Dance in the rain

Spectacular weather and Memorial weekend are a bit of an oxymoron in Idaho. Yet I just had one for the first time in about 9 years and it was Amazing! Sitting by a warm beautiful fire, seeing thousands of stars, watching the little ones excitement as they reel in a fish, gutting those fish cause their dad said they could if Aunt JJ helped them, catching up with friends, and hiking the hill with my daughter niece and sister are some of what made this weekend so wonderful.  Not to mention time to do a whole lot of Nothing!

Many things stood out over the weekend and I would like to share one of those things that relates to many of us. On Saturday I had the opportunity to go on a 4 wheeler ride with my sister, brother, nephew and my friend. The day was beautiful and warm and was starting to threaten rain.  So, like any smart person would do, I took sunglasses to protect my eyes, wore some gloves in case my hands got cold and put on a jacket to keep my upper body dry. After making sure we all had what we "needed", we were off to the mouth of some unknown canyon. Unknown to me at least, and I was excited!

Not 60 seconds after we took off it started to rain.  Imagine that! Five minutes later and that nice, gentle rain turned to hail. I'm not sure if my bare skinned legs were red from cold or sunburn but I do know that they were hurting from the pelting ice balls the size of peas. Not to mention the back of my ears! I was happy I had gloves and a coat though!  Upon a quick stop my sister decided we should turn back and went to tell the boys.  I decided to wait for her instead of returning to camp so she wouldn't be stranded if something happened.

I sat hunched over, my friend covered my ears and I covered my legs while we waited for the storm to pass or my sister to return. After a bit we decided she wasn't coming back, I wasn't ready to quit and the storm had let up to a light rain. So, I did what any girl seeking adventure would do...I went on.  We rode around the muddy hills and got oh so dirty in the slippery mud and gianormous puddles. We explored the paths we thought the others had taken until we decided it was time to return. After one more newly formed lake crossing, we saw the others behind us. We waited, shared stories and returned together, cold and soaking wet but fulfilled.

Life, like this little adventure can toss some crazy stuff at us. It may look ominous and even dump that 10% chance of rain showers, or even hail on us.  That does not mean All is lost. These storms usually only last a moment in comparison to the big picture. They give us time to rest, rethink, refuel and restart if we will allow them to do so. We can even use them to create some fun moments and memories that make us smile when we reflect on them. They give us an opportunity to grow and see where we are at compared to where we have been.

If you are currently in a hail storm in your  life, be patient. Take the time to rest and reflect on the possibilities and choices before you.  Remember to dance in the rain and only take cover when absolutely necessary. Be gentle with yourself and find those "gloves" and "coats" to be grateful for. Treasure the loved ones and friends in your life and remember to look for the rainbow. The storm will pass and you can be better because of it if you choose  too.

If your storm deals with health and fitness, visit us at Mountain View Hospital's Health and Fitness Academy and let us assist you in riding it out and learning to have fun while you do.  It's always better with a buddy! You may get a little dirty but you'll have a great story to tell afterwards. Not to mention, you might just have Fun while your at it.

So go ahead, continuing with last months message, get in and get dirty and see what amazing things just might take place in your life because you Chose To Dance in the Rain!

Until Next Time,
Go BE Great!

Jennifer Saunders
HFA Personal Trainer -ACE
ButtIn Gear
Reiki Energy Therapy
Intuitive Life Coaching

Do Not Forget to use Protection!

Recently I have had more than a few clients have to be tested for skin cancer. As we all head outdoors to enjoy the nice weather I just thought it would be prudent to remind everyone that the name of the game with skin cancers is “Prevention”, so plan ahead.

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers. In the U.S., accounting for almost half of all cancers and affecting over 2 million people each year. One in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetime. There are three types of skin cancer: basal cell, squamous cell, and melanoma.

Basal cell carcinomas are the most common type of skin cancer. They rarely spread to other areas of the body, and are very treatable.

Squamous cell carcinomas, on the other hand, can spread to organs and other areas in the body and can be fatal if they are not caught early.

The third type of skin cancer, melanomas are the least common but most dangerous-they kill more than 8,600 Americans every year.^[5] If found early, however, melanomas can be treated. Melanomas are most often caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun or tanning beds. They usually resemble moles and are often black or brown. Most change over time, including an increase in size. In recent years, incidence of melanoma has increased significantly, especially in those with fair skin. While melanoma is more prevalent in men than women, rates of diagnoses and death are increasing for both men and women.

Studies show that high Intensity training outdoors can increase your chances for skin cancer.

