SparkPeople Member and Certified Running Coach
Nancy Howard has a degree in nursing. Her mission is to help others learn the process of living a healthy lifestyle and to let them know it is never too late to start. An avid runner, Nancy has competed in more than 100 road races since 2006, including 12 half marathons and Hood to Coast Relay--the largest in North America. She has lost 80 pounds--and kept it off--since joining SparkPeople in 2005. In 2009, she achieved two amazing goals: She became a Runners Club of America Certified Running Coach and ran the Chicago Marathon. She wants to inspire the world and let everyone know you don’t have to be an Olympian to run.
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Celebrate National Wear Red Day
This Friday, February 6, marks the National Wear Red Day, when everyone across the country is asked to wear red in support of raising awareness of the number one killer of American women: heart disease. Held the first Friday in February since 2002, the Wear Red Day campaign has been gaining momentum and helping educate women on cardiovascular disease awareness.
Each year, more than 500,000, or roughly 1 in 4 women, or one woman every minute, will succumb to heart disease. And of that number, more than half will die from heart attacks. While heart disease afflicts six times the number of women diagnosed every year with breast cancer, surveys have shown that women fear breast cancer far more so than heart disease. This is one reason why the National Wear Red Day is paramount if we want to change the path on which we, as women, are headed. Sadly, many times a woman’s first experience with heart disease is often her last as many women tend to ignore the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and/or heart disease until it is too late.
Posted 2/4/2009 5:00:00 PM By: : 141 comments 19,386 views
During Stressful Times, Working Out is Even More Crucial
Watching and hearing the news could make us all feel a tad more anxious, as more and more companies continue downsizing. When the media referred to Monday’s job cuts as "Bloody Monday," such negative connotations can leave us all with feelings of vulnerability and uncertainty. Or at least for me it did.
These are daunting times. The unknown is far scarier than the known. Not knowing if and when you may receive the notice from your employer may lead many of us to stress eating or total abandonment of their healthy lifestyle. But we must know that giving into these unhealthy ways will not change the events. While eating chocolate and chips may give us a temporary feel-good sense, it will not change our situation.
Posted 1/31/2009 5:00:00 AM By: : 127 comments 18,097 views
Every Individual is an Experiment of One
While reading many of the responses to my recent blog regarding giving up the scale, this reinforced the idea that this journey is not about what is right for others but about what is right for YOU! I heard from many members that the scale can become an obsession, which it was for me; however for others it was and is a valuable tool that allows them to measure their progress. Keep in mind it took me well into my 18th month and many long plateaus before I released myself from scale ownership.
This doesn’t mean I am right and others are wrong or vice versa; but, instead it reinforces the idea that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to losing weight and getting fit. For many having concrete tools for success far exceed how one’s clothes fit, how they feel, or even how well they perform.
Posted 1/24/2009 3:57:47 PM By: : 192 comments 15,858 views
Free Prescriptions, but at What Cost?
In October 2006, Meijer Inc, a supermarket chain in the Midwest, initiated a trend of offering free antibiotics to its customers whose doctors had prescribed these medications. This trend has been slowly spreading across the nation as grocery stores vie for customers in response to Wal-mart and Target’s introduction of the $4 generic prescription program. Seventeen months ago Publix Super Markets in Florida followed Meijer’s footsteps and started giving away many commonly prescribed antibiotics to those with prescriptions.
Posted 1/17/2009 6:01:38 AM By: : 163 comments 21,212 views
Are You Willing to Take the Pledge to Be Healthy Today?
I am a health fanatic. I read everything I can get my hands on when it comes to healthy living--everything from nutrition to exercise to the role sleep plays in our lifestyle and on and on. If it has healthy and living in the title I read it.
Recently I came across three very staggering and disturbing statistics about the health and well-being of Americans, especially our children. If you feel as passionate as I did when I read the research, I think one by one we can slowly turn this trend of obesity and unhealthy living around. It isn’t going to be easy, but it must be done, if we want to live healthy and productive lives and more importantly if we want the next generation to do the same.
Posted 1/10/2009 6:00:00 AM By: : 266 comments 34,867 views
Does Your Weight/Age Define You?
I always thought when I lost all my weight somehow my life would be perfect. I would finally be able to accept myself for who I was. I would no longer find fault with myself. I would be able to go into any store and buy anything I wanted right off the rack and my life would be just dandy. But for some reason that hasn’t been the case. However, I am slowly beginning to accept where I am and no longer will I allow my weight or age to define who I AM TODAY!
Posted 1/7/2009 5:57:08 PM By: : 249 comments 18,046 views
5 Winter Weather Risks to Avoid
Now that winter is officially here, so are the risks of winter injuries. While I live in a climate where snow and ice are rare, many areas of the country are experiencing snow, ice, and cold temperatures like never before.
Below are a few of the most common winter weather injuries that may be avoided if proper caution is taken prior to venturing outside.
Posted 1/3/2009 6:00:04 AM By: : 71 comments 13,390 views
What Challenges Will You Take on in 2009?
