1 . Believe it or not! We are half way into 2022. Like many people, you probably made a New Year’s decision to finally get fit and stay fit. You got really motivated, bought new workout clothes and got off to a great start. But by April or May, you may have lost your steam.     1    , they are not always planned out to set you up for success. Are you ready to get started again? Here are some tips to help you get back on track with your fitness goals.

Choose realistic goals that are measurable. Can you really achieve the goals you have set for yourself?     2    . To say, “I want to get fit” is too broad ranging and very difficult to assess. Clearly define your goals so that you can recognize when you’ve reached them for both the short and long term.

    3    . What steps are you going to take to achieve your goal? Write these down and refer to them often. It is easier to hit a target you can see, plus you are more likely to stick to a plan when it is written down in detail.

Keep a journal.     4    . Record your exercise duration and if possible your total energy consumption. When things aren’t going to plan, you can look through your journal and make adjustments accordingly.

Find an activity you enjoy. It is difficult to stick to something if you don’t like it.     5    , and don’t choose only one activity to help you achieve your goals. In fact, cross-training is a great way to condition different muscle groups, as well as preventing boredom.

4 . Why Play? Why Outside?

Play is important, even for adults. Here are some great reasons to get outside and play.

    1    .

Being outdoors brings the senses to life. In fact, 75 percent of students surveyed by Weekly Reader said they felt better after spending time outside. “Hiking, exploring, and fishing help sharpen all of your senses,” says Betsy Keller, a professor of exercise and sports sciences. “Smell, sight... they’re all engaged when you’re outside.” Bonus!     2    .

Outdoor play eases your mind.

Are you stressed out? Having trouble concentrating?     3    . Exposure to nature has been shown to lower stress levels and improve attention deficit disorder (注意缺陷障碍). “By comparison,” says Keller, “activities indoors, such as watching TV, or activities in non-green areas leave kids with ADD worse off.”

Spending time outdoors brings you closer to the environment.

Hearing the leaves rustling underfoot and breathing in fresh air build awareness and appreciation of the environment, if you walk through the woods in search of cool birds and plants, you may find your mind expanding.

No woods nearby?     4     . Nature can be as close as your own backyard or those trees at the end of the street. There are bits of nature everywhere — even in cities. “Some naturalists call that nearby nature,” Keller says. “It’s a great way to experience a piece of the natural world without wandering too far from home.”

    5    , consider treating yourself to a little outdoor play instead. It’s not called the great outdoors for nothing.

7 . Free Online Gentle Yoga Class

About this event

If you are worn out, stressed out, or just looking forward to relaxing your mind, body, and spirit, please join me for 75 minutes of gentle yoga. My mission is to make yoga accessible to everyone, regardless of race, age, gender, income level, or body size. The primary goal of the class is to help you find a small bit of peace and relaxation during stressful time. No experience necessary.

PLEASE READ

All classes are taught via TikTok from Los Angeles, California. You will receive a TikTok link about 30 minutes before class begins. Registration closes one hour before class begins. Only the first 500 applicants to join TikTok will be admitted to the class.

Frequently asked questions:

What time does the class start?

I am located in Los Angeles, California. Class is on Saturday at 6 pm. If you are located in a different time zone and are confused or unsure of when that is, here is a link to a world clock that will allow you to type in Los Angeles and your city to figure out when the class will begin: https://wrwrw.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html

What do I need?

Just a pillow and a blanket or towel. It doesn’t matter what kind—whatever you have at home will work just fine.

What should I wear?

I recommend wearing whatever makes you feel comfortable like sweatpants or shorts. The main purpose for the class is simply relaxation so we won’t be getting sweaty but you’ll need to wear something you can move around in a little.

What if I don’t want to be on camera?

No worries! You are more than welcome to turn your camera off. You will still be able to see and hear me but you won’t have to be seen if you prefer not to be.

8 . According to a review of studies, running just a mile a day five or six days a week can vastly improve your health.     1     That’s less than an hour a week for most people, even beginners, in their aerobic workouts.

The Mayo Clinic reviewed studies published in PubMed since 2000 that included at least 500 runners and spent five years following to analyze the relationship between running and health.     2     Runners who ran five to six miles a week weighed less. They also had a lower risk of obesity than people who ran fewer than five miles a week or not at all. That’s not all. Non-runners were more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes (糖尿病) and certain forms of cancer.     3    

In addition, evidence suggests there should be a maximum number of miles. Dr. Carl J. Lavie, lead author of the review, told that running hard for more than about an hour every day could slightly increase someone’s risks for heart problems, as well as for running-related injuries and disabilities.

    4     Changing the routine suddenly will unavoidably cause bad effects on health. If you want to be faster and competitive, you can still keep up your mileage.     5     You should also watch out for common running injuries as well as overtraining. If you begin to frequently injure yourself, that’s a sign you may be running too much. And it’s clear you can still get remarkable health benefits at decreased mileage.

10 . These days, many gyms require clients to wear masks or face coverings. The good news: research suggests they don't actually hold up your performance.

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan gathered a group of 7 men and 7 women, ranging from slightly inactive to excellent cyclists and tested the effects of wearing a three-layer cloth face mask, a surgical mask, and no mask on their exercise performance.

The study participants started with a brief warm-up on a fixed bike, then took a progressive intensity exercise test, during which it was vital for them to keep the same pedal rate while the resistance was continually increased until exhaustion (疲惫不堪). Something like the heart rate was recorded every 30 seconds.

The results suggested that wearing a mask had no effect on performance or muscle oxygen levels. Since there was no difference in time to exhaustion between conditions, the highest power reached at the end of each test was similar in mask and no-mask conditions for all participants, Professor Chilibeck explained. Researchers also did not see any effects of the masks during exercise on blood oxygen levels, which wouldn't decrease if breathing was not affected.

And while droplet (飞沫) spread was not measured, all masks used were tested in a previous study in which they were shown to effectively minimize droplet spread, according to Chilibeck. Though the participants represented a wide range of fitness levels, it's important to note that these tests were conducted on a very small sample size, and more research is needed on larger populations to draw sweeping conclusions about the general population.