Category Archives: Featured Topic

The Heart Of Social Good, Karen Bantuveris #heartofhaiti

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Through my work with The Blogrollers, Fair Winds Trading, and Macy’s as an ambassador for the “Heart of Haiti” initiative, I’ve been asked to highlight someone that is doing great things to raise awareness, empower and/or inspire others, and is all out passionate about making positive changes in her life, her community (online and/or offline), or maybe even the world! Karen Bantuveris is someone who personifies many of the themes present in the Heart of Haiti project. I chose to highlight Karen as a person who represents the “Heart of Social Good”; Karen is the Founder and CEO of VolunteerSpot; she is passionate about increasing parent participation in schools, engaging parents to fund education technology, and using new media tools to inspire social action in the ‘real’ world.

Have you ever met someone and known instantly that they were your kind of people? When we were in Las Vegas earlier this year for BlogWorld Expo, Stephanie Schwab invited me and Michele McGraw to a nice dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio in The Venetian. It was an amazing meal but most it was the quartet of women gathered around the table that made the meal. The conversation that evening covered the gamut of topics from our upbringings to our careers and we even touched on politics!

Stephanie introduced us to Karen Bantuveris that evening. I was “social media style” acquainted with Karen and had vaguely heard of the organization she is Founder & CEO of, VolunteerSpot, but this was the first time I’d had the opportunity to sit and get to know her. She’s one fabulously fun gal! Later that night, while visiting VolunteerSpot.com and reading one blog entry after another, I discovered what an amazingly brilliant thing Karen has done.

Volunteerism is essential to the economic and social workings of most communities. The organization and mobilization of volunteer efforts, whether in the wake of disaster or for a simple school fundraiser, can make or brake the experience for all involved. The “burnout” rate for volunteers is a hot topic in the news and it’s something we’ve been addressing in my own community this fall. The extraneous “noise” and hoops one must often jump through just to give of their time can be overwhelming. I have often found myself weighing the value of my time (and the time taken away from family, work, and household responsibilities) against the good I’m able to accomplish. The reply-all emails, clipboards, online groups, and late night reminder messages can be incredibly time consuming and frustrating; it was just this type of frustration that fueled the launch of VolunteerSpot in 2009.

VolunteerSpot - Doing Good Just Got EasierVolunteerSpot is a free on-line organization tool that simplifies organizing and coordinating volunteers in your community, congregation and social networks. VolunteerSpot’s simple sign up application makes it easy for community members to participate without having to wait for approvals and passwords, there is no software to install, just easy, free scheduling and sign up tools.

Thank you, Karen, for sharing your talents and for your passion for empowering and inspiring others to make a difference in their communities!

Listen to Karen talk about avoiding volunteer burnout on CNN.

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Featured Active Mom Becca ~ Moving Through Spinal Stenosis & Degenerative Disc Disease

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This week MomActive welcomes guest blogger, Becca. A diagnosis of spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease has posed a number of challenges but has not stopped this active mom of two from being an excellent example of healthy living for her family, and an inspiration for us all! Becca hopes that by sharing her story she can help others who might be suffering from similar symptoms.

Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with a degenerative spinal defect. I was having some strange lower back pain and went to get it checked out. The pain was almost like that of an epidural, if you can relate to that. It wasn’t a muscle pain, but almost in my bones.

The defect? Ok, I lied. There are two. Spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease. Lucky me. It was the same thing that my Grandmother was diagnosed with. She died a few years ago after being bedridden for the last 3 years of her life, in constant pain because the bones in her spine were brittle and lacked cushioning between the discs.
Also, my father was diagnosed with the same defect a few years ago and suffers from the same excruciating pain that my grandmother did.
It’s genetic, I guess. The bad part? Grandma and Dad were diagnosed in their mid-50′s. I am 32.
I was referred to an amazing bone and joint doctor, one of the best in the state, who explained to me that my age and the fact that I am active should keep me from ending up in a wheelchair… as long as I keep moving.

