Notes from the Lake

If we gave some thought to our most common daily behaviors, we might realize why many of us complain about sore shoulders, stiff necks and back pain.

We are truly suffering because of our lifestyle: we sit at desks, behind the wheel or in an easy chair for hours; we carry groceries and our kids in front; we look down at our cell phones and iPads; and our range of motion is pretty much limited to reaching in the forward direction.

With this kind of daily repetition, the muscles in the front of our body are drawing in tighter causing the muscles in the back of our body to open and stay in a stretched position. In addition, we’re restricting our lung capacity thereby limiting our oxygen intake. Without some type of correction, an imbalance in strength, form and function is created eventually causing various problems.

So you're probably thinking that you know where this is going - I'm about to provide a stretching program and/or workout routine for you to perform several times a week to counteract the muscular imbalance. Sure, I could go there; however, what if I offered one simple yet amazing position that you could easily do in your office or at home? Would you find it easy to follow that prescription knowing it could provide much needed relief?

If so, grab your foam roller and place it on the floor. (If you don't have a foam roller, order one online or make a trip to the nearest Target, Walmart or sporting goods store.)

Lie on the foam roller lengthwise on your back with your head supported at one end. Your arms and legs can be bent or straight; whatever is comfortable for you. And that's it - that's all you have to do!

Lying on the roller in this position allows the chest and shoulders to release and open while the back muscles draw in and engage slightly to keep you stable. In just a few minutes, you can undo much of the imbalance created throughout the day.

The wonders of the foam roller are numerous as they can be used to stretch, strengthen, stabilize and massage your muscles. Experiment with various positions and movements - I have a feeling you'll become a fan of the roller!

The other night as I drove home, I found myself in quite the traffic jam. Typically, if there are more than five or six cars at the light, I consider that heavy traffic, but last night was something totally different. Cars were backed up for miles on Highway 620 all the way from the Mansfield Dam to Quinlan Park Road. Clearly, something very bad had happened. What amazed me was the irritation and frustration demonstrated by some of the drivers in the back up. There were hundreds of cars pretty much sitting still yet some felt the need to honk, yell at the driver of the car in front of them or flash their lights as if ANY of those behaviors would make the traffic move any quicker. Now don't get me wrong, I was not thrilled to be in traffic but it happens occasionally and we all must deal with it. 

We finally started moving, but very slowly. After about 45 minutes, I had driven less than two miles. As I crested the hill, I saw a sea of flashing lights and emergency personnel. My heart broke as I approached an accident unlike any I have seen in quite some time. A pickup truck had collided head on with a small four-door sedan. The damage was devastating. Firefighters worked diligently using saws and the "jaws of life" to remove the top of the small white sedan in order to assist the person inside. I only saw the accident scene for a few seconds, but my thoughts immediately went to the person in that car and their loved ones. In a split second, their lives had changed forever. The impact of that collision will be felt by that family for the rest of their lives and it should serve as a powerful reminder to the rest of us that each day is precious and we must spend it with care. Tell those you love that you love them. Live each day with passion. Help others every chance you get. And never forget that you matter.

I learned today that the woman driving that car did not survive. Next time you find yourself in a traffic jam, take time to remember the special people in your life and when you get home, hold them tight. 

Be well.

E-mail Tracy at tyork@lakeaustin.com.

America's premier food team, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough authors of the comprehensive book: Real Food Has Curves: How to Get Off Processed Food, Lose Weight, and Love What You Eat. It's a step-by-step plan to get all the chemicals out of your diet, to find satisfaction more quickly at the table, and to return food to its pure, elemental pleasure without resorting to a raw food diet or any quasi-scientific shenanigans. They have also launched a blog that has already attracted Haagen Dasz, as well as other corporate brands, to its mission of providing real food, an alternative to our processed culture.

CHUMORS. What does that mean?

The acronym CHUMORS is formed from the initial letters of other words. When called to mind while walking or running, CHUMORS can improve your posture, form, and performance.

C – H – U: Chest, Head Up lengthens the spine while engaging the core, which helps the body maintain a strong, upright position

M – O: Mouth Open keeps the jaw and neck loose while allowing the intake of deep breaths to provide plenty of oxygen to the working muscles

R – S: Relaxed Shoulders releases tension and tightness from the upper body thereby saving energy for the legs

I came up with the idea of CHUMORS while coaching runners because I needed a fast and easy way to deliver these instructions so everyone would stay comfortable and feel better while moving.

