So I read a very brief post on “fit for free” on another blog (Cannot remember which one!).
It made me wonder about my own excercise habits. I would be lying if I said I had a steady workout routine (It’s a constant battle). I do feel that I am a healthy young person, and for the most part, I eat extremely well.
The thing is that being a student prevents me from affording a gym membership. Sure, I can use the school gym, except that it’s 1.5 hours away from home, and I don’t ever go to the school since I’m completing my consolidation. I do yoga at home quite a bit and I enjoy that, but I don’t feel as though I’m getting a workout unless I’ve done some form of cardio.
So what could I do for cardio that is free?? Well, in the spring, summer and fall, I do a LOT of cycling. Love it. But it doesn’t work so much in the winter. I know a lot of people who run in the winter but I can’t run (I was born with rheumatoid arthritis).
This semester has been the worst one yet as far as workouts go. I’m learning as well that when I’m active, my eating habits are much better. Working out and healthy eating go hand in hand for me.
Thankfully, a close friend of mine is moving into her first “grown up” apartment. Her building has a workout room, and a pool! She said I was more than welcome to come and workout with her. THANK GOD. I was beginning to think I would have to wait until spring (when I can get out on my bike).
Speaking of cycling, hubs-to-be finally found me a road bike that fits me (not an easy task). We had to buy a new seat post, and tomorrow we’re going to pick out a saddle and head to Recycle Cycles (to use their tools) and put the bike together. I’m also hoping to pick up some pink handle-bar tape (for a girly touch). Britton is REALLY into cycling and he can repair a bicycle like it’s nobody’s business. I love it when he fixes things. It’s so manly and hot.
Getting the bike ready for spring is another way to boycott winter! Sure, we’ve had more snow in the past week than we have all winter, but gad dammit, I’m still getting ready for spring as if it will be here tomorrow.
So there it is, my fit for free plan. I guess you’ll have to stay tuned to see how it goes!
How can I link my weight loss of 8 stone to the concepts in the film Avatar?
I think the inherent interest in this phrase “The Avatar Stone” gives a very specific vibration.
There is truth within the film that we need to embrace in real life – when we do we have found the “The Avatar Stone” and with it comes automatic cleansing within our bodies, when we embrace our Mother, Nature”
This is what I have experienced, Nature is our guide for correct living, if it can be accepted that there a single solution to most of the complexities we have explored, the link back to this truth is very important.
What does it mean to look good, when you look at the food you eat and can’t feel good about where it comes from? It means the look you desire has disconnected from the root desire that is far deeper than looking good.
It means you have found a depth of interest within your own self!
You can automatically assume that if you feel some thing is important, and then you have the thing in your hands and it felt better wanting it that having it, it means the supply and demand is out of balance.
You CAN feel as good as you feel in your dream, YOU CAN BE THE ANSWER.
My challenge to you is CAN YOU be brave enough to ask the TRUE QUESTION.
Your body, your mind will re-align with your attention to this idea.
There is a perfect place in all of us, and the more we run to it, the more momentum we throw into the vortex.
The Avatar Stone is The TRUTH we need to see in the mirror.
The word Avatar, if investigated will trigger interest back into the balance, and it will flush out some of the common confusions with the amount of responsibility our individual lives need to take.
The flip-side of the coin is that only if we choose to be ONE, can we see the illusion of divided power.
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I finally sat down and adjusted my routine to try to avoid using my shoulder, so today’s the first of those workouts – essentially, on A days, I just eliminated the bench press and replaced it with flys, which should work my pecs and whatnot without the stress on my shoulders.
Weight – 281 lbs
Squats – 290 lbs, failure on 3rd set
Inverted Rows – 5, 5, 1
Chest Flys – 120 lbs (Nautilus machine)
Reverse Crunches – 3×12
Push-ups – 10, 5, 4
This was probably the best workout I’ve had since coming back from the break, even though I failed pretty miserably at squats and my rep numbers weren’t eye-popping at anything else. My shoulder seemed to take the whole thing a lot better after I removed the bench press, and my all-around form felt a lot better – the reps I did get through on squats were better reps than I’ve done of late (which may be why I failed out in the 3rd set), and I think today was the best set of push-ups I’ve ever done, form-wise. I’ll take another crack at the 290 lbs. squat on Wednesday, and maybe things’ll go better. If not, I think 290 lbs. is a pretty reasonable place for a first deload.
And, to top it all off, I weighed in at 281 lbs, a new low. Pretty pleased with that.
This last week has been a test of my endurance. I have just finished a physio course this weekend and managed to get all my training in for the week. When I have a course on all weekend I can not take my time with my training or rest afterwards. I know I have another 3 weekends of courses before the ironman and it does not do my head any good thinking about what those weeks will involve with training and work.
In the last two weeks I have had little things happen as I have been traning and each time I am learning how to fix the problems. On a three-hour ride the crank and pedal came loose. I stopped at a bike shop in Putney and it was fixed with an 8mm Alan key so I bought one in case this happens in the future. The light on my bike fell onto the road as I rode over bumps and now I know to check it is on properly before I ride. The levers that secure my wheel to my bike came loose and so I do a bike check before I ride to Richmond Park.
There are many things that happen when training and it continues to change every week. Being adaptable and flexible is a key to making life manageable with training. I tell myself I must stop taking on social events and from now until July my weeks and weekends have been planned. I like my weekends being free of commitments to rest from training, work and recovering for my long bike rides.
