Adding the Right Activity

Spring is one of the best seasons to start your health journey by increasing your daily activities; crisp air and sunny weather makes being outside enjoyable for almost anyone. Being active is one of the best things you can do to get fit and stay healthy. It helps you feel stronger and have more energy. It can help you lose fat, build muscle, and reach a healthy weight. Being active may also help you feel better, sleep better, and focus. 

Walking is an excellent way to increase activity. 

How do you get started with adding more activity? Experts recommend at least 2½ hours of moderate activity, or 1¼ hours of vigorous activity each week to stay healthy. But it can be hard to get into the habit of daily activity. It's important to find activities that fit your lifestyle and your personality.

Answering the questions below may help you figure out what activities would be best for you.

• Do you prefer to be active by yourself or with others? Joining a group or a class can help keep you motivated. But some people are more likely to stay with an activity or exercise if they do it alone.
• Do you like to be outdoors when possible, or do you feel safer and more confident indoors? Many people love being outside. But you may not like it when the weather is too hot, too cold, or too wet. Or you may be uncomfortable being alone outdoors away from home. If you're mostly an indoor person, keep that in mind when you choose an activity.
• Do you prefer to compete with others, compete with yourself, or not compete at all? Some people do better if they have someone to compete with—even if that someone is themselves. Others do better when there's no competition to worry about. For example, choose gardening or dancing over team sports or tennis if you don't like competition.
• Do you like a mental challenge, or would you rather not have to think or concentrate while you are active? Some activity options exercise your brain as well as your body as you think about what your next move should be. Riding a bike requires you to pay close attention to your surroundings and where you're headed. If you'd rather shut off your brain and let your body do the work, try doing housework set to music. Or rake leaves or go for a walk or a jog.
• Do you prefer to be active in the morning, midday, or evening? We all have different body clocks that make us more energetic at certain times of the day. Our schedules often are the key to when we can take the time to exercise and when we can't. Which part of the day is best for you? The better you plan your activity times to match your energy levels and your daily schedule, the more likely you are to keep up your healthy activity habits.
• Are you interested in taking classes or getting instruction to learn a new activity? You may not know how much you'll enjoy a certain activity until you become familiar with it. A class or other type of lesson can help you find out. If you don't want to join a class, choose something you can learn or do on your own.
• Do you prefer everyday activities, such as gardening, to more structured activities? Many people find that everyday activities are easier to keep doing. Other people are more likely to stay with an activity if it requires them to show up for a class or for a game.
• How much money are you willing to spend on gear or other expenses related to an activity? There are activities to match every budget. You can walk around your neighborhood without spending any money. Try online video exercises or download a free app on your smartphone. You may be able to join a community exercise class for a small fee.

If you are interested in increasing your activity level but concerned that you might not be ready, Rains County AgriLife is hosting A Matter of Balance, a program designed to improve balance and stability. This eight-session program will be held every Monday from 10:00 am -12:00 noon, April 1st through May 20th at the Rains County AgriLife Extension office, 410 Tawakoni, Emory, Texas 75440.  Please join us if you are concerned about falls, have fallen in the past, have restricted your activities due to falling concerns, or have an interest in improving balance, flexibility, and strength.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact me, (903) 473-4580 or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu. To view upcoming events or additional information please visit https://rains.agrilife.org/ or follow Rains County AgriLife on Facebook.

Finding Our Feet Podcast

We are just two 40-soemthing moms looking to get healthy and maybe run a few miles. Hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension FCH Agents, Bethany Arie and Sarah Latham, this lighthearted podcast may be just what you are needing. So, if you are looking for a little extra motivation to help you get (or stay) in shape, join us for a weekly look into our fitness journey. 

Available on Apple Podcast, Anchor, and Spotify... Simply search Finding Our Feet. 

Follow us on Facebook for additional information!

What is BMI?

Do you ever leave the doctor’s office with more questions than answers? Or maybe you are familiar with a term or measurement the doctor used but need a refresher on what exactly it means or why it is important. Over my next few articles, I will discuss common assessments and terms that might come up at your next checkup. In addition to the focus of this article, Body Mass Index or BMI, look for articles exploring waist circumference, cholesterol types and levels, and blood sugar. 

Doctors and health care professionals use a variety of tools to make health evaluations; BMI is a common assessment tool you may have heard during your last visit. Developed in the mid-1800s, BMI is a simple way of assessing the general health of a person with an average fitness level. BMI was originally developed to evaluate overall populations, rather than an individual assessment, but due to ease of use, it has become a popular tool for health care providers. 

To calculate your BMI, divide your weight by your height squared, then multiply that result by 703. BMI is helpful to doctors because it categorizes patients into four categories (in the US): Underweight = <18.5, Normal weight = 18.5-24.9, Overweight = 25-29.9, and Obese = >30.  For example, if you weight 160 lbs. and you are 5’5” tall, to calculate your BMI you need to divide 160 (your weight in lbs.) by 4225 (height in inches squared or 65x65) and then multiply that by 703; (160/4225) x 703 = 26.6. Your BMI is 26.6 and this classifies you in the overweight category.

BMI is widely used as an overall measure of general health; however, it may provide a slightly skewed assessment for some. Due to the density of muscle vs. fat, an athlete or someone with a high muscle to fat ratio will have a higher BMI than someone of a similar shape and size with less muscle mass. If your calculation lands you in an undesirable category, you may need to address one or more aspects of your diet and/or activity level. Your healthcare provider will be happy to discuss your BMI and any associated actions needed.

In general, BMI is a useful tool. Even if you are not in the normal weight range, you can use the number to compare where you are to where you should be for health purposes. It is always important to remember that people come in all shapes and sizes and one assessment can only give a general idea of health. If you have questions regarding your BMI, talk to your health care provider. Before beginning any exercise, program or changing your physical activity patterns, you should always consult your health care provider. 

If you have questions or concerns, please contact me, (903) 473-4580 or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu. To view upcoming events or additional information please visit https://rains.agrilife.org/ or follow Rains County AgriLife on Facebook.

Healthy Eating for an Active Life

Spring is here along with longer days and plenty of sunshine!  It is a great time of year to get outside and get moving with activities you enjoy, especially with your family. For youth and adults participating in physical activity like hiking, swimming, or various sports, healthy eating is essential for optimizing performance. Combining good nutrition and physical activity can lead to a healthier lifestyle. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate website (www.choosemyplyate.gov) has great recipes and tips to combine good nutrition and physical activity to make the most of your summer.

First, maximize with nutrient-packed foods. Give your body the nutrients it needs by eating a variety of nutrient-packed food, including whole grains, lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat or fat-free dairy. Eat fewer foods high in solid fats, added sugars, and sodium (salt).

Next, energize with grains. Your body’s quickest energy source comes from grain foods such as bread, pasta, oatmeal, cereals, and tortillas. Be sure to make at least half of your grain food choices whole-grain foods like whole-wheat bread, tortillas, pasta, and brown rice.

You do not want to forget to power up with protein. Protein is essential for building and repairing muscle.  Choose lean or low-fat cuts of beef and pork, and skinless chicken or turkey. Change things up a bit and choose seafood as your protein sources once or twice a week. Quality protein choices may come from plant-based foods, too. Beans and peas (kidney, pinto, black or white, beans, chickpeas, hummus), soy products (tofu, veggie burgers, tempeh), and unsalted nuts and seeds are great sources of protein and help variety in your diet.

We all know eating fruits and vegetables is an important part of a healthy diet. You can get the nutrients your body needs by eating a variety of colors; try blue, red, or black berries; red, green, or yellow peppers; and dark greens like spinach and kale. You do not have to limit yourself to fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen, low sodium canned, dried, and 100% juice are easy options, and they keep longer!

Dairy foods, such as fat-free and low-fat milk, cheese, yogurt, and fortified soy beverages (soymilk), help build and maintain strong bones needed for everyday activities. As we age, we often drink less milk or avoid cheese product, but remember to include dairy in your diet to achieve a balanced diet.

One of my favorite things to mention is hydration. Hydration is critical to our health and especially in the hot Texas summers. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and avoiding sugary drinks. Try adding a lemon or orange slice for a change of flavor.

Remember, physical activity is essential for good health. Aim for at least 2 ½ hours of physical activity each week that requires moderate effort. A few examples include brisk walking, biking, swimming, and skating. Spread activities over the week but do that at least 10 minutes at a time.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact me, you may call (903) 473-4580 or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu. To view additional information or upcoming events please visit https://rains.agrilife.org/ and follow Rains County AgriLife on Facebook.

Importance of Flexibility

How often do you think about your flexibility?  Many never think about it and therefore they probably underestimate the importance of flexibility.  Flexibility has many benefits to almost every age group and these benefits become even more important as we age.

As we get older our muscles lose strength and size, both of which can negatively affect our range of motion.  Limited range of motion can put an additional strain on your joints and lead to overall stiffness.  When your body loses its elasticity, it tightens up.  Once our body becomes tight it can lead to more aches, pains, and possibly more accidents.

