R & R with Rachel (Rant and Raves with Rachel): Fun (and Exercise) in the Mud

This past Sunday I participated in my first 5K MuckFest with five of my relatives. The run was to raise money for MS. The MuckFest is one of the less serious of the mud runs that now seem to be trending. Races like the Tough Mudder and Spartan Race for example involve many more miles and very challenging obstacles. As the website for the Muckfest says all you need to do their race are "sneakers and a sense of humor" (well actually you do need clothing too - LOL). We crawled through mud-filled obstacles, walked through mud, climbed mud ridden hills, zip lined across a pit in which you dropped into dirty water, and more. The morning was not meant for people who did not want to get down and dirty. I had a smile on my face the entire time. It was so much fun! When I finished the last obstacle called the "Skidmark" due to the fact that you are going through mud (surprise) lying on your back and pulling yourself through with a rope, I was sad the morning was over. It was hard to believe we also ran a 5K.

So, if you don't mind mud, want a fun way to exercise while raising money for a good cause, I highly recommend signing up for a MuckFest. I should mention however that some people I knew (you know who you are) who participated and did not regularly exercise were sore the next day.

If you would like to see more of the obstacles or find out more information about the MuckFest I participated in here is the link: MuckFest

Here I am jumping off of a big swing into water

The skidmark obstacle

Crawling through a mud-filled tunnel

AARP Welcomes Fitness Guru Denise Austin

While most of our Fit Librarian subscribers might not yet be old enough to be reading AARP magazine or even know that AARP stands for the American Association of Retired Persons, the organization often gives good advice for people of all ages.

Recently Denise Austin, the well-known fitness expert became the wellness ambassador for AARP and has posted a series of exercise videos exclusively for the organization. Some of these exercises take just over a minute to perform. For those wanting to strengthen and stretch specific body parts Ms. Austin has videos targeting feet and ankles, knees, backs, shoulders and more. She also demonstrates a few exercises that can be done while watching TV (like a modified sit-up) or while standing waiting for your morning coffee (such as a kitchen-counter push-up). So, no matter what your age, check out the link for some exercise ideas. Here it is: Denise Austin for AARP

R & R With Rachel (Rants and Raves with Rachel): Being a Catcher is Physically Challenging

Although I play softball on a non-competitive league, which is perfect for me because I am not a competitive person, I still want to play my best. I am one of my team's catchers. This is a position I enjoy but is physically demanding on my body. My job, even in a fun league, is much more than simply catching a pitched ball and returning it to the pitcher. As a catcher I must be strong enough and prepared for the physical demands of the sport. During the course of a game catchers can squat and stand over 100 times. A catcher must also be able to move laterally and explode out of a squat to track down balls. To do all this a workout program needs to involve improving strength and agility. Although I will be doing the exercises that follow to improve my technique as a catcher they are good for anyone to perform.

Lower-Body Plyometrics
Lower-body plyometrics is an effective way to build explosive leg power.

1. Crouch down and jump as high as you can.

2. Repeat this 10-20 times.

Side Lunges
Side lunges will help strengthen the muscles a catcher needs for lateral movement.

1. Stand with your hands on your hips, take a step to the right.

2. Keep your toes pointed forward.

3. Extend the left knee, driving your weight to the right, flexing the knee and hip into a side lunge.

4. Maintain good posture through the entire spine, keeping your head and chest up.

5. Go to the right 5 times and then switch legs, repeating the exercise on the left side 5 times.

Squats
Squats are an exercise that builds leg power, which catchers need during a game, and to endure a full season behind the plate.

1. To perform a squat, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and bend your legs until your thighs are about parallel to the floor.

2. Hold this position for about 20 seconds.

Have a look at our previous blog "Squats with a Kick" for a visual reminder of how to do a squat.

Throwing Exercise
This is one of the most important drills for softball catchers.

1. Start by crouching in a catching position at home base. 6-8 balls should be laid out about 15 feet in front of you.

2. Running towards the balls, picking one up and throw it to a randomly picked base (if you are with another person they can call out what base you should throw it to) .

