Cyber Poems

I was just reflecting on a topic that is getting more press: “Manliness.”

There is a book on this topic, and the author, a Harvard professor, was interviewed last week in the New York Times Magazine.

He makes some observations about what makes a man, manly, and one of them is risk taking.

I can see that.

But I’d like to add three of my own. I think being INSENSITIVE is one of men’s greatest gifts. Typically, we’re brought up to shrug off pain, to not feel sorry for ourselves if we get the wind knocked out of us in football or karate.

That ability to not react, especially to our critics and detractors, enables us to run for office, to rise to a highly visible station in life, and to lead others.

Certainly, there are some women who share this gift; but its opposite, sensitivity, is one of their defining characteristics.

A second attribute of manly men is the tendency or the acquired habit of PERSISTENCE. Not giving up, refusing to throw in the towel, even when a cause or a situation is almost certainly hopeless, is something else they do.

Perhaps there’s a third characteristic of someone who’s manly: the belief that fundamentally, his way of being and doing is the right one, at least for him. You can call it RIGIDITY or INFLEXIBILITY.

There’s value in not trying to adjust to every current that comes by, to the changing whims of others, to their fleeting perceptions and diverging values. We find inflexibility in resolve, in decisiveness, in those traits that make us seem stoic, at times, and as solid as a rock, at others.

What’s interesting to me as I list these characteristics is recognizing the fact that certain politicians manifest them. I disagree with some of their policies, but I can see that they’re persisting nonetheless, they’re insensitive to low ratings in popularity polls, and they’re not going to change their policies under pressure; they’re rigid and inflexible.

So, I may disagree with them, but they’re going about their business in a certain way that I can respect.

They’re handling their business like men, and I respect them, at least for that.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of www.Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

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Many breastfeeding moms have concerns about exercise. Sadly, these concerns may prevent them from working out and enjoying a big advantage in shedding postpartum pounds, building functional strength and accelerating their postnatal recovery. Here are some common issues for breastfeeding moms and what to do about them.

Sleep Deprivation

Breastfeeding mothers are usually sleep deprived, from having to feed their newborns every 3 to 4 hours. This fatigue may lead to a decreased desire to exercise. When you’re getting a few hours of sleep a night who feels like exercising?

Janet Currie, Ph.D. recommends exercising in the morning. She states that it may be more convenient for the mother to exercise before a regularly scheduled feeding. Sleep is also recommended for the new mother to properly recover from workouts. Short naps taken during the daytime while the child naps can offset the nightly sleep interruptions.

Fall Asleep Fast With “Triple Four” Breathing
Moms who are trying to cram in 15 minute naps need every second asleep. Here’s a technique to put you on the fast track to dreamland and make every nap second count. It’s called Triple Four breathing.

Get comfortable, close your eyes, relax and slowly inhale for a count of four - 1…2…3…4… Then hold for a count of four - 1…2…3…4… now exhale slowly for a count of four - 1…2…3…4… Repeat a few times and you’ll improve your odds of falling asleep fast. Even if you don’t fall completely asleep, your brainwaves will move closer to a theta pattern leaving you refreshed and energized when you open your eyes.

Top Heavy

Breastfeeding moms may find an increased weight in their breast tissue due to the hyper-activity of the mammary glands and production of milk. This may cause discomfort while exercising.

It’s extremely important to wear a supportive bra when exercising. During the breastfeeding period, a specially fitted sports bra is recommended to prevent over-stretching of the breast ligaments. Nursing sports bras designed specifically to meet the needs of nursing mothers are a good choice.

Sour Milk?

One concern of breastfeeding mothers is that the lactic acid produced during exercise may affect the quality of their breast milk. They fear their breast milk may have a sour taste and that the child may reject it.

A study conducted at the University of New Hampshire examined the effects that both a maximal and moderate intensity bout of exercise has on the amount of lactic acid in the milk and the infant’s acceptance of the breast milk.

The study found the amount of lactic acid in breast milk did increase with maximal exercise, but did not increase in with moderate exercise. In both cases the child accepted the mother’s breast milk one hour after exercise. It is recommended that breastfeeding mothers wait 30-60 minutes after exercise before breastfeeding. However, if this is not possible you still have options.

Use RPE to insure quality breast milk.

The key to insuring your breast milk is not affected by exercise is to workout at a moderate intensity level. An easy way to measure this is by using a Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale.

Here’s how it works. The difficulty level of an exercise can be given a number between 1 and 10. 10 being exhaustion or maximal intensity (you can barely breathe and are close to having to stop the exercise). The scale then drops as you lower the intensity. It ultimately ends at 1 or an exercise effort you can barely feel.

To ensure your breast milk is unaffected by exercise, your workout intensity should be no greater than a 7 on an RPE scale of 10.

So to wrap things up - if you’re breastfeeding and have your doctor’s approval, please start or keep exercising. To make the fitness development process easier for you - remember to keep your workout intensity at a moderate level, wear the proper breast support and try to steal naps at every opportunity.

You may also consider the following recommendations from the American College Of Sports Medicine’s Health and Fitness Journal with regard to breastfeeding moms:

1. Participate in moderate exercise 3-4 times per week

2. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after to maintain fluid for milk production

3. Weight loss recommendations for the first 6 months

a. normal weight mothers = 2-2.5 lbs/ month (1 kg)

b. overweight mothers = 4-4.5 lbs/ month (2 kg)

References

1. Currie J. and Rich M. Fit and Well: Maintaining Women’s Participation in Pre- and Postnatal Exercise. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal. 2004: 8(4): 12-15.

2. Quinn TJ and Carey GB. How Do Diet and Exercise Influence the Amount of Lactic Acid in Breast Milk? Nutrition Research Newsletter. March 1999.

3. Wright KS, Quinn TJ, and Carey GB. Infant Acceptance of Breast Milk After Maternal Exercise. Pediatrics. 2002: 109(4): 585-589.

Curt Conrad, CSCS, is Founder and President of StrollerFit Inc. an international product and franchise company that helps parents exercise with their babies. He is author of The StrollerFit ExerBook. His companies have helped thousands of clients enjoy better life through better fitness. http://www.strollerfit.com

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How many of us are not confident about how we handle life’s
situations? Truth is you may be confident in some area of your
life but not others.

I grew up a very shy person and was not comfortable going out of
my comfort zone. I always stayed in the background and tried to
make myself less noticeable. It was especially painful in-group
activities that involved boys. But as luck would have it, it was
at a school dance that I had a breakthrough.

I was sitting in the background hoping a boy would ask me to
dance but also terrified that I would get asked. It finally
happened. There was a boy approaching me and I was shaking. But
I noticed something odd, that he was shaking too. He stuttered
when he asked me and it suddenly occurred to me, he was as
scared as I was. It was a huge revelation to me. That moment
changed me and in later dances I became the one who would ask
the boys to dance and I felt very confident. I stepped out of my
comfort zone and it became easy. This was a major step for a
young girl.

This is true in all areas of your life. Confront what you don’t
want to, get it done and you realize it’s not so bad.

Oddly enough it was my daughter who really inspired me and her
friends. At 12 years old she signed up for a modeling course. It
was something she really wanted to do. They taught her how to
walk, hold herself up with her head high, she developed
excellent poise and learned how to be comfortable in front of a
lot of people while walking down the runway. They taught her how
to apply makeup and how to choose clothes. She modeled for only
2 years before she decided to stop but it forever changed her
and she has maintained incredible poise and confidence.

When you have confidence and poise you will stand out and even
if you don’t feel completely comfortable. Often you see people
in sports with the same confidence. If you make yourself affect
a look of confidence soon you will realize that you are.
Motivational posters in your home or work place are a great way
to remind yourself what you are trying to accomplish. There is a
great motivational print called “Girl Power-Soccer” which says,
“Have the courage to stand out”. Have confidence and poise and
you will stand out!

Enjoy the adventure!

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