Last year, I was kickboxing, turbo jamming, and running in 5k’s left and right. I even joined a women’s soccer team… well, until I fractured both of my feet in a game. But that’s a story for later. Last year I felt better than I ever had, and I was showing my boys how to be healthy by example.

This year? Spinal defect. New game, new rules.

At 32, I had no idea how to react when my body told me no. I pushed. It pushed back.

One day during the summer, I ran 3 miles. That night I paid dearly. Last year, 3 miles was ok. This year, it laid me out on the couch. I didn’t understand how, in the span of 6 months, I was no longer able to run 3 miles or finish a Turbo Jam video without taking advantage of the “modified” workouts. I was embarrassed and thought my family would think I was milking this thing for all it was worth.

Not exercising? Not an option. I exercise for stress relief, fresh air, and a healthy body. I now have an amazing physical therapist who helps me maximize my workouts and feel the best that I can.
These are my new rules:

1. Listen to your doctor. Take notes, listen to what he or she says, and ask a lot of questions. A few days after the appointment when everything settles in, don’t be afraid to call and ask more questions.

2. Find a physical therapist. I underestimated what physical therapists do. They help you strengthen the muscles around your weak areas to reduce injury, while slowly building up muscles in the injured area. My PTs provided me with exercises that, on the service, seem elementary… until I do them. I woke up last weekend in a lot of pain and exercised for 10 minutes using the “bad day exercise” sheet I was given. Not only did I feel better afterwards, but the next day the muscles I worked were fatigued. Seriously – if you could have seen how easy these exercises were, you would have laughed. But they targeted exactly the right muscle groups.

3. Exercise isn’t everything. Health, wellness, nutrition, and exercise all work together on a daily basis. If you wake up and change into your workout gear only to discover that you can’t bend down to tie your shoes, maybe today is the day to do some strengthening exercises or yoga. I make up for those days in other areas. I make an effort to eat less calories to balance out the lack of cardio. Exercise isn’t the goal; feeling good and being healthy are the goals.

4. {Responsibly} Test the waters. I can run 2 miles without having to ice my back. I know this because I ran 3 and it was too much for my spine. So I ran 2 1/2 a few times, and it was still too much. 2 miles? I feel accomplished, and my spine doesn’t yell at me. I could have easily decided that running wasn’t for me after the 3 miler, but… (see #5)

5. Don’t stop moving. The day you decide to give up and stay on the couch is the day you have lost. If your legs hurt, lift some light arm weights. If your arms hurt, do a few leg lifts. Do something. Try something different (the game has changed, you know). Do what you can.

*Becca is a mother of three boys (ages 6, 10, and 35), and a part time speech therapist. She enjoys two mile runs, modified Turbo Jam workouts, reading books, and eating M&Ms. You can find her personal blog at  OurCrazyBoys.com.

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Featured Active Mom Chelsea ~ Moving from “Just Mom” to an Active Mom

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This weeks featured Active Mom, Chelsea shares tips for getting moving and staying motivated!

It is hard to get moving. This is especially true for busy moms. But guess what? It is even harder to keep moving.

About a year and a half ago, I needed something. I am a busy, working, tired wife and mom to two young children. My sister and some of her friends were talking about the running that they do, and invited me to join them. I was not a runner and had never been a runner. But I went and, over time, have fallen in love with running.

