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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Why Strength Training Is a Necessity for Older Adults
As a member of the Baby Boomer generation, each year I edge a little closer to those wonderful golden years. In just a little over six months I will be celebrating my 50th birthday, a milestone I am eager to reach, after all how can I complain when I am the healthiest I have been in my life. And the icing on the cake is that I get to move up to the next age division for running events. However, I do find that with each passing year it takes a little longer for me to recover from my workouts, especially after my long runs once they hit the double digit distance or after a heavy duty strength training session.
On Wednesday I had the privilege to listen to a presentation via the internet led by Dr. Wayne Westcott, Fitness Research Director, South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts. I have been a long time fan of Dr. Westcott going back years ago when I was an avid reader of Prevention Magazine. One of my all-time favorite books of his is Get Stronger, Feel Younger a book that basically tells of the importance of strength training for women.
Wednesday's presentation titled, Use It or Lose It; The Importance of Strength Training for Seniors covered the reasons why strength training needs to be an integral part of our fitness activity as we age. While many of us are consistent with our aerobic activity, the older we are the more important strength training becomes in helping us build lean muscle mass, lowering the amount of fat we carry while increasing our metabolic rate due to an increase in metabolically active tissue.
Posted 2/12/2011 7:30:26 AM By: : 116 comments 73,493 views
10 Medicine Ball Moves to Help You Get a Leaner Body
Medicine Balls provide a great alternative to the standard free weights and resistance bands many of us own and use for strength training at home. Not only do medicine balls provide us with a larger range of motion compared to other workout equipment, but they also provide us with greater dynamic flexibility. Depending on the weight you choose, medicine balls can be an inexpensive addition to your at home workout equipment while providing you with variety to help keep your workouts fresh, therefore making them a great supplement to your strength training routine.
Posted 2/9/2011 2:00:00 PM By: : 54 comments 56,872 views
Excuses Give Us Permission to Fail
"If a man really wants something he will find a way, if he doesn't he will find an excuse." Stephen Dolley, Jr.
The above quote was one of the first inspirational quotes I read when I joined SparkPeople over five years ago. It made such an impact on my life that I began to look at quotes or mantras, as some people like to call them, as a blueprint for changing my life.
For me, excuses allowed me not to have to take responsibility for the events in my life, whether that was eating well, making time for exercise or even organizing my home. After all I had so many more important things to take care, therefore excuses became my way of coping--in other words, it wasn't my fault. How could I exercise when I had work or family obligations to take care? How could I eat healthy when I didn't have time to plan and shop? How could I possibly get my finances under control when I just didn't have the time? And the list could go on and on.
When I read the quote from Stephen Dolley, Jr. it was an AHA moment for me. It made me realize that I alone was responsible for everything that happened in my life. I could no longer blame bad genetics for my high blood pressure or a 6th grade P.E. teacher who told me I would never be a runner. It was time for me to grow up and face the music as they say. It was time for me to take responsibility and quit blaming fast food restaurants for the bad choices I was making. No one made me drive to Mickey D's to pick up a serving of extra large fries and a Diet Coke except me.
Posted 2/5/2011 7:00:36 AM By: : 180 comments 35,696 views
Go Red for Women Tomorrow, Feb. 4!
What if I told you that heart disease kills more women than the next four causes of death, would that encourage you to change your lifestyle?
What if I told you heart disease takes the life of one woman every minute, would that encourage you to change your lifestyle?
What if I told you that 1 in 3 women die every year from heart disease compared to 1 in 30 who die from breast cancer, would that encourage you to change your lifestyle?
What If I told you 90 percent of us have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease, would that encourage you to change your lifestyle?
What if I told you 80% of cardiac events in women may be prevented, would that encourage you to change your lifestyle?
While these statistics provided by the American Heart Association are quite alarming, they are a reminder of the changes we can all make to reverse or at least slow down the progression of heart disease. Hope is not loss. And this is where the Go Red for Women campaign comes into play. The Go Red for Women campaign was designed to help educate women of the importance in making lifestyle changes now so that they may deter the staggering effects of heart disease later in life.
Posted 2/3/2011 11:10:48 AM By: : 97 comments 23,512 views
8 Strength Training Exercises for a Healthier Heart
February kicks off the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's American Heart Month along with the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign which focuses on heart health awareness for women. Heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the United States so taking care of our hearts via aerobic and strength training activities is moving us in the direction to overcoming this disease.
Aerobic activity is crucial for keeping our cardiovascular system strong and healthy, but we should not forget the role strength training plays in keeping our hearts healthy, too. According to Dr. Kenneth Cooper, AKA the Father of Aerobics, the older we are the more important strength training needs to be a part of our workout routine. In his book Start Strong, Finish Strong by the time we reach the age of 60 we should be spending 55% of our workout time toward aerobic activity, which "provides the most health benefits" and 45% of our time to strength/resistance training.
Posted 2/2/2011 5:30:34 PM By: : 40 comments 49,985 views
13 Cold Weather Exercise Tips
With much of the country experiencing unseasonably colder temperatures, as well as snow and ice this winter, these conditions can make it more of a challenge to hit the trails to get in your daily run in, especially when it would be so much easier to stay indoors. But you don't have to put your workouts on hold until the spring temperatures return. By taking proper precautions before heading outside you can make the most of your workouts while battling the elements.
Below are a few tips to help make your outdoor activities this winter a little more pleasurable. While I do focus on running know that these tips can be applied to almost every workout activity done outside during the cold winter season.
Posted 1/29/2011 8:00:00 AM By: : 49 comments 52,107 views
It's All About Perspective
I have had so many wonderful opportunities the past two years to meet some very special and remarkable SparkPeople members who continue to motivate and inspire me to carry on with my own journey to embrace all that life has to offer. Hearing the inspirational stories of so many members who have overcome their own obstacles in life, such as losing over 100 pounds, running their first half-marathon or even lacing up their running shoes to race their first 5K is a blessing beyond words.
In a few short weeks I will celebrate six years of being diet free. I have never considered this journey I am on as another diet. I consider this my way of living. Running, strength training, Pilates and watching my diet has become my way of living, so much so that I no longer have to think I just do--something my running coach taught me years ago when I was new to the sport of running. In order to make a habit we must constantly make ourselves aware of the changes we need to make until we no longer have to think we just do--that is what we call a habit.
Posted 1/22/2011 8:30:12 AM By: : 92 comments 32,884 views
Exercise Tips for Shoveling Snow
With much of the country experiencing an unseasonable amount of snow this winter many of us are finding ourselves digging out the snow shovel to clear our paths. But we must be mindful that while snow shoveling can give one quite a workout,it does come with some risks, as well as benefits. According to the 1996 Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health, just 15 minutes of snow shoveling counts as a moderate intensity activity. It is important to note that taking proper safety measures before heading outside is imperative in keeping you healthy and injury free.
Posted 1/19/2011 2:00:08 PM By: : 62 comments 32,792 views
Research Shows Health-Care Providers Not So Sympathetic to Their Overweight Patients
Last month Coach Nicole sent me a link to an article from the LA Times she thought I would find interesting. After reading the article I knew this was a great topic for me to blog about. In a heartbeat I jumped at the opportunity to give my own personal insight regarding the reaction I experienced in my own life-long journey to overcome the stigma of being overweight, especially from a few not-so-sympathetic health-care providers.
In the article Rebecca Puhl, director of research at the Rudd Center of Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University is quoted saying, "overweight people are often stereotyped as lazy and undisciplined." However the article also states that adjectives such as "mean, stupid and unhappy" can also be equated to those overweight/obese individuals. And these labels aren't just from doctors and nurses, but teachers, employers, classmates, even our own family members. While others may have viewed me that way, that was not the way I viewed myself, EXCEPT when I was around those people who made me feel that way.
Posted 1/15/2011 8:00:00 AM By: : 214 comments 28,564 views
Has the Technology Wave Gone Too Far?
Last week I wrote a blog about working balance into my life for 2011. This was not a hasty goal but one I have been reflecting on for many months now. It seems as though the more gadgets I get, everything from my iPhone, to my iTouch, to my iPad, to my laptop, to my GPS, even my Garmin Forerunner for running, the more I am tethered to a source of technology. And in doing so the more isolated I have become. Instead of picking up the phone, I can send a text or email which isn't always met with the response I expect as the written word doesn't always carry the intonation I had intended, but it is convenient.
A few weeks ago my husband and I were having a nice dinner at a family style restaurant when we saw a family of five sitting at a table. I assume it was Mom, Dad and their three kids. The Mom was sitting quietly looking around sipping on her tea, while the Dad spent his time looking at his cell phone, and all the kids were texting or playing games on their cell phones. What I didn't see was a family conversing and experiencing a meal as a family, well at least not the way I envision families spending a meal together.
The technology jab didn't stop there. Last month when I was running the Las Vegas Rock N Roll Half-Marathon/Marathon, I was running by a young lady whom I believed was trying to talk to me. In my silly way I tried to ask her what she was saying, but I never got a response. I kept talking louder and still no response, and that was when I realized she wasn't talking to me, she was talking on her cell phone in the middle of a race.
Posted 1/8/2011 8:00:05 AM By: : 206 comments 31,893 views
2011 Will Be All about Balance
There's always something special about new beginnings. Whether it is the ushering in of a new season or new year, new beginnings allow us to let go of the past and see hope in the future. It isn't about wiping the slate clean, but using this time to make the necessary changes needed to keep us moving in the direction we are meant to be heading.
I am not usually one to make New Year's Resolutions per se, but I do like to sit down at the end of the year and re-evaluate what I have accomplished and areas where I need to work on. The one area I would like to focus on in the new year is having more balance in my life. For some reason whenever I put my mind to something, it is as if I put blinders on and all I can do is focus on that one goal. This was precisely what happened this past summer when I was in the midst of marathon training.
One Saturday after finishing an 18 mile run on a sweltering hot, Texas morning I was not feeling the joy. I found myself having to turn down invitations with my friends due to my long runs and subsequent naps that I was beginning to despise my runs . While I loved the emotions of crossing the finish line at the Chicago Marathon last year, I had to remind myself that I feel that same joy whenever I cross a finish line of any race distance. I do not have to be a marathoner to call myself a runner. I do not even have to cross another finish line to call myself a runner.
Posted 1/1/2011 8:33:00 AM By: : 94 comments 22,012 views
SparkPeople Members Take on Vegas
It's hard to believe just ten short months ago SparkPeople runners and walkers traveled from all over the country to run the first of many races in 2010. We all met in New Orleans to run in the Mardi Gras Rock N Roll Marathon and Half-Marathon at the end of February and I must say it started a trend that I am sure will continue well into 2011 and beyond.
Posted 12/18/2010 8:15:30 AM By: : 54 comments 20,985 views
10 Holiday Gift Ideas for the Fitness Enthusiast
With the holiday just around the corner many of you may be looking for a few fitness gift ideas for your family, friends or maybe something you would like to put on your own gift wish list. Check out my list and feel free to add a few of your own ideas in the comment area below. The majority of the items are less than $50 which makes them the ideal gift for that someone special in your life.
Posted 12/11/2010 12:00:00 PM By: : 39 comments 29,993 views
Are You Afraid to Ask for Help?
When I was a kid one of the greatest causes of my anxiety was not knowing an answer to a problem or worse yet having to ask someone to help me out. I would have rather spent hours trying to figure out the solution to my problem on my own than dare go up and ask one of my teachers for help. In doing so, I wasted many precious hours searching and researching a topic versus going straight to the source for guidance. Even if they didn't give me the answer, I am sure they would have pointed me in the right direction.
When I started my journey to a healthier me in February 2005 I decided this time I was not going to follow just another diet--I was going to educate myself on the process of getting healthy. I was no longer going to accept everything at face value. I am a firm believer that when we understand and educate the why and how things happen to our bodies during the process, then and only then we can let go of the myths many of us have spent a lifetime following.
When I joined SparkPeople five years ago the Healthy Lifestyle Centers became my source of knowledge and education. Not only are the articles well researched, but they are written in a manner that makes it easy for most of us to understand.
Posted 12/4/2010 11:04:15 AM By: : 53 comments 26,381 views
12 Equipment-Free Exercises for Holiday Travelers
Now that the holiday season has arrived, many of us will be traveling to our destinations, whether to Grandma's house or a family vacation. This may require you to spend hours sitting for an extended period of time whether on a plane or in a car but this does not mean you must abandon your workout routine until you get home. By planning ahead you can still get in a great workout and still gain the benefits of exercise.
If you are stuck waiting at the airport, use this time to walk the terminal, after all you will be spending at least an hour on a plane, therefore squeezing in a few minutes of activity may help offset fatigue that many times accompanies traveling. When traveling by car, stopping every hour or two just to stretch your legs and do a brisk walk may help offset road fatigue therefore keeping you more alert.
As for resistance training, there are many equipment-free exercises one can do all in the comforts of your hotel room or even a few you can do at the airport while waiting. Remember the muscles do not know the difference between a dumbbell or your own body weight when it comes to muscle overload. As long as you are overloading the muscles you will achieve muscle strength and endurance.
Posted 12/1/2010 2:00:00 PM By: : 25 comments 28,235 views
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