How to Join a Gym

In Fantasy Healthball, you’ll see we give the biggest bonus for consistent exercise.  You’ll get 10 extra points if you exercise three times a week and a huge 25 point bonus if you can fit in an exercise each day.  On our exercise page, you’ll see “what counts” as an exercise.  It is really not that much.  The secret is consistency.  Another tip is joining a gym.  I would be lost without mine.  Sure, it is an expense that has to be budgeted for, but it pays off in so many ways.  You might call it – your “sure thing” investment. 

Your Needs

Think about your needs before you start taking a look at gyms.  I find the closer the gym is to your house or your office the better.  But proximity is not the only factor.  What is the monthly rate, what deals do they have going on, do they have enough of the type of equipment you would like to use?  Take a look during the time period you would typically go.  Are there long lines for the things you’d want to use?  If you are motivated by a group, do they offer group exercise classes that fit your schedule (spinning class, pilates class, aerobic dance, kick boxing, yoga)?  Can you shower there?  Do they supply clean towels?  Are the bathroom/shower facilities clean or do they make you feel like you may become a host organism for some crafty fungus looking to “see the world” while attached to your foot or worse. 

Signing the Contract

One reason why you want to check it out so thoroughly is that you want to know you are sure before getting into the contract.  Most gyms will let you work out one or more times for free while you consider joining.  You should do that.  Most will give a free orientation and maybe even a free training session.  Beware, the membership coordinator is likely to be the kind of smooth operator that makes “Square Deal Sam” down at the used car lot look like Mother Teresa.  Just stick to what you want and you’ll be fine. 

Square Deal Sam

You can bargain.  Especially in these economic times.  Ask for no initiation fee.  Ask for a senior discount, a student discount, a Virgo discount, whatever.  Some gyms have variable rates based on how often you will use it for what time of day.  Look on-line for savings.  If you have a 24-hour Fitness near you and are considering it, Google “Costo 24-hour Fitness.”  As of this writing, you can get a $12.50 monthly rate by signing a 2-year contract.  That is a key buy if you are okay signing up for 2 years. 

DO NOT worry about your current body size when starting out at a gym.  You WILL find people there of all shapes and sizes.  You are all there to get healthier.  Talk to your doctor if you are new to an exercise program.  Gyms/health clubs are a great way to help you establish routine in your exercise.  Sure, you can walk outside or do sit-ups in the basement, but it is nice to get to a place too where you can get motivation from the people working out around you and maybe has some equipment you enjoy.  If you can’t afford it now, start saving up and reward yourself with a membership when you can. 

Remember, joining a gym isn’t the only way to exercise.  But, for many people, it offers the resources and environment that inspires them to exercise.  Also remember just being a member isn’t enough.  You have to use the gym (more tips to come) and practice the other healthy lifestyle points at our site.   Good luck, and write us a comment or email if questions.  — Jim Ballard.

Now Endorsed by Mitzi Dulan!

 

 

Jeff and I are excited to announce a brand new endorsement from America’s Nutrition Expert Mitzi Dulan, RD, CSSD.  Mitzi is an expert in nutrition, exercise, and wellness.  She is currently the team nutritionist for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals.  You may have seen Mitzi on CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, Discovery’s Science Channel, or heard her on NPR. 

 
Learn more about Mitzi at her website or her blog where you can read about her 10 cities in one month media tour January 2009 or check out her new videos to start losing weight. 

 
Mitzi recently co-authored a book with sports nutrition consultant Dr. Christopher Mohr called Fuel Like a Champion – A Young Athlete’s Guide on What to Eat.  Readers of the Fantasy Healthball blog absolutely know who Tony Gonzalez is.  Just a ten-time NFL Pro Bowl Tight End for the Chiefs.  Tony said about her book that it gives athletes, parents, and coaches the info young athletes need to perform their best. He says, “Just like a high performance race car uses the best fuel available, you must eat well to reach your full potential as an athlete.”

 
We appreciate Mitzi as a fan of Fantasy Healthball (and we appreciated Tony’s thousand yard season in our fantasy league this year!).  We also want you to have the best fuel available for your high performance race car/body.  We want you to go vrrrroooom around that track.  Check out Mitzi’s great info and tips.  You’ll be glad you did!  — Jim Ballard

Happy New Year from Fantasy Healthball!

