So you have a spare tire and no spare time to remove it.  Right the old excuse “I have no time” slips out again.  How many times have I heard that one.  Well here is some free advice from me to you.  Consider the following and how much time it would actually take you to accomplish them.  4 fabulous ways to give your body a fine little tune up throughout your day:

Morning Time: 

It’s early, you’re still in bed and you’ve lost count at how many times you hit the snooze button.  Whilst waiting for the next alarm why not try do some flutter kicks.  Flutter kicks target your abs, thighs, hip flexors, and butt.  And, since you can’t get your butt out of bed and your already lying down the transition will be easy for you. 

How to:  You will start by lying on your back facing the ceiling.  Start by straightening out your legs and raise both feet about 10 in. off the bed.  Start doing the exercise by making a scissors action with your legs.  The goal is to move your legs with a range of motion of 45 degrees without arching your back.  The lower your feet can go to the ground without touching the bed the more muscles you will target.  If you find this hard on your lower back, raise your legs higher.  This makes the exercise easier.  You may also want to keep your palms under your lower back for extra support.  If you need to rest bring your knees into your chest.  Beginners work on 15-30 seconds.  Intermediate work on 30-45 seconds.  Advanced work on 45-60 seconds.  Now you can use your snooze button for more than just sleeping. 

Lunch Time:

You’re at work and it’s time to warm up that lunch your lovely hardworking man packed for you.  Whilst waiting for your food to warm up why not try some bun clenchers.  This one is super easy and no one will ever know; most times.  This one targets your butt; if you didn’t figure that out already. 

How to:  Clench your buttocks, hold for a few seconds and then simply release.  Perfect for toning up your butt.  Your goal is to perform at-least two super sets on each side before relaxing at the table with your co-workers.  It’ll be your little secret.

Dinner Time:

You’re waiting for your pasta to cook, your meat to brown, and your vegetables to steam.  Whilst waiting why not do a quick thigh firming exercise called the stork stance.  This exercise will not only target your thighs, glutes, back, and core but also your balance. 

How to:  Gradually raise  and lower your leg straight behind and as high as you can.  Think ballerina.  Hold the position for 30 seconds and then repeat with the other leg.  Use the counter for support if you need it.  Do 3 quality sets.  They don’t call you the chief multi-tasker for nothing. 

Bed Time:

Your’e favorite part of the day is when you hop in the shower.  Your least favorite part is waiting for your conditioner to set in before you can wash it out.  Whilst waiting why not do a few calf raises.  This exercise targets your gastrocnemius, tibialis posterior and soleus muscles of your lower leg.  Nothing is sexier than some well defined calf muscles.  Prime example; Sarah Jessica Parker. 

How to:  Start by balancing on the balls of your feet with your heels raised off of the tub.  This is your starting and ending position.  Rise up slowly on your toes.  Hold this position for as long as you like.  Your body should make a straight line from your ankles to your shoulders.  Slowly lower yourself back down and hold this position for as long as you like and repeat.  Make every rep count.  For an even greater challenge try single leg calf raises.  Be sure that you have a non slip shower mat under your feet.  You may also use your shower wall for balance and extra support.  Do 3 quality sets on each side and your hair will be ready for its final rinse. 

Always make time for yourself because at the end of the day there are no excuses.  

cc    

Time is the coin of your life.  It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.  Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.  ~Carl Sandburg

Going barefoot in a lot of countries isn’t a choice.  So why are those living in countries where they do have a choice, going bare feet?  The answers lie in a wonderful booked called, “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall.  As we read, we learn that Christopher is no stranger to running and running injuries.  After a myriad of running injuries he goes on a journey to discover the secrets of the ancient tribe of the Tarahumara. 

The Tarahumara are also known as “The Running People” who are renowned for being able to run great distances with virtually none of the other injuries that seem to plague up to 8 out of 10 runners every year.  On his journey he learns that most Tarahumara typically run barefoot or in ”Huaraches” thin made sandals made of discarded tires.  I could see myself wearing these so called “Huaraches” but this idea of going barefoot was new to me.  It appears I have been out of the barefooting loop for sometime now because it’s been a debatable topic for a number of years now.  From podiatrists, and shoe companies and Runner’s World editors, running barefoot was a whole other story.

Barefoot running seems to be a growing trend in the west, based on the theory that conventional running shoes force you to run in an inefficient and injury-inducing style.  Hence why some shoe companies have jumped on board creating the Vibram Five Fingers to the  Nike Free with it’s slogan “Run Barefoot”.  Daniel E. Leiberman who is a Professorof Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University is featured in the book.  Dr.Leiberman has his own take on running barefoot http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/5BarefootRunning&TrainingTips.html along with many other professionals, athletes, and coaches.  Their ideas and experience are spread throughout the book and will make you wonder why shoes were invented at all.  Oh wait that’s easy..money! 

Please visit http://www.chrismcdougall.com/blog/ if your interested in learning more.

cc

“The best runner leaves no tracks”   -Tao Te Ching

Are you finally ready to have more energy, feel, and look great about yourself?

If yes, then whats stopping you?

Our next Body Mind Boot Camp begins January 10th/2011. Sign up early and get a huge discount (50% off). Limited space.

This 3 month program will consist of the following:

• 30 minute Body Routines (24 in total; add years to your life)
• 30 minute Mind Themes (24 in total; take immediate control of your life
• Weekly Recipe Challenges (12 in total; good food doesnt taste bad)
• Suggested Readings ( 12 in total; stay on track)
• Suggested Must See Movies (12 in total; stay inspired)
• Peer Support ( Unlimited; get Fired Up and stay there!)
• Members Choice (8 mystery themes; let your voice be heard)
• Before and After Pictures (Optional, a reminder of how far you’ve come)

Sign up HERE!

~ Carol

Leaders are those people you inspire and breathe life into your dreams.  They make things happen, they are risk takers, and the kind of people that say I’m ready to the Universe.  Leaders don’t wait for opportunities to happen they make them happen.  They wake up each morning with an energy that drives them because they are doing what they love.  Lisa Nichols and Anthony Robbins are among the many that do just this.  It is these very people that continue to inspire me and others on a daily basis.  Lisa Nichols is a powerful advocate of personal empowerment.  She is experienced in motivating others to bring about profound changes in their lives.  She uses her life experiences to empower and motivate others towards change.  She is also the co-author of Chicken Soup for the African American Soul.  I have personally heard this woman speak and her stories left me believing that I too can do anything.  She informs us that the universe just needs us to say I’m ready and it will gladly give us what we desire.  Anthony Robbins has always been a favorite of mine.  He too, has a personal story that creates and generates a following.  His vision is to bring out the best in people.  He is the ultimate life coach because of his compassion and understanding for all human beings.  Anthony Robbins is described as a peace negotiator & humanitarian, a strategic advisor to world leaders, a successful entrepreneur & honored business strategist, a philanthropist, an award-winning speaker, an internationally best-selling author, a mass media veteran, an authority on peak performance, an innovator in psychology and intervention, and a family man.  His books and videos have led me on a path to discover more about what is my vision about what kind of leader I want to be.   

The type of leader I aspire to be is one that inspires and empowers others to believe they can.  This kind of leadership is Servant leadership; where a leader serves first his people.  The role is to recognize that he is not merely to lead, but to serve by creating a better society through service.  Servant leaders are selfless and are born with a knowing that they were brought here to make a difference.  I will be the kind of leader that cares about and is devoted to the welfare of others; altruism.  I will take the virtue approach so that I can continually grow and search for a better way for all of humanity.  I would like to believe that whatever I can imagine I can create.  This approach will allow me to look at the world and its people with positive feelings and take any criticism well.  It will push me to always strive to reach my full potential.  This is what I want for others so I must also want this for myself.  I want to understand the passions and pleasures of the masses.  I want to be able to adapt to a leadership style according to the situation; this is Flexible leadership.  A great leader has a constant thriving for knowledge and has the ability to never lose sight of the unexpected.  A great leader has many characteristics such as: courage, foresight, is highly imaginative, ingenuity, faith, great dramatic power, learns from adversity, open to feedback, is resourceful, and serves well as models and mentors.  All of these I hope I have or will have in the future. 

