Staingirlz.com » Health and Fitness

Put Yourself (and That Means Your Health) First

admin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:30:06 +0000

By Staingirl Elle

Work, kids, driving, college applications, financial aid applications, taxes, spouses, other significant others, kids’ homework, cooking, cleaning, sex…. The list of obligations goes on and on. Talk to most women in America and they have a similar list of their own. But where do we fit in?

Even our free time isn’t quite our own. If you’re in a relationship, your social life revolves around other couples approved by your significant other. And depending on your partner, that list can be quite limiting. If you have young children, you select friends from the mothers of your child’s friends. Not that I’m complaining, my friendship with my favorite Staingirl, Kaye, survived far longer than our sons’ friendship.

But the point is that in general, we women tend to almost bury ourselves with obligations, and we fail to take care of the most important obligation of all: ME. Some suggest it’s important to be selfish. I don’t think it’s selfish. It’s a necessity that I along with others have long ignored because the squeaky wheel gets the oil, and (pick one or more) spouses, bosses, clients, kids, etc., squeak a lot louder than we do.

We figure we’ll take care of ourselves once those squeaky wheels have moved on. Meanwhile our health suffers while we get fatter or go on meds due to cholesterol, anxiety, blood pressure, insomnia, etc. That presumes that our bodies can hold out during that time period. When it is finally our turn we have to face the consequences for ignoring ourselves.

No, I refuse to wait until retirement, last kid moves out, or any other circumstance to take back my life and my health. I vow to begin taking care of myself now. To that end I have revived my 30 minutes of walking for 30 days. I began it once and it soon went by the wayside due to my obligations (or some other excuse). This time I promise myself that I will see it through. And I will add to my goals after that time period.

What should you do? Find at least one thing you can do over the next 30 days that involves taking care of yourself, whether it’s walking (I’d love to have a cyber walking buddy), incorporating a healthy fruit or grain, getting together with a favorite friend more often, or scheduling a timeout in your daily schedule just for you. Let us know what you’re doing and keep us posted on how you’re doing. And if you don’t mind, would you add one more obligation to your list? Help keep me accountable in my promise to myself.

Maybe all those “obligations”, i.e., work, family, sex, will actually become what they were meant to be, facets of living our lives passionately.

Petition regarding New Mammography Recomendations

admin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:52:51 +0000

Day 28 of the 30-day Blogging Challenge

By Staingirl Elle

I decided to cheat yet again. Well, it is day 28 of our 30-day blogging challenge, and it’s getting harder and harder to post on such a regular basis. Where would I be without my staingirl, Kaye? And this cheat actually comes from her. I found this in my mailbox, and we both believe it is extremely important.

Concerned About New Mammography Recommendations? Sign the Petition

Dear Breastcancer.org Community Member,

During the past week, we’ve heard from so many of you as we’ve all been reacting to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force proposed new recommendations on routine screening mammography.

The proposed new guidelines recommend starting regular screening mammograms at age 50, rather than at age 40 as current guidelines recommend. They recommend screening before age 50 only for women with a much-higher-than-average risk of breast cancer. The proposed new guidelines also call for mammograms to be done every other year instead of every year.

At Breastcancer.org, we are deeply troubled by both the analysis that led to these proposed guideline changes and the effect these proposed changes would have on the health and lives of women. We know that many of you are equally troubled — some outraged — by these recommendations.

Therefore, Breastcancer.org has started a petition to encourage governing bodies and key medical institutions to preserve the present screening guidelines, and to enable supporters of the task force recommendations to hear and understand the scale of opposition to the proposed change.

Be heard. Learn more and sign the petition.

Sincerely,

Marisa C. Weiss, M.D.
President and Founder Breastcancer.org

Fitness Challenge: Walking 30 Minutes a Day for 30 Days

admin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:00:39 +0000

Day 12 of the 30-day Blogging Challenge

By Staingirl Elle

Nothing is more motivating than taking on a challenge, especially when my blogging partner, Staingirl Kaye, does most of the work. Thanks, Kaye (even if it’s mainly about David Cassidy, and again, seriously?). But I am proposing a new challenge that I cannot delegate to a partner, although I hope she will occasionally join me: walking 30 minutes a day for 30 consecutive days as prescribed by Dr. Oz.

Dr. Oz is a fantastic Oprah discovery. He taught us that regular lovin’ is good for a man’s heart. I subscribe to his Real Age newsletter in the hopes that by osmosis his fitness and health tips will get me fit and healthy. No such luck yet! I have been a bit of a couch potato and I know it’s time to do something. Also, my sister has yet again mentioned that it would be fun to run a half-marathon together, which would be a disaster in my current state.

So I got excited when I read Dr. Oz’s most current article on the key to beginning a fitness plan for a couch potato. The article explains that walking 30 minutes a day for 30 days replenishes two deficiencies in out-of-shape muscles: mitochondria that generates juice for your workouts and contractile proteins that give the muscle strength. At the end of the 30 days, your body will be able to take on new challenges. Who knows, maybe we could start training for a half-marathon?

Today I begin my first day of this fitness challenge: walking 30 minutes a day for 30 days. I hope you will join me if you are not already further along in your fitness journey. I will limit my writing on this topic to the occasional amazing discovery or tips, if I come about any. And of course you will hear about it at the end of the 30 days. However, if you do join me, or planning on beginning soon, please let us know. And if you have any motivational tips, I’d love to hear from you. Here’s to our good health!