Idaho Trip

I recently went on a trip to Idaho to meet my Nana’s older brother John, in Idaho Falls. My Nana is 80 and her brother is around 87. As long as I’ve been alive I’ve never met him or really heard about him, even though I’ve been to Idaho before. Since they recently reconnected, so we flew out to meet his whole family! It was a trip of fun and healing! We flew into Utah and from there drove all around Idaho. We went to hot springs, museums, gun ranges, ate great food, and did lots of sightseeing. For all the walking and activities we did my legs felt pretty good. I was afraid that not going to the gym would set me back, but turns out moving all day every day for 2 weeks makes a good gym. Here are all the fun things we did in Idaho if anyone’s ever interested in going.





The falls in Idaho Falls



Soda Spring Gyser


Soda Water at Hooper Spring

Soda Spring and Hooper Spring. The top picture is a man-made geyser. The bottom picture, Hopper Spring, produces natural soda water. Tons of people come to fill up water bottles or large plastic jugs with the natural soda water, then flavoring it with kool-aid or some other flavoring (My family used stevia or drank it plain). The water has important minerals like magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, and so much more to benefit your body.
After some soda water, we went to Heise Hot Springs and Lava Hot Springs, which were probably my favorite parts of the trip! They had so many different naturally temperature Hot Pools. The water had magnesium that relaxed my legs and loosened my body. It was just what I needed and made the walking we did so much easier. The top two pictures are from Heise Hot Springs and the bottom three are from Lava Hot Springs.

On a day when we didn't have too much going on, we went to Sun Valley in Ketchum Idaho. In the summer they turn a ski resort, and the ski lift into a beautiful place where you can take a fun ride on the ski lift up to a nice restaurant! My Mom and Nana didn’t want to take the trip in the ski lift, so I went with my brother and dad. It was such a fun way to get a view of the mountains.








A few pictures of when we went to the Birds of Prey museum, played dress up at the Steam Punk museum, and went to what felt like every Natural Grocers we passed. Natural Grocers was the coolest grocery store where we could eat almost anything our hearts desired (I found an avocado-based ice cream that I've been looking for in California). We took advantage of the scenery on a lazy afternoon having a picnic by a stream, making me wish I could do it every day.

 

We hiked up a mountain that I can't remember the name of but it had lava rock all over it, which was really cool. Lastly, we went to a gun range, saw more family and friends, making our way back to Utah to get on the plane back home.

I had so much fun in Idaho, and think that being away from my fast-paced California lifestyle was needed to heal and get stronger. I got to try new things, including getting a fruity drink at a Sonic, and meet new family. I can't wait to go back to Idaho to see them again, and go berry picking in my Great Uncle John's backyard. 

 

Health Update

Summer is finally here!!! I’m going to hit you with a health update. I finished some classes at Moorpark College, which took up all my time in addition to working, causing my absence from posting. Once I finished classes my mom and I decided to start a summer health care schedule. This consists of going to my doctor and getting IVs of vitamin C, in-home peptide shots twice a day, and occasional hyperbaric appointments. With these IVs, the hope is that it with help kill free radicals in my body, ease muscle spasticity, and heal my brain. The peptides are for pain in my legs and to help them relax/ repair the body. Hopefully, with this new routine, I will start to see changes and break away from walking with a cane. This would allow me to feel more confident and do more socially.       I continue to see my trainer twice a week; which has involved some hiking when it is nice enough and strength training. When I get a chance, I will post exercises for a healthy summer body. Diet is one way to stay healthy and achieve goals. My mom and I have started a high-fat /low carb meal plan with intermittent fasting. This can help heal the brain and rebuild pathways by giving the body time to focus on healing by using the healthy fats. It comes with the side effect of weight loss! Best side effect ever!! In the meantime, a great way to stay fit is through simple exercises such as walking and stretching. Since its summer now the weather is usually nice enough to walk or go swimming. I'll end with a quote I love from Millicent Poole, in her book What are you Really Running From? She says that “Our greatest pains can birth our greatest miracles.”  I couldn’t agree with this more and it reminds me, and hopefully others, to keep going no matter how hard it seems.