I spoke to Fran (Coach) and he has is now worried about my running as I have not run outside since my injuries. This week I did run to Battersea Park and I discovered the track around the Park had flat surfaces. When the surfaces are sloped it irritates my ITB friction syndrome. Good to know I can run on good surface and it is close to work.
My body is adapting to the training. I can ride up the hills in Richmond Park seated on the bike and breathing easily. It was great to run outside and this will be my focus to improve. It freaks me out a little knowing how many weeks I have remaining before the event. Time to put in harder training.
I resisted the 10k challenge over January because I was focused on clean and press. But as my back was playing up, I didn’t want to do too many one sided workouts. Two hand swings always help my back. So the 10k challenge gave my workouts some focus.
I’ve completed more than I thought I would this week. I set myself 400 swings per day for 6 days and then an extra 100. In fact I’ve been managing 500 and 600 swings fairly easily and have completed 3000 this week in all. I’ve added variety as my back got stronger e.g. one arm, hand to hand and a few snatches. Now I have to decide whether to increase the number of swings or increase the weight. Going for 1,000 swings is tempting-particularly as a certain trainer was a little dismissive the last time I raised it. However I am working on improving my strength and stamina with 16kg. Hmmm
Well I could do both, working on more swings next week and then increasing the weight but doing fewer swings towards the end of the challenge. 1,000 swings in one session by Friday is my next goal.
The pull ups are improving to. I ‘ve been working on short sets of negative pull ups over the past three weeks and I’ve seen gradual improvement. This week I tried from the floor and could lift my self to chin level- my first chin-up! Only once but it’s encouraging. The gym is harder because I have to jump just to hold onto the bar let alone pull myself up. But I’m determined that I’m going to go in one day and do a set of five. Watch this space…
So last night I stayed up late reading Harry Potter. I really like those books. I feel like I identify with the characters in the books a little bit. But of course, that’s why everyone likes any kind of art: because we identify. So, I woke up a little bit later, around 10a.
This blog is going to be interesting, and may have some typos and stuff..I am not looking at my fingers while I type, I’m watching the Men’s Figure Skating finals. I hope that anyone besides Peshanko wins. (Or whatever his name is…you know, the dude who jumps quads great but is an ugly, arrogant asshole?)
Anyway, I invited best friend Billy over to do Jillian #3 this morning, and he did! He hasn’t worked out with me since about day 5 of Jillian #1. So, he came over, and he tried it out! And he got about 5 minutes in and said “I’m not moving anymore.” heheh…he wants to borrow Jillian after I’m done with her, because he felt all out of shape and stuff. =P Poor guy.
So the next thing I did was to go to the new spa I’m going to be working at, and talked over contracts and paperwork. I like the guy who runs the place, that’s why I’m going there. I really want to have a friend and a mentor in the business, and this guy has everything that I want. So this job will be a good place to learn a whole new set of skills in marketing, and such.
What do I need to do to get clients in the door? I feel embarassed…I mean, the shameless, continuous, obnoxious self-promotion is what is required of me to get clients…and I don’t want to do it. I wanted to have an ad in a paper do all of the work for me….turns out that’s not going to work.
I could always give in and put my picture in the ad like everyone else…I’m a good looking guy (believe it or not)…sigh…I don’t know if that’s a direction I even want to lean in though.
So, I’m going to have to commit to doing that which I don’t want to do. I’m going to have to hand out coupons, discount (I’m all ready discounted considering the level of the work that I do.)
I’m going to have to do chair massage, chat with strangers walking by in lobbies and parks…just whatever it’s going to take…I have monthly costs for rent and advertising now….either get to work or die of the financial stress I’m going to be under very shortly.
And where is the money in my bank account that was supposed to be there from my credit card transaction 3 business days ago? Hmm…I need to make another call tomorrow to my financial peeps. Why does it take so long to get money in your account? Oy vey!
I chatted with my Sister about Sex, Men & Love today. We’re both very passionate, and have extremely strong views. It can either be amazing chats, or beat your head against the wall chats. I liked the chat today. Everything she says comes out of love, and it’s also interesting, because so much of what her perspective is, is similar to what I think Hubby thinks about things.
In any case, moving on.
I have to go to more meetings for my support group for food issues. I am doing excellent on my own, and I hate those meetings, but my friend says that I must. Okay, fine. =)
My friend from the support group talked with me today, and we have decided that the largest thing going on with my marriage right now is that the whole dynamic is changing every since I’ve been becoming healthier and saner in the head.
When Hubby and I first got together, we had a very different dynamic. Very different. I was volatile, over emotional, abusive, desperate, etc….why the hell did he want me? I was exciting though…I’ll tell ya that.
Now that I’m becoming healthy, I think he’s truly happy for me…but when one person changes, it does throw the entire relationship dynamic off. I hope it will readjust. I hope Hubby knows that I need him just as much, but in a different way. I don’t need a savior anymore, I need a friend, and a cheerleader.
So, Shawn White, Olympic snowboarder….he won the gold medal on his very first run (you get to do two), and on his second run, he pulled out this bonus move that he’s been working on for four years! I mean, it was nice that he won, and he deserved to, but it’s a little disappointing to me that all of that hard work he put into moving the sport forward and improving was unecessary. Nobody could match him just doing the simple stuff, let alone match this awesome new move! How great for him, but how sad for him too.