I want to be the kind of leader who leads with compassion with the belief that everyone deserves greatness.  I would like to end ignorance among people and help others who might be struggling with themselves.  I have strong relational skills that will help me in building relationships, collaborate and effectively lead change.  True leaders are built upon a person’s ability to understand and manage oneself effectively and relate well with others.  I would like to have a place where people could go to where they felt safe and accepted as they are.  Leaders help others to consider alternate ways of thinking, acting, and encouraging them.  My goal is to give them a quotient of hope; to make sure that everyone has access to achieving their personal fitness goals in the most comfortable and enjoyable environment possible.  To create an environment that motivates others to go beyond what they ever imagined possible.  One of the ways I would do this is through humor and by developing an open atmosphere.  I want to be the kind of leader that has a bounce in their step and a can-do attitude that makes everyone around then feel alive, a leader that has the ability to make others feel secure; even if things did go wrong we would not worry because their optimism regarding life.  A leader that will convey to everyone that they have the power within themselves to accomplish anything, a leader that with my expression of warmth and friendship people will come, and finally a leader that is sincere and genuine with the ability to move others.  People always say that if you find something you’re good at and you have a passion for it, you can’t be afraid of it; that you have to go for it.  It was easy for me to talk to people and want to be there to help them in anyway I could.  It left me with a good feeling that you couldn’t buy at a store. 

I wish to one day be looked at as a great role model.  I want to help break people’s myths that they may have about themselves.  Or even break the ones that people might have said to them by filling their head with fear.  And when people are afraid they don’t do things.  I want to be the person that gives them the opportunity to welcome them to the start of their new beginning and let them know that it’s never too late.  We all learn one day that you have to take the risks in order to receive the rewards.  I once believed that there were limits to what I could achieve, but the reality is that my limits are nowhere near where I originally thought they were.  As human beings we all think that we can do only so much but as a leader we need to we need to understand that we do succeed in more than we think we can.  A leader must never stop.  Shakeema Walker who is known for her long jumps believes in D-O-N-E.  Determination, One goal, Never stop, Excellence.  She says that she just thought of it one day in college.  She says that when she breaks the world record, then she’ll be done.  And that will put the period on done.    They must continually redefine their limits.  I am my only limitation. 

A leader must also be able to understand themselves better and others.  This can teach us our strengths and weaknesses and lead us to a great self-awareness; to push us to want to improve.  When we learn to accept somebody, we learn to get along with them instead of just tolerating them.  To be leader we cannot always pick and choose who we have on our team.  If I can change one person’s mind about how they think about themselves or about somebody else, then I have done my part.  I cannot command commitment but only inspire it.  But before you can inspire others, you must first be inspired.  Knowing my vision and being able to express it through creative visualization is important if I want to enlist the support of others.  I must be able to communicate in a way that breathes life into my vision with the hope that others will want to join me on my journey.  My vision is to inspire and motivate others to tap into a greater self awareness through the using exercise as the catalyst; with the hope that it will leak into other areas of their life as well.  I want them to walk away feeling that I have giving their lives meaning and to look at the world a different way from that point on.  This is a cause I am willing to commit to.  I have already set a date to write down my long-term goals, short-term goals, daily goals, monthly goals, personal goals, organizational goals, ten-year goals, and lifetime goals.  This will give me the power to manifest my ideas into realities.  Goal setting makes us accountable and is extremely important as a leader.  If a leader does not know where he is going than he cannot expect people to follow. 

My motivation comes from personal life experiences that left me feeling humiliated, worthless, frustrated, and than the realization finally that none of this was true.  This educated and empowered me to stand up for myself and create my own reality.  I think this experience will be effective in my pursuit as a leader in any career I choose to pursue.  I am sure many individuals have felt the way that I have so it is this common thread that will help me to succeed.  I will talk to others about my personal experiences if I feel it will help them.  One of my greatest experiences was meeting a man named Moe.  He came at a time when I was having difficulty getting through what seemed to be my last attempt at math.  As a result he is the one person that influenced my philosophy the most.  He believed in me when I had no one else.  He guided me and was the voice I needed to hear to keep moving forward.  Moe had the ability to empower me to believe that I could do anything.  When I have someone (that I would consider a leader) tell me that I can do something I believe them.  He changed my world completely.  From a girl who believed she couldn’t to a girl that believed she could.  This experience helped me to see what a difference one person can really make.  I want to be that person for many or even just one.  I like to talk about paying it forward.  I believe that it is important in today’s society to have people such as Moe surrounding us on becoming great leaders.  It’s my turn to pay it forward.  I want to be that coach that reminds us of what we already know; the kind of person that can relate to you because she is us.  This is my passion; this is why I was put here.   cc

Only you can change your habits!

