My new gym has a Stairmaster. It has been a few years since I have ventured onto one of these machines.
I was on it for ten minutes and it felt like I was exercising. While I was in graduate school I used to love the Stairmaster and would listen to some exciting music and workout on that thing for a good twenty to thirty minutes. It would excite me. Not so much anymore!
The Stairmaster is a good component of a cardio workout because not only is it cardio, but it helps to build muscle mass. I've also heard it said that working out on the Stairmaster helps one to lose body fat faster. Both of these are good benefits in addition to burning some calories.
The Stairmaster is on the second floor of the gym in front of a very large window which left me with the oppotunity to people watch. Watching people come and go from the parking lot wasn't as interesting as I expected so I began to look around and I noticed a tent city for homeless people under some large trees just beyond the fence on the side of a hill. It was interesting to see and it isn't the first one I have seen here in Atlanta. Next week I will check to see if they are still there when I get my climb on once again!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Ode to Spinning!
I haven't gone to a Spinning class since I was in graduate school. Today was the first one and I am feeling it! It felt really good to be with a group of people who were hardcore about exercising. It was a good class and I liked the instructor.
The thing I enjoy about Spinning is that it is different from other workouts and from other group exercise. You use almost all of your muscles in your body, it isn't boring, and you keep moving. By the time I climbed off of that bike I felt like I exercised. I also enjoyed using the bike to stretch. Those stretches felt so good!
Spinning is a cardio workout that increases and decreases tension, is done sitting and standing on the bike, and is low impact. In addition it burns a lot of calories. I love the intensity of it.
I am looking forward to the next class!
The thing I enjoy about Spinning is that it is different from other workouts and from other group exercise. You use almost all of your muscles in your body, it isn't boring, and you keep moving. By the time I climbed off of that bike I felt like I exercised. I also enjoyed using the bike to stretch. Those stretches felt so good!
Spinning is a cardio workout that increases and decreases tension, is done sitting and standing on the bike, and is low impact. In addition it burns a lot of calories. I love the intensity of it.
I am looking forward to the next class!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Wellness in Families
I taught my first class today on "Family Issues" with a group of about 20 men and 1 woman putting their lives back together here in Atlanta. This is a class I will teach weekly for the next few months.
We made genograms of our families today. A genogram is basically a family tree with more information. It is used to track generational patterns and cycles of things--conflict, distance, addiction, disorders, career paths, number of children, choice of religion, etc. Whenever I do this with someone they are always shocked to see the things that repeat themselves through the generations. Research has documented that alcoholism is common in multiple generations, just as violence, career choice, and religion are. It always amazes me that people never think about these patterns in their families until they scribble it out on the paper. Some families have negative cycles and patterns that continue to repeat generation after generation, while others have positive things that repeat.
My favorite genograms are the ones where there is a lot of negativity and then all of a sudden there is a generation or a group of siblings where there are only positive things.
That happened to one gentlemen today. He was looking at his genogram and noticed that all of his sisters children didn't have any of the drama, trauma, or conflict that multiple generations of his family has experienced. This was profound for him to look at and when I asked him about it he said, "something must have broken the pattern."
When I pause to reflect on my own family and the cycles and patterns that exist I am astonished to think about how good God really is and has been to my generation in my family. We have broken many of those negative cycles and other generational curses that have existed in my family for a very long time.
This brings me to wellness in families. The Bible is pretty clear about bringing your children up in the way should go and they will not depart from it. I need to be healthy--physically, emotionally, and spiritually--and break the negative pattern that has existed in my family for so long. This healthy living will be passed on to my children and grandchildren.
I am joining the YMCA and not some other gym because I support the idea of community based family health and wellness. There are so many people who are suffering and there are so many broken families. We need to teach and model wellness in families.
We made genograms of our families today. A genogram is basically a family tree with more information. It is used to track generational patterns and cycles of things--conflict, distance, addiction, disorders, career paths, number of children, choice of religion, etc. Whenever I do this with someone they are always shocked to see the things that repeat themselves through the generations. Research has documented that alcoholism is common in multiple generations, just as violence, career choice, and religion are. It always amazes me that people never think about these patterns in their families until they scribble it out on the paper. Some families have negative cycles and patterns that continue to repeat generation after generation, while others have positive things that repeat.
My favorite genograms are the ones where there is a lot of negativity and then all of a sudden there is a generation or a group of siblings where there are only positive things.
That happened to one gentlemen today. He was looking at his genogram and noticed that all of his sisters children didn't have any of the drama, trauma, or conflict that multiple generations of his family has experienced. This was profound for him to look at and when I asked him about it he said, "something must have broken the pattern."
