I Took A Walk!

So, I've had a cold for about a week and a half, but yesterday I felt like I was ready to start exercising again. I dutifully packed my gym bag, made sure my ipod was charged, etc. Then, when quitting time neared and I started thinking about getting on that elliptical, I started to get a case of the blahs & dontwannas...it was so pretty out yesterday, mid-60's...why couldn't I enjoy the hour or so of daylight instead of going to the gym?!? Then I realized, duh! You can!!! You can take a walk outside! And that is what I did. It was glorious. I was so enthused by the idea, I think I probably got a better work-out than I would have if I went to the gym. Although, I didn't do any toning, which is actually becoming a problem. I am seriously neglecting toning, almost as a matter of principle (although that is only a principle when one's philosophy favors muscular degeneration). I brought my gym bag again today, but if its nice out, I think I'll forgo the gym again and head outdoors...though with some handweights mandated afterward. Has anyone else been able to enjoy exercising outside yet? Let us know in the comments!

September is National Yoga Month

National Yoga Month September 2010 invites all styles of yoga to participate in an awareness campaign designed to educate about the many benefits of yoga and inspire our fellow citizens to live healthier, happier lives.

If you go to http://www.yogamonth.org/ . You can receive a free week of yoga at a local yoga studio. I have signed up. I will blog about the experience late September.

Toning Before Cardio?

So, I was reading Jillian Michaels' book "Winning by Losing" and she mentioned that it was important to do your toning prior to doing a vigorous cardio workout. She recommends a five minute warm up, then a fast pace toning regime that can serve as both toning and cardio or just as toning prior to cardio. Lately, Mon, Tues & Thursday I go to the gym or I take a vigorous walk outside after work. My work schedule has its advantages and disadvantages, but a 7am start time married to a 40 minute commute does not encourage exercise in the morning (when I have the most energy and am more naturally inclined to workout), so I do evening workouts. Lately, I've noticed how hard it is to do toning after doing the elliptical. So, I'm going to have to figure out how to get toning mixed in with my days at work and then on Fri/Sat (sometimes Sun) do a serious toning regime mixed with outdoor walking or the home treadmill (we're probably going to dump the YMCA membership).

Anyway, Michaels' book has great instructions and pictures for a variety of exercises that you only need small equipment for or chairs/walls/exercise balls. Today I did:

Wall Squats
--5 reps counting to 10
--5 reps counting to 12

Lateral Shoulder Raises
--3 sets of 10 reps with 5lbs weights

Shoulder Press
--3 Sets of 10 with 5lbs weights

Summo Squats
--3 sets of 10 reps with chair

Pilates Pelvic Curls
--3 sets of 10 reps

Pilates Rolling Up & Down
--5

Pilates Single Leg Circles
--Each leg clockwise and counter clockwise for a count of 8.

Pilates Single Leg Stretch
--6 reps for each leg

30 minute vigorous walk outdoors.

Suffice to say, I'm feelin' it--all of it, but I think I'm on the right track. I do not easily gain muscle and I need to work at it and I need to work at it prior to cardio or else I'm spent.

Proper Squat Form

This video shows you proper air-squat and standard squat form demonstrated by a variety of individuals. Squats are great for your legs, but hard of the knees if you are carrying extra weight. According to Dr. Oz's show yesterday, losing weight and doing conditioning involving the knee can result in healing of the knees, so don't rule out squats altogether if you're heavy although consult a doctor, nurse practioner or personal trainer who specializes in obese clients before starting a squat regime.

Lisa's 7 Week Jump Start: Week 3 Results

After three weeks of Jump Start, I am down another 0.8 lbs. For a total of 4.2 lbs.
This is how I did it this week.

1. Maintained the increase of exercise from last week. So 13 WW activity points.

2. Ate less food by choosing more filling foods, like Spinach, so I wasn't as hungry.

3. I also got more sleep this week.

Here is a tip that was shared at the this weeks WW meeting that gave me something to think about. She said if you have recently upped your exercise and your body feel sore then you are in the process of increasing muscle. Muscle is created by tearing and repairing tissue. She said your body needs fluid and blood to do this. So that exercise may be delayed on showing up on the scale due to the fluid retention for muscle repair.

