Your Body: It’s the Bee’s Knees

Love your body like this: every step of the way.

Over the past year, I’ve learned how to be more appreciative of my body and all the amazing things it does for me. It’s easy to forget how hard we ask our bodies to work each day, but doing so would be a mistake. We might have aches and pains sometimes, we might not look exactly the way we want to, we might be frustrated that our bodies have limits—but that doesn’t mean that they’re not amazing things. Our bodies are our homes, and we should treat them well and appreciate them while we can.

About 10 days ago, I slipped while walking down a hill. I didn’t fall—I was able to stop myself from doing that. Unfortunately, in the process, I injured my knee and the muscles around it. A week and a half later, I’m just barely able to walk without a limp. And let me tell you, after just a week of not being able to climb stairs without pain, walk normally, or go to yoga, I really appreciate what my body is normally capable of.

So, that is my wisdom for the week: appreciate your body, love your body!

I was finally able to go back to yoga yesterday. My knee is still weak but feeling much stronger. No running for a while, but I’m happy just to be mostly back on my feet.

With my knees on my mind, I also thought it would be a good opportunity to do a little research on anatomy. Here are some of the neat facts about the knee that I learned:

Your AMAZING knees look like this!
Image: Shutterstock

• There are four bones that come together at the knee: the femur (thigh bone), tibia (shin bone), patella (kneecap), and head of the fibula (strut bone on the outside of the leg).
• Only the femur and tibia form the knee joint itself.
• Two muscle groups are responsible for movement of the knee joint: the quadriceps and the hamstrings.
• Four ligaments are responsible for the stabilization of the entire knee joint: the medial collateral ligament (MCL), the lateral collateral ligament (LCL), the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL).
• Bursas (fluid-filled sacs) provide cushioning for the joint during motion.
• Two menisci on top of the tibia function as shock absorbers and prevent the bones from rubbing against each other. Lack of this cartilage is what causes arthritis in the knee.

Tuesday Inspiration: Edgar Hernandez

Edgar has lost 165 pounds in a year and a half.

Here’s a story that should inspire you to live healthy: Edgar Hernandez, 18, has lost nearly 200 pounds in two years. At 16 years old, 5’ 7” and 370 pounds, Edgar was diagnosed as pre-diabetic by his doctor—a problem shared by both his parents, who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in their forties.

His whole family had a weight problem. Plagued with bullying, depression, extremely low self-esteem, and now, the looming threat of diabetes, Edgar made a decision that would change his life: he took responsibility for his weight problem. Seeing his mother burst into tears at the doctor’s office was the tipping point for what has been an extraordinary journey to a healthy lifestyle.

“It was time to stop blaming others for my choices and make a choice to take responsibility,” he said, according to CNN. He went for a spur-of-the-moment jog, making it just half a mile before he had to stop and throw up, a sure sign that getting healthy would be more like a marathon than a sprint.

He started by walking before and after school, scaling up gradually until he was walking about two miles per day. Next, he added short running intervals, which he added to gradually. Eventually, he was able to run a full mile.

Edgar’s older brother, Mario, was 5’ 7” and weighed 235 pounds. Inspired by Edgar’s dedication, he teamed up with his brother and together the two tackled the next obstacle: food. Together, they swapped the family’s stock of processed, fatty, and sugary foods with fresh produce and chicken breasts. Healthier foods paired with portion control helped the brothers begin shedding the pounds.

By January, just two months after Edgar decided to get healthy, the two began going on runs together. In just over a year and a half, Edgar has gone from not being able to run half a mile to running in a half marathon last month. He now weighs a healthy 180 pounds, while his brother Mario weighs 165.

With his new healthy lifestyle has come another gift: happiness. Edgar has been able to find his way out of depression and now says his favorite activities are running and weightlifting.

Edgar participated in his first 1/2 marathon last month!

“Running is what made me feel happy,” he says. “I had gotten what they call ‘runner’s high’ and now running has become a lifestyle,” he says.

“I wouldn’t even step out my door to get the mail before,” he said. “People don’t see the dark, sad side of me anymore. They see a bright, happy kid.”

So, what’s Edgar’s advice to those who want to live healthier? Don’t hold back. If you say you’re going to run, do it today. Don’t put it off until something serious happens.

You can follow Edgar and his amazing journey on Facebook and Twitter.

Images: "Run With Edgar" Facebook page.

10 Inspirational Quotes for Rainy May

So far, I'm not overly impressed with May. It's been very rainy and gray here in Seattle, and all I want is more sun! I've been a little lacking in the inspiration department lately, so I decided that today I'd keep my post simple and just share some inspirational quotes with you all. I hope you enjoy them.

Source: http://prettystuff.tumblr.com/post/80624164004

Source: http://www.oprah.com/quote/Eckhart-Tolle-Quote-Quote-on-the-Present-Moment

Source: http://ignitelight.tumblr.com/post/6013556745

Source: http://creativeoriginalconfident.tumblr.com/

How Being Grateful Can Save Your Life

“I am grateful…” is a phrase that most of us could stand to say more often. In November, my Facebook news feed exploded with a number of friends’ status updates each day telling the world what they were grateful for. Topics ranged from significant others, children, and jobs to lazy afternoons, pets, and a good view from the front window. And while many rolled their eyes at this “forced” gratefulness, I embraced it. I loved seeing my loved ones actually take a moment to notice beauty in their lives. Because, let’s face it, it’s far too easy to get set on autopilot and forget about all the great things around us.

Start each day with a grateful heart -- words to live by.

And sometimes, it’s okay to force gratitude in ourselves. Not the angry “You must be grateful for this!” kind of gratitude—the reflecting on our lives and reminding ourselves of what’s good.

When I was down and out in college, my then-boyfriend used to say to me, “Tell me one good thing that happened to you today.” It was such a simple request, but truly profound. Because you know what? If I allowed myself a moment to think about it, I could always find good in a day—even if it was as simple a thing as a stranger smiling at me as I passed them on campus. 

Have you heard the recent stories going around about a woman named Lynne Scrivens? She is truly inspiring—and a wonderful example of how simply being grateful can save your life. Beginning on January 1^st, 2013, Lynne vowed to post daily gratitude updates on her social media for one year.

Lynne felt she was off track in her life, and wanted to do something to resolve the challenges she was facing, including too much drinking alone, depression, being sedentary, and finding a romantic partner.

Take notice; we have a lot to be grateful for.

“When I saw a friend posting daily Grateful status updates on Facebook, I though I should do it too,” she wrote in a recent essay on Daily Life. “I knew the grateful project would help me get back on track. I just had a feeling.”

Fast forward to one year (and a few weeks later), and Lynne’s challenges have turned into blessings: drinking was replaced by sobriety; depression faded and was replaced by happiness; instead of being sedentary, she started going to regular boot camp classes; and loneliness took a back seat to a new love interest. Plus, as a bonus, Lynne left an old and stagnant career behind in Sydney and moved to Melbourne for a new job.

Her last post was, as always, inspiring:

“I’m grateful for this project. I’m grateful for my friends for tolerating it. It’s amazing how long I spent each day thinking about what I was grateful for,” she wrote. “Did it make a difference? Yes. It forced me to look on the bright side of life, even on the crappy days… and I’m heading into 2014 with a great big smile, and for that I’m eternally grateful.”

So tell me, what is one thing you are grateful for today?

10 Inspirational Fitness Quotes

Does anyone else ever lose themselves reading inspirational quotes? I know I do. I’ll log into Pinterest, go on Facebook, or scroll endlessly on Tumblr—all the while eating the inspiration up. I love the beautiful pictures people put them on. I love the power of the words. I love the drive and the desire and the need to be fit. I love it all.

Today’s post is simple: 10 inspirational fitness quotes. They may not be the “best” quotes, but they’re all ones that struck me somehow, whether it reflected thoughts and doubts I have or simply made me realize I can reach my goals.

I hope you all enjoy them.

For A Good Workout, Great Music is Necessary

Great Music = Good Workout!
Image: Shutterstock

I don’t know about you, but for me great music can be the difference between a good and a bad workout. Going for a run is nice and all that, but with music it feels inspiring. Lifting weights (for me) is incredibly boring, but add in some intense music and I feel way more powerful.

I recently joined a yoga studio, and one of the deciding factors was that this yoga studio in particular plays great music at a healthy volume.  I’m not talking about your normal flowy yoga music. I’m talking about Radiohead, Daft Punk, and a multitude of other music. It makes me feel strong, inspired, and ready to push myself. Sit me in a hot yoga studio without music, and I’m far less excited.

Running to a great song makes me feel inspired.
Image: Shutterstock

For me, the best music to work out to falls in one of two categories: current musical obsessions (Ellie Goulding, Robyn, Lindsey Stirling) and music from my teenage years (Blink-182, Foo Fighters, Third Eye Blind). Sometimes the two categories cross over, if I still listen to the same band from back then (Radiohead, Daft Punk, Muse). And sometimes I just like some random song—this often happens with electronic music, since I don’t generally listen to that genre as a whole (I’m very picky when it comes to liking techno).

What kind of music gets you up and moving? Is it heavy metal? Hard rock? Pop? Techno? Dubstep? 90s? We all have our different musical tastes and preferences, but I’m always looking to add new tunes to my repertoire. Share your favorite tunes and artists in the comments!