Stretch It Out...Way Out. Tips to Improve Your Stretching Technique

So often we neglect to stretch. We just don't feel like doing it, there is not enough time and hey, we did the most important part of the workout whether is was lifting weights or doing interval training on the bike. Well, I'm here to tell you what you probably already know....it's good for you, you should stretch and it feels good! Wow, rocket science..

In a future blog post I'll get into the reasons why it's good for you and for now here are some tips to improve your stretching technique:

• The more often you stretch the more likely you are to have lasting effects. It's better to stretch a little bit in the morning, a little bit in the afternoon and a little bit more in the evening.


• Hold your stretch between 18 and 30 seconds


• Stretch each area about 5 times (so that's 30 seconds X 5 = 2 1/2 minutes on each hamstring or quad or whatever body part)


• Your body should be in good postural alignment whether you are lying on the ground, side lying, standing or sitting. "Square" your hips and shoulders to your body, keep your low back in its natural curvature, etc.

For deeper stretching and getting the myofacial layer beneath the muscle try a foam roller or rolling stick. What's the myofacial layer? Think of a piece of chicken that you've just taken the skin off and you now see the whitish, filmy covering over the meat of the chicken. Well, we have it too, and it's one big piece that can get bound to our muscles and make us achy and uncomfortable. I found this You Tube video that shows how to use a foam roller on some commonly tight muscles. Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lLw81kGeXg

"It is wise to keep in mind that neither success nor failure is ever final." -Roger Babson

You Know What It Is?

You know what it is? YES...I do know what it is! It's the beginning of an excuse! Almost everyday someone says to me...You know what it is? It's this, it's that and it's always an excuse or justification as to why they can't do something. In reality it's what the person really doesn't WANT to do or change.

I don't want to hear what someone CAN'T do because whatever it is, is usually unfounded. Now, I'm not saying there are aren't legitimate barriers to why someone doesn't have the ability to exercise. Maybe they have a broken back? Perhaps someone can't change their eating habits because they are allergic to everything under the sun. More often then not, though, people don't WANT to change.

Change is hard. We find a lot of comfort in our routine and when someone asks you to change that routine we get scared and think "I can't do that". Well, guess what? Chances are that you CAN make changes. It just takes small steps and an open mind.

Most often the statement/question "You know what it is?" is a response to me asking or suggesting that someone change the way they are currently doing something. For instance, when someone comes to me and asks for my help in losing fat weight I might say: "You need to add another day of metabolic resistance training and one day of intervals to your program. And, oh yeah, don't eat ice cream every night and stay away from processed foods" Then I hear "you know what it is?" and it follows with some lame excuse that almost sounds legitimate.

COME ON PEOPLE!!!! Enough with the excuses. It's Okay not to want to make the changes. Just be honest with yourself and me. You don't want to make the changes because they are hard or whatever the reason, just don't tell me you can't because I know you CAN!

Here are some tips to get you through the hard changes:

1. Visualize yourself making the change. Good athletes do it all of the time. The baseball player imagines himself hitting the ball on the right spot of the bat, his body swinging in response, all of the components he can think of. Do the same with exercise. Imagine yourself getting out of bed, alert and happy to begin your day with activity. Picture yourself putting on your clothes you've set out the night before. Then driving to the gym or walking to your basement or living room where you exercise. See yourself lifting the weights. Your breaking a sweat. You can feel the muscles working and burning. You CAN do it!

2. See yourself as a person who does this or does that. Become an avid exerciser in your mind and others will see you as that person, too. In other words make exercise and healthy eating such a part of your life, it's just who you are. Change the perception of yourself. "I am someone who works out 5 days a week. I am someone who eats garden salad instead of macaroni salad."

3. Change your goals. This one might actually be the hardest. We all think we want to be thin. Perhaps, instead of your goal to lose 50 pounds your goal should be changed to walking every day or eating breakfast every day. I don't want to discourage you from losing 50 pounds of fat, but perhaps you are really not willing to give up the excess of food or drink. Don't torment yourself, just tweak your goals. Eventually one healthy change will lead to another!

Good Luck and please don't say "You know what it is?"

