Keep the New Year Momentum Going
December 9, 2008
Keep the New Year Momentum Going
Resolution Solutions
By Rebecca Pratt, Staff Writer
Emerson once said that “consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” But when it comes to New Year’s resolutions, 100% success usually isn’t a source of fear or dread.
In fact, with resolutions, most of us think consistency is everything– which is why it’s so easy to fade by February once we find ourselves slipping even slightly. When we eat too much, miss our target weight loss, or don’t get to the gym for a few days, we conveniently give up– taking an all-or-nothing stand so that when we don’t achieve all, we have a built-in excuse to settle for nothing.
What, then, can we do when we find our resolutions fizzling?
First of all, review your goals to make sure they’re really yours. While this may sound silly, we live in a world of “shoulds,” under constant pressure to follow agendas that don’t have real value for us. Are you trying to lose a few pounds because your spouse thinks you should? Do you play softball on the church team because you got dragged into a position someone else vacated? If so, you may want to rethink your priorities. You’re far more likely to commit to– and accomplish—goals that are truly important and meaningful to you.
Second, run a reality check on your goals. So often, experts say, the biggest problem in keeping resolutions lies with making them. Caught up in the enthusiasm of a fresh start, we throw ourselves with wild abandon at a vast list of unattainable goals, then wonder why we revert to our old ways. Were you suffering from delusions of grandeur when you pledged to run 40 miles a week? Was it feasible—or even healthy—to commit to a diet of 1000 calories per day? And did you really intend to give up chocolate completely, especially when you knew darn well that hubby would be giving you the traditional heart-shaped box on Valentine’s Day?
If you find your original resolutions a bit too daunting, don’t be afraid to scale down. Reduce that list of multiple goals to just a few, and make them realistic and do-able— instead of pledging to run 40 miles a week, committ to work out for 30 minutes at least three times a week. Besides being realistic—with the built-in flexibility that allows you to move your workouts around—you’ll give yourself room to set a slightly loftier goal once you’ve achieved this initial one. You can still hang onto those other original goals—just add them to your working list, one at a time, as you succeed in meeting current goals.
As you meet your goals, don’t forget to record and reward. Recording your daily successes— as simple as placing a checkmark on your calendar every time you work out—can be tremendously motivating. A row of checkmarks not only shows progress, it balances out the one or two days you didn’t get there, giving you the bigger picture and the drive to push on. And “recording” should lead to “rewarding,”–finding small ways to celebrate your success—telling friends, buying a small item to pamper yourself, or giving yourself time to do something you don’t normally get to do.
Finally, recognize that, even with realistic goals, you won’t always succeed. Giving yourself permission to fail occasionally helps eliminate the excuse to throw up your hands and quit. For example, most of us overeat at one time or another, but when it’s over, do we begin again or give up? It’s what we do afterwards that dictates whether our fall is a momentary lapse or the beginning of the end.
Success is a year-round choice. You must decide what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it. No one else can, will, or should do that for you.
FIND A FITNESS BUDDY
December 6, 2008
Fitness buddies? Isn’t that what the Route 40 team is all about? Yes; it is. We are a definitely a team of fitness buddies that are willing to provide the support, motivation, friendship, and encouragement. If anyone needs anything to help keep them coming to class and giving their all, please find someone in class that you have commonalities and feel comfortable with to help you and who you can help too. I am sure that I speak for everyone when I say that it would be a pleasure to be someone’s support system.
For those of you hiding in your cocoons from the cold, please find your way back to class. Trust me, it does not feel as cold as you think once you are warmed up.
~Liz
Find a Fitness Buddy
Who’s Your Buddy? Anybody!
— By Mike Kramer, Staff Writer
What would you call people who can: help keep your weight off; boost your confidence; finally make fitness fun? You might call them “miracle workers.”
We call them Fitness Buddies.
Most people make the mistake of going it alone. Sometimes, it’s just too tough to stay consistent by yourself. But a fitness buddy won’t let you quit.
Fitness Buddies are two or more people who commit to helping each other reach consistent goals with friendly encouragement and regular contact.
Why does a good fitness buddy help you get results? By offering accountability, motivation and consistency. By mixing these three ingredients, you can create a rewarding, effective relationship that’s lively and a little lighter. Finding any old fitness buddy isn’t hard, but finding the right one may be a little tougher.
At the top of your priority list should be someone who has fitness goals similar to yours. Just because you get along well with someone in your book club doesn’t mean she’ll help you get to the gym regularly.
It also helps if your buddy’s schedule already works with yours, so you don’t start off with a built-in excuse to break your consistency.
A motivating buddy supports and challenges. So make sure the person you’re considering is just as committed and eager as you are. A twisted arm is not going to stick around long.
Look for someone who will be upbeat–even if you get discouraged–and can hold you accountable without passing judgment. You want a stress reliever, not a stress producer. Nothing kills consistency like negative energy.
Outside the home, fitness buddies can often be found within groups. Community centers and gyms are gold mines for hiking, biking, running, walking and sports clubs. Sporting goods stores often host programs as well. Check the calendar and announcements section of the local paper. Online, look for community forums.
Most of all, just ask around. Your buddy could be hiding in a most unexpected place. It could be your dentist, your cousin, your mechanic’s hairdresser. Who knows? Think of it as fitness networking and don’t be afraid to ask someone to “buddy up”.
Running Efficiently
December 2, 2008
This article certainly gives me a new perspective on running and hope for a bigger breakthrough. ~Liz
Running Efficiently
Hit the Accelerator
Men have been running since we shared disputed turf with saber-toothed cats. So how come so many of us do it wrong? Plenty of reasons: desk jobs, cars, couches, complacency. The urgency is lacking, the muscles are unused. Few of us have ever felt the need for a lesson.
Prepare to learn — and burn. Running incinerates fat like nothing else. And a few tweaks to your technique will have you running faster and longer than any of your distant ancestors.
With all the glory available to world-class runners now, it’s no surprise that innovative coaches, sports scientists, and runners themselves search for new techniques to grab an edge.
Take Meb Keflezighi, for instance, the American who won the silver medal in the marathon at the Athens Olympics. He does things — cross-training, plyometrics, bicycling — that the great American marathoner of the ’70s, Bill Rodgers, never considered. (And Meb probably wouldn’t consider eating Bill’s favorite food, pizza with mayo.) The same cutting-edge methods that hone the likes of Keflezighi can help you. It’s time to reject conventional wisdom (CW) and hit the roads with newfound wisdom and vigor.
OLD CW: You were born with your stride; make the most of it.
NEW CW: Change your stride for the better.
Elite runners move more efficiently than the rest of us, using less energy at any speed. An efficient stride is comfortable and reduces risk of injury. Until recently, running coaches and biomechanics experts believed that individual stride patterns were too hardwired for average runners to learn to run more like the elites.
The latest science shows that anyone can change his stride for the better, with a little patience and discipline. But do it gradually, one modification at a time, and practice, each single change with every step until it becomes automatic. Here are the three best efficiency-boosting stride changes you can make.
1. Shorten your stride. About eight in 10 recreational runners overstride, according to Alan Hreljac, Ph.D., a professor of biomechanics at California State University at Sacramento. This creates a thudding, braking effect. To correct it, lean your entire body slightly forward as you run. Your feet will land a little closer to your body.
2. Defy gravity. Reduce the amount of time each foot is on the ground. While you run, think about pulling your leg backward just as your foot makes contact with the ground. A typical plodder lands, stands, and then thrusts backward.
3. Bounce less. Imagine a low ceiling 2 inches above your head. It’ll keep your gait smooth and efficient. You don’t want up-and-down; you want forward.
OLD CW: Speed is for sprinters.
NEW CW: Speed training helps everyone.
Think back on your past week of running. How much of it was at a brisk, saber-tooth–eluding clip? Today’s top runners do as much as 20 percent of their training at speeds faster than race pace. This conditions the fast-twitch muscle fibers that are seldom recruited during slower running. It also maximizes aerobic capacity (the rate at which your muscles use oxygen) and increases stride power and efficiency.
Speed training also makes you ripped.
