We’re big fans of the martial arts at Dangerously Fit. Martial arts offer a fun fitness modality, an opportunity for mindfulness practice, and a vigorous workout. Tai Chi is a Chinese martial art that is characterized by slow, mindful movements, and attention to balance and breathing. Tai Chi has been documented to improve a number of ailments including arthritis. Now, a study suggests that Tai Chi has a beneficial effect for people undergoing chemotherapy treatments.
In some people, chemotherapy carries with it the side effects of cognitive declines. The study performed by University of Missouri researchers compared test results of a group of female cancer survivors who had undergone chemotherapy before and after 10 weeks of Tai Chi practice done twice a week. The tests measured memory, language, attention and more. After the 10 weeks, the women in the study showed improvements in their test scores.
In many martial arts classes, attention is focused on intensity. Tai Chi encourages one to re-connect with their body and slow down and focus. This is a beneficial thing for improving so many parts of ones life, and here is just another example.
While Dangerously Fit doesn’t offer Tai Chi classes, we do have martial arts fitness programs of varying intensities appropriate for people of all types. From a vigorous kickboxing workout, to a slower, more mindful approach of Iaido, a Japanese sword art, we can help you find a way to use martial arts to achieve your fitness goals and improve your quality of life. Contact us if you’re interested in learning more about our martial arts based fitness programs.
Read more about this study and find a link to the abstract at ScienceDaily.com
In my short few decades on this Earth, most of which spent woefully ignorant of anything having to do with good health, I’ve seen some trends ebb and flow in the marketing of food. When I was growing up, fat was evil, and everything had to be low fat. Cholesterol got it’s turn, along with trans fats, carbs, and now the enemy du jour is gluten. Nutritional information is slow to get to the masses, and good information is hard to come by. Marketing, however is faster than Usain Bolt running for the restroom after eating at one of my local Taco Bells. But anyway, to the point.
Marketing plays on emotion, not science. And in our no-attention-span-having society, the shorter the message, the better. Go to your supermarket and read some labels. You’ll see “Fat Free”, “0% Trans Fat”, “Cholesterol Free”, “0 Calories”, “Gluten Free”, and more. On the other end of the spectrum, you have foods that have “good things” added. Vitamin C. Fiber. Calcium. So, when a food is labeled as being free of one of the bad guys, or having extra good guys, it must be healthy, right? Wrong. Come take a photo tour of my local supermarket with me.
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May in Tucson. Just when the rest of the country is getting used to finally being thawed out, we’re stocking up on sunscreen, bottled water, and siestas. With the hotter temps, and the triple digits right around the corner, here’s a little bit I want to share with you if you’ve been attending the free Saturday morning boot camps, or have been following my garden project.
First, the boot camp update. We’ve been having a nice little crew showing up on Saturday mornings at 8am. These workouts have been very casual, and free of charge. Thank you to those of you have brought friends. The more, the merrier. The question had been posed by a few people about holding the workouts earlier in the morning as the temps get higher. In consideration of this and the late nights I have on Friday with other commitments, the Saturday morning free boot camps will be postponed for the summer months. Until further notice, the last free Saturday morning boot camp will be held on May 28th. If you haven’t tried out one of our workouts, now is the time!
Since we’re talking about heat, I want to give a brief update on my garden. As I mentioned in earlier posts, I get a few hours of sun in the morning and shade after Noon. The parts of the garden that are in the most direct sunlight around 11am to 12:30ish have been getting beat down with sun and heat. The plants that are more heat resistant, like the peppers, are doing ok. Recently planted greens and beets, however, have been having a rough time of it. I’m going to be buying some shade cloth to temper the sun and heat a little bit in an effort to provide a better growing habitat for the greens in those tough spaces.
Not related to the heat, but still garden related, I’m considering taking out the squash plants. I have two of them going, and they are doing ok all things considered. However, only one flower is opening at a time between the two of them, and there are no insects present to pollinate even if there were two open at once. So, if I can’t find a way to get these flowers pollinated and get some squash growing, then I’ll just replace them with more space for other things. The bush beans I planted a few weeks ago are shooting up quite nicely.
Rather than take some pictures and write up an update on what I’m doing with my little garden, I figured I’d make a video. I hope it gives you a better idea of how things are coming along.
After making the video, I did take out all 3 squares of broccoli and replaced them with 1 square of radishes (16 plants) and 2 squares of spinach (9 per square). It will be interesting to see how the plants do being started by from seed outdoors as opposed to started indoors from seed in the peat pods then transplanted. I also took out one of the squares of cabbage. In it’s place I started a square of mesclun mix. I also started another shoebox of mesclun. I want to see how they 2 different areas compare as far as growing is concerned. I used a seed starting mix (Miracle Gro brand) in the shoeboxes. In spite of the drainage I drilled, the seed starting mix seems to drain poorly. So, I’m sort of comparing soils with that.
For the most part, the weather here in Tucson, AZ is absolutely wonderful right now. This is that time of year that really makes it worthwhile to live here. The temperatures are perfect. There’s very little chance of rain, and the trees and flowers are absolutely exploding with vitality.
How about you? Are you exploding with vitality? Have your workouts gotten boring and you need to switch it up? Sick of seeing the same faces at the gym and waiting for someone to finish supersetting bicep curls in the squat rack? It’s time to take it outside!
If you have an robust arsenal of bodyweight exercises at your fingertips, you can have some really great workouts at your local park. If you use the correct exercises, you can achieve any goal. You can build lean muscle, enhance your cardiovascular health, burn fat, and most importantly have fun! I love using bodyweight exercises in a fat loss program, and use almost entirely bodyweight exercises for the free boot camp I run Saturday mornings. (Contact me if you’re in Tucson and are interested in taking part in that.)
Over the years, I’ve learned a lot of cool bodyweight exercises, but when I first started out on my own fitness journey, it would have been really handy to have a nice, big list of bodyweight exercises, and some well thought out programs to show me how to best use them. If you’re starting out on your fitness journey, you can have that information at your fingertips! Craig Ballantyne has put together a great package of information for you, and has put it on sale this week.
Click here to check out the awesome deal he’s got going on.
Here’s what Craig says about these programs:
For the first time ever, you can get access to these addictive bodyweight exercises – featuring the progressively challenging 6-Month “Turbulence Training Bodyweight Manual” and the “The Bodyweight Cardio No-Equipment Workouts” – for over 75% off the regular price when you order this week ONLY!
He’s selling all three programs for only $19.95! I’ve used some of Craig’s programs before, and they’re top notch. All of his programs are well written, authoritative, fun, and effective.
These same workouts have helped tons of people get in shape or bust out of ruts in the gym. If you’re ready to see some real changes in your body, and don’t want to invest in costly workout equipment, then get these programs, get outside, and get to work!
