Tips for an Active, Healthy Summer

Exercising outdoors can be exhilarating! Summer workouts combine sun, fun and fitness. In case you need any motivation over and above the glorious warm weather, here are some tips for making the most of your summer and staying fit and active in the process. Just remember to dress appropriately, apply sunscreen, and drink lots of water.

• Diversify: Take advantage of the outdoors by swimming, bicycling, walking, jogging, and playing golf and tennis. This variety of activities helps strengthen and condition all muscles groups. Putting the fun back into your workout also reduces boredom, the number one killer of good health and fitness regimens. Stop by the Health Promotion office on the 3rd floor of the Health Department to pick up a Weber Pathways Trail Map!
• Don't Stop Using Your Club or Gym: It takes 30 days to make fitness a habit, and supplementing outdoor exercise with regular visits to your health club will ensure that you remain active during those rainy days, and especially when the temperatures begin to drop in September. You can earn up to 2 hours of vacation by having a gym membership!
• Make it Social: One of the great things about exercise is that it doesn't need to be done alone. Call that long-lost friend that you don't see nearly enough and arrange to meet over a brisk walk or a dip in your local pool when the weather turns steamy. Find someone with a similar fitness level and try a variety of activities - you can help to motivate each other. You can earn up to 2 hours of vacation by having a pool membership and up to 4 hours by participating in an adult recreation league!
• Stretch: The more you become active during the summer, the more important it becomes to implement a regular stretching regimen. Remember that your muscles may not be ready for the type of activity you're engaging in, so warm up and stretch to help increase flexibility, reduce the risk of injury and improve blood flow.
• Protect Your Largest Organ: Put sunscreen on your skin EVERY MORNING as a routine (use moisturizers that contain sunscreen).
• Use the 15 minutes Rule: Profit from the great summer weather. If you can walk there in 15 minutes or fewer - don't use the car! This also contributes to the health of the environment, not to mention your gasoline budget!
• Buy a Bike: Or ride the one you have. You can use your bike to run errands, visit friends, or simply enjoy the robust outdoors. A good place to find a less expensive, used bike is the Ogden Bicycle Collective. They receive donations and their bicycle mechanics ensure they are in great working condition!

What is your favorite way to be active outdoors?

This Weekend in Weber County!

Time for this weekend's roundup of educational, free, athletic, or just plain fun(!) events happening in Weber County!

• Friday and Saturday. Weber County Fair: JAWSOME! FREE for kids 5 and under - $6
• Friday and Saturday. LDS film festival at Peery's Egyptian Theatre. FREE
• Saturday 8am to 1pm. Ogden Farmer's Market. Enjoy fresh produce and local artist, Korene Greenwood. FREE
• Movie screenings and various workshops at the Weber County Libraries. FREE
• Family activities at various Weber County locations through the RAMP Program. FREE

Enjoy Weber County!

Where are YOU at?

There are stages that people go through as they progress toward better health behaviors. These stages are formally known as "The Stages of Change." Each stage is a different mental state. Being mentally ready to make a behavior change is integral to physically making a behavior change.

Let's explore the different stages to determine what stage you're in.

1. Precontemplation

People in this stage do not think they have a health problem and therefore aren't considering making a behavior change. They may also not know the benefits of changing their behavior.

2. Contemplation

In this stage people are starting to think about making a change but they are still not ready to make the change. Usually they're gathering more information and feeling positive about the behavior. An example is a smoker who begins to be aware of the negative effects of smoking.

3. Preparation

In this stage you are psychologically preparing yourself to engage in the behavior change and may already think of yourself as a healthier person.

This stage, as well as contemplation, is what we've been in for the last few weeks as we get ready for the program to start (tomorrow!)

4. Action

Exactly as it sounds, you start doing the new healthy behavior! One of two things can happen in this stage. Either you have a successful experience and you feel motivated to continue the healthy behavior. Or you have an unsuccessful experience and you feel defeated and  you're less likely to continue the healthy behavior.

Starting tomorrow we should all be in this stage! I hope we all have successful experiences and use this blog for support and motivation.

5. Maintenance

In this stage the behavior is fairly ingrained and starts to become a habit. The challenge in this stage is staying motivated. Relapses are common and it's easy to become defeated and want to give up.  A healthier response to a slip-up is to forgive yourself, you're only human, and to make sure the rest of your choices for the day are healthy ones.

Where you are in the stages of change depends on your attitude and mind-set. If you are preparing yourself mentally to make a healthy behavior change you are more likely to succeed in this change. Hopefully this behavior change will become a life-long habit that will benefit you for the rest of your life and will allow you to be an example of health!

Where do you feel you are in the stages of change?