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.

Benefits of Walking

Exercise does not have to be complicated or feel like a four letter word. According to the American Heart Association, even though there are countless physical activity options available, walking has the lowest “drop out” rate and just 30 minutes of brisk walking, five days a week, can help:

• Reduce the risk of coronary disease
• Improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels
• Improve blood lipid profile
• Maintain body weight and lower the risk of obesity
• Enhance mental wellbeing
• Reduce the risk of osteoporosis
• Reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer
• Reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes

Spring is a beautiful time of the year to start a walking regimen and you can incorporate other things into your routine, such as walking with a friend or family member, pushing a stroller, or walking the dog. Before beginning any new exercise activity, make sure to check with your doctor for any health issues that might interfere with your new activity. Also make sure you have a pair of well-fitting shoes that provide adequate arch support and cushioning. If you need help deciding on the right shoes, visit my blog (link below) for my previous article.

When you start a walking routine, like any other new activity, ease into it. Doing too much too quick can often lead to injury, something we all want to avoid! If you are new to a walking routine, start by walking for 15-20 minutes one or two days a week with a goal of eventually walking five days a week. Begin and end with a 5-minute slow paced warm up/cool down and fill the middle with a comfortable pace. As you get more comfortable, increase to a brisk pace. And remember, any step is a step in the right direction!

If you are hesitant to start walking on your own, Rains AgriLife Extension is hosting Walking Wednesdays at 12:10 pm at Sandy Creek Park, 337 E. North Street in Emory (weather permitting). Grab your shoes, water, and a friend and come walk with us! We will walk for about 30 minutes leaving you time to eat a quick lunch after.

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.

Choosing the Right Athletic Shoe

If you are looking to be more active, one of the best ways to start is to choose the right athletic shoe. With the many types of athletic shoes that are available, it can be hard to know which to purchase.

There are differences in design and variations in material and weight. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons says that these differences have been developed to protect the areas of the feet that encounter the most stress in a particular athletic activity. Some of the different types of sports shoes available include the following:

• Athletic shoes are grouped into the following categories: running, training, and walking; they include shoes for hiking, jogging, and exercise walking. These shoes should have a comfortable soft upper, good shock absorption, smooth tread, and a rocker sole design that encourages the natural roll of the foot during the walking motion. Features of a good jogging shoe should include cushioning, flexibility, control, and stability in the heel counter area, lightness, and good traction. Cross-training shoes combine several characteristics of other types of shoes so that you can participate in more than one sport and wear the same shoe. A good cross trainer should have flexibility in the forefoot that is needed for running, in addition to stability on the inside and outside of the shoe for the control needed for aerobics and tennis. Walking shoes should flex easily at the ball of the foot, which help feet to push forward.
• Court sport shoes include shoes for tennis, basketball, and volleyball. Most court sports require the body to move forward, backward, and side-to-side. As a result, most athletic shoes used for court sports are subjected to heavy abuse. The key to finding a good court shoe is the sole. Ask a coach or shoe salesperson to help you select the best type of sole for your sport.
• Field sport shoes include shoes for soccer, football, and baseball. These shoes are cleated, studded, or spiked. The spike and stud formations vary from sport to sport, but they generally are replaceable or detachable cleats, spikes, or studs affixed into nylon soles.
• Track and field sport shoes are very specific to the sport. The needs of the individual are most important when picking the shoe. For example, foot types, gait patterns, and training styles should always be considered. It is always best to ask a coach about the type of shoe that should be selected for the event in which you are participating.

It’s also important to choose proper-fitting sports shoes. Proper-fitting sports shoes can enhance performance and prevent injuries. Follow these specially designed fitting facts when purchasing a new pair of athletic shoes:

• Try on athletic shoes after a workout or run and at the end of the day. Your feet will be at their largest.
• Wear the same type of sock that you will wear for that sport.
• When the shoe is on your foot, you should be able to freely wiggle all of your toes. There should be a thumb’s width from the tip of the toe to the end of the shoe.
• The shoes should be comfortable as soon as you try them on. There is no break-in period. If they’re not comfortable in the store, they won’t be comfortable when you’re exercising.
• Walk or run a few steps in the shoes. They should be comfortable. The heel of the shoe should not slip off the foot as you walk or run.
• Always re-lace the shoes you are trying on. You should lace through each top eyelet as you crisscross the lacing pattern to ensure a more snug fit and decrease slippage. Don’t tie the laces too tight as this may cause injury to the nerves or tendons on the top of the foot and ankle.

Now that you know what type of shoe to buy and tips to picking out a properly fitting shoe, you need to consider its construction—how well it was made. Understanding the basics of shoe construction can help you choose intelligently from among the thousands of available styles.

• Stitching should be secure, even, and straight. There should be no rough spots, wrinkles, bulky seams, or gummy adhesives.
• Rubber around the base of the shoe should be one continuous strip, tightly attaching the sole to the upper.
• The toe box should be square for adequate toe room.
• The shoe should have side and tongue padding for extra comfort. Cushioning on the cuff around the ankle and at the Achilles tendon helps to reduce friction and irritation.
• The inner sole should be soft and resilient, with adequate arch cushions.
• The reflector should be as big as possible, especially if you will be outside at dusk or dawn.
• The insole should be removable for cleaning and, when it loses springiness, replacement.

In addition to being overwhelmed by all the choices in athletic shoes, you may be surprised at how much they cost. Slick ads and television commercials tout technological features, the latest gimmicks, and shoes named after sports celebrities. Paying more than $100 does not necessarily get you a better shoe. Good quality shoes may be pricey, but don’t overlook the less expensive shoes because they can outperform their costlier brand mates. Be sure that whatever price you decide to pay for the shoes, it’s because the shoe has the features that meet your needs—not because it is a certain brand or has a sports celebrity’s name on it.

