Exercises for those tired eyes while at work

Are your eyes tired? Do you feel like a headache is coming on? Let's face it, many of us stare at a computer screen for a good portion of our day. Over extended periods, this can cause a great deal of eye strain.

Our ancestors were hunters and gatherers. They spent the majority of their day scanning their environment while foraging, watching for predators, and hunting. Their eyes were frequently in motion, looking left and right, up and down, focusing near and far. Modern society and lifestyle have made our eyes lazy. We stare at computer screens or TVs for extended periods of time constantly focused on one spot. The eyes need exercise just like any other part of the body in order to stay healthy. The good thing about eye exercises is they are easy to do, require no equipment, and only take a couple of minutes to perform. You can even do them while sitting at your desk! Follow the suggestions below to help relieve that eye strain and reduce stress.

Every 2-3 hours move back from that computer monitor and focus on the following eye movements:

1. Sit in an upright position facing forward.
2. Without moving your head, look as far to the left as you comfortably can and hold for 3-5 seconds.
3. Now, look as far to the right as you comfortably can and hold for 3-5 seconds.
4. Alternate, looking left then right, an additional 4 times to each side. When finished, look back to center.
5. Repeat steps 2 thru 4, except this time look up then down (a total of 5 times each). When finished, look back to center.
   
6. Now, look up again and begin slowly moving your eyes in a clockwise motion, fully around your field of vision (Keep your head stationary). Repeat 4 times for a total of 5 revolutions.
7. Repeat step 6, except now move your eyes in a counter clockwise direction. Look back to center.
   
8. Finally, stick up your thumb and place it about a foot from your face.
9. Look at the tip of your thumb for 3-5 seconds, then shift your gaze and focus to the far wall in the room your are in for 3-5 seconds. Alternate, your focus from the tip of your thumb and back to the wall a total of 5 times. Remember to hold between each movement.
10. You're Done!
    

These eye exercises are very simple and easy to do. Once you get the pattern down, you can complete the whole cycle in about 2 minutes. Give it a try, but don't make fun of anyone at the office if you happen to walk by and notice them staring closely at their thumb!

Bowling Green Running/Walking Events for July 2010

Photo Courtesy: BigFoto


Below is a list of the upcoming run/walk events for July 2010. As you can see, July is a very busy month and offers plenty of opportunities to get out there and get fit. It is going to be a hot month so please be aware of the increased risk of heat related issues while exercising outdoors. Your body will need plenty of extra fluid to replenish what is being lost through sweat. Remember to listen to your body, slow down when you need to, and get lots of rest. Hope to see you out there on the road this coming month!


7/3/10 - White Mills Days 5K, White Mills, KY (between Leitchfield and Elizabethtown)

7/3/10 - Independence Day 5K, White House, TN

7/3/10 - Lakefest 10/5K Run/Walk, Jamestown, KY

7/9/10 - Freedom 5K Run/Walk, Grayson Co Middle School

7/10/10 - Trooper Island Sunset Run, Bowling Green-Warren Co. Airport - Ran this race a few years ago and I remember it being hot and seeming to take forever to run it (probably because of the heat). The race starts in the evening around sunset and is one of the flattest courses you will run in this area. This is a big event and usually draws a lot of participation.

7/10/10 - Magnolia 5K, Rough River Dam State Resort Park

7/10/10 - Hilliard Lyons Health & Fitness Classic, Owensboro, KY

7/17/10 - Freedom 5K Run and Walk, North Warren Elementary School in Smiths Grove, KY - My wife and I ran this race last year and are signing up to run again this year. It is a nice level course and did not have a large number of participants last year. This would be a great race to attempt your first 5K, if you have never done one before.

7/24/10 - Summersville Day 2-mile Run and 1-mile Walk, Greensburg, KY

7/24/10 - Run for the Vision 5K, Bonnieville, KY

7/31/10 - Purple Striders 5K, BGHS, Bowling Green

7/31/10 - Goodlettsville Classic Four-Mile Run, Moss-Wright Park, Goodlettsville, TN

Welcome!

Welcome to the BRADD Health and Fitness blog! In this blog we will strive to promote healthy living. Healthy living is about promoting a lifestyle that can be maintained for a lifelong period of time. It is important to remember when deciding to take steps toward living a healthier life, you must take steps that you are willing to commit to for the rest of your life. In those words… it will be best to get your feet wet before jumping in the deep end. In this blog you will find several ways to actively participate in a healthy lifestyle.

Bowling Green Running/Walking Events for June 2010

Welcome to our new blog! How exciting! This is our first official post and we anticipate many future contributions from various staff members.

I plan, before the start of each month, to dedicate a new post listing all local walking and running events for the upcoming month. This is the first of such posts. I will try to list the date, name of the event, and location whenever I can. Some events will be linked to their corresponding information pages or registration flyers - simply click on the link. If I have participated in a particular race, I will include additional notes about my experiences with it in the past.

Do you know about a race or event that you don't see listed below? Drop us a note in the comment section with all the information you have on the event and we will add it in future posts.

On a personal note, my wife and I normally pick one to two races each month to run. Knowing those races are coming up each month helps motivate us to stay in shape and exercise regularly. This is a also a great opportunity for us to share wonderful experiences and new places together. We have met a lot of great people out there while waiting at the start lines. I encourage everyone to get out there and participate in these community events for the following reasons:

• It is a great way to stay in shape
• Run or walk for a good cause
• Committing to a race is a good step in setting fitness goals
  
• Fellowship with others participating for a good cause
• Opportunity to educate yourself about fitness

Come on out, let's get in shape together, and have some fun!

Events for the remaining month of June 2010:

6/19/10 - Summer Classic 5K Run & 3K Fun Walk - Edmonson Co. High School, Brownsville KY

6/19/10 - Wilma Rudolph 5K/10K - Sango United Methodist Church, Clarksville, TN

6/26/10 - Heels for Healing 1 mile Run/Walk (High Heels Optional), Bowling Green, KY

6/26/10 - Russellville Romp 5K Run/Walk - Russellville, KY

6/27/10 - Owensboro 10 Miler (36th Running) - Tamarack Rd, Owensboro