pic
The thing about change is that is seems so permanent. If it is too last, permanency is what we're after, right? But it is the long term aspect of change -  that feeling that we'll miss what we're moving away from so much that we'll barely function without it - that prevents most of us from ever taking a step toward it in the first place.  To succeed with any new health outcome, you'll have to change something, so buck up and get over it - change isn't so bad. Let's address a few of the factors that  make change so difficult in the first place, and hopefully by the end of this post, you'll h......
pic
What purpose does food serve for you? Have you thought about it before now? It is okay if you haven't  - I didn't either, until recently. While defending myself for making certain food choices, I realized I have a food philosophy, and that having such a thing actually enabled me to embrace a lifestyle that has resulted in lasting changes, nutritionally speaking. Mind you, my diet was not always nutritionally sound. There was a time when a giant  soft pretzel and a diet Coke was a meal on Friday night. I was young and stupid then. Happily, I've seen the light. My philosophy is now that food s......
pic
I’m addicted to watching The Biggest Loser (don’t worry, I’m gearing up for a loooong series of posts re: this show very soon – later this week, actually, so sit tight.) I love watching the massive transformation that takes place in a relatively short time. It is amazing, don’t you think? Off the show, people just like that are able to lose weight, and keep it off. They aren’t famous, of course, like the contestants, but they should be. Keeping weight off is HARD work. So how do they do it? I want to know, don’t you? Fortunately, weight loss is a subject that colleges and univers......
pic
Sometimes it is good to make a mistake.  Here are 5 mistakes that can help you reach your goal... 1. Skipping a workout (or two). When you are focused on trying to shed pounds, you might think missing a workout is taboo. But, let's assume you miss that workout not because you choose to skip it, but because something came up. Bad weather when you planned a run outdoors, or the power went out at the gym, or your 4 yr-old comes down with a fever and hour before your kickboxing class at the Y. Life happens. First off - this isn't a mistake, but an opportunity to troubleshoot. Bad weather? Hike in......
pic
One of the reasons so many people have a tough time getting started with a weight loss plan is enormity of the project before them.  It is like standing in front of Mt. Everest, with no idea how you got there, or how to begin scaling that monster. Not to oversimplify the complexity of health behavior change, but sometimes the easiest way to tackle a mountain like that is to take just one step.  Addendum: one step that leads to another step. Here is a great example of a real person who lost 135 lbs (it took 10 months - which is a little more than 1 lb per week - a very healthy pace): Fitness ......
Mar

20

Vacation itineraries don’t often include time for exercise, but with a little planning and creativity, there isn’t any reason your trip has to derail your normal workout routine. Here are some helpful tips for sneaking in some exercise while you’re away.

1. Pack small, lightweight equipment in your suitcase. Resistance tubing fits easily into any suitcase or carry-on and you can use it tone and strengthen every muscle in your body (even NFL football players use this simple tool – it REALLY works!) Do your workout right in your hotel room, or wrap it around your waste and jog to the nearest park. Trees, fences, and even parking meters make great anchors to wrap the tubing around for chest presses and rows. A jump rope is another convenient, grab-and-go tool you can use for a quick, calorie-burning session.

2. For a more challenging workout, consider investing in the TRX, which is a suspension training system originally developed for the Navy Seals. The TRX made its mainstream debut several years ago and has become one of the fastest selling strength training tools for both novices and hard-core fitness buffs. It is a total body strengthening and conditioning tool that is a snap to assemble. It weighs less than 2lbs, sets up in under 1 minute and you can use it in the hotel room, outdoors, at the gym…options are nearly endless. You can purchase one from FitnessAnywhere.com and can also see instructional “how to” videos on the website.

3. Take advantage of the hotel pool and fitness room. For business travelers, the pool and fitness room are busiest during the week in the early morning and evening. For leisure travelers at a resort, these tend to be the least busy times.

4. If the thought of running on the hotel treadmill is about as exciting as watching grass grow, book a City Running Tour and see the city you’re visiting on foot! Tour guides who happen to be distance runners take you on guided tours that include all of the tourist sites (or anything else you’d like to see). Distances vary in length according to your training level too.

