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“Spring” Some New Life Into Your Fitness Routine
Let’s Kick Things Into High Gear!
Photo by Leslie Hassler
Leave it to Albert Einstein to come up with yet another catchy idea: “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
I have no idea whether he was a fitness buff, but the scientific genius could have been talking about exercise. Whether you’re a fitness newbie or fanatic like me, sometimes we all need a little motivation and a good kick in the you-know-what to take things up a notch. There are three reasons why spring is the perfect time to change your routine:
- Avoid a Plateau: If you run at the same speed on the treadmill everyday for 20 minutes, your body will eventually hit a plateau. You’ll still burn calories, but you’ll need to increase your resistance levels or speed if you want to help boost your metabolism and maximize results. This is the same reason personal trainers push clients to increase reps with each workout. As your strength and endurance grows, so should your workout.
- Avoid Over-Training: Doing the same workout day after day doesn’t allow muscle groups time to rest and recover and ultimately grow. This not only diminishes returns on your hard work, but it also puts you at increased risk for injury. This is why I try to hit cardio and core hard on Mondays and Wednesdays and focus on strength training on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I continue to mix things up over the weekend, and I’m always sure to take a minimum of one if not two days off each week.
- Avoid Burnout: If you get bored with your fitness routine, you’re likely to stop putting 100% into your work. If you stop seeing results, you may give up on your fitness goals altogether. Trying new group exercise classes and weight training circuits can keep things fresh.
The good news is there are simple ways to add a little variety, and perhaps some extra sweat, to your typical routine:
1) Start jumping rope: Not only does this fun activity make me feel like a kid again, but you can burn up to 20 calories per minute jumping rope. Also, you can do it just about anywhere. All you need is a jump rope! Even walkers can incorporate jumping rope into their routine and take things to the next leve. Try this combo: walk at your top speed for 5 minutes, then jump rope for 1 minute, keep switching between walking and jumping rope and work your way up to a total of 30 minutes. Ideally, try to work up to three walking/jumping sessions three times a week for two weeks.
2) Tweak the traditional push-up: Place your feet on a six- to eight-inch high step as you get in plank position and perform a push-up as you normally would. Be sure to draw in your navel and squeeze the glutes through all your reps. Adding the step creates more work for your shoulders along with the chest.
3) Get a new playlist: I can always count on heart-pounding beats to keep me moving! If you need some new tunes, I recently started following DJ Al Roccone on Twitter. He’s got great fitness mixes you can download for free. Check out his latest here:
https://soundcloud.com/alroccone/almost-there-the-fitness-mix
4) Blow Your Mind: If you want to see what true strength and determination look like, check out this amazing video I found on the Fitness Girls Facebook page.
I may not be able to bang out half of exercises in that video, but I like seeing such challenging variations to body-weight exercises. It just goes to show sometimes all you need is your body and some floor space to get to work! Let me know how you take things up a notch this spring as part of the never-ending quest to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Bring on Spring!
A Quick Weekend Drive to Jones Beach Got Me Psyched for Spring!
I love to sleep. However, I didn’t mind losing an hour of snooze time this weekend thanks to Daylight Saving Time. Being able to hang on to the sunshine a little longer each day is definitely worth a few extra yawns.
I’m also ecstatic that there are only nine days left until the start of spring. Whatever’s been in the air this winter, I’m ready for it to move on out of here and bring on a new season filled with warmer temperatures and sunnier dispositions.
If you’re one of the many people who’ve been suffering from the “Winter Blues” now’s a great time to start shaking them off by thinking about some new moves to mix up your fitness routine. Remember, the extra hour of daylight nixes any excuse about hating to take that post-work walk in the dark. Come on people, use the light to boost your spirits and get moving!
Of course, if you’ve been hibernating all winter, remember to re-start your engines with care. Whether you’re taking on a serious fitness routine for the first time ever or if you’ve simply been on an extended, here are some reminders to help you safely spring into action:
- Talk to your doctor. If you’ve never exercised before, you should make sure your heart is in good shape for a serious shake-up. If you’re already on heart medication or managing conditions like diabetes or asthma, it’s crucial to speak to your doctor about how to proceed with an exercise routine. Similarly, if you have any old injuries, it’s a good idea to make sure to gauge where you are in the healing process so you avoid activity that could set you back again.