What to Expect from a Boot Camp Fitness Program

What to Expect from a Boot Camp Fitness Program by Caitlin Moscatello gives tips on what to expect and look for in a boot camp. Here are the highlights:

1. Boot camp maybe for you if you have recently been cutting corners in your workout.

2. Do your research on the boot camp before signing up.

3. Find a boot camp with people who fit your style.

4. Check to see if there are any starting requirements—like being able to run a 10-minute mile or do a certain number of push-ups in a minute, and what level classes are offered.

5. See if you can pay for one trial case before committing to a package if you are on the fence about this issue. Note: Boot camps run for 4 weeks or more on average.

Here are my personal tips
1. Boot camps are for the season exerciser not the recent coach potato.

2. Totally know your physical limit. Don't let the excitement of the boot camp make you injury yourself.

3. check with your doctor before starting something intense like this.

Lisa's 7 Week Jump Start: Week 2 Results

After two weeks of Jump Start, I am down another 2.2 lbs. For a total of 3.4 lbs.

This is how I did it this week.

1. Increasing exercise. I went from 8 WW activity points to 14 WW activity points.
2. Making better choices at restaurants. Not clearing my plate at the diner. I was OK letting left over fries go in the trash.

Calorie Counts on Cardio Machines

Calorie Counts on Cardio Machines by Liz Neporent discusses what you need to look for to determine the accuracy of the calorie count you get from carido machies. Here are the highlights:

1. The calorie counter on any device is, at best, an estimation of your work output.

2. At the minimum, the machine's information panel must allow you to enter your weight, since the bigger you are, the more calories you burn -- no matter what you're doing. If the machine doesn't ask you to enter your weight, the information is useless.

3. Even if the machine factors in weight, it still can't account for variations in muscularity and cardiovascular efficiency between people of similar weight.

4. None of those machines factors in individual fitness levels and the specificity of the exercise.

5. The numbers that you see apply only to you, and only for that particular piece of exercise equipment. You can use the readout to compare workouts on that machine, but don't try and correlate the information you receive from two different types of equipment.

6.Use a heart-rate monitor for a more accurate feedback.

Lisa's 7 Week Jump Start

Well, I have finished my first semester of Grad school. It was grueling and time consuming. I spent 7 hours a week in class, 20 hours a week studying, and 12 hours a week in commuting. I now have a 7 week break before Spring Semester.

I am going to use that 7 weeks to jump start my weight loss and recommit to Weight Watchers. I have mostly been maintaining bigness for the bast 6 months. Now I am going to get on a losing streak. I have decided to use the 7 hours of class time for exercise. I am also going to turn the 20 hours of studying into more sleep town.

I will be chronicling my journey here. I will post my stats on Wednesday.

This is the sport aid I want: Garmin Forerunner 305

This is the sport aid I want, the Garmin Forerunner 305 with GPS. It does:

• High-Sensitivity, Watch-Like GPS Receiver That Provides Exceptional Signal Reception
• 1 Piece Training Assistant That Provides Athletes With Precise Speed, Distance & Pace Data
• Includes Training Center Software, Which Allows Users To Download Workout Data For A Detailed Analysis
• Used For Multiple Sports Such As Cycling, Cross- Country Skiing & Windsurfing
• Data Acquired May Also Be Analyzed. Which Provides Online Mapping & Route Sharing

Here's how I'm going to get it (it costs $140 at Amazon):
For every workout, at the end of the week I'm depositing $1 in one of my back-up savings accounts. For every month that I've worked out an average of four or more days per week, I deposit an additional $10 into the account. This is primarily a tool for outside conditioning, so the fact that I won't have it until post winter is totally fine. Hopefully, if I work out steadily, I can purchase it in April/May.

Protect Yourself from Germs at the Gym

In this article, Protect Yourself from Germs at the GymPrevent colds and flu with these simple tips By Christine Luff , the author gives tips to stay healthy at the gym.

• Bring your own towels and mat.
• Get out of your sweaty gym clothes as soon as possible
• If you don't have time for a shower, at least wash your hands or wipe them down with hand sanitizer before you leave
• Clean the gym equipment before and after use.
• Keep your feet covered. Wear flip flops or water shoes when walking around the locker room or pool area to avoid picking up germs or fungus that can cause athlete's foot and other issues.
• Keep your gym bag clean.
• Stay home if you're sick.

