Bring on a Strong Fall Season!
What’s Your Definition of Strength? Photo by Leslie Hassle
We made it to the first Motivation Monday of the fall of 2013! As you repeat readers know by now, this bona fide beach bunny is beyond ecstatic about leaving this particular summer behind and kicking off a whole new season filled with new opportunities and adventures.
If you’re still working on defining your health and fitness goals for the season, let me offer a little guidance that may help. The guidance comes in the form of a question. It’s an important one because there are so many answers, none of which is wrong and all of which are tailored for the individual who answers it. Here it is: what’s your definition of strength?
Here’s the definition you’ll find in Webster’s dictionary:
- the quality or state of being physically strong
- the ability to resist being moved or broken by a force
- the quality that allows someone to deal with problems in a determined and effective way
Those three bullets are a great starting point for what the heart of the word means. Deciding if one or all of them is the driving factor behind why we want to be strong is crucial to finding our motivation to incorporate fitness into daily routine. Maybe you want stronger muscles to lift weights or your growing children. Maybe you want a stronger will to follow your dreams and not be distracted by fear and doubt. Maybe you want to grow tougher armor to not be hurt by the people and things that try to break you. Whatever your motivation, exercise is one of the best ways to gain the strength you desire to tackle each and every day of this sometimes crazy life.
When I look at my own life, adding Physique57 classes to my weekly training routine has helped me feel physically stronger than ever. The total body workouts have especially helped me conquer the lower back pain I’ve experienced on and off for years. My lower body is finally getting the strength training I admit I avoided for far too long. On the emotional front, that physical strength has actually helped my mind stay sharp and focused even when unexpected and sometimes unpleasant distractions are thrown at me. The discipline I follow with my workouts motivates me to stay on track with other areas that are part of an essential recipe for my overall health and well-being, namely fueling my body with healthy food every few hours and staying on a sleep schedule. Working to keep those ingredients steady in this ever-changing life help me stay strong and ready to overcome the obstacles that sometimes seem too much to bear when they first attack.
Remember, whether it’s a desire to put your strength to the test in a fitness competition or have more energy to play with your kids on the weekends, we can all rely on our strength to help us handle the toughest of challenges. Figuring out why you want that strength in your life will help you put some plans into action so you can have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Fitness: It’s ALL About You
I’ve always found this to be a strange time of year. Many of us try to soak up what’s officially left of the easy-going summer season while desperately trying to adapt to the faster-paced back-to-the-grind time. Since my last post offered some tips on how to fit fitness into your fall schedule , I thought I’d follow-up with a Motivation Monday boost of encouragement if you’re struggling to make it happen. Remember, deciding to add exercise and healthy choices to your daily routine is about as personal of a decision as you can make. So make sure you’re doing it for yourself and no one else.
As my longtime readers already know, I’ve officially become addicted to the Physique57 workouts I started taking back in April. Aside from the fact that I always feel like I can conquer the world when the 57-total-body-sculpting workout is finished, I also love the positive affirmations offered by the instructors throughout class. While they push us to bang out just one more squeeze of the playground ball with our inner thighs while we squat hundreds of times at the ballet bar, they also bombard us with positive affirmations including:
- We’re stronger than we think
- We should not compare ourselves to what the person next to us is doing
- We should focus on ourselves and what our body is capable of during that workout at that time.
- We should be proud of ourselves for getting out of bed or out of the office for an early morning or lunch-time workout
- We need to remember with each rep and each pulse, we’re helping our bodies get stronger and healthier.
I find myself using some of that self-affirmation during other group exercise classes and even during my independent workouts. Whether I’m pushing through a high interval on the elliptical or combat rope Tabata, I remind myself that I am strong, and focus on how good it feels to expel any bad energy with every exhale and every bead of sweat. I block out the people on the machines around me. It doesn’t matter if they’re climbing a higher hill or lifting heavier free weights while doing the exact same exercise. I focus on maintaining good form and making each move count. I also remind myself how I’ll be able to face whatever awaits after the workout with new energy and a sharper focus.
So, if you’re struggling to get motivated to move more, try to think about how good you feel when you do. What’s the biggest benefit you get from that walk, run, Zumba class or park bootcamp workout? Focus on that feeling and you’ll be amazed how you can stay on track with your goals to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Twelve Years Later..
May We Never Forget
I like to believe there’s some truth in that old saying “time heals all wounds.” However, there’s simply no escaping a surge of emotions when you come face-to-face with a date on the calendar that changed your world forever. In the case of 9/11, so many worlds were changed that it’s amazing to think the world actually kept spinning. Yet it did.
Twelve years later, I can remember every detail of that unfathomable sunshine-filled day. While it’s impossible not to think about the loved ones we lost and the paralyzing fear we felt, I also remember how we banded together as a nation to help each other through. We prayed together. We cried together. We were kinder to each other. We all realized just how fragile life can be.
So today, while I know I’ll be stopping in Church to pray for my friend Glen Pettit and all those who were taken from us far too soon, I will also reflect on what I need to let go of in my life..and what I should hold on to with a stronger grip. Whatever you need to do to get through this difficult day, whether it’s a visit to your Church, spending some quiet time with your thoughts at home, or spending an extra ten minutes on your daily walk, don’t forget the little things that can have a big impact. Hug your child a few extra times today. Don’t be afraid to tell your parents, your siblings, your significant other or your best friend that you love them. Think about making amends with someone you can’t remember why you every had a falling out with in the first place.
I hope you’ll forgive this shift from the focus of my normal posts. As many of you already know, fitness has always been an outlet for me to sort things out when life gets a little overwhelming. Second to that is writing. If you’d like to read more about my memories from September 11th, 2001, here’s a link to what I posted on the 10-year anniversary. Whether you read the old post or stop here, I wish you and yours as much peace and comfort as possible today.
God Bless America.
Back to the Grind!
Happily Saying Good Bye to the Summer of 2013 – and Ready for a New Season!
I won’t lie. I’m beyond ecstatic that this summer is unofficially over and done with!
While I always do my best to stay upbeat no matter what’s going on, to be blunt, this summer was a big test for my psyche. (New readers, click here to see what I’m talking about.) Still, I passed the test and now that September is here, it means a new month and new beginnings. If you dealt with your own challenges these past few months, now’s the time to wipe the slate clean and start over.
Parents are dealing with the responsibilities of getting the kids back on track at school. That means new teachers, new schedules and perhaps new after-school activities. If you’re like me and you don’t have kids, there’s still an uptick in the overall pace of life with the end of summer Fridays and the beginning of new projects and deadlines. Whatever new items are on your agenda, it’s the perfect time to get your health and fitness goals in serious shape. As you focus on getting a daily routine established for you and maybe the whole family, don’t forget to fit some fitness into your September routine. Sound impossible? Think again!
Here are some tips to make things a little less overwhelming:
- Put it in writing: If you drive your kids to school or drop your spouse at the train station, figure out if there’s time immediately following a drop-off or right before a pick-up for a workout. This could mean hitting the gym for a group exercise class, driving a few more blocks to the park for a run or meeting a fitness friend for brisk walk or game of tennis. Typing it into your smart phone calendar or putting it in your planner will also give you a visual boost to make it happen at the allotted hour.
- Ten minutes of something is better than zero minutes of nothing: With our time-crunched lives, there are more and more workouts geared toward maximum results in less time. Click here for a link to a previous post where I offer a 10-minute circuit I like to call the “one-minute-wonder.” If you only have 15 minutes, add a few stretches before and after and you’ll feel like you worked. If you have up to 30 minutes, you can repeat the circuit two or three times and really get your sweat on! (Another plus: you can do this circuit anywhere.)
