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Find Your Focus
Knock Out Distractions & Make Your Workouts Count!
Photo by Leslie Hassler
I’m proud to be a native New Yorker and absolutely love living in the Big Apple. However, one of my biggest pet peeves about living and working here is walking down the street and colliding with someone engrossed in texting or checking his or her smartphone. What’s even more annoying than dodging a shoulder shove on a crowded city street? Seeing people waste their energy on their smartphones when they should be focusing on their workout!
As we kick off another Workout Wednesday, I offer a simple but important tip: focus on making your workout count!
I love the fact that my iPhone carries all the tunes I need to keep moving. However, the same amazing device also gives me 24/7 access to texts, emails and yes, my Twitter and Facebook accounts. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, training my body has included training my brain to ignore all the distractions a smartphone has to offer.
You’ve made the effort to exercise, so remember, this is your precious time to focus on getting healthier and stronger. In our time-crunched world, many of us are lucky to get those 30 recommended minutes of cardio in on a near-daily basis. If you only have 20 or 30 minutes to commit to that power walk or weight training circuit, you owe it to yourself to get everything you can out of each of those minutes. That means focusing on what you’re doing. The text can wait, and you don’t need to tweet every time you complete a set.
Of course, I realize some people really do have to be “on” all the time, like those who work in emergency services or in the medical field and who may be on call during a workout. I also understand parents may need to keep an eye out for an emergency text from a spouse, partner or babysitter. For the rest of us, however, is the world seriously going to end if it takes another 30 minutes to respond to an email with a well thought-out response?
Working in public relations, I’m acutely aware of the fact that my job has nothing to do with saving lives. My boss knows I’ll check my work email eventually after I leave the office, but not while I’m focusing on my form or my breathing during an elliptical session or push-up Tabata and especially not during my all-time favorite Club Strength class. If taking a group exercise class will keep you from checking that smartphone, then find one you like and take it a few times a week. That way, you can truly focus on doing your body and mind some serious good during those precious minutes.
You made the effort to get to the gym, the park or the hiking trail. You owe it to yourself to focus on making that effort count so you can have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!!
Mind Over Matter Monday
More Motivation to Move: Exercise & Peace of Mind
Photo by Leslie Hassler
Despite a hot and sticky weekend here in New York, I’m ready to face the work week with new energy. While that’s definitely due to a bit of rest and relaxation, it’s also because I made a point of fitting some fitness into my days off. So I thought it was the perfect time to address one of my biggest sources of motivation: exercise helps sharpen my mental focus.
For as long as I can remember, working out has helped me sort through what I like to call mental clutter. Clearing that clutter with a kick-butt cardio session, group exercise class or weight training circuit allows me to me to re-group and tackle whatever issue I need to spend time sorting out in my brain. It’s as if by sweating out the anxiety surrounding the need to address a situation, all I’m left with is an endorphin rush to actually sit down and sort things out.
Putting the serious “stuff” aside for a moment, I can simply say having an improved mental focus helps me get things done. Ever have a to-do list get all jumbled in your head? The tasks of the day, week or even month ahead seem daunting and overwhelming. For me, just 10 minutes in to a 30-minute elliptical session, things start to un-jumble. I listen to my favorite music, feel my heart beating and my breath coming faster and I feel as I’m gaining new confidence with each stride on that machine. Confidence that things will get done. Maybe not immediately following that workout, but I will meet my deadlines and somehow get it together.
It’s after these workouts when I return home, clean up and refuel with healthy food that I can then turn what was once a jumbled mess into a thought-out list on paper or here on my computer so I know exactly what I need to do. Having a plan is the first step in getting things done. Exercise helps me take that important first step.
On the “heavy” side, I can honestly say in times of worry, distress and grief, clearing the mind with a workout somehow helps my heart feel lighter, too. I realize exercise in itself can’t solve the big problems or make life-altering decisions for you. I also know it can take a burdened heart some time to catch up with a newly uncluttered mind. However, through the ups and downs of my life, exercise has always been a good place to start my search for emotional solace. (Okay, I won’t lie, chocolate helps sometimes, too!)
On Mondays, I know many of us look for motivation to put a fitness plan into action or to ensure we stay on course with the one we’ve worked so hard to make a part of our daily routine. So here are my two cents: Why not make this the day you start clearing the clutter so you can get back on track with your plans to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Fast Fitness Friday
Make the Most of August!
