exercise

Guess Which One is Best?

The hippocampus in our brains is responsible for our learning, our emotions and our memory. As we age, we get concerned about its health. 

We’ve known exercise is good for the brain, because studies have shown that exercise pumps blood throughout our gray matter, improving mood and thinking.

But which type of exercise is best?

Aerobics?

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Weight-lifting?

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High intensity interval training?

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It’s sustained aerobics! 

According to Mindful.com, an experiment on lab mice in Finland showed definitively, that sustained aerobics produced the most neurogenesis.

Weightlifting is great for your muscles (and aging). High intensity interval training is excellent for calorie burning and aesthetics. But aerobic exercise is excellent for the brain. Whatever your fitness routine, don’t skip your spinning (or slimnastics or dancing or kickboxing classes)!

What is your favorite aerobic activity?

A Banner Teen Day

My daughter gave me not one – but TWO – compliments today. Usually, she snottily asks me what happened to my hair, or why am I wearing “those ugly shoes,” or she offers to help me with my very sad eyebrows.

But today, she:

  1. asked to wear one of my shirts to school tomorrow (!) and
  2. asked me why I wear big shorts when I have such nice legs (!)

I know this appearance thing is a phase. I try to not get irked too much when I see her taking her 99th selfie or when she practices her smile and picture poses over and over again. But I worry when I see old men ogling at her at the grocery store. She’s fourteen! I want to scream at them. My friend does scream that at dirty old men who look at her step daughter that way. Maybe we all need to scream it.

Another friend of mine (who has been through numerous miscarriages and a stillbirth), told me she turned to her husband the other day and asked,

“Remember when I just worried about being pretty?”

I exercise every day. I used to workout in order to look good. Now, I do it to FEEL good. Having daughters, I am keenly aware that they are watching me. Telling them that being strong is one thing, but showing them is entirely another.

Strength

 

When I am strong physically,

it helps me gain strength

in all the other areas of my life.

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Therefore, exercise is a top priority and my keystone habit.

A keystone habit, according to Charles Duhigg, is a habit that starts a chain of other habits that improves one’s life.  For example, exercising regularly influences my diet – I make better choices. I also sleep better. My family also tells me I’m more pleasant to be around. (I mean, really, how could I be more congenial than usual?)

Knowing that exercising is my keystone habit motivates me even more to maintain my regimen. It makes everything better!

 

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Garmin Vivofit Review

After a few months of considering fitness trackers, I finally made my decision. There are so many out there and I wasn’t sure I really *needed* one. I really don’t NEED one. This is a First World issue, let’s be clear. I eat well, I exercise 6x/week…why the desire for a fitness tracker?

I wanted to know my stats. As I age, I’ve become hyper aware of changes metabolically.  What’s my heart rate? Resting pulse? Calories burned?

Ugh. Ego.

Willey purchased this for me for Mother’s Day. Early.  How did he know? Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.  I am very happy with it and have had two – no, three – unexpected benefits from it.  Aside from learning my heart rate is at an optimum level for exercise and my age, I can see how much sleep I had the night before. And as I track it, it has become very clear to me that I need 8 hours for an excellent day and that I rarely sleep 8. Let’s get more sleep, people!

Secondly, the red bar across the top warns me when I’ve been sedentary for an hour. This doesn’t happen often, but when I see the red bar, I get Opal and go for a walk. I am definitely more active in general now that it’s on my wrist.

Thirdly, it’s a watch. I used to search my bag for my phone to check the time. Now I check it old school (sort of)!

Cleaning is a must – I wash it with damp, soapy rag and wipe it down with a dry cloth. I also use some alcohol. Here is a great (short) video on the proper way to clean your fitness devices from Live Science: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEylhRZSuOc

Don’t forget to clean your chest strap, too.

“Mom, it’s ugly.”

“I don’t care. It does what I want.” I refuse to spend an extra $100 for aesthetics!

If you’re on the fence about getting one, I think you don’t have to spend a lot and your dog will thank you.