He premiered his bonus fantastic new move when it wasn’t even needed. Why did that upset me so much? Upset is the wrong word….all right, no it isn’t. I’m upset. It feels like his second gold medal was WAY too easy.
I know what it feels like to earn something…it’s what my entire life is becoming based on: the feeling of earning, the feeling of well deserved self esteem. The Olympics is supposed to be where you give everything you have, and are amazed that you won! Just a little disappointing.
Oh, the main moderator dude on the Figure skating Review Preview show was wearing this amazing sweater with a satin piped hoodie! Awesome! (Random)
I love Max. He’s slowing down. He’s going to die relatively soon. I love him. I’m going to miss him. Please hang on a while longer, Max. =)
So, I haven’t jogged today. I will have to do an hour of cardio tomorrow. But food was perfect today. Down to the exact calorie! =)
I went and saw Billy’s show tonight. It was good. I got a $40 ticket on my car for being dumb.
Well, money, money, money…that’s what the end of my day is all about. The feeling of slowly crushing pressure with office fees (even for trades where I don’t make any money! Bullshit!), and watching my phone for new clients to call.
Well, that’s for me to face directly tomorrow. I don’t have a choice. I have to produce. I’m an adult business owner now…=( Not sure how I feel about that now. It was a big step for me….time to grow into it.
Well, Evan Lysachek (typo?) won the Gold. I don’t like him. He’s oddly skinny, his hair is ugly, he’s got awful costumes, and he does this kick to his head thing that is truly bizarre…like Jack Skelington having a seizure. Well..what did I want? I wanted Takahashi to win, I guess. Whatever. Good job Evan. =)
Johnny Weir woulda been cool too…he’s like a sassy gay superhero. =)
All right…nothing to do but to feel a little odd tonight. A little off. That’s okay, I can’t feel fantastic every single moment.
There is a way, a technique, a style, a protocol…something is out there, a path that would enable me to have lots of clients, I just have to start exploring those paths and be shameless until one of them works. I suppose that means I need to get some rest. Okay, goodnight.
Thanks for checking in with me today. I’ll be more inspiring and poignant tomorrow. =)
Do you ever feel like this has happened to your day?
Yesterday’s workout did not turn out the way I had originally planned. I thought I was going to get up in the morning and do a slightly tweaked version of my Monday workout from the WOWs for weeks 37 and 38. I had it all planned out and ready to go, then . . . KABAM! CHANGE OF PLANS.
It happens to all of us at some time or another. You find out that you have a meeting, an appointment or some errand run, a family member or friend that needs your time during your regular workout time. For me, it was a trip to LA that had to start by 7 a.m. The question is: what do we do about it?
Option A: “Oh well, guess I won’t be working out today.”
Option B: “I’ll just do it later on.”
Option C: “I’m a failure, I’ll never reach my goals!”
Option D: “Nothing is going to stop me. I’ll come up with a definite Plan B right now.”
I knew I was going to have to think fast and come up with a good alternate before slipping off to dreamland. Without a good plan in my head, I was sure my day would just slip away from me and somehow my workout just wouldn’t happen. Why leave such an important thing to chance? Make a plan then make it work.
I mulled it over before I conked out for the night. By the time I fell asleep, I knew exactly what I was going to do the next morning.
Usually on Tuesdays I do lots of strength training during my morning workout and then some light cardio (no running) in the evenings. Lately that’s been climbing aboard the stationary bike. Because I had to be on the road so early, I flipped my workout schedule.
At 5:55 a.m. I was on the stationary bike pedaling away. 30 minutes later, I took my sweaty body to the shower and got ready to hit the road.
We got back home about mid-afternoon and, after so much time on the road, part of me didn’t much feel like going through the hassle of changing into my workout clothes and getting down to some sweaty business. You know the feeling, don’t you? But this was totally expected. I knew part of me would be all whiny and want to just skip it. I had my response prepared.
“You did well this morning, big girl, but, come on, you know that wasn’t enough for an athlete like you. You deserve better. You are worth a really great workout. And you are going to feel so good when you are done and have such a sense of accomplishment. Don’t be a wuss, Rachel!”
That’s all it took.
I don’t know if it was the beautiful sun-shiny day we had, the warmer temps, or the 5 plus hours I had in the car to really think about it , but I came up with one hell of a workout for myself.
I picked out 4 sets of exercises from this week’s WOWs (Weekly Online Workouts) that I really wanted to do.
Set 1: Hindu Pushups (20x) and Squats to Bent Arm Hangs (3 sets) from Monday.
Set 2: T Pushups (20x) and Standing Leg Lifts (20 of each) from Monday
Set 3: Forward and Back Plank Walks, Side to Side Plank Walks, and In and Out Plank Walks (5 sets of each) from Monday.
Set 4: Climber Combos (10x), Majesty Squats (10x), and Spiderman Pushups (10x) from Wednesday
Before each of these 4 sets of exercises, I did 5 minutes of sword-fighting.
I only looked and moved this well in my imagination.
No partner or opponent except the one in my head. It was just me and my bokken in the backyard slicing and dicing my way in true Uma Thurman, Kill Bill style. Yeah, I wish that were the case.
Five minutes of blocking, making full cuts, diagonal cuts, and horizontal cuts while scooting, stepping, shuffling, lunging and dancing my way around my yard, not only thoroughly entertained my dog, but also really got my heart pumping and my whole body working.
In the end I did 4 sword-fighting sessions and 4 bodyweight sessions. Forty-five minutes later I was bent over, huffing and puffing, watching puddles of my own sweat form on the patio and feeling damn good about getting in both my workouts despite the unexpected change of plans and adjustments.
Take what's thrown at you and make the best of it.
Life throws stuff at us – curve balls, sliders, change-ups. Don’t give up when this happens. Don’t bail on your daily exercise. Get even more determined, use your head and come up with a Plan B Workout of your own. Feel free to use some of my exercise ideas from my Weekly Online Workouts, if you need to. Each week is stuffed full of activities you can use any way you want. Trust me, you can smack whatever is thrown at you right out of the park!
Well, finally after weeks of talking about it I’ve finally donned the gym gear and set out in search of a fitter…more streamlined self
My first gym session was torture, turns out four months of sitting around and eating indulgent cuisine has really taken it’s toll on my small frame.
Mark bought me one of those Nike+ doofers (actual term) to sync up with my iPhone so thought I’d spend my first session calibrating that…what a terrible idea that was. The walk was fine 400 meters at a brisk pace, piece of cake! The run however was s nightmare…it’s been a good couple of years since I’ve been out for a run so maybe flat out in the middle of Bannatynes after a Chinese was a bad time to give it a go…I’m certain you’ll have never seen someone turn so many shades in such a short space of time…oh and the bad news is the calibration did not even work, lovely.
So anyway, after the mild humiliation of watching pentioners run farther than I could I still managed to get up and give it a go again this morning…and I’m very pleased with myself for doing so, didn’t feel like dieing or coughing up a vital organ once! I feel much better for it and Mark does too hopefully this will become a regular thing from now on…and the start if a much healthier future for us both *crosses fingers*
Monday’s class started a new killer routine. I am having to come up with modifications for some things that bother my hypermobility — two in particular are using an elastic band and doing legwork with an exercise ball.
We use the band for two different segments. In one, we wrap it around a fixed bar and do lawn-mower-starting movements — that’s not bad. In another, we’re holding onto both ends and flinging fingers up at the ceiling, down at the floor, front and back, side and front, etc, very quickly. Most folks can wrap the band once around their hand to keep hold of it for this part, but that really hurts my deeper thumb muscles. I might just have to do that part without the band.
I can do most of the mat and ball exercises, but there’s some where your heels are on the ball and you’ve got to do various things with your legs while your pelvis is lifted off the mat. That makes my knees want to bend backwards and is very painful. So I am working on modifications for those. I’m not sure that what I’m doing instead is working the same bits, but it’s still good.
Wednesday’s Pilates was canceled due to snow, and I missed Friday spinning (again! I’ve missed all but one) because we were out of town. I did my Pilates Sculpt DVD on Thursday, instead.
Ce samedi 13 février, j’ai eu la chance d’initier au Crossfit l’équipe d’Ultimate Frisbee “XLR8RS” de Bruxelles, qui participera aux prochains championnats du monde de la discipline !
Au programme, un WOD adapté à certaines spécificités de l’Ultimate, mettant l’accent sur l’explosivité, la rapidité et l’endurance.
Un maximum de rounds, en 10 minutes, de :
- 9 squats
- 7 jumps (avec un mouvement de bras pour attraper le frisbee)
- 5 “frisbee” burpees (c’est-à-dire partir en position complètement couchée et se relever en explosivité)
Voici la vidéo de quelques minutes du WOD, au centre sportif du Blocry (Louvain-la-Neuve) :
Sorry, no pictures this week. I didn’t really wear anything FFF-worthy. I need to work on that. It’s just been so bitterly cold, and with the snow on Tuesday/Wednesday (and the hopes of snow days dashed to bits…), I haven’t felt much like trying in the mornings.
I do, however, want to throw something out there. I need work-out clothes. Particularly pants. I’m okay with tops…as in, I’m okay wearing old band/SHS/drama shirts to the gym. Pants, however, are a constant struggle. I want them to be fitted, but not running-tights fitted. They need to be a little bit loose, because no one needs to see what’s going on with my thighs. I want pants, because capris or shorts don’t work for winter. I can’t wear light grey because, well…I sweat. And, possibly most importantly, I NEED pockets. I don’t care for the idea of wearing an armband for my iPod, so pockets are pretty necessary, especially when running outside, so that I don’t have to hold my iPod (and occasionally keys) the whole time. I can’t stand that swishy nylon fabric, nor do I want shiny running-tight fabric. And so you see my dilemma. NO SUCH PANT EXISTS. The only running pants with pockets are always either tights or swishy nylon (gross). And with the tights, the pocket is always located just above the butt, which I know makes sense, but is not so helpful when trying to access an iPod. “Oh, don’t mind me…just grabbing my iPod…located on my ass.” I may have to suck it up and just buy the tights, as I don’t have many other options.
Anyone have recommendations for good workout pants?
You can work up a sweat — without sweating bullets about how you’re going to pay for it!
I believe a big reason why I’ve never been able to get this damned weight off — and added more — was that I believed I had no time or money to work out. Even when things were SLIGHTLY better ’round these parts, I honestly didn’t know how I’d squeeze gym business hours — at a gym that cost, say, $30 a month (And that’s cheap from what I hear.) into my second-shift schedule. Sure, sure. A lot of them are open before the roosters crow. Try doing that when you’ve had to cover an election all night.
Some people can get by without exercise. I can’t. Sure, there’s the health benefits, etc., but here’s the key for me: Note the first three letters of the word “diet”. That’s what you often find yourself wanting to do more than diet any longer. Dieting is miserable. Yes, there are low-fat chocolates and things like that out there now, but you’re still having to deprive yourself of so much that you want. I still haven’t found low-fat sausage pizza yet, and I LOVE it. I also can’t eat it.
Exercise, however, is a much different story. I won’t lie and say it’s easy. I’ve collapsed into bed many nights after working out. I’ve had to deal with sore feet, you name it. But there are ways you can have fun while exercising. If you have a friend join you for the day, you add socialization to the whole mix. That’s nearly impossible with dieting. Exercise also leaves you with a positive psychological feeling every time you manage to survive it.
But what do you do when your schedule and wallet don’t allow you to exercise like everyone else does? Well, that’s when you get crazy creative, like I do.
“Incarceration”
Have you ever watched MSNBC’s “Lockup”? It’s one of my “guilty pleasure” shows. Basically, MSNBC goes into prisons and interviews all involved in prison life — guards, wardens, inmates, you name it. Some of the inmates have become their own little icons, like that guy in Kentucky who does an entire monologue on the importance of “booty” in prison.
One of the things they’ve shown is the ways the inmates keep themselves entertained when they’re locked in tiny cells for most of the day. A lot of them have become fitness fanatics. They may or may not have access to a weight room, and they certainly don’t have access to a posh Gold’s Gym. So, they must be REALLY creative.
One of their workouts I’ve copied is something I call “cell runs”. These guys just run back and forth in their cells. I’ve done that in my apartment, and with great results. I had to literally dash up the street at a bank robbery scene for work, and I would have never been able to do it without my cell runs. There’s also bench pressing your cellmate, using shower bars for pull-up bars, etc.
Utilize your tax dollars
Your tax dollars often go to work by supporting parks, recreation facilities, trails, etc. Put them to use.
A favorite place for people to walk when I was growing up was our local state park. We had a nice walking trail with bridges, shady spots (great for summertime), creeks and all of that pretty natural stuff. When I lived in Huntington, Ritter Park had an even nicer trail, complete with a very high staircase that went up at mountain — and into one awesomely gorgeous rose garden. It’s one of my favorite places on the planet to this day.
I admit that there’s also a national park near where I live right now. I haven’t taken advantage of it, namely because the weather has been so horrible lately. Once this latest pile of snow from hell clears, though, I’m headed to the woods.
Take a lesson from the French
I found this awesome online story called “4 Ways French Women Stay Thin (Without the Gym)“, and I’ve incorporated a lot of this into my diet and exercise routines. These include parking in the back of the lot and taking a longer walk to the store’s entrance, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and using bicycles as a primary form of transportation. I know the latter is impossible in some places, like where I live, but there’s some urban areas that have separate lanes for bicyclists on city streets. Jacksonville, Fla., has several.
Get “malled”
This is one of the most dangerous things to do for the impoverished, but you can use it to your advantage. Go to your local mall and just walk around. The good part of walking in a shopping mall is that you’re indoors, and you don’t have to worry about weather spoiling your walk like it would if your usual spot was on an outdoor trail.
Here’s why it’s dangerous: Being next to stores means you will be more tempted to spend money you don’t have. So here’s what you do: Make sure you don’t bring any more than a few bucks and only your photo ID. Leave all extra cash AND ESPECIALLY your credit cards, at home. If you don’t have enough cash, and you’re extra-tempted, you will make an even bigger mistake with the credit cards.
If you’re out of work, this may also be a good move for you. A place with multiple businesses inside may mean you can pick up multiple job applications. Fill them all out in the food court and turn them in as you make another lap. You can celebrate two accomplishments in one day.
Phone a friend
This is a “lifeline” in more ways than one. Any time you’re on the phone with someone, walk around. Don’t lounge on the couch. Sure, this isn’t possible for a lot of situations. I’m on the phone a lot for my job and taking notes while doing that. I have to stay seated then. But if I’m home and just talking on the phone with my parents, my best friends, etc., I’ll literally pace the floors. A long conversation with someone can wear you out in more ways than one. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Get down with your bad self
This may sound totally ridiculous, and you’ll feel totally ridiculous for the first few minutes or so when you’re doing this. But man, it is ever a release and a blast. Put on whatever your favorite music is and dance, trash, headbang, jump around, do a bad impersonation of Tom Cruise in “Risky Business” or just shake your rear. If you have the dancing skills of a wino living under a bridge, you may want to do this alone. You may want to do this alone, period, because not having someone stare you down lets you throw inhibition to the wind.
It’s great to throw that inhibition to the wind. Whenever life is stressful, you need every kind of release you can get. It helps to laugh at yourself. It helps to make a fool out of yourself.
You’ll also burn a hell of a lot of calories. Going through just one song absolutely wears me out.
