My Inspirations Behind My Fitness Journey

When I was a kid I thought heroes were men and women who died in action, defending the country while at war. There was this dramatic and cinematic gory details of rebellion and revolution all made colorful perhaps because I had History teachers who were creative story tellers or perhaps because I had heard and watched too many war movies since I was a kid for reasons that I came from a family of military men. Though the stories I had heard were told in jest where one find it hard to believe if they were just wishful thinking or not, still my concept of heroes when I was young was left pure and innocent, until I entered college. I know it was rather late for me to learn that not all heroes have to die or do some heroic thing for one's country just to be called one yet the knowledge that we can all be heroes somewhat triggered my curiosity, even challenging it to search for real heroes that were very much alive. 

I had always been a daddy's girl and as what to be expected, I looked up to him for everything and at one point had considered him as my hero. Though he may not have been a soldier who defended the country, he had fought a lot of wars since he was a kid. Growing up dirt poor and  without a father, he learned to be financially independent so he could help his family by doing odd jobs even at a very young age. Though he had been financially challenged he used that as a motivation to pursue his dream of finishing his studies. He became a scholar for being the band leader of Far Eastern University of the Philippines and the rest was history. Sad to say, because he had worked odd jobs to survive, he had also learned to smoke early to last him through the day. Though he had quit when he was already in his fifties, it was too late for his body to recover and to fight the cancer that had caused him his early death.

Dad is the one with the trumpet

Now my older brother, Xavier who we fondly called Sonny and who I also looked up to as well had a different story. He was born with a congenital heart disease and my parents thought he would be very sickly as a kid that they became very protective of him. And because he too was influenced and inspired by the war stories we heard and watched, he also wanted to become a soldier. Since achieving such dream was impossible, my parents allowed him to do the next best thing. Because he did well in school, he had been allowed to join the elite group of Boy Scouts in the Philippines and climbed Mount Makiling for that historical Jamboree. He was also encouraged to be active in extra curricular activities both in school and in our community and was even allowed to sleep late nights so he could watch his favorite shows. And because of his heart condition, my  parents strictly prohibited him from smoking and drinking. Until my dad passed away and my brother moved to the city permanently to live there together with his own family.

My brother had always been an achiever since we were kids

Perhaps because being a father was very stressful, with all the bills, expenses and parenting that went with it, my mom was not able to control my brother from drinking and even smoking. He was such a workaholic and because he wanted to give a better life for his family, he barely had time to exercise. He used to join a group of bikers every Sunday but that had stopped when he was gifted a second  hand car. I could understand why my brother worked so hard for his family because we grew up  poor  where my mom's meager salary was not even enough for my dad's medication and for our schooling. He just did not want to pressure his kids and let them experience what he had gone thru. Until one day, he had emphysema that greatly affected his breathing, sleeping and daily living. One day, like a thief in the night he left us. He was just 48 years old.

My brother with his family

Seeing my dad and my brother passed away right before my eyes had left an indelible mark in my life. Because of what I had witnessed, I vowed to myself not to smoke nor drink as long as I live. That also  motivated me to start my journey into fitness bit by bit. Because I look up to both my dad and my brother, I constantly remind my kids of the consequences if and when they decide to start smoking and drinking. I have to admit that I still cannot help not to feel sad and think how things could have been  different if they had  taken cared of their health. There are still days that I missed them both, especially my dad with all his stories, laughter and music. And during those days that I long for both of them and feel that I am alone and helpless, I rely and think of those who keep me going and save me thru the day.

My Mom and my kids.

Mother's Day 2012 with Mom and my girls

My Mom has diabetes and osteoporosis though we only had learned it over a decade ago. There had been a year when she had been in and out of the hospital. She have had multiple strokes and we thought she will not be able to make it the last time she had been confined where she had been in the ICU for a week, had a minor heart attack, had pneumonia and due to the infection required to have a blood transfusion because her hemoglobin went down drastically. She was in oxygen the whole time and was in tubes for the first week of her confinement. I had prepared myself and my kids for the worst and wished that if it was time for her to go, that there should be no more pain because my Mom does not deserve any more of it after all that she had been thru. Miraculously she was able to pull it through. Even her doctors still could not believe that after multiple strokes, she is still up and about. 

I am my mother's daughter indeed

Since September of last year my mom had been back to her old self. Though she lives with my eldest daughter in the province, there has never been a day that I have not missed her. At times when I feel like giving up and feel that I do not want to work anymore, I think of her and my kids. 

My kids thru the years 

Most of my kids are now on their teens. They may have all  grown up now but there are some things that had not changed. Like their love for the Harry Potter stories, of books and heartwarming stories of kids and of kids at heart, of classical movies and inspiring documentaries mostly about kids, of veggies, fruits and pasta, of laughter and music and of long walks while telling funny and crazy stories in between and of going back home to be with my mom every holiday season and school breaks.

These are the people who keep me going. The reasons behind why I push myself to wake up very early during weekends so I could run and join the exercise at the park, the same reasons why I do not want to be sick and see myself tied up in a hospital bed one day. 

Whether living or dead, there will always be heroes in our lives who will motivate us to live healthy and continue our journey towards fitness. My dad and my brother had long been gone but their passing will always serve as great reminder that life is short and that we must take care of it if we still want to achieve the dreams we long for and spend more time with the people we care for, such as my mom and my kids whose faces and presence will always be an inspiration for me to get up every morning, take care of my well being so I could live my life to the fullest. 

*This post was written for the campaign " Who Keeps You Healthy? "  for the American Recall Center. For more updates and information on health and wellness, visit them at facebook.com/pages/AmericanRecallCenter or at twitter.com/RecallCenter.*

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Jumpstart Your Summer With Watsons Sun Up To Sun Down Promo

Less than two weeks from now, the school year will officially end. That only means one thing in the Philippines. It signals the start of the summer vacation where not only kids anticipate but every hard working individual, especially moms like me look forward to. And one best way to jumpstart one's  summer is to look for practical ways and means to spend it without having to go out of town and  that tinge of guilt leaving your minions behind. 

Say what ?

I am referring to that hot, fun event by Women's Health Philippines & FemaleNetwork.com in cooperation with Watsons Philippines .

             

The event will be held on April 9, 2014 which is a holiday (Bataan Day) at SM Mall Of Asia. The mechanics are as follows. 

  1.  The promo is open to all femalenetwork.com members and non members alike, ages 18        

       years old and above.

  2.  Secure single receipt purchase of sun protection products from any of the following 

       participating brands from Watsons stores nationwide from March 10, 2014 -April 4, 2014

        

        *  Nivea         *  Belo      *  Vaseline      *  Banana Float  *  Kojie San    *  Celeteque    

        *  Celeteque  *  Neutrogena     * Ocean Potion      *  Hawaian Tropic   *  Sun Play

        * Dermplus      * Watson's Own Label     *Ultra MD 
       
Perhaps by now you already have an idea how this works. It does not take that much thinking (for those who are fans of online promos and giveaways, that is) to keep your receipts and pre register at

www.femalenetwork.com/watsonsph.  Successful registrants are eligible to enter the express lane  where they need to surrender their Watsons receipts as proof of purchase which entitle them to one entry to the activity area and  get to choose one activity of their choice ranging  from  Hot Hula, Sunrise Flow, African Jam and Zumba. 

Is it possible to join them all? Just asking. 

  
Aside from that, they also get an activity passport which is simply a pamphlet about the products and activities during the event plus you also get to have the limited edition of  Watsons T-shirt whose sizes are limited to S, M. Land XL as well.  What more, all eligible entries will have the chance to win five Fujifilm  Instax Mini Camera which is  worth 4300 Php each. 

Hmm. Does that mean the more entries I have, the more chances of winning?  So if I say I get to bring three of my teen age girls with me, that means I have more chances of getting that awesome prize. But you only get to register and win once.

Shucks!

Oh well. A mom needs to do what she got to do. But I have to admit this event is such a cool way to treat my girls not to mention the whole activity we get to have as we bond together. So if I were you head on to any Watsons Store near you. And by the way, you may want to visit their facebook pages and follow them at twitter for more updates.

See you there!

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Women's Health Philippines

The journey towards health and fitness had never been an easy one. There is always the push and pull, one step forward, two steps backward that all too often have been seen and heard by many, always thinking that today is another cheat day and that things can wait for tomorrow to takes it course. All too often we tend to postpone our planned activities towards well being, either physically, emotionally and even financially until we realize that it is already too late.

Growing up in a family where financial and health issues had become the norm, I have learned early that life is short and should be lived in moderation not only to fulfill the dreams that I thought I have missed but to spend more time with the people I care for . But again the way and the means to do it will always be a challenge. The lack of time, money and motivation will always be the main reasons  why such goal seems unattainable and even doubt the validity for the need to be fit and healthy. That is why it is such a great help when magazines like Women's Health Philippines is there to guide and motivate women especially Filipinas to discover their hidden potentials and empower them to live their lives to the fullest. 

According to Lara Parpan,  editor-in-chief  of  Women's Health Philippines, the magazine motivates and educates women to take control of their physical and emotional selves so they can live the lives  they've imagined. Its focus on fashion, beauty, health and fitness, food/nutrition, relationships and inspirational celebrities ensures that all areas of the readers' lives are covered .

So if you are one of the many women who yearn to make those small and hesitant steps toward a healthy lifestyle, take time to read Women's Health Philippines and be motivated with their inspiring stories and articles. It is never too late to start one's journey towards good heath and well being.

For updates and motivational quotes, visit them @ facebook.com/womenshealthphilippines or follow them @ twitter.com/WomensHealthPH.

FemaleNetwork.com is the online home of  Women's Health Philippines and of the magazines Candy, Cosmopolitan Philippines, Good Housekeeping Philippines Smart Parenting, Preview, Entrepreneur and Seventeen Philippines. It is the first Philippine website for women which is an interactive community and guide for Filipino women that is owned by Summit Media. 

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Time to Say Goodbye To My First Reebok Shoes

It had been almost two years when I bought my first Reebok shoes from a warehouse store in Mandaluyong City. At that time I was somewhat " forced " to buy a new pair because I had been  overwhelmed when I joined my first Fun Run where I got to register for free because I was one of the first 300 registrants to sign up. I was also a neophyte when it came to running. I did not have any running clothes, sports underwear even a pair of running shoes and since it was too late for me to back out I decided to just go thru with it which meant buying a skimpy, " maong " shorts, a pair of discounted Reebok shoes and socks of the same brand. It was also my first 3K run and despite my lack of preparation plus the risk of getting injured due to lack of exercise, I had a great time with my colleagues, got tagged with a lot of pictures that were posted on facebook, wrote a post about it where a lot of bloggers commented, even inspired one or two to start joining fun runs and ended up as a cover model for our company's magazine. (Well, it was a group picture and I just happened to be at the center).

Perhaps because that Integrity Fun Run was such a milestone that I decided to pursue a path toward fitness especially when I met a team mate who attends the weekly early morning aero at BGC, the same  area where the Fun Run had been held. From this colleague of mine, I had learned that Fun Runs were mostly being held in BGC and that the early morning aero had been going on for years. And even though that would entail going to the park after our shift with no sleep or waking up at about 4 am om rest days to get there on time, my friend and I had managed to squeeze in some fitness days three times a week the most. That also meant that each and every time I exercise, run or join the Zumba class at work, my old pair of  Reebok shoes went along as well. And because as a Mom, I thought that practicality can be applied even when it comes to using the same old rubber shoes over and over again, that mindset had changed when I read the  risks of doing so.

According to Christine Many Luff who is a fitness writer, an avid runner, a running coach and mom to two very active kids, running in old or worn-out shoes is a common cause of running injuries and that running shoes lose shock absorption, cushioning and stability over time. In her article, " When Should I Replace My Running Shoes ?"  continuing to run in worn-out running shoes increases the stress and the impact on your legs and joints, which can lead to overuse injuries. She added that the easiest thing you can do to prevent those types of injuries is replace your running shoes when they're worn out.

I have to admit that I had seen and felt the warning signs that my running shoes needed to be replaced even before I had read this article. When I had started running at least twice a week,  I had noticed that my running shoes " tongue " does not stay at the center so what I do is try to fix it during water breaks while running or even dancing. A few months ago, I also had noticed that my shoes were starting to loosen their grip on my feet that I always double check if they are tied properly or loosely. All these things I had set aside because I wanted to save and felt that I could still bear to use  them despite the fact that the risks of getting injured is just one run away. Until I decided to buy a new pair and say goodbye to my old ones.

Looking back now at my worn out running shoes, I could not help but feel nostalgic on those days that I had relied so much on them to keep me healthy and fit. I could recall how I first ran in the rain and joined my first 5K fun run, including joining the first Zumba class in our company. Like a sentimental fool, I try not to throw them away because doing so would mean throwing away a lot of good memories that went it. However the rational part of me knows that keeping or handing them down to one of my daughters will be an unwise decision because it would mean risking that person of the injuries I could have had if I had not replaced it. If only there is a program that reuses worn shoes  just like in the US who collects and accepts worn out running shoes and have them recycled into material used in sports surfaces, then giving them away will be less painful.

Time indeed flies so fast. Before I was just a beginner runner who knew nothing but to run my heart away, not thinking if I am dressed right or doing it the right way. Time and a minor injury had not lessen that passion to improve on my running and hopefully finish a marathon before I hit my golden years. In order to do so I must be well prepared, get trained and open to possibilities of having injuries along the way plus the fact of buying new pairs of running shoes and throwing away those that are worn out. Sadly, my running shoes are just like parts of my life that I once said hello and ultimately  will bid goodbye. A parent, a sibling, a relative, a daughter or a son, even a long lost friend. Throwing my old worn out running shoes somehow made me realize and accept the fact that nothing is really permanent except change and that one just have to live with it, perhaps slowly until it is time to move on.

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