When I pause to reflect on my own family and the cycles and patterns that exist I am astonished to think about how good God really is and has been to my generation in my family. We have broken many of those negative cycles and other generational curses that have existed in my family for a very long time.
This brings me to wellness in families. The Bible is pretty clear about bringing your children up in the way should go and they will not depart from it. I need to be healthy--physically, emotionally, and spiritually--and break the negative pattern that has existed in my family for so long. This healthy living will be passed on to my children and grandchildren.
I am joining the YMCA and not some other gym because I support the idea of community based family health and wellness. There are so many people who are suffering and there are so many broken families. We need to teach and model wellness in families.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Food: Fuel or pleasure?
I have a confession: I, Monica, am an emotional eater.
I know this may come as a shock to some, especially to those who have had to work for or with me when I am stressed, frustrated, or have been with me when I have experienced some form of personal injustice. This may also be a shock to those who have grown up with me, listen to me when I am having a pity party, or otherwise have had the unfortunate pleasure of putting up with me when I am in an unmotivated state of positive being.
Eating for pleasure if usually just wrong--not always, but usually. The "usually" wrong is when I get myself into trouble. I eat when I am bored and not hungry, or when I am too lazy to do something else...or when it is just right there in my face screaming "eat me!"
This is why I am re-focusing the role of food in my life. Food is fuel for our bodies. I think if I viewed food this way I would think differently about the way that I eat and would make better choices. I am doing just that now.
For the month of September I am veggie/vegan/ish. I am not eating meat for a few reasons. The main reason is because I want to be healthier and every now and again I need to get back on track about what and why I am eating. Being a vegetarian, or really a wannabe vegan, is an attempt to focus on giving my body the fuel that it needs and focusing less on the pleasure aspect of eating. My husband doesn't help this because he eats so much grease, fat, and other junk and is still really thin.
I am also focusing on what I eat because I have yet to get back into the routine of working out consistently. I am definitely feeling it and am on the cusp of getting back into it, but balancing everything else I have going on is making it difficult. I am just still making excuses (I visited a local gym and will be joining it within the next week. I just can't do the gym here where I live. It is not motivating enough for me).
Which brings me to this question: when you eat, are you eating because your body needs fuel or are you eating for some other purpose?
I know this may come as a shock to some, especially to those who have had to work for or with me when I am stressed, frustrated, or have been with me when I have experienced some form of personal injustice. This may also be a shock to those who have grown up with me, listen to me when I am having a pity party, or otherwise have had the unfortunate pleasure of putting up with me when I am in an unmotivated state of positive being.
Eating for pleasure if usually just wrong--not always, but usually. The "usually" wrong is when I get myself into trouble. I eat when I am bored and not hungry, or when I am too lazy to do something else...or when it is just right there in my face screaming "eat me!"
This is why I am re-focusing the role of food in my life. Food is fuel for our bodies. I think if I viewed food this way I would think differently about the way that I eat and would make better choices. I am doing just that now.
For the month of September I am veggie/vegan/ish. I am not eating meat for a few reasons. The main reason is because I want to be healthier and every now and again I need to get back on track about what and why I am eating. Being a vegetarian, or really a wannabe vegan, is an attempt to focus on giving my body the fuel that it needs and focusing less on the pleasure aspect of eating. My husband doesn't help this because he eats so much grease, fat, and other junk and is still really thin.
I am also focusing on what I eat because I have yet to get back into the routine of working out consistently. I am definitely feeling it and am on the cusp of getting back into it, but balancing everything else I have going on is making it difficult. I am just still making excuses (I visited a local gym and will be joining it within the next week. I just can't do the gym here where I live. It is not motivating enough for me).
Which brings me to this question: when you eat, are you eating because your body needs fuel or are you eating for some other purpose?
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Dairy free is for me
There are some things in life that just aren't fair. Being lactose intolerant is one of those things-especially for me as I really enjoy eating cheese, ice cream, and other fine dairy oriented foods.
I had a visit to my new doctor in Atlanta today and we discussed lactose intolerance and it made me think a little bit about how we all have something that reminds us of how human we really are and how dependent we need to be on the LORD. I am not saying that being lactose intolerant is all that serious compared to what many others have to live with, but it is inconvenient and serves as a reminder every time I eat cheese or ice cream that my body is not perfect. It makes me rely on the LORD just a little bit more and reminds me that I need to be thankful for my otherwise good health.
