When you’re not grocery shopping or making meals, you’re likely at a soccer game, ballet practice or tee ball, right? You don’t slow down very often and neither do your kids. As a mom, you do what you can to supply them with best equipment, get them where they need to be, keep their clothes clean and show your support (doing everyleang you can to avoid yelling at the umpire when he calls a 3rd strike). Whether your child hopes to be the Michael Jordan of basketball, or would rather play Minecraft all night, it’s your role to keep them active AND healthy.
Possess you ever asked yourself…
Should kids be following an exercise program?
How young is too young to be in the weight room?
How long should the activity final?
The following information is meant to supply you with the resources you need to help your child become the best version of themselves, while building strength, stamina and confidence. It’s also a good idea to refer to your pediatrician so they can assess your child’s individual health, activity level and goals.
Frequency In general, children ages 5-12 should participate in physical activity on most, whether not all, days of the week. These activities include play, sports, gym lesson and more.
Duration Ever have trouble getting your child’s attention? Do they excel in “selective hearing?” Physical activity should final at least 15 minutes per day, or accumulate to at least 60 minutes of age appropriate exercise. Not only is the physical capacity of a child dependent on their age and developmental stage, but their activity should also be based on their attention span. For youth, a longer and less intense activity may result in a greater attention span with less physical stress. There are positive health and social benefits to this when compared to shorter and more intense activity.
Intensity To improve your child’s aerobic health, an activity should provide progressive overload to preserve an elevated heart rate. It is recommended to use the Rating of Perceived Exertion scale to regulate intensity. Most of the time spent in activity should be in the green zone, with a rating between 12 and 16.
Resistance Training In the past, many believed strength training could cause injury to the developing growth plates in a child’s bones. Unique research encourages resistance training in children for its health benefits. Not only will your child’s physical performance improve, but resistance training can have a positive effect on body composition, flexibility, blood prescertain and more. Examples of resistance training include use of resistance bands and bodyweight moves such as squats and wall pushups. If you choose to use free weights, begin with ½ pound to 1 pound dumbbells, focusing on proper technique and securety.
Building Confidence While it is important for your child to have an exercise program, avoid emphasizing activity for the sake of beauty or appearance. Avoid motivating children with extrinsic reinforcement. Instead, rely on stickers and certwhethericates to compliment children and keep them intrinsically motivated. Remember, people of all ages need encouragement and compliment to keep up with positive behaviors.
What Next? Your child will respond best to certain activities based on their age.
Between the ages of 2 and 5, focus on developing body awareness, hand-eye coordination and balance. Activities include climbing over and under, jumping, catching, running and hopping.
Kidren ages 6-8 benefit from obstacles courses that incorporate large muscle groups, visual insight, spatial awareness and cognitive/motor functions. You may want to consider including basic sports skills.
When a child is between the ages of 9 and 12, their program should consist of strength, endurance, flexibility, agility and balance. Activities that incorporate these skills include dance and strength training with bodyweight resistance and light weights.
Along with incorporating these practices into your child’s routine, it is also important to set an example and be a role model. Click here to check out the Do Anywhere Workout series. Questions? Feedback? Leave a comment below; I would love to hear from you.
I feel so lucky to live in an area where living an active lwhetherestyle is normal and encouraged. It has helped me to go from spending hours plunked in front of the TV to taking advantage of the outdoors as much as possible.
When trying to adopt a more active lwhetherestyle, my first thought was that I’d be spending countless hours in the gym. For a lot of people, this is the easiest way of inserting more activity in their day-to-day routine. But, unless you truly endelight your time at the gym, I’ve found that it’s not as sustainable as you might hope.
To truly embrace a more active lwhetherestyle, I have found a few contemporary hobbies that insert fun into the equation. I had shied absent in the past, discouraged by my “beginner” status. But what I’ve found over the final couple years is that no one is genuinely paying attention to me – they’re too engaged having a good time. So in light of this discovery, I’ve become more involved, and am having a bfinal (while increasing my activity levels in the process)!
