Mondays

*Reposted from Alice's personal blog.*

Sometimes I actually like Mondays.  I mean, generally they suck.  No more weekend.  Back to the grindstone.  Friday seems so far away.  But Mondays hold a great opportunity, too.  Monday is the line in the sand that you draw between the failures of last week (or the insane amount of feasting and relaxing you did over the weekend) and the good intentions of this one.  In other words, Mondays are a great place to start over.

I entered this Monday with a plan for the week and a fridge full of healthy food.  I have planned out my workouts for the entire week and most of my menu.  "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."  I don't want to find myself on Thursday looking back at my good intentions and wondering what the Hades went wrong.

All the good intentions in the world won't make a difference without some action to back them up, and action comes a lot easier when it's planned and scheduled.  It's harder to come up with an excuse for missing your leg workout when it's written right there on your calender for Friday at 4:00.  It's not going to sneak up on you, plus you won't find yourself shrugging off your workout because you waited too long and the gym's about to close.

My big focus this week is on nutrition.  Exercising is NOT a problem for me.  I love the gym.  It's my "Me" time.  I use it to relax and focus on myself, to purge my mind of the daily frustrations, and to just plain re-energize.  It's not very often you'll find me shirking a workout.  However, what I eat is a totally different subject all together.

There has been a humongous gap between how I know I should eat, and what I actually consume.  But this Monday I draw a line in the sand.  This Monday marks the end of my soda addiction and soft spot for fried chicken.  That is now the past.  This Monday marks the beginning of fueling my body with the nutrients it needs to maintain health and vitality.

What lines are you drawing this Monday?

(And when you leave a comment, you earn an entry in this month's Wo40 giveaway!  How cool is that?)

Making Exercise Fun

We all know we are supposed to exercise.  That fact has become a no-brainer.  All the major research, medical advice, even our girlfriends and the crabby neighbor lady know that exercise is key in maintaining a healthy weight, fighting off numerous diseases, and just plain feeling good about yourself. 

So why are the majority of Americans overweight?  Why would we rather sit on the couch eating potato chips and watching The Biggest Loser than actually getting up off our patootie and moving our bodies?  

I’ll tell you why.  Most people don’t think exercise is fun, and who wants to do something that isn’t fun?

But if walking from the back of the parking lot or taking the stairs was actually FUN, more people would do it, right?  Right! 

This is just a reminder that making exercise fun is far more likely to get you up and moving.  

Here a few ideas for spicing up your work outs.  Make them fun and I promise you’ll be less likely to miss the opportunity to burn some calories. 

1. Bring a friend.  Sometimes the encouragement and motivation you get from adding a friend to your workout is just the thing you need.  Plus the conversation fills a need for socialization.  Just make sure it’s someone you enjoy spending time with.  Don’t invite the crabby neighbor lady.
2. Try a group class.  I love my yoga and karate classes.  It’s a great way to meet new people and make some new friends.  You can gauge the social tone an instructor creates by watching if anyone talks to him or her before or after the class and if the other participants talk to each other.
3. Play.  Play a game of tennis, or soccer, or softball, or capture the flag.  A little friendly competition and deviation from the normal routine can be tons of fun.  Don’t be afraid to unleash your inner child.  Swing on a swingset, play hopscotch, jump rope.  All of these fun activities get your body moving and take you back to childhood memories. 
4. Go outside.  Sure it’s great to have a warm cozy gym on those chilly winter mornings, but who wants to see the same people and peeling paint, or breathe the same re-circulated air all the time?  When the weather is nice, take your workout to the great outdoors.  A brisk walk or jog in the park will help you soak up fresh air and sunshine while you burn calories.  Try hiking or even a good rousing game of backyard tag with your kids.
5. Put on some music.  Some fun energizing music may be just the thing to get your blood pumping and your body moving.  Promise to run on the treadmill to a new CD by your favorite artist. If you’re used to listening to the same old music try something new.  If you are used to always listening to rock during your morning run, next time try some funk or blues.  See how the different mood and tempo affect your work out.
6. Buy some new work out attire.  Hey, I’m a woman.  You had to see this coming.  Just like a new pair of dress shoes can perk up your mood, a new pair of yoga pants or workout top may put a little more spring in your step.  Vibrant colors can sometimes be a pick-me-up, or black that helps make you look thinner.  Make sure to choose clothing that doesn’t interfere with your body movements.  Stay away from shorts that ride up or shoes that pinch your toes.  You want to feel comfortable, so keep away from clothing that makes you feel self-conscious, too.

Getting Past Girl Push-ups

Today we tackle another exercise that seems to be hated by women everywhere: the push-up. 

Push-ups are a great barometer for measuring fitness.  Done with proper form, push-ups engage muscles in the arms, chest, abdomen, hips and legs.

“You are just using your own body and your body’s weight,” explains Steven G. Estes, a physical education professor and dean of the college of professional studies at Missouri Western State University. “If you’re going to demonstrate any kind of physical strength and power, that’s the easiest, simplest, fastest way to do it.”

We ladies sometimes seem to have a harder time with push-ups than men.  It could be due to the fact that women start off with about 20 percent less muscle than men, or could have to with the way women are coddled and babied with the ever famous “girl push-ups”.  You know the ones done on the knees?

Could anything be more condescending?  Let’s just start our lovely young daughters out with the mentality that because they are female, they can’t do something.  Bologna!  Women can perform “regular” push-ups, and find that they are a much more effective exercise than their “girly” counterparts. (Empowering, too.  And you know me, I’m all about empowerment.)

You might think performing push-ups on your toes is something you could never do.  Fear not, again I’m here to help.

If you find you are having trouble completing push-ups on your toes without having your arms give out and face planting into the floor, start with angled push-ups.

Find a table, bench, or counter to lean against, somewhere between knee and waist high.  The higher the support the easier the exercise will be.  Stand back far enough so that you can lean your body diagonally onto the support, holding yourself up with your arms straight.  Slowly lower your chest toward the support being careful to keep your ankles, hips, and shoulders in a straight line.  Your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder width.  One push-up with good solid form is better than ten with crappy form, so pay attention to detail. Use a mirror or a friend to help you make sure you aren’t lifting your hips or letting your belly sag.  Your body should be flat like a board. 

As you get more proficient with the angled push-up, start lowering your support.  If you started with the kitchen counter, move to something lower like a kitchen chair.  Continue gradually lowering your support until you’re performing pushups on the floor with chains on your back.  (This video inspires me.  I wonder where I can find some chains.)

Don’t forget to celebrate your success.  Force those onlookers to kiss those throbbing biceps.  High fives all around.

Pull-Ups, Not Just for Guys

Why should I want to do pull-ups?  Pull-ups are the exercise reserved for super macho muscle-bound guys that grunt and fling sweat, right?  Absolutely not.

It might surprise you, but women can do pull-ups, too.  Don’t waste your time thinking pull-ups are as unfeminine as farting in public.  Pull-ups are just plain cool.  If you’re female and you can’t do a full-range unassisted pull-up (And don’t feel badly if you can’t.  Most women can’t.), I promise you that it’s something you want to work toward. 

Not only are pull-ups great for strengthening your back, biceps, forearms, shoulders, and core, but they are completely empowering.  I promise you will feel like a goddess.  Plus, pull-ups are pretty darned impressive to watch.  You’ll be the envy of the strolling treadmillers and magazine-reading stationary bikers.  You’ll probably even impress some of the die hard gym rats.  By the way, it is perfectly acceptable to run victory laps around the gym and force onlookers to kiss your throbbing biceps upon completion of even one well done unassisted pull-up.  

Now that you’re convinced pull-ups are worthwhile endeavors for every female, you might be wondering how you will ever be able to do even one.  Fear not my female friends, I am here to help. 

Let’s just get the uncomfortable part out of the way.  The lighter you are, the easier it will be to do pull-ups.  If you have some extra baggage in the weight department, consider a plan to shed the extra pounds through a healthy nutrition and exercise plan.  But don’t wait until you’ve reached your ultimate goal weight to start your pull-up training.  Start strengthening those essential muscles now.  Besides, I didn’t say it was impossible for a heavier woman to competently perform pull-ups, just that it would be easier for the woman who has less weight to pull up.  

If your gym has an assisted pull-up machine, that’s a good place to start your training.  Start by using the lowest amount of assistance possible to complete a set of assisted pull-ups with good form.  Use a full range of motion, but don’t lock your elbows at the bottom.  Make the negative count, too.  This means you should be lowering your body slowly and with control.  Don’t let gravity do all the work for you. 

If you don’t have access to an assisted pull-up machine, don’t give up.  There are other training methods you can use on your journey to pull-up mastery.  Using the lat pull-down machine or the cable trap in a standing, rather than seated position.  Pull the handle or bar attachment to your chest as you normally would.  Once again, remember to make the negative count.  

What if you only have a bar?    Negative pull-ups are a great way to work up to full pull-ups.  In this exercise the negative (or eccentric for you regular fitness nerds out there) aspect of the motion is emphasized, in other words, the lowering motion of the pull-up.  The starting position will have your chin over the bar and your arms full bent.  With a lower bar, you can easily achieve this by jumping up into the starting position.  With a higher bar, you made need help in the form of a step or chair.  Then you lower your body in a slow and controlled manner.

If you have a workout partner like I do (Lucky me. He’s handsome, too), assisted pull-ups are a great next step toward full-fledged pull-ups.  Grip the bar and bend your knees at a 90 degree angle.  (Your shins will be mostly parallel to the floor.)  Have your partner place his or her hands on your shins and gently push upward as you pull up.  You will still be doing 90% of the work, but the subtle boost from your partner may be just what you need to get that pretty chin of your up over the bar. 

Of course the next step is actual assistance-free empowering pull-ups.  Try varying the grip if you need to.  The wider your hands on the bar, the more work for your shoulders.  An underhand grip (often referred to as a chin-up) works your biceps more.   

And don’t forget to celebrate.  High fives all around.

5 Proven Treatments for Sore Muscles

Everyone who has ever exercised has experienced muscle soreness.   Sometimes you feel it the next day and sometimes you think you’re home free only to have it sneak up on you a couple of days later.  Mostly it’s just annoying, but extremely stiff, sore muscles can interfere with your training schedule, not to mention making going up and down stairs something you’d really rather not do.  

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is both loved and hated by most exercise enthusiasts.  Loved, because it’s often seen as a sign of an effective workout (although the jury is still out on that aspect of DOMS).  Hated because, well, it makes you sore. 

Here are a few tips for treating DOMS.  Remember that DOMS usually is mild and only lasts a couple of days.  If you are in serious pain, or your muscle soreness lasts more than 7 days, see your doctor.  It could be something more serious. 

1. Vitamins and Antioxidants.  There have been a few research studies that suggest supplementation with certain vitamins and antioxidants as a promising treatment for DOMS.  One gram of ascorbic acid or vitamin C taken three times a day BEFORE exercise is recommended by this study.  There is also some promising research concerning the use of vitamin E as prevention for DOMS.  Other sources of antioxidants to try include green tea, goji berries, acai berries, and blueberries.  While there is no specific research regarding these sources, it is very possible that their similar antioxidant effects could also help prevent DOMS.
2. Arnica Montana, a homeopathic compound, (and my personal favorite DOMS remedy), is also used as a treatment for DOMS.  It can be taken in pill or liquid form, or applied topically.
3. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) seem like a logical treatment for DOMS.  You’re sore so reach for the aspirin or ibuprofen.  While this may mask the symptoms, it doesn’t shorten recovery time.  There is also some research that suggests the use of NSAIDs may interfere with protein synthesis resulting in less strength and lean muscle gain.  So if you’re a body builder, think twice before reaching for that bottle of Tylenol.
4. Ice Therapy is one proven effective way to treat DOMS.  A 1999 study focused on the effects of cold water immersion on the symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage.  Immerse the affected muscle in ice cold water 15 minutes after exercising, and then follow up every 12 hours with a similar 15 minute immersion.
5. Low-impact aerobics may help reduce muscle soreness.  Some easy, low-intensity exercise between episodes of vigorous exercise helps improve blood circulation.  Improved blood circulation helps speed the recovery time of sore muscles.  Yoga seems to have a similar effect.

 This list isn’t all-inclusive.  Ask any gym rat and you’re likely to get a lengthy list.  These are the methods most backed by research.  Feel free to hit me up in the comments section with your own personal DOMS treatments.