Jennifer Forney
www.grabthegab.com

It’s an endless cycle.

We don’t work out because we’re too tired. We’re too tired because we don’t work out.

You don’t always have to sweat it out in a gym to get a good workout. There are simple activities that you can do on a daily basis that when added together can create a healthy workout. While these activities can not replace a regular fitness program they can improve your overall well-being. Here are some examples of ways to sneak exercise into your day.

On the go:
1).  Skip the drive through. Instead of sitting in line, park and take a quick invigorating stroll inside to get your food. Tip: Almost every fast-food restaurant offers a low fat healthy menu.

2).  Stop wasting gas. No more driving around for minutes on end and following shoppers to their cars to get that close-up parking space. Park as far away as you can and take advantage of the extra walking opportunity. Tip: Take safety precautions especially at night. If you do not have a partner use store security to escort you to your vehicle.

3).  Put it back where you got it. Don’t leave your shopping cart in the parking lot. Return it to the front of the store.

Walk it out:
1).  Get your shop on. Instead of vegging out on the sofa all weekend go window shopping.

2).  Shop twice. Walk the isles of the grocery store as you make out your list. Then go back and shop for the items that you need.

Tip: Do not do this on an empty stomach as you are likely to buy in excess.

In the office:
1).  Stretch it out. If you sit in front of a computer take a break every hour and stretch out your muscles. Extend your arms over your head and reach for the ceiling taking care not to over extend yourself. After a few stretches bring your arms back down to your side and shake them out.

2).  Take the stairs. If you are on the first floor and you need to go to the eighth floor take the stairs. If you can’t walk the entire eight flights take the stairs half way up.

3).  Get loose with it. Loosen up shoulder muscles by rolling shoulders gently in a circular motion, first forward and then backward several times.

4).  Suck it up. While sitting at your desk pull in your tummy and hold for 10 seconds then release. This may not seem like much of an exercise but you are strengthening those abdominal muscles.

Around the house:
1).  Get down and dirty. Grow a flower garden. Not only will tending a garden strengthen your hands and knees but many people find it a relaxing pastime.

2).  Bust some suds. Loading and unloading the dish washer is great for stretching leg and back muscles.

3).  Shake your groove thing. Doing a little dusting? Mopping the floor? Turn on an energetic song and just let your body move. Or do a little air guitar playing to your favorite rock song.

Tip: This is a great exercise when you are home alone. You can just let go of your inhibitions.

4).  Jump for your heart. Teach your children how to jump rope or join them for a game.

Make use of wasted time by doing something for yourself that only takes a little effort but has big benefits. 

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Posted in Health Gab in Print Recreation

Not this election. She might set the tone, but I don’t think most Americans are ready. Maybe in another decade.
Mary Atkins, 40

I’d like to see one in two years. Then maybe we will actually have health care. The men have been putting that off long enough.
Sherry York-Tipton, 35

When the men realize the women are a lot smarter than they are.
Brittany Flack, 21

We’ll see one in the next election with Hillary. I will vote for her.
Vickie Powell, 57

Soon, I hope. Too many men have been president for too long.
Kayla Rutherford, 11

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Posted in Gab in Print

By Ragan Robinson

If you haven’t been shushed in the last month, your husband or boyfriend probably isn’t a football fan.

The playoffs and bowl games moved your favorite dramas off the primetime schedule. Chances are good your significant other isn’t moving off the couch. That can be tough for us non-fans.

Twenty-nine-year-old Crystal Reed of Connelly Springs learned to roll with the punches — or should we say tackles? She didn’t get into the game until she started sharing a television with her fiancé, Trinity, about six years ago. Not that she had a choice. So how did she go from football novice to full-fledged aficionado?

“I just watched a couple of games,” she says.

You learn a little every time you watch, but asking questions is a big part of getting into the game, Crystal adds.

Her fiancé didn’t mind, she says, especially when she started providing the snacks.

Football is a good sport to start with, says Jeff Link, an assistant principal and athletic director at East Burke High School. There is a lot of downtime on the gridiron, especially compared to the fast-paced game of basketball, the other sport your sweetie is likely focused on this season (baseball, the world’s slowest moving sport, is probably best).

Link says most fans don’t mind sharing their know-how. It means their partners won’t be complaining about losing control of the remote, for one thing.

It’s OK to talk when:
~ The players are all in a pile.
That means the play is over and it’ll be awhile before the action starts again.
~  The guys in the tight pants are running on and off the field and lining up.
That means the play hasn’t started yet. But pay attention. The game is going to get interesting again soon.
~  The second replay comes on.
You may want to let your guy see that first replay but you can count on another one coming up.
~  Commercials come on — as long as it’s not during the Super Bowl
~  If it is the Super Bowl, when commercials come on for the second time
~  Players are calling the cadence (those are the random numbers they yell out just before the play starts).
~  Someone is kicking the ball.

