Raising Happy, Healthy Children

Raising Happy,

     Our children's moods, or thoughts about themselves can change day to day, or even hour to hour, but their over-all self esteem can effect their ability to be successful in life and make the right decisions when a challenge arises.  Building that confidence requires constant nurturing and reinforcement.

     As parents, or significant adults in our child's life, you have tremendous influence over your child's feelings of self-worth.  You should start when your child is very young and help them develop a strong belief in their abilities.  As your growing child faces new challenges, be sure to let them know how proud you are of even the smallest accomplishments.  Also guiding them in decision making will help them recognize when a good decision is make opposed to a bad choice.  Kids make decisions all the time without being aware of it, so you can help the child see between right or wrong to build self confidence.

     Children are constantly talking to themselves.  It is important to encourage positive self-talk.  Pay close attention to what they think about themselves, as it can effect how they behave.  Studies show that a child who has high self esteem are better likely to have confidence to try new things, make social connections, resist peer pressure and effectively solve problems.

     The lack of self confidence in your child can lead to many negative behaviors such as depression, eating disorders, increased inability to say no to drugs or alcohol, and early sexual involvement.  This can also carry to adulthood and lead to addictions, obesity and other health and mental problems.

     One thing to remember is it is never too late to turn things around if you have made mistakes in the past. Get your child involved in sports, dance, art or even something as simple as helping prepare a meal, or helping take care of a pet.  Be certain to let them know how proud you are of every small accomplishment.

Celebrate You!

“Celebrate You”

So, I have to be honest…I have never been a big fan of “celebrating myself”. I guess it’s because I have always felt that statement sounds selfish. Selfishness is not a trait that I desire. However, over the years and now being a mother I do see where there is importance in doing this and here are some tips to how!

In life there can be hardship. For me, it’s been minimal and quite common things such as financial stress, relocating my family, and minor health issues. In the depths of those difficult times, I had discovered times of happiness and peace by doing what I guess one would call, “celebrating myself”.

For me this celebration has been in a few small things.

1. Doing Something I enjoy: So, I really enjoy coffee and lattes. If I can get a few dollars together I take a couple of hours out with my husband and girls, just my girls or rarely just me! I go to a coffee shop and enjoy a latte with my family who finds something to enjoy with me! McDonalds is a GREAT place for a latte that is delicious and cheap! *and it is no worse for you than one from Starbucks just FYI! ;-)

2. Being outdoors: I have found when I’m feeling down or stressed, a walk outdoors cheers me up quite dramatically. Something about the sun shining on me, movement and the peaceful state my children enter as we wonder about outside. It is amazing!

3. Cleaning out my closet and restocking slowly: I also enjoy going through my closet to see what I no longer would call “my style”. Perhaps some things don’t fit the same or I simply don’t like it anymore. I gather these items together and donate them to Goodwill. Sometime later I either browse around Goodwill, go to my favorite consignment shop or an actual clothing store and buy an item I really like to begin to replace what I let go.

These three things are very enjoyable, at least for me.

Now last, but certainly not least I want to say this. In all things, keep a good attitude. In times of stress sit it out daily for awhile to breathe deep, pray, stretch or do a little (or long) workout. Remind yourself of your strengths and research tips to help you strengthen your weak areas. Be confident in who you are as well. Quirks are a good thing…we all have them…no need to hide them. Everyone is weird in their own way. Uniqueness people- that’s all that is!

Sound good? Ok, then let’s do this!

Tips for Summer Workouts

Tips for Summer Workouts

As the weather gets warmer, it is very important to be aware that you must change some habits of your normal workout.  The following are some tips to help your body deal with hot weather, and still have a great exercise session.

 

Adjust your body to summer heat by cutting down your workouts.  During a 10 day period, slowly add to your program until your body is use to the new "hot" environment.  Refrain from doing long endurance activities during the hottest part of the day.

 

The first thing of course it to increase your liquid intake.  You should drink regular unsweetened water, or sports drinks without caffeine.  A good way to test if you are drinking enough, is to observe the color of your urine.  It should be the color of pale lemonade.  Any darker and you are in danger of being dehydrated.  It is important to know that by the time you began to feel thirsty, you are already starting to dehydrate.  Start to drink water 2 hours before your workout, about 20oz, then 10oz every 15 minutes while you are active.

 

Next, don't eat a lot of protein before a workout because it can elevate your body temp.  Save the protein for after to rebuild muscle.

 

Drink your favorite sports drink as a slushy to quickly cool core body temperature to achieve better performance.

 

Be aware of possible heat exhaustion which can lead to very serious medical issues.  Symptoms are feeling sluggish, muscle weakness, sweating more than normal, accelerated heart rate, dizziness, clammy skin, and nausea.  If these symptoms persist for 30 minutes, call a doctor, or go to emergency.

 

Always use sun screen even if you are swimming and think you won't get sun damage on the parts of your body that are under water.  Look for water resistant and SPF of 30 or higher.

 

If you travel to a place in higher elevation than you are use to, be aware of altitude sickness.  Symptoms are dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea, headache, fatigue and confusion.  Give yourself a few days to acclimate to the change in oxygen before doing something too physical.

Stick to Your Goals

Have you ever had goals but never followed through? It happens too much in our daily lives; every new year people throughout the world make resolutions that they say they will follow through with but at some point those resolutions go out the window. In order to have success in life, committing to goals is a necessity. Without goals how will you grow? Without sticking with your goals how will you reach the change you wish to see in your life? How are you able to measure progress? Goals are a way to compare where you once were to where you are now. Goals should be measurable and attainable. They need to be realistic, timely and specific. Goals centered around these five attributes are more likely to be reached than general goals.

We live in a world where quitting happens way too often and obstacles just get avoided. So where are you at with your goals? Are you committed? Are you forgetting them? Have you written down any goals? I know where I am with mine and trust me following goals does not come easy, even for a trainer. It takes discipline, commitment, and focus. It takes drive, desire, and a want to better myself. Each of us have that but we must dig deep in order to find those things. One of my goals right now is to ride my bicycle 4-5 times a week. I am training for a 24 hour bike-a-thon that is coming up in 45 days. It has been really tough for me to stick with that goal, some weeks I find myself riding once, other weeks I find myself riding four, and sometimes, truthfully, I do not ride at all. It shows that without fully committing, without accountability, and without striving to climb over obstacles that are goals we may never get to where we are hoping to be. It does not make us failures though, we get up the next day and choose to try again. If you missed a workout you were committing to, make it up. If you ate junk food and your goal was something along the lines of heating healthy, that is okay try again the next meal. The thing about life is each day, each hour, each minute, each second we are given multiple chances. Do not stop when you have failed, instead reevaluate, recommit, and go at that goal again. You have what it takes to overcome, to achieve, to succeed, and to reach those goals you are. Find somebody to hold you accountable you do not have to reach goals alone. Get back on that bike and start riding towards achievement.

“Plan an Adventure”

“Plan an Adventure”

School is out and summer is definitely in! What shall one do with the time we have, time that our kids are now home rather than at school? How about plan an adventure…an outdoor adventure!

Adventures don’t have to involve a whole lot of planning; they can be simple and take place right outside your front door. I will say…if you can plan a big adventure…go for it!

Now what is an adventure exactly? If we look it up it is defined as: an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks or an exciting or remarkable experience. Outside of this definition, there are no other rules to an adventure, so make it up yourself!

One thing I find easy for little adventures with my daughter are walking to the country homes right outside of my neighborhood. We go around the fields and admire the different animals. There’s an area off the path with rocks and little hills that we like to walk through…we feel like we are walking through dangerous territory. We find large sticks and use them as our walking sticks to protect us from any surprise “attack”! ;-)

We also enjoy more planned times of being adventurous…during a camping trip taking a hike and exploring the nature surrounding our camp site.

If this sounds appealing to you, let me add some benefits from being adventurous outdoors:

1. FRESH AIR- more oxygen being around trees & the happy feeling from the release of serotonin. Also fresh air can improve blood pressure, improve digestion and boost ones immune system.

2. Socialization- you’ll enjoy a unique experience together that will help you keep a healthy, happy relationship.

3. Improved Mood- spending some time outside in the sunlight can even out the levels of melatonin in your brain. Melatonin is the chemical that makes you feel tired and can induce feelings of depression, so by being adventurous outdoors, you can enjoy better overall moods during and after your adventure.

4. Less Stress- The lack of stress is related to the rise in oxygen levels, higher levels of serotonin and managed levels of melatonin mentioned above. There’s also an emotional component at work here, since it’s harder to be annoyed or angry when you’re doing something that you enjoy.

5. Exercise- Let’s not forget the most obvious benefit of an outdoor adventure: you’re spending a lot of time performing physical activities. Even if you’re not running or doing something strenuous, you’re burning more calories than sitting in the house.

Now, if you’re not pumped to get out there and go on an adventure, I don’t know what will motivate you.

Take it from me, it will make you and whoever you take happier- so get on out and be adventurous!

“Plan an Adventure”

School is out and summer is definitely in! What shall one do with the time we have, time that our kids are now home rather than at school? How about plan an adventure…an outdoor adventure!

Adventures don’t have to involve a whole lot of planning; they can be simple and take place right outside your front door. I will say…if you can plan a big adventure…go for it!

Now what is an adventure exactly? If we look it up it is defined as: an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks or an exciting or remarkable experience. Outside of this definition, there are no other rules to an adventure, so make it up yourself!

One thing I find easy for little adventures with my daughter are walking to the country homes right outside of my neighborhood. We go around the fields and admire the different animals. There’s an area off the path with rocks and little hills that we like to walk through…we feel like we are walking through dangerous territory. We find large sticks and use them as our walking sticks to protect us from any surprise “attack”! ;-)

We also enjoy more planned times of being adventurous…during a camping trip taking a hike and exploring the nature surrounding our camp site.

If this sounds appealing to you, let me add some benefits from being adventurous outdoors:

1. FRESH AIR- more oxygen being around trees & the happy feeling from the release of serotonin. Also fresh air can improve blood pressure, improve digestion and boost ones immune system.

2. Socialization- you’ll enjoy a unique experience together that will help you keep a healthy, happy relationship.

3. Improved Mood- spending some time outside in the sunlight can even out the levels of melatonin in your brain. Melatonin is the chemical that makes you feel tired and can induce feelings of depression, so by being adventurous outdoors, you can enjoy better overall moods during and after your adventure.

4. Less Stress- The lack of stress is related to the rise in oxygen levels, higher levels of serotonin and managed levels of melatonin mentioned above. There’s also an emotional component at work here, since it’s harder to be annoyed or angry when you’re doing something that you enjoy.

5. Exercise- Let’s not forget the most obvious benefit of an outdoor adventure: you’re spending a lot of time performing physical activities. Even if you’re not running or doing something strenuous, you’re burning more calories than sitting in the house.

Now, if you’re not pumped to get out there and go on an adventure, I don’t know what will motivate you.

Take it from me, it will make you and whoever you take happier- so get on out and be adventurous!

Zumba is BACK!