Tank Top Arms

Posts Tagged ‘weight training’

How many of us have had every good intention of exercising when we travel for work? How about when we travel for fun? Well, actually lots of people pack the running shoes, workout top, shorts or pants and depending on gender, a sports bra! Oh yeah, don’t forget the heart rate monitor and chest strap…and the gloves and beanie! Don’t forget the beanie! All packed yet? Hmmm, nope. Socks,  sunglasses for outside and sunscreen, headphones, towel, and the list goes on and on. So you’ve unpacked, been staying for 2 nights already and still no workout, even though the eating out hasn’t ceased at all. You get the picture? Sometimes it can definitely be a challenge to exercise when you are away from home, but it sure doesn’t have to be.

I’m  currently in Colorado for a work trip for 5 days. The conference is in Colorado Springs….at the BroAdmoor Hotel to be exact. So guess where I’m staying? Yup, the BroAdmoor :-) and if you know about this AMAZING hotel, then you already know what my expectations were of the fitness facility. Just totally awesome, that’s all! And they delivered!!

Ok, ok I’ll stop with the bragging. But seriously, just because you travel somewhere doesn’t mean that you have a pass on exercising or at least getting some kind of physical activity in your day. It doesn’t have to be grueling, but be sure to get your heart rate up a little bit while you’re away so you can enjoy more of the foods you like while you’re away too! Having traveled a good amount in my day for work last year, I can say that not all hotel gym facilities are of this standard…duh! But it shouldn’t matter either. Take it outside on a beautiful day. Go for a hike, play tennis, go swimming, run or walk on the beach, do some yoga outside so you can take advantage of the fresh air (unless you’re in Los Angeles). So the day looks like crap, or it’s REALLY cold or REALLY hot or REALLY humid or whatever. Most places have a treadmill, bike, eleptical trainer, a bench, some dumbbells, and some space for stretching out or doing some core work. Geez, take it to your room and do body weight exercises! Do squats, jumping jacks, push ups, triceps dips on the bed, or abdominal work. Still looking for excuses? Throw one at me, come on! I’ll rebutle :-) Here is a SIMPLE sample of a few exercises that are compound (two of them), meaning each exercise targets more than one muscle group at the same time. Compound exercises are a wonderful way to get a good workout in, in a shorter amount of time but working you pretty hard too.

Squats (quads and butt)

3 sets of 20 repetitions

Stand with feet shoulder width apart, knees bent, with weight on your heels. Your toes should be able to wiggle. Squat down, making sure to keep your weight back so that your knees don’t extend past your toes. Keep your back straight, eyes ahead. Extend your arms in front of you for balance.

Challenge: Add weight and intensity by lifting your laptop or a phone book, just don’t drop it on your toes!

Modification: If you’re feeling off balance, try squatting over a chair or low table.

Push Ups (arms and chest)

3 sets of 20 repetitions

Begin on your toes or knees. Lower your body to the floor, keeping abs pulled in tight. Use your abs to keep your tail elevated. No sway backs, please! Widen your arms to target biceps. Keep elbows tucked into your sides to target triceps.

Challenge for the Ladies: Do as many on your toes as possible. If you’re traveling for a week, set a goal of increasing the number that you can on your toes by 10%.

Challenge for the Gents: Stay on toes of one foot only, or put your feet on the bed with hands on the floor.

Modification: Move to your knees rather than toes.

Plank (core work) - click on the picture below for a demonstration of the correct plank position

Travel Fit Tips

Do what works for you, including modifications to make things easier, harder, or less boring.

While you’re waiting at the airport to leave for your trip, make a realistic and achievable commitment to yourself for how many times you’ll do these exercises during you trip. Set the goal and achieve it! If you’re gone for 5 days, shoot for 3-4 days of activity.

Schedule these time blocks on your calendar.

Mamas!!!! Don’t forget you too can benefit from doing these exercises at home. Whoever said that you have to have a gym membership to workout????? NOBODY!

It’s easy to get sidetracked in the everyday things that we do day in and day out. From eating to exercising, from cleaning to driving,  to yada, yada, yada…you get the idea. So instead of getting sidetracked, just mind your business! Being mindful of the things we are involved with can make a huge difference in our lives. When we are more mindful, it helps us to feel empowered. This in turn makes us less judgmental about ourselves which builds confidence within. This type of conscience effort can improve any aspect of your life!

Keep your eye on the prize! What do you think about that phrase?  Again, you can apply it to just about anything you set your heart on. Stay focused. Concentrate. Be mindful ;-)

Eating: Be mindful when you eat. So you’re trying to shed some weight. Hopefully it’s because you NEED to and not because you’re being unrealistic in your goals. There is a difference you know. It may sound and feel really silly if you’ve never done this before, but the next time you eat, really pay attention to your senses. Think about what you are eating. What kind of texture does it have? Did it go through a process and where did it come from? How does it look? Be mindful when you’re cooking too. Use spices and sweets and sours to add zing to your food. Wait 10 seconds in between bites. It actually takes effort to do this. Amazingly, you’ll also get fuller much sooner, which of course means you’ll be eating less…which again of course will help you tighten your belt. Exercise: Stop the chit chat in between sets if that’s what you’re doing. Stop rushing through your movements, unless they are purposeful explosive moves. Stop paying attention to what everyone else is doing and how much weight they are pushing. Just mind your business! Use the mirrors in the gym. Be mindful of how you are spending your time resting. If you’re going to the water fountain in between every set you do, chances are you’re not getting the full benefit of your training. If you’re able to hold a conversation easily while doing cardio, you’re probably not working your heart the way you should…or burning as many calories for that matter. Watch your muscles contract as you go through the movement of each exercise or how you are breathing when your heart rate is going up.  Be mindful of how the burn feels, and be in the moment of how you are sculpting areas of your choice (I love sexy shoulders!) Thoughts: What you think and how you think can make you go crazy or push you to the next level. Be mindful of your thinking patterns. Stay away from negative self talk! Bad, bad I tell ya! I get on a couple of my clients for this. As soon as the negative talk starts, I nip it in the bud. None of that on my watch buddy! Try to be positive in your thoughts and actions. So what if the gal next to you can do 20 push ups! It’s not that YOU can’t do it, you are just working your way up to 20 at a slower pace. Mind you that she’s probably been doing them for a while anyway. Let me tell you something, I’ve had a number of club members approach me or my clients during a session and are just amazed at the fact that a 220 lb man can balance himself standing straight on a hard medicine ball while doing lateral raises….believing that you CAN do it is half the battle. The list can go on and on, but these three principles of minding your business should be practiced everyday in everything you do. If you look at mindfulness as a supplement to your everyday living, then you’ll be more appreciative of the foods you eat, your workouts and more in tune with moods. You have the power to change a bad vibe. Our attitudes and mindfulness can influence everything that we do and in the same, also help us create great habits while we break ugly ones. You don’t have to give up the cheesecake completely! (I wouldn’t), but maybe by being more mindful, you’ll only eat 1/3 of what you would have had you not taken the time to appreciate it. Create workouts with a great ending! Maybe saving your favorite exercise for the very end can be like a dessert that you would have at the end of a meal. It’s something that you can reward yourself with after eating all your veggies (being mindful during your training session). Go outside and enjoy the Fall air while you workout! That’s my favorite time of year to exercise outside! And no more negative talk! The next time those thoughts start to creep in, just tell them to go mind their OWN business…

In honor of my pre-natal class moms and the handful of girlfriends I have that are prego at the moment, I wanted to share some insightful stuff for you to chew on while you’re awaiting that precious little bundle of yours! If you’re due any minute now, don’t think that you won’t benefit from this info. Being fit and/or becoming fit during the post-natal period is just as crucial, for different reasons, but it is important. So are you ready? Let’s go!

Let me start by saying that being physically “fit” is not all about having cut up biceps and a six pack! Always a very nice bonus, but it doesn’t define one being fit. By the same token, different people define being physically fit in different ways. I think it’s important to make note of that! As Dr. Nicholas Romanov puts it,

“The word “FIT” can be summed up along the lines of being “suited to the circumstances”, “meeting adequate standards for a purpose”, “physically and mentally sound and healthy”, “in harmony with”.

So lets stick to “fit” for birth. I’d like to assume that most women, all access barriers aside, receive pre-natal care. It’s of the utmost importance. So assuming that you have been/are/are going to receive your prenatal vitamins, I congratulate you! The nutrients and minerals that you need when you are pregnant are not that different from when you’re not. However, if you are low on any, your prenatal vitamins will help you get and stay on track for you AND that extra bundle that you’re a life line to.

There is tons of information just on pregnancy and nutrition alone, and I’d be more than happy to talk one on one with you if you so choose to get more info. Just send me an email and I’ll get back to you. But what I want to focus on is being physically fit during pregnancy because our bodies go through so much change and trauma at the end of it. Being fit can in fact make labor and delivery go much smoother than you think! Not to mention all the benefits you’ll receive from being active. Physical activity is any form of exercise or movement of the body that uses energy. Straight from the March of Dimes website, regular physical activity can:

• Improve a person’s mood
• Reduce feelings of  depression
• Help with managing stress
• Help with managing weight
• Help with sleeping better
• Increase energy throughout the day

Start smart by doing an activity that you enjoy. There’s not a better activity to do than one that you really like doing. If you haven’t been previously active, then start slow. If you can, try to be active at least 4x per week for about 30 minutes, and of course rest when you need to. ALWAYS bring water with you to stay hydrated and wear comfortable clothing and good shoes. Anything from washing a car, to working in a garden to dancing is game. Of the more common ways to be and stay active, walking, biking and/or jogging at slower pace are all great exercises. Swimming happpens to be a favorite because of the buoyancy the water offers. It’s also great to relieve stress from your joints from the extra weight you are carrying.  

Achieving fitness before, during and after your pregnancy helps you to relieve the typical aches & pains of pregnancy, improves your posture, and strengthens and stretches your muscles. A nice perk (and hopefully an obvious one) is that it helps to control excess weight gain. This is very common in first time pregnancies because the thought of “eating for two”  is misinterpreted. Yes, you are eating for two, but there are guidelines to this. (E-mail me :)

During labor and childbirth, unless you are a lucky lady who will go with perhaps one contraction, have the kid in less than 10 minutes with barley any pain and be the envy of all moms, you will need to dig deep for strength, stamina, and endurance, all of which will increase with physical exercise. Your recovery from the event will also be speedier than if you had not been exercising at all.

Strength training (my personal favorite) is by no means off the playing field! But you must be careful of certain exercises during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. You want to try to avoid heavy pushing using your lower body, such as in squats for example. Rather than doing squats with weights on a machine, consider doing them on a stability ball. As shown here, you can use the ball for balance to squat. You can go as low as you can and as you stand up, bring the ball back up with you, giving you a little bit of a workout for your arms as well :) Compound movements are great because they allow you to workout a few muscle groups at thee same time all within one exercise. So weight training is great about 3x per week. Keep things light and it’s preferable to use machines during this point. The reason for this is because when we are pregnant, our balance is not the greatest. So using machines not only helps maintain our balance while performing the exercise, but it also helps to keep proper form during the movement.

Both cardio exercise and weight training is very important for a healthy body. If you’ve started a routine for yourself, that’s awesome! If you haven’t, I strongly suggest that you start not only for your health, but for that of you bebe too.

Remember to drink plenty of water, take your prenatal vitamins, no alcohol, no smoking, get rest when you can, and get ready because before you know it, you’ll be fit for birth!!