That being said, running is hard for me. I am not all that good at it, I don’t have time to do it as often as I’d like, and I tend to be very hard on myself when I don’t run as far or as fast as I’d like to. There have been times when I thought that maybe it was just too hard. Maybe I should just stop trying to be a runner. But, you know what? The feeling I get from it FAR outweighs the struggle. While running last week, I reflected on things that I have learned that keep me running and active. Today, I’d like to share those things with you.
1. Find your support group. This doesn’t have to mean a group of people that you actually, physically run with. It’s easier to run with a partner, but it can be tough (think: impossible) to schedule time when two or more people are available and ready to go on a regular basis. What it does mean is a group of people who know your plans and your goals. If you want to do a 5k in 3 months, tell your friends and ask them to check in with you each week about your progress. It’s easier to tie your shoes and get moving if you know you have someone else to answer to.
2. Buy some equipment. I’m not saying to spend a fortune, but buy a cute running outfit or perhaps an interval watch. Something that makes you look at feel like a runner. Call it motivation or call it guilt, that item could help nudge you out the door.
3. Start with what makes you feel successful. If you have never run before, please don’t hit the streets thinking you’ll run a quick 5 miles before heading out to work. Nothing will break your desire to be active like feeling unsuccessful. Start with promising to run one minute for every 3 that you walk, and work up from there. Set a realistic goal, based on either distance or time, and meet that goal no matter how many walking breaks you have to take.
4. Plan for realistic progress. Running, or any physical activity, is hard. It takes time to improve and, even then, it’s not always upward progress. Personally, I have been running for a year and a half. I have run two half marathons, many 10k’s and countless 5k’s. My time varies greatly, even from week to week. Some days I can’t run a full mile without walking. Improvement comes in the form of how you feel after running. It has to be ok for you to be slower today than you were last week.
5. Plan good routes. It is nice to have a couple of different running routes to choose from. I have one near my home, one between work and my kids’ daycare, and one that works well for nighttime (because it’s well lit and populated). When AT ALL possible, plan routes that don’t include many small loops. If you want to run 3 miles, try to find something that is 1.5 out and then back. It is so easy to turn your goal of 10 laps into 7… or 5… or “oh I’ve lost count so that must be good enough.” Having a physical location you have to get to and then back, or one large loop that you run once, makes it tougher to talk yourself out of it half way through.
6. Be ok with breaks. Plan your running intervals – for example 5 minutes running and 1 minute walking, and stick to them as much as you can. That being said, if you need more time, or an extra 30 seconds in the middle of a running interval… do it. It is better to take extra breaks and finish your goal distance (or time), than to give up, go home, and feel frustrated. Running should make you feel good about yourself, not stressed or unsuccessful.
7. Get others involved. As much as you can, get friends, colleagues, family involved in what you do. I have been called the “running instigator” of my school district due to getting people involved in running. It’s very hard to quit when people you have gotten involved are watching.
8. Give up perfect. See how this list is going to end on #8? That is not perfect. Neither are you, and definitely neither am I. If you goal is to win marathons, none of my advice applies. The rest of us? We need to keep our eyes on our prizes. For me, that includes physical fitness, emotional stability, and social aspects. What are your goals?
Running, or whatever physical activity you choose, needs to benefit your body, mind, and spirit. Keep these goals in mind, and stop being so hard on yourself. Just get out there and get (and keep) moving!

Chelsea blogs at VicariousChelsea.com . She commonly writes about running, but also about her family, her full time job in education and whatever else pops into her head. You can read more about her love/hate relationship with running HERE and a little bit about her latest half marathon HERE .

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Giving Your Kids a Creative Edge

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Ideas That Spark: Home Style

By Aviva Patz

Children are naturally creative: Their napkins become hats, their drinks are magic potions, and ketchup turns into paint. But aside from being endlessly entertaining, creativity is also critical to their developing brains. Creative and artistic experiences help kids express their feelings and come up with new ideas and ways to solve problems. Studies show that involvement in the arts boosts test scores and promotes academic achievement across the board.

These discoveries may explain why children’s art studios are popping up across the country, giving kids a chance to let their imaginations run wild with paint, clay,  and in the case of Make-a-Messterpiece in Glenview, Ill., even bubbles. In addition to private studios (such as KidsArt in California and Washington) and foundations (such as Creative Art Space for Kids in New York), many YMCA branches and local art museums offer art programs.

You can also get your child’s creative juices flowing at home with some very basic art supplies and the right attitude. Bring out the creative genius in your children with these simple tips.

Start With a Blank Slate
Leave projects open-ended so kids are free to imagine the endless possibilities. For example, if you’re painting pumpkins, don’t paint one first as an example, because your kids are likely to try to copy it, quashing their creativity. Instead, simply give children paint and paintbrushes and let them begin. Keep in mind that there are no wrong ways to paint a pumpkin.