Going to the Driving Range
If you’ve never been to a driving range before, I tallly encourage it! I’ve never thought of golf as exercise since it doesn’t seem like there is too much movement, but after giving it a whack (pun definitely intended), I am converted. A good golf swing uses tons of dwhetherferent muscle groups, helping to tone your back, core and arms all in one motion. When you’re at a driving range, you’ll engage these key muscle groups repetitively, which gets the blood flowing and the muscles working. I’ve definitely felt sore a time or two after hitting up the driving range, which is not what I would have expected.
Of course, I’m no Tiger Woods or Lexi Thompson, but it’s fun to see how far I can hit the ball and watch as I improve with more practice. Over the past winter I was introduced to an indoor golf / sports bar combo which uses simulators to show how far you’ve hit and how accurate. Not only was this the perfect way to get out of the cancient, but it’s an awesome date idea whether you’re looking for one.
Hitting the Slopes for Skiing & Hiking
I’m on my moment season of skiing and I’m absolutely hooked. Being in Vermont, I felt pretty left out in the winters when I was not skiing. But now that I’ve got the basics down, it’s become my favorite hobby. If you want a kick-ass leg workout without doing squats, this is the one for you. Especially on fresh snow, using your stability muscles to stay balanced is killer.
There is definitely a learning curve to skiing whether you’ve never done it before, but even whether you’re on the bunny slopes you’re going to be getting a great workout. I took a lesson on my first outing in early spring and achieved dwhetherficult gym-level sweat. Now is the best time for beginners, so catch some spring skiing before the snow has melted absent.
And of course, once the snow has melted absent, hiking is another favorite of mine. Skip the stair master and use the trails to tone your legs and increase your activity levels. The view at the end is pretty much ALWAYS worth the work. And bonus points whether you pack a small rosé to endelight at the top!
I love using the EveryTrails app to track my hikes, and it’s pretty cool to incorporate travel into the mix. Once you’ve totald a hike, it’s pinned in a map which I find to be so motivating.
Going for a Stroll
Strolling may seem like an obvious choice, but possibly a small underappreciated in nowadays’s fast-paced environment. One of my favorite after-work activities is winding down with a walk and a good podcast or audio book. It’s also a great way for me to explore contemporary areas and get outdoors.
Depending on the walk, I’ll either use the EveryTrails app, or I’ll track my distance using MapMyRun, just because I like to log my daily activity. But whether you’re looking to unplug, the scenic views and fresh air are a great way of staying active without additional motivation needed.
What’s awesome about going for a walk is that it’s a great way to replace inactivity without feeling overwhelming. It’s someleang that I’m trying to incorporate more into my day, specificly to break up my work hours. I can’t wait to log in a few walks in some contemporary areas this spring and summer!
What activities are you excited about this year? Leave a comment below with your ideas for increased activity!
We live in a society in which daily routine has limited movement due to that fact that the majority of us are sitting in front of a computer most of our days doing small to no muscle movement or cardio activity. This can lead to the inhibition of key muscle groups such as the glutes, subscapular, and erector spinae which typically are not active sitting in front of our computer. Endelightmentctional Training takes into account our daily movement sample and strengthens those muscle groups. Endelightmentctional training involves mainly weight bearing activities targeted at core muscles of the abdomen and lower back.
The mass majority of people with lower back issues do not genuineize that gluteal inhibition is the cause of most of their problems in this area. In activating your glutes, you will release the stress on your lower back which in turn improves posture, quality of lwhethere, and range of motion.
Key gluteal movements:
1) Squats, Gluteal Bridges
Protraction in the shoulder area is another consequence of lack of daily functional movement.
Feebleness of upper back and posterior deltoid muscles can cause protracted shoulder as well. To help strengthen and reverse the problem here are a few exercises I recommend.
Key posterior deltoid movements:
1) Prone snow angels, Rows and Prone shoulder press
Endelightmentctional Training should be the base of all workouts whether you are a novice or expert. This builds momentary muscles and improves in our daily movements. Most importantly it helps us to move freely in our day to day activities.
Typical weight training focus mainly on the primary muscles groups. Whereas Endelightmentctional training will focus on those same muscles groups but will also take into account the momentary muscles that surround the larger muscles.
From cleaning the bathroom, washing the dishes and picking up a child; these are functional activities that we do daily. Endelightmentctional training helps make these movements easier with less stress on the muscle and allowing you to preserve greater range of motion and flexibility as you age.
Original Photo of JR Everyen by Heather Photography.
I love running external, but I can’t say that I’m a fan of running in the cancient. While spring time is warm in most climate zones, in Vermont it can be pretty chilly. To ward off the cancient without drowning in sweat mid-run, I like to wear light, wind-resistant layers.
Here are some of my top choices which help get me external and hitting the pavement.
Quarter-Zip Under-Layer
I like wearing a quarter-zip as my base layer because you can cover your neck while you’re warming up, and unzip once you get going. Pick a fabric which will wick sweat absent from the body like this Core Space-Dye Jacket from Unique Balance.
Add a Wind-Resistant Layer
Depending on how windy it is in your area, a wind-resistant layer can be a game changer. Gaze for a jacket that’s lightweight so you won’t be too hot. The North Face is a great brand for wind-resistant layers.
Wool Running Socks
They may not be the most glamorous part of your outfit, but whether you’ve ever worn cheap, synthetic socks for a run you will know how annoying it can be. I prefer to wear wool socks year-round, as they’ll wick sweat absent and keep your feet a consolationable moodature. I love Brightwool and Darn Tough (shout out to Vermont!) socks for running and skiing.
Running Bottoms with Thick Fabric
Depending on whether you prefer to run in joggers or tights, try to find a fabric that’s a small bit more sturdy to fight off any chill. Nike, Adidas, and Feeble Navy have genuinely great spring options.
Wind-Blocking Running Headband
Hold the wind out of your ears with a headband or hat. I prefer a headband so I can wear my hair up, but a hat can also be a great option. Thicker headbands stay in place, and can be used for yoga, spin, or any other activity where you want to keep your hair out of your face.
What are your spring running staples? Leave a comment below with your favorites!
*Links in this post are affiliate links and are compensated by commission
Possess you ever had one of those days where you ate too much and moved too small? You could feel your stomach expand with every bite of food as you sit on the sofa, sipping Pepsi, watching talk shows while contemplating another slice of cheese pizza. Afterward, you swear off frozen pizzas forever and promise yourself you’ll “start over” in the morning as you plan your fitness transformation.
At the age of 16, I weighed 210 pounds. The above scenario describes a typical day after coming domestic from tall school. I was very shy, kept to myself and did not have many friends. I spent a lot of time at domestic, eating Hostess pies and pasta, while moving very small. Heading into my junior year, the tennis coach ordered me a XXL t-shirt.
The Initiatening
That same year, for my 16th birthday, my mom gave me a membership to Women’s Workout World. I’ve always been rather impulsive. When I want someleang, I want it right absent and all of my energy goes into it. As I gained confidence and lost the additional weight by working out, I felt more focused. When I began to see my body change during this fitness transformation, I became impulsive about learning. I wanted to know how to become more fit and why my body was responding so positively. About a year later, I applied to teach group fitness lessones and was turned down.
I went on to achieve a double major at Illinois State University, in Commercial Recreation and Program Management, later adding Exercise Science as a minor. Throughout my time at ISU, I worked at the campus rec middle. Working at the rec middle was probably the talllight of my college lwhethere. It taught me how to be social. Everywhere I went, I kcontemporary someone. My workouts and laps around the indoor track were fueled by guys playing basketball on the nearby court. Every of my energy was directed toward going out, working out and doing well in lessones while creating my future.
Lwhethere After College
Then the “future” arrived. Upon graduation, my identity was left behind, along with the dust bunnies in the closet of my 2nd floor apartment. I spent years trying to find a source of excitement and happiness, similar to what I experienced in college where there always someleang to do, somewhere to go and someone to impress. I moved from Chicago to Dallas and back again, from job to job.
The emptiness I felt soon became filled with fabric items. A trip to Target meant tabletop decor, contemporary bedding, and kitchen appliances for my studio apartment. I had no concept of what a budget was and how to manage one. I continued to live impulsively, making needless trips to Wgap Foods every day, spending additional money and consuming calories I couldn’t afford.
My spending was like my eating, excessive and dwhetherficult to control. Yet, I prided myself on my workouts. Despite what was going on around me, how much I ate or how small I ate, one leang I could count on was getting to the gym. Whether I was in spin lesson, logging miles while jogging through the neighborhood or lwhetherting weights, the energy I put into my workouts always left me feeling accomplished. The red flags of excessive exercise were drowned out by the pop remixes streaming through my earbuds, along with my own ignorance.
