Exercise Thoughts
OFFICE MANEUVERS
Exercise during office hours for as little as 10 minutes a day can work wonders. When people sit at a desk or computer terminal all day they become stiff and tense. They also become less productive.
Unfortunately, many people can't get away for a jog or a trip to a health club during the workday, and few offices are equipped for exercising of any sort. In addition to taking a break and walking around, we suggest the following exercises, which can be done sitting down at your desk, five minutes in the morning and five in the afternoon. They are part of a fitness program for office workers designed by Denise Austin, a specialist in exercise physiology, and endorsed by the American College of Sports Medicine. Note: It may be dangerous to exercise in a chair with casters unless the wheels can be locked.
Start first with a minute or two of deep breathing and simple stretches: For instance, spread your fingers as far apart as you can, roll your shoulders in a circular motion, and rotate your neck from side to side. Outside the office supplement your desk-bound exercises with a balanced fitness program that includes aerobic activity. Here are a few to try:
- Pectoral stretch: Grasp hands behind head and press elbows as far back as you can. Hold for l0 seconds. Repeat. Good for slouching shoulders and tension in upper back.
- Trunk twist: Twist your upper body, turning head in the direction of trunk. Keep hips stationary. Twist 3 times in each direction. Stretches sides (oblique muscles) and shoulders.
- Side stretch: Interlace fingers and lift arms overhead, keeping elbows straight. Press arms back as far as you can. Slowly lean to the left then to the right. This stretches your sides from shoulders to hips.
- Upper back stretch: With hands on shoulders and elbows perpendicular to sides, cross elbows in front until you feel the stretch across your back. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat. Reduces muscle stiffness of upper back.
- Middle/upper back stretch: Hold right arm in front of neck, grasping the elbow with your left hand. Gently push your elbow toward your left shoulder, holding for 5 to 10 seconds. Switch sides. Stretches shoulders and middle of upper back.
- Shoulder stretch: Bring right hand to upper back from above. At the same time bring left hand to upper back from below as far as you can. (If you are able, link hands.) Hold for 10 seconds. Reverse position of arms. Reduces tension and increases flexibility.
- Windmill: Place feet shoulder-width apart. Bend over and touch right hand to left foot and left arm extended up. Alternate sides 5 times each. Stretches sides, hips, and lower back.
- Arm press: Lift arms out to your sides, with elbows bent and parallel to floor. Push elbows back as far as possible, holding for 5 seconds. Repeat 5 times. Stretches upper back and arm muscles.
- Leg lift: Bring legs straight out in front of you and hold in L-shaped position. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds, making sure you are sitting up straight. Repeat. Strengthens the quadriceps and abdominal muscles.
- Grace Douglas
Grace Douglas has over 25 years experience as a fitness consultant and instructor.
Beauty and Wellness Tips
BALANCING TIPS FOR AUTUMN
By Barbejo Eberle
Autumn is a special time of year. The leaves change color, then dance from the trees in the wind. The air is crisp, cooling and moving. As the cold, dry, light and moving qualities of autumn increase in the environment, these qualities increase in our bodies as well. To keep balanced make sure you take the time for warming, moistening, and grounding therapies. Try the following suggestions and notice how they make you feel:
- Make sure you are getting adequate rest.
- Include warm, moist, grounding foods in your diet such as soup, stews, and hot cooked cereals.
- Pay attention to your fluid intake to prevent dehydration.
- Massage your body with warm sesame oil, and get a professional massage regularly.
Head and Foot Massage
Hearty Vegetable Soup
- Start by warming 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Take half of the oil and massage it into your scalp. Use the flat of the hand (not fingertips) and massage in circular motions.
- Massage your forehead side to side using the flat of your hand. Move to your temple area and massage gently, again using circular motions. Massage the outside of the ears and the neck.
- Now take the rest of the oil and apply it to your feet. Massage each foot, one at a lime with both hands. Massage each toe with your fingertips. Then using the flat of your hand vigorously massage the soles of your feet in a back and forth motion. Sit quietly and enjoy the experience and follow the massage with a bath or shower.