If you have your shoes but not sure where to start, Rains AgriLife is hosting Walking Wednesdays at 12:10 pm at Sandy Creek Park, 337 E. North Street in Emory (weather permitting). Grab your shoes, water, and a friend and come walk with us! We will walk for about 30 minutes leaving you time to eat a quick lunch after.

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 Start to a New Year

 As we adjust to the New Year, it is a great time to revisit your health goals and reset your priorities. “Making small lifestyle changes can make a big difference in your health and wellbeing” says Dr. Sumathi Venkatesh, a Health Specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. 

Eat healthy foods – Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day. Your diet should consist of about 2.5 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruits, which can be in fresh, frozen, canned, and dried forms. Include a variety of protein foods and replace butter with heart-healthy oils. Intentionally buy and include more whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Watch for your sodium intake. Let your salt intake not be more than a teaspoon a day.

Stay hydrated – Set a goal to drink half your body weight (lbs.) in water (oz.) per day (if you weight 150 lbs., try to drink roughly 75 oz. of water each day). This may seem like a lot at first, so try easing your way up to that goal by increasing your water intake in increments. Another way to increase your water intake is to swap out one sugary beverage a day with water for one week and during week two try to swap out two sugary beverages with water. Drinking enough water is critical for maintaining strength and for preventing dehydration. Hydration is probably one of the key factors to maintain your physical and mental health. For those who are active you may need more water, especially before and after you exercise.

Be physically active – Exercise has numerous health benefits by improving blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol levels. Try getting 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least five days a week. If you struggle with time, incorporate physical activities in your daily routine by washing your car or mowing the lawn. Simple things can help increase your activity level, such as parking farther from the door at work, setting an hourly reminder to take a five-minute walk, or making plans with a friend to meet during lunch and walk. Remember, it is always a good idea to check with your health care provider before starting a new exercise routine.

Improve mental health – Managing stress and your emotional wellbeing is particularly important for good mental health. If you allow situations to overwhelm you, it may induce stress and may affect your daily activities. Practice mindfulness by having a non-judgmental attitude towards yourself and others. Adequate sleep is important to take care of your emotional wellbeing. Most adults need about 8 hours of sleep every day.

Manage health conditions – Untreated or poorly managed health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, or hypertension can be detrimental to your health and may severely impact the quality of your life. Following a healthy diet, exercising regularly, taking prescribed medications, and regularly following up with a physician can prevent or delay complications associated with these conditions.

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.

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.**

Have a Healthy Heart... Join Walk Across Texas!

I’m sure you’ve noticed, stores are filled with Valentine hearts these days. The next time you see one of these hearts, think about your own heart, and ask yourself if you are living a heart-healthy lifestyle.  While the rates of death due to cardiovascular disease are on the decline, it is still the number one cause of death in the United States. Many risk factors of cardiovascular disease can be controlled by a living a healthy lifestyle and making wise choices every day. A pro-active approach to heart health also involves visiting your doctor to find out about your cholesterol and blood pressure.

While some risk factors of heart disease are out of our control, such as age and genetics, there are many things we can control through our everyday choices. Everyday choices include what you eat and how much you exercise. A heart-healthy diet is nutrient rich and includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products. It limits foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients, and limits saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium. It is recommended that healthy people age 18-65 exercise at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. The exercise you do can be whatever you enjoy the most—swimming, jogging, walking, biking, or playing a sport—the important thing is that you are engaging in physical activity. Finally, as part of a heart-healthy lifestyle, you should make the pledge to quit smoking or vow to never start. While many people associate smoking with lung cancer, which is true, it is also a major risk factor for heart disease.

One bonus to living a heart-healthy lifestyle is that it is also a cancer-preventative lifestyle. Not smoking, exercising regularly, and eating healthfully will help reduce your risks of developing certain types of cancers along with greatly benefiting your heart health.

Seeing one of cupid’s hearts should also remind you to visit your doctor and find out how your own heart may be doing. You should have your blood pressure measured to know if you have pre-hypertension or hypertension, which is high blood pressure. It is estimated that one in three U.S. adults has high blood pressure. Having hypertension or pre-hypertension can increase your risk of stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney failure. While at the doctor’s office, you should also have a blood test to determine your cholesterol levels. Having high cholesterol levels may also put you at increased risk for heart disease. Knowing you have high cholesterol or blood pressure can help you and your doctor make decisions about changes you can make to help lower or decrease these numbers and lower other risk factors.

If you are looking to increase your physical activity, consider joining us as we Walk Across Texas!  March 6th marks the beginning of the Hunt County Walk Across Texas Challenge.  Walk Across Texas! is a free 8-week program designed to help establish a regular habit of physical activity.  Teams of 8 join to walk the 834 miles across Texas, from Orange to El Paso.  Each person on a team of 8 is tasked with walking approximately 1.5 miles per day.  That seems like a lot to many people, but really, it’s only about 3000 steps and most people can go that distance in less than 30 minutes or achieve it throughout their daily activities.  In many cases, just becoming aware of how much (or how little) you move throughout the day is the first step to a healthier lifestyle.  The Walk Across Texas! program is a great way to jump start your exercise routine while spending time with friends and families.

The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of physical activity (moderate exercise) each week, just over 20 minutes each day.  Many become discouraged with exercise before they even begin because they focus on the idea of 150 minutes of exercise each week, which can seem overwhelming.  Keep in mind, everyone must start somewhere, and any activity is better than no activity!

Interested in creating a team and/or joining the Hunt County Walk Across Texas! Challenge?  Team captain packets are available at the Hunt County Extension office or you may register online at http://walkacrosstexas.tamu.edu.

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 or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu. 

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.