Hiking

     Over Thanksgiving break, back in November, I went on a hike in Wildwood with my trainer. This was a great way to start off my upcoming New Year’s Resolutions to walk more, and it being the day before Thanksgiving make room for the all the eating I was about to do. Hiking is one of the best cardio exercises, and a great way to help me improve my balance with the uneven terrain.  Hiking is not only good for your body and heart, but also the mind. Getting out in nature helps to clear your mind and boost your mood. It was a sunny day, with blue skies, and fresh air making it a perfect day for a hike. Going outside to exercise is a great stress reducer and way to improve blood pressure and sugar levels. We started easy with small hills, but even a small hill will get your heart rate up and help burn extra calories.     The uneven terrain helped me to improve my balance and work my muscles. Walking is a weight-bearing exercise that will improve bone density, and build strength in weak hips, like mine. We only hiked for maybe an hour and didn’t even do the whole trail, but it was a good starting point and only makes me want to try to get further next time. To take your hike to the next level, challenge yourself by walking while holding weights, or weigh your backpack down with water bottles. Before you go hiking tips to remember are to always hike with a partner to help you navigate the trails. You never want to be in a situation where you get lost or end up getting hurt and there is no one to assist you. You should familiarize yourself with the trail map and always stay on the path. Lastly, before you leave you may want to check the weather to dress accordingly and be sure to wear comfortable shoes that support you.    Hopefully this helps and you try out one of your local trails. Be sure to bring lots of water, sunscreen, and a hat or sunglasses. Grab a buddy and get out doors this week.
https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/hiking-body-mind

Rest

                 Sorry for the long absence from posting. It has been hard for me to juggle going to school and work a few days a week, actually getting the work done, work outs, doctor appointments, and trying to stay in touch with friends. Being done with midterms and knowing that means finals aren’t too far away causes me to start stressing. When I do get a chance to rest the last thing I’m usually thinking about is writing something on my blog or wanting to work out at all. A few years ago this would have been no problem to juggle everything, but with all the medications and stiffness I’ve slowed down. In my psychology class this past week we’ve learned a lot about our body’s need for rest and just how important it is to take time for ourselves. Also, how being an introvert or extrovert tells a lot about just how much stress we can handle. Introverts, like me, don’t handle pressure very well unlike my very outgoing extroverted father who strives off chaos.  With the holidays coming up and all the amazing eating and running around for the perfect gift we do it is so important for us to take time for ourselves and slow down.          One of the best things that you can do, to keep yourself fit and stay relaxed without going to the gym, is to go for a walk. Walking can help you maintain a healthy weight as well as improve your mood. The mayo clinic says that taking brisk walks can help you “prevent or manage various diseases”, and it helps to improve your balance and coordination. As someone who struggles with balance, walking is one of the best things I can do to help me improvethis. Whenever I am feeling stressed I’m going to remind myself to take a break and go outside. I’ve also found that guided meditation has helped me to deal with stressful situations and not take life so seriously. You can meditate with a recording or self meditate. Meditating has been shown to reduce stress, improve concentration, encourage a healthy lifestyle, and even help to keep a healthy immune system. With the holidays approaching I encourage everyone to slow down and enjoy it with your family and friends. Enjoy the moments and create memories with the ones you love. Try not to get wrapped up in the commercialism and pressure to please. I hope that everyone has a great Thanksgiving and Christmas! I will be back with exercises and classes as soon as I can! 

Check out my logo that my super talented cousin designed!

                 

Glutes and Arms

    The exercises I did this week mainly focused on toning my glutes and arms. Using a 25 or 45 pound bar and dumbbells are great tools to achieve toning both of these areas. A good movement to tone your butt are glute bridges. This exercise targets your hamstrings and all the muscles in your glutes. By working these muscles it leaves you with a fitter and firmer butt.

    Start by lying on your back, placing you feet flat on the floor about shoulder with apart, and your arms flat by your side. Push your hips upward, at full extension, while keeping your feet flat to form a straight line. Hold at the top of the movement for a few seconds, while tightening your glutes, before you slowly lower back to starting. Repeat this movement 10 times for 3 sets.

This next exercise you can preform when you want to make glute bridges more difficult. Start by getting a small box sturdy enough to apply pressure to. Place your feet flat at the top of the edge of the box. Do the same thing that you would do with normal glute bridges. These are so beneficial in tightening/ toning the hamstrings, butt, and activating the core..

