Move Your Body

On my quest to update you with some insightful fitness knowledge and news today, I came upon Hollywood Fail’s “16 Craziest Celebrity Fitness Videos.” You have got to check these out.  Some of them are HILARIOUS.  If you do nothing else with this post, please please just watch Dixie Carter’s “ExOrcise Video.”  Remember Designing Women?  Her video is number three on Hollywood Fail’s list. Another good one is Paula Abdul’s video (how you are supposed to learn and keep up with this routine, I have no idea), or David Carridine’s “Energize your brain with spiral fitness” video.  If you have time, check out Carmen Electra’s “Aerobic Striptease.”  Wowzers!

If anything, this puts into perspective that you really need to make sure any celebrity-endorsed fitness regime is legitimate.  You can leave that up to us to only pass along the things that we have tested ourselves for you.  We just won’t tape ourselves doing it.

I think it’s important to talk about the stress that comes as a result of today’s economy – in terms of  how it impacts our health and ways that we can cope.  It’s hard to go a day without hearing about layoffs – whether it’s happening to you, your friends, or in companies that you are familiar with.  Along with the emotional turmoil that comes with a layoff – whether you are the one laid-off, or the person picking up extra work as a result of a lay-off – comes stress.

We recently went through some pretty deep cuts at my own company, and I found myself not being able to sleep for the entire weekend leading up to “the big day.”  I went to the gym and was able to pound out an extra mile or two on the treadmill at a faster pace than normal.  This tends to be somewhat predictable for me – if I’m going through something emotionally, I tend to be able to workout harder, and I feel better afterward.  After talking through some things with some close friends and family members, I was able to sleep better, too.  We wrote a post earlier about the benefits of exercise for sleep that might be helpful to you.

Today’s work environment is especially challenging.  It seems cuts are lurking behind every corner, so we all feel the pressure to perform better and faster at work – for fear our own job could be on the line.  That means stress.  And what if you do lose your job?   Besides having to endure the pitying looks of your close friends and family, you have the stress of navigating bills, debt and finding a new job in this tough market.

Now that we’ve gone through all of the negative stuff, let’s remember that there ARE some things you can do to help relieve stress and get through these difficult times.  Whether or not you lose your job is likely far beyond  your control – and it’s best to keep that in mind.  But there are some resources out there and things you can do to help combat stress.

If you’ve been laid-off, why not try having some fun?!?  If you’ve got some savings built up, perhaps you can take some time to do things you wouldn’t normally be able to do while working 9-5.  Short on cash?  Take a day or two and relax.  You owe it to yourself.  Tell all your friends, “Hey – I’m not UNemployed.  I’m FUNemployed, baby. “  There’s a great article in Men’s Health that has some tips, if you’re so inclined.

Say you’re one of the lucky (or not so lucky, depending on your glass half-full/empty outlook) ones who “survived” the last round of cuts?  It’s stressful enough to see friends and colleagues walk away, but what about all that extra work you now have to take on?  Today at work one of my coworkers said, “Hey!  You’re lucky to have a job!” (Joking, of course.)  And I said, “Yeah!  I’m lucky enough to have eight!”  Here are some tips on making the most of your job when you are taking on extra work.

So what if you’re the one actually laying people off (*gasp!)!?  Well there’s help and resources out there for those in this position as well.  Although it certainly isn’t easy to be on the receiving end of the conversation that your position is no longer needed, it isn’t always a cake walk for those delivering the news.  Here is an interesting article about dealing with stress if you’re the one wielding the axe.

Bear in mind that getting some exercise, eating healthy, talking to friends and family, sleep, or even doing things like yoga or trying acupuncture can help relieve stress.  Good luck to you and remember that everything happens for a reason!

To perform an Oblique Twist, lie down with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.  Lean back until you’re at a 45 degree angle, keeping your back straight.  Keep your hands together in front of you (add a weight/medicine ball to increase the difficulty) and twist side to side.  Be sure that you’re twisting/rotating the shoulders to either side and not just moving the hands.  If you’re holding a weight or ball, try touching it to the floor on each side to make sure you’re getting enough rotation in on each twist.   You will get the most out of this exercise by twisting slowly and concentrating on the breathing, exhaling as you twist.  Each twist is one repetition.   Try doing 20 reps (10 on each side) with a maximum of 3 sets.  To make the Oblique Twist even more challenging, lift the feet off the floor.

I was cruising Men’s Health today and came upon a great series of articles they put together on golf workouts.

The series includes:

The 20 Best Workouts to Improve Your Score – specific exercises to improve power, mechanics and flexibility.

Secrets to a Better Golf Game – 6 things you can do to improve your golf game

Swing Flaws and Fixes – 4 common swing flaws and ways to fix them

As the weather starts getting nicer (we can only hope here in Chicago), it can be a great opportunity to get out there and play a round with friends and enjoy some exercise. Golf (especially if you walk the course) can be a great workout and offers you a chance to enjoy nature while breaking a sweat.

