Winter 2009
Vol. 11, No. 1
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Winter 2009 |
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Nutrition & Health
Linda Rellergert, MS When the
weather outside is frightful, you may be tempted to stay curled up inside by the
fire rather than brave the elements for the sake of fitness. However, staying
active is too important to your health to wait until the spring thaw. Try some
of the following suggestions to have a more active lifestyle, whatever the
weather.
Dress for success.
Staying active in cold weather can be pleasurable (really!) if properly dressed.
Successful cold weather garb includes these essentials:
¨ Start
with your head. A warm hat is essential to maintain body temperature. Make it
one that is comfortable and stays on your head, even when the wind blows.
¨ Warm
gloves add greatly to comfort and help prevent sore, chapped hands. Use mittens
when temperatures get frigid. Keep feet warm and dry in wool-blend socks and
insulated boots for snowy fun.
¨ Layers
are important to hold in body heat. You can regulate body temperature by taking
off layers as you warm up. Garments that make good layers include long
underwear, tights or leggings, long-sleeved T-shirts, turtleneck tops and
sweaters, vest and coat or jacket.
¨ Fabrics
can make a big difference in comfort. Fleece is very warm yet lightweight.
Microfiber and silk garments can be much warmer than heavy cottons. Nylon is an
effective wind block. Waterproof finishes are a must for snow activities.
Fit in several short fitness breaks throughout the day.
Health
experts recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of movement on most days, but that
time can be broken into shorter segments.
¨ Try
a couple of 10- to 15-minute periods a day with different activities. For
example, take a stretch break instead of a coffee break at work. Get up and walk
to speak with a co-worker instead of emailing. Take the long way to the copy
machine.
¨ Make
movement part of your everyday routine. Take the stairs instead of elevator.
Park as far from the door as possible. Do calisthenics or household chores
during TV ads. Go into the bank instead of using the drive-up window.
¨ Use
household chores like vacuuming, dusting or laundry as an opportunity to move
vigorously.
Explore new activities.
¨ Try
mall walking, indoor swimming or other water activities; sign up for Tai Chi; or
take dancing lessons. Treat yourself to a new aerobic dance video, or look for a
yoga program on TV.
¨ Join
or start a church or community-based sports team. Look into joining the YMCA or
other community fitness program.
¨ Buy
a piece of exercise equipment. A treadmill or stationary bicycle may be just the
ticket to keep you moving and motivated. Learn as much as you can before
shopping; consider purchasing gently used equipment rather than new. Keep your
mind occupied while on the treadmill or bike by listening to music or books on
tape, watching TV, or reading a good book. Give new meaning to the term “active
social life” by choosing active entertainment when you go out with friends.
Dancing, bowling, laser tag and ice skating are fun, active alternatives to
sitting in a movie or concert.
¨ Bring
out all your fitness equipment and set up a fitness circuit. Spend 5 to 10
minutes on each piece of equipment. Alternate with walking or jogging in place
until you make the complete fitness circuit.
¨ Sign
up for a strength training program. University of Missouri Extension has a
strength training program especially for middle-aged and older adults called
Stay Strong, Stay Healthy. For information about this program call your county
Extension office or visit
http://missourifamilies.org/sssh/.
Stay active
all winter long to protect your health and make sure you are ready for a fun,
active spring and summer.
FAMILY LIFE
Rosilee Trotta, MSW, LCSW I came
across a haiku poem the other day by Kobayashi Issa, Japanese poet and Buddhist
priest, that made me think about the New Year. He may have come as close as
anyone to capturing my thinking on the subject:
“New Year’s Day…everything is in blossom! I feel about average.” How many of
us view the difference between the New Year and the Old Year as merely a day . .
. or perhaps a glass of champagne? Does anything really change except the date?
Most people I know fail to make a New Year resolution because they doubt they’ll
keep it anyway. Unfortunately, I can put myself in this category most years. Perhaps I’m
missing something with my slovenly attitude. The end of a year really should be
about looking at a behavior we weren’t pleased with in the past, and changing
it. A small adjustment may be all that is necessary. A little tweaking could go
a long way. We might
even get a little creative as we attempt to formulate our resolution. If better
health is our goal, diet and exercise aren’t the only things we can work on . .
