1. Goat Yoga

By now you’ve probably seen plenty of videos of goats circling around yoga mats or jumping on backs of people during goat yoga. These workouts are typically filled with happiness and excitement as goats are not afraid to interact with class participants. Adding to the excitement, class environments can vary from being on farmland or in-studio. With all its benefits, goat yoga is considered to be Animal – Assisted Therapy [1]. According to the Mayo Clinic, Animal-assisted therapy can “help people deal with anxiety and stress.” [2] For the Indianapolis area check into Happy Goat Lucky Yoga , Traders Point Creamery, and Studio You Yoga

2. Bunny Yoga

Animal-assisted therapy workouts don’t stop with goats! If you prefer your workout buddy to be cuter, smaller, and fluffier, bunnies might be more appealing to you. Bunny yoga is quickly spreading in popularity across the United States. Depending on the class, a photo session can be held at the end of class or taken throughout class. For the Indianapolis area, be sure to check out bunny workouts held through Metazoa Brewing Company , or pop-up events through the YMCA at the City Market.

3. Infrared Heat Yoga

Yoga may be done in many different temperature settings. Have you considered yoga in a 120-degree infrared heat sauna? For those who desire a sweaty and unique workout, this concept may be something you want to try. Workout centers like HOTWORX allow you follow class instructions on a tv monitor in a 120-degree room of up to three people. The infrared heat has many benefits including to “help improve strength, cardio, flexibility, circulation, immunity, while also burning fat, decreasing workout recovery time, increased metabolism, and much more!” [3]. Additionally, “As the infrared heat penetrates your body causing you to sweat, the isometric postures further accelerate detoxification by physically removing the toxins from your organs through muscle contraction.” [4] If you would like a more traditional hot yoga experience, or additional variations of hot yoga, check out The Hot Room or CITYOGA.

4. Rock Climbing

Feeling adventurous? Would you like to try a fitness program high off the ground? Try rock climbing! See yourself improve as you progress each week in terms of strength and endurance. Both the Hoosier Heights and Epic Climbing and Fitness offer rock climbing in the Indianapolis area.

5. Aerial Fitness

Have you ever left a circus wishing you could be one of the awesome people twirling from the ceiling? You can also twirl from the ceiling, weekly, whether it be from silks, hula hoops, or more. After your first class you’ll soon find out how beneficial the experience is as it’s a total body workout. Not only will you have the opportunity to keep your social media interesting with fun pictures, you may also have an opportunity to perform! For more information check out Cirque Indy or Aerial Fit2Fly.

6. Kangoo Power Jumping

If a fun, high-energy workout is your type, try the Kangaroo work out program. According to JumpFit Indy website, special instruments are used to jump off fat! These instruments or “Kangoo Jumps Rebound Shoes are like in-line skate (ie. Rollerblade) or like a ski boot with an oval spring on the bottom. You can walk, run, dance, do aerobics, and jump around in them. And they are better on your body!” [5]

7. Candlelight stretching

Candlelight stretching is an underrated option for those who like to take time out of the day to stretch out their body, in a soothing environment. The absence of blaring lights will help you to relax and encourage more freedom to stretch out your body without feeling watched by others. Try taking this class before or after your work week and see if it makes any difference in your mental health. You can try variations of candlelight stretching through Indy’s Peace through Yoga.

Try something new in your fitness routine and remember to take advantage of the many fitness centers that offer free sessions or trials. Here are some honorable mentions and their links of other unique workouts in the Indy area: Eat The Frog Fitness Orangetheory Fitness Club Pilates Dance Fit With Erin

The contents of this blog are not professional medical advice. Consult your physician for help in making your fitness plans.

[1] https://goatyoga.net/about/

[2] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/pet-therapy/art-20046342

[3] https://hotworx.net/about-hotworx/results-benefits/

[4] https://hotworx.net/about-hotworx/ [5] https://www.jumpfitindy.com/about

Posted by: Akiliah Walker, Marketing and Communications Intern

A support group can consist of a group of friends, family, and medical professionals to help keep you accountable and closer to your health goals.

Take a moment to think of the people in your life. Try to identify those who are positive, who have similar health goals, who enjoy or long for healthy lifestyles, or who may specialize in healthy activities you don’t. If any strong candidates come to mind, ask them to join you in your fitness journey. Ask them to occasionally check in on you, share knowledge, or walk alongside you. Also take time to add to your virtual support group.  For this you can follow inspiring social media accounts and YouTube channels. These accounts should help spread positivity in your daily feed.

One of the main benefits of support groups is accountability. You may need someone to remind you of your goals or to intervene if you slip back into old habits. You may also benefit from a workout buddy to help you commit to workout routines. If a friend waits for you at the gym, it may motivate you to keep your word and meet them.  In addition, the Society of Behavioral Medicine conducted a study and found that when people worked out with someone else or in a team setting, their workout time doubled in comparison to people who worked out alone. [1] Keep in mind that you can also save money. Many fitness centers offer referral programs where you get money back in your pocket. Many fitness studios also have discounted rates for semi-private sessions in activities like swimming or Pilates.

Once you develop your support group, try creating a group text or Facebook page. Report progress and celebrate achievements. Get creative and find activities that get you excited to try with your group. This could include fitness classes, dance lessons, or going to a nearby track or basketball court. On the nutritional side, you can take field trips to the grocery store, or evenings to swap and try healthy recipes. As a bonus you can even check out our Nutrition and Diet program right here at HealthNet, and schedule a free appointment!

Overall, this should be a fun and rewarding process. The support we give another can make a huge the difference in our emotional, physical and mental wellbeing.

[1] https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/why-you-should-work-out-crowd-ncna798936

Posted by: Akiliah Walker, Marketing and Communications Intern

1. Sign up for a family 5K run/walk. Throughout summer and fall, many organizations set up 5K run/walks. Check around with local organizations to sign your family up to walk or run together.
2. Go for a hike and a picnic. Indianapolis has many beautiful parks and trails, so pack a lunch and go for a hike!
3. Visit your local Farmer’s Market. Take the kids to your local farmers market and pick up some fruits and vegetables for the week. Not only can you get some meal shopping done, but you can get in a nice walk!
   
4. Plant a garden. Gardening is a great physical activity, and it’s fun for kids too! Whether you are planting flowers or vegetables, let the kids help pick what they want to plant.
5. Go for a bike ride. Make it a tradition to go for a bike ride after dinner or bike to your favorite places around town like the library or park.

 Staying active is an important part of our health. Lead by example to show your kids that being active can be fun!

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, kids who perform better in school are more likely to be physically active on a regular basis. Adding physical activity to your child’s day can not only keep him or her healthy, but also increase attention, behavior, and positive attitudes leading to improved academic performance.

If 60 minutes a day sounds like a lot, consider that 8 to 18-year-olds spend an average of 7.5 hours a day using entertainment media including TV, computers, video games, cell phones and movies in a typical day, and only one-third of high school students get the recommended levels of physical activity.

With the weather getting cooler and days getting shorter, are you having trouble getting your kids motivated to be active? Check out some fun fall suggestions from Sneaky Fitness:

1. Geocaching

With geocaching available in many local areas, you don’t have to go far to participate in this outdoor treasure hunt. Using a GPS-enabled device or your smartphone, you walk or hike to specific locations to find hidden containers or caches. The caches contain a logbook with notes from other people who were there or other items for a fun discovery adventure.

2. Obstacle courses

Whether in the backyard or in the playground, an obstacle course is a great way for kids to engage in a variety of activities. Obstacle courses are also great for kids of all ages to play together, because they can compete against their own time – not against each other. The course can include a variety of activities like sprinting, a bike ride, jump roping, a hula hoop, and a Frisbee toss.

3. Races

You can set up a regular backyard race or get more creative and customize it with your kids’ interests – from dance moves to sports drills. Many local race events for adults also include a kids’ fun race which is a great way to train and compete together.

4. Circuit training

Rather than a boring gym routine, circuit training for kids can incorporate any sports drill, Yoga pose or exercise – and can be done indoors or out, in a pool or on the playground. Set up eight to 10 circuit stations and alternate cardio, strength training, flexibility and balance exercises. Preschoolers should be at each station for thirty seconds or less and two to five minutes is good for older kids.

5. Tag with a creative spin

A game of tag is an easy standby but you can spice it up depending on the age. Preschoolers can pretend to be different animals, so when the child who is “it,” is tagged, he then has to move like a different animal (for example, slither like a snake or crawl like a cat). For older kids, use clothespins to tag each other; the player to get rid of all of his clothespins wins.

6. Do-gooder events

Charity work is a great way for kids to get active and feel good about helping others. Let your kids pull a wagon around the neighborhood to collects books for their library, canned goods for a local food pantry, or socks, hats and gloves for programs serving the homeless. Volunteering can help them be more active too!

HealthNet is always in need of kids to host a Helpings Drive in their neighborhoods. Contact us at info@indyhealthnet.org for more details! 

Take heart — You’re not alone.

You’ve joined the “feeling unpleasantly plump” club that, according to a joint report from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, includes a startling 30 percent of Hoosiers.

Now that the New Year is here, put “LIVE A LITTLE HEALTHIER” on your 2013 “to-do” list. Make this the year you will purpose to pitch the diets, the “all or nothing” thinking and the “no-pain, no-gain” fitness goals. Make this the year you will resolve to use common sense to move more,  eat less junk food  — and have fun doing it.

Remember what it was like when you were a kid and you thought nothing of playing tag for hours on end? That spirit still lives. You just need to wake it up. Check out these 52 Ways to Leave Your Blubber – practical, down-to-earth tips to live a little healthier in 2013!

Happy New Year from HealthNet!

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Tell us about your New Year’s resolutions to live healthier this year!

Post by Rick Reifenberg, MD

The generally accepted conversion is that one pound of stored fat is equal to about 3,500 calories. 

This could be thought of as an extra 500 calories per day for one week (7 x 500 calories is 3,500 calories) would be one pound of weight gain.  This is a formula that can be used to estimate either gain or loss of weight.

What this means is that a 500 calorie per day deficit could be created by cutting 250 calories from one’s diet along with an additional 250 calories “burned” while doing exercise.  If you could create this 500 calorie per day deficit then you could expect to lose one pound per week.  Let’s get some examples of each:

To cut 250 Calories from your diet each day you could ELIMINATE:

• One and a half regular 12oz sodas (Mountain Dew 170 calories per 12 oz, Pepsi 150 per 12 oz)
• One 20 oz regular soda is about 250 calories
• One medium order of McDonald’s French fries is 380 calories
• 26 Pringle’s potato chips are about 250 calories
• 4 slices of Wonder bread are 262 calories
• Doritos chips snack bag (46 gm 1 1/2oz) is 250 calories
• 3 Oreo cookies are about 240 calories
• 24 Tostitos nacho chips are about 250 calories  

To burn an additional 250 calories though exercise, a 200 lb person could:

• Walk for 35 minutes at a brisk (4 mph) pace
• Walk at a slow (2 mph) pace for about 60 minutes
• Do low impact aerobics (like an exercise video) for 30 minutes
• Swim laps for 30 minutes
• Do yard work (vigorous things like cutting grass with push mower) for 30-40 minutes
• Mop floors/clean and vacuum the house for 45 minutes

The general idea is that by making small changes to the amount of calories we take in and ALSO increasing our daily activity level, we can make gradual and long-lasting changes to our weight. 

Look for ways to eliminate unnecessary calories while at the same time find ways to get more active and burn calories.  Put together, this can be a simple yet effective recipe for success.  Give it a try!

When it comes to heart health, is it better to be thin or fit?

The short answer, of course, is that it is best to be both at a healthy weight and fit.  But if you could only be one, which would be better? 

The answer from this 2012 article in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology may surprise you.

What did they study?

Researchers followed over 3,000 patients for 6 years and kept track of their weight and body fat percentage, their fitness level (measured by a treadmill test), and their relative chances of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or metabolic syndrome (an early form of diabetes).

What were the results?

The patients received at least 3 medical examinations over a six year period.  Maintaining or improving fitness level went along with a lower risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or metabolic syndrome.  Not surprisingly, patients who gained weight during the study had a higher risk of developing all 3 problems.  However, in the patients who gained weight but still managed to improve their fitness level, they had a much lower risk of developing any of the 3 problems than those who gained weight but were not fit.

What does this mean?

Improving fitness and working towards having a healthy weight are both important to reduce the risk of developing heart risk factors in otherwise healthy adults.  Keep in mind that keeping a high fitness level (regular exercise!) can protect you from heart disease even if your weight is higher than ideal.

What are YOUR hopes & dreams for weight loss? How are you making them a reality?