PENNY'S WORKOUT WORLD
brings you:
"Stressing Out Makes You Fat"
"Yoga Poses on the Foam Roller"
"Balance & How NOT to fall down
April 19,2008 Issue#36
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Greetings!
Have you heard of the fight or flight response?
Back in the dinosaur days when a brontosaurus chased you, your body responded by releasing hormones, like cortisol. that helped you run faster to ensure your survival.
Today, when stuck in a traffic jam on I-95 or on a grounded American Airlines flight, your body still responds in basically the same way,
by dilating your blood vessels,
accelerating your heart rate and shifting blood from your digestive track to your muscles.
(and if you've ever tried to exercise after a big meal you know that your belly will hurt, since digestion requires blood.but that's another rant)
Also your liver hurries to make extra fuel in the form of sugar from stored glycogen,
so you have enough energy to fight like a caveman.
And though you didn't even use this sugar supply,
it causes a dip in your blood sugar level and makes you, the caveman ,
very hungry.
Which makes you go look in the fridge and grab the fastest, biggest snack possible,
as soon as you get home. Which makes you fat.
And I mean fatter than you would be if you were relaxed. Like no caveman ever dreamed of being.
And if you are chronically stressed, your body, in it's ingeniously idiotic prehistoric way, will pack away
as much fat as possible and you will gain weight.
What to do?
RELAX.
MEDITATE.
BREATHE.
Do 6 rounds of 6 count breaths in and out.This slow breathing actually will drop your blood pressure by twenty points, both systolic and diastolic.
Teach it to your kids before they get up to bat in baseball or have a big test.
What's that you say?
You CAN'T?
Ok. How about trying to add more activities in your life that you ADORE.
They don't have to be a full day of beauty at a high end spa.
For me I know that my stress levels have been lower (and I've probably been storing less fat,too)
since I've resurrected the KathieLee fan part of me that I buried eight years ago.
My silly fascination with her tv show has me embarrassed at myself
but also dumbfounded and tickled.
My I.Q. is just low enough to admit that I now have a fragment of my day that brings me out of my cynicism and monotony and
into a maddeningly good mood,
for no other reason than it makes me feel good.
in the trickle-down theory, Everyone in my family has benefited.
when thinking about what makes me feel good,
It also occurred to me that I enjoy coveting nearly every other house in our neighborhood and I actually spend a sizeable chunk of time pretending I live in them.
This makes my heart sing.
Although, every one of my friends know that , in one week,
I would have even the biggest mansion filled with tacky knick knacks and unmatched furniture and broken things on the front porch in no time at all.
It 's not the living in them I want.
It's the pretend life that I imagine that makes me smile.
Go ahead and laugh, Scrooges.
So ask yourself:
what is a mood-altering activity for you?
Petting the cat?
Spitting watermelon seeds? Joining a go-cart racing club? Jumping on a trampoline with your dog?
Did you know dogs love trampolines?
Find something and do it everyday. It's called putting yourself in a really good space,
finding your bliss or
getting your groove on.
The trick is not needing, or even wanting, your groove-getter to be something MAJOR.
Do not make the mistake of waiting for fancy possessions or expensive trips to make you feel good.
Find it in the spaces BETWEEN the peak moments.
Before you know it, the pounds will be melting away.
Or else you will FEEL so good, you'll be too happy to notice how you LOOK.
Imagine THAT.
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 MY NEW BOOK IS ALMOST READY!
FITNESS RANTS
FOR THE
CHRONOLOGICALLY
ENRICHED
I've got so many people,
at least six or seven so far,
wanting an official copy of my rants on the situation
I find myself in
as I fight the uphill battle
to keep active.
Why am I a fitness expert?
Mostly because I proclaimed myself one.
But, let's just say I started out 25 years ago as an overzealous aerobics instructor and suddenly, two and a half decades have passed.
I feel like I'm entitled. It's as simple as that.
I'm here to inspire you with my story,
despite my bunion and hammertoe,
despite my tight hamstrings,
my torn ACL and the fact that I can't remember my next door neighbor's first name occasionally.
Add in my lack of remaining knee cartilage ,
as well as my two artificial hips.
Maybe I should not even mention my
decreased production of collagen
and the resulting wrinkles (only when I smile, unfortunately-why can't they show when I frown?),
also the morning stiffness
and occasional night time insomnia.
Plus my denial about needing reading glasses.
"Waiter, Just bring me the Chicken Ceasar Salad."
How's that for credentials?
So I have compiled a short little book for you
to keep on your bed side table, or perhaps near your treadmill,
to remind yourself that you are not alone
and that the battle is (or will be) worth all of the effort
and to never,
never,
never give up.
No matter how hard your husband laughs at you
when he sees you in your old jog bra.
And also to sometimes recommend the prudency
of an Advil as a precautionary measure
before your first personal trainer session.
Just go to my website to read more rants
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QUICK LINKS TO PENNY'S VIDEOS
YOGA ON THE FOAM ROLLER
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REMEMBER,
GOOD HEALTH IS JUST THE SLOWEST WAY TO DIE!
Penny & My Workout World
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