Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Leap Year 2012

Happy Leap Day, everyone! Thanks to the Huffington Post for this fun for you on our extra day of 2012!

Leap Year 2012: Best Happy Leap Day Tweets (SLIDESHOW)

The Huffington Post | By Tara Kelly Posted: 02/29/12 04:02 PM ET

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REACT:

Amazing Inspiring Funny Scary Hot Crazy Important Weird

FOLLOW:

Video, Born On Leap Day, Leap Day 2012, Happy Leap Day, Happy Leap Day 2012, Leap Day,Leap Day Facts, Leap Day Facts And Figures, Leap Year, Leap Year 2012, Leap Year Facts And Figures,People-Born-On-Leap-Day, Culture News

An estimated 5 million people have birthdays on Feb. 29

Every four years, the world is given an extra day at the end of February.

For singletons, it's a day for women to propose to their men and for those with a birthday on Feb. 29, four times the celebration is in order.

Vancouver-based Peter Brouwer, co-founder of the Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies, told the Associated Press thatthere are an estimated 200,000 leap year babies in the U.S. and about five million worldwide.

If you want to actually understand the science behind leap years, this intriguingYouTube video should answer most of your questions.

In celebration of Leap Year 2012, we've compiled some of the best tweets for the special day.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

How to Stretch Deep in the Hip Flexors

This is a good article from livestrong.com about your hip flexors and why it is important to stretch them. we usually end class with single thigh stretch on the reformer, When done properly, the essence of this exercise is to stretch the hip flexors. You will feel a deeper stretch if you can tilt your pelvis back. This means that the pubic bone comes forward and the top of your pelvis tilts back toward your low back. engaging your glutes will help hold this position, as will engaging your oblique abdominals.

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Feb 22, 2012 | By Sarka-Jonae Miller

How to Stretch Deep in the Hip Flexors With Machines — Photo Credit Polka Dot RF/Polka Dot/Getty Images

The hip flexors are muscles that pull the thighs forward. You use them to walk, climb stairs and sit up. The main hip flexor muscle is the iliopsoas. It consists of two muscles -- the iliacus and psoas -- that reside deep in the abdomen near the spine. Frequent sitting makes them tight. Stretching the hip flexors can relieve tension built up from prolonged sitting.

BENEFITS

Your hips move into a flexed position when you sit. Over time, this causes the hip flexors to tighten and become shorter. Tight hip flexors can lead to back pain, according to "Yoga Journal." They may also make your pelvis tilt forward, which compresses your lower back. The tilted position may inhibit movement in your lower back. Stretching the hip flexors -- either with yoga poses, hip stretches or using machines -- increases flexibility and allows the hip flexors to return to their normal length. You may experience greater range of motion in the hips, improved posture and a pain-free back.

GUIDELINES

The Mayo Clinic recommends stretching for improving flexibility and range of motion, but only after a warmup. Spend five to 10 minutes performing a light aerobic exercise -- such as marching or running in place -- before you stretch. Alternatively, stretch after full workouts while your body is still warm. Always move slowly and gently while stretching. Never bounce in a stretch or go far enough to cause pain. The clinic advises holding stretches for approximately 30 seconds each.

GYM

Your gym may have a machine for stretching the hip flexors; the machine resembles an upright stationary bike with only the seat and handlebars, not the pedals or middle section. To use this machine, stand in front of the handlebars, grip them with both hands and bend your right leg. Place the top of your foot and your right shin on the pad behind you. Bend your left leg while keeping your back straight and use your right leg to push your hips forward; stop when you feel a stretch in your right hip. Hold and then switch legs.

PILATES

Pilates is well known for improving flexibility and core strength. Modern Pilates includes machine exercises that can stretch your hip flexors. To stretch the hip flexors on a Pilates Reformer, kneel on the bench of the machine with your right knee and grip the handlebar with your arms straight. Position your left foot on the floor with your knee bent to 90 degrees and in line with the ankle. Keep your back straight and slide the bench back with your right knee until you feel a stretch in the front of your right hip. Hold and then switch sides.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Judging: A Four-Letter Word

Love this article on the Daily Spark Blog about being aware of when we might be judging ourselves and others on our fitness journey. I think most of us can agree that we'd like to have reached our fitness goals yesterday, that we don't want to be patient with ourselves and enjoy each day in our journey to fitness. It is easy to fall into comparing ourselves to those around us to feel better about our own fitness (or to beat ourselves up). This is truly our own ego seeking comfort, and pitts us against everyone else rather than celebrating all of our efforts. And what about the fact that everyone's fitness goals are different!? Some people are working to lose weight, others to build muscular strength, still others are more focused on cardiovascular strength. Some of us are rehabilitating an injury and that is our main focus. As hard as it is to keep focused on the bigger picture, we must remember that no matter how slowly we are moving, we are still lapping those sitting on the couch! And I'd like to add, if you've already worked hard all week, sit your butt down on the couch, let your body rest, and cheer on those that are doing their best ;)

