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Gym Rookies

I’ve heard people who are so self-conscious of their weight that they will forgo a gym membership just for that reason. Heck, I was probably one of them. Well, I actually thought gyms were for hardcore weight lifting men with excessive muscle. I had no idea that the gym was a regular place for regular people and their regular fitness routines until I joined one.

The first thing to remember is, some of these people started their fitness journeys in your same shoes. They may have been overweight, hesitant to join, and completely unsure of themselves in that new place. They know exactly how you’re feeling and can sympathize with your uncertainty. They are much more likely to be internally rooting for you rather than judging you. They’re more likely glad that you’re there, taking care of yourself, than not.

Second, everyone is really probably only thinking about themselves. People are very self-conscious when they’re grunting, sweating, and struggling in front of other people. They’re all worried about themselves. It’s actually sort of comical if you watch people for awhile. They all check themselves out in the mirrors around the gym. Don’t worry, they’re more worried about their own sagging skin than your cellulite. Or they’re busy focusing on their workout form.

Third, I’ve noticed, especially with runners, there is a sort of unspoken comaraderie among people who run. It doesn’t matter if you’re an elite athlete or a slow beginner. Runners cheer each other on. I have never seen so much enthusiasm or experienced so much encouragement as when I’m out running, especially in road races. At the gym, you’re doing something that most of the population disregards, and you can take pride in the fact that you’re there instead of glued to the tube.

The easiest way to acclimate yourself to a new gym is to take a tour, take the gym up on their free personal training sessions, or try out a group fitness class. Just getting accustomed to the lingo, equipment and faces let you dip your feet without drowning. Read up a little bit on fitness equipment before you head in and print off a few workouts you can try. Take a friend with you for those free weekly trials so you have a buddy in this unchartered territory. I also find that reading or listening to music helps me fall into my own little wonderland where I don’t even know what’s happening around me.

Happy Lifting!

Not All Opposites Attract

Here’s a little insight into the differences between someone who is healthy and someone who is not. Some of them might be overgeneralizations, but really, the habits between the two groups are significantly different. And in no way am I trying to be insulting, because I myself have been on both sides of the equation and know all too well the upsides and downsides of both. Here’s my experience with healthy vs. not-so-healthy.

1. Enthusiastic about each opportunity to walk instead of drive/Moan at the thought of having to cross a parking lot to reach a neighboring store.

2. Find little ways to incorporate activity into everything, even lunch/Barely leave their desk and would rather not even take the stairs.

3. Find time, no matter what the circumstances or how many kids they have, to work out several times each week/Offer an extensive list of excuses as to why exercise just isn’t feasible.

4. Take pride in trying out new fruits and vegetables and have a recipe collection for common favorites/Most fruits are ingested in juice form.

5. Knows what most fruits and vegetables look like/Not sure where to find an eggplant.

6. Pantries and fridges are full of healthy fare from the perimeter of the grocery store/Boxed meals and prepackaged goods usually make the cut.

7. Maintain a healthy lifestyle long-term/diet on and off; regularly sign up for different weight loss programs and quit after a short time.

8. Thoughts of the deep-frying process make you a bit nauseous/Thoughts of keeping down Brussels sprouts makes you turn up your nose.

9. Take charge, research and implement healthy living strategies/Wait for some miracle cure, supplement or equation to take all the guesswork out and require the least work possible.

10. Comfortable being uncomfortable for healthful gains/Huffing and puffing are avoided at all costs.

11. Have at least a basic idea of how to read nutrition labels and eyeball a serving size/Likely eat much more than one serving and think labels are way too scientific to even bother with.

12. Barely watch television and sometimes work out during commercials/Have at least 2 or more shows each weeknight that they catch on a regular basis.

13. Work at healthful habits one step and small goal at a time/Use an all-or-nothing approach and go all-out only to come crashing to a halt days later.

14. Small setbacks don’t completely derail the healthy lifestyle/A minor slip-up might completely sabotage willpower.

15. Enjoy small indulgences every once in awhile/Try to completely eliminate certain foods, label foods good and bad, and/or go overboard on portion size.

Psychology to your Advantage

I just heard an interesting tidbit from a Social Psychology lecture I was listening to on a podcast (don’t ask). There was a study that said that individuals put forth more effort when other people are around. Thinking about this from a fitness standpoint, it would be beneficial to work out in a gym or other public facility. You might just work a little harder. Or perhaps you might try running in public. It feels good to breeze past homes where you occasionally see people sitting in front of the TV, or sitting around in general. Or when you sneak a peek at a cute guy, you can’t help but pick up your shoulders and your pace. Awww, c’mon, you know you do:) And you know people are watching you from their vehicles as they pass by, so you don’t want to appear haggard, right? Taking part in group exercise classes, in front of a mirror to boot, makes you more apt to perfect your form, follow through, and eek out every last rep so you don’t look like a schmuck. In the comfort of your own living room, you can get by with a little (or a lot) of slack.