Welcome to 2009 and the first day of your new year.  If your holidays were anything like mine, you struggled to keep up or establish any healthy practices.  My family and I traveled over the holidays and stayed a week at my parents.   Their kitchen counter was cluttered with chocolates (caramel turtles), pies (pumpkin), cakes (lemon and chocolate), homemade snowball cookies, fudge, crackers and dip, and a variety of other treats.  I found myself slipping out of routine to the point that I was eating again as soon as I stopped feeling sick from over-eating the prior meal.   I just HAD to do multiple whipped cream towers on my microwave heated pumpkin pie because the cream closest to the pie would quickly melt, so the towers got taller and taller.  I started feeling lethargic, slow, out of shape, and unhealthy. 

Because of Fantasy Healthball, I had established a rock solid routine through the football season that kept my head on straight doing the right things for my body/me.  But I was out of my routine and spiraling out of control.  The day after the long drive home, I knew I needed a “Transformation Moment” to get back on track.  I kept thinking of the countless times over the holidays I set the electric train back on the track after it derailed (bumped by a kid or a present or the dog).  I needed to get back on the rails.  So I got on my mountain bike and rode a good long time until I felt strong and powerful.  Exercise sets off a reaction in your body, I think the correct medical term is “happy cells” and the happy cells get to celebrating and you can feel them when you exercise.  It was my “Transformation Moment.”

Now I’m back playing Fantasy Healthball into the playoffs to keep me on track through these more difficult (colder, rainy, snowy, etc.) months.  Jeff and I are competing in the NFL.com fantasy playoffs.  Each week, I will track my fantasy football team but also pit my Fantasy Healthball score against Jeff’s fantasy football team score.  I know I’ll have to play my “A” game (health-wise) because he knows how to pick the best NFL players who will score big in the playoffs.  I’ve picked my health challenges and have been tracking this week since Monday.  It is not too late for you to sign up at NFL.com and play against your brother, buddy, wife, partner, whatever.  We’ll let you know how we did.

The word “routine” is not nearly as sexy as “huge weight loss!” or “lose weight fast!” or some sort of magic diet.  But it is the reality of what works and lasts.  A healthy routine like you can read about here and here.  What better day than January 1 for your Transformation Moment!  We are with you.  — Jim Ballard

Fantasy Football Season Over?

So as I’ve mentioned here many times, Jeff has been playing fantasy football since George Halas was his starting wide receiver, but 2008 was my first year.  Of course, I found it to be very addictive and a great way to keep me to my health goals while simultaneously playing Fantasy Healthball.  As a rookie,  I made plenty of rookie mistakes like starting players who ended up sitting out at the last minute with an injury.  It also took me a long time to figure out that my Yahoo! league was generous awarding kick and punt return points.  I noticed my competition with a defensive back that got one tackle but 20 points!  A-ha, the defensive back is also the kick returner!  Anyway, I got a lot smarter as the year went on. 

My league, a total points league rather than head to head, had twelve teams and I stayed the same or moved up each week.  I went from something like 12th to 9th to 8th to 6th to 5th to 4th and stayed in fourth for several weeks.  I ended up finishing fourth in the league which I was pretty proud of for my first year.   Congrats to “Go Bengals Go” who won our league.  My greatest “unknown” find was Joshua Cribbs who seems to play every position for the Clevelend Browns.  In my league, Cribbs scored plenty of points.  Unfortunately, my big name QB, Carson Palmer, was out pretty much all season with an injury but I discovered “unknown” Tyler Thigpen and Thiggy is my new hero.    

From now on, I’m playing in head to head leagues which is more common and much more compatible with Fantasy Healthball.   Jeff was in a head to head league and will write about his experience.  As I was in a fantasy football points league, for Fantasy Healthball purposes I competed each week against the average score.  That was fun, but not as fun as it would have been to go up head to head against a weekly opponent, which I’ll highly recommend from now on and I’ll certainly do in the 2009 NFL season. 

In Fantasy Healthball, I finished 15-1, a great season by any measure.  And I sure worked my butt off (literally and figuratively, of course!) to finish with that record.  I lost about 10 pounds of body fat through the season and still feel in the best shape of my life at 40 years old.  This morning, I rode my mountain bike up about a 2,250 foot elevation in a short period of time, something I COULD NOT have done before I started playing Fantasy Healthball.

We hope you had similar results.  Send us an email or comment on our blog to let us know.  Meanwhile, Jeff and I will be playing the NFL.com playoff challenge to continue our Healthball season.  — Jim Ballard

Are You Fitter than a 5th Grader?!

Do you know how many times Ulysses S. Grant was elected president?  Do you know the Japanese island that is home to the City of Tokyo?  If so, you might be smarter than a 5th grader.  

BUUUT, are you fitter than a 5th grader?  This week, the California Dept. of Education released the results of the annual fitness test given to all 5th, 7th, and 9th grade students in public schools (apparently, if you are an 8th grader or go to a private school, you can eat all the Cheetos you want!). 

28.5% of the 5th graders achieved in the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) in all six areas of the test.  If 28.5% sounds pretty poor to you, the State points out that this year is better than last year!  The test assesses six major fitness areas, including aerobic capacity (cardiovascular endurance), body composition (percentage of body fat), abdominal strength and endurance, trunk strength and flexibility, upper body strength and endurance, and overall flexibility.  Over a million kids took it. 

For aerobics, you may be asked to do a mile run (you get 9 to 11.5 minutes for boys, a little more for girls).  For body comp, they may do a skinfold measurement.  For abs, you’ve gotta do “curl-ups” (12-24 for boys, 12-26 for girls). For trunk, you’ll need to do trunk lifts (which we assume have nothing to do with large cases with stickers from countries you’ve visited).  For upper body, its push ups (7-20 for boys, 7-15 for girls), modified pull ups (5-15 for boys, 4-13 for girls), or arm hangs.  For flexibility, it is a “sit and reach” or a shoulder stretch. 

At Fantasy Healthball, we address all six of these categories through our various daily health challenges.  Can you do 7-20 push ups or 12-24 curl-ups?  Are you fitter than a 5th grader?  Think about it.  Make sure, this Thanskgiving holiday, that you are making some time for aerobic activity and other exercise.  I know Ulysses S. Grant would!  — Jim Ballard

Get Email Updates from Our Blog

Jeff and I have been posting about a blog a week since we launched our Fantasy Healthball website and blog at the Superbowl halftime show earlier this year.  As of today, we offer an easier way to stay connected to your friends at Fantasy Healthball.  You should notice a new icon on our blog with the words “Subscribe to Fantasy Healthball by Email.”  Just click on those words and a little form will pop up that asks you for your email address. 

If you are the type that would like to be notified whenever we blog, rather than checking in from time to time at our blog to see if there is a new post, this new service has been created just for you.  We hope you enjoy the convenience. 

We also have a new little red icon for those of you that would like to stay current with a direct RSS feed.  You know who you are!

We value your time and privacy.  We WILL NEVER sell or share your email address with anyone.  You also will not get overwhelmed with emails from us.  You can see our blog rate under our Archives section, we blog on average once a week.  We are 100% serious about not sharing your info.  We are as serious as Mike Singletary after his tight end taunts another player leading to a penalty.  Now that is serious!

Now with that commerical out of the way, get out there and play some Fantasy Healthball!  — Jim Ballard

Yes I Can! Yes You Can!

Jeff and I are excited to announce that we now have the support of someone we are a huge fan of, Jay Leeuwenburg.  Jay Leeuwenburg started over 100 NFL games and lined up against eventual Hall of Famers Reggie White and Lawrence Taylor during his 9 years as a lineman in the NFL.  In college, he played on the greatest teams in the history of the University of Colorado football, and became a unanimous All-American center.  He played for the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Bengals, and Redskins.  He also was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes just days after his 12th birthday. 

Jay partnered with Denny Dressman to write Yes I Can! Yes You Can! which is the life story of Jay’s triumph over adversity.  The book is not only inspirational in Jay’s overcoming his diabetes, but it is a great look into what it is like to be a top college and NFL player.  Jeff and I highly recommend the book, which is a must read for anyone who wants to learn more about diabetes and sports, or just enjoys a great sports book.  We love Jay’s “Can Do” attitude.  As Jay learns about how to live the life he wants to, while managing his diabetes, he takes on challenges and overcomes difficulty that might crush a less motivated person.  Instead, he shows how he succeeded in the hopes that others can do the same thing. 

Jay was not drafted until the 9th round of the 1992 college draft.  His goal immediately became to play the number of years in the NFL for the round in which he was drafted.  He did it and started at every interior line position.  We love how Jay never let anything stop him.  He writes about running to the sideline for a quick soda to raise his blood sugar.  You’d think Type 1 diabetes might slow a kid down, maybe give you an excuse not to be an athlete.  But Jay, with discipline and determination, managed his own health and achieved all his goals. 

