“Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.” – Unknown
Why should you be resilient? We live in a tough world. Full of competition, setbacks and failure. When you try and want to give up, that is when you know you must hang on a little harder. Starting a training program is tough, reaching a goal is tough, losing weight is tough. You must be tougher. When the scale isn't moving and you are having an off day and french fries and a Dr Pepper have never sounded better, then that is when you need to take a step back...Remember why you started this journey. Remember how far you have come. Remember all that you have already achieved. Rededicate yourself to your goal or give yourself a break if you need it. "I have worked out everyday this week and I don't feel like it"- its okay to feel that way! Just don't lose sight of what you want! Too often the next line is "so I might as well order take-out and camp out on the couch, I'm over this whole being healthy thing" (or some variation of such). You must persevere through the good days and more importantly through the bad days to reach your goal! Do not surrender to the negative self-talk in your head. Positively affirm yourself instead! "I have done so much this week that I am going to take today as a break but I will be back and refreshed tomorrow"- that is the kind of positive self-talk you need to remind yourself of, do not let the negative self-defeating words start sneaking into your workouts.
“Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.” – Marilyn vos Savant
Instant gratification does not work in fitness. Ask any person that has ever done a crash diet or taken a weight loss pill. When you so dramatically change your life you can often be setting up for failure. Do not let your past experiences of failing to meet your goal or gaining weight back defeat you for your future. You can lose the weight. You can be the fit, healthy and active person that you want to be. You will make the daily changes and sacrifices in your life to make that work and you will not give up on your new plan. The key is following your SMART goals and making a realistic plan for you. If you are currently eating 3,000 calories a day then why would you cut down to 1,200 for your weight lose plan? You will lose weight if you cut down by smaller increments and you will not feel as deprived. Some people can eat a normal diet of 2,000 and still lose weight! That is a crazy concept to crash dieters that live on a yo-yo of eating out and consuming thousands of calories a day to restricting down to 1,200 bland calories and working out many hours a day. Those people crash because the change is too drastic and although they may lose weight at first, they will gain it back and then some. One pound is equal to 3,500 calories. So if you expend 500 calories more a day then you will lose one pound in one week. 500 calories means skipping dessert for a night or working out for an hour. If you make both changes then you will lose 2 pounds a week! The point is, you can make these small changes. Do not give up because it is too hard, make changes to make it more do-able. Be patient in the changes that are happening to your body and your mind. Do not expect instant results. If you can approach this realistically you will be proud of the 2 pounds you are losing a week. Most importantly, when its not going your way don't let it defeat you. It wouldn't be success if there weren't a risk of failure. BE RESILIENT!
"If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.” -Unknown
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Plank workout!
Use this video as a starting ground for your own plank workout. Proper technique will help you get results faster so please follow the tips I give to get your most toned tummy yet!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoXnbF0-umk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoXnbF0-umk
Friday, August 19, 2011
A little less talk, A LOT MORE ACTION
We spend so much time planning what we are going to do. Making schedules, buying what we need, talking with our friends, revising our schedules. We have busy lives and preparation is necessary. Some may say:
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
No one wants to fail, so we plan, we organize. But sometimes, we spend so much time talking about we are going to do, that we fail to actually do it. I will start my diet on Monday! This is my favorite. How many times have you heard or said that one? How many times have you made it through that last weekend of gorging yourself with all your favorite foods in preparation for your diet to find the temptation of a box of donuts at the office? Temptation exists in various forms every day. If you can fight it on Monday, you also fight it on the weekend and you could be three days closer to your goal by the new week. Instead of hungover and bloated from a weekend of feasting.
If you want to make a change. Then you are responsible to make that change. You are capable of making that change. You have the ability to CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Remind yourself of that everyday.
Scheduling gym time in to a jam packed schedule is important, but there also may be a day where a gym visit will not fit in your schedule but suddenly you realize you don't have anywhere to be for the next 15 minutes. Don't be a victim of your day planner. Use those 15 minutes to your advantage. Aren't there days when the day goes by a little too fast and you don't have the chance to check everything off your list? Well there are also days that you may have an extra few minutes before you have to do the next thing. Why not do 50 crunches and then hit the obliques 50 times? Or do push-ups until you max out, then squats to rest your upper body then back to push-ups until you max out. Or if you don't mind being a little sweaty. Go for a run and try to beat your fastest mile time! Those extra 15 minute workouts can help transform your body and will be time better spent than starring into your fridge because you are bored and don't know what to do with your extra time.
Wake up every morning and remind yourself that you are responsible for your own actions. Do the things you want to do each day that make you feel happy and healthy. When you hit the pillow at night you won't be regretting what you could have done because you didn't just plan, you acted. You can be proud for putting your talk into action. I know from experience, you will sleep a little sounder at night.
Alright now... ready, set, GO!
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
No one wants to fail, so we plan, we organize. But sometimes, we spend so much time talking about we are going to do, that we fail to actually do it. I will start my diet on Monday! This is my favorite. How many times have you heard or said that one? How many times have you made it through that last weekend of gorging yourself with all your favorite foods in preparation for your diet to find the temptation of a box of donuts at the office? Temptation exists in various forms every day. If you can fight it on Monday, you also fight it on the weekend and you could be three days closer to your goal by the new week. Instead of hungover and bloated from a weekend of feasting.
If you want to make a change. Then you are responsible to make that change. You are capable of making that change. You have the ability to CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Remind yourself of that everyday.
Scheduling gym time in to a jam packed schedule is important, but there also may be a day where a gym visit will not fit in your schedule but suddenly you realize you don't have anywhere to be for the next 15 minutes. Don't be a victim of your day planner. Use those 15 minutes to your advantage. Aren't there days when the day goes by a little too fast and you don't have the chance to check everything off your list? Well there are also days that you may have an extra few minutes before you have to do the next thing. Why not do 50 crunches and then hit the obliques 50 times? Or do push-ups until you max out, then squats to rest your upper body then back to push-ups until you max out. Or if you don't mind being a little sweaty. Go for a run and try to beat your fastest mile time! Those extra 15 minute workouts can help transform your body and will be time better spent than starring into your fridge because you are bored and don't know what to do with your extra time.
Wake up every morning and remind yourself that you are responsible for your own actions. Do the things you want to do each day that make you feel happy and healthy. When you hit the pillow at night you won't be regretting what you could have done because you didn't just plan, you acted. You can be proud for putting your talk into action. I know from experience, you will sleep a little sounder at night.
Alright now... ready, set, GO!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
hitting the pavement
It seems becoming a runner is the cool thing to do these days (1/2 marathon participants have spiked up to 30% more)! I have been getting a LOT of questions from newbies on how to start so I compiled two lists of the very basics.
If you are new to running there are a few basics that the elite runners forget to mention to us newbies. It is feasible to figure it all out on your own but wouldn't be a tad easier if I just told you some things to keep in mind if you are new to running? I think yes, so here are my top TOOLS and TIPS for newbie runners.
TOOLS
One of the fab joys of running is that you don't need a gym membership, a class schedule or any fancy equipment to hit the pavement, BUT there are a few tools that are going to keep you safe and running for a longer period here are the top tools.
1. You must invest in some good running shoes. Go to a legit store, try a few pairs and bounce around, jog in place in them. You need a shoe that is going to keep you stable and also give you a solid thumb width in between the end of your toe and the tip of the shoe. Generally, you have to go up a half size to get that space, I go up one size and lace up my shoes super tight to prevent toe banging (the fastest way to bruise and lose your toenails). You will need to replace these shoes after about 300-400 miles as the midline cushioning of your shoe will breakdown and can end up causing shin-splints or joint pain.
2. Get some arches. Stand on a sensor in a running store and determine if you have a high, mid, or low arch. If you invest in the arches you can help protect your shoes from breaking down too quickly and also can prevent against some body pains. Before I got arches my right knee always hurt on my short runs, after getting my medium arches from New Balance, that little bit of support in both shoes kept me running all the way through my half marathon without any pain at all!
3. Get good socks. Sweat wicking socks are a must to keep your toenails happy and attached and prevent foot fungus. Do your really need anymore explanation on why you want the sweat wicking brands? I didn't think so...
4. After all the focus on the feet I just have one note on all the other parts of your body...wear sun protection! Do you really want a farmer's tan? No. Then you should wear a broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. If you want to follow my lead, I wear sweat proof SPF 100 (why not?) and a very mom like hat. But really, no one judges your running attire, and if they do- just lap them on the street and they won't worry so much if your hat brim is flat and the material is mesh/breathable fabric. Jealous?
TIPS
1. Start slow. Often a newbie runner wants to run like a champ right out the gate. Running too fast, too much, too soon is a super way to get injured early. Running is a perfectly natural thing for your body to do, but running on pavement day after day as a newbie is a great way to break down cartilage before even giving your body a chance! The body needs time to rebuild ripped muscles after a run. While I trained, I followed a schedule of runs 3-4 days a week at first. I took the other days to do lower impact activities- swim>bicycle>elliptical>stairmaster for about 30 minutes followed by 30 minutes of strength. You can then build on the runs by increasing mileage each week and even increasing the number of days you run. I highly recommend taking one day off of running no matter what level of running you are, the body needs to recover and build up its strength for the next week of training.
2. Keep up your strength! Strength training while running is crucial. The focus is on muscle endurance think- low weight, high repetition (15-30 reps) rather than maxing out on your highest potential weight lifting. Focus on the strength in your back and core, do crunches, work obliques and work every muscle in your upper and lower back. These practices will keep you strong in your runs and again- prevent against injury! I knew a super fit runner that tore her obliques running a week before she ran the half marathon. Those muscles need to be kept in tip-top shape to protect you while implementing your new running plan.
3. STRETCH. I realize at this point, you are skimming through this post, but please do not skip out on this last piece. STRETCHING YOUR HAMSTRINGS AND HIPS will keep you limber, aid in muscle recovery, increase your stride, and again PREVENT INJURY. You need to stretch for 10-30 seconds for each muscle group after a run when your muscles are all warmed up. Stretch to a point of mild discomfort (not pain) and hold that position. Stretching will keep you in this running game for longer. Plus you will find there are many added benefits to being super limber :)
Hope these Tools and Tip were uber useful or at least will prevent you from learning some of the lessons I had to learn the hard way...(after doctor recommended toenail removal surgery- one week before my first 1/2 marathon)
If you are new to running there are a few basics that the elite runners forget to mention to us newbies. It is feasible to figure it all out on your own but wouldn't be a tad easier if I just told you some things to keep in mind if you are new to running? I think yes, so here are my top TOOLS and TIPS for newbie runners.
TOOLS
One of the fab joys of running is that you don't need a gym membership, a class schedule or any fancy equipment to hit the pavement, BUT there are a few tools that are going to keep you safe and running for a longer period here are the top tools.
1. You must invest in some good running shoes. Go to a legit store, try a few pairs and bounce around, jog in place in them. You need a shoe that is going to keep you stable and also give you a solid thumb width in between the end of your toe and the tip of the shoe. Generally, you have to go up a half size to get that space, I go up one size and lace up my shoes super tight to prevent toe banging (the fastest way to bruise and lose your toenails). You will need to replace these shoes after about 300-400 miles as the midline cushioning of your shoe will breakdown and can end up causing shin-splints or joint pain.
2. Get some arches. Stand on a sensor in a running store and determine if you have a high, mid, or low arch. If you invest in the arches you can help protect your shoes from breaking down too quickly and also can prevent against some body pains. Before I got arches my right knee always hurt on my short runs, after getting my medium arches from New Balance, that little bit of support in both shoes kept me running all the way through my half marathon without any pain at all!
3. Get good socks. Sweat wicking socks are a must to keep your toenails happy and attached and prevent foot fungus. Do your really need anymore explanation on why you want the sweat wicking brands? I didn't think so...
4. After all the focus on the feet I just have one note on all the other parts of your body...wear sun protection! Do you really want a farmer's tan? No. Then you should wear a broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. If you want to follow my lead, I wear sweat proof SPF 100 (why not?) and a very mom like hat. But really, no one judges your running attire, and if they do- just lap them on the street and they won't worry so much if your hat brim is flat and the material is mesh/breathable fabric. Jealous?
TIPS
1. Start slow. Often a newbie runner wants to run like a champ right out the gate. Running too fast, too much, too soon is a super way to get injured early. Running is a perfectly natural thing for your body to do, but running on pavement day after day as a newbie is a great way to break down cartilage before even giving your body a chance! The body needs time to rebuild ripped muscles after a run. While I trained, I followed a schedule of runs 3-4 days a week at first. I took the other days to do lower impact activities- swim>bicycle>elliptical>stairmaster for about 30 minutes followed by 30 minutes of strength. You can then build on the runs by increasing mileage each week and even increasing the number of days you run. I highly recommend taking one day off of running no matter what level of running you are, the body needs to recover and build up its strength for the next week of training.
2. Keep up your strength! Strength training while running is crucial. The focus is on muscle endurance think- low weight, high repetition (15-30 reps) rather than maxing out on your highest potential weight lifting. Focus on the strength in your back and core, do crunches, work obliques and work every muscle in your upper and lower back. These practices will keep you strong in your runs and again- prevent against injury! I knew a super fit runner that tore her obliques running a week before she ran the half marathon. Those muscles need to be kept in tip-top shape to protect you while implementing your new running plan.
3. STRETCH. I realize at this point, you are skimming through this post, but please do not skip out on this last piece. STRETCHING YOUR HAMSTRINGS AND HIPS will keep you limber, aid in muscle recovery, increase your stride, and again PREVENT INJURY. You need to stretch for 10-30 seconds for each muscle group after a run when your muscles are all warmed up. Stretch to a point of mild discomfort (not pain) and hold that position. Stretching will keep you in this running game for longer. Plus you will find there are many added benefits to being super limber :)
Hope these Tools and Tip were uber useful or at least will prevent you from learning some of the lessons I had to learn the hard way...(after doctor recommended toenail removal surgery- one week before my first 1/2 marathon)
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Find Your Love Affair
I have a love affair with fitness. I love to sweat. I love hearing the music blast through my headphones and the clink of weights hitting the rack. I love feeling my heart racing out of my chest. I love when I can't catch my breath. I love feeling so sore the next day that I am brutally aware of every muscle in my body. If my butt is sore enough to make sitting down painful, I am going to have a fabulous day.
I am also a freak.
But, I truly believe that every person can find a love affair with fitness. You may not love the same things I love. Try not to judge me when I tell you about mine and I promise not to judge you when you find your love affair in Strip Aerobics.
My advice to you is to try new things to discover your love affair. Try something that sounds appealing to you or try something that sounds absolutely not your style. You may end up in love with Bikram yoga (a specific series of yoga poses in 105 degree classroom) even though you normally hate sweating, or you may fall in love with Zumba even though you have no rhythm. You do not need to be good at something to give it a whirl. Scan the lists of classes at gyms close to you. Look for community classes in your area. There are almost always first timers specials. If you really want to take advantage, sample classes at different yoga studios and gyms always invoking whatever their new member special is (there are places that give you the first two weeks for the price of one class!) Tell an instructor that you are new so you make sure to do things correctly and not get injured in your fitness experiments. Also try new things more than once; the first class is spent trying to figure out what to do and doesn't allow you to get in the flow. Many Bikram followers believe it takes 10 straight days of the practice for your brain to appreciate it the way that your body benefits from it. So do not give up after the first day. If you are intrigued enough to try again, get your booty out there for another round. I do believe you will find your love. When you do, working out shifts from being a chore to being the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning.
“An hour of basketball feels like 15 minutes. An hour on a treadmill feels like a weekend in traffic school.” ~ David Walters
Find your "basketball" and make your workout fly-by. My hope for you is that you find what you are looking for in fitness and you continue to love it the way I love it for the rest of your life.
I am also a freak.
But, I truly believe that every person can find a love affair with fitness. You may not love the same things I love. Try not to judge me when I tell you about mine and I promise not to judge you when you find your love affair in Strip Aerobics.
My advice to you is to try new things to discover your love affair. Try something that sounds appealing to you or try something that sounds absolutely not your style. You may end up in love with Bikram yoga (a specific series of yoga poses in 105 degree classroom) even though you normally hate sweating, or you may fall in love with Zumba even though you have no rhythm. You do not need to be good at something to give it a whirl. Scan the lists of classes at gyms close to you. Look for community classes in your area. There are almost always first timers specials. If you really want to take advantage, sample classes at different yoga studios and gyms always invoking whatever their new member special is (there are places that give you the first two weeks for the price of one class!) Tell an instructor that you are new so you make sure to do things correctly and not get injured in your fitness experiments. Also try new things more than once; the first class is spent trying to figure out what to do and doesn't allow you to get in the flow. Many Bikram followers believe it takes 10 straight days of the practice for your brain to appreciate it the way that your body benefits from it. So do not give up after the first day. If you are intrigued enough to try again, get your booty out there for another round. I do believe you will find your love. When you do, working out shifts from being a chore to being the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning.
“An hour of basketball feels like 15 minutes. An hour on a treadmill feels like a weekend in traffic school.” ~ David Walters
Find your "basketball" and make your workout fly-by. My hope for you is that you find what you are looking for in fitness and you continue to love it the way I love it for the rest of your life.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Fight the Fear
I find that fitness and life are interwoven in a way that you cannot fully understand until you see how improved fitness can improve your life with your very own eyes. I'm not talking simply about tighter abs making you feel better about wearing a bikini (although certainly that aspect has a positive effect on confidence boosts). I am talking about a deeper kind of confidence that comes from challenging yourself beyond your current capabilities and challenging the very things you are afraid of. I deeply fear failure. Running helped me see that my body can do much more than my brain initially allows.
I grew up a non-runner. In elementary school, I was always the last one to finish the warm up laps at tennis camp; in middle school I was the one responsible for making the whole team run extra sprints at basketball practice because of my lagging pace; and in high school, I was the only person to not make the walk-on track team and was told by the coach that he was sure "I would find something else I was good at." Bottom line, not being able to run was a point of disappointment for me for many years.
In college, I changed my major many times, never feeling fully satisfied with my choices. In total fear of choosing the wrong thing and being stuck in a career and a life that I didn't want. It wasn't until my senior year of college when suddenly everything started to fall into place. I started modeling more which I realized didn't feel like work at all. I then took my focus in school off of "finding a career" and opened it to "finding something I was passionate about". What I realized was that my unsought passions of modeling and acting had a stronghold on me. I had never really thought of pursuing my love of these careers because I felt like I was under-qualified. I was supposed to find "something else I was good at" and I did not have the natural talent to pursue these fields. Plus, all I could think about was how much better everyone else was at acting and some of them could even sing and dance too--how could I compete with that? This fear of "not being good enough" was powerful enough for me to deny my own passions. I realized this very fear was paralyzing me from doing what I loved to do. Because I never want to be paralyzed by my own fear of failure, I decided to pursue these fields by blindly moving from my life in Boston to a brand new adventure in LA. Deciding you are going to follow your dreams is a terrifying reality to face. Where would I ever start?
I looked at my life and all the things I would need to accomplish to make this change possible. The most important part of everything I viewed was to start believing in myself to work through life's obstacles.
Being the fitness minded person that I am, I found a parallel between my fear of acting and my inability to run. I had merely accepted the truth about "not being a runner" rather than trying to do something about it. As far as I could tell, my legs were fully functional, so why had I believed for so many years that I couldn't do something about becoming a runner? In January, I challenged myself to run a 1/2 marathon in June. At the time, I could not even run for 15 minutes without catching my breath. But low and behold, I followed a training schedule. I started slow, I worked my way up. I researched and read and studied everything I could about runners. Six months after I set that goal I can now proudly tell you I completed my goal. I ran a 1/2 marathon after spending a lifetime thinking I couldn't run. The only thing getting in my way of running was MY FEAR of not being good enough. MY FEAR of not being the best. You don't have to be the best at everything you do. You do not have to be able to do everything. But, if fear is keeping you from following your passions then you need to challenge yourself to FIGHT THE FEAR.
You are not born as the person you are meant to be. You must work through the obstacles of life to fight for the person you can be. Often it's true that the harder the obstacle, the greater the triumph. You can train yourself to overcome the obstacles of life by challenging yourself in fitness. For me, once I learned to run, all of a sudden moving cross country to follow my dream feels much less daunting. At first 13.1 miles seemed impossible. But each week of training the miles increased and they even got easier! The day of the race the only remnants of my past fears were the butterflies in my stomach. But there was not one second of those 13.1 miles that I thought I would not finish, I knew I could do it as long as I kept putting one foot in front of the other. My head is still held high as I take on my next challenge. I will follow my dream to Hollywood and if the intimidation ever tries to get the best of me I will just keep moving one foot in front of the other.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
train SMART
When it comes to fitness training the best way to stay motivated while tracking progress is to set goals. There is a simple formula that can take goals from the things you forget about along the way to the things that propel you to success. These goal are called SMART goals and are taught in not only in fitness, but also in business and the like. Thats because this formula is easy to use and effective! The formula is this, make every goal SMART, that stands for: Specific, Measurable Attainable, Realistic and Timely. In practice that can go as follows:
Specific- SET YOUR GOAL! Make your goal specific to what you want out of your fitness routine, set the exact number of pounds you want to lose or the number of miles you want to be able to run or that you will work out everyday for a period of time or do a 30-day yoga challenge. Set a goal that is meaningful to you and will make a difference in how you feel about your health and fitness level.
Measurable- How are you going to know that you meet your goal? If you are losing weight, weigh in and write down your info before and then track your progress in a weekly or biweekly weigh in (never weigh everyday, your weight will not be significantly changing on a day-to-day basis and weighing in can be discouraging or just needlessly obsessive). If you are running in a race see how far or fast you can go on your first run and then you can see how you improve as you get closer to race day.
Attainable- Does this goal challenge you? Find a goal that stretches you out of your comfort level but is still possible to achieve.
Realistic- Can you accomplish this goal? Are you willing and able to do the work that is required to achieve it? Make sure to make a goal realistic for you! Sign up for a 5K if you have never run before or sign up for a 1/2 marathon if you are trying to increase your current routine. Sign-up for 30 days of unlimited yoga. Challenge a friend to do 5 workouts a week with you. If you are going for weight loss, generally about 2 pounds a week is a realistic weight loss goal (although higher body fat clients can lose more than that per week and still be healthy).
Timely- When do you want to achieve your goal? Set a date that you will check in, 2 weeks, a month, the date of an event. *Extra motivation to sign up for a run, biking race or a sprint triathlon as a time constraint to achieve your goal in time to compete.
Once you find your SMART goal, put it into action. Write down your goal in a journal, set reminders on your calendar, put post-its on your mirror and pictures on your refrigerator. The more you keep your goal in mind the more likely you are to succeed. By actively using this formula, you can have success in getting what you want out of your fitness challenges.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
A bear, however hard he tries grow tubby without exercise. -Winnie the Pooh
Monday, April 25, 2011
Is it REALLY worth all the effort?
Here are six super fantastic reasons that you should get out there and work your body! Reblogged from active.com Check out their site (primarily running based) for daily updates of the latest studies, local athletic events and races. Who knew working out does more than whittle your waistline?
Think Fast British workers were surveyed on a day they worked out and a day they didn't. People said they made fewer mistakes, concentrated better, and were more productive on the day they were active.
Stay Sharp A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society reported that women who were active as teenagers were less likely to develop dementia later in life.
Sleep Tight Insomniacs fell asleep in 17 minutes on days they ran, compared to 38 minutes on days they didn't. They also slept for an extra hour on days they exercised.
Sneeze Less People who exercise for an hour a day are 18 percent less likely to suffer upper-respiratory-tract infections than those who are inactive, according to a study from Sweden. Moderate activity boosts immunity.
Breathe Easy Researchers had asthmatics do two cardio workouts and one strength session a week. After three months, they reported less wheezing and shortness of breath.
Live Longer A review of 22 studies found that people who work out 2.5 hours a week are 19 percent less likely to die prematurely than those who don't exercise. A separate study found that active people have a 50 percent lower risk of premature death.
There you have it. It REALLY is worth it! Now get out there and move your body~ not just for burning the calories but for a good night's sleep and a long productive life!
Article by Amy Rushlow (Runners World)
Go here for the full article:
http://www.active.com/running/Articles/10-Reasons-Running-Is-Good-for-You.htm?cmp=291&memberid=115431174&lyrisid=21733516
Thursday, April 14, 2011
5 Things you can start doing TODAY
5. Get some sleep. Early to bed, early to rise- I dont care what hours you are sleeping, just aim for 8 hours a night. You would be amazed at how much energy you have when you get in a full night's rest.
4. Stay hydrated. Invest in a water bottle now. So many cute and purse friendly options, if you don't own one by now, get on it and get drinking!!! Please save the earth and your wallet and do not buy those Evian purified one-time use water bottles (save that money for lulu, helloooo). Aim for 64 ounces a day- If you use a 32 oz bottle you only have to suck down two of those a day! If you really need me to list off all the reasons why you should, I will be happy to on another day but for now, know that the more you drink the skinnier you will be, and aren't we trying to make everything fit here!?
3. Eat breakfast. The Special K commercials haven't convinced you yet? Then I don't know how I'm going to, but here is my shot: Your metabolism (calorie burner) goes to sleep when you do so you don't starve in your sleep, when you wake up it doesn't until you put those first calories into it. I recommend having a hearty breakfast- like greek yogurt (higher protein), with Kashi go-lean crunch (high yummy protein) with fresh fruit. I pair this with green tea to really give my digestive system a jump-start in the morning. When you start your day with a good hearty breakfast you will be more likely to make healthy choices throughout the day.
2. Drink tea. Ohhh the power of tea. There are a plethora of delicious and nutritious options, each kind boasts another kind of healing power. I typically choose green which has powerful antioxidants and is believed to reduce risk of infection, cancer, heart disease, tooth decay, depression, headaches and what you all are most interested in- it helps burn calories. I'll drink to that!
1. Move your booty. Its a fitness blog, people, you should have guessed my number one! Save gas and park in the first spot you see, then walk from there. Take the stairs. I live on the 17th floor, the days I don't make it to the gym, you can bet your booty I run up those stairs. You will feel better when you do something! I won't even judge you if you get a pedometer step counter and strap it on your sneakers. You can see how many steps you take in a day. The goal is 10,000 steps which is about 5 miles. If you can get those steps in a day then you deserve that Kudos bar, go ahead, eat it all at once.
4. Stay hydrated. Invest in a water bottle now. So many cute and purse friendly options, if you don't own one by now, get on it and get drinking!!! Please save the earth and your wallet and do not buy those Evian purified one-time use water bottles (save that money for lulu, helloooo). Aim for 64 ounces a day- If you use a 32 oz bottle you only have to suck down two of those a day! If you really need me to list off all the reasons why you should, I will be happy to on another day but for now, know that the more you drink the skinnier you will be, and aren't we trying to make everything fit here!?
3. Eat breakfast. The Special K commercials haven't convinced you yet? Then I don't know how I'm going to, but here is my shot: Your metabolism (calorie burner) goes to sleep when you do so you don't starve in your sleep, when you wake up it doesn't until you put those first calories into it. I recommend having a hearty breakfast- like greek yogurt (higher protein), with Kashi go-lean crunch (high yummy protein) with fresh fruit. I pair this with green tea to really give my digestive system a jump-start in the morning. When you start your day with a good hearty breakfast you will be more likely to make healthy choices throughout the day.
2. Drink tea. Ohhh the power of tea. There are a plethora of delicious and nutritious options, each kind boasts another kind of healing power. I typically choose green which has powerful antioxidants and is believed to reduce risk of infection, cancer, heart disease, tooth decay, depression, headaches and what you all are most interested in- it helps burn calories. I'll drink to that!
1. Move your booty. Its a fitness blog, people, you should have guessed my number one! Save gas and park in the first spot you see, then walk from there. Take the stairs. I live on the 17th floor, the days I don't make it to the gym, you can bet your booty I run up those stairs. You will feel better when you do something! I won't even judge you if you get a pedometer step counter and strap it on your sneakers. You can see how many steps you take in a day. The goal is 10,000 steps which is about 5 miles. If you can get those steps in a day then you deserve that Kudos bar, go ahead, eat it all at once.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
LuluLOVE
Fashion and fitness are not separate worlds. Trends come and go in each and we tend to cringe as we look back on the days of what we used to think was cool. Luckily for our generation we have bypassed the days of 80s aerobic classes, head-to-toe lycra and leg-warmers. We even made it through the 90s where wearing your dad/brother/boyfriends oversized tee was cool and made even cooler when draped over swishy shorts (the shorts that literally made that swish noise).
