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I'm sure you've heard the saying, "a calorie is a calorie," and that when weight loss is the goal, you can probably loose weight on a 1,200 calorie/day diet whether it is 1,200 Twinkie calories or apple calories. At this point, you might be thinking, "Cool! I'll go on the Twinkie diet!"   Our bodies are smarter than that though, and I say, thank goodness. I know - I'm no fun at all :-). Last week at the grocery one of my kiddos held up a box of Twinkies and had the audacity to ask me to purchase them. I nearly burst a vessel in my forehead trying to restrain myself from smashing the box with......
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Being that it is summer, and there are vacations, kids home from school, camps, a lot of running around in circles...sometimes a workout is hard to knock out, even when intentions are high. When that happens, I have a 30-minute, total body workout that requires very little equipment, yet will leave you dripping in sweat. Wanna hear it? Here it is... You'll need:  a set of 10 or 12lb wts (lighter if you like), a resistance tube 5-10 minute warm up @ 40-50% max heart rate Set 1: 10-14 Burpees (also called pop squats) 3-way lunges w/ dumbbells: Start with weaker leg leading. Take one lunge forwa......
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Stumbled upon a few deals I'd like to pass along: 20% off planners! For all of you planners out there (you know who you are, planning each workout weeks in advance), get a head start on school year planning at MomAgenda. MomAgenda is offering 20% off small School Year books (use code: schoolyearsmom) Visit MomAgenda.com, offer expires 7.31.2011 *P.S. I LOVE MomAgenda planners. Seriously, love them - totally created by moms, for moms. Enough said. EatingWell magazine has a new book out: EatingWell 500-calorie Dinners for $22.45 (10% off the regular price). While you are planning workouts in you......
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Check out this video if you are unfamiliar with trigger point therapy... TPR Therapy, Ironman competitor Have you ever wished you could afford a personal masseuse? One who could come to your home, preferably daily, to help relieve you of the knots and muscle tightness that inevitably occur from daily workouts and, well, being a mom? In search of a solution to my IT band issues, I tried a chiropractor (not money well spent), stretching, massage therapy (therapist too gentle to release deep tissue), and my O.D. The O.D. provided the most valuable information: without proper biomechanics, the bod......
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The mysterious " fat burning zone " continues to confuse many gym-goers. The theory goes something like this: working out in a "zone" of intensity that is less intense for at least 20 minutes will burn more fat calories than calories from carbohydrate. Is this true? Yes and no, but mostly no. You actually burn more calories from fat right now, sitting still, reading this post, than you do on the treadmill. That is because in the resting state, the body burns a higher percentage of fat calories. As you crank up the exercise intensity, you burn a little less fat per calorie. However, it really c......
Nov

06

It isn’t often that the weather in November is both semi-warmish AND sunny, so take advantage of it while it lasts. Last I checked, most of the country (excluding Pacific Northwest – sorry guys) can expect decent weather through the weekend. Aside from the opportunity to soak up the last of the colorful fall foliage, hiking is great exercise. A 150lb person burns about 450 calories in one hour of hiking. The faster you walk, and the more hills there are, the more calories you’ll burn.

One of my favorite hiking areas is Hocking Hills (Ohio), about an hour southeast from Columbus. Amazing rock formations, breathtaking scenery, and hills. Lots of hills. Added bonus: this is one of the few activities the whole family enjoys, and the kids have no idea they are exercising! We call it “exploring nature.” Wink.

Need some hiking inspiration? Check out these sites for ideas…

Visit Trails.com to locate a trail near you.

Hop over to Yelp! to find out what other hikers in your neck of the woods recommend.

If you are lucky enough to live near one of our many U.S. National Parks, take advantage of the government website – it lets you search a park by location and activity. From there, you can read up on your park’s history and get directions.

A bit about safety…

Take your cell phone, driver’s license or Road I.D., water bottle, snacks (this is the perfect excuse to make your favorite trail mix – find recipe ideas here) and sunscreen (sun = sunburn, regardless of the time of year). Always tell at least one other person where you are going, and your expected return time. Always watch where you are going! I can’t emphasize this enough! Unpaved trails usually have rocks, tree branches, and are uneven. Many hikers have gone ass over tea kettle on a trail because they are in la la land when they should have their eyes on the path! And finally, it is always a good idea to hike with a buddy, especially if you’ll be visiting a new location that you are unfamiliar with. Abide by the park’s hours, and skadaddle when it dusk sets in.

And finally, because I think you can never bee too careful, check out Wilderness-Survival.net – a website full of advice, from identifying poisonous plants, to avoiding dangerous animals.



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