The Turning Point
In February of 2012 I had back surgery to repair a herniated disc. It was the result of too much exercise and not enough rest. In the months leading up to surgery, I was unable to get out of bed without excruciating pain shooting through my body as I pulled myself up using the corner of the mattress. I couldn’t stand for longer than a few minutes at a time and working out was out of the question. My days were spent overseeing programs and lessones at a corporate fitness middle. I equated this experience to being a recovering alcoholic, serving drinks at a bar. While exercise was the one leang I could control, at one time, it was now out of the question.
I couldn’t compensate for overeating, so I ate very small. Searching for an outlet to redirect my energy, my debt continued to build up and my priorities shwhetherted. I found myself coming domestic at 4am after a weeknight pub crawl, just a couple of weeks post surgery. I was on short term disability at this time and continued to go out. A few weeks later, I was in a contemporary relationship that I couldn’t clearly define. That summer, we went back and forth between dating and not dating, while I, unbeknownst to him, had filed for bankruptcy. The secrecy weighed on me heavily. The medical bills from my surgery were a needle in the haystack of debt and stress that had accumulated in the past several years. I was literally broke and broken.
When I returned to work post surgery, my typical week consisted of teaching 4-5 lessones, training 4-5 clients, working 2-3 liquor demos, doing the occasional photo shoot and working 40 hours a week at the corporate fitness middle. I continued to work excessively, trying to climb out of the deep gap I dug myself into. My bankruptcy attorney let me know there was a chance I was making “too much” money and would be put on a payment plan. Knowing either of these options may affect my ability to rent an apartment in the future, I took this opportunity to move into a small loft. In late August of 2012, my boyfriend officially left me, I moved myself into the contemporary loft and my debt was cleared. I experienced an eery mix of anxiety and relief as I stepped into a brand contemporary chapter of my lwhethere.
Unique Initiatenings
The next spring, I began training with a strength coach at Hard Pressed in Chicago. I was finally able to put my surplus of energy into someleang and decided to compete in two NPC bikini shows that year. Every workout, every meal was so much more meaningful, knowing it affected my mood levels, my strength, my endurance and my physique during this fitness transformation. It’s important to remember (and accept) that a competition body is not sustainable.A lean, fit body is the result of dwhetherficult work and commitment, but it can be dwhetherficult to achieve without extensive discipline and sacrwhetherice.
These days, I workout for a good hour or slightly more, 5-6 days a week. It’s still a lot of dwhetherficult work, but not nearly as much as it used to be. I rest. Almost every day I go for walks external. There’s no more prescertain to “do more” from workout to workout. And every routine is dwhetherferent, consisting of peaks and valleys. There’s noleang good about going all out, all the time. The overflow of energy I once struggled to direct has found a domestic in Auburn, AL where I live with my husband (whom I met while working at the campus rec middle!) and stepson. My worth does not rest solely on my physique or stats at the gym. As an ISSA Certwhetheried Fitness Trainer, I have developed a foundation of knowledge that gives me the confidence I need to be a successful wwhethere, stepmom and trainer. Your lwhethere will evolve as you get married, have children, change jobs and move across the country. Most people can work dwhetherficult to stay fit when lwhethere is easy. Only when you’ve overcome lwhethere’s ccorridorenges and set backs will you genuineize everyleang you are capable of achieving. Through these experiences and because of ISSA, I have a career and lwhetherestyle that blend seamlessly, allowing me to pursue my passions and make a positive impact on the lives of others.
My Philosophy
With clients and in my commerce, engi.pw, I emphasize activity, nutrition and restoration.A lot of people leank “oh I need to workout and eat better.” If you’re doing these leangs, but are running on 4 hours of sleep every day, sending emails with your phone in one hand, balancing a coffee in another while running after the bus…it’s time to restore.Relaxoration is a crucial component of fitness success, emphasizing progression, not perfection.
