Hawkeye Life of a Trainer Blog

This is my third of nine blogs in regards to the Power 9 principles created by Blue Zones.  These principles are life style habits that help people live longer, healthier, and happier lives.  I have known of these principles since pledging to be “blue” in August of 2012 and I wanted to write about how I have tried to apply them to my everyday life.

After what seemed like a year-long winter it is finally time to get outside and enjoy some nice weather. There are many benefits to taking your workout and recreational acitivites to the outdoors. This article details how it can be helpful and gives some examples of ways to transition your training and/or recreation. 

This is my second of nine blogs in regards to the Power 9 principles created by Blue Zones.  These principles are life style habits that help people live longer, healthier, and happier lives.  I have known of these principles since pledging to be “blue” in August of 2012 and I wanted to write about how I have tried to apply them to my everyday life.

Happy Finals Everyone! 

This is my first of nine blogs in regards to the Power 9 principles created by Blue Zones.  These principles are life style habits that help people live longer, healthier, and happier lives.  I have known of these principles since pledging to be “blue” in August of 2012 and I wanted to write about how I have tried to apply them to my everyday life.

So yesterday morning I woke up with slight back pain!  Not bad, but was weird.  I've been outdoors a lot lately with the nicer weather and going for long walks and running a bit.  Still, no idea why my back was aching when I woke up.  Luckily after a quick workout of cardio and weights it was feeling fine! 

It is always important to remember to take some time for yourself and participate in your favorite recreational activites. This is especially true during this very busy time of year. It seems like it is always easiest to cut out the activities you enjoy doing when many things are going on with school or work. Cutting out activities like biking, playing sports, or reading can actually be detrimental in numerous ways. 

First off as a runner and hopefully a lifelong runner I know I will have some injuries and eventually something serious like a hip or knee replacement because our bodies are not met to take a pounding day in and day out.  Now does that mean I will slow down or switch to something with less impact?  NO!  Runners tend to weigh less than walkers and have a healthier BMI which decreases their risk of arthritis.  Anything with a high impact can cause arthritis or knee and hip problems.  How I see it, is we can be healthy now and risk that as an outcome or we can become sedentary people and have a lot greater risk factors down the road.  I think the key is moderation and like I said last week, LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR BODY IS TELLING YOU!

Hey Gang! 

So last week I told you guys I was ordering my Nike FuelBand but now that I actually have it I can tell you more about it. I've been wearing it for 3 days and I absolutely love it. Before and after every workout I look down to see how many calories I have burned and where are my fuel points are at. Well since I am really active I set my Fuel points at 5,000. If I don't make my goal at the end of the day it will tell me. But since I am so competitive I make sure I always make my goal. Yesterday I was 800 fuel points away from my goal so I went on a short run just so I could reach my goal. I recommenced the Nike FuelBand to everyone- especially if you’re having a hard time working out right now. It will make you want to exercise more just so you can reach your goal and it makes exercising fun!