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Changing Life in Increments

I spoke in my resolution post about avoiding time-waste by filling all those random 10-minute increments in a day with meaningful activities. I’ve got to say, I’m off to a strong start:

1. This morning, while watching the news (still productive in itself), I pulled out this gentle workout from my magazine for my new “morning warming” idea. It’s bitter cold here where I live right now. Mornings are tough when you have to force yourself out of bed into the brisk winter air. To wake up, warm up and start my day off right, I decided to implement a “morning warming” ritual. Could be tea, could be yoga, could be Dr. Oz’s 7-minute Morning Workout. But it eases me nicely into a productive winter day.

2. Each day, I try to peek at a success story or two. Right now, I’m drawn to weight loss success stories, but creative entrepreneurial business successes have been known capture me whole-heartedly. I seek them out and use them as fuel. Success stories are my favorite part of my magazines and the very reason I started working out from the very beginning. Thank you Self Magazine! I’ve even written about a few success stories here on my blog. I just read that, according to science, reading/watching about success stories can do wonders for your health. What a great way to spend 10 minutes!

3. Quality family time can be built in 10-minute increments. A jump-fest on the trampoline? Sure! You should see the smile on that boy’s face. That trampoline is keeping us all young–and releasing all this pent-up, cabin-fever rambunctiousness. Seriously, who could resist?

I’m loving this new experiment. What else could I fill those precious 10-minute spaces with?

Letter to ExerciseTV

Dear ExerciseTV,

Please don’t go!

I went to your site yesterday and saw this:

I am in complete denial that this is true, so please tell me that I am seeing things. Is there a petition I can sign or something? This is the biggest travesty to the fitness community that I could ever imagine. Such a shame.
Yours truly,
Avid ExerciseTV user
P.S. to my readers, you can buy a few of their workouts for download for only $1.00. It’s like the Dollar Store of workout videos, only the quality of the product is much more savory. Best buck ever spent. And I’m really excited to do this workout tonight. At least there are still some free workout videos out there. If you know of any others out there, please let me know.

A Magical 3-Mile Run

I have been dreaming again about the most amazing run I had over the summer as the weather is getting colder. The in-laws were up from Florida for a visit, and they took our family to the Milwaukee Zoo. We stayed overnight nearby so my MIL could spend some time with her closest friend that lives close by. I, of course, packed my runnin’ shoes.

Just across the street from the motel was the mouth of a nature path. Around dusk, I laced up and left my two boys to unwind in the room with strict instructions that if I didn’t return in 45 minutes to send a search party. I didn’t feel like running. True confession: most of the time I don’t feel like running. But I know exactly how I’ll feel if I do run, so I always do anyway.

The air was perfect for a run. The visual relief of nature was delightful. The departure from the norm was fantastic. Just running in a new place has a way of reviving the spirit of fitness inside me. But it got soooo much better.

I rounded a bend about halfway through my run when I heard some rustling that made my hair stand up. I saw something moving in the brush. Then, a brown neck popped up and I realized I was within feet of a beautiful doe. Right then, I noticed the second one. Those huge eyes, those beautiful bodies standing dead-still waiting to determine if I was a threat. I just smiled at them knowingly as I padded by, trying to send signals with my eyes that I would never hurt them.

Not too far up the path, I reached my halfway point and turned around. Those pretty girls were still there. Those city gals let me get pretty close, so I could snap a shot with my phone as proof. Then, I left them alone again and carried on. Near the end of the run, I saw another flash in the brush. Thinking I’d spied the eyes of a rodent or other little animal, I ran a little faster. But I noticed another flash and another and another until I realized I was completely surrounded by lightning bugs. It was so magical, almost mystical.

I had not seen lightning bugs since I was a kid on a family camping trip. I rode my bike through a small patch of trees and there was a tiny swarm of them. That was another magical moment from another time. I went a little slower for the rest of the run, taking it all in. In fact, I even ran back through one stretch, just so I could run through it again. It was amazing!

Back at the motel, I insisted that the boys retrieve their shoes and follow me back down the path. I got to experience my son’s first encounter with lightning bugs and it was so surreal and beautiful.

Nothing beats a run like that.

Catching My Breath After Skipped Workouts

I’ve noticed another side effect of skipping runs during the week. I can’t breathe! I run Monday, Wednesday and Friday like clockwork. Sometimes Sundays with a friend too. Last week, after helping a desperate husband work through his homework two nights in a row, rescuing a sister with a dead car and fully enjoying a “date night” said husband planned out completely for us, there was little time or energy left for a 3-mile run. And I never use the “no time” excuse, because I don’t believe in it. But staying up so late was taking a toll and my body needed rest. I did sneak in a relaxing 30-minute yoga workout and my husband and I got a little sweaty playing darts on our date, so it wasn’t like I completely abandoned my active lifestyle.