Glycemic Index of the Foods You Eat

I've been doing a lot of reading and talking with other professionals lately about nutrition. I have long believed that the foods we eat play a huge role in how we feel day to day, how our bodies age, development (or not) of disease, etc.



You may or may not be familiar with the glycemic index. It is a guide of how fast and high a food produces insulin in response to eating a carbohydrate. Quick and dirty...eat food, the hormone insulin is released to get the sugar from the carbohydrate into the cells of our body. Depending on the food, the insulin either does a slow drip (good) or spikes (bad). This is important because how the insulin responds has a great deal to do with things such as weight gain/loss, energy levels, heart disease, diabetes and other conditions.



Eating foods with a low glycemic index is better for your health and for those interested in losing weight. Think of the glycemic index as a speedometer. Table sugar is 100 (mph), that's fast! A peeled and boiled yam is (25), that's slow.

What are the Benefits of the Glycemic Index?

Eating a lot of high GI foods can be detrimental to your health because it pushes your body to extremes. This is especially true if you are overweight and sedentary. Switching to eating mainly low GI carbs that slowly trickle glucose into your blood stream keeps your energy levels balanced and means you will feel fuller for longer between meals.

Low GI diets help people lose and control weight
Low GI diets increase the body's sensitivity to insulin
Low GI carbs improve diabetes control
Low GI carbs reduce the risk of heart disease
Low GI carbs reduce blood cholesterol levels
Low GI carbs can help you manage the symptoms of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
Low GI carbs reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer
Low GI carbs prolong physical endurance
High GI carbs help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise

Check this web site for more information on the Glycemic Index, glycemic load and to find the GI of foods you eat.

www.glycemicindex.com

Good luck and there will definitely be more discussion about nutrition and weight loss so keep following!

Reduce Calories; Maintain Energy For Running

I got this from Runner's World. It makes sense and you will see some results (probably slow results, but results non the less).

REDUCE CALORIE INTAKE BASED ON PERSONAL NEEDS
Make small changes in your diet and reap big rewards.By Leslie Goldman
Image by Getty Images
From the April 2009 issue of Runner's World

Dieter's Strategy: Cut 500 calories a day to lose one pound a week. Runner's Strategy: Reduce calorie intake based on personal needs. You've probably heard of the 500 Rule—slash 500 calories a day to lose one pound a week (one pound equals 3,500 calories). "It's a nice, clean rule," says Lewin, and for a lot of dieters, cutting 500 calories a day will help them lose weight—at least for a while.

The problem for runners, though, is that slashing that many calories can be too much—especially if you're training hard. "Cutting too many calories can be your worst enemy," says Lewin. "It can lead to plummeting energy levels. You might not be able to work out as well or maintain muscle mass—you're setting yourself up for failure." So rather than cutting 500 calories, runners should work to identify the number of calories they personally need to eat to lose weight, says Lewin.

Here's how to find that number.

1. Count Calories: Track your intake by keeping a detailed food journal for one week, says Lewin. Write down everything you eat and note your energy and hunger levels on a scale of one to 10 (nutritiondata.com and calorieking.com provide calorie counts for most foods, making it easy to do the math).

2. Trim—Don't Slash: "Start by cutting about 300 calories a day," says Leslie Bonci, R.D., director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "It's a more doable number and is more likely to reflect a drop in body fat." As long as you're running, you'll still hit a 500-calorie deficit per day and lose about one pound a week.

3. Tweak It: If you cut 300 calories and maintain your energy levels, but the number on the scale hasn't budged, it's time to reduce your intake gradually, says Bonci.

You can also adjust for training. Racking up miles for a marathon? Add calories back in. Having an easy week? Reduce your intake further. Small Changes, Big Rewards.

You don't need to make drastic adjustments to your calorie intake to start dropping pounds. Small substitutes here and there can add up and lead to major weight loss. Jennifer Ventrelle, R.D., owner of a private weight-loss practice in Chicago called Weight No More, suggests these simple food swaps for a day of meals to help cut calories while keeping your energy levels high.

