Reflection: Weeks 13-14 combined with Reflection: Overall Course

These past weeks have flown by and this class has continued keeping us busy.  We were still able to cover a wide range of topics and continued expanding our knowledge of our surrounding environment.


Our final weeks started off with a tour of the Goodwill organization here in Duluth.  It was very intriguing to go behind the scenes and see how things are played out.  Goodwill provides a beginning for those who are unable to complete daily tasks as we do with ease.  They offer them a career in hopes that they will move forward and be able to find successful jobs elsewhere.  It was good to see a larger organization like this to have the patience and heart to work for others.


Our Goodwill tour didn't end just there...we met with our new blogs groups and were set up with a challenge.  We had to find an outfit, wedding gift, and something we could not live without for a destination wedding that we were attending.  Our destination- Hawaii!  Outfit, a lovely Hawaiian shirt along with some puka shells.  Gift, a unforgettable wine and candle basket.  Thing we couldn't live without- sunscreen!  It was fun to see what we could get for bang for a buck.


We also finished our final eco-chic lifestyle change.  I'm glad I got to hear about the changes the other members of our class accomplished.  Throughout, everyone seemed to be very successful.  We finished with one last final online assignment.  Everyone was to create an activity for other blog followers to complete.  It was a fun finishing touch and a good reflection of what we know.


Our big finale was at class time- milk and cookies- and show & tell!  Similar to what we had to put together, we all created junk projects that we created on our own time.  I'm still shocked at what we can find for so little- I really should start doing this more often.  Everyone had some amazing ideas and I may even have to steal some of those ideas for future gifts!


Overall, I don't think this course could have been any more jam packed with so much to do and so much to remember...and I don't think I have ever learned so much from any of my other classes.  With all these things to cover, we took the time to have each in the spotlight, focusing on a specific topic each week.  For only meeting one day a week, I was impressed how much our knowledge (through assignments & other activities) was expanded!  This course definitely left an imprint in my memory and the lessons learned will not be forgotten.

Eye Opener: Online Learning Activities

• Ashley: Calculate Your Auto Emissions
• This activity was to inform us, as consumers, how much our own vehicles are emitting into the air.   The website provided was easy to follow and was simple to put in our car's information so it could calculate the results.
• 1999 Lexus RX 300 4WD
  3L, 6 cyl., Automatic (4 speed), 4WD or AWD
  
  Total City Miles: 8,400
  Total Highway Miles: 5,600
  City MPG: 19 MPG
  Highway MPG: 22 MPG
  Gallons of Fuel (City): 442.11 gallons
  Gallons of Fuel (Highway): 254.55 gallons
  Gallons of Fuel (Total): 696.66 gallons
• 
  
  NETZERO Calculations
  Total Pounds CO2: 13445.54 lbsTotal CO2 MT Emission: 6.1 MTTOTAL CO2 Credit Cost: $48.80
  
  
• Elly: Gas Guzzling Cars
• This was similar to the above activity.  The information of your personal vehicle was calculated and distributed to determine the total amount of CO2 emitted each year.
• Your vehicle produces 0.92 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year.

• Kara: Energy Dustbin
• For this activity my score was 52
• The resources to read up on were very helpful and informational.  It was a fun game tossing things back and forth into the garbage bin!

• Lauren: Work Out Plan
• This was a fun quiz.  It provided pretty general questions about how you feel you are fit.  I really like the routine she provided in her blog to incorporate in our daily routines.
• You are 50%* fit!
  Your about the average thin but not toothpick-like. Your about chubby but not fat. Your fine. Just work out a little and youll be in good shape.
  
  
• Katie: Obesity & Your Everyday Life
• BMI: 20...which falls under the normal weight group
• Currently I am meeting my daily calorie intake.  However, not so much with the each of the food groups.  Always being on the go it's difficult to consume the adequate amount of fresh vegetables. I don't eat junk & when I need to buy my food I make sure that's it's a healthier choice, with fresh veggies, and definitely not fast food.
• I found out I am consistently burning activities.  It's convenient because of teaching fitness and dance classes, I'm always "forced" into working out and staying active.  Not complaining though!

• Danielle: Waste to Energy Crossword Puzzle
• This was trickier than I thought!  There were definitely a few terms that I did not know.  It was easier, maybe being from duluth helped, to know some of the facilities around the community.  The resources provided were definitely needed to complete the crossword.

Advocacy Project:

Hey fellow bloggers!  I'm looking forward for you guys to try out today's challenge!  We have been talking about the amount of physical activity in adults- we should be getting a solid 30 minutes of moderate exercise for at least 3 times a week.  


So here's your challenge: How Fit Are You?  What better way to measure your own fitness level than by going out and doing it!  This shouldn't take too long, but make sure you do schedule some time to jump around at home or head to a gym near by.  The quiz at the end will ask questions that also pertain to your daily life in order to help you get 'the big picture.' Now grab a friend, roommate, or go ahead and try the following 5 tasks by yourself! 


Ready Begin:

• Push-ups Lie facedown on floor, legs straight with toes curled under (no dropped knees, sorry) and arms bent so palms are flat on the floor directly beneath shoulders. Press up, keeping body in a straight line from head to ankle. Do as many in a row as you can—no time limit—and note the number.

• Sit-ups Keep your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Your shoulder blades should come up one third of the way to sitting upright. Do as many as you can in one minute or until you say uncle, whichever comes first! Write down the number.

• Wall sit Stand with your back against a wall, feet hip-width apart about 12 inches away from wall. With feet planted, slide down until knees form a 90-degree angle. (Pretend you're in a chair.) Hold as long as you can, and time yourself.

• Sit-and-reach Grab some masking tape and a yardstick. Place the yardstick on the floor, then take a foot-long piece of masking tape and stick it across the 15-inch mark to form a cross. Sit on the floor with legs extended in front of you on either side of the yardstick—the zero end facing you—so that bare heels touch the 15-inch tape mark. Keep feet slightly apart. Reach forward with both hands, bending at hips, and see the farthest mark your fingertips touch. Can you touch two inches past your heels? That means your reach is 17 inches. Measure your reach and make a note of the number.

• 1.5-mile dash Map out a 1.5-mile loop— or we have an excellent indoor track here at UMD or feel free to head toward the nearest Starbucks—and lace up. Your mission: Cover the distance as fast as you can by walking, jogging, running or some combo, and time yourself.

Now to finish- please visit the following link and take the short quiz: How Fit Are You?  Make sure to read your results at the end!

________________________________________________________________________

Congratulations!  I'm proud of you and want to thank you for giving these tasks a try!  I hope you feel energized and hope that you learned a little bit of what your bodies can achieve. Push yourselves and keep on exercising! :o)

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 5: Weekly Update & Final Reflection

1. I will take my dogs to Hartley Nature Center for a 30-40 minute walk/run, 3 times during the week days.  This week was a little more tricky.  I was able to get out there every day, but not for the entire 30 minutes.
2. With the semester winding down and work schedules keeping me running around town every single day, I would pack the two puppies in my car, bring them along for errands and work so I was able to stop at one of the parks on the way home.
3. I did feel rushed at times.  And the cold weather is darn freezing now!  The puppies still love every minute of freedom, but we know its time to stop when their poor little toes start bleeding from breaking through the crispy, icy snow.
4. Organization, minute by minute planning.  We all have 24 hours in a day...spend it wisely and prioritize.
5. We will definitely continue these fun outdoor adventures for the upcoming weeks.  Hopefully we'll be able to visit the new parks more often.

OVERALL REFLECTION

1. I will take my dogs to Hartley Nature Center for a 30-40 minute walk/run, 3 times during the week days.  My goal did change somewhat throughout the weeks, rather than just going to Hartley, we were able to explore some other parks around Duluth.
2. It helped to keep a schedule- go the same time on the same days each week and stick to it.  Yes, things happen and schedules change, but it wasn't too much to fit it in at another time.
3. The benefits: it made get outdoors in the cold weather!  We were able to find new parks that I normally would not go to.
4. I guess just by telling the story of the two dogs and talking about the new place we went today and the funny things that they would do brought awareness to others of what out there and available to us in Duluth.  Hopefully people will take the time to visit the parks themselves.  This might be an outreach, but again after hearing Abby & Ranger's story, people will be encouraged to check out the local shelter when & if they're looking for a new pet.
5. Of course we're going to continue this behavior.  It also kind of goes along with the bill that I looked up:  Adults needing to participate in 30-40minutes of daily moderate activity.  I need to continue to promote what I believe in.
6. Baby steps, you can always modify later, but you need to stick to it!

Advocacy Project: Letter to the Editor

December 6, 2010


President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500


Focus Area 22: Physical Activity

• Objective 22.2: Increase the proportion of adults who engage in moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes per day 5 or more days per week or vigorous physical activity for at least 20 minutes per day 3 or more days per week.

Currently, a larger number of Americans are not getting the required daily exercise they need and obesity is on the rise.  As adults, we must learn to lead by example.  By not setting a balance, healthy lifestyle for ourselves, our children will easily follow into our footsteps.  They are susceptible to losing control of their own adult lives and become unhealthy with other diseases and health problems.  Physical inactivity causes a tremendous burden of disease and death.  Researchers commissioned by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports coined the phrase 'Sedentary Death Syndrome.'o And no wonder. In 2000, the Journal of Applied Physiology reported that approximately "250,000 deaths per year in the United States are premature due to physical inactivity."  Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for developing forms of heart and cardiovascular diseases.  These can also contribute to further risks of obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, and diabetes.  These are all forms of long-term health problems.

Researchers pointed to evidence in adults that an increase in physical activity can help reduce and address symptoms of depression and anxiety.  Being physical active is a healthy habit with many benefits.  Regular physical activity can improve health and lower risks for diseases.  We must allow people of all ages into general fitness clubs.  Or at least allow them access to clubs that are open for those who can provide there own health care, but cannot provide their own membership at other popular organizations.

Thank you for your time.  We appreciate everything you have and continue to do for this country.  We hope to continue to move forward in bringing awareness of the importance of physical activity.  If I can provide any additional information or assistance please contact me at email@gmail.com or (123) 456-789.

Sincerely, 

Jamie Somrock

Facts About Physical Inactivity

Sedentary Lifestyle: no reported activity or any physical activity or pair of activities done for less than 20 minutes or less than three times per week.

Regular and Sustained: any physical activity or pair of physical activities that are done for 30 minutes or more per session, five or more times per week, regardless of intensity.

Regular and Vigorous: any physical activity or pair of activities done for at least 20 minutes, at least three times per week, that requires rhythmic contraction of large muscle groups at 50% of functional capacity.

• 59% of the New York population reported a sedentary lifestyle
  • 58% of men
  • 60% of women
  • The nonwhite population had a 6% higher level of sedentary lifestyle
• 20% of the population meets the criteria for regular and sustained activity levels.
  • 21% of men
  • 19% of women
  • The nonwhite population had a 4% higher level of regular and sustained physical activity
• 14% of the population meets the criteria for regular and vigorous activity levels.
  • 13% of men
  • 15% of women
  • The nonwhite population had a 5% higher level of regular and vigorous physical activity

Reflection: Weeks 9-12

It's winding down now...more things have been covered and taken place: Photo Essay, Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change, THOMAS, Junking.  This one was a little more tricky for me.  I'm sad to say the law and government are not high on my list of interests...The THOMAS project allowed us to look up the history of a topic that is of interest to us and see how the government has taken part of it.  The Photo Essay was a fun one.  I included my SMART goal in it.  I took pictures of different parks around the area for the community to visit.  It was a lot of fun.  Junking should be very interesting as well...we used random items and made lists of what we could make each into.  I think our group had at least 10 new ideas for each of the 5 items.  I'm excited to see what is to come in the remaining two weeks of the semester.

Abby likes the environment so much...she turned into a squirrel.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 4: Weekly Update

1. I will take my dogs to Hartley Nature Center for a 30-40 minute walk/run, 3 times during the week days.  It's still going very well.  It was nice having the extra days off and not having to stick to my normal schedule.  We were able to go to new places and go for a longer period of time.
2. However, the beginning of this week was a little more tricky.  The weather was terrible and difficult to get to the places because of the bad driving.  It took even longer to get to point A to point B.  I'm sure it's going to be not as fun outside as the weather gets colder and colder and colder.  The puppies can only last so long running in below zero weather and it's hard to see them when it's snowing out (they blend in pretty well).
3. My feeling were still fun and enjoyable.  Just got to continue to get up and get out there...not allow myself to get lazy and use the weather as an excuse.  
4. We learned about a few new parks to visit around Duluth this week.   Some are nicer than others...
5. Things should stay the same this upcoming week.  If we can't continue to go to the new places we found we will definitely continue going to Hartley, the park that's close by and convenient to get to.