5. Finally, many hotels now have fitness TV, so you can order up a workout to do right in your room. Another option is to pop open your laptop and download a fitness video straight from the Internet. And let’s face it – if you’re on vacation, relaxation is surely a priority too. Check out Yoga Download – you can choose from thousands of yoga and Pilates videos and if the mood strikes you, strike a pose!

Give one of these ideas a try during your next trip, and I guarantee you’ll come home feeling fit and refreshed.

What”s your favorite fitness-related travel tip?



Feb

17

Traveling can sure throw a wrench in your workout agenda. If you find you are among the many who intend to make up your workout when you get home, rather than work out while you’re on the road, I have good news – IHRSA (the International Health, Raquet & Sportsclub Association) can make it easier for you to stick to your regimen, no matter where you are.

The IHRSA Passport program gives you access to gyms that are close to your hotel (and if, like me, you’re tired of hotel gyms that have minimal equipment, and more patrons who want to use the equipment than there is equipment to go around, an alternative workout locations sounds pretty good.)

The deal: Pop over to Healthclubs.com and locate a IHRSA-affiliated gym near your hotel. You can also narrow down your search by activity or special requirements, such as “Spa Treatments,” or “Group Exercise.” Once you locate the gym of your choice, follow the instructions on the website, call the gym to verify specifics (guest fees, availability, reservations), and you’re good to go.

Note: you do need to be a member of an IHRSA club to participate in this deal, but many, many clubs are members. Ask your club if they are IHRSA members – many times your home gym will make these arrangements for you if you ask.

Happy travels!

Jun

23

Summer schedules are usually jam-packed with activities, from camp for the kids to vacations — it is easy to let workout schedules slide this time of year. With careful planning and simplified equipment that can be toted with you, there isn’t any reason your fitness routine has to take a back seat to all of the other activities you have planned.

Small, lightweight equipment is the key: Resistance tubing is great, packs nicely in any suitcase and you can use it to work the entire body either right in your hotel room, or wrap it around your waste and jog to the nearest park and work out there. Trees, fences…even parking meters, make great anchors to wrap the tubing around for chest presses, rows, tricep push backs, bicep curls, and lateral rotations for the obliques. And don’t feel silly doing this – boot camp classes are so popular now that seeing people working out in the park (esp in bigger cities) is very common. Jump roping is another terrific, on-the-road calorie burning tool. Again, these items fit right into your carry on or suitcase. Does it get any easier than that?

Another option is to take a TRX trainer. This suspension training system, originally developed for the Navy Seals, is becoming very popular in group fitness settings, personal training studios, and for in-home use. It is a terrific, total body strengthening and conditioning tool that weighs less than 2lbs, sets up in under 1 minute, and can be used in the hotel room or outdoors. You can purchase one from
FitnessAnywhere
and can also see instructional videos on the website.

No equipment? No problem – many hotels now have fitness TV, so you can order up a workout to do right in your room. You can also take your workout to the nearest park or playground and do strength training there – no equipment needed. Park benches make great steps for step ups to strengthen the hips and glutes; you can also do tricep dips and push-ups. Find the nearest playground and do the monkey bars, pull-ups, chin-ups…get creative, and most of all, have fun!

Take advantage of the hotel pool and fitness room. For business travelers – the pool and fitness room are busiest in the early morning and evening. For leisure travelers at a resort, these tend to be the least busy times. It is hard to muster the motivation to exercise while on vacation, but keeping up with your routine will make your vacation more enjoyable, and when you come home you won’t be faced with the daunting task of working off gobs of extra calories or making up lost ground toward your fitness goals.

Need a routine to follow while your gone? There are a number of online sources you can check out before you go so that you have a resource you feel comfortable using.

1. Fitness magazines have exercise pictures, video, and descriptions that take much of the thinking out of what to do when. Check out these routines at Shape, Self, Fitness, and Women’s Health.

2. Yoga Download. For yoga enthusiasts, there are so many videos to choose from, you could do a different yoga routine every day of your vacation. Download the videos to your iPod or laptop computer in a flash.

3. Have a personal trainer design a travel workout for you! Your fitness goals, exercise experience, vacation locale and itinerary, and the time you have available to workout all factor into an effective routine, and trainers know all too well how tough it can be to stay on top of your workout when you’re on the road. Need help with your vacation fitness routine? Feel free to contact me.

Archives

© Copyright 2013 - Blue Sky Living | Made by AppChain.com