23 and 1/2 hours

Perhaps while we’re rushing through the holidays is not the best time to start a new “habit” but you might find this video interesting—I certainly found it entertaining enough to pass along.

Crunch Time

There’s just a few short days left before Christmas but more importantly an even shorter number of days left for the BPL Crunch Club. We’ll be totaling the number of crunches completed December 1st through December 23rd and posting it in time to inspire some New Year’s resolutions. If you’ve been a silent participant please give me (Laurie) your number so it can make it into the GRAND TOTAL. If you would like your participation award I’ll need your name as well but you can pass your total on anonymously if you prefer.

And speaking of January, BPL Fit Club has had a request for 100 push-ups a day. If you haven’t heard of this exciting fitness challenge be sure to visit www.hundredpushups.com for details. Giving ourselves a day to recover from our New Year’s Eve celebrations let’s start the program on Monday, January 2nd and see what progress we make following the six week plan.

And speaking of the new year, it appears to be time for new leadership in the BPL Fit Club so I will be stepping down from the position. I hope that someone will be inspired to take up the reins to complete 2012.

Lastly, I would like to thank you for all the suggestions and recommendations made via the Fit Club over this past year. One personal success story due to these suggestions: my cholesterol level has dropped below “high”; my blood pressure has done the same; my resting pulse rate is usually at 60; and the figure that most people ask about (because it’s the most visible not the most important) is that, depending on the day, I’ve lost 45 to 50 pounds. So once again I’ll mention my hope that someone will keep BPL Fit Club alive and well in 2012 so we can continue to reap the benefits of support on the fitness road.

Crunch Club Challenge

Inspired by Gary Player who mentioned in a Charlie Rose interview that part of his daily exercise regime includes 1,000 crunches, BPL Fit Club has received a request to start a “Crunch Club”. Since we aim to please, from December 1st through December 23rd all interested parties are charged with the goal of reaching 1,000 crunches a day. OK, for most of us it may be a stretch to reach 1,000 crunches for the entire 23 days—but let’s aim high. Keep track of your progress, either on your personal spread sheet or on the official BPL Fit Club Crunch Club calendar conveniently located in the staff lounge. Prizes will be awarded for all levels of participation.

The crunches don’t need to be done all at one time but can be spread throughout the day. So if you happen to see one of your co-workers lying on the floor in the lounge or by their cubical make sure they aren’t doing a quick ten crunches before calling 911.

If you have no idea who Gary Player is the Charlie Rose interview is available on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=193chYRnTAk

If you aren’t quite sure what a crunch is this YouTube video has a pretty good example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyd_fa5zoEU&feature=related

September Round-up

Well, September has come and gone and M, M & I still can’t get the Latin rhythm and movement but for an exercise class such as Zumba it really doesn’t matter. For example, one day our regular instructor wasn’t able to make the class (more on that to follow) so a couple of the more advanced members of the class offered to lead it. For last minute substitutes they did great. They did remember the routines a bit differently at times so you could take your pick as to which one to follow. Even with two options M, M & I still had their difficulties. However, it really didn’t matter—as long as you keep moving you still get a good workout—and usually a good laugh.

For those who couldn’t make the September 25th Stroll Through History at Oak Hill Cemetery it was a successful and fun-filled day despite the weather. According to our inside sources the event may be back on the Montgomery County Historical Society calendar so you’ll have a second chance.

October has all kinds of national months associated with it. Two that bring joy to the BPL Fit Club are National Roller Skating Month and National Go on a Field Trip Month. How perfect can it get? Details on where we’ll be roller skating will be forth coming.

October is also National Breast Cancer Awareness month. This leads back to the September round up where the absence of our Thursday Zumba instructor was mentioned. She was back the following week with the news that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She has started a blog, zumbagirl24.blogspot.com, which she views as very therapeutic and cathartic. Her story may be just what you need to get that mammogram you’ve been putting off…and off…and off.

September Update

Sorry to say that we have no photos for you to enjoy but M, M & I have been going to the Thursday Zumba classes at Krannert Park Family Center the past several weeks to try out one of the nearby drop-in fitness classes. In case you were wondering, with the exception of the music, these classes are nothing like the Zumba infomercials you might have run across while running through the TV channels. Nearly all of the participants are well past their fortieth birthday and are as latin-rhythm challenged as we are. So if either of these two factors has been holding you back put your fears aside.

If you have tried any of classes, please pass along your comments as well.

Something different for September

Instead of a one day field trip in September try one of the drop-in fitness opportunities that are available for a very low cost. Connection Pointe Christian Church and the Krannert Park Family Center have quite a selection fitness classes with no long term commitment. Check out their websites for the class schedules. The link for Connection Pointe will take you to the Zumba schedule. For the full list go to the “Sports & Fitness” tab and select “Fitness”.

Connection Pointe
Krannert

M, M & I are going to try the Thursday Zumba classes at Krannert during the month. The classes start at 5:30pm and run for an hour. If anyone is interested in joining in let Laurie know.

Also, if you know of any other classes in the area please post them to the blog or pass them along to Laurie.

Celebration of National Golf Month

The weather was perfect for our Sunday celebration of National Golf Month. The Riverside Golf Academy is a nice little par three that was enjoyable for all of us on the August field trip. And I will say that we enjoyed every inch of the course through out the round. Luckily M, M & I controlled the camera most of the time so you won't see some of the more "off the beaten track" parts of the course that we visited.

August Field Trip

Mark your calendars for Sunday, August 28th, 3:00pm.

By popular demand BPL Fit Club will hit the links at the Riverside Golf Academy to celebrate National Golf Month. This is a short par three course that will interest both the neophyte and the well-seasoned golfer.

Riverside Golf Academy is located at 3702 N White River Parkway West Drive, just north of the Riverside Golf Course.

Tour de Brownsburg

The Tour de Brownsburg had much better luck than our inspiration, the Tour de France--there were no crashes and no broken bones or barbed wire during our twist and turns through the town. Thank goodness there were also no Pyrenees or Alps. However we did run into a bit of a head wind when heading north through open areas.

Since I'm not much of a photographer while riding a bike the photos are few and far between. Perhaps you can recognize a few of the locations we passed by.

July Field Trip

Break out your bikes Saturday, July 30th for the Tour of Brownsburg. We’ll gather in the BPL east parking lot at 5:15 pm and wind our way through the less traveled streets of Brownsburg for a ride of approximately 8+ miles. Highlights of the tour will include: Eagle & White Lick Elementary Schools, Thornburg subdivision and the B&O Trail.

Of course our tour is strickly for fun, no prizes will be awarded. Unless of course we make a stop at Dairy Queen for a cold reward following a hot ride.

Mounds State Park field trip

Unfortunately the weather moved the educational portion of the Summer Solstice Celebration into the Visitor's Center which was way too crowded for M,M, & I. We decided to do a little more outdoor exploring than the official program called for. Luckily the rain stopped just in time and we could take a few photos without risking damage to the electronic equipment.

June

National Physical Fitness and Sports Month has come and gone. Thanks to everyone who participated in the bi-weekly walks. It was certainly helpful for me to get out and moving.

BPL Fit Club is now switching the focus back to food. June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable month. If the spirit moves you bring in a sample of your favorite fruit or veggie snack some time during the month for us to try. If your “rock bottom, can’t live without it snack” is chocolate we have a special day for you. June 26th is National Chocolate Pudding Day. Since not everyone’s favorite chocolate comes in the form of pudding and our fearless leaders will be hard at work in New Orleans on the 26th, BPL Fit Club will have our Anything Chocolate Day June 30th.

