Exercising With Your Pets

Pets are good exercise companions.  Dogs in particular love to go on walks and hikes with their owners, or run alongside them as they ride their bikes.  But it is important to remember that we are responsible for their health and well-being.  A loyal pet will stick with his owner to the point of exhaustion.

Making sure that your pet has plenty of water before and after exercising is a must.  They do not sweat, but they lose water by panting.  It’s also a good idea to take along some extra water for your pet when you work out.

It’s also particularly important to exercise during cooler times of day when you’re bringing a pet along.  Some are more sensitive to heat than others, but most have at least a moderately thick fur coat that they can’t remove when working out.  Giving them the opportunity to rest in the shade during the hottest part of the day will ensure that they are feeling good enough in the morning or evening to keep pace with you.
Letting your four-legged friend go for a swim is a great way for him to cool off on hot days.  If you can modify your route to go by a lake or stream, you could take a break and let him jump in when you get there.  This will invigorate him and help keep him cool for the rest of the workout.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion in dogs may not be as noticeable as they are in humans, so it’s crucial to know what to look for.  The signs include:
* Hard and incessant panting
* Dark gums
* Feeling hot to the touch
* Elevated body temperature - In dogs and cats, 100 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit is normal.  If rectal temperature is over 104 degrees, veterinary care is advisable.

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In the summer, the kids are out of school.  This provides a welcome opportunity for us to spend some quality time with them.  Playing and exercising together allows us to connect with the kids while doing something that is good for both them and us.

Children usually have an abundance of energy, yet they sometimes prefer to play video games or watch television.  Limiting these inactive pursuits and encouraging more physical activity is important.  They might protest at first, but once they’re outside having fun, they will forget all about it.

What should you do with the kids, you ask?  Here are a few ideas:

* Play tag.  Younger children love it, and it provides a great workout.  Your child can probably teach you a million variations of the game, so it is unlikely to get boring.

* Find some flat objects to use for bases, and create a makeshift softball field in the back yard.  Invite some other kids and parents over and have an impromptu game.

* Play basketball.  It’s one of the few sports that you can play with just two players or several, and it really keeps you moving.

* Go swimming.  Kids love to play in the water, so they will usually need little encouragement to be active in the pool or lake.

* Set up an obstacle course.  This is a good idea to keep on hand for when the kids say there’s nothing to do.  It provides a nice change of pace and the potential for a variety of exercises.

* Ride bicycles or go for a walk together.  Older kids often enjoy these activities, and as a bonus, they give us an opportunity to talk with them and catch up on what’s going on in their lives.

Safety is a major concern for children participating in physical activities.  Be sure to outfit them with the proper equipment, such as bicycle helmets, knee and elbow pads, and anything else they need for particular sports.  You’ll also need to make sure they stay hydrated and wear sunscreen, and stay alert to signs of possible heat exhaustion.

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When you’re exercising in the summer, you will almost certainly sweat a lot.  This is the body’s way of cooling itself off, and it’s normal.  It can even help us lose weight.  But it also means we’re losing water.  If we don’t replace it, we could become dehydrated.

That’s why it’s so important to drink plenty of water in the summer, especially when we’re exercising.  Becoming dehydrated increases our risk of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.  Here are some tips for staying hydrated during summer workouts:

* Stay away from caffeinated, carbonated and alcoholic beverages.  They are dehydrating.

* Drink plenty of water every day.  While there is some debate over whether we really need eight glasses, it is a good idea to drink at least a few glasses of water each day even if you’re not exercising. It helps wash toxins out of your system and aids in building new cells, and it will keep you from being dehydrated when you start working out.

* Always keep water nearby when you’re working out.  Drink it throughout your workout, even if you are not thirsty.  A good rule of thumb is 16 ounces an hour when you’re doing an intense workout in hot weather.

* If you’re participating in really strenuous activity, or you work out for more than an hour at a time, drink a sports drink with a good electrolyte balance.  This will replace the sodium and other vital nutrients that you lose through heavy sweating.

* Eat more fruits and vegetables.  These are good for you in a number of ways, one of which is keeping you hydrated.
* If you’re not sure whether or not you’re getting enough water, check your urine.  If it’s dark in color, you need to drink more.

Hydration is always important to your health, but it becomes even more crucial when you’re working up a sweat.  Watching your water intake is essential.  While it is possible to drink too much water, it is hard to do when you’re exercising in the summer heat. So keep the water handy, and drink it liberally.