Judging: It's a Four-Letter Word in My Book

By: Michelene Cleary : 2/16/2012 6:00 AM 88 comments : 10,190 Views

The informal definition ofjudge is to form an opinion or evaluation, or to act or decide as a judge. Why is this on my bad word for the day list? I’m tired of people judging, including myself as always, because when we judge we’re forming an opinion with very little evidence to go on. Case in point at the gym recently:

Last year I was a regular at a Zumba class at my gym. I loved and still love Zumba, but I had to take a long break due to shoulder surgery. There was a woman in this class at the time, who just like me, was working on getting healthy, toning up, and losing weight. (Notice how I put losing weight after getting healthy?) Anyone at the time could have judged us both as overweight, and in my case, slightly uncoordinated at dancing.

Now fast forward to last night – I was at the gym doing my leg weights as assigned by Mr. Squat Police, my demanding yet gentle trainer. I was using the Roman Chair that I fondly refer to as the chair of torture, which happened to be right in front of the glass window to the aerobics room. Zumba class was in session, and guess who is teaching? You guessed it, the lady I talked about above. Weight down, toned up, and instructing others on how to have some fun while burning calories. You should have seen how happy she was to be teaching. I actually crept into the back of her class for a little more than 10 minutes just to dance and enjoy the experience. Her enthusiasm made me genuinely happy.

My story since last year’s classes is that I’m fully rehabilitated from major shoulder surgery, now an ACE Certified personal trainer and still maintaining a 90+ pound weight loss despite surgery. A year ago people probably wouldn’t have written that future out for me while they watched me doing the cha-cha. I was writing that future out for me in my thoughts, and making plans to execute it.

Cue up the third person in the story, a friend who was in that same class. She lost quite a bit of weight but then dropped out of the picture for awhile. She got busy with her family, a new job, etc., and I just didn’t see her for awhile. She was in class last night, up in front, working hard with everyone else. That also made me genuinely happy. She took a detour but got back on track and that is refreshing.

I joked around with my husband about going to the gym and battling it out for a chance to use equipment with the New Year’s Revolutionists, but this year I felt different about it. I walked around and tried to say hello to people I knew weren’t regulars. I hoped as I watched that they wouldn’t quit. That they would see and write a new future for themselves, instead of falling prey to hopelessness and defeat once again. I thought about when I joined the gym three years ago – would anyone have guessed my fitness future? Why should I presume then to judge anyone else’s chances? When people met me when I was 50 pounds down, because they didn’t know me, would probably judge and say "geez, woman, lose some weight." So this goes through my mind when I see people now. I don’t know this person or their journey. Encourage them where they are at and see a better future for them that you can share if they give you the chance.

So my point is stop judging others about where they are in their fitness journey. Unless I missed the memo, there is no one currently living in the world that is perfect. (P.S. that includes you and me.) How about we spend that time and energy encouraging someone we see that needs it? I think I’ve probably freaked a few people out at the gym actually. I’ve been known to walk up to a woman who is walking in my old shoes and introduce myself out of the blue. I generally start with "Hi, my name is Michelene, and I want to encourage you. I’ve lost xxx amount of weight and I’ve got this great free resource that you can use atwww.sparkpeople.com. Have you heard of it?"

As usual, send me a message @michelenecleary on Twitter and tell me how you tried to #EncourageSomeone today.

So my challenge for you today is to look in the mirror and ask yourself, do I encourage people or do I inappropriately judge others? Is there someone in my life that needs my encouragement instead of my judgment? Do I judge myself in a negative fashion? Do I need to let that go and encourage myself?

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Maybe Narcissus Had it Right

I love these Psychology Today posts! I hope you can all get something out of this. I know I'm still learning to love myself each day, and I think most of us could love ourselves more! Enjoy...

Maybe Narcissus Had It Right

By Jennifer Baumgartner, Psy.D.