June has more than just food going for it—the month is also Great Outdoors Month. For a June field trip we'll explore the great outdoors of the Mounds State Park. Saturday, June 18th is the Mounds Summer Solstice Celebration which begins on the Visitor Center Porch at 7:30pm. It’s a 1 1/2 hour discovery of the Great Mound and its connection to the Summer Solstice.

Final April Field Trip

The day was absolutely beautiful so M,M & I decided to be a bit late for the swim meet and spend some time outside at the Eagle Creek Golf Course driving range as originally planned. You could tell we had a much better day for the laughter that golf brings since the range was quite full. Unfortunately it was not populated with anyone else from BPL while M, M & I were there so there are no photos to post.

A couple of notes

There’s a second trip to the Eagle Creek Golf Club driving range scheduled for this Friday, April 29th after closing. Unfortunately I can’t be there due to a rescheduled swim meet. For those of you planning on being there I hope you won’t let this stop you.

May is National Physical Fitness Month. While there is a plethora of information on what regarding the minimum level of exercise a person needs for good health most authorities agree that 30 minutes a day is a good starting point—unless of course you’re already in training for the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. To spur the rest of us along there will be two weekly half hour walks starting at the BPL parking lot during the month of May: Tuesday mornings, 8:00am to 8:30am and Friday evenings, 5:10pm to 5:40pm. If you can join in for one a week, that’s great. If you can join in for two a week, that’s even better. If you would a different day or time, the BPL Fit Club is always open to suggestions.

Other fun-filled activities to celebrate National Physical Fitness Month will be posted as we move through May.

Fun Enough to Try Again

Despite lots of rain before and after we were able to enjoy the brief dry spell and make it to the Eagle Creek driving range after all. As you can see others were not quite so brave and we had the place to ourselves.

For those of you who were unable to break out your clubs this time we're scheduling a second trip to Eagle Creek Friday, April 29th, 5:30pm or there abouts.

Next April Field Trip

In honor of National Humor Month and the Masters golf tournament our next BPL Fit Club field trip is a visit to the Eagle Creek Golf Club driving range on Friday, April 15th at 5:30pm. If you’re wondering what this has to do with humor, it will become crystal clear when you see me try to hit a golf ball. Don't let the fact that you don't have any golf clubs or skill keep you from joining in the fun--neither one is required for this outing.

Eagle Creek Golf Club is located at 8802 W 56th Street Indianapolis. Click here for directions.

First Laugh-filled April Field Trip

The critics raved about it! Lindy loved it! And M, M, I & J thought it was terrific. If you can't catch The Three Faces of Doctor Crippen this time around make sure you schedule a visit to Chicago when it returns.

April: National Humor Month

April is National Humor Month and as we all know laughter is the best medicine. (Open healthguide.org to get the experts' viewpoint on the topic.) So make sure you get plenty of laughter this month from whatever source tickles your funny bone. If you find something really outstanding please pass it along to your coworkers via the Intranet or BPL Fit Club blog because we all really need a good laugh to be fit and happy.

March: National Nutrition Month

Despite the predictions for snow it was a beautiful sunny day for the March field trip. It was a bit chilly which did require a slight change of plans. Locally Grown Gardens is located in a converted gas station and has an open air quality about it. While the group pulled itself together we enjoyed some great Florida oranges (local to Tampa?) and hot coffee and took a few pictures to give you the flavor of the place.

However, rather than shiver through breakfast/lunch in the quasi-open air, M, M, I & J moved across the Monon Trail to Good Morning Mama’s Café. As you see it is very colorful with some really nice menu items.

The chill in the air wasn’t enough to stop the stroll into Broad Ripple. In fact there were a number of people with the same idea of getting a little exercise. We made it in to Broad Ripple and have the pictures to prove it. By-the-way, Brugge Brewery has the best fries ever. Since this was an outing celebrating National Nutrition Month we refrained from stopping for a brew and a cone-full of fries.