But by Thursday and Friday, I felt like I wasn’t breathing right, like my lungs weren’t getting enough air. The shallow breaths and idleness of my body were screaming for cardio. I had to stop and do some deep breathing just to feel OK. Don’t get me wrong though, because I’m not complaining. These reactions are all the more motivation to keep running. Me and running, we’ve got a good thing going. We don’t like to be apart for long.

A Shocking Treadmill Experience

Anyone else have a problem with static shock when running on the treadmill? At the new gym I’m going to, the treadmill zaps me every time I touch the handles. I remember this happening at previous gyms too. And it happens on all different treadmills, not just one in particular. It doesn’t let up after I’m damp with sweat either. Maybe I’m just more electrifying than most people. Yeah, that must be it! Ha!

From the solutions I scrounged, I didn’t come up with any that really fit my particular situation. I have no control over the humidity levels in the gym nor do I have any control over grounding the treadmills (which I have confidence are already properly installed).

A few other suggestions were to wear those wristbands attached to the treadmill, but I don’t think these treadmills have any (plus they’re pretty dorky-looking). You can also go out and get new running shoes that prevent shock, but my budget doesn’t really comply as I just recently bought brand-new running shoes.

Now I don’t know if this is scientifically sound or not, but it seemed like when I rubbed my fingers on my cotton shirt (which holds a neutral charge) before touching the bars, I wouldn’t get shocked. I must somehow be dispelling the charge. Or maybe I’m just crazy. Either way, it’s worth experimenting with since this is the easiest fix I could fathom. And this article indicates that polyester and nylon clothes–typical in performance-wear–are good conductors of electricity. Cotton is not.

The most comprehensive solutions I found were in this Runner’s World forum.

None of this will stop me from running of course. It’s my drug of choice. I’ve been a runner for over 10 years now, and I don’t plan on letting a tiny thing like this prevent me from my chosen exercise. However, I do think it could be enough to deter a beginner or exercise-averse type, so it’s worth looking into.

Embracing My Plate

I did a post awhile ago about Bento Boxes (laptop lunches). The timeliness of these pre-portioned containers is impeccable! Of course you know that the USDA is no longer using the Pyramid to indicate how many servings of each different type of food is recommended. They’re using a sectioned plate! My Plate is being embraced by Starbucks with their new Bistro Boxes. The system also translates well to the Bento Box or those standard paper picnic plates with different sections. Some businesses are even designing plates exactly as the USDA advises. It will be fun to watch how different businesses align their brands with this simplified system and embrace this new take on nutrition.

It’s so much easier to visualize a meal this way. Just knowing that half my plate should be fruits and vegetables–in other words, the main part of the meal should be produce–makes it so much easier to plan menus and go grocery shopping. Even just eyeballing a throw-together lunch is much less daunting than attempting to count all the items in the pyramid for each day.

MMEJR59VEAGH

Job Perks

It’s official! I am now a brand-new member of the gym again, thanks to my employer. Can you believe this place? Offering gym memberships to all of its employees, among all the other things they do for us? I went last night and, although I had never been inside that particular gym before, I felt like I was right at home. I even walked confidently over to the weight lifting area where all the sinewy dudes were grunting and claimed a bench for my own 20-minute strength routine. (PS, I know it’s not fair to judge other people at the gym, but some of those sinewy dudes had terrible form. I just thought I’d inject that lest you be intimidated by joining the gym because of the likes of these dudes. They are, in fact, imperfect, just like the rest of us.)

I remember walking into a first gym for the first time. It was like walking into a foreign country and not knowing the language, the etiquette, or the popular fashion. But once you start going regularly, taking the gym up on their offer for a free personal training session, attending group classes, and reading the trade magazines (for me, these are Self and Shape), you get to know the territory. If you start watching what other people are doing, you begin to notice habits and patterns. Maybe no one told you that you’re supposed to wipe down the equipment, but you notice several people grab the spray bottle while you’re on the treadmill. Ah-ha, take a note to self… Please, try not to be intimidated (though you will be), try to get into the habit, and just take a look around. We’re all glad you’re here. And you’ll be a gym rat in no time!

