Guata' Trip!

Can you see the people?

So I just returned from an Amazing trip to Guatemala, where I was privileged to serve the beautiful people who live in the dump of Guatemala City. One of the best parts, and there are many best parts, was getting to share the experience with my baby sister Ashley.

Overlooking a portion of the dump

My eyes were opened to intense poverty and crazy meager living circumstances. My heart was opened to the power of love that can take down barriers of all kinds and bring hope and restoration to those who are desperately in need.

Yep...they sent girls!

I worked with sister and an amazing team to give eye glasses to those in need so they could work with their hands or read if they knew how. Their gratitude was overwhelming at such a simple thing. After receiving their glasses we prayed with them if they wanted and my heart was touched by their simple desires to just want to stay alive, or go to school, to have their husbands come home, to stay out of the gangsand for their family members to be healthy.

We got to build a “house” of basically 4x4ish (kinda) posts and corrugated steel, which was basically tin foil on crack. Blessedly, this community within the last month had had concrete poured for sidewalks and in their homes. It did make it tricky to dig holes thru though, but we got it done.  In the process of digging those holes we built something even better…a relationship with the macho Guatemalan builder man who basically looked at us and said, “you brought me women?! Are the men coming back?” It was a Great day in so many ways and I love my new builder friend.

Our handsome Guatemalan boys

Some of our group taught English camps, we handed out food, put on a women’s conference, played soccer on the concrete playground with the kids, took 65 kids whose parents are gang members to an amusement park and more. Our goal was to let these sweet people know they are loved and to give them some dignity, even if only for a day and pray they could feel it deep enough to carry it forward with them and take it into their families and community.

One of my special moments was sitting in the women’s conference with my sister. We had just come from a former gang members house and heard his humbling and touching story and were excited to now be with these women, many of who prostitute themselves out to the dump truck drivers so they can get the best picks of the garbage from the trucks.

Women's Conference

We stood in the back of the room and listened as they praised and worshipped through song with our new friends Jerry and Freddy. Not knowing Spanish, I couldn’t understand a thing they were saying, yet I felt it to my core and quickly found my eyes and nose watering and had to literally control myself from full on sobbing.  I leaned over and asked our wonderful  interpreter Gabby what they were singing. As she spoke… I knew what I was feeling.  In song I felt the words “You are strong,” “You are Powerful,”  “You are Invincible,” “There’s No one like You!”  “I raise my hands even when I don’t have strength, even when I have many problems.  I raise my hands when I feel You come into my life; I start to feel Your fire inside me.  All problems go away and You give me new strength. Everything is possible when I raise my hands to You!”  Holy Cow…no wonder I felt such power and conviction to my core!  These women have near to nothing and yet they have everything and they sang it in a way I will never forget.

Tita

I think one of the most profound things I heard while I was gone was a statement from an amazing lady named Tita. Her life’s experiences would make most of us take cover and hide in fear, yet she has risen from them and does wonderful things to bring hope, love and opportunity to the people in La Limonada who are in the gangs. While speaking to us one night she said this, “It’s not the poverty that is the problem, it’s the persecution.” Whoa! I was struck by those words and the truth they rang in my ears.

As I am home and now sitting down for the 10^th time to write this blog, I am constantly reflecting on my trip and how it touched and changed my life. I am also pondering how to bring it back home and I think it looks something like this.

We may not live in little tin houses, make our living from the dumps or have to do desperate things in order to just survive or wonder where our next meal is coming from or if we can feed our kids. Yes, we all have tough moments where these thoughts may come to mind, I acknowledge this, but hopefully not like I saw.  However, we still have our “stuff” that makes us feel different, unwanted, unloved, unworthy and disconnected.

For some people this may be being overweight and unhealthy, some may experience this through the color of their skin or gender preference, some may feel it through the amount of money they make or don’t make, others through a disability (different ability), it may come from a family line or action of a family member, divorce, making a mistake and so so much more.

The question to ask is, “Am I persecuting or helping to prosper?”  Are you assisting to help restore dignity to yourself and others and improve self-love?  Do you love yourself enough to really assist another or are you helping/persecuting others in order to make myself look and feel better?

You don’t have to go to another country to find people who could use assistance, although I would recommend it. Look inside your homes, families, neighborhoods and church groups.  Look inside yourself!  We need each other right here, right now. So many are looking for acceptance and love…just the way they are. Just the way you are.  Stop persecuting others…and yourself.  Be kind to others…and yourself.