So the next time you feel yourself sinking into the ground during a run or walk, think CHUMORS for a bit of a lift—your body will respond in a positive way to keep you going strong!

Claire Cook wrote her first novel in her minivan when she was 45. At 50, she walked the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the movie version of her second novel, Must Love Dogs, starring Diane Lane and John Cusack. She is now the bestselling author of nine novels. (Read excerpts and find book club questions at ClaireCook.com.) Claire has been a regular visitor to our For the Love of Books program, and her upcoming novel even has a few key scenes set in the beautiful gardens of Lake Austin Spa Resort. She'll be here again June 1-2, 2012 to celebrate the release of Wallflower in Bloom.

You may have heard about the detrimental effects of sitting too much - your risk increases for becoming obese, developing diabetes, suffering some form of cardiovascular disease, contracting cancer and even dying an early death! Bottom line: sitting down is not good because it's easier to put on pounds and we subsequently become more prone to the problems of being overweight.

But enough with the negative stuff - many researchers, fitness professionals and health-focused writers are realizing that scaring people with bad news is not the best way to inspire change. However, presenting the positives is more likely to grab someone's attention and perhaps motivate the adoption of the preferred behavior. So let's see what standing up during the day can do for you:

-More calories are burned while standing compared to sitting
-Muscles in the legs, feet, back and core are strengthened
-Stabilizers are engaged that improve balance and stability
-HDL (the good cholesterol) is raised
-Focus and concentration are enhanced
-Energy levels are increased
-Standing might help you live longer

Hopefully, reading about the benefits has convinced you that standing is better for your health but you might still be thinking that it will be difficult to make the adjustment from sitting to standing throughout a typical day. If so, how about incorporating some of these examples as a start: stand for a few minutes every hour when involved in a task requiring that you sit for lengthy periods, walk around the office talking to your coworkers instead of typing e-mails at your desk, perform a few stand-up chores during commercials while watching television and when you need to run errands, walk whenever possible instead of driving.

You'll probably soon realize that standing more often is easier than you initially thought and once you realize how much better you feel, standing up for your health will be an easy habit to continue.

Most men and women enjoy relaxing in the steam room, sauna and jacuzzi, especially when visiting the spa. However, most people do not realize that there are many health benefits associated with each of these wet facilities or that they can also enhance the benefits of spa treatments.

Saunas jump the pulse rate up an average of 30%, allowing the heart to pump two times the normal amount of blood. The extra blood is directed to the skin away from the internal organs. This helps increase detoxification, as well as increasing sports performance and recovery. Saunas also help to reduce chronic pain by decreasing stress hormones and increasing endorphin release.

Steam rooms are kept at a lower temperature than saunas because of the moist heat. Because of this, steam rooms do not have the same effect on increased blood flow.  Instead, steam rooms benefit the sinuses and the muscles. The moisture helps the sinus and lungs to decongest and penetrates the muscles to aid in relaxation. Steam rooms also assist in detoxify your breathing. 

Jacuzzis help to reduce both physical and mental stress. They increase the blood flow to the muscles allowing them to relax. This is extremely beneficial if you suffer from arthritis or other joint pain. Increased circulation also helps the body to flush toxins.

We recommend that you make a circuit of all three when you are visiting the spa. Steam rooms, saunas and jacuzzis are great before a massage to help distress and loosen tight muscles. However, the main detoxification and recovery benefits you receive are best following a treatment as massage helps to begin the detoxification and recovery process, which allows these facilities to do the final flushing. It is also recommended that you take a cold shower in between each area as it helps with immunity, recovery time and reduce muscle cramps and spasms.

A frequent question: What is the best exercise for the hips, glutes and legs?

My quick and easy answer is the "walking lunge." The exercise can be performed anywhere using your body weight as resistance or while carrying dumbbells or even holding something non traditional such as books. Each part of the hips, glutes and thighs are involved in the movement and will feel the workout. As a plus, the abdomen and other stabilizers in your back engage to keep you steady. So with one exercise, you are strengthening and toning many muscles in the lower body along with muscles in the core.

