Tag: wellness

Wellness Wednesday – Steps

Welcome to Wellness Wednesday and today I’m thinking about how many steps a person really needs. The rule of thumb is supposedly 10,000 steps a day – which for me translates to about 4 miles/day. That’s easy to attain right now while I’m on my “corporate hiatus” but what about when I start work again? Is 10,000 steps really the right amount for me?

The Mayo Clinic says that the average American walks around 1.5 to 2 miles/day – or maybe 4,000 steps. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests the better number might be a minimum of 7,500 steps to see health benefits. Although of course the health benefits increase as the number of steps increase.

Here’s what I can tell you from my personal experience. I started walking a minimum of 2 miles a day last August and I am a faithful Apple Watch wearer so I have solid statistics on my step count and other health metrics. In July, I averaged 6,967 steps/day and in January, I averaged 11,462 steps/day. In July, my resting heart rate was 53 beats/minute – which was good for a woman my age. But now? It’s 46 beats/minute. Generally, a lower heart rate at rest implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness – which can help translate to a better, longer life.

And while I’m still struggling to manage the weight I have gained over the last few years (thanks menopause!), walking is helping me burn a lot of extra calories. Apple defines “active” calories as energy burned over and above what you need when you’re at rest and in January, I averaged 503 active calories/day. I’m using this information to help me figure out what my calorie consumption can be to lose weight. According to my watch, at rest I burn about 1,600 calories/day. Add the 503 in active calories and I can consume 2,100 calories a day without gaining weight. 

My extra steps translate to hundreds of extra “active” calories/month – and with a pound of human fat equaling around 3,500 calories, those extra steps can translate to lost pounds quickly. So join me for the cardiac, weight loss and mental health benefits of walking. GET THOSE STEPS!!!

Image from Prevention Magazine

Sit Up Straight!

Here’s a weird side effect of the job search I don’t think I would have ever expected – my posture is suffering. Why is it that when I was working, I sat up straighter in my chair than I seem to be doing now? I think it’s because when I’m typing, I sit up straight but when I’m scrolling I seem to slump. So I guess that’s a measure of how much typing I did while working?

Any way you look at it, good posture can help you maintain better health. Not only can your posture impact back and neck pain but even impacts your digestion! Check out what these resources say about the effect of posture on your health:

Now that I’ve caught myself slumping more, I’m taking steps to correct it. To start, I’m taking a weekly Pilates class using a reformer. I LOVE the reformer – you get a fabulous stretch from it! And I’ve found all kinds of other suggestions like these which also utilize yoga or Pilates elements:

Sit up straight and check your posture – you’ll thank me for it!

Rejection – and your health

I got yet another automated rejection email in my job search this morning. Intellectually, I know it isn’t the end of the world but emotionally – OUCH. Job searches are a game these days trying to outsmart the automated screener to even get to a real person who might understand the value of the person represented in the resume. But can that rejection impact your health?

Of course I dove into Google and here’s what I’ve got. According to the American Psychological Association, rejection does take a toll. They say people who routinely feel excluded have poorer sleep quality, and their immune systems don’t function as well as those of people with strong social connections, he says. Even brief, seemingly innocuous episodes of rejection can sting.

But, I found another article that says your reaction to rejection can be a good thing. It’s a sign your brain is working correctly. Read this – I’ve got to go read more job listings and keep on keeping on!

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/17/why-rejection-is-good-for-your-brain-according-to-a-psychologist-.html

Job searching and the weather…

Is it just me – or is it easier to look at the job listings when it isn’t so gloomy outside? I’ve hit a wall yesterday and today at looking at the job boards. I have about 6″ of snow at my house and it’s really gray outside. Has the seasonal affective disorder caught me?

This link will take you to everything you need to know about seasonal affective disorder: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651

But I don’t really think I have SAD – I think this is just a trough of the roller coaster of being on the job search. It really does wear on a person. I’m still in contact with members of my old team and it is really odd to talk to them when I’m not really a part of the group anymore. Not to mention that talking myself up to a lot of strangers is NOT a comfortable thing for me.

This too shall pass right? At some point, a company is going to realize that I’d be a great fit for them and I’ll get back in the work grove. But today it’s wearing on me….

Wellness Wednesday

I woke up with a horrible headache today – made me appreciate my down time since I didn’t have to push through it to get somewhere by a particular time this morning. It’s one of those headaches that has the potential to be a migraine but I’m fighting it. After some extra sleep, I had some Advil and a hot shower. And really – is there ANYTHING a long hot shower won’t make better? So now I’m up and at it although I’m keeping sound and light to a minimum.

Tomorrow is my annual mammogram. Ladies, are you faithful about them? With the exception of a year during the pandemic (which I think can be forgiven), I’ve always gotten mine since I turned 35. I’m at a higher than average risk for breast cancer since my mom died of cancer that started with breast cancer. She was diagnosed with it in 1969 which for her meant a hysterectomy, radical mastectomy, chemo therapy and radiation. In 1969, the doctors weren’t messing around and treated her very aggressively. It still managed to metastasize to her bones and eventually her liver – but she had 11 years between her initial diagnosis and when she died.

Today, while 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer sometime in their lives, most breast cancer cases aren’t a death sentence. We’ve come a long way since 1969 thankfully! So go get your mammograms – a few minutes of discomfort could give you the warning time you need to keep cancer in check. Here are some resources about breast cancer and early detection – check them out!

Walking to Wellness

So it’s Wellness Wednesday and later I’ll be strapping on my walking shoes to celebrate. It’s really no secret that walking is a great form of exercise. I took up walking kind of seriously in August when I participated in a fundraising challenge from the American Cancer Society. The challenge was to walk 2 miles a day, every day of August for a total of 62 miles. I blew it out of the water averaging 4.2 miles a day for the month according to my Apple Watch.

One of my favorite places to walk

All the walking not only raised money for ACS, but I actually started losing my pandemic weight! Today, I’m down 10 full pounds from the top of my weight (I’m not saying where I started OK?) and I found other benefits too. My Apple Watch alerted me to a lower resting heart rate which is an indicator of better heart health and cardiovascular fitness. I dropped around 6 beats/minute over the course of the month!

I’m also sleeping better. I’ve always been a light sleeper and stress/worry only makes it worse. At the risk of sounding all weird, the walks have given me a way to empty out my head. Being outside and walking hard with my headphones pouring mood appropriate music into my head is just soothing in a way I cannot describe. And given the events of the last week, my walks have helped me put things into perspective and get into a good mental place.

So take a break – go for a walk and see if a few miles will help you too! Want some more info on walking and wellness? Check out these links: