Is your exercise good or bad for you?

Welcome to February.   The month where the inspiration of our New Year’s resolutions run into the frigid headwinds of slow progress.  The month where Hallmark and the check-out aisles remind us that we should be in a relationship, that we need horrible, cheap, comfort candies, and that our standards for happiness should line up with the standards of society.  

Thank God its a short month!

I get thinking the ‘industry’ of exercise is much like February in many regards.  If you have fitness goals, and spend any time on-line, you are inundated with the fact that you should be many things: skinnier, more ripped, sexier, more motivated, happier with yourself, more committed….  So often, other “expert” opinions of what fitness should be gets thrust upon us in a way that can be quite shaming to someone who is trying to create change.  

It’s enough to make me feel guilty for my lifestyle and I do fitness for a living!  Craziness.

Lets take a step back from the marketing of exercise and look at what it really is and can do for us.

Exercise is inherently neither good nor bad.  So, it’s not fair to assume that all exercise is good in order to prove that it is the solution to our goals.  That is circular logic.  Assumptions like this have us buying into one-size-fits-all videos and programs for decades.  Its not safe, so don’t do it.  Lets clarify and say that the underlying goal of any exercise is to create an adaptation within or to oneself.  If you agree, you may keep reading.  If you do not agree, stop, message me why you do not agree, and we will create an agreed upon place to start our conversation.  Like many pointless arguments, if you start with different assumptions you can never reach a resolution.

Now, do you know what kinds of changes you want?  
What types of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual adaptations would you like exercise to catalyze?  These may not be simple, one-line answers.  This can be complicated.  
That’s OK.

At what cost are you willing to create these adaptations?  
Are you willing to wake up early?  
Willing to change nutritional habits?  
To rest more?
Are you willing to increase your potential for acute and chronic injury?  
Do you have a future need for surgery?    

Exercise can create good adaptations, and bad adaptations.  That is our nasty little secret.  You can get “stronger”, or “toned” and at the same time negatively affect your joint integrity causing chronic joint pain.  Is that worth it to you?  Perhaps it is, perhaps not, but that should be your choice, not mine.  With these questions and more answered, we begin to see the true uniqueness of any one goal, any one workout, and how important it can be that your whole program was not designed without you in mind.

This whole process can become complex, at times overwhelming, and more than likely will need to be modified along the way.  This inherent complexity is a big reason why the “quick fixes” are still so appealing and prevalent in the exercise world.  Solving your exercise needs from the “outside-in”.  This is, in my opinion, the wrong way.  I don’t know what will be a great exercise for you until I see YOU.  Exercises should be chosen and progressed with you in mind, with you present, and with your body the focal point for each decision. Instead, we often choose exercise plans, modalities, and workouts in hopes of fitting our clients into our box.  This I expect to change in time; soon it will be March, and  logic always wins.   

~ Scott

As I am about to start my second child on food other than breast milk, I am reminded of the challenge mothers face when it comes to feeding their families nutritious, well-balanced meals. 

There are a lot of options, much of which in this household are not appreciated but deliver a false sense of convenience.  Think pizza and pop tarts!  I will be sharing more on this in a webinar on Monday July 1st, 2012 at 9:00p.m. EST.
I am fortunate to have the luxury to be home with my children as they grow.  I do say luxury because for some, there is no choice.  Working is a necessity and they have to rely on what is quick, easy and affordable.

Meal time in this house, even though I am the one making the decisions and preparing the food, still leave me longing for simplicity and convenience without sacrificing flavor or nutrient content.  My biggest concern is that their little bodies are nourished in the most effective, beneficial and affordable way.  I consciously buy organic whole foods, but in the back of my mind I remember learning that even those foods are more depleted today of crucial vitamins and minerals than they once were. Eek!

At times, I find cooking tiring when mixed in with the rest of my responsibilities of running the home.  I could relate to grabbing all the boxed food off the grocery store shelves in order to save the extra 15-30 minute prep time, even though I know that whole food tastes better, holds more nutrients and makes my family feel better.  The illusion is that meal preparation takes so much time but it really doesn’t have to. 

I’m not going to claim to be an amazing cook but what I can do is plan.  So let’s take a look at one way to simplify and find enjoyment in your meal preparation experience.

Prep-Time Tool #1.

Make your Menu for the week.   Try it out.  It’s fun to sift through my cookbooks and dream about how new dishes might tastes.  I have learned a lot from that experience.  It really saves me time and money when I decide what I intend to make for the week.  When I get to the market, I buy only what I need.  Food last longer without spoiling in the refrigerator or being thrown out.  That’s a BIG WASTE.  I despise throwing out food we didn’t eat because I didn’t get around to figuring out what I could make with it.  You can pick recipes that have lower prep times or that you can make in advance and freeze.  You can even choose recipes with similar ingredients that will save you more money and create less waste.

Next week I will be sharing how my family gets the nutritional support they need and that gives me peace of mind in addition to time saving tips in the kitchen that helps me out.  Maybe you’ll find them helpful too whether you work inside or outside of the home. 

Taking Steps for KIDS: Online Shoes Teams Up with Patagonia & Healthy Child Healthy World! WIN SHOES & SHAKLEE® SPORT PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS

They arrived!  I quickly dug out the packing and slipped them over my socks.  My legs have been itching to run as I just passed the two month mark after having my second baby.  These Patagonia forerunners will carry me as I start the ‘get my body back’ journey.  I chose the deep plum and pink because my eldest daughter has encouraged me to embrace the girlie-ness inside.   Exciting!

Surprising me, the shoes molded to my foot within minutes and provide the perfect comfort.  They are light, air and durable feeling as they supported my foot with every step I took on my first run.  Ah, the first run.  The freedom of being in solitude and running toward something is so satisfying.  What I love even more is that for every pair of Patagonia shoes purchased from Online Shoes between 4/10-4/23, Patagonia will donate $10 to Healthy Child Healthy World, one of my favorite non-profits.  So not only do I feel good because I am taking better care of myself and getting a break from mommy hood, I’m making a difference for kids and their planet!  Powerful stuff!

In 400 words or less, as a comment to this post, tell us what FUELS your exercise, what drives you to break through adversities in your fitness journey or why you strive to be fit.

 In addition, make sure you subscribe to The Searcy Life blog by email to the right of this page and you will be entered to
WIN your own pair of Patagonia Shoes AND 3 of the 5 Products from the
SHAKLEE® SPORTS PERFORMANCE LINE as you see below.  Visit our website to review our products and contact us for more information about the Shaklee Sports Line:  www.searcy.myshaklee.com

Both comments and subscriptions must be made by May 31^st, 2012 in order to participate.  Prizes will be mailed to the winner the first week of June and the winner who has the most compelling story will be announced by June 3^rd, 2012.  Feel free to email us at searcy12@gmail.com, your pictures if relevant to your story and we will post them on our blog with your permission.

OATMEAL ~ Not Just for Breakfast

My new favorite love, Shaklee’s Meadow Blend, soap-free, cleansing bar, just left this mommy’s skin softer and silkier than it has been in years.  WOW.  What a great feeling.  One of the magic ingredients has led me to re-appreciate the healing properties of one of my favorite breakfasts.  What is that ingredient you ask?  Oatmeal!




To my surprise, this paraben free, bathing bar had a pleasant lather, with a soft fragrance like country breeze that was quite refreshing.  Meadow Blend contains wholesome, good-for-you ingredients like yummy oatmeal, wheat germ oil and vitamin E.  No wonder my skin was left with a creamy suppleness!

Just like nourishing from the inside, oatmeal can nourish from the outside.  It has many soothing uses in addition to making the skin simply feel fantastic.  In a colloid form, oatmeal may provide relief from skin, minor burns and other icky, itchy rashes.  (Colloid means that the oatmeal has been pulverized into a fine powder.)  This allows it to be completely absorbed into the water.

To make your own:

1 cup Unflavored Oatmeal (slow or quick will work)

Place in a blender, processor, or grinder on a high setting.  Grind the oatmeal until it becomes a very fine powder.  To test it, stir 1T of the fine powder in a glass of warm or hot water and stir.  It will be milky and the water will feel silky if you have blended the oatmeal long enough. 

For infants, use 1/3 cup Colloid Oatmeal

For children, use 1 cup

With your finger, stir the mixture in the bath water in a figure eight direction but be careful as the tub will be slippery!  Soak as needed up to 15 minutes 1-3 times a day as needed if dealing with those nasty skin reactions.

And Three Become Six

Becoming a mother is nothing short of receiving the most precious gift to have ever been given.  From the first moment of questioning if you are actually pregnant, to the light exhilarating energy of the first moment you feel your child moving inside your whom.  Words cannot express the ever growing, loving bond that begins to form between a mother and her unborn child. Once born, your infant inspires and motivates you to strive to be the best possible mommy to them that you know they deserve.  Along the way there are undoubtedly bumps, stumbles, and barriers you must cross on your quest to mommy greatness.  Ultimately all that matters is the love that is shared between you and your child. 

As I struggle through my own quest as a mother, I find myself dwelling on the 'what ifs' and the 'why not mes'. I have forgotten to cherish the feeling and love that aunts are blessed with from their precious gifts given from siblings.  A mother of one, but an aunt to many.  I have received the second best gift that could be given.  To my siblings: thank you for allowing me to love and cherish your children and congratulations on our gifts to come! xoxo

Today's Scare as a Mother

Little feet scurry vigorously across the tile floor, heading from one room to the next. My attention is grabbed by the sound of a small child forcing up mucus from his throat. "Run to the bathroom quick honey!" I exhale after him. Merely focused on my child I return myself back to my phone conversation in the kitchen. A small wall is built in my mind from knowing that my son likes to make himself vomit when he doesn't like something. But what was he eating?

This wall began crashing down within a single breath...

Racing back out of the kitchen, my child holds his hand to his mouth catching a fistful of clear slimy mucus. Alarms start ringing as I ease my son towards me. I hear myself telling him to spit it out, and that it is going to be alright. I urge him to stand still, now in the middle of the dinning room. Small gurgling noises escape his tiny throat, with this, falsely assuring myself he is fine. Within an instant his knees hit the cold smooth tile floor; his hands instantly grasping his throat. Now kneeling with him our eyes meet. Large fear filled brown eyes plead back at me as his tiny hands fall from his throat. I calmly beckon for him to spit it out, afraid to do anything. My mind races as I try to remember my CPR training....If they are making noises you do nothing right? Right!

His tiny back is arched forward one hand on his throat, the other cupping mucus as it flows from his mouth. I grab his left biceps, kneeling slightly to his side. My nails dig into my palm as I create a fist. Pushing the heal of my hand out I bring my hand quickly down on his back directly behind his sternum. Nothing, only the sound of a fluid filled gasp of air fills the now shrinking house. What seemed like a life time later his first deep breath of air was achieved followed by a strong deep cough. The clang of a small shiny coin echoes through the 11 room home as it collides with the cold green tile floor. My child and I reach for each other simultaneously, collapsing into each others' arms. As I clean his face gently with a clothe he looks up. His large brown eyes frozen in fear pleads for forgiveness. He begins softly crying, "Sorry to do that mom." Kissing him on the head telling him I wasn't mad; trying to explain my own fear to him. Kissing his head we begin talking about putting things in our mouths and the dangers of choking...

A large lesson was learned by both of us today......

Still uneasy about the way I handled the situation I decided to do some research and am signing up for the first available CPR course!

Rejuvenating.  Amidst a circle of women and one man, we share stories about our journeys.  We celebrate the energies that exist in each of our bodies and we drummed.  My time at the open house of the South Shore Holistic Moms Group was beautiful, refreshing and so welcoming.  It reminds me to be true to my instincts and passions.  I am so grateful to all of you that shared that experience tonight.