Swap Out: Bagel with cream cheese 360 calories
Swap In: Whole-grain bagel with peanut butter and a cup of yogurt 325 calories

Swap Out: Starbucks Grande Latte 190 calories
Swap In: Starbucks Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte 130 calories

Swap Out: Clif Bar 250 calories
Swap In: High-fiber, high-protein granola bar, such as Kashi GoLean Crunchy Bar 180 calories

Swap Out: Subway six-inch roast-beef sandwich on white with mayo, cheese, and veggies 400 calories
Swap In: Subway six-inch roast-beef sandwich on wheat with mustard, no cheese, extra veggies, and apple slices on the side 340 calories

Swap Out: Four-ounce pork chop and salad with apples, walnuts, and goat cheese 485 calories Swap In: Four ounces of pork tenderloin and a mixed green salad with apples and walnuts (hold the cheese), and a half cup of brown rice 380 calories

Swap Out: One cup of vanilla ice cream 290 calories
Swap In: Half cup of vanilla ice cream with one cup of raspberries 205 calories

Original Daily Intake: 1,975 calories
New Daily Intake: 1,560 calories
Total Daily Savings: 415 calories

Cool stuff at Sneaker Factory Grand Opening

My friend, Erika, and I and our babies checked out The Sneaker Factory grand opening in Basking Ridge this past weekend! We checked out the latest foot ware, cool sunglasses and got some information about the Lymphoma & Leukemia Team In Training.

Here we are with our future running buddies!

The store is pretty cool because all of the sales people have to have at least 6 months of training before they can help customers find the right sneakers. The owner, Mike, said he actually goes to classes offered by the sneaker manufactures and learns how to fit people to their running shoes! I'm talking 6 days here, 5 days there...there is a lot to know about how to properly fit your foot to a sneaker. Mike sure seemed like he knew what he was talking about, too!

Also, you get to run around in the sneakers before you buy them. I highly recommend you get professionally fitted for your running shoes...no more sports authority if you really want to feel good while you run!

Erika and I decided we'd like to do Team In Training next May at the Grand Canyon! We will hike in and back out for a total of 8 hours of hiking. We will each be committed to raising between $4200-$4600 for The Lymphoma and Leukemia Society...I'll keep you posted on this endeavor!

In the mean time if you want to start running as part of your fitness routine the first thing you need to do is get a great pair of sneakers. Next go out for an easy run/walk. That is walk for 5-10 minutes then run for however long feels comfortable then walk again. Just do what feels right...maybe you go for a total of 15 minutes, maybe you go for a total of 30 minutes. Alternate between walking and running until your running lasts longer than your walking.

My sister lost 18# in less than 2 months....

My Sister lost 18# in less then 2 months….can you?

Really, she did! And I'm very proud of her!

It wasn’t magic and I’m sure it wasn’t easy. But, she did it anyway! Janet didn’t use some quick weight loss pill, magic “diet” or have any kind of medical procedure! She did it the old fashioned way…..eating healthy!!!

Are you surprised by that? I’ll bet someone reading this will still find an excuse or reason as to why that won’t work for them. But, I assure you, it can work for you, too!

Janet made her decision to change the way she ate and wouldn’t you know it…she lost weight! A funny thing is, she didn’t think her eating habits were that bad before! They were, but now the foods she eats are helping her body work better instead of making her body just function.

Here is a quick overview of the changes Janet made to help her lose 18 pounds in less than 2 months.

· Cut out Salt
· Cut out processed SUGAR (aka the devil!) except natural sugar in the form of fruit
· No Alcohol
· No Caffeine (I know this one was hard for her)
· No Preservatives…another biggy
· Increased water intake to 1-2 quarts daily.

Janet says “I eat food as close to the natural form as possible. For instance, I will eat the grain instead of bread. I mostly have taken the philosophy that if I can't theoretically go outside and grow it, gather it, shoot it or fish for it, I don't eat it. Yogurt, olive oil and flax seed oil and small amounts of cheese excluded. “

Wow! Sounds like a pretty healthy way to eat. Eating the right foods can help you feel good , have more energy and prevent disease. Stop with the excuses and make changes today!

Keep watching my blog because in future posts I’ll talk about how some of these changes helped her lose weight beyond just a negative calorie balance.

Good luck in making your own changes today!