Changing your behavior for the better can be tough, especially if you have been inactive for the last 2, 5, 10 years or even greater then that.  Since graduating at Nait in the personal fitness trainer program in Edmonton, I have heard one common theme that suffucates dreams of people who are fed up and are just wanting to feel good and look better.  It is “I am afraid I won’t be able to keep up with the rest of the group” 

I say to that “SO WHAT!!!”  “WHO CARES”  “BIG DEAL” “DON’T BE A HERO” 

The great people that attend my classes (I trust) are not going home thinking how many reps ‘Patty’ didnt do and what a waste of her time it was to even show up.  I always tell my group to “Get comfortable with being un-comfortable”  So “BIG DEAL” if Frank can push out 2 or even 30 more reps then you??? Does his rep count even matter in the scheme of your life???  Not so much!!!  If anything we should all be happy for Frank and work on getting ourselves at our personal best!  

Here is a quote to end my rant that’ll put everything into perspective:

“When you can’t paint the whole house, just paint the door” 

I got the paint but bring your own brush~cc

Lets you and I keep this simple so that I can get to bed early and you can get going about your day or evening; depending when you read this. This topic is on how to train to run better and faster. This is the short sweet version however keep in mind that there is so much more to it.

First, the most important thing is to start running. Don’t just run for a week or two. You must be consistent with your running if you want to see improvement. Also, another reason to having a consistent running schedule is to give you the opportunity to see and feel what your strengths and your weaknesses are so that you may improve upon them. Okay class, “Listen and Learn” as Ken would say in our Sports Performance at Nait.

Intervals: We will begin with the most commanding for improving your runs. The idea is to run a series of hard, relatively short distances consisting of many repetitions over distances of 200m to 1600m, with rest periods of slower running in between. Intervals will boost your cardiovascular system by increasing the volume of oxygen rich blood your heart is able to pump to the rest of your muscles. Intervals train your heart, lungs, and your muscles to work harder; adapting your body to higher demands and your leg muscles to a faster turnover.

Tempo Runs: Tempo runs are also known as tempo pace or lactate threshold pace. They are the least complicated because there are no distances and no split times to remember. All you have to do is a run a pace slightly higher than your usual training pace; a pace you can maintain for one hour. It’s meant to be a steady pace that is hard but doable. Tempo runs call for a single sustained effort. This style teaches your body to run faster before fatiguing; race economy. It will help increase your upper limit and prevent the build up of lactic acid in your muscles which would otherwise make it impossible to run.

Hills: The obvious improvement is that it will make you better at running hills and will benefit nicely on to the flats. Running hills will improve overall leg strength, speed and prepare you mentally for any race you decide to take on. Hill training also develops power and co-ordination; it promotes strength and endurance; and develops control, stabilization, and speed when downhill running. An added bonus to hill training is that it strengthens the muscles around your knees; helping to reduce knee injuries.

Long Runs: The long run is the essential foundation for building and maintaining stamina. You will need to build km’s gradually to give your body time to adjust to the extra pounding of those extra km’s. You should be able to add 2-3 km to your run every two weeks. Remember the principle of progression if you feel that this is too slow of a rate to increase but it is a lot better and less painful then an injury you may have got had you ignored this golden rule. Your mileage should not increase more than 10 percent from week to week. A few benefits of long distance running are: strengthens the heart giving it a much larger stroke volume, strengthens the leg muscles; developing endurance, improves mental toughness and increases aerobic efficiency.

That’s it for tonight.  If you haven’t already checked out our ‘Run it Off Club’ please do.  We hit the trails in Edmonton and St.Albert.  It is meant for anyone and everyone at any fitness level.  Now lace up them running shoes and leave the rest behind! cc

“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”
-John Bingham, running speaker and writer

For some of you who don`t know; I recently hurt my knee. I am not afraid to admit that it was an over-use injury.  I am still learning that pushing yourself is great but not great for the fine body you carry around.  Okay, so here I am on a late Friday night writing away to anyone who cares to read.   You see that`s always been okay with me.  It takes one pebble to create a massive ripple effect.  Even if that ripple effect takes a few years.  But, how long does it take to make a significant improvement in our aerobic capacity? 

Before I answer this question; as some of you know I have entered in a few runs.  I really enjoy ‘Five Peaks’.  Mostly because I love the variety that Trail Running Provides.  It’s exciting, un-predictable, and so is me.  I recently pulled my hamstring on the right side and have been off of it for two weeks now.  Since the start of this week I have trained with my 3:30pm Boot Camp Group and ran a few times.  I feel good to go; however I am not in race condition yet.  From now until May 15th, I will be running on trails so if you want to join me please let me know.  Until then here is what I can expect:

The amount of improvement in  my aerobic capacity (i.e., VO₂ max) from training at this point  will be very individualized and  inversely related to my level of fitness.

In other words, the more fit I am, the smaller the degree of improvement in VO₂ max associated with my training.

For example, an untrained individual may experience approximately a 25 percent increase in VO₂ max after roughly eight to 12 weeks of conditioning. A trained individual, on the other hand, may experience only a five percent improvement over the same period of time.

When I begin to increase the intensity of my exercise, a number of things will happen in my body.  I will experience a rise in my heart rate, respiration, and oxygen intake, as well as in the activity levels of other parts of my oxygen delivery and utilization (aerobic) systems.

 A point occurs, however, beyond which oxygen intake cannot increase, even though more work is being performed. At this point, I will have reached a level that is commonly referred to as VO₂ max or maximal oxygen uptake. Your VO₂ max is considered to be the best single indicator of aerobic fitness, since it involves the optimal ability of three major systems (pulmonary, cardiovascular, and muscular) of your body to take in, transport, and utilize oxygen.  So, the higher your VO₂ max, the greater you will be able to tolerate exercise.  Whoa!  That may seem like a lot of information to absorb but have no fear.  Note that all you have to know is that I am here for you every step of the way…even when your steps get to be to much to take.  And, as I say to anyone that crosses my path….”tell your friends!”  cc

  “To finish first, you must first finish.”  – Rick Mears

For most things in life we all need a warm up and a cool down.  A good example not related to exercise is walking into a movie half way through.  You missed the warm up; now what?  I am guessing in the first five or ten minutes you might be a little lost and unprepared for the scenes ahead.  You would have missed the part where you learn about the characters which help to captivate your attention, emotions and get you involved.  It would be more difficult for you to be interested in and care about the people on screen; much less be passionate about the story being told.  Instead of wanting to jump into the screen; you may want to slip out the back to cool down.     

Warm-up and Cool-down activities should be an essential part of all exercise programs:

The purpose of the warm-up or preparatory phase is to prepare the body for stress, especially the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems, for the conditioning or stimulus phase of the exercise session; not forgetting the joints.  It also helps to reduce the risk of injury of over stretching that may occur if not properly warmed up. Cold muscles do not stretch very easily. It helps the body cope more easily to the physical exertion that will follow especially reducing the risk of stress being placed on the heart. The warm up should be functional and consist of some loosening exercises and low-impact aerobic activity that are similar to the ones in your program; using light or no resistance. This helps the body become re-educated in preparation for the activities to follow. To sum it up the overall purpose of the warm up is to optimise the condition of the body by increasing the heart rate, diverting blood to the exercising muscles and raising the overall temperature of the muscles.

The cool-down phase refers to a short period at the end of your session where it assures that venous return to the heart is maintained in the face of significant amounts of blood going to the previously working muscles. It involves a few low-impact exercises and gentle aerobic activity that gradually takes the body down to its resting state and helps clear any metabolic wastes that may have accumulated during the session. The cool-down has been said to help delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) which may occur a day after your program and reduces the risk of the chances of collapsing or fainting after an intense session. The cool-down session also provides an opportunity to allow for other stretches to be included which not only helps to gradually lower the body to a resting state but it may help to prevent stiffness from happening the next day.

The length of the warm-up and cool-down periods will depend on several factors, including the type of activity engaged in during the session, the level of intensity of those activities, and the age and fitness level of the participant. In general, the warm-up and cool-down phases should last approximately five to ten minutes.  cc

” Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” ~Jim Rohn