Tag: Workout

Relax, Rest, & Recover!

Relax, Rest, & Recover!

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We all like our recovery and rest days, right?!  After all, recovery days are good for you, just like everything is (or can be) as long as it’s in moderation!  It gives us a chance to rest our muscles and rejuvenate our bodies, but resting doesn’t mean or give you a pass to sit around and eat junk food! While it is great to have rest and recover days, it is also important to note that it is not an excuse to cram in the junk food and veg on the couch all day.  It means that you might take a break from your cardio workouts, strength training routines, and heavy exercise regimes.  On my rest days, I might enjoy a leisurely walk or do some extra stretching to help loosen up my body during my off days. You might consider a light yoga class to stretch out or a game in the park with your kids.

Each week, you should have at least 1 day to recover, but no more than 3 total days of recovery during the 7 day week.  After all, you don’t want to be working out less than the days you are recovering/taking off.  You should, and I do emphasize should, be making yourself workout at least more than half of the 7 day week, so workout at least 4 days or more if you can!  On the flipside of that, please do remember that one full recovery day allows your body to rest and recover so that you are able to put forth your full potential, push yourself forward, and challenge yourself while still having enough energy to do so.  If you are too sore or too tired from your previous workout days, you won’t be able to have a successful and challenging workout.

Just keep in the back of your mind that you should be working out more than half of the week so don’t take more than 3 days off during a single week period!  Happy exercising with a day of rest or two to relax, rest, and recover!  Just don’t take advantage of those days off by taking too many! 😉

~jj

Music, rhythm, and workout inspiration!

Music, rhythm, and workout inspiration!

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There are a few things about music that I absolutely LOVE:  1) It makes my workout go faster.  1, 2, 3 and you’re done in a flash!  2) It provides a great beat to ensure I keep up with my workout pace. 3) It helps me accomplish my goals through motivation.  These are 3 things that will help you throughout your workout.  Think of it as you + the music vs. your workout! 😉

Think of the world without music.  Now, think of your workout without music.  That would be something that is hard to consider for many of us because we use music to push us through our workout.  The music almost becomes one with us because we want something to focus on besides our actual workout.  Something that helps us become distracted and makes the workout go faster.

Another great thing about music is the beat it provides.  I love this because it helps me stay on pace and go faster even when I am getting tired.  It pushes me and challenges me so that I get through my entire workout and for that reason alone I think music is a perfect combination for working out.  I have noticed that I try to stay with the beat of the music during my workout.  Not that I actually “dance” throughout my interval training workout, but that I rhythmically do the exercises, staying in tune with the music.  It helps me keep pace, stay focused, and makes my workout more fun!  This is what makes music inspiration because it motivates and engages me during my workouts.

Music is a great way to make you happy, change your mood, and can help you accomplish your goals during your workout.  With music, you can train your mind and body to move with the rhythm of the music, making your workout more challenging and fun!  Further, music is a great way to help you accomplish your goals.  Remember that it is important to be happy with whatever you accomplish because that along with music will help you to keep pushing forward!  Music often makes you train harder so that you can pass your fitness and wellness goals.

If music isn’t your thing, try reading a book where you read 10 pages then run for 5 minutes, or some variation that works for you.  The same can work for those who watch tv while they workout. You can run during commercials and walk during the program.  Both options provide great interval training and that’s something that is great for your body.  Interval training has actually been shown to be more beneficial than strictly running or walking.

So, next time you head to the gym, go outside for a run, or start your workout, you may just want to throw your earphones in as well!  Happy skipping, moving, and working out to the music! 🙂

~jj

Be the best YOU!

Be the best YOU!

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I was listening to fitness segments throughout the week and reading small health oriented articles, but I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to talk about.  It’s a new year and I think it’s a great opportunity to reestablish yourself from time to time.

