Along the way we have heard from our featured challengers and now we we have a chance to hear from our community challengers. Here are a few blogs from their perspective:

Shelly Signs

The Power Up challenge came along at the same time as I was beginning some new healthy behaviors such as striving to drink 8 glasses of water a day and to start exercising regularly.  I appreciate the extra help that it provided to stay on track!  For others just starting out I recommend making a small list of the healthy behaviors you’re striving for and then posting that list in the bathroom and at your desk, wherever you are on a daily basis.  It’s so easy to get busy and forget!  It also gives you that extra chance at the end of the evening to make it a successful day.

Working with a personal trainer for a session every so often is helpful for those of us just starting to work out.  You’ll have the confidence knowing that you’re doing the activities that are right for the level that you’re at, and not causing potential damage that takes (sigh) time to heal.  I’ve always been pretty active, but when I decided to get back into shape in the fall I definitely pushed it too hard too fast, and ended up spending several months repairing the damage I had done instead of getting a little bit stronger each month.  Learn from my error, your body will thank you!

My next goal is to change my eating habits.  I’d like to eat more locally produced food, and really take advantage of what’s in season.  Come on summer, you’ve got the good stuff!

Jayendra Gokhale

I am an international student. I became a fitness enthusiast after coming to OSU. I did weight training 4 days a week.

I joined power up challenge during the winter term. I was injured in the arm at that time and could not do weights or swimming. But thanks to power-up, I decided to stay active. Then I went online and read some of the stuff on exercise, I decided to work other parts of my body. I also watched numerous power-up videos on you-tube to understand the simple yet motivating objectives of the challenge. This made me decide to do cardio 4 to 5 days a week. It worked. Not only did I keep active during the whole week, but I also managed to stretch myself a lot. I started with basic cycling, elliptical and running. I was doing 8 miles of cycling on two days,  1.5 miles of elliptical and about 2 miles of running per week (about 11 miles per week). As I went on, not only did I increase the resistance at which I was working out but also managed to achieve 25 miles during the week ending May 24. I still spend 2.5 hours per week on cardio, even though I have restarted weights in the gym.

Power up challenge made me feel that I was not alone in facing this challenge. There is a community of people around me who are into their own fitness goals and that feeling was great.

Power-up also helped me seek a balance in life. I enjoyed the encouragement received from power-up towards meditation and simple acts such as climbing stairs instead of taking the elevator, drinking more water, eating more veggies etc.

Finally, it is probably my short-coming that I could not find time to get together with other challengers and interact.

But kudos to power-up challenge which inspires people like me to achieve new, difficult and different things in terms of fitness goals.

Theresa Waters

Nineteen weeks ago I had the wish of being thinner, more fit, healthier.  I wished I could wear a cute black dress out on a date.  I wished I could play soccer with my son for more than 10 minutes without getting winded. I wished I had more time to work out.  I also wished I had money, that I didn’t have to work and that my mother was healthy.

It was easy for me to have wishes – impossible and out of reach, I never expected to achieve them.

I applied to be a member of a Power Up team but wasn’t selected.  I tried to get others in my office to join but found no takers.  Headed into the unknown alone and way out of my comfort zone I signed up as an individual.  The first few weeks of the challenge set me up for success.  I was reminded about GOALS and forced to confront my effortless wishes.  I had to think about both why I wanted things and why I hadn’t put effort in before.  It was painful.  I went to workshops including one on self-confidence that was a turning point for me.  I realized that it was not genetics or bad knees or a hectic schedule preventing me from improving my health, it was how I thought of myself.

Somehow in the re-creation of myself after divorce and career change I had decided I was weak.  That I couldn’t do things.  That where I was at was the best I could do, that settling was inevitable. 

How horrible to realize that the only thing holding me back was…me.  If I didn’t try I couldn’t fail.   Reading the blog, attending the CAPS trainings and doing some soul searching helped me accept that I would never succeed either.   It was around week 6 that I actually started challenging myself.

I am still challenged, but when I think positive I know I can do more.   I can run.  I can cook a healthy dinner.  I can speak up to take care of my needs.  I can wake up and do better tomorrow after a day filled with M&Ms and sitcoms. 

I have had success and fun in the last few months.  I think about things like 7 hours of sleep, the stairs and flossing.  I still indulge, but it’s no longer mindless and excessive.   I’m not wearing a little black dress yet, but last weekend my son and I rode our bikes all over Albany.  I have a ways to go, but I am on the right road and I know that I can DO things, which is what is going to help me as I move forward.

