Playing to Your Strengths

Playing to your strengths

It's tempting isn't it? It's so much easier to see what's wrong with yourself and your life than to take advantage of what's right. The problem is, too much focus on the negative can affect your attitude and opinion of yourself. It's a quick road to burnout. While it's important to pay attention to things you can improve, your best bet for a breakthrough lies in maximizing what you're already good at. The secret is to use those strengths to help boost yourself up where you need the help. What are your major talents? What do you have a special knack for? Set specific goals to improve those talents and don't fret as much about your weak spots. They'll get the extra help they need as you climb higher.

If you spend too much time working on your weaknesses, all you end up with is a lot of strong weaknesses.

- Dan Sullivan, business coach

Check out links on the right side of blog for upcoming walks

Check out the links on the right side of the blog. There are some upcoming walks, hikes and bike rides. Great time of the year to see the fall colors.

You Tube - Stability Ball 101

Click on title of post for a You tube video on using a stability ball 101. There are probably better videos but thought this was pretty simple.

I DID IT!

My stability ball is now a part of my living room and computer sitting experience! It seemed to have lost some it's "inflation" because it is now at 76 in instead of the recommended 80 in round. We gave up trying to get it to the recommended size. I have already noticed that the pressure is off my neck and shoulders. Below are 10 tips I found on the web why to use as your chair:
Here are some of the benefits of using an exercise ball as your chair. Whether you spend your desk time at the office, or studying at home for that next exam, office ball chairs can help you in many ways.

1. Forces proper spine alignment. Because an exercise ball is not stable, your body needs to try to balance itself on it. The perfect spinal posture is coincidently the easiest to balance with. Thus, your body will automatically try to align itself into the proper posture. This helps improve your spinal health, and decrease back pains.

2. Causes you to frequently change positions. An exercise ball causes to you to change your position often to balance. For example, if you turn 45 degrees to face the phone, your body will assume a new position. This helps reduce damage caused by prolonged sitting in the same position.

3. Fitness is at your fingertips. Another great thing about using this alternative to a chair, is that you can do stretches or mini-workouts whenever you want, without getting up. If you’ve ever stuck waiting for a minute or two, you can make productive use of that time with a quick workout or stretch. Because it’s much more convenient, you will probably do it more, thus resulting in better health.

4. Improve your balance. This one is very understandable. Sitting on an unstable surface all day will improve your sense of balance, as well as the reactions of your muscles. The result? An overall better balance, that can be observed out of the office.

5. Get that 6-pack you’ve been wanting. Your body primarily uses your core (abdominal) muscles to help compensate for changes in balance. Thus, your essentially getting a low-key abdominal workout. This may not sound like a lot, but consider the amount of time you spend on your computer at the office, or at home. Those hours can build up, and result in a strengthening of ab muscles.

6. Improves your circulation. Using an exercise ball will keep the blood flowing to all parts of your body, throughout the day. A desk chair on the other hand, reduces circulation to some parts of the body after prolonged use.

7. You’ll feel more energetic. It has been proven that staying in one position, will make you more tired, while moving around and being active with give you more energy. With an exercise ball as a chair, you will feel much more energized after you finish your work.

8. Burn up to 350 calories per day. More movement during the day = more calories burnt. Burning 350 calories per day = losing one pound of fat every 10 days. You may not burn quite 350, but nonetheless, it will help you stay fit.

9. Really cheap. Specialized exercise balls designed for sitting usage can range from $15 to $80. Much cheaper than buying an ergonomic chair, which can range anywhere from $100 to $400 and up.

10. C’mon, its fun! Who doesn’t like the idea of bouncing around on an exercise ball all day. Exercise balls are an exciting alternative to chairs, and may just give that spark of fun to your day.

America On the Move - Tip of the Day

Show your loved ones how much they mean to you. Give them the gift of health! Walking shoes, tennis supplies, gardening gear, and golf equipment are great ways to encourage your friends and family to get out and move more. Join them on a neighborhood walk, on the 9th hole, or at your local tennis court.

Saturday Morning Walk across the Mighty Mo

This morning several ladies from the Women Bound to Be Active groups made the trek across the new foot bridge across the Missouri River connecting Omaha and Council Bluffs. Wait to be active ladies.

The simple exercise solution for 7 common conditions

(I borrowed this to share with you from UNMC’s Health-e Headlines monthly newsletter.) It caught my eye because it looks exactly like my medical file!

Common health conditions may be helped without medication, according to the Harvard Health Letter. Here’s a brief look at 7 conditions and the simple home treatment for them that is found within you—physical activity:

Arthritis: There’s a good chance that losing weight will make arthritis less painful. Combine weight loss with exercise and you may have less pain and more mobility. Even for those who don’t need to lose weight, exercise that doesn’t put “load” on the joints reduces pain (best examples are swimming and water aerobics).

Cholesterol: Be active to increase your HDL level (the good cholesterol). Your LDL level (the bad type of cholesterol) may drop by 5% or so if you keep foods high in saturated fat off the menu. Additional soluble fiber may reduce LDL levels as well. So can margarines fortified with sterols.

Cognitive decline: Memory training and other “brain exercises” seem to help healthy older people stay sharp. But physical exercise may benefit the brain even more than mental gymnastics.

Depression: Studies have shown that regular physical activity can have a potent effect on bringing people out of the dark days of depression.

Diabetes: Regular physical activity puts a powerful brake on blood sugar levels because exercised muscle becomes more receptive to the insulin that helps it pull sugar in from the bloodstream. Eating fewer sweets and easy-to-digest carbohydrates also helps control blood sugar levels.

High blood pressure: Losing weight, getting more exercise, and eating less sodium all lower blood pressure.

Osteoporosis: Weight-bearing exercise puts stress on bones, so bone tissue reacts by getting stronger and denser, not weaker. Extra vitamin D and calcium top the list of dietary recommendations.