- “Fall” into healthy eating habits: If you pack lunch for the kiddies, why not add a few minutes to the prep time and make some healthy snacks or meals for yourself. I spend about 30 minutes every Sunday slicing and dicing veggies including peppers, celery sticks and carrots and then pack them in reusable containers or individual plastic bags. Now, they’re ready to grab as a side to a turkey sandwich or healthy snack. Some of my other favorite snack ideas include almonds, apples and non-fat plan Greek yogurt.
- Wardrobe Prep: If you plan to exercise first thing in the morning, put your workout wear in the bathroom the night before. It’s usually the first room we visit when we wake up, so if your clothes are staring you in the face, it may be harder to skip the workout. If you’re exercising after work, pack your gym bag the night before and leave it by the door to grab on your way out.
Finally, it’s important to remember Rome wasn’t built in a day. Getting fitness on your schedule and healthy foods into your fridge are two big steps toward a healthier and happier you. If you indulged in more ice cream or margaritas than you planned over the summer, don’t sweat it. It’s a new month, a new season is coming and there will be plenty of chances to get your butt in gear so you can have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Time for a Break!
This View Never Gets Old!
It is hard to believe Labor Day is only two weeks away. To put it lightly, the summer of 2013 has been a bit of a blur. So, I’m taking a break from blogging to focus on crossing a few very important things off my summer to-do list that got delayed due to Dad’s surgery.
I’m also looking forward to finding some extra minutes for some much-needed down time following the whirlwind that began several months ago when the company I worked for hit some serious financial trouble and finally closed its doors. At the mandatory labor department meeting I attended last week, even our orientation leader reminded the group that the end of this month into Labor Day is anything but a peak hiring period. Practically half the responses to emails I’ve sent to contacts during the past week have been “out of office” messages.
So, on this particular Motivation Monday, I encourage you to enjoy these dwindling lazy days of the season to maybe do one or two things you’ve been putting off longer than you wanted. Spend an extra day at the beach, pool or park with the kids; read the best-seller that’s been collecting dust on your nightstand; add 10 minutes to your daily walk or run and sure, go ahead and have that extra glass of wine. Be good to yourself.
Once again, I thank all of you for your words of encouragement during the past month. I wish everyone a FITASTIC end to the summer and look forward to a new season filled with even more chances to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
The Power of Positive Thinking
What a week!
It’s nearly impossible to believe exactly seven days ago, my father was admitted to the hospital. Six days ago, he was in surgery for aortic valve replacement. Yesterday, he was home just in time for my parents’ 51st Anniversary. I have no doubt the marvels of modern medicine, the amazing team at NYU Langone Medical Center and the power of positive thinking made it all possible.
Needless to say, the past week was probably one of the most emotionally draining periods of my life so far. However, thanks to the support and countless prayers from an amazing network of family and friends, my parents and I knew we had a lot of good vibes working in our favor.
This week also reminded me of the importance of listening to my body in an effort to stay healthy through the stress, the fear and the sleepless nights. I did escape to the gym to release some tension, but also slept an extra 30 minutes on a couple of mornings when I knew my body needed the rest in place of strenuous activity.
Now that dad is home, his recovery continues. As a physician, he’s always known about the importance of eating a heart-healthy diet and getting regular exercise. Now that his heart has been “fixed,” I’m convinced that at 77-years-young, he’ll be stronger than he has been in a long time. That means he’ll only have more energy to put into being more active and taking care of himself.
I close this short post with a huge thank you. Whether you left a voice message; sent an encouraging email or witty text; or posted an uplifting Facebook message or tweet, your positive thoughts helped me stay strong. They kept my mom strong, too. I now look forward to watching my dad regain his own strength over the next four to six weeks. It will be great to see him get back in his groove and truly be able to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Quick-Hit Motivation Monday
We ARE Stronger Than We Think!
