Meetup is a online tool that facilitates people meeting in groups with common interests. Users enter their ZIP code or their city and the topic they want to meet about, and this website helps them arrange a place and time to meet. A local no-profit organization called Outside Las Vegas Foundation is heading up a meet up group to get residents together to walk on our local urban trails. To find out more information about this go to http://www.meetup.com/urban-trails/ For more information call 702-789-3355 or email volunteer@outsidelasvegas.org  Search the meet up site for other hiking and biking groups here in the valley.

Another great event being put on by Outside Las Vegas Foundation is a urban trails clean up volunteer day. On Feb 18th VOLUNTEERS are needed for the 1st Annual Community-wide City Trails Clean-Up Day. Help others discover beautiful Las Vegas Outdoors! VOLUNTEER TODAY @  ImpactLasVegas2012.org. This is great chance to get out on the trails and help keep our city beautiful.

Check out this link to the complete streets video and see how things are changing to make it safer to walk and bike in our community.  http://youtu.be/fhS0tVGZT2o

Chances are your new year’s resolution has something to do with committing to get fit or eating better for the new year. Maybe you are looking to quite smoking too. We are a one stop shop for all your new year’s resolution needs! Check out  any of our various programs to get you on track. They are simple to follow, free, and  they help participants make reasonable and small adjustments to their diet and fitness routines so they actually see success
Quit Smoking
The most effective and long term approach to break nicotine dependence is to get professional help in creating your individual strategy to quit smoking. For more.

Nutrition Challenge
The Nutrition Challenge is an eight-week online program that helps participants eat more fruits and vegetables. Each week, everyone who has signed on to participate receives information about healthy recipes, snacking tips and food labels. The Nutrition Challenge is also available in Spanish. More info.

Kids Challenge
The Kids Challenge is an online game for kids to learn how to make better choices. The goal is to encourage children to eat six servings of fruits and vegetables each day and to engage in 60 minutes of physical activity daily. The online game is easy to understand and provides achievable goals for kids so they can see success.  More info.

Get Healthy Meal Planner
Get Healthy Meal Planner is a personalized program that helps participants incorporate their favorite foods into a healthy meal plan. The interactive report card grades the menu to see if it meets an individual’s goals or nutritional requirements and then makes suggestions to improve the meal. More info.

Walk Around Nevada
The Walk Around Nevada program helps participants track their physical activity as they trek around the state and clock in 1,442 miles. Anyone can sign up for this free online program and start a tour of Nevada. They can track their mileage as they log in the number of steps or miles they’ve completed and a red line will mark their tour of the state. More info. 

Neon to Nature
Launched in November, the Neon to Nature online tool helps locals and visitors locate walking and hiking trails throughout the area. The program highlights Southern Nevada’s more than 600 miles of rural and urban, off-street trails. The interactive site is available by visiting here.

Thinking of giving cookies, fudge or a box of chocolates as a holiday gift? That’s so 2005.  This year, think about giving something healthy to your loved ones, co-workers, neighbors and friends.  Here are some gift ideas for the health-conscious on your list.

Stocking Stuffers

•Pedometer.  Know someone who’s trying to start a simple exercise program? A pedometer, which counts each step a person takes, and the distance they’ve walked, makes a perfect present for someone who’s trying to be more active.

•IPod or ITunes gift card.  Combining entertainment and exercise often motivates people to jump on the treadmill who would otherwise be bored by going for a run or walk.  You don’t just have to download music either; you can download books or movies to watch or listen to while exercising. 

•Orange. Every complete stocking has a orange in the foot!
 

Gifts

•Active Video Games for Kids and Adults. Your children want to play video games. You want them to go outside and get some exercise. Now there’s a solution you both can love and enjoy. Active video games, such as Dance Dance Revolution, the Nintendo Wii force players to get off the couch and burn calories.

•A massage gift certificate. Purchase a relaxing massage at a spa. Or create a home spa basket with essential oils, bath salts, massage oil, body lotions, and a pumice stone.  Relaxation and stress relief are important for overall good health. 

A bicycle. Bikes are a great way for kids and adults to get exercise.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money either, check out goodwill stores or second hand shops.  They often have good bikes that might need just a little work.

•Healthy Cookbooks.  How about a new cookbook that includes healthy recipes — maybe one with healthy soups, salads, vegetable sides dishes, whole grains or whole grain breads.

•Subscription to a magazine. Consider giving a year subscription to a magazine. There are several magazines that offer healthy recipes and tips, as well as magazines that focus on physical activity (biking, hiking, running, etc.) and relaxation.

•Cooking Classes. We typically eat healthier and eat less when we cook on our own, so give the gift of eating in. 

• Gym membership or personal trainer. Give the gift of getting in shape. Paying for a gym membership and a personal trainer would make a wonderful present to give somebody.  

•Treadmill or weight set. Start the new year off right with a new treadmill or weight set. The kind of gift that can last all year round.

Hostess Gifts

•Oil and vinegar. Why not give high-quality balsamic vinegar and olive oil as a gift. If someone is trying to lose weight by eating a lot of salads, some aged balsamic vinegar and a dash or two of good olive oil can make the difference between a boring salad and a nice treat.

•A Healthy Goody Basket.  A fruit basket of exotic or specialty fruits or other gift basket of healthy specialty foods is always welcome. Try putting together your own basket.  You could include some of your favorite healthy recipes and some homemade healthy treats.

If you haven’t heard there was a new law passed related to cyclists and vehicles. It states: 

Motorists must give at least 3 feet of space when passing bicyclists or electric bicycles in Nevada.
 
The 3 Foot Passing Bill, SB248, was signed into law in Nevada on October 1.  This bill requires a driver of a motor vehicle to overtake and pass a bicycle or an electric bicycle proceeding in the same direction by: (1) moving the vehicle into the immediate left lane, if there is more than one lane traveling in the same direction and it is safe to move into the lane; or (2) passing to the left of the bicycle or electric bicycle at a distance of not less than 3 feet from the bicycle or electric bicycle.
 
We have many people who cycle here in the valley and the intent of this new law is to make it safer for everyone trying to get around. Hopefully it will also encourage more people to get out and ride their bike!

To help you get your feet wet with cycling, the RTC is providing classes about bike maintenance and safety. Learn how to change a flat, the laws of the road, wheel and brake maintenance and much more.
http://www.rtcbikecenter.com/downloads/dec_RTC_eventflyer.pdf

Another great benefit from the RTC is Bike valet at the First Friday event. If you have ever been to First Friday then you know that it is a busy event and parking can sometimes be a pain. Thanks to the RTC, you can ride your bike to the Bonneville Transit Center and valet your bike in their indoor bike facility.    http://youtu.be/KaOS1-jZ1AU

The best physical activities are those that combine moving and having a good time. One definition of a good time is VACATION! The goal of vacation time is to relax and have fun. Here are a few ways to have fun but be active.
•Dig into some sand. Build sand castles and swim in the ocean. Take a walk along the shore.
•Rent Bikes. See the town from a new perspective. Get out and explore first hand.
•Plan your vacations with a race in mind.  Visit a city you have been dying to go to and compete in a 5k or half marathon at the same time. Your race shirt will be a great souvenir.
•King of the Mountain. Find the tallest hill or mountain on your trip and get a bird’s eye view of your vacation spot.
•Walk around a museum. Many museums are big and interesting. Make the most of your time and walk around the grounds.
•Check out a local park. Every town has a park…go play frisbee golf, tennis, use the playground or take a nice walk around
•Swim! Book a hotel room that has a pool. Swim laps or play with your kids!
•Rent kayaks, canoes, paddle boards and try out a new sport. 

Figuring out what is your healthy weight can be confusing in today’s celebrity-driven culture. Although there has been some movement toward more realistic images, most of the models people see in the media are extremely thin, lean and athletic…not to mention all the digital manipulation that takes place. Using the media as the benchmark for a healthy weight can be unrealistic.

Who of us has the time or money to have the “perfect” body? What is perfect? It seems that even the people we deem as having “ perfect bodies” still think something is wrong or needs fixing. Perfect isn’t even enough now.  Unfortunately we often exhaust ourselves trying to obtain what we think is beautiful and accepted.

Let’s look at a more holistic way to define a healthy weight:

First of all focus more on the health than the weight.

·         Determine what your healthy lifestyle means not by the number on the scale.

·         A healthy weight shouldn’t mean eliminating food but instead balance and moderation.

·         A healthy weight is  attainable and maintainable without extreme measures.

·         A healthy weight doesn’t have to mean what you weighed in high school.

·          A healthy weight range is something a person settles into while respecting natural appetites for food, movement and rest;  without using restrictive eating patterns, compulsive exercise or medications to manage the weight

You should work towards a healthy weight for you, not for someone else, and certainly not an image that may not even be real!

Check out the video link of the RTCs new bike facility downtown. It includes a bike shop as well as shower facilities. Want to know where the bike lanes and routes are? Check out the RTCs website at RTCSNV.com

  http://bit.ly/on0Dem

A few tips to keep yourself germ-free at the gym.
Before and after you use a machine, disinfect the places you will come in contact with or did come in contact with like handlebars or seats. Don’t assume that someone before you disinfected your machine.  A quick wipe is sufficient and will help keep you away from those dirty germs.
The most serious germ lurking place at the gym is the locker rooms. Good hygiene is most important! If you are going to shower be sure to do basic things like using soap and not sharing towels.  Always use liquid soap not a communal bar. Athletes foot is often contracted in locker rooms and showers;  for good foot hygiene  wear sandals or flip flops  in the shower and avoid walking barefoot. Be sure to clean your workout clothes on a regular basis. That not only keeps you clean but you might make more friends at the gym if you don’t smell bad.
If you have a minor cut or scrape or blister, make sure you cover them with bandages and keep them clean. That was you are not spreading any germs or infections to others or you are not exposing yourself to other germs. 
Above all don’t be afraid. Be aware but don’t let germs get in the way of your enjoying a great experience at the gym.

Lately there have been several weight loss stories in the news. The latest boasts of a 25 male and how he lost 175 lbs in a little under a year. http://bit.ly/otZB2i There are even many more TV shows about people and their battle to lose many pounds.  We love looking at the transformation these people make and what a hard journey they have endured. With more and more people becoming obese, I am sure we will see more and more people take the first steps to changing their lifestyle.  But what happens between the before and the after?? What gets you from day one to your goal? The latest article about Will Nevin sheds a little insight into shedding the pounds.

“You have to find a reason you want to do this. It can’t be to please other people and it can’t be purely for cosmetic reasons,” he said. “It has to be because you want to make a serious long-lasting change in your life. … You have to find that inner motivation.” – Will Nevin