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The Sequoia Advisor
 
 
IN THIS ISSUE                                                                September 1st 2010
  
  • Exercises Designed to Improve Your Life
  • It Takes More Than Just Eating "Right"
  • 8 Things I Learned from Eight State Kate
  • Osteoporosis Online Support Group Meeting
    September 29th "Simpler Eating and Exercise Strategies"
  • Healthy Lifestyle Consultations Now Available 

    
Feel Better... Live Better

Exercises Designed to Improve Your Life

by Woody McMahon 

Functional Exercise and ADLs
Each and every day you go through a series of activities (called
Activities of Daily Living or ADLs) that require certain motions and
actions. Getting into a car, lifting a box off the floor, mowing the yard
or emptying the dishwasher are all examples of ADL's. These motions and
actions require muscles to work in certain combinations. If the muscles
don't work properly you can get back pain, headaches, stiff necks and
sore knees and hips.

Regular exercise is a great way to improve your fitness and your
health. Athletes have learned that they must train the way they compete.
That is also sound advice for the rest of us as well. Training the way you
live helps strengthen the muscles you use for ADLS allowing you to
perform better and reduce injury.

Here are the 5 best whole body exercises to help strengthen your ADL
muscles. If you don't know how to do these exercises properly or not sure
if you are capable of doing the exercises listed, please check with your
trainer.

Start With a Dynamic Warm-Up
Starting with an 8 to 10 minute dynamic warm-up prior to this or any
workout that synchronizes your body and brain. This workout will include heel
and toe walks, high knees, side shuffle, skipping and other activities
designed to warm-up your muscles. Warming-up the body and brain before your
workout provides the opportunity for maximum muscular strength and prevents
injuries associated with multi-movement patterns.
 
1. Legs and Hips
Squats: To squat safely, place the bar across your shoulders (not your
neck) and keep your back straight, bending slightly at the hips through the
squatting motion. Keep your heels heavy and your head up to maintain good
form. Dumbbells can also be used either hanging at your sides or placed at
shoulder height. These variations are more advanced and should only be
tried after the basic squatting motion is mastered. Proper form is crucial
with this exercise. Breathe in as you go down and out as you come up.

2. Balance
One Leg Balance: Stand erect, back straight and head up. Lift one leg and
try to stand quietly as you balance. Keep your standing leg knee slightly
bent. Do not use your arms to stabilize unless you cannot balance without
them. If you find this easy, place a dumbbell or medicine ball in your
hands. With your standing knee straight, take the dumbbell and try to touch
your knee with it. Make sure to keep your back straight at all times
and hinge at the hips. Breathe out as you come up from your knee or toe
touch.
 
3. The Core
Plank or Prone Bridge: Start on your elbows, knees and toes face down
on the floor. Lift your knees off the floor and keep your back flat and head
facing down in line with the rest of your body. Breathe regularly and do
not hold your breath. Hold this position for up to 3 minutes. If you feel
your back start to sag, lift your hips and try to maintain a flat back. If
you cannot maintain a flat back, stop the plank at once.
 
4. Whole Body Strength and Cardio
Star Jumps or Jump Rope: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and
hands at your sides. Jump into the air and as you do, spread your legs and
arms apart so that your body looks like a star. If this seems too much, grab
a jump rope and do several 1 to 2 minute segments or until you feel like you
need to stop. Breathe regularly. Do not hold your breath.
 
5. Whole Body Strength and Endurance
Walkouts on a Fitness Ball
Start by lying face down on a fitness ball with your legs straight and
hands in a push-up position. Walk forward on your hands, keeping your legs
straight, until your toes touch the back of the ball. Keep your back straight
and head down looking at the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat.
If you want a little more challenge, when your feet reach the back of the ball,
tuck your knees to your chest. Breathe out each time you walk out on the
ball.
 
Don't forget to stretch at the end and stay well hydrated by taking in
water at 15 minute intervals throughout your workout.

Would you like to improve your health but don't know where to start?

How about an exercise program that alleviates pain and strengthens your bones?

Do you have weight problems but are tired of dieting? We provide an easy to
follow program without the gimmicks or fads. You'll also get the education,
motivation and accountability necessary to improve your health while helping
you feel and look your best. Please call Woody McMahon for a no cost
consultation, at 703-464-5171 or email to
Woody@SequoiaHealth.com. 