Created Feb 14 2012 - 6:28am

Renowned for his beauty, Narcissus, was the object of affection for all who saw him. His disinterest for his admirers often led to their ultimate destruction, most notably Ameinius. In his desire to have Ameinius prove his love, Narcissus, sent him a sword upon which to fall. Before taking his own life for the love of Narcissus, Ameinius asked the gods to punish his vain paramour.
Upon seeing his reflection in the water of a spring, the now cursed Narcissus, fell in love with his image. Although he tried to touch his reflection, possession was impossible. After he realized that he was the image in the spring, Narcissus took his own life, dying with the agony of unrequited love, as those who loved him had experienced.
Aside from the obvious problematic cognitions and behaviors...self-objectification, lack of empathy, impossible standards, inability of reciprocation, and madness...we can learn something from the man who loved himself above all else on this Valentine's Day.
Know your worth: Narcissus knew he was all that and more. Although, his estimation of his worth was bloated and likely bordering on delusional, we often have the opposite problem. We think we are never enough! In an effort to compensate for our "less than" experience of the self, we may buy things we don't need, engage in activities we don't like, date those who are not deserving, self soothe with unhealthy behaviors, etc. Our existence alone denotes worth, taking the time to acknowledge yours without the distraction of your trappings, degrees, and relationships will bring you closer to true self-appreciation.
Shine: All of us have something to be proud of. It can be our sense of humor, joie de vivre, analytical skills, service towards others, or artistic talent. These are pieces of the self that should be pursued, developed, and unabashedly magnified without fear that others will envy our successes. Nelson Mandela expresses this most eloquently:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
Embrace admiration: On this day of hearts and kisses, you may overhear excessive praise, or witness unnecessary displays of affection. If you envy the admiration another receives, replace the "woe is me?" with "why not me?" Assume you have something that warrants praise. And when someone expresses an appreciation for all that makes you spectacular, I hope you will never again respond with a decline or surprise. Accept it!
Require action: My ninety-year-old-Grammy has always said "Words are cheap." Narcissus knew this well. He was not satisfied with professions of love. Just ask Ameinius, who was required to fall on Narcissus' sword to prove his love.
You will hear "I love you," "You are the one," "I value you" but if these words are not operationalized into action they are empty. Hearing these professions of love are exciting, wonderful, and romantic, but they should not sustain a relationship if they are not followed by action. Remember my first point, you are worth it.
Love your reflection: We may spend almost as much time as Narcissus staring at our reflection...but it is sadly not in admiration. Our time in front of the mirror may include an examination of our aging, criticism of our faces, and/or damnation of our bodies. If you can't stare at your reflection, like Narcissus, and love what you see minimize your time in front of the mirror. Our detail-oriented inspection is far harsher than the general assessment others make to judge our overall appearance. Take a quick look, find easy areas of improvement, make the necessary changes, and move on...preferably to those internal qualities that make you the most attractive.
On this Valentine's Day, take a cue from the bad boy we would love to hate. Love all that you are and all that you are not. Expect to be loved, don't beg for it or be surprised when someone throws you a bone. And fearlessly develop and display those qualities that make you shine.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Lesson in Vulnerability

I love this article from Psychology Today. Do YOU believe that you are enough? Right now, just as you are? It's something I've been working on believing for the past year. I realized I mostly believe, "I'll be enough when I complete this, or accomplish that", but what about believing it RIGHT NOW? It's a daily journey, moment to moment, even, and requires mindfulness, patience, and compassion for yourself. I think Jaime Booth Cundy did a great job explaining. And I love her recommendation to listen to uplifting music, too! Any songs that pump you up emotionally? Please share in the comments!

Published on Psychology Today (http://my.psychologytoday.com)

Am I worthy? Lesson 1 in Vulnerability

By Jaime Booth Cundy, BSW, MAPP

Created Jan 24 2012 - 1:49pm

When I chose my "One word" for 2012 I knew that it wasn't going to be easy. I know myself and how impossibly stubborn I can be and I knew that vulnerability was going to have to beat me over the head a few times before I started to understand. I wasn't quite sure when I was going to have to learn my first lesson, but it happened to me this morning while having breakfast with my friend.
You know someone is your friend when they can look you dead in the eyes before you have had your first sip of coffee and ask: "Do you think that you are worthy of a genuine connection?". As I half-choked/half-swallowed my coffee down I could feel my eyes fill with water.
"Pardon me?"
"Do you think that you are worthy of connection"? She repeated without wavering.
Thankfully the time that it took me to catch my breath allowed me to think of my honest answer. In those few seconds I realized something important - answering 'no' didn't scare me - answering 'yes' did.
I know what 'no' feels like. I have lived 'no' for the vast majority of my life. 'No' is not a picnic and in fact it down right sucks. But it's familiar... almost comfortable. 'Yes' on the other hand is brand new territory, and like a kid learning to ride a bike I am a little wobbly.
I don't think that I need to describe what 'no' feels like. Who out there hasn't felt shame and fear when thinking "I'm not _____ enough"? I've even thought it when people were giving me a compliment. My internal dialogue would drown them out thinking "If they knew what I was REALLY like...they wouldn't be saying that".
Thinking and acting like that just feels terrible. It reminds me of when I used to smoke cigarettes. When I was a smoker I was a great smoker. I savoured every single drag of that cigarette. Until one day I didn't. I rationally knew that smoking was terrible for me and that every seemingly glorious inhale could be killing me on the inside. That's when I knew I wasn't a smoker anymore. It didn't happen over night, but I finally got to the point where having just one drag made me sick to my stomach. I know the process of moving into vulnerability and into genuine connection will be similar to quitting smoking. I have only just realized that I don't feel like I'm a 'no' anymore and the thought of feeling that way again makes me a little sick to my stomach.
I feel like I am once again standing on the precipice of the bloukrans bungee. I am about to jump, and I hope that my emotional bungee cord is strong enough to save me at the bottom.
So when my friend looked across the table at me and asked 'do you think you are worthy'? The tears that welled up in my eyes were not because I wanted to say 'no' - they were because for the first time in a very long time I wanted to say 'YES!!!'. The trouble is that I don't have the first clue in how to be a 'yes'.
So now what?
Brene Brown gave me some much needed insight into vulnerability in her humorous, informative, and very real TED talk. She identifies some of the main traits exhibited by people who believe they are worthy, people she describes as "Whole-hearted". As I listened to her speak I slowly began to realize how I had come to the point I was at now, about to jump. I had been moving towards vulnerability for some time. I just wasn't able to identify it as such;

