Time for a PLANK challenge

 

Beautiful Abs and a strong core

Yes it is here the dreaded plank challenge. 

My work out and healthy living partner Gail will attest to my weak, pitiful, face grimacing planks. I really need to work on it daily. 

Some time ago she completed a month long plank challenge and the increase in her strength and tone were incredible. It's crazy that planking requires no equipment, takes very little time and yields incredible benefits but it's still something few of us do regularly. 

Shape Magazine suggests "Core exercises like the plank help train muscles to stabilize the spine and pelvis so you can avoid back pain and improve posture." I know that's true- often we have a sore back, shoulders or neck because these muscles are trying to compensate for a weak core and abdomen.

Since planks are one of the most effective ways to get a good ab work out I would recommend you start a daily plan challenge like this one and continue it beyond this week of competition and maybe even beyond the end of our challenge 

As with any exercise if you give a good and consistent effort you will improve continually.

My older daughter used to be a Pilates instructor and she had a couple in their 50's that could hold a plank for 7 minutes. You too can do incredible things if you make consistent, concerted effort. 

If you find doing a full plank too difficult you might want to begin with one of these modifications

The knee elbow plank

or The Wall Plank

Along with a regular plank the following are extremely helpful in getting your abs into shape.

SIDE PLANK

Why it works: This abs exercise is more challenging than a traditional plank because you're supporting your entire body weight on two points of contact instead of four. As a result, you must work your core harder to stay stabilized.

How to do it:
A. Lie on your left side with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder and legs stacked. Place your right hand on your left shoulder or on your right hip.

B. Brace your abs and lift your hips off the floor until you're balancing on your forearm and feet so that your body forms a diagonal line. Hold for 30 to 45 seconds. If you can’t hold that long, stay up as long as you can and then repeat until you’ve held for 30 seconds total. Switch sides and repeat.

WALKOUT FROM PUSHUP POSITION 

Why it works: This abs exercise involves full-body movement, such as the arms and legs, while incorporating resistance to strengthen your entire core.

How to do it:
A. Start in pushup position with hands two inches wider than your shoulders.

B. Walk hands out as far as possible, then walk back. Do 10-12 reps.

Why it works: This abs exercise uses your entire core to keep your body stabilized and burns additional calories by adding movement (dragging yourself along the floor). It mixes cardio, stability, and strength training to get you fast results.

Alligator Drag

(* You tube has some great videos of how to do this one)

How to do it:
A. Find a stretch of floor that allows you to go forward 10 to 20 yards, and grab anything that will slide over the surface with minimal friction. Dinner plates or plastic bags work on a carpeted floor, while towels work on wood or tile.

B. Start in pushup position with your feet on the slides, towels, or plates.

C. Walk yourself forward with your hands to the end of your runway (aim for at least 10 yards). Rest for 60 to 90 seconds (or as long as you need to recover) and repeat the alligator walk back to where you started. That’s one set. Repeat one more time.

I realize that some of these AB exercises might be beyond your ability (for now!) If they are, do a google search for Beginner Ab exercises and find something more appropriate for your abilities. We must always start where we are to journey to where we want to be.

For every day that you do some type of plank exercise (modify if necessary) this week you earn 5 daily bonus challenge points. Happy abbing ladies and I hope you all continue to carry on with this simple but powerful exercise. 

Vitamin D - the sunshine vitamin

 

Missing out on the "sunshine vitamin” (Vitamin D) has consequences for more than just bone health. In a retrospective study of patients tested for COVID-19, researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine found an association between vitamin D deficiency and the likelihood of becoming infected with the coronavirus.

“Vitamin D is important to the function of the immune system and vitamin D supplements have previously been shown to lower the risk of viral respiratory tract infections,” said David Meltzer, MD, PhD, Chief of Hospital Medicine at U Chicago Medicine and lead author of the study. “Our statistical analysis suggests this may be true for the COVID-19 infection.”