There are ways around not eating dairy. I take a calcium supplement, use soy milk when I am making something just for me, and take a pill for those times when I just HAVE to have some cheese. Being conscience about what I am eating is a positive thing. Our bodies really are the temple of the LORD and we need to take care of them. Spending a few extra dollars occasionally or passing up on the string cheese (so sad, I know!) really is in my best interest.
Thank you LORD for making me me--dairy free and all!.
I had a visit to my new doctor in Atlanta today and we discussed lactose intolerance and it made me think a little bit about how we all have something that reminds us of how human we really are and how dependent we need to be on the LORD. I am not saying that being lactose intolerant is all that serious compared to what many others have to live with, but it is inconvenient and serves as a reminder every time I eat cheese or ice cream that my body is not perfect. It makes me rely on the LORD just a little bit more and reminds me that I need to be thankful for my otherwise good health.
There are ways around not eating dairy. I take a calcium supplement, use soy milk when I am making something just for me, and take a pill for those times when I just HAVE to have some cheese. Being conscience about what I am eating is a positive thing. Our bodies really are the temple of the LORD and we need to take care of them. Spending a few extra dollars occasionally or passing up on the string cheese (so sad, I know!) really is in my best interest.
Thank you LORD for making me me--dairy free and all!.
Monday, July 20, 2009
New season in life
I feel convicted after I just ate two cookies. I should preface that by saying that I ate a banana before I ate the cookies as my husband was eating a HUGE bowl of ice cream...which I should preface that by saying I was just complaining to my husband not even five minutes ago that my pants are tight...
The past two months has been nothing but transition in my life as I became an ordained minister and had to move completely out of my apartment in NY and put everything into storage for a month. Aside from that I got married in a different state, went on a honeymoon across the world, and then came back to move more than 900 miles away from my old place of residence. I have also started a new job (which is about an hour from home with Atlanta traffic...boo), am adjusting to being married, and to a new gym.
The nice thing about where we live is that there is a gym here, albeit not as nice as my old gym, but a gym none the less. I always say I'm not that sentimental, but the truth is I am. It takes me time every time I move to adjust to new things. I also seem to be comparing them to what was before. I guess it's part of the "grass is always greener on the other side" mentality.
I have neglected things that are priorities to me the past two months which begs the question of whether or not they are priorities. I have sincerely missed my prayer time and have recently spent some time earnestly before the LORD. I have missed exercising in general and am now adjusting to doing things that my husband likes, too (by the way...he can't stand going to the gym!). I have been eating whatever is available and really miss veggies!
Now is the time to stop making excuses. We are just about settled and moved into our new place. I am ready to be done shopping and thinking about making our new place home. It is home. I've just completed my second week in the office. I now know my way around the maze of the building and I know where the break room is so that I can pack a healthy lunch and take it with me. I now have been to the gym a few times and need to frequent it more often (i.e. make it a routine again). I am now figuring out my daily routine (although my job requires me to travel A LOT) and can settle into my health and wellness routine.
This is a new season in my life. It's time to put some new jams on the ipod and get to work.
The past two months has been nothing but transition in my life as I became an ordained minister and had to move completely out of my apartment in NY and put everything into storage for a month. Aside from that I got married in a different state, went on a honeymoon across the world, and then came back to move more than 900 miles away from my old place of residence. I have also started a new job (which is about an hour from home with Atlanta traffic...boo), am adjusting to being married, and to a new gym.
The nice thing about where we live is that there is a gym here, albeit not as nice as my old gym, but a gym none the less. I always say I'm not that sentimental, but the truth is I am. It takes me time every time I move to adjust to new things. I also seem to be comparing them to what was before. I guess it's part of the "grass is always greener on the other side" mentality.
I have neglected things that are priorities to me the past two months which begs the question of whether or not they are priorities. I have sincerely missed my prayer time and have recently spent some time earnestly before the LORD. I have missed exercising in general and am now adjusting to doing things that my husband likes, too (by the way...he can't stand going to the gym!). I have been eating whatever is available and really miss veggies!
Now is the time to stop making excuses. We are just about settled and moved into our new place. I am ready to be done shopping and thinking about making our new place home. It is home. I've just completed my second week in the office. I now know my way around the maze of the building and I know where the break room is so that I can pack a healthy lunch and take it with me. I now have been to the gym a few times and need to frequent it more often (i.e. make it a routine again). I am now figuring out my daily routine (although my job requires me to travel A LOT) and can settle into my health and wellness routine.
This is a new season in my life. It's time to put some new jams on the ipod and get to work.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Ode to pool friends
In a few weeks I will be moving half way across the country so tonight was the last night at the pool for me. I mentioned to some of my pool friends that it was my last night not thinking much of it and ended up having a really good conversation about life with two ladies there.
As I was swimming my laps I was reflecting on how important the pool has been for me over the past two years since I began swimming in this specific pool.
I have had a rough, but overall good two years. The pool has been something that I have been able to do for myself once a week and has been something that I have enjoyed. I find the water calming to my muscles and to my spirit even if I am out of breath after swimming laps for an hour or so.
The friends I started with in the pool are not the friends I ended up with in the pool. It is interesting to me that not one of the friends I first went to the pool with are still swimming but that in place of them the LORD has given me the opportunity to befriend other people.
Gerry gave me her address before I left the pool and wanted mine. The pool supervisor gave me a really big hug and kiss as I was leaving (I wasn't expecting that) and with tears in her eyes told me to "change the world, General."
So this is my ode to my pool friends:
To Gerry: keep going to your PT and swimming with that noodle..and thanks for making me laugh with, "Oh my gawd...the wudder is sooo cold Manika!"
To Peter (retired Episcopalian priest): get your laps in, Peter, and thanks for encouraging me. I, too, understand that the water is cold.
To Peter's wife: I'm sorry he talked to me more than you. Hopefully you two will talk more in the pool now that I will not be there.
To Monica: thanks for putting Jack Johnson on while we all swam. We always miss the nights when you aren't guarding.
To Matt: don't worry...if you get wet you will dry. It's a good thing you are wearing swim trunks just in case you did get wet from your chair.
To the guy who got divorced this past fall and comes swimming for social interaction and to check out the chicks: God bless you.
To the Chinese family with the twin boys (they are SOOO cute!): Congrats on not needing floaties around your arms anymore. Keep working on that doggie paddle!
To the Ukranian mom with a son about 11 or 12: why do you wear white pants to the pool every Monday night knowing that you are going to get wet? May you get some other pants.
To the young family with the little girl and baby: I encourage you to continue your family time at the pool. What a beautiful thing to do as a family.
To the old guy who always swims in the same lane and has never uttered a word to anyone in the past two years: I hope you have a voice.
To the pool supervisor: I hope everything works out with your mortgage. Keep on keepin on...
To the other pool supervisor: Your niece is adorable. I will remember for a long time when her dad was home from Iraq and came to see her swim in the pool.
As I was swimming my laps I was reflecting on how important the pool has been for me over the past two years since I began swimming in this specific pool.
I have had a rough, but overall good two years. The pool has been something that I have been able to do for myself once a week and has been something that I have enjoyed. I find the water calming to my muscles and to my spirit even if I am out of breath after swimming laps for an hour or so.
The friends I started with in the pool are not the friends I ended up with in the pool. It is interesting to me that not one of the friends I first went to the pool with are still swimming but that in place of them the LORD has given me the opportunity to befriend other people.
Gerry gave me her address before I left the pool and wanted mine. The pool supervisor gave me a really big hug and kiss as I was leaving (I wasn't expecting that) and with tears in her eyes told me to "change the world, General."
So this is my ode to my pool friends:
To Gerry: keep going to your PT and swimming with that noodle..and thanks for making me laugh with, "Oh my gawd...the wudder is sooo cold Manika!"
To Peter (retired Episcopalian priest): get your laps in, Peter, and thanks for encouraging me. I, too, understand that the water is cold.
To Peter's wife: I'm sorry he talked to me more than you. Hopefully you two will talk more in the pool now that I will not be there.
To Monica: thanks for putting Jack Johnson on while we all swam. We always miss the nights when you aren't guarding.
To Matt: don't worry...if you get wet you will dry. It's a good thing you are wearing swim trunks just in case you did get wet from your chair.
To the guy who got divorced this past fall and comes swimming for social interaction and to check out the chicks: God bless you.
To the Chinese family with the twin boys (they are SOOO cute!): Congrats on not needing floaties around your arms anymore. Keep working on that doggie paddle!
To the Ukranian mom with a son about 11 or 12: why do you wear white pants to the pool every Monday night knowing that you are going to get wet? May you get some other pants.
To the young family with the little girl and baby: I encourage you to continue your family time at the pool. What a beautiful thing to do as a family.
To the old guy who always swims in the same lane and has never uttered a word to anyone in the past two years: I hope you have a voice.
To the pool supervisor: I hope everything works out with your mortgage. Keep on keepin on...
To the other pool supervisor: Your niece is adorable. I will remember for a long time when her dad was home from Iraq and came to see her swim in the pool.
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