PSYCHING YOURSELF UP TO EXERCISE

---

 

 

Denny Bender, Let's Move Together Blogger
Download MP3

 

 

Want to exercise, but just can’t seem to get moving? When it comes to health and fitness, your state of mind, or emotional conditioning, is as important as your physical conditioning.  Here's some tips from the Arthritis Foundation to help get you mentally prepared for physical fitness.

  Results of a recent study show that fear of pain (not pain itself) ranked as the No. 1 barrier preventing people with arthritis from exercising. Other mental hurdles, like a lack of motivation and not enjoying exercise, also ranked high.

Few people focus on the mental aspects of physical fitness, whether it’s overcoming injury-related anxiety or simply getting motivated to lace up your sneakers each day. Changing your mind-set can help you live a more active life. So, before you exercise, get your mind ready.

So how do you get your mind and your body prepared for exercise? Follow these three emotional conditioning tips:

1.Be flexible. People who adjusted their exercise routine to accommodate their arthritis are more likely to keep exercising than those who don’t. Avoid an all-or-nothing mentality. If your knees hurt, resolve to walk more slowly. If you’re stiff in the morning, then exercise in the evenings. Or cut the length of your workout in half, if you’re really sore. Having a Plan B keeps you from giving up when things seem tough.

2.Focus on the benefits. People who exercise regularly do so because they believe it makes them feel better, promotes weight loss and increases their ability to move. Reminding yourself of how good exercise is for your health can motivate you to make the effort, even when you’re feeling tired, sore or nervous.

3.Soothe yourself. Being anxious or afraid can amplify pain, which is why it’s important to get calm before you get moving. Before you start exercising, spend several minutes breathing deeply while picturing yourself doing your chosen activity. Also practice positive self-talk before and during exercise, saying or thinking phrases like “I can do this,” and “I feel pain, but doing this will help me feel less pain.”

Good Food = Good Energy

Fuel your body with healthy picks from experts.

1. Blueberries: They're packed with antioxidants that boost brain cells and help keep memory sharp, research shows. Toss a half cup onto your cereal.
2. Apples: Their high fiber content means they deliver steady energy. "Apples also help prevent dehydration," says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, a dietitian in Chicago.
3. Fish: "The omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish such as salmon are linked to improved concentration and memory," says Blatner.
4. Spinach: It's brimming with iron, which helps deliver oxygen to your cells. When you're low on this mineral, you'll feel like you're...about...to...crash. Use it in pastas and salads.
5. Nuts: Build energy with a daily handful of almonds, hazelnuts, or cashews, all of which contain fatigue-fighting magnesium.

Great advice so start munching to maintain and boost your energy!

(Fitnessmagazine.com, 3/10)

LEG AND FOOT CRAMPS

Do you find your muscles in legs and/or feet cramping up? Cramping happens often, especially when first starting exercise. Basically, cramping is a fatigue of the muscle, either physically or physiologically - when you are asking your muscles to do something they are not used to, even when you stand too long, walk too far, walk/wear the same shoes for too long, do some exercise it is not used to....thus the toes cramp when you start exercising. 

To help the cramps, stay hydrated, ease into your workouts, and keep the body supplied with the minerals and elements it needs, such as natural supplements like bananas and other foods. Eventually the feet and legs get stronger and the cramps will be reduced. Don't forget to skip the coffee or tea before a workout. They can dehydrate the body. Also, try a cup of tonic water with quinine. Or, try mustard. Amazingly, they work!

ACL Injuiries and the Brain

A new study has linked mental fatigue with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries among athletes. The study, published in the August issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise(2009; 41 [8], 1662–73), suggested that the brain is just as important as muscle in preventingACL injuries.

GOOD CAUSE, GOOD FOOD

California Pizza Kitchen in Encino is sponsoring a fundraiser for Haven Hills (domestic violence shelter in the Valley) on Feb. 23 by donating 20 percent of its sales that day to the organization.  A coupon for the fundraiser must be given when placing the order and can be downloaded from the Haven Hills web site [www.havenhills.org]

They are also looking for more volunteers.

