GET MOVING WITH SUMMER FUN!

        Now that winter has passed, and the warmer months are here, everyone will want to shed their sweaters and get moving to get in shape for the sultry months of summer heat and swimsuit season. There is never a better time to get outside than on a beautiful sunny day with a warm breeze and bright blue sky! Here are a few ideas that can help you get started with an outdoor exercise program that will be fun, increase your metabolism, help you get in shape, and boost your health. Remember to start slowly and build to higher levels of exercise on weekly intervals. Discuss any exercise program with your physician prior to starting if you have any questions or concerns. Here are five fun options to get you into a sporting mood with healthy exercise!

Walking- For an easy beginning to the outdoor exercise season, you can start with walking at a rate of fifteen minutes twice a day, or thirty minutes once a day. Work up to walking for forty-five minutes three times a week. The quicker the pace of your walking, then the greater the benefits will be for your body.

Play In The Park- Do you remember the feeling of being a child playing in the park for the first time? You can have those feelings again! For a great workout, go to a park and use all the equipment- the monkey bars for pull-ups, the swings for developing leg muscles, the trails for jogging and walking, and the benches for stretching and conditioning. Some parks have fitness trails already installed, but of course, you can also walk the dog, play Frisbee, or jump rope. Be a kid again, and have fun!

Fishing- The opulent spring waters often bring on the spawning for many types of fish and the excitement of the first fishing of the season. Hike into a beautiful fishing area, walk up and down the rivers in waders, and throw dozens of lines into the water to increase your muscle performance and benefit from resistance training.

Bicycle Riding- Now is the time to check the tires on your bike, grab your helmet, pack a bottle of water, and get cruising. Depending on your overall conditioning and the surface of your biking area, you can take a journey for one to several miles while increasing your breathing capacity, improving overall fitness, developing your legs, and reaping all the benefits of aerobic exercise in a beautiful setting.

Skate Boarding- You can have a customized skate board made during the winter months and be ready for the first days of summer to head for the hills or the nearest skate park. You can skate for as long as you want, on ramps, streets (where permitted), boxes, rails, and over obstacles, but make sure to wear protective padding and a helmet.

SAVE MONEY ON GAS

    We have all noticed the price of gas rising at the pumps. Some weeks it seems as though the price increases on a daily basis! Since our lives often include driving to work, to recreational activities, on vacations, and to do errands, here are some helpful suggestions for using less gas. If you follow these suggestions, you can save money at the gas pump, and you will also leave a lighter carbon footprint on the environment.

1. Have Regular Service Checks for You Car. Having a dirty air filter in your car can limit your gas mileage by at least 10%. A car that needs a tune-up can cost 4- 5% more in gas to run. These are only a couple of examples of how regular maintenance on your car can save you money at the pumps.

    

2. Check Your Tires. Checking the air in your tires and making sure that the tires are properly aligned will help to save money on gas. Not only does poor tire alignment cause tires to prematurely wear, but it also costs up to 10% more for gas. Under inflation in tires can cause up to a 3% decrease in fuel efficiency. If your tires are in need of servicing, this alone could cost you up to 13% more in gas!

    

3. Check Your Gas Cap. Many vehicles have missing or loose gas caps, and this poses as a double problem. Gas that would power your car escapes into the atmosphere, and depending on the amount of the leak, some or all of your gas could go up into thin air! The pollution from the leaking gas also hurts the air quality and contributes to global warming. It’s easy to check and/or replace gas caps.

    

4. Drive Smoothly. Your style of driving is probably the largest way you can save or waste gas and your money spent on fuel. If you frequently use your brakes, that can cost up to 35% more in gas. If you avoid making sudden moves and weaves in traffic, and move smoothly instead, this style of driving can save up to 33% in fuel efficiency. If you reduce your speed on the highway by 5 miles per hour, you can save 7% of your fuel consumption. If you used all of these driving strategies, you could increase your fuel efficiency mileage by at least 40%, and you would be a better driver!

    

5. Reorganize Your Trunk. The weight that is carried in the trunk of your car, the bed of your pick-up truck, or the interior of your SUV all contribute to the amount of fuel your vehicle uses to move. For every extra 100 pounds of weight, your vehicle loses 2% in fuel efficiency. Get rid of the junk in your trunk!

    

6. Idle No More. If you sit in your car and let it idle, or if you let it warm up for a long period of time, you are wasting gas. In addition to polluting the environment, you are wasting up to 5% of gas efficiency during the idle time.

    

    

    

Changing Your Workout Routine in Summer

    The summer is upon us and with the longer days and added sunlight, many people want to exercise outdoors. However, in many places, the sun, humidity, and heat can make people not want to exercise at all! Here are some helpful ideas to make getting off the couch easier and the thoughts of working out more appealing.

1. Choose the right time to exercise. If you are a morning person, get up earlier and hit the outdoors before the sun is overhead and beating down. If you are an evening person, make time to exercise right before sunset. These are the times when outdoor exercise will have the least amount of sun heat and you will be more comfortable exercising.

    

2. Change Your Exercise Routine. You may already know the benefits of cross training, and the added strength and stamina your body will receive from trying a new exercise routine. The summer is a great time to trade in jogging for doing laps in the pool, or for relinquishing indoor aerobics classes for outdoor roller blading.

    

3. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate. The most common cause of exercise related illness in the summer heat is the lack of hydration. It is mandatory to drink water before, during, and after any exercise sessions in the summer. If you are on a boat or in the sun for a prolonged period time, it is essential to hydrate, even if you aren’t exercising, as the sun will dehydrate your body at an accelerated pace.

    

4. Make Good Choices for Exercise Locations. If you can only exercise during the day when the sun is hot and the air is humid, then choose an exercise area that is shaded and cool. Air conditioned gyms, air conditioned rooms at home, and shaded outdoor areas will be easier on your body than exercising in the full sun.

    

5. Learn About Heat Related Illnesses. If you are planning on exercising outdoors in the summer, then you owe yourself the discovery of learning more about heat related illnesses and what to do if you experience any of the symptoms associated with these maladies. For example, if you start to feel dizziness, nausea, develop a terrible headache, or feel like you are going to faint, you will need to stop exercising, sit down, cool off, and hydrate.

    

6. Take New Classes. The summer months may be the time when you feel more energy, and you can take advantage of these energy spurts to learn new sports or to try something new. For example, maybe you would like to try ballroom dancing classes which will be indoors and air conditioned in most places. Maybe you would like to try handball, or indoor tennis, or even buy a Wii for indoor exercise sessions with a virtual hulahoop. The summer gives you an opportunity to explore and try new things.

    

7. Think Cool. The best way to get exercise and stay cool is to think about the cool places that surround your area. For example, you could get into a pair of waders and fly fish in the middle of a cool river, or you could do water aerobics in a pool. You could get a kayak and hit the rivers or go to the beach for a long swim.

    

8. Wear Sunscreen. If you are going to be in any amount of sun for any amount of time, you need to wear sunscreen. Put sunscreen on at least a half an hour before you exercise so the lotion can sink into your skin and not be removed by perspiration or water. Re-apply sunscreen every half an hour to get the optimal benefits. Sunscreen will protect your skin from aging, wrinkles, potentiality for skin cancer, and sunburn. There is nothing hotter than having a sunburn, so if you want to stay cool, use sunscreen.
   

FATHER’S DAY ON A DIME

    This Sunday is the annual celebration of Father’s Day in the United States. This year has been a financially difficult one for so many individuals and families that it may seem like there are no cost effective ways to help your Dad celebrate his special day. However, your love and time spent with Dad are free, but to him, these gifts are priceless. If you want to also give Dad a present besides time spent together, but you can’t afford to spend too much money, then here are some inexpensive, highly valuable ideas that will guarantee to make your Dad happy on Father’s Day!

1. Wash and Clean His Car. Most Dads are proud of their cars and they like to have a spiffy auto for cruising around town. If you give Dad your own version of auto detailing for his car, this will surely be pleasing to him.

    

2. Serve Breakfast In Bed. Since most Dads will not be used to having their breakfast served in bed, this will be a good and most appreciated surprise. Try to cook Dad’s favorite breakfast items for an even larger impact.

    

3. Take Dad to a Sporting Event. Search the local papers for a community sporting event, enter Dad into a fishing contest and pay the entry fee, or take Dad to a professional sports game. If you can also go to the sporting event with Dad, then the event will be totally a win-win situation.

    

4. Relinquish the TV Remote Control. It seems like a cliché, but most men do enjoy having control over the network surfing for TV. Make Father’s Day a time to give Dad the sole propriety of the remote control for the entire day and night, and let him know that this is a conscious gift.

    

5. Choice of Chores. Make a list of all of the chores and responsibilities that you are willing to take over for your Dad for father’s Day. Have your Dad choose the chore he would most like to have you do for him, such as mow the lawn or take out the garbage. Lessening Dad’s chore load on Father’s Day is sure to be a hit.

    

6. Shoulder Rub. Most everyone likes a shoulder rub or foot massage, and this could be an appreciated gift from you to Dad. Make sure your Dad likes a shoulder rub before making the offer, and ask him how much pressure and strength he wants you to use.

    

7. Bake a dessert. Most Dads will appreciate the attention and time you spent making their favorite cake, cookies, or pie. A homemade dessert doesn’t cost as much as one purchased from the store or bakery, and it most always tastes much better.
   

    

8. Make A Collage. Buy a frame for the collage, or find a frame at a yard sale or consignment store. Go through the family pictures and select the ones with Dad that you like the best. Artfully arrange the pictures in the frame, and give to your Dad as a lasting memento of your good times together.

    

    

9. Make a Card. The most personal and heartfelt messages are those from you to be especially significant to your Dad through an individualized card. You can write a poem for Dad, tell him all of the things he does well, or write down all the things you have learned from him. This personalized gift will be one that keeps giving throughout the years.

Consumer Information Catalog

    The useful and prolific information provided for free and low cost from several federal government agencies is available to all U.S. citizens of any age from the GSA Federal Citizen Information Center. Many of the publications are available to read and view online so the consumer doesn’t even have to pay for any postage!

    There are topics for everyone and all ages. The topics covered include many selections for consumer awareness, finances, health, drugs and medicine, education, and employment. Other topical areas included are more specific, such as information on computers, cars, government auctions, home ownership, insurance considerations, home maintenance, food safety, and identity theft.

    There are also very helpful pamphlets and links to agencies for all of the pertinent federal programs, veteran’s benefits, retirement and social security. The pamphlets are arranged into easy to use instructions giving the reader steps to take in filing for Social Security benefits or how to file for a copyright, for a couple of examples. Traveler’s information can be obtained for all of the national parks, and there is even information available for the family pet. From gardening to investments, from developing good credit to laser eye surgery, the federal government has information available to benefit you and your family at low or no cost.

    The user friendly Web site can be accessed for ordering and reading, and the $2.00 processing fee will be deleted if you order the materials online. However, the information pamphlets can also be ordered by a toll-free telephone call, by FAX, or by mailing to the FCIC. All of this information can be accessed online at: www.pueblo.gsa.gov. Have fun with all of your free reading!