Variation and Repetition

I just returned from Washington DC where I had the opportunity to visit the Phillips Collection and the special exhibition Degas' Dancers at the Barre.  The show was as wonderful as expected but what I didn't expect was to have one particular phrase resonate with me: variation and repetition.

Upon examining Degas' work using infrared light technology, archivists learned that Degas worked and reworked many of his paintings, painstakingly moving a dancer's leg a little bit here and a little more there.  Also, he often did multiple sketches and pastels of the same dancer both in the nude and clothed.  He would then take these separate drawings and create composite paintings reworking each of the models.  The attention to detail is both near obsessive and genius.

So, how does this relate to fitness?  It's a pretty simple connection.  Just as artists practice and perfect their craft, as amateur fitness enthusiasts, we can do the same.  Degas drew and sketched and painted the same subjects over and over and over again but making adjustments each time - until he felt it was finished. He often worked on one piece for years.  In fitness, we must exercise nearly every day, doing basically the same series of exercises every day, but varying them so that we continue to challenge and strengthen our bodies.  We must repeat the sequence almost daily but add a bit of variation.

I look forward to exercising, something I still find amazing.  I don't do the same thing everyday.  I'm just a regular person trying to maintain some level of fitness.  That said, seeing improvement is important and keeping my routines fresh is equally important.  I would never have made it this far if I hadn't tried new equipment or added just a bit more weight to a machine.  I also wouldn't have made it this far if I hadn't make the commitment to exercise most (5-6) days of the week.  I repeat what I'm doing but vary it just a little bit to keep it interesting.

I tell my clients that I really don't care what they do as long as they do it almost everyday.  At the same time, is important not to do the same thing day in and day out.  This can lead to boredom and stagnation - both can stop progress towards fitness goals.

And finally, the other important lesson I learned - we must feed and exercise our bodies to live but we also must nourish our souls and challenge our minds.  So this week take a walk to a museum: move your body and nurture your soul.

Be well.

The Simple Seven

I came across this list from the American Heart Association: Life's Simple 7.  Are you meeting all the criteria?  If not, think about changes you can make in your lifestyle today to put you on the path to healthy heart living.

Here's the list:

1. Get active
2. Eat better
3. Lose weight
4. Stop smoking
5. Control cholesterol
6. Manage blood pressure
7. Reduce blood sugar

Be well.

Vacation Exercising - Once Seemed Like an Oxymoron

Not all that long ago the  very thought of exercising on vacation was laughable.  For relaxation, I'd pack my bags with knitting, books and an ipod loaded with my favorite tunes.  My clothes were comfortable.  Maybe a nice dress.  Lots of shoes.

Wow, what a difference a few years can make.  Now, the first things I pack are my exercise clothes.  Then my exercise bands.  The last thing: my running sneaks because I go on a quick walk before traveling and my ipod because I would have just loaded it with my favorite podcasts that I will listen to while walking.

Back in the day, I would get up, make a big breakfast, read, sit, sleep.

Now, I eat a quick breakfast and head outside for a run, walk, bike ride, yoga, calisthenics.  Then I can sit and read or knit.  Instead of an afternoon nap, I take an afternoon walk.

Like I said, what a difference a few years can make.

However vacation exercising is not like non-vacation exercising.  What is different is that these sessions are generally, though not always, a bit less intense than my time at the gym and they are always more free flowing in nature.

For example, I might go for a 45 minute walk on the boardwalk and then maybe do a few dips or push-ups.  Another day, perhaps I will enjoy a bike ride then a few squats and lunges.  Maybe some box jumps on a retaining wall.  Really, it's whatever I feel like doing.

So, I've decided to incorporate some of this "free" programming into my weekend routine when I'm not on vacation.  Here's an example:

I get up. Put on workout clothes.  Drink my coffee.  Read the paper.  Stretch.  Go for a long walk.  Come home.  Stretch.  Do some push-ups outside with my daughter.  Hula-hoop.  Jump rope with my daughter.  Rest. Read the paper again.  Straighten the house.  Make lunch.  Enjoy with my family.  Knit or sew.  Go for a leisurely walk.

Sounds nice.  Not all weekends are like this.  Some are busy.  But what I've tried to do is bring the spirit of vacation to my own family routine.  And I love my exercise on a Saturday or Sunday.  I just do whatever I feel like without any worries about how long or how much.

