The Hot Mommas~Fit and Fabulous MISSION THREE

Hydrate and Stretch those
Energized Bodies!

This week’s mission is all about getting the most out of our workouts and healthy living choices.  We can hit it hard at the gym, eat right and be strive to be super woman throughout the day… But if we forget to drink enough water and stretch our newly toned muscles… we will find ourselves sore, stiff and stressed.  The 2 simple parts of this week’s mission will take us less than 15 each day and will make everything we are doing much more enjoyable, productive and beneficial.

Hydrate that Body

60% of the Human Body is made up of water. It allows all of our bodily systems to function. As we become physically active our body changes and molds improving its structure. Water being the base of all cells in the body has to be present for the positive changes to occur (ie for our muscle to become lean and toned).  It is truly the key ingredient to life.

Weight loss is dramatically influenced by water consumption in a variety of ways. For one, if we are consuming water instead of high calorie (sugary) drinks, we will be cutting your intake significantly.  Water can help us to find satiety throughout the day.  If you find that you are hungry, and it is not a meal or regular healthy snack time, try a glass of water. Often the brain gets a signal confused as hunger, when actually a bit of hydration is all you really need.  Also, as weight loss and aging occurs – skin may feel and appear a bit loose. Staying hydrated actually fills up our tissue on the cellular level, evening out skin tone.

A very common question is “How much water should I drink per day?” There is no exact answer… the recommendations vary due many factors. The general consensus and most basic answer (summed up by the Institute of Medicine & The Mayo Clinic) is that we should be drinking enough water to not feel thirsty and to be urinating regularly (colorless, odorless urine).    The amount of water that a person needs per day varies from person to person and from day to day. Many factors influence the body’s need for water; including: physical activity, the weather, caffeine intake, alcohol consumption, pregnancy, breastfeeding, body mass, altitude, illness, age, etc. 

To assess the amount that your body will need on average for your particular situation click on this link The Water Calculator.  The answer will be given in liters (and if you can’t remember the conversion of liters to ounces from science class it is found here (I can never remember off the top of my head :/): http://www.calcul.com/measurement )

THE WATER CALULATOR:

http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm

1) Hydration: This week calculate your hydration needs and strive to consume that many ounces of water per day (or more).  I recommend using a reusable water bottle and stick a piece of paper with the number of times it needs to be filled per day to the side.  Remember – you NEVER should try to consume the entire day’s amount (just to catch up) in one setting – this is actually damaging to your kidneys. Just work to get it in throughout the day.

Find your Flexibility

The Human Body has roughly 800 muscles. If we can’t move them, they don’t do us much good. Flexibility is very important in all stages of a lifetime. Everyone can work on some form of flexibility no matter what their activity level, age, health status, etc (under doctor approval of course).  As with any physical activity, it is essential that you have doctor’s approval to perform stretches on your various muscle groups. The benefits of flexibility are vast, including: agility, range of motion, mobility with age, joint health, athletic performance, etc. Did you know that research has proven the benefits that you achieve through strength training (strength and tone) will actually last longer, if you maintain your flexibility??

How do I become flexible? It is achieved on any level through stretching your muscles in a variety of ways. There are 3 main types (static, PNF, ballistic). It is the recommendation for the general public (novice-expert level training) according to the American College of Sports Med, to use static stretching (ideally) every day of the week.  A static stretch is a slow, sustained stretch that does not induce pain. If you feel increasing discomfort, you have pushed too far, back off a bit.  You should feel the energy in the muscle you are stretching, but no pressure on the joint involved.  A static stretching is done on a “warm” muscle – one that has been active for a minimum of 5 minutes.  A stretch should be performed for all of the main muscle groups (especially the ones you are working out that day).  It should be held for 15-20 seconds, without bouncing the muscle. Repeat 2-4 times per muscle group.  Ideally, you would warm up, stretch, workout, cool down and stretch.  If it is not a workout day for you – warm up your muscles with at least 5 minutes of cardio movement and then stretch to enhance your energy level, mobility and mood for the day!

A basic stretching program (published by ACSM) is as follows Again, I remind you that you should only perform these stretches after you have doctor’s approval for this type of physical activity:

http://www.myexerciseplan.com/assessment/stretch.pdf

2) Flexibilty: Stretch EVERY DAY THIS WEEK J.  Find time daily to work in 10 minutes of stretching all parts of your body. If you don’t have a routine that you use already, feel free to use the link above to get you started (please keep in mind this link is designed for a healthy average adult).

Okay Hot Mommas! What are you waiting for?? Go fill up your water bottle, hit the gym, the pavement, the stairs and find time to stretch today as well!!! 

Don’t forget to comment here (or on FB Blog Link) that you received this mission – AND then again next Friday when you have it COMPLETE J. Have a great weekend!

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