Exercise & Self-Esteem

Great news, a new study shows that no matter your fitness level, engaging in a fitness routine helps to boost your self-esteem!

"This is an important study because it shows that doing virtually any type of exercise, on a regular basis, can help people feel better about their bodies," said Kathleen Martin Ginis, a kinesiology professor at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. "With such a large segment of the population dissatisfied with their physiques, it's encouraging to know that even short, frequent bouts of lower intensity exercise can improve body image."

I know that this is true for me--the act of exercise produces feel good neurotransmitters, but it also helps remind you that you do have the ability to alter or improve your body--you do have some control.

Splitsville: Madonna and Tracy Anderson

Former BFF's, Madonna and her controversial trainer, Tracy Anderson

So, apparently Madonna and her controversial personal trainer, Tracy Anderson have parted ways. The break-up comes after criticism of the pop icon's highly muscled arms and charges that she has become obsessed with exercise, working out 4-6 hours per day at times. It is also rumored that Madonna was not pleased with the Philippe van den Bossche, former director of her Raising Malawi Charity, leaving the post to join Anderson in New York as her new boyfriend.

Following the break-up, Anderson is now being sued by a former partner, Glynn Barbar, for $1 million dollars. He alleges that she swindled him our of $1 million in initial investments in her business and despite her evident success, she has not returned any of the venture funds to him. In the NY Post article, his English seemed a bit broken, so I hope he has contracts and documentation to back up his claims.

I'm not celebrating the demise of Ms. Anderson's business--and of course she still has her #2 client, Gwyneth Paltrow, at least two studios, and a DVD business. In previous FFFB posts, I've pointed out that Ms. Anderson claims that anybody can look like Madonna, which is patently false and which dismisses the value of body diversity. We've also called Ms. Anderson out for her size 0 perfection worship and the promotion of fitness routines that might fall in the exercise-bulimia category. Its crucial to remember that sometimes these media empires, particularly those that are predicated on flash-in-the-pan exercise fads are sometimes a house of cards. Ms. Anderson's fame and fortune seems to be just that. So, instead of trying to find the right exercise guru to fix our problems, let's all make a commitment to do something reasonable today. Thursday I went to the gym and got on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes (after having taken a mile walk as part of a campus Wellness activity), Friday and Saturday I helped a family member move (that's cardio and toning!), Monday I took a 50 minute walk outdoors, today I take another walk and I'll do a Pilates DVD (its Fall break, so I should be able to squeeze both in).

Skinny Jeans Workout

People we need to get some prespective. We can only spot tone and not spot reduce. Therefore, we need too get to a healthy size before we start focusing on getting into jeans. As you can see from the video, there were no size 20s in the class.

Tips on finding motivation to Exercise

Let’s face it: You can rationalize your way out of doing anything. You can always find an excuse for why you don’t like an activity or why it’s not right for you, or why there are a zillion other things you could—or should—be doing. But when it comes right down to it,there is absolutely no acceptable excuse not to fit some daily physical activity into your life. Even if you already have illness or physical limitations, you still need to figure out what you can do and how to make yourself do it.

1. Give it 10 minutes.
This approach is surprisingly effective. If you can simply lace up your sneakers and get that patooty out the door, that’s 90 percent of the battle. Chances are you’ll get into the groove once you get started. Very few people quit once they are actually moving, but lots of folks never even make it to a genuine workout moment, despite their best intentions.

2. Repeat the reasons why you want to work out like a mantra.
Visualize what it is you want and how you will feel. Let that vision push you out the door, or onto an exercise machine.

3. Find an activity you like or a way to enjoy something you don’t.

Break Out of Your Cardio Rut

Shape Magazine list 15 ways to change up your cardio routine.

1. Inline skate. Inline skating burns up to 700 calories an hour, depending on your speed and how hilly the course is.

2. Shoot hoops. Burns 400 calories an hour.

3. Go dancing. Burns about 300 calories an hour.

4. Join a winter league. Burn up to 790 calories if squash is your game.

5. Try musical jump-rope. Burns 658 calories an hour.

6. "Sock skate." Burns 400 calories an hour.

7. Step it up. Sidestep, hop, jump, run up and down stairs, or take them two at a time. Burns about 360 calories an hour.

