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DECODE (and DEFUSE) YOUR EXERCISE EXCUSES
If finding excuses to skip workouts made us fitter, we'd all be triathletes.
Sports psychology consultant Kristen Dieffenbach, PhD, at WVU, says we avoid exercise because "we've robbed it of any joy. We've transformed it from a natural, stress-relieving activity to something we have to schedule, plan, and create goals for. In other words: another form of stress." Here are some common exercise excuses. . . and advice on ditching them once and for all.
***"I'm already too busy--I can't deal with one more thing I'm 'supposed' to do."
Too many women put their jobs, obligations, and the people they care for before themsleves, says Dieffenbach. "Most wouldn't say out loud, 'I am not as important and I don't deserve the time,' yet that's the only way to translate their actions."
Try justifying a regular exercise routine by reminding yourself that unless your needs are met, you'll have trouble meeting the needs of the people counting on you. "Self-care is key to caring effectively for others," says Dieffenbach. "If a friend called and requested some of your time, you'd make it available. Be that kind of friend to yourself."
***"How can I exercise when I'm always tired?"
"First you have to realize that there are two types of energy--physical and mental--and that they feed off each other," says Kacy Duke, author of The Show It Love Workout. "Chances are, you're mentallyl tired from sitting at your job all day and you get to get your blood circulating to rev your engine again," she says. "Tell yourself, I will do just ten minutes. And grant yourself permission to call it quits if you're still slogging after ten full minutes. Eventually, you'll make the connection that feeling tapped out means you need to move MORE, not LESS."
***"I'll start out gung ho, but I know I'll get bored and quit."
Predicting failure is a classic way of protecting yourself, says Dieffenbach: "Rule out success, and you don't have to try." Find out what's behind your pessimism by listing the negative thoughts that occur when you picture yourself exercising, she says. One common roadblock is a fear of failure; a new routine can be daunting. If you're put off by the thought of setting up an effective--and safe--workout, consider investing in exercise classes and/or personal training to get you through the challenging first weeks of an exercise regimen.
-Selene Yeager
Stay tuned throughout the summer for more tips on decoding and defusing your exercise excuses!
***FIT NOTE!
Did you know? Strength Training Lessens Arthritis Pain
Many people think that weight-training exercises will worsen arthritis symptoms. In fact, a little bit of load-bearing exercise is just what the doctor ordered.
Dozens of research studies conducted within the past year show the benefits of exercise for people who suffer from arthritis. Some of the positive effects are:
•Decreased Pain – Whether you suffer from osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, increasing your muscle strength with weight-bearing exercise allows your muscles to act as shock absorbers, thus lessening pain in your joints.
•Better Bones – Tufts University researchers report that strength-training exercises can help build bone mass in arthritis patients. Post-menopausal women are particularly vulnerable to bone loss, typically losing up to two percent of bone mass every year. After just six months of exercise, researchers report a measurable difference.
•Slimmer Physique – Strength training is an important element in trimming your waistline because it increases your resting metabolic rate. A regular weight-training regimen, about 2-3 times per week, will stoke your metabolism by as much as 15 percent.
JULY is a great time to take a second look at what you're doing to build bone mass & increase your muscle strength.
This month, consider what you can do to improve your health and shape your body...Come INDOORS with us at Falls Church Jazzercise, where the air is cool and fresh, there's plenty of water to drink, and you don't have to worry about pounding the pavement. We've got plenty of resistance equipment to help you achieve that lean look, plus a floor that pampers your legs, and music that's current and fun! Come pump some iron with us...and try out the high-energy dance exercise programs that have kept Jazzercise in the forefront of the fitness industry for over 40 years!
In one hour, learn movements from Pilates, Yoga, kick-boxing, and a variety of cardio, strength, and flexibility exercises --and have FUN doing it!
TOP TEN DIET MYTHS
Don’t eat carbs, don’t skip breakfast, don’t ingest anything after 6 p.m. With all of the diet advice, tips and tricks available these days, how do you know which ones to follow? Take a look at these top ten diet myths and learn how to separate fact from fiction.
Myth #1: Cut the Carbs – The anti-carb craze has women tossing out bread and pasta from coast to coast. Some are even losing weight. But, is no-carb really the best way to go? Carbs are necessary to produce energy, not to mention that carbs provide fiber to aid digestion. And if you’re headed to the gym, you need some healthy carbs (fruit or oatmeal) to fuel your workout.
Myth #2: Don’t Skip Breakfast – While it is important to eat something in the morning, you don’t have to head for the kitchen as soon as you crawl out of bed. Just be sure to eat something within the first two hours of waking up. Yogurt or a piece of fruit will do the trick.
Myth #3: Milk is for Kids – Worries over the fat in dairy may have you running away from milk products. Unfortunately, a lack of dairy means that you’ll also miss out on calcium and Vitamin D, both of which are needed for strong bones and prevention of osteoarthritis. So, instead of ditching dairy altogether, trade in your high-fat milk products for their low-fat counterparts.
Myth #4: Buy Fat-Free – Just because a food claims to be “fat free” doesn’t mean that it’s low in calories. Also, remember that our body needs fat. The key is to get the right kind of fat. Monounsaturated fats that are found in almonds, olive oil, and avocados can actually help to reduce the levels of bad cholesterol in your blood.
Myth # 5: Stay Off the Scale – Sorry, girls, you really do need to weigh yourself to keep tabs on your health. Check-in on a weekly basis to keep track of your progress. And keep in mind that the numbers on the scale aren’t everything. Compare those numbers with how you feel in your clothes and the muscle mass that you build from your workouts.
