Wheel of Life

8 Foods that Fight Stress

2010-03-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

Saw this on Yahoo!Health. Hope you like it. How many of these foods do you eat?
http://health.yahoo.com/featured/87/8-foods-that-fight-stress/

Proven Weight-Loss Techniques

2010-02-25T08:55:00.000-08:00

Proven Weight-Loss Techniques

Helping Clients Crunch the Numbers

2010-02-25T08:52:00.000-08:00

Helping Clients Crunch the Numbers

Top 10 Reasons You Should Exercise

2010-02-22T14:49:00.000-08:00

1. Stroke
Lowers risk (www.health.gov/paguidelines). Up to 40% in women who walked at least an hour (JAMA 283:2961, 2000)
2. Heart Disease
Aerobic exercise cuts the risk of heart attack by 20-35% in most studies (New England Journal of Medicine 347:716, 2002)
3. Diabetes
Moderately active people have a 30-40% lower risk of Type 2 Diabetes and the metabolic syndrome than inactive people. (www.health.gov/paguidelines).
4. Depression
Active people are 15-25% less likely to be diagnosed with depression than inactive people. In people with depression, moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise (30 min. three times a week) improves symptoms. (www.health.gov/paguidelines.)
5. Blood Pressure
40 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise 3-5 times a week lowers systolic blood pressure by 2-5 points. That may not sound like much, but it would save an estimated 11,800 -27,600 lives per year. (www.health.gov/paguidelines.)
6. Broken Bones
Weight bearing aerobic and strength-training exercise 3-5 days a week can increase the density of spine and hip bones. (www.health.gov/paguidelines.)
7. Arthritis
If you have arthritis, moderate-intensity, low-impact exercise for 30-60 minutes 3-5 times a week can reduce pain and disability. (www.health.gov/paguidelines.)
8. Falls
Older adults who are physically active have about a 30 % lower risk of falls. (www.health.gov/paguidelines.)
9. Mitochondria
Aerobic exercise increases the size, number and activity of Mitochondria, the fuel-burning centers of your muscle cells. (American journal Clinical Nutrition 89 (suppl):453S,2009. Mitochondria don’t function as well in people who are older, obese, or diabetic.
10. New Brain Cells
Aerobic exercise increases the supply of a protein called brain-derived nuerotrophic factor, or BDNF, which protects brain neurons and promotes the growth of new nerve cells and synapses that are related to learning and memory. The more fit, the larger their hippocampus was on an MRI scan. (www.health.gov/paguidelines.)

Try Something New This Year

2010-01-21T05:41:00.000-08:00

Hi friends,

Well, I decided this year to continue with my personal growth. That means stepping out of my comfort zone sometimes and trying something new.

It started with my good friend Ted taking me for my first attempt to ski. Ted and I went to Ski Roundtop where we began my skiing adventure. Ted, being the awesome skier and teacher that he was, got me skiing without a fall .....pronto. What an awesome day!!

Tell me what you did new this year.

New Year's Re-soul-utions?

2010-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Well the New Year is upon us and we have so much to talk about…. How about those New Years Resolutions??? They are a pain. DO we ever accomplish them?? If you are one of the 60% of American adults that feel dissatisfied with your body, then apparently you are not alone. People seem to only care about what they look like. Well, I believe it’s more important to care about what you feel like. Beauty is only skin deep, but a healthy body is cell deep. Your body is a machine that is constantly moving and I can help you feel great in it, improve your appearance and feel better today.
Some people who are really out of shape think that they have no chance for improvement so they don’t even try. We all have busy lives, but you should donate some of your time to help yourself feel better. The act of just working out improves your body image even if other goals-such as fat loss, increased muscle strength, or better cardiovascular fitness- aren’t totally met according to researchers at University of Florida. It continued to state that getting out and exercising was enough to boost confidence and lower levels of anxiety and depression. So what’s stopping you from feeling better?? Come on...it won’t hurt, I promise. Make moving your body this year a priority!!

Get Living

2009-12-30T12:05:00.000-08:00

Everyone is always asking me, “Why do you want to be so healthy? And work out so much? And eat bean sprouts and stuff? Why are you giving up all the good stuff? What do you want to do, live to be a hundred?” Well, it’s really not like that. Sure certain healthy habits can extend your life… Healthy weight – add 6 years, don’t smoke – add 10 years, laugh 15 mins a day- add 8 years, thinking positively – add 9 years, get a good night’s sleep – add 5 years. But what’s important is your quality of life. Can you go and do everything you want to do without getting out of breath or having pain? What do you see yourself doing in 5, 10, 20 years? If you have plans of traveling, biking, hiking, etc, then you better not have an extra 50 pounds to lug around. Tomorrow maybe just a day away, but today you’re alive so you better get living!!

Working with the Pros

2009-12-28T11:56:00.000-08:00

How about those Jets beating the Colts? Having stretched and mashed one of the NY Jets players last week I know what that can do for the body and so do professional athletes. Not only does it feel great, it keeps your muscles pliable and flexible. Mashing is a technique I use to soften muscle tissue using my feet and body weight. By working out the tension and scar tissue from the muscle fibers, the fibers are better able to reach their full potential of extension and contraction. This definitely helps with pain management.

Open House Pictures!

2009-12-13T11:34:00.000-08:00

Crowd intently watching Kathy demo.

Obstacle course balancing drill.

Open House

2009-12-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

We opened the doors to Wheel of Life’s new location with an Open House at Platinum Gym at 7015 Jonestown Road Harrisburg, Pa. I got to show off my new digs and some of the great equipment and exercise techniques I use on my clients. We had a fun obstacle course which demonstrated your ability to use speed, power, flexibility and balance to test your fitness level. And of course, some nutritional snacks to fuel your bods. They even got a neat Wheel of Life container to keep it in. If you didn’t get to come, please stop by and say hi.

Hello

2009-12-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

Hello. My name is Kathy Montgomery owner of Wheel of Life where Exercise is Medicine. This is the place where you can get and feel healthy, the natural way – by using your body to heal its self. I am certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, United States Professional Tennis Association with additional certificates in Sports Medicine through them, United States Tennis Association as a clinician, and a Registered Reflexologist. These are a lot of acronyms that mean only that I care about you and how I can help you feel better from the inside out.