek

Lower Abdominal Fat - A Visit

You know that area right around your belly button? The area that seems like it protrudes. The Cyclops-esque area, which can resemble a visceral and circumferential forehead with one eye in the middle. Yes, the lower abs area - Hey, we have to adopt some humor about these quirks.

It can affect all of us. In fact, the abs-fat has a name: Apple-Shaped.

I like apples. They are my favorite fruit. But, I do not like this type of apple.

The apple-shaped body typically has more abdominal fat or torso fat, as I sometimes call it, which can be detrimental to our health. Weight gain, lack of blood flow, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, back pain, and squeezing into jeans are all associated with the apple-shaped “bod”. Recently, I had a conversation with someone about how to get rid of "that fat" or "this" as some refer to it. As we discussed, six different behaviors can affect lower abdominal fat: 1) Genetics 2) Sugar intake and brady/stagnant-metabolism of sugar  3) Fat intake and brady/stagnant metabolism of fat 4) Alcohol intake 5) Lack of physical activity 6) Smoking.

A different take

When we look at these six, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, and smoking are the guiltiest culprits of fat in general. Smoking, however, is by far the most difficult of the three to control. No one has to be a professional to know why. It is the only one of the three behaviors that is a gas. When a gas goes into our bodies, it is either hard to follow it or it cannot be followed at all. Foods are solids or liquids in which their digestion can be followed. So, we know where the food is going; and how it will be dissipated at complete digestion. Of course, there are a few scanning procedures that give us a good look on digestion.

Take these six causes of excess lower abdominal visceral fat and see what you can do with them. The two biggest culprits: alcohol and smoking. The two culprits that can be controlled with the appropriate increase in the usage of another culprit: sugar and fat with the increase in physical activity (PA).

Progressing,
Derek