HEALTHIEST FOODS ON EARTH

The Healthiest Foods on Earth 

Pineapple	Speeds post-surgery	Promotes joint health	Reduces asthma inflammation
Blueberries	Restore antioxidant levels	Reverse age-related brain decline	Prevent urinary tract infection
Spinach	Helps maintain mental sharpness	Reduces the risk of cancers of the liver, ovaries, colon and prostate	Top nutrient density
Red Bell Pepper	Reduces risk of lung, prostate, ovarian and cervical cancer	Protects against sunburn	Promotes heart health
Broccoli	Reduces diabetic damage	Lowers risk of prostate, bladder, colon, pancreatic, gastric and breast cancer	Protects the brain in event of injury
Tomato	Reduces inflammation	Lowers risk of developing esophageal, stomach, colorectal, lung and pancreatic cancer	Reduces cardiovascular disease risk
Apple	Supports immunity	Fights lung and prostate cancer	Lowers Alzheimer’s risk
Artichoke	Helps blood clotting	Antioxidant Superfood	Lowers “bad” cholesterol
Arugula	Lowers birth defect risk	Reduces fracture risk	Protects eye health
Asparagus	Nourishes good gut bacteria	Protects against birth defects	Promotes heart health
Avocado	Limits liver damage	Reduces oral cancer risk	Lowers cholesterol levels
Blackberries	Build bone density	Suppress appetite	Enhance fat burning
Butternut Squash	Supports night vision	Combats wrinkles	Promotes heart health
Cantaloupe	Bolsters immunity	Protects skin against sunburn	Reduces inflammation
Carrot	Antioxidants defend DNA	Fights cataracts	Protects against some cancers
Cauliflower	Stimulates detoxification	Suppresses breast cancer cell growth	Defends against prostate cancer
Cherries	Alleviate arthritic pain and gout	Lower “bad” cholesterol	Reduce inflammation
Cranberries	Alleviate prostate pain	Fight lung, colon and leukemia cancer cells	Prevent urinary tract infection
Green Cabbage	Promotes healthy blood clotting	Reduces risk of prostate, colon, breast and ovarian cancers	Activates the body’s natural detoxification systems
Kale	Counters harmful estrogens that can feed cancer	Protects eyes against sun damage and cataracts	Increases bone density
Kiwi	Combats wrinkles	Lowers blood clot risk and reduces blood lipids	Counters constipation
Mango	Supports immunity	Lowers “bad” cholesterol	Regulates homocysteine to protect arteries
Mushrooms	Promote natural detoxification	Reduce the risk of colon and prostate cancer	Lower blood pressure
Orange	Reduces levels of “bad” cholesterol	Lowers risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, breast and stomach, and childhood leukemia	Pectin suppresses appetite
Papaya	Enzymes aid digestion	Reduces risk of lung cancer	Enhances fat burning
Plums & Prunes	Counter constipation	Antioxidants defend against DNA damage	Protects against post-menopausal bone loss
Pomegranate	Enhances sunscreen protection	Lowers “bad” cholesterol	Fights prostate cancer
Pumpkin	Protects joints against polyarthritis	Lowers lung and prostate cancer risk	Reduces inflammation
Raspberries	Inhibit growth of oral, breast, colon and prostate cancers	Antioxidant DNA defense	Lower “bad” cholesterol levels
Strawberries	Protect against Alzheimer’s	Reduce “bad” cholesterol	Suppress growth of colon, prostate and oral cancer
Sweet Potato	Reduces stroke risk	Lowers cancer risk	Protect against blindness
Watermelon	Supports male fertility	Reduces risk of several cancers: prostate, ovarian, cervical, oral and pharyngeal	Protects skin against sunburn
Banana	Increases Fat Burning	Lowers risk of colorectal and kidney cancer, leukemia	Reduces asthmas symptoms in children *Article from David Murdock, in Huffington News