Lazybrook Civic Club

— By Birgitt Haderlein Owner of To Fit You, Wellness coach/Fitness Consultant

Finally, spring is in the air the birds are chirping. Butterflies are showing up and it is not getting dark so early. It is also nice to see some of you out walking, working in your yard and yes even washing your cars. Of course I notice these things being a fitness enthusiast and wanting my Lazybrook neighbors to be in better shape.

The rains are ready. The tools are ready. Is your body ready?

Gardening is a pleasure that is hard to explain. You may use your whole weekend days to make your yard into the oasis that you envisioned – and beat up your body in the process. You might end up with lower back pain from bending over more in one day than in the last four months, or shoulder and wrist pain from picking all this weeds, not to mention how exhausted your legs feel.

The great thing is you don’t have to feel this way. You can do a few exercises on a constant basis to help strengthen those areas, so you can enjoy and reap the rewards of a beautiful yard without suffering for the following week or two.

You can do these simple exercises at home or in the gym. They demonstrate the movements typically used while gardening. Try doing them as a circuit, going from one exercise to the next with little or no rest. Work up to 2 circuits, 3 times a week.

“Gardener’s moves you can use”

1. One arm rows with Swiss ball or chair
2. Rear delta raise w/ resistance band
3. Lumbar extensions (can be performed on all fours)
4. Body weight squats

You want to get your body ready for the things you love to do. Not only will these moves help with your gardening, they will also increase your strength and stamina during all your activities from washing the car to taking a brisk walk in the neighborhood. The more energized you feel the more active you will be. The healthier and happier life you want is closer than you think. So if you’re’ ready to get that life I’m here to get you there.

Gift Certificates and more information can be found at To Fit You blog.

This year we had a lot of new participants to our neighborhood Holiday Lighting tradition.  It was great to see all of the new lights and decorations among the many others.  Everyone who takes the time to put up even the simplest strand of lights, or just the Christmas tree in the window deserves to be recognized for their work.

Some neighbors started before Thanksgiving getting their houses ready, so that on Thanksgiving night they were ready to flip the switch and light-up marking the beginning of the holiday season.  Others, like myself, waited until cold weather threatened, knowing the cold would have that numbing effect on my fingers, I had better get busy.

There were two categories where we have not had any homes to choose from for the last two years.

1. Hanukkah – We would love to see your Hanukkah lights or Menorah in the window.
2. Patriotic – Do we have any veterans, VFW members, parents, grandparents, or family members of those serving in our military?  If so, we would love to show you our neighborhood support too.

Once again Sharon Ettinger and I look forward to this time next year and giving our thoughts on the neighborhood holiday lights.  If you are marking you 2011 calendars, I am expecting judging to be 7:00 pm Tuesday night December 13, 2011.

Happy New Year!

Winners:

Prettiest Brian and Tricia Gonzales–2406 Brookmere Best Front Door 2403 Brooktree Most Religious 2218 Brookmere Best Front Window 1834 Watercrest Best Use of Cartoon Characters 1806 Crystal Ct Most Childlike 1822 Foxwood Most Creative 2314 Lazybrook Best Animation 1837 Salford Best Lights In Motion 1807 Salford

Best Use of Single Color 2110 Millwood Best Santa 2306 Lazybrook Best Nativity – Pat Lero 2314 Brooktree Best Decorations w/Wreaths 1815 Salford Hall of Fame 1807 Nauts Best Block 1 1800 Block Salford Best Block 2 2100 Block Widdicomb Honorable Mentions 1711 Haverhill 2019 Greengrass-Don and Lolly Cross 2222 Brooktree

— By Birgitt Haderlein Owner of To Fit You, Wellness coach/Fitness Consultant

Hope you all had a wonderful Holiday season and you were able to tame your stress and enjoy your family and friends more this holiday than the previous. It’s that time of year when you might consider how will you fit exercise into your busy life? Whether it is stretching, cardio, or strength training there is a way to make it work. We all have the thought of were did the time go. It is a common question I hear often from my clients. We pack so many things in our day we forget to relax even for a minute. Lack of time is the most common excuse for not having a decent fitness routine. But do you realize the time it took you to check your email you could fit in a good workout. I’m not talking giving up 60 minutes, all you need is 10.

Liz Noelcke, a SparkPeople contributor, which is a great web site for health and fitness information has some great suggestions of how to make a fitness routine work even if you do small daily burst of movement.

Just 10?
Forget the “all or nothing” mentality when it comes to exercise. Fitness does not live or die by 60- minute workouts; there is a middle ground. Short spurts of exercise, when they accumulate, have been shown to share similar benefits of longer workouts.

Easier than you think
Treat these 10 minutes like you would a regular workout. Take 1-2 minutes to warm up and get the muscles ready, including stretching. Follow with at least 7 minutes of exercise at a medium or high intensity. Then make sure to include a 60- second cool down.

Since its brief, it’s important to work at a fairly high intensity to obtain all of the benefits. Work at raising your heart and respiration rates. Just like regular workouts, try to include cardio, strength training and flexibility work in your routine. Either knock out all three during the 10-minutes, or plan a 10-minute segment for each area.

Example: Push out 10 minutes of cardio on the stationary bike. For strength, do push-ups, wall sits, or lift dumbbells. For flexibility, it’s helpful to just stretch every day. Work different muscle groups and keep it simple. After 10 minutes you will feel healthier and be on your way to developing solid fitness habits.

But I still don’t have time
It only takes 30 minutes a day, broken up into manageable chunks of 10. Start with a quick exercise when you wake up. The second session? A lunch break is possibly the perfect time to re-energize and get the blood flowing again. The last 10 minute blitz could come in the evening, even while you are watching TV. It’s an ideal way to involve the family as well. Go for a power walk after dinner or ride bikes with the kids.

It’s all about convenience; if you try, you can fit exercise into your schedule no matter where you are. Do it at home or work, outside or in the living room. Start building exercise spurts into your daily routine and you’ll start feeling more energized and positive about your day. The healthier and happier life is closer than you think. Call me today. 713-410-3376.

Gift Certificates and more information can be found at To Fit You blog.