Okay Iron Moms—are you ready? On January 1, the 27th Annual Redbud is just about 13 weeks away, and it’s time to start training.

This month, we’ve lined up several experts offering tips on eating, stretching, and training to get you motivated, off the couch, and on the road to fitness!

The Importance of Proper Nutrition
Licensed Clinical Social Worker Devonne Carter counsels people on proper eating. Not sure where to start? Here are Devonne’s tips:
1. Get eight hours of sleep every night. When you are tired, your body craves unhealthy foods.
2. Watch your portion size. Get familiar with what a portion of food really looks like (visit MyPyramid.gov for the revised food pyramid and portion size information).
3. Keep a food journal. We simply do not realize how much or what we eat unless we write it down.
4. Eat low fat desserts. Don’t deprive yourself from all sweets, just cut back and eat low fat whenever possible.
5. Chew gum. Sometimes we just need to chew. Chewing gum is not adding any pounds to your hips!
6. Find an accountability partner. When you are making changes in your life, you need to talk to someone else about it.
7. Drink water. Dehydration can make you feel hungry, so be sure to drink eight 8-ounce glasses each day.
8. Set eating goals. Just like anything in life, if you are going to change, you have to have a plan.
9. Practice. Change takes time and energy, and you must practice healthy eating to get good at it.
10. Keep a positive attitude. Staying positive helps to combat the obstacles of a new lifestyle.

Visit CartersCounseling.com to learn more about Devonne Carter and her Overcoming Overeating program, which begins January 22.

The Importance of Stretching
Rebecca Taylor is the owner/operator of the new Women’s Yoga Center in Oklahoma City. Why is yoga and stretching important? According to Rebecca, they are important because:
• Yoga and stretching exercises warm muscles before exercise.
• Yoga is the perfect compliment for athletes to balance repetitive motions.
• Yoga brings awareness to the inner workings of the body.
• Practicing yoga poses creates space in the spine and lubricates body joints.
• Yoga both stretches and relaxes as a stand alone practice or as a post workout cool down.
• Yoga uses your own body weight as a counterbalance to strengthen muscles, requiring no equipment for you to get
started.
• A yoga practice teaches mindfulness of all beings (yourself included) and creates a place of peace even when off the mat.

The Importance of Exercise
Tony Arroyo is the Fitness Program Manager at Tinker Air Force Base’s Health and Wellness Center. What do
you need to keep in mind when starting an exercise regimen? Tony suggests you strive for consistency in your plan for physical activity.

Tips for getting started:
• Set goals. Write it down, identify potential barriers, mark your calendar, and get started. Your goals should be life-enhancing rather than liferestricting.
• Practice proper progression. Start slow and steady to develop consistency and stay injury free. Increase your physical activity to include 2-3 days a week of 20-30 minutes. And remember that splitting that time into a short workout in the morning, afternoon, and evening adds up to meet that total time goal.
• Participate in a variety of activities. Variation adds physical and psychological benefits.
• Have fun and enjoy yourself. Choose activities that you really enjoy. Focus on activity and not exercise; there are so many ways to stay active. You are more likely to be consistent when you participate in activities that you find enjoyable.
• Exercise with a friend. It makes the activity more fun and also provides great motivation and accountability for your consistency.
• Wear proper shoes. Invest in a good pair of shoes, specific for exercise. Shoes are the most important piece of equipment you will need in order to support your feet and help to keep you injury-free.
• Drink plenty of water. When you exercise you will sweat and as a result your body will become dehydrated. It’s important that you replenish lost fluids during and after physical activity.
• Work with professionals. Schedule regular appointment with a fitness professional; they will ensure that your workouts program develops with your improving level of fitness.
• Give yourself rewards and encouragement for your achievements. Don’t lose confidence or overdo selfcriticism.
• Be consistent. Don’t give up. Some days will be tough but keep sight of your goals and remember how
important your quality of life is. Regardless of the type of exercise activity you select, your routine should include five basic components.
• Warm-up: This involves stretching and rhythmic movements to warm up the muscles and gradually elevate the
heart rate.
• Aerobics: The most important part of the routine, this is when your aerobic capacity and endurance are improved.
• Cool-down: This involves a slow, rhythmic tapering down and stretching to get the pulse rate gradually down and to remove muscle tissue waste products.
• Conditioning calisthenics: Calisthenic exercises or weight training (or both) for overall muscle conditioning is an important part of a total body workout.
• Final cool-down: During the final cool-down, concentrate on stretching while your heart rate continues to decrease.