. although I don’t want to discourage improvement in those areas. We might
consider other healthy concepts, such as stress reduction; or increasing our
number of sleep hours; or using humor instead of anger to resolve conflict. Pick
one. We
have a much better chance of success if we concentrate on only one area for
improvement at a time. Once we’ve
selected our focal area, we should narrow it a bit. Proclaiming we will reduce
stress is too broad for most of us to deal with effectively. We have to be more
specific to make it work. Just
how are
we going to reduce stress? This might
differ for each of us. Personally, taking a walk is a stress reducer I might
use. Even better is Fred Allen’s technique: “I like long walks, especially when
taken by folks who annoy me.” Works for me! Walking,
however, may be a stressor rather than a relaxer for some. They may prefer to
sit quietly for 10 minutes and meditate, or surround themselves with candles in
a hot bath, or sit in front of a fireplace with feet propped up, or curl up with
a good book. The point is, each person must decide what reduces his or her
stress. The next
looming decision is how frequently to incorporate the stress reduction technique
of choice into real life. This will be dependent on your frazzle factor. Just
how tense are you? How often do you require stress relief? Once these
decisions have been made, a specific New Year, or mid-year, or end-of-year
resolution can be crafted. It should look something like this: I will walk 15
minutes each morning before breakfast. Short. Specific. To the point. Doable. It is
important to remember Nido Qubein’s statement: “ . . . nothing works unless you
do.” That’s the hardest part. We have to get off the sofa and do something! We
have to push our comfort zone over the edge and invest some energy into
accomplishing what we’ve resolved to do. The
fireworks on New Year’s Eve signify a time of renewal. They remind us that we
have an opportunity to rejuvenate, to reinvent, to improve. If they failed to
motivate you at the beginning of 2009, it’s not too late to act. On reflection,
if I’d been following my own advice and changed one behavior each year, by this
age I’d be nearly perfect!
FAMILY LIFE
Elizabeth Reinsch, PhD, Richard
Louv’s latest book,
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder,
raises
concerns about the increasing amount of time children spend indoors, away from
nature. It caused me to reflect on my own childhood and the enormous amount of
time I, my sisters, along with neighbor kids and friends, spent in the woods
below the home where I grew up. We played
for hours down at the creek or hiking up to “Big Rock,” on a bluff that
overlooked the small town where I grew up. The freedom I experienced at such a
tender age of 5 and throughout my teen years was developed in a woods filled
with rabbits, squirrels, birds, butterflies, bees and turtles. The creek
meandered for miles at the bottom of the hill, where slippery rocks and pools of
water provided small fish, dragonflies and snakes to observe, fantasize and
pretend, setting the stage for hours of play. That was a
few years ago, back in the 1950s, during a time that offered freedoms our kids
today will never know--unless we do something about it. Louv’s book provides
research that shows how important nature is to all of us, adults as well as
kids. He makes the case for nature being essential for physical and emotional
health. He also cites research suggesting that exposure to nature may reduce
the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
“Nature-deficit disorder,” according to Louv, “describes the human costs of
alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of the senses, attention
difficulties and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses.”
Researchers studying the phenomenon of the “de-naturing” of childhood show
reduced amount of leisure time experienced in families today. They find people
spending more time in front of the TV or computer, playing video games or Wii.
Not only is obesity growing among children and adults, but research says the
best predictor of preschool children’s physical activity is simply being
outdoors. Another research study found the average 8-year-old could better
identify characters on the Japanese trading card game Pokémon than native plants
and species in his/her own back yard and community. So how do
we change this condition? Here are a few suggestions to get started.
1. Take
time to be outdoors.
2. Be
mindful and observant of what is happening around you.
Don’t just go to the park (which is better than not), but try to find a field or
open land area. Spend time categorizing the different insects and animals you
can find. When was the last time you turned on a porch light and looked at the
bugs flying around? Have you ever walked in the mud after a rain and felt the
squishy mud push through your toes? Try it again this time with your child.
3. Look
for patterns to see your
4. Talk
to your children about your own experiences with nature.
Encourage them
to talk to you. Build memories and enjoy each other’s company.
Source:
Louv, Richard. (2008).
PERSONAL FINANCE
1. Review
current spending. Think about where you can plug unplugged spending leaks.
2. Order
and review your three free credit reports at www.annualcreditreport.com.
3. Review
your debt load. Find anextra $10 each week to pay more than the minimum.
4. Review
your energy costs and consider weatherizing.
5. Plan
weekly menus to reduce shopping trips and cut grocery costs.
6. Make
sure you’re putting away money so you’ll have reserves in case of an emergency.
Contact:
Suzanne Gellman,
GellmanS@missouri.edu,
or Michael Ravenscraft,
RavenscraftMR@missouri.edu,
financial education specialists.
Keeping fit when winter
weather is frightful
Nutrition & Health Education Specialist
RellergertL@missouri.edu
Bringing in
the New Year . . . or sticking with the old?
Urban Youth & Family Specialist
TrottaR@missouri.edu
Mud between your
toes: Reaping nature’s benefits
LCSW/ACSW
Human Development Specialist
ReinschE@missouri.edu
Encourage your children to turn off the television and computer and go outside
for awhile—and do the same yourself.
environment in a new way.
Take a winter
walk and look closely at ice crystals you find in nature. In early summer try
catching fireflies in a jar. Watch their lights turn on and off. On a warm
summer night go out in the back yard, lie on the ground and look at the stars.
Really get to know one open area to see what’s present at different times of
year.
Last Child in the Woods: Saving
Our Children from Nature-Deficit
Disorder.
Chapel Hill,
NC: Algonquin.
6 financial tips for the New Year
Editor: Roxanne T. Miller
MillerRT@missouri.edu