How do you know if you are flexible?  A good test of flexibility is if you can stand with your legs straight and touch your toes you have a decent range of motion.  If you find that you are not able to touch your toes, you may want to consider doing some activities that will improve your flexibility.

Stretching regularly is very important in maintaining flexibility. You may do some simple stretches while you are at your desk or watching television (you can find a simple top to bottom stretching guide here.  It is important to remember not to do to much with cold muscles.  Growing up, we stretched before we worked out; however, we known know you should only do deep stretches on warm muscles.  Warm muscles (muscles that have been moving) are not as prone to injury as cold muscles (muscles that have not been moving). You can warm up your muscles by walking a few laps and then slowly incorporating movements that increase your heart rate.  If you have a regular exercise regimen, make sure you incorporate stretching into your activities once your muscles are warm.  Improving flexibility can have a positive impact in a relatively short period of time.

Like with any activity, be careful.  If you do too much too quickly you can injury yourself and end up worse off than before you began.  Remember, muscles stretch best when they are warm and stretching cold muscles can lead to pulls and strains, so make sure you take time to warm up before you stretch out.

I often reference the benefits of walking.  Walking is an effective activity to help improve your overall well-being as well as flexibility.  If you are interested in a beginner walking program, I will be hosting a Walk and Talk group that will meet at 8:30 am every Friday morning in September. This group will introduce participants to various low-impact physical activities and nutrition tips.  For additional information or to register, please contact the Hunt County Extension office.

As always, if you have questions, concerns, or just want to chat, please feel free to come by the Hunt County Extension office, 2217 Washington Street, Greenville, Texas, 75401, call (903) 455-9885, or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu. Make sure to like our page on Facebook!

**Just in case you missed the link to the stretching guide, click here.**

Improving My Diet - Part 5 (Increasing Activity)

This article is the fifth and final installment of my series on various steps I am taking to improve my diet.  If you missed the earlier topics (Meal Planning, Eating a Rainbow, Water Intake, and Food Logging), you may read them here on my blog. This week I will address increasing your daily activity level.  My generation (and the ones on either side of me) are no longer working outside in manual labor jobs the way they did in earlier generations.  We sit at desk jobs, work on computers, own vacuums that go on their own, and heck, some of us even have cars that drive without us.  We are no longer the active society of our great grandparents. 

Growing up I was active, I was involved in sports and spent a lot of time outdoors, but after college my life changed.  I sit at a desk for eight hours, go home, and eventually find myself doing more sitting.  I realized how truly inactive I had become when I purchased my first fitness tracker.  I was shocked at how few steps was actually taking during the day.  I assumed I was getting somewhat close to the recommended 10,000 steps each day.  I was wrong. I will not recommend a particular brand or type of fitness tracker, because I have actually tried several and found that they all work very well.  Finding the one with the community that can hold me accountable is what I have found to be the key component.  For people looking to improve their overall well being and increasing their activity level, I do recommend getting some sort of device that monitors your movement.  If you have questions about which to get, I will be happy to give my opinion (if you really want it) just give me a call or shoot me a quick email. 

The first thing I tell people after they get an activity tracker is to wear it for a week or so without doing more than normal and find out your current activity level.  After you have a good idea of your normal daily average you can start to increase your daily goal.  If you currently take 4,000 steps in your normal daily activities, set a goal to take 5,000 steps.  Keep in mind that one mile is roughly 2,000 steps.  So that recommendation of 10,000 per day is equivalent to approximately five miles.  Take small increases over a decent period of time.  If you jump in with too much of an increase you will burn yourself out and then you are back to where you started.  Go slow, do not try be an Olympic athlete overnight, you will end up hurt or burnt out.  Set a reminder on your phone to go off every hour that tells you to stand up and go walk around the block.  Do little things that will eventually add up to big things. 

It is always a good idea to check with your physician to make sure you are able to increase your activity level.  Annual wellness exams really are a good thing.  Please do not wake up one morning and go jog a 10k after sitting at the computer for 10 years. I promise, it will not turn out well!  Listen to your body.  Push yourself in small increments, but listen to what your body tells you.  If something hurts, stop doing it.  Get familiar with the language your body speaks and create an open line of communication.

As always, if you have questions, concerns, or just want to chat, please feel free to come by the Hunt County AgriLife Extension office, 2217 Washington Street, Greenville, Texas, 75401, call (903) 455-9885, or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu.