Archive for the ‘General Health’ Category

Spring is over here in the South. We are experiencing 90 degree weather and little rain. Don’t get me wrong, I am thoroughly enjoying the sunshine and increased daylight, but when I’m teaching a BODYSTEP™ class at 9 am and it feels like we are standing in a sauna, the warm temperatures can be a little overbearing. When I came home after my class my stomach began to ache and I started to get a headache. Later I was very lethargic and could barely keep my eyes open. Today I believe I experienced a very small reaction to a major loss of fluids through sweat and not adequately hydrating called dehydration. 

There are several causes of dehydration including diarrhea and vomiting, bacterial infections, and the one we are going to focus on excessive sweating without out hydration. If you have been running, exercising in the heat or if you are exercising in a room without much air, make sure to stay hydrated taking breaks for a little sip of water. If you are training for an endurance race or exercise try to drink plenty of fluids two hours prior to the event.  Once you have completed your exercise make sure to drink plenty of fluids to restore what has been lost.  The goal is to be well hydrated before you exercise so that you won’t be dehydrated after. Think of it like a family loading up in a car to go on a long drive for vacation. Most of us fill up our cars in preparation for a trip. We also need to fuel up (or fill up ) to prevent depleting what is stored in our bodies.

One way to test dehydration is to check to make sure your urine is clear and also monitor the amount of times you urinate. If your urine is clear and you go to the restroom often (more than once or twice in an eight hour period) then you may be safe.

If you are unsure if you are experience dyhydration the Mayo Clinic has a great list of symptoms (see below)

Mild to moderate dehydration is likely to cause:

• Dry, sticky mouth
• Sleepiness or tiredness - children are likely to be less active than usual
• Thirst
• Decreased urine output - fewer than six wet diapers a day for infants and eight hours or more without urination for older children and teens
• Few or no tears when crying
• Muscle weakness
• Headache
• Dizziness or lightheadedness

Severe dehydration, a medical emergency, can cause:

• Extreme thirst
• Extreme fussiness or sleepiness in infants and children; irritability and confusion in adults
• Very dry mouth, skin and mucous membranes
• Lack of sweating
• Little or no urination - any urine that is produced will be dark yellow or amber
• Sunken eyes
• Shriveled and dry skin that lacks elasticity and doesn’t “bounce back” when pinched into a fold
• In infants, sunken fontanels - the soft spots on the top of a baby’s head
• Low blood pressure
• Rapid heartbeat
• Fever
• In the most serious cases, delirium or unconsciousness

I hope you enjoy your summer and take the precautions needed to avoid dehydration. Drink plenty of fluids and take necessary breaks to keep your body temperature low.

For more information about dehydration you can visit the Mayo Clinic by clicking here.

As a reminder I am going to repost part of the question I received from a reader that sparked this series of discussions: 

 I was wondering if you could recommend some exercises or routines that larger gals could do. I try to walk sometimes but I give out way to easy. And some of these exercises you see on TV in stuff, there is no way a larger girl can do some of those things. I use to be in good shape back when I was playing softball but I have always been large my whole life. Anything you could recommend would be appreciated.”

You are right, there are some things that you see on TV that even the average person could not do without some serious training. And If you are a fan of the television show The Biggest Loser, understand that the contestants are supervised by physicians and are in a controlled environment.  I have been on a reality show (my husband and I were on Grounds For Improvement remodeling our deck)  and they shoot scenes several times and yes some things are rehearsed. So what do you do at home when there are not a dozen or so people pushing you to work hard and shed those pounds whether for TV ratings or for health? Here are a few ideas to help you begin an exercise program and stick with it to the end:

Accountability

Ask a friend, coworker, or family member to help you. You might ask them to call you in the morining to help you rise early so you can fit exercise in your day. You could ask them to call or email you every week to get a report of how you are doing. I can assure you that having accountability will help you to stick with it. The key is finding someone who won’t be afraid to challenge you, so pick wisely!