So the count down is on for the Ragnar Relay and based on the snowy weather outside it looks like my training remains on the treadmill. I think the first time my legs will feel pavement is during the race in Arizona, but I CANNOT wait! I will be running somewhere vs. nowhere as I feel on the treadmill. Besides tv and listening to music does anyone have any suggestions on how to run more than 5 miles on a treadmill without feeling like you are going to go crazy?
These days life is always busy with the changing environment, technology and lifestyle, that's why people are now opting for things like comfortable fashion. Comfortable shoes can really help to walk, exercise and jogging in a much better way. There are several fitness shoes now on the market available in various designs, colors and styles.
When the shoes, choosing for you, you should always maintain the comfort and convenience inMind. In this article I will try, above all, are you prepared three primary fitness shoes, MBT shoes, Skechers Shape-Ups, and Sano Mephisto to tell.
MBT shoes The Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT), the shoes are one of the best shoes available on the market in recent days. They are designed and created in a very good priest with a multi-layered sole. You can easily go in the sand and the rugged surfaces while wearing these shoes. Some major advantages of these shoes arehereinafter
1. The aid for the formation of the body to move correctly. 2. If you suffer from muscle joint, ligament and tendon injuries then these shoes are best for you. 3. Also improve your posture and muscles to help simplify the design of your body. 4. MBT shoes can help with your legs, back, hip and foot problems activating neglected muscles.
Healthy from Mephisto Healthy shoes that are made by Mephisto, are rising sharplyApplication. They are very comfortable and are available in many great designs. Some of the benefits these shoes are here:
1. They help to burn calories, but also tone and tighten your buttocks, and abdominal and leg muscles. 2. They improve your posture and even the smooth flow of blood throughout the body. 3. Sano shoes will improve your fitness by promoting a better shape of the body. 4. They help to relax tense muscles and promotevertebral column, spinal cord and joints.
Skechers Shape-Ups These are the best shoes for fitness, weight loss, toning muscles, improving posture and relaxation throughout the body. They are very good for training, walking and jogging. So, now let me give you some great benefits that have these shoes.
1. These boots will help you lose weight and it would be best to give your body, blood for a healthy looking body. 2. Skechers ShapeUPS are very useful to tone the buttocks, back, stomach and calf muscles. 3. These shoes are very trendy, so you also can use this when shopping, at work, on the beach and in several other places.
I'm sure this article would surely help you know all the benefits of using these three big shoes fitness.
Hello everyone I recently added a new superfood to my diet…the chia seed! It has created such a buzz all over the blogosphere and health and fitness world that I decided to give it a try. At first I was skeptical since this is virtually what you grow a Chia Pet with and I was afraid it might taste weird or feel icky in my mouth. After reading about it and researching differnt prices on the internet, I ventured out to my local health food store and picked up a small bag of Chia Power by Navitas Naturals ($5.99).
My first experience with the chia seeds was with granola and milk…this was a BIG MISTAKE. The chia seeds actually plump up and absorb whatever you put them in so they turned my milk into sludge! It was pretty disgusting so I was afraid to try them in anything else. Then I read about putting them in oatmeal, which thankfully was a great way to eat them because they are truly tasteless but give the oatmeal a bit of a lift. Now I usually throw a teaspoon on some frozen yogurt as a sort of healthy “sprinkle”.
Besides the nice oomph and crunch they can give to oatmeal and yogurt, chia seeds are a very powerful Aztec superfood and offer omega-3’s, antioxidants, calcium, fiber and protein. Here is some useful info I found on the AMAZING benefits of this tasteless addition to a diet in need of some POWER!
Top 5 Reasons to Eat Chia Seeds
1.Chia Seeds Are Nutritious On top of the fact that chia seeds have more omega-3 than any
other natural source, they are loaded with antioxidants, calcium,
protein, fiber, and many other vitamins & minerals.
2.Chia Seeds Are Energizing Not only do chia seeds give you a boost of energy that lasts,
they also provide stamina and endurance. A single tablespoon
could sustain Aztec warriors for an entire day.
3.Chia Seeds Reduce Cravings Because chia seeds absorb so much water and have high soluble
fiber levels, they help release natural, unrefined carbohydrate
energy slowly into the bloodstream.
4.Chia Seeds Are Easily Digestible Unlike flax seed, chia seeds do not have to be ground up before
you ingest them. The human body can easily digest chia seeds,
and with about 7 grams of fiber per serving, they actually help.
5.Chia Seeds Are Convenient & Versatile You can eat chia seeds straight from the bag, mix them with your
favorite drink, add them to your cereal or salad, and just about
anything else. Chia seeds last for years so stock up now!
Ashtanga Yoga, also known as Raja Yoga, focuses on eight limbs. Ash meaning eight and tanga meaning limbs, combine to form all of the steps to reach Samadhi, complete self realization. The second part of the Yoga Sutras, compiled by Patanjali around A.D. 200, talks about these eight steps.
The first two limbs have to do with our relationships to the world and learning to manage our drive for possessions. These limbs teach us to abstain from evildoing. Mastering the first two limbs leads us to a direct, smooth and more refined way of life.
The third limbs teaches our body to be comfortable in mediation by improving our posture. All of the poses we learn in our asana practice stretch and strengthen our muscles to allow us to sit in a mediation pose for an extended amount of time.
The fourth limb focuses on breath. There are different types of breathing practices, some of which prepare us for meditation, and teach us to have control over our breath. It is also important to learn to breath correctly first.