Myth # 6: Counting Calories is Enough – Sure, nutrition is important, but you’ll never achieve maximum results without adding exercise to the mix. Jazzercise Founder and CEO Judi Sheppard Missett recommends a combination of cardiovascular exercise, which burns calories, alongside strength training, which increases your muscle mass and stokes your metabolism.
Myth # 7: Go Vegetarian – In your pursuit to drop a few pounds, ditching an entire food group may not be the wisest choice. However, if you have decided that going veggie is the right course of action for you, then be sure to keep your diet balanced. By cutting out meat, you’ll need to get iron elsewhere, such as kidney beans, black beans, and baked potatoes.
Myth # 8: Stop Snacking – It’s okay to snack. It’s just not okay to snack on the wrong foods! A piece of fruit or a handful of nuts between meals may actually help you from getting too hungry and diving into the bread basket at dinner.
Myth # 9: Don’t Eat at Night – A late-night steak may give you indigestion, but it won’t destroy your diet. What matters is the number of calories that you eat overall throughout the day.
Myth # 10: Nix the Sweets – It’s okay to have dessert. In fact, eating a small portion of dessert now may actually keep you from downing an entire bag of M & M’s if you’re feeling deprived later.
Jazzercise, created by Judi Sheppard Missett, is the world's leading dance-fitness program with more than 7,500 instructors teaching 32,000 classes weekly in the U.S. and around the globe. Since 1969, millions of people of all ages and fitness levels have reaped the benefits of this comprehensive program, designed to enhance cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility. For more information on Jazzercise go to jazzercise.com or call (800)FIT-IS-IT or (703) 622-2152.
DON'T SWEAT IT!
Whew! Working up a good sweat can be exhilarating. When you finish your exercise hour drenched in sweat, you feel like you’ve accomplished something. But, what does medical research have to say about sweat? What exactly is sweat? And how do you know if you’re sweating enough? Or too much?
Since every person’s body composition is different, your experience with sweat may be entirely different than the person on the treadmill next to you. Still, there are a few general principles that can provide answers to commonly asked sweaty questions.
1. What is sweat? Simply put, sweat is your body’s way of cooling itself. When your hard working muscles create excess heat, then your body produces perspiration – fluid largely composed of water – that is excreted through sweat glands in the skin. When the sweat evaporates from your skin, it actually removes heat, consequently cooling down your body.
2. Is all sweat the same? Our skin has two types of sweat glands. Eccrine glands, located all over the body, produce the clear, salty sweat that we are most familiar with. Meanwhile, apocrine glands are found on specific areas of the body, such as your scalp, underarms, and groin. These glands release a fatty sweat, which contains bacteria that is responsible for the foul odor we typically associate with sweat.
3. How much sweat is enough? It’s hard to say, since each individual’s body composition is unique. Sweat accumulates when your muscles are working hard. For that reason, breaking a sweat is a good sign. In fact, Jazzercise Founder and CEO Judi Sheppard Missett states that sweating is a positive indicator that your body’s cooling system is in working order.
4. What does sweat do? In addition to cooling down your body, sweat also serves as a natural detox. While 99 percent of the fluid excreted by eccrine glands is water, the other one percent is actually comprised of waste materials being released from the body.
5. Is it possible to sweat too much? Never use sweat as a means of weight loss. Wearing heavy clothing or specially designed bodysuits during exercise to increase sweat may shed initial pounds, but you’re only losing water weight. And your body needs those fluids! Whenever you are exercising, wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing and drink plenty of liquids to balance the loss of fluids that occurs when you sweat.
MIND OVER MATTER
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
That’s what Abraham Lincoln once said. And according to new research from the University of Miami, it turns out that he’s right. There really is power in positive thinking!
In fact, recent research shows positive thinking not only improves your outlook on life, but it can also produce physiological benefits. Visualizing yourself fighting off an illness actually sends messages to your brain to produce more white blood cells and boost your immune system. The same goes for tackling lofty fitness goals or successfully following diet regimens.
How does positive thinking work? It’s not an exact science. But, there are a few general rules for incorporating optimism into your lifestyle. Jazzercise Founder and CEO Judi Sheppard Missett gives these tips to help you unleash the power of positive thinking.
*Set a realistic goal. If you just purchased your first bicycle, then it may not be realistic to complete a triathlon next month, no matter how optimistic you are. When it comes to setting goals – both fitness and otherwise – take an inventory of where you’re at now. Then, set a goal that is realistic and attainable, and pursue that goal with gusto!
* Always visualize favorable situations. Don’t waste your time thinking about potential negative outcomes. You’ll sabotage your efforts if you start contemplating everything that could possibly go wrong. Instead, fill your mind with visions of success.
*Use positive words. Remove the word can’t from your vocabulary. And while you’re at it, remove the words always, never, and should from your daily usage as well. Don’t think about what you should have done, what always seems to be the case, what you never accomplish, or what you can’t do. Instead, replace those words with visions and expressions of how you can and will find success.
*Keep good company. If you are around positive people, then you will inevitably become more optimistic yourself. Spend time with people who build you up, not those who tear you down.
Try making a habit of positive thinking in your daily life. Go ahead and picture yourself victoriously crossing the finish line of a half-marathon. You’ll be that much closer to reaching your goal.
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EFT Cancellation
A reminder that EFT cancellations must be submitted by the 15th of the month in order to be effective the following month. Thank you!
Weather Cancellations
If you think there may be a cancellation due to weather conditions, call our hotline or visit this website within 2 hours of class start time. Hotline is 703-622-2152. Any schedule change will be at the top of the message.
**NOTE: If Falls Church City Public Schools are closed, Jazzercise classes will be cancelled , too!