Courage to be imperfect.

Brene describes this as the ability and courage to be who you are with your whole heart. I think that I have begun to understand this, and have touched on it in previous posts about being 'fully'myself.

Compassion... for yourself first

This is a tricky one. I have always been really good at neglecting myself; physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I thought I was really good at covering it up by looking after everyone around me. Looking back however I don't think that I was quite as good at it as I thought.
I have always been accused of being 'too nice'. For the longest time I couldn't figure out how it was even possible to be 'too nice'? Isn't being 'nice' a good thing? While there is little doubt that I want to continue caring about those around me, there does need to be a balance. I have been far too focused on one aspect of compassion. I wasn't concerned with looking after myself; I was too busy looking after everyone else. It wasn't a matter of being 'too nice' it was a matter of being nice to everyone BUT myself. At the time I thought that this was a very noble path to take. I felt a like a martyr and there was something poetic to the deep sadness that I felt within. What I didn't realize was that by putting everyone else before me I was actually doing them a disservice. I was preventing them from know the authentic me. Even more so I was coming across as disingenuous. When people were telling me that I was 'too nice' I think that it was because they didn't fully buy into what I was selling. Whether they knew it or not they were seeing through my smoke screen and it unconsciously made them uncomfortable.
I think that by practicing patience over the past year I have begun to be more compassionate with myself. Ironically as a result I feel like I am more genuinely compassionate with those around me. There is no pretense this time. I am not being 'too nice' to cover up for something else, I am doing it because it is real. I am not concerned with projecting the perfect image because I am embracing my imperfections. What I have come to realize is that the more I allow people to see me, the real me, the better I am at connecting... because I allow them to be imperfect as well.

Connection comes from authenticity.

Brene found through her extensive study into vulnerability that the people who were able to experience true connection were those that, "were able to let go of who they thought they should be in order to become who they really were". To me this seems to be easier said than done. When you finally allow people to see who you are they may reject you and you can't protect your ego by saying that they didn't really know you. That thought alone terrifies me. The fear of rejection is something that we've all had to deal with because let's face it, rejection sucks. Unfortunately the reality of this world is that you aren't going to be everyone's cup of tea. Some people are going to see your imperfections and they will judge you, some will run for the hills, and some will straight up tell you how horrible you are. You can't hide from this fact and I am not going to sit here and tell you that it is an easy fear to overcome. Getting rejected for who you truly are hurts more deeply than I could have ever imagined. BUT the good news is that the benefits are well worth the risk. While some people will look at your imperfections and run...some people will look at them and embrace you with open arms. The feeling of being rejected for who you are may be horribly painful, but the feeling of acceptance...of true acceptance... is indescribable. To know that you can be yourself and not have to put on an act feels like freedom...it is liberating and comforting all at once. Dr. Seuss was a wise man when he said, "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

Vulnerability, fully embrace it!

What I really took away from Brene's talk was the knowledge that those people who are truly vulnerable - those who are truly 'whole-hearted' - recognize that vulnerability can be uncomfortable but they do not judge it to be good or bad. They just accept that it is. It seems to come from a very deep feeling of peace and true acceptance of oneself. People that are fully vulnerable believe that what makes them vulnerable is what makes them beautiful. To them its not comfortable or excruciating - it just is. This is what allows them to do something where there are no guarantees, to invest in a relationship that may or may not work out. To be the first one to say "I love you".
So as I sat in front of my friend I was scared, but I was still able to answer 'yes'. I was able to lean into the discomfort, and say that I fully believe that I am 'worthy' of a true connection. Instead of filling my mind with all the reasons that I'm NOT _____ enough, I will simplify and say:
I am enough.

(On a side note Music has always helped me to stay focused on a goal...and right now I can't get enough of 'Shake it Out' by Florence and the Machine. "Because it's hard to dance with a devil on your back..." Feel free to share your musical inspirations here!)

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