Transcript
Fall 2015
Back to School Fitness Routine Ever feel like it is impossible to stuff more time into the busyness of the school year for your fitness? Just as it takes a few weeks to slide back into a new school schedule, it will take just a few short weeks for you to adjust to a healthier, fitter lifestyle. 1.) Schedule your workouts. Put your exercise on your calendar or in your planner just as you would any other important event. Do not cancel this appointment with yourself any more than you would a family event or a meeting with your boss. This is you time, which is important for your physical and mental health. 2.) Start your day earlier. Summer is over. It is early to bed and early to rise time again. Set your alarm clock early enough to comfortably get a 30-45 minute workout in before everyone starts demanding of you. Making one healthy decision first thing in the morning makes it that much easier to make additional positive, healthy decisions as your day progresses. Yes, it will be challenging to get up earlier than normal, but it will feel good to get your workout done first. 3.) Set a “Food Prep” day. Carve out a couple of hours into the weekend to prep some healthy choices for the week. You can boil eggs to have available for a breakfast on the run or to top on salads. Grill and dice chicken breast and lean flank steak to make into healthy lunch options instead of ordering out with the office group. Food prep takes time, but makes a huge difference with being able to stay on track during the week with your food choices. It also makes it more convenient and time efficient when packing your lunches during the week. Source: Amy Horvath from The Health Journals
4.) Eliminate processed foods. You can spend as much time as you want exercising, but if you do not clean up your diet, it will be an uphill battle that will be nearly impossible to win. Unless you are an Olympic athlete in training, you will never out-train a poor diet. Keep your nutrition to simple whole foods such as fresh veggies and fruit, lean meats, eggs and nuts. When you do eat processed, find foods with five ingredients or fewer, as well as familiar ingredients or ingredients you can least can pronounce. There are many harmful chemicals in processed foods. Keep an eye on sugar, too. Be sure that it is not one of the top three ingredients on the label. 5.) Get Movin’. Grab a jump rope and a stable chair or coffee table. Rest for one minute between circuits and repeat the series for a total of three times.
Speed rope for 2 minutes to get your heart rate up.
20 lunges per leg Speed rope for 1 minute 20 ab crunches Speed rope for 1 minute 20 tricep dips on seat of chair or edge of coffee table Speed rope for 1 minute 20 push ups Speed rope for 1 minute 20 jumping squats
Wellness Events for the Fall
Apple Pie Chia Smoothie
1 apple, cut into small pieces
1 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg and salt
Walk to End Alzheimer's, Sept 12, 2015 Located at Millennium Park in Grand Rapids: 1415 Maynard Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49534. Must register for event. Route length is approximately two miles. act.alz.org
Grand River Run, Sept 26, 2015
Blend all ingredients until smooth; add 1 cup of ice if desired. Recipe from Stephanie Gerber of Hello Natural
Grand River Run–8K, 5K & 2K at Roselle Park, 1010 Grand River Drive NE, Ada, Michigan 49301. Saturday, September 26, 2015. The day-long activities kick off with the chip-timed races, followed by an award ceremony and ongoing entertainment and activities for all ages— musicians, kid activities, food, and more. grandriver-run.com
Skipping the Snooze Button Offers Better Sleep
Ride for Refuge, Oct. 3, 2015
It may sound strange, but hitting the snooze button on your alarm clock can actually make you more tired. Those five extra minutes in the morning are less restful than five minutes of REM sleep because they take place at the end of the cycle when sleep is lighter. And, although sleep is usually the time when the brain forms new memories, that process doesn’t happen while we’re sleeping in between alarms.
The Exercise Science Department is teaming up with Feeding America for the Ride for Refuge. The RIDE is a fantastically fun, family friendly bike-a-thon that supports Feeding America and hundreds of other charities serving the displaced, vulnerable, and exploited across the USA and Canada. rideforrefuge.org
Skipping that high-quality sleep can have serious consequences: A recent study from the US National Library of Medicine found high school students with poor sleep habits (including using an alarm to wake up) didn’t do so well in school. The secret to an easier wakeup is simple—get more sleep! Set the alarm for the time you actually get out of bed and avoid the snooze button altogether. If keeping your hands off the alarm clock is just too difficult, try placing the alarm clock across the room. It’s much easier to resist the urge to press the snooze button if isn’t placed right next to your head! For a permanent solution to weekday sleepiness, try to cultivate better long-term sleep habits. For example, work on going to bed and rising at the same time every day—even on weekends—to establish a daily schedule. Hitting the hay earlier can be difficult at first, but resetting your body’s inner rhythms will make early mornings that much easier. Source: Sophia Breene from Greatist.com
Dirty Duel, Nov 14, 2015 Course located on the trails at Robinette’s Apple Haus and Winery. Two courses from which to choose: Short and Brutal 5K or the Long and Challenging 3.65 miles. dirtyduel.com
Whoville 5K Dec 20, 2015 The Whoville 5k includes a 5k run, 5k walk, kid's fun run and a sweet finish in Whoville, featuring hot chocolate and chocolate fountain goodies for runners. whoville5K.com