The hugest boost I’ve ever had while running was when I was running in road races. I don’t think I would’ve survived the half-marathon if it weren’t for the supporters that cheered the entire length of the route. As silly as it may sound, it ticked me off, at the same time as it made me root for them, when these little kids or people much heavier than me would pass me up. That pushed me to run faster. And my mom even noticed that every time I saw my family at the mile markers, my pace seemed to pick up. So, there must be some truth in these psychological theories.

The opposite effect is true when you’re working out with other people or participating in a group effort. You’re actually more likely to work less hard. You start to rely on the strength and speed of others, such as in the case of something like a tug-of-war.

So, use these little tidbits to your advantage to push your workout to new heights!

Sweatin’ to the Oldies

Thank goodness the days of Richard Simmons and endless grapevines are gone. You can get fit, without sweating to the oldies, with the likes of Jillian, Ellen Barrett, Chalene Johnson, Sara Ivanhoe, and other modern-day fitness mavens. As technology progresses and trainers find new ways to sweat, we are blessed with more efficient and more enjoyable workouts.

I think when the background music, background decor, workout outfits are more tasteful and modern, the more favorably I look upon the video. It’s much easier to get into the groove of it when it doesn’t feel like I’m traveling back to the days of thong leotards and neon biker shorts. I don’t know exactly what it is.

Thank goodness for on-demand fitness television, online workout videos, online fitness information about anything you can think of, easier access to foreign forms of exercise, accessible exercise equipment and widespread chain fitness clubs in every city. This modern stuff is all very much to my benefit, for sure. I get bored very easily.

Running Alternatives

There’s nothing like a great run to make me feel truly delicious. But sometimes, one gets burned out doing the same exercise every other day. So, once in awhile, I trade in my running kicks for bare feet and chlorine. But I am very picky about running alternatives. There are only a select few workouts that have a comparable intensity to me or leave me with that lung-expanded feeling like running does. If I don’t feel like a workout is as much of a challenge as running, I can’t justify substituting it for my passion (and hard-earned endurance level). My alternates to running include:

1. Kickboxing. Not the sissy stuff, the hardcore punching and kicking that leaves me winded.

2. Boot Camp: I found a great video at a rummage sale that kicks my butt every time. Try out The Method: Cardio Bootcamp.

3. Step aerobics: Take a trip back to the 80s. I once had a step instructor at the Y that changed the routines every single class and offered a fully modern workout that didn’t bring back memories of hot pink striped biking shorts. But Kathy Smith will do in times of need.

4. Swimming: something about the water, the buoyancy, the use of every muscle fiber to propel the body forward makes me feel like a million bucks and really does work the lungs to capacity.

5. Jump rope workouts: if you’ve tried one, you know what I mean.

6. Jillian Michael’s 30-Day Shred: even as a hardcore exerciser, this one still brings me to my knees every time.

I am 26, but feel like I’m 20.3

Take the RealAge(r) test at the Realage website to see how old your body is in terms of how you take care of it, how healthy you are, and other contributing factors. I am happy to say, I am feeling 6 years younger today.

After you take the test, you can find out what’s making you younger and older. There are Health, Habits, Relationships, Diet and Fitness recommendations you can follow to help improve your score. It’s amazing what flossing, drinking red wine with dinner, and owning a dog can do for your body! But it also told me to buy that silver SUV we’ve been looking at (larger vehicles provide more protection and apparently silver vehicles are 50% less likely to be involved in serious accidents. Who knew?) I don’t know if we can swing that since unemployment checks don’t fly as income.

Here’s something else I had a sneaky suspicion about. The quiz results say I work out TOO MUCH. It says, “In fact, your workout is at the level of an athlete” and then offers strategies to slow down a little bit. I’ve programmed myself to find exercise opportunities in all those extra daily minutes, like one segment of the 10-minute Solution DVD before work, then walk to work, walk briskly with a friend at lunch, walk home, and fit in a more intense workout and strength sessions MWF, and then sneak in a few more walks and workouts on the weekend. I loathe sitting around, what can I say?

But it seemed like after I had my baby, breastfed, and walked slowly with him, weight fell off my body faster than it ever did before. Perhaps less is more.

It’s kind of funny, because after a health assessment at work one time, the nurse insisted that I get more exercise. I repeated how much I worked out several times and she kept saying I needed to do more. I just rolled my eyes. I always knew it was the food holding me back, not the exercise.

I also learned from the quiz that my target heart rate for working out is about 194 (220-age). I think I’ll try to keep track of this tomorrow and request a heart rate monitor for Christmas:)

Married to a Potato

Well, I used to be a potato too, a couch potato that is. I never really had a very active upbringing aside from dreaded gym classes and recreational volleyball and softball. So, I completely understand the “Potato Mentality.” I picked up a fitness habit around 2001 and have stuck with it ever since. I later added the healthy eating part of the equation, and still work on this part to this day.

The trouble is, my husband is a true couch potato. There are noticeable markings on the area of the couch where he always sits indicating that he spends a lot of time there. This can be very discouraging. It’s also difficult, when you understand the high value of healthy habits, watching your partner not take care of themselves. It’s difficult when you don’t have the same goals and you feel as if you’re missing out on having the perfect workout buddy.

There’s a difference though between acquiring your partner’s participation and acquiring his support. My husband has always supported my fitness habits. True, there was a time when he offered me an unhealthy serving of cake right after I worked out, but for the most part, he’s very supportive. Just two days ago, I was on the treadmill for maybe 10 minutes when I turned if off and said “I just can’t do this tonight.” He encouraged me, well…nearly demanded, that I get back on. It worked! I stayed on for a full 35 minutes and felt much better afterwards. So, the support is very important. You need only ask.

By being a role model, perhaps one day you will inspire your significant other to begin their own healthy habits. You can offer little nudges, perhaps by showing them interesting articles you’ve read or relaying other tidbits. My husband has an injured back, so when I come across articles about how exercising decreases back pain, I like to gently remind him of how he could “cure” himself or at least feel better, which he is understandably highly receptive to. Also, hearing it from a source other than me improves the likelihood that it will get through, but that’s a whole different story. Just please promise you won’t nag! This will make health-ifying that much more of a chore for your partner. And it’s a very private, personal choice that a person has to make for themselves.

Aside from being encouraging, maybe you are able to control the weekly menu to help your partner at least in the diet arena. Find a healthy cookbook that remakes some of your partner’s favorites. You need not mention what you’ve done lest they refuse the food on principle. Some secrets really are healthy!

The good news is, my husband has agreed to run a 5k with me in April. Well ok, maybe he’ll walk it with me, but that’s a wonderful change either way. It seems he has been finding more and more excuses to walk and fit in extra exercise. So, I signed the registration, sent in the money, and smiled at the thought of crossing the finish line with my new fitness buddy.

Skimp Your Way Thin

You hardly need to spend anything to get fit. If this is your excuse, you can’t use it anymore. Motivation is probably the biggest stumbling block of all. But money should not matter.

I am the queen of working out on a budget. I am also the type of person (Gemini?) who gets very bored very easily with workouts. I need something different all the time that doesn’t cost me anything. It sounds impossible to please me, but it is not. For eight solid years, I had and loyally used my gym membership, but due to recent money constraints and logistics, I had to quit. I was really worried I wouldn’t be able to work out at home, but it has actually worked out quite nicely and I have been able to maintain my faithful habit. The only hurdles I have at home are a 1-1/2-year-old who enjoys sitting on me during ALL floor exercises and a pup who sometimes compromises my form by getting underfoot. Oh, and the dishes and other distracting messes, but I’ve learned to hold off until after my workout.

Here is my list of budget-friendly workout helpers:

1. I have rummaged, thrifted and craigslist-ed my way to a stocked workout video collection. I don’t think I’ve paid more than $1.00 for a used workout video. You can never predict what you’re going to find, so you have to practice being open-minded when going the second-hand route.

2. I also got a sweet treadmill for just $100 at a rummage sale. We have gotten WAY more than our money’s worth.

3. A $2 thrift store stair stepper is great for step aerobics and also works as a makeshift weight bench for chest presses, leg lifts and all sorts of other exercises.

4. I have a $1 jump rope that gives one of the best workouts ever. I compiled a list of jumps to try on my sparkpeople blog.

5. I got some inexpensive weights at the store. A 5lb and 8lb set will do for a lot of women. I found my husband found some 15 pounders on craigslist for $15.

6. I have magazine subscriptions to Self and Shape Magazines, which cost something like $12 each for a full year. I have hundreds of workouts pulled from these magazines, and filed away by workout type, that I can always turn to. At best, you can log on to these or other health-related magazines’ websites to learn something or print workouts. Self has some really good workout videos you can follow along with as well. As a side note, Self Magazine was one of the first major health motivators for me way back in 2000. The upbeat, anyone-can-do-it attitude really got me revved to start a fitness program.

7. If you’ve heard it from me before, you’ll hear it from me again. Sparkpeople is one of the best free health sites I have ever come across. Here you can log workouts, log what you eat, and look up health articles on almost any topic. There are health calculators, health calendars, community forums and so many things I can’t even list.

8. Free workout videos in a variety of different practices and time limits are provided by exercise TV. Also Yoga Today provides a free hour-long Yoga workout every day and offers over 200 downloadable videos for cheap.

9. The library is a rich resource for workout videos, health books, healthy cookbooks and more for free. Or check out their CD selection for fresh workout music.

10. Check out your local video store as well. We have a local one where educational videos, which includes workout videos, are free to rent.

11. For parents, playgrounds offer a really nice workout opportunity that allows you to play like a kid again. Do a Google search for playground workouts to find something like this.

12. A good pair of running shoes provides plenty of workout hours, whether you prefer free local trails, the sidewalk, the treadmill, or the track.

13. For around $300 each, my husband and I each bought a kayak. We have definitely gotten our money’s worth out of these too. We barely have to plan when we want to go out for a row and we can drop them in the water almost anywhere that’s open to the public. For the cost and the experience in nature, it sure beats slaving away in the gym!

14. I also recommend a set of stretch tubing and a fitness ball. For around $10-$15 each, you get more workout options than you can imagine for your money. If you’re lucky like me, you might happen upon these at a rummage sale or inside a workout DVD itself for even less!

Home gym Complete!

This Will Make You Uncomfortable

Don’t worry, I’m not going to divulge some gory details about myself or anything. I’m just going to tout the benefits of breaking out of your comfort zone.

It’s easy to go home, cuddle under a blanket and watch television for the evening, perhaps even in a different room than your significant other because you have significantly different tastes in entertainment. If you’re only aspiring to get nowhere, this plan is fine. But if you’re sitting there looking at the TV thinking you could make up the next invention for the Shark Tank or sweat as much as the next contestant on Biggest Loser, you’re cheating yourself by falling into these comfortable patterns.

Losing weight and making a healthy lifestyle change are going to be uncomfortable for a time. I’m sorry to break it to you, but there’s no magic involved. No fairy dust you can buy on an infomercial. If you plan for a little blood, sweat and tears, you’ll be much more prepared to plunge through it. You’ll begin to create your own little first aid kit to clean up the damage. But don’t worry, it’s not that scary either, especially when you make small changes one at a time.

You’ll feel a little out of breath doing cardio, you’ll feel that “good burn” the day (or two) following strength routines, you’ll try fitness classes that make you move in ways you never have before, you’ll feel out of place in the gym, you’ll want to stop halfway through some days, you’ll indulge in guilty treats once in awhile. But I promise you, if you’re a little bit uncomfortable, you’ll turn your nondescript life or body into something extraordinary.

By the time you’ve established a healthy lifestyle, you’ll notice a big change. Now you’ll be uncomfortable when you see a stack of deep-fried onion rings being served to the table next to you at the restaurant, because you sure as heck didn’t order heart damage. You’ll be the one that’s uncomfortable watching the overweight woman holding her thighs trying to make it up the stairwell, because you’ll know all too well the deep dissatisfaction this feeling caused you in the past. Most importantly, you’ll be uncomfortable just sitting still.

This really applies to many things in life, including your relationships, work life, hobby pursuits or anything you can think of. Showing up in a room where you don’t know anyone, approaching your partner with a subject you’ve never broached before, or taking on a work project you feel unqualified to do will leave you a little on edge. But the rewards you will reap for your uncomfortable-ness will be beyond compare. You’ll be glad you stepped out of your bubble. You’ll rejoice when you cross those finish lines you never imagined you’d be crossing.

After all, would you rather be a little uncomfortable and working towards achievement, or comfortable and stagnant, receiving nothing in return for nothing? Prepare to be uncomfortable!

Flabby Abs Beware

I just read a great tip that I thought I’d pass along. The article I read was sort of about keeping New Year’s resolutions, but it really deals with forming healthy habits any time of year.

They key is to become emotionally attached to your goal. Don’t just say “I’m going to lose 20 lbs.” Think about how you’ll feel when you’re you’re that much lighter. Think about what you’ll be able to do or do better when that load is lifted, such as run up the stairs, fit into a beautiful dress, touch your toes, prevent a disease, run a 5K, enjoy people’s company without giving any thought to how you look, etc.

When you do work out or eat healthfully, think about how great you feel afterwards. How your lungs expand to capacity and your muscles push out against your skin. You enjoy a greater awareness of your body’s capabilities. Think of how your skin pinkens and your blood pumps like brand new.

Take this tip to another level with active visualization. I’ve been reading a lot lately about how the world’s highest achievers, including Olympic athletes, have a visualization habit in common. Before competitions, they visualize participating and completing their sport with a flawless, victorious ending. Create a vision board, write a letter to yourself, or create an “achievement” journal. Every one of these things connects you emotionally to your body and goals. It becomes increasingly difficult to quit when you’ve become emotionally attached to your goals.