Health & Fitness Tip of the Day

[ski diva]

Let's put our collective heads together and share health & fitness tips. One a day from each of us would be great!

Here's mine:

Never exercise a cold muscle. Walk/jog in place, jump rope, swing the arms back and forth, or walk up and down a flight of stairs for about a minute or two. This will safely prepare the muscles for the workload that is to follow.

A pretty basic tip, I know. But we gotta start somewhere! Anyone else?

 

[eng_ch]

Don't eat yellow snow. Definitely a health tip!

(Sorry, being flippant)

 

[SnowHot]

Don't eat yellow snow. Definitely a health tip!

And watch out where the huskies go

 

[Jilly]

Keep the Diva's body hydrated. 8 glasses of water a day Diva!!

 

[tcarey]

Good tip Ski Diva! We should also warm up before a ski run! I like to skate around in circles for a minute or two,then hit an easy groomer before moving to more challeging terrain!! Skate, skate. skate!!

Terry

 

[Lynn]

Don't mix different alcohols apres-ski!:D

 

[Lynn]

Don't do a flip turn when swimming apres-ski when you have altitude/ear problems. You could end up in the ER, on a stretcher next to the raving crystal meth user who tried to attack his girlfriend!:o

 

[ski diva]

We need more details. A LOT more details on this one. :D

 

[Lynn]

Was in Park Clity area for a week ski vacation. I was a competitive swimmer in my younger years and my husband is an avid swimmer and coach. We go each year to Park City because we've got the pools checked out.

Whenever I am at altitude, I start to feel 'loopy' around day three. This year I felt okay, so decided to join my husband swimming in a heated, outdoor pool surrounded by the snow-capped mountains. It was beautiful and I felt like I was in paradise. I swam a few lengths to warm up and then decided to do about 500 yards and alternate flip turns. As soon as I did, I knew something was wrong. Swam back to the end of the pool and got out. I felt dizzy and nauseous. THe feeling got progressively worse over the next few hours and had my husband drive me to Salt Lake City, thinking it was altitude sickness. I could barely stand up straight. I've had a bout of Menieres years past, but this was different.

Long story short, I was in the ER getting IV Fluids, O2 and lab work done when they brought in a fellow absolutely RAVING!! He was handcuffed to the stretcher and attempting to attack the police and his girlfriend. They eventually moved him, but we heard the details as they questioned his GF, who admitted it was Crystal Meth. Now, I worked in the Bronx in a city hospital at the height of the crack epidemic in the late 80's and that WAS NOTHING compared to this guy. It kinda perked me up. I left after refusing Benadryl IV which I hate. Benadryl makes me feel groggy and hungover for 24 hours.

I've since figured out that the real problem was b/c of fluid in my ears due to chronic allergies. :o Sudafed is the key at altitude, right next to the Luna bars in my jacket.

I've later learned that Salt Lake is the capitol of both Mormonism and crystal methamphetamine production. Go figure.

 

[dburdenbates]

And watch out where the huskies go

Well right about that time, people,
A fur trapper
Who was strictly from commercial
(Strictly Commershil)
Had the unmedicated audacity to jump up from behind my igyaloo
(Peek-a-Boo)
And he started in to whippin' on my fav'rite baby seal
With a lead-filled snow shoe . . .
([...])
With a lead
LEAD
Filled
LEAD-FILLED
With a lead-filled snow shoe
SNOW SHOE
He said Peak-a-boo
PEEK-A-BOO
With a lead
LEAD
Filled
LEAD-FILLED
With a lead-filled snow shoe
SNOW SHOE
He said Peak-a-boo.
(Butzis too)
PEEK-A-BOO
He went right up side the head of my favorite baby seal
Hit him on the nose, that's right
Hit him on the fin, yes
He went WHAP!
An' that got me just about as evil
As an Eskimo boy can be . . . so I bent down 'n I reached down 'n I scooped down
An' I gathered up a generous mitten full of the deadly . . .
YELLOW SNOW
The deadly Yellow Snow from right there where the huskies go
(Over by Butzis' room)
An' then I proceeded to rub it all into his beady little eyes
With a vigorous circular motion
Hitherto unknown to the citizens of Canarsie,
But destined to take the place of THE MUD SHARK
In your mythology
THE VIGOROUS CIRCULAR MOTION . . .
Here it goes, RUB IT!

