KINESIOLOGY + WELLNESS COUNSELLING by ERICA OTTO
I went to Granville Island today; I love market and all the fresh fruit. Whilst browsing I discovered a quote used by a local artist that I feel applies to my clients and friends so to all of you:
“Your appreciation warms my energy, and your support sparks my imagination.”
Since I love inspirational quotes I plan to share all my favorites with you, feel free to share those which inspire you, post a comment.
Today was my first day back at Club Flex teaching classes and there was a moderate turn out, congrats to getting out there. I was also happy to see some of you working on your programs, you deserve a pat on the back too. Are you psyched for the new year, a new opportunity to surprise yourself with how much you can lift? how far you can run? how many burpees you can do?
I have a client who had just injured her leg, the first day of the new year, which will seriously affect her program and the time line for her goals. She is a huge inspiration to me because as opposed to getting upset and giving up (which would be the easy thing to do) she will push through and keep training what she can, and look at it as a great opportunity versus a setback.
If we can tap into ourselves and find that fighting spirit to inspire us to keep going no matter what obstacles big or small that stand in our way, anything is possible. You can and will create your best life, so what motivates and inspires you?
The there are many factors to getting new habits to stick. To start my new habit off on the right foot I decided there was no better day to start writing in my blog regularly than today, but it is not as simple as that, you have to implement strategies that will prime you for success.
Firstly, you must want to change, if you are resolving to do something because others tell you, you should then you will not be successful. I have been told by many business professionals that blogging is a great addition to a website and I should really get into the habit of it. To be honest I really did not feel like it until now, which is one of the reasons why I have not been successful at it.
Secondly, are you confident you are able to make the change. It is the single most important factor in determining whether or not you will achieve your resolutions.
Here is a video of a clinical psychologist Wendy Walsh discussing how to be effective at your resolutions.
I am always surprised by how touched I am by small gestures. Unexpected kindness is one of those little things that makes life beautiful. I am very lucky that I get to share in others experiences through life, and I am hopeful that I can help make a difference in help people achieve happiness. Today I am grateful to all those who have showen me kindness and have given to me. Specifically I would like to thank my brother in law who designed my new web banner as a birthday gift. It has inspired me to keep going and do what I can to bring more kindness into the world.
When training it is imporatnt to make sure you are eating nough calories and geting enough nutrient to supoort physiological adapation, even if you are trying to loose weight. Here is an exerpt from a postistion statement compiled by: American College of Sports Medicine: Nancy R. Rodriguez (University of Connecticut); American Dietetic Association: Nancy M. DiMarco (Texas Woman’s University); Dietitians of Canada: Susie Langley
Energy balance occurs when energy intake (the sum of energy from foods, fluids, and supplement products) equals energy expenditure (sum of energy expended as basal metabolic rate, the thermic effect of food, the thermic effect of activity, which is the energy expended in planned physical activity, and non-exercise activity thermogenesis).
Energy expenditure for different types of exercise is dependent on the duration, frequency, and intensity of the exercise, the sex of the athlete, and prior nutritional status in addition to heredity, age, body size, and fat free mass. The more energy used in activity, the more calories needed to achieve energy balance.
Inadequate energy intake compromises performance and negates the benefits of training. With limited energy intake, fat and lean tissue will be used for fuel by the body resulting in a loss of lean tissue. The concern here is that loss of strength and endurance, as well as compromised immune, endocrine, and musculoskeletal function can result.
It is in people I admire I find inspiration on how I choose to live my life. This is my grandmother, she will be 96 years old this month. She lives independantly in her own condo, and hasa zest for life that is unparalled. She is almost seventy years older than me and her comitment ot life and to health is truly an inspiration. She walks 2 kilomerts a day, rain or shine, even in the snow. She lives in Ottawa, so when I say snow I mean SNOW, yet that does not prevent her from getting out there and doing what she loves. She has been walking for as long as I can remeber.
It is amazing to see the impact healthy life choices have throughout life can result in a reawrding long and functional life. Granted there is a genetic component, most of my relatives live to be a 100. Regardless her tenacity in maintaing her physical, intellectual nad spirltal self is an ispiration. If she can find it within herself after all that she has seen and been through in her life. Then who I am not to give it all i’ve got.
When we are working out, exercising or partaking in physical activity most of the time we push ourselves because we believe the misconception that if there is no pain there is no gain. The great news is that, it is not necessaryly so, the bad news is that most people do not know this.
In some cases it is better to stop working if we feel pain or fatigue. For one form will suffer and you will not be working the muscles you want to be and maybe your body is telling you it needs a rest.
So I say it is ok to exercise easy sometimes; drop your weight, lower the number of sets, stretch instead. Just listen to your body, it will thank you later.
In life we are always presented with opportunities to grow. At first these opportunities may seem like challenges, though in the end we learn and see them for what they are. As a wellness practitioner I have learned that I have to listen to what I tell my clients and take that advice myself. It is every easy to get wrapped up in what we feel we need to get done, when sometimes the opposite is true.
This is partially why I have been absent from my “new” blog, though I have decided that no matter what is thrown my way, I will persevere with this project because not only can I reflect back on what has been happening, but hopeful others may learn form it as well; like a food journal.
All that said, I am happy to be back and explore all the window that have opened when a door was closed. Enjoy the sun, live life to its fullest.
Health and Happiness.
There are five components of fitness which together determine your overall physical well-being and ability; Cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and balance.
Together these components provide general health benefits also known as functional fitness. Functional fitness is comprised of exercises and activities which includes two or more of these components. They are all equally important because they contribute to a longer and more importantly independent life.
Cardiovascular endurance is essential to a healthy circulatory system and heart; your body’s transportation system to nourish itself. Because heart health is so vital for everyday living regular cardiovascular exercise, is a sure fire way to ensure it is optimal for as long as possible
Muscular strength is important in everyday movement, getting out of bed, getting dressed etc. These are things we take for granted until we are no longer able to perform them for ourselves. Because we lose muscle mass as we age it is important to build and maintain as much as possible so that you can live independently for as long as possible.
Muscular endurance is the ability to repeatedly move a muscle without tiring and allows us to participate in sport, gardening, hiking; activities which contribute to our quality of life and are essential to our overall well-being.
Flexibility helps us maintain range of motion around our joints reducing stiffness and tension. The more flexible we are the less likely we are to get injured because we can more easily move our joints properly.
Balance is critical in injury prevention especially as we age. Participating in physical activity which requires us to balance helps us build and maintain our stabilization muscle which helps prevent falls and related injuries.
When you are participating in physical activity and or exercise it is important to make sure you warm up, cool down and stretch.
Warming up prepares the body for more strenuous work, or exercise. It takes a few minutes for the body to gear up to work optimally during an exercise bout. Firstly blood has to be redistributed from your internal organs to your working muscle, your heart and lungs. The movement of blood to your muscle warms them which reduces your risk of injury as your move your body more strenuously. Therefore a warm up is important to prepare your body for exercise and reduce your risk of injury.
Similarly a cool down in important because as you exercise your heart rate is increased, and your body temperature is higher. A gradual cool down is an effective way of reducing post exercise muscle soreness.
Stretching is an important part of a cool down down for many reasons. Stretching is important in maintaing range of motion around a joint a.k.a. flexibility. It also reduces muscular tension built up in the muscle during exercise, thus improving recovery time. Stretching must be done while your muscle are still warm to prevent injuring yourself, and is a great way to cool down; you are still moving, but you are giving your body a chance to recover gradually.