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5 Signs Spring is in the Air

April 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Spring is in the air!

Spring is in the air!

As a runner, I love the spring.  Some days it’s cool and other days it”s warm, but with every run outdoors it seems the trees grow greener and the sky bluer-at least here in North Carolina.  This spring has been an especially pleasant one in Charlotte where, although it has been cooler than usual, the colors are lovelier than I can remember (also rainier than ever).   I spot certain signs of spring that give me hope for the warmer days ahead…and some signs I don’t welcome at all.   Following are 5 signs of spring that tell me, whether I like it or not, that summer is right around the corner… [Read more…]

Filed Under: Getting Started, Running Tagged With: , ,

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?

April 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The best way to get more vitamin D is from the sun.

I recently asked friend and physical therapist, Alan Tyson, “If there was one supplement you would recommend to your otherwise healthy patients, what would it be?” You may or may not be surprised by his answer… it’s vitamin D.  He told me why it is so crucial and so I have highlighted his reasons and suggestions below. Very soon I will write another post which will explain how vitamin D affects performance in athletes.

Why Is Vitamin D Important?

Vitamin D plays a key role in the absorption of calcium.  When we don’t have adequate vitamin D stores, our body cannot absorb enough calcium from our diet that it needs, and this results in calcium depletion.  This depletion works to take calcium from our bones to maintain normal blood calcium levels and can often cause muscle and bone pain as well as muscle weakness.  This can ultimately lead to osteoporosis. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: ,

Sleep is As Important As Exercise…Sometimes Even More So.

April 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Sometimes sleep trumps exercise

Sometimes sleep trumps exercise

I overheard a conversation the other day while I was at Target.  Two women were in line behind me and one of them was telling the other that she recently had gained about 4-5 pounds and she was contributing it to lack of sleep.   The other woman was surprised to hear her friend blame lack of sleep on her weight gain, but the eves-dropper (me) wasn’t.  Many people know that sleep is important for things like cognitive functioning, moods, and general health, but there are many who don’t realize that a lack of it can also contribute to weight gain. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Bring Exercise of a Different Kind

March 29, 2013 by 3 Comments

LilyMB900422834As a Catholic, I try to live the three days leading up to Easter in a way that unites me to Christ in a more intimate way.  I do this so that on Easter I can truly celebrate His gift of salvation.  Exercise, during these three days, takes on a different meaning for me….my workout is less physical and more spiritual. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Spirituality Tagged With: ,

Take Some Advice From These Fitness and Nutrition Experts!

March 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I just finished reading TIME’s recent health blog in which they asked 10 fitness/nutrition experts from various backgrounds to talk about their plans for healthy eating and living (to read more click here).   I found a lot of food for thought, but basically I related to their idea of simple living, functional fitness, and not-too-complicated eating.  I drew from some of the highlights of the article and commented on why I liked what they had to say…

Will Gadd

Who: Will Gadd, pro-outdoor sports guru [Read more…]

Filed Under: Family Life, Nutrition Tagged With: , , ,

Some Twists on a Tried and True Exercise: The Push up

March 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

Push Ups  – Some New Twists to an Old Friend (and some extra core work as well)

photo (14)

This push up routine was much harder than I thought it would be!!

 I tried Alan’s push up routine the other day. I love push ups because they work the core and the arms without using weights or equipment.  I was very surprised how difficult some of these variations on the standard push up are…try them at home! [Read more…]

Filed Under: My Favorite 9 Kid Fitness Posts, Strength Tagged With: , ,

5 Diet Myths Debunked

February 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I found these at SparkPeople.com….Very good reminders!  Some myths die hard….

Diegreen beanMB900430738t Myth #1: You Have to Eat Less to Lose Weight

No way! We say NO growling bellies, NO deprivation, and NO puny portions. We fill up our plates with healthy food, so the eyes and the stomach are satisfied. The more satisfied you feel after a meal, the less you’ll eat later. Boost satiety by eating water-rich foods, filling fiber, and plenty of healthy fats, while staying within your calorie range. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , , ,

If You had to Choose Between Running Hot…or Running Cold, What Would it Be?

February 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment
outside runningmail.google.com

#5 (Annie) and me running after a snowfall. By the way, she would choose a cold day, too!

Living in the south, I don’t get too many opportunities to run in the snow.  However, on Saturday, we got about four inches in Charlotte, NC, and the next day I was definately out in it.  There is something magical about running in the snow.  I would even prefer to be in the white stuff as it is falling, but on Sunday we got to run in the day-after snow. The sky was a brilliant Carolina blue, making for an amazing contrast against the white covered trees, and although the air was a frigid 24…I was in heaven. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Running Tagged With: , , ,

Pregnancy and Weight Gain (or Weight Loss)?

February 14, 2013 by 1 Comment
Wendy Powell from MuTu System pregnant with her second child

Wendy Powell from MuTu System pregnant with her second child

Today I am posting an article by Wendy Powell of the MuTu System about pregnancy and nutrition.   Wendy decided over ten years ago to take her health seriously and that decision has been life-changing.  She became qualified as a personal trainer in 2001, and has founded a system for new “mums” and not-so-new-mums (she’s from the UK!) to help them stay in shape, get back in shape, and develop overall core strength.  Wendy has been a great resource 9 Kid Fitness as I am always researching the newest in fitness for women of all ranges and ages.  Hope you enjoy her post!

Pregnancy and weight loss are jarring concepts because you can’t deny your body food when you have a baby depending on you for its nutritious breakfasts, lunches and dinners! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Nutrition, Women's Health Tagged With: , ,

Filling the Shoes of the Fisherman

February 11, 2013 by 3 Comments

Pope Benedict XVII

I am moving off the regular topic of fitness today…I guess when it’s my website I can do that!

        I remember when Cardinal Ratzinger became pope. I wondered, like many probably did, how he would fill the shoes of Pope John Paul II.

          Converting to Catholicism and coming into communion with the Holy Roman Catholic Church in 1991, I came into the Church when John Paul II  had already been the pope for 13 years, and I like to say that he is the pope of my conversion (he would serve as pope for another 14 years after that).  Pope John Paul II became for me a source of strength, and remained a light for my faith in the years to come as I was learning more about Catholicism, raising my children, and developing an understanding of what it all meant for my own life as a wife and as a mother.  I related to John Paul II in an oddly personal way. This is something I have heard others say as well. I certainly did not know him, yet he touched us with his charisma, his love of sport, fitness, and the outdoors, and his tremendous optimism.  “Be not afraid”  was his motto, which resonated with youth from all over the world. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Spirituality Tagged With:
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