The only drawback is that the complexity of the movement might be a problem for beginners or anyone with balance issues. If you fall into one or both of those categories, start with the "seated leg press" if you have access to a facility with weight machines. Since the machine is specifically designed to guide the movement, a lot of the control and balance issues are eliminated. If you don't belong to a gym, the "static lunge" is an effective alternative. This exercise is performed standing in place with one leg behind the other so there is no movement other than up and down—and you can hold onto a counter or the back of a chair for balance.

Some of you may be wondering why I did not mention the leg extension for the quadriceps (front of the thigh), the leg curl for the hamstrings (back of the thigh), the adductor press (for the inner thigh) and abductor press (for the side of the hip and thigh). All of these machines or specific exercises for these areas are effective and will provide the same results as the walking lunge. The only caveat—your workout will take four times as long as you must go through each individual exercise for each part of your leg. If you love working out or using the machines in the gym, then go for it! However, if you're like most of us and prefer to get the job done with one exercise in a short amount of time, then choose the walking or static lunge route, as there is no match for its effectiveness and efficiency.

They're back!

On a recent garden tour we spotted a monarch caterpillar busily munching one of our many milkweed plants in the garden. The next day I was happy to see that caterpillar had been joined by about 50 others who had just about defoliated the milkweed in that bed. I moved some of the hungry worms to other milkweed plants that had not yet been discovered.

It has been several years since we have noticed monarch caterpillars or even many adult butterflies in the spring garden, probably due to dry conditions we experienced the last two years. Monarch populations have declined dramatically for the last eight years according to Monarch Watch, a nonprofit group which helps to monitor populations and promote awareness of the plight of these beautiful creatures. One of my favorite guests at the spa, Cheryl Schaefer, told me about this program and we have become certified as a Monarch Waystation. Find out more about them at www.monarchwatch.org.

This most famous of butterflies is known for its migration south to Mexico and Baja California in fall and the return in spring and summer to the north. It is the only butterfly to make both a north and south migration.

We begin to see the adults in the gardens in spring when the milkweed begins to bloom. The pale yellow eggs are laid on or near milkweed plants as they are the preferred larval food. The milkweeds contain cardiac glycosides that make the butterflies toxic or poisonous to most birds and predators. There are many varieties of milkweed that provide food for the larvae. We have tropical milkweed and also antelope horns growing on our property.

Adult monarch butterflies feed on a wide range of nectar plants including lilacs, thistles, Joe Pye weed, ironweed, alfalfa, goldenrod and Eupatorium, as well as milkweed flowers.

We are losing about 6000 acres daily of wildlife habitat in the US alone. We all must contribute to the solution for the monarch and other wildlife that are facing habitat destruction. Add a few milkweed plants to your garden and avoid the use of pesticides. Educate your family, garden visitors or your gardeners about these voracious worms. Although they will completely defoliate the plants, the plants recover and leaf out again quickly. After about 2 weeks of eating, the caterpillars pupate into a most beautiful jade green chrysalis with black and gold markings. Perhaps you will see one of these extraordinary creatures on your next visit with us!

High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T.) might be for you if you're interested in any of the following:

Turning your body into a fat-burning machine Improving your conditioning Sculpting lean and toned muscles Increasing the efficiency and operation of your cardiovascular system Reducing the duration of your workout while increasing its effectiveness

H.I.I.T. is a workout format that includes brief bursts of intense exercise followed by longer recovery segments.  Research shows that this form of training burns more calories in less time than steady-state cardio, improves your overall level of conditioning and fitness and reduces fat tissue so your sculpted muscles shine through.

Several examples of H.I.I.T. are: sprinting on foot, on a bike or in the water alternating with slower recovery segments, pushing hard through your weight workout and recovering with an easier exercise (squats with heavy poundage followed by walking lunges with lighter weights) or performing a circuit workout that challenges your cardiovascular system and fatigues your muscles almost to failure.

Remember that the word "intensity" is relative so don't let it scare you.  If you're new to exercise, power walking at 3.5 miles an hour during the intense segments may be enough of a challenge for you while someone who has been working out for a while would need to push the pace to 4.8 or higher.  In addition, those just starting out might require a different ratio of effort to recovery.  For example, beginners might do well to complete 10 seconds of intense exercise followed by a long recovery of a minute or more.  Seasoned fitness fanatics would most likely snap back after 30 to 40 seconds of activity at a moderate level.

To be safe, discuss your plans with a physician and/or receive guidance  from a trainer experienced with this form of workout.  And as always, listen to your body and realize that an increased heart rate, heavy breathing and lots of sweat is normal!