Try it.

Be well.

Getting busy

I know, I haven't written in a while but that's a good thing.  I'm too busy.

The personal training thing has really taken off and I am loving every minute of it!  Here's why I love it: my clients are making progress.  I had one client who couldn't do a push up to save her life when we first met and now she can do 10.  Another wanted to lose weight and not only did that but lost 6% bodyfat!  Another no longer has pain in her back and can play with her son.  The list goes on and on.

I'm purely the catalyst in this.  These women came to me with goals and my job is to provide them with the tools to achieve those goals.  They're doing the work.  They're making the changes.  They're incorporating fitness into their lives.  It's pretty awesome to watch.

So today I have just a few links to share, all from the NY Times.  Enjoy and as always, be well.

Knee Exercises - all of these are wonderful

Crazy looking Samurai Class - I think I'll pass on this one!

Keeping your brain fit as you age.

Some foods are just not ok to eat.  Sorry.

Consistency and Change

The title of this post is pretty simple.  The idea is that you should be consistent with your fitness and wellness program while at the same time changing it up often.

Most of us crave routine.  And that is fine but, over time, your body becomes conditioned to both your exercises and diet, halting your progress.  Over and over again I hear from clients how they don't understand why they're not losing weight or getting stronger because "I exercise 3 or 4 times a week and eat pretty well." My answer is always the same: change it up.  Some changes can be simple, others drastic.  The point is to make your body adjust to the new program by using new muscles and jump starting your metabolism.  Below are a just few suggestions.

1. Add an interval cardio workout to your program.  For example, go at 90% of maximum heart rate (MHR) for one minute then recover to 60% of MHR for a minute.  Repeat for a total of 20 minutes. Be sure to warm up for 5-10 minutes and cool down for 5-10 minutes.  This can be done on any machine or jogging outside.

2. Instead of cardio 3 - 4 times a week for 30-40 minutes, try cardio 4-5 times a week for 25-35 minutes. The goal is to increase the frequency of your workouts.  Ideally you want to be moving your body almost everyday!

3. Swap free weights for medicine balls or exercise bands or body weight.

4. Try an exercise class.  Zumba, Spinning, Body Pump, Pilates, yoga, whatever - you don't have to love it and do it every week but it can be fun to do a group class every once in a while.

5. Hire a trainer.  Now, I know this sounds like tooting my own horn but I have reason to!  A good trainer will take into consideration what you have been doing (or not doing) and make a program that will introduce you to new equipment and exercises.  It's like getting a few more tools in your belt.  Always a good thing.

6. Eat lunch for breakfast and breakfast for lunch.  Again, the idea is just to change it up and increase your awareness of the food your put in your body.  

7.  Add one more serving of veggies and fruit to your daily intake.

8. Drink more water!

9. Meditate at least once per week.  Give yourself permission to rest, breathe and recover.  Acknowledge your accomplishments and be proud of the changes you have made.

10. Go for a walk after dinner at least 3 times per week.  It doesn't have to be an intense walk, maybe just a stroll.  Enjoy the fresh air.  Feel  your body moving.  Be grateful that your body moves when you ask it to.

Try one of the above, or try them all.  Ask your friends what they are doing.  Check out exercises on the Mayo Clinic Website or Spark People.  Have fun trying new things.  But be consistent - that is, make sure that you are doing something on most if not all days of the week.

Be well.  Change is good.

Core Workout

I am teaching a group class today on postnatal core exercises though really anyone can benefit from this workout.  The class is being offered to raise money for The Valerie Fund, whose mission is to provide support for the comprehensive health care of children with cancer and blood disorders.  


The definition of "core" varies from source to source but I like to think of it as your entire torso or spine area, basically the center of your body to which your head, arms and legs connect.  So, this includes the upper back muscles that insert into the spine, the lower back, the abdominals and the hip flexors.  


Here they are:


Wood chops/reverse wood chops
Standing crunches
Side to side rotation 
Mountain climbers
Quadruped
Prone Cobra
Pelvic Tilts
Bridge Press
Dead bugs
Leg drops
Hip crossover
Plank
Side plank/modified side plank
Kegels


For more exercises, check out this list.


Be well.

Some new workout ideas

I was scanning through facebook the other day and came across an awesome video on Chris Johnson's page.  This is functional training taken to the extreme. Enjoy.

Rewards

So, we'd all like to believe that the best reward for living a fit life is knowing that we're taking care of ourselves.  But really, don't we deserve a little something for all the hard work that goes into maintaining a healthy lifestyle?

I've struggled for the past few years to figure out ways to keep myself motivated and what exactly to reward myself with when I reach my goals.  Obviously, food is not the answer and neither is a "day off" from exercise or eating well.  So, what's a girl to do?

A client of mine set up a reward system involving products from Lush.  When she lost a certain amount of weight, she would schedule time for a bath and drop in one of their fizzy bath bombs!  I love this idea.  And, I was able to benefit from her inspiration.  When I recently broke through my weight plateau (yeah!), I hopped in a tub filled with warm water, dropped in a bath bomb that she had given me and relaxed, celebrating my recent success.

For many of my clients who are just starting to exercise I suggest that they reward themselves with new workout clothes.  Even a new pair of socks can be fun.  And really, who doesn't want to look cute while sweating it out on the elliptical or when working with their trainer?  Burpees are evil but a cute outfit makes them a tiny bit more tolerable.

Be well and reward yourself for all you've achieved on your path to personal fitness.

Exercuses - Overcoming Obstacles to Exercise

I have volunteered to speak at a local weight loss group about how to overcome obstacles to exercise.  I'm really excited about this topic since this is what I have been personally working on for over two years!  When thinking about my own "exercuses" I came up with the following list:

Lack of time
Tired
Exercise was boring
Muscle injury
General laziness
Bad weather
Embarrassed
Traveling

Fortunately the government already came up with a wonderful list of obstacles and ways to tackle them! (Our tax dollars at work.)  You can find the link to the CDC recommendations here.

For me incorporating exercise into my life has evolved over time.  In the beginning I exercised out of pure fear of the triathlon I had signed up for!  But once that goal had been achieved I needed to come up with more new ways to overcome my own exercuses.  I did so by using the following tools:

1. Scheduling.  In the beginning I literally scheduled exercise into my daily routine by making it an appointment in my blackberry.  If a friend wanted to meet for lunch or if I needed to get to the grocery store, those activities had to be planned around my exercise appointment.

2. Creativity. You've seen my posts on snow days and sick days.  I now have a list of exercises I can do anywhere anytime.  If it's nice outside, I go out with Lucy and jump rope, jog around the block or do burpees on the sidewalk.  When my daughter is at her gymnastic class, I jog around the parking lot for 30 minutes before going in to watch her. It doesn't really matter what I'm doing as long as I'm moving.

3. Equipment.  I invested in a simple set of bands and have slowly added more pieces of equipment over time.  When traveling, even on a short trip, I pack my bands so that I can get in a nice strength training workout particularly if where I'm staying doesn't have a gym or an area to run around outside.

4. Supportive Friends.  I cannot emphasize this enough.  When I don't want to go the the gym or I'm feeling low, I have friends to call who will join me for a walk or meet at the gym.  Making it a social experience helps keep my motivation and is personally rewarding as well.

5. Liking It.  I don't think my commitment to exercise would have been possible without having a great personal trainer who exposed me to different exercise modalities and routines.  I never got bored and I still don't.  The process of exercising may have become routine for me but the actual exercises certainly aren't.  I'm constantly reading about different movements I can do and trying them out at home and the gym.  My other source of inspiration: my daughter.  She does all sorts of fun things on the playground and outside.  I often just play with her and find that I'm getting a great workout!

6. Education.  Learning how to avoid injury and what to do in the event of an injury has been crucial.  Just because my IT Band hurts is no reason to stop exercising.  I can swim, do the ellipitical, yoga, strength training.  And of course stretching has become a really critical part of my daily routine.

These are just a few of the ways that I combat my own excuses.  What do you do to combat "exercuses?"

Be well.