 

It Takes More Than Just Eating "Right"
by Woody McMahon

When You Eat is Important

Successful weight loss programs all have several important components in
common. If you find yourself having a hard time losing weight, make sure
your program isn't missing one or more of those important pieces. Two of
the most important and overlooked parts in any healthy weight loss program
are meal timing and frequency. If you are not paying close attention to
these two modules, they can destroy all the hard work you are putting in at
the gym and leave you feeling frustrated and fat.


Fact One: Meal Timing

Your body responds favorably to consistency especially when it comes to
food. So eating on a regular schedule significantly improves your chances
of losing and keeping off the weight. Regular meal times help to maintain
healthy blood glucose levels that stimulate the burning rather than the
storing of calories. When glucose levels are consistent, then insulin and
cholesterol levels are in check. Regular meal times also help to control
hunger
which contributes to overeating; the most common reason for excess
weight gain.


Fact Two: Food Frequency

Not only do you need to eat on a consistent schedule but the timing
between meals
is also important. Most weight loss experts agree that major
meals like breakfast, lunch and dinner should be spaced equally throughout
the day. In between those meals should be a series of healthy snacks so
that 4 hours is the maximum amount of times you go between eating. As an
example, let's say you eat breakfast at 6am, lunch at 12pm and dinner at
6pm. That is 6 hours between each major meal. In a well designed eating
schedule
, a healthy snack should be inserted at 9am and 3pm. This schedule
will keep you from overeating at any one meal and help keep consistent
blood sugar levels.


Fact Three: Breakfast is Crucial

The first meal of the day can either start you off right or lead to
caloric disaster. Sadly many people skip breakfast in the false hope that
they can shave a few extra calories off their daily intake. Breakfast is
definitely the wrong time to be skipping a meal. If you finished your last
meal of the day at 7pm then your body has gone for approximately 11 hours
without food. You have just completed a mini-fast while you were sleeping.
Further restricting your body of important "beginning the day" calories has
shown to reduce creative and critical thinking, contribute to lowered
concentration and promote later day overeating.

 

Fact Four: Healthy Snacks Control Overeating

Overeating is the number one cause of weight gain and healthy snacks
reduce the urge to overeat by maintaining stable levels of blood glucose.
Overeating is an emotional and physical reaction to your body falsely
thinking it is starving. Once your brain isn't getting enough blood sugar,
it creates a barrage of chemicals to stimulate hunger. If the brain always
has a consistent amount of blood glucose, then those hunger signals are
greatly reduced. People who overeat actually panic when they feel hungry,
creating a rush to overeat. Healthy snacks are the best way to keep your
brain adequately fueled and control overeating.

 

Try adding these healthy weight loss components to your plan and see how
much easier it is to lose weight without feeling hungry or deprived.


High stress living can cause excess weight gain!

Follow our Fresh Start Healthy Weight! system and you'll reduce your weight
and improve your health at the same time. We provide the education, motivation
and accountability necessary to improve your health while helping you feel and
look your best. For a no cost consultation, please call Woody McMahon at
703-464-5171 or email to Woody@SequoiaHealth.com.


 

Pets and People

 
8 Things I Learned from Eight State Kate
by Jenny Pavlovic
 

8 State Hurricane Kate, an old Australian Cattle Dog, was rescued in
Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Here are 8 things I learned from her:

 

1. Microchip your pet. We learned after Katrina how easily lost pets can
lose their collars and ID tags. A microchip implanted under the pet's skin
is the only sure way to have permanent ID and to verify ownership. A
microchip is a small electronic chip with a unique ID number, in a capsule
about the size of a grain of rice. Once implanted, the chip is read by a
hand-held scanner and the microchip company is notified of the ID number.
You need to register your contact information with the microchip company so
they can use the ID number to reach you. A microchip will only reunite you
with your pet if the company knows how to reach you. You may also register
the microchip and your information at http://www.petlink.net/, a 24-7
registry and recovery service. Even if your pet never leaves the house, I
recommend a microchip. A flood, tornado, hurricane, or even a surprise bolt
out the door can separate you. A cat that carries no other ID is especially
vulnerable without a microchip. Some communities now offer single-fee
lifetime licensing for pets that are microchipped.

 

2. Keep good pet records, including a current photo of you with your pet
(to verify ownership) and photos of your pet's unique identifying
characteristics (markings, scars, etc.). Store your pet's vet, food and
medication records in one place (like the Not Without My Dog book). Include
information like the pet's daily routine, words the pet knows, and other
tips that would be useful to someone taking care of your pet in an
emergency situation. Make sure a designated family member, friend or
neighbor knows where your pet's information is stored, in case something
happens to you.