I don’t know about you, but I have no idea where the summer is going. I feel like we went from Memorial Day weekend to the beginning of August in the blink of an eye.
That being said, there’s still plenty of the season left to enjoy. If this was the summer you were going to get your butt and your fitness routine in gear, there’s no time like this weekend to get things going!
As our brains start shutting down from the work week and move into weekend mode, I’ll keep this post short and sweet, but hopefully offer just enough motivation to turn the next couple of days into productive ones when it comes to working on your health and fitness goals.
1) Start your weekend with a workout: While I’ve never been a 6-am workout girl, I do like getting to the gym when it first opens at 8am on Saturday mornings. It feels great to kick-start the heart and break a sweat while clearing the mind of the leftover mental clutter from the work week. Afterward, the endorphin rush provides the energy I need to get all those pesky errands done. Then I can transfer the energy to enjoying whatever fun is planned later in the day or in the evening. (The added bonus: not feeling totally guilty if those plans include some cocktails or sweet treats!)
2) Try something new: Have you heard rave reviews about the new Saturday morning Zumba class at your gym? If you belong to a gym, check the schedule for a group class you’ve been meaning to take, but have found a million excuses not to get there. No gym membership? No problem! Make this the weekend you explore that new hiking trail or ride your bike to the beach and then take a long walk on the sand.
3) Make it social: Getting fit with a friend is a great way to incorporate some fun into your schedule! Meet a pal for a walk, group exercise class or to spot each other for a solid weight training session. Afterward, you can catch up over coffee and egg whites!
So, make the most of your escape from the daily grind and enjoy a weekend filled with chances to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Balance is Key!
Photo by Leslie Hassler
I often write about the importance of incorporating flexibility and core training into your fitness routine. Now as we kick off the month of August with a Workout Wednesday, I wanted to touch on what should be another important component in everyone’s fitness regimen regardless of your fitness level: balance training.
Balance is the ability to sustain or return the body’s center of mass or line of gravity over its base of support. Basically, that means whether you’re walking down a staircase in stilettos or setting up to make a jump shot on the basketball court, balance is a key component to all functional movements.
From an anatomical perspective, The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) explains the purpose of balance training is to improve dynamic joint stabilization, which is the ability of the body to stabilize of keep the joints in proper alignment during movement. (One example: stabilization of the hip during a squat by the gluteus medius and adductor complex.)
Maintaining proper alignment or form while working out is one of the ways to protect yourself against exercise-related injuries. In fact, countless studies have been done which show a direct correlation between balance training and injury prevention. I’d like to think we all agree anything that can help decrease our risk of injury is worth spending some time on.
So how do you do it? The idea is to perform exercises that constantly stress a person’s balance threshold. This is the limit a person can perform an exercise without losing control of his or her center of gravity. In “big-word terminology,” the idea is to push that threshold in a proprioceptively enriched environment. This is an environment that challenges the internal balance and stabilization mechanisms of the body.
Photo by Lauren Bachner
In simple terms, balance training is typically performed on a single-leg and/or on unstable surfaces such as a half-foam roll, Airex pad or Dyna disc. Some examples:
- For beginners: Single-leg balance and single-leg balance reach.
- More “seasoned” fitness buffs: single-leg squats or single-leg Romanian deadlifts.
- Top of your game: multiplanar hop with stabilization or single-leg box hop-ups with stabilization.
One of my all-time favorite balance exercises is a single-leg bicep curl. It not offers proprioceptive challenge, but you can feel your core engaging to keep your body stable while working the arms. (Make sure to switch legs between sets.) As always, if you have a favorite balance training exercise, I’d love to hear about it!
I found this link very helpful in describing the purpose for balance training along with this one from the Mayo Clinic featuring examples of exercises. At the end of the day, balance training can be a challenging part of your exercise program and just one more way to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Make it Count Monday
Make Every Move Count! Photo by Leslie Hassler
As we kick off another work week, I wanted to offer a shot of motivation for whatever workout you have planned for today and the days to come. It’s a simple concept: whatever you do, make it count!
I offer this bit of advice because it pains me to see people at the gym banging out push ups or lifting weights with poor form – back arched, head jutted forward, knees locked. While they may feel like they’re giving their bodies a great workout, I only see a picture of what the potential for injury looks like.
I’m a firm believer that it’s better to do 10 reps in good form than bang out 20 in a sloppy fashion. No one should start a fitness routine and say “I’m going to run 5 miles on the treadmill, then tackle 100 push ups and 100 crunches” on day one. You may actually get through all of it – but believe me – you’ll pay later. You’ll most likely be so sore from the extreme activity that you won’t be able to resume your new workout routine for a week – and that means you haven’t made any gains in feeling healthier or stronger.
The bottom line is you need to be safe and realistic. I say this a lot, but it’s worth repeating: Rome wasn’t built in a day, so you shouldn’t expect to see results overnight. Building fitness into your schedule means making it a part of your daily routine, and that’s what leads to a lifetime of health benefits.
Two other things to keep in mind:
- Make it manageable: If the idea of spending an entire hour exercising overwhelms you, scale it back. That doesn’t necessarily mean jumping into a 45-minute “boot-camp” style class probably either. Instead, start with 15 or 20 minutes on a treadmill, elliptical trainer or stationary bike. Make sure to stretch and if you want to add specific exercises, work on your core. Planks and bridges are a great place to start. Trust me, once you start feeling the positive effects from the activity, you’ll want to add more minutes to your workout. Start with 10 reps and remember: make them count! In most cases, that means keep that navel drawn in and those glutes squeezed!
- Don’t compare yourself to others: Until I win the lottery and can hire my own personal trainer to kick my butt five days a week and pay a chef to take the guesswork out of making healthy meals that actually taste good, I remind myself everyday that in my reality, I’m doing the best I can to take care of myself. So, while I may never have legs like Jennifer Anniston, I do have a strong heart, strong spirit and strong desire to fit my workouts into even the most hectic weeks so I can get that rush where I feel like I’m on top of the world – even for just a little while.
So, leave the “sins” of the weekend behind (e.g. one-too-many margaritas or that second slice of chocolate cake) and use this Monday as a fresh start to your fitness routine. Try a new class, make a workout date with a friend and simply seek out new opportunities to have fun, feel fit and be fabulous!
Friendly Friday
TGIF!
I end this work week with a heartfelt thank you to all of you who make the journey here at LauraLovesFitness so much fun. I still can’t believe it’s been a little more than a year since this blog was “born!” Remember, it’s your comments and questions that motivate me to keep going!
Today, I must give a special shout-out to JoAnn, the woman behind RoundtoRavishing. JoAnn nominated me for a One Lovely Blog Award along with The Very Inspiring Blogger award. Be sure to check out her inspiring site that describes her journey to living a healthy life!
I’m grateful to accept these awards and happy to fulfill the obligations that come with them. Here’s how it works:
1. Display award logo: Done.
2. Link who nominated me: Here’s another link to RoundtoRavishing
3. Seven things about myself:
1. I exercise to stay sane.
2. I also exercise because I love red wine, Prosecco, pasta and chocolate.
3. My first job in television was working as the morning live reporter at WLFI-TV in Lafayette, Indiana.
4. My most embarrassing moment at that job: being spit on by an angry mama llama at the zoo on live TV while introducing her new baby to our morning viewers.
5. I am an only child.
6. I am a bona fide beach bunny, but am far more careful about my sun exposure today than when I was in my teens and 20s.
7. I am a die-hard Yankees fan.
4. Nominate 15 other blogs: Toughest part of this process as there are many wonderful bloggers to choose from:
- IEatThereforeITrain
- Physical Funness for the Motion Starved
- TheExerciseSpace
- CrazedInTheKitchen
- OntheRoadtoAll50
- The Foodery
- RedFoxFitness
- TheListProducer
- Mamaquest
- FitnessInTheCity
- LivePassionatelyTonight
- OnlyHereOnlyNow
- TheCustomerServiceRevolution
- ModNutrition
- I’dRatherWalk
5. Notify my nominees: I will work on that now…and wish everyone a weekend filled with plenty of opportunities to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Give Tabatas a Try!
Some of my Tabata Favorites: Single-Leg Bicep Curl
As I sweat through these hot and hazy days of a New York City summer, I enjoy working out in the comfort of an air-conditioned gym. However, I realize there are many who take advantage of the season to get outside and get moving. Wherever you like to workout, Tabata training is the perfect way to get your heart pumping and muscles moving.
This high-intensity training protocol was founded by Japanese scientist Izumi Tabata in the 1990s. His studies showed his formula produced similar health benefits to traditional cardio workouts, but here’s the kicker: a Tabata can be completed in just four minutes.
The formula is simple: eight continuous intervals of 20 seconds of maximum intensity followed by 10 seconds of rest. Even better: you can create a “Tabata Derby” by adding consecutive four-minute intervals and work your way up to a 20-minute total Tabata workout. Another thing I love about this type of training is almost any exercise fits into a 4-minute Tabata. Here are some examples:
For fitness newbies or those getting back to working out: Start slowly! My very first Tabata was split into two exercises: front squats and push-ups. So, the first four 20-second rounds of work featured squats and then I shifted to push-ups for the last four rounds. Other ideas:
- Jump rope (can be done in or outside of the gym)
- Planks
- Chin-ups (can always be done at a playground or find a tree branch – a strong one, of course!)
- Front squat to overhead press
Side Plank
For the seasoned fitness enthusiasts:
- Jumping lunges
- Side lunge to overhead press
- Treadmill sprints (make sure to safely straddle the treadmill during the rest periods)
- Overhead medicine ball slam
Feeling at the top of your game:
- Stationary bike sprints
- Squat thrusts
- Mountain Climbers
- Burps
The Plank
- The Push-Up – All Images by Lauren Bachner
A few important notes before you jump into one or more Tabatas:
- You must warm up! Try five minutes at a slow/medium pace on an elliptical machine, stationary bike or take a light jog.
- If you do more than one Tabata – you must rest for 60 seconds before moving on to the next exercise.
- While the idea is to push out as many reps as possible in the 20-second work period, you shouldn’t sacrifice good form. Better to do “perfect” push-ups on your knees with your stomach drawn-in and glutes squeezed nice and tight than risk injuring your lower back with sloppy reps.
- Don’t forget to cool down and stretch when you’re done!
- There are lots of apps out there to help you keep track of the work / rest intervals. I use UltraTimerHD on my iPhone. For non-iPhone users, one of my fitness friends really likes the Time for Tabata app.
One of my favorite, no-heavy-thinking, under-60-minute workouts at the moment:
- Warm up (includes SMR on my calves, TFL and lats)
- 30-minute elliptical
- 20-minute Tabata Derby (example: Front squats, side planks, push-ups and single-leg bicep curls – alternating legs)
- Cool down (includes more SMR)
If you have a favorite Tabata training combo, I’d definitely love to hear about it!
I’ll be forever grateful to fitness guru Roberto Murichi for introducing me to the Tabata. Trust me, if you’re looking to add some spice to your normal routine, Tabata training a great way to help you have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Time for New Kicks!
As we kick off another work week, I realize we’re more than half-way through July. Which means I am almost a month overdue on updating one of my most important fitness tools: my sneakers!
Like many women, I love shoes. I love them even more when I find a great pair at one of the discount shoe paradises that have popped up all over the country. There is one type of shoe, however, that I will gladly pay full price for if I have to, and that would be my sneakers. Why? Because wearing the proper footwear while you workout is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself from exercise-related injuries.
Here’s a little trivia that may come in handy if you’re ever on Jeopardy! and land a “Daily Double” in “The Foot” category: there are 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles and tendons in each foot. That means there are 370 places vulnerable to injury in your feet alone. Now consider that improper foot support can lead to compensations made by your knees and hips, and you are putting your body at risk for a world of hurt.
So, what’s the best footwear? It depends on your foot type. If you have a high arch, you need sneakers with good shock absorption. If your feet are flat and/or “roll” inward or outward, you need a sneaker with stability. An “average” foot needs a shoe with both cushioning and stability.
I don’t know your foot type, but I can tell you what works for me. Since my fitness routine includes elliptical training, rowing, and strength training classes, Tabatas and Zumba, cross trainers keep me well-grounded and stable. I started wearing New Balance cross trainers five years ago. I currently have the 1011s, but it turns out, they’ve already moved on to the 1012s. I get a new pair every six months, and if I put it off for too long, I actually notice pain and discomfort in my knees while I’m on the elliptical or while doing squats and lunges.
As you repeat readers may remember, I’m not a runner. However, my fitness friends who do pound the pavement only lace up in running sneakers. When I played tennis back in high school (which seems like ages ago!), I had sneakers specifically for tennis practice and matches. Many basketball players like high tops for the extra ankle stability. If there’s one sport you play often, it’s a good idea to get a pair of sneakers specifically for that activity, and also have a more “universal” pair, like cross trainers, for days when you mix up your routine.
I look at it this way: I have far too many purses in my closet and most guys have more gadgets than they’ll probably ever need. So why wouldn’t you spend the money to have at least one good pair of sneakers to protect you from getting hurt while you’re working so hard to stay healthy?
In the end, wearing the proper footwear is one of the easiest ways to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Summer Friday
TGIF!
Since we’re allegedly in the midst of the lazy days of summer and I’m on the verge of wrapping up an anything-but-easy-breezy work week, I’m definitely ready to be super lazy this weekend!
It looks like Mother Nature will be cooperating with my beach and gal-pal plans here in New York. Since chilling out is on my weekend agenda, I thought it was a good time to offer my top 10 all-time favorite fun summer anthems.
- “The Boys of Summer,” Don Henley
- “All Summer Long,” Kid Rock
- “Summertime, Summertime,” Nocera
- “Summer Girls,” Dino
- “Suddenly Last Summer,” The Motels
- “Summertime” DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
- “Cruel Summer,” Bananarama
- “Summer in the City,” Lovin’ Spoonful
- “Summer Love,” Justin Timberlake
- “Miami,” Will Smith (I know the word summer isn’t in this song, but I just think summer when I hear it!)
Whether you’re warming up or cooling down, taking a long walk on the beach, or just hanging with family and friends in the backyard, I hope some of these songs improve the ambience for your down time.
Of course, I want to know what’s your favorite summer song?
Whatever music you listen to, here’s to a fantastic weekend filled with plenty of time to re-charge the batteries and countless chances to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
More Core, Please!
Recently, I’ve gotten lots of questions from friends who also happen to be avid runners about what to do about hip or lower back pain. Since I’m not a medical professional, my first concern is to find out how long they’ve had the problem; if it’s affecting their everyday activities and if they’ve seen a physician for an opinion. Then I then move on to some questions about their training program.
One of the first things I ask: “So tell me about your core work?” That’s usually when I get the sheepish response that sounds something like: “Well, I could probably do more of that.”
You know what? We ALL could!
So, on this workout Wednesday, I go beyond the crunch to show you some of the other “classic” core moves I incorporate in my client’s fitness programs as well as my own. (I must give a special shout out to the talented Lauren Bachner for capturing the start and finish of each exercise.)
An added bonus: these exercises all fit into the stabilization endurance level of training. This is the level where all fitness newbies should start and all fitness veterans should re-visit to maintain core and joint stability. Aim for two sets of 12-20 reps:
- Ball bridge:Once you’ve mastered the two-leg and one-leg floor bridge, this is a great progression of a key core exercise. Training tips: make sure your feet are hip-width apart. Draw in your navel and squeeze your glutes to get your knees in line with your hips and shoulders. Once you’re established the bridge, hold the position for two seconds before lowering your pelvis.
- Hype Gym, New York, NY
- Photos by Lauren Bachner
- Prone Iso-Abs (Plank): This remains my all-time favorite core exercise. Here, I show you the “basic” plank along with a progression, where you add a leg lift. Training tips: In either version, be sure to draw in your navel and squeeze your glutes before you raise your body off the floor to form a straight line from head to toe. Hold plank position for two to three seconds before dropping to the ground to re-start.
- Side Iso-Ab (Side Plank): I admit, I need to perform this version of the plank more often – and you should too! Training tips: Your elbow should be directly below your shoulder and be sure to draw in your navel and contract glutes before lifting your hips and legs off the ground. Hold the plank for two to three seconds before lowering back to start position.
Please note, I’m not picking on runners. In fact, as someone who isn’t a runner, I have great admiration for people who lace up and pound the pavement in all types of weather. However, a common mistake many runners make is not incorporating enough core work into their fitness program. Your core, the muscles connecting your legs to your hips, spine, and rib cage, works to stabilize your torso when you run and therefore has a significant impact on running form and endurance. A weak core can lead to injuries, particularly in your lower back.
The bottom line is whether you’re a runner, cyclist, dancer, swimmer, or just like to be classified as a “gym rat,” everyone needs a strong core. Why? Because the core is the region of the body where all movement begins. If you have a weak and unstable core, your body simply can’t move the way it’s supposed to. That’s one of the easiest ways to put yourself at increased risk for injury.
So what are YOUR favorite core moves? Let me know! I’m always looking to share different exercises and activities that can help exercise lovers of all ages and skill levels have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
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