Re-Energize (or Wake Up From Winter)

***A special shout out of thanks to the State IT crew who helped me get the blog site working so all of you could enjoy this on-line!*** there were lots of technical difficulties. It is still March as I write this, BUT, the temperature has been ABOVE ZERO for several days now. Am I dreaming? I don’t like the long cold days of winter, by this time of year I am quite crabby and my husband is really sick of my complaining about the cold. I am of the firm belief we (humans) are meant to live in sandals, shorts and t-shirts, year round. The tsunamis are giving me pause to think about living in Hawaii. I was in Hawaii last year when we had to evacuate for the tsunami that never was, we were grateful and didn’t fuss about losing a precious day of vacation on the beach to the day spent in a parking lot well above sea level. OK, well, I am getting side tracked, this all started with spring thaw possibly coming to Montana. It’s time to wake up from hibernating. Time to get outdoors. It is safe to start taking walks outdoors and not worry about falling on ice and becoming a member of the broken hip club. Dust off your sneakers and pack away your Yax-Trax. Time to look at all the fund raising walking and running events that will start soon, support a charity and get some physical activity. If you are a State employee or retiree, Spring Fitness will be starting soon. FUN, FUN, FUN! Spring Fitness is is an 8-week program designed to provide a fun and easy way to improve or maintain your health. To register a team (single-member and teams up to 10 members) or for more information click http://mine.mt.gov/programs/SpringFitness/default.mcpx. Find your pedometer and strap it on and get those creaks out of your knees. Ever feel like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz? I sure do. Oil me. Are you a gardener? You can get some physical activity by preparing your soil, raking dead grass, hauling bags of fertilizer or horse or sheep poo, whatever you use. Walk the aisles of your favorite nursery or big box store for trees, shrubs for your garden. Of course, make sure the deer approve. Maybe this physical activity thing is new for you. You are getting your sea legs and trying to figure out how to get your 150 minutes per week accomplished.

• Walk. It’s free and it’s easy and you can set your own pace. You can build up to a brisk walk as the weeks progress. Pedometers really help you stick to your goals. If you’re not used to walking, 10,000 steps a day may seem like climbing Mt. Everest, so don’t set yourself up for failure or misery. Start by wearing a pedometer and do your normal routines for a couple of days and log the steps. Then make your goal an additional thousand steps. It isn’t so hard.


• You can dance,


• You can vacuum and oh, think how clean your floors will be.


• Walk your dog, they always appreciate it. And, they are quite good listeners, you can pour your heart out to them about the day you had and they hang on your every word. You may reward them with a belly rub when you get home.


• Don’t have a dog or can’t have one? No worries, volunteer at your local shelter. They always need people to take the dogs for a walk and help socialize them so they will be adopted. Please see article on “Forget the Treadmill, Get a Dog” for more information. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/forget-the-treadmill-get-a-dog/?ref=health Other ways to get more steps:


• Park your car further from the door at the store or work.


• Use the stairs. Getting winded? Take the stairs up one flight and the elevator the rest, until you work up to taking the stairs for the entire journey to your destination. The stairs are good for you, again, free exercise equipment. “In one minute, a 150 pound person burns approximately 10 calories walking up stairs and only 1.5 calories riding an elevator.” http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/hwi/toolkits/stairwell/motivational_signs.htm


• It's real windy this time of year, go fly a kite.

If you have children or grandchildren, they will appreciate your playing with them. I hear that hula hoops are making a comeback. They are fun, challenging and can be good for a laugh. Everyone can always use a laugh. Please refer to the March 9, 2010 blog for more amusing information about laughing.
DID YOU KNOW?
Weight control is important for prevention of and to slow the progression of osteoarthritis affecting the weight-bearing joints (knees and hips) and low back.
1. For every one pound of weight lost, there is a four pound reduction in the load exerted on the knee for each step taken during daily activities.
2. Losing as few as 11 pounds can cut the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis by 50 percent for some women.
3. Weight loss of only 15 pounds can cut knee pain in half for overweight individuals with arthritis.

1. "Weight Loss Reduces Knee-Joint Loads in Overweight and Obese Older Adults With Knee Osteoarthritis," Stephen P. Messier, David J. Gutekunst, Cralen Davis, and Paul DeVita, Arthritis & Rheumatism, July 2005; 52:7; pp. 2026-2032
2. “Weight Loss Resuces the Risk for Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis in Women,” David T. Felson, MD, MPH; Yuqing Zhang, MB, MPH; John M. Anthony, BA, BS; Allen Naimark, MD; and Jennifer J. Anderson, PhD, Annals of Internal Medicine, 1992; 116:535 539.
3. Bartlett SJ, Haaz S, Wrobleski P et al. Small weight losses can yield significant improvements in knee OA symptoms. Arthritis & Rheumatism 50[9 (S)], S658. 2004.