Kate Bridges

For me as a fitness professional, I did not choose a fitness goal to reach, as I have already incorporated exercise and nutrition into my lifestyle. I needed a goal to help balance me out, help me sleep better, and keep my stress and anxiety down. I don’t tend to leave much time in my day for myself, quite time to read, be alone, meditate, really whatever I feel like that day. This desire for better sleep, balance and stress reduction was my goal for Power-Up and after setting aside the time each night and making the effort to get in bed a half hour earlier I was able to make it a habit that I have been able to maintain. I also made the commitment to get 9 hours of sleep each night. This was not always an easy goal to accomplish and many times I left work or chores undone or my husband a little frustrated that I was not finishing a movie with him to get my rest. But I did it for me, to feel better and I did. The tracking and logging in each Monday kept my goal fresh in my mind for the coming week, reminding me again to make the time for myself each evening. I really have noticed a difference in my mood, energy, and over sense of relaxation as I have slept better and felt I have more energy to put into my work and relationships. This has been a great experience and I have developed a more balanced, healthier life because of it.

Thank you to all the community challengers!

One of my goals has been to internalize the challenge; to stop second-guessing myself, stop waiting until it was over so that I could go back to my old, comfortable patterns, to stop setting myself up to fail.  It hasn’t been easy and I didn’t even realize I’d succeeded until this past Saturday when 7 of us took on the OSU Challenge Course including several elements of the high course!   The rush when I successfully crossed the log set high (how high?  too high!) between 2 uprights was so much more than I could have expected.  Not just ‘wow, I did it’ but WOW, I challenged myself and succeeded!!  The same with the zip line; WOW!

Thinking about this later during the day, I began to understand that part of my excitement came from the realization that no matter how much cheering and/or encouragement I got from the rest of the (unified) challenge team, I was the one who said ‘yes’ to the challenge.  It came from inside me.  It was not imposed by other people’s enthusiasm or sense of what I should be doing.  So, looking at the larger picture, I did internalize the concept of this PowerUp Challenge without even knowing it!

Now, of course, comes the hard part — getting on with my life and maintaining the progress I’ve made so far.  And trying to figure out strategies to make it work.  Yes, I have my SO who is behind me 100%, but he can’t impose any structure on me.  Neither can my children.  I have to find strategies that put me in control.

One of the things I’ve learned during this past 18 weeks, is the power of writing down what I’m feeling — good and bad.  The power of a diary, a journal, a blog.  And, as much as I’ve hated doing this (sorry, Kerry), I think it’s a wonderful supportive strategy and I plan on continuing it.  Perhaps even start my own ‘public’ blog.  Or perhaps not. <G>

I’ve been adding more fruits and veggies, more fiber, to my diet and Bill and I have been hunting for exciting recipes that we can try with this in mind.  And now that summer’s coming, I really have no excuse not to walk more.  I even got myself an MP3 player to make the walking a little less gruesome. <G>  I have rollerblades (unused) packed away in the garage somewhere.  Now would be a good time to find them.  And, of course, use them.  And I want to learn cowboy line dancing, and go swing dancing.  Perhaps take some more lessons.  Exercise as fun.  Who’d a thunk!

Keep the challenge going in my head.  Eat my fruits and veggies.  Walk, walk, walk,  Dance, dance, dance.  And skate!

And hopefully, keep in touch with the wonderful team members who gave me so much encouragement along the way.

As with the end of this process, comes the beginning of new things.  The beginning of the end of my full recovery after over exacerbating my knee.  The beginning of the summer, and all the outdoor activities it will entail.  The beginning of a new job.  The constant understanding, and the re-learning of trust, and faith in humanity.  All have meaning and focus.  Now, to continue with this?  To keep going, and never loose the experiences, and the effects they have had on me?  That is a definite.  This experience will not only help to shape the rest this next bit down the road, but it will also shape my choices in all future decisions.  I hope that my common sense, and learning that occurred through these experiences will provide me with the fodder I need to grow the environment I wish to foster.

Although the Power Up Challenge is coming to a close, it’s been impossible for me to get into the ‘Power Down’ mindset since, from the beginning, my personal goal date has been June 20^th. 

But as a not-quite-endpoint report I will share how this journey has been for me.

Going into this back in January I had several goals, among them:

1) Make it to the top of Valley Library without stopping and without needing a paramedic with an oxygen tank at the top!

2) Learn to cook healthy ethnic foods- something beyond the standard comfort foods that I enjoy.

3) Get a handle on stress

4) Lose weight and gain strength/endurance

I’ve been preparing for the library climb and have successfully tromped from the main floor to the top without stopping but there’s still that basement level so tomorrow (Monday) that’s on my list of things to do.  I’ll have my Rocky Balboa attitude on for sure.

