BODY SUMMER
Just like the cores of our bodies need to be strong to
support us, we need to be strong to support our families,
friends, and community. How do we do this? Through
balancing mind, body, spirit and community. In the last
issue, we discussed the importance of spending time on
our minds. In this issue, we are talking about our bodies.
I mean…why not? It’s summertime and we are out lying by
the pool, headed to the beach, or just working in the yard in
tank tops and shorts. If you are like me, you may be wishing
right about now that you had thought about “body” a little
sooner in the year (wink). Our poor bodies…do they not get
picked on so much? Mainly by us! How about we focus
on health and being “healthy” rather than having a summer
body?
Normal is NOT overrated! What does being
healthy even mean? For me, it means going to the doctor
and finding out my health results are “normal.” That’s not
very exciting, but to me, I am thrilled when my health
results just read “normal.” Of course I want to look good
in a swimsuit, in shorts and in everyday clothes, but in all
seriousness, my biggest goal for my health is to be normal.
Which way do I go? We all have access to so much
information at our fingertips. In fact, we have information
overload. One site tells us to eat no carbs, another says to
eat more protein, another says no dairy while others are
saying to eat no legumes, eat legumes, eat whole wheat, run
from gluten…like I said…information overload!
For me, I want some balance. I remember my Grandma
Robinson always had the most beautiful plates of food at
lunch time. Orange, green, yellow…her plate was colorful.
The other night, I was eating a plate of food and realized
the only color on my plate was the orange from the queso
and red from my salsa, with a tad bit of green mixed in
where the lettuce held my chicken fajitas. Ugh… I can do
better.
How about some whole foods? How about
some real foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish,
and whole grains? How about stopping when we’re no
longer hungry. Sounds good, huh? We can do this. Better
today than yesterday is the goal.
Do what you love! Exercise… I personally love to
exercise. I love weightlifting, cardio, group fitness classes
and most things exercise-related. My goal is to hit all the
muscle groups at least once each week, plus three days of
cardio, and include stretching each day.
Not everyone enjoys traditional exercise, though. My sister
and her husband recently participated in an adventure race.
She is not someone who likes being confined to a gym. She
wants to be out in nature. To train for this race, they jogged
at the park, kayaked at the lake, and rode bicycles around
the neighborhood. They just finished their first adventure
race and loved it! To me, that sounded like mosquitoes,
turtles in the water nipping at your toes, and spiders
somewhere along the way.
Each person should find what they love and do it. Be active!
Get out and play basketball, join the pickleball craze, hike,
bike, stay indoors with a fan blowing on you…whatever
floats your boat…or kayak!
Six-pack, anyone? One thing I have found most
people tend to ignore is how important it is to strengthen
your core. When we talk about the core, we’re not just
referring to the six-pack abs some of you strive for. While
the abdominal muscles are indeed a part of the core, this
complex system is so much more. The core serves as a
stabilizing force for the entire body, providing support and
control during movement. Whether you’re lifting a heavy
object, bending down to tie your shoes, or simply standing
upright, your core muscles are at work, maintaining proper
posture and alignment. A strong core helps improve
stability and balance, reducing the risk of falls and injuries,
especially as we age. That is super important to me. I am
trying to protect myself from falls and injuries as I age.
Fortunately, incorporating core training into your
fitness routine isn’t costly and doesn’t take a lot of time.
Simple bodyweight exercises such as planks, bridges,
and supermans can effectively target the core muscles.
Additionally, activities like yoga, Pilates, and martial arts
can help improve core strength and stability. I personally
love PIYO, which is basically a combination of pilates and
yoga.
Finding Balance Look…we are all on the journey
trying to be better today than we were yesterday. Any one
of these areas are easily searchable and you can get any
information you need. I would like to encourage you not to
focus more on Body than you do on any other area. Body
is important, and we want and need to be healthy, but it’s
just as important as the other pillars – Mind, Spirit, and
Community. Find physical activity you enjoy, eat colorful
foods, drink water, and remember not to neglect your
core. Give all these areas your attention and let’s continue
striving for balance.
I look forward to continuing this journey with you in the next edition when we talk about “Spirit.”
Join the Journey! @wearecorewomen