Forget Perfection
Focus on the creative process rather than the finished product. For example, your child may find tremendous fun and fulfillment in shaping, squishing, pounding and poking at clay for an hour — even if the end result is a shapeless lump.

Don’t Mind the Mess
Art is not a neat business, and nothing stifles creativity faster than a wet mop or a dustpan underfoot. Let your child get dirty — that’s how she’ll learn to take risks. (Plus, it’s fun!) You can wipe up the glitter later.

Mix It up
Spice up your at-home art projects by using different materials instead of the usual paint, felt, pipe cleaners and beads. Challenge your children to find art supplies in their environment: a sponge, chopsticks, gum wrappers, bottle caps and egg cartons, for example. Head outside and collect leaves, sticks, acorns and small pebbles. Supply children with glue and paper and give no other direction. Be ready for anything.

Expose Them to Diversity
Take trips to museums and zoos; see plays and concerts; attend an African drumming circle, a Mexican fiesta, a Chinese New Year celebration. Every experience your children have with people or situations outside their normal routine widens their range of creative expression.

Make Music
Encourage experimentation with musical instruments without showing how it’s done. Let her play piano with her toes or beat the drum with maracas if she wants. You can make your own instruments too. Dried beans in a toilet paper tube make a great shaker; waxed paper secured over a coffee can is a drum; rubber bands stretched over a shoebox make a guitar. Grab an instrument and play along for a fun family hootenanny.

Allow for Unconventional Ideas
Thinking outside the box is what creativity is all about. When kids come up with a new way of doing things — making a sculpture out of plastic hangers, for instance — go with it (as long as it’s safe, of course). Your support will encourage more creative thinking and problem solving down the road.

Copyright © 2010 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.

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Get Outside! Quick and Crafty Fall Activities

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By Heather Mann for Ideas That Spark

Fall is such a great time to get outside and enjoy nature with your kids — and you don’t have to spend one penny or devote an entire day to do it. Just power down, leave your phone at home and enjoy an hour of crafty fall outdoor activities together.

1. Outdoor Treasure Hunt
Go on a nature walk and collect materials for various projects. Give each person a paper bag and have them pick up any treasures they find: rocks, leaves, acorns, pinecones and so on. When you get home, spread out your treasures on a square of sidewalk to share with each other. Keep them in a special “treasure” box and use them for the following outdoor activities:

2. Back to Nature Tic-tac-toe
Collect two sets of like items, such as acorns, pine cones, rocks (at least five of each per set) to use as game pieces for an outdoor version of tic-tac-toe. Play by drawing a game board on the ground with sidewalk chalk.

3. Funny Fall Faces
Draw a circle on the ground with chalk and create a funny face using your natural treasures. Rocks become eyes, leaves become hair, etc. You can vote on the best one or take photos to hang on the fridge.

4. DIY Fall Decorations
Create wreaths, garlands and swags with objects you find in nature. Tie branch clippings together into a round or square wreath formation with extra twine or yarn from your junk drawer. Embellish with brightly colored leaves or fall flowers secured with twist ties or floral wire. Hang your fall family craft projects outside on your fence or front door.  Compost them later in the year, when they start looking shabby.

You don’t need much to have a great time together outside this fall. Just grab a sweater and go!

Heather Mann is the mother of three little
boys and a daily blogger at DollarStoreCrafts.com, where she shares hip craft
ideas using frugal materials.

Copyright © 2010 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.

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Measuring BMI ~ Are You Fit or Fat?

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By Michael Castleman for Live Right Live Well

It’s hard to resist quick-and-dirty medical tests. After all, they’re fast, easy, cheap and noninvasive. The only problem is that their accuracy is limited. For the past several decades, the standard quick-and-dirty test for obesity has been the Body Mass Index (BMI): Multiply your weight in pounds by 703, and divide the result by the square of your height in inches. A normal BMI is 18.5 to 25; anything over that means you’re overweight. Sure it’s easy — all you need is a calculator — but is it accurate?

Flaws in the Formula
More and more, experts are acknowledging the limitations of the BMI formula. These include:

Athletic conditioning Since muscle weighs more than fat, ultra-fit athletes with lots of muscle and very little body fat can get BMI scores in the “overweight” category even though they’re fitter than the average person.

Age As you get older, muscle tends to get replaced by fat, which can cause BMI scores to skew low and understate your fat-related health risks.

Gender Women naturally carry more body fat than men, which can skew BMI scores low, understating a woman’s fat-related health risks.

Fat distribution Most important, BMI says nothing about where your fat is located. Research shows that people with a lot of abdominal fat (aka pot belly or apple shape) have a greater risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease than people who collect fat on their hips, thighs and buttocks (aka pear shape).

Two people with the same BMI, one shaped like an apple, the other shaped like a pear, the apple-shaped person will have a higher risk of heart attack, even though their BMIs are identical.

Better than BMI
Given the limitations of the BMI formula, what’s the best way to determine whether you’re fit or fat?

Hydrostatic weighing This is the gold standard. Using special equipment, you’re weighed while completely submerged under water. The drawback: Hydrostatic weighing is rarely available outside of research institutions.

DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) DEXA is the special X-ray used to determine bone density and osteoporosis. It can also be used to estimate body fat. But it requires very expensive equipment and trained technicians.

Bioelectrical impedance analysis This test passes a tiny, safe electrical current through the body. Until recently, this method required expensive equipment and a trained technician. Now, some health clubs offer it, and home test kits have become available, but their reliability is not entirely clear.

Skinfold measurement A tweezer-like caliper is used to measure folds of skin (and the underlying fat) at several places around the body. Like BMI, this test is quick — but somewhat dirty. For the most accurate results, have it done by a trained doctor, nurse or technician.

Waist circumference This test doesn’t measure body fat, but it does provide an indication of your risk of fat-related health conditions. Simply measure your waist at the navel.  “Risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease begins to rise with a waist measurement above 31 inches in women and 37 inches in men,” explains Harvey Simon, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Measurements above 35 inches in women and 40 inches in men are in the danger zone.”

Waist-to-hip ratio This test is almost as quick as waist circumference, but less dirty. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. In women, a waist measurement that’s more than 80 percent of your hips signals too much abdominal fat and an increased risk for health problems associated with obesity. In men, the figure is 95 percent (because men have narrower hips).

The Bottom Line
Today, BMI continues to play a key role in physicians’ diagnoses of obesity. However, more doctors are complementing it with other tests. “Personally, I now pay more attention to waist measurement than BMI,” says Dr. Simon. Adds Arya M. Sharma, M.D., a professor of medicine at McMaster University School of Medicine in Hamilton, Ontario: “Not long ago, doctors put people on scales and measured their heights to calculate BMI and their risk of cardiovascular disease. Now we know they should forget the scale and take out a tape measure.”

Michael Castleman

Michael Castleman has been called “one of the nation’s leading health writers” (Library Journal). He is the author of 11 consumer health books and more than 1,500 health articles for magazines and the Web.

Copyright © 2010 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.

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Team Colvin Races For The Cure

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Today we welcome Molly Gold, of Go Mom, Inc.  She’ll be Racing For The Cure this Saturday and I asked her to share her story with us…

By Molly Gold

www.gomominc.com

On Saturday, June 12, 2010, I am running the North Carolina Susan B. Komen® Race for the Cure because…

My Mother is a survivor and I’m so relieved she tested negative for Brac 1 and 2.

My Aunt has had breast cancer twice spanning 25 years.

My Grandmother passed away in her 50’s of ovarian cancer.

I had my first mammogram at 34 and I’m over being in the high risk category.

I have a neighbor who passed away this winter after a long battle and her children are my children’s ages.

I can count 5 people I know on one hand who have had breast cancer in the last year.

1 in 9 women will fight this disease in her lifetime and I don’t want to be part of that sisterhood.

I am running because my friend Krista Colvin has breast cancer and she’s going to win.