8. Rock 'n' walk. Download new music to accompany your walk. Burns 330 calories an hour.

9. Pick up the pace. Walk through your neighborhood, adding one minute of speed-walking or running every five minutes. Burns about 400 calories an hour if repeated 10 times during the course of an hour's walk.

10. Punch in. Buy a punching bag or speed bag and go a few rounds. Burns 394 calories an hour.

11. Jump around. Do aerobic moves, bounce or jog on a minitrampoline. Burns 230 calories an hour.

12. Track it. Wear a pedometer from the moment you wake up until the time you go to bed and see how many steps you really take in a day. Burns 150 calories for 10,000 steps.

13. Train in your neighborhood. Take a brisk walk and use your surroundings to perform strengthening exercises. Do push-offs on a mailbox, push-ups against a fence, step-ups on a curb or park bench, lunges up a hill or triceps dips on a bench. Can burn up to 700 calories an hour at a 4-mph pace.

14. Back-walk. Walk backward for variety. Burns 330 calories an hour if you're going 4 mph.

15. Build a DVD library. Burns 428 calories an hour.

Exercise and the Economy

Taking a queue from Thealogian I will do a personal Blog post.

As you know I am doing WW and with the program I have to obtain Activity points (Measurements of Exercise).

I currently gain my Activity points from walking. My walking routines are as follows:

1. I will get off the Subway two stops and head or walk to a Subway stop two stops ahead.
2. I will walk my neighborhood
3. I will walk in the park with a friend.


But this Spring I was looking into joining a gym. Well in the past month, three of the gyms I visited this Spring have been calling me to see if I was still interested or if they could tell me about there specials.

Obviously the Gym industry has been hit hard by the economic down. Cause these same gyms were not very attentive when I was trying out there gyms in the Spring. I actually felt that the service people at one gym were on the verge of being rude.

Therefore, I told all 3 gyms that I was not interested and had no times for their calls.

So I would like to remind gyms and other business that you need to being good to customers and potential customers in the good times, because you just might need them in the lean times.

Honesty About Exercise

Taking a queue from Thealogian I will do a personal Blog post.


As you know I am doing WW and with the program I have to obtain Activity points (Measurments of Exercise). The ultimate goal is to obtain 24 points a week when you are at peak fitness and weight health.

Well I give myself about 9-13 points a week. Yet to get honest with my self I took yesterday city walking and recaluated my milage using http://www.hopstop.com/ . What I found out was yesterday's life walking was the equvilant of 1.21 miles. Which is about 24 minutes of lesiure walking and equal to one activity point and not the 2 activity points I give myself. There I should be given my self 4.5 - 6.5 points a week.

The reason this is important is that I tend to eat my points versus reserve them. Therefore, I am not reaching my goals because I was eating more points then I earned through exercise.

Therefore, when feeling defeated with weight gain go back and recalculate your actually habits more accurately so a white lie/delusion doesn't turn into 20 lbs.

Too Much Exercise?

Too Much Exerciseby Jennifer May, M.S., R.D., M.S.

Exercising provides wonderful health and wellbeing benefits. But what happens when you over-exercise? How do you know when you're getting too much exercise?

There are varying degrees of overtraining and exercise addiction. For some it may mean running or cycling for miles at dawn, while for others its compulsive daily gym workouts. Some seek the high from certain exercise-related hormones, others feel they have never done enough in their workout and push themselves harder and harder. And some unknowingly may not be giving themselves enough of a break between workouts.

I think this is a topic people should be aware of, but don't use it as a excuse not to try a healthy life of exerice.

Alison Sweeney Chooses Wii Over the Gym for Fitness

Alison Sweeney says this about the Wii Fit:

"It's just a good example of how you can really get it done at home," she says. "You don't need to have a big fancy gym membership. One of the things we talk about on The Biggest Loser all the time is just how difficult it is financially to lose weight sometimes. And that isn't an excuse anymore. There are really reasonable options."

I still don't think a Wii is the most economical exercise.

Here is the breakdown
EA SPORTS™ Active game is $59.99
EA SPORTS™ Active Accessory Pack $19.99
Wii system base price $249.99

In my opinion walking and calstenics are still the cheapest exercises.