Category: exercise

A Good Time for Transformation

The way I see it, life is pretty mundane unless you’re working on some sort of transformation. Giving up smoking, becoming vegetarian, becoming a parent—whether it’s a small or huge change, there’s a reason every year begins with New Year’s resolutions and the excitement about “starting fresh.” Life would be a long walk on a treadmill if we didn’t throw some challenges in its wake every now and again.

We love us a good transformation. It’s my favorite part of a talk show—when they show the grizzly bear of a man in the “before” picture, and then have the Men’s Health cover-ready version walk out on stage in the “after” version. Or the dowdy woman who has never cut her hair or shopped at a mall who walks out in a trendy new ‘do and J. Crew outfit? Forget about it. It makes me tear up. And I just bet it has the same effect on you.

In my world, the transformations I see most often are flabby to tight. Weak to strong. Heavy to much, much lighter. Carnivore to herbivore. Mindless to thoughtful. You see, becoming a healthier being is not just about waking up early to get your 30 minutes in at the gym. It’s also about transforming yourself, mind, body and spirit. Imagine you are going to be the guest on that talk show: what would your “before” picture look like? And what about the “after”? What is it you hope to transform?

I consider myself a constant work in progress. My body—that’s a given. I’m always finding ways to push myself to higher boundaries. But spiraling out of that is the diet transformation, which has gone from vegetarian to mostly vegan, always looking for more ways to be more plant-based and learning, learning, learning…. It’s genuinely a thrill. Then there’s the spiritual, metaphysical part of me that’s goading my transformation from a reluctant successful trainer to allowing myself to ask, what if? What if I do allow my business to blossom? What if things get big? What if?

I do love a good walk on a treadmill, but I can’t imagine being stuck on it for too long. I stay inspired by watching the transformative successes of my clients, and by creating new challenges for myself all the time. What does your “after” picture look like? What small steps can you take now to get yourself from here to there?

Meet a Real Fitness Girl: Cindy P-L

Cindy P-L has been training with me for a couple of years now. I’ve seen her get strong, go vegan, and lose weight. Her progress is worth mentioning, so here is her story, in her words.

Cindy P-L

I have been a serial regular exerciser all of my adult life.  Unfortunately, this was interspersed with bouts (months to years) of time out of the workout routine also. Fortunately, almost 3 years ago, I started working out 5-6 days a week, and this time, it seems to be sticking.

I like the balance of cardio plus weight training because I absolutely know that my body needs both. I always strive for cardio daily to promote weight loss. However, I need to do weight or resistance training and most importantly core work at least 3-4 times per week. Having a strong core has made everything else easier, and the same goes for stronger arms and legs.

When I need to self-motivate, I remember my commitment to myself and my health and how great I feel since I’ve been serious about it.  And I reestablish my health goals in my mind. Truthfully, I also have a strong fear of missing 1 day and that day turning into missing a week, and so on.  It has happened so easily and quickly in my life in the past.

Down the line, I hope to lose 15-20 more pounds (that will be 85-90 total) and then slow down the workout routine just slightly.  I’d like to reach a point where my long-term routine is 4 hard workouts a week, plus active family time.

I know that regular exercise will be a part of my routine for the rest of my life in order to remain healthy, stave off the diabetes that most of my family experiences, and remain comfortably active. My most important goal is to run around with my grandchildren one day!

My advice for someone who knows she needs to be exercising/eating a healthy diet but just can’t imagine how to begin: Start with small goals. When you’re 20 or even 100 pounds overweight and you’re not working out or eating well, it’s hard to get started because it all feels overwhelming. It’s important to know that every meal eaten more healthily and every minute working out is positive motion. You need to accept that it might take years to meet your goals. But, the good news is that during those years, you feel better and better every day, so it’s not lost time at all.

For me, the best advice is that there’s no quick fix, and that’s really OK!

A Gadget for Everyone

If you have a desk job, listen up. You know how you’re supposed to stand up and walk around every hour or so to loosen your limbs and get the blood flowing? And you know how you always forget and realize only when you’re physically straightening your back and your knees with your hands at 5:00 that you haven’t moved in hours? Then this might be for you.

Remember pedometers? I do. I bought my dad one once for Father’s Day. It kept count of his steps during the day to guilt him into getting up out of his chair more often. Well, that was maybe 20 years ago, and that’s all that pedometer did—it counted his steps. Today’s pedometer is a whole new breed, and I think you’re gonna like it.

There are many on the market right now, but one I’m seeing my clients succeed with is the Fitbit (http://www.fitbit.com). It clips on under your clothes and discreetly counts your steps, approximates calories burned, and even syncs up with food diaries like My Fitness Pal to give you a final tally for the day. I’m telling you—I am seeing this thing work. When you see you’re at only 2,000 when 10,000 steps is the goal, are you really just going to sit there? No, you’re going to walk instead of drive to pick the kids up from school, or at least run up and down the stairs a couple times.

If you’re more interested in knowing how many calories you’re burning, you might prefer a heart rate monitor. (The Fitbit gives you an estimate of calories burned, but it’s based on steps taken, so if you do a cycling class, it won’t accurately assess your burn.) When you exercise you start the monitor, and it lets you know if you’re in your target training zone or slowing down, and when you’re done it tells you how many calories you shaved off for the day.

These little gadgets are note terribly expensive, and they’ll basically give you some friendly competition—with yourself, which might be just what you need. You know you need to get up and move, but if there’s a number attached to it—or literally attached to you—that might just be the big push you need to get off the couch. There’s no magic about it, just a little tangible guilt! Oh well…whatever it takes!

If you use a gadget that you love, I’d love to hear about it.

This matters.

Life is busy. Put it in perspective.

This is what matters. It matters that you exercise most days of your life. It matters that said exercise is frequently of an intensity that makes you question if it’s perhaps too much. It also matters that some days of the week you perform weight-bearing activities. That matters a lot.

It matters that you enjoy all this exercise, so it also matters that you try different things, never stopping until you land on one or two or three activities that make your heart pound and your brain zing! And it matters that you care. Care enough about yourself that you want to seek out these sorts of activities, think enough of yourself to do them. But, it also matters that you don’t think only of yourself. It must matter to you that you are around a long time for your children, and you must care that you won’t burden them by being sick all the time from things you could prevent right now by caring more about yourself. It is selfish to do otherwise.

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The (F)laws of Oz

Keep a grain of salt nearby.

Are you one of the millions who helped clear store shelves of green coffee beans after Dr. Oz suggested they might help with weight loss? Do you have raspberry ketone in your cabinet now, too? Oh, hold on to your love handles—now it’s capsicum extract that helps you burn more calories during your workout…if you eat something that has it in it before your workout. The miracle weight loss products change almost as fast as the scrolling headlines on Oz’s website. What strikes me is: All these “weight loss” agents require eating. I don’t know…is it just me? Or did weight loss used to mean get out of the kitchen and into the gym?

Oz is a highly intelligent and likeable man. I believe from what I’ve read about him (and from watching him talk) that he truly aims to impart important health information to as many people as possible. So there’s nothing malicious going on here. However… In order to get the masses to watch your show, you have to do a certain amount of kowtowing to what the masses want to see. And therein lies the rub. We can watch Dr. Oz and The Doctors, but we must then do our own research and be educated consumers. When we watch these shows, we have to assume—we MUST assume, it is our responsibility to assume—that some amount of kowtowing has been done. To the product makers, to the sponsors of the program, to the nature of those who watch daytime t.v.

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If you’re daydreaming you’re not working hard enough!

Get out of your head for a minute.

So says my highly motivational spin instructor (who might not have known that gem was working till now…). What I get from that—my spin on it, if you will—is “be in the moment.” That also happens to be one of my resolutions this year.

It’s so simple, really, the idea of just being. Being present. Focusing on what is happening right where you are. Yet we are a multitasking society, so we sort of forget how to just focus on one thing. Now going back to one thing at a time has become my resolution; I bet at one point I resolved to get more things done at once! Oh well….

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Spotlight on a Fitness Girl

Jeanee’s fitness story.

At a brunch date in 2005, I listened to Karen’s stories about training clients and teaching classes in her neighbor’s loft. At the time I had a membership at the Y I rarely used, and before that, I belonged to an “artsy” gym where I exercised in spurts. Most of my workouts felt directionless, and no one cared whether I pushed myself or slithered off the elliptical machine a little early. I realized I was missing two elements that are now crucial to my exercise routine: accountability and socializing! I signed up for weekly personal training and group Pilates with Karen, because I knew she would care about me showing up, working hard, and enjoying myself.

I have plenty of body hang-ups and areas I’d like to improve, but envisioning a better figure doesn’t motivate me. The fulfilling relationships with the ladies I work out with are what get me off the couch. I have many good reasons not to blow off my scheduled workout with Karen: I know that she’s hired a sitter, that her free time is precious, and that we’re going to swap stories and laugh while I plank. I also like to attend the same yoga classes each week with teachers who take a spiritual approach. They’re almost like my gurus, so if I ditch, I miss out on wisdom I can use on and off the mat.

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Word on a Wall

Put your goals where you can see them.

Think this one through, because the answer you choose might be staring you in the face every day for a year or more. What one word or phrase should you write on a piece of paper and place on a wall at eye level so that you will have no choice but to see it every single day?

Mine: Be responsible for the energy you bring into the room. 

It’s on a small, pretty piece of paper on a cork board about 2 inches above the screen where I am currently typing. I don’t just see it, I read it, every day, actually multiple times a day, and it helps.

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