Skip to main content

Simple Steps to Spring Forward Toward Fitness

Daylight savings time is a sure reminder that spring is just around the corner and there WILL eventually be an end to the winter weather. And while much of the country still dealing with bitter cold, here in Houston, we’re definitely ready for the warmer days. In fact, this is the time of year when you’ll find many of us increasing our outdoor activities and all too often push ourselves a little too hard. Unfortunately, what can result is often a few days of painful recovery time.

So, I've got a short list of suggestions to consider as you pursue your favorite warm-weather pastimes this season:

First, increase your activity level gradually— Pay attention to your body’s signals so you can avoid serious injury and don’t have to pay the painful price of overindulgence. Start slowly and do a little more each day and you’ll be up to speed in no time.

Warm up— Plunging into activity before you get your body warmed and ready is inviting potential trouble. Avoid possible sprains, torn ligaments, etc. by taking a few minutes to get the blood and oxygen flowing. Just as your car needs a few minutes to get warmed up to prevent mechanical problems, so does your body!

Drink plenty of pure water— Proper hydration is highly important to safely maintaining your body. Water helps to regulate body temperature, helps flush toxins and body waste from your system, and it can help insure your internal organs (like your liver and kidneys) are performing at optimum levels. Shoot for drinking half an ounce of water per pound of body-weight. So, if you weigh 160, that means you should strive for drinking about 80 oz. of water daily (or about 10 cups).

Lastly, schedule a therapeutic massage — Did you think I was actually going to let you forget about this one? LOL! Nothing feels quite as nice as working out the kinks and sore spots after a day of sports or outdoor activity. Your massage session can help relax your muscles and relieve soreness, as well as flushing out the chemical by-products of exercise and physical activity.

Simply put – massage can’t be beat for helping your body function at its best!

So there you have it — simple steps to get back into the swing of fitness. Now go have fun! Spring forward toward those outdoor activities and enjoy the warmer weather (whenever you can)! And when you are ready to reward those muscles for giving you a wonderful day of play – be sure to give me a call. Your body will thank you for it! ;-)

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What To Do When You’re Chronically Stressed

Of all the modern-day ailments that seem to affect us, none is more pervasive than stress. Everywhere you turn, there are factors lurking to redirect you from your peaceful pursuit of happiness and lock you in the clutches of “stress.” What exactly is stress—and what more insidious effects does it cause? The dictionary defines stress as “great pressure or force; strain.” In today’s world, we think of stress as the result of too much pressure laid upon us by life, causing mental worry or anguish. This, in turn, manifests itself in tight neck and shoulders, headaches, nervous stomach, etc. But these physical and mental conditions are really only the beginning. Studies show that stressful situations can develop into more threatening health conditions. For instance: A sudden or unexpected stressor can activate your adrenal glands, which sends adrenaline and other hormones into your bloodstream. This brings about an increase in your breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and blood f...
Post a Comment
Read more

What to Do If You’ve Got High Cholesterol

As I've gotten older I've realized that takes more than an apple a day to keep the doctor off your back. If you've got high blood pressure or cholesterol levels, the good doc is going to pester you about it—apple or not (and he should!). But don’t blame him - he’s trying to save your life. According to the American Heart Association, 105.2 million adults have borderline to high risk blood cholesterol levels. In addition, nearly one in three adults suffers from high blood pressure and these numbers grow every year. Even more frightening; 82% of those at high risk are unaware of their condition. Could you be one of them? Whether you've had your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked lately or not, these conditions are deadly and sneaky—many people are unaware of the danger lurking in their own arteries. In fact, many firmly believe that what you don’t know can’t hurt you… They’re dead wrong. What’s so bad about high blood pressure and cholesterol levels...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ingredients That can Sabotage Your Waistline and Health

It can never stressed enough how important it is that we know exactly what we are eating. With today’s marketing it is so easy to want to what the labels and brightly colored packages of convenience foods say to us, but approach with caution. While a packaged meal may be advertised as healthy, it’s up to you to find out if it really is before you simply buy into a few good words that may or may not be true. People get very excited when they see that convenience foods are labeled as “healthy” or “low-fat,” (I’ve been guilty about this, too) but some minor research needs to be done before indulging. The following are 3 ingredients that I recommend be avoided as much as possible. Trans-fats Trans-fats are found in so many foods that you probably eat on a regular basis. Trans-fats can be found in baked goods, microwave popcorn, fast foods, and frozen foods. These items are all convenient, but they’re not worth risking your health for. Trans-fats can cause an increase in bad choleste...
2 comments
Read more