Being Barefoot!

In high school I was a runner, I ran all the time. If there was a sport that required lots of running, I was playing it. Now that I’m a bit older (I refuse to reveal my age) I don’t run as fast as I used to but I still run as often as I can.

Recently there has been a “trend” in the world of running and everyone is talking about it, at least the runners are. This trend is proving to not be a trend at all but a movement.

Vibram Five Fingers is the “movement” every runner is talking about and for good reason too. You’re running barefoot basically and while you may think that’s bad for your feet (lack of arch support, lack of cushion…etc.) it’s actually a very good thing. You’re training your foot to do what it’s supposed to do, support you.

The typical human foot is an anatomical marvel of evolution with 26 bones, 33 joints, 20 muscles, and hundreds of sensory receptors, tendons and ligaments. Like the rest of the body, to keep our feet healthy, they need to be stimulated and exercised.

Introducing Vibram Five Fingers!! They look like a glove for the foot and they are EXTREMELY comfortable. While I haven’t made my purchase yet for these shoes (every good shoe has its price) I will be this weekend (there’s enough money in the piggy bank!).  I’ll be heading out to the Travel Country Outdoors store where they sell Vibram Five Fingers locally. You can also buy online, I like to  try on my running shoes so I won’t be buying online.

Travel Country Outdoors is less than half an hour from Savannah at Park Central! You can either check these shoes out online or at the store!

Travel Country Outdoors
1101 East Highway 436
Altamonte Springs, FL, 32701
407-831-0777

Photo by vanRijn

Training for the Big Race!

Do you have a race coming up? Are you ready for your race and have you been training? Have you never done a race before? It’s okay WebMD has some great tips on training for your next big run!

I finished the Muddy Buddy Ride and Run series back in May and it was a great experience. I have never entered into a race and this was my first. It was challenging, fun and a great accomplishment. But boy did I have to train for my race. It took time and a lot of bruises, but I’m truly proud of myself. So do you have a race coming up? The real answer should be yes. Here’s how!

1. Pick A Race, Doesn’t Matter what Race- Doesn’t matter how long or how short. You can’t train for a race if you haven’t registered for one.
2. Get a physical before you get physical- Get a physical before you begin training, you want to make sure you know the whole story.
3. Find a running partner or group- Running with someone else or a group obligates you to stay on track.
4. Dress for success- Buy a running outfit, it will help your mindset!
5. Train to train- If you don’t run often, work to get a fit so you can train your best!
6. Slow and steady…finishes the race- You don’t have to run at 20 mile per minute. Keep the pace you can run.
7. Feel the need for speed- Want to run faster and think you can? Give it a try!
8. The long and short of it- Alternate your days, run a long course then run a shorter course the next.
9. Rest your body and your feet- Give your body the rest it needs and your feet. It’s okay to take a break.
10. On your mark, get set, go- Race day! Get it and go!

Remember the Savannah at Park Central has Free access to Park Central’s 6,000 square foot health club with spinning room, sauna and Yoga Studio along with Four tennis courts, sand volleyball court, racquetball court and two indoor regulation basketball courts.

Biking the West Orange Trail!

Finding biking trails around Orlando isn’t too difficult, the paths are great and the scenery is mouth-dropping!  I’ve recently taken up biking and I’ve grabbed that great opportunity of these trails. Right now my favorite trail is the West Orange Trail, it’s about 19 miles long (a bit longer) and you can do more than just bike too!

Be a Match and Save a Life

There are thousands of people whose lives and health could benefit from a bone marrow transplant. Unfortunately there are only a fraction of these people who receive one because the matching process is so stringent it’s often hard to find a perfect match. Also there are not many people willing to donate. This is a donation that could actually save someone’s life and all it really takes is a day of your time. There are lots of misconceptions about donating bone marrow and many people are just scared of it. To clear up a lot of common misconceptions the Orlando Magic are holding a bone marrow registration and blood drive. It will take Place on March 30 from 7am-3pm. The drive will take place at the Florida Hospital Orlando- Ginsburg Tower Creation Conference Center. Click here for more info and watch to video to understand how important it is for you to register.

Get Fit With The Wii

Just how effective is burning calories with the Wii Fit?

Pretty effective, according to a study by The American Council on Exercise.

It found that Wii Fit burns twice as many calories as sedentary activities like sitting on the sofa playing video games, but it’s not enough to meet all of your fitness goals. Participants who used Wii Fit boxing and step games burned a lot less calories than just doing the activities the old fashioned way.

 Here’s the calorie breakdown with 30 minutes of activity:

Free Run and Island Run: 165 calories
Rhythm Boxing: 114
Super Hula Hoop: 111
Advanced Step: 108
Free Step: 99

For more Wii Fit tips, go here.

Health Tips For a Better Life

Although it’s not good for you, sugar tastes good and makes other things taste good as well. It’s hard to cut sugar from your diet, but there are ways to reduce the impact it has on your body. Want to find out how? Check it out here.

Good News On The Flu Front

Health.com is reporting that swine flu AKA H1N1infection rates are still dropping. Good news, in my book. It seems like I had the flu a couple of years ago, and all I could do was lie in bed and shiver. It doesn’t sound bad, but believe me, I was miserable with a capital ‘M’. I never knew you could feel so bad just from a fever. With all the hullaballoo over the flu this season, it’s good to know that there might be a silver lining to it all. Yes, I am inordinately proud that I could put those words there in that sentence. At any rate, just keep washing your hands as much as you can remember, and we’ll all pull through this flu season together.

 

Do you know of anyone that may have come down with the hog flu?

Staying Healthy Can Be Cheap

If you are on a new health kick or you have been on one for a while, then you know that eating healthy is not cheap at all.

 

It is so much cheaper to go to Wendy’s for lunch, that it is to buy organic meals at the supermarket to prepare. I just started this health kick and I have seen a boost in my grocery bill since starting to change my eating habits.

 

I found a few ways to help you stay healthy wand keep some green in your pocket.

 

Eat This, Not That here 

Thin Yourself With Your Thoughts

Change the way you think about your health habits, and you are creating a recipe for weight loss success. There really is something to positive thinking. Realizing that you have complete power and control over your body and the way it looks is the first step. Don’t let excuses for genetics and eating habits wear you down, stay positive and think yourself thin.

Florida: Smoking State

Does the title sound bad to you? “Sunshine State” sounds much better. According to the United Health Foundation, Florida is ranked number four for the most smoking states under Rhode Island, Virginia, and Maryland.

What are your thoughts on this ranking? This of course, is not a good thing. We want to keep Florida thriving and to do that, we must start programs that inform people about the dangers of smoking. Florida is ranked number 36 overall, which is not too bad.

Maybe you can start a program at Savannah at Park Central.

State rankings here