Half of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D, with much higher rates seen in African Americans, Hispanics and individuals living in areas like Chicago where it is difficult to get enough sun exposure in winter.“Understanding whether treating Vitamin D deficiency changes COVID-19 risk could be of great importance locally, nationally and globally,” Meltzer said. “Vitamin D is inexpensive, generally very safe to take, and can be widely scaled.”

September brings the end of summer in the northern hemisphere and, for many of us, that means less time in the sun. The sun's rays provide ultraviolet B (UVB) energy, and the skin uses it to start making vitamin D.

Vitamin D is known for its importance in bone health and would be essential if it did nothing else. But researchers have discovered that it's active in many tissues and cells besides bone and controls an enormous number of genes, including some associated with cancers, autoimmune disease, and infection. Hardly a month goes by without news about the risks of vitamin D deficiency or about a potential role for the vitamin in warding off diseases, including breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, and even schizophrenia. In June 2008, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that low blood levels of vitamin D were associated with a doubled risk of death overall and from cardiovascular causes in women and men (average age 62) referred to a cardiac center for coronary angiography.

 At a scientific meeting in May 2008, Canadian researchers reported that vitamin D deficiency was linked to poorer outcomes in women with breast cancer.

One of the few randomized trials testing the effect of vitamin D supplements on cancer outcomes, postmenopausal women who took 1,100 international units (IU) of vitamin D plus 1,400 to 1,500 milligrams of calcium per day reduced their risk of developing non-skin cancers by 77% after four years, compared with a placebo and the same dose of calcium. The evidence is so compelling that some experts already recommend at least 800 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day for adults.

Latitude and vitamin D production in the skin Except during the summer months, the skin makes little if any vitamin D from the sun at latitudes above 37 degrees north (in the United States, the shaded region in the map) or below 37 degrees south of the equator. People who live in these areas are at relatively greater risk for vitamin D deficiency.

In search of vitamin D

Under the right circumstances, 10 to 15 minutes of sun on the arms and legs a few times a week can generate nearly all the vitamin D we need. Unfortunately, the "right circumstances" are elusive: the season, the altitude, the time of day, where you live, cloud cover, how much clothing you are wearing, and even pollution affect the amount of UVB that reaches your skin. What's more, your skin's production of vitamin D is influenced by age (people ages 65 and over generate only one-fourth as much as people in their 20s do), skin color (African Americans have, on average, about half as much vitamin D in their blood as white Americans), sunscreen use (though experts don't all agree on the extent to which sunscreen interferes with sun-related vitamin D production) and genetic abnormalities (my 23 and me test shows an inability of my body to convert sunshine into Vitamin D).

Lack of sun exposure would be less of a problem if diet provided adequate vitamin D. But there aren't many vitamin D–rich foods (see chart, below), and you need to eat a lot of them to get 800 to 1,000 IU per day. People who have trouble absorbing dietary fat — such as those with Crohn's disease or celiac disease — can't get enough vitamin D from diet no matter how much they eat (vitamin D requires some dietary fat in the gut for absorption). And people with liver and kidney disease are often deficient in vitamin D, because these organs are required to make the active form of the vitamin, whether it comes from the sun or from food.

Selected food sources of vitamin D
Food	Vitamin D (IU*)
Salmon, 3.5 ounces	360
Mackerel, 3.5 ounces	345
Tuna, canned, 3.5 ounces	200
Orange juice, fortified, 8 ounces	100
Milk, fortified, 8 ounces	98
Breakfast cereals, fortified, 1 serving	40–100

For these and other reasons, a surprising number of Americans — more than 50% of women and men ages 65 and older in North America — are vitamin D–deficient, according to a consensus workshop held in 2006. Growing awareness of vitamin D's benefits coupled with the risk of vitamin D deficiency has led some experts to recommend a blood test that assesses the amount of vitamin D in the body. The test measures the concentration of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 in the body to vitamin D. You might want to ask your doctor about the test.

Deficiency is generally defined as a blood level less than 20 nanograms per milliliter, or 20 ng/mL (see chart). Levels that low have been linked to poor bone density, falls, fractures, cancer, immune dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. Many experts recommend a level of at least 32 and suggest that 800 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day is required to maintain that level.

Unless you live in the South and spend a fair amount of time outdoors, or you like eating lots of fatty fish and vitamin D–fortified foods, supplements are the easiest way to make sure you're getting 800 to 1,000 IU per day. (Higher doses may be prescribed if you've been diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency.)

Here is my favorite Vitamin D supplement (recommended by my MD/Naturopath) 

Also here is a free APP you can play around with as you work on getting sufficient Vitamin D to bless your health.

I’m not going to tell you exactly what to do for our weekly bonus challenge other than to say “Safeguard your health by making a daily effort to get enough Vitamin D.” Some ideas you might choose to try:

1. Purchase a Vitamin D supplement and take daily
2. Make sure to spend some time out doors in the sunshine each day wearing a bathing suit or shorts and a t-shirt
3. Keep a daily tally of Vitamin D supplied by the foods you eat (unfortunately Myfitnesspal cannot be set to track Vitamin D for you)
4. Add in one Vitamin D rich food to your daily diet each day this week
5. Have your health care provider order a Vitamin D test.

So you choose your strategy for getting more Vitamin D. Share it with your partner and work on it daily this week for 5 daily bonus points 

One Thing

    

    We have never taken part in a healthy living competition during such unsure times. And perhaps never have we as a community worried more about our health as we face the possibility of us or loved ones getting Covid.

    It was a coincidence that for me personally a strong vow to focus more effort on my health at the beginning to the year was well under way as our Covid worries began. Over the past year I had slowly let way too much weight creep up on me and had been having a lot of knee pain. I finally went to the doctor and was totally SHOCKED to have him tell me that I had bone on bone on my right knee and increased inflammation in my other knee. I went in thinking he was going to tell me to stretch more and came out heartbroken that he advised total knee replacement in my right knee.

    While the doctor said "your weight is fine" I knew it was not. I went home and looked up my "ideal body weight" on the various charts and knew I had 40 pounds to lose to get to that magical weight. It seemed to me that if I lost the weight the pain might subside enough to not need surgery. But even if I still needed surgery the surgery would be safer and the recovery would be easier without the extra weight. 

    So January 1, 2020 I gave up sugar. Abstinence has always been easier for me than moderation so I just gave it up. My plan was to abstain from sugar until my birthday (May 31) but it went so well I continued until my son's birthday (August 12) when I enjoyed my favorite dessert- home made Pavlova with berries picked that morning. 

     OVER THOSE MONTHS I LOST 38 POUNDS AND AM 4 POUNDS FROM MY "IDEAL BODY WEIGHT"!

    Now it wasn't just the sugar of course. Somehow forgoing sugar made it easier to keep focused overall, enter all of my food on myfitnespal.com and make healthier choices in all areas. 

    I don't share this story to try to talk you into giving up sugar for several months (in fact it would bless your health more to learn to MODERATE those foods that tempt you to overindulge rather than abstain) but I share this story to invite you to think about your ONE THING. 

    What one thing could you do that would best bless your health? We will have more specific challenges during the other weeks of this competition but I want you to really ponder today what one thing that you may have been putting off and choose that for this week's Bonus Challenge. 

It might be:

1. Schedule a mammogram, colonoscopy or yearly physical.

2. Stop drinking soda or cut down to using it as an occasional treat

3. Eat greens daily

4. Go to bed earlier

5. Meditate daily

6. Pack a home made lunch the night before

7. Take your daily supplements every day (Vitamin D seems to ward off Covid)

8. Start weighing and measuring all of your foods to help with moderation 

9. Measure your drinking water and insure you get enough water daily

10. Stretch daily 

So our Bonus challenge for this week is to make a big effort toward the one thing that would most bless your health. If it is a one time event like purchasing a piece of home work-out equipment or scheduling a doctor's appointment you earn the 35 points as you complete that one thing. If it is a daily thing like meditating or drinking water you earn 5 bonus points for each day you complete the task you choose. I hope that you will continue to work on this one thing for the rest of 2020!

