Saturday, July 28, 2012

When the Pedometer spits out a count way below your estimate!

I recently received a pedometer for my birthday!  I borrowed my son's a year ago for a few days and was impressed that I was over 14,000 steps per day.  I seem to recall, however, that it was a busy week with a lot of walking kids to and from school mixed with more up and down stairs doing laundry, making meals, cleaning toilets, etc.  Satisfied that I was accomplishing the adult recommendation of 10,000 steps per day, I presumptuously returned the pedometer.  It has since disappeared into the abyss of lost toys and gadgets.

Upon receiving my new pedometer, I was convinced that I would have no problem attaining 10,000 steps per day.  Much to my dismay, I discovered that during my 8 hour work day I am typically reaching only 3,000 to 5,000 steps!  Yikes!  That leaves a lot of steps to accomplish outside of my work day.  Despite my best efforts, I did not achieve my 10,000 step goal 3 out of 7 days.

I found Dr. Sharma's Obesity Notes post on "Why Sports and Exercise are Barely Relevant and What Really counts is Occupational and Household Activity" timely and interesting.  He states that we need to create "active buildings" similar to the more mainstream concept of "environmentally conscious buildings".  These buildings would encourage physical activity when at work .

I challenge you to discover your day to day pedometer count.  Like me, it may not be as high as you think! It will likely be years before our buildings are designed to promote activity.  At present, being aware of your daily count will help you tweak your daily exercise goals.  Having a weekly goal of 70,000 steps may be more attainable than a daily goal of 10,0000 steps.  Going for a walk at lunchtime may work best for you.  Maybe your answer is some extra laps around the kitchen island at the end of the day?  One day this week, I required 603 laps around the island to meet my goal.  I fell short by 598 laps but was motivated to do better the next day.

For me, my pedometer count equates to "knowledge is power".  It is one means for attaining a healthier lifestyle.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Givers and Takers

Are you a giver or a taker? Could a friend call you in crisis at 3 a.m.? Are your friends meant to entertain you or do they add meaning to your life? Do you share each others' joys or are you in competition?

Martin Seligman, author of "Flourish", defines the elements of well-being. One element that resonates with me is Positive Relationships. Seligman states, "...we scientists have found that doing a kindness produces the single most reliable momentary increase in well-being of any exercise we have tested."

Takers may enjoy more immediate self-gratification but it's the givers who have increased well-being. I'm going to take Seligman's advice and strive towards enjoying positive emotion, engaging with people I care about, having meaning in my life, achieving my work goals (accomplishment) and maintaining good relationships. These are the five elements of his well-being theory.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Best Bang for Your Buck - (non) Smoking and Exercise

The best things you can do to improve your health are: 1) quit smoking and 2) exercise!!

Quitting smoking is difficult. You have to be ready to do it. There are several different aids to help you quit: medications, gum, hypnotism, acupuncture, cold turkey, the patch, etc. But, step 1 is to WANT to quit. Once you're there, talk to your health care provider. Each time you try to quit your chance for success goes up!

Next, exercise. I see a lot of seniors in my practise. Most are overweight, with no exercise routine, and are suffering from LOTS of aches and pains. You don't want this person to be you! NOW is the time to establish a fitness routine and create an active lifestyle so that you will be a FIT senior. Our life expectancy is increasing. Do you want to be a zestful grandparent or the one stuck in a rocking chair with a walker?

Over the past year, I have made it a point to ask all of my fittest seniors what their SECRET to health is. Almost all of them have responded: DAILY WALKING!! A few others (who were exceptionally fit) answered boot camp and hiring a personal trainer. Note: the daily walking was over a lifetime.

For me, a great motivator is to want to be fit enough to play with my kids, and hopefully someday, my grandkids. An easy place to start is to buy a pedometer. You can pick up a good one for $20 - $25 at a running or sports store. Walking is free. If you need more of a challenge, you can put weights in a backpack, carry hand weights, or add stairs into your walk.

Aim for 10,000 steps per day. If it's more reasonable for you (eg. some days you're a 5,000 stepper and others you're a 15,000 stepper), aim for 70,000 steps a week.

Many have found that having someone to report in to is helpful and serves as a motivator. Do you have a group of friends or relatives with whom you could share daily or weekly step counts? Celebrate each others' accomplishments with a simple "Wow!" or "Well done!"




Thursday, July 12, 2012

Bucket List

Nike's infamous "Just Do It" slogan keeps reverberating in my brain these days. I think it's my middle-agedness. I can no longer escape the reality that there will be an unscripted ending.

The good news is that this knowledge has motivated me to define a few experiences I would like to have over the next year. I like realistic and achievable goals. For me, defining 3 to 5 goals for the year is more reasonable and manageable than listing 100 or 1000 things to do before I die.

My bucket list for 2012/13:

1) Travel to Scotland to see the World Highland Dancing Championships. As a past Highland Dancer and Highland Dancing Teacher, I assumed this was a given. But it hasn't happened in over 20 years. It is time. I am taking my mom, who supported my extracurricular activity to the extent that she is a Life Member of Calgary Highland Dancing Association, with me. Gratitude. Adventure. Nostalgia.

2) See 3 new muscles in my body. I'm not picky. Any 3 will do. Strength.

3) Kayak with my eldest son. Peace.

4) Walk in nature once a week. Beauty.

5) Camp in a tent with my sons. Wonder and awe.

What would be on your bucket list? Do you prefer to identify many items or just a few?







Tuesday, July 10, 2012

5 things I learned about social media

Today I met with Jodine Chase, a local social media consultant. I won an hour of her time at a silent auction last week to help BACE (Breastfeeding Action Committee of Edmonton) fundraise for an Edmonton collection depot for the Calgary Mothers' Milk Bank. I read today in METRO that the Grey Nun's hospital has offered a space for breast milk storage. Congrats to BACE on this achievement!

So what did I come away with from my social media consult?

1) Social media is social networking. It's a great way to meet new people who share similar interests and passions.

2) Define your interests and passions.

3) Define why you're using social media and set some goals for its use. Every so often re-evaluate those goals.

4) Engage in social media that you find fun! There's no point if you're not having fun.

5) You are your brand. Be authentic because the savvy social media folks can sniff out inauthenticity in a heartbeat.