Some Football fans think it’s funny to confuse those of us who aren’t. They will talk about punting, too. That’s just a fancy word for kicking. And you don’t need to hear the game to know what happens when a player is kicking or punting.

Stop talking when:
~  The quarterback cocks his arm to throw the ball.
This signals the beginning of the action.
~  The referee (he’s the man in the black and white shirt) is on the field talking.
He’s probably telling the fans which team did what wrong and what the penalty will be.

Ask your guy:
~  If he likes today’s announcers or if they get on his nerves.
This will tell you if it’s OK to talk over them.
~ Which number his favorite player wears.
When that guy is on the screen it’s time to be quiet, no matter what’s going on.

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Posted in Home Life Gab in Print Relationships

Tracy Farnham
www.grabthegab.com

Achoo! Sniffle, cough, “My head. My throat. I don’t feel so well.”
A throat that’s on fire, every inch of your body aches along with a headache that feels like it may explode sending mucus from clogged nostrils for miles. Does this sound familiar? 

Like most households throughout Burke County, someone within your home may be experiencing a cold, the flu or some other seasonal malady. How can you survive the symptoms or stay well if you haven’t caught anything yet?

Know the difference

If a loved one arrives at your house with any of the symptoms mentioned a little detective work can help treat what’s ailing them. Although viruses cause both colds and the flu and both are contagious, telling them apart may be tricky.

A high fever and body aches are two of the most prominent sudden signs of the flu in addition to extreme tiredness. A cold on the other hand comes on much slower with sneezing, coughing, a sore throat and maybe a low-grade fever. In order to find out if the symptoms you’re experiencing might be the flu visit http://www.fluFACTS.com.

Regardless of the results, staying home while you’re sick is best for everyone concerned. Not only will it hasten the recovery period, but it can also lessen the spread of the virus.

Practice administrator, Jane Simmons, with Mountain View Pediatrics says the flu is generally characterized by a sudden onset of symptoms, such as a high fever, cough and body aches, but may or may not have the sniffling cold symptoms. 

“The doctors recommend treating the symptoms,” says Simmons. Offer Tylenol or Ibuprofen for a fever, drink plenty of fluids and rest. Run a humidifier to insure adequate levels of humidity in the house and help with coughing, she adds.

“We ask that parents try treating the sickness at home,” Simmons says. “If a parent is not comfortable treating their child at home the health care system is available to them.

Stock the survival kit

Warm blankets, tissues with lotion and comfortable pajamas offer lots of external comfort to the sick. Likewise a cup of warm soup, broth or tea not only warms the body, but also thins phlegm helping it to be expelled as you cough. Research also suggests that chicken soup contains anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the release of mucus. Cold drinks as well as ice pops, ice chips, chilled applesauce or fruit and gelatin help soothe sore throats.

Resort to using Styrofoam cups and disposable straws that can be thrown away. Otherwise make sure whoever washes dishes takes extra precautions to disinfect the dishes during illness at your house. 

Call the doctor or pharmacist to see what is recommended for the symptoms you’re experiencing. Charlotte McCorkle of Burke Pharmacy says many medicine chests in Burke County have a mixture that is exclusive to their pharmacy. “It has an expectorant for the cough and a decongestant with antihistamine so you can buy one product instead of two. We have made it up here for the past 30 years and we sell a lot of it,” she says. 

Also recommended is a fever reducer and pain reliever or Ibuprofen.  If you’re looking to swallow less medicine try one of the quick dissolving strips for a cough or long lasting remedies. McCorkle says a 10-milligram tablet of the antihistamine Claritin has a 24-hour release so only one pill is taken compared to one every six hours. 

Finally offer special privileges such as steamy showers or long hot baths, which also loosen chest or nasal congestion. These can also help the sick rest better when taken before bedtime. Offer older kids and adults hard candies to soothe their throat and better still vitamin C drops to help ease symptoms of a cold.

Boost your immunity

While taking care of the little ones or older ones who are under the weather, the most important thing is remember to take care of yourself. Remember to wash your hands. Rest, exercise, and eating well all are proven measures to boost immunity during this season of sickness. Being active plays an important role in staying healthy and research supports the idea that regular, moderate exercise is related to fewer upper respiratory infections. 

Keep areas clean with disinfecting wipes or spray and ask the sick one to sneeze or cough into a tissue to keep from spreading germs around. Since your hands can introduce these viruses into your body, keep them away from your eyes, nose and mouth.

If you don’t take a multivitamin, now’s a good time to start along with a Vitamin C supplement. Drink plenty of water and eat your vegetables. Next year get the flu shot, which is the best prevention of all.

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Health Gab in Print