Fantasy Healthball is about the same thing.  It is about discipline and determination allowing you to achieve your goals – in our case, your health goals.  We’ll turn your passion for sports into passion for great health.  Let your love of the NFL motivate you to lose weight, get stronger, and live a longer, healthier life.  We can help you overcome adversity.  If a 12 year old diabetic kid can turn into a Monster of the Midway, you too can meet your goals.

We feel a great kinship with Jay.  As readers of Our Story know, Jeff was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and has struggled greatly with health.  We also grew up idolizing the Chicago Bears.  Even as I write this I have a Walter Payton photo on my wall.  Jay inspires Jeff to overcome his diabetes.  He inspires me to jog a little longer, swim a little further, and listen to my body so I can live a healthy life.  We hope he inspires you too.  — Jim Ballard

How To Tell Husband/Wife it is Time to Get Healthy, Diet

In many relationships, your partner’s health can be a tricky subject.  How do you show concern without criticizing?  Even if you are gentle about it, will he or she feel attacked.  Will all the guilt, depression, and self esteem issues getting whipped up and fired back at you in a counter-assault? 

A MSNBC report by Bridget Murray Law yesterday presents a number of do’s and don’ts when it comes to helping your partner slim down.  She says:  “Having the talk is worth it. Not only can your partner’s health be affected by excess weight, but packing on the pounds can weigh on the relationship in other ways. An overweight spouse may not be as physically appealing to you or may not even feel like being physically intimate.”

Here is her advice: 

Don’t criticize - praise any exercising or healthy eating you witness. Most important, shape up yourself. If you’re living healthily, it’ll be easier for your partner to do the same.

Don’t nag -  The targeted person will likely feel ugly, angry and depressed, leading to more weight gain.

Be loving - Jennifer Blair, 59, of Alexandria, Va., largely credits her husband’s tender ways for helping her drop 33 pounds since May.

Don’t judge – We all get tempted by sugary, fatty foods, and it doesn’t help to scold when somebody gives in.  It only adds to their guilt and doesn’t help them avoid the problem in future.

Help problem-solve – Offer strategies to resist temptation, such as suggesting fruit as a snack instead of cookies. Buy healthy, low-calorie snacks such as berries or low-fat yogurt, rather than chips.

Don’t sabotage – Bringing junk food into the house only fuels a partner’s weight problem.  If you’re inhaling potato chips on the sofa, your partner will most likely want to join you.

Be a role model – If one partner starts exercising and eating better, the other partner also tends to lose weight.

Don’t play cop – Most people don’t like being told what they should and shouldn’t eat as they could rebel.

Team up – Pitch a joint health kick as a fun adventure and your partner will more likely sign on. 

Talk frequently about Fantasy Healthball- okay, you caught us, we added that one on the list.  But it is COMPLETELY consistent with all the rest of the advice.  When you suggest Fantasy Healthball, you are suggesting a football game created by football lovers for other football lovers who want to lose weight.  As far as we know, it is the only completely safe way to bring up health issues with your spouse!  “Honey, it isn’t just me, but Peyton Manning wants to help you get in shape too!” 

So, if you want to “have the talk,” make sure you then send them our way.  We’ll take it from there.  -  Jim Ballard

Fireworks and “Burcken” – 4th of July

Grilling on the 4th of July is as American traditional as it gets, and for my Midwest-based family it is no different.  When we gather for the summer holiday, it is expected that the host will be preparing the meal over an open flame and coals.  The only difference this year was that 5 of 11 people were playing Fantasy Healthball, and it was my turn to host.  And not only host, but host without the assistance of my wife who was traveling abroad in Europe.  I’ve rarely hosted anything larger than a football game party without her involvement, so it was an opportunity to show my stuff.  However, the key was how to satisfy everyone’s traditional craving for charred meat, and not completely fall off track towards our bigger health goals.

We did serve meat, and yes, hamburgers were on the menu.  But they were intentionally made smaller-than-years-past and less than one-per-person was prepared.  The ‘main’ grilling meat of choice this year was skinless chicken breast, which was prepared simply with lemon and pepper.  It was intentional to avoid slathering them with BBQ sauce this year.  All buns were 100% whole grain wheat.

Slow-cooked Midwestern sweet corn (encouraged to be eaten with just a dash of pepper), baked beans, and tossed salad with raw carrots, sweet onions and peppers formed the sides.  Lemonade and Kool-Aid prepared with Splenda sweetener instead of sugar helped avoid all caffeine, sugar, alcohol and carbonated water.  Dessert was fresh fruit, watermelon, strawberries, and green grapes.

My brother-in-law is a tall man standing over 6′7″ and he is currently playing Fantasy Healthball with us.  Normally 2-3 hamburgers would be his choice, but this year he chose to go the Burcken route.  A hamburger and chicken breast put together on one bun.  He explained, “saves me from eating too much bread by reducing one bun and I don’t need seconds”.

It may be only baby-steps for our family, but it was a conscious effort to move towards healthier choices, even on a holiday traditionally reserved for excess.  — Jeff Hagen

Here are some of your scores as reported……

A much more acceptable 116 for me. Getting some classic rides in — 2 to 2 1/2 hours of solid effort with no breaks and plenty of hill climbing. Some cool wildlife — have seen red foxes and deer, but no beavers as yet.  AR

Consider the rumor substantiated. I got a 162. I was poised for the perfect but my Saturday night got the better of me. I’m going for the perfect this week. I better get on the water today if I’m going to make it. – KJ
 
 Kind of an average, not great week in these parts. I got a 123 and my wife a 107.  I missed the six day bonus (and its big 25 points) for exercise and would have ended up with a 140 with just one more workout.  The weather is getting nicer, days longer, sun out long after work hours, things are just going to get easier from here as far as motivation goes.  Time to get outside!  Okay, it is still snowing in the midwest, but it has got to get better soon! – RJ

I realized I didn’t send out our scores last weekend.  It was a brutal week.  All four of us with a stomach virus.  Couldn’t keep anything down.  Luckily, for me, it didn’t start until Thursday.  So I was having a perfect week and then a ton of zeros after that.  I finished with a 94.  We are all doing much better now.  I even lifted weights today for the first time in a week.  I report all this because, the weeks of 94 and 87 make the weeks of 130 or 140 even more sweet.  Hope you are having a sweet week!-  NH

Bounced back from a bad week last week with a quiet and efficient 155 this week.  I was “pitching a no hitter going into the bottom of the ninth” but we went out for Chinese food Saturday night and I managed to kill two categories with one dinner.  I’m to a great start for next week as we both got out for a run today dodging rain drops – so we get those special Sunday two points.  Hope you all are having an active and healthy winter.  It is exercise in the winter that makes exercise in the spring so much easier.  I feel like I have twice as much energy when I’m not wearing a knit cap and seven layers of clothes! – RF

I’m sending my score of 155 late to you this week.   Since I didn’t count the  two weeks I was in San Diego, it was much easier to do well back at home. My few walks outside were so exhilarating, all that fresh air and freedom to move unimpeded. – NB

I got a 74 this week.  I know I can do better.  I’ll let you know next week.  – FA

Boy, the bonuses play a big role in getting the big scores.  I only got the “Bonus if all 6″ in ONE category this week and I end up with a 109.  My wife gets a 123 this week.  She got the “Bonus if all 6″ in three categories. One great thing about this game is that each week brings a new opportunity! – DL

I check in with a 121 last week.  I had two perfect days but four less than perfect.  It was a tough week with a lot going on.  With a lot of effort, I can get 6 exercises in a week for the super bonus.  Last week I got five.  It is the little things that turn perfection into just another week.  Just ask Tom Brady. – LF

Well, I had that kind of week in Fantasy Healthball this week.  A  horrible Monday.  I failed in more than half the challenges I selected on that day.  I didn’t eat my bag of vegetables, my portion sizes were way too big, I didn’t do my stretching or yoga, and I didn’t do my “other” category challenge, which was sit ups.  But, I took that pitiful day as motivation for the rest of the week.  I was adamant I wouldn’t return to Monday’s futility.  The rest of the  week I didn’t miss one challenge and finished with a 141.  – JM

I’m falling off. My score was 102! I’m gonna hang in there though. My mom will be my inspiration this week!  – AF
 
I remember when I did a lot of situps everyday.  That was a long time ago . . .I got a 122 this week.  – DB

…and she is headed out of town.  She didn’t get a chance to email you but asked me to tell you that she got a 118.  She is feeling healthy and excited about her new health regime.  She made a cooler full of veggie bags for the next 3 days!- SL