http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo

If you aren’t all about the numbers there are many other benefits to getting bursts of exercise in throughout your day.   It helps relieve stress and clear the mind in order to focus on the task at hand.  It naturally (without sugar or caffeine) helps boost your mood and/or energy level.   There is “magic” happening inside your body when you exercise.  You may not realize the immediate benefit but when creating a habit of regular exercise it will benefit you from the inside out.  Turn on the magic!!

Try this for your first five minutes:

1 minute of speed skaters

1 minute of front kicks

1 minute of lunges

30 seconds  of jumping squats

30 seconds of high knee jog

30 seconds of football steps

30 seconds of calf jumps

Call me if you have questions!

859-462-0108

2) Timing yourself during challenges can also be a great way to stay motivated. See how many squats or lunges you can do in one minute and then add five or ten to it for next time. Another great test is to do jump ups onto a step. How many can you do in 30 seconds? Then hold a 2 or 3 lb weight in each hand and see if you can do the same amount next time.

If you need help creating workouts that keep you motivated just give me a call I will help!- 859-462-0108

It is a good thing to set high and lofty goals. The big secret is knowing how to achieve them. When we set out to achieve a big thing or “climb that mountain” we don’t just leap to the top in one fell swoop, we accomplish this one step at a time. We can also compare this to climbing a ladder one rung at a time. As with any goal, we need a plan to succeed. Using the ladder analogy, the ladder is our plan and each individual rung of the ladder is one small step toward our goal.

Let’s apply this to a popular goal: weight loss. “I want to lose 30 lbs this year.” This is a very achievable thing to do. However we have to understand a few basic requirements for this process. It will take some time (all great journeys do) and I will accomplish it one step at a time (with each step being one small but permanent change in lifestyle). There are 2 types of steps on this ladder; dietary steps and exercise steps. Now if we try to take too many steps at once (the most common mistake) we are unable to continue and we quit. Let’s start the journey (remember each step is a permanent change)
STEP ONE: (week one) Eat 5 smaller meals /day (instead of 2-3 large ones).
STEP TWO: (week two) Begin walking 20 minutes a day 4-5 times per week.
STEP THREE: Replace a certain “bad food” for a better food choice (one per week).
STEP FOUR: Slowly increase and modify your exercise routine.

These are the first steps in the process. There are many more steps that can be taken and there is no limit to how far you can go. Some of us have enough knowledge and experience to do this on our own. Some of us need help. We would love for you to share your New Year’s Resolution with us so we can help you achieve your goals. Simply call our office to set up a free consultation about you 2012 goals. But remember the best day to start a journey is today and the worst day is tomorrow!

HAVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2012

LAWRENCE MIKKELSON

The 12-week LEAN program gives you motivation, direction, and guidance you need to live everyday actively and nutritiously. This educative and progressive program will:

Provide you with weekly support and tools that will help with your success when planning for lasting health and fitness.
Understand the necessary, but often confusing, nutrition information so you can apply it to your daily life.
Demonstrations at meetings to enhance your learning experience.
Join us for a grocery store tour to learn how to be a healthy shopper.
Apply new goals each week allowing you to take one step at a time towards a steady path of healthy eating and activity.
Fun ways to track your success so you can focus on more than just the numbers!
Receive weekly motivating message to inspire you along your journey.
Discover all the aspects of fitness to be your healthiest and feel your best.

Commit yourself to a lifetime of health!

The 12-week LEAN program is being offered at Rettay Chiropractic on Mondays at 7-7:45p starting February 5th, 2012. Purchase the entire program and supporting items for $120/person or $215/couple.

Most healthy adults need between 7.5 and 9 hours of sleep each night to function at their best. Below are a couple myths/facts from the National Institute of Health.