Photo by Leslie Hassler
If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know one of the biggest reasons I’ve continued my lifelong love affair with exercise is that it keeps me balanced through times of stress. It never ceases to amaze me how breaking a serious sweat can set my mind straight no matter what’s being thrown at me. No doubt I’ll be relying on that outlet more than ever this week.
My father is having heart surgery tomorrow. While I’m confident everything’s going to be just fine, it’s obviously been a nerve-wracking time. So, on Saturday morning, I made sure I got a Physique57 class in before heading to Long Island to help my parents get ready for the week at the hospital. On Sunday afternoon, after Church, brunch and helping Mom get organized, I took myself to the gym for a 60-minute sweat session. The high-intensity workout on the elliptical trainer and recumbent bike followed by plank and rope Tabatas helped me shake off some tension and cleared my head. As I sit here and type away, I feel a bit lighter and the extended endorphin rush has only positive vibes running through my body. I know everything’s going to be just fine.
So on this particular Motivation Monday, I want to remind everyone that we’re stronger than we think. Life can throw a lot at us, and sometimes it feels like the toughest things hit us all at once. I learned my dad needed surgery two days after the company I worked for since 2005 filed for bankruptcy and let all its employees go. Since then, I’ve been getting up at the same time every morning, staying on a schedule, working out and leaning on friends and family for support. Sticking with that plan of attack is what will get me through the next two weeks, and the two after that and….well, you get the idea.
As a thank you to all of you who’ve been so supportive and left wonderful wishes for me here or on my social media networks, I offer this boost of confidence: Remember, whatever life throws at you this week, you can handle it. Focus on the positive, do what you can to stay healthy and remember, there are always brighter days on the horizon when it’ll be a little easier to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
More Outdoor Fun for a Workout Wednesday
Still Standing Another Heart-Pounding CrossFit UWS Workout!
Surprise! I’m back just in time for a Workout Wednesday! It turns out I never shared one of my latest and greatest outdoor workouts with you, and figured this was the perfect day of the week to put it out there. What made this Central Park workout extra fun was it included a team element. Here’s how CrossFit UWS head coach Roberto Murichi got a half-dozen “warriors” to break a sweat:
•Active Stretch: 60-second hamstring stretch; 30 jumping jacks; 6o-second squat stretch; 30 front kicks
•Warm Up: After 20 seconds of jumping rope (single-unders), we then had 90 seconds to complete two exercises:
- 20 park bench plyo push-ups
- 10 squats
Each of us finished the push-ups and squats before the 90 seconds were up. That gave us just enough time to grab some water before picking up our jump ropes and moving on to round two. (Three rounds total.)
•Team Workout:
Roberto split us up into three teams of two. When the timer started counting down from 15 minutes, team member number one started a 200 meter run. Susan was my partner, and while she ran I had to bang out as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) of the following exercises:
- Five burpee bench jumps: We used the park benches as our support point, just like we did for the warm up. When we brought our legs in following the push-up part of the burpee, we either did a box jump or a modified version stepping on and off the bench one leg at a time.
- 10 reverse lunges (double count)
Once Susan finished her 200 meter run, I started mine and she would pick up wherever I left off in the AMRAP. When I finished the 200 meters, Susan would start up again and I was back at the bench. The same sequence continued throughout the 15-minute workout. When time was up, Susan and I had plenty of sweat to prove we made it through 12 rounds of burpee bench jumps and reverse lunges. Add that to multiple rounds of the 200 meter run and I think it’s easy to see why we were riding a major endorphin high when the buzzer finally signaled the end of the workout.
We tied another team for 12 rounds, while the third team beat us out by one. At the end of it all, there were high-fives all around and lots of heavy breathing. Sometimes a little friendly competition and fresh air is all you need to mix things up and add another level to your ongoing efforts to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
A Sea of Changes
There’s No Place Like the Beach for a Rest Day!
Last week I wrote about how unexpected events may alter the days I post new material here at LauraLovesFitness.com. However, it turns out I was inspired to share some thoughts for this Motivation Monday by one of my weekend activities. Ironically, it’s the one that involved no strenuous activity whatsoever.
On day seven of the heat wave that made living in New York City nearly unbearable, I decided to get on a train and head back to Long Island to visit my parents. That led to another smart decision: to take a rest day from the gym and replace it with a couple of hours of fitness for my mental health. All I needed was the ocean.
Despite my lifelong love affair with the beach, the power of the sea never ceases to surprise and overwhelm me. I’ve tallied hundreds of hours on the beach over the course of my lifetime so far, but at times it feels like each sandy visit is my first. The waves crash onto the shore with a mighty roar. The water retreats to gather more energy for another crash, leaving only white foam on the shoreline along with a mist that serves as an elixir for more than just my lungs. The salty air also helps calm my nervous mind and unburden my heavy heart.
These moments of clarity remind me of the many blessings in my life: my family, my friends and the countless good memories I’ve shared with these special people. I also realize how lucky I am to have my health. Despite the new challenges in my life and some of the fear I feel, the sea reminds me I can handle it all. The sea constantly draws on its own strength to turn a ripple in the deepest waters into a mighty wave that unleashes its power on the shore only to retreat and start the dance all over again. I’ve done the same thing in my own life many times – and I know I can do it again. My faith tells me that. My strength tells me that. The ocean tells me that.
So if there’s a day when you need a break instead of the heart-pounding workout, remember – it’s okay. Sometimes a mental health hour in your favorite place could be just the “workout” you need to calm a jittery heart and beat down any fears tugging at the heart and soul. Creating a little time for yourself may be all you need to re-focus your energy on the better days ahead filled with endless chances to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
The (Hopefully-Not-So) Terrible Twos
It’s hard for me to believe LauraLovesFitness turned two-years-old over the weekend. It’s even harder to believe how much my life has changed since that very first post on July 13th, 2011.
Some of those changes have been difficult to work through, but I know I’m stronger today – both physically and mentally – because of them. Along with my faith and the unwavering support from an amazing group of people I’m lucky to call family and friends, there’s one other constant that has always helped me work through life’s challenges: my love for exercise. While there’s no doubt an extra piece of chocolate cake or glass (or two) of Prosecco made some of the tough days more bearable, it’s the endorphin rush from a good workout that never fails to boost my mood while keeping my immune system strong and my mind focused on the light at the end of the tunnel. Those endorphins are working overtime right now.
I lost my job last week. I know I’m one of so many Americans – including some of you loyal readers – who’ve been in this situation at least once, if not multiple times, over the course of a lifetime. While exercise itself isn’t going to help me land a job, my workouts have certainly helped me work through some emotions over the last several day. I have no doubt each stride on the elliptical and each rep I get through at Physique57 will help keep my energy level up as I look for new opportunities ahead. To that end, I’m using today’s post as one to share a snapshot of my professional life. I’ve posted videos with you before, but this time, I’m sharing my “sizzle reel” as one can never know where the next opportunity will present itself.
Of course, I also want to use this post as an opportunity to say thank you to all of you who have inspired me to keep writing during the past two years. Your “likes,” comments, questions and shares have motivated me to keep plugging away on some of my own down days. I do plan to continue writing, but based on these recent events and one other issue in my personal life, I’m looking at this summer as a potential hiatus from new posts. Or I may simply post something simple like a photo or quick workout idea on a random day during the week. While I’m still working out the details, I hope you’ll stay connected and continue to send any questions to the email listed on my contact page, post them on my Facebook page or tweet me.
As I’ve written about before, sometimes being strong means re-assessing your goals and priorities and knowing when to say no to certain things so that the important ones get the attention they deserve. So, I thank you for your understanding as I focus on the next steps I need to take to navigate yet another new part of my own lifelong journey to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
lauralovesfitness 