sunshine came softly

Through my window today...

YES! 

The rain finally broke! I hit the road running at 7 this morning, fully expecting to make it about a quarter of my usual route and be forced to stop from having missed about 5 days because of the weather. I have been keeping up on cardio and strength but I was afraid it wouldn't be enough to make the run comfortable again.

Well I made it the entire way, even with the little extra I added on last week in order to push through to the 3 miles mark.

It felt great, it was definitely hard, not running for almost a week had an effect but nothing near what I was expecting. Hopefully we will have clear mornings for a while. 

more later...

martha

mental barriers block obese women from exercise

According to a study being conducted by Temple University, a major factor contributing to obese women's inability to or lack of exercise are mental barriers. When asked to fill out a questionnaire throughout the study period they gave the following reasons for not exercising:

Feeling self-conscious

Not wanting to fail

Fear of injury

Perceived poor health

Having minor aches and pains

Feeling too overweight to exercise

This is something for everyone to think about. I have a few people who are very close to me who are obese and I see these underlying fears and misconceptions holding them back all the time.  It is so hard to see a family member or close friend struggle with obesity. We should all try to be as supportive as possible and try to help friends and family breakthrough this barrier because it is possible. Seem to me that this is all the more reason to get young girls involved with athletics.

HERE is the full article.

xoxo

martha

rain, rain and more rain

It has been raining for about 4 days straight here and it's starting to get to me. Just when I was making significant progress with my morning run I get sidelined by mother nature. I went to the gym today to run on the treadmill but it's not the same. Inside, on a machine, it feels like you're running a box. It's also really hard to get proper form on the treadmill. I feel like I can't stretch all the way, it's very constricting. Hopefully the rain will break soon and I can head back out on the road.

In the meantime I have been doing lots of cardio and strength training at home and at the gym. I checked out Jillian Michael's Cardio Kickboxing DVD yesterday, it was pretty good, decent length, hard but not impossible. 

Also, just added some Women's Fitness free download workouts to the routine, you can check them out HERE! I highly recommend thee Workouts-to-go. 

more later...

martha

viva video

At home workouts can be really satisfying and beneficial. I know a lot of people who just don't like the atmosphere of the gym, which is totally understandable, and so they workout almost exclusively at home. If you're trying to develop a serious and diverse routine at home it can be really fun to incorporate workout videos.

Personally I love workout videos, I have a nice little collection, some of them I have had for years and still keep them in rotation. Lately I have been trying to update my library and honestly keep up with some of the fantastic stuff going on in fitness. Recently I have been really enjoying the Jillian Michaels DVD collection, they are super hard and satisfying. 

In the past I was often frustrated when I would try a new video. I would feel really uncoordinated and by the end, overtired and annoyed. What I discovered over time is that to really enjoy the experience you need to prepare for each video.

Here are a few tips to help you prepare for a new workout:

1. Watch the video all the way through before you try to follow along. This way you learn the rhythm, what equipment might be needed and what the terminology used is. There's nothing worse than popping in a DVD and finding out you need a weighted bar for half of it when you don't own one.

2. Be rested when you try a new video. Don't have the first time be when you're tired or at the end of the night. 

3. Have water and a towel nearby. Even when a video is short or it looks like it's in your range of ability you don't want to stop midway because you're sweating really hard or super thirsty.

4. Don't give up. Sometimes when first trying out a video it might seem too hard or complicated but it could be because it's new and you need to practice it. Give each new video at least a 5 day chance. Practice it for five days and if you still have problems with it then dump it but give anything new a decent chance.

5. Have fun. Take your time, do the modifications when available and ease into it. It should be enjoyable and satisfying to try out new moves. 

I hope you find these tips useful.  Email me with any tips you use to make a new workout more enjoyable.  Remember a diverse workout routine leads to faster results because you use the entire body more frequently, so grab a DVD and mix it up.

xoxo

martha

iPod to the rescue!

So everyone has an iPod or an MP3 player these days and honestly I think these are one of the best tools for getting fit, these and a really properly fitted pair of athletic shoes.

Almost all of the fitness magazine websites have free downloadable workouts that you can save and then put on your player. This make working out on the go much easier, you can take your workout with you on business trips, vacations or to the gym. Many of these also come with printable versions so if you don't have a player you can still get the benefits.

Here are a few links to some really great free downloadable workouts:

Women's Health  - This is a fantastic series

Self Magazine - The 2007 SELF Challenge months 1 through 3

Fitness Magazine - They have downloads mixed into their large library of workouts, they also have a pay-to-download video section HERE 

Check these out, save them to your computer, grab your headphones and get busy. I think you'll really enjoy the freedom of the download. These are especilly fantastic when you start to feel bored with your regular workout, you can throw in something new to keep you motivated.

enjoy!

martha