Spicing up mealtimes with healthy ethnic foods has been a fun challenge and one I will enjoy for the rest of my life.  I picked up a thick, hardbound book of Chinese recipes that will take me a couple of years to get through (think Julie & Julia- only in slow motion…) and I’m looking forward to THAT journey, for sure!

Making time for ‘balance’ in my daily life is something I have never focused on, or if I did it wasn’t for very long!  Having this be a weekly challenge has gotten me into the habit of looking for that balance and as a result I feel it immediately when things are off kilter and need to be centered again.

One goal that I didn’t know I needed to focus on was getting adequate sleep.  Keeping track of the days I did, and did not, get enough sleep gave me a surprising reality check on just how crucial those 7 hours really are for me and how much it really affects my performance and mood during the day.

Now, for losing weight- this has frustrated me more than anything else.  I walked, rode my (stationary) bike like a madwoman, did pushups, situps, physioball exercises, tried to eat right…but the pounds just weren’t coming off like I thought they should.

Here’s the kicker, though.  In January I took a full set of measurements and yesterday, after four months, took those same measurements again.  In spite of only losing a handful of pounds I actually got rid of 1.75 inches in my waist, 2.25 inches off my abdomen, 1/2” from my upper arm, and 1/2” from my thigh.  Not huge numbers to be sure, but this is where the difference I was looking for came through!  I’ve definitely got the ‘stronger’ part of my goal down pat!  Unfortunately, I actually gained a 1/2” in my calves from all the walking and keeping the tension on the bike up high, but I’ll take toned over flabby any day of the week, even if it means gaining a little size.

So, the scale?  It’s going back out in the garage where it belongs.  I actually considered going all “Office Space” on it but didn’t want to frighten the neighbors…

And this journey?  Far, FAR from over.  I feel healthier and stronger both physically and mentally and this challenge has given me the leg-up I needed to get this life-long party started!

Thanks to *everyone* that has helped and encouraged me along the way: my family, The Fire Breathing Beaver Squad, Kerry, Tiari, Theresa and Teresa, and the whole Power Up Challenge team.  This has been FUN!

I am sad to have the power up challenge come to an end. I have really benefited from this challenge a great deal. My two goals were to improve my back health and average 7 hours of sleep. I would say I have accomplished both of those goals and I am very excited about it.

It has been great having the support of so many wonderful and talented individuals. The support that we had from CAPS at our team meetings was great, along with the guidance and direction our amazing team leader Theresa provided us was fantastic. I truly think that everyone in the group is in a better place in life because of this challenge and I am excited to see how we can all continue to challenge and push ourselves to become better people.

I am committed to continuing to focus on my health and wellness and constantly improve as a person. I want to make sure that I make my personal health a strong focus in my life and that I continue to increase my confidence daily. I am thankful for this challenge and hope that it has impacted the other participants in the same way it has me and maybe others on campus as well.

Plank. Image source: http://images.teamsugar.com/

Thursday’s activity, Discovering Your Inner Core!, was a great event that I’m so glad I didn’t miss. 

We started off by learning about the different muscle groups in our bodies and I found out something amazing!  There are layers of muscles UNDER our muscles!  Somehow I just missed that information along the way but Thursday I found out just how important these muscles really are.   

The muscles I always think of first, like biceps and the elusive six-pack, are called the ‘movers’ and the muscles that are part of our trunks, including underneath those abs, are called ‘stabilizers’ (or what I will forever refer to as the ‘SHAKERS!’ since using them makes me jiggle like an angry Jell-o salad!). 

Overly Simplified Bare Bones Explanation: stabilizers are what we use for balance AND for supporting our joints and mover muscles.

We learned how important it is to let the muscles rest for 48 hours (not that I could have done those exercises two days in a row, anyway! Yowch!) so yesterday I was at it again, pushing through a very light workout just to try and ease up some of the stiffness.  I’m excited about working a little harder at it tomorrow when I’m no longer eating ibuprofen like breath mints…

One thing that struck me is how, once again, I have been surprised to learn just how incredibly important fixing what’s on the *inside* is. 

Whether it’s managing stress, getting adequate sleep, being mindful of the foods I eat, or working those stabilizing muscles- all of these layers of WHOLE BODY fitness are just as important, if not more so, than the finished externally ‘fit’ package and I am grateful for this new understanding. 

