Posted by Monica Bautista on Thu, Jun 03, 2010 @ 09:37 AM
About a week ago, I wrote about a new study that came out that links taking more steps a day to a lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Today, I found some great, easy suggestions for adding more steps into your daily life (courtesy of USA Today):
- Take 100 steps around your home or office every hour. Program your computer to remind you when it's time to take a break.
- At the office, don't email or call anyone within 400 feet of you. Instead, walk to that person and give him/her the message.
- Take the long way to the restroom.
- Take a couple of quick laps around the mall before you start shopping.
- Walk one city block, around 200 steps.
- Take a brisk walk during your lunch break for about 20 minutes or so, about 2,000 steps.
- Walk four laps around a track; about 2,000 steps.
- Play basketball for 30 minutes; more than 4,300 steps.
- Do low-impact aerobic dancing for 20 minutes; more than 2,500 steps.
- Play soccer for 1 hour; 8,000 - 10,000 steps.
What do your steps per day indicate about your activity level now?
- Fewer than 4,500 - you are very sedentary.
- 4,500 - 5,500 - you are sedentary.
- 5,500 - 7,500 - you are headed in the right direction but need to step it up!
- 8,500 and up - you are moderately active...keep it up and keep increasing those steps!
I encourage you to go out and invest in a pedometer
today. Track where you are now and make the changes necessary to increase your steps each and every day (to 10,000 or more!).
Posted by Monica Bautista on Sat, May 22, 2010 @ 09:46 AM
I know it's not Wednesday, but I received an email this morning with some pretty powerful images of portion distortion that I wanted to share with you. It ties in nicely with our Friday Fight post about Diet Wreckers.
We coach clients all the time to beware of eating out at restaurants. You are always going to be getting more calories and fat than you think, even if something sounds healthy. Click here to see examples of what 300, 350, and 400 calories really look like when you eat out. To take that one step further, check out these easy wins for weight loss using delicious HMR shakes, puddings, and entrees.
In addition to a healthy diet, including plenty of fruits and vegetables, we always stress the importance of physical activity. Results from a recent study link the benefits of taking more steps each day to a lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a condition that can lead to diabetes and heart disease. The study found that those who walked the most (up to 10,000 steps a day or more) were less likely to develop metabolic syndrome and were healthier overall. For more information about this study, click here.
The bottom line? Take control of your weight and your health today. Prepare more meals at home and increase your servings of fruits and vegetables. Try new recipes with your HMR shakes, puddings, cereal and entrees. Go out and get yourself a pedometer to track your steps each day and Get Moving!
And, remember, our coaches are always here to help support you and provide the accountability and motivation you need to succeed. Call us today for more information about our Spring Coaching Special...508-353-7560.
Have a wonderful, healthy weekend!
Posted by Monica Bautista on Wed, May 05, 2010 @ 05:08 PM
As a follow up to my earlier post today, I wanted to share this excerpt from an email that I received from Exercise is Medicine this afternoon:
Bob Sallis blogs for Exercise is Medicine:
"I've been a physician for more than twenty years and I've seen a lot of patients. I can tell you first-hand, people who exercise are healthier. They are less prone to illness, less affected by stress and generally do seem to be happier.
We all know exercise is not a magic bullet. It doesn't guarantee you won't get cancer or have high blood pressure. But research clearly shows exercise helps treat and prevent many chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease, cancer and hypertension.
Today, too much focus is on obesity and finding ways to get patients to lose weight. Instead, we should focus on exercise for overall, life-long health. Other benefits such as weight loss, better circulation, increased strength and improved agility will certainly follow. I know, I have seen it in my patients and in myself.
I assess my patients exercise habits at every appointment and treat it like a "vital sign". There is no better indicator of a patient's health and longevity than how many minutes per week they exercise. When necessary, I write prescriptions for physical activity for my patients. I recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, 5 days a week. And if a patient needs to be monitored, I refer them to a certified fitness professional.
Of all the measures that can be taken to prevent illness and disease, exercise is, by far, the most worthwhile. Whether you're sick or healthy, young or old, fit or not, exercise makes you feel better almost immediately! The trick is to sustain a fitness regime. Help is out there. Support is available. Whatever it takes, just get moving!"
