Exercise or not to exercise that is the question

Well by the end of last week the flu finally caught up with me.I put up a good fight but in the end I let my defenses down long enough for it to take hold.I figure I might as well get it now rather than at Christmas. Now it's over with.... at least thats what I'm going to believe.My big question then was "should I be exercising while I'm sick?"I looked it up and the article below seemed to have the most common sense;
Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Edward Laskowski, M.D., and colleagues say;

Yes, you can continue with mild or moderate activity if you have a cold with no fever. Exercise may even help you feel better — by temporarily relieving nasal congestion.

So how do you determine if you're too sick to exercise? Here's a good rule of thumb: If your symptoms are "above the neck" — such as runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, or sore throat — you can proceed with your workout.

However, if your symptoms are "below the neck" — such as chest congestion or tightness, hacking cough, or upset stomach — you should postpone your workout. Also, you shouldn't exercise if you have a fever, fatigue or widespread muscle aches. Rarely, exercising with a fever has been associated with inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis).

As always, use common sense. If you're not feeling well but still want to exercise, reduce the intensity of your workout and listen to your body. If your symptoms worsen with exercise, stop and rest. Missing a few days of exercise isn't the end of the world.
I will be playing catch up for a few days but I'll live through that too.
See you on the track
Linda

Too much time

I had a lot of sick folks at my house this week. Just about everyone had the flu at different times. I never did come down with it...at least not yet. It was a bit of a struggle to keep focused on my UBBT requirements. My personal time seemed to be taken up nursing everyone else back to health.
Unfortunately it also gave me too much time to think and some of my old insecurities came to the foreground in my mind. I tend to read double meanings into things people say to me... like was that a joke or was he trying to tell me something.... maybe I'm not the right person for that job....things don't come easy for me... maybe it shows, anyway you get the idea,I drove myself nuts all week. The cloud lifted somewhat as the kids started to get better and BACK TO SCHOOL! It,s a good thing Randy has such great patience
Here's to a better week to come,
Linda

Giving is good for the soul

In our time of technology one of the main stays in our homes is the telephone. It keeps us in touch with loved ones, with the touch of a finger we have medical aid, and a way to resource the world around us without leaving our homes.Of course with the good also comes the bad. Telemarketers bombard us daily with calls. The same can be said about people with good causes looking to raise money. The problem is that I become jaded with not only the telemarketers but also with so many needy fundraisers. I have hardened my heart over the years just so I can survive the sometimes cruel ways I must tell the phone" no I don't want to buy your product, no I Know I have not won a free trip to... and no I have no donation funds left for you cause." I was raised a good Catholic girl and guilt was driven into the very fiber of my soul. So saying "no" does not come easy... or maybe too easy these days.
My husband Randy and I attended a fundraiser last week and I must admit out of loyalty to Silent River Kung FU. The cause once again was a blur with no real meaning to it. Just another place to put a meager donation and keep the flow of income going into our schools fundraisers. Our attitudes soon changed as the speaker "Memory" described her life and those of women in general in her home country. Anyone who was there came away with a new understanding of how well off we are in Canada. We have three daughters of our own and could not imagine in our wildest dreams how hard it would be for them to have to survive such a life. The night turned out to be a real eye opener.
The topic around our table these days is about giving to these women. Each one of my teenagers has pledged to give a portion of their next pay cheques and we as a family are going to sponsor one of these girls for the next year and maybe the next four. We have so much to give thanks for and maybe one way to appreciate this is to give to someone who doesn't. I am hoping by putting a face to a young girl in need will drive this home to my whole family. This Christmas will have more meaning with project in mind. After all isn't this the message that Christmas is bring to us each year, the one I have been missing for a long time,it isn't about receiving,it's about giving.....
Once again;
Linda

The fountain of youth

Exercise has become my fountain of youth. It has been a lot of years since I've felt so good. It helps slow aging in human skeletal
muscle. It seems to help the heart to deteriorate slower. It has become a moving meditation for me. It gives me time all to myself, a time to regroup and give back to so many deserving people.Inspiration comes from looking in the mirror and finally liking how I look. It has increased my self confidence. I worry less about what people think of me and more about who they think I am. I have been able to come off one medication and reduce another all by exercise.
We had a black belt class this past Friday that I was able to stand up and demonstrate a new form I was learning all because I felt better about myself.It was one of those classes I was so glad I hadn't missed. All the black belts did the same form but each had put their own personality;s into it. It was very inspiring, I can't wait to learn the rest of the form.I feel ten years younger and it doesn't seem to matter that I don,t necessarily look it. So what are you waiting for....
Talk to you next week

Linda

count down

Well I'm on the count down for the end of the first step in my Body for life challenge. Two weeks to go. I am going to continue with the Body for life for the next year to go alone with my UBBT. I think though that at the end of two weeks I will change up some of my weight training routine .I have been working mostly on the machines in the gym maybe I'll try some free weights now.
I have been trying to read "Way of the Peaceful warrior" but can't seem to find the time. A few minutes here and there just doesn't work for me.I need to sit down and concentrate on the book. I have come up with a solution though, I have found the audio book and am going to down load it onto my ipod. That way I can hear the book while I'm running.Is that cheating? Oh well it will work out better.
Speaking of running, I hit the 5 km. mark on Saturday. There's no limit to where I might end up now. My partner also hit the 5km mark,but I know he could go to 10 km if he wanted to. He's so kind to my ego. Lets me have my small victory's. I must say that my training gets easier with my weight lose and better cardio conditioning.
See you at the finish line
Linda

RUN FOREST RUN

This week I reached an all time personal record of running four kms. Now this sounds great and for me it is, but it's not pretty.
If you are on the track at the same time I am, you will hear me coming up behind you well before you see me. I"m afraid I still sound like an old steam engine. I am hoping this too will pass. Speed you ask? Well most people can probably walk faster than I run, however this does not bother me. IT STILL FEELS GREAT. I have always wanted to run but never had the drive to do it. Now I have learned to push past the pain in my legs and ignore my screaming lungs. I just one foot in front of the other and count off the kms. I have asked myself at least a dozen times "why can I do this now and never before?" I really don't know yet.Maybe its my workout partner, or maybe it the Ubbt. challenge, or maybe its the body for life program. It could of been a full moon on the day I finally committed to doing this, I"ll let you know when I figure this out. Anyway my new goal is to make the five km. mark by Christmas. For the first time in my life I can say this and know I will do this.
I FEEL GREAT! Talk to you soon
Linda

The universal law of reciprocation

I am going to take a paragraph out of the Body for life book by Bill Phillips: "Many people want to get before they give. In the long run, this formula never works.My experience has been this; When I focus on creating value for others, in either my personal or my professional life, I don't get back a return that merely equals what I invest, I know my return will be double , triple, even 10 times greater. This is such a fundamental truth that I don't even think about it. I don't pay attention to my future return. The payoff will be automatic. And it will come in many forms;pride, fun, fulfillment, friendship. self-esteem, energy."
I came across this statement in his book when I first started my body for life challenge and I can't tell you how true it has turned out to be. I am constantly shocked and surprised at the positive energy around me from people who I wasn't even aware of. If I have given even one person encouragement or hope to become better within themselves then my challenge will have been a success. It is one of the biggest turning points in my life so far. I challenge you to take this step and see what happens. I promise you it will be worth it.

On another subject I had an awaking moment this week. Towards the end of the week, Thursday, Fridayish, I had a incredible craving for sweets. I thought I was past this point in my fight with my weight, but here it was again. I struggled through it with little or no cheating. But looking back on it today , Sunday I see the truth in the fight. I was in an emotional battle with myself and I have always been an emotional eater. You know that sugar will sooth me for awhile until things look better. I made it past the pressures I had created in my mind and now I can see where the cravings had come from. Maybe next time it will be easier. I hope so,
talk to you next week

Linda