Of course I realize that what you choose for your personal 1 thing might be repeated later as a group weekly bonus challenge. That's just fine- we can help you continue the habit. But I just want you to own your personal stewardship over your body this week and ponder (and even pray) about what one thing would most bless your health and then DO IT!

I'm still not sure about knee surgery. My knees hurt much much less and I'm able to do at least as much as my friends that have had the surgery. But every time I am walking upstairs or long distances carrying my 30 pound grand daughter I can't believe I ever carried that weight on my poor knees every minute of every day. 

*And if you get a chance I would love it if you e-mail me what you chose as your one thing! 

Support can be the key to success

Welcome aboard ladies. This blog is where you will come each week to find our weekly bonus challenge. I am hopeful that these weekly challenges will encourage you to form new habits and perhaps even some you will continue in the future.

Our challenge this week is to determine how to best be a support to our partner. We all start off motivated and wanting to make daily healthy choices. But it's so easy to get distracted or become discouraged and let those plans fall by the wayside. One reason we compete in this healthy living challenge with a partner is because the support and encouragement of a partner can make the difference in success or failure. 

Please touch base with your partner and find out what kind of daily support you can be to each other. It might be:

1. Doing your daily exercise together

2. Making your myfitnespal account public so you can view each other's food and exercise entires and cheer each other on

3. Sharing ideas and recipes for healthy meals

4. Sending a text or e-mail with daily encouragement, healthy tips or even just to complain about how hard this all is. 

5. Call to chat about what is and isn't going well

So you will earn a daily 5 points and 35 for the week if you find some way to encourage your partner each day to get on track with all of our healthy habits. 

 

In times of crisis HANG ON TO HEALTHY HABITS!

Wow these are uncertain times! Who would have thought so much could change in a week's time? It seems schools are closed in many of our communities, grocery stores are mobbed and or out of items, church has been cancelled, and in most of the country we have been asked to keep a distance from one another and not meet in groups. 

All of these changes along with the uncertainty of what is to come and how long it may last can really be stressful.

I'm not sure if you noticed that in the frenzied frightened grocery gathering and hoarding they were out of many things: toilet paper, Clorox wipes, spaghetti sauce, cold cereal, crackers, chips, cookies etc. but in most cases the fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables remained on the shelves. And why is that? 

Stress most often causes us to retreat to comfort activities and food: staying up late and sleeping in, watching lots television and playing video games. Eating chips, cookies, ice cream, Kraft macaroni and cheese, and Ramen. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Ladies-- not only CAN you maintain healthy habits during life's regular times of stress (birth of a baby, unemployment, weddings, moving, holidays etc. etc.) but it is MOST important to maintain healthy habits during these times. You can become a woman that hunkers down with her healthy choices MORE diligently when times get tough. 

It is so much easier to work on healthy habits when your life is under control, your schedule is humming along as it should, you have your majors tasks and projects meeting the needed deadlines, your family is getting along, you are feeling energetic and focused. 

But I am asking you to use our present crisis as a time to learn that you can do hard things. That even during this time of Coronavirus you can still find ways to continue healthy habits which will help you to safeguard your mental and physical health and keep you strong to handle any challenges that might come. 

So our challenge for the week is to carry on:

1. Drink your water- good clean water all of it every day.

2. Write down what you eat. Although you might have to make compromises on menus you can still control your portions. And no you do not NEED cookies to get through this crisis. Lay off the sugar and record what you eat. 

3. Get physical exercise every day. While you may not be able to continue your normal exercise plan you can exercise. Florida weather is lovey and I went on a bike ride with my daughter last night. It was gorgeous out and we were the ONLY ones enjoying the evening. We took my grand daughter to a pond yesterday afternoon to feed the ducks and only saw 3 people (from a distance). At least in our area outside exercise is totally safe. And if you must exercise inside dance with your family, run around your yard, do a work out video with those you love. Get your body moving for an hour every day.

4. Get in your fruits and vegetables every day. I know our access to grocery stores may become limited but I am still hopeful you can find 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings a day of fruit. 

5. Get good sleep. You know the steps to help this happen. Take them and sleep deeply. Sleep is one of your best tools in fending off disease. 

It's your choice- like I said you can stay up late, sleep in, lay around all day and eat junk food and there is some comfort in that but honestly the end result of that kind of self neglect is just feeling lousy. Or you can come out of this present crisis saying "I am so proud of myself. I maintained my healthy habits, avoided disease and I am healthier overall after these weeks of hardship. I made the best choices I could every single day."

Good luck ladies. This week's challenge points come to those that make an honest effort each day to make as many healthy choices as possible.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Researchers at the University of Colorado found that when subjects came up short on sleep, they experienced almost immediate weight gain. 

       In the abstract, researchers note, "Our findings suggest that increased food intake during insufficient sleep is a physiological adaptation to provide energy needed to sustain additional wakefulness; yet when food is easily accessible, intake surpasses that needed." Wright suggested part of those extra pounds was a product of behavioral changes. “We found that when people weren’t getting enough sleep they overate carbohydrates,”. He added that  part of the change was behavioral. Staying up late and skimping on sleep led to not only more eating, but a shift in the type of foods a person consumed.

       Night owls managed to consume 6 per cent more calories. But once they started sleeping more, they began eating more healthfully, consuming fewer carbohydrates and fats.

       I think a lot of it can be caused when we are confused by our body signals. We are sleepy or cranky or worn out so we reach for a comfort food for a quick dose of energy. Later (feeling low energy from lack of sleep and nutritionless carbohydrates) we skip the gym and pick up takeout for dinner-- no time to cook.

       Additional problems are explained by Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleep and the clinical director of the sleep division for Arrowhead Health in Glendale, Arizona, “It’s not so much that if you sleep, you will lose weight, but if you are sleep-deprived, meaning that you are not getting enough minutes of sleep or good quality sleep, your metabolism will not function properly.” 

       The two hormones that are key in this process are ghrelin and leptin. “Ghrelin is the ‘go’ hormone that tells you when to eat, and when you are sleep-deprived, you have more ghrelin,” Breus says. “Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating, and when you are sleep deprived, you have less leptin.” More ghrelin plus less leptin equals weight gain. “You are eating more, plus your metabolism is slower when you are sleep-deprived,” Breus says.

And if you are up for learning even more about the vital importance of sleep I would recommend you listen to Kevin Rose's interview with Matthew Walker

https://www.kevinrose.com/single-post/matthew-walker

Ackk so what does all of this news have to do with our challenge for this week?

For every day you do at least 3 things to contribute to getting a good night’s sleep you can claim your 5 points from the Weekly Challenge. (They can be the same 3 things each day- find what works for you) Ideas would include:

1. Clean your bedroom. Fresh linens, a beautifully made bed, a tidy end table, a cleared off dresser top, adorned with a favorite photo or fresh flowers- All of these help your bedroom to be a lovely and peaceful place that invites relaxation that contributes to sleep. Your bedroom should be a relaxing sanctuary. Every day that you take some steps toward this goal you can claim the bonus points. 

2. Cut out the Caffeine- Caffeine (found in tea, coffee, sodas, chocolate and some over the counter medications) can stay in your system as long as 14 hours, increases the number of times you awaken at night and decreases the total amount of sleep time. This may subsequently affect daytime anxiety and performance. Those that are sensitive should not intake ANY caffeine after noon each day.

3. Avoid working, eating, and discussing emotional issues in bed (I have a rule for my hubby that nothing stressful can be spoken of after 9:00 pm) The bed should be used for sleep and sex only. If not, we can associate the bed with other activities and it often becomes difficult to fall asleep.

4. Minimize noise, light, and temperature extremes during sleep with ear plugs, window blinds, eye coverings,  an electric blanket or air conditioner. Even the slightest nighttime noises or luminescent lights can disrupt the quality of your sleep. I can’t tell you how getting blackout curtains and shutters have increased the time I am able to stay asleep. I even have electrical tape over the small lights on my bedside modem.

5. Try not to drink fluids after 8 p.m. This may reduce awakenings due to a need to urinate. 

6. Avoid naps, but if you do nap, make it no more than about 25 minutes. If you have problems falling asleep, then no naps for you.

7. Do not expose yourself to bright light during the night if you do need to get up. Use a small night-light instead. I bought a motion activated night-light (on amazon) that turns on if I do need to walk in the bathroom at night and it is much calmer and more subtle than switching on the full overhead lights.

8. Avoid the light of televisions and computers late at night. Consider buying some inexpensive blue blocker glasses (available on Amazon) and turn your devices to dark mode. 

For apple products 

1. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness.
2. Select Dark to turn on Dark Mode.

To turn Dark Mode on or off from Control Center, pull down from the top-right corner of your device, then touch and hold the brightness control . Then tap  Dark Mode On or  Dark Mode Off.

You can also set Dark Mode to turn on automatically at sunset or at a specific time. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness and select Automatic. Tap Options to set a schedule for Dark Mode.

9. Consider some natural help aids. Certain herbal teas can help you relax and fall asleep. Chamomile is a popular tea that slows the nervous system and promotes relaxation. A new tea I’ve discovered is Yogi Soothing Caramel Bedtime - yum.  Other liquids, such as a small glass of warm milk, may also help. Melatonin (my favorite is Source Naturals Melatonin 1 mg. peppermint flavored sublingual also available from amazon) helps many people sleep. Essential oils can also have great power to aid your sleep. I love Lavender on my pillowcase, Doterra’s Serenity rubbed on the back of my neck and a drop of Clary Sage (Also Doterra) on my tongue. ZZZZZZZZZZ!! As always check with your health professional before trying natural remedies.

10. Take control of your worries. Most of us lead very stressful lives. Stress, surprises, and changes can take a toll on our sleep habits. I often find myself going over, over and over the same worries somehow thinking if I think about it long enough, an easy solution is going to somehow pop up. One way to decrease this endless cycle of worry before bed is to write down your concerns in a journal and close the book on the day. You might even want to note a specific time the following day that you will worry about those things you have listed.

10. If you must get up make it as quick and stress free as possible- I know some of you are young mothers with children that you still may need to get up with during the night. If you are getting up to change a diaper or give hugs and reassurance make sure the diaper and wipes and anything else needed are set out and ready the night before. If you are getting up to nurse or give a bottle likewise have things as ready as possible. Set your favorite cozy blanket in your favorite cozy chair. Have diapering items set out. If you want a cup of tea while nursing have the tea bag and cup set out and the tea pot full of water ready to switch on. Plan ahead to minimize any chores you must do during the night so that things are as quick, easy and relaxing as possible.

11. Start early It can be discouraging to finally finish your day and then face all of the bedtime chores. Teeth brushing and flossing, face washing and moisturizing, laying out clothing for the next day or packing your lunch, even your night time kneeling prayer do not have to wait until you are past exhaustion. Why not see if you can fit all or most of these chores in earlier in the evening? 

12. Create a bedtime ritual. It is calming to do the same things each night to signal your body it's time to wind down. This might include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or listening to soothing music — preferably with the lights dimmed. Relaxing activities can promote better sleep by easing the transition between wakefulness and drowsiness. I have found great calming by listening to meditation CD’s and particularly like those guided by Stin Hansen. She shares several free ones at http://www.mythoughtcoach.com

13. Get comfortable. Sleeping clothes should be loose and comfortable and sheets should be fresh and clean. Your mattress and pillows should be those you find the coziest and most comfortable. Do you need any upgrades to sleeping clothes or bedding?

14. Avoid the snooze alarm. You might be surprised that I have NEVER hit snooze in my entire life. The reason? I set my alarm for the last possible moment I can rise and meet my daily obligations. Why would I want to get up any earlier than that? I surprised a friend recently when I shared that on the mornings I work at the temple (have to leave home by 6:15 am) I get up just 10 minutes before I walk out the door. The trick to being able to do that is my before bed preparation. Before I retire for the night my temple bag is packed and on the kitchen table with my purse, my breakfast bar and my water bottle. In my bathroom my dress, underclothing and shoes are selected and set out. I shower and wash and dry my hair right before bed. I get up, use the bathroom, quickly flat iron my hair and put on a couple of swipes of make up. Pull dress over my head, step into my shoes, grab my items from the table and I’m out the door. Now why would I set my alarm for 30 minutes before I need to leave and disturb my sleep in the morning by hitting snooze, then hitting snooze then hitting snooze until I REALLY need to get up. I set the alarm for when I REALLY need to get up.

So ladies work on sleeping longer and better this week to earn your daily bonus points!

Maintaining muscle

I don’t know about you but I have a pretty cool wireless scale. It keeps track of my weight, syncs the info with my phone and watch, calculates my BMI and even tells me the weather for the day. But there is one thing I DREAD seeing. It calculates the percentage of body fat in my body. Oh my goodness if you could see that number you would be surprised that I can even stand up and walk around. Seriously my body fat is so high I am almost a jelly fish. 

Everyone knows that as we age we lose muscle and bone density. A recent study from Duke University showed that this process starts accelerating in our 50’s. And while I know many of you aren’t anywhere near that age, habits you build now can help you from a dismal future to come. This loss of muscle mass as you age- barring any efforts to preserve or rebuild it — could translate into trouble getting up from a chair in the future.

Put another way: Without any interventions, people have been shown to lose about 30 percent of their muscle mass between ages 50 and 70. You don’t have to let that happen. And that’s where strength-building workouts come in.

The AARP website shares that Bryant Johnson, who trains Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, notes that while some of his older clients are perfectly able to get out and walk or bike without encouragement, they need a little push when it comes to building muscle.

Sometimes, he says, people get tripped up by the idea that strength training is all about sculpting biceps in a loud and crowded gym. Often, they’re just not used to the feeling of working out until their muscles become fatigued.

Not that he’s accepting any excuses. As he tells it, if Justice Ginsburg — an 86-year-old, three-time cancer surgery survivor with a stent in her chest and a highly demanding day job — can strength train twice a week, well, so can you.“As we get older, we start to lose bone density and muscle, and there is only one way to increase it, and that is to do weight

bearing exercise. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it,” he says.

But getting in this type of exercise doesn’t necessarily require hitting the gym. There are simple strength-training moves you can do at home — using hand-held weights, elastic bands known as resistance tubes, or just the weight of your own body — that work your muscles as you need to. A you-tube search for “At home resistance training or strength training” should give you some good ideas. 

Your goal should be working in strength-training exercises at least twice a week, (for the rest of your life) as recommended by federal exercise guidelines. Ginsburg knocks out things like planks and knee lifts for an hour twice a week, but you can start with very short, single sets of strength-training exercises — think just a few reps or minutes at a time — and build up from there.

Beyond that, Johnson says, just try not to go more than three days without doing some kind of muscle-building activity. As he often tells his clients, You can do this.

So you guessed it— your challenge for this week is to do some kind of strength training exercises. You can choose to devote 10 minutes of each day’s work out or substitute (or continue if you have already been doing this) strength training for your cardio or stretching exercise at least 3X this week. And if you do so you can claim the 35 bonus points. 

Oh and btw I have started tracking my percentage of body fat (as measured by my scale) and am trying to use that statistics to continue to inspire me to build mass and lose fat! Wish me luck!