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Gyms have their positive points: they are convenient, house lots of equipment, and often have childcare available to parents who need to tote their tots to the gym (this includes yours truly). Gyms also can offer a range of fitness classes and most  have personal trainers on staff. If you're not a huge fan of going to the gym however, and would like to try something different, check out these fun alternatives... Stroller Fit® SF targets the  “mommy muscles” – those muscles used during  labor and delivery, and post-partum, and basically every day thereafter. Moms have a chance to get ......
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Maybe you've been on a workout train for some time, diligently going to the gym and happily taking your dose of cardio and weight training, maybe even a few classes too just to challenge yourself. Perhaps you've been on this train, per se, for years, then all of a sudden, you're okay with missing a workout, then two. The idea of going to the gym or out the door for a jog becomes a chore, when it was once something you enjoyed. Have you been there? Are you there now? If so, read on... I think I can help. True, I am a trainer, but at heart, I'm really a fitness buff and have been since college. ......
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Because I love yoga, and Pilates, but am by no means a guru of either practice, I felt compelled to pass along some helpful resources so that you can learn more. Yoga is one of those activities that evolves as you evolve. The yoga you do today will not be the same yoga you do a year from now, and your body won't likely be the same body either (note: this is a good thing - Yoga evens 'things' out, balances muscles, massages the joints, just all-around good stuff ;0). I've learned through my own yoga/Pilates journey that there is always something new to learn.  That said, here are some fabulous......
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Even though I have addressed this topic before (a-hem, at least twice before), I'm circling back because A) I keep getting asked, "I did strength training today, what should I do tomorrow?" and B) I keep getting asked, "Is it okay to do both strength training and cardio on the same day?" If you want to cut to the chase, check out: "Cardiovascular or Weight Training: Which should come first?" Otherwise, stay right here, 'cause I'm about to WOW you with...pretty much the same thing I said before. ;0) Here's the thing - you need to know what it is you want to get out of your workouts. Are you try......
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You have probably heard about Pilates, or possibly know someone who talks of "reformers, chairs, straps, pulleys" (and other contraptions), and silently wonder, "what the heck is Pilates anyway?" The Pilates Method (or simply Pilates) was developed in Germany in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates. The core-strengthening and posture-improving benefits of regular practice have helped the Pilates Method develop a loyal following of faithful participants in recent years. The aesthetic benefits of regular practice can be seen on the physiques of famous devotees, such as Madonna and Gwyneth Pa......
Jul

20

Whether you are a die-hard gym-junkie or a “start and stopper” (you start a fitness program, follow it diligently for several weeks or months, then stop), or somewhere in between, no doubt you’ve hit a point when you were either:

  • Tired of exercise
  • Tired of the gym
  • Tired of your routine
  • Tired of not making steady progress…

I could add more, but I think you get the point: at some point, your exercise routine, no matter how regimented (or not) it is, might get stale. Psst…I have a secret: An often over-looked, but very important, component of that plan is “recovery” time!

Recovery time is built into fitness plans to allow the body time to rest. During this built-in rest time, lots of good stuff happens. Muscles rebuild themselves and metabolic changes take place at a cellular level. There is a lot going on when we exercise that we may not feel or see. Without recovery days, the body can’t properly rebuild and repair. Miss these important rest days enough times, and several things may occur:

  • Burn out
  • Injury
  • Lack of progress (you won’t see further adaptations – you’ll “plateau”)

Follow this “Rule of Thumb”: 1-2 days of rest per week, not necessarily in a row. For weight training, switching to a cardiovascular activity the following day, or training different muscle groups, will allow the muscles previously trained time to adapt and recover. The same goes for cardiovascular activity: after several days in a row of cardio, a day of rest or cross-training is a good idea. This will give you a chance to work different muscles and allow the muscles typically used a chance to rest. So if you are a runner, cross-training with cycling or swimming gives the “running” muscles a chance to rest. This is why Triathlon training is often called the perfect “triad” — cross-training is built in!



May

22

I recently posed this challenge to one of my clients, and for her, it worked like a charm. Hey, some of us are motivated by having the ante upped, including yours truly. Do more (exercise) this week than you did the week before.

So here is how it works:

For one week, tally the number of minutes you spend doing physical activity.

1. Record time spent doing cardiovascular activity, such as walking, jogging, swimming, aerobics, and so on.
2. Record the time spent doing other activity, such as gardening, housework, painting a room, or whatever.
3. Record time spent sitting.

Then, create a chart with a weekly goal. For instance, you might list physical activities separately, followed by “household chore” activity, job-related activity, and sedentary activity.

In the next column, record last week’s minutes spent doing those activities and non-activities, then up the ante for this week. A good rule of thumb is to add 2-5% more to each physical activity (if you want to be conservative), or up to 10% of you really want to challenge yourself.
In addition, make one goal to reduce time spent doing sedentary activity, like TV watching.

Create a column for each day of the week and at the end of each day, tally your minutes. On the last day of the week, do a quick tally to see if you will reach your goal. If you are at risk of falling short, see if you can squeeze in extra minutes of activity to help your reach your goal.

Refer to my simple chart here if you need a visual. You might have more activities on your own chart, and be sure to include all 7 days  (i.e, don’t think weekends don’t count, ’cause they do!)

goalchartHopefully, if all goes well, you will see your hard work paying off. Each week, you can create a new goal. Obviously, you can’t add time to your minutes forever, but you could eventually create a goal for, say, adding a new activity, or maintaining max heart rate for a certain number of minutes, and so on. It is a little hard to see the numbers on this chart, but I basically added time to each physical activity, and reduced the time spent in sedentary activity. For example, if I ran 120 mins last week, this week I’d aim for 130 or 140. If I sat and watched TV 200 mins last week, I’d shoot for 180 or less this week. Hopefully this all makes sense.

If you try this, let me know how it goes…
And if you have your own chart that you’d like to share, fire it my way and I’ll post it here on the blog.



May

07

Before you start an exercise program: Get inside your head!

How many times have you started an exercise regimen, only to stop after a few months, weeks, or even days? Trust me on this – you are NOT alone.  I’m using exercise as an example here, but there are myriad ways we start/stop something before reaching the goal.  Off the top of my head, I can think of several projects I’ve started, and not finished: a book proposal, re-organizing our closets, and giving the toy room a complete overhaul. Paralyzed by the enormity of the projects, the time they will take, etc., it is hard to stay on task. I’m going to follow my own advice below, using what I know about achieving fitness goals, to tackle my projects. I’ll let you know how it goes :-)

Here are 3 Steps to take BEFORE you start an exercise program (or begin any large project):

Step 1: Know what you want to achieve

This seems like an obvious thing to consider before starting any project, but many times this crucial first step is overlook. If your weight loss journey is to be a lasting and successful one, it must become part of who you are, so sit down and really think about what you want to achieve. Not what you hope to achieve, what you want to achieve. What is your intention? Is to lose weight? How much weight do you want to lose? Is it to get in shape? What kind of shape do you want to be in – marathon-running shape, toned and more energetic, or would you be happy just getting up the stairs without getting winded? These are important considerations –  without a clear sense of what you want, you’ll become easily distracted en route to your destination and the journey itself won’t be nearly as efficient, productive, fun or rewarding.

When stating your intention, keep it broad and brief, at least in the beginning. Intentions that are too specific are difficult to achieve. So use the KISS philosophy: Keep It Simple, Silly

Example of a broad intention: “To develop a healthy body composition.”

Example of an intention that is too specific: “To lose 2 lbs per week for 8 straight weeks by running five times per week for 40 minutes and by limiting calorie intake to 1500 calories per day.”  Even if you feel and look better at the 8-week mark, if you didn’t lose 16 lbs as you intended, you’ll likely see failure rather than success, even though you did have success.

Step 2: Know why you want it.

In other words, who is behind the change (you, or something/someone else?) If you want to lose 30 lbs, why do you want to lose 30lbs? Is this your decision? Your spouses? Your physicians? Your mothers? Know why you want what you want. The most lasting and successful plan will come from clear reasons why you want it. Spend time fleshing this out – it is important. If the catalyst for change is someone/something other than you, your odds of being successful are slim.

Write it down now. Why do you want it?

Step 3: Know what you like to do.

This almost seems to obvious too mention, but I am frequently stunned at the blank stare on clients’ faces when I ask, “what activities do you enjoy most?” Participating in an activity that you enjoy increases the likelihood you will stick with your fitness plan, so spend a few moments on these next two points:

1. Consider the type of exercise you like to do and when you prefer to

do it (morning, evening, mid-afternoon).

2. Make a list of all of the activities you enjoy doing, even past sports

you participated in, and childhood activities that were fun. Why do (did) you like these activities?

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