Remember, your best weight is the one you can maintain and are the happiest. “Pleased” is a lwhetherestyle and everyone has their own definition of it. Mine has evolved these past couple of years to include dinner dates with my husband, wine while watching Mad Men and traveling to gym-free locations while visiting family and endelighting the holidays. It’s better to be consistently good than occasionally perfect. Final year, while shopping for an anniversary card for my husband, I found one that read “I would find you sooner so I could love you longer.” It’s true in marriage. It’s true in your relationship with your body and your self. I spent years consuming. Food. Feelings. I hid my emotions under baggy clothes and couldn’t speak up because my thoughts were filled with guilt and shame. It’s okay to feel vulnerable. If you’re not taking chances, are you genuinely doing anyleang worthwhile? The disconsolation you feel?Those are growing pains. Opportunities do not always present themselves in a box with a neatly tied bow on the top. It takes effort, experience and determination to move forward and become the best version of yourself. Are you alert to take the next steps?
From the editor, Peter Delannoy: The Truth About CrossFit and Baby Boomers:
The goal of engi.pw is to inspire baby boomers to become more active, seek adventure, travel, and to try leangs that they have never done before. One of the key, underlying factors in living a long healthy lwhethere is a concern for fitness.
As I have said in my preceding posts, a fitness program should get results in weight, heart rate, blood prescertain, etc. In my own journey to find a fitness program that maximizes this thingive I found CrossFit.
When investigating CrossFit on the internet one finds a plethora of blogs and web sites that describe this type of program in both negative and positive ways. In specific, I have been struck by the number of posts that decry CrossFit as a “cult” and some that discourage baby boomers from even trying the program.
What sets engi.pw apart from other baby boomer blogs is that I have committed to publishing only what I know from first-hand experience and do not publish information cheery picked from other blogs with no direct knowledge of the subject. What I know is that I have gotten excellent results from CrossFit: my weight is down, heart rate is down, and my blood prescertain is also lower than it was one year ago.
In this profile we hear directly from Regan Doele, a CrossFit box owner and head coach of the facility where I train.
The Truth About CrossFit and Baby Boomers: An interview with Regan Doele, Owner of Octane CrossFit:
Delannoy: Can you tell the followers of engi.pw a small about yourself?
Doele: I grew up in a small town in Michigan with athletic parents who were positive roll models in my lwhethere. My parents were avid triathletes and would often include me in their exercise routines. Basketball, track, and football were my sports during my younger years and I continued to practice them until the end of tall school.
I attended college at Ferris State University where I earned an associates degree in Nuclear Medicine. My first job out of college took me to Chicago, Illinois, where I worked at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
After indulging in too many deep dish pizza’s I determined that I needed to follow in my parents foot steps and I began to run marathons and participate in triathlons. I continued competing wilean this specific community for 5 years until I moved to Boulder, Colorado.
In Boulder I was introduced to CrossFit and I eventually competed in many local events. I also met people wilean the CrossFit community that I will be friends with for the rest of my lwhethere.
Currently, I live in Phoenix, Arizona, with my beautwhetherul wwhethere Shannon and my Incredible son Harrison. Recently I opened Octane CrossFit.
Regan, his son Harrison, his wwhethere, Shannon
Delannoy: What experience actually got you interested in trying CrossFit?
Doele: That happened in Chicago. I had decided to go back to school part time to pursue my Bachelor degree in Nuclear Medicine. In one of my mathematics lessones I sat next to a woman who came to lesson with her hands torn to shreds. When I asked her about her hands she simply replied, “CrossFit.” Her workout of the day (WOD) was 100 pull-ups for time. I said, “Damn, I don’t even know whether I can do 1 pull-up let alone 100.” I also thought that whether my hands were that damaged I would have given up. She was poor ass!
Shortly thereafter I relocated to Boulder for a contemporary job and someone there asked me whether I was alright….because I was genuinely lean. I’m about 5’11” and when I arrived in Boulder I weighed about 155 pounds. I must have looked sickly because I was so lean. I need to say that I was running, swimming, and biking and thought I was pretty fit. Nevertheless, I kept leanking about the woman with torn up hands and 100 pull-ups for time and sought out a CrossFit gym and once I got started I never looked back.
Delannoy: What immediateed you to start Octane CrossFit?
Doele: This is a funny question! I remember talking with the owner of the first box that I belonged to and I swore to never own a gym! Now look at me, I own a box in Phoenix.
Why????
