THE Jog Blog – 51

December 8, 2011 By Tina Moore Leave a Comment

I have heard more than a couple stories lately of people’s mishaps with jogging in the winter. Here are a couple simple tips to help you in this change of weather. I suggest reading right to the end as there is a lovely surprise. (You can thank me later!)

WATCH OUT FOR ICE!

Even if there is no snow on the ground, a little bit of frost on the road can create a very slippery surface. It doesn’t take much to be jogging one minute and lying on the hard, cold ground the next.

Here are a couple suggestions:

If there is snow or obvious ice on the ground try Yaktrax or Sure Foot Get a Grip Ice Joggers. They are a runner’s crampon and they slip over the bottom of your shoe creating extra grip for icy surfaces. I was sceptical about them at first, almost determined I wouldn’t like how they felt but honestly, they were really good! I felt far more confident running on snowy and icy surfaces. If you don’t have the crampons and there is a slight frost on the ground, then STOP AND WALK over the areas you feel will be slick. Better SAFE than sorry.

AVOID OVER DRESSING!

I am notorious for over dressing! I will think it’s soooo cold outside and put on a couple extra layers. Within 5 minutes of running I’m sweating and already starting to overheat. I have to stop, take off the extra layers and wrap them around my waist and stuff my pockets with mittens. It’s really quite uncomfortable. Make sure you are protected from the weather but don’t over dress so you are susceptible to overheating. Learn from my mistakes!

WEAR BRIGHT REFLECTIVE RUNNING GEAR!

I know this photo has nothing to do with reflective running gear but it’s amazing what photos come up when you Google images…and well, I got a little distracted so thought I’d include him in today’s blog. He’s lovely isn’t he? I wonder what color eyes he has…hmm…

Ok, back to the task at hand! I mentioned bright reflective running gear in the Dog’s Jog Blog but mention it again because it’s so important. Often times I’ll be driving home from work and a runner dressed in black with no reflective gear will come out of nowhere as I’m turning a corner. It’s so dangerous! Because we have limited daylight hours, please make sure you are wearing bright, reflective clothing for your morning and evening jogs.

Next week I will have a list of awesome gear you may want to ask Santa for this Christmas so don’t forget to come back and check it out.

Have a beautiful weekend.

Smile often. Laugh lots. Love first.

With a smile,

Tina

PS. An excellent Christmas gift for yourSELF or others is “The Decision”. It will get you on track for the upcoming New Year!

THE Jog Blog – 50

December 1, 2011 By Tina Moore 2 Comments

If you had the opportunity to be SMARTER, would you take it?

If you could learn how to boost your ENERGY, would you do it?

If you were told how you could experience HAPPINESS and sustain that happiness, would you listen?

If you were shown ways of alleviating stress, anxiety and depression would you do it?

If you had an opportunity to CHANGE YOUR LIFE so you could live happier, healthier, with more energy, less stress and a greater sense of self love, would you take it?

In my past, I would have enthusiastically said, “YES!” to all those questions and then given my money to the most current course, gym or workshop. Ultimately it all failed because I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t committing to mySELF.

If you want to answer YES to all those questions, there are two things you need:

Commitment

Endorphins

I honestly don’t care how you get your natural endorphins as long as it’s legal, doesn’t do you or anyone else any harm and it is considered safe.

As you know, I JOG to get my regular hit of happy endorphins. For me, the benefits of jogging are that I always feel so much happier, clearer in my thoughts and less stressed when I’m finished. It’s so great for my brain. I feel creative, smart and energized but best of all I feel a peaceful sense of wellbeing.

What if you can’t jog or you despise jogging? (I was one of those people. Check out my book “The Decision” I’ll tell you all about it!)

There are other ways to get your natural endorphins. I personally think physical activity is the best way as it offers other benefits. Here are some options besides jogging that have less jarring impact on your body but still releases endorphins:

  • Cycling
  • Swimming
  • Hiking
  • Martial Arts
  • Walking
  • Rollerblading
  • Skiing – both downhill and cross country
  • Snow shoeing
  • Skating
  • Dancing! Groove, shimmy and shake it baby!

If you aren’t a runner try something else, anything to get the heart rate up and the happy endorphins pumping. Other sports like soccer, tennis or volleyball are also excellent and provide a great social outlet as well.

Meditation and Yoga can also influence your natural endorphins. This is an excellent way for those that can’t exercise due to injury or disease to benefit from the healing and happy qualities of endorphins.

If there is a will, there is a way. Of this I believe.

I passionately pursue a lifetime of activities that release endorphins because they make my brain happier and my body stronger.

Today, choose YOU. Choose to create a better life where endorphins are your drug of choice. Choose natural endorphins over a bag of potato chips, a glass of wine, or an argument. Boost your energy while alleviating stress.

Make endorphins your life choice.

Make a commitment.

Choose endorphins.

Choose YOU.

Wishing you a lovely first weekend of December! EnJOY your loved ones. EMBRACE the moment. See you on Tuesday!

With a smile,

Tina

The Jog Blog – 49

November 24, 2011 By Tina Moore 2 Comments

I NEED SLEEP! If I go more than a day or two without proper sleep I function at a much lower capacity than usual. I have no energy; I’m not as cheerful and my thoughts aren’t clear. This affects all areas of my life! My work, my training and relationships.

Occassionally I’ll suffer from insomnia but usually it’s avoidable. In keeping with Tuesday’s blog about SELF CARE, I wanted to share the tips I use that help ensure I’m getting a good sleep.

Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Generally speaking I follow this rule; however, the seasons affect how long I sleep. In the summer I’ll bounce out of bed at sunrise but in the dark winter months I struggle to get out of bed at my normal time so I have to adjust.

Stretch, meditate or listen to quiet music prior to bed. I don’t do all of these things all of the time but I will incorporate a good stretch with quiet, deep breathing if I have a lot on my mind.

Take a warm bath or hot shower. I love crawling into bed after a hot shower or bath. My bones feel warm and it’s much easier for me to fall asleep if I’m comfy cozy.

Limit caffeine during the day. This is crucial for me as I’m super sensitive to caffeine. I have one Chai latte in the morning and then that’s it. If I have any more caffeine, whether it’s coffee, tea or even a piece of dark chocolate, I will pay for it later that night.

Create a good sleeping environment. I love my comfy bed, soft sheets and duvet and have created a peaceful setting. I need quiet to fall asleep so I usually sleep with ear plugs and my room is kept cool.

Avoid food and alcohol approximately 2 hours before you plan to sleep. This is what is recommended; however, it’s difficult for me due to my work hours. I have to eat my main meal in the early afternoon so I’m very hungry when I get home. I must eat! Having a glass of wine does affect my sleep so I keep that to weekends.

AVOID TV, COMPUTER, CELL PHONES OR IPADS BEFORE BED. I know, I know, that’s a tough one but the screens actually stimulate the brain so you aren’t really getting tired. Your eyes may get tired but your brain isn’t winding down, it’s winding UP.

EXERCISE definitely promotes getting a good sleep as your body will be tired and ready to rest by the end of the day. I definitely sleep better since I’ve incorporated regular exercise into my life. If you need some tips on how to motivate yourself to exercise, click HERE.

As we know, getting a good sleep is essential to good health. It keeps your body strong and able to fight infection, your mind clear and alert and your mental / emotional wellness balanced. According to the Mayo Clinic, if you are sleep deprived you are more apt to suffer from depression, anxiety and weight gain.

So my friends, make a good night’s sleep a PRIORITY! You may find that by making a small change to your sleep habits you will rest easier.

For those of you in the United States, have a wonderful Thanksgiving full of laughter, love and gratitude. We all have much to be thankful for, pause and remember how blessed we truly are.

Wishing you peaceful dreams and a good night’s sleep.

With a smile,

Tina

 

THE Jog Blog – 48

November 17, 2011 By Tina Moore 4 Comments

If you live in Canada or most of the United States, November is a cold, wet, dark, and often windy month. The truth is it’s harder to motivate yourself to exercise when it’s yucky outside. It’s easier to sleep in, cuddle under a blanket by the fire and watch a movie. Don’t get me wrong, I love to relax but if you are exercising less because of the weather I want to give you some MOTIVATION TO KEEP MOVING!

PLEASE NOTE: When I say this to YOU, I am also saying it to mySELF!

A twenty minute workout is better than a zero minute workout.

Ha! Isn't that the truth!

Whether it’s a fifteen minute mile or a seven minute mile, it’s still a mile!

No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everyone who is sitting at their computer, watching TV or sleeping in!

If you have time to watch TV, comment on Facebook, Tweet, complain, check your emails or watch a movie you have time to work out. It only takes twenty minutes to improve your cardio. Twenty minutes!!

You have a choice. You can throw in the towel or you can use it to wipe the sweat off your face! (Love that one!)

Hate to tell you this but EXERCISE IS FOREVER! Find something you enJOY!

“I’ll do it tomorrow.” Wait a minute, yesterday you said, “Tomorrow”! Those ‘tomorrows’ add up. Instead say, “Today.” Better yet, say, “NOW!” and get out there and DO IT.

Smiling is my favourite exercise; however, I didn’t smile (from the inside) until I started jogging! Natural endorphins are the BEST happy drug.

HAPPY!

Exercise makes you stronger not only physically but mentally and emotionally too. I KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE!

EVERY ACCOMPLISHMENT STARTS WITH THE DECISION TO TRY.

I will be honest with you. If you are just starting to exercise, there is no ‘easy’ button. It will take a commitment and then it will take hard work and determination. Despite this seemingly negative statement, I can guarantee it will be the best thing for you! You’ll notice improvements in all areas of your life. Exercise is a good stress relief and helps with anxiety and depression. It also can help you deal with grief, loss, anger, frustration and sadness. You can do it alone, or do it with others, whatever way works best for you. EXERCISE LEADS TO JOY.

I wish you a beautiful weekend full of fresh air, HAPPY ENDORPHINS bouncing around your body and a big smile on your face because you can say, “YA! I DID IT!”

I’ll leave you with a quote to think about over the weekend. See you on Tuesday!

We are what we repeatedly do – Aristotle

With a smile,

Tina

PS. If you don’t know where to begin, you need my book, “The Decision”. My story will motivate and inspire you! I give you simple steps to set you up for SUCCESS! It’s also a great gift to help someone else get healthy and happy!

 

THE Dog’s Jog Blog

November 10, 2011 By Tina Moore 1 Comment

My happy, loving, JOY-full dog was instrumental in changing my life. When I took her for walks she would radiate pure HAPPINESS at the simplest things. I wanted to know what that felt like so I made THE DECISION to change my life.

Since that moment, I have not looked back. THANK YOU MUNCHIE, for helping me see another way to live!

Sometimes you CAN teach an old dog new tricks! Here are some jogging tips and the benefits of jogging as told by our furry friends!

JOGGING INCLUDES ALMOST EVERYONE! You will find young, old, tall, short, thin, thick, fast, slow, experienced and new runners. It doesn’t matter what your pace is as long as you do your best and have FUN!

GET GEAR! Make sure you have proper jogging gear especially if you are heading into the winter months. Proper runners are crucial and keeping warm in cold, wet weather is also key. Since we have less daylight hours, don’t forget to choose bright, reflective clothing! LadySport is an excellent source for all your jogging needs.

PREPARE FOR THE MORNING! When you are tired and don’t want to get out of bed it can be difficult to have the motivation to run. The hardest part sometimes is just getting out the door but once you get out there you’ll be glad you did!

POSITIVE SUPPORT! Surround yourself with POSITIVE people who will SUPPORT your fitness goals and limit your time with those negative doubters who will swipe at you to try and bring you down.

RUN WITH A FRIEND! Get a running buddy or join a running group! Having that energy is a great way to keep motivated, make friends and be social! It also makes you accountable on those early mornings when you don’t feel like getting out of bed.

TAKE WALK BREAKS! It’s ok to walk. Your body appreciates the recovery time and as a result you can maintain a stronger pace, have more energy and sustain longer distances by keeping to that regime.

HAVE FUN! Jogging can be really FUN. You can challenge yourself, run with friends, get fresh air, socialize and stay active. It’s about having fun, being healthy and keeping those endorphins pumping so your brain is HAPPY.

COLD WATER THERAPY! Your muscles will thank you for spending 10-15 minutes in cold water after you’ve worked out. It’s proven to help in the recovery process and flush lactic acid, minimizing aches and pains.

LEAVE THE STRESS AT HOME! Jogging is about relieving stress so don’t be hard on yourself if you didn’t have a ‘good run’ today or you didn’t make your personal best time. LET IT GO! You’ll have a better run next time!

I have learned so much from my dog. She helps me be a better person.

So, from Munchie and I, have a HAPPY weekend full of fresh air, friends and family, laughter and FUN! I leave you with a quote:

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself ~ Josh Billings

See you on Tuesday!

With a smile,

Tina

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