Head Out to Museums and Galleries: The LifeBalance Program is proud to work with a wide variety of museums and galleries. Whether you are interested in art, aviation, history, nature or something else, chances are LifeBalance will have something for you.
For a complete listing of museum and gallery related LifeBalance Providers, visit the LifeBalance Museums / Galleries page.
Never Too Late to Get Into Shape - Safely: Of course you know you should exercise but you're busy taking care of your kids, your parents, your career and your community. Next thing you know, weeks go by, months, maybe even years. Then something happens like a visit to your doctor, your jeans getting too small, constant fatigue or your class reunion. You dig your sneakers out from the back of the closet and, brimming with enthusiasm, you attempt too much too soon. You pull a muscle or twist a joint and now you're stuck on the sofa with an ice pack and a bottle of ibuprofen. Whether you're starting your first exercise regimen or getting back into fitness after a long hiatus, the first step is the most important: Tune into your body. People who are inactive are people who aren't in touch with how their body feels and what it can and can't do. Start slowly, especially if you have gained weight over the years or developed arthritis in your joints. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise program and then ease into exercise to give your body time to get used to movement. Proper clothing and shoes are essential. Loose garments can trip you up or catch on exercise machines and tight garments can impede circulation. If you're walking or running in the morning or after dark, be sure to wear light colors and reflective gear. And treat your feet to the best pair of walking or running shoes you can afford. Warming up and cooling down are especially important as we age. You can warm up by walking briskly or by working out at a low intensity on any cardio machine and then cooling down helps your heartbeat return to its resting rate. Drinking plenty of water is vital. If you're moving more, your muscles and joints need extra hydration. Drink four to six ounces of water for every 15 minutes of exercise. If you're going for a long walk, take a water bottle with you. Make sure that you're using good form when you exercise to protect your muscles and your joints. Fitness classes taught by qualified professionals can show you the right way to strengthen and tone your muscles without stresses and strains. Pay attention to how the moves are demonstrated and described. Or consider working with a certified personal trainer, he or she can often diagnose and correct poor form in a single session. Gasping for breath is a sign that you're working too hard. Aim for the happy zone, also known as the cardio zone or the fat-burning zone, working a little harder than just strolling to the mailbox. You're breaking a sweat, and you're breathing with your mouth open, to get all that oxygen to your muscles. But you're also moving at a pace that you can sustain for at least ten minutes or longer. Finally, always stop if you feel pain. Pain is a strong, clear message from your body. A little achy soreness or tiredness is fine but, if it doesn't go away in a few days, you have pushed yourself to hard. Enjoy your new found energy and exercise routine. (Prevention)
Detox Your System: As 2007 swings into gear, there's no better time to give your body a healthy, fresh start than now! Plus if you're thinking about lowering your weight, eating clean is a great first step. Here are ten foods that can help you start eating clean: Green leafy vegetables - Eat them raw, throw them into a broth or add them to juices. Their chlorophyll helps swab out environmental toxins and is an all-round liver protector. Lemons - You need to keep the fluids flowing to wash out the body and fresh lemonade is ideal. Vitamin C, considered the detox vitamin, helps convert toxins into a water soluble form that’s easily flushed away. Watercress - Put a handful into salads, soups and sandwiches. The peppery little green leaves have a diuretic effect that helps move things through your system and is very rich in minerals too. Garlic - Add it to everything, salads, sauces and spreads. In addition to the bulb's cardio benefits, it activates liver enzymes that help filter out junk. Green tea - This antioxidant-rich brew is one of the healthiest ways to get more fluids into your system and it contains catechins, which speed up liver activity. Broccoli sprouts - Get them at your health-food store. They pack 20 to 50 times more cancer-fighting, enzyme-stimulating activity into each bite than the grown-up vegetable. Sesame seeds - They're credited with protecting liver cells from the damaging effects of alcohol and other chemicals. For a concentrated form, try tahini, the yummy sesame seed paste. Cabbage - There are two main types of detoxifying enzymes in the liver; this potent veggie helps activate both of them. Psyllium - It mops up toxins and cholesterol, and helps clear them out. Stir powdered psyllium into juice to help cleanse your colon, or have psyllium-fortified Bran Buds for breakfast. Fruits, fruits, fruits - They're full of almost all the good things above including vitamin C, fiber, nutritious fluids and all kinds of antioxidants. Besides, nothing tastes better than a ripe mango, fresh berries or a perfect pear. After adding these 10 foods to your grocery cart and you'll the get terrific benefits of lots of super-healthy liquids to flush out the body while pouring in the nutrients, fiber to keep your GI tract fit and foods that energize cleansing enzymes in the liver, your body's built-in detox center. (Msn.com)
The
randomly drawn correct answer to this trivia question
wins a LifeBalance Member Event gift certificate to
an upcoming event.
Last
month's trivia question, which asked members to identify a photograph of a LifeBalance provider was
correctly answered by Steve Lanz. The correct answer was Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska. Congratulations!
This
month's question is in the form of a photograph. What LifeBalance provider is this? (Hint, it's not in Oregon, Washington or Alaska.)
To
answer this month's trivia question, simply fill in
the form below.
The
correct answer to this month's question will be revealed
in the next edition of eAction!
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The LifeBalance Program web development team has been hard at work re-vamping the LifeBalance website to serve you better. In addition to a new site appearance, a new component of LifeBalance has been launched called MyLifeBalance, which offers members personal activity tracking tools, website personalization and more.
Start your own MyLifeBalance account today.
LifeBalance Activity Tracker: The LifeBalance Activity Tracker is a personal online journaling tool that allows you to record exercise, calculate calories burned and keep a short online journal. The ultimate purpose of this is to provide a motivational tool by tracking past progress and establishing the habit of future regular activity. To access this tool, sign up for your MyLifeBalance account today.
The LifeBalance Wellness Window offers members streamlined access to all things wellness related, including fitness and health club listings, personal coaches, massage practitioners, yoga and Pilates classes and more. The Wellness Window also offers members health and wellness related articles and content, including daily fitness tips, healthy recipes, motivational insight, fitness tools, health and wellness calculators and more.
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop
Mood Changing Moments: Have you ever resisted something that you knew you needed? Last week, my wife was headed out for a much needed girl’s night and I completely resisted the idea of spending time with my daughter. I had some work to get done and the thought of having to take care of Sierra had me grumpy, tired, and a bit resentful. My mood however was no match for Sierra. We played in the rain, jumped in puddles, and later made home videos and had the time of our life.
The result; I became unstuck from my moodiness and I had more energy the next day to complete the work I was worried about. If you’re feeling stuck, try looking for a mood changer, a family experience or simply a good laugh to help bring you out of your rut. (Brought to you by Jason
Stein Coaching)
Your Brain: On average, the human head weighs 10 pounds. Your brain is 80% water and weighs up to 3 lbs. One third of your brain simply deals with what you see. Your brain uses 25% of all the oxygen that your breathe and it can hold the same amount of information as 500 sets of encyclopedias. If you could harness the power used by your brain, it could power a 10-watt light bulb. Nerve impulses from the brain travel as fast as 170 mph and the brain receives about 9 gallons of blood every hour.
Within the Challenges: Today, tomorrow, or in the next few days a difficult challenge will come along. What will you see in it? What will be your first reaction? Will you look at it as an unfortunate setback, or will you find in it the opportunity to grow and to move yourself ahead? So far in life, you have made it through every challenge you ever faced. And though some were often difficult, those challenges ended up strengthening you. Now those past challenges number among your most valuable experiences. When you're confronted with a challenge, refuse to let it intimidate you. Instead, look ahead to the other side. See and understand the very real value of pushing yourself through that challenge, of rising to the challenge, of learning what it has to teach, of becoming strong enough to transcend it. The opportunities you yearn for are contained within the challenges that come your way. Take them and make of them the very most you possibly can. (Global
Fitness)
Managing Your Life:
How can you feel better with the anxieties and stress that you may have in your everyday life? By appropriately managing and prioritizing your after work and weekend activities, you can thus reduce stress and work towards living a healthier and happier lifestyle. Employees with a healthy way of life have fewer illnesses and injuries than other workers. Partaking in regular physical exercise, eating a low-fat, healthy diet, refraining from smoking, getting organized, making time for relaxation, seeing your doctor regularly and getting enough rest every day can contribute to living longer, a positive outlook on life, and managing stress more effectively. (Brought to you by Xenium
Resources)
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For
a complete overview of the LifeBalance Program website,
visit the About LifeBalance section of the site and take a guided tour.
Find
exclusive LifeBalance savings at over 2,000 recreational, cultural & wellness related businesses throughout Alaska, Oregon
and Washington. The LifeBalance Program Vendor
Network gives members the opportunity to quickly
search for specific recreational, cultural and wellness providers
by geographic region and category, or by business
name, through the LifeBalance
Search for Savings.
You
can use our secure server to make payments online
for many LifeBalance Member Events and Tickets. LifeBalance
offers members over 1,000 special events at reduced
rates with the top vendors, instructors, and venues.
LifeBalance also has your ticket to the arts, including
theater, dance, musical performances and more. Visit
the LifeBalance Events Calendar and the LifeBalance Ticket Window for a complete listing and select the event that interests
you and then complete your registration.
You
can also easily print the LifeBalance Program materials
and this newsletter by visiting the Printable Materials section of the site.
The
LifeBalance Program always welcomes your feedback! Complete the LifeBalance
Survey and let us know about new recreational
and cultural businesses that you would like to see
added to our existing network of benefit providers,
new member events, suggestions for the LifeBalance
website or even suggestions for this online newsletter.
If you would like to speak to a member of the LifeBalance
Member Service Team, please call 503.234.1375 or 888.754.5433.
The
LifeBalance Program
Absolute Recreation Management, Inc.
503.234.1375 / 888.754.5433
www.LifeBalanceProgram.com / info@LifeBalanceProgram.com
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not share your email address or any other private
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