Spring Fever and What I Wish I Had Learned Earlier in Life

I

Last month, I became licensed to teach the Kangoo Dance™ program, which automatically renewed the Kangoo Power™ license I already have. Since then, I have been taking a few weeks off from rebounding in my boots, to see if that has any effect on the arthritis in my hip. I've also changed how I eat, what supplements I take, and (less successfully) tried some alternative ways to work out. What we have here is a classic case of "if I had known all this when I was younger, I'd have taken better care of myself!"

Therefore, good readers, I will let you in on a couple things that should not be secrets. I had no one older and wiser telling me these things when I was a young whipper-snapper (very old word for younger person), but you have me! At the very least, once I have told you, I get to say "I told you so" if you don't pay attention and take better care of yourself.

(Insert standard disclaimer here: I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. Because really, "Music is the Doctor" by the Doobie Brothers.)

Sugar should be for special occasions, not every meal. It tastes great, but it should be a treat. In addition to the obvious links to metabolic disorders and weight gain, it leads to internal chemical warfare that is very bad for your joints.

The time to lose weight is when you have gained "some" -- not after you have gained "a lot." Carrying around the extra weight for a longer time puts a lot of extra work on your hips, knees, ankles, and feet, and they will wear out sooner than they would otherwise.

Foods and supplements that work for some people do not work as well for others, so I am not going to tell you specifically what I have decided to take. I highly recommend researching this area for yourself, and trying different things until you find what works for you. I will suggest that foods you can read the ingredients of are generally better for you than foods for which you need a degree in chemistry just to read the ingredient list. Supplements are a good choice when eating enough foods of various kinds to get the required nutrients would put you way above a reasonable calorie limit for your metabolism.

If you notice the range of motion in any of your joints is diminishing, don't wait for "permission" from a doctor to start fixing that with appropriate stretching, although seeing a doctor is a good choice if the onset is sudden or the effect severe. There are many good books on stretching and the use of heat and cold to keep muscles working as well as they can. They are YOUR muscles and no doctor cares as much as you do about them.

That's all I'm ready to share for now. I am halfway through my self-designed eight week plan, and seeing some improvements. Many of the nutrition changes and supplements take a while to make their effects known, so I did not expect an overnight miracle. I am quite hopeful for more improvement in the next four weeks. By then the warmer spring weather should allow for some outdoor classes to be scheduled. Stay tuned for opportunities to take your Spring Fever outdoors with me!