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There are lots of activities we can enjoy in the summer that will help us get in shape.  Here are a few of the best summer exercises and sports:

* Walking - Walking is not especially strenuous, but it has lots of benefits.  It’s great for those who cannot participate in high-impact exercise due to health considerations.  It’s also good for those who haven’t exercised in a long time or are really out of shape.  They can start out walking short distances at a comfortable pace, then work progressively harder to get their hearts pumping.

* Jogging - A step above walking, jogging is a little higher in impact.  It really gets our hearts pumping and makes us sweat.  The best time to jog is early in the morning or late in the evening, when it’s not as hot as it would be in the late morning and afternoon hours.

* Tennis - Playing tennis is a fun way to socialize, and it provides a good workout.  Finding a regular opponent can help you both stay motivated.

* Basketball - Many parks have outdoor basketball courts.  Getting a team together and setting regular times for games is a great way to give yourself incentive to exercise regularly.

* Rowing - Going to the lake is a favorite summer activity of many.  Why not take a rowboat and get some exercise in while you’re at it?  Rowing gives your upper body a fantastic workout.

* Bicycling - Riding a bicycle in the summer is an economical way to get where you’re going.  It also provides a nice opportunity to see the sights of the season, as well as an awesome cardiovascular workout.

The best exercises for you will depend on your specific objectives.  If you want to lose weight or improve overall health, an aerobic workout is what you need.  This can be accomplished through sports that require lots of running, an aerobics class, or anything else that gets the heart rate up.  If you want to build strength or muscle tone, weightlifting, yoga, or exercises that target specific muscles might be better for you.

With the exception of snow and ice sports, there aren’t really any exercises that you can’t do in the summer.  These suggestions are simply meant to get you started.  Finding activities that you enjoy participating in during warm weather will help keep you motivated to exercise, and staying motivated is one of the most important factors to your success.

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Summer is a wonderful time to enjoy the great outdoors.  The birds are singing, the flowers are in full bloom, and the warm weather and bright sunshine can really lift one’s mood.  Summer is also a great time of year to start exercising.

When it’s cold and dreary out, it can be difficult to get motivated to get in shape.  But when the weather turns warmer, the outside world starts looking more attractive.  Taking a walk and enjoying the sights and smells of the season is a popular activity.  Letting it become a habit is good for your health.

Whether you walk, jog, or participate in other physical activities, summer is a great time to start getting in shape.  The beautiful weather makes it easier to stick with an exercise regimen, and once you’ve made it a part of your routine, it will be easier to continue it once fall and winter roll back around. 

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The following articles discuss several things:

• Being social boosts energy
• Energy from relaxation
• Finding balance for more energy
• Get more energy with food
• Find out if your career is draining you
• Moms, energy and exercise
• Need energy? Get more sleep

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WebMD defines the importance of sleep in the following way:

“Historically, sleep was thought to be a passive state. However, sleep is now known to be a dynamic process, and our brains are active during sleep. Sleep affects our physical and mental health, and is essential for the normal functioning of all the systems of our body, including the immune system. The effect of sleep on the immune system affects one’s ability to fight disease and endure sickness.”

Not everyone requires the same amount of sleep each night.  Some individuals can function properly with 5 hours while others need to reach the recommended amount of 8 hours of sleep. You’re probably thinking that even before you had kids, rarely did you see 8 hours of sleep. 

The important thing is to know your body and how much sleep you need and then to adjust accordingly.  If you feel rested after waking with six hours of sleep, then try to work a plan that will allow you maximize that amount of sleep.

If you want to feel rested, have energy and most important remain healthy, you needn’t look for answers any further than your nearest pillow.  So again we don’t question what it is we need, but rather we wonder how we are ever going to get it. 

 How is it possible to get the amount of sleep needed?  Days often consist of maintaining a certain energy level.  Rarely are moms allowed the time to relax before going to bed. 

After dinner is served and consumed by the masses there are dishes to be done, kids to be tucked in and more often than not some preparations to be made for the following day. 

By the time you reach your bedroom you’re physically exhausted yet your mind is racing a mile a minute.  It’s hard to ‘turn off’ some days, so even when lying down to sleep it may seem a simple but impossible task to actually fall asleep.  

Start by thinking about what helps you relax and then work on creating a plan that will allow you to make that part of a nightly plan. Having the husband help out with some of the after dinner tasks is a good start. 

He may already be a great third arm, but by putting a little structure to the situation, it may free you up to take on the duties that may not include tending to the children. 

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It’s hard to say diet without hearing the word ‘exercise’.  They go hand and hand for good reason.  While a proper diet gives you the fuel you need, exercise is the most important thing to make sure your body uses the fuel appropriately. 