I think this is what makes any change a lifelong change and one of continued growth with new peaks and challenges- not just a “Biggest Loser” episode repeat where we are excited to shed the same 30 pounds over and over and over again… 

On another note: Over the past few months two goals I have worked on week after week are 1) making sure I eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables and 2) replacing white bread with whole grains.  By doing this consistently not only has it become a ‘habit’ but I found out that I really enjoy whole grain toast withOUT butter or margerine!  Don’t get me wrong- I still enjoy the occasional white bread sweet roll but in my ‘past life’ bread ‘n butter was pretty much all one word… no more.  These seemingly little milestones or revelations are the ones that will stick with me and the ones that will, ultimately, make the biggest difference in my overall health. 

But back to Core fitness: if you want better and much more complete information then contact Erika Hanselman Green, the Fitness Coordinator at Dixon Rec, OR you can check out one of the daily FitPass Core classes!  oregonstate.edu/recsports :

Core Conditioning M/W/F from 1-1:30pm

Ab Blaster M/W 6:30-7pm

Ab Blaster T/R 1-1:30pm

~Cammila  =)

Wow!  Week 19.  It’s hard to believe that we have come to the final week in the challenge.  The past 18 weeks seem to have flown by and despite how quickly they’ve gone, they’ve held some major changes, challenges, and victories.  Keep your eye on the blog this week as our challengers may post some compelling summaries of their experiences.

Our theme this week is maintenance and with maintenance, it seems important to talk about success as well.

For the past 18 weeks our challengers have been closely tied to a formal group, using online tools to track their progress, and have had the support of all kinds of resources on campus.  They’ve been working toward an end date and accumulating points for the good of the group and for themselves.  What happens when the formal process goes away?  Of course, campus resources will still be available, it’s entirely possible to print and use score sheets, and groups may continue to provide support to one another.  However, when a formal process goes away, it’s important to reflect on how one will structure the future for oneself.  This process and the conclusions are different for everyone.  The Health Coaching program on campus is a great resource for students to engage with a health coach around this question.  Check out the contact information below.  In the meantime, consider these questions.

• What have you learned?
• What benefit do you find from your good habits?
• What strengths did you use in your most successful moments of Power Up?  How can they help you in the future?
• What is most important to you to bring into the future?
• How will you track your progress?
• How will you find motivation?
• Who will support you in your efforts?

Finally, a word about success.  So often we measure success as whether or not we can easily proclaim that we have checked off our list what we set out to do.  Yet, in life’s meandering paths, sometimes what we plan to do is not what we get done, but we learn a whole lot along the way.  Family or friends in need, injury, reevaluating values, and realizing that goals were just too ambitious can all slow us along the way.   Perhaps in the end it comes down to the questions:  Did you give it your best effort?  Did you care for yourself and others along the way?  Are you still working toward a goal that makes you happier and healthier and making some progress in that direction?  Have you managed to maintain or strive toward balance?

And then perhaps this is where maintenance and success intersect.  In the end, we’re never done.  A year might end, we might run a marathon, we might learn how to reduce stress or organize our time, but we keep right on going and every day our health and wellness are essential and deserve care.  The trick is to care for them always and to always be working for the ultimate reward of wellness.

Please join us for the event below and check out Health Coaching!

Power Up Social Hour

Friday, May 21st

12:00-1:00 pm

Dixon Wellness Center (Across from Dixon Cafe)

Come join us to reflect on your experience participating in the Power Up Challenge. We would like to hear your feedback and put some faces to names : ) It will be a very relaxed atmosphere to talk with fellow participants of the challenge.

We will have free fruit and Gatorade too!

Health Coaching

Let a Health Coach help you develop a plan to keep going!

Make an appointment by calling: 737-7556

Things are going really well this week. I had a knee surgery on Tuesday and think it went very well. I was told I may be on crutches for 4-6 weeks which would have taken me into my trip in haiti. However after surgery I was told only 1 week on crutches. So I am feeling pretty good about it. That’s all I have this week. Have a wonderful week and be healthy!

Joey

Low Back Pain In Class

It’s hard to dispute that our so-called modern western world has adopted a far more sedentary lifestyle compared to their previous generations.  This sedentary lifestyle has lead to an epidemic of not only metabolic disorders but also musculoskeletal injuries.  One of the most common musculoskeletal injuries associated with this lifestyle is low back pain. It’s no coincidence that the rise of this injury has occurred at a time when the seated position has become the most common worldwide working posture. College students are not immune to this posture as they often spend hours a day in a sitting position in class, when studying and during their leisure time.

This article will provide you with some answers on how you can reduce the frequency and severity of low back pain associated with sitting and changes in movement and postures that we have taken on with our modern lifestyle.

