Around the Neighborhood

A trail is coming to Jaycee Park!

The Kinder Foundation has just selected Jaycee Park to receive a $100,000 donation specifically for building a new trail!  Thank you to the Houston Parks Board for presenting our park to this foundation.  We will update you as we have more information.

Very generous community organization donation!
Rotary Club generously sponsored a table with a $5000 donation to the park! “Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

There are 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. As signified by the motto Service Above Self, Rotary’s main objective is service — in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world.”  Here is the link to the Heights Rotary Club if you are interested in joining this club: http://www.clubrunner.ca/Portal/Home.aspx?cid=3935

If you could spare a few moments to send a quick thank you to these organization (via email or regular mail), I’m certain it would be greatly appreciated.

Kinder Foundation Houston Parks Board
Nancy Kinder                   300 N. Post Oak Ln.
PO Box 130776                 Houston, Tx 77024
Houston, TX 77219

Email to both organizations can be sent through: deborah@houstonparksboard.org

Heights Rotary Club
Clint Horne: clintmaryalice@kw.com
Wade Bradford: gcp3c@comcast.net

We are very grateful for both of these very generous donations to improving our park and our area especially considering the current tough economic environment.

Trees at the park
The old, established trees in the park are taking a really big hit with the drought. Many of them have either turned completely brown or are in the process of turning brown.    Ben has been working over time (for free) to help keep some of the key trees from dying.  The head of Urban Forestry at the City said that just because they are brown does not mean they are definitely dead.  We will know more next spring when we see which ones come back. Please pray for some much needed rain for these and all the city’s trees.

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

This has been the hottest summer ever! Having said that I have been impressed with all of the Lazybrook residents who in spite of the heat found ways to keep their exercise program going. I may not know all of you by name but I am out a lot and can pick you out if we were to play name that exerciser. Last month I shared with you my first strengthening and walk class I did for the neighborhood. What a great time it was. I am gearing up for the next class (fall session) starting September 14 and looking forward to meeting all of my participants. (The spring session begins February 8. 2012.)

I have been in the fitness industry over 25 years and still the main question I get asked is how can I lose this weight that suddenly crept on?

I have learned to let the client continue to talk because at some point in our conversation they always find the best answer to their own question. Although you do have all our own answers you still need the support and accountability to get fit. Sure you have obstacles that get in the way – your schedule, your job, your kids, the weather, the knee injury from college…but ultimately you have the body that you accept.

I’m going to REPEAT that so it will really sink in. You have the body that you accept. You may not realize it but you already posses everything you need to transform your body, and it all starts by taking the responsibility for the body that you have today.

You are in the current shape you are in because until this moment you have been OK with it.

Oh I know you are not thrilled with it and you have even talked about losing weight and getting fit- but you haven’t changed what you accept.

Here’s how to transform your body in three steps:

Step one: Feel Disturbed
It has been said that emotion creates motion. This is essential when it comes to personal transformation. So to transform your body you must first decide that you can’t live another day in the body you currently have.

Get your emotions stirred up. Make a list of all the reasons your ready to lose weight and get fit. Get disturbed.

Step Two: Decide What You Want
Without clarity you will never get were you want to go. Now that you are disturbed with the body that you have, decide what the body that you have will look like.

Think in concrete and specific terms. You may want to take before and after pictures – this will help you have a vision of what changes you want to make.

When you get a clear picture in your mind of what you’ll look like in your “after” picture decide what the caption will read.  “I lost 4 inches of my waist”.

Step Three: Take Action
The time spent between inspiration (now) and taking action determines whether you will succeed or fail. Don’t allow yourself to get stuck in analysis paralysis – there is always something that you can do immediately.

Take action now by emailing me or calling me to set up a fitness consultation to be the best you, you can be.

The healthier and happier life you wanted is closer than you think. I am here to get you there.

Get Disturbed!
You have to get disturbed with your current shape in order to take the action you need to transform your body. How do you get disturbed? Try these:

• Go shopping for a swimsuit
• Try on all of your “skinny clothes”
• Look at old pictures of when you were in better shape
• Go to the doctor for a physical.

I will leave you with this final thought. When you finally accept that you can do anything you want in your life you will et the life you want.

