These days, walking 10,000 steps a day has become the accepted magic number, the one that puts you in the category of adults with an active lifestyle. It also represents the level of activity that most health experts say gives you the greatest number of health benefits.

Of course, keeping track of those steps requires either a level of focus and attention that borders on the obsessive, or you can get a pedometer.

Pedometers simply measure the number of steps you take every day, and versions of them have been around for about two hundred years. Today’s models range from the very inexpensive to high-quality models that offer greater accuracy. A pedometer is small, unobtrusive, and you simply keep it attached to your waistband to track your steps. Plus, they’re fun to check in on to check your progess throughout the day.

Now, there’s even a newer way to measure your steps, which is what I’m currently testing.

Pedometer Apps

Yes, no surprise, there’s and app for that. In fact, there are dozens of pedometer apps that you can download to your smartphone. It’s no surprise, the free ones aren’t rated as highly as the ones you pay for. Like most modern pedometers, a pedometer app simply keeps track of steps by registering the vibration that occurs when your foot strikes the ground.

Certainly the various pedometer apps have their pros and cons, and I’m not attempting to write a comprehensive review of them. If you’d prefer a phone app to a standard pedometer, I’d suggest you look around and read the reviews.

The one I’ve been trying requires that your phone stay on the app screen as it counts. That’s great if you’re going for a walk, but not so much if you want to track steps through out the day, morning to night. After all, sometimes you want to use your phone, you know, as a phone.

As pedometers measure your steps, you can easily chart your progress and reach goals you’ve established.

Recent studies have also found that people who use a pedometer are motivated to walk more. In a summary of 26 different studies by the Harvard Health Letter, people who used pedometers walked an average of 2,000 more steps a day than those who do not. And using a pedometer helped those people increase their level of physical activity by 27 percent.

Personally, I think the results of these kinds of studies are a foregone conclusion. If you’re wearing a pedometer, it already means you want to keep track of your movement, and presumably you’re trying to improve yourself. In other words, just clipping a pedometer to your waistband is not necessarily going to make you healthier or fit. However, using one does seem to encourage users to walk more and earn greater rewards.

Other suggestions from the Harvard Health Letter include setting and maintaining a step-count goal (again, the number 10,000 appears) and walking at a brisk pace of at least 3 mph.

How about you? Do you track your daily steps with a pedometer or pedometer app?

Every Friday, you can find inspirational quotes on Caldera’s Facebook page to help usher in the weekend with positivity. Words that carry a reminder of something bigger or deeper can lead to a renewing experience during a busy work day – much like time in a hot tub. Sit back and enjoy this weekday treat of inspiration, and don’t forget to pin or share your favorite quotes to pay the renewal forward. 

• “To keep the body in good health is a duty…otherwise, we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” – Buddha

• “Life is not merely being alive, but being well.” – Marcus Valerius Martialis

• “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Mahatma Gandhi

• “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” – William James

• Live life happy.

©2013 Watkins Manufacturing Corporation, 1280 Park Center Drive, Vista, CA 92081. All rights reserved.

My blender has been running in overdrive lately. Smoothies have become a staple in my life, morning and night. Whether whipping one up to enjoy during my morning commute, or post-workout while in my hot tub, I’ve found smoothies to be a quick, refreshing mini-meal - especially as summer approaches.

This delicious obsession was sparked during my smoothie recipe investigation on Pinterest. In my quest for clean eating tips I came across some delicious smoothie options. Some of my favorites are:

• Clean Eating Blueberry Banana Smoothie from The Gracious Pantry
• Overnight Apple Cinnamon Smoothie from fitsugar.com
• Strawberry Banana Smoothie With Chia Seeds from Honest Cooking

I even create my own “recipes” that typically consist of the following ingredients:

• 3/4 cup of almond or coconut milk. Cow's milk or Greek yogurt would work, too, but I use non-dairy options.
• 1/2 frozen banana. Tip: when I eat a fresh banana, I always freeze half of it.
• Any additional fresh or frozen fruit. I'm a berry kind of girl.
• A heaping handful of spinach. This is such an easy way to squeeze extra greens into my diet!
• 1 tbsp. of chia seeds. Read about the nutritional value here.
• 1 scoop of whey protein powder or 1tbsp. of almond butter.

For more smoothie and wholesome eating ideas, take a look at Caldera's Look Good + Feel Good Pinterest board!

Do you have a favorite smoothie recipe? Share it with us in the comments below!

Resource:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/07/chia-seeds-nutrition/1972139/

©2013 Watkins Manufacturing Corporation, 1280 Park Center Drive, Vista, CA 92081. All rights reserved.

Serious question: What would make you happy?

A million bucks? A nose job? A house on the beach? Admittedly, any of those things would indeed make you happy for a while, but none of them are likely the magic elixir that would lead to a life of happiness.

While looking around the Mayo Clinic website, I discovered an article titled How To Be Happy: Tips For Cultivating Contentment. That grabbed my attention. A recipe for happiness? Like a cookbook? From one of the country's foremost and trusted medical sources?
 
According to that article, only 10 percent of the variation in people’s reports of happiness can be explained by the differences in their circumstances. What does that mean?

It means that the perky-nosed person living in the beach house with a million bucks isn't necessarily any happier than you or me. True, that’s a bit hard to believe. But, as it turns out, happiness is mostly due to a person's personality and perspective. The thoughts and behaviors that help form that personality can be nurtured and developed.

If that last statement is true, it means you could actually put yourself on a path to happiness - even without a new nose. You can work at it, practice and actually become happier. It's not something you can decide to do instantaneously, but you can definitely move up the happiness continuum if you decide to. Metaphorically, it's like exercising a muscle. The more you work at it, the stronger the muscle becomes.

First, it's a good idea to figure out what makes happy people so darn…happy. According the Mayo article, happiness is built on several pillars. The characteristics of happy people:

1. They devote themselves to family and friends
2. They appreciate what they have
3. They maintain an optimistic outlook
4. They feel a sense of purpose
5. They live in the moment

Wouldn't it be great if you could just flip those switches and become happy? After all, happy people are more productive, less stressed, and unless you're Woody Allen, more fun to be around.

No, it's not that easy. Remember the muscle analogy. Just because you decide it should be stronger doesn't improve its strength until you do the work.

Let's look at those pillars, one step at a time. Use this as your recipe for happiness.

1. Work on relationships

Family and friends are the people who support you even when the going gets rough. Realize their importance to you and tell them so. Treat them well and support them when they need it. When it comes to friends and family, expect more from yourself in the relationship than you get. Don't worry; it'll even out. Work at it, and you'll build a strong framework that can withstand strong winds.

When you have a choice in who you spend time with, remember what you already know: When you're around cantankerous, grouchy, negative people, you start feeling lousy. And when you're around positive people with an upbeat attitude, you smile and feel better.

Personally, I like to make a distinction here. There are people who take a rather blithe approach to the world, as if simply everything is always wonderful. If you're that person, how will you ever solve problems, right wrongs and create positive change? How will you ever grow? There’s nothing wrong with identifying a problem, then taking a positive approach to solving it.

2. Appreciate what you have

That statement doesn't mean you shouldn't work toward new goals and strive to enrich your life. But be thankful for the place you live, the people you know, even the coffee you're sipping. Really taste your food when you're at dinner. Concentrate on how the warm water feels in the shower. When the clouds break, look at how the light edges the clouds and how the sky turns that amazing, unbelievable blue. That color still knocks me out every time I see it. Does that sound too much like Pollyanna? I don't think it's living a delusion. I think it's being aware. Too often, we forget to be amazed.

3. Maintain an optimistic outlook

This one requires a reality check in my opinion. Sometimes lousy things happen, and sometimes they're really bad. Pretending they're not isn't optimism. It's avoidance. But when things are just bopping along during your day-to-day existence, you have the ability to look at your day through whatever lens you choose.

I remember a time in my own life when I'd spill coffee on myself and blurt something like "This is going to be a crummy day!" Guess what? I was right nearly every single time. Finally, I learned that it works both ways. It really does. And even when things don't go the way you want, it's rarely something that's going to dramatically affect your life.

Work at it, and remind yourself to stay positive when you start to slip. Eventually, optimism sticks.

4. Find a purpose in life

That task probably sounds more grandiose and intimidating than it should. Sure, some people devote their life to a cause, and that's great. But this might simply mean setting a goal and reaching it. Grow a garden. Stay in touch with long distance friends. Become proficient in a newly learned skill, like playing the guitar.

It might be tough to identify just what will help you move forward here. The Mayo clinic site recommends that you ask these questions in order to start forming a plan:

• What excites and energizes me?
• What are my proudest achievements?
• How do I want others to remember me?

5. Live in the moment.

Look for opportunities to savor what's happening today. Don't wait for tomorrow.

Try to avoid dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, which is easier said than done. Work toward the future, of course, but don't lose sight of today, and enjoy it fully if you can.

Remember, changing your outlook takes time and effort. Anything worth doing does. In my book, working toward becoming happier is definitely worth the effort, especially since every step in the process outlined here feels far better than the alternative.

What would make you happy? We’d love to know your recipe for happiness in the comments below.

Resource:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/how-to-be-happy/MY01357

©2013 Watkins Manufacturing Corporation, 1280 Park Center Drive, Vista, CA 92081. All rights reserved.

Tired of counting sheep only to reach number 1,000 and still be wide awake?

In a previous post, I talked about how soaking in a hot tub (or bathtub) helps me get to sleep. Several tests and survey results seem to back up my assumption.

But, of course, everyone is different, and a 20-minute soak might not work for you. While looking around, I’ve found many other ideas worth mentioning. Here are a few that might help if you’re having trouble falling asleep.

1. Exercise. Sometimes I have to roll my eyes when I see a suggestion like that, because it seems so obvious. Exercise during the day has been shown to help people sleep better. What might not be as obvious is that it’s not such a good idea to exercise in the evening before bedtime as it tends to rev a person up.
2. Read before bed or listen to soothing music. Yes, both seem to help, unless the reading material or the music is too stimulating or exciting. In my experience, anything I had to read in college is great. Those beach-books, Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child…not so much.
3. Maintain a regular bedtime and wake-up time on weekdays and weekends. Your Circadian rhythm becomes better established if you maintain a regular sleep cycle.
4. Create an environment that’s conducive to sleep…dark, quiet and cool.
5. Use your bed for what it’s intended. Avoid watching TV, working on the computer or eating soda crackers in bed. Using your bed for sleep creates a habit that your body and mind respond to by falling asleep easier.
6. Avoid eating right before bedtime.
7. Avoid drinking fluids before bed so that you don’t have to get up in the middle of the night.
8. Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol before bed. All of them cause sleep disruptions.

And don’t forget the warm, relaxing soak in the hot tub. It really helps prepare you to fall asleep.

If you’ve tried these suggestions and nothing seems to work, it’s time to talk to your doctor. Sleep deprivation causes too many problems in a person’s daily life to go untreated.

©2013 Watkins Manufacturing Corporation, 1280 Park Center Drive, Vista, CA 92081. All rights reserved.

Sometimes I have trouble falling asleep. Other times, I’ll wake up and can’t get back to sleep. It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, it seems to stick around for a while. Both situations are frustrating, especially when the alarm clock goes off in the morning.

Evidently, I’m not alone. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 132 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders more than one night a week.

I’ve always found that a 20-minute, late-night soak in my hot tub acts as a natural sleep aid and helps me sleep deeper and longer. So, whenever sleep becomes elusive, I take a soak before bed.

There appear to be two theories as to why it might be true.

One notion is that the warm water simply relaxes a person so a transition to sleep is just a natural progression.

Another idea is that when you leave the hot tub, your core temperature cools, which signals to your body that it’s time to sleep.

Soaking studies of natural sleep aids

So, true or false: Does a warm soak really work as a natural sleep aid?

Evidently people in Japan think so. Since many homes don’t have central heating, it’s a common practice to take a hot bath to warm up before bedtime in order to sleep better.

The idea was also tested in a study by the Journal of Physiological Anthropological Applied Human Science. In the study, one group soaked in hot water before bed. Another group soaked their feet in warm footbaths, and a third control group did neither.

The study found that those who soaked in a bath or soaked in a footbath fell asleep faster, moved less during sleep and had higher quality REM sleep.

Honestly, though, only nine people were tested, so you can place trust in the results as you see fit.

Other surveys back up the findings, though. A Gallup poll with 1,000 respondents found that bathing was commonly used as a natural sleep aid. A Consumer Reports survey found that that a warm bath was listed as one of the most common remedies for mild sleep disorders.

As with most things, it comes down to the individual. Will it work for you? It’s pretty easy to find out, so test it yourself. It works for me, and it eliminates the need to get a prescription and take a pill at night.  

While looking around, I found that a hot soak isn’t the only way to help you sleep. Stay tuned for part 2 of this series, where we discuss more natural sleep aids.

©2013 Watkins Manufacturing Corporation, 1280 Park Center Drive, Vista, CA 92081. All rights reserved.