We often read or listen to lots of different opinions, people, and news sources regarding health that range from how to lose weight to how to fit more vegetables into our diet and so on and so forth. This is a great opportunity to form your own views and opinions, and I do specifically mean YOUR views and opinions and how they relate to your workout, lifestyle, and goals.  We frequently try to use someone else’s motivation, someone else’s diet success, or someone’s else’s workout routine in order to have or see success in ourselves.  For example, even reading my blog for tips, tricks, and ideas is doing this, which is great, just remember to make changes accordingly! 😉  Once you read or listen to these diets, nutrition suggestions, and workout routines you must determine what will work best for you and adapt or change it based on your lifestyle.  Rather than using a replica and thinking it will create the exact same effects and changes, you need to remember that we are all at different fitness levels and have different experiences.  We are all YOU-nique (unique) with different body shapes and sizes, which means we respond differently to different exercises and different foods so we must be cognizant of that when we try something that someone else has had success with.

It is important to remember that you should take suggestions and make adaptions to determine what works best for you!  For example, if a journal keeps you accountable and helps you then you should consider that (I suggested that in a previous post…see Fitness and nutrition goals to the rescue!).  If looking in the mirror daily is a great reminder to workout and keep pushing towards your goals then do it!  If jumping on the scale to see what that 3 digit number is going to be then by all means jump right on!  In other words, don’t let a study, an article, or a news program tell you what you should or should not be doing.  Listen to your own body, follow your own lifestyle, and accomplish your goals by adapting programs, tips, tricks, and fitness routines to fit for you.  In other words, do whatever triggers your inner fitness and remember that sometimes the biggest challenges and obstacles that you face when working toward your fitness and wellness goals in 2015 may end up being the best things in life!

Happy New Year and may this be the year for new goals, new accomplishments, and new transformations!

~jj

Less may be more…with reps!

Less may be more…with reps!

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I was finishing up my workout last night and began thinking about how many people choose to focus on the number of reps they do rather than the form of their rep.  Proper form is very important, and I would go as far to say it is vital to a successful workout regime.  I will use crunches as an example, but push-ups, squats, and lunges are other exercises that are also great examples of how using improper or incorrect form can hurt you rather than aid you in your fitness goals.  So, let’s consider 100 crunches as your goal.  You decide that 100 is a great, solid number and after several years of pushing yourself hard in the cardio room you feel it is time to work on your strength and core by doing crunches.  You begin doing bicycle crunches where you rotate your legs inward and outward as you do your crunch (see the picture below if you are having a hard time visualizing what a bicycle crunch is).  You get to 40 crunches easily, but after 40 you start getting tired yet you continue struggling and forcing yourself through the reps to get to 100.  After pushing yourself through the reps you feel accomplished, but you also recognize that your muscles weren’t actually working at the end like they were at the beginning because you weren’t able to push your arms as close to your knees as you should have due to exhaustion.  This is where bad form is actually hurting you because it is no longer working your muscles in the way that they should be working if you do the exercise in the correct form.  My suggestion and advice is to remember not to do 100 crunches unless you can actually do 100 proper form crunches.  If you cannot do 100 proper form crunches then it is better to do the number that you can do maintaining the correct form.  If you can only do 40 proper form crunches then do 40 proper form crunches rather than 100 crunches with 60 crunches being in poor form.  It is better to build yourself up over time by starting with the number of crunches you can do using proper form and adding increments of 10 reps over time.

My point is if you aren’t where you want to be yet, you soon will be and using the proper form to get there will be much better and will get you there faster than doing improper form because you are playing a “numbers game” in your head.  Remember quality OVER quantity in your workout will help you see your results faster and maintain them over time.

Why is that?  This is because you are using your muscles properly and efficiently, which allows them to be stretched and strengthened in ways that help condition them over time.  In other words, the proper form is ensuring that you maximize your results.  Thus, without the proper form, the muscles you are seeking to improve don’t get worked properly, the muscles become overly tired and lose the correct form, and you don’t make a lasting effect on the body muscles you are working.

So, with that, consider your FORM every single time you are doing crunches, squats, lunges, and push-ups so that you are doing the proper form and thus maximizing your results when you exercise.  After all, if you aren’t using the correct form, the only person you are cheating is yourself because your results won’t be the results you want to see and feel.

~jj

Stay-cation or vacation, just make it an active one!

Stay-cation or vacation, just make it an active one!

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Sorry for the almost-a-month long hiatus.  I took a short break to spend time with family over the holidays, enjoy some relaxation, and go on vacation with my boyfriend to Europe.  Our time in Europe was quite lovely and what I liked most about it was that it was an active vacation!  After walking mile after magnificent mile going from place to place in Europe I realized how much I absolutely love it there.  I have always dreamed of having a job where I can either walk, bike, or bike/walk to work.  That is something that was a majority in Europe (biking and walking everywhere and by everywhere I literally do mean everywhere, everywhere, everywhere 😉 ) and is probably one reason why you don’t see many, if any, obese people there.  I would say Americans could learn a thing or two from them!  I found it to be refreshing and fun, and a little exhausting, too!  My point is that whether you go on a vacation like me or enjoy a stay-cation at home remember that you can always make it an active vacation, which is my favorite kind!  You can go to Europe where staying active will not only be easy, but also unavoidable 😉 You can go on a beach vacation and take walks or jogs along the beach or you can go on a mountain vacation and go skiing.  Just remember that when you go on vacation, don’t just throw your workout out the window.  Consider small workouts, walks, and exercise routines that will keep you moving.  If you’re enjoying a stay-cation, consider hikes, organizing and cleaning to keep you busy, or other small routines that keep you active.

Once I got home and gave myself a few days to recover from the vacation and get back into the correct time zone after the jet lag, I got myself right back into my workout routine.  The week I would be starting back my workouts just happened to be Christmas week, but after taking 9 days off it was important to get myself back into the groove of life.  I got up Christmas morning and decided to hit the workout room before any Christmas festivities got under way.  Plus, all my Christmas fun is typically on Christmas Eve.  Anyway, back to this Christmas workout when my mom decides to semi-jokingly and semi-sarcastically say, “You just have to workout, don’t you?”  As if somewhat sickened, yet proud that I hold the will and motivation to workout on Christmas Day when many people do not hold the same discipline or expectations.  I know she knew in her mind that either way no matter what that I was going to workout because we had no plans or restrictions that would prevent me from fitting in a quick 30 to 40 minute workout.  Not to mention, for me, it is important to stay true to myself and my health, meaning I make it a priority even during the holiday season.  As I expressed to my mom, it’s the time of year when we all tend to eat a little more, eat a little less healthy, and eat until we feel like we might pop because we are so full.

My point?  Remember that you should try to keep the promises you make to yourself and goals you have for yourself, even during the holiday season.  That means sticking to your workouts, taking walks, and doing short exercise routines in-between holiday parties, festivities, etc so your friends and family understand that health is very important to you.  This keeps you in your normal routine and rhythm so that come January you are already in your same workout routine and schedule rather than taking a long hiatus from Thanksgiving through the New Year when you eat more calories and can easily slip into the winter slumber of not working out.  If you take a hiatus be prepared for a difficult time when you start back up again.  It makes it that much harder to get back into the swing of things, get your body and routine back in sync, and fulfill new resolutions that you should have never given up or done away with for a month to begin with.   Don’t feel guilty if this is what you did, but consider making changes next year  to keep your healthy lifestyle routine all year round!

So whether you are going on vacation, enjoying a stay-cation, or intertwining the two as I did during my holiday season, make it an active one that keeps you moving, gets you going, and helps you maintain a healthy lifestyle in the process!

Happy New Year, may 2015 be the year for exercising, good eating, and healthy lifestyle choices for you and yours!

~jj

Drinking game?…How about a workout game instead?!

Drinking game?…How about a workout game instead?!

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How about working out alongside your favorite show by playing an exercise game?  Would Olivia Pope or the deep story line of the show help motivate you to exercise?

I was watching GMA not long ago and one of the journalists said, “When Olivia on Scandal mentions the President of the United States it means 5 squats and 5 lunges” or consider the series Chuck and do an exercise when Chuck gets out of the car (after being told by Sarah and John Casey to stay in the car).  I think this is a great idea because you can stay focused on the story line of the show while still getting in a workout.  I have encouraged exercising during commercials in a previous post to prevent people from sitting for long periods of time without moving so this is just another exercise option!  (See Exercise during commercials.)

Working out sometimes seems like the most exhausting thing in the world, especially some days when you have little to no energy.  My suggestion is still to do some type of workout because a workout will help fuel you to stay up and get things done.  Exercise will help push you through the rest of the evening so rather than grabbing a snack or picking up takeout and then sitting on the couch for several hours watching tv, find a way to do some type of workout in the comfort of your home.  An at home workout option also helps encourage you to workout no matter what day of the week it is and prevents you from skipping a workout or making an excuse not to go to the gym!  It doesn’t have to be long, it doesn’t have to involve intense cardio exercises, but it does have to get your heart rate up, get your body moving, and help loosen up your muscles from the stress of the day, giving you a new sense of rejuvenation and relaxation before hitting your bed.  If you let yourself come home and veg on the couch or take a nap, you most likely will have trouble going to sleep, staying asleep, or getting a good night’s rest.  Hence, do some yoga poses (download a yoga app, hit up YouTube, or like me, find a picture that demonstrates 10-15 poses) and do those throughout the tv show you want to watch.  If yoga isn’t your thing, do as I suggested above and do lunges, jumping jacks, squats, low plank, high plank, sit-ups, crunches, etc. during the show when “specific” yet frequent occurrences/scenes take place.

If you don’t like the ideas above or you can’t even force yourself to do those types of exercises, consider a fitness ball ($15 or less) and do exercises on it.  There are simple exercises you can do on a fitness ball, one being sitting on it to practice your balance.  Further, you can do leg lifts, you can lift one leg for balance or lift both and hold your core to work your abs, you can also do push-ups with your legs balanced on the ball, etc.  In other words, you can vary the level and variety of exercises based on your fitness goals all while watching your favorite tv show!

So, next time you think about skipping your workout for the day, think about what you can do in the comfort of your own living room while watching your favorite show.  You will be glad you do something, even if it a light workout.  A light workout is better than no workout, which is why some days a workout at home may be just the thing to do!

~jj

Cheer yourself on—be your own cheerleader!

Cheer yourself on—be your own cheerleader!

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Something to remember about exercise is the importance of support and positive reinforcement along the way.  Sometimes workouts can be long, exhausting, and even drag on as if they are never going to end.  Even for the most trained individual, there will be days when working out seems less than par.  Other days will go quick and feel great!  One thing I tend to do throughout my workout is cheer myself on.  This sounds odd I realize, but when my workout gets tough and I really feel challenged, I begin to cheer myself on in my head to amp myself up.  If this isn’t something that will help you, consider having a workout buddy that will keep you going.  As a side note, remember the importance of cheering on friends and family around you who make exercise and working out a priority.  By this, I mean you remind them how proud you are of their commitment to staying healthy, recognize their progress, or even buy them a small treat, workout gear, etc when they meet goals to show them that their hard work is being noticed.  Positive support is what encourages people to maintain their workout routine so they don’t give up along the way.

Back to the whole cheering yourself on during your workout! 😉 Studies have actually shown that people who are their own cheerleader throughout their workout and say positive things to reinforce meeting their goals are more successful.  For example, telling yourself “Don’t give up”, “Keep going”, “You can do this”, etc are all great ways to spur you through your workout and over the long term make a difference in the results that you will see and the time that it takes to see those results.

So, get up, get moving, and remember the power of positive thinking!  Find some great inspirational cheers to say to yourself that will help to keep you going during those workouts that seem to drag on and on and on and never end!  I have put together a small collage of some great sayings I like to say to myself when I feel like I have reached my limit and can’t go on.  Once I get to that point, the positive cheerleading begins!