Field Trips

April: If you’re planning on joining the trip to Chicago Sunday, April 3rd to see The Three Faces of Dr. Crippen remember to buy your tickets sooner rather than later. Tickets can be purchased online at Steppenwolf.org.

March: We’re not going to let National Nutrition Month pass without a field trip. Mark your calendars for Sunday, March 27th, 1:00pm for a nutritious lunch at Locally Grown Gardens, 1050 E 54th Street, Indianapolis. Locally Grown Gardens is conveniently located on the Monon Trail so we’ll follow lunch with a stroll into Broad Ripple. What could be healthier?

Calories count

The next nutritional fact sheet in your mailbox deals with calories. For additional reading visit shapeup.org. Both the fact sheet and website are slightly dated but have some interesting information that really hasn't changed much. If you find a different website that you feel would benefit us all, please feel free to post it to the blog.

Early Action Needed for April Field Trip

Looking forward, April is National Humor Month and we have a great field trip planned. The Three Faces of Dr. Crippen, the newest comedy by Emily Schwartz, has opened to rave reviews. (Copies are posted on the white board in the staff lounge.) To take in the fun a road trip to Chicago’s Steppenwolf Garage Theater is set for Sunday, April 3rd, show time 4:00pm. They have been playing to sold out crowds so buy your tickets early if you plan on joining in. Here’s the link to purchase tickets: Steppenwolf Garage Theater. We’ll talk about travel arrangements a little closer to the date.

Back to March for National Nutrition month. You’ll see a link to the American Dietetic Association’s “Nutrition Tip of the Day” in the right sidebar. Other nutrition links of interest are:

American Dietetic Association
Harvard School of Public Health
National Nutritional Guidelines

Lastly, details for a March field trip are being finalized and will be forthcoming.

March: National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month and there is LOTS of good, reliable information that is available to us at the click of a mouse button. Over the coming weeks I’ll be passing on links to a few sites that have been particularly interesting.

In the meantime think about taking the month of March to track your personal nutrition to see where on the Good Nutrition/Bad Nutrition continuum you fall. There are a number of free websites that are available for just such an undertaking. Two of your co-workers are currently using Loseit.com. While the focus of the site falls on the weight loss side of fitness you don’t have to have a weight loss goal to use it. The USDA offers nutritional tracking at Mypyramid.gov. Four other sites are reviewed at Builtfit.com. Take a look at the various options and be ready for a March 1st kickoff.

The Skywalks of Indianapolis

On Sunday, February 20th, M, M & I headed out on an exploration of the Indianapolis Skywalks--not only to see some formerly unseen spots of downtown but to throw in a little exercise in honor of Heart Health Month. With the weather taking a turn for the better there was some hope we could explore the Canal Walk but Sunday was a bit nippy so we went back to Plan A.

We started at the Artsgarden and vowed not to stop until every skywalk had been reached. Two hours later; mission accomplished. The following phtographs are things that caught our fancy during the amble. Unfortunately no one thought to bring a "real" camera. The cell phone really doesn't do justice to the old rail road station.

It was the view of Victory Filed from the Marriott that first brought out the cell phone. Laurie wants to be invited to a swanky cocktail party to watch a game from this vantage point.

There were a few other things that caught our eye at the Marriott--one was that their signage needs a little updating.

Even though it was late Sunday afternoon, the Convention Center was in full swing with the 2011 Dealer Expo. This is another spot where the cell phone just didn't do justice to the machines.

Lucas Oil Stadium was serious about keeping random walkers out.

The Crowne Plaza wasn't interested in having random walkers on site either but since their door wasn't locked we went ahead anyway. Housekeeping probably wondered what we were doing wandering around but no one chased us out.

This bridge was our nemesis. Try as we might we could not find away to get to it. So we finally cheated and went outside, found the entrance to the Omni and back tracked to City Centre Mall. Of course at that point it became obvious where the Skywalk left the Mall. I think we were distracted by the Nail Spa when first searching for it.