Arriving In Fiji Today Bright And Early.

 I am due to arrive in Fiji around 5:30 in the morning.  I will be here for a week but I'll still be posting.  

Alkaline Water - Good Or Bad????

Alkaline water seems to be the latest fad type water.  I know someone who always buys it in bulk every single week but I've heard it may not be the best thing so today we are going to look at it in detail.  By definition, alkaline water has a higher pH value than regular tap water or most other bottled waters and it has to have negative oxygen reduction potential or (ORP).  Alkaline water usually has a few minerals added to it to achieve the higher pH of 8 to 9 but it is a product that is controlled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

There are a variety of claims out in regard to alkaline water.  Some claim this water can neutralize the acid in your bloodstream. Others claim that alkaline water can prevent cancer and heart disease or even prevent bone loss but that has not been properly researched.

There are two types of alkaline water.  Natural alkaline water is water then has been run over rocks, so it picks up minerals making it alkaline.  The other is water that has been subjected to electrolysis which uses an ionizer to raise the pH.  The ionizer uses electricity to separate the water molecules into either acidic water or alkaline water and the acidic water is drained off. 

Scientists say it is the quality of the original water that determines whether contaminants are present in the finished product. It has been suggested that the original water should be run through a reverse osmosis process before it is run through an ionizer.  If you want to make your own alkaline water, just add a bit of baking soda to it.

Although there are some studies that seem to support many of the claims, there are too few to conclude absolutely that alkaline water is good for people and it is suggested people do not depend on this water for all their hydration.  In fact, it is said that we need to drink water that has more of a neutral pH like regular water because that is what your body prefers. In addition, if the water you drink is too acidic or too alkaline, you can cause health problems.

Remember I said earlier that alkaline water falls under the auspices of the FDA? Well, the FDA says that companies cannot claim any health benefits associated with drinking alkaline water. None of the claims have been properly tested through controlled scientific studies. What does happen is when you drink the alkaline water, it hits the stomach, mixes with the stomach acid and is neutralized so it's benefits don't happen.  In addition, if you drink too much alkaline water, you can throw the digestive process out of wack so your stomach will no longer properly digest food.

All of the major clinics such as Harvard, Mayo Clinic, and Cleveland clinic, recommend that people stick with regular water to stay hydrated because it is designed for your body.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

Jumping Rope For Exercise While Traveling.

Since I travel so much right now, I've been looking at easy ways to workout.  Unfortunately, not everywhere I stay has a gym as part of the facilities so I've been checking out different ways to exercise that can come with me.   

So far, I've downloaded workout videos so I can do aerobic workouts but I need others so I looked at jumping rope.  The nice thing about a jumping rope is that it folds up quite small and fits in a pocket in my backpack or a corner of my suitcase.

Jumping rope is considered an aerobic workout. The nice thing about jumping rope is that it can maximize your workout in a few minutes. In addition, it helps to maintain and improve both your cardiovascular health and muscle strength.  When you jump rope regularly, you also improve your coordination, agility, and balance.  Furthermore, jumping rope can increase bone density thus helping prevent osteoporosis.

There is no right kind of shoe to wear when jumping rope but shoes designed for  cross training or HITT have lots of cushioning to absorb the impact when your feet hit the ground. When you actually workout, choose a surface that provides cushioning for your joints such as a suspended wooden floor, or something like a gym mat or rubber tiles over a hard floor.

The jumping rope you want should have some weight to it so you have a bit of time for your jumps and you are less likely to trip on the rope especially if you are just starting out. It is recommended to use one that is 1/4th of a pound for beginners and is better than a flimsy rope.  If it doesn't have the bit of weight, you won't feel the rope as it goes around your body, making it harder to judge the location of it.  In addition, the best length of rope is about 3 feet longer than your height.  To check, stand in the middle of the rope and the ends should come up to your armpits or shoulders.

When you begin jumping rope, do the work from your wrists rather than involving the shoulders, otherwise you will tire faster.  Keep your elbows close to your body. Be sure to land on your toes rather than your heels or you might strain your joints and try not to bounce twice between swings. When you jump, keep it low rather than trying to go high off the ground.  When you jump one to two inches off the ground, you are in position to jump when the rope comes around next time and it improves ankle stability.

If you are a beginner be prepared to start small and work up to the longer workout times. They suggest bursts of 20 to 30 seconds as a beginner and lengthen it out to bursts of 60 seconds when you become better at it. As a beginner, they suggest working out only for one to three minutes.  As you get better, you'll lengthen the time until you are working out for 15 minutes and then head for a 30 minute workout.  No matter how long you workout, you should jump rope, three times a week.