Here is a cool calculator from Self.com that allows you to input your weight, duration and whether you rode in the cart and/or carried your clubs, to figure out how many calories you burned during your golf game.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, one of the most important trends in fitness for 2009 is group exercise, or fitness classes.  I’ve been teaching anywhere between 7-10 group fitness classes a week for the past five years.  I teach Spin (a cycling class), Butts n’ Guts (a class that focuses on tightening and toning – you guessed it – your butt and core), 50/50 (set up as half cardiovascular and half strength training), Core Circuit (focusing on strengthening the abs and back), Pilates (meditation, stretching and core strengthening), Bootcamp (little bit of everything – cardio, strength, plyometrics and abs) and a fitness class called “The Biggest Loser” which includes workouts from the hit TV show!

Group exercise and fitness classes have become very popular, as they provide participants with scheduled and supervised workouts.   Scheduled exercise forces people to make a time commitment to fitness.  Another perk of group exercise classes is that you have an instructor teaching you the proper form as well as pushing and motivating you at the same time.

What are the benefits of exercise classes?

Socializing – It’s easy to get a workout buddy and do the classes together.  You also get the benefit of socializing with other people who are sweating just as much as you are.

Boredom Breaker – It’s hard to check out during a workout when you have a fitness instructor constantly pushing you onto the next exercise.

Increased safety – You have an instructor right there teaching and demonstrating the correct form. Proper form is important to maximize the benefit of exercise while minimizing the risk of injury.

Variety – Exercise classes allow you to change up your routine and throw something new and exciting in there each week.

See results! You will find that with a fitness trainer pushing you and with peer pressure to keep up with the group, you will be able to do things you normally wouldn’t be able to do on your own.  I am a big believer in classes as they motivate and help people achieve the results they are looking for.

So how do I get started with a group exercise class?

From my experience, if you’re taking a class for the first time, it’s helpful to let the instructor know. This will allow the instructor to give any important instructions prior to the start of class OR to offer modifications throughout the class, if needed.

It can be intimidating to take a group exercise class for the first time – especially if there are “regulars” who seem to know how to do everything right away!  Just remember that everyone has to start somewhere.  The classes are designed to bring in new people and to allow everyone to have a great exercise experience. Go in with confidence, and if it makes you feel more comfortable, stay towards the back for the first few classes until you get the hang of it.  After a while, you’ll be front and center showing everyone else how it’s done!

Most gyms offer a wide variety of exercise classes.  I can guarantee there is one (or multiple) out there for you.  Just jump in there and give it a shot.  You may find that once you start taking classes, you don’t want to stop.  You’ll look forward to your favorite class each week.   Check the schedule ahead of time or ask someone from the staff if they offer beginner classes.  Most gyms do!

Group fitness classes are high energy, fun and challenging.  They can be a great way to socialize with other people interested in working out and getting in shape as well as an excellent way to push yourself to try new exercises you might not otherwise.

Here is an article from Newsweek that I recently found on digg about toning your abs and why crunches may not work.  It states that repetitive crunches may even be damaging to your back!  The article also gives some interesting information on alternative exercises (like the plank) and some overall info on getting toner abs.   Take the info for what it’s worth – another alternative fitness viewpoint.  Read it here.

There are a number of ways people can go wrong on their path to better health and a sexier bod.  Here are some common mistakes people make when trying get fit and ways that you can avoid them:

Not setting a goal: Of course, it’s great to workout.  But exercising without a plan isn’t going to cut it.  It’s important to set a realistic fitness goal so you actually have something to work toward.  Coming up with a  goal gives you something to keep you motivated and going back to the gym each day.  Measuring success is very important.

Setting an unrealistic fitness goal: You might already know that it’s important to set a fitness goal.  So you went ahead and wrote down somewhere that you are going to lose 15 pounds this month.   Not only is this unrealistic, it will only set you up for disappointment.  It could be dangerous to your health if you are striving for a goal that is far too aggressive.  A more attainable and healthy weight loss goal is more like 1-2 pounds a week.  Maybe your goal doesn’t involve weight loss at all.  Another great goal would be to have more energy during the day or to be able to run around with your kids without being out of breath.

Skipping the warm-up or cool down:  Skipping a warm up or cool down can cause injury.  Take 5-10 minutes to stretch your muscles to get them ready for your workout.  Before you begin your peak cardio period, make sure you walk or jog at a slower pace to gradually increase your heart rate and blood pressure.  Cooling down allows your heart rate and blood pressure to return to its resting state.  A good stretch after a workout can reduce stiffness and cramping.

Never changing your routine: Your body gets used to doing the same exercises day in and day out.  After a while, you will not get much out of your workout if you do not switch it up.  As a certain exercise becomes easier, increase the weight, reps or find a completely new exercise to target the area you are working on.

Working only one part of the body (aka “believing the spot-reducing myth”):  Spot reducing, or only losing weight/toning one specific part of your body, doesn’t work.  Even if you work your abs for 30 minutes a day, every day, you will not get a six pack.  You must do a combination of cardiovascular, endurance, strength, and core training as well eat a healthy diet to see overall results.

Keep an eye out for these common mistakes that can derail your health and fitness goals.  Finding ways to avoid them will surely put you on the path to a toner body and an overall healthier lifestyle.