Gift certificates available and more information can be found at www.tofityou.com

(Don’t let the name fool you. It’s not for sissies.)

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

Wow! What a hot summer it has been. Well since my last article which talked about importance of exercise and plenty of research to support that exercise is medicine. I hope all of you are taking this to heart and taking care of your health. Having said that, I started a “strengthening and walk” fitness class for the neighborhood. The class is going on its fourth week and we are having a great time.

It is Wednesday mornings at 6 am for 6 weeks and I want to share with you how the residents in our neighborhood have been improving their health and well being one step at a time. I had quite a few calls and most of the questions and comments were well I know how to walk will this be challenging enough for me. After listening to several people it came to me to ask; well maybe it’s not the know how but are they actually walking regularly as part of their fitness plan.

That is when it got interesting. 75% were not consistent with walking and the other 25% were not walking at all. So why are your neighbors gearing up at 6 in the morning to sweat and miss out on some extra shut eye? Because they are having a great time meeting one another getting fitness tips, lifestyle coaching tips and learning how to improve their posture, strength and stamina. Last but not least we are touring our cozy streets of Lazybrook which is a great way to let burglars know we are watching our neighborhood.

So here are some personal comments from class participants that they want to share with you. The importance of accountability is what people need help most to keep them motivated. There is power in participating in groups and having people around to learn from. So sit tight and read what your neighbors are getting out of this class:

“Thank you so much for offering this class. I am really enjoying it and it is the perfect time of day. “ – Long-time Lazybrooker

“I signed up for the walking class thinking what an odd idea,  a class on walking, but felt it would be fun to meet the neighbors and rejuvenate my weight loss efforts. I’ve been walking around the neighborhood, on my treadmill, at school tracks off and on for years.  How hard is it to walk?  Well neighbors I am at the back of the pack of neighbors zipping about the neighborhood with fast pace, interval walking (slow and fast pace), pre walk stretching exercises, post walk exercises, life coach tips of the week, water consumption advice, answers to why what part hurts while I am walking, down 5 pounds and the best change – MORE ENERGY.   Sign me up for the next one. This is a blast!” – From Anonymous (I don’t want anyone to know how unfit I am)

“The class has been a great way to meet neighbors and exercise with a fun and supportive group.” – Jenny Sulak

“I have really enjoyed the strength/walking class! It has helped me increase my walking pace and stamina. As an extra bonus, my weight has gone down!” – Sherri Oldham

“Birgitt’s class has been a great jumpstart for us to get back into walking regularly and rethinking our daily fitness habits. It’s also a powerful reminder of how motivating and fun it is to exercise with a group. And having such an enthusiastic and knowledgeable coach as Birgitt is a real bonus! What a great way to get energized on Wednesday mornings!” – Lynn & Herb

So for those of you thinking wow I wish I would have done the class! No worries starting Wednesday September 14 @ 6:00 will be the next class. If you want to have fun meet your neighbors or increase you strength and stamina this is the class for you. I am on a quest to get Lazybrook on the road to healthier and happier community. The next class starts September 14, 2011 and February 8, 2012. Hope to see some of you there.

Keep moving all year round with these strengthening and walk classes. They keep you consistent with exercise and fit all year round. For those of you repeating the class you will receive a $30.00 discount.

The class lasts 6 weeks starting Wednesday’s at 6am outside 2222 Lazybrook Dr. Registration and more information can be found at www.tofityou.com or call 713.410.3376

Gift certificates available and more information can be found at www.tofityou.com

The playground is done!!  Thanks to the contributions from so many of you in the community we now have a BIG new playground in the neighborhood to go along with our beautiful splash pad.  It features 3 seesaws, a tire swing, an 8’ climbing wall and a large main play structure.

Jaycee Park has been transformed into a park that brings builds community and brings pride to those in the area.  It is no longer a park that is under utilized and a magnet for vagrants up to no good.  A typical day now has people walking the one-half mile loop, neighborhood families playing at the splashpad while chatting with neighbors and kids playing on a great playground.

If you enjoy the park and would like to see it continue to be a really nice place to bring your kids, please, please pitch in and help to keep it looking good.