3. Make a disaster plan for your family and pets. Be aware of the most
likely disasters in your area: floods, fires, tornados, earthquakes,
hurricanes, chemical spills, etc. Be prepared to survive without outside
assistance if you must stay in your home during a natural disaster. Prepare
a disaster kit to meet the basic needs of your family and pets for three
days or more. Store it in waterproof containers that are easily accessible.
Know the local evacuation routes and where you will take your pets if you
must leave your home. Do not leave your pets behind. Know how you will
transport them and where you will go. Have plan A, B, and C destinations
(emergency shelters for people most often do not allow pets).
http://www.petswelcome.com/, and http://www.pet-friendly-hotels.net/ may
provide helpful information, but remember that hotels may fill quickly in a
disaster situation. Does your family, including pets, fit in one vehicle?
If not, how will you transport everyone to safety? Do you have carriers,
leashes, and harnesses for all of your pets?


4. Have a family communication plan in case a disaster occurs while you're
separated at work and school. Know where your family will meet if you can't
reach each other by phone. If all family members are away from home during
the day, identify a neighbor or petsitter who will get to your pets quickly
if they need help. It's better to ask for help now than to be without a
plan.


5. Make sure your pets are properly vaccinated and treated for fleas and
ticks, and on heartworm preventative. Healthy pets are better prepared to
survive anything, including possible displacement, and housing with other
animals. Accepted vaccination protocols are changing and some
over-the-counter flea and tick treatments are not approved by
veterinarians. Do your own research and decide what is best for your pet.


6. Train and socialize your pets. A positively trained pet will be more
comfortable and less likely to get lost. Socialize dogs and cats so they'll
be confident (not fearful) in different situations. Make sure your pets are
comfortable riding in their carriers in the car and know how to walk on a
leash/harness. Teach your pets to wait before jumping out of the car (after
a pause, give them a treat). You may think that you can't train a cat. But
I used to have a cat that came when I called "Come get a fishy treat!"
because I always produced a "fishy treat" when she arrived (ok, maybe she
was training me!). This trick can help you find a pet that's hiding under a
foundation or lost in the neighborhood.


7. Tune in to your pets. They're tuned in to you. Give them opportunities
to do what they were bred to do. Help them relax and be confident.
Appreciate them for who they are. The more connected you are to your pets,
the better you will weather anything together.


8. Be resilient. An old girl who has lost everything can recover with
dignity and grace, and be happy. Kate taught me this too.

Ingrid
King is a former veterinary hospital manager turned writer. She is
the author of Buckley's Story - Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher. Her
online magazine News for You and Your Pet goes out to subscribers around
the world. Her blog, The Conscious Cat, has been called "educational cat
nip for the cat lover" and is a comprehensive resource for conscious
living, health and happiness for pets and their people. For more information
about Ingrid, please visit http://www.ingridking.com/


 

Osteoporosis Support Group Meeting

"Healthy Bones Come From a Healthy Body" Woody McMahon

Topic: "Simpler Eating and Exercise Strategies for Osteo" 

Date :
Tuesday September 29th


Time: 6:30 to 7:30 pm


Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc
483A Carlisle Drive, Herndon, VA 

Our last conference call support group was a great success. Join us for our next
conference call style format support group so that you may participate from the comfort
of your own home. For more information and reservations please contact Woody McMahon at 703-464-5171 or email to bebonestrong@sequoiahealth.com.

 


 

Healthy Lifestyle Consultations Now Available 
 

Do you have questions about how to live a healthy lifestyle? Do you need
accurate, cutting edge solutions to lifestyle and other health problems?
Sign-up for a healthy lifestyle consultation and get the answers you need
now. Click Here for more information.

 

You can also contact Woody McMahon directly at 703-464-5171 or email to Woody@SequoiaHealth.com.

 

Continued Good Health,

Woody

Woody McMahon

The Sequoia Advisor
 
 

Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc.
483A Carlisle Dive
Herndon, VA 20170  


Required Disclaimer: The material provided herein should not be construed as a health-care diagnosis,
treatment regimen or any other prescribed health-care advice or instruction. The material is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in the practice of medicine or any other health-care profession and does not enter into a health-care practitioner/patient relationship with its readers. The publisher does not advise or recommend to its readers treatment or action with regard to matters relating to their health or well-being other than suggesting that readers consult appropriate health-care professionals in such matters. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication. The material and opinions provided herein are believed to be accurate and sound at the time of publication, based on the best judgment available to the authors. However, readers who rely on material in this publication to replace the advice of health-care professionals, or who fail to consult with health-care professionals, assume all risks of such conduct. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. 

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, Inc.

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