In short, we are lucky to have the greatest fashion in fitness since who knows when. The clothes are so cute, you can wear them out running errands or to the salon. Or if you are like me, you can spend every waking hour of your life dressed head to toe in Lulu. It is true, I am a lululemon addict. Give me a closet of couture or a closet of lulu and the decision would not be easy. I mean technically you can't wear lulu to a premiere but I have worn it on a second date (although I felt good in that I didn't spring it on him in our first date- try not to judge). I cannot be allowed to shop in that store unsupervised and I avoid their website at all cost. I simply love the clothes. They are comfortable, wick away sweat and squeeze your butt in and up better than a pair of spanx. They also last for-ev-er. I bought my first pair of black "groove" pants six years ago, have worn them at least once a week since then, washed and dried them with the rest of my laundry and they look the same as they did the day I bought them. When you see that first daunting price tag, keep in mind the power of investment. Literally, they are the only item that has lasted 6 years in my closet (I am hard on my clothes and am quick to toss out anything remotely faded or outdated) and I love them just as much now as I did then. I stumbled across the store--or walked a 1/2 mile out of my way after lunch in order to stumble across it--this weekend with a freshly cashed pay check and well, this is what happened (see image). oops.
The truth is, we are beyond the times when you wear the giant sweats you painted your living room in around town. Who wants to run into anyone in those old scrubs? And you know you always run into the exes or even worse the exes new girlfriends while you are in your most scrub-like clothing. Alas, you can be CUTE and COMFY. Throw away the old stained t-shirts and wear clothes that you feel good in! You deserve to reward your body with adorable clothing--even adorable fitness clothing. I know from experience even if you run into that loser old boyfriend just after finishing your hour long workout with zero make-up and hair glued to your head with the magical power of sweat, you will know at the very least he has something to be sorry for as you sashay away shaking that suctioned up sexy booty. And for that, to you lulu, I am forever grateful.
In short, we are lucky to have the greatest fashion in fitness since who knows when. The clothes are so cute, you can wear them out running errands or to the salon. Or if you are like me, you can spend every waking hour of your life dressed head to toe in Lulu. It is true, I am a lululemon addict. Give me a closet of couture or a closet of lulu and the decision would not be easy. I mean technically you can't wear lulu to a premiere but I have worn it on a second date (although I felt good in that I didn't spring it on him in our first date- try not to judge). I cannot be allowed to shop in that store unsupervised and I avoid their website at all cost. I simply love the clothes. They are comfortable, wick away sweat and squeeze your butt in and up better than a pair of spanx. They also last for-ev-er. I bought my first pair of black "groove" pants six years ago, have worn them at least once a week since then, washed and dried them with the rest of my laundry and they look the same as they did the day I bought them. When you see that first daunting price tag, keep in mind the power of investment. Literally, they are the only item that has lasted 6 years in my closet (I am hard on my clothes and am quick to toss out anything remotely faded or outdated) and I love them just as much now as I did then. I stumbled across the store--or walked a 1/2 mile out of my way after lunch in order to stumble across it--this weekend with a freshly cashed pay check and well, this is what happened (see image). oops.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
First time for everything
There are people in this world that love to run, that are built for speed or distance, that running comes naturally to- I am certainly not one of those people. I find running awkward, even painful. I lose pace, I struggle to catch my breath, my stride is that of a 5'2" girl when I am actually 5'10". For a girl that loves fitness, I am as little of a runner as you can be. So naturally, I have been training for a 1/2 marathon. To me its not a challenge unless its overcoming an obstacle. Me not being a runner, is sort of a large obstacle.
In a 1/2 marathon training regimen, they recommend to first be able to run non-stop for 30 minutes, any distance. It took me a couple weeks, but I checked that off the list and began to hit the road timing my runs for time and distance. What I found was that for me to run consecutive miles, I was pacing out at about 10 minutes a mile. I was even less of a runner than I thought! Running sounded much less entertaining when I felt I was not good at it. So I had to change my attitude. Forcing myself to run was going to make me better. Sounds fun right? Well, amazingly it became fun fast. Each run becomes a challenge. And I always make sure to change up the routine. On the days I cannot handle the wind in Boston, I move it onto the treadmill, up the incline to 1.0 (because no incline is set to running downhill on most treadmills), put my headphones in and zone out to whatever show is on tv at the gym. Its a different feeling then the road (or running the paths of the Charles river in Boston), but sometimes I need a re-run of Friends to get me through the miles and you can't carry a tv around the river without running the risk of falling in.
