Monday, July 25, 2011

Hey there, friends! Welcome to the new week :) How was your Monday? Mine was pretty good!

Did the treadmill in the conditioning room today and walked for 30 minutes! Reached my Target Heart Rate.

Then enjoyed the Yoga class and got some stretching and some relaxation in. Still workin on that split, you know. Not doing as well as I want, but that's OK. It's only Monday.

When I came home my dad had got me an avocado shake! Mmm....

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Hey guys! Not much to talk about here – other than the extreme heat. Are you enjoying the heat?  UGH!  I can't stand it!

I was able to get in a long walk this morning with my mom, but it's just too hot, no matter what time of the day, so I decided to take a day off from exercise and am spending another day in the pool! My mom calls it a super “staycation” day.  Even my dad, the Aikido nut is not going to his class tonight because it's been cancelled!

My family is hoping for some thunderstorms tonight - mom says the grass and garden REALLY needs the rain. They like to sit with a few of our neighbours and watch the lightening on our front porch (that my mom built).  Neat porch - I can now can climb out the upstairs window (not that I will, but the idea of doing what my dad did in his youth makes me smile!)


Also, the "Y" is sooo crowded and the regular classes are not running today so our family is basically on "lazy" mode. Even my pet ratties are tired.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Whew.... today is another hot day.   

According to the Weather Network, it is 35 °C and is supposed to get even warmer tomorrow! 

Best place to be might be the water!

Tonight I went for another Yoga class.  I really enjoyed the last one and the instructor is kinda mean yet kinda motivational!  Not mean in a mean way, just persistent in getting you to push just a wee bit more!

Anyways, tonight we worked on leg flexibility and strength and I learned the "Tree Pose".  Here's a picture of my first "Tree Pose"!

I've just got to tell you, it was such a relaxing class tonight … maybe because of the heat wave we are having, but it was sooooooo nice that I almost fell asleep! 

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

What a heat wave we are having right now!  I’ve decided to move into our basement to cool off as I think I might have gotten too much heat/sun yesterday as I did not feel well at all last night and this morning. I actually puked! Ugh!

According to the Weather Network, it is 28 °C and on Thursday we are expecting 38 °C!  Meanwhile, the City of Toronto has issued a weather warning while my parents are doing a rain dance!

According to the Region of Peel’s Public Health website, “High intensity exercise in a hot environment, with the associated fluid loss and elevation of body temperature, can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke."

The site also lists some signs of Heat Exhaustion for the athlete that includes;

• High heart rate, dizziness, headache, loss of endurance/skills, confusion and nausea
• Skin may still be cool/sweating, but the athlete may be pale
• Cramps may be associated with dehydration (muscular, abdominal)

The site also hi-lights signs of Heat Stroke (a potentially fatal condition that must be immediately treated by a medical professional) for the athlete including;

• Heat stroke is similar to heat exhaustion, but with dry skin, confusion and collapse
• Heat stroke may arise in an athlete who has NOT complained about symptoms of heat exhaustion and has continued to be active

Being a visual learner, I found a great piece of clipart at Symptom Advice (http://symptomadvice.com/pregnancy-symptoms-are-similar-to-heat-exhaustion-difference-between-two/) that demonstrates the differences between Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke

 Image Source: http://triblocal.com/new-lenox/community/stories/2011/07/be-aware-of-heat-related-emergencies/

Week 3 ~ July 17-23 ~ This week's focus: Safety Pamphlet (still)

Monday July 18, 2011

Just like SPINACH, yoga is supposed to be good for you, but I’ll bet you already knew that, right? After all, lots of people do it.  

Anyways, I get nervous sometimes and I heard that Yoga is good for that. 

 So, this evening I went to a Yoga class and then went to the conditioning room for some conditioning exercises as I was working on my pamphlet for this section of my course earlier in the day.  I took my friend Julia with me and we both had a great time! I think that the Yoga classes will really help me stay focused, more concentrated and improve my flexibility!

image courtesy of http://yogaforbeginnerstips.com/benefits-of-yoga/

During my conditioning, I was able to get my heart rate into my Target Zone for about 15 minutes! Whoo Hoo!

Thanks for reading!

Week 3 ~ July 17-23 ~ This week's focus: Safety Pamphlet

So this week, I have to create a 1-page flyer that promotes safety in one of the activities that I've chosen.

It's sooooo weird to be marked to do something that I enjoy!  

For this assignment, I need to promote the pleasure of the activity as well as the equipment, rules and regulations, and procedures for emergency situations.  And make it all visually appealing as well as informative!

And now.. my exercise tip:  Benefits to Exercising the Heart

According to the Mayo Clinic.......  regardless of your age, weight or athletic ability, aerobic exercise is good for you!   

If you want to read more about this, go to http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aerobic-exercise/EP00002/LOCID

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Went to the conditioning room this morning to try the weights.   

I’ve heard that more and more girls are working out with weights. Yeah, right - I was the only girl in the room at the gym and immediately alarms started going off in my head, screaming, “MAN ZONE, GET OUT NOW!”  

Everywhere I looked, I saw dudes performing complicated maneuvers with heavy weights!

I was so nervous about going into “dude” territory.  So I made up every excuse about why I couldn't do it, and then I decided to 'just do it' and not let such a dumb fear get in my way. So I dragged myself in there and yeah...... I made a complete fool of myself because I'm not the most graceful girl...especially when nervous!

So what did I learn today?  Don't be afraid to ask for help.  

I couldn’t remember what all of the equipment was for or how it worked, so if certain equipment confuses you or you need help with your form or a spotter, ask someone, preferably a trainer on the floor to help - that's what they're there for!  I've even had another member offer to help me - I'm just over five feet tall and can’t reach everything. Hahaha...