Get Up and Move

No more excuses! The coach is coming out of me. Really, we can excuse our way out of everything. Get up and move! If you could see me or if I could train you I would smile and share this gently. All jokes aside, the more you exercise and the more you fit it in your schedule, the easier it will become. You may never love to exercise but it will become easier to do. My advice is to train your body to train.

Let’s Train

Consult a physician before beginning any fitness program!

Walking: 

Last month I did a series on walking. I suggest revisiting that information and begin with walking. If you are in the Knoxville area Lakeshore Park is a wonderful place to walk because of the variations of inclines and straight aways. It is about a two or so mile trail that will surely get your heart pumping! If you can not get there walk around your neighborhood, in the mall, or on a treadmill if one is available to you. Walking is a safe, low-impact start to any fitness program.

Weight Training:

 If you have small weights at home or have access to a gym, I would start with light weights and do high repetitions. For example: using five pound weights you may do three sets of 15 for each muscle group (biceps, tricepts, chest flys, reverse flys- for back). You can take those same weights and place them on your shoulders and do squats (three sets of 15). End your work out with 30 crunches and stretching. For safety information and more examples of exercise you can check out the weight training section of this blog.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to assist you.

Enjoy your workout!

Before continuing our practical discussion on exercise and fitness for the people struggling with overeating and obesity I thought I would redirect you to some recent interviews at the GirlTalk blog and a 60 day course that I have mentioned before.

May I make a plea that before you begin tackling an exercise program, before you change your diet, before you step on the scale, first take a look at your heart. This concept may be strange to many of you or you may be thinking “I am looking at my heart. That’s why I need to exercise!”  What I mean is out of our hearts comes all sorts of desires and motives and ”the heart is deceitful above all things…” (Jeremiah 17:9).  With that in mind, ask God to help make it clear to you how you might approach your exercise program and how you might glorify Him as you search out your heart and apply practical suggestions for making changes to your daily habits.

To start maybe reread (or read if you haven’t had a chance to) the interviews from the Food Talk on Girl Talk series that just ended.

If all this discussion about the heart has you interested in learning more about what God might have to say about overeating, dieting and exercise may I suggest taking the Setting Captives Free course The Lord’s Table.

More practical information coming soon!

A few years ago I walked into my bosses office building where I worked and saw a lady doing a bone scan. She asked me if I would be interested and I said sure- it was free! At the time I was about 25 (maybe 26) years old so I thought surely I’m doing fine as far as bone health. To both my and the technicians surprise my bone density was below average for my age. She encouraged me to keep the document and show my doctor. I don’t remember taking her advice. Now that I am slightly older, married and have a child, I have begun to realize that taking caring for my bones is important. The good thing is, it’s never too late to start caring for your bones and one of the easiest ways is through weight bearing exercise.  I try to lift weights two sometimes three times per week. So today I wanted to share with you some information about weight training and osteoporosis; but instead of me rewriting what has already been written, I thought I’d direct you to some sights and articles.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation has an article entitled Bone is living tissue that responds to exercise by becoming stronger. You may also want to peruse their site to learn more general information about osteoporosis and general bone health.

 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services women’s division answers common questions regarding bone health in women including a definition of osteoporosis and what to do if you do not like dairy products.

If you are in the Knoxville area and would like more information about osteoporosis or would like to speak with a physician you may contact:

Dr. Randall Hartline

930 Emerald Avenue
Suite 713
Knoxville, TN 37917
Phone: 865-544-1345

If you are not in the Knoxville area but would like to consult a physician who specializes in osteoporosis please consult your general practitioner or visit the National Osteoporosis Foundation for a referral.

(Note: I cannot promote all articles or information contained in the sites I have provided. I do not endorse the sites I have provided. They have been provided for informational purposes only.)

