Stay Safe - Prevent Falls!

Hello everyone! Recently when I was biking with my best friend in Austin I kept having flashbacks to a time when I was much younger and suffered a severe fall off my bicycle.  The incident happened over 30 years ago, but to this day I am still traumatized by the memory of the severity of the injuries I suffered. As we all get older we become more prone to accidental falls. This is especially disconcerting because it leads to decreased mobility, restrictions in our lifestyle and dependence on others for our everyday needs. We can do many things to protect ourselves from becoming victims of an accident.  According to research, the risk of a hip fracture doubles every five to six years after the age of 50. Hip fractures are one of the most disabling fall-related injuries. My own sweet mother never recovered from a hip fracture and passed away after surgery to repair her injury. This makes this topic very personal for me and makes me hyper-aware of being safe in my day to day activities. Older people are more prone to falls for a number of reasons. Many times  our reaction time is slower and our sense of balance declines. Age related vision problems such as cataracts and glaucoma could also lead to falls. This is exactly what caused my own mother's injury. Illnesses such as high blood pressure, stroke or arthritis can lead to balance problems. Inactivity is another real problem which could be directly tied to injuries from falling. If you don't stay active, you lose some of your muscle conditioning and your stamina is greatly affected. Prevention is obviously the key to staying safe, so I would like to share with you some pointers to follow to ensure you do your best to prevent falls.  Here are some tips for staying on your feet:

• Exercise! It can build muscle tone, improve your balance and strengthen your bones.
• Have your vision and hearing checked routinely.
• Talk to you physician about side effects of drugs you may be taking. Be aware of those that may cause drowsiness and loss of coordination.
• Make your home safer. Clear all your walking paths to avoid clutter which may be a tripping hazard.
• Limit your alcohol intake. This may affect your balance and slow your reaction time.
• When out walking, be cautious of the road in front of you. Make sure the path is even and clear of debris such as branches and rocks.
• Be especially cautious when walking outdoors in wet or icy conditions. Use salt or sand on sidewalks, steps and driveways.
• Always wear shoes that give you good support and have non-slip soles.
• Keep things close at hand, avoid climbing a step stool to reach items.

Have fun, stay active, get lots of exercise! The goal is to enjoy life while avoiding injuries!
Have a wonderful Friday and a beautiful, healthy weekend!

Exercise and Travel is a Great Combination!

Good morning everyone! Life has been a whirlwind for me lately. Recently I decided to meet a girlfriend in Austin for a "boot camp" trip and to pick up my daughter for a spring break visit home. My friend and I decided we were going to take our bicycles and focus heavily on eating right and exercising a lot. If you have not been to Austin, Texas you are missing a great treat. The city is filled with bike trails, lakes, great eateries and nightspots everywhere you turn. This week is the world famous SXSW (South by Southwest) technology and music week but we arrived on Wednesday evening and beat the crowds! We immediately unloaded our bicycles at the local park and rode about 3 miles the first night, not enough to get much exercise before the dark set in. We shared a delicious dinner that evening since neither one of us was really all that hungry. I feel that most meals are worth sharing since at most restaurants they are so large. This not only saves calories, but helps if you are on a limited budget. The next morning we drove over to the beautiful bed and breakfast down the street called The Mansion on Judge's Hill and again shared a delicious protein filled breakfast including a veggie omelet, coffee, a cup of fruit and 2 slices of bacon while skipping the toast altogether. This was the perfect meal and gave us enough fuel to hit the bike trails again! We made it over to Lady Bird Lake which is in the heart of downtown Austin and has a fabulous hike and bike trail system. We rode our bikes for at least 2 hours and really got a workout! Even though my legs felt heavy I felt exhilarated by the riding. The trail is very shady and winds along the banks of the lake formed by the Colorado River. It is hilly in some spots making it a challenging ride for the novice biker. If you go make sure you dress lightly and take plenty of water. I highly recommend this trail as I truly enjoyed the experience. We packed our gear and headed over to Bess Bistro on 6th street. This is a sweet and cozy little basement restaurant that happens to be owned by actress Sandra Bullock. Even though you probably won't see her there you will be treated to a great meal. We had a cobb salad with lots of protein packed grilled chicken and blue cheese. Of course you should always ask for the dressing on the side to avoid loading any salad with needless calories. After our meal our boot camp was winding down, but it was not completely over yet. We headed over to the State Capitol and took the official tour! We walked all over the building with the tour guide giving us a history lesson for at least an hour. I have to say by this point my legs were feeling a bit of a burn! When we walked into the historic capitol building it was warm and overcast, but when we walked out an hour later it was storming and cold! That's the crazy weather in Texas for you! The change in temperature was fine, because our trip was coming to an end the next morning anyway. That evening, we celebrated the start of Spring Break with my daughter and again ate a delicious meal of hot minestrone soup at a local eater called Mandola's. All in all, it was a short 2 day trip packed with lots of activities, exercise and healthy eating. Who says you have to throw your diet out the door when you travel? Stay healthy everyone and have a great week!

Biking on a beautiful day! Visit Terry Hershey Park!

From everything I hear and read it is vitally important to do some kind of activity every day for at least 30 minutes in order to maintain good health and weight loss goals. With that in mind, I was lucky enough to have discovered Terry Hershey Park in Houston. The hike and bike trails are wonderful and very well maintained. The asphalt trail is almost 11 miles long, with many scenic dirt trails along the bayou for your enjoyment. I rode my bike for at least 30 minutes without stopping, which really got my heart rate up. The trail has many many challenging turns and hills (called anthills) and is very family friendly. I absolutely fell in love with this place. I am just a beginner biker, but I found the trails to be very user friendly, set along the scenic banks of Buffalo Bayou. I highly recommend you get out there, and do something, ANYTHING! Just get active, you will enjoy yourself more than you realize!
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