When you exercise, you make your heart pump faster, breathing faster to take in more oxygen. This makes your heart muscles stronger and gain more proficiency in delivering oxygen to all parts of the body while it also keeps the blood vessels a “smooth passage”.  It also helps to eliminate some toxins from your body. A healthy heart and fit body are two components to making sure you are levering your energy in the most effective way.

Exercise is hard enough to convince ourselves to do when we aren’t swamped with the ongoing responsibilities of family.  Finding a way to make your daily routines part of your exercise program will help you to validate your hard work and work to boost your energy levels.

It’s ok to think of the things you do on a daily basis as exercise. 

For example, MSN reports that an hour of housework burns 172 calories, washing and vacuuming a car for 40 minutes burns 177 calories and you burn 78 calories just by cooking dinner for 30 minutes.  Doesn’t just knowing that make dinner more appealing already? 

There are plenty of other ways to start to incorporate exercise into your family routines. A 30 minute walk around the park with a stroller or hand in hand with your husband and children will help create a healthy approach to your fitness and will do wonders for your energy level. 

If your children are at the age where they are joining sports clubs, take an active role.  Odds are your time is going to be spent driving them to and from practice, see if it’s possible to coach or help coach a team.  Being active with your child is a great opportunity for fitness, increased energy and a great way to bond. 

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The internet has created an expanse of jobs that can be done from home.  Typing, medical records and virtual assistants are all positions that allow you to work form your home and often on your own time frame. 

It’s ok to think outside of the box too, just because you live in Fresno CA, doesn’t mean you have to look for work in Fresno.  The internet frees you up to find the job that’s right for you in the time zone that works for you. 

The internet also is comprised of online educational programs that allow you to get training and certification in everything from trade schools to advanced degrees. 

Again, the benefit of this is that most of the time the classes are available for viewing on your own time frame.  And the work is deadline based with ample support available to you at any time you need. 

It may seem that working and going to school will just take up more of this energy we are trying so hard to find.  However, it is proven that by maintaining a sense of you and by working on the things that interest you, you will feel confident in who you are and will be amazed at how much energy enjoining a sense of self can bring you.

Kids grow up fast.  From newborns to kindergarten to high school graduation in what can seem like no time at all.  When the time comes that all the kids are in school, you’ll be in a better spot to transition back to a career or launch a new one. 

And by the time they graduate, if you choose you’ll be able to work as much or as little as you like.  Working can help the nest feel a little less empty, the pocket books a little more full and you a lot more rejuvenated.

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As humans, we are essentially an organism that is dependent on food for energy.  Yes that’s right calories are the energy our body uses as fuel. 

The major nutrients that make up our food, which include proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, serve as our energy sources. This keeps our hearts beating, our brains thinking, and our muscles working. A life long wellness plan incorporates healthy eating from the very beginning. 

There is a wealth of information out there for busy moms on how to create nutritional meals. The government has even gone so far as to provide a nutritional pyramid to help us keep track of what we need on a daily basis, requiring companies to label their products with that data provided. 

Finding the answers on how to eat healthy or what is healthy may not be the issue; incorporating healthy eating into a busy lifestyle is.

Aside from the nutrition from the perspective of your family, it’s important to take into consideration where you are getting your calories from.

Many mothers fall into one of two categories.  There are the women who get through the day snacking on what is convenient at the moment and the other group who insists they ‘just don’t have time to eat’. 

Whatever classification you fall into at the end of the day you are all in the same camp - the exhausted one.  Most likely you are the one responsible for breakfast, lunches and dinner with very little time to actually sit down and enjoy your meal. 

There always seems to be something for waiting for you to do.  Rushing through a meal doesn’t even allow you the satisfaction of enjoying the food you have worked so hard to prepare. In order to have and sustain the energy needed to be the leader of the family, nutrition and healthy eating needs to start with you.

Your day doesn’t need to focus around food nor should it be one more thing that adds to your stress level.  Taking a thorough inventory of your cupboard, fridge and freezer allows you to know exactly what you have on hand. 

This can be valuable both in food preparation and budgeting.  Keeping track of what you have, what you’ve used will inevitably lead you to what you’ll need. 

And everything from budgeting to coupon clipping will be made easier by the process. By staying organized, you are able to save energy, as well as, time and money. 

As your children move from all different stages of picky eating to heavy snacking, you can play a hand in being their nutritional leader and informant.  By introducing your children early to the concept of nutrition and the food pyramid, they may want to take a more active role in the kitchen. 

Finally, as women we know the importance of getting our daily amounts of vitamins.  If you aren’t getting all the calcium or vitamin D needed in your daily diet, make sure you consult your doctor and get on a vitamin plan that will work for you.  Vitamins will help keep your body running at your peak performance.

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