Myths and Facts about Sleep
Myth 1: Getting just 1 hour less sleep per night won’t affect your daytime functioning. You may not be noticeably sleepy during the day. But even slightly less sleep can affect your ability to think properly and respond quickly, and compromise your cardiovascular health, energy balance, and ability to fight infections.
Myth 2: Your body adjusts quickly to different sleep schedules. Most people can reset their biological clock, but only by appropriately timed cues—and even then, by 1–2 hours per day at best. Consequently, it can take more than a week to adjust after traveling across several time zones or switching to the night shift.
Myth 3: Extra sleep at night can cure you of problems with excessive daytime fatigue. Not only is the quantity of sleep important but also the quality of sleep. Some people sleep 8 or 9 hours a night but don’t feel well rested when they wake up because the quality of their sleep is poor.
Myth 4: You can make up for lost sleep during the week by sleeping more on the weekends. Although this sleeping pattern will help relieve part of a sleep debt, it will not completely make up for the lack of sleep. Furthermore, sleeping later on the weekends can affect your sleep-wake cycle so that it is much harder to go to sleep at the right time on Sunday nights and get up early on Monday mornings.
Adapted from: Your Guide to Healthy Sleep (PDF) The National Institutes of Health

There are MANY benefits to getting enough sleep. If you need more convincing on the importance of sleep and the affects on your health you can visit National Institutes of Health website, www.nih.gov.

There are also some holiday favorite foods to try to steer clear of or just have one bite:
Stuffing
Candied yams
Mashed Potatoes
Egg Nog
Alcohol
Sweet treats

So come up with a plan and stick to it. If you go into a situation unprepared it doesn’t usually end well. You can prevent over indulgence with preparation. You will feel much better and have more energy to get through the days of parties and family gatherings. Making healthy choices can also help with your stress level. A lower stress level will help you get through the holidays a joyful person!

We are inviting you to help us help the community this holiday season. On Saturday, November 26th we will perform all chiropractic services in our office for a donation of 2 or more canned goods or nonperishable food items. Not only does this cover regular office visits but also all new patient services including examination and neccessary X-Rays. This is a great way to introduce your friends or family to the same benefits you have received through chiropractic care without any cost or obligation.

The holiday season is a great time to reflect on our own good fortune and health. Unfortunately, now more then ever there are people who desperately need some help. I am asking you personally to help us out on our 22nd annual food drive.

Sincerely,

Lawrence MIkkelson

Like Circuit Training, Interval Training involves timed segments of specific exercises.  The difference being that interval training focuses on specific muscle groups or regions.

The main characteristic of interval training involves alternating between 2 exercises involving 2 regions of the body.  To gain the maximum aerobic benefit, stations should be pre set to minimize down time.  Here is an example of an interval training session for the chest and back muscles.  The trainer has selected 3 chest training exercises and 3 back training exercises.

                        Chest Exercises                        Back Exercises             Interval Time: 60 sec.

                        1. Pushups                                1. Pullups

                        2. Bench Press                         2. Deadlifts

                        3. Incline Fly w/Dumbbells        3. Cable Rowing

Example Sequence:

The trainee performs 60 seconds of continuous bench press.  (If he/she reaches muscle failure the activity is modified to make it easier).  Immediately after the first exercise (or interval) the trainee moves to the first back exercise (pullup) and performs these for 60 seconds.  Then to the bench press to the deadlift and on until all 6 exercises have been performed.   This cycle can then be repeated or an interval working other regions can be initiated.

Advantages of Interval Training

-The difficulty level of a workout can be altered by changing interval times or exercises.

-All components of fitness can be addressed (aerobic, flexibility, muscle strength and endurance.

-The trainer can directly supervise 2 trainees at once.

-Muscle confusion can be achieved by changing exercises and sequence.

-Interval training achieves more in a shorter time period

-Workouts can be broken up into shorter time periods.

-The concept of interval training can be applied to traditional strength building, endurance sports, weight loss programs, injury rehabilitation, flexibility, and/or specific sport skill development.

Disclaimer:

It is advisable to consult with a Health Care Provider before beginning any exercise program.