A little Advice...

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Well....let me say that I love group exercise, especially strength training classes. I also love Pilates and boot camps. I love them all, right? I like when people tell me what to do, much the same reason someone would hire a personal trainer...you don't have to make up the routine, you just go through the motions. I will say I have been to some less than challenging group exercises classes so it's definitely something you have to do you homework on and then return to the ones you really like....the ones that kick your ass!

okay.

So, this little technique will work in all those classes, to help get you through the challenging parts of the class when you feel like giving up and your muscles are burning and you don't want to continue on and you're tired and thirsty and want to leave ASAP. We've all been there, exercise is hard and should be uncomfortable. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. It's supposed to challenge your mind and body. That's the point and that's where the benefit comes in.

Here's what I do:

I count reps in groups of 5.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Let's say, as per yesterday when I was at Project Poolside at Scott Fitness, (scottfitness.com) the instructor is having you do upwards of 30 plie squats. Yikes!

Just keep it going, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 because you can always do 5 of something right? 5 of something is....nothing....No need to give up if there are just 5 squats left. Anyone can do 5 squats.

It helped me all day yesterday in class.

I hope this helps you too.

Today is the Day!

It's Sunday.

That means it's time to plan a successful week for yourself.

What days will you be working out?

What will you be eating?

Today...

My workout is a 5 mile run.

What's your workout for today?

Hula Hoop!

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A friend recently asked me if I thought hula hooping would be a good workout. I said "Yes!", but had yet to try it.

Until today....

I hula hooped and it was so hard and so fun and will surely be incorporated into my client's workouts in the near future.

It's a great way to slim your middle and it's good cardio, believe it or not.

And in honor of the yoga class I went to today...

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I'm baaaaaack!

Well let me start by saying that sometimes it's hard to find the inspiration to blog. Like I don't think people really care what I have to say day to day, but then I remind myself that I read other people's blogs all day long, and I care about them a lot....just checking in to see what's new in their lives. I don't even know these people....but I sure do care about what they are doing.

So I am going to give this another try. Oh! and I just saw that people have been commenting on my posts. I've gotten 2 comments about previous posts. Isn't that exciting!?!?! I'm seriously excited and it makes me feel rejuvenated....like I am actually saying something important.

So thanks for the encouragement.

I wanted to use this post to say a couple of things.

First, I am trying to lose weight. Not a lot of weight, but some....5ish more pounds to go. I sure did let myself go this winter. That's so easy to do.

I think about it when I am on the stepmill or the treadmill working hard and feeling great... how can I prolong this energy into the winter months? how do I get out of bed early and do 45 minutes of quality cardio when there is 4 inches of snow on the ground and my bed is so snuggly?

I don't have the answer to any of those questions and I am sorry for that. I do know that right now, while I am super motivated and working out more than one hour a day, I am going to take advantage of this feeling and this energy and work as hard as I can. We'll see what the winter will bring. I do know that I get scared thinking about gaining weight when winter hits and I don't believe that I am the only one that is in the midst of success and scared about what the future might bring. I wish I would squash that fear and revel in the fact that I am successful in the NOW.

Also, I have started a weekly weigh in with a couple girlfriends of mine. Every Tuesday morning we text/email our current weight to each other and current weight loss for the week. For me this is working like a charm. Knowing that someone other than me will know how much I weigh and how much weight loss I've achieved that week is so motivating. I want to show them that I can do it and I don't want to be embarrassed and say that I am up a pound...etc.

I think this is working well for them too. So far, we've all lost weight!

Now, in the past I have stayed away from scales because I don't believe them to be a proper representation of how healthy a person is. However, I think they are just one way to measure your weight loss success and keep you on track with eating and working out. They are just a tool to hold you accountable. When you start getting on the scale more than once a week or once a day, that's a problem.

I also encourage you to acknowledge weight loss and a healthier lifestyle by feeling more comfortable in your clothes, by noticing your glowing skin, by paying attention to stronger finger nails and healthier hair...etc...These all come with a healthier diet and lead to a healthier, more confident you.

Anyway, you should try it. Get some friends together for a weekly weigh in. I could be that person if you would like me to be.

Here is what's important about the weigh in.

1. Use the same scale every week

2. Weigh at the same time every week

3. Only get on once during the week at the scheduled weigh in time. No more than once!

4. Concentrate on the numbers going down, even if it's just .5 lbs of weight loss...that's something....that's progress!!

Good luck!

A bit of an addition

March's Challenge:

Add 20 minutes to one workout a week.

Running for 30 minutes on the treadmill? Run for 50!

Attending Project Poolside? Start or end with 20 minutes of cardio!

Training with me? Tack on 20 minutes of work.

Doing this once a week will really surprise your body.

Don't let your body get used to the same old routine day after day...change it up and your body will change too!