Today, I didn't need a tv to get me to complete my mileage. I ran my first ever 5k race (or 3.1 miles if you are American). It was the best motivator I could have. I wanted to beat my personal best as much as wanting to fly by the other racers. Finding a pace was my challenge as I completed the first mile in a personal record breaking 8 minutes! After that first mile, I had to fall into a more reasonable pace closing the race in 27:57. Another personal record. For not being a runner, the feeling of beating a personal best is better than the first bite of a hot chocolate souffle, and to find something besides food that gives me that feeling (and is good for my body) is not something I plan on quitting anytime soon.
In a 1/2 marathon training regimen, they recommend to first be able to run non-stop for 30 minutes, any distance. It took me a couple weeks, but I checked that off the list and began to hit the road timing my runs for time and distance. What I found was that for me to run consecutive miles, I was pacing out at about 10 minutes a mile. I was even less of a runner than I thought! Running sounded much less entertaining when I felt I was not good at it. So I had to change my attitude. Forcing myself to run was going to make me better. Sounds fun right? Well, amazingly it became fun fast. Each run becomes a challenge. And I always make sure to change up the routine. On the days I cannot handle the wind in Boston, I move it onto the treadmill, up the incline to 1.0 (because no incline is set to running downhill on most treadmills), put my headphones in and zone out to whatever show is on tv at the gym. Its a different feeling then the road (or running the paths of the Charles river in Boston), but sometimes I need a re-run of Friends to get me through the miles and you can't carry a tv around the river without running the risk of falling in.
Today, I didn't need a tv to get me to complete my mileage. I ran my first ever 5k race (or 3.1 miles if you are American). It was the best motivator I could have. I wanted to beat my personal best as much as wanting to fly by the other racers. Finding a pace was my challenge as I completed the first mile in a personal record breaking 8 minutes! After that first mile, I had to fall into a more reasonable pace closing the race in 27:57. Another personal record. For not being a runner, the feeling of beating a personal best is better than the first bite of a hot chocolate souffle, and to find something besides food that gives me that feeling (and is good for my body) is not something I plan on quitting anytime soon.
Friday, April 8, 2011
What is everything fit?
Everything fit means making those skinny jeans fit, fitting that yoga class into your 9-7 work schedule, fitting the fresh produce into your shopping cart, fitting into the size you can be, finding what workouts fit your lifestyle, fitting in the 10 extra minutes to meditate, allowing a glass of wine to fit into your daily calorie allotment. The truth is you can make EVERYTHING FIT!
This blog is not about pushing a round of protein powders, supplements and 2 hour workouts every day of the week. Instead, it is about living a life of movement. Finding a balance in life between making time for fitness and for going out with friends. I do not believe you have to choose to live a life as an extremist. Those that never eat sugar miss out on the fabulousity of a freshly baked cookie or pineapple infused creme brulee. Those that always go to sleep at 9 to wake up for the gym at 5 miss out on the nights dancing with their friends through last call until the bar closes and turns on all the lights (dancing in heels counts as a workout too people)! Those that avoid working out at all cost miss out on the feeling of accomplishment of sweating through their clothes and meeting a fitness goal. You do not have to know everything about fitness. You do not have to have the right clothes (although the right shoes are pretty crucial). You do not even have to work out at a gym. You just have to motivate yourself to get up and move.
There is no one way to a fit lifestyle. There is no easy way either. Living fit is a challenge. At first, it is a daily challenge or can even be a minute by minute challenge counting down the moments spent at the gym hoping your 30 minute allotment of cardio will end soon. But, as we grow stronger, working out does get easier! The harder I work the more I realize that the road has a way of beckoning me to run faster, the weights begging me for more reps, a new yoga class challenging me to try something different.
The goal of everything fit is to share my own fitness journey with you. I am a student of the Health Sciences, a group exercise instructor and a personal trainer. I work in my life to find a balance. Over the years I have at times been the everyday gym hamster (my pseudo affectionate term for the elliptical girls that go round and round on the machine all day) and I have also been a couch potato (believe it or not, months have gone by when I couldn't bring myself to so much as go for a walk outside). I have followed the "clean" diet eating plan, avoiding groups of foods and feeling deprived from my favorite things and I have had weeks where the only vegetables in my diet were the lettuce and tomato on my cheeseburger and the ketchup on my fries. I have seen my personal health and wellness yo-yo on each side of that pendulum based on how my exercise and eating routine is going. After years of swinging from side-to-side, I have found my somewhere in the middle. I am far from perfect, but that is the kind of perfection that I am promoting. Aiming for true perfection in diet, exercise or body composition is a recipe for insecurity, disappointment and insanity. Aiming to move everyday, eat nutrient rich foods as often as possible, drinking water, meditating and getting a good nights sleep are my essentials to balance. I will share with you my knowledge, personal experience and daily struggles in living a fit life.
Life is what you put into it. Exercise is the same. Throw yourself into it; before you know it, you can make everything fit.
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