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Workout Wednesday: Business Trip Edition
I had the whole hotel fitness center to myself on my recent business trip to Iowa City!
Greetings from Orlando!
As you read this first Workout Wednesday installment for October 2012, I’m either prepping for or in the midst of producing another shoot. Since this marks the second consecutive week I’ve traveled for work and have another trip in another city soon following this one, I thought it was the perfect time to share the basic survival tip that keeps my health and fitness routine in check while I’m on the road. It’s all about what you toss in your suitcase.
Along with being sure I have my production tools and TSA-size-approved plastic bag of toiletries, I always take a few extra minutes to throw in the following essentials to keep hunger and unhealthy snacking in check. The key is having one for each day of the trip:
- Almonds: Lucky for me Trader Joe’s takes the guesswork out of counting out almonds for a proper serving size by selling the “Just a Handful” snack-pack. Having the correct serving size also prevents me from buying the jumbo bag at the airport and loading up on too many calories in one snack session.
- Fiber One bars: I’m a big fan of the Chocolate & Oats variety.
- Gym clothes: A pair of Under Armour gym shorts, t-shirt, sports bra and a couple of extra pairs of socks take up virtually no room in a suitcase, even if it’s a carry-on. I usually travel wearing my cross trainers to travel and pack my “cute” shoes. (It’s the best way to stay comfortable during flight delays, too!)
The few snacks provide me with no excuse to reach for something unhealthy if too much time goes by between meals thanks to a long production schedule. Also, getting up early enough to make sure I eat a healthy breakfast before the work begins is also crucial to making sure I have energy and remain focused on my work.
Remember, whether you’re packing for a quick business trip or overnight weekend escape, packing a few healthy essentials can help you have fun, be fit and feel fabulous – no matter where the road takes you!
Another Workout Wednesday – Beach Edition
Chilling out after a beach sprint Tabata
Still riding a high from my Montauk vacation, I thought I’d use this Workout Wednesday to remind everyone to soak up what’s left of summer by getting some exercise outside!
I know I’ve written a lot about my new obsession with Tabata training. Well, here’s another chapter in that love affair! (In case you forgot, the idea behind this four-minute high-intensity formula is eight continuous intervals of 20 seconds of maximum intensity followed by 10 seconds of rest.)
Here are two Tabatas I banged out four out of the five days during my recent beach getaway. There’s nothing particularly fancy about either of them. They just happened to be extra rewarding with the feel of the sun on my skin and the sand under my feet. Of course, let’s not forget the ultimate reward: being able to cool off in the ocean when the hard work was done!
- Plank Tabata: I got my mom to use my iPhone to capture me doing one. Enjoy!
- Beach Sprint Tabata. I know, I’m not a runner, but I actually motivated myself to use the beach as a distraction from an activity I normally don’t like to do. So, in true Tabata fashion, here’s how I worked it: For the 20-second max intensity portion of the interval, I simply ran as close to a sprint as possible while keeping good form on the uneven surface of the sand. Then for the 10-second “rest” period of the interval, I simply slowed to a walk. On the last two days of the trip, I managed to pull off a mini “Tabata Derby” by doing three sprint Tabatas in a row (with a minute of rest in between).
The kicker was that I got my “regular” elliptical and weight training workouts in at the fitness center each morning before 8:30. Then, usually just before or after lunch, I would use the beach for the Tabatas. Getting two workouts in on a day was another huge treat during my vacation!
Even if you’re not a beach lover, you can still do exercises like squats, lunges, side planks and crunches in a park or in your own backyard! Whatever the season, there are plenty of ways to take your favorite exercises to new places and find exciting ways to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Get Some Sleep!
With Chris Freytag, Chairman of the Board, American Council on Exercise (ACE)
I know it’s Workout Wednesday, but I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss something too many of us are slacking on when it comes to trying to follow a healthy lifestyle: catching those much-needed zzzzzz’s.
If you woke up today after a less-than-restful night, you’re not alone. Here are a couple of eye-opening facts from the Better Sleep Council:
- 73% of Americans are only getting seven hours of sleep or less per night during the work week
- 70 million Americans are affected by sleep problems
Today, my two professional worlds collided and I was able to learn about the effects of not getting enough shut-eye from one of the country’s most respected health and fitness experts. I was thrilled to work with Chris Freytag as the producer on her satellite media tour where she discussed the benefits of getting a good night’s sleep. She also revealed some interesting results from research conducted by Beautyrest to find out just how much sleep we’re missing out on across the country. Check out the video below to see my one-on-one interview with Chris.
(The interview will also be featured in the upcoming July edition of “Health & Home Report” – another element in my production life for West Glen Communications, Inc.)
Surprisingly in the Beautyrest survey, New York didn’t live up to its name as the “city that never sleeps.” It came in at number 22 on the “Top 30 US Cities Most In Need of Recharging” hit list. (Not so surprising? Las Vegas came in at number one.) Click here to find if you live in one of the country’s sleepiest cities!
Remember, if you’re striving to enjoy a healthier lifestyle, make sure to add getting more zzzz’s to your overall plan to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Speedy Workout Wednesday
As you read this post, I’m either prepping for, in the midst of or winding down after a full-day shoot in Beverly Hills, California. I look forward to writing about my first visit to the area and how I hopefully find a way to squeeze some fitness time into a hectic schedule. For now, I didn’t want to let a Workout Wednesday go by without letting you in on my current go-to routine for when I have only an hour and very little brain power to get “creative” at the gym.
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Nothing Like a Solid Plank Tabata! Photo by Lauren Bachner
5 minutes of self-myofascial release (SMR) with the foam roller and stretching for my three chronic problem areas: calves, TFL and lats.
- 20-minute full-body weight circuit: As a member of New York Sports Clubs, I’m a big fan of their “Xpress Line.” The machines take you through each major muscle group. I do two to three sets of 12-20 reps with minimal rest in between. If you don’t belong to NYSC, you can still do a quick full-body circuit. Click here for a reminder of the machines to look for in your own gym.
- 30 minutes elliptical training with a mix of moderate / high intensity.
- Tabata time: I have become a Tabata addict! As a refresher, a Tabata interval involves four minutes of work with 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off for a total of eight sets. As the full-body weight circuit at NYSC doesn’t include any kind of ab work, I tend to do planks or crunches if I only have time for one Tabata interval.
- 5 minutes of same SMR and stretches I performed at the start of the workout. (So, this pushes my workout to about 65 minutes, but the SMR in particular has helped me find some serious relief for my overactive muscles since I started making the foam roller a part of my regular routine six months ago.)
Some mix-and-match ideas: if you want to focus solely on cardio, skip the weight circuit and add 20 minutes on the treadmill, stationary bike or rowing machine to the elliptical training. Or simply add more Tabatas to the mix! One of the toughest workouts Roberto had us perform in our UFX class was a 20-minute “Tabata Derby.” He set up five stations of different exercises and we would spend four minutes (or one Tabata interval) at each one. Click here for a refresher on what that class looked like for my small group training class.
Remember, no matter how pressed you are for time, make a conscious effort NOT to skimp on the flexibility portion of the workout. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it: to keep your body in balance, stretching the muscles that are tight is just as important as strengthening the ones that are weak as part of your overall plan to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Small Group Training
On this Workout Wednesday, I thought I’d tell you about a new adventure I just started to add a little variety to my own routine.
Every Monday and Wednesday night for the next eight weeks, you can find me at New York Sports Club getting my butt kicked in a small group training class called called UXF, short for “Ultimate Fitness Experience.” Six of us signed up for the one-hour class led by my friend and personal trainer extraordinaire Roberto Murichi. One class down and I can’t wait to go back for more! Along with getting a killer workout, I’m also using this class to expand my knowledge as a personal trainer by learning from someone who’s been in the industry for the past decade.
A “Basic” Butt-Kicking Exercise!
The Push-Up
After a warm up that included eight rounds of bicycle crunches, squats and push ups – performing as many reps as possible in 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest – Roberto set up five stations for us to rotate through as a circuit. The exercises ranged from using ropes to lifting with kettlebells. We worked at each station for 60-seconds straight, then moved on to the next. (There was one rest station. Each of us breathed a serious sigh of relief when it was our turn to move to that spot!)
After several rounds, it was easy to see how this class offers a killer combination of strength training and cardio. As we move forward, the exercises will change, and the number of rounds will increase. Roberto will “score” each of us at an upcoming class and he’ll do the same thing when we wrap at the end of April. I can’t wait to see how my numbers compare!
Photos by Lauren Bachner
Along with the intense exercises and Roberto’s expertise as a motivational fitness instructor, there’s something else I love about this class: the small group dynamic.There’s some sort of instant bond that seems to develop when you get a half-dozen people together who are at different stages of training. One of my small group classmates has been working with Roberto in one-on-one sessions for the past two months. His wife also signed up for the class, but in her case, it marks the first time she’s stepped foot inside the gym during the same time frame.
While each of us may be starting at a different fitness level, we all share similar goals of improving our strength, endurance and agility. The bottom line is we’re all looking to do what we can to be physically fit.
I look forward to spending the next eight weeks sweating it out with my new classmates and encouraging each other to get through those seemingly never-ending circuits. Whether you sign up for a small group training class; take the same Zumba classes every week; join a running club or workout with a personal trainer, it’s nice to have fitness friends to help you on your journey to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
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