Why Do We Need to Do So Much to Maintain a City Park?
This is our community park and is up to us to keep it looking great.  Unfortunately, the Parks Department does not have the time or money to devote to maintaining a park beyond basic trash pick up and mowing.  If you have enjoyed the changes at Jaycee Park and would like to pitch in, please consider volunteering in some capacity to help keep it a park that will look great far into the future.

Some very Quick, Big Impact Ways You Can Help

1. Pick up litter (even litter that isn’t yours) every time you visit.  You could even use one of the plastic bags from the doggie poop station as a trash bag while you are picking up litter.
2. Scoop leaves and sticks out of splash pad while you are watching your kids.  Again, you could use plastic bag from doggie poop station to help.
3. Help Us Keep the Splash Pad Clean! We are looking for people that could come spray down the splash pad occasionally.  It takes about 45minutes and works best with 2-3 people, 1 to spray and 1-2 to use a push broom to brush out all the leaves.  It is a good project for 1 or 2 families (or even a playgroup) to do and is actually kind of fun and gratifying especially when you stand back and see how clean it looks when you are done.  We have the kit to clean it (sprayer, irrigation attachment, hose and, if you need it, a push broom).  We can meet you the first time to show you how it works.

Movie Night Planners Needed!
Everyone has enjoyed Movie Night at Jaycee Park for the past 2 years and we have had many requests to bring it back again this fall.  Cheryl Erickson and I are really hoping that there are a couple of people out there that will chair the event this year and to help it to become a tradition in our area.  It is really not a very hard event to coordinate and we have written out how we did it and what/who we used to make it happen.  You can make it as simple or elaborate as you like.  The event is not a huge fundraiser for the park, but it still brings in something through the sale of pizza, cookies, hot chocolate and lemonade, which will help with park maintenance.  Please let us know if this is something you would like to host this year (it is fun to do it with a co-chair). Cheryl and I will be available for questions if you need help during the planning and execution of Movie Night.

Contact Ileana Desalos at 713-922-6742 or friendsofjayceepark@yahoo.com. You can also see more information at the Houston Parks Board website under ‘Projects’ where you can find Jaycee Park www.houstonparksboard.org .

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

Summer is upon us and extreme heat keeps us indoors and less active. Sitting by the pool is nice but won’t burn a calorie. If you don’t belong to a gym or don’t have enough time to get to one what else can you do?

Walk. It is a great way to start your day and burn calories.

Yes, exercise is good for you. This we know. Heaps of evidence point to the countless benefits of regular physical activity. Federal health officials recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, like brisk walking, every day.

Studies show that when you adhere to an exercise regimen, you can improve your cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure and improve metabolism and levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. You can reduce diabetes risk and the risk of certain cancers. And, finally, exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight, which can boost all of these benefits even more.

Epidemiologist Steven Blair, a professor of public health at the University of South Carolina has spent 40 years studying physical activity and health.” Many of us have sedentary jobs and engage in sedentary activities after work, like watching television or sitting around a dinner table talking. When you add it all up, it’s a lot more sitting than moving.”

Blair recently headed a study at the University of South Carolina that looked at adult men and their risk of dying from heart disease. He calculated how much time the men spent sitting — in their cars, at their desks, in front of the TV. “Those who were sitting more were substantially more likely to die,” Blair says.

Specifically, men who reported more than 23 hours a week of sedentary activity had a 64 percent greater risk of dying from heart disease than those who reported less than 11 hours a week of sedentary activity. And many of these men routinely exercised. Scientists are just beginning to learn about the risks of a mostly sedentary day.

“If you’re sitting, your muscles are not contracting, perhaps except to type. But the big muscles, like in your legs and back, are sitting there pretty quietly,” Blair says. And because the major muscles aren’t moving, metabolism slows down.

“We’re finding that people who sit more have less desirable levels” of cholesterol, blood sugar, triglycerides and even waist size, he says, which increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and a number of health problems.

If there’s a fountain of youth its probably physical activity,” says Dr. Toni Yancey, a professor in the health services department and co-director of the Kaiser Permanent Center for Health Equity at the University of California, noting that research has shown benefits to every organ system in the body.

“So the problem isn’t whether it is a good idea, the problem is how to get people to do more of it.” Information courtesy of NPR

Have a great summer and keep moving!

Gift certificates available and more information can be found at www.tofityou.com.