In 2006, Dr. Christina Ambros-Rudolph and colleagues at the Medical University of Graz in Austria conducted a study to see if marathon runners are at higher risk of melanoma than people who don’t run as regularly. They examined over 200 runners and found that they are at increased risk for skin cancer. In fact, runners who trained the most intensively had the highest rates of skin lesions. Almost all of the athletes wore shirts and shorts that did not totally cover their arms, back and legs, and only 56% wore sunscreen. Although there was a clear link between sun exposure and skin lesions, the researchers found another reason the athletes who had more intense workouts were more prone to skin cancer. Endurance exercise such as long-distance running suppresses immune function in the body, which is why extreme athletes are often more susceptible to infections than others. This can release a type of protein called cytokines, limiting the ability of the body’s immune system to fight off potential cancers. In addition, sweating a lot while outside is linked to skin cancer. The wetter your skin, the more UV rays are absorbed, which means that exercising on sunny days can be much more dangerous for your skin than just sitting or lying down in the sun.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that everyone wears a water-resistant sunscreen of at least 30 SPF daily. Until 2012 the FDA did not regulate SPF in sunscreen so there was no idea if the stuff you were slathering on was doing you any good what so ever. Currently, Sunscreen companies are required to meet FDA requirements and have their products packaged properly. They recommend using a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against both types of UV rays (UVA and UVB). When choosing a product, remember that a sunscreen with twice the SPF does not mean you can stay outside in the sun twice as long before you get sunburned. The intensity of UV radiation matters just as much as how long you are in the sun, which is why it’s so important that you limit your exposure from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Other precautions you can take are;

§  Put on some sunglasses with high UV absorption to protect your eyes, and a hat to protect your face.

§  Wear clothes made of tightly woven fabrics that you cannot see through. Try to avoid regularly exposing areas of your body such as your shoulders, neck and chest. To prevent overheating, wear light-colored clothing that reflects the sun’s rays.

§  Look for shade: try to do your stretches and other exercises in a shaded area.

Are You "Cooler" Than The Rest?

            Can anyone feel the itch? The itch that summer is truly right around the corner. The itch that a random sunny day in the middle of the week means that it will really stay sunny multiple days in a row. That the sunny day isn’t an oddity anymore!

            Oh, how excited I am about summer! Can’t you tell?

            Summer means sun, warmth, outdoor fun, traveling, races, biking, climbing and swimming, oh did I mention warmth! (Vegas born and raised at heart talking here!)

            With all of the fun activities I’ve already done this year and with the many more I have planned, it got me thinking, what helps me stay on track nutritionally, especially when I am traveling?

            I’d like to share my answer… “I’m cooler than you!” Just kidding, but no really, a cooler is my answer!

            This past weekend, I traveled to Colorado for a fun filled weekend with friends going hiking, trail running, to baseball games, a Spartan race, live kickboxing fights, and even a Christian concert held at the Red Rocks Amphitheater. It was such an amazing weekend! Now you may be wondering, “did she eat anything unhealthy? Did she eat out at all”, and the answer is “YES!”. I did! But, I only ate out approximately half of or slightly less than half of my meals as opposed to all of my meals. (I eat on average 4-5 times a day).

            So, what did I pack?

            Well, when packing, I ask myself a few questions as I go…

1.       Where’s my protein?

a.      Lunch meat, low fat string cheese, canned tuna, greek yogurt, precooked (I cooked) meats (chicken/pork/steak), hard boiled eggs, a few emergency protein sources like a protein bar or protein powder. (Didn’t pack all of these this time but most)

2.      Where’s my fruit and veggies?

a.      We packed bananas, grapes, carrots, spinach, and broccoli (cooked and raw…I prefer mine raw, boyfriend prefers cooked). You may be wondering how we warm up the cooked food…well, we don’t. We eat it cold and actually don’t mind it that way while on the road.

3.      Where are my heart healthy fats?

a.      Raw and unsalted nuts and seeds. Our preferred choice this trip was walnuts. Oh! But I did buy Ranch flavored sunflower seeds too!

4.      What else do we need?

a.      Water! 2 water bottles out in the car for us to drink, 2 backups in the cooler. Bread for sandwiches (High Fiber, Flax and Sunflower Healthy Loaf Bread), light mayo, mustard, low fat sliced cheese, silverware, napkins. We packed a few packets of instant oatmeal for breakfast if needed.

           

            So, there it is a packed cooler.

            As I mentioned before, this did not prevent me from eating out, but it did help me eat out less often therefore controlling my portions and my indulgences to a comfortable level.

            So, tell me…are you “cooler” than me?! What would you pack in your cooler? Email me at hjones@mvhospital.net for a chance to win a FREE 30 minute Nutrition consultation. Being Precision Nutrition certified has been amazing and I can’t wait to share it with you!

Until next time!

Hayley Jones, BS, CSCS, Pn1

hjones@mvhospital.net

Why stay in when you can go out?

After a long winter stuck exercising in the gym, sometimes it can be hard to get in there on a sunny spring day. You could always opt for jog or bike ride, but sometimes it’s nice to have something a little different. Here is what I do when I’m craving a little outside variety:

Head over to your nearest high school track, and start off with an easy 400-800m jog. Followed by:

For first 400m (1 lap):

                Jog 100m

                5 Burpees

For second 400m:

                Jog 100m

                10 push-ups

For third 400m:

                Jog 100m

                15 sit-ups

For forth 400m:

                Jog 100m

                20 squats

That’s 1 mile of exercising, not too bad right? If you are feeling up to it, do it again! Or try something a little more difficult…

For first 400m:

                Lunge walk 100m

                Backpedal  100m

For second 400m:

                 Skipping w/ hand clap (under knee) 100m

                30 Mountain Climbers

For third 400m:

                Backward lunge walk 100m

                Side shuffle 100m

For forth 400m:

                Sprint 100m

                50 flutter kicks (on back)

If you aren’t tired, you’d better go hit the stadium stairs.

Hope you get out and enjoy the nice weather, that Idaho winter will be back again before you know it!