It is easy to find ourselves in a slump. Perhaps you have lost your job or hate your current job. Maybe you have experienced death of a close relative, or you broke up with the person you thought you would spend the rest of you life with. Who doesn’t have money troubles stressing them out?  Whatever the situation may be, we probably could all come up with something in our life that could easily justify us hulling ourselves up at home, on the couch with some brain numbing TV and whatever unhealthy foods we are craving. When we feel depressed we want to act the part. We don’t want to do anything or think about anything. And this tends to further perpetuate our depressive state instead of pull us out of the slump.
One of the best way to beat those blues is to workout. Exercise truly does release endorphins that trigger positive feelings in the body and they can reduce your perception of pain, whether it be emotional or physical. Exercise can make you feel better!
Maybe you lost your job and you are looking for  a new one. Often time this stressful situation can be out of your hands. We sometimes don’t feel like we have a whole lot of control in our life.  But you can control if you help or hurt your health. Don’t be without a job AND gain weight. Be without a job but feel good because you workout everyday. Move your body each day. Set goals. Work towards them. Fill your time with worthwhile things. If you are suffering from a broken heart, focus the effort you put into that person towards yourself now. Take these life changing situations as a chance to reevaluate your priorities and time constraints. Instead of running from your emotions, physically run the pain away. Who knows, things might not start to seem so bad.

No. All these years we have been told to stretch before we workout but current research says that the pre-stretching routine does not have powerful effects to prevent injury. This certainly can come as a shock to everyone. We have long thought stretching will loosen up our muscles before a workout but what we are finding is that this tends to be counter-productive and possibly harmful. Experts say it’s like expanding a rubber band to its limit and when people stretch they are more likely to pull a muscle. Stretching produces flexibility not muscle relaxation. People should consider not doing or only doing it when they aren’t about to exercise.
Instead of stretching, experts recommend warming up with brisk walking. Or light movement of whatever activity you are going to do…like volley some serves before you start to play tennis or play catch before your softball game. These types of light movements that mimic the actual activity you are about to perform increase the heart rate and blood flow to the muscles. 

Stretching is all about when you do it and how. So not doing it before you workout is a good idea and  switching to a form of active stretching which forms are commonly used in yoga can be beneficial. Instead of bending to touch your toes and performing some classic stretching moves, try using a few yoga poses instead. This type of whole body stretching focuses not only on stretching but strength training as well.
 
The key is to warmup and cooldown using similar movments to your activity but stay away from the stretching prior to your activity. If you do stretch wait till after and even then do specific moves and focus on active stretching like yoga.
The best and easiest warmup can be walking. A few minutes of walking before you start your workout is a great idea!

Wetlands Park Nature Preserve
The Wetlands Park Nature Preserve is located adjacent to the Visitor Center, off of East Tropicana and Wetlands Park Lane.  The Nature Preserve features two miles of concrete walking trails, graveled secondary trails are ADA accessible.  The Duck Creek Trailhead begins at Broadbent and ends at the Wetlands Nature Preserve.  It is just over 1/2 mile in length.  Visitors can also access the 1/2 mile coyote Loop and the Quail Run Loop from the main Duck Creek Trail.  For more info http://bit.ly/ls0rD4
Springs Preserve
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978, the Springs Preserve is a 180-acre cultural institution designed to commemorate Las Vegas’ dynamic history and to provide a vision for a sustainable future. The Preserve features museums, galleries, outdoor events, colorful botanical gardens and an interpretive trail system through a scenic wetland habitat.
http://www.springspreserve.org/

River Mountains Trail
The Loop Trail, approximately 35 miles in length, will surround the River Mountains, connecting Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Hoover Dam, Boulder City, Henderson and the rest of the Las Vegas Valley, therefore expanding recreational and alternative transportation opportunities for the regions growing population. In fact, it’s now been named as one of 31 New National Recreation Trails! Check out a map here http://www.rivermountainstrail.com/trail%20map/rmtpmaps.htm

The cold hard truth about working out is that you might not always want to do it. Some days we jump out of bed excited to lace up our shoes or we can’t wait to get home and jump on that treadmill. Other days we almost dread the thought of putting on our clothes and heading to the gym.  It doesn’t have to be all about the doom and gloom. If you link your workout to something else that you enjoy, that can be extra boost of motivation you need. Think about the great things that come with setting aside some time to be active.
Solo time.  Working out can be a group activity but it can also be something you do solo. Much needed “me time” can come from setting aside time each day to workout. No kids or bosses nagging you, it is just you and whatever activity you want to do. Working out can provide you time to focus on you and decompress from the hectic day.
Rock out. Turn up that music. Time spent walking around the neighborhood can be done with entertainment. Bring along some music and crank it up while you walk. All your favorite tunes can be enjoyed while you walk!
Enjoy outside. Connecting with nature can be done while sitting but why not maximize the experience while boosting some endorphins. Don’t just drive out to Red Rock and drive the scenic route; get out of your car and take a hike! Enjoy this beautiful desert on foot and connect with nature while doing something good for your health.
Watch TV. If you have a favorite TV show try to link that with your workout. Watch the show while you walk on the treadmill. In no time you will have completed an hour workout and enjoyed it! Tell yourself you can watch your show if you are moving.
Accomplish goals. It is not uncommon for us to set SUPER –goals or have bucket lists. It is great to have those long term goals but sometimes it can be discouraging to have such a far off huge goal. Set your short term goals as obtainable things as well as easy to accomplish in a short timeframe. Maybe your long term goal is to lose weight so have your short term goal be to work out today. Once you have worked out, you can feel good that you have accomplished your goal for the day!
Want to do vs. Have to do. If you are anything like me you hate doing things that you feel like you have to do….obligation! So I tell myself I don’t have to workout, that it is something I choose to do because it makes me feel better. Don’t feel guilty. That can be the worst workout killer!