As you all know, Krista is the ultimate gal pal.  She’s sassy and fun, smart and caring, she’s that girlfriend that you wouldn’t dare miss a girl’s night out with and you’d give your right arm for.  Or your right breast.  She is bold and brave, not one to shy away from anything, and an educator in her heart.    I live on the other side of the country, have never met her in real life, and know in my heart she’s my kind, that instant connection that makes you know that you know that you know you are meant to share the sisterhood.

When Krista shared the news of her diagnosis, I was mad, devastated for her, and sadly, I’m embarrassed to say so selfishly terrified for myself.  What did it mean if a woman so vibrant and true could randomly, without a family history like mine that screams warning signals, while doing those monthly exams most of the time along with yearly mammograms still be challenged to fight stage 3 aggressive breast cancer?  What if I ever hear that terrible news?

Because of Krista, I have realized that I can’t live in fear that I might get breast cancer.  In fact I have to recognize that when your world is wide as today’s can be thanks to Face Book, Twitter, and just being the social butterfly that I am, I am going to hear about breast cancer, and frankly lots of other scary things, a lot.  And you know what?  I can’t worry about what if…not when it comes to breast cancer, H1N1, or any other terrible unexpected threat to our lives.  We can’t anticipate that and will miss out on this precious life right here in front of us if that’s where we focus our energy.

But when I hear about a newly diagnosed patient or learn of their most recent battle, that’s my chance to help.  That’s my chance to pray for people I know and I don’t,  to get out in my local community and raise money for women hear and all over the country, including out in Camas, Washington where my sweet friend is making such a huge difference sharing her story publicly every step of the way.  Krista is using her relationships in the local media to educate women just like you and me about what breast cancer really looks like.

Social Media makes the world a much smaller place and it’s because of the wonderful network of people there that I’m honored to be part of Team Colvin.  Sponsored by Hanes Comfort and organized by my friend, Malise Terrell, Carolina Mama, we have an AWESOME chance to work together to raise money and awareness for breast cancer everywhere.   The local North Carolina Blogging Community is coming out to work together and we’d love your support so check us out! Thank you!

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The Blogrollers First Race & Relax Weekend Huge Success

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As I sit in my airplane at 100,000+ feet, I’m filled with a myriad of emotions. I am a bit sad that the weekend is over and my time with the fantastic social media ladies of the #ATL has ended until we next meet, likely at Blogher or Blogalicious.   I am excited to see my babies, whom I have missed.  I’m looking forward to getting home and finishing up some straggling work before I take the summer off from consulting, and I am at peace with the world after one of THE most relaxing weekends I have had in a very long time.

When I won The Blogrollers contest for a weekend “Race & Relax Weekend” trip to Atlanta, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect.  I was looking forward to a little time away from the daily grind and was  just plain thrilled to have a reason to train a 5k.  I’m typically focusing on longer endurance runs and never pay much attention to how fast I run.  Let’s just get this straight, I run far and loooong, major emphasis on the “long”. Simply put, I’m a slow runner.  I pretty much run straight 10 min miles no matter the distance so it has been fun to put more emphasis on speed work and I feel strong for it, so I’ll likely keep working at getting to be a “less slow” runner.

The Race

We were a crew of about 20, all with different goals and intentions for the race.  Some of us were out for the run, some for the walk, and others were there for the fun.  As we gathered at the start line, there was no mistaking who the social media mavens were …

Hey ladies!!! That was the start!

I was setting up my music and Nike+ so I could track my time, and suddenly a wave of runners started moving … YIKES we missed the gun.  I bolted forward and just started running.  I was a mess, and in the words of my lady friend @broksocialite, “we don’t DO mess”.  Well, I was a mess of fumbling iphone and wires and I should have been focused and preparing at the start line.  Oooops!  It took me a good 14 mile or so to get myself situated and into a running groove.