3. Run back to home base.

3. Repeat this process until you run out of balls to throw.

Introducing Susana and the Mulan workout

One of our longtime student volunteers, Susana, is going to occasionally contribute to our blog. She found the Mulan workout online. Mulan happens to be one of her favorite Disney movies. The workout that you see on the poster below is similar to the training that is done in the movie. This workout is a fun one to do with your family. Susana really enjoyed doing the exercises. Your kids will enjoy pretending to be Mulan and General Shang as well.

Here is Susana having fun practicing her battle moves:

side lunge chops

lunge punches

donkey kicks

Some of the moves can be found on this youtube clip from the movie:

R & R with Rachel (Rants and Raves with Rachel): Your Children Love You So Wear a Helmet!

Now that the weather is nicer it's great to see more families outside enjoying time together. Taking a bicycle ride is not only a way to get exercise but it is fun as well. However, why do so many adults think it is not necessary for them to wear a helmet? Parents know children are required to wear bicycle helmets, but many adults never think to put one on themselves. This idea is incomprehensible to me. Do adults feel that they are immortal? Are adults any less susceptible than a child to suffering from a severe brain injury if they have an accident on a bicycle? I wouldn't be married today if it wasn't for a helmet. Before I met my wife she was in a bicycle accident directly outside her house. She broke her jaw on both sides as well as many teeth. It was months before she was up and around and to this day she still has occasional pain. However, if it wasn't for a helmet protecting her head, doctors said she would have been dead.

When I see someone biking without a helmet I usually call after them asking why there isn't one on their head. People must think I am crazy. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, injuries to the head are one of the main causes of death and traumatic brain injury for cyclists. In 2013 in the United States, over 900 bicyclists were killed and there were an estimated 494,000 emergency department visits due to bicycle-related injuries. The majority of deaths on bicycles occur due to head injuries. Wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by up to 85%.

So what are we to make of the above information? First of all, I think it is clear: Getting riders of all ages to wear helmets is important and much easier than sustaining an injury or accident to the head. If you think that as an adult riding your bike without a helmet is okay, imagine this scenario: your child wants to play football. You agree to let them play. Then you proceed to let your child go to practices and games without wearing their helmet onto the field. This seems totally ludicrous. But every time you go riding without a helmet (or allow your child to do so) you are actually doing something even more dangerous than the above proposed scenario. Statistics prove this to be true.

There are many metaphorical situations that I can think of that can also be compared to not wearing a helmet while biking. Would you drive a car without brakes? Would you go skydiving without a parachute? Would you cross a busy intersection without looking to see if there were cars coming? All of these situations and decisions are incredibly silly and ignorant. But they are just as foolish as riding your bicycle without your helmet.

Maybe people just need to be reminded how important wearing a helmet is both for your health and safety. By enforcing the use of helmets with your family, you can save your life and the life of your child. So, if you pass me on your bicycle and I don't see a helmet on your head you might hear me ask about it. Remember, I am asking on behalf of your children who want you to live a long and happy life.

What a lucky bunny! He is getting to eat lots of carrots!

Happy Easter, Passover and Spring!

Don't Try The Chair Challenge

Thanks to our wonderful volunteer Susana who brought the "Chair Challenge" to our attention. We are always searching for new workouts, however, this is NOT an exercise we can condone. That being said, daredevil Rachel just had to try it.

This was the challenge: Start by sitting in a chair, then go under the chair, and return to a seated position, all without touching the ground. We feel it is a surefire way to end up with bumps and bruises and possibly a trip to the hospital.

The move started as a training exercise for intense rock climbers, but now people all over social media are trying it out. We feel there is a risk of serious injuries so DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME (or at work).

Watch Rachel trying the challenge. It will make you chuckle. Remember, do as we say, not as we do and... DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME (or at work)!

Watch this video to see some other people trying to succeed:

Again, we cannot emphasis this enough: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME (or at work)!