Go mobile...the best thing ever.

I know it has been a long time since I have written on this blog. I have been busy but most importantly, I got a new phone which is awesome. It is an HTC Imagio. The web browser is great (I am writing this with my phone) and the capabilities are endless. I will be utilizing my phone for mulitiple different uses. Here are the following things I will be using my phone for.

SportyPal app. to track my outside activities and have them upload to the site within www.sportypal.com. I will be tacking the miles I go and the speed in which I go there with this app. It utilizes the GPS service that is on my phone very nbicely.

SparkPoeple to track my weight, caloric intake, lifting routine and articles for me to keep up todate on the latest out there. I will be using my web browser to add and read from that site. I would be nice if they had an app for my mobile 6.5 but I can wait for them to get caught up. They have an app for android and iphone...I wish I waited longer for the android instead of the Imagio but I am very happy non-the-less with my phone. It is fast and is the same dimensions as an iphone so the arm band used for the iphone fits perfectly with my phone. I just have to wait for santa to stop by my house to drop it off maybe.

Stopwatch app. for my phone. This will be used for stretching so I don't have to worry about losing my count.

Update on The Hip

I have been doing the stretches almost everyday and whenever I have some down time at work. I have also incorporated a new stretch that I felt it working last night. What you do is stand at attention and then take your right leg and cross it over your left leg. While holding onto something lean to the the left until you feel tension and hold it for about 30 seconds. Now reverse that and lean to the right with your left leg over your right leg. There is a muscle on your side of the leg that seems to benefit from this and so I have been getting it into my stretching routine at night and in the morning. It seems to be helping and that is all that matters.

Stretching in the Morning

For the last few weeks I have been stretching my hip flexors and also the rest of me for walking and jogging. I have been working more on my hip flexors because I have been having some pain when I turn to go to the left. The discomfort is primarily in my left hip and it is a sudden pain and then goes away. I was suggested to keep stretching my hip flexors and to also strengthen my glutes since I sit all day in an office.

Here is a good link to show how to properly perform the hip flexor stretch. I also use the method that allows you to use a couch or a bed which really puts pressure on your hip to stretch them out.

Jogging...that's what I said

So there I was, slightly jogging with my two dogs and then finding myself jogging farther and farther and then I was almost done with my route so I decided to keep going. The next day I did it again and I was almost enjoying it.....me enjoying jogging....never, but in this case I think it because of the weight that I have lost and stretching that I have been doing to my feet and legs. I stretch every morning now for about 30minutes before I go out with the beasts.

Habits form in 21 days.

Because I have been eating cookies and some other junk food, it is going to be hard to stay away from that stuff all this week. I am waiting here at a Saturn's dealership to get my free oil change and they are cooking cookies...the good kind. You know, the kind that was made with real butter and the sugar is just filling the room. I am only having coffee because that is going to be my treat from this stuff. I had some fruit at the house before I came over so I am good on my sugar needs but they sure do smell good.

This last weekend I have been eating to much and also pies and cookies....to much of those too. I see this coming week to be a little difficult to stay on track but I have to be strong and keep on track. It does take 21 days to form a habit and those habits have been in place for over 60 days so I think going off of the wagon for a short while will not hurt anything.

Plantar Fasciitis Part 2

Within the last three weeks from now, my foot has been really feeling good...no, great. My foot didn't start feeling better until a friend of mine from work found some scrap plastic rod, about 2.5inches in diameter. I have been stretching my foot on it and messaging my foot as-well.

The key to curing yourself of this is to stretch.

Plantar Fasciitis

For the last 6+ months, I have been having a huge amount of pain within my left foot. It started with both feet hurting and then I went to China to give training. I received a foot message over there and both feet felt great after that. I then played racquetball after that and my left foot started to hurt again to a point that it was hard for me to walk on my left foot. I had to stop lifting and cardio and concentrated on healing that one foot.

I have been meaning to go to the doctor and find out what is going on on that side. I went into the clinic and we took some x-rays and found out that nothing was wrong. All of the joints look great and the bones look very healthy. (That is what exercise and lifting does for you. Healthy, Healthy, Healthy) We did some more exploring of the feet and it appears that I have Plantar Fasciitis.
In short, Plantar Fasciitis is the tearing of the tendons due to overweight, intense use, flat feet, poor shoes, anything dealing with high strain with the feet. It can be avoided by stretching. Stretching is so important and I was not doing as much stretching as I should have and now I plan for stretching before any activity.