Modern day life has made most of us adopt different sustained postures and movement patterns then to what our body is made to do. If you have spent some time in Asia or Africa you would have seen the locals sitting in full squat position perhaps talking, waiting for the bus or drinking tea. When you compare the joint angles at the hips, knees and ankles in a full squat compared to sitting in a seat a big difference can be noticed. Although there is some suggestions that Asians have hip structure than suits a full squat position more than Westerners our young ones show us that we do indeed have the ability to squat all the way down to the ground. As adults we just lose it because we don’t use it.

Incorporating a few deep squats at the end of your workout sessions can be a great way to restore some range to creaky ankle, knee and hip joints.  A bonus is that by sitting in a deep squat you can stretch all these areas at the same time. You may need to hold onto something to stop yourself falling backwards when you first start doing this – that’s OK. Start with a wide-open stance and work the feet closer together and straighter as this gets easier.  Focus on the weight being through the middle of the feet. Aim for a tempo of 4 seconds down, 1-2 seconds up, 10-12 repetitions and repeat 1 to 4 sets depending on the level of fitness. If your hips feel tight at the bottom of the squat, you may want to hold the exercise for 1 to 2 seconds to help increase the stretch of tight tissues.

Deep squatting may not suit everyone.  If you have knee or back pain in this position there may be a problem that requires medical care.  The old rule applies. If it hurts don’t do it.  Go slow and work your way down within your limits.

As well as chairs another culprit that ruins our ability to perform a deep squat is wearing high-heeled shoes.  Prolonged exposure to high heels functionally shortens the soleus muscles and can cause a whole host of dangerous, painful postural changes right throughout the body.  Bottom line is wear these sparingly.

While we’re on the topic of footwear, be very careful about the type of footwear you wear while you train.  Since our species has been on two feet we have interacted with the surface of the world through our feet.  Having two inches of air cushions, high-density foam or gel bags in the sole of your shoe totally changes your foot’s perception of what’s going on below it.  The 26 bones, intrinsic muscles, and a host of mechanoreceptors and proprioceptors, provide a whole busload of information back to your brain about your balance and centre of gravity compared to your base. Incorporating bare feet time throughout your day is a great way to get your feet smarter.  Lose your shoes as much as humanly possible!  Walking over uneven terrain – at the beach, over trails is the ultimate way to get your feet back in shape.  Don’t wear running shoes all day, unless you’re running.  Get some flatter, thin-soled shoes that allow your feet to get smart.

In conclusion, deep squat often and avoid wearing high-heel shoes. Also, smarten up your feet by selecting appropriate footwear or no footwear at all.

Want to know more about this type of approach for musculoskeletal injuries? Join the “Kinetic Integrations” Facebook fan page.

About the Author

Guido Van Ryssegem is the athletic trainer at the OSU Department of Recreational Sports.  OSU students have access to his free services by calling 541 737-3736.

I recently read something linked from Lifehacker.com that really influenced me and I thought I would share. It discusses how setting a routine not just for the evenings but also the mornings can help set you in a good mood each morning as you head to work. It seems you would start by listing what you want your routine to be each morning, and then make sure you do it for at least two days. But, these routines don’t just include taking showers or brushing your teeth. They should also include something you do for you each morning. It talked about how each morning, if you do something specific for yourself, you will always have accomplished something each day. Whether it’s giving yourself the time to read the newspaper, or just allowing time for sitting and enjoying your black coffee for a good 15 minutes, with nothing else needing to be done. That way you are always honoring yourself each morning, and allowing for a feeling of good to pervade the day.

They said, when you first write the list make it a little longer than you think will happen. Add a couple more tasks than you think, things you would love to do each morning. But as said above, make sure once you’ve written the list to do the entire list for at least two days in the first week, and then allow yourself to whittle it down to what you think is more appropriate.

I know that eating healthy, enjoying the sunshine, and enjoying my black coffee first thing in the morning like my grandfather each morning is something I would love. Waking up early, sitting on the porch with a cup of black coffee (in his case a cigarette), and looking out over the gently rolling hills of middle Alabama. Then in an hour the amazing breakfast of bacon, grits, toast, fresh sliced tomatoes, eggs, and black coffee. I miss my grandparents. So, I my effort not only to take care of myself, but learn not to fear waking up, but learn to love the time I have before I get my day started at work, or my day at work, I am going to implement these thoughts and ideas. Here is my current list of morning ritual:

1. Make Coffee
2. Shower (Listen to OPB/NPR)
3. Do Core/Strength conditioning
4. Dress (Yes I know, detailed, but important as I am very, VERY groggy in the mornings)
5. Drink Coffee (give self at least 15 minutes to sit and enjoy)
6. Get things together and walk to work with friend

If I can do all of these things each morning I think doing the core training and giving myself time to drink and enjoy my coffee, each morning may be much more satisfying than currently.