Overhead press is something that you are going to want to make sure someone is around for before you start your reps. Place you hands about shoulder with apart on the bar, get a loose rip, and step in  getting under the bar while squeezing your elbows in. Lift the bar clearing the rack before you start your reps. Press straight up over head with full extension in the arms.

 Start by repeating this movement 5 times for 3 set. As you get more comfortable you can build up the reps and the weight. I started with a 25 pound bar and added 5 pounds by the second set. Overhead press is a fantastic strength/ muscle builder for the whole upper body and core.

The last exercise I have is dumbbell bench press. This is a another great workout for toning your upper body. Lying down on a flat surface, startingwith a comfortable weight,  take one weight in each hand. Press straight up over your sternum keeping your arms even with a grip that creates a 90- degree angle between the forearm and the upper arm in the middle of the movement. Repeat this 15 times for 3 sets.

Those are all the exercises I have hope that you get a chance to try them. If you are looking for a gym and trainer in the Moorpark/Thousand Oaks area I recommend OSC (Olsen strength and conditioning). He is a great personal trainer and I can provide you with more information. Hope that you stay persistent with your workouts.

Pool Fun

Last week was so hot it made it hard for me to want to go outside and exercise. This was the perfect time for me to do some pool exercises that I found in a magazine titled, What Doctors Don’t Tell You. In the magazine there was an article, "Making Waves" written by Charlotte Watts, that explains why and how working out in the water is a fantastic way to get fit. Many of the exercises were simple, but you could feel them working when you got out. Doing exercises in the pool is great for people with bad joints, since it has low impact, there is no equipment required, it is stress relaxing, and people of all ages can enjoy . Water exercise builds stamina, strength, and flexibility. This was such a great way for me to exercise, not being able to walk well or run; since I could run in the pool without fear of falling and it gave me a chance to work on my balance. The poses I  performed I usually have a hard time with on land. When I got out of the pool I could feel the difference in myself, and the muscles I used were soar. If you don’t have a pool you can go to your community pool (like I did) or local YMCA. Water is great because, it supports our weight and gives us rest from gravity; making these normally strenuous exercises a way to destress.

The first exercise I show you are lunges, which works the glutes, hamstrings, inner thighs and shoulders. This is a natural bipedal movement. Doing this in the pool is much easier than on land since it has little wear to the knees by getting rid of the hard impact of the ground, and the water supports you while you balance.

          Other exercises that work on the glutes and hamstrings are Squats and Outer leg lifts. For the leg lifts I hung on to the side of the pool to help keep my balance, while drawing my leg up to its full range and back down to center. If you want to make this movement more challenging trying doing the motion without holding on to the wall. Do reps of 10 to 15 repeating 3 times. 

        When squatting place your feet wide, a little further than shoulder width apart, squat down into the water exhaling, as you come back above the surface inhale. Do as many rounds of 10 to 15 squats as long as you feel good. 

       Hamstring curls are another good exercise to focus on your glutes and hamstrings. While standing on one leg alternately lift the other leg towards your glutes. To make this exercise a little more difficult, to work on your balance, you can alternate lifting one leg while curling your opposite arm at the same time. Do the same amount of reps on both legs repeating as many times as you can.

        If you want to focus more on your arms, push-ups and triceps dip are a must. For the push- ups place your hands comfortably on the edge on the pool, keeping your chest up and elbows in, pushing your body straight up as if you were getting out. Start with 5 push-ups building up to as many as you'd  like.

         When performing triceps- dip, turn around placing your hands behind you, just about the same distance as the push- ups. Engage your abs as you push down on the heels on your hands, lifting yourself out of the water and back down again. Keep your chest lifted through the sets. Do as many as you’d like, build up the repetition the same as the push- ups.

 The last exercise I show you mostly targets the areas around the stomach. In this exercise we will be focusing on contracting your abdominal muscles, to keep yourself afloat. You will be making a V- shape with your body, pointing your toes up out of the water and curving your lower back. Circulate your hands underneither you as you try to keep your head above the water. This move involves the whole body by shifting your body weight in the attempt to keep yourself afloat (I had a hard time with this, as you can see by the picture). My grandpa does this all the time!

I hope that you find these workouts helpful, and can try some before it gets too cold to go in the pool. Hopefully you can see what I'm doing in the pictures and use them as a reference. Thanks for reading and remember to be patient with yourselves and that persistence is all.