I’ve always said, “Life is about balance.” Lately, I’ve been reading more about the importance of adding balance to your workout, literally. There are some fancy names for this like proprioception and kinesthetic awareness, but essentially, it involves activities that make you hold a position requiring balance. Why is this important? Our sense of balance is one of the first abilities we lose as we get older. In fact, balance naturally starts to decline after we reach the age of 25, making us much more prone to knee, ankle, and back injuries, as well as injuries from falling. It also makes exercise more difficult. Balance training counteracts this and keeps your athletic ability strong.

Balance training strengthens your core muscles and your stabilizer muscles, all of which support movement, though they are not the primary muscles involved in the movement. For example, if you stand on one leg and squat down, your quadriceps are primary muscles involved in that movement; however, your leg shakes and twitches to keep balance – those are all of the stabilizer muscles helping the quad do its job! The more you strengthen these stabilizer muscles, prominent in the ankle, knee, lower back, and core, the better athlete you will become, and you will be less prone to injury from balance issues.

The best feature about balance training, I think, is that it is very easy to add to your workout and makes it less monotonous. You don’t even need a gym or fancy equipment. See below for ways to improve your balance.

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— Veronica

Activities to Improve Balance

Yoga moves are great for strength and balance. Try the Tree Huggers Pose shown above

Bosu Balls (half of a big blue workout ball) are a fantastic balance training tool. Do simple exercises like leg squats
and pushups using the ball instead of the floor.

Balance boards

Stand up Paddle Boarding

Slacklining

I love the look of wood. One of the reasons we bought our current home is because it has a lot of wood in and around it; wood decking, wood paths, and wood floors. Over time, some of the outdoor pieces have needed replacement. Instead of buying treated lumber, we are replacing our boards one at a time with untreated cedar.

Cedar is grown in the North/Northwest US and Canada. It is naturally resistant to mold, mildew and fungus. It repels bugs, and does not warp with changes in the weather. Because of this, it is a very popular choice for outdoor decks and furniture. Untreated, it may not last quite as long as treated wood, but is so much better for the environment, because it is free of the toxic chemicals used to treat lumber. I love Cedar for all the above reasons, but also for the sweet smell and beauty as it ages from a rich tan to a fine grey color.

Replacing our decking with cedar got me thinking about the most sustainable wood choices. Some other good choices include bamboo, as it can be grown and harvested quickly, cork, because it can be harvested without damaging the tree, reclaimed wood because it is local and recycled, and locally-harvested species which cuts down on transportation impact.

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— Veronica

Learn more about local and sustainable wood

http://www.sustainablewoods.com/index.php

http://www.bmra.org/about-bmra

http://www.fscus.org/productsearch/retailers/?category=1

When my husband installed my new solar dryer this week (fancy name for outdoor clothes-drying rack), it made me giddy. He stared at me curiously as I jumped up and down with delight. I have wanted a solar dryer for so long and finally took the time to get it done. Aside from the nostalgia of crisp, bright clothes flying in the wind, I always knew it would save money and be better for the environment.

The dryer is the second most gluttonous energy appliance in the house (next to the refrigerator). Electric dryers cost around 30-40 cents per load and gas dryers about 20 cents per load. The typical gas dryer pumps between 5-7 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air per load – ugh! If every American family sun-dried just one load a week, we would collectively save at least 550 million pounds of carbon dioxide from being omitted into the air; two loads would double that number, and so on. It is amazing to think what a huge difference a simple, small change can make.

For me, drying the clothes out in the sun just makes me happy! It builds a wonderful memory, and sets a good an example for the kids, too.

— Veronica

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Veronica’s Tip of the Week

Veronica Bosgraaf, Pure Bar Founder

For years, I cleaned with name brand cleaners because I thought they were safe and effective.  When I started to research this, however, I realized that most of these cleaners contain dangerous chemicals and cost way more than natural and safe products.  Below are a few of the biggest offenders and simple ways to replace them to save money and maintain a healthy home environment.

Antibacterial cleaner:

Regular soap and water kill bacteria effectively yet companies have created a germ free frenzy by marketing harsh cleaners as “antibacterial” and convincing us we need them.  Many of the chemicals in antibacterial cleaners have been shown to disrupt hormone levels, cause thyroid dysfunction and breast cancer.  They have also of course contributed to super bugs that are resistant to common antibacterial drugs.

Furniture Polish:

Do we need to polish our furniture?  Nowadays most wood furniture is covered with a varnish so we really only have to remove dust.  Many furniture polishes contain ingredients that have been linked to lung and skin cancer.  Stop spraying this gunk around your house for all to breathe – there are safer and easier ways to remove dust and keep wood nice!

Pesticides:

Pesticides are designed to kill living things; therefore, they aren’t very good for humans either.  Most commercial pesticides contain carcinogens.   Spraying your house for insects and your lawn for weeds is toxic to you too and especially your kids and pets that tend to be closer to the floors and lawns where the chemicals are.  Yikes!  Avoid this at all costs.

Fragrance:

Just about every cleaner and detergent has fragrance, a mixture of chemicals that gives things their fresh smell.  These items plus the sprays and plug in “fresheners” can be adding toxic fumes into your home.  Most of these fragrances contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen which can be very irritating to your skin and lungs, and phthalates which have been shown to cause birth defects, cancer and reproductive problems.  Ditch the fake smell and discover easy, natural ways to be fresh as a flower!

— Veronica

Veronica’s Tip of the Week
Veronica Bosgraaf, Pure Bar Founder

What I love about Kayaking is that, while you don’t have to be a superhuman athlete to do it, the effects it has on your body can make you feel like one!

Most kayakers average 400 strokes per mile and 1500 strokes per hour at an easy pace – that burns around 400 calories per hour. This low impact exercise tones your arms and upper back through repetitious strokes, while primarily strengthening your larger core abdominal and back muscles. It also improves coordination and balance which is very important as we get older.

Beyond the physical rewards, though, are the emotional benefits. Kayaking has a meditative quality about it; the rhythmic swish of the paddle, the immersion in nature. Sitting low leaves me feeling as one with the water and surrounding environment. To me, the stress relief is unmatched.

Most cities have locations to can rent kayaks. Some even offer services that drop you off and pick you up at the end of a ride. What a great family activity for this summer!

— Veronica

Veronica’s Tip of the Week
Veronica Bosgraaf, Pure Bar Founder