I get a lot of questions at the gym about exercise, most of which are about reducing belly fat. I do not mind thinking of ways to help a lady slim down her waistline.  The truth is belly fat contributes to heart disease and diabetes.  So I’m not talking about a vain pursuit to be thin, but a desire to be healthy. I think we can have a healthy, God glorifying desire to loss belly fat as a means of maintaining health and taking care of the bodies He has given to us. With that in mind, let’s get to work!

Safety and Positioning

Most abdominal exercise is done lying flat on one’s back. Here are the keys to performing a safe and effective ab crunch:

1. Make sure your lower back is flat to the ground. You do this by rolling your pelvis up. I also imagine that my belly button is trying to sink down into the floor.

2. Position your head so that your neck is straight and in line with the rest of your spin.

3. Rest your head in the palms of your hands or rest your hands across your chest.

4. Place your knees at an approximate nintey degree angle with feet pointing straight ahead.

5. When you lift do not lift with your neck, pulling your neck with your hands. Instead tighten your core muscles and lift your shoulders off the ground keeping everything straight and your lower back engaged to the floor.

Let’s Train:

You can do several different exercises to work your core muscles. Today I’m only going to focus on three.

The basic crunch

In the above safety section I discussed the basic crunch. To do them effectively you must do them properly. Practice doing singles, straight up and down and then add variations by going up for two and slowly coming down for two. While you are doing them place your hand at the small of your back, if you can get your hand through you are not doing them with proper form. Make sure your lower back is engaged with the floor.

Oblique work

All of the other technique applies (neck straight, lower back flat to floor, etc.) now we are just taking the basic crunch to one side. Place one hand behind your head and the other straight out to the side. Lift your shoulders off the floor and turn the shoulder towards your straight arm or opposite knee. Slowly return to the beginning position. Repeat on the other side.

Lower abs

Lying flat on your back lift your legs in the air with your feet pointing towards the ceiling. Place your hands by your side. Slowly lift your hips off the ground simultaneously tightening your lower abs. Do not swing your legs.

Now that you have three areas to work go and try it! But remember to consult a physician before starting any exercise program.

For more information about the health benefits of working your core muscles and reducing belly fat you may visit the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association.

“Sleep? Is she really going to write about sleep?” I know, I know, sleep doesn’t seem like something you’d see on a blog about fitness and nutrition. The fact is, sleep is an essential element to our general health and well-being. We need sleep to restore our bodies; and as you’ll see later, sleep is even spoken about in the Bible and getting sleep shows our dependence on God.

Health Benefits

Instead of giving you health benefits I want to direct your attention to a foundation completely devoted to sleep. I have not researched the National Sleep Foundation’s entire site so therefore I can not recommend everything written, but I am sure you will benefit from their research on sleep and the importance of it. Read Sleep-Wake Cycle: Its Physiology and Impact on Health for more information about the health benefits of sleep.

A Biblical Perspective

CJ Mahaney, President of Sovereign Grace Ministries, preached about this very topic- sleep. If you would like to understand all that the Bible says about sleep and why it’s important to God please check out CJ’s message, A Biblical Understanding of Sleep.

I’d like to leave you with a prayer from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions.

Sleep

Thou hast promised thy beloved sleep;
Give me restoring rest needful for tomorrow’s toil;
If dreams be mine,
let them not be tinged with evil.
Let thy Spirit make my time of repose
a blessed temple of his holy presence….

I retire this night in full assurance of one day awaking with thee.

All glory for this precious hope,
for the gospel of grace,
for thine unspeakable gift of Jesus,
for the fellowship of the Trinity.
Withhold not thy mercies in the night season;
thy hand never wearies,
thy power needs no repose,
thine eye never sleeps.

Help me when I helpless lie,
when my conscience accuses me of sin,
when my mind is harassed by foreboding thoughts,
when my eyes are held awake by personal anxieties.

Show thyself to me as the God of all grace,
love and power;
thou hast a balm for every wound,
a solace for all anguish,
a remedy for every pain,
a peace for all disquietude.
Permit me to commit myself to thee awake or asleep.

(Valley of Vision, A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions, Edited by Arthur Bennett p.298-299)