Robert E Sallis, MD, FACSM, ACSM is chair of Exercise is Medicine
For more information about Exercise is Medicine and access to valuable resources, click here.
Posted by Monica Bautista on Wed, May 05, 2010 @ 09:13 AM
How often have you felt unmotivated, lethargic, or even downright grumpy after being cooped up inside at home or at work for a long time? An interesting new study from the UK shows that even five minutes a day of "green exercise" goes a long way to improve people's moods, self-esteem, and mental health. "Green exercise" is activity that is done in the presence of nature.
How often have you experienced being refreshed and rejuvenated after stepping outside, enjoying the sunshine, and breathing in fresh air? Just look at kids and how happy and energetic they are when they are outside, running around and playing. If you have kids of your own, you may wonder like I do sometimes...where do they get all of that energy? Now, research has shown that being outside and moving around in nature creates this positive effect.
So, I encourage you to leave the treadmill, elliptical machine, or stationary bike behind today and Get Moving outside! Click here to download Full Life's Outdoor Workout...challenge yourself and reap the benefits of "green exercise".
To read more about this study, click here.
Posted by Monica Bautista on Sun, May 02, 2010 @ 11:41 AM
Happy Sunday to all! We hope you are enjoying a beautiful weekend.
Please take a moment to download our May Calendar of healthy living tips and ideas. Our focus this month is Exercise is Medicine. We encourage you to join us in recognizing and celebrating the valuable benefits of regular exercise. And, of course, if you need any help getting started or staying on track, give us a call!
Click here to download the calendar.
Posted by Monica Bautista on Wed, Apr 28, 2010 @ 11:17 AM
May 2010 marks the third annual Exercise is Medicine Month ~ a month to recognize and celebrate the valuable health benefits of regular exercise. Even small increases in physical activity can go a long way toward reducing chronic diseases, preventing illnesses, and leading a healthier lifestyle. Regular exercise is a key component in successful weight management and it's fun!
Exercise is Medicine is a national organization whose vision is to make physical activity and exercise a standard part of disease prevention and treatment in the United States. Their website is a valuable source of information for health care providers, fitness professionals, local communities, worksites, and the general public.
Full Life is proud to be a member of the Exercise is Medicine Network and fully support their guiding principles that exercise and physical activity are the key to better health and disease prevention and that more should be done to address physical activity in health care settings and our communities.
As a Network Member, we invite you to join us in celebrating Exercise is Medicine Month. Click here for access to valuable resources and to find out how you can get involved.
Start today...get out there and encourage your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors to Get Moving with you...your healthy lifestyle depends on it!
Posted by Monica Bautista on Mon, Apr 19, 2010 @ 08:26 AM
Good morning all! Today is Monday, April 19th...Marathon Monday in Boston, MA. Full Life's very own Natalie DeAngelo, Personal Coach and Friday Fights Blogger, is running in this historic event to raise money for the Melanoma Foundation. Her goal was to raise $5,000 ~ she has far surpassed that goal by raising over $15,000 for this very important cause.
Natalie has been training for months, in good weather and bad and through the highs and lows that come with training for a marathon. But, she set her goal and stayed committed to that goal from day one. She is an inspiration to us all!
Click here for up to the minute race coverage of the Boston Marathon. To track Natalie's progress, go to Athlete Tracking (Individual) and type in bib #25402.
Way to go, Natalie!
Posted by Monica Bautista on Thu, Apr 08, 2010 @ 08:30 AM
Happy Thursday! I hope you are all having a great week.
As you may have read back in February, First Lady Michelle Obama has launched a nationwide campaign, Let's Move, aimed at tackling and eliminating childhood obesity. If you have not visited the website to learn more about the objectives and goals of this campaign, I encourage you to do so. I also encourage you to join the campaign, subscribe to their blog posts, and read all of the valuable information about how to help kids make healthier choices and be more physically active.
As I was leaving the gym the other day, I noticed a flyer in the Kids Club area where my kids go to play when I work out. It had the Let's Move logo on it so I picked it up to see what it was all about. It was a week-long event in which kids were invited to participate in a special exercise class every evening; every time they participated, they would receive a punch on their card. At the end of the week, all of the punched cards would be entered into a drawing and the kids would be eligible to win great prizes of fun outdoor toys: a football, frisbee, a kite, etc. I was so excited to see that the staff had embraced the idea of encouraging kids to be more physically active. I was also excited to see that they were not using food as a reward!