So, whether you are poor, rich, overweight, unhealthy, live in a tin house or a mansion, white or colored, gay or straight, full ability or different ability, got all your marbles or not playin with a full deck, or whatever your “thing” is…know you are Not alone. You may feel like you are flying solo but you are never alone. You are cared for and loved.  There are places and tools to assist you in regaining self-love and feeling connection. Personally, I believe God made you and me and He don’t make no junk!

Sharing our left over food! 

Now, how to wrap up as there is so much to say?  I guess by saying thank you God and thank you Guatemala for the reminder that people are beautiful no matter their situation or circumstances and that we have the same stuff right here at home just in a different shell. Be Kind! Prosper! Be understanding! Know you are loved! You Are Not Your Stuff! Remember we don’t have all the answers! Most of all…Love…it breaks down walls, inside and outside of us!

Oh, and thanks Ashley for sharing this amazing journey with me!

Until Next Time…Go BE Great!

Jennifer Saunders

B.S., Ace Certified Personal Trainer,

Reiki Energy, Life coach, ButtinGear

Lover of Life!

Why should you exercise in the A.M.?

The early bird gets the Burn….

I am not an early bird; my natural tendency this time of year is to listen to the birds through my open window more than greet them with a smile and my running shoes. However, in my 10 years’ worth of experience in the Health and Fitness field, my clients that get up with the sun have a higher rate of success towards their fitness goals. This does not mean that they present to me at their first session with a natural alarm clock in their head that will not allow them to sleep past 6am. Most have to learn to love the morning through the formation of consistent habits that lead the way to their end goals.

Here are just a few examples of reasons to sweat with the sunrise;

90% of consistent exercisers do it in the morning

 Morning workouts help you stick to it!! By getting your exercise in before the distractions of your day you are far less likely to “skip it” or get side tracked by other people and responsibilities.

Morning exercise cuts Cravings

In the course of a Brigham Young University study, 18 normal-weighted and 17 clinically obese women were followed for two full days. On the first day, they exercised for 45 minutes, walking briskly on a treadmill, and then looked at 240 photographs, 120 of which were food (the other 120 were a control: flowers). The researchers then tracked the women's food intake and activity level for the rest of the day. On the second day, one week later, the women were shown the images without the workout. Again their food and exercise choices were tracked. Researchers found that both the obese women and the women at a healthy weight had a lower brain response to the images of food and moved around more following the 45 minute morning workout.

Early exercise can jump start your brain

 Raising your heart rate earlier in the day gets the blood flowing to your brain, as well as you muscular system. This gives you more energy for problem solving, memory, and movement for the rest of the day.

So set that alarm clock 30 minutes earlier and catch that worm…

Early bird BURN (Equipment needed-Stopwatch)

Run/Walk 5 minutes

Body weight squats-25

Walking Lunges-30

Body weight squats-25

Run/Walk 10 minutes

Body weight squats-25

Walking Lunges-30

Body weight squats-25

Run/Walk 15 minutes

Body weight squats-25

Walking Lunges-30

Body weight squats-25

Run/Walk 10 minutes

Body weight squats-25

Walking Lunges-30

Body weight squats-25

Run/Walk 5 minutes

Body weight squats-25

Walking Lunges-30

Body weight squats-25

Make your day the best one yet! and don't forget about the "breaking out of the box" workouts HFA is offering every Monday night at 6:30pm. For more information email ghouston@mvhospital.net

Are your “Why’s” stronger than your “Why Not’s”?

Oh how true that is! We have been given the wonderful gift of choice! Choices lead to actions and actions lead to results. Sometimes those results are desired and sometimes they are not. Have you found yourself in a situation of undesirable results lately? Maybe you are one to reach your desired results. Either way, have you asked yourself “why”?

Although I typically discuss health, nutrition and fitness, which is primarily what I will do today, the topic of choices, actions, results, and why’s can be applied to any aspect of your life.

Hence, I introduce to you, the “5 Why’s.

First ask yourself, “Why do I want to accomplish this?”

Then, whatever answer you come up with, ask yourself “Why” to that. Then continue to repeat this process until you have asked yourself “Why” 5 times.

Here is an example from Precision Nutrition’s lean eating program:

            I want to lose fat.

1.      Why do I want to lose fat?

a.       Because I want to fit into a smaller size pair of jeans.