Preparation time : about 1 hour
Serves 4
Wash and put in a large soup pot:
1 c. Uncooked barley
Add:
8-10 c. pure water
1 tsp. crumbled bay leaf (2-3 whole)
1 tsp. salt
1-2 Tbsps. Extra-virgin olive oil
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium. As it simmers, add:
2 organic carrots, with tops
Put the carrot tops in whole, then dice the carrots. If you cannot find organic carrots, do not use the tops. Add:
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 c. (or more) fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbsps. Onion, chopped (optional)
1 clove garlic, unpeeled
3 c. potatoes or turnips (as fresh as possible), diced
Let the soup cook covered over medium heat for 50 minutes or so. Remove the carrot tops. Stir in:
1 small bunch fresh spinach, washed and chopped
1 tsp. Dried chervil (optional)
1 tsp. Dried thyme
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Let the soup simmer another 5 minutes
This recipe is from the cookbook "Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners" by Amadea Morningstar.
Hidden beside the country roadway on a hot Kansas afternoon I encountered a grassy area sparsely dotted with wildflowers. The combination of these snippets of color nestled amongst long blades of grass was not perceived as a garden; certainly not the contrived gardens that I had encountered to date. What I realized later was this was my first encounter with a tiny piece of undisturbed Kansas prairie. To this day, I cannot explain why I was so intrigued with this site.
Simple encounters such as this often evoke a sense of reverence for all living things. I am starkly aware of my surroundings--plant and animal, and I am humbled by the splendid form and harmony each has perfected. Whatever drew me in for a closer look at the prairie cannot be forgotten. I can't help drawing a parallel between encounters in nature such as this and religious experiences. I am not particularly religious; however, I sense an uncanny presence of something larger than myself when I am observing nature and my life is enriched by these experiences.
Everyday things can bring pleasure such as this; a soft, sun-kissed peach juicy and sweet to taste; a thunderstorm and the redolent smell of life-giving rain in the garden. These everyday events do not speak in loud shouts, but whisper softly as bunch grass swaying in the wind. All of us can learn to listen for them. Hence, you might find me lying in the grass on a warm summer night taking in the star-filled sky, or waking early in the morning with bird song wafting crazily on the cool morning breeze through an open window.
It's sometimes difficult to listen to or even recognize this quiet amidst our noisy lives. I should think we adults could learn a lesson of young school children who regularly take "quiet time" out from their busy day--just five minutes of rest; their heads upon a hard wooden desk to ponder quiet.
The natural world holds within its quiet beauty everything I need to refurbish my inner fire. This fact makes trees and plants and salamanders precious commodities to my very existence. This is why I have become a conservationist and a voice for the natural world. Not by choice, but simply because I must preserve the things I need for my existence.
Aldo Leopold, in his book, A Sand County Almanac, felt this way about nature when he said, "There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot."
I think it's time to go for a walk in my garden, relax in the shadows and spiders of my somewhat contrived natural world I've created in my backyard.
- ©1998 by Diane Ackerman
Diane will create a garden design for your property which will reward you with uncommon joys as you watch it grow. The landscape will be more than a pretty face and provide habitat for butterflies and bees, birds and crickets. See her web page at http://members.aol.com/ACK7777/Plantlad.html or 547-3471.
Is your beloved best friend getting older, maybe slowing down a little? If this is the case, you may want to make some changes in the way you care for your pet. After all, I'm sure your dog has earned some TLC. Here are some things to be aware of that can indicate your dog is aging.
- Decrease in activity
- Sleeping longer and harder
- Decrease in appetite
- Disinterest in what's going on around them
- Signs of stiffness when getting up
- Looking for more comfortable spot to sleep
When you begin to notice any of these behaviors developing, there are some simple things you can do to make your pet more comfortable during its old age. As your dogs' appetite decreases, their nutritional needs may increase. You may want to ask your vet about vitamin supplements. Be careful about feeding them too many doggie treats as this can increase weight at time when their activity levels are decreasing. The extra weight gain could add stress to their bones and joints.
Your older dog will appreciate a comfortable firm bed that is easy to get in and out of. They also like being warm, so maybe you could place the bed near a heat register in the colder months. If this is not possible at least keep it away from any cold drafty areas.
It is important to brush your older dog more often, as this will stimulate natural oil production which will help control the added shedding and itching your dog may experience due to dryer skin. Using a mild shampoo to prevent dryness is also helpful.
Just because your pet is getting older and slower doesn't mean you should stop exercising them. On the contrary, their exercise is very important. They need it to promote muscle tone, keep their joints moving, help keep their weight down and to improve their circulation. If we will just give our pets some of the same consideration we ourselves need as we get older they will not only be grateful, but they will continue to be our faithful companions for even longer.
ENJOY YOUR PETS!
- Shirley Channel