The fifth limb tells us to disengage ourselves from the material world; to withdraw our attention from a world of concerns.
The sixth, seventh and eighth limbs concern concentration and meditation; all internal forms of practice according to Patanjali.
The first two limbs of yoga are just as important for the beginning student as they are for the accomplished yogi or yogini. All limbs can be practiced in any order and practiced at the same time. However, in order to reach the eighth limb (for most people) all others must be mastered first.
As a personal trainer I find this subject interesting. So how do you know if you are getting your money’s worth?
Education is extremely important, as is experience. Trainers can take several routes to obtain their credentials. And believe me there are several options. Most courses offer anatomy as well as training principles. We learn these basics and how to implement them. Some courses are more in-depth than others but most trainers will have at least two certifications under their belt, as well as first aid and CPR.
A trainer should also have insurance. For a Personal Trainer to get insurance we must have proof of qualifications. I don’t believe a trainer should be without his or her own insurance. I know others will argue with me but its not expensive and you will cover you butt. By getting insurance you can tell that that trainer has taken the extra steps to protect you the client and themselves the trainer.
Most trainers have put their lives into the industry. I have sold memberships, cleaned toilets, worked the front desk, taught group fitness classes, managed personal trainers, managed a club and owned a group fitness studio as well as currently the owner operator of my own fitness and muscle activation technique studio. I go to at least 2 conferences as year and have spent countless amounts of money and time on courses to stay current with the latest information and techniques.
When you ask, “Is the cost of a personal trainer worth it?” I say YES! You are investing in yourself and in an industry that works hard for you.
The Strength and Conditioning/Athletic Development Conference in Baltimore, MD will be here before you know it. Plans are being made now for over 300 participants, and numerous sponsor booths. Check out the early bird special today. Reserve your seat at one of the best events in the country.
For more information about the SC/AD Conference and upcoming events, go to www.smarterteamtraining.com.
So I haven’t gotten up to a whole lot over the past day or so. Yesterday’s meals were pretty unexciting. I had the same thing for lunch and dinner – how LAME! I made another quick and easy fav… Tortellini Soup. My old roommate is Italian, and got me hooked on this (among many other fabulously delicious meals) when I lived with her. Really simple, just chicken broth + tortellini pasta + S&P + parmesan cheese. Its pretty darn good.
Yesterday afternoon I spent some time on job stuff and relaxed a bit by catching up on my Google Reader. Ryan came home from work and we both had quick dinner because he still wasn’t feeling very well, and I was just being lazy. Aren’t leftovers great for that?
Anyways, after watching The Biggest Loser, I sat down and had a chat with Ryan.
It sort of turned into an emotional ‘meltdown’ over how I thought things would be easier out here once I moved – I thought I would get a job sooner, I thought meeting people would be easier – and I feel really guilty for the position that I’ve put us in. Ryan has reassured me countless times not to stress over this stuff – but I just feel a need to contribute and I don’t feel like I’m doing a very good job of that right now. Anyways, I guess I should give myself some credit for moving across the country to a province where we knew virtually no one. It was a big risk, and I don’t regret moving, but I guess it will take some more time to get settled than I thought. :S
Oh well – such is life, and honestly – I could have it a lot worse.
This morning, I woke up eager to get my mind off of last nights conversation, so I ate a quick breakfast of greek yogurt + museli, with toast +PB and then headed out to the gym.
I did a easy paced run, pounding out 3.5 miles in 35 minutes and it was actually pretty relaxing.
Honestly, I feel like the gym (& running in particular) is the ONE thing in my life that I can do to take my mind off stress and anxiety. Somehow, I end up focusing on the pain of running and how much that hurts and it outweighs any other ‘STUFF’.
Anyways, I think we’re gonna make some salmon and green beans for dinner tonight – and I might even try out those pumpkin pie cupcakes later. I’ll let you know how it goes.
What areas of your life cause you the most stress? What to you do to feel more at ease?
Our family have been looking for a massage chair for some time now. My mother not only has cancer of the spine but it has spread to her hip and if that wasn’t enough she has cervical spondilitis in her neck and shoulder too. As a family we thought we would club together and buy her a chair (they are not cheap!), in the hope that it would relieve some of the pain. When we came to look for a suitable one however, we found that there were all sorts of different options available.
A bit of history first. Massage chairs were were first available in the late 1980’s. They were developed to emulate the techniques and motions used by an real masseuse. The objective was to relieve stress and tension and to help improve back pain. The expense of producing the chairs, which had to be passed on to the customer, meant that they were usually beyond the reach of most people. Now, twenty years later and the cost of producing the chairs has gone down and more and more people are benefiting from the effects.
Massage chairs attempt to recreate two types of techniques – Shiatsu and Swedish massage. These two techniques are quite different. Shiatsu tends to use pressing, sweeping, patting and rotating movements. It focuses on releasing tension in specific areas of the body to restore blood circulation, muscle structure and benefit internal organs too. Swedish massage uses long gliding strokes and kneading motions and has the most effect on restoring the circulation and helping to allow muscles to relax too.
You will find a number of options available when purchasing a massage chair. At the luxury end of the market, the chairs have at least 2 rollers each in the back, legs and arms (some have 4). The chairs adjust to the size of the person sitting in the chair and automatically detect acupressure points that will be specifically worked on. These very expensive massage chairs actually memorise the shape of the person sitting in the chair and then develop programs of massage for specific areas of the body. It will memorise these programs so that they can be reproduced whenever that person sits in the chair again. The downside of these very expensive, leather covered chairs, is that they are HUGE and not for the normal sized room.
