Fun, Free Fitness Ideas--At the park & your backyard!

Hey everyone! I'm sure we are all noticing this wonderfully beautiful weather we get to have all week and hoping to get late night walks in, or simply just open up our windows to keep the fresh air flowing! But if you're anything like me, you also want to figure out how to get a great workout while enjoying the nice weather!! Sometimes I simply just go for a nice run and enjoy the alone time to think. However....recently I find it most fun to gather a group of friends and do a mini boot camp in a nearby park. Help keep each other accountable while getting healthier! Want to know some exercises to do while at the park? That's what I'm here for! Here are some of my suggestions:

Push ups on a park bench

Run up and down the hills as sets of sprints

Pull ups on the monkey bars

Burpees or mountain climbers in the grass

Sit ups in the grass

Partner squats(backs together-hold at bottom for as long as possible)

Calf raises on the play equipment (hang feet off edge and go above and below the plane)

Lunges in a circle around the play equipment (usually it is a decent sized area so 2 or 3 laps will have those legs burning)

And if you have kids or a spouse, get out the gloves and baseballs and play catch. Try out a new sport like tennis or simply kicking a soccer ball around. And always be sure to stretch after you get done-take that time to sit and relax and really take in the gorgeous Earth around you while stretching your body to prevent injuries!

Be sure to take advantage of it this week while we have it! Get out there and move! 

--Emily

Chiropractic Is Not for Back Pain Only!

Q. I thought Chiropractic only helped with back pain. Is this true?

A. I hear this statement a lot in my office. It’s true; we do see many people with back pain. Chiropractic does an amazing job helping people find quick relief from a sore back. By adjusting the spine and removing pressure off the spinal nerves our body restores its normal energy and tone, this will relax the muscles and decrease the pain. The most amazing thing about Chiropractic is that it can help with so much more. Here are a few of the things that we’ve helped with in my office recently that have nothing to do with back pain:

*Colic in an infant, *Blood pressure,*Lower triglycerides and cholesterol, *Weight loss, *Dropping body fat %, *Watery eye, *Ankle sprain, *Ear infection, *TMJ Syndrome, *Acid reflux, *Not sleeping well, *Low energy levels, *Blindness in one eye, *Torticollis (spasm of neck muscle in an infant), *Bed wetting, Carpal Tunnel, *Plantar fasciitis, *Hormone problems, *Blood sugar and glucose levels, *Irritable Bowel Syndrome, *Constipation, *Overall stress, *Asthma and *Hearing loss.

I’m not saying that Chiropractic is a cure for all these problems. But, by improving the function of the nervous system and making the necessary lifestyle changes these problems can be helped without drugs or surgery.

Most of these symptoms would have been treated with a quick prescription. I get to see the amazing ways that someone’s body can heal itself without medications through chiropractic care. If you know someone who is suffering needlessly, or dependent on their medications for relief, find a Chiropractor to help them on a new path to health. 

Written by Dr. Wes Nyberg for Waukee Living Magazine

Want to See What's in the Nyberg Pantry?

I love Pinterest. I have quite an assortment of boards created and I do a pretty good job of completing most of the projects I pin. I have a board for Fitness & Health, Primal/Paleo, and Fun Food so I can be sure that I head to the right spot for cooking dinner or for taking a birthday cake to a family party. 

Recently, I discovered there are some pretty impressive pantries. However, what completely shocks me is the amount of PROCESSED FOOD in these pantries. In order for food to keep from decomposing and decaying on the shelves, companies add chemicals to their products. One of the most common of the dangerous products is Partially (or Fully) Hydrogenated Oils of any kind. Don't buy anything with this type of fat in it! 

To be fair, we have some processed foods in our pantry too. However, the foods we have do not contain High Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Oils, or artificial sweeteners. And the foods we have are meant to be a supplement to an entree, not a main or side dish. For example, I add tomato paste to fresh, grass-fed ground beef, organic onions and peppers, and sometimes a little bit of quinoa to make a skillet dinner. I have abandoned Hamburger Helper forever and am quite thankful our boys will never have to eat that junk. 

Here's a picture of our pantry. 

Top Shelf: Lonely, rarely used cookbooks--I pretty much turn to my Pinterest Primal/Paleo board for ideas now

Middle shelf: iced tea bags, hot tea bags, raw coconut, raw macadamia nuts

Bottom Shelf: tomato paste, old pretzels someone brought to a party here in December (which I threw out after this picture), pasta colored with spinach & beets from Trader Joe's, Cous Cous, water chestnuts (I add these to fresh veggie stir-fry), a box of dip mix, and Lingonberries for when Dr. Wes wants to unlock his inner-Swede. 

Does this look boring? It is supposed to be! All the good food goes into the fridge or on the counter. 

Your Health Challenge for Today: Read your labels. If it says High Fructose Corn Syrup or Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Oils, Splenda, Sucralose, aspartame, or sodium nitrite, THROW IT AWAY!  (Or donate it to a food bank/church). Your body (& your family's health) will thank you!