You burn more calories, because, simply, it takes more energy to run hard. And fast running is the perfect companion to strength training — both work the fast-twitch muscle fibers. Here’s a speed-training format to try.
The Ladder
Do this workout at a running track.
1. Warm up with 5 to 10 minutes of easy jogging, followed by stretches for the hamstrings and calves.
2. Run one lap hard, then jog one lap.
3. Run two laps hard and jog one.
4. Run three laps hard and jog one.
5. Optional: Run four laps hard.
6. Cool down with 5 to 10 minutes of easy jogging.
OLD CW: Run up hills, then jog back down.
NEW CW: Run down hills, then jog back up.
Downhill running is integral to the training of elite distance runners. Running downhill increases stress on your legs, which makes them better able to handle impact — as long as you don’t overdo it. Running downhill can help you go faster, because your muscles will grow accustomed to the quicker stride required.
Once or twice a week, after completing an easy run, do four to six relaxed downhill sprints (not on a steep hill, just an easy grade) lasting about 20 seconds apiece. Recover between sprints by jogging slowly back up the hill.
OLD CW: Strength makes you faster.
NEW CW: Explosive power makes you faster.
You know by now that cross-training helps your running by strengthening the rest of your body while giving your running muscles and joints a break. Next step: Add plyometrics, or jumping drills, to your cross-training. You’ll improve your efficiency and power.
Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä, in Finland, found that runners who replaced a third of their weekly running with plyometrics improved their 5-K race times by roughly 3 percent, while a control group saw no improvement. So if you run a 25-minute 5-K, you can shave a minute off your time by running less. Try these plyometric exercises.
Split Squat Leap
Stand with your left foot half a step ahead of your right foot, your hands at your sides. Lower yourself until your back knee is about an inch off the floor, then leap as high off the floor as you can. (Drive your arms up above you to help propel your body upward.) While airborne, reverse the position of your feet so that when you land, your right foot is a half step ahead of your left. Immediately lower yourself into another deep squat. Complete 16 to 24 jumps (eight to 12 in each position).
Single-Leg Box Jump
Balance on your left foot facing a sturdy platform (such as an exercise step) that’s 10 to 18 inches high. Leap onto the platform, landing on your left foot, and immediately jump back down to the floor on the same foot. Do 10 to 20 repetitions, then switch to your right foot and repeat.
OLD CW: Make every run count.
NEW CW: Use the “hard-easy” rule.
Use a 1-to-10 scale to rate how challenging your workouts are. Most runners hover around a 5 (not hard, not easy) day after day after day. Today’s top runners avoid this gray zone by doing runs that are either truly challenging (8 and above) or very easy (3 and below).
The reason? The biggest fitness gains come from the hardest workouts — but you can’t take yourself to the limit every time you lace up your Asics. Follow the hard-easy rule and you can achieve better results with the same total amount of training you’re doing now. You’ll be able to push harder on some days by allowing your body to recover on others. This will help you avoid overtraining, and you won’t tire from a repetitive routine.
Let’s say you run four times a week at level 5. This week, try doing two level-8 runs (one long run and one speed session) and two level 2’s (short, easy runs). Either approach adds up to 20 effort “points.” Stick with the hard-easy schedule for a couple of months and check your race times. Your numbers should be smaller.
OLD CW: Stick to your plan.
NEW CW: Free your mind, man.
Too many runners treat their training plans as gospel. But a growing number are learning the benefits of “training opportunistically.” Here’s how it works.
You need to do your most challenging runs on days when you feel good. But you never know how you’re going to feel until you start running. Forcing yourself to crank out hard runs on predetermined days means you’ll inevitably turn in some subpar performances and won’t benefit as much as you could.
Begin each workout day with the option of either a Plan A (challenging) or a Plan B (easy) run. If you’re headed out for a Plan A effort but feel flat during your warmup, switch to Plan B: an easy run. And if you find you have plenty in the tank on a B day, gear up to an A. Of course, the catch is the temptation to declare all days Plan B’s. Make the switch only if you feel truly lousy. Otherwise, grind through it.
This takes a little discipline. And that’s one bit of conventional wisdom that will never change.
Matt Fitzgerald is the author of The Cutting Edge Runner (©2005, Rodale, Inc.).
Anyone Looking For A Book To Read Over The Holiday Break?
November 25, 2008
Well, guess what? I found a book for you. This would be a great incentive and a way to stay motivated when you are not in class. Get it at Amazon.com for as low as $.01. Happy reading! ~ Liz
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http://www.amazon.com/Fitness-Bootcamp-Forms-Web-Presence/dp/0684848996
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
You have to appreciate the straightforward honesty of a book when the second chapter is titled, “Report for Duty, Fat Ass.” This is a fun book to read,
mostly because corporate fitness trainer Patrick Avon believes that if you don’t enjoy exercising and eating well, you won’t do those things. The program includes simple ways to measure your present condition (including the easiest body-fat measurement system you’ll ever see), and the usual ways to improve strength, cardiovascular fitness, and flexibility. But Avon makes good, often original arguments for why you should improve each (the chapter on flexibility exhorts you to go to a nursing home and see for yourself the consequences of allowing a body’s elasticity to deteriorate), and he makes sure you’re entertained along the way. –Lou Schuler
Product Description
No music, no dancing, no mirrors, no machines, no spandex, no juice bars, no crybabies, no refunds!
Get down to the basics with “The Sarge”! Based on a regimen that has worked for thousands of real-life civilians, this no-nonsense exercise and nutrition plan will show you how to achieve fitness and fat reduction in as little as three weeks!
Using the techniques — and language — of basic training, “The Sarge” will get you off your butt and jump-start your attitude and your body with forty-five-minute sessions and no special equipment. Here’s the drill:
3 Ways To Stop Negative Thinking
November 23, 2008
Tomorrow is the start of a new week; let’s start it off with positive thinking. It’s never too late to turn those negative thoughts into positive ones. ~ Liz
Positive Thinking
3 Ways to Stop Negative Thinking
Don’t Let Negative Thoughts Sabotage Your Efforts — By Dean Anderson, Behavioral Psychology Expert
<!–
–>You’ve gone over your calories for the day or eaten something on your “forbidden” list. You figure that since you’ve blown your diet, you might as well keep on eating and start over tomorrow. You keep eating, but despise yourself for it.
You’ve done well all week, but the scale says you’ve gained a pound. You panic, feeling certain that you’re doomed to be fat forever.
You set the alarm an hour early to exercise, but hit snooze. Feeling like a lazy slug, you wonder if you have any willpower to do what you know you need to.
Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you?
The tendency to leap from minor, trivial problems to overblown, unrealistic conclusions is something that everyone struggles with to some degree. This type of negative thinking is one of the biggest reasons that people have difficulty sticking to their weight loss plan—and why small problems can cause stress and misery that is often avoidable.
Of course, there are dozens of deep, psychological reasons why individuals get caught up in this negativity. But you don’t have to know why you do it to stop being negative. All you have to do is to take a close look at what you are actually doing and decide to stop doing it for that moment. Here are three techniques you can use to stop all those negative thoughts before they stop you:
1. Look for Hidden Thoughts and Assumptions
The process of moving from an event (like going over your daily calories) to a conclusion about the meaning of that event (I’ve blown my diet) and what you should do about it (keep eating, start over later), typically involves several more mental steps that you probably aren’t aware of. Psychologists call these intermediate steps automatic thoughts because they are habitual, happen quickly, and feel so “right” to us that we don’t even notice them.
Although you can’t completely prevent automatic thoughts from occurring (after all, they naturally help us make good decisions in a hurry), these thoughts are not always accurate. Chronic negativity about yourself or your situation is a good sign that your automatic thoughts are inaccurate.
Luckily, it’s not difficult to learn how to identify your automatic thoughts, figure out if they make sense, and change the ones that aren’t working for you. The first step is to develop the habit of asking yourself: “What would have to be true in order for the negative conclusion I reached to be justified?”
For example, what would have to be true in order for going over your calorie limit to mean that you’ve “blown” your diet? Wouldn’t it have to be true that your diet is a one-day event that requires a perfect performance on your part? You know that’s not the case.
