Fit By Insanity

This past Saturday, June 19, Weighting on 40 hosted our very first public event, Fit by Insanity.  After all the talk, and blogging, and Facebook Status updates, our friends were curious, or maybe skeptical about just how insane Shaun T's Insanity program really is.  So we showed them.

Keith and I were joined by 14 of our local blog followers for the event, and some of them were even brave enough to join us in the workout.  We jumping-jacked, mummy-kicked, and level 1-drilled our way through Insanity's first workout, Cardio Plyometrics.  It was fun (if by fun I mean sadistically sweaty and hard on the calves). 

No one threw-up or passed out, so I'm calling the event a huge success.  Seriously, everyone did great, and now we all feel like camrades in arms.  You know, chummier since we all went through Hell and made it back to tell the story. 

You may be wondering why this particular event summary is being published in the "For Women" section of Weighting on 40.  That would be because only Keith was man enough (or should I say wo-man enough) to attempt this killer workout with us ladies.

Keith is da man!The rest of the men were happy to munch their chicken biscuits and watch the ladies burn calories.  (Yes, this actually happened.) 

So thanks to everyone who came out.  If you missed it, I promise it won't be our last event.  Keep your eyes open for more awesomely sweaty, fun, and fit events to come.

She may be hot and sweaty, but she's still smiling!

Do You Want Beautiful Skin?

It’s not a secret that exercise is good for our bodies.  If you don’t know that exercise helps with weight management you’ve probably been hiding under a rock for the past several decades.  Come on out into the sunshine!  And unless you’ve been residing beneath that boulder you probably have heard that exercise also reduces a person’s risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.

If for some weird reason those weren’t enough reasons for you to get your tookus off the couch and get moving, here’s a new one:  exercise will make your skin more beautiful. 

I know this is the reason, the coup de grace of your sedentary lifestyle, the impetus to finally hit the gym with consistency.  With all of the billions of dollars women spend each year on cosmetics and other related skin care products, I know radiant skin is something the typical woman strives to achieve.  Who would have thought the key to beautiful skin lies in regular exercise?

When you exercise, the tiny arteries in your skin dilate which allows more blood and the nutrients it carries to reach the surface of the skin.  The increased flow of nutrients to the skin’s surface does some amazing things, including repairing sun damage, fighting free radical damage (which causes signs of aging like skin sagging), and increasing collagen production (decreasing the appearance of wrinkles).  So in basic terms, the increased blood flow caused by exercise helps your skin be smoother, firmer, and less ...well…old.

If you are exercising hard enough to work up a good sweat, you can think of exercise as a pampering facial.  A good sweat dilates the skin’s pores, and flushes out trapped dirt and oil. 

So pump it up ladies!  Increase the intensity of your workouts in order to really get a good sweat going.  It’s like a day at the spa for your skin.

Skinny

“I want to be skinny like you.”

I may be lean, fit, trim, healthy, maybe even thin, but I am NOT skinny.  In my brain, skinny is a negative word.  It’s a word used to describe skin-and-bones models, the kind who suffer from eating disorders.  Fashion magazines are laden with images of their protruding collar bones and knobby elbows.

In my brain, skinny is a word associated with illness.  My grandfather dying from cancer was skinny, his body devouring lean muscle tissue.  Skinny means malnourished.  Skinny is what you become after several rounds of chemotherapy, when your body can’t keep food down.

In my brain, skinny is the images of starving children in third world countries or from German concentration camps.  It’s not having the nutrition needed for growing healthy bodies, for proper brain function, for energy to swat the flies away from your face.

I am healthy.  I feed my body with quality nutrition-packed foods.  I limit foods that are full of empty calories (calories with little to no nutritional value) like refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup, but I don’t starve my body of the calories and nutrients it needs to function properly.  I exercise to increase my energy and strengthen my muscles, not to lose more weight.  

I don’t understand why so many women long to be skinny.  Skinny isn’t healthy.  It isn’t chic.  It isn’t stylish.  It isn't attractive.  It’s destructive.  If you want to be skinny, are you willing to abuse your body to get there, starving yourself of what your body needs to function properly and making yourself susceptible to disease?  I hope not.

Instead of wanting to be skinny, desire to have a healthier body.  Desire energy and vitality.  Strive for fitness.  Strive for a body you are comfortable riding around in, not one that’s afraid to even nibble a cookie.

Staying Fit in the Summer Heat

Monday marked the unofficial beginning of summer for those of us in the Northern hemisphere.  Temperatures are climbing fast and many of us will be looking for sanctuary from the sun and heat.  Living in the southern United States where the summer air gets so hot and thick you need to breathe it with a spoon, I’ve learned a few tips for keeping up with my summer workouts.

Work out in the morning.  Beating the heat of the day by getting outside early is essential for summer outdoor exercise.  As a bonus you get to enjoy the neighborhood before the hustle and bustle of the day begins, enjoy the sun as it rises (or the moon as it sets), and enjoy early morning bird song.  Also getting a morning run, bike ride, or brisk walk can give you a jumpstart of energy to help you get through the rest of your day.

Release your inner child.  Summer is the perfect time to enjoy some good old fashioned playtime.  A great game of Frisbee at the beach, swimming in the pool, jumping rope with the kids, or an impromptu game of softball at the park are great ways to get some fresh air and burn some calories at the same time.  Plus it’s just plain fun!

Enjoy indoor activities.  If you just aren’t a morning person, you can still enjoy your exercise in the cool of the indoors.  (I don’t know about you, but the person who invented air condition is seriously my hero.)  The gym tends to be far less crowded during the summer months, so you won’t have to wait in line for your favorite piece of gym equipment.  Not a member of a gym?  Summer is a great time to try out a new workout video, or you can crank up some music and enjoy a heart-pumping dance party in the comfort of your own home.  Seriously, nobody wants to see me dance. (Someone once told me I dance like a fish!) I save that embarrassment for the immediate family.

Stay hydrated.  It’s always important to drink plenty of water, but it’s crucial during the hot summer months.  Sweat is a good indicator of needing to down some fluids.  Beware of sugary summer drinks like lemonade and sweet tea.  While they may be tasty, they do little to hydrate your body and are full of empty calories.  Also, beware the beer and mixed drinks at the summer barbeques.  Alcohol is a diuretic (that’s why you have to run to the bathroom so frequently when you’re drinking).  Be sure to drink plenty of water along with your alcoholic beverages, and stay away from them during the intense heat of mid day. 

What are your summer fitness strategies?  Hit me up in the comments below.

Conscious Eating

It’s no secret.  Americans are fat – much fatter than our European relatives.   While there’s been a lot of blame tossed in the direction of genetics and inactivity, other developed countries have been slow to match our obesity rates.  The average North American is more than 16 pounds heavier than the average Northern European. But gross obesity is where we really excel. We have almost three times as many grossly obese people as Sweden; four times as many as the Netherlands.

There are certainly many factors contributing to America’s growing waistlines, but one often overlooked cause is our food culture, or lack thereof.  While Americans scarf down food on the drive to work or quickly grab a lunch at our desks, European cultures value eating as an experience, putting higher value on the pleasures and rituals of dining.  Europeans tend to eat slower, spending time at the table savoring food with family or friends.  To them eating is a social experience as well as a sensory one.  In France for example, meals often consist of several courses, are eaten at a table (both adding a sense of structure to a meal), and consist of a variety of flavors from savory to sweet. 

In contrast the typical American diet tends to be monotonous.   Pizza, burgers, chicken nuggets and copious amounts of meat provide the taste buds little variety.  Food is often consumed on the fly, in the car (19% of all meals actually) on the way to the next busy activity, or worse, in front of the television.  Such blatant disrespect for food likely contributes to weight problems by leaving us perpetually unsatisfied. Tellingly, eating fast has been linked to an increase in weight problems while regular family meals are associated with decreased risk of obesity.

While it may not be the magic answer to America’s weight problems, eating more consciously like our European neighbors certainly couldn’t hurt.  While your busy American schedule may not allow for every meal to be truly appreciated, take some time occasionally to drop everything, sit down and just eat a meal.  Chew it.  Actually taste it.  Notice the textures and flavors. Try something different.  Share a meal with a friend over stimulating conversation.  In other words, enjoy the experience of eating not because you have to in order to survive, but for the sheer joy of eating all in itself.