Tag Archives: walk

Lose Weight Permanently through Lifestyle Change

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What action plan will you implement this year to safely achieve your weight loss goal? And how will you successfully sustain the positive lifestyle change effort to see those results last long term?

The most common and desired fitness goal without a doubt is weight loss. Everyone I’ve ever talked to has a desire to keep excess weight off – feel better and be of good health. But to do it right requires more than applying a common fitness or weight loss program strategy to achieve sustainable results.

Aerobic exercise at low to mid-intensity efforts for 10-20 minutes activates the fat burning engine.

Before setting a fit healthy lifestyle change program in motion… One must be mindful of one very important ingredient that increases will power to stay the course. I.e., what activities of personal interest will motivate you to change your current lifestyle.

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All too often people have good intentions prior to setting a New Year’s Weight Loss Resolution… and repeatedly fail. Why? Mostly because the plan they put in place is not right for them. Following someone else’s weight loss or fitness plan, or lifestyle change course may motivate them. However it won’t likely provide the will power you need to continue the course independently long term.

Unhealthy waist size for men is 40″ and Women 35.” Healthy waist size for men 35″ and under and for women 32.5″

To determine a plan that’s right for you requires being honest with yourself. First of all confront your current lifestyle. Once you do you can target unhealthy, or sedentary habits that prevent losing weight and getting more fit. To develop a sustainable fitness plan and program requires targeting bad habits and behavior keeping you over weight and unfit.

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I know many of you are conflicted with the daily grind that chips away at your will power to change course. But what I find most interesting… even after work and daily chores and taking care of the kids, etc., there’s always a way to begin squeezing in a window of fit healthy “me” time activity you’d take interest in.

How many sedentary or other unhealthy habits can you identify – then substitute that time for healthy activities?

There is always time to squeeze in a 15-30 min walk, or other exercise activity of interest to begin the healthy lifestyle change habit.

Let me help you identify a window of time. For example, how much time do you spend watching TV, searching the Internet, eating out after work, over sleep, go out for evening cocktails, or watch sports… You get the picture. Anyone can find time to squeeze in daily exercise activity… And if you can’t – you may need help targeting the obsessive behaviors keeping you overweight and unfit.

Ageless MirrorAthlete “Overweight and Unfit No More” is the coaching and positive lifestyle change information you need and want now to set and sustain positive lifestyle change long term.
Successful weight loss resolutions require identifying activities of interest that motivates you to stay the course.

Repeated failure in setting positive lifestyle change habits impacts how you see yourself and feel about life in general. And at some point not only will you gain more weight, you’ll feel more internal stress and anxiety – which could eventually lead to more unhealthy habits and behavior with connected ill-health symptoms and disease.

I’ve advised and programmed many clients throughout the years by arming them with customized fitness and
healthy lifestyle habit change programs of interest they’ve stuck with for life – Ultimately their success was dependent upon their activities of interests and passionate motivation to stay the course.

The following recommendations will help you achieve and sustain a positive fit healthy lifestyle course for life.

1) If you have repeated failures at losing weight or your health is at risk, you must seek help targeting and changing unhealthy habit(s) and behavior(s) [compulsive, obsessive, addiction, co-dependence on others, etc.]. If you are grossly obese, or have unhealthy habits or behavior keeping you sick – seek medical attention immediately. Behavior modification or nutritional expertise or pain management or other specialized medical referrals from your primary care physician will be of great service to you in changing your lifestyle course.

2) It is my belief the mind, body and spirit is dependent on sustainable fit healthy activities of interest – like balanced nutrition. Without some form of constant movement activity throughout the day, it becomes easy for sedentary habits to form. Our bodies are designed to move… NOT mostly sit.

Walking is our natural form of exercise and keeps the metabolism and all tissue cells and brain function in check. At a minimum everyone needs to work towards 30 -60 minutes of continuous daily walking or other exercise of interest activity. If you start out walking, or riding a bike, etc., 10-15 minutes per day – you can only advance upwards from there.

Exercise activity comes in all forms. Anytime you walk to a destination place – The fat burning engine is switched on.

3) Exercise activities of interest come in many forms. E.g., yoga, hiking, biking, skating,, treadmill, ballroom dance, stair stepping, rowing, Zumba dance, walking, pickleball, tennis, golf, yard work, jogging, etc. Basically anything that moves the body for a continuous period of time provides a fitness and health benefit. However, if you are just starting a walking program for example, do not start out walking at a brisk pace.

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Work your way into greater duration, frequency and intensity within any activity of interest you begin participating in to become conditioned. Like any type of physical exertion activity – unless you’ve trained for the task or event, it’s best to ease your way into an exercise activity change habit until the encompassing being [mind, body and spirit] becomes conditioned to a new lifestyle change.

4) Our bodies regardless of age require whole food high-quality nutrients to boost metabolism, increase energy, mood, maintain weight and overall health, etc. Healthy diet occurs by consuming a balance of wholefood macronutrients (Carbs, Proteins and Dietary Fats). I also recommend dietary supplementation of high-quality vitamin-minerals as a health insurance policy. Why, because I know most don’t consume 3-4 servings of vegetables and fruits per day. The daily balance of macro and micro nutrients will help you achieve both weight loss and fitness and health goals.

Eat more natural whole foods and limit processed foods if you really want to loss excess body fat weight.

5) It is also true, exercise may add weight. That’s right, depending on body type and genetics and exercise program – strength training causes muscle mass to increase [muscle fiber is more dense and heavier than fat tissue].

Muscle building through strength training can increase body weight because of dense muscle fiber development… and offsets body fat weight gain – muscle requires more energy and burns additional calories daily.

When you exercise muscle in general – its mass and weight will increase relative to the effort you exert during exercise activity. Fitness programming adjustments to achieve a set fitness goal may require changing an exercise activity of interest to be more favorable toward fat burning activities that offset muscle weight gain.

Find an exercise activity you enjoy to burn more body fat weight. Better yet get a friend to take a zumba class with you.

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6) It is important to measure your success weekly. If your losing weight safely and naturally, you’ll loss ~2lbs/week until you eventually achieve your ideal body weight. If you don’t measure fitness success periodically you may lose interest and motivation to sustain and achieve the set fitness goal.

Weight and Tape Weekly to Measure your Success.

A simple and convenient way to measure fitness goal success requires only a scale and tape measure and how your clothes fit. That’s it!

In home exercise activity only requires a little space and mat.

7) Analyzing the weight loss results… If your weight increases and waist band feels loose, this likely means body fat weight has decreased and muscle mass weight has increased. If your weight decreases and waist band feels tight, this likely means muscle mass has decreased and body fat weight has increased. If body weight has not increased and waist line feels the same but your getting stronger have more energy for exercise activity, your body is going through fat and muscle tissue weight change conversion. At this point it’s only a matter of time before positive weight loss and/or strength gain and/or endurance achieve the fit healthy lifestyle goal you set.

So what is the perfect weight loss exercise activity of interest strategy for you?

That depends, everyone works, lives and plays within different environments and is of varying age. We also have unique health histories, fitness goals and daily habits and activities of interests, etc.

Initially, the answer lies within targeting time available to begin implementing healthy exercise activities of interest that motivate and increase will power to stay a course to achieve a set fitness goal.

If your looking for information to help you achieve your weight loss and other fit healthy lifestyle and habit change goals once and for all… Ageless MirrorAthlete “Overweight and Unfit No More” is the coaching and lifestyle change guidance and recommended program information you need and want now.

Ageless MirrorAthlete “Overweight and Unfit No More” is the coaching and positive lifestyle change information you need and want now to set and sustain positive lifestyle change long term.

Learn how to program a successful New Year’s Resolution that’s safe, natural, right for you and can be sustained long-term. Now Get’er done!

Author: Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, ARNG, CPT, RET. 2014-19 Copyright. All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Inc., www.mirrorathlete.org, Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.

Tigard Heritage Plaza-Trail System Update

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Update: 12/14/2019 Marc Woodard

On November 19, 2017, I wrote the following article: Transforming Tigard Heritage Trail. I’ve added current pictures 2 years later. As you can see there’s been great improvement on the heritage trail system. Upon the projects completion I’ll add updated images to make the before and after comparisons.

Avid walkers, joggers and bikers are likely familiar with a crescent shaped porous asphalt pathway running parallel with Tigard Street and intersecting at Tiedeman Avenue and Main Street in down town Tigard.  In 2013 city leaders wasted no time to secure the ¾ mile abandoned rail right-of-way with ODOT (Oregon Depart of Trans) through a 99 year intergovernmental lease agreement. Shortly thereafter the city began trail design concepts and receiving feedback through multiple public outreach efforts.

“An open house was held in September 2014 to present the initial trail design plan. Over 100 people participated on-line or in-person. The plan was generally well received.

Looking South Towards Main Street. Events and entertainment staging area, Veterans wall and flag, Clock tower, children’s splash pad have all been topics of discussion. Photo by MirrorAthlete,19 November 2017

The concept then grew legs into four main sub-areas: 1) A community plaza [now Rotary Plaza, Council Resolution 17-14] where the South trail intersects Main Street next to the commerce building; 2) a Commons area that include concepts for a dog park and/or BMX-bike-pump track [mid-heritage trail segment]; 3) a Stage Area for performance space; and 4) a second trail gateway entrance with plaza space at the north end of the trail intersecting Tiedeman Avenue.

Looking South Towards Main Street. Events and entertainment staging area, Veterans wall and flag, Clock tower, children’s splash pad have all been topics of discussion. Photo by MirrorAthlete, 14 December 2019

Three popular trail themes have been reviewed for possible development after three public walk and talk sessions held during the Summer of 2017.  The trail themes were, Trail as Outdoor Museum; Trail as Riverine History; and Trail as Timeless Railway. After public input – the two most popular themes appear to be timeless railway and outdoor museum.

Looking South on Heritage Trail Heading Towards Main Street. Grant Street is to the right. Photo by MirrorAthlete,19 November 2017
Looking South off of Tiedeman railroad track [North End]. Second trail gateway entrance with plaza space venue. Photo by MirrorAthlete,19 November 2017
Looking South on Heritage Trail Towards Chamber Building and Main Street. Photo by MirrorAthlete,19 November 2017
Looking South on Heritage Trail Towards Chamber Building and Main Street. Construction under way. Photo by MirrorAthlete, 14 December 2019
Looking North on Heritage Trail under HWY 99 Overpass. Photo by MirrorAthlete, 14 December 2019
Looking North on Heritage Trail Grant Street Ahead to the Left. Photo by MirrorAthlete,19 November 2017
Lean How to Live the Lifestyle You Need, Want and Deserve Now! Lean more about the Author Marc Woodard and Ageless MirrorAthlete
Looking North on Heritage Trail parallel with Tigard Street – Coming up to Grant Street on the Left. Photo by MirrorAthlete, 14 December 2019

Some of the most popular trail and plaza amenities ideals include: Rotary Plaza clock tower and peace pole, Veterans wall and flag, farmer’s market and event space in flexible plaza staging area with overpass LED accent lighting; parking under Highway overpass, and along Tigard Street abutted to heritage trail system up to Grant Street.

Also an adult outdoor fitness center with wheelchair access is possible along Tigard Street “green space” parking, Just West of HWY 99 overpass.  Also competing for this space children’s splash pad zone.

Cultural and historical interactive art stations are planned along the trail way and may include time capsules… And the BMX-bike-pump track concept continues to be very popular with biking enthusiasts and community at large.

Looking North on Main Street. Heritage Trail Gateway into Plaza Area Photo by MirrorAthlete,19 November 2017
Looking North on Main Street. Heritage Trail Gateway into Plaza Area Photo by MirrorAthlete, 14 December 2019

How is the City paying for the the Heritage Street Trail Project?

Lion Share Funded by 700k Connect Oregon VI Grant

“On Aug. 18, 2016, the Oregon Transportation Commission announced a $700,000 award to the city of Tigard through a Connect Oregon VI grant.” Other funding sources and donations include: Washington County MSTIP grant; City of Tigard and Down Town Urban Renewal funds and Rotary Club donations, etc. Construction began in 2018.

Team designers are always looking for further input in creating trail elements that compliment Tigard’s Outdoor Museum. 

To provide input/ or learn more about the project: http://www.tigard-or.gov/business/tigard_street_trail.php

Good Health to You and Your Family.

Marc Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, ARNG, CPT, RET., is a member of the Tigard City Council. He is a strong proponent of City involvement in providing recreational opportunities for its residents. 2017-19 Copy right. All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Inc., www.mirrorathlete.org

Challenging Social Disability Expectation

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Updated: 17 May 2015

I know many out there are hurting with disabling mental, spiritual and physical pain thinking there is nothing more that can be done to improve the situation. What is a social disability expectation? I coined this term back in 2004 when I understood my injury was permanent causing lifelong pain that must be managed daily. Through this time it was apparent I was looked at by many as a disability casualty that met the social disability expectation… one who couldn’t provide for self and family; and that was a very depressing point in time for me.

I do understand the feelings associated with loss of finances, immobility, productivity, loneliness, worth and dignity. I’ve personally experienced these things during my own physical adversary and mobility challenge from 2003 to 2008 after injury. And one thing I know for certain, physical loss almost always leads to mental depression. And if not prepared with a plan to beat it, the mind and body begin to experience more illness and pain.

However, if you are able to mobilize your body for longer periods of time throughout the day, especially outdoors when possible, nature has a way of inspiring, providing solutions and purpose, while allowing the mind and body to heal. The encompassing being when connected to God’s universe have healing energy.

Regardless of whether you’re recovering from injury, addiction, illness or disease and feel broke, you can be made whole again through self-healing effort. Even when temporarily or permanently confined to a wheelchair, dependent on crutches or cane(s); or have loss of limb(s). We’re capable of finding new and exciting purpose while enjoying life to the fullest.

Walking desolate dried up Northern California lakes and river beds for exercise and shear adventure.

When the mind and body are stimulated, energized and challenged by changing environmental surroundings and activity; the brains cerebrum thinks, perceives and processes everything within and around it. Through transport of mind and body the processing of sight, sound, smell, sense and touch stimulation and spiritual elements have therapeutic and healing benefits.

However, if the mind actually believes the body cannot receive such a benefit through exercise activities then a disabled social expectation may likely result within the mind’s eye.

All too often we tend to lock ourselves away when we become mentally and physically ill or hurt, or disease enters our lives. Then ponder on all the whos me head games. Why did this happen, why won’t the pain stop, why can’t I continue the same lifestyle I had before, why should I continue to self-improve when it’s physically and mentally too hard and it hurts?

Instead of focusing on the negatives… focus on all the positives to heal sooner than later. For instance, determine who you trust well enough to share how you feel. Create a support group, let them help you find answers and treatment leads, identify healthy and positive environments to surround yourself within while going through physical and mental adversity. Find the best treatment and social, and therapeutic support group(s) possible; then focus on creative purpose during a self-healing time. And realize, you can live life to the fullest once you apply new and other challenging lifestyle change goals – Your capable of achieving. Climbing your way out of adversity to a better life scenario is possible, but you have to believe it is possible.

I believed for a short period of time my new purpose in life was to live as a disability casualty, or learn to live the way I believed society and medical doctors viewed and classified me. Especially as I struggled to walk correctly with mobility aids for many years while battling pain depression. It became apparent post op recovery… psychologist, orthopedic specialists and physiatrist recommendations were to live life as comfortable as possible and not stress over the things I could no longer physically do. However, those words were easier said than done, due to neurological pain complications radiating throughout my body after my first hip surgery.

Marc after Second Hip Surgery
Nothing easy about a post op and recovery scenario [Jan 2004 left bone graph surgery]

At that time of my bone graph surgery to save my left hip, I didn’t understand how to reinvent myself within a less mobile and pain ridden body during the healing process. This was my physical adversity challenge that would continue from 2002-20 after my 3rd hip surgery and 2nd total hip replacement.

Ageless MirrorAthlete Covers fit healthy lifestyle and physical, mental and spiritual adversity and how to self-heal. Learn how to live the life you need, want and deserve now.

Make no mistake, it makes no difference if depression begins within your mind’s eye… or caused by substantiated medical diagnosis, etc. Severe and chronic depression can be coupled with a mental or physical disorder, illness and/or disease or injury and is a serious medical condition. And without proper treatment and support may spell disaster for a patient on the mend.

In either case, the psychosomatic [brain and body] are connected through Neuro biochemical transmitter conduits [hormones, and feel good chemical pathways]. The point being, mental and physical illness, disorders and disease can all depress, stress and cause neurological pain through the same neuro transmitter conduits which can further sicken and disable the encompassing being.

I know many of you have woken up on certain days and felt bad, or under the weather and didn’t go to work. Imagine feeling that way every day. How would that affect your daily activities, mood, feelings and outlook on life? And what would you be willing to do to make yourself numb to those feeling? Begin a bad drug or drinking habit? Or fight your way back from the obis through self-healing mind-body-spiritual activities.