2. Learn to Argue with Yourself
Once you recognize some of your automatic thoughts, you can inspect them and, if necessary, argue with them. The flaw in the above example is pretty obvious: Permanent weight loss is not a short-term project, and doesn’t require perfection. But sometimes the flaw or assumption won’t be as obvious. If that’s the case, then you may need to do some investigating.
Before you jump to conclusions or attack your own character, ask yourself a few basic questions:
- If someone I respect did exactly what I did, would I come to the same conclusion about them that I’m coming to about myself?
- If someone came to me asking for advice about how to deal with this problem, what would I say to them? Would I tell them it’s a lost cause?
- How does my conclusion help solve the problem? Does deciding that I’m a “lazy slug” without willpower empower me or enable me to do better next time? What thoughts would do that?
- Is this a problem that lots of people have or am I the only one facing it? What do other people think or do when they run into this problem?
- Is this problem a general pattern in my life or am I blowing one incident out of proportion? Are there times when I do well at things that clearly require willpower and self-discipline—like going to work every day and taking care of my family?
- Have I put the same amount of time and effort into thinking about solutions as I have into listing the problems?
The more of these questions that you ask yourself, the more easily you’ll be able to spot—and correct—your negative automatic thoughts that are lurking underneath your tendency to assume the worst whenever things don’t go the way you planned.
3. Do What Doesn’t Come Naturally
One reason that negative thoughts become so automatic and pervasive in our minds is that they are consistent with our typical feelings. If you find yourself jumping to negative conclusions about yourself, your abilities, and your options and opportunities, it’s probably because that feels “right” and comfortable to you.
This doesn’t mean you have to figure out why it feels “right” to feel bad about yourself. Again, you’ll simply respond better to doing things differently, rather than spending hours rooting through emotional baggage.
Changing those negative thoughts and judgments into realistic and reasonable ones is going to feel uncomfortable and unnatural. In fact, feeling uncomfortable is probably a good sign that this is exactly what you need to be doing to get past your problems.
So when you’re unsure about what the problem is, your best bet is to do what doesn’t come naturally. When you find yourself arriving at a negative conclusion about you or your situation, stop thinking that and start thinking the exact opposite. If you’re thinking that there’s something fundamentally wrong with you, tell yourself the problem is in the situation—not in you—and look for ways to change the situation. If you think you’re “doomed to be fat forever,” tell yourself that success is unavoidable if you want it; if you’re feeling like a “lazy slug,” tell yourself that your “true self” really does want to exercise. You get the idea.
No matter how big, bad or scary the problem seems, you’re always just one thought away from turning it into an opportunity for change, growth and progress. All you have to do is find that thought.
<!– Article created on: 7/20/2006 –>
Need MOTIVATION…PRESS PLAY!!!!
May 11, 2008
Need MOTIVATION…PRESS PLAY!!!!
May 11, 2008
You can start with these steps
April 9, 2008
Stop nitpicking. When you pick your flaws apart with all the intensity of a brain surgeon, you only increase your anxiety at not being perfect. Try to see your body as a whole and concentrate on what you love about yourself. Start by taking a walk and feel how your body moves. Swing your arms, feel the power in your legs and take a moment to appreciate how strong your body is.
Eat. Food isn’t the enemy and, in fact, eating regularly will actually help you with your weight loss goals. Remind yourself that you really can control yourself and eat healthy. Start by cleaning out your kitchen and getting rid of foods that are too tempting to have around. Then stock up on healthy options so you always have something to nibble on.
Get real. No one is perfect and, unless you’re at a model photo shoot, you’ll notice that perfect bodies are few and far between. The real world is not Hollywood. Start by doing some people-watching. Find a quiet place where you can sit and watch people walk by and notice all the different sizes and shapes you see. We’re all unique and that’s what makes us interesting.
If you can’t say anything nice… Think of the negative things you say to yourself each day. Would you say that to your best friend? Your child? Your worst enemy? Write these thoughts down and, each time you think them, remind yourself you don’t deserve that kind of treatment anymore than your friends do.