A few ways to fit in fitness into every day.

Put on some comfortable shoes. If you are wearing shoes that are comfortable to walk in, you will be more likely to do more walking when you are out and about.
 

Put on some music. Hate to exercise? How  about dancing? Don’t be afraid to put on some favorite tunes and shake and shimmy around your house. Dance it all out!
 

Fidget more. The experts say it’s true- fidgeting burns calories. Forget about sitting still at your desk, wiggle, squirm, standup and bounce your legs.
 

Use your legs. Instead of talking and sitting, pace and talk. Instead of the elevator, take the stairs. Instead of the car, walk to your destinations or park far away.
 

Play more. Bounce a ball, fly a kite, play tag, run in the grass, ride a bike. It is not just for kids! Fun can help you get in more activity each day. Plus your kids will love it too.  

Get outside this weekend and enjoy the great weather! But be sure to protect yourself from the sun. It is early in the year and we think its not quite hot enough to pull out the sunscreen. Dont be fooled! Each year an estimated 1.2 million cases of skin cancer are reported. Most of these cases are curable with early detection and proper treatment. So prevent any skin cancer trouble and pay attention to a few:  

• Try to stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are strongest.
• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays and has a SPF of 15 or greater.
• Wear protective, tightly woven clothing.
• Self-examination of the entire body using a full-length mirror in a brightly lit room is the best way to discover any signs of skin cancer that may require a physician’s attention. See your doctor if you notice any suspicious changes in your skin

Nevada Moves Day! - Wednesday April 27, 2011

The Clark County School District Safe Routes to School program invites students and families to walk or bike to school as part of the Second Annual Nevada Moves Day.

Nevada Moves Day is a statewide celebration of the Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS) which encourages children and their families to walk and bicycle to and from school. SRTS programs are sustained efforts by parents, schools, community leaders and local, state, and federal governments to improve the health and well-being of children by enabling and encouraging them to walk and bicycle to school. 

SRTS programs can:

• improve safety
• reduce traffic and air pollution in the vicinity of schools
• make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation choice
• encourage a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age

Visit the Clark County Safe Routes to School program webpage for more information. http://ccsd.net/partnership/saferoutes/

A hot topic in the news these days is obesity and our children. Many times it is quoted that this generation will be the first generation to NOT outlive their parents.  Obesity is not a new health topic but this article provides a very clear and personal reality check for what is to come for our children if this epidemic is not controlled. This article goes into great length explaining the effects that obesity has on our children’s bodies.  It gives a detailed organ by organ account of how obesity is slowly killing our kids and the lasting effects of this deadly chronic disease.  
Check out the article. http://tinyurl.com/7csada
After reading this you might ask yourself…What can be done? With such an overwhelming problem across all races, ages, genders and location it is hard to imagine that anything we do could help impact such a major issue.
But there is hope. We may not be able to influence the entire county in a large scale way but we can impact our sphere of influence. We have the ability to impact those people around us. We can set an example of living a healthy lifestyle.  Here are some things we can do to set an example of a healthy lifestyle.
-When you are having people over for dinner offer healthy options. Or  try a new healthy recipe for a family dinner.
-Having an office meeting? Read our healthy meeting guide http://www.gethealthyclarkcounty.org/worksite-wellness/healthy-meeting-guide.php

-Train for a 5K with your famliy. Check out our past blog post about how to get ready for a 5K. http://tinyurl.com/4n575sk

Here is great local event coming up in our community:

Rockin Rabbit Run! April 23rd 2011 @ 7am
Half Marathon and Family 5K. Benefits American Cancer Society.
More info www.rockinrunners.com

• Alternating bouts of high- intensity and low-intensity cardio make for a better workout. Try and walk/jog regiment of 30 sec run and then one minute walk.
• The more muscle you have the more fat you can burn. Using dumbbells activates more muscle fibers than machines. So pick up those dumbbells and SLOWLY lift those weights vs normal speed for a increased strength gain.
• If you are trying to fit in more fruits into your diet and you have the option of drinking  juice or eating the actual fruit. Eat the fruit. It is likely to have less sugar and provide more fiber and keep you full faster.
• Watch less and you burn more! Turning off the TV will cause you to burn more calories than you normally do in the day because you are not being sedentary. 

“I am going to get organized…I am going to spend more time with friends and family…I am going to lose weight…”

We have all made New Year’s resolutions before, and by about the 3rd week in January, we have forgotten about them, lost motivation, or given up!  Well if your New Year’s resolution was to drop a few pounds, you are in luck; the Southern Nevada Health District has created the 10 in 10 Challenge to help you lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks!

This program is not a diet, you don’t have to give up your favorite foods, eat foods you have never heard of, or work out for 5 hours a day!  The program is simple, simply reduce your caloric intake by 250 calories each day and increase your activity level by 250 calories each day. 

The 10 in 10 Challenge will provide you with a list of options to make food swaps that will save you calories throughout the day.  And it will also give you ways to burn off 250 calories each day.

The program is designed to let people make their own choices so if you already know you can’t give up your latte every morning that’s OK.  We’re going to give you ways to make food swaps throughout the day that will still get you to that 250 calorie deficit.  Combined with some daily activity and modifications to the foods that you normally eat, we will get you eating healthy in no time.

The challenge begins on February 7, 2010.  It is FREE and open to anyone.  Sign up today at www.gethealthyclarkcounty.org!!!