Over the last several days, I’ve had some insightful conversations with a few of my clients centered around how to ‘fit in exercise’ into our already crazy lives. More specifically, one of the most frequent comments I hear is, “I don’t have time to exercise because my job is so demanding.” I can certainly sympathize, having left a fast-paced sales career for the fitness business. I remember all too well the late nights at the office or out on the road. And here in DC, so many are beholden to late-night congressional votes, RFP’s, and proposal deadlines, which leads to an abundance of 9:00 pm meetings and even the occasional all-nighter. With all the demands on your day, how do you keep yourself from turning into an overstressed, overweight, lethargic drone? How do you prevent becoming the one who’s forgotten what running shoes look like, much less how long it’s been since you've actually used them?
While quitting your job to maybe seem like a blissful solutions at times, it’s probably not practical. So what do you do when there is simply no way to squeeze any exercise into your jam-packed work day? Here are 10 ways to fit in fitness at work: The end of February is usually a challenging time of the year to stay motivated to reach fitness goals. The health and fitness New Year’s resolutions we committed to so resolutely in January have been pushed to the back burner, and swimsuit season is still months away. Cold, wet weather makes exercising outdoors difficult for all but the most die-hard fitness fanatics. The gyms are still packed, and trying to fight for a spare treadmill or squat rack is demotivating, to say the least. So, how do you stay active and motivated during the winter months?
With the year almost over, it’s a good time to reflect and reevaluate last year’s goals prior to making New Year’s resolutions for this year. Last year, did you meet your goals? Did you drop those extra pounds, invest that extra paycheck, or race a personal best at your “A” race this year? Did you get to spend more time with the family, or run that 5k with at your children's’ school? Were you able to get to the gym more or eat healthier this year like you’d planned?
Well, if you answered “no”, you’re not alone. So now that winter is here, how do we keep up that motivation to keep all those fitness gains we made during the Spring, Summer, and Fall? Beach season is a long ways off, racing season has just concluded, and we've got at least 2-3 more months of short, cold days and long, frigid nights. Summer race times (and summer race bodies) are made in the winter, which means maximizing the winder months to ensure you get the most out of your off-season training. Here are a few tips to make sure that when the temperature starts to climb, your times start falling.
Recently, I was asked to facilitate a nutrition Q and A with a group of eager fitness enthusiasts looking to understand nutrition basics. With all the fad diets gimmicks, and nutrition myths out there, how to we make sure what fact and what is fiction? Do you make your food decisions based on proven fact, or what is popular today, and out of date tomorrow?
I've put together a few bullet points to help steer you in the right direction. While this isn't a full list, it's a great start to moving in the right direction. As a personal trainer, the most common questions I get refer to weight loss: “How do I lose weight?”. I’ve listened to dozens of people say something to the effect, “I’ve tried diet X for 30 days and but I gained it back”, or “My friend does XYZ workout and he lots tons of weight but I can’t seem to”, or “I follow this girl on Instagram and she’s lost 30 lbs, but I do the same things with very different results.”