Can I just say that Atlanta is humid?  HU- MID! Not just the little glisten/glow kind of humid.  It was SWEAT your balls of humid.  I assumed the heat would be a challenge to me but I also wrongly assumed that because I train at altitude, I’d be able to breath much easier and move along at a faster pace.  Wrong, and a lesson learned – the humidity made the air thick and I huffed and puffed my way along the course struggling on the intake. I knew going in that the hills would likely slow me down a bit .. and they did.  I opted not to stop and wait in line at the one and only water stop. (Just a little FYI on race water tables “best practices”, stand IN FRONT of the table and pass the water to runners as they run by!) This was a decision I definitely regretted later when I would have given almost anything for a drop of water. I’m quite certain I must have sweat several gallons of water in that short distance, as I was blinded by the sweat dripping from my forehead.  My eyes stung and in my mind’s ear,  I was panting like a hyena giving birth. Or at least what I imagine a hyena giving birth would sound like.  I just kept thinking, “You can do anything for 3 miles” and “Suck air IN, Suck air IN”. It’s funny, I felt so strong despite wanting to die.  I was going to push along no matter what!

Never Make Assumptions

My cocky assumption that I’d have an easy time breathing during this race was silly, had I given it much thought or even looked into it at all, I would have realized that the thick humid air would pose a challenge and likely cancel out any benefit I had gained from training at altitude. I’ll chalk this one up to a lack of experience but I can tell you that I won’t ever go into another race being sure of what conditions to expect.

Strange Happenings

Our bodies change as they age and if you’ve ever birthed a child you will likely see significant proof of those children, that increases with each pregnancy and birth.  I’ve had three children. My body is evidence but I practice yoga in order to combat some of the core strength weakness that I might otherwise struggle with. No matter what I do, the trauma that certain parts of my body have weathered in pushing three gorgeous little blessings can not be undone.  I do believe that practicing yoga is just about the only thing holding my hips together right now!

The Finish

The finish line was right around a corner at the bottom of a hill.  Had I known that the finish line were there I might have picked up my pace earlier, but PHEW it was nice to see that “Finish” sign!  I thought I’d pass out as I walked it off catching my breath.  (Another race note: Making runners walk 3 blocks to get water when they’ve sweat so much you can smell them a mile away??  NOT advised – Place it off to the side if you have to but WATER should be in close proximity lest would like to  have a BaneringBlonde yack in the middle of your pretty street!

@stacieinatlanta, me, @brokesocialite

For more about the race, and to read about the “RELAX” portion of the weekend join my on BanteringBlonde…


Relief...

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Walk the Nordic Way

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By Karen Asp for Live Right Live Well

I’m walking through my neighborhood on a summer day when I pass a woman who stares at me funny and shouts, “Trying to ski on asphalt?” I laugh. By now I’ve heard all the jokes. Sometimes it’s “Where’s the snow?” I can’t blame these people. After all, walking with two long poles, one in each hand, does look goofy. But if they knew the benefits of Nordic walking, I doubt they’d be so quick to laugh.

Nordic walking got its start in Finland in the 1930s as a cross-training tool for Nordic skiers. Europeans adopted it as a recreational exercise activity in the 1980s, and in 1997, Exel introduced the first official pole designed specifically for Nordic walking (rather than Nordic skiing). While Americans started to take notice of the sport a couple of years ago, today millions of Europeans engage in Nordic walking. Its popularity in the United States is growing fast as more and more health clubs, spas and resorts add Nordic walking to their class offerings. In fact, pole manufacturers report that, based on sales in this country, they expect five million Americans to pick up the sport in the next five years — and with good reason.

Nordic walking offers a slew of benefits. Research shows that by adding two poles and the Nordic walking technique to your stroll, you can improve your overall health in at least five ways:

  • Burn up to 46 percent more calories than walking without poles
  • Build upper body and core strength
  • Reduce stress on the joints
  • Obtain the same aerobic intensity as running without the impact
  • Relieve shoulder and neck tension, due to the unique mechanics of using poles as you walk

Plus, anybody can learn Nordic walking. “There’s a small learning curve with Nordic walking, which is dependent on your body awareness, coordination and athletic ability, yet the basics take only about an hour to learn,” says Selena M. Moffitt, Nordic walking master trainer for Exel and personal trainer at Cascade Athletic Club in Gresham, Ore. And even though you have a pole in each hand, you’re still moving opposite arm with opposite leg, just as you do when you’re walking without poles, she says.

