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23 Brilliant Bloggers Talk About Blogger Health

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Brilliant Bloggers is a bi-weekly series here at NMX where we look at the best posts from around the web all surrounding a specific topic. Every other week, we’ll feature a brilliant blogger, along with a huge list of more resources where you can learn about the topic. You can see more Brilliant Blogger posts or learn how to submit your link for an upcoming edition here.

This Week’s Topic: Blogger Health

The combination of working long hours at a desk, squinting at a computer screen all day, and working from home with full access to the fridge is a recipe for pretty poor health conditions for most bloggers. So this week, we’re talking about blogger health. This is an edition of Brilliant Bloggers we all need in order to ensure that we’re healthy enough to blog well into the future. Take care of yourself, everyone!

(Note: I am not a doctor, so before putting any practices into effect, also talk to your family physician to make sure it’s the best choice for your body!)

Brilliant Blogger of the Week:

Say Bye-bye to Blogger Body, and Hello to Better Health by Tania Dakka

This post from Tania covers all of the essentials that you need to know about blogger fitness. Tania goes into details about five ways to live a healthier life as a blogger: diet, hydration, focus, exercise, and sleep. Writes Tania:

As bloggers, we love to get things done. We’re experts at hyper-focusing. And it feels good—really good—when we write master content we know rocks our readers’ worlds—even if it means hours on hours in the chair bent over our keyboards, drinking pots of coffee, and eating whatever we can get our hands on.

But, you’re bound to hit the wall sooner or later. The aching in your back that’s screaming louder than your three-year-old will become a relentless signal that can’t be ignored.

You have to take care of yourself—or your content will suffer.

After checking out Tania’s post, which is a guest post on the Problogger blog, check out her own blog, at TaniaDakka.com and follow her on Twitter at @taniadakka.

Even More Brilliant Advice:

  1. 7 Big Benefits of Exercise for Bloggers by Jared Singler
  2. 8 Useful Tips for Bloggers to Stay Healthy by Dr. Rajesh Moganti (@rajeshmoganti)
  3. 30 Useful Health Tips For Full Time Bloggers by Vijayraj Reddy (@vijayrajreddy)
  4. Are Bloggers Really Putting their Health at Risk? by Lea Woodward (@leawoodward)
  5. Blog, But Do Care About Your Health! by Saksham Talwar (@sakshamtalwar)
  6. Blogs May Help Teens Reduce Social Stress by Rick Nauert PhD
  7. Blogger Fitness Tips from Bob Greene by Kelby Carr (@typeamom)
  8. Computer Work Postures and Injury: The Stress of Reaching for the Mouse, A Doctors’ Perspective by Dr. Steven R. Jones
  9. Does Blogging Help New Mothers Relieve Stress? What the Research Actually Shows by Kristen (@stressandhealth)
  10. Free Stretching Exercise Reminder for Computer Users by Binary Head
  11. Health Tips for Bloggers: Stay Healthy While you Blog by Richard  (@thefreshhealth)
  12. How to Improve Your Computer Fitness by Heather Long
  13. On Being a Healthy Blogger by Darren Rowse (@problogger)
  14. Organizing for Health by Raquel (@OrganizedIsland)
  15. Optimize Your Health for Better Blogging by Joey and Chris (@versatilehealth)
  16. Some Health Tips For Bloggers by Fazal Mayar
  17. Stay Healthy in Spite of Your Addiction to Blogging by Brankica Underwood (@brankicau)
  18. Stress Less: 4 Tips To Stress Free Blogging by Lisa Drubec
  19. The Blogger’s Workout Plan by Taylor Davies (@shutupilovethat)
  20. Time Management Case Studies: Full-Time Blogger Fitness by Marissa Brassfield (@efficient)
  21. Tips To Maintain Your Health While Blogging by Atish Ranjan (@atishranjan)
  22. Your Computer Posture Could Be Hurting You by Dr. Cynthia Horner (@drcynthiahorner)

Did I miss your post or a post by someone you know about blogger health? Unintentional! Help me out by leaving a comment below with the link.

Next Brilliant Blogger Topic: Time Management for Bloggers

I’d love to include a link to your post in our next installment– and if you head to the Brilliant Bloggers Schedule, you can see even more upcoming posts. We all have something to learn from one another, so please don’t be shy! Head to the schedule today to learn how to submit your post so I won’t miss it.

Make Your Next Trip to BlogWorld a Healthy One!

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Raise your hand if you had one too many desserts, alcoholic slushies, or fried food meals while at BlogWorld 2010. Yep, that’s what I thought. I think we all did.

In the days leading up to the event, I posted The Coaching Doctor’s Advice for BlogWorld, an interview I did with Dr. Aamer Iqbal about ways to stay healthy while in Vegas. Now, you can go a step further in learning about health trips while traveling. Today, two of BlogWorld’s speakers, Nathalie Lussier and Andy Hayes introduced a brand new project called Healthy Travel Lifestyle.

