Today started out like a typical Monday. My daughter refused to get up until the very last minute so we found ourselves rushing out the door to catch the camp bus, each holding a banana and energy bar. Fortunately the bus was running a bit late so Lucy was able to finish her "breakfast" and skipped onto the bus.
As for me, I made my way to the local Starbucks for some coffee and breakfast. Then I caught up on the news (depressing) and finally opened my textbook. More science. Lots of it. VO2 Max, stroke volume, cardiac output. It made my head swim and flashback to my younger college days. It also made me really grateful that fitness has become such a big part of my life! It's one thing to have my clothes fit better and see muscles where there have been none for quite some time but it's quite another thing to realize just how much my heart is benefiting from all of this too.
Inspired, I then drove over to the local library in search of some more books on exercise physiology. Major disappointment. There were lots of books on loosing weight, 90 seconds to a better you and the benefits of geriatric yoga, but there was only one on the actual science of exercise. Then I thought I would peruse through the most recent exercise magazines only to find that the only ones they had were Men's Health and Men's Fitness. What's up with that? Of course, there was a Yoga Magazine and Whole Living (formerly Body and Soul) but otherwise not much else to read.
Then I decided it was time to go to the gym. Again, I got in my car and drove to the gym only to realize that my gym bag was still at home! I had left myself plenty of time so I turned around and went back for my bag. Once I (finally) arrived at the gym, I quickly changed and was about to put my socks on when I realized that I had no shoes. argh. But I wasn't going to give up. I always pack a swimsuit so I put that on with my cap and went for a swim. That's when I realized that my goggles leaked. A lot. That lead me to do some kick board stuff, backstroke and tread water. 30 minutes later I was in the jacuzzi which made all of this ridiculousness worth it.
My daughter was filthy after camp so while she was in the bath allowing her hair to soak in a deep conditioning treatment to reverse chlorine damage, I did the following routine which I modified from here. And yes, it is harder than it seems:
20 stationary lunges (10 on each leg)
15 push-ups
15 crunches
20 lunges
12 push-ups
12 crunches
20 lunges
9 push-ups
9 crunches
20 lunges
6 push-ups
6 crunches
20 lunges
3 push-ups
3 crunches
Tomorrow will be a better day.
Be well.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Crossfit
I haven't spoken much about Crossfit here, mainly b/c I'm not an expert on it and find a lot of their exercise routines a bit on the crazy side. But that said, I really do like the philosophy of total body fitness. Rather than try to explain it myself, check out this article on their site.
On Saturday I attempted a kettle bell routine with minimal success. I waited too long to exercise outside so after only 18 minutes I found that my HR wouldn't recover and I felt a bit nauseous. The heat here was unbearable over the weekend. Should be nicer this week so hopefully I'll be able to go for a nice long walk and enjoy, rather than tolerate, the summer.
Be well and keep hydrated!
On Saturday I attempted a kettle bell routine with minimal success. I waited too long to exercise outside so after only 18 minutes I found that my HR wouldn't recover and I felt a bit nauseous. The heat here was unbearable over the weekend. Should be nicer this week so hopefully I'll be able to go for a nice long walk and enjoy, rather than tolerate, the summer.
Be well and keep hydrated!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Working out your abs
I came across the following workout in Shape Magazine. Though I am NOWHERE as fit as Dara Torres and the exercises are fairly advanced (understatement), I was able to modify a few of them and get quite an ab workout. Let me know what you think!
Friday, July 23, 2010
The first class
I attended my first personal fitness trainer class this past Sunday and I was relieved to find that I wasn't a) the oldest b) the only female and c) stupid. In fact, it now seems that all of that biology, biochem and yes even physics are going to help me to become a trainer. And, of course, the bachelor's and master's in nursing is going to come in pretty handy too - at some point in my life I actually knew how muscles worked, where they were and what bones they attached to. And, god help me, in the textbook there is even a short section on the Kreb's Acid Cycle and the production of ATP.
More importantly, it felt like this was the right fit. Oh so many years ago I made a decision to be a health care provider. At the age of 12 I remember quite confidently telling adults that one day I would be a physician so that I could help children. Somewhere along the way I realized that medical school probably wasn't going to be the perfect fit I had always thought it would be - it seemed that to really help and improve the health of the population, nursing specifically nurse-midwifery was the way to go. And it many ways, it has been the perfect fit. Working in the field of women's health has been incredibly rewarding for me - the knowledge and experience that I have gained over the last 15 years is invaluable. But overtime I began to feel dissatisfied with what I was doing - I wanted to teach and offer guidance. In modern medicine there exists very little time to actually provide health information to patients. The moment had come for me to do something different.
So here I am, at the beginning of that path, or really this is just a little path coming off the one I am already journeying on. Again, the knowledge and experience I gain will only improve my life and the lives of those around me. And, perhaps if I'm lucky I will be able to impart wisdom to ready takers and maybe even help someone feel healthier, happier and stronger.
And there's one more thing I learned - my abs need some work! We did endurance and flexibility assessments on each other and I stupidly volunteered to be the client for the abdominal endurance test and it was HARD! Good news though - incorporating abs into a strength training workout isn't that big of a deal and there are lots and lots of exercises to choose from. This weekend I will discuss a few of them.
Be well.
More importantly, it felt like this was the right fit. Oh so many years ago I made a decision to be a health care provider. At the age of 12 I remember quite confidently telling adults that one day I would be a physician so that I could help children. Somewhere along the way I realized that medical school probably wasn't going to be the perfect fit I had always thought it would be - it seemed that to really help and improve the health of the population, nursing specifically nurse-midwifery was the way to go. And it many ways, it has been the perfect fit. Working in the field of women's health has been incredibly rewarding for me - the knowledge and experience that I have gained over the last 15 years is invaluable. But overtime I began to feel dissatisfied with what I was doing - I wanted to teach and offer guidance. In modern medicine there exists very little time to actually provide health information to patients. The moment had come for me to do something different.
So here I am, at the beginning of that path, or really this is just a little path coming off the one I am already journeying on. Again, the knowledge and experience I gain will only improve my life and the lives of those around me. And, perhaps if I'm lucky I will be able to impart wisdom to ready takers and maybe even help someone feel healthier, happier and stronger.
And there's one more thing I learned - my abs need some work! We did endurance and flexibility assessments on each other and I stupidly volunteered to be the client for the abdominal endurance test and it was HARD! Good news though - incorporating abs into a strength training workout isn't that big of a deal and there are lots and lots of exercises to choose from. This weekend I will discuss a few of them.
Be well.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
The big day is here
I have on a new outfit, my hair is pulled back in a sleek headband and my tummy is filled with eggs, vegies and coffee. Today is the day that I take the official step into becoming a fitness professional. My class starts at 10am - I feel like a first-year in college minus the angst of leaving my parents!
In preparation for today I did a 60 minute workout yesterday that felt really great. It started with 30 minutes on the bike. I am amazed at how much harder I can work now - I used to keep the "level" at 5 or 6 and now I have to push it up to 9 or 10 in order to keep my HR in a 65-70% zone. Awesome.
And then I did the following using dumbbells:
With a 10lb dumbbell in each hand:
15 squat and swing to shoulder level
15 squat and overhead press
30 rows - bend at hip, keep back straight, reach to foot alternating arm 15 each side
15 wood chops with 12 lbs
15 push-ups with hand holding dumbbell - 7 on one side, 8 on other.
Repeat above for a total of 3 sets.
Be well and wish me luck!
In preparation for today I did a 60 minute workout yesterday that felt really great. It started with 30 minutes on the bike. I am amazed at how much harder I can work now - I used to keep the "level" at 5 or 6 and now I have to push it up to 9 or 10 in order to keep my HR in a 65-70% zone. Awesome.
And then I did the following using dumbbells:
With a 10lb dumbbell in each hand:
15 squat and swing to shoulder level
15 squat and overhead press
30 rows - bend at hip, keep back straight, reach to foot alternating arm 15 each side
15 wood chops with 12 lbs
15 push-ups with hand holding dumbbell - 7 on one side, 8 on other.
Repeat above for a total of 3 sets.
Be well and wish me luck!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Getting nervous
My course starts on Sunday and I'm actually getting kinda nervous about it.
Managed to get to the gym today but not for very long. 35 minutes on treadmill walking briskly at an incline. Then using the cross-cable machine I did push-ups and pull-ups which I've described here.
Perhaps kettle-bells tomorrow or another long circuit routine....
Sleep well.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Slow day
I had every intention of exercising today but just felt exhausted. I did manage to do some of my required reading for my course which starts on Sunday! It felt a bit hypocritical to be reading about fitness and not actually exercising but some days are like that.
I did make another yummy salad that I would like to share:
4-6 servings depending on how hungry you are!
1 cup red quinoa - regular quinoa is also ok
1 can chickpeas
1 can artichoke hearts in brine - roughly chopped
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
Prepare quinoa according to directions on package. While it's cooking, rinse chickpeas. Place in bowl with artichokes. When quinoa is cooked, add to bowl along with vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over lettuce. Top with 1 Tbsp crumbled feta per plate. Enjoy.
Geneen Roth was on Oprah again this week. So much resonated with me. Though I eat much healthier now compared to the past, I still find myself eating when I'm bored, tired or stressed. I must continue to be aware of my body and what it really needs instead of assuming that food is the fix for everything. Over the next few days I plan to be mindful before, during and after meals. I don't think that I will do the whole 15 week plan but perhaps others will find it inspiring.
My life is full, food is not always the answer.
Be well.
I did make another yummy salad that I would like to share:
4-6 servings depending on how hungry you are!
1 cup red quinoa - regular quinoa is also ok
1 can chickpeas
1 can artichoke hearts in brine - roughly chopped
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 head lettuce - chopped
1 package goat feta
Prepare quinoa according to directions on package. While it's cooking, rinse chickpeas. Place in bowl with artichokes. When quinoa is cooked, add to bowl along with vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over lettuce. Top with 1 Tbsp crumbled feta per plate. Enjoy.
Geneen Roth was on Oprah again this week. So much resonated with me. Though I eat much healthier now compared to the past, I still find myself eating when I'm bored, tired or stressed. I must continue to be aware of my body and what it really needs instead of assuming that food is the fix for everything. Over the next few days I plan to be mindful before, during and after meals. I don't think that I will do the whole 15 week plan but perhaps others will find it inspiring.
My life is full, food is not always the answer.
Be well.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Workouts in the bedroom, frontyard and at the beach
Don't get too excited - the workout in the bedroom was not a "romp" but a true workout that actually caused me to be sore the next day! I wasn't able to get the gym for a variety of reasons so here's what I did:
The Bedroom Workout
15 squats holding onto foot board
15 push ups
15 static lunges on each side
15 jumping pull-ups (see note below)
Repeat above for a total of three times
Then 2 minutes of plank
Note: A few years ago my husband installed this climbing wall/pull-up thing above the door frame in our bedroom. I HATED it and made him place it where I couldn't see it. Well, I hate to admit this but it's a really good way to get some exercise! Now, what I did isn't too safe so I came up with something for the next workout but for this time I placed a step stool underneath the pull-up thing, held on and jumped into a pull-up. I got the benefits of a pull-up (which I can't really do) and the cardio benefits as well.
The Frontyard Workout
1 minute of steps on the curb
15 push ups with feet on exercise ball
jog around court twice (about 3 minutes)
15 jumping pull-ups using tree limb in neighbor's yard
jump rope until HR over 85%
15 wood chops with each arm
Repeat above for a total of 3 sets
The Beach Workout
15 push-ups with hands elevated on lounge chair
sit against wall for 2 minutes
15 lunges with each leg
Repeat above 3 times
Walk 40 minutes, enjoy ocean breeze and sunshine.
Today I went back the gym for a more traditional workout. I did 30 minutes on the bike and then about 40 minutes of strength training mixed with talking to my friend. The weight disk routine we used can be found here. My friend did hers with a 12 pound dumbell which seemed to work fine.
Tomorrow I'll be walking around NYC with another friend who does ultra-marathons, god help me.
Be well.
The Bedroom Workout
15 squats holding onto foot board
15 push ups
15 static lunges on each side
15 jumping pull-ups (see note below)
Repeat above for a total of three times
Then 2 minutes of plank
Note: A few years ago my husband installed this climbing wall/pull-up thing above the door frame in our bedroom. I HATED it and made him place it where I couldn't see it. Well, I hate to admit this but it's a really good way to get some exercise! Now, what I did isn't too safe so I came up with something for the next workout but for this time I placed a step stool underneath the pull-up thing, held on and jumped into a pull-up. I got the benefits of a pull-up (which I can't really do) and the cardio benefits as well.
The Frontyard Workout
1 minute of steps on the curb
15 push ups with feet on exercise ball
jog around court twice (about 3 minutes)
15 jumping pull-ups using tree limb in neighbor's yard
jump rope until HR over 85%
15 wood chops with each arm
Repeat above for a total of 3 sets
The Beach Workout
15 push-ups with hands elevated on lounge chair
sit against wall for 2 minutes
15 lunges with each leg
Repeat above 3 times
Walk 40 minutes, enjoy ocean breeze and sunshine.
Today I went back the gym for a more traditional workout. I did 30 minutes on the bike and then about 40 minutes of strength training mixed with talking to my friend. The weight disk routine we used can be found here. My friend did hers with a 12 pound dumbell which seemed to work fine.
Tomorrow I'll be walking around NYC with another friend who does ultra-marathons, god help me.
Be well.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Fitting exercise in - being inefficient
Yet another interesting read on fitting fitness into your life.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Weathering the heat
It has been too long since I've written here but I have been exercising. Last week, after the yard work day, I went to the gym and either walked on the treadmill or rode the stationary bike and then did some sort of strength training routine. Friday was kettle bells - one of my very favorite things.
We visited my brother's family this past weekend where we spent most of the time trying to keep cool. There was a fair amount of walking but the heat was getting to the children so we had to cut our outing short. Again, I was pleased to find that I had plenty of strength and energy to walk with the family and not find a bench at every opportunity. Sometimes it makes me sad to think about how deconditioned I had become but then I forgive myself and feel gratitude for the body I now inhabit.
I did manage to get down to their gym one day for a 50 minute workout - 35 minutes treadmill then a medicine ball circuit finishing with a Bosu Ball exercise:
We are continuing to experience a most impressive heatwave on the East Coast. Our shades are drawn, the lights are off and the oven is in hibernation. The gym is in my plans this afternoon as well as making jello, sewing and perhaps some summer reading.
And I found two more interesting articles specifically about women's fitness. The first is on recalibrating the formula for maximum heart rate and the second is on the (limited) benefits of protein after women exercise.
Be well and keep cool.
We visited my brother's family this past weekend where we spent most of the time trying to keep cool. There was a fair amount of walking but the heat was getting to the children so we had to cut our outing short. Again, I was pleased to find that I had plenty of strength and energy to walk with the family and not find a bench at every opportunity. Sometimes it makes me sad to think about how deconditioned I had become but then I forgive myself and feel gratitude for the body I now inhabit.
I did manage to get down to their gym one day for a 50 minute workout - 35 minutes treadmill then a medicine ball circuit finishing with a Bosu Ball exercise:
Place Bosu ball on floor with ball side down. Hold onto side handles, keeping arms straight and body in plank position. Slowly lift one leg off floor. Repeat with other leg. Alternate for as many as you can do, keeping back flat and core tight.
We are continuing to experience a most impressive heatwave on the East Coast. Our shades are drawn, the lights are off and the oven is in hibernation. The gym is in my plans this afternoon as well as making jello, sewing and perhaps some summer reading.
And I found two more interesting articles specifically about women's fitness. The first is on recalibrating the formula for maximum heart rate and the second is on the (limited) benefits of protein after women exercise.
Be well and keep cool.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)