Killer Kettlebells

I still meet with my trainer, Tom, from time to time.  Mostly for some sort of tortuous kettle bell workout.  Three weeks ago it was a mix of Kettlebells and TRX.  I couldn't squat for 3 days.  Last Friday the session was just hardcore Kettlebells.  I think he increased the weight I'm swinging around plus the other woman in the class is incredibly fit making me push myself to keep up with her.  That afternoon I went home and curled up in the fetal position.  Later I was writing a check and couldn't remember the YEAR (is it 2010 or have we moved onto 2012?) much less the day.  I knew then that something serious had to be done.

The obvious and easy answer would be to stop doing Kettlebells.  But that's not an option.

No, I decided it was time to work harder, longer and more often.  (That sounds kinda dirty)

Focus.

Ok, so this is what I'm doing: More intervals, more sprints, more Kettlebells, more core, more creative movements.  And more often.

Is it working?  Yes.  To be honest I'm a bit afraid to go back to Kettlebell Fridays but I am feeling better and am seeing benefits in my clothes.  And at the end of the day, I'm tired and sleep through the night.  The next morning I wake up spontaneously ready to attack the day.  And I look forward to my next workout.

So, as for the workouts, they've become more organic.  I set a time limit and a heart rate goal and I know I've got to work my lower and upper body incorporating core along the way.  Here's a sample:

10 Kettlebell swings each arm
Jog/run one minute (85% MHR)
Repeat above for a total of 4 sets

15 Kettlebell deep squats with overhead press
Jog/run one minute
Repeat above for a total of 4 sets

15 incline pushups (I did these on my car bumper)
15 tricep dips with one leg extended (again on bumper)
Repeat above for a total of 3 sets

10 burpees

Core circuit:
15 Bridge Press
10 Straight leg drops
20 Dead Bugs
20 Quadrupeds
Repeat above for 2-3 sets

End with:
Prone Cobra - hold 15 secs x 4
Plank - 1 minute - or 2 if you're feeling up to it!

Be well!

Breakfast of Champions

My clients often ask me what I eat to start my day.

It depends on the day and how much time I have but usually I eat one of three things:

Oatmeal
Scrambled egg whites
Peanut butter and jelly on multi-grain bread.

Let's first talk about the oatmeal.  I don't even bother with that instant stuff.  Yuck.  No, I make the usual 5 minutes oats which I buy in bulk at either Wegman's or Whole Foods.  If I have a bit more time (10 min) I will make Scottish Oats made my Bob's Red Mill whereas if I'm short on time, I make Oat Bran.  And here's another tip: I make the largest suggested amount.  Oats keep really well in the fridge so if I make 4 servings, then I know that I have breakfast not just today but for 3 more mornings!  If I'm in a particularly organized mood, I will store each of the servings separately in a microwave safe container.

As far as oatmeal add-ins, my favorites are flax seeds/meal, walnuts, almonds, pecans, maple syrup, applesauce.  You can add dry fruit though I'm not a big fan myself.  A typical bowl of oats looks like this:

1 serving cooked oats
1 Tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tsp flax seeds
2 Tbsp applesauce
1-2 tsp maple syrup.

Yum yum.

Next, scrambled egg whites.

To be honest, recently I've been scrambling one egg with two to three additional egg whites.  If I've got arugula or spinach on hand, I'll throw a handful in.  Leftover broccoli  That goes in also.  Sometimes I put a Tbsp of goat cheese or goat feta on the side for a bit more flavor.   If there's plenty of time for breakfast and I've got some leftover salsa and whole-wheat tortillas in the fridge, breakfast might look something like this:

One tortilla warmed in skillet
Top with scrambled eggs
Mix together salsa and canned rinsed black beans - serve on side
Feta or goat cheese.
And if I'm really lucky, a bit of chopped cilantro.

Yum yum yum.

And finally, my old standby, peanut butter and jelly.  Always made with natural, low-sodium peanut butter and Bonne Maman jam. 1 Tbsp of each on some yummy toasted multi-grain bread and I'm off, sandwich in one hand, banana in the other.

What do you eat for breakfast?

Be well.

Keeping it going

I haven’t written in a long time for many reasons.  None of my distractions taken alone should amount to much but all together they’ve kept me busy: vacations, illnesses, work, exercise and just life.

To be honest, I haven’t felt like I writing.  I guess I’ve been in a bit of a funk.  March 24th was the two year anniversary of my lifestyle change - from super-unhealthy to mindful healthfulness.  At times it seems that I should be further along than I am.  Simply put, I should be thinner.

For something different, I tried not weighing myself everyday.  My husband put the scale in the car.  I tracked my food.  I changed my exercise routine.  I read exercise and wellness blogs.  After two weeks of this, my husband brought back the scale.  And guess what?  I weighed the same.

To my surprise I was relieved rather than disappointed.   For nearly two weeks without a scale I had managed to maintain my weight, continue to exercise and eat well.  

In no particular order, here are my thoughts on all of the above:

1. I have made tremendous progress with regard to my health and I should feel proud of my accomplishments.
2. I need to make peace with where my body it is now in order to move forward.
3. I must stop being self-conscious about my weight as a personal trainer.  Instead, I should focus on the positive image I put forward as a healthy, active woman.  Women come in all sizes but what matters most is keeping your body active as well as nourishing yourself nutritionally and emotionally.
4. My body is strong - it has birthed a baby and helped others birth babies too. Midwifery is hard physical work!
5. I feel good.  I no longer dread getting dressed in the morning.  In fact, it’s kinda fun.  I may not the perfect size 8 (or 10 or 12 for the matter) but my clothes fit better and I feel confident in them.  I tuck my shirts in and wear belts!
6. Instead of focusing on pounds lost and calories consumed, I plan to shift my focus to eating a well balanced diet full of fruits, vegetable, proteins and fiber-rich carbohydrates.  Time to start eating oatmeal with flax seeds or egg whites with vegetables in the morning!
7. I am doing this for the rest of my life, not as a quick fix. I want to maintain the strength that I’ve gained and continue to increase my endurance.

As I think about it now, I didn’t want to write earlier unless I had some profound insight or new exercise to offer instead of just writing about trying to figure out how to take care of myself and keep my life balanced.  But I should be able to do that here.  After all, it’s my personal fitness journey.

Be well.

Fascinating Listen

If you haven't listened to Voices in the Family, I highly recommend that you do.

This particular episode is interesting.  It explores the relationship that adult women have with their bodies, particularly eating disorders.

Be well.

Spring Cleaning and Reading

I hope that you are enjoying the recent thaw though it looks like we are in for a bit more winter weather on the East Coast this week.  But spring is officially here so now is the time to reassess your fitness and wellness goals in anticipation of getting outside to enjoy all that this beautiful season of rebirth has to offer.

We’re all aware of the concept of Spring Cleaning with regards to our homes, yards and garages but what about for ourselves?  Are there old ways of thinking that need to be swept away?   Does your fitness routine need an update?  Or perhaps it’s time to make that wellness check-up you have been putting off.  Whatever it is, take a few minutes this week to think about things that you need to do for yourself so that you feel refreshed and revived this season.

Below is a list of a few of my favorite fitness and wellness titles to inspire:

Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar

This book is a compilation of Harvard lectures giving by one of the leading researchers in the area of positive psychology

Mayo Clinic Diet by Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

An excellent book on the basics of nutrition

On Target Living by Chris Johnson

This book goes one step further than the above with specific food recommendations.  Very easy to understand!

Power Foods by The Editors of Whole Living

Great recipes that incorporate the recommendations from the two books listed above.

So get started and enjoy spring! 

Be well.

You know you are a changed person when you go on a trip and...

you pack two sets of exercise clothes.

the first thing you do after checking in is visit the workout area.

you plan when you are going to exercise each day.

you get excited about the prospect of exercise without rushing off to pick up your daughter at school.

you get even more excited when you find a yoga mat hanging in the closet of your hotel room.

you also get excited when there are McCann's Oats on the breakfast menu.

you blog about exercising on vacation!

Be well.

Something is better than nothing

Lost track of time today so I did the following workout.  Lucy cheered me on!

1 minute on step (up, up, down, down)
30 jumping jacks
10 burpees

Repeat above for a total of 3 sets
20 dead bugs
20 superman

Repeat above once more

End with 2 minutes of plank (divide into 30 second increments if necessary).

Be well.

Do you have 30 minutes?

If the answer is yes, take off your shoes and do the following set of exercises.  Try not to rest between sets until the entire program is complete.  Then rest, rehydrate and complete two more times.

10 lunges each leg
30 upper cuts with 10 lb weights (increase or decrease weight as needed)
15-20 jumping jacks
15-20 pushups with hands on dumbbells
16-20 plank rows with 10 lb weights
10 mountain climbers with sumo deadlift using 10lb weights (hold into dumbbells, step back with R leg, then L leg into plank.  Step forward with R leg then L leg, stand up still holding onto weights. Repeat 9 times.)

Repeat above.

And by the way, if the answer is no, then find a way to make the answer yes.  You must find 30 minutes a day to exercise.  Move to live.

Be well.

Becoming Fearless

Have you ever felt like the universe was trying to tell you something?  Like, you were thinking of traveling to a remote location and then all of the sudden you see articles about it everywhere and then an email appears advertising a special promotion to that exact location. Or you had a family member diagnosed with a rare condition and then the New York Times runs a week-long series on the disease and Oprah has a special episode to discuss it?

Ok, well those things didn’t happen to me, but I’ll tell you what did.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it is that is holding me back from achieving my fitness goals.  Of course, I’m continuing to exercise 5-6 times a week but not quite as hard as I could be.  And my eating habits are good but I could be better about making sure that I fit in healthy snacks and water.  But, there’s something else.  Something that’s keeping me from really pushing forward.

I talked to a couple of trusted friends with the hope of teasing out the issue.  But besides stepping up my exercise intensity and adding more whole foods, I couldn’t come up with much.

And then I went to a meditation session for children and their parents.

The meditation facilitator read a children’s book called Peaceful Piggy Meditation about the benefits of meditation in this increasingly hectic world.  Instead of human characters, there were anthropomorphized piggies running from one activity (ballet) to the next (soccer) with everything in between (homework.)  So, how is a little Piggy to manage all of this?  Meditation.

And then she read this one page, with a little pig jumping off a diving board.  The page read, “When we are at peace, we are fearless.”

Bam!  It was like I was being hit over the head.

Fear. That’s it.  I’m afraid.  Afraid of success? perhaps?  Afraid of failure? More likely.  What if I can’t reach my goal?  What if I do?  So, it’s the what ifs that are keeping me from taking the plunge.

But then I thought a bit more.  About everything that I have achieved on my fitness journey.  The pounds lost, the lower body fat, the strength gained, the new career path, the overall sense of well-being and I realized that fear had no place in my life.  Fear needs to go.

I must become fearless.  I need to practice mindfulness and be at peace.

And so I decided to enlist the help of my favorite person, my husband. I asked him to give me 30 minutes of listening.  And he did, and he smiled and nodded and said I could do anything.  And that he would support me.  That there was nothing to fear.

And then, if that wasn’t enough, this article showed up in my inbox from Whole Living on fearlessness.  Really, I’m not kidding.

Bam, like a club on my head again.

And so, I’m setting new goals, knowing that I can achieve them.  I put my heart rate monitor back on and started pushing myself harder at the gym.  I focus on eating all my fruits and veggies and healthy snacks such as nuts.  Another triathlon is in my future as well as additional advanced fitness certification.  I’ve started to meditate 5-10 minutes each day.

And when I feel doubtful, I say to myself, “I’m at peace.  I’m fearless.”

And guess what, it’s working

Be well.  Be fearless.

Mapping out a healthy diet

I came across the article by Jane Brody.  I think she does a wonderful job of summarizing the new dietary guidelines.  But what is particularly good about her article is that she suggests keeping a food diary.   So many times we jump into a new diet regimen without really assessing what we've been doing well and what could use some adjustments.  By taking the time to write down your eating, you will be able to recognize patterns and make small modifications over time rather than sweeping changes that may be difficult to maintain.

And, her muffin recipe looks yummy too.  Try adding some flax seeds for added fiber!

Be well.

Developing a Successful Fitness Program

We all know the recommendations: exercise most days of the week. To take it a step further, experts recommend doing cardio training 3-4 times a week for 30-45 minutes and strength training 2-3 times per week for 30-45 minutes.  But that’s really not going to help you put these guidelines into place.  A bit more prep work is needed.

In order to set up a program, you must first do an assessment.  You wouldn’t institute a program in the community or at work without first assessing the needs of the organization and ensuring that the infrastructure is in place for your program to be successful.  So, let’s start by asking and answering the following questions:

1. What are your goals?
2. Are these goals realistic?
3. How will you measure your progress?
4. What is your support system?
5. What are your time constraints?
6. What have you done in the past - what worked, what didn’t?
7. What do you like to do?
8. How will you be accountable?
9. How will you reward yourself? 

Be honest.  Write down everything that comes to you.  Your personal fitness is important and deserving of your attention and time.  

I’ll give you an example.  

Mary is a 55 y.o. woman who recently found out that her cholesterol was elevated.  Her doctor recommended that she lose weight and exercise.  Mary works 4 days a week and has one teenager at home and another child in college.  She is usually too tired to exercise

Now, let’s work through the questions:

1. Goal: Lower cholesterol by 20 points
2. Realistic: Probably
3. Measurement: Repeat blood work in 6 months
4. Support: not much, husband is also overweight.  a few coworkers are supportive
5. Time: Works 35 hours/per week.  Not able to workout during the day. weekends are open
6. Past: Weight Watchers 
7. Likes: classes, walking
8. Accountable to physician and SELF (this is very important)
9. Reward: new shoes

We learn from this assessment that Mary needs to develop a larger support network, that she will need to be creative about how to get her exercise scheduled and that she probably needs to broaden her exercise options.  And of course, I would recommend that she have a personal trainer. :)

Now, this is just an example but it gives you a basic idea of the process.  I would recommend that Mary consider adding the following goals: lose weight, decrease body fat, increase energy, exercise regularly.  The reason: it’s important to have multiple ways to measure your progress so that if one goal hits an impasse, you won’t give up!

Of course, as you achieve your goals, you will change and will need to reassess yourself.  

Next step, implementation.  More on that in another post.


Be well

New Government Dietary Guidelines

Check this out - the government is getting even more specific about diet recommendations.

Basically it comes down to this:

Decrease your calorie intake
Decrease your sodium intake
Decrease your fat intake
Stop eating processed foods - focus on eating whole foods
Exercise more

Be well.

Post snow storm and stomach virus workout

I could have gone to the gym today but I'm recovering not only from the absurd amounts of snow here in the Garden State but also from a recently acquired stomach virus.  My body is sluggish.

A note about how I put my workouts together.  The general recommendation is that you work the following areas in a full-body strength training session: quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, back, shoulders, arms and abs.  That's a fairly simplistic way of thinking about it.  To go a few steps further and to make the workout more interesting and dynamic, I add multi-planar, ballistic (plyometric), twisting and isometric exercises. Now, not every workout includes all of these components.  For example, today did not seem like a day for jumping around so there are no ballistic movements in the program.

This workout requires an exercise ball and free weights.  I did it barefoot - a nice change for my feet!

15 deep squats
20 lunges (1st set, lunge forward; 2nd set, lunge back; 3rd set, lunge to the side
Repeat above for 3 sets total

10 pushup and row - do as many of these as you can then finish with enough plank rows to do 20 total followed by more pushups to do 15 total.
Repeat above for 3 sets.

On a Swiss Ball:
15 Dumbbell Shoulder Press
15 Dumbbell Reverse Flys
15 Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
15 Bridge press with weights on upper thigh
Repeat above for a total of 3 sets

Then
20 Russian Twist on the Swiss Ball followed by
20 Balanced seated twist on ball with dumbbell - this example is with a medicine ball.
Repeat above for 3 sets

End with 2 minutes of plank - break into 30 sec increments if needed.

The whole workout took me about 40 minutes.  I enjoyed listening to piano music performed by Helene Grimaud during the workout.  Good for the spirit!

Be well and drive safely.

Why You Need A Heart Rate Monitor

I tell clients to wear a HR monitor all the time - here's why.

Read here.

Be well.

Becoming Unstuck

I don't know that I've been completely honest here about why I started getting in better shape.  Yes, there was the triathlon and the realization that I was aging prematurely and that I didn't have enough energy to be engaged with my daughter but there was something else.

My engagement ring was stuck.  Really stuck.  Like, wouldn't budge regardless of what I did.

It happened one night just about 2 years ago.  I hadn't put my ring on for about 18 months.  It had become hard to take off and I didn't want to risk it getting stuck.  But, I was feeling nostalgic so I dug it out and slid it on, easily.  A few minutes went by and I realized that it was a bit tight so I tried to take it off.  I twisted, I massaged, I put my hand in cold water, I used windex, olive oil, soap.  Nothing worked.

The next day I was on call in the hospital and showed my hand to my coworkers.  They tried.  We did the wrapping floss around my finger thing - it just made my finger purple and hurt.  We tried again the next morning.  Still no luck.

My husband and I visited a jeweler who took one look at my finger and said it would have to be cut off - that it could damage the setting and obviously mangle the inscription on the inside.  I left the store humiliated.  How could I have let this happen?  Why did I not stop gaining weight?  Why did I have to put that ring on??

I knew that if I lost just 11 pounds that it would come off so I vowed to lose the weight first.  I mean, how long could it take?  A month?

But I was working crazy hours in the hospital and I wasn't really exercising and I kinda (not really) changed my diet. I went on Weight Watchers.

It didn't work - I gained 5 pounds instead.

And then I signed up for the triathlon. And then I met my trainer.  I slowly changed my diet.  I incorporated exercise into my daily routine and slowly the ring got looser.

Throughout these past two years I had a recurring dream that my ring miraculously dislodged from my finger.  But each morning I would awake to find it right where I left it.  Stuck.

Last August I knew I was getting close but the heat made my fingers swell and I nearly went in to have it cut off.  It hurt and the skin was raw but cutting it off seemed like giving up.

So I kept doing my thing.  Eating well, decreasing the sodium in my diet and exercising.  It will happen I told myself.  I'm so close.

And then, last week I had a dream that I took it off, easily.  I just pulled and that was it.  The dream was so vivid and real.  I thought "I'm getting close.  It's going to happen."

The following evening, my brain flashed back to the dream.  I felt my right fingers reach for the ring, gently twist and off it came.  The words that come to mind are shock, relief and joy.  I did it.

I was unstuck.

For the past 3 months the number on the scale hasn't moved.  Of course there were funerals and birthdays, holidays and snow days.  I didn't gain weight, I just didn't lose.  I was stuck.  But giving up wasn't an option.  I've come so far, I'm getting closer.

And then, yesterday, the number was lower.  The lowest it's been in 3 years.

It was unstuck.

It's amazing what a dream or vision can do.  It gives us a goal to work towards.  We are able to visualize what we want.  But in order to get there we need tools.   And it's not a miracle when it happens - it's the result of hard work.  Of sweat, tears and pain.  But oh the joy and relief when it happens.

Liberation.

What's your vision?

Be well.

The Snow-Day-Sick-Kid- I-Can't-Get-to-The-Gym Workout

What a winter!  So freezing, so snowy and so many cold viruses.   Most people have the best of intentions to get to the gym but then mother nature gets involved and messes with the plan.  But don't let this get in the way of your fitness goals.  Even 20-30 minutes of activity at home can keep you on track.  Here's what I suggest - no equipment required:

Find a step in your house, step up and down for 1 minute.
15 squats
10 lunges each leg
15 push-ups
15 tricep dips (use a couch or other low piece of furniture)
30 mountain climbers
20 quadrupeds
20 thread the needle - do the pose and hold for 2 - 3 seconds each side
15 bridge presses
30 seconds plank or modified plank

Repeat above for a total of 3 sets.

Be well and keep warm!

Only a number

First, let me start by saying how much I am enjoying personal training.

A few weeks ago I was performing a fitness assessment on a new member.  Like many new gym members, she was anxious about the number we were about to witness on the scale.  She hesitated.  And then she apologized.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I'm just so embarrassed.  I can't believe I've let this happen."

"But it's just a number.  It's a starting point, not an end.  It's a form of measurement, the rest is what you have assigned to it.  Take a deep breath and step on the scale.  You will be ok."

I really believe this.  I have to.  My journey is not yet complete.  And I no longer feel obligated to the number on the scale.  Each day is a starting point.  Not an end.

Be well

A wise man told me

I was performing a fitness assessment the other day when my client shared a very wise Chinese saying with me: "Move a tree, it is dead.  Move a man, he is alive."  I love this!  It sums up so much about fitness - humans were designed to be physicially active.  When a person becomes sedentary, her body slows down and stops working well.  Like a machine, her body and mind need to be moved and challenged to keep itself charged.

Another less inspired way to say it is "use it or lose it."

Be well.