Have you ever had a dog?  I haven’t been so lucky to live with a dog but I know a few fairly well.  I know that they have learned to spell some of their favorite 4-letter words like “f-o-o-d” and “w-a-l-k”.  I know that they know the patterns of their humans better than their humans do.  I know that if you walk within 4 feet of their leash and have spelled “W” “A” “L” and “K” within the last 5 minutes they will be all over you. 

They wag their tails at the thought of going for a walk.

They get to be outside, they get to see other people and other dogs, they get to smell smells they don’t get to smell inside their home and yard, they get to bond with their human, they get to go as fast as their legs will carry them in pursuit of FUN.

Wow; kind of makes exercise sound like it has a lot of benefits!  A dog kept pent up without time for exercise becomes destructive and anxious.  I think the same could be said about adults and children.

With or without type one or type two diabetes, all kids need to be active as they grow just like adults need to stay active. 

An online article caught my eye today from Men’s Health: 20 Ways to Raise a Healthier Child. (Now, I’m not saying I read Men’s Health very often.  Sure, I’ve stolen a workout or two from the magazine, but it isn’t one of my go-to resources.  I promise.)

Did you know that kids with active dads are 3.5 times more likely to be active themselves?  And not only that, kids with active moms and active dads are 6 times more likely to be active themselves! 

So set an example for the kids in your life.  All the kids in your life, not only for your own children.  Make movement FUN, make activities SOCIAL, make them EVERYDAY OCCURRENCES and you will all benefit from being more fit both physically and mentally. 

Day 1: All you need is a ball and a little creativity. Throw a football, catch a baseball, kick a soccer ball, or whack a tennis ball against a wall. Use old tires for targets, as you might see in a football skills competition. Even a game of catch has social and physical effects.
The benefit: Develops agility and hand-eye coordination.

Day 2: Jump, lunge, and skip to various markers around the house. Or collect a group of objects, such as medicine balls, basketballs, and tennis balls, and toss them for height or distance.
The benefit: Builds strength and flexibility.

Day 3: Run wild. Organize relay races with neighborhood kids and their parents; create obstacle courses using cones or trash cans. Tow your kids on wheeled toys or in sleds when it snows. Then try the wheelbarrow race with them or set up a course that alternates sprints and crawling around on all fours.
The benefit: Boosts speed; teaches kids to apply and resist force.

(Can you imagine how much MORE FUN these activities would be if you let your dog join in the fun??  Wow.)

A lot of bootcampers have been buzzing this week about the Biggest Loser reunion show and new season.  I can’t say I’ve ever seen a full episode (I did just hear you gasp at me) but I appreciate that many regular folks find the participants inspiring.

Since the show has been on for a few years, most of you have probably realized that it isn’t easy to lose 18 pounds in your first week.  Nor, for the record, is it a good idea.  The recommendation of 1-2 pounds per week doesn’t sound good when you’re first out of the gate, but it can last for a good long while if you do it right!  It took years to get to your current weight and it will take a while to get where you want—there are no easy short cuts when it comes to your body!

Runner’s World did a spread in their February 2011 issue and consulted with Robert Huizenga, M.D., the designer of the show’s fitness regime.  He gave some recommendations for those of you unlucky souls who didn’t make it onto the Ranch… and who don’t have five hours a day to spend exercising!!!

1. Work Out Twice A Day—an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening for a total exercise time of 10-12 hours every week.  Huizenga also advised to go to bed early so you can get up early, as sleep is essential to weight loss.  (Sounds like yesterday’s recommendation to recover just as hard as you work!)
2. Walk, jog, or run for your morning workout.  Huizenga says “people naturally use a higher level of exertion—and as a result burn more calories—with jogging compared with exercising on equipment like a stationary bike or elliptical machine.”  (Think about having to support your entire body and move it simultaneously and you’ll see why.)
3. Mix It Up Huizenga recommends you alternate circuit training with any aerobic exercise for your afternoon exercise.  Strength training with weights will build muscle mass and speed your metabolism all day long.  (Circuit training = an alternating mix of weights and cardio.)
4. Work out at an intensity that feels difficult.  This one is tough for a lot of us: “you should find it hard to carry on a conversation for as much of the workout as you can” Huizenga says, and suggests you increase your intensity with each workout.  He also says that an obese adult would have to walk for more than 33 hours at a moderate intensity to lose one percent of their body weight in fat; jogging would result in the same fat loss in 11 hours.

So does this mean you should go out, join a gym, exhaust yourself and starve yourself to be happy?  I don’t think so, and I can’t imagine the folks at the Biggest Loser think so either.  Recognize that long term dramatic weight loss is best done slowly, and you must be committed for a long time to that goal.  You will have to weather some storms, some plateaus, some frustrations and celebrate every victory possible in order to remain focused on the goal of a healthy body.

The best thing is?  This isn’t for only the people lucky enough to win a place on the show.  YOU CAN DO IT TOO.  Sure, the scenery may not be as nice and you won’t have maid service for your stay at the Ranch, but every single thing they do there, you can do, too. 

This one isn’t an elite group: fitness is for everyone.

Everyone! 

(Don’t forget I’m here for you and I’m on your side: let me know if you’re looking for specific help from me as a trainer and Lifestyle and Weight Management Coach.  I’ve been there and I know how it feels.)

Yay!!  A New Year!!!  I’m sure at the end of 2010 each of us had mixed emotions reflecting on the year behind us.  Was your A1c where you wanted it?  Is your weight what you want?  Are you eating as well as you want to eat?  Are you exercising as often as your body wants you to exercise?

Maybe, maybe not.

Part of those mixed emotions is for me what makes a new year so exciting.  It’s just like back to school shopping: fresh new binders, books, pens and paper with only hope ahead, even though we suspect a year from now we may not be as excited or as hopeful.

But 2011 is filled almost entirely with hope in these early days.  Not many of us have gotten lab results back yet, our deductibles haven’t come due, and most of us have yet to even return to work or school.  A perfect time to make some resolutions.

Do you have resolutions for 2011 down on paper yet?  They don’t have to expire if you haven’t reached your 2010 resolutions yet, either—you can re-use your resolutions from last year as long as you remain focused.

I spent some time over my break from bootcamp to get certified as a Lifestyle and Weight Management Coach.  Yes, that was a 2008 resolution, but better late than never!  Sometimes life situations cause us to reorganize our priorities… but don’t ever lose your focus on goals that are important to you.

The marathon I ran in January last year was a resolution from 2003, believe it or not.  Yes, my stress fracture in 2004 meant I had to bide my time and strengthen my legs to prepare for both of the marathons I tackled in 2010.  But I never lost faith in myself or my ability to achieve that goal.

I can’t say I made a resolution to lose weight back in April of 2000.  I just knew that waiting another day was only going to delay my reaching my healthy goal.  It took me until October of 2002 to reach it, but man did it feel good when I got there.

Resolutions are wonderful things if they are done right.  I think a resolution involves a lot of hope, a lot of focus, some flexibility, and confidence in yourself and your abilities.  A proper resolution holds with it a fair amount of fear, too—enough to make sure that you really DO want to achieve that goal and that YOU are willing to put in some work to get there. 

My best resolutions haven’t been accomplished in a single year: they took daily effort and a lot of baby steps and considerable focus.  As you may have read on FaceBook a few months ago: “Discipline is remembering what you want.” -David Campbell

What do you care enough about that you are willing to go after in 2011?