OT, but I couldn't pass up this opportunity. Zappa rules!

 

[ski diva]

Forget the Bengay. In a university study, regularly drinking a juice blend that contained tart cherry juice helped ease postworkout muscle pain caused by strength training. Seems that cherries are high in phenols and anthocyanins, which can stamp out inflammation.

Of course, topical analgesics like Bengay and Tiger Balm may help, too. But it's nice to know there may be a better smelling solution.

 

[ski diva]

One of the things I fear most about growing older is the threat of osteoporosis. My mom has it, my grandmother had it, so I'm doing everything I can to keep myself from getting it.

One of the best ways to do this is through weight training. Weight training can stimulate the production of osteoblasts, the cells needed to create new bone tissue. It's a clear case of use it or lose it. So if you're not using weights, think about making them part of your exercise routine.

 

[ski diva]

Saw this in the paper this morning: new research has found that eating vegetables appears to help keep the brain healthy and may slow the mental decline associated with growing old. Green, leafy vegetables including spinach, kale, and collards appear to be the most beneficial. The researchers said that this might be because they contain healthy amounts of vitamin E, an antioxidant believed to fight chemicals produced by the body that can damage cells.

Now what was that, again?

 

[ski diva]

Did you know that the pumpkin you bought for Halloween is good for more than just a jack-o-lantern?

Pumpkin offers a good source of beta carotene, an antioxidant that may help prevent heart disease and certain types of cancer; fiber, which aids in digestion and helps lower cholesterol; and potassium, which helps keep blood pressure in check.

One cup of mashed pumpkin weighs in at 49 calories, 2.7 grams of fiber, 1.8 gram of protein, 567 milligrams of potassium, 5116 micrograms of Vitamin-A, 0.17 grams of fat (none of it saturated), and no cholesterol.

 

[liquidfeet]

There is NO WAY to top either of those stories, Lyn & Deburdenbates. Way to go.

 

[liquidfeet]

Lynn & Deburdenbates,

There is NO WAY to top your stories! Way to go.

 

[ski diva]

If you're not happy about getting older, maybe you should reconsider (this is from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology):

Recent study findings by researchers at Yale University in Connecticut suggest that looking forward to growing old could actually help you to live longer. Results of the 23-year-long study of people aged 50 and over revealed that those who had a positive attitude towards aging lived roughly seven and a half years longer than participants who were dreading reaching their twilight years. The apparent life-extending benefits of a positive attitude remained even after the researchers accounted for other factors that can influence longevity, such as health, gender, and socio-economic status. In comparison, other healthy attributes such as maintaining low blood pressure and cholesterol are thought to extend life by just 4 years.

 

[dburdenbates]

I'm really bad about beating myself up if I miss a day at the gym or stray from my diet.

I heard this from Dr. Oz on Oprah (I think) that made me re-think how I treat myself when I goof.

He said, "If you have a navigational system in your car and you make a wrong turn, it does not say, 'You stupid idiot, you screwed up', it says 'Make a legal U-turn at the next possible opportunity'."

Of course, I think it would be kinda funny if it did say "You stupid idiot".:D

 

[liquidfeet]

Fitness tip for fine-tuning one's balance while waiting for the slopes to open:

Do everything on one foot. Brush your teeth on one foot, take a shower on one foot, get dressed standing on one foot, do the dishes on one foot, put a sock on standing on the other foot, blow-dry your hair standing on one foot.

Great for getting your balance fine-tuned!

Also, if you have an exercise ball, practice balancing on it. THIS IS REALLY DIFFICULT!! But it can be done while watching TV, sort of. Start by learning to crouch on all fours on top of the ball. Then move to kneeling, no hands on the ball. This is a great way to learn to find and focus on one's center of mass.

 

[Jilly]

I saw that exercise on TV one night. The skier was National team. But it should have had that disclaimer - Professional, don't try this at home. We have a ball at the gym, so I thought, it can't be that hard and I've good balance. Yeah - couldn't let go of the "bar" and still haven't mastered it. Need a base on the ball first! For an advanced manoeuvre, try a little hop. That's what this guy was doing - tuck, then hop, back to tuck.