Another bonus: You can do Nordic walking almost anywhere, including on grass, dirt, concrete, sand — even snow.

It’s also an activity that suits all fitness levels, from the beginner who’s just starting an exercise program to the advanced athlete who’s looking for a new training tool to kick up the intensity. You can even enter full-length marathons with your poles, as select marathons are beginning to include Nordic walking divisions.

To get started, you’ll need a pair of Nordic walking poles. These have special features, including straps for your hands, spiked tips for walking in dirt or grass, rubber tips to put over the spike when walking on hard surfaces, plus a lightweight composition.

Expect to spend between $70 and $100 for a good pair of poles, which usually includes a helpful DVD that teaches you the basics. Higher-performance poles may cost more. To figure out which type is best for you, head to a sporting goods store or a shoe store that specializes in walking and try out different models.

You should also know that there are two types of poles: adjustable and fixed length. Because poles are fitted to your height, buy adjustable if you’re sharing with other people, advises Suzanne Nottingham, director of education for LEKI USA and spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise. Otherwise, the choice is yours.

For your feet, regular walking shoes will work. If you wind up getting serious about the sport, you might consider shoes specially designed for Nordic walkers.

Ready to give it a go? Most people can pick up the basics from the DVD, but nothing beats a hands-on lesson from a real-life instructor. So if you can, search the Internet for “Nordic walking” to locate instructors and classes in your area. Or call community centers, local health clubs or walking stores to find out if there’s a Nordic walking clinic near you. Then lace up those sneakers, grab those poles, and soon, you’ll wonder how you ever walked without them.

Karen Asp

Karen Asp is a freelance journalist who writes the fitness column for Allure and contributes to numerous other publications including Fitness, Prevention, Self, Shape, Woman’s Day and Women’s Health.She is also a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor.

Copyright © 2010 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.

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The Value of an Overnight Summer Camp Experience

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camplakeI can look back at my overnight summer camp experiences as some of the most memorable and enriching times in my life.  I have kept in touch with many camp friends over the years and even communicate with a number of them on Facebook.  I even roomed with one of my best camp friends, Julia, at boarding school when we were juniors in high school.  We met up last winter and even although it had been 20 years since we’d graduated, it was as if no time had passed. It was with Julia that I learned that a sailboat really could tip right over if you turned too sharp… and that rope burn really hurts.  I learned about making my bed with hospital corners, and that you could actually get dressed while still in bed on cold Maine mornings.

My children are 10,7 and 5 years old and I’ve started to explore the possibility of sending them to an overnight camp.  I get a bit nervous as I’m sure most parents do, but I also know that camps provide structured and supervised opportunities for independence and discovery, things that children need in order grow into the responsible teens and adults that we all hope they will become.  My kids have much less freedom to explore, here in the city, than I ever did growing up on 11 acres in New Hampshire. We spend most every weekend in the mountains but I know that a camp experience will be an important part of their education and development.

MomActive Live program on MomTV.com Wednesday at 10pm ET will be dedicated to highlighting the value of an overnight camp experience.  We’ll discuss the different concerns parents have and address such things as cost, types of camp, and size, among other things.  I’ve been corresponding with Ariella Randle Rogge Assistant Director/Program Director Sanborn Western Camps at High Trails Ranch and she has been gracious enough arrange for Mike MacDonald, director of Big Spring Ranch for Boys, and Julie Richardson, director of High Trails Ranch for Girls, to be guests on Wednesday nights program.  This will be an amazing opportunity to ask your questions and to learn about the planning and consideration that goes into your child’s summer camp experience at an American Camp Association accredited camp.  The chat room will be open and we’ll be monitoring it in order to address all of your questions.

Come Join the conversation with @banteringblonde on TheBlogFrog community.

or Leave a comment here and tell us a little bit about your favorite camp memories.  Will you, or do you, send your kids to an overnight camp?  Why or why not?

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