Will Work Out for Mental Health

I’ve been officially active for about 10 years now. I came back from a semester at college noticeably-to-others more overweight than I left, complete with comments from people who usually don’t notice. Obviously, I had to do something about it. A friend was redeeming a free weeks’ pass at a local gym, and she was given a free pass for a guest. After a week, I signed up and the rest is … well, you know.

Obviously, dramatic changes happened right from the get-go. I lost the Freshmen, ahem, 15. I felt more energetic and I even got sick less. I’d get one cold every few weeks in the winter pre-fitness and maybe one per year in my post-sedentary life.

However, other changes happened that were less noticeable at the beginning. Most recently, I experienced a few days’ sabbatical from working out. While some might roll their eyes at this, it is a big deal for me. More so than I thought. For instance, last week, due to a business trip in the middle of the week, I went from Monday clear through to Saturday without breaking an exercise-induced sweat. Let me tell you, my mental health did not benefit. By Friday, I was noticeably moody. Saturday morning I worked out, and the difference was profound. Same kind of thing happened the week before. I fell into a funk that only running for at least 30 minutes straight could remedy.

It’s official, I’m addicted to endorphins. My husband rolled his eyes at me when I insisted that I needed to get on the treadmill, stat. I told him, “Honey, this is not for my looks. This is for my mental and emotional health.” He did not stop me or say anything more after that. Probably because he was the primary victim of the exercise-deprived villain within me. Someone I hadn’t known myself until fitness became my way of life.

The Downside of Early Morning Workouts

Recently, I finally forced myself to get up early and work out before work as opposed to after. This workout time fixed a number of “problems,” but ended up creating some new ones. What’s a girl to do?

Pros of early morning workout:
1. Workout is done for the day right away–starts the day off on the right key. I go to work feeling truly refreshed with invigorated lungs.

2. One shower per day as opposed to two. Silly problem, I know, but that extra water and time loss was actually really bothering me.

3. I love the energy of the early morning…the way barely anyone is up and about, the way the sun hits the planet, the way the mist is still lifting, and on and on.

4. I feel like I’m left with more time in my day. I leave work feeling like there’s less on my “to-do list” and more time to spend with my family or getting other things done. When I did after-work workouts, by the time I clocked 35-40 on the treadmill and at least 20 minutes of strength, then showered, it was practically time to go to bed.

Cons of working out in the early morning:
1. I never have time to do the strength training after running like I did with my after-work workouts. And no, I’m not about to get up any earlier. The truth is in the numbers. In May, I clocked in 1260 workout minutes (I track this for our wellness program at work) and in June, when I started the morning routine, I only got 990 minutes. Although the scale hasn’t budged, the wiggle when I wave and the protruding-more-than-normal gut don’t lie. Believe me, I can tell the difference!

2. I just.can’t.get.up. Most mornings start with me being pissed off about getting up so early. It’s only about 1/2-hour, but it makes a difference. I’m not a natural early-morning person, so it hurts every time. I was starting to resent the early morning workout. I don’t want to resent it!

3. And trying to get to bed earlier never works out. With toddler bedtimes and leftover to-dos, I just can’t seem to hit the sack by 9:30.

I guess the pros outweigh the cons, but at least I gave morning workouts a shot. I’m really proud of myself, because I’ve only done morning workouts like three times in my entire life. To go three weeks was really a feat! At least I can pat myself on the back for that. We shall see if I decide to keep this up.

The Perfect Snack

Trail Mix:

It’s the perfect blend of salty/sweet, crunchy/chewy, and hard/soft. It’s relatively cheap. It gives one an immediate boost from the carbs and sustained energy from the fat and protein. It makes for a great breakfast, snack or side.

Trail mix is aptly named because it is a favorite of hikers because it’s a nonperishable food, it’s easy to eat by the handful, and it’s also very easy to pack/carry. One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to go trail hiking. It’s more of a leisurely thing with me. I love to meander through the trails, pick a flower, dip my toes in the water, watch for fish, etc. I also love to go camping with my family. For either activity, trail mix is one of the easiest things to prepare and bring along.

The only caveat is the calories. You have to be very careful how much you eat because peanuts and dried fruit add up much faster than you’d ever suspect. Just measure it out before you pack it to be sure you don’t sabotage your entire workout with one plastic baggie.

Simply mix and match your favorite ingredients in a baggie:

Nuts: peanuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, etc.
Seeds: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, pine nuts
Soy nuts
M&M’s or Reese’s Pieces
Dark chocolate chips
Dried fruit: raisins, craisins, banana chips, etc
Cereal: Chex, granola, cheerios, etc
Pretzels
Yogurt bites
Asian rice crackers
Shredded coconut