How is the Duck getting fit and staying healthy?
The most important thing is that I have fun and it’s part of my daily life and routine. Otherwise, what’s the point!
I love my food, so there is no point me going on a faddy diet. Doesn’t give a good message to my children about healthy eating and making sensible choices either. Plus faddy diets are 1-week wonders for me resulting in a total sabotage-binge, undoing all my ‘good work’!
I love walking, used to hate running, so used to just walk fast! Walking is much better on the joints and suits my larger frame that’s really built for loving not speed! However, I now realise that with all my training I have the energy and power, strength in joints and ligaments to actually run. I am learning to love it!
This isn’t a page to tell you how to eat and exercise; I am only sharing what I do to help me stay fit and healthy. My training program has a changed a lot from me just bimbling on my own, using Workout DVDs, Wii fit, to using a gym and getting advice from Personal Trainers.
I also suffer with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I am on medication permanently for these. Sadly its part of my genes but I can still help myself with a good,well balanced fresh diet and exercise, fresh air and plenty of sleep. Oh yes, sleep is very important in helping your body rebuild, re-energise and refresh and is as important as the food and exercise. I am also sensitive to wheat so stick to rice and potatoes a lot of the time.
I have started a training blog so it shows how I adjust training effort and food as I get fitter and sleeker. Below is an example of an average day encompassing a lot of things I try and do.
An average daily menu -
Breakfast – porridge & muesli
Lunch – because of my work it has to be something quick and fast so usually carrots with hummus, or protein smoothie, poached egg in a wrap.
Dinner – jacket potato with home made coleslaw, or home made cheese potato garlicky bake, or garlic chicken with savoury vegetable rice, or smoked salmon with new potatoes and salad, … the list is endless
I do try to have most of the carbs before midday, and more proteins at the end of the day. It’s supposed to be more beneficial that way plus to not mix them up. I don’t follow that rule all the time, as it’s not convenient when cooking for the family. But I keep the portions small, naturally low in fat, always freshly made so very little processed food. I never use salt or sugar. I also have a wheat intolerance so I avoid wheat as much as possible. I also avoid dairy and caffeine so rely on Almond milk and soya milk. I am also experimenting with a higher protein intake, paleo or caveman style.
I drink at least 8 large glasses of water, a couple of lemon teas, a couple of cups of tea.
Coffee/caffeine is limited due to high blood pressure issues.
It is essential to drink as much as possible to help flush toxins through, keep the body hydrated so that everything works optimally. Yawning can be a sign of thirst, as can a rumbling tummy!
I avoid snacking, and I try to not over do fruit, as this can be high in sugars. But I do snack a little in the day, especially if I am having a very active day. Snacks are a supplement not a staple part of the diet.
Favourite snacks are the Nakd Bars, freshly shelled peas, carrots, baby bel cheeses, red pepper, bananas, cold navel oranges, a handful of salted peanuts (usually if had a long sweaty workout or hike), hummus My most favourite treat is Watermelon, dried figs, dried apricots and most cheeses – all eaten sparingly! Oh, did I mention Toblerones and crème eggs? Good..I mustn’t!
I haven’t mentioned scales, calories, fat units or anything else similar. If I do, please kick me. In the past I have been too obsessed with numbers and units. It made my life a misery, as my fickle body wouldn’t follow the rules; if I ate low fat, low sugar, smaller portions then I should be weighing less? If I was exercising more and sticking to a sensible calorie count then I should be losing weight?
Apparently not! If I relax and enjoy life stay fit and healthy then my body will be perfect for me and what I want to do? Absolutely!
Training
I prefer to work out in the big Outdoors. Mud, sand, tarmac, chalk (wet or dry), slopes, for example, or make the body and muscles move in different ways. A great form of cross training. I try to walk and run on different terrain daily so the body (especially feet, legs, shoulder and back) builds up a good strength, pace and balance.
I do different styles of walking – marching, power walking, Nordic walking, rambling through hills. I sometimes do this just as my own body weight, or pulling a tyre or carrying a weighted rucksack. Some days I do distance other days a lot of different types of walks, different speeds, without or walking poles. Mix it all up for variety and fun!
Most days I walk at least 15km just dog walking. On my free days I will add in another 20km for pleasure and leisure (positive attitude terminology for long distance training) I am now running and will work on endurance rather than speed.
For resistance workouts I enjoy pulling my tyre – no, not the one around my middle! I wear a special harness and pull an ordinary car tyre. Great resistance work out especially for the legs, but again helps condition body with good posture and balance. This is also good training for future challenges if I am required to pull a sled or any other strange requirement!
Some days I wear a 10kg weighted rucksack. This helps strengthen shoulders and back for my long distance backpacking adventures. Also helps me train the body for correct posture, balance and conditioning.
In May 2011 I started running. Albeit slowly! With all my walking and resistance training I am now stronger and fitter from a year of this type of training so I am now taking on tougher challenges include 24 hour runs and endurance events.
Its important to have the right frame of mind. The stuff already mentioned is all that I have learned, either from experience, the joy of walking or suggestions made by other people. These are still “exercises” I love. I also love being outdoors, no matter what the weather. Most of my challenges are outdoor ones, so again it’s all about getting stronger physically and mentally. The weather can be a real mental challenge if you either ill prepared inadequately dressed or just hate a particular season. So get out; enjoy it, no matter what Mother Nature throws at you. And always be prepared for her to play tricks on you! It may look like a clear blue sky when you step out doors, but do take a raincoat, just in case. I always wear a rucksack with my ‘bare minimum’.
Wear the right clothes too, and layer up or down appropriately. Wear comfortable clothes, and they don’t have to be the famous labelled ones either. Think about the fabric – I prefer to wear cotton as man made fibres make me hot, sweaty and smelly. But quite often I wear the man made fibres as they do some fantastic things like wick sweat away from the body, and keep you either warm or cool. Merino wool does that (plus Yak) but that is a little out of my price range! I save that for birthday and Christmas lists. Compression clothes are also very beneficial. There is a new company called Born In A Field who make compression clothes. I also like wearing the very soft merino wool supplied by Chocolate Fish Merino. These are two young British companies, and I always support our british industries first.
I definitely do not wear cotton anything when hiking, especially if there is a likelihood of rain. That soaks up all the wetness and then hangs heavily. It doesn’t do much to keep the body dry or warm. There is nowt worse than a water-logged Duck!
Being of duck-like mentality I just love being in water so can spend hours pootling up and down the pool. The swimming tends to be total body work out for toning and relaxing. No point spoiling a good swim and creating mega waves unless I am the only one in the water. At the most I will swim alternate laps as breastroke and front crawl for about half an hour once or twice a week. . I always favour breaststroke. I also prefer being in a lake outdoors so go the local outdoor manned lake as often as I can.
A staple favourite is Kettlercise. A very intensive an aerobic style workout for all my muscle groups using a kettlebell.
I also do Zumba whener I can. This uplifts this soul and I find I can run for miles after an hour session!
What else do I do? Oh I love to dance, and don’t need a dance floor! Nothing like putting on some music to do the housework or ironing too! I work with children, one of whom is unable to walk. So I take him out for two walks on each of the two days I have. I get a great work out pushing him in a mountain buggy all around my local woods or shops, taking hard and easy routes. He loves being outdoors so it’s real pleasure to combine work with training/keeping fit.
I also help look after our three horses. Looking after the horses’ means making sure they get plenty of exercising. I am not a confident or competent rider but I help with most of the ground based training so I do get to run around with them. Windy days make them extra frisky and I am usually fit for nothing more than a return trip to the car in a wheelbarrow! I use the paddock to do some running in as the undulating ground really helps stregthen my ankles and excellent for body balance.
Training is also about relaxation and having a strong mental frame of mind.
I have already mentioned that a lot of sleep is essential for a healthy body, and that is the same for relaxation. The body needs some time out from everything to recover. It can be a total rest for the body, a total mind blank type thing, or just enjoying doing or being something different.
I use ‘relaxation’ as a form of meditation to shut down from a busy day, or negative thoughts, a task heavy day or to focus on an event. Or just to unwind and have an empty head. Mental strength is just as important to be able to train, complete a task or a tough challenge. You must have the right mental attitude, aptitude and tenacity; be able to cope with different environments, situations, challenges – at home, work or an event, for example. It’s learning cope strategies and mechanisms to make you a stronger person, holistically, combining healthy eating, living, fitness and relaxation. Experience and knowledge is also an invaluable source. Learning to focus and have single-minded focus, especially for completion and concentration.
I also enjoy a variety of ways to relax – reading, watching a movie, a tv programme, cooking, enjoying something with the family, going to a play, or a lecture, listening to music from CDs to live concerts… variety is key here. Doesn’t have to be a frenetic thing, just a leisurely mooch along in life to enjoy some different things. So I enjoy doing a variety of things and talking to a variety of people.
Thank you for reading this.
I laboured some points and probably over simplified some bits, but the gist of this writing is to share with you how I go about keeping a balance on life. I have just given a flavour or food for thought of what I do. I am just a healthy chunkymunky Rambling Duck training with the mentality to be an elite athlete for some fundraising events and own hobbies and interest. At the same time I am also a hard working, fun loving Mum, Wife and Friend maximising on all that life has to offer; and making a difference to others and for others who are not so fortunate.
I love my food, so there is no point me going on a faddy diet. Doesn’t give a good message to my children about healthy eating and making sensible choices either. Plus faddy diets are 1-week wonders for me resulting in a total sabotage-binge, undoing all my ‘good work’!
I love walking, used to hate running, so used to just walk fast! Walking is much better on the joints and suits my larger frame that’s really built for loving not speed! However, I now realise that with all my training I have the energy and power, strength in joints and ligaments to actually run. I am learning to love it!
This isn’t a page to tell you how to eat and exercise; I am only sharing what I do to help me stay fit and healthy. My training program has a changed a lot from me just bimbling on my own, using Workout DVDs, Wii fit, to using a gym and getting advice from Personal Trainers.
I also suffer with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I am on medication permanently for these. Sadly its part of my genes but I can still help myself with a good,well balanced fresh diet and exercise, fresh air and plenty of sleep. Oh yes, sleep is very important in helping your body rebuild, re-energise and refresh and is as important as the food and exercise. I am also sensitive to wheat so stick to rice and potatoes a lot of the time.
I have started a training blog so it shows how I adjust training effort and food as I get fitter and sleeker. Below is an example of an average day encompassing a lot of things I try and do.
An average daily menu -
Breakfast – porridge & muesli
Lunch – because of my work it has to be something quick and fast so usually carrots with hummus, or protein smoothie, poached egg in a wrap.
Dinner – jacket potato with home made coleslaw, or home made cheese potato garlicky bake, or garlic chicken with savoury vegetable rice, or smoked salmon with new potatoes and salad, … the list is endless
I do try to have most of the carbs before midday, and more proteins at the end of the day. It’s supposed to be more beneficial that way plus to not mix them up. I don’t follow that rule all the time, as it’s not convenient when cooking for the family. But I keep the portions small, naturally low in fat, always freshly made so very little processed food. I never use salt or sugar. I also have a wheat intolerance so I avoid wheat as much as possible. I also avoid dairy and caffeine so rely on Almond milk and soya milk. I am also experimenting with a higher protein intake, paleo or caveman style.
I drink at least 8 large glasses of water, a couple of lemon teas, a couple of cups of tea.
Coffee/caffeine is limited due to high blood pressure issues.
It is essential to drink as much as possible to help flush toxins through, keep the body hydrated so that everything works optimally. Yawning can be a sign of thirst, as can a rumbling tummy!
I avoid snacking, and I try to not over do fruit, as this can be high in sugars. But I do snack a little in the day, especially if I am having a very active day. Snacks are a supplement not a staple part of the diet.
Favourite snacks are the Nakd Bars, freshly shelled peas, carrots, baby bel cheeses, red pepper, bananas, cold navel oranges, a handful of salted peanuts (usually if had a long sweaty workout or hike), hummus My most favourite treat is Watermelon, dried figs, dried apricots and most cheeses – all eaten sparingly! Oh, did I mention Toblerones and crème eggs? Good..I mustn’t!
I haven’t mentioned scales, calories, fat units or anything else similar. If I do, please kick me. In the past I have been too obsessed with numbers and units. It made my life a misery, as my fickle body wouldn’t follow the rules; if I ate low fat, low sugar, smaller portions then I should be weighing less? If I was exercising more and sticking to a sensible calorie count then I should be losing weight?
Apparently not! If I relax and enjoy life stay fit and healthy then my body will be perfect for me and what I want to do? Absolutely!
Training
I prefer to work out in the big Outdoors. Mud, sand, tarmac, chalk (wet or dry), slopes, for example, or make the body and muscles move in different ways. A great form of cross training. I try to walk and run on different terrain daily so the body (especially feet, legs, shoulder and back) builds up a good strength, pace and balance.
I do different styles of walking – marching, power walking, Nordic walking, rambling through hills. I sometimes do this just as my own body weight, or pulling a tyre or carrying a weighted rucksack. Some days I do distance other days a lot of different types of walks, different speeds, without or walking poles. Mix it all up for variety and fun!
Most days I walk at least 15km just dog walking. On my free days I will add in another 20km for pleasure and leisure (positive attitude terminology for long distance training) I am now running and will work on endurance rather than speed.
For resistance workouts I enjoy pulling my tyre – no, not the one around my middle! I wear a special harness and pull an ordinary car tyre. Great resistance work out especially for the legs, but again helps condition body with good posture and balance. This is also good training for future challenges if I am required to pull a sled or any other strange requirement!
Some days I wear a 10kg weighted rucksack. This helps strengthen shoulders and back for my long distance backpacking adventures. Also helps me train the body for correct posture, balance and conditioning.
In May 2011 I started running. Albeit slowly! With all my walking and resistance training I am now stronger and fitter from a year of this type of training so I am now taking on tougher challenges include 24 hour runs and endurance events.
Its important to have the right frame of mind. The stuff already mentioned is all that I have learned, either from experience, the joy of walking or suggestions made by other people. These are still “exercises” I love. I also love being outdoors, no matter what the weather. Most of my challenges are outdoor ones, so again it’s all about getting stronger physically and mentally. The weather can be a real mental challenge if you either ill prepared inadequately dressed or just hate a particular season. So get out; enjoy it, no matter what Mother Nature throws at you. And always be prepared for her to play tricks on you! It may look like a clear blue sky when you step out doors, but do take a raincoat, just in case. I always wear a rucksack with my ‘bare minimum’.
Wear the right clothes too, and layer up or down appropriately. Wear comfortable clothes, and they don’t have to be the famous labelled ones either. Think about the fabric – I prefer to wear cotton as man made fibres make me hot, sweaty and smelly. But quite often I wear the man made fibres as they do some fantastic things like wick sweat away from the body, and keep you either warm or cool. Merino wool does that (plus Yak) but that is a little out of my price range! I save that for birthday and Christmas lists. Compression clothes are also very beneficial. There is a new company called Born In A Field who make compression clothes. I also like wearing the very soft merino wool supplied by Chocolate Fish Merino. These are two young British companies, and I always support our british industries first.
I definitely do not wear cotton anything when hiking, especially if there is a likelihood of rain. That soaks up all the wetness and then hangs heavily. It doesn’t do much to keep the body dry or warm. There is nowt worse than a water-logged Duck!
Being of duck-like mentality I just love being in water so can spend hours pootling up and down the pool. The swimming tends to be total body work out for toning and relaxing. No point spoiling a good swim and creating mega waves unless I am the only one in the water. At the most I will swim alternate laps as breastroke and front crawl for about half an hour once or twice a week. . I always favour breaststroke. I also prefer being in a lake outdoors so go the local outdoor manned lake as often as I can.
A staple favourite is Kettlercise. A very intensive an aerobic style workout for all my muscle groups using a kettlebell.
I also do Zumba whener I can. This uplifts this soul and I find I can run for miles after an hour session!
What else do I do? Oh I love to dance, and don’t need a dance floor! Nothing like putting on some music to do the housework or ironing too! I work with children, one of whom is unable to walk. So I take him out for two walks on each of the two days I have. I get a great work out pushing him in a mountain buggy all around my local woods or shops, taking hard and easy routes. He loves being outdoors so it’s real pleasure to combine work with training/keeping fit.
I also help look after our three horses. Looking after the horses’ means making sure they get plenty of exercising. I am not a confident or competent rider but I help with most of the ground based training so I do get to run around with them. Windy days make them extra frisky and I am usually fit for nothing more than a return trip to the car in a wheelbarrow! I use the paddock to do some running in as the undulating ground really helps stregthen my ankles and excellent for body balance.
Training is also about relaxation and having a strong mental frame of mind.
I have already mentioned that a lot of sleep is essential for a healthy body, and that is the same for relaxation. The body needs some time out from everything to recover. It can be a total rest for the body, a total mind blank type thing, or just enjoying doing or being something different.
I use ‘relaxation’ as a form of meditation to shut down from a busy day, or negative thoughts, a task heavy day or to focus on an event. Or just to unwind and have an empty head. Mental strength is just as important to be able to train, complete a task or a tough challenge. You must have the right mental attitude, aptitude and tenacity; be able to cope with different environments, situations, challenges – at home, work or an event, for example. It’s learning cope strategies and mechanisms to make you a stronger person, holistically, combining healthy eating, living, fitness and relaxation. Experience and knowledge is also an invaluable source. Learning to focus and have single-minded focus, especially for completion and concentration.
I also enjoy a variety of ways to relax – reading, watching a movie, a tv programme, cooking, enjoying something with the family, going to a play, or a lecture, listening to music from CDs to live concerts… variety is key here. Doesn’t have to be a frenetic thing, just a leisurely mooch along in life to enjoy some different things. So I enjoy doing a variety of things and talking to a variety of people.
Thank you for reading this.
I laboured some points and probably over simplified some bits, but the gist of this writing is to share with you how I go about keeping a balance on life. I have just given a flavour or food for thought of what I do. I am just a healthy chunkymunky Rambling Duck training with the mentality to be an elite athlete for some fundraising events and own hobbies and interest. At the same time I am also a hard working, fun loving Mum, Wife and Friend maximising on all that life has to offer; and making a difference to others and for others who are not so fortunate.