Nathalie Lussier is the Raw Foods Witch – yup, a witch – and she has the magick secrets to eating healthy. Andy Hayes is that travel guy, the go to man for all your questions travel. Together, they’re nearly too much awesome to handle in a single place. Not only do they have a new site where you can go to learn about healthy travel to BlogWorld (or any event), but they’re offering a free virtual Healthy Travel Lifestyle Happy Hour on December 7th so you can ask all your health and travel questions and learn more about their project. Hope to see you all there!

Fitness Tips for Social Media Geeks: Get in Shape for BlogWorld!

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Dave’s Fitness Tips for Social Media Power Users – 1st Installment: Get Moving with an Easy Walking Routine.

It’s getting pretty close to BlogWorld time, and every year I think to myself “I’m spending so many hours at the computer working, not exercising or eating well enough, this cannot be good for my body. I’m an active person, what am I doing?…Come BlogWorld time, I’m going to feel (and look) like a wreck.”

Walking Shoes

Break out of your inactive lifestyle behind the computer, start getting healthy with a simple walking routine!

This year, I’m going to take a new approach, scheduling a little time each day to exercise, eat better, and I’m going to share some of the simple fitness and diet tips I’ve learned over the years with you. I’ll even seek out the advice of fitness and diet experts to help from time to time. Hopefully, together we’ll get to BlogWorld feeling and looking better, and it’ll be a great start toward a healthier 2011 for all of us geeks and busy social media fanatics.

First, a little backstory on my past history in geekdom, and my health wake-up call.

When I moved to San Diego in my early 20’s, I was a graphic designer and copywriter working long hours, trying to save my pennies toward an eventual condo purchase so I could settle down with my college sweetheart. I worked 8am-7pm, then 9pm-Midnight (sometimes later). All the while, I was eating seldom, but when I did, it was large portions and not the best food, mind you. I ate based on convenience, not quality. And since I was surrounded by computer geeks, designers and video gamers, it made a whole lot more sense to take a break from work in an action-packed video game networked with my buddies, than getting up and actually getting myself in action.

After a couple of years of this, I’d gone from my previous svelte, high school athlete weight of 176 lbs up to 218 lbs, my hair was thinning, my skin was a mess, my trouser size kept increasing and I was even getting out of breath going up the stairs to my second floor office…not good.  I felt like I was aging rapidly, and at this pace, I’d most certainly be following in the footsteps of my father–having a heart attack and open-heart surgery (or worse) in my 30’s.

I looked in the mirror one day, astonished to see a completely different person looking back at me than I once was, and I made a decision. I was not going to die young, dammit. I was going to get my health back, and get in shape. Good shape!

My life was too busy to add more complexity. No fancy cable-driven workout machines, no time-consuming drive to the gym, no gear. I just wanted a simple start to getting active again. Shoes, shorts, t-shirt, door, outside. I began walking. Such a simple thing, right? I’d been a competitive athlete in so many sports (tennis, cycling, skiing, baseball, etc) and yet, I’d never thought of walking as an athletic activity. But it was for me now. I was so out of shape, I just needed to get moving. Simple goals.

I began walking early in the morning before work several days each week, 30-40 minutes at a time, just a long loop through the rolling hills of my neighborhood. After 2 or 3 weeks, I was able to jog a little bit here and there. Walk 10 minutes, jog 3 minutes, walk again. Every couple of weeks, I’d add more time to my jogging segments until it was a 50/50 ratio of walking to jogging. I’d never been a runner (sort of despised running actually, used to think it was incredibly boring) but this was actually fun! I had no special training, fancy equipment, I was getting fresh air, seeing some great trees, sunshine and I was feeling like me again!

After a few more weeks, I hooked up with my neighbor and began jogging non-stop for 45-60 minute stints. He was a “real” runner, fancy shorts, special running shoes and all, but he liked me anyway. Why, I have no idea. I must’ve had a great sense of humor, or perhaps he was amused watching me run and dragged me along for the entertainment value. After a few months I was down to 183 lbs…I’d lost 35 lbs, holy cow! I felt so much better, and the person in the mirror was starting to look familiar again.

So, that’s how I started getting back in shape. Walking. For those of you behind the computer for long hours, days strung together with no exercise mixed in, neck, shoulders, legs and back stiff and sore, here’s your fitness tip for the week. It’s a simple one…

Get outside and walk for 30-40 minutes, 4 mornings this week before you begin your day. Just open the door and go. Simple as that. Below is the walking routine I used to get back on the road to fitness when I was in the most unhealthy, inactive time of my life.

Dave’s Easy Morning Walking Routine:

(Take deep breaths of fresh air as you begin; in through the nose, blow gently out through closed lips.)