When the mind is sickened and depressed then the body and spirit often follow suit. And when this goes on for too long mental fatigue transmits less of the healing feel good chemical energy (serotonin, dopamine and adrenalin, etc.) the body produces. Then puts more stress on bodily functions, immune system and cellular health. Then as internal and external environmental stressors continue, increased oxidative cellular damage occurs internally. Thereby increasing risk of illness and disease and more physical and mental pain depression.

IMG_0277
So many ways to mobilize the body and experience life to the fullest.

I know from expert medical consultation and educational experiences there is a universal energy capable of healing all that ails us [1/3 encompassing being spirit]. Reversing ill-health can be accomplished through lifestyle change that connects our physical being to nature’s spiritual energy. My healthy spiritual connection occurs during daily walking activity within wooded and rural trail systems.

Let’s get back to your changed lifestyle – like mine, caused injury or disease or mental disorder. You may/may not have limited mobility, take drugs to manage pain, or bodily systems and receive a disability check monthly. People in general understand disability payments is a needed resource for those clinically diagnosed as disabled. What becomes bad about those payments are when recipients stop living life to the fullest when in fact capable of doing so much more with their lives.

For example, some believe their not capable of doing anything after disability rating and award of monthly support. Other than living a sedentary lifestyle and stuck inside their home while partially or fully mobile. And others fear if they try to increase activity or become more productive, they may lose their financial support. In either case this type of thinking is justified. But you can think and act differently while receiving support to improve your lifestyle without worry of losing any benefits. Especially if you have a substantiated medical diagnosis or claim.

Which life road will you choose? A path of adventure and purpose, or isolation.

One does not have to live a 100% disabled and sedentary lifestyle if no living on 100% disability support. There’s room to increase daily mobility and exercise activity and improve productivity, while managing pain without fear of losing financial support. Keep this in mind, once substantiated and administratively signed off as disabled by a medical doctor, this will not stop you’re disability checks unless you’re gaming the system [an entirely different scenario and discussion].

If you’re now suffering from a depressed state of mind, body and spirit, realize no matter the physical adversity challenge, you have greater purpose in life than meeting a 100% social disability expectation. For instance, does physical disability mean your brain or body is not capable to some degree to make physical, and mental improvement throughout time?

Does the disability expectation we often lead ourselves to believe mean there’s no greater good one could aspire because of partial, or full immobility, disease, mental disorder and pain challenge situation? Does this mean a broken body or mind can’t work to reason and mend itself out of depression and limited mobility with proper treatment and support resources?

The point is, everyone has purpose on planet earth. Your decision to make – will you accept your disability as a lifelong sentence without hope of better circumstances? Or will you fight for happiness, purpose and quality of life experiences for the sake of self and family… will you do everything possible to heal and live life to the fullest with your loved ones? Remember, they need you as bad as you need them… their worth fighting for…

Family Needs You…

To fight and die for country, cause or family is often considered noble and honorable. To lie down without a fight serves no purpose, especially when capable of doing more. In my mind, only total incapacitation [hospice care] should relieve one of further service and purpose and responsibility to self, family and community. In that situation… life purpose has been served to the fullest in our organic bodies.

Even if your diagnosis and health condition is classified as stationary permanent (means condition is stable, may/may not improve and “may” get worse with age) is certainly no reason to throw in the towel. To age without challenging substantiated disability can only increase other health risk. Especially when depression begins its insidious course on the organic brain and body.

If lack of mobility causes body weight to climb, then cardio and circulatory disease often follow and may further complicate disability circumstances. And when you see no way out of a progressive disease then you experience more mental and physical pain and depression that need not be.

Don’t let disability and society dictate how to live your life. Don’t accept or fulfill a social disability expectation that’s less purposeful than your capable of sustaining… especially when capable of doing so much more.

Be a MirrorAthlete Warrior and take back as much of your life as possible.

See the world and enjoy yourself in social gathering space and experience positive life interactions and begin believing self-healing is possible.

Live life to the fullest, with purpose and in a way that makes you feel good about your time here on earth. Then you may experience life to the fullest with no regrets and find peace within your mind’s eye, heart and soul.

Author: Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, ARNG, CPT, RET. 2015 Copyright. All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Inc., www.mirrorathlete.org, Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.