Are you in Balance?

Did you see any of the women’s gymnastics during the Olympics last week?

Watching the Balance Beam competition had me thinking.  These young ladies are certainly at the top of the world in terms of being able to balance their bodies in some amazing positions.  The flips and tumbling they perform on a piece of wood that’s just 4 inches wide is at times almost unbelievable.

So, their bodies are certainly in balance.  But what about the rest of their lives?  US gymnasts training for the Olympics are in the gym 30-40 hours per week.  Add in 6 hours per day for school, and that doesn’t leave much time for other pursuits.

While these athletes day to day lives and their goals may not have much in common with those of us not in such high level training, the lack of Balance in our lives is something most of us do share.

Work, sleep, relationships, fitness, recreational pursuits, spirituality, healthy food – finding time to spend on each of these can be a challenge.  And yet, if we don’t work to balance these parts of our life, even the ones we do focus on won’t be optimal, as each of these work together.

Let’s look at fitness.  Even within this one are of life, we must work for balance.  Spending too much time strength training and not enough time on flexibility, and you will see your strength training results effected.

What can you do about it? Work to plan a fitness routine that includes all of the following:

1 – Strength Training – be sure you are targeting all muscle groups, including your core.  Vary your routine, body weight exercises as well as lifting weights all contribute to stronger muscles.

2 – Cardiovascular conditioning – both steady state cardio and intervals have a place in your fitness routine.  Don’t always do the same type of cardio – machines such as a treadmill or stair stepper are great, but remember you can take those activities outdoors for a different experience, swimming is a wonderful aerobic activity as well – and one of my favorite things to do!

3 – Flexibility – daily stretching is a must, but dedicating a day in your fitness plan to yoga or pilates will complement your strength training and cardio days and help your body avoid overuse type injuries.

Depending on your fitness goals, you can adjust the time you spend on each of these components.  Training for a marathon? Running will be at the core of your fitness plan, add strength training and flexibility workouts around that core.

Looking to lose weight? a good balance of each of the above will bring you to your goals sooner than neglecting any of the above.   Try taking an hour 4 days each week and spending 30 minutes on Strength Training and 30 minutes on Cardio.  On the fifth day take a yoga class.

You may be surprised how having a balanced fitness plan will affect the balance other areas of your life.   Better sleep as a result of consistent activity, the desire to eat healthier foods, and the ability to see relationships in a happier light are all byproducts of taking care of your body.  Spending more time seeking out things you love will lead to overall balance and happiness.

Let me know how you get on.

This is another in my series of blogs for Gardenoflife.com.  You can find them here. Would love to hear how you go about finding Balance in your life, so be sure to leave me a note.  

Vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet.  Most of us could include more vegetables in our daily food.  Current recommendations call for 6-8 servings of veggies per day as a minimum, but the more the better!   I like to include a serving with each meal, but sometimes that can be a challenge.  And, even with the best intentions, you can get to the end of the day and not have hit your target servings.

I like to start each day by getting most of my veggie servings in early.  A steaming plate of broccoli may not be too appetizing first thing in the morning, so instead I opt for a tall glass of fresh juice.

In fact, juicing your vegetables is a great way to increase the amount of raw vegetables in your diet.  It’s important to have a good mixture of raw and cooked vegetables each day. Some vitamins and nutrients are lost when cooked, while evidence shows some antioxidants are increased when cooked.

Why juice?

1 –  Quantity. It’s much easier to consume the recommended amount of veggies in the form of juice.  8 servings of raw broccoli is 4 cups.  Thats a lot of broccoli.

2 – Digestion. Juicing helps break down the raw vegetables, which increases your body’s ability to absorb all available nutrients, rather than having them pass through unabsorbed.

3 – Variety. We tend to get into ingrained habits with the foods we consume.  Best practice for our diet is to consume many different vegetables.  When you juice these vegetables, you can make many combinations, including veggie choices you may not have made if you were eating them whole.

Never juiced before? Here are some tips to help get you started.

1 – Choose a juicer that is easy to clean.  If you find the task of juicing and cleaning up daunting, you  won’t do it.  The goal is to actually consume the juice, not have a gorgeous juicer siting in your cabinet.

2 – Juicing vegetables is much preferred to juicing fruit.  It’s very easy to consume too much fruit sugar by juicing only fruits.  Choose vegetables that you enjoy –  you can try them alone, or in combination.  If 100% green juice is too much, add a small amount of fruit. Lemons add great flavor without too much sugar.

3 – Use organic produce if possible.  Give the outside a good scrubbing, and you can juice the peel and all.  If you are not  using organic produce, peel your produce to eliminate the consumption of pesticides.

4 – Drink  your juice right away! It’s best to not let it sit on the counter or in the refrigerator.

What veggies should I start with?

You can juice just about any fruit or vegetable.   Remember, best to focus on vegetables adding in only a bit of fruit to keep sugar levels low.  Some good green vegetables to start with are Cucumber, Spinach, Fennel, Kale, Celery.  Add in a carrot or two, a quarter lemon – make sure you include the pith – the white part beneath the peel – even if you are peeling your lemon.  Get creative! Start with the veggies you love to eat, then add some you’ve never tried.

One of my favorite Juice Recipes :

Joey’s Morning Juice:

3 sticks celery
1 whole cucumber
3 handfuls spinach
1 handful Kale
3 sprigs parsley
5 large fresh Basil leaves
1/4 lemon

Give juicing a try, I promise you will have more energy and feel better each day.

This is the latest of my GardenofLife.com blogs.  Stop by their website and leave a comment here. Would love to hear your thoughts on juicing and favorite juice combinations.

Feels amazing doesn’t it?

Stretching is such an important component in keeping your body in balance.  When you work out, you are constantly contracting your muscles.  Stretching at the end of your workout pulls your muscles in the opposite direction and not only feels great, but sets your muscles up for optimal repair after being worked.

What are some Benefits of Stretching?

Improves circulation and range of motion
Increases mobility in muscles, joints and tendons
Reduces muscle tension and fatigue
Increases relaxation
Improvement in posture
Helps prevent injuries and muscle strains
Feels Great!

You should avoid static stretching when your muscles are cold.  After you’ve worked out, your muscles are warm and will benefit the most from a good stretch.  Don’t be tempted to skip stretching after a hard workout.  The benefits are well worth the few minutes it will take.

 Tips for stretching following a workout:

Focus on the muscles you’ve used that day; they’re the ones that will benefit the most
Hold each stretch for a count of 10-30, take a deep breath, stretch just a bit deeper and repeat
Hold each stretch steadily, don’t bounce!
While you are stretching, focus on how far you are reaching, and keep trying to go just a bit farther
Remember to breathe!

Stretching after a cardio or strength training workout is essential.  You should also incorporate days into your workout regimen that focus primarily on stretching.  There are many forms of yoga you can investigate to find the one that works for you.

One of my favorite stretches

Piriformis Stretch #1 Lower Trunk Rotation

Lay on your back
Bend one knee up to your chest.
With the opposite hand, pull your knee across your body until a stretch is felt in your buttock.
Hold 20-30 seconds, repeat 3 times.  Repeat on the other side.

Daily stretching will show results quickly.  In no time at all you will notice huge improvements in your flexibility.