Irongeezer       A guide to a Healthy, Active, and Fit Lifestyle       Irongeezer

QUICK TIPS OUR TEAM   Take your body measurements to gauge progress.   Portion out your snack on a plate, not from the bag, to stay aware of how much you’re eating.   Buy or portion out treats and snacks in small bags or packages.  Store especially tempting foods, like cookies, chips, or ice cream, out of immediate eyesight, like on a high shelf or at the back of a freezer. When buying in bulk, store the excess in a place that’s not convenient to get to, such as a high cabinet or at the back of a pantry.   “Skip buffets. Skip seconds. Skip added salt. Skip added sugar. Skip solid fat. Skip soda. Skip skin on poultry. Skip Rope!”

The Irongeezer Motto - "Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it." Plato 427 - 345 BC

IrongeezerSays: There are 1,440 minutes in every day. Schedule at least 30 minutes for physical activity and 30 minutes for mental activity!

Let’s Roll: Riding Rocks and Roots on Your Mountain Bike Travis Woodruff, CTS Expert Coach   Each mountain bike ride presents itself with a unique set of challenges, and rock or root-strewn trails are among the most difficult we face. Like any other task, the more you practice riding in this type of terrain, the more you’ll improve. The tips below offer key pointers that will help speed up the learning curve and have you riding technical sections with a new sense of confidence.   Balance Maintaining balance is essential when the terrain becomes technical with rocks and roots. It is critical that you keep your bodyweight centered over the bike, directly above an imaginary line between your front and rear tire contact areas. Allow the bike to move underneath you, but keep your body centered between your treads. This will help you avoid “bucking” your bike as you roll over obstacles. Keep your arms and legs elastic so that they can move with the bike while your weight stays centered. When climbing uphill over rocks or roots, you’ll want to shift your weight forward slightly on the bike so that you can maintain steering control. Find the balance between weighting your front wheel enough so that it tracks correctly while still maintaining rear wheel traction. With practice, you may surprise yourself as to how much easier it is to climb steep, technical trails.   When the trail turns downhill, you’ll need to shift your weight towards the rear of the bike. With your weight moved back toward the rear of the saddle, or even behind the saddle when it gets very steep, you’ll be able to maintain control at higher speeds when riding down difficult terrain. Keep enough weight on the handlebars, however, to keep your front wheel tracking on the line you choose.   Vision Ride with your head up. It couldn’t be said any more simply, but often riders fail to look far enough down the trail. Your brain needs all the time it can get to process the information it gathers from the trail ahead. You’ll pick better lines, maintain more speed, and feel more comfortable if you look further ahead when riding through rocks or roots. In addition, don’t fixate on the obstacles on the trail that you want to avoid. Our bodies will generally move in the direction in which we are looking, so if you stare at the big scary rock, you’ll probably end up riding right into it. Braking Control your speed while negotiating trails littered with rocks or roots. Knowing when and how to apply braking forces could mean the difference between crashing or clearing a tough section. As the trail surface becomes increasing irregular, traction between tire and trail is greatly reduced. Any time a braking force is applied this little amount of traction is further decreased. This means that braking should be done prior to a rough section where traction is still relatively high, rather than when traction is limited once in the difficult section. Once you are in the technical section, avoid using your brakes as much as possible because momentums your friend in helping you get over many of the obstacles. If you are forced to slow while on a technical downhill, rely on your rear brake. Pull the rear brake harder when you have moments of improved traction while letting it loose over the rougher spots. Since your front tire directs the movement of your entire bike, maintaining full traction up front is imperative. Little or no braking force should be applied with the front brake on technical down hills.   Putting it all Together Rocky or rooted terrain is a true test of a rider’s bike handling ability, so expect to take your skill level up only one notch at a time. Few riders are naturally adept at riding such terrain with little practice; the rest of us must train diligently to improve not only our actual skills, but also our confidence. With continued practice, utilizing the tips above, you’ll be cleaning trails that were once unrideable. Be patient and enjoy the challenge.