2.      But why do I want to fit into a smaller size pair of jeans?

a.       Because when I am wearing smaller jeans, I think I’ll look better.

3.      But why do I want to look better?

a.       Because when I look good, I feel better about myself.

4.      But why do I want to feel better about myself?

a.       Because when I feel better about myself I am more assertive and confident.

5.      But why do I want to be more assertive and confident?

a.       Because when I am more assertive and confident, I am in control and better able to get what I want out of life.

For this person, losing fat really meant being in charge of their life. That’s a crucial insight: This tells us that they aren’t just looking for a smaller pair of jeans. They also want to feel a certain way at the end of the process. And that's what's really important to them. The jeans are merely a way to get there.

That sure is a lot of insight for just a few questions.

Digging deeper and understanding “Why” you really want something will help you determine the driving factors that will keep you committed to your actions giving you what you want.

For those that find themselves in the desired results category, I congratulate you! You have dug deep enough, found your reason “Why” and it was strong enough to overcome any of the “Why Not’s” that came up (because you know they did!).

As for those that find themselves in the undesirable results category, I congratulate you! You now have the opportunity to learn from past decisions, actions and results, create and explore a deeper “Why” and run headfirst after your desires!

Best of luck in your future Why’s and Why Not’s!

If the Team at the Health & Fitness Academy can be of assistance in anyway, please feel free to contact us at 208-557-2823!

Until next time,

Hayley Jones, BS, CSCS, Pn1

hjones@mvhospital.net

No Reason to be "Bored"

Do you ever get bored or feel like you don’t have anything to do? We hear the words “I’m bored” from children quite often. When they have nothing to do, they feel bored. Unfortunately, sometimes, as adults, we get bored as well. Whether we are bored because we have nothing to do, or because we are choosing not to do the things we need to, we are still bored. So, what is the solution to feeling bored? Take less than 20 minutes to get your energy level up and strengthen your core with the B.O.R.E.D. workout. The best part is, you can do this workout at the gym, or even at home, all you need is an exercise ball.

The layout of the workout is simple: perform each exercise for 45 seconds, with a 15 seconds break to rest and transition to the next exercise. Repeat the circuit 3 times for an 18 minute workout.

B: Boat Pose – Sit on your mat with your legs out straight. Bring your legs straight up to a 45 degree angle and lift your upper body up to form a “V”. The torso will naturally fall back, but do not let the spine collapse. Once in place, bring the arms out straight, in line with the shoulders.

Modification: Sit on your mat with your legs out straight. Bend your knees, bringing your shins parallel to the floor into Half Boat Pose. If this is tough to maintain, you can hold on to the backs of your thighs.

Whether you modify or not, hold the pose for 45 seconds.

O: Oblique Crunches on the Floor – Start out lying on your side with your legs on top of each other and bend your knees. Place your hands behind your head. Once you are set, begin by moving your elbow up and toward your hip, similar to what you would do when performing a normal crunch. The difference is, this time the main emphasis is on your oblique muscles. Crunch as high as you can, hold the contraction for a second and then slowly drop back down into the starting position. Switch sides after 45 seconds.

R: Reverse Crunches – Lay completely flat on the floor with your arms by your side and lift your knees up so they are at a 90 degree angle. This is your starting position. Using your abdominal muscles, pull your knees up to your chest while maintain the right angle in your knees and slowly lifting your lower back off the ground. Slowly return to your starting position. Repeat for 45 seconds.

Note: If you’re feeling uncomfortable or need some support, lay your hands under your tailbone.

E: Exercise Ball Pull In – Roll out over the ball until your shins and toes are the only part of your body on the ball. Get into push-up position, keeping the ball straight behind you. With your abs tight, pull the ball in toward your chest and then roll it back out. Use your abs to control the motion. Repeat for 45 seconds.

D: Dead Bug (with Exercise Ball) – Begin lying on your back with your hands and feet elevated and the stability ball pressed between them. Release and lower your right arm and left leg from the ball down towards the floor while holding the ball with your remaining limbs. Raise your arm and leg back to the ball and alternate to the left arm and right leg. Repeat the alternating movement for 45 seconds.

Note: If your back starts to arch off the floor or you feel any pressure in your low back, bend the knee and drop the foot to the floor instead of keeping the leg straight.

Now, instead of being bored, put the B.O.R.E.D workout into action to give you something to do, to increase your energy level, and to strengthen your core!