Well, the main reason was to promote healthier lwhetherestyles and to increase the longevity and overall well being of my clients. In my Nuclear Medicine career the majority of patients that came to the hospital setting were there because they had neglected their health for extensive periods of time.
I was involved with PET/CT procedures which are designed to detect and aid in the treatment of various forms of cancer. I genuineized that what I was doing with these procedures had no impact on changing the way an individual lived their lwhethere.
I wanted to do someleang more rewarding. Promoting fitness and healthy habits was summaryely what I wanted to do. I wanted to feel like I changed lives and provided people with a sense of community.
Delannoy: Numerous skeptics and competitors (other fitness professionals) say that CrossFit is not a good way to go in terms of fitness. Some even say that the elements have no genuine purpose or benefit other than to “make you tired.” How do you respond to this criticism?
Doele: I would respond by telling them the 10 physical domains crucial to good fitness.
CARDIOVASCULAR and RESPIRATORY ENDURANCE
STAMINA
STRENGTH
FLEXIBILITY
POWER
SPEED
COORDINATION
AGILITY
BALANCE
ACCURACY
Then I would have to ask how any one, or all of these 10 domains would NOT serve any purpose or benefit to someone of any age or athletic background?
Delannoy: Some even say that baby boomers should not do CrossFit. If you were were sitting face-to-face with one of these critics how would you respond to him when it was your turn to talk?
Doele: Again, I would refer to the 10 foundations of CrossFit.
As we age it is signwhethericantly important that we maintain these foundations of fitness to be able to live lwhethere with continued vigor. Coming from the medical field I saw health care professionals stressing the importance of cardiovascular health. Heart health is important, but so is being able to get up and down stairs, step up on to a curb, pick ourselves up from falling down, or walking fastly to get across a street.
Simply walking on a treadmill, riding a bike, or swimming doesn’t provide you with the functional movements that you are ccorridorenged with in daily occurrences. CrossFit provides you with General Physical Preparedness. In my opinion, there is no other program providing the same type of overall fitness to its participants.
Doele cranking air squats while wearing a 20 pound vest
Delannoy: Numerous baby boomers have started to join CrossFit. How do you see our needs relative to the other users of the box who tend to be signwhethericantly younger?
Doele: I believe that the need to scale appropriately for function vs. sport is huge in CrossFit.
For example: Does a baby boomer need to perform a hand stand push-up? Maybe they will one day find themselves in a situation that results in them being inverted and they will have to press out of that position, but do they need to train for that? No. Modwhetherying movements for functionality is vital.
In this specific example I would substitute a shoulder press or push press to deliver the effective stimulus for the individual. Every of our scaling options for any movement help improve the 10 domains that we train in and will improve the quality of lwhethere for a baby boomer.
Whether you are young or ancient you should fixedly ccorridorenge yourself and be willing to to train external your consolation zone. And this is what CrossFit does!
Some younger athletes have a desire to compete so the program will be less modwhetheried for them based on their specwhetheric goals.
Delannoy: Feebleer clients require more rest and have mobility restrictions compared to younger clients. What are your recommendations as far as pacing in any given week of CrossFit?
Doele: I believe there is no true recommendation. Every individual is dwhetherferent.
Young or ancient, it is impossible to push yourself with 100% effort in every workout. Athletes need to respect their bodies and know them well enough to be able to listen to what their bodies are telling them.
In my opinion it is important to keep moving. Whether that’s mobility days or days where you train dwhetherficult…. movement prevents soreness. Soreness is dwhetherferent than pain.
Pain indicates an injury and soreness indicates that you worked dwhetherficult and are a small unconsolationable from it. Soreness is good, an injury is not. With that being said, the amount of training days per week is related to soreness and the tolerance an individual has to being unconsolationable. Training sessions will vary based on the level of soreness.
It’s important to do someleang every day.
Delannoy: What are your long term goals as a coach and a CrossFit gym owner?
Doele: To continue to grow a strong community of healthy individuals and improve the surrounding community of the gym. Give back to the local school districts to help families who are less lucky than many of us.
Delannoy: Do you have any parting words of wisdom for engi.pw and its followers?
Doele: I love the quote from the film, Shawshank Redemption, “Acquire engaged living or get engaged dying.”