Fuel Up to Play for 60

I love the Governor Branstad’s push for Iowa to be the healthiest state.  Especially in the face of fewer recess and gym class hours for school kids.  

They held a Fuel Up To Play 60 assembly at a middle school in the metro this week.  I was shocked when I found out that one brave 4^th grader spoke at the assembly saying he was working to lose weight and eat healthy.  I wouldn’t have dreamed of admitting to 4^th graders I was overweight when I was that age.  Actually… I wouldn’t admit to 4^th graders that I am overweight TODAY! They’re mean! 

If you don’t know what Fuel Up to Play 60 is, it’s a program supported by Michelle Obama that lets students decide how to make their school a healthier place.  They let students come up with the ideas and challenges students to earn prizes for the work they do.  

It’s a commitment to healthy eating and 60 minutes of physical activity every day…  

…….wait……..

60 minutes?  How many of us get 45 minutes 5 days a week and think we’re total gym rats. 

This is a wake-up call to me.  If we’re asking our kids to get 60 minutes of activity, why are we short changing ourselves? 

Now they’re not asking these kids to do 60 minute intense cardio training for 7 days a week… that’s actually frowned upon.  Our bodies need time to recover.  But a recovery day or two can easily include a walk at a park, or a bike ride on some of Des Moines’ awesome trails.  

 

Honestly, when I was just writing that, I was trying to think of things adults do to “play”.   Kids fly kites, play on playgrounds, build sand castles, play in the pool, go sledding… When I was a kid, it was almost expected that I would go out every summer night and run around and play some version of tag in the dark.  But now a night of “play” is ordering Chinese and watching a movie.  

I challenge you (and myself) to really consider 60 minutes of “play” every day.  Get outside, clean the house, heck… fly a kite! Play on a playground! Who says those things are for kids.  Spend less time on Facebook and more time dancing.  Spend more time chatting with your friends on the path around Gray’s lake and less time in front of the Real Housewives of wherever.  

  

I’m ready to play.  Who’s in?

http://www.fueluptoplay60.com/

Let's Get Physical...

A recent report ranked Iowa as the 20th most obese state in the US.

I’ve always been a fan of physical fitness.  Especially competitive sports.  

We aren’t really sure where my love of all things sports came from.  My family loved to ride bikes, riding in RAGBRAI several times growing up, but other than a few beer-league softball teams, they weren’t really the “sit down and watch football” type. 

When I was old enough I started playing softball, volleyball and basketball competitively, playing on club and school teams of each sport.  

In college I worked at a gym and participated in as many intermural sports as I could, and after college continued to play sports and hit the gym for regular workouts.

This being said, I’ve never been a skinny-mini, opting rather for descriptive words that make me gag, like curvy and voluptuous.  (Seriously, did you hear me gag there?)

I’ve been on off and on “diets” where I write down everything that goes in my mouth, or swear off white bread and sugar…  But the one thing that always makes me feel like I’m “doing things right” is when I sweat.  

Recently I trained for RAGBRAI and loved the way it felt to go on a 2 hour bike ride before I even got my day started.  Now that the ride is over though, and the leaves are starting to drop, along with the temperatures, I find myself looking for another challenge.  Something that will make me feel like I’m contributing to the health of my state.

I haven’t pinpointed a specific training plan, or schedule.  But, this week, I’ve gone to the gym each day, (thanks for coining me a “gym rat” FourSquare! You made my day) and done something a little different each day.  And I must say, I’m hooked!  

Here’s my schedule:

Mondays: Ride the stationary for an hour and read magazines. (One of my favorite activities EVER) (I’m singlehandedly keeping print media afloat)

Tuesdays: Noon YOGA!  This is my absolute favorite workout.  Drew at the Downtown YMCA is the greatest yoga instructor I’ve ever had.  He makes it tough but attainable.  And everyone knows everyone… It’s like my Cheers.  

Tuesday Round Two: “2 workouts in one day? Are you crazy?!” You say?... Yes, I am.  But the second class was later in the evening, and I didn’t have any plans, so I went to Y Pump at the Downtown Y.  Butterfly presses, mountainclimbers…  No, it wasn’t put on by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources…  But I’ll tell you one thing… The blind, 200 pound, 60 year old lady in front of me was kicking my ass. 

Wednesdays: Attack with my dear friend Emily!  She teaches at a local gym and sneaks me in each Wednesday for her KILLER class.  5 minutes each of pushups and sit-ups interspersed between 40 minutes of cardio.  Kicking, punching, jumping, jacks, shuffles…  The list goes on…. For 50 minutes!  

Thursday: Y Fall Challenge.  A coworker who also goes to the Yoga class encouraged me to come to this class that basically consisted of massive amounts of pushups and squats with some jumping in-between.  

Thursday Round Two: Well… It was a 2 mile walk with my fitness friend Emily… And we got a beer half way through.  

Friday: I’m thinking another class or a round on the bike.  Maybe even a swim to soothe my aching muscles.  It’s still TBD, but I’ll find something, because I’ve renewed my desire for physical fitness and it feels GOOD!