MY HEALTH AT FIRST

Some of you may remember when I returned to blogging, I mentioned that I read/write in a prayer journal to assist me with my health & fitness goals. I wholeheartedly believe that when I include God in my pursuits, the burdens are removed from my path. That’s not to say the experience is without challenges, but I have witnessed Him remove the roadblocks out of my way and make me stronger. Therefore, I attribute everything I’ve accomplished in life to God because I know I could not have done it without Him. Health & Fitness is no different.

People often ask me how do I stay so focused, what keeps me motivated, etc. So on Sundays, I want to share a message from my prayer journal that inspired me the most and helped me push through the challenges of the week. If this is not for you, when you see the blog title “Prayer Journal,” skip it. This is for everyone who believes in the power of God.

Prayer Journal Message: There are going to be days when we feel we just can’t do it. Everywhere we turn, there is another temptation, another chance to blow it. Occasionally, we might even give in, but that is no reason to give up. Part of being human means we won’t succeed every time we try something. That’s okay. When we find ourselves in situations where we give in, that is when we need to call on God, asking for forgiveness, strength, and determination. God shall send forth His mercy and His truth, and we will be able to pick up from where we left off and do even better the next time.

Today’s Thought: Losing one battle doesn’t mean I’ve lost the war!

Related Scripture: He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.

Last week's post on the health effects of standing, and how sitting long periods can more than offset the benefits of even regular vigorous exercise, generated a large number of public comments and even larger number of private comments. Desk-new As regular readers know, I switched from a traditional executive seated desk to a stand up desk over a year ago after visiting some companies in Japan and have been (annoyingly?) pushing the concept ever since. In addition to the physical benefits of standing it also forced me to organize and 5S my workspace, which has paid off in improved efficiency and peace of mind.

Several readers wrote to suggest "accessories" that Desk-treadmillwould take the stand up desk concept to a whole new level, so just for grins on this fine Saturday I thought I'd compile some of them for you.

First there's the most common accessory: the treadmill. It's a bit difficult to put a motorized treadmill under a stand up desk like mine, but some of the flat manual treadmills would work. However manual treadmills take quite a bit of work to get started, and coupled with wearing dressier shoes Desk-stair-steppermost days, I doubt I'd use it very much.

Another option would be one of those small stair-steppers, often seen in the cheesy late night TV ads, although this particular one got pretty high reviews on Amazon. Although it looked simple enough, my concern was that it would prevent me from turning from side to side while working at the desk.Desk-elliptical

One reader was passionate about a mini-elliptical machine, which also got very high reviews on Amazon. I'll admit - it's looks pretty cool. But something about it makes me fear I'd have some serious sweat stains after just a few minutes. A sweaty, Desk-balance-board smelly office isn't exactly the image I want to convey as a company president.

Then there were some rather, uh, unique accessories. Take the balance board, which is basically a skateboard sitting on top of a single roller. The surfers and snowboarders among us, and there are a lot of us here on the California coast, would probably love it. But just like the similar "rug runner" contraption,Desk-rug-runner I bet our safety guys would have a cow. I can just see the safety incident report - manager fell off balance board while working at desk. That's sure to cause an OSHA audit!

Finally I did come across one accessory that just might work: the bosu. My personal trainer enjoys killing me on this simple device, often while doing something crazy like holding weights and doing Desk-bozu single leg squats, but I have to agree that it has greatly improved my balance and core strength. I'd have to raise my desk a few more inches in order for it to be at an ergonomically correct height, but that's easy enough.

I can turn and twist, move if I want, but all the while the small and large core muscles are being exercised to create balance. I often find myself standing and balancing on top of my small 6" foot rest anyway. It's not inherently trying to throw you off like the balance board or rug runner, so the safety guys should be a bit happier.

So that's the plan. I know another guy in the office is set on a treadmill, and we'll see what the other stand up desk converts will do, if anything. I'll let you know how it goes.

KEY men Lee Cattermole and Michael Turner could be fit for Sunderland’s must-win clash with Stoke on Monday.
Steve Bruce

Centre-back Turner missed Sunderland’s midweek defeat at Everton after suffering a knee injury in the FA Cup exit at Portsmouth last weekend, while midfielder Cattermole’s comeback from a hamstring injury was cut short after just 45 minutes at Goodison Park due to a back problem.

But Black Cats boss Steve Bruce has not ruled either man out of Monday’s game against the Potters at the Stadium of Light.

And he could also have Phil Bardsley available again, with the right-back making a fast recovery from the hamstring strain which ruled him out of the Everton game.

Bruce said: “Cattermole, Turner and Bardsley all have a chance.

“They are recovering well and, while I won’t decide until the last minute, they could be involved on Monday.

“If they are fit, it would be a huge boost for us.”

Cattermole has barely played since damaging knee ligaments in October. He returned briefly just before Christmas but picked up a hamstring tear in only his second game back.

And Bruce initially feared that the man he brought with him from Wigan last summer had suffered another hamstring strain – this time on the opposite leg.

But those fears have proved unfounded. “I just want to reassure the fans that its not a recurrence of his hamstring injury,” said Bruce.

Are you searching for ways just so you could feel and look younger? If so, then one great tactic that can help you achieve just that is by performing yoga. Yoga is considered as the real fountain of youth! Here written in this article are a couple of wonderful things that yoga can do for you. Read on!

1) Yoga can boost your energy levels. Each and every person in this earth has a so called life force that flows throughout their body. That life force is referred to as “chi”. Yoga will teach you how to unblock and release your “chi” in order for you to rejuvenate and revitalize your spirit.

2) Yoga can enhance your flexibility. If you are not as agile as you were before, practicing yoga can help you regain your flexibility. You will find yourself full of life and you will also be less prone to injuries. Your recovery and healing process will also enhance if you continue your practice of yoga.

3) With yoga, you will have a smoother and younger looking skin. Yoga will teach you deep breathing techniques that will oxygenate your entire body; thereby giving you that rosy glow in your skin. There are also facial yoga exercises that you can perform that will leave a great impact on your facial skin. There are many facial yoga routines that can target specific areas of your face. You have facial exercise for chubby cheeks, exercises that will reduce expression lines and wrinkles and a lot more.

4) With yoga, you will have a better sleep. Practicing yoga can help you acquire a better sleep.

5) You can lose weight with yoga. By performing a more strenous or tiring type of yoga, you will be able to shed some of those unwanted pounds.

6) Yoga helps relieve stress. By stretching your muscles and performing deep breathing techniques, you relax your tensed muscles and at the same time lower your stress levels.

As the month of January winds to a close, I find myself amazed by how quickly it passed. It’s easy to forget how short these winter months can be and even easier to forget those resolutions made less than thirty days ago. Now is a nice time to stop and evaluate the goals you’ve set, assess their attainable and make a plan to continue or better pursue your New Year’s promise. My resolution aligned itself well with the month of January as Family Fitness month. I am striving to keep myself and my family healthy and active. At first, this seemed like a daunting task. I soon found out, however, that – given sufficient space – three-year-olds and toddlers have a seemingly inexhaustible stable of energy from which they may incessantly draw. On occasion, I’ve found myself cursing my resolution and vowing to keep my girls less active in years to come, but those moments are few and fleeting. From 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., there’s never a dull moment. Though more expensive in the long run, children certainly are a more enjoyable investment than a treadmill. (The jury is still out on the child vs. elliptical debate). So, to honor Family Fitness Month, I want to thank my children for aiding in the maintenance of our collective resolution. If it wasn’t for them, I’d do nothing but relax on the couch. (Doesn’t that sound awful?)