As a parent, keeping my kids healthy and providing them with opportunities to be physically active is my top priority. I know that what I do now is building a foundation for them and helping them develop the skills they will need to live a healthy lifestyle as they grow older.
All of us can make a difference as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends...and it is our job to do so! Learn more about Let's Move and about how you can help create a healthier generation of children.
If you have any stories about things happening in your community or ideas about how you help your kids stay healthy, we would love to hear them!
Posted by Monica Bautista on Thu, Apr 01, 2010 @ 10:20 PM
Happy Friday to all! I hope you have had a great week full of healthy eating and lots of moving!
Today, I want to share some personal insights about working with an expert to achieve your health and fitness goals. As many of you may know from a previous post, I am currently training for my first sprint triathlon with the hopes of completing longer distance triathlons and, maybe someday, working up to an Ironman. That's off in the distance...a long-term goal!
My passion is physical fitness. I am always reading and trying to learn as much as I can about improving physical fitness and reaching new levels of performance. This passion led me to complete a Personal Training Certification a few months ago and, although I feel like I have a good base of knowledge in the field, I have come to realize that I need an expert to really help guide me to the next level with my training. I need someone to plan my workouts and then hold me accountable to them. I need an expert to tell me what to do and how to do it so that I can achieve my goals of being a better swimmer, faster runner, more efficient cyclist and, ultimately, complete long distance endurance events.
As I was going through this process, I was thinking that it is exactly the same thing that we encourage our clients to do when it comes to achieving their goals of making better choices, increasing physical activity, and, ultimately, living a healthier lifestyle...work with an expert. It's not simply of question of knowing the "right" things to do ~ eating more fruits and vegetables, creating variety with HMR meal replacements, and getting more exercise. Many of us know the "right" things to do. What becomes difficult is holding ourselves accountable, addressing challenging situations, and building the momentum to create a healthier lifestyle. Those are just some of the things that the Full Life Personal Coaches will help you do...they are truly experts in the field of weight management and healthy living.
I made the call today and will be working with a triathlon coach by this weekend. I encourage you to make the call, too...download our FREE Weight Loss Planning Guide and receive a complimentary 15 minute coaching session...see how our experts can help you.
Don't forget to download our April calendar full of healthy tips and ideas!
Posted by Monica Bautista on Wed, Mar 17, 2010 @ 03:07 PM
It's Wednesday again! I hope everyone is having a great week. Spring is definitely in the air here in Northern California...I hope it is where you are, too!
This week I want to talk about the common mistake of overestimating the number of calories expended during physical activity. Research has shown that many people underestimate their caloric intake and overestimate their caloric output. As many of you probably know, one pound = 3,500 calories; that means that to lose 1 pound per week, you need a 3,500 calorie deficit. If calories in are underestimated and calories out are overestimated, people may think they have more of a deficit than they actually do. This can lead to frustration, especially when trying to lose weight.
It is important to use calorie expenditure tables or caloric readouts on cardio machines as a benchmark, but beware of consuming extra calories based on those numbers. Calorie tables and cardiovascular machines are based on caloric expenditure for an average person; they don't take into account the body fat percentage or the fitness level of each individual person doing the activity. Cardio machines, such as treadmills and elliptical machines, can overestimate expenditure by up to 25%!
When clients ask us how to estimate the number of calories they are burning in physical activity, we direct them to the HMR Walk-O-Meter. This table provides an estimated number of calories burned per minute for various levels of activity - low, moderate, high, and very high intensity - based on your weight. Beware of categorizing your physical activity level too high; if you are unsure, it is always better to err on the low side. That way, any extra calories you burn are bonus!
I encourage you to download our FREE Weight Loss Planning Guide and complete the Calorie Budget Worksheet. This worksheet will help you figure out your calorie budget at your current weight and your calorie budget at your goal weight. You can then use the Walk-O-Meter guidelines to estimate the number of calories you will expend for various forms of physical activity and make your plan!
Remember, the more you move, the more calories you will burn! So, get out there and Get Moving!
If you have questions or want to go over your Calorie Budget Worksheet, call us! We are here to help you achieve your goals!