Do You Know Your Numbers?

Wow! If you're like me you're excited for an opportunity to sit your rear in a chair for five minutes and play online!  The weeks are doing that flying thing they do during this season and sometimes you just lose track of where the days go but I love all the things that go into preparing for Christmas.  I hope you're paying attention to doing something for you while you're running around doing everything for others on your lists...like moving and drinking water - how many glasses today???? and stretching - anyone remember stretching??

Well in my last post I talked excessively about stretching and recommended a daily routine.  If you've been doing it, you can likely already feel the results of some of the effort you've put in but please if you're not feeling it, don't give up - you will!!  I inadvertently omitted two little tweaks on the leg lifts when I posted.  So  when you're on your back and lifting your leg straight up toward the ceiling, after you've completed the reps on that put your leg back on the bed and bring you knee up toward your chin as far as possible with your knee bent and as close to your body as possible - do that the same amount of times as you lift it to the sky.  After you do the side leg lifts bend your leg at the knee and bring it towards your chin while you're lying on your side.  You should feel the stretch in your posterior thigh at first and your buttock over time.  Do that the same number of reps as you do the side leg lifts to the ceiling.  Sorry I omitted these last time but I've been doing this so long and unconsciously I forgot!

                                                                             

So what numbers are important you? Your age?  The amount of your salary?  The balance in your checkbook?  How many children and grandchildren you have? Maybe right now it's the number of days until you get off for Christmas or the shopping days you have left. I'm going to ask you to begin paying attention to a few more.  My guess is most everyone has heard there's something called "body mass index" but I don't know if you know how to calculate it  or what it means to your health.  So here is a link to a BMI calculator to help you figure yours out if you don't already know it.  Now I'm not into guilt so if you don't want to know what your current BMI is you don't have to put your current weight in the calculator.  You can use it to calculate what weight you need to be at in order to have a healthy BMI.

Try this link:
http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bminojs.htm

While you're there take a look at the page that says "Assessing your weight and health risk".  There is a lot of good information that will explain what BMI can tell you about  your health and why it is great for you to arrive at a healthy number.  While you're enjoying your holidays I'd like you to give some consideration to what you want your goal weight to be and why you want it to be that number.  This is a look at what's realistic which may be different from what you think you want.  If you have any questions, leave them for me in comments.

The party season is in full swing.  While you're partying enjoy and don't feel guilty but during the week please think about what you're eating.  Garbage in, garbage out and eat it today, wear it tomorrow are cliches because there is some truth at their base. Drink your water, move and stretch.  There is a reason for this but it's not weight loss.  I'll tell you on January 1st.

Until next time - stay healthy!
HV13