health Archives - Linda's Lunacy

Exercise is so important to our health and well being. We can’t truly be healthy without exercise.

The benefits of exercise are many. It reduces the risk of illness and disease. We need weightbearing exercise for strong, healthy bones. Exercise helps with weight management. It reduces stress, and improves our mood. Just to name a few!

How to Find the Perfect Exercise for You!

1. Go see your doctor. Yes, that’s the first step to finding the perfect exercise for you. Talk to your doctor. Tell him/her that you want to start exercising and get cleared for new physical activity.

2. Decide what your health goals are. Improve your heart health? Lose weight? Stay active instead of slowing down with age? Build muscle? Increase your stamina? You have to choose the health goals that are important to you. Choosing all, or too many, will make it next to impossible for you to meet your goals. Pick one. Reach that goal or be well on your way to reaching it, before you add another one.

3. Think about the things you love to do. Did you love a certain sport when you were in school? Did you take skating/horseback riding/dance lessons? Is being out in nature your thing or do you prefer to be indoors? Once you focus on the things you love to do, you will be able to narrow down what exercise you will love. Take up those lessons again, find a sports team to play on. Go out and hike that mountain. Well, work your way up to the mountain. lol

4. Take a good look at your schedule. Committing several hours a week to a sports team/ dance lessons, etc. won’t work if your schedule is already full. No matter how hard you try, you will be setting yourself up for failure. You may need to start out smaller while you work on changing your schedule. Maybe your lunch hour is the only time you have. Take a walk instead of being on your phone or talking to others. Get them to go on a walk with you!

5. Do you like to exercise with others? Or do you prefer to be alone? if you prefer to be alone and you take a large exercise class/join a team, you aren’t going to be able to keep with it. And vice versa. Do you want/need someone with you to tell you what to do every step of the way? If you do, getting a trainer or coach will really help you. If you don’t, getting a trainer will make you miserable, and you will stop.

Once you find what you love, that fits with your personality, and schedule, it’s time to get moving!

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But we should be concerned with breast health year round, not just during October.

My mother is a breast cancer survivor. So I personally know some things about breast cancer. And I try to stay informed about new information. Here are some facts that I have learned about breast cancer.

Breast Health Facts

~Breast cancer is the number two cancer in woman in the United States. Some kinds of skin cancer comes in first.*

~There were 250,520 cases of breast cancer in the US in 2017, the last year that there is data for.*

~There are some things you can do to lower your risk of getting breast cancer, not drinking alcohol, for example.

~You need to know the breast cancer history for the women in your family. Whether you get tested for the breast cancer gene is a personal decision. But you still need to know if women in your family have gotten breast cancer. This information will help your doctor decide how often you should be screened.

~The majority of breast cancer cases are not family related.

~It has not been proven that anti-perspirants and deodorants cause breast cancer.*
If you are concerned, do some research to find one that you are comfortable using. There are many options available now.

~Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce breast cancer risk. Even if you can only breastfeed for a month or two, it’s awesome for baby, and will help lower your risk. The longer you breastfeed, the lower your risk.

~Early detection is key to improving survival rates.

~A mammogram is the standard test to check for breast cancer. There are some concerns about the radiation from mammograms. If this concerns you, talk to your doctor. Sometimes, in some cases, another test can be done with less radiation.

~We all need to be diligent in doing our monthly self breast exams. I use this to help during self exams. Right now there is a buy one, get one free sale going on. So you can share one!

~Not every lump is cancer! Please don’t avoid doing self exams, and yearly exams with your doctor. You don’t need to be afraid!

Breast cancer doesn’t just affect women. It affects men, too. Their mothers, girlfriends, wives, daughters, are getting breast cancer. Men get breast cancer, too! So ladies, make sure the men in your life know the facts about breast health!

Here are a couple of things that I made for my mother to celebrate her being a breast cancer survivor.

A pink ribbon scarf, and a ribbon grapevine wreath.

*This page contains an affiliate link. If you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.

*I got these numbers from here and here. And info from here.