As another year comes to an end and a new one begins, many of us, me included, will set aside time to re-evaluate the events in our life and prepare the way for the events of 2009. While I have never been one to make yearly resolutions, I do like to set aside time to re-examine all the great and wonderful events of the past year, while allowing time to make way for new undertakings in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
I just heard on the news that 87% of all people who make resolutions will break them by the end of the January. With that being the case I wonder why so many of us make them to begin with. I think, at least for me, resolutions allow many of us an opportunity for a new beginning--time to wipe the slate clean and begin anew. But can’t every day or any day, for that matter, be the opportunity for starting fresh and new?
Posted 12/31/2008 5:00:00 PM By: : 78 comments 9,884 views
10 Lessons Learned in My 3-Year SparkPeople Journey
Sixteen months ago, while I was out on a Saturday run with my running group I came across a shiny copper penny on the ground. Never one to pass up money, I quickly turned around, snatched the tiny coin in my hand and took it home. Not quite sure what to do with it, I placed it in a jar on the counter, where it has been joined by many others since.
Now many of you maybe wondering what this has to do with this journey we call healthy living. The reason the jar of coins means so much to me today is not so much the value of the coins but what they represent--my journey to a healthier me!
Posted 12/27/2008 6:01:32 AM By: : 309 comments 26,732 views
Cyberchondria: Is it all in your Head?
Most of us have heard of hypochondria--you know the obsessive belief that you have some dreaded illness due to symptoms that you are experiencing or have developed related to that illness. But now that we have the world at our finger tips via the worldwide web, many individuals have developed a condition that health care professionals are labeling as cyberchondria.
Cyberchondria is a behavior where individuals use the web in order to gather information about their health or the health of their loved ones in order to gain a better insight into their situation many times leading these individuals to great apprehension and anxiety.
And how easy it is these days to develop such a condition with 24/7 access to such sites as the Mayo Clinic and WebMD. All’s one has to do is plug in his/her symptoms and before he/she knows it, there is a laundry list of conditions that may or may not be his/her problem.
Posted 12/20/2008 12:04:09 PM By: : 112 comments 15,389 views
Would You Take Drugs to Be Smarter?
A few weeks ago I was watching an episode of Boston Legal in which a woman was refused admittance to Harvard because she had taken a performance enhancing prescription prior to her SAT. The reason she gave for taking this medication was to give her greater cognitive ability. The plot had the judge ruling in favor of Harvard, not because the co-ed took the drug to do better, but that she had taken it illegally without a prescription therefore violating the law causing her character to be tarnished.
WHAT? Are students really resorting to taking controlled substances just to get ahead of the game? While this show is for entertainment purposes, I had no clue that this was really going on in schools, on college campuses, and in the work place and has for some years. So I decided to do a little research on my own. Wow, what a revelation it was!
Posted 12/17/2008 6:01:41 PM By: : 126 comments 11,256 views
Motivation: Where Do You Find Yours?
The common bond many of us share is where to find the motivation to carry us to our goals. What happens when it isn’t there? Why is it so important in helping us to achieve success in anything that we do, including embracing a healthy lifestyle?
When I first began my journey, motivation was at an all-time high. It was like the first day of school, you know when you buy a new back-to-school outfit, new school supplies, and even look forward to making new friends. But once the first few weeks are well behind you this is when the work really begins. And it can be tough and no longer fun.
Posted 12/13/2008 6:01:09 AM By: : 111 comments 21,451 views
What is Female Athlete Triad Syndrome?
I first heard about Female Athlete Triad Syndrome a few months ago from one of the female running coaches at my gym. However, after doing my own research, I discovered this syndrome has been an issue for quite some time. I was surprised to read that the women suffering from this condition are quite athletic in nature and truly embrace their sport, many times to the point of obsession. While appearing to be the picture of health, these young women often lead a secret life of calorie restriction and over-exercising. In doing so, they believe this will give them an added edge to be the best of the best in their chosen sport.
Posted 12/10/2008 6:01:38 PM By: : 56 comments 35,450 views
Cold and Flu Season is Just around the Corner
If you’re like me, the change of seasons brings a nice reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the warmer weather months, but it also brings the dreaded cold and flu season.
Have you ever wondered why the flu is much more prevalent during the winter months than at any other time of the year? The reason--the virus responsible for this ailment is more stable in a cold, dry environment and tends to remain in the air longer in these conditions than in an environment where the air is warm and moist.
Posted 12/6/2008 6:00:00 AM By: : 94 comments 25,269 views
How to Avoid Gym Jitters: Finding a Club that Suits You
Over the next several weeks, gym enrollment across the country will hit a season high as many of us prepare to follow through with our New Year’s resolutions of finally getting in shape. But before you jump into any long term contracts, review a list of suggestions that may help you determine if the gym you choose is a good fit for you.
Posted 12/3/2008 7:02:00 PM By: : 41 comments 10,614 views
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