Mpower!

A Box of Chocolates or my Dancing Shoes?

Saturday night I was tired. It was Valentine’s Day and I had spent a long afternoon looking after my elderly mother.  I kept imagining myself curling up with a movie and a box of chocolates for the night. But just as I started to throw on a pair of comfy sweat pants, I received a call. “Did I want to get dressed up and go out dancing?” I had a choice to make… So out came the heels and the hose and away I went.   I came home 5 hours later feeling exhilarated and energized and a few pounds lighter. I made an active choice, avoided the box of chocolates and had a grand time in the process.

How about you? Every day you have millions of choices to make…whether it’s what you wear or what you eat or what you say to the annoying coworker next to you in the cubicle or at the coffee machine.  You all have choices in how to behave.

 And day in and day out those choices also involve how active you choose to be. I am not talking about the choice between the treadmill or walking outside for an hour or whether to make the long trek to the fitness club when it’s still dark and cold at 6 AM.  I’m talking about the day to day little things that add up.

 I know you have seen or heard a few of these things but can you honestly say you make the active choices on a daily basis? Look at the list below. If you know of some I missed shoot me an email and I’ll add them on. Make the decision starting today you will make the active choices.

·         Do you look for the closest space to park at work or at the mall?

     Get to your destination a little early so you can park farther away and get those extra steps walking.

·         Faced with an escalator or steps what do you choose?

     Unless the stairs are in a sketchy or dangerous setting, always choose the steps. You often can actually get to your destination faster and you will really feel the burn in your calves and butt.

·          At lunchtime do you spend the entire time eating?

    Pack a lunch and eat for half the time and then take a walk for the remaining minutes. (Don’t forgo eating. The fuel is necessary to keep your body from storing fat in the fear that you’re starving.)

·         Do you pull right up to your mailbox in your car to get the mail?

   Park your car and get out and walk to the mailbox. Sounds silly but the steps add up.

·         Are your free weights next to your TV or kitchen or computer so you can work some weightlifting sets into an otherwise sedentary activity?

   Buy a second set if necessary so you have them handy to make good use of your time.

·         When the weekend arrives and you have opportunity to go out on a date, do you go to a movie and sit for 2 hours, go to a restaurant and eat for 2 hours or stay in and watch TV with a bowl full of chips beside you?

       Get creative. Choose to do something active first. Go for a walk with your friend or significant other.  Good time to talk and catch up. Go dancing.  It’s good exercise and a wonderful way to reconnect physically with someone.  If you’re lousy dancers, take a dance class together. Go to a mall and window shop. You can rack up the walking steps in no time.  Get frisky…hey it burns calories. Just get active.

Some additions…(Thanks Karen from Boston!)

Do some exercises while waiting for your computer to boot up. Might as well do something constructive rather than yelling at Windows.

Purchase two Klean Water Kanteens in different colors.  One for water and one for flavored water.  Keep both in the fridge and reach for the latter instead of diet soda.

Above all just make the choice to keep your engines going. You will be amazed at how much better you will feel for it. If you’re having an argument with someone the activity will go a long ways towards calming the frustration and anger between you. If you are feeling sluggish the activity will be a tonic. The saying is true. Energy begets energy.

It worked for me…and I never even missed the chocolate!

I Found Inspiration in a 70 Pound Boxer

Ok, ok it’s been almost 2 weeks since I checked in… when last I wrote we were facing the challenges of nachos, dip, beer and the Super Bowl.  So how did you do? Be honest…Were you able to avoid the cheesy products? Able to do a few crunches at halftime with the Boss wailing?

NO worries. The most important thing to remember is that if you had a weak day yesterday, LET IT GO. Today is a new day. Don’t dwell on the 14 cookies or the Danish you devoured in frustration at work or the extra large portion of Alfredo you consumed at dinner or the bowl of sweet cereal at midnight . Wake up today drinking water and recommitting yourself to being disciplined to your health and fitness regimen.  Do not bemoan your lapse…celebrate your ability to get back on track.

Ok here is a good example…I just returned from a trip to Florida. I was down in Orlando helping out a friend after her surgery and as we well know, travelling can really make it tough to stay disciplined. The change in location and routine and the visiting with friends can make it hard to eat right or take the time to exercise. The first two days I drank too much wine and ate too many chips. I drank very little water and did not run, or walk or stumble thru a single leg lift.  By the third day I was overcome with guilt and a feeling of malaise. I was grouchy and bloated. I started to get depressed and pulled up the covers a little higher and turned over to sleep a few more hours.

And then something nudged me…ok I’d love to tell you it was a glorious epiphany of some sort…a bright light and choir music in the background…but in completely honesty  I have to tell you it was my friend’s 70 pound boxer, Eddie, begging to go outside. His unbridled enthusiasm and energy did the trick. I got myself out of bed, saw the bright, beautiful morning and kicked myself in the butt.  It was a new day.

 I drank a large glass of water, ate some fruit,  put on my workout clothes, a visor and  tennis shoes,  grabbed my Mp3 and I went for a long walk/jog.  I took it easy since I had been off a few days.  I swear my perspiration smelled like Sauvignon Blanc. EWWWWWW! When I returned, I did some exercises.  That evening I found myself avoiding the chips and wine and choosing some salsa, carrots and crystal light in water instead. I ate an early dinner so I would not be tempted to eat salty snacks. I was back on track.

The next afternoon I went to the the grocery store and bought some healthy snacks and a big jug of water. I retrieved the elastic exercise bands from my suitcase pocket and began using them.  For the next 4 days I walked/jogged and exercised at least an hour each day and drank water nonstop.

When I returned home this past Monday I had lost a pound. Sweet success. Thank you Eddie.

 Find your own inspiration every day. Embrace your ability to get back on track. Celebrate your success one day at a time. 

SUPER BOWL CHALLENGE

Ok it’s the big ole Super Bowl Day which means lots of bone crunching manliness going on, screaming at the TV, and being surrounded by salty, addictive, bloat inducing snacks.  I can hardly wait!  So I’m going to piggyback on my last posting and encourage you to find a creative way to keep your hands away from the chip/dip bowl and get that workout into your schedule.

First grab a water bottle and dump in some crystal light so you feel like you’re having a festive beverage with everyone else. That way you’ll have a better chance of avoiding all those high calorie beers or margaritas or gin and tonics during the festivities.(Yes there are a few hard cores who actually drink Gin and Tonics in the dead of winter:)

Ok now bring those hand weights into the TV area.  If you have some friends coming over, talk to one of your friends and ask her/him to agree to doing “the exercise plan” with you during the game so you can support one another when other people give you a hard time for being so dedicated. (They just feel guilty anyway!) Or if it’s a “private party” ask your child or spouse or significant other to join you.

Now while you watch the big game find a creative way to work in your exercise sets. Thats right while the game is going on…what the heck else are you going to be doing but sitting on your butt and stuffing your face mindlessly!) Start out in the first quarter with some light stretches and then move into stomach exercises.  Butt exercises in the second quarter.  And so on. