The Best Kind of Gift

The Networker

December is here and with it the magic of the holiday season is upon us.   Everywhere we go the festive sights and sounds of the season are all around us.  To many, Christmas is the most wonderful and happiest season of all.  We spend hours shopping for the perfect gift for that someone special, baking, decorating and preparing for this special holiday.

Christmas can also be a time of sadness.

The inability to purchase that special present for their children, family or friends or loneliness from being separated from family and friends, While for others, sitting down to a big Christmas dinner may be only a wish and not a reality.

So, this year as you are preparing for the holidays, make the time to give a gift of kindness, it may be all that someone needs to make their holiday season a little brighter. Here are several ways to show an act of kindness during this giving season.

1. Drop money into the Salvation’s Army basket or purchase a small gift for an unknown child.
2. Take a plate of fresh-baked Christmas cookies to a shut-in.
3. Invite someone over to share Christmas dinner with you who might otherwise have spent the day alone.
4. Send a card to a friend who you haven’t kept in contact with just to let them know you are thinking of them.
5. Fill a box with all of the trimmings for a Christmas dinner and give to a family in need.

In return for your gift of kindness, you will be rewarded tenfold with a grateful smile and a heartfelt thank you.  I know, I have been the receiver of such a gift, it was not only the best gift that I received that year, but it has become a treasured memory of three small boys overjoyed at the receiving of a simple gift….a Christmas tree.

Happy Holidays to each and every one of you and blessing for a bright and happy New Year!

Peggy Hettick, Treasurer Elect
Quality Medical Legal Consulting, LLC

Some Suggestions for A Better Walking Workout

The Networker

1. Walk Proud, as you walk, do it with proper posture and purposeful movements.  Concentrate on keeping your spine straight, keeping your ears and shoulders directly above your hips your head should not jut too far forward or back, but sit right above the neck.  Use all of core muscles by slightly squeezing your abdominal muscles.  Good walking posture will energize your body by making exercise much easier.
2. Pump Those Arms.  Your arms help guide you if you put a little energetic pump into your swing.  Let your arms hang naturally at your side to start.  Then let them swing naturally to and fro as you walk with a slight bend in the elbows.
3. Shorten Your Stride.  Shorten your steps and focus on purposeful movements at first.  Instead of speed concentrate on coordination.  With each step, roll the foot from heel to toe with smooth ease.  This proper form will strengthen your bones and improve your balance so eventually you can accelerate your walking speed.
4. Track Steps with a Pedometer.  If you have trouble getting motivated to walk, try counting your steps with a pedometer.  With a pedometer its a means of motivation…it’s like having a walking coach or walking buddy for encouragement.
5. Loosen Up.  Learn to keep your body relaxed, which means loosening the tension in your jaw, face, and hands, resist the urge to make fists as you walk.  Focus on good posture, but keep your arms and shoulders relaxed and loose to power your walk.
6. Walk with a Heart Rate Monitor.  Wearing a heart rate monitor while you walk ensures you’re getting the most bang for your buck.  This will keep you walking at an optimal intensity for your efforts.
7. Squeeze Through your Glutes.  Walking calls many muscles into play mainly the large group of muscles located in the back of your legs and buttocks.  When you walk you use other muscles as you give your glutes a squeeze.  When you are walking think about walking on pebbles or marbles as you walk.  This multi-muscle sequence will help improve glute strength and stabilization.
8. Keep your Eyes on the Prize.  If you don’t enjoy walking, the prize I’m referring to might very well be your couch. But if you do decide to start walking, keep your head up, your airway expanded for deep breathing, chest open, and your eyes fixed on the horizon.  This will ensure straight and level head and neck alignment.

These words of wisdom for Walking is taken from a study done at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. If you can walk at least 15 minutes after every meal, it will improve your glucose absorption – resulting in weight loss and improve heart and muscle function.