- Talk to a trainer. Even if I wasn’t a certified personal trainer, I’d suggest treating yourself to a session or two with someone who can assess any muscle imbalances, show you proper form and help you create a comprehensive exercise program that helps you reach your goals.
- Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day. Start slow. Seriously. If you’ve been sitting on your couch all winter, it’s probably not a good idea to jump into a 60-minute boot camp class. Don’t know exactly where to start? Stretching, core work and cardio are always a safe bet.
- No Gym? No Problem! If you don’t like the gym, well this is YOUR time of year! Treat yourself to a new pair of running sneakers or cross trainers and start pounding the pavement in your neighborhood or find some trails at a nearby park or recreation area. Or maybe you’ve always wanted to start cycling? Time to pick up the tennis racquet?
- Got Gym? Check Out What’s New! I visited my parents over the weekend, and if I’d checked the updated schedule at the New York Sports Club near their house, I would have arrived 20 minutes earlier Saturday morning and made it to Zumba! Along with normal group exercise classes, smaller training classes are more popular than ever and now’s the time some of those classes may move outdoors. I know I can’t wait to start hitting it hard in Central Park again on Saturday mornings for Roberto Murichi’s killer workouts!
So, if you’ve been searching for some motivation to get moving, take advantage of the longer days and make this your time to shine. No doubt a little extra solar power could be just the boost we all need to fuel our drive to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
New Month…New Chapter
Re-Focused & Ready for the Season Ahead!
Photo by Leslie Hassler
No matter what I do, I can’t figure out a way to slow the hands of time. Here we are nine weeks into 2013 and 17 days away from the start of spring. I know I’ll have no problem saying good-bye to this particularly brutal winter. I also know it’s time for me to get my body, mind and spirit focused on what I want to accomplish in the season ahead.
That means working toward obtaining some of the goals that reach beyond the walls of the gym. Like everyone else, my overall health and well-being are affected by the personal projects I take on. That includes getting the last continuing education units needed to complete my NASM re-certification by May. My psyche is also affected by the projects I’ve put off for too long. One in particular has weighed heavily on my mind during this dreary season and is no doubt one of the reasons behind some sleepless nights. After getting things started in a frenzy back in 2012, the project now sits in a well-organized folder just waiting for me to pick it up and get it going again.
No one asked me to get involved in this project. It’s simply something I’ve wanted to do for myself for a long time. However, it took me until this moment to accept that in order for me to make it happen, something else has to give. As I sit here and put that thought in writing, I guess you could call this post my coming to terms of what needs to be done.
With the exception of vacation and holiday time, I’ve been posting blogs three times each week since July of 2011. As a writer at heart and lifetime fitness fanatic, it’s been wonderful having this platform to share tips and stories and hopefully help motivate a few people to follow a healthier lifestyle that works for their reality. However, I need to scale back on the time I spend here so I can focus some of that energy on my bigger project. It’s just like when I had to make the difficult decision last year to put my independent personal training sessions on hold. I hated to stop. However, between my full-time job in corporate video production; making it to the gym for my own workouts; maintaining healthy relationships with my family and friends and taking care of my own health, well, there are only so many hours in a day. Sometimes you need to take a breath, figure out what priorities haven’t been getting the attention they deserve and then accept the fact that in order to change that, something that made sense a few months ago may not work at the present moment. Of course, that’s part of life. You make plans and other things happen, but you can’t just give up on what you want. You adjust and you move forward. That’s what I’m doing now.
My plan is to continue posting on as many Mondays as possible. It seems to be the day I get the most feedback on my motivation-themed musings. Don’t be surprised to still read my thoughts about a new group exercise class, vacation experience or some inspirational quotes. Of course I worry I may lose some followers, but some decisions come with a certain amount of risk. You’ll still see me on Facebook and Twitter and I’ll look forward to any emails with questions about health or fitness-related topics. I thank you ahead of time for supporting me as I sharpen my focus on what I want to accomplish as I creep toward celebrating the big 4-0 next February.