Other things to look out for -
Some chairs have air bags in the leg area: These are not beneficial unless there are motors to roll and knead the legs. All they do is squeeze the legs, just like when someone has their blood pressure taken.
It might have arm massagers, claws or air cuffs: Not only do these make the chair look bulky, there is no proof that they do anything other than squeeze the forearm!
Be careful because a massage chair isn’t necessarily going to be a benefit to you. Make sure that you read the article Massage Chairs – the Pros and Cons before making any decisions. You will find a link to it at the bottom of this article.
What did we chose in the end? We bought a simple chair that just had wooden arms and could recline electronically. The programmer was easy to read and use. In the upright position it also helped my mother to get out of the chair. That way she can relax completely, feet up, in the chair to maximise the benefits of the massage. The massage chair is not too bulky and fitted in with the décor of her home.
For something that is only a ten minute workout, you’d be more than a little surprised what you can get out of Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer.
Now before anyone asks, “you mean I can get ripped and fit with only 10 minutes a day!!??”, allow me to clarify.
No stupid, you can’t.
However, you can maintain a certain level of fitness due to Tony’s method called “Super Stacking”, meaning you work multiple muscle groups at the same time. The kit comes with 8 routines and three medium resistance workout bands.
The workouts are as follows: (1) Total Body; (2) Cardio; (3) Lower Body; (4) Yoga Flex; (5) Total Body 2; (6) Core Cardio; (7) Upper Body; (8) Abs Routine.
Some routines are better than others naturally. For example, I do the 10 minute Ab routine quite frequently, as it is an absolute gut killer.
The program recommends doing several a day, and not just getting your fat ass off the couch for a mere ten minutes, before going back to your potato chips and case of Bud Light. Which brings me to the second aspect of this program…the diet.
It should be no mystery that the secret weapon in any of Tony’s ( or any reputable program ) workouts is the diet guide. Say goodbye to Kentucky Fried Chicken and a diet cola kids! You’ll be snacking on clean food from now on!
I picked this workout up for several reasons: First, I’m heavy into P90X and Insanity…but I also get up at 5:30 am to start my routines. My wife has much more sensible sleeping habits and therefore is crunched for time more. The 10 minutes work great for her, and she gets a better burn than if she just did a random half hour of working out.
And me? Well, there are the occasional workouts I love to go back to. Yoga Stretch and 10 Minute Abs are my chosen two.
As always, one asks…“What’s Tony like in this?”. He occasionally has some fun banter, but nothing over the top. He’s getting a lot in in just 10 minutes, so the chatter gets down to business more than anything.
If you’re crunched for time, don’t own a set of dumbbells, and want to maintain or begin a workout regimen, you may want to give 10 Minute Trainer a serious consideration. I’ll give it 3.8 starts out of 5 ( couldn’t decide between 3.5 and 4! ), but keep in mind I’m not grading intensity. I’m grading convenience, usefulness, and product design. This is nowhere near the level of P90X or Insanity, but it fills a vital role nonetheless.
As with any workout, the intensity is only something you can bring!
Buying an elliptical? You may want to look at several elliptical trainer ratings before buying to get an idea of which elliptical trainers are best for you.
Before you look at elliptical trainer ratings however, here are a few things you should know about how elliptical trainers are rated:
#1 Elliptical Trainers are Rated in Specific Price Groups
There are really 3 categories of elliptical trainers: Economy Buys, Mid-priced and Commecial Grade ellipticals.
Economy buys range from about $300 to $1000. Mid-priced ellipticals range from $1000-$2000. High End or Commercial elliptical trainers range from about $2200 and above.
When experts go to rate elliptical trainers they usually compare the elliptical trainers within price class.
So just because an economy elliptical trainer gets 5 stars and a mid-priced elliptical gets 4 stars, that doesn’t mean the economy elliptical is better than the mid-priced elliptical. It just means that compared to other economy elliptical trainers, that one is superior.
#2 Experts Value Elliptical Features Differently
Ever wonder why certain elliptical trainers get rated highly by some experts and not by others? It’s because different elliptical trainer raters value some features over others.
So for example, while Consumer Reports may give more weight to long warranties and stability, Consumer Guide may value smoothness of ride or ease of use.
It doesn’t mean one elliptical trainer is better than another – it could just mean they are rated using different criteria.
#3 Use Caution When Reading User Elliptical Ratings
In addition to expert elliptical ratings, there are also websites that allow people to write a personal review of their elliptical. While these can be helpful when shopping for an elliptical, be cautious of basing your decision just on these ratings.
Exercise equipment is big business and some companies are not above having one of their employees post negative reviews on their competitors.
Also, no one elliptical brand has a perfect track record – sometimes even the best brands make a dud. And those are usually the people that go online to post a negative review. Those people who are happy with their elliptical are less likely to post a comment.
Bottom Line? Take user ratings with a grain of salt and compare them to your own research when deciding on your elliptical trainer.
So those are three things to keep in mind when looking at elliptical trainer ratings.
For something that is only a ten minute workout, you’d be more than a little surprised what you can get out of Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer.