Summer is upon us and for many, that means vacation! There are also other social obligations that might keep you out of the gym more than you would like to be. So how do you  keep yourself fit when you miss your regular fitness routine? Use some of these tips:
 
1.  Stairwells –  If you are on vacation look for stairs with 5 or more steps (mutliple stories work best!). They can  be in the hotel or at a park. Pull out  your mp3 player for some extra motivation and start climbing! You can walk, run, take stairs two at a time, walk/run up sideways to add  variety. It’s a great cardio workout –  no gym needed.

2.  Park benches and boardwalk walls – Vacation areas typically have  parks nearby or a boardwalk if you are at the beach. When I see a ‘park bench” or concrete wall, I don’t see a  place to sit. I see it as a great exercise tool! Step up and down on the bench/wall, do tricep dips on the bench/wall. If someone looks at you funny – smile & wave. They are 
probably are only feeling a bit guilty themselves!

3.  Beach walks – Your muscles have to work harder when they push off a  soft surface.

4.  Push-ups/sit-ups/lunges/squats –  Make a deal with yourself before heading out for your day of activity  (or lounging)……
do 3 sets of 10 push-ups, a round of abdominal crunches, 20 lunges on each leg and 20 squats. You’ll feel pumped up and ready for your day!

5.  Multi-task – If you have to take your children to practice (swim, soccer, lacrosse, etc), get in a power walk (or run!). Walk/run around the school or playing field. Get some of the other parents to join you.

6.  Jump ropes and tubing – Bring along a jump rope and an exercise tube while you are away. They are easy to pack, easy to use and will keep you in shape until you make it
back to the gym on a regular basis.

Use some of these suggestions when you find yourself out of town or at the gym. You might find that getting out of your regular routine might be a good "reboot" to your current routine!
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Do you ever have one of those days when you planned to workout, but you just weren’t “feeling it”? Instead of turning your car in the direction of home or staying inside cozy on the couch, I say go to the gym or lace up your shoes and get out the door! All you have to do is 15 minutes. If at the end of 15 minutes you still want to stop, then give yourself permission to do so. However you will find that 9 times out of 10 you will continue your workout and finish the time you set aside that day for your fitness.

Why is this? Well, the hardest part of any workout is actually getting started. Even if your workout is not taking place at a fitness center, maybe it’s a walk or run in your neighborhood, the hardest part is putting on the shoes and getting out the door.

If getting started is the hardest part, the second hardest part is having the nagging feeling of “still not wanting” to it. That’s where the 15 Minute Permission Rule comes into play. Some days our mental state just isn’t there to allow us to proceed with the physical work. If you get into the workout, 15 minutes is the make or break point. It takes a good 15 minutes for you to get into the “flow’ of your workout. Your muscles are warm, your breathing is rhythmic and you begin to feel the sense of good self esteem around the 15 minute mark. In most cases your “mental state” begins to align itself with the physical work. But if you get to the 15 minute mark and you still want to stop – permission is granted! The great part about this is that you stop without guilt. Today just was not your day mentally. But at least you gave yourself the opportunity to get over that mental hurdle – and you got in15 minutes of exercise rather than 0 minutes of exercise!

Trust me this works. I don’t always have the luxury of not working out when I’m not mentally into it because teaching exercise is my profession. But I have not always been a fitness professional. When I was working in a corporate setting, I would either swim or run daily. I honestly can say that 3 days out of 5 I didn’t want to get started. I knew however that once I started, I almost always felt better. I would visualize before my workout how I would feel at the end. And then, I gave myself permission to stop. If I had trouble visualizing, I knew that the 15 minutes could be a struggle. But I made the deal with myself that I could stop at the 15 minute mark if I wanted. Wouldn’t it be great if this story ended with me telling you I never stopped? But I think it’s a better story that I can tell you that I did take advantage of my “personal permission slip”. I have stopped running or swimming. No guilt.

So the next time you are struggling with do I go/no go, I say go…visualize the end and how you will feel. Then take the 15 minute personal permission slip along. I think you will surprise yourself…that workout that you may have skipped might just be the best workout you ever had!
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Post Title. 09/18/2010
 
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FAT vs MUSCLE
Have you ever heard "Muscle weighs more than fat"?  Well, its not true. 5 lbs of feathers weighs 5 lbs. A 5 lb weight weight s 5 lbs. A 5 lb bag of sugar weighs...you guessed it - 5 lbs!  So at any given weight, fat and muscle weigh the same amount. The issue is size and density of the weight. A 5 lb bag of feathers might be able to fill a 30 gallon trash bag and a 5 lb bag of sugar might fit in a 1/2 gallon bag.  So, what should be stated is this: Fat takes up twice as much room as muscle. AND....for another blog....muscle can not turn into fat....more on that later!

Although the scale is an important tool for monitoring weight, so is monitoring your clothes and how they fit! If you have  been working out, doing weight training, eating clean....but the scale hasn't budged but your clothes are obviously more loose, you may have lost fat and replaced that fat weight loss with muscle gain. It is subtle on the scale, but obvious in how you feel.

So keep this in mind with eating and exercising. Keep this "visual" in your head. And think....eat clean/great for 6 days, cheat one. Go hard & tough 5/6 days on your exercise...active/light exercise 2 /1 days.


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Commitment 07/22/2010
 
"There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re  interested in doing something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’recommitted to something, you accept no excuses; only results.”

I came across this quote on SparkPeople.com and the truth behind the words and how it applies to everything we do in our lives really struckme. But for this article, I want to “analyze” how it relates to fitness.

After being in the business for over 15 years, I’ve seen those that are committed to making a change in their fitness and wellness and those who have simply shown interest. Now I have to give credit to those that have shown interest…they do take the first step. They typically make a personal training appointment, say they are going to start Weight Watchers or follow a new healthy eating plan, attend a group exercise class - and their intentions are good. Some of those who are “interested” in fitness and wellness actually come to the gym several times a week even – but the lack of effort keeps them from reaching their potential.

However, just as in school, you may pay the tuition and show up for class, but that doesn’t give you the “A”! Those that are “interested” talk about wanting change, but have an excuse waiting that keeps them from seeing the results they are seeking. You’ve either heard them before or used the excuse yourself – “I had to go out of town”, “but it is the holidays”, “the weather is just so awful”, “but I don’t like the treadmill”, “I have bad knees”, “I don’t have time to cook healthy”, “I don’t’ like to sweat”, “I work to much to fit it in” (this is just a few of the MANY!).

So what is it that separates the “Committed” from the “Interested”? There are books written on this, but here are a few things that get people to transition into commitment:
1. Letting go of the fear. You can do it – it’s the voice inside your head that tells you can’t or that you don’t know how. If it’s not knowing how, you can count a fitness professional (like me!) to help you learn. Becoming committed means pushing past your comfort zone…. trusting in your ability.

2. “Just Do It’, “Yes I Can”, “Be all that I can Be” – just a few phrases that the “committed” use while on their journey for results. Focusing on the positive, not the negative.

3. Realistic Goal Setting. Results are possible when you have a plan and an approach to achieve the goals that you have set.

4. Those that are committed may have had a life altering change – a diagnosis from their doctor, a family or friend health crisis or simply a wake up call that they could no longer ignore or “hit snooze”.
The desire for change is greater than the excuse.

5. Scheduled. Those that are committed to fitness schedule it into their day. They do it while traveling, during the holidays, before, during or after work.

6. Those that are committed to healthy eating educate themselves and put what they learn to practice. The choices don’t have to be complicated and you don’t have to cook! The information out there is free and in abundance – and very simple.

Commitment to fitness and wellness doesn’t have to be hard. What you will find is joy and fulfillment in a healthier body, mind and spirit. It’s your own personal health care reform. Stop wanting results –  start achieving them. The resources and tools are available to you. No excuses. YES YOU CAN!
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