Cliff the IRONGEEZER age 74  What is the mission of Irongeezer  The primary goal of this free healthy LifeStyle Webzine is to help, guide, and inspire YOU to live an active, healthy lifestyle. We also believe that protecting the environment is an important part of an active, healthy lifestyle. We will never promote old wives tales, pills, quackery, or snake oils. Our Web site will be a basic easy to use site. No sign in, no spam, free, safe. What can the Irongeezer e-magazine DO FOR YOU? If you are just starting to get active, Irongeezer.com will encourage and guide you with the most current exercise and nutrition information available. We offer free online starter coaching information (as well as information on other free Web sites) to help you get started. Perhaps the activity that you enjoyed most as a child is the activity that you want to start with?  If you are an old hand at staying fit and healthy, GREAT! Use this LifeStyle e-magazine as a review of what you have learned over a lifetime. Also, we ask you to send us your sage ideas to pass along to others. In this way, you will have the opportunity to help others live an active, healthy LifeStyle. * GET ACTIVE! This is our permanent reminder to those of you that are not yet active. It will be posted here every month.  Step 1: Get up and be grateful that you are alive. Step 2: Pick an activity. Play kickball, four square, dodge ball, do Nordic walking, Irish road bowling, wiffleball, synchronized swimming, four-on-four flag football, arm wrestle, exercise for weight loss, cross-train, stretch, play ping-pong, golf and carry your clubs, do yoga, do pilates, stand while you fish, play tennis, shoot some hoops, skate, kick a ball, play catch, jump waves, dance, hike, water-ski, stroll, horseback ride, skull, meander, bike, go to a gym, set up a gym at home, walk with purpose to do your errands, jump on a pogo stick, garden, clean house with gusto, rock climb, wash the car, be your own chore service provider, fidget, aquajog, fence, row, kayak, canoe, play handball, peddle boat, dragon boat, play croquet, throw a frisbee, bowl, participate in pool aerobics, do tai chi, play bocce or pickleball, play squash, H2O hockey, badminton, or racquetball, play horseshoes or shuffleboard, lift weights, surf, boogie-board, ski, skim board, play lacrosse or tether-ball, windsurf, do karate, jujitsu, ballroom dance, snorkel, curl, snowshoe, train for a sprint triathlon, scuba dive, jump rope -the possibilities are endless. Step 3: If you don't know what activity to choose, start out doing what you liked to do as a child! PLAY. Step 4: After you have picked an activity, and before getting active, get a physical from your health care provider. Also see your doctor before increasing the intensity, speed, or duration of any activity that you are already involved in. Step 5: GET ACTIVE! Then relax, rest, and recover. Eat to fuel your LifeStyle, no more, no less. Help a friend become ACTIVE! What is the origin the name IRONGEEZER.COM? What is an IRONGEEZER™? Originally, Irongeezer™ was a nickname given to a boomer, or older person who completed an ironman distance triathlon. Irongeezer™. However, it has evolved into the following: An IRONGEEZER™ is considered a bit eccentric, because he/she is active. Far from being curmudgeonly, his geezerism or eccentricity manifests in a passion for physical activity, involvement in a healthy lifestyle, which sets him apart from many of his peer group. An Irongeezer has the iron will of mind and body to maintain a "HALE & HARDY" lifestyle amid an ever-increasing, slothful, unfit population.......an active person of any age (young or old) can become an Irongeezer™. IRONGEEZER™: A "Hale & Hardy" individual, or A "Hale & Hearty" individual. Always check with your doctor about your exercise program.

At Home Strengthening Exercises What You Need to Get Started: 1. Floor mat 2. Free weights (two hand-weights between 3 and 15 lbs. each, depending on your level) 3. Bench 4. Consult your physician to make sure these exercises are appropriate for you. Doing these strengthening exercises should build up your muscle strength and bone density and increase your metabolism. Always perform the exercises in the order given and do the entire routine twice a week (should take around 40 minutes each time.) If time is a problem, try splitting the routine in half and doing the exercises 4 days a week. For instance, do the first half of the exercises on Monday and Thursday and the second half on Wednesday and Saturday. Perform each exercise in 2 sets of 12 repetitions with a short break in between, unless stated otherwise. 1. Chest Press Using a bench and hand-weights, lie on your back with the weights in your hand and upper arms in line with your shoulders. Using a slow, controlled movement, press your arms up to a fully extended position, then back down to the starting position. 2. Row Start by placing your right hand and right knee on a bench with your left foot on the floor and left hand hanging down with a hand-weight. Your back should be flat and parallel to the ground. Slowly pull the weight up to your shoulder and squeeze your shoulder blades to finish. With control, return to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side. 3. Abdominal Crunch Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Cross your arms across your chest with your hands on opposite shoulders. Look up at the ceiling to keep your neck relaxed. Slowly contract your abdominal muscles to lift your shoulders off the floor and hold the crunch for a 2-count. Then relax your shoulders back to the floor. Begin with 12 repetitions, but build up to 20. **For additional resistance, move your hands up beside your ears with your elbows out to the sides. Place your feet up on a bench or sofa. 4. Side Crunch Start as you did for the abdominal crunch, lying on the floor with your knees bent and arms across your chest with hands on opposite shoulders. Again look at the ceiling and keep your neck relaxed. Contract your abdominal muscles and lift your shoulders off the floor, but twist so your right elbow goes toward the left knee. Relax back down to the floor. Do 12 reps in each direction. **For additional resistance, move your hands up beside your ears with your elbows out to the sides. Place your feet up on a bench or sofa. 5. Biceps Curl Sit on a bench with your legs spread apart. Place your right elbow inside your right knee with the hand of that arm resting on the top of the opposite leg. Your left hand holds the weight and the arm starts straight (just inside the left knee). Slowly bend it up until the weight is up at the shoulder, then return to the starting position. Repeat the set on the other arm. 6. Overhead Press Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your knees slightly bent. Hold the hand-weights in your hands beside your shoulders (if you use a single bar, it should be resting across the top of your chest). Using slow control, extend your arms straight up overhead, without locking your elbows. Then bend your elbows and return to the starting position. 7. Tricep Dips Sit on the edge of a bench with your hands on the edge next to your buttocks. Slide your butt forward off the edge of the bench, bend your arms and drop your body down until your elbows are almost at 90 degrees. Then lift your body back up (but don't return your bottom to the bench until you've completed all 12 repetitions). For an easier option, keep your feet on the ground with your legs bent. The intermediate option would have your legs straight out in front of you. The most challenging position is elevating your feet on another chair or bench. 8. Lunge Start by standing with both feet together. While maintaining a tall posture, take a giant step forward while bending your forward knee (but don't push your knee beyond your foot). Then press forcefully off your forward leg to return to your starting stance. Alternate 10 reps on each leg. **To increase resistance, hold light dumbbells. Source: PBS. Exercise. These exercises will be posted here thru 2016. Refer to them as often as needed.  Your 10-Minute Cardio Blast To get the most out of 10-minute cardio workouts, you want to focus on working harder than usual.  The following workout offers some ideas for how you can work hard during the time you have.   1 minute - Brisk walk or march in place - 1 minute - Light jog outside, around the house or in place - 1 minute - Jumping jacks 1 minute - Long jumps - jump forward, landing with both feet - 1 minute - Light jog - 1 minute - Jumping jacks 1 minute - Squat and kick, alternating legs - 1 minute - Light jog - 1 minute - Long jumps - 1 minute - Brisk walk to cool down If you're feeling creative, make your own workout using some of the activities listed below. Each exercises will burn about 100 calories (depending on your weight, fitness level, and intensity) in 10 minutes:  Running - 1 mile / Jumping rope  / Stepping - 30 steps per minute, 7 inch step  / Cycling - 13 mph / High-impact aerobics / Running up stairs / Circuit training Or 10 minutes  of Calisthenics - pushups, jumping jacks, plyometric jumps and kickboxing-type moves  Source: About.com This blast will be posted here thru 2016, refer to it as often as you like.

The Ten-Minute Home Workout Ten minutes isn’t a long time.   It isn’t long enough to reap the long-term benefits of cardiovascular exercise or get in a solid muscle-building session.  However, it is long enough to quickly tone your body and do just enough exercise to jump-start your metabolism. Here are some ten-minute workouts that can accomplish a mini fitness-goal: burn a few extra calories, strengthen your body or work on flexibility. The best part of all is that you can do any of these quick workouts right in your apartment.  Use them as a compliment to your regular workout or when you can’t fit in a trip to the gym. Quick Cardio Blast: Burn up to 150 calories Minutes one to two: High-intensity cardio, jump rope or run up and down stairs. Minutes three to four: Do as many push-ups as you can. Minutes five and six: Jump rope or run stairs again. Minutes seven and eight: Do squats by standing with your back against a wall and squatting as low as you can. Focus on form rather than speed. Minutes nine and ten: Back to the high-intensity cardio, but this time give it your all.  Try to get in ten more jumps or stairs in the same amount of time.  Tone and Strengthen Do each of these exercises for about one minute. The goal is to move continuously for the entire series. Squats against a wall: Stand with your back against wall and squat down as far as you can. Push-ups: Focus on form, not quantity. Knee push-ups are perfectly fine until you have the strength for military style. Walking lunges with a front kick: Step forward with one leg and lunge until your knee is above your front foot. Stand and kick up, lower your leg and repeat with the other side. Squats/Chest squeeze: Hold a weighted object and pull it in towards your chest as you lift up. Dead lifts: Stand with a weighted object in your hands and bend forward until your back is parallel to the floor. Keep your back lifted the entire time. For an extra challenge, stand on one leg and alternate. Shoulder raises: Keeping your arms straight, lift the weight to the front of your body and hold. Lower slowly and repeat. Side raises: Stand with your upper torso parallel to the floor. Raise your arms to your sides with your thumbs pointing up. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold. Triceps Dip: Support yourself on a couch or sturdy chair with both hands behind you, facing away from the chair. Bend your knees and lower yourself using only your arms. Lift and repeat. Wide-leg squat: Stand with your legs spread open past your shoulders and squat as low as you can. Crunch: Lie on the floor and do a set of traditional crunches, with your arms behind your head and your knees bent. Lift up your upper torso, squeeze in your abs, lower slowly and repeat.  Stretch and Lengthen These five stretches will target the major muscles in your body. Hold each stretch for one minute on each side. Hamstrings: Sit with your legs in front of you and reach for your toes with your hands, keeping your back straight. Then alternate the same stretch on each leg, bending your other leg inwards. Triceps: Hold one arm under your head, bend it and use your other arm to gently push it back, stretching the muscle on the front of your arm. Shoulders: Stretch one arm across your chest and hold it in place with your other arm. Gently pull the straight arm towards your chest. Quadriceps: Stand up and bend one leg back behind you. Pull the leg in with the same-side arm until you feel a stretch. Spinal twist: Sit with one leg straight and the other bent. Twist your torso toward your bent leg, supporting yourself by resting the opposite elbow on your leg. Use your other arm to hold yourself up by resting it on the floor behind you. Source: Apartment Living