Welcome to this week’s Five from David
Your exercise tip – Are your goals getting in the way of your health?
One day we wake up and decide it is time to get our fitness back and lead a healthier life. We do all the right things, eating well, exercising, stretching and resting, and in a few weeks we notice the changes. We take our time, and things go along well, with the odd hurdle along the way that we overcome (with great satisfaction).
Eventually we get down to that last stubborn two or three kilograms that just will not shift. We decide to cut out a meal or two, exercise harder and for longer, and rest less. Even though we feel really tired most of the time and are a little short with family, it will be worth it. Weigh in day comes and with great anticipation we jump confidently onto the scales – then scream! Nothing has changed.
We decide that we will cut out even more food, work even harder (maybe I can sneak in a lunch time class) and have no rest. We check our weight three to four times per day and still nothing. We are now getting sick regularly, getting anxious about the scales and feeling down. So much for getting healthy again.
Are your goals making you unhealthy?
Your health tip – a quiz on whole grains from the ABC
If you have an idea about the foods you eat especially whole grains, test your knowledge with this quiz from the ABC website. Good luck.
Exercise of the week
This week we are covering the single leg squat, which is a great strengthening exercise for the all the leg muscles, builds tighter bum muscles and is a challenge for the balance. Tips for this exercise are:
• Think of it like sitting into a chair, just on one leg. Stick the bum out when you go down and push the bum forwards to come up.
• Breathe in on the way down and out on the way up.
• Try not to plonk down those last few centimetres to the seat, and try your best not to bounce up to return to the standing position.
• Think nose over toes when you are going down and when you return to the standing position. This means you lean forward to lower yourself and lean forwards first to raise yourself.
Your life tip
People will say things that will offend us, that is life. Try not to take offence by general comments, it usually is not personal, it could be more out of that person’s ignorance.
This week’s wise words
Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
Albert Einstein
Have a great week and keep healthy in 2016. David.