Mountains outta Mole Hills

Have you ever stood and looked at something in front of you and thought, "There is no way I can do that." Yet somewhere inside, you know you might just be able too and probably can. What is that thing that stands before us and creates internal warfare?  What is that voice that sounds so much like ourselves that tells us we can't and creates pictures of horror, distruction, embarrassment and more? Fear!

I recently had some opportunities to face fear by way of boxes.  I know, it sounds silly, and that is exactly what I thought as I stood before them and knew I could jump over or on them and yet my mind created Amazing pictures of me splayed on the ground, bleeding and broken if I were to attempt it. I saw myself not being able to participate in an upcoming trip I have been planning for a year. I saw my team mates standing above me with those looks of, "holy crap, did that just happen and are you ok?"  I saw myself being hauled off in an ambulance with my ego needing more mending than my body.

So what fears were these boxes holding?  Fear of not being good enough, fear of moving, fear of making enough money to follow my dreams, fear of making a difference and letting my light shine, fear of being accepted for who I am...no matter what, and so forth.

As I did my workout and jumped over a stack of weight plates, which was actually taller than the box, I could see the box out of the corner of my eye and could sense it laughing at me. I knew I couldn't leave the building without conquering the box and all it stood for.  So, at the end of my workout, there I stood, before the box, knowing I could do it and feeling the pull and hearing the voices shrieking in my head. I had plenty of support from those around me who knew I could totally do it and I was appreciative of that support.

As I was about to make my attempt, one girl said, "you can run 100 miles...you can jump over that box."  On those words I felt myself move forward and leap...up & over the box.  I saw it glide beneath my body in an almost surreal moment. My friends cheered and let me know how high above the box and how far I cleared it by. Their cheers made it easier to go back and do it again and again so I had a good body rememberance of the experience and to quiet the voices in my head.

What I realized as I was in the air was this...I had made a mountain out of a mole hill!  Actually making the jump took way less effort than I thought and was Way Easier than I thought or had imagined it to be. I had totally let my mind get the best of me in that moment and fear kept my feet on the ground, when it came to the box. The story I created was painful, the Leap was easy. Wow...what an experience! How many times does that play out in our lives?

That brings us to you!  What boxes are you facing?  What/whose voices are you listening too?  What dreams/goals are you wanting to accomplish but seem to be stuck in place because of fear?  What steps will you take to practice and quiet the voices as you prepare to make the jump over the boxes of your fears? Be courageous and listen too, look at them, sit on them, stand on them, whatever it takes to recognize what they are and that you are Bigger than they are.

If you want to run a race, climb a mountain, get a new job, try a new relationship, forgive someone, love someone, release some weight, get healthy and so forth...notice what boxes are in your path. What voices are speaking fear and keeping you stuck? Get a good picture and own them. Then reach out and talk to someone who can assist you in seeing things differently and make the leap.

Life is too short to continue making mountains outta mole hills. Be strong and notice your mole hills...then...jump!

Jennifer Saunders
BS, Certified Personal Trainer
Reiki Energy, Intuitive Life Coach 
ButtinGear

Time....

Quickie Cardio

When you think of cardiovascular exercise do you think of endless hours on the elliptical in a smelly gym next to other sweaty people? No wonder you are not motivated to get it done, nobody enjoys running that endless “dread mill” to nowhere.

Variety is the spice of life and your workouts should reflect that. One of the most harmful myths floating around the fitness community is that there is only one right way to do it. There are as many effective programming options as there are plates on the weight floor, you just have to find which one has the right feel for you.

Steady state cardio is certainly the staple but there are many other ways to get your heart rate up and burn some calories. Most professionals recommend 45-60 minutes of cardiovascular training daily depending on what your fitness goals are. The numbers of calories you burn during cardio sessions are strictly based on your intensity level and duration. Although, longer more intense periods of exercise are better for what we like to call metabolic after burn, three 10-minute heart rate elevating sessions can get us through those busy days. 

Here are a few quick examples;

Medicine Ball Monday (get your stop watch)

Squat jump

Crunch

Stiff leg Deadlift

Push up

Lunges

Time Intervals-40 sec Active exercise, 20 sec to change

4 rounds (approx. 20 minutes)

 Anytime/ Anywhere (Just need a patch of grass)

Push-ups             10

Spider Walk        15 meters

Body weight Squat          10

Burpees               10

Side plank           30 seconds each

8 rounds in 10 minutes

Remember…..to take time for yourself; change comes by the ounce not by the pound.

The Health and Fitness Academy staff is always available to you, do not hesitate to throw any questions you might have our way.

ghouston@mvhospital.net

Feed a cold? Starve a fever?

     No matter the time of year, sickness can always be an issue. Lately, it seems a cruddy cold has been hitting most people and usually lingering for weeks at a time. Eating healthy meals isn't easy when you don't feel well, especially if you have a serious or chronic illness. You may be too tired to prepare food for yourself. Medicines may make food taste strange or unpleasant. Mouth sores or swallowing problems can make eating difficult. Or nausea, which is a common symptom and a common side effect of some medications, may make food the last thing you want to think about.  

"Fortunately, there's a lot you can do, even when you're not feeling well, to get the nutrition you need," says Veronica McLymont, PhD, RD, director of food and nutrition services at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

     Along with the fun pictograph below provided by Precision Nutrition, www.webmd.com has a few recommendations of it's own.

•      Lack of appetite
• Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Larger meals may be overwhelming when you don't have much of an appetite. Keep quick easy snacks readily available such as nuts, veggies, fruit, and yogurt.
•      Mouth sores, dry mouth, trouble swallowing
• You may need to avoid foods that require a lot of chewing. Smoothies and soup would be good choices. If you are having trouble swallowing, try chewing gum or sucking on hard candies like lemon drops that stimulate saliva production. Consult your doctor if it persists.
•       Nausea
• Choose bland foods. Eat smaller meals, even smaller than you would when you are healthy. Eat slowly. Hard candy, peppermint, and ginger may ease nausea. Consult your doctor if it persists.
•       Fatigue
• When you're sick and tired, sometimes the last think you feel like doing is cooking or making food for yourself. You can keep easy, ready to eat snacks available like nuts, veggies (raw or even veggie steamer bags), fruit, yogurt, and hardboiled eggs.
•       Diarrhea
• Eat soft, bland foods. Avoid greasy foods. Drink plenty of water as dehydration is common with diarrhea. You may need to supplement with electrolytes.
•       Constipation
• To help prevent constipation, eat foods high in fiber. Getting up and walking can help get your digestive tract moving.
•       Unwanted weight loss
• If you're losing weight and shouldn't be, consider taking in some extra calories through shakes and snacks like nuts, seeds, cheese, and hardboiled eggs.
•       Unwanted weight gain
• Some medications may result in unwanted weight gain. Consult your doctor if it persists.
•       Falling short on nutrients
• If you're having real trouble eating a balanced diet, you may benefit from a multi-vitamin and other over the counter supplements. Consult your doctor before beginning a supplement regimen, especially if you are taking medication, as some medications can interact with supplements.

*The Health & Fitness Academy hopes this blog post finds you healthy and well and not battling a sickness, BUT if you are, we hope the information from webmd and Precision Nutrition help you recover quicker and get back to doing the things you love*

Pictograph provided by: Precision Nutrition

Until next time,

Hayley Jones, BS, CSCS, Pn1

hjones@mvhospital.net

MVH Health & Fitness Academy