Sound familiar? Maybe you fall into that camp. Unfortunately despite what the infomercials tell you, there is no magic bullet for weight loss. While the general principals of maintaining an effective fitness regimen and wholesome diet is paramount in loosing weight. Everyone is different. It is important to remember that what, may not work for others. But there are 3 tips for weight loss success that are critical starting the weight loss journey. Regardless of the exact path you/we choose to go down, these three simple keys will help set you up for success. My clients who have been successful losing weight ALL do these:
The dog days of summer are upon us. I don't need to tell you all it's hot out and when compounded with high humidity the heat can make exercising outside extremely risky. Overheating while training outdoors can lead to early fatigue at best, and heat stroke at worst. However, the heat doesn’t need to derail your training. Here are a few tips to help you stay on track and beat the heat:
1) Decrease intensity (slow down). The higher intensity of the workout, the more body heat is generated and the harder the body must work to keep the core temperature down. Slowing down your run, ride, or outdoor strength session will allow your body to regulate itself and can help keep you from overheating. For the runners and cyclists out there, use your heart rate monitor the body’s reaction to intensity and conditions. If the HR continues to climb beyond normal ranges, back off the pace. Your body is already working hard to keep you cool, don't push it to go faster. 2) Consider cardio training inside. Indoor cardio training is a great alternative to running in the heat. Break up the monotony of indoor run and bike training by doing intervals, repeats, or otherwise varying the tempo of your workouts- time flies and you’ll get a really good workout. Laborious as it can be, riding or running indoors beats collapsing from heat exhaustion or (worse) having to stop and walk home. 3) Stay hydrated. Drinking on a hot day goes without saying, but knowing how much can be a mystery. While experienced endurance athletes know their sweat rate (how much fluid you lose due to perspiration- I lose almost 3 lbs of fluid an hour), an easy test to see if you’re adequately hydrated is checking urine color. Yours should be clear to slightly yellow (think Crystal Light), not dark like apple juice. Drink before you get thirsty, starting hours and days before your outdoor runs, rides, and workouts. On really hot days, don't just rely on water. As you sweat, you lose essential electrolytes that need to be replenished. If your workout is lasting longer than an hour, OR the day is very hot or humid, rehydrate with a sports drink that includes sodium, potassium, calcium, etc. Gatorade, Nuun, Infinit, Scratch, Powerade, etc. all work well. 4) Utilize the shade. Aim to work out in pre-dawn hours or in a shady area to minimize sun exposure. Air temperatures can feel up to 15 degrees warmer in the sun, so use the shade. Several years ago during a particularly hot Boston Marathon I watched the lead Kenyan runners make a beeline off the route to run in the shade of a group of trees along the opposite side of the street. For them it was worth the extra few seconds it took to cross and run to have the cooling effect of shade, even if it was only for a few strides. The shade can be several degrees cooler, so use it! Wear a hat, visor etc. for your own portable shade. 5) Water is better in you than on you. This is another plug for adequate hydration- while pouring water over your head while exercising can help to cool the skin and bring temporary relief, drinking while training is the best use of your water. Being dehydrated by only 3% can affect performance, so carry water with you if you run or ride, and have it close by if you’re strength training outdoors. There are numerous styles of hydration belts, backpacks, and hand-held bottles to choose from. 6) Stop if you feel dizzy, light-headed, or nauseated. For many, the thought of bailing on a workout or disappointing yourself or others is frustrating. But finishing the workout isn't worth compromising your health. Stop if you don’t feel well. If the symptoms don't subside within the next few minutes, seek medical attention. Don't "tough it out." Hang it up, regroup, rest and hit it hard again when you feel better. By following these 6 tips, you’ll be successful in not letting the heat derail your outdoor training, even during the hottest parts of the summer I was recently selected as Active.com’s “Personal Training for the Month” for April. As such, Active asked me to contribute to the first of a two-part article highlighting my training philosophy and favorite workouts. The the first part is a list of my “Top 5 Health and Fitness Tips”comprised of keys which I feel are most critical when it comes to personal health and fitness. Of the mountains of information I could share, I distilled it down to these five keys:
As a trainer, I constantly hear the “nutritional confessions” of friends, family, and clients telling me how disciplined they are while eating at home, yet when out to dinner with friends, restraint goes out the window. We are all much better at making good food choices when we control our own environment. At home we can stock our cupboards with healthy options, plan our meals, and otherwise avoid the extra calories that wreak havoc on the waistline.
However, eating out is whole new ball game. When the bread comes out and someone orders the jalapeño poppers, the discipline tends to go out the window and the calories add up in a hurry. Here are 9 tips to help calorie-conscious diners limit unwanted calories while out to dinner:
Remember these tips and be confident knowing your night on the town will not jeopardize your healthy wasteline goals. Happy eating! This is a simple, effective core workout courtesy of Runner's World. It features a workout used by USA Track and Field phenomenon and Olympian LoLo Jones. I use these exercises myself as do many of my most successful clients. Enjoy!
http://www.runnersworld.com/workouts/lolo-jones-core-workout |