As I step back and re-group, my hope is that maybe some of you will do the same. Use these waning winter days to think about what priorities you want to attack this spring. Whether it’s prepping for a fitness competition, losing a few pounds before beach season, finding a more rewarding career, getting a degree or spending more time with family or friends, put your thoughts down on paper and get cracking. Sometimes saying no is harder than taking on more than you handle, but that difficult choice can sometimes help you put your heart and soul into the one thing you want more than anything else. Whether it’s starting something new or letting go of something that’s been holding you back, remember, you are stronger than you think. Each of us holds the ultimate power to make decisions that will keep us moving forward on the never-ending journey to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Friday Free-For-All
NU Gals Strike Again! At the Driskill Hotel
It’s hard to believe at this time last week, I was just starting my five-day escape to Texas. The trip was everything I hoped it would be: good times with good friends from different parts of my life. The fact that I got to enjoy some much-needed 70-degree sunshine for a few days was an extra bonus!
Here are a few of my favorite things from my trip to Texas (in no particular order):
Austin:
The three-cheese Texas toast grilled cheese at 24 Diner.- Blueberry pancakes at Kerby Lane Cafe.
- Celebrating National Margarita Day at the Hula Hut and Chuy’s.
- A simply fabulous dinner at the Driskill Grill.
Tabata training in the Westin’s fitness center to counter some of the calories ingested in the highlights above.- Countless laughs with my Northwestern gal pals Tracy, Molly, Evva, Lisa, Jessica and Irene! (Laughing doesn’t burn nearly as many calories as my typical workouts, but it certainly felt good!)
Lunch with Jeanne Marie at Red Hot & Blue
Dallas:
- The “Five Meat Treat” at Red Hot & Blue BBQ.
- “Bleeding Heart” margaritas and Baja fish tacos at Ochos.
- Sipping pre-Oscar Prosecco with my lifelong friend Jeanne Marie while her husband (and bona fide “Grill Master”) Paul fired up a delicious steak dinner.
- Getting to know their four-month-old baby Charlotte!
- Watching the end of the Oscars while sipping red wine and sitting in their hot tub.
- Rolling out of bed and burning some calories from the above-mentioned highlights in their home gym.
By now, you’ve probably noticed a common theme in my vacation-related posts: Laura loves to eat and drink! This is why I always pack the workout wear and get in a couple of calorie-busting sessions wherever I go.
However, along with the moisture-wicking gear, I also work hard at letting my vacation mindset take over when I arrive at my destination. That means realizing the opportunities for these special get-togethers don’t come around as often as we’d like and since we enjoy catching up over fun food and cocktails, it’s definitely not the time to obsess over counting calories!
After a little bit of decadence, I actually look forward to getting back on track with my normal healthy eating habits and kicking it up a notch at the gym. On that note, I encourage everyone to enjoy whatever memorable moments present themselves in the weekend ahead. Life’s simply too short not to embrace all that you love in this world. If that includes chocolate and red wine, dig in, sip and enjoy and remember, even indulgences have a place in our ongoing journey to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Quick Hit Workout Wednesday
Workout or Chill Out?
Each Has Benefits for Your Body
Photo by Leslie Hassler
I really don’t know where the time is going, but here we are kicking off the eighth Workout Wednesday of 2013!
As the nickname suggests, this is the one day each week where I tend to push it even harder than usual at the gym. Also, the fact that I’ve found a new group exercise class to add to my arsenal of calorie-busting, muscle-boosting workouts makes Wednesday one of my favorite days of the entire week!
As I spent most of yesterday traveling back from Texas and didn’t have time for a typical workout, I’m even more eager to get back in action today. It’s amazing how good you can feel after one day of rest. In fact, there are countless studies out there proving why you need to take at least one day off each week. It’s during the rest that your muscles recover and actually have time to grow.
If you need more evidence that taking a day or two off can actually be beneficial for your well-being and possibly help you amp up your energy levels, I’m sharing a recent article from NYTimes.com. I’d love to hear your thoughts about it!
There are certain weeks when life will throw some curve balls at you and put the brakes on your typical fitness routine. The key is taking things one day at a time and making this day work for your life at this moment. If this Workout Wednesday turns into your rest day for the week, remember, down time is a crucial component in the never-ending journey to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Monday Motivation Monday from Afar
Greetings from Texas!
While I’m still enjoying this mini-vacation, I didn’t want to entirely blow off my typical shot of “Monday Motivation” for anyone needing a little kick in the you-know-what to get moving this week.
In the essence of time, I’m borrowing this week’s words from some famous motivators. I often receive positive feedback when I share famous quotes, I figured it couldn’t hurt to offer a few more while I’m out of town. Enjoy!
- “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” -Eleanor Roosevelt
- “Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.”-Wayne Dyer
- “I don’t believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be.” -Ken Venturi
- “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” -Henry David Thoreau
- “What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.” -Ralph Marston
- “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” -Thomas Paine
- “Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.” -Victor Kiam
- “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” -Mark Twain
- “You can never quit. Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” -Ted Turner
- “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” -Walter Elliot
If you want more motivational quotes, be sure to follow me on Twitter or find me on Facebook. (There are buttons on the top right hand side of this page to click on so you can connect quickly!)
Here’s hoping you had a chance to rest and re-charge a bit over the weekend so you can go out this week and grab every opportunity to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Letting Go
NU gal-pal reunion, NOLA, 2009: I see more margaritas in our future this weekend!
I end this week on a short note of personal reflection, but it’s one I hope many of you loyal readers can relate to.
Thanks to President’s Day, this started as a four-day work week. Then it hit me that I’d be spending even less hours at the office because of the Northwestern gal-pal getaway planned several months ago. The mini-reunion turned into the perfect excuse to take a couple of extra days off to visit another lifelong friend and her husband who welcomed their first baby a few months ago. As you read this post, I’m either watching TV in my JetBlue seat or already having fun in Austin, Texas. No doubt there will be plenty of laughs and a few cocktails involved in the extended weekend ahead!
Somewhere in the midst of my excitement, an unwelcome visitor crept in to my mind: worry. I started worrying about getting everything “in order” before I left. Specifically, I found myself worrying about writing for my blog and scheduling a few posts while I was away. On top of that, I started worrying about making extra time to burn some extra calories before what’s sure to be another high-caloric good time. That spiraled into worry over whether I’ve had a few too many of those good times lately without enough time in between to reset my “healthy living” button. Then I took out my mental sledgehammer and smashed all that worry to pieces.
These are all “issues” not worthy of a second thought. This blog is supposed to be one of my outlets. If I don’t post on Monday, Wednesday AND Friday next week, the world will keep spinning. Working out is an even bigger outlet in my life, so why in the world would I waste time and energy worrying about that? Finally, if having one too many margaritas with friends I haven’t seen in years is a problem, well, then I’ve got much bigger issues to deal with when it comes to embracing some fun in this all-too-stressed-out world!
I guess sometimes we all need to step back and realize it’s okay to let go once in awhile. Reality will be waiting for me when I get home, along with the gym and my favorite group exercise classes. For now, the workout wear is packed and I’m ready for my Texas adventures. While I’m not sure what day my next post will appear, I am certain about one thing: I’m not going to worry about it while I’m away.
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend so we can all face the new work week with even more energy to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
New Work for a Workout Wednesday
My Overhead Squat Needs Some Help!
Even a personal trainer needs help with her fitness program.
This past weekend, I took a Corrective Exercise Training workshop offered by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). The eight-hour workshop provided a lot more than some of the needed Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) for my personal trainer re-certification. It also forced me to take note of some of the issues with my body that could quite frankly be setting me up for injury.
The purpose of corrective exercise is to create a training program that can help someone maximize his or her movement efficiency. This happens by identifying dysfunctions and correcting muscle imbalances with a plan of action.
Thanks to Karl Sterling for snapping some pics
In my case, that concept boils down to this: my calves, hip flexors and hamstrings are overactive and need to be stretched while my glutes and tibialis anterior (the muscle closely located to the shin) are underactive and need to be strengthened. The catch is the muscles that need the corrective work are only on the right side of my body.
How did I figure this out? Brent Brookbush, our NASM instructor, used me as a case study for the rest of the workshop participants to observe. Without getting too deep into functional anatomy, the group focused their attention on my feet, knees, lumbo-pelvic-hip complex and upper body as I banged out multiple overhead squats. After giving them an anterior, lateral and posterior view, they assessed my right foot turned out and I have an excessive forward lean.
Of course, both actions are indicators of less-than-optimal movement. In order to increase my muscle efficiency, they then put together a four-part training strategy that would first inhibit and lengthen the overactive muscles through self-myofascial release and static stretching. The last two steps target the underactive muscles with activation through isolated stretching and integration using a full-body exercise.
Breaking it down again, my program involves foam rolling my right lateral Gastrocnemius (calf), TFL (hip) and biceps femoris (hamstring); static stretches of those same muscles; then activation of my glutes with clams or bridges; and the grande finale is an integrated exercise, like a squat to row. This whole program should take me about 20 minutes, which means there’s no reason for me to not make it a part of my workout routine. I would still have time to get on the elliptical and/or hit the weight circuit. The key is once I do move on to the core part of my workout, I’ve worked to correct the imbalances in my body. My form will be better, the muscles that are supposed to “fire” as prime movers will do just that and other muscles won’t be compensating for the action. Those compensations can lead to injury over time.
One final plug for corrective exercise: After we all practiced the techniques and exercises outlined in my program, I performed another series of overhead squats for the class to observe. I can’t say I was perfect, but my form looked tremendously better compared to when I first got up in front of the group. My foot was no longer turning out and my lean was nowhere near as significant.
Considering how much better I felt after one afternoon of corrective exercise, I can’t wait to see how I feel after making this program part of my normal routine. In my book, anything we can do to make our muscles move better is a surefire way to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Find Your New Motivation
Set Some New Goals & Knock ‘Em Out of the Park!
Photo by Leslie Hassler
Happy President’s Day!
Guess what? Remember those health and fitness resolutions you made at the start of the year? Well, you’ve reached a major milestone as we’re seven weeks in to 2013. You may remember from some of my previous posts that it takes about six weeks for new behaviors to set in as habits. If packing your gym bag has become as routine as brushing your teeth before going to bed or you look forward to that daily dose of carrots and celery – kudos to you!
You’ve made it this far, so whatever you do, don’t stop now! On this particular Motivation Monday, I encourage you to sit down and set some new goals for yourself to keep your momentum in tact. Think about something that will keep you pushing through your weight training circuits; making it to that group exercise class on time and chopping veggies for the work week.
Maybe there’s a spring break trip in the not-so-distant future that involves pulling the bathing suit out from the back of the closet. Perhaps there’s a wedding, reunion or other special occasion that you’d like to show up for feeling your best.
Of course, your motivation could stem from your desire to gear up for a whole new season of new activities. This could be the spring you start training for your first 5K or marathon. Maybe you’d like to be able to play a sport with your son or daughter or simply have more energy for outdoor activities like hiking or cycling when the weather gets nicer.
If you’re still searching for your motivation, here’s a bit of humorous encouragement courtesy of the Huffington Post last week. (Thanks to my friend and colleague Joe for sharing this link with me!)
Remember, following a healthy lifestyle isn’t a sprint to the finish. It’s a lifelong marathon filled with countless opportunities to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Fast Friday Food Facts
I end this week addressing one of the questions I get on a near-daily basis: “How can I make some simple changes and cut a few calories out of my daily diet?”
If you’re looking to drop a few pounds, you probably already know making that happen doesn’t take a degree in rocket science. You need to burn more calories than you take in. In all of my food-related posts, I make a point of reminding my readers that I’m not a licensed nutritionist or registered dietitian. However, I’m happy to share the “tricks” that help keep my healthy eating habits in tact. So, here are five ways you can cut 100 calories out of your diet at different times of the day:
- Use skim milk in your morning cup of java.
- Swap out that bulky bagel for a whole wheat English muffin.
- Top off that English muffin with egg whites.
- Use mustard instead of mayo.
- Ditch the chips and pop a 100-calorie bag of popcorn into the microwave instead.
You may be saying, “Okay, Laura, these are no-brainers.” Well, that’s the point. Making several small changes throughout the day really does add up over time. Add some exercise to these food “fixes,” and you’ll have a great foundation to get started on the path to a healthier you. Trust me, once you start noticing the positive changes, whether it’s your jeans feeling a little looser or having more energy walking up that flight of stairs, you’ll want to make the changes stick.
If you’d like to share some of the small but healthy changes in your own diet, I’d love to hear from you! Sharing information is one of the best ways to help each other keep moving along this lifelong journey to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
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