  1. 10 Minute Moderate Pace Warm-up: Walk at a moderate, easy pace for the first 10 minutes to get your muscles and body awake and warmed up. (Moderate means you’re not trying hard, not straining, walking at an easy-to-maintain pace, but not going slow enough to shuffle your feet.)
  2. Interval 1 – Brisk Pace 1 Minute, Easy 4 Minutes: Take brisk strides for 1 minute, then slow down to moderate/easy again for 4 minutes.
  3. Interval 2 – Repeat Brisk Pace 1 Minute, Easy 4 Minutes: Same brisk pace as before; it should feel easier and more fluid the second time, now that your muscles are warm and pliable. After 1 minute, slow to your moderate pace and try to feel your feet rolling through the strides, touching the ground mid-foot first, rolling through the ball of your foot. Feel the muscles of your feet and legs cushioning your stride—don’t let your heels take the shock of your stride, you’re designed to walk and run with muscles absorbing and giving you a cushy ride, so don’t force the shock into your skeleton by hitting your heels on the ground!
  4. Interval 3 – Brisk Pace 2 Minutes, Easy 3 Minutes: You’re now warm, fluid in motion, and you can maintain the brisk pace for 2 minutes, with a 3 minute easy pace to cool down. If you feel like you’re straining during the 2 minute brisk segment, you’re walking too fast, slow it down and just keep a pace which requires effort to maintain. You’re training your muscles and lungs to develop some endurance, this is a good thing!
  5. 5 Minute Cool-down, Easy Pace: You’ve done great, just walk at your moderate pace for 5 minutes, feel the cushioned stride, keep your arms active and keep breathing deeply—in through the nose, out through the mouth. Gradually dial down from your moderate pace to a really slow pace. Keep your good form, don’t hit the heels, maintain cushioned strides, just shorten them to match your slow forward progress.
  6. 5 Minute Stretch: While your muscles are warm, this is the time to stretch, get some flexibility back, and help avoid future range-of-motion injuries. Do your favorite stretches, basics are fine. Stretch arms up to the sky, clasp hands and slowly hang down at the waist and reach for the toes; next put hands on hips and bend to each side reaching outside hand up and over toward the leaning direction; next gently stretch Achilles tendons with one foot flat behind you while leaning with hands against a wall or bench. Add a couple of stretches you like to finish off, and remember with all stretches, you can prevent strains and pulls by doing doing them s-l-o-w-l-y.

That’s it, a simple 35 minute walk, including a nice stretch at the end. If you haven’t had any exercise in a while, I’m betting you’ll feel pretty good. Do this 4 mornings per week, and in a couple of weeks, you may actually be feeling great!

The first step in moving toward a healthy and fit you is literally, taking forward steps! You just need to move your body, and your body is built for walking (and running). You will feel better, and trust me, you’ll be on your way to getting healthier for BlogWorld!

Next post, we’ll talk about eating light and basics of weight loss.

Tweet me your health & fitness questions! If you need help with health & fitness, or if you’d like to share or discuss training or exercises, tweet me @dave_blogworld and let’s talk about it!

Important: Check with your doctor before any new exercise routine, and get professional guidance and oversight. I’m not a physician, just a social media fanatic like you. If you have injuries, a disability, pain from exercise, or other warning signs that something’s “wrong”, seek medical attention immediately. Being healthy includes being smart, and safe! And remember to hydrate: drink water before and during exercise time; you’ll decrease muscle cramping, avoid overheating and speed muscle recovery.

Disclaimer: Posted health & fitness tips are suggestions and anecdotes provided for your information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken based solely on the contents of this information; instead, readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being.

Social Networking Finds Higher Calling

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Social Networking Right when you thought you knew exactly what Social Media and Social Networking was capable of, right when you thought you knew exactly what it’s future would be and that it was officially shifting towards business, something pops up that gives you a renewed hope for just what all this new technology could be capable of.  Today is one of those days.

I just caught wind of a project taking place in Cleveland, Ohio where health officials are actually using social networking sites like Facebook and other mediums that are similar to address a growing problem in the public health scene:  HIV and STD’s.  Check out the official news from Cleveland:

“The city’s health department will set up profiles on two popular gay meeting sites next week and plans to log on to Facebook later….The profiles will allow the department to communicate with other users on the sites whose real names may not be known by their sexual partners….Cleveland HIV/AIDS services director David Merriman says it’s not unusual for those who test positive for HIV or another sexually transmitted disease to say some sexual encounters were with people they knew only by a Web site screen name…Columbus Public Health began using social networking sites in a similar manner last year.”

Personally, I love seeing new technology being used in even newer ways.  It would be closed-minded to think that all of the buzz and excitement surrounding new social media, social networking and microblogging sites is limited to business and profit.  The bottom line is, a lot of good Can be done when you’ve the ability to reach so many people in one fell swoop.

With Facebook officially hitting 200 million members, the time is now to really embrace the technology and start reaching broader audiences with broader problems.  Taking advantage of this is officially job number 1.

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