10 in 10 Challenge - Week 8 Tip

From Mark Hesse, Director of Crawfordsville Aquatic Center

Variety is the Spice of Exercise (adapted from an article by Paige Waehner of about.com)
This time of year, things start to get a little boring don't they? Many of us have been working out inside for weeks now and it may seem like winter will never end. Even those who run or walk outside can become stale or bored as our bodies adapt to and “learn” our favorite routes. Rather than give up on your workouts, use these ideas and resources to spice up your routine and keep your energy flowing:

Invigorating Cardio
If you've been doing the same cardio workouts for a while, isn't it time to try something new? We often get attached to our cardio workout, afraid that doing something new won't burn as many calories.
But, even if that's true, it's worth it if it keeps you motivated. Try these ideas:
· Try something new. Challenge yourself by using a cardio machine you've never tried before (like the rowing machine or the versaclimber).
· Do a rotation. Once a week, use every cardio machine in the gym for a little cardio medley. You'll get a great workout and have a little fun.
· Add intensity. Add high intensity intervals to your workouts or shorten your usual workout and work harder. Sometimes just changing the duration/intensity of your workout makes it feel fresh.
· Take a class. If you never take group fitness classes, pick up a schedule and try one class each month. You might like it!
· Try videos. If you don't exercise at home, you're missing out on a wealth of workouts. Visit Collage Video and choose something you've always wanted to try. It's a small investment and could open the door to a new way to exercise.
· Make your own workout. This is one of my favorite things to do when I'm bored with the usual. Put on some music, slap on your shoes and do your own thing--dance, run around the house, do jumping jacks...anything that gets your heart going.
· Try this new Cardio Blast Workout for a killer cardio workout at home...no equipment needed.
· Head to the pool. Try swimming - it’s a great low impact total body workout. Or how about running in the pool – a great way to add resistance while reducing impact. Or even check out a water aerobics class.

Liven Up Your Strength Training
If you're in a strength training rut, use these ideas to change your routine and keep things a little more exciting:
· Change your resistance. We all have our favorite things--machines, free weights or the cables. If you tend to stick with one type of resistance, do something different. Try resistance bands or use the cable machine. It's amazing how different an exercise feels when you change the resistance.
· Add new moves to your routine. Do a little research (on the Internet or at the bookstore) and find new moves or variations you've never seen before. Or try these ideas for something new and fresh.
· Change your focus. If you usually lift heavy for less reps, try increasing the reps and lowering your weight for more endurance training. If you never lift heavy, give it a try. The change will do your mind and body good.
· Take a fitness assessment. Visit this site for some fitness tests you can do at home. Record your results and take the tests again in a month to see if you've improved.
· Break the rules. You may follow the typical strength routine of starting with big muscle groups and working your way down. Breaking the rules can be a good thing--it teaches you about your own body and what it likes or doesn't like. Change your workouts by starting from the last exercise and going backwards. Start with a different exercise or muscle group or change the rest between sets. See how your body responds to these changes...you may just find something that works better than what you normally do.
· Head to the pool, again. Water adds resistance to any workout and you can use a variety of equipment such as fins, paddles and pull buoys to help build strength.
Keep Your Flexibility Training Fresh
I tend to do the same old thing when it comes to stretching after my workouts. There's nothing wrong with that, but it gets boring when you don't try new things and, for many of us, stretching isn't something we spend much time on anyway. There are lots of ways to freshen up your stretching:
· Try a stretching video. Karen Voight and Cathe Friedrich are just two video instructors who offer some great stretching videos with innovative ideas for how to stretch in different ways.
· Use the stretching machines. If your gym has a Precor stretching machine, give it a try. You can get some great stretches by having some support for your body.
· Try this relaxing stretch/yoga routine which uses an exercise ball for variety. Do it on it's own for a gentle workout or try it after your usual workouts. You'll be glad you did!
· Once again swimming is great for lengthening muscles and keeping joints flexible.

Keeping things fresh and new is essential for your mind and for your body. It's easy to get attached to doing the same workouts day after day, but being willing to try new things is the only way to keep your body challenged and your mind excited about exercise. Plus, you never know what you'll discover about yourself when you try something new.

10 in 10 Challenge - Week 7 Tip

By Angie Frost, Crawfordsville Community School Corporation

Walking – what a great way to get in shape

If you are walking for weight loss, cardiovascular benefits, training for a race, or just for the fun of it, visit the following website for a great calendar and guidance to enhance your walking program!!
http://features.prevention.com/walking/calendar/

This calendar allows you to enter your goal, fitness level, start and end dates. It will then give you a customized daily and/or monthly workout that you can follow to help you meet those goals!

Have fun and keep moving!

10 in 10 Challenge: Week 6 Tip

Fruits and Vegetables for a Healthier You
Kathryn Tate, Extension Educator Consumer & Family Sciences
Purdue Extension Montgomery County

We are all worried about our health these days, but many of us don’t do some of the easy things we can do to help our bodies. Today, I’m focusing on eating more fruits and vegetables. There are so many advantages to eating fruits and veggies, and yet, most of us aren’t getting enough. While there is some variation based on your weight and gender, in general, most of us need 1.5 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables are packed with the vitamins, minerals, and fiber we need to keep our bodies healthy. Many fruits help us fight off illness and heal wounds with their high content of vitamin C. Fruits and vegetables with vitamin A help our eyesight and skin. Fiber helps keep our digestive system healthy and can reduce the risk for heart disease. Fruits and vegetables even help reduce our risks for certain chronic diseases.

It is important to eat whole fruits and vegetables to get their total effect. Fruit juices may seem easier than the fruit itself sometimes, but fruit juices have a higher concentration of sugar than the whole fruit and juices lack fiber. Not only do we need to eat whole fruits and vegetables, we also need to eat a variety of colors of fruits and vegetables because each color of fruit brings with it different nutrients.

How can you get more fruit in your diet? Toss a few sliced strawberries or bananas into your yogurt and add a few pieces of lettuce or spinach to your sandwich for lunch. Try eating an apple or carrots and celery for a snack instead of potato chips or crackers. Reduce your portion of meat and add an extra side of vegetables for dinner. And, finally, you can try having a delicious fruit salad for dessert.

Sources:
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/
http://www.mypyramid.gov/

10 in 10 Challenge: Week 5 tip

From Angie Frost, Nutrition Educator, Crawfordsville Community Schools

Feed Your Healthy Heart
February is National Heart Month, when good nutrition is truly at the “heart” of the matter. A healthy heart is the result of good genes, the right food choices, plenty of physical activity and knowing how to deal with stress.

While you can’t do much about your genes, regular exercise, eating right and dealing with stress are lifestyle behaviors you can control.

In general, eat more plant foods, fish, poultry and low-fat dairy foods. Cook with moderate amounts of olive or canola oil instead of butter, margarine or shortening.

Some examples of foods for heart health include:
· Beans, peas and barley
· Soybeans, other soy-based foods (not soybean oil)
· Fruits and vegetables
· Salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel
· Red grapes and purple grape juice
· Nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts
· Green or black tea
· Onions, scallions, shallots, garlic and leeks.
·
And for more information on heart-healthy eating, consult a registered dietitian.

Produced by ADA’s Public Relations Team