~jj

Slow, steady, and consistent wins the race ;-)

Slow, steady, and consistent wins the race ;-)

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I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to write about today, but as I drove my boyfriend to work he brought up his half marathon that I “spectated” over the weekend…if you can even call it that!  It was more like I got to see him start and finish the race, which honestly was a pleasure and while the 5:30am alarm was not what I would call pleasant, it was an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world.  After all, it was his first half marathon and, well supporting him is what it’s all about, right?

I was people watching, talking, and kind of doing my own thing as I passed the time until my boyfriend would come running across the finish line.  I began to believe and probably even realize that these half marathoners and full marathoners might be considered half crazy or completely crazy.  (No disrespect to those who train, love, and compete in them, but I got this feeling the more I talked and overheard competitors discuss the race…most said race day would come and they would wake up feeling crazy!)  Sure, I can get my butt out of bed to do interval training early in the morning because it’s fast paced, interval exercises that go quickly and are ever changing, but running?  Really, are you kidding me?  Get up at 5:30a and be ready and willing to run at 7am seems nuts!  I hand it to any and all runners who choose to get up and run 13.1 or 26.2 miles before the sun has even begun to come up, but I will stick to my interval training that keeps me on my toes and my eyes wide open!  That’s why a 5k would need to be fun or adventurous for me to take part.  Maybe even a triathlon at some point…that would at least be more similar to high intensity interval training…kind of, right?!

So, you might be asking yourself what’s the point of this post?  Talking about half and full marathon runners along with high intensity, fast paced interval training is like comparing apples to oranges…or is it?!  This is where the important stuff comes in. 😉  Both are very different exercises and both fit different people’s lifestyles, interests, and personalities, but one thing is that both are workouts.   And with workouts, especially running and long, cardio interval training is that the best way to maintain your workout is to go at a slow, steady, and consistent speed to maintain pace throughout your entire workout.

Whether it is running, interval training, yoga, or some other type of workout, it is best to build yourself up as you go through your workout.  The best way to go about your workout without getting tired too soon is to realize that going at a slow, steady, and consistent speed will allow you to keep pace.  Don’t challenge yourself or go fast too early in your workout.  You should think of the beginning of your run or interval training as your “warm-up” so that you get your muscles moving, ready, and prepared for the middle part which should be the most challenging part of your workout. The middle part should push you to your limits.  This is the part of your workout where you can increase your speed, increase the number of reps and sets, and set your goals higher than the beginning or end.

The moral of the story?  We may all be different shapes and different sizes with different personalities, hobbies, interests, and even different fitness goals, but in the end we are all working out to stay healthy.  So whether you are running, walking, doing interval training, or yoga you should still realize that we are all in it together when it comes to working out.  This means we all need to maintain a slow, steady, ad consistent speed in order to get the most out of our workouts.  After all, while being fast may seem to pump you up and get you going, it is slow, steady, and consistent that wins the race!

Happy running, training, and working out! 🙂

~jj

Breathing fuels your muscles, so practice breathing!

Breathing fuels your muscles, so practice breathing!

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Last week when I was working out, I was thinking about how important and helpful it is to know what breathing pattern works best for your body, which highly depends on the person and the exercise. If you understand the importance of your breathing during exercise, you will be more likely to succeed and get through your workout.  It’s something that I have practiced before (as odd as that may sound) because without proper breathing you cannot fully conquer a workout.  Working out is as much about breathing as it is getting your heart rate up and moving your body because breathing fuels your muscles and keeps your body going during your workout.

Here are a few tips on breathing that will help you get through your workout more efficiently.  See the chart below for a visual that will help explain the process of how and why breathing matters during your workout.

1. Remember that breathing gives your muscles the energy they need to keep up with the pace, speed, and challenge of your workout.  Think of it like this: similar to consuming food to keep your body going and nourished, breathing keeps your muscles going when active.  Putting junk food such as chips, cookies, sugary drinks, etc into your body makes your body feel lethargic, energy deprived, and lazy while breathing poorly such as taking shallow or short breaths, holding your breath, or not breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth when you exercise does the same thing to your muscles that poor eating does to your body.  It makes it harder for your muscles to get through the workout just like junk food makes it harder for your body to function properly and can create problems such as diabetes, heart attacks, and other health related problems.  If you do not practice breathing properly you can face shortness of breath during exercise, asthmatic symptoms, fainting, dizziness, or even headaches.

Breathing (Deep, steady breaths) →  Energy to fuel muscles →  Assists YOU with keeping steady, consistent pace → Helps challenge and push you farther → See better results over time

2. Deep breathing. Find your breathing pattern and what will work best for you during your workout.  The best way to do this is to practice breathing at your normal, resting heart rate to recognize how fast, slow, deep, or shallow your breaths are.  Then, consider taking deep breaths which help get more oxygen to your muscles.  It is important to be aware of how you breath because this will help you feel more at ease when you exercise as well as ensure you have enough energy to continue through your workout without experiencing dizziness, headaches, or even fainting.  Realize that it can often times be a learning curve to change your breathing pattern so be patient.  Lastly, as a quick tip, if you ever get to a point where you feel you have reached the peak of your workout or need a quick dose of energy, sometimes taking one big deep breath will help you regain momentum to push forward.

3. Breathing patterns can change based on the type and intensity of the exercise and workout you are performing.  For example, cardio workouts will require a more rigorous breathing pattern to keep up with the movement, speed, and intensity of your workout.  In yoga, you can practice breathing that is similar to mediation and slow breathing techniques that will have a calming effect on your mind and body.  Keep this in mind while working out so that you are getting the maximum benefits during your workout (i.e. burning max calories during cardio workouts and gaining ease and relaxation during yoga workouts).  These are just examples, there are many other types of workouts that you can adjust your breathing for based on the speed, length, intensity, and movement.

It may seem hard to believe that something as involuntary and regular to us as breathing can impact our workout so much, but proper breathing is key to help you maximize your results and maintain a safe workout.  Shall I say, happy breath-ercising?

~jj

Make exercise your positive!

Make exercise your positive!

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People often feel guilty when they eat lots of junk food or fatty foods over the weekend or skip a workout during the week so some people try to make up for this by punishing themselves with an extra long workout at the gym to compensate for missed days or junk food consumption.  There are a few problems with this though. Punishing yourself with an extra hard workout to make up for poor eating habits and missed workouts is like a consequence.  Further, remember that pushing yourself too hard and forcing an extra long, strenuous cardio workout is a great way to cause an injury or unnecessary discomfort in your joints and muscles. Rather than using negative reinforcement, try positive reinforcement (which studies show is so much more successful and beneficial).  For example, if you workout 5 consecutive days during the week, reward yourself with a small treat, shopping spree, etc during the weekend rather than punishing yourself because you ate a lot of carbohydrates all weekend and therefore need to make yourself get through an intense, two hour long workout.

Further, if you allow yourself to use exercise as a “punishment” your brain begins to associate exercise as a negative consequence for guilty or poor choices that you make.  Don’t do this!  You don’t want your brain to begin to feel as though exercise is a punishment.  Otherwise, this impacts your reality and feelings toward working out and exercise.

The solution is to try to maintain a routine and workout accordingly.  Did you slip up over the weekend and eat too much junk food, fatty foods, carbohydrates, or sweets?  Take a short walk or bike ride over the weekend mid-day or early evening to help balance it out so you don’t feel guilty or pressure to force a long workout in at the gym.  Use positive reinforcement and goals so that you can practice moderation.  Lastly, remember that exercise and fitness releases positive endorphins, improves your mood (by the end of the workout!), relieves stress, and I could go on and on.  The take all is that the benefits of exercise are astounding so don’t forget that what you gain from working out and the results you will see over time should be positives that keep you going back for more! 😉

~jj

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