Laren Fleshman Ab Workout

Here is one of my favorite ab workouts. When I am really on my game I do this every other week and every time my abs ache!

Lauren Fleshman is a crazy fast 5k runner and she says this workout helped her get her abs back after having a baby. I've never had a baby but it sure did kick my abs in gear!

It ususally takes me 15 minutes or less as long as I keep my rest time down, which it should be short!

3 sets of spider-mans (elbow plant and reach out and touch in front of you, switching arms)
3 sets of side planks (a set includes both sides)
3 sets of bridge (laying on your back, lift your pelvis up and slowly lower on vertebrae at a time)

Don't Sit, Move!

I read this article about the negatives of sitting, when it came out in August from Runner's World and it has stuck with me. I sit most of my day at work so even though I exercise I am still at risk. I think most jobs require long periods of sitting.

What have I done about it?

1. I set a calendar appoint for the end of the day that reminds me to move once I have been at work for an hour. I move and then I snooze it for another hour. Silly but it helps me a lot. It's easy to get caught up in a project and not know how much time has gone by.

2. I print to a far away printer.

3. I always use the stairs.

4. A lady I work with always uses the bathroom two floors down (she takes the stairs) so that she moves more. I have been too lazy to incorporate this thus far but maybe it's time to step up my game.

Old job, but still me sitting.

Speaking of, I have been sitting at this computer awhile. I better move!

I have heard about the risks of sitting multiples places so I looked it up and there are quite a few studies reporting on sitting and health. Here are a few:

Sitting Time and Mortality from All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer

Too Much Sitting: The Population-Health Science of Sedentary Behavior

Too much sitting: a novel and important predictor of chronic disease risk?

Intro

Knowledge is power. I really believe that . I have found though that in this information age we live in there is a lot of information out there that is untrue making hard to feel powerful and more often with the more we learn the more confused and helpless we end up filling. The seems to be especially true with health and nutrition.

I studied nutrition in college getting a bachelors and masters degree in nutritional science so I learned biochemistry of the body and where and what nutrients do inside of us. When I hear of a new fad diet or trend I go back to the science. Does it make sense biochemically? I also try to look at the research. By that I don't mean what are the bloggers and book sellers saying. I look at the peer reviewed research and see what the scientific community is saying. Even among scientist there is bias so I like to hear things from a few different places before I rely on it.

I try to follow the science but I also like to look at what seems natural. I believe our bodies are the pinnacle of creation and earth evolved with everything we need to survive and thrive. I think unless we are sick, we should be able to get the nutrition we need from nature without much alteration. I believe we all have a responsibility to respect and take care of our bodies to the best of our abilities. 

No matter what you believe we all have our reasons to be healthy and sometimes that is more complicated than it should be. This blog is going to be a compilation of all the little things I do to keep healthy. Reminders for me of goals I have set and hopefully ideas for other people too.

I am not one for sweeping change. I like to make little changes that I feel I can maintain in the long haul. Being healthy comes naturally so some people they crave veggies and exercise. If that's you my philosophy may not make sense to you. I have a sweet tooth and every vegetable I like I had to learn to like. I love to run now but that was something I also had to learn. I understand what it's like to feel I will never be "one of those fit people." But I have seen my progress over that last few years and I believe others can do the same.

Too much writing.