Find the perfect jeans. Okay, so this one’s pretty tough. But, filling your wardrobe with clothes that make you feel good can go a long way towards improving your body image. Start by going through your closet and giving away anything that doesn’t fit well or that makes you feel worse about your body.
Exercise. It’s a proven fact that people who exercise have a higher self-esteem. The more you exercise, the more you’ll build confidence and appreciate your body. Try to get some activity every day and you’ll boost your mood as well.
Lighten Up. Are your imperfections so important that they deserve all that attention? When you find yourself obsessing about your body, ask yourself how important it really is. Remind yourself to stop taking things so seriously because, trust me, no one else is.
Take it with a grain of salt. The media shows perfect bodies all the time but that perfection is usually due to lighting, tailored clothes, professional make up artists and airbrushing. It’s all a fantasy. Put a moratorium on celebrity magazines for awhile and focus on the real people in your life.
Get a life. If you obsess about your body, you probably spend a lot of time talking about it. If you have a well-rounded life, you’ll have interesting things to talk about instead of the 2.31 pounds you gained. Start by getting back to a hobby you’ve given up or just doing something you truly enjoy – reading a book, walking the dog, seeing a movie, etc.
Treat yourself well. You only get one body and one life. Imagine yourself at 80 years old – do you think you’ll care about the size of your thighs? Most likely, you’ll be so glad they still work that you’ll thank them–saddlebags and all. Each moment that passes is your life–how do you want to spend it?
You can start with these steps
April 9, 2008
Stop nitpicking. When you pick your flaws apart with all the intensity of a brain surgeon, you only increase your anxiety at not being perfect. Try to see your body as a whole and concentrate on what you love about yourself. Start by taking a walk and feel how your body moves. Swing your arms, feel the power in your legs and take a moment to appreciate how strong your body is.
Eat. Food isn’t the enemy and, in fact, eating regularly will actually help you with your weight loss goals. Remind yourself that you really can control yourself and eat healthy. Start by cleaning out your kitchen and getting rid of foods that are too tempting to have around. Then stock up on healthy options so you always have something to nibble on.
Get real. No one is perfect and, unless you’re at a model photo shoot, you’ll notice that perfect bodies are few and far between. The real world is not Hollywood. Start by doing some people-watching. Find a quiet place where you can sit and watch people walk by and notice all the different sizes and shapes you see. We’re all unique and that’s what makes us interesting.
If you can’t say anything nice… Think of the negative things you say to yourself each day. Would you say that to your best friend? Your child? Your worst enemy? Write these thoughts down and, each time you think them, remind yourself you don’t deserve that kind of treatment anymore than your friends do.
Find the perfect jeans. Okay, so this one’s pretty tough. But, filling your wardrobe with clothes that make you feel good can go a long way towards improving your body image. Start by going through your closet and giving away anything that doesn’t fit well or that makes you feel worse about your body.
Exercise. It’s a proven fact that people who exercise have a higher self-esteem. The more you exercise, the more you’ll build confidence and appreciate your body. Try to get some activity every day and you’ll boost your mood as well.
Lighten Up. Are your imperfections so important that they deserve all that attention? When you find yourself obsessing about your body, ask yourself how important it really is. Remind yourself to stop taking things so seriously because, trust me, no one else is.
Take it with a grain of salt. The media shows perfect bodies all the time but that perfection is usually due to lighting, tailored clothes, professional make up artists and airbrushing. It’s all a fantasy. Put a moratorium on celebrity magazines for awhile and focus on the real people in your life.
Get a life. If you obsess about your body, you probably spend a lot of time talking about it. If you have a well-rounded life, you’ll have interesting things to talk about instead of the 2.31 pounds you gained. Start by getting back to a hobby you’ve given up or just doing something you truly enjoy – reading a book, walking the dog, seeing a movie, etc.
Treat yourself well. You only get one body and one life. Imagine yourself at 80 years old – do you think you’ll care about the size of your thighs? Most likely, you’ll be so glad they still work that you’ll thank them–saddlebags and all. Each moment that passes is your life–how do you want to spend it?