These are two workouts you can do:

1. The jump rope circuit workout - This uses just one rope.  You jump slow for one minute, jump fast for the next minute, then jump 30 seconds on your left leg, followed by 30 seconds on your right leg, and one minute of moving your feet in and out like a jumping jack.  Repeat 3 times.

2.  The jump rope strength workout.  This workout uses two different weighted ropes.  Use a two pound rope for the first circuit, a one pound for the second but if you are new, you can use the rope you have for both circuits.  For the workout you will do the move for 20 seconds followed by a rest of 40 seconds.  The moves are a basic jump, pushup, basic jump, squat lunge, and basic jump.  Rest for 30 seconds before repeating.  The whole workout takes 11 minutes.

If you want to just jump rope, this site has a list of 15 jumps you can use complete with videos showing how to perform the jump properly.  If you are interested in incorporating the jump rope into a regular workout, the internet has lots of suggestions.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

Happy July 4th

 

And Enjoy

 Enjoy

Slow Down

 Take time to enjoy your morning

Getting Exercise When Traveling

 It's summer and so many people are traveling right now.  It's great if your hotel offers a place to workout but not every place does.  In fact, many of the places I've stayed at overseas do not have anywhere to workout so I have to get a bit creative in order to stay in shape.  

Even in the United States, I generally end up staying at places that do not offer workout facilities so I have to think about how I'm going to get a daily workout in.  One thing I do is to download videos off of YouTube to my digital device so I have something to follow along with on days I don't want to go anywhere.  I say download because there are still places today that do not offer wifi in every room.  

Another thing I do is pack a resistance band since it can be used for the arms or legs and doesn't take up much room.  I can use the band with a downloaded video or I can find a site with exercises that I can take screen shots to store on my device.  A resistance band help increase your strength and help your stabilizer muscles.  The nice thing about resistance bands is that you can change the length you are using to make it harder or easier as needed.

Another item to pack in your suitcase that doesn't take much room is a jumprope.  A jumprope allows you to get a great aerobic workout in your room or at the park.  It challenges the cardiovascular system within a short time of 10 to 20 minutes.  In addition, it improves coordination, agility, and balance while keeping the bones strong.

Of course, one can take nice long walks around town, exploring, and wandering here and there.  My favorite activity is to walk all over town just going where my feet take me.  Sometimes, I decide to go to a specific location and if it is within 2 to 3 miles one way, I'll walk there and back since its not that far.  If the weather is too hot, I might walk one way and hop a bus back.  If I have a few hour layover in an airport, I have been known to walk from one end to the other end.  The last time I was in Seatac, I walked from the D concourse all the way to the A concourse and discovered they'd extended it so it went down much further.  This could be a result of moving the place international travelers are welcomed.  

On the other hand, if you are a runner, you can hit the roads in the early morning or later in the evening when there are not as many people out.  The last time I was in Waikiki, I'd head out for nice long walks early in the morning and I shared the empty sidewalks with joggers who were out getting their exercise.

If you can, use the stairs, going up and down multiple times in one session as a workout.  I was recently staying in Old Town Dubrovnik and my apartment was three fourth of the way up one street.  I got a great workout just going up to the room to drop things off and down a few times in a row.  The are outside had lots of ups and downs so a two mile walk gave me a great walk.

If you are in your room and you don't want to explore outside, there are some nice exercises you can do in any empty space. One can do push-ups, planks, and triceps dips for your upper body.  For the lower body, one can do lunges, front squats, and leg raises.  You can finish off your day with yoga or tai chi to center yourself while winding down for the evening.

In addition, some places have bikes for rent so you spend a few dollars and can ride for a full hour all over the place.  Furthermore, most places have nice hiking trails located within reasonable distances of most towns or you could sign up for a tour that includes hiking, kayaking, biking, or other physical activity. I took a wonderful tour which had me walking up some nice hills when I headed off to see a new volcano in Iceland. 

If your hotel has a swimming pool, you can swim laps as soon as it opens or near closing.  I would recommend avoiding it during the middle of the day because it is easier to sunburn and it is best to avoid that.  However, if you prefer to workout at a gym, you should be able to find one fairly close to where you are staying.  Just ask at the front desk.

So it is easy to continue your workouts while you travel, especially if you plan things ahead of time.  I try my best to stay in shape while I travel and these are some of the things I do.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear. Have a great day.