To jump or not to jump...

So I have had the opportunity the past couple weekends to find myself in somewhat adventurous situations. Knowing it was my turn for the blog post, you can bet I was looking for a lesson in these adventures.  Ok, I would be looking for one no matter what cause that's how I roll.  So I've pondered whether or not to share about my adventure of floating down the Hoback or the adventure of last weekends camping trip at 9200' and getting snowed on.  Eeny meeny miny moe...

I pick river float.  Not so much because of the float itself but for a particular moment in our second run that made an impact on me personally. It was a cool morning and we started our first run about a chilly 10:00am.  It didn't take long before I could no longer feel my right leg, which was hanging over the side into the water.  This numbness did hinder my desire, a little bit, to get any of myself further into the water.  Yes, I knew I was going to get wet anyway I just wasn't going to hurl myself into the chilly blueness. It mighta been greenish. 

None-the-less, we made a fun and successful first run, only having one water fight with another boat of strangers and without capsizing or overturning our own boat and everyone getting wet while staying within the confines of the boat. Success - especially for the newbies who had never floated and for the one who was scared of water and had courage to sit in the middle of the boat and trust the rest of us.

Second float down included full bellies thanks to subway, a little warmer temperatures accompanied with a pretty good breeze, and change up of the guide and come of the crew.  Same river, new adventure.

 A few rapids later we realized a change up was needed in the positioning of the crew in order to keep us upright for the bigger rapids ahead.  Move big strong men to middle of the boat cause they weren't rowing and switch with little yet powerful women who had a little more experience in the paddling department.  Our mission was to still keep that brave person in the middle of the boat...in the middle of the boat and not in the river while cresting as many rapids as we could hit safely.

After a second successful trip through Kahuna, with my child on the front end of the boat this time I might add, we pulled over at Lunch Counter to take in the scenery.  Or so I thought!  No, it was then spoken that we should jump off the ledge into the rapids.  What?!  So I took my hat off and followed two crazy souls up to the jumping spot. Before I got there the instigator and already jumped! The next guy jumped and I watched him...and waited for him to surface. And waited. And waited!  It seemed like forever.  Now it was my turn and the pressure was on.

Here is where the trip really hit me.  Standing above the rushing water with a friend, my daughter and some cute little family all watching and waiting to see what I would do. Talk about pressure!  The real pressure was coming from inside though.  A huge part of me knew it would be no big deal to just run, jump off the edge and plunge into the rush of water.  The "protective" fearful side of me was screaming about how long it took the other gut to come up and that I was totally crazy.  It was also telling me I would be a loser for not jumping and what would all these other people think.  Oh the agony!

After reassuring myself that my friend had done it and it was "safe" and taking a moment to actually listen to Me...I just ran off the edge and took the plunge. Reminding myself to take a big breath and not fight the water and allow Flow to happen, which would swirl me back towards the boat.  I hit the water, held my breath, and let myself go.  Amazingly, I surfaced quickly and gave a champions holler and was happy I took the chance because it wasn't half as bad as I had imagined it to be.

We all hit those places in life where we stop doing the adventurous things and stop taking chances and stuck in the ruts and fears of life.  We create a huge story in our heads of the failure that awaits us and how awful it will be what will others think of us.  I am in that place in my life and am happy for the chance to stand on the ledge and have a reality check. Are you there as well?  What will be your choice?  Stand on the ledge...forever...letting fear keep you from the amazing things that await you, OR...Jump?  

I recommend jumping!  As the old adage goes...feel the fear and do it anyway.  Whether you have one foot in the water and are feeling numb or standing on the edge of cliff deciding to take the plunge, listen to yourself - your Real Self- face the fear and move forward.  Jump into your greatness! 

If nutrition and exercise happen to be your ledge, come visit us at Mountain View's Health and Fitness Academy.  We have a trainer to fit your needs and assist you through your fear or push you, I mean coax you, to move forward into the flow grab onto your greatness. If sitting in the middle of the boat is where your at, we celebrate you for having the courage to trust us as your guides while building your confidence to take leaps.  We welcome you right where you are at!

Until Next Time...
Go BE Great!




Jennifer Saunders  
BS -SLP
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
ButtinGear
Life Untethered -Intuitive Life Coach

HIIT...and the "16 minute Solider"

Now is the time to “HIIT” it hard!

Here are three reasons why you should do HIIT, High Intensity Interval Training?

Time

            HIIT is perfect for busy schedules. The less time you have the less likely you are going to be to do your cardio. Research has shown that you can achieve more progress in 15 minutes of interval training done three times a week then jogging on the treadmill for an hour.

Burns more FAT!!

            When you raise your intensity level not only do you burn more calories per minute during your workout, but you burn more calories (hence…more fat) in the 24 hours after a HIIT workout, then you do with a steady pace run.

Toughens the Ticker...

            Extreme training produces extreme results. A 2006 study found that after 8 weeks or doing High Intensity Interval Training subjects could bicycle twice as long as they could before the study, while maintaining the same pace.

The “16 minute Solider”

How do you become a Health and Fitness Academy “16 minute Solider”?

Complete the following HIIT program. (Must have 12 after HIIT selfies as proof) 3 days a week for 4 weeks and win a free HIIT session for you and 4 friends.

2 minute warm up

1 minute HIGH Intensity (breathless, unable to talk)

1 minute Steady Pace (Recover, Lower Heart rate, can carry on a conversation)

1.5 minute HIGH Intensity

1.5 minute Steady Pace

1 minute HIGH Intensity

1 minute Steady Pace

1.5 minute HIGH Intensity

1.5 minute Steady Pace

2 minute HIGH Intensity

2 minute Cool Down and Finish

(Total Time 16 minutes-You just need a stop watch)

This HIIT workout can be done inside or outside. It can be done on a bike, stairs, or the track at your local school. It can even be completed on the weight floor, contact the HFA staff at ghouston@mvhospital.net if you have questions on how to make that happen. Please email your selfies to the same email, or attach them to the HFA “16 minute solider” Post on the Health and Fitness Academy Facebook Page. Happy Training!!!

Hey Sugar!

Hey Sugar!

What are the dangers of a chronic high-sugar diet?

            According to Precision Nutrition…

·         Reduce the body’s ability to handle carbohydrates

·         Reduces insulin sensitivity

·         Increases insulin response to meals

·         Leads to excess fat gain due to chronic high insulin levels (especially around the “love handle” and upper back areas)

·         Eventual consequence of poor carbohydrate tolerance is borderline or full-blown diabetes.

·         High amounts of sugar in the blood, caused by chronic high-sugar intake, can cause the binding of sugar molecules to blood proteins (aka glycation)

·         Glycation of proteins causes decreased biological activity of proteins and has been linked to the following (and more):

o   Premature aging

o   Cancer

o   Altered vision, cataracts, retinopathy

o   Alzheimer’s

o   Vascular disease

o   Erectile dysfunction

o   Kidney disease

o   Joint pain and arthritis

The “Aliases” of Sugar

·         Sucrose

·         Fructose

·         Glucose

·         Maltose

·         Dextrose

·         Maltodextrin

·         Hydrolyzed starch

·         Invert sugar

·         Corn syrup

·         Honey

·         Cane sugar

·         Agave nectar

·         Sugar beets

·         High-fructose corn sweetener

·         Maple sugar

·         Molasses

How much sugar should I have?

            Foods that contain less than 5g of sugar per 100g of food are considered “low sugar”, although you should look for foods with as close to 0g of sugar as possible.

            *Food manufacturers add sugar to many foods you’d never expect (frozen fruit, bread, dressings, sauces, and more). Read food labels critically and carefully. Be aware that sometimes fruit concentrates and purees are also used as sweetners.

The sugar content of common foods

            The typical North American consumes 34 teaspoons (136g) of sugar per day.

            The USDA recommends no more than 10 teaspoons (40g) per day.

                        Food:                                                   Sugar Content:

                        2 slices of white bread                                    3 teaspoons

                        1 bowl of cereal                                  4-5 teaspoons

                        1 bagel                                                 4-5 teaspoons

                        ½ cup dried fruit                                 4 teaspoons

                        ½ cup of fruit juice                             3-4 teaspoons

                        1 can of soft drink                              9 teaspoons

                        1 cup of chocolate milk                       6 teaspoons

                        1 bowl of ice cream                             23 teaspoons

            Typical intake in an average day of the North American diet.

Meal:               Foods Eaten:                                                                           Sugar Content:

Breakfast         1.5 cups cereal, 1 cup orange juice, 1 cup milk                       10 teaspoons

Snack              2 toaster pastries and 1 can of soft drink                                15 teaspoons

Lunch              1 sandwich, 1 granola bar, 1 cup apple juice                          7 teaspoons

Snack              1 serving applesauce, 1 cup Gatorade                                     7 teaspoons

Dinner             Salad with dressing, 1 potato, pork chops, 2 cookies             6 teaspoons

                                                                                                                        45 tsp (180g)

What about sugar during and after exercise?

·         Depending on goals, certain sports drinks may be used during and immediately after exercise.

·         Carbohydrate tolerance is much improved during and immediately after exercise and therefore sugars are handled differently than during other times of the day.

·         As long as sugars are minimized during other meals, this small daily amount of sugar can be beneficial.

SO…do you know how much sugar you are getting in a day?

Until next time!

Hayley Jones, BS, CSCS, Pn1

Health & Fitness Academy

hjones@mvhospital.net

www.mountainviewhospital.org/fitness-academy/

           

           

Optimizing your limited workout time

Ever skip the gym because there is not enough time to get a "real" work-out in? Try some high-intensity interval training (HIIT), an increasingly popular option for getting the most out of your limited time. A HIIT routine involves short bursts of near maximal exercise bouts followed by a short recovery period, repeated for a set period of time, usually lasting less than 30 minutes. The HIIT style has proven to be an effective and timely means of exercise, and if done correctly has been shown to be as beneficial as sustained exercise over a longer duration in terms of oxygen consumption, metebolic rate, insulin sensitivity, among other benefits.

One simple HIIT protocol is the Tabata, a series of exercises performed in 20 second bursts followed by a 10 second rest, for a period of 4 minutes. Below are several examples, try one or all of them:

Complete 8 rounds:
20 second bike sprint
10 second rest

Complete 2 rounds:
20 seconds push-ups
10 seconds rest
20 seconds lunges
10 seconds rest
20 seconds sit-ups
10 seconds rest
20 seconds squats
10 seconds rest

Complete 2 rounds (a little more challenging):
20 seconds Burpees
10 seconds rest
20 seconds jump lunges
10 seconds rest
20 seconds flutter kicks (lying on back)
10 seconds rest
20 seconds mountain climbers
10 seconds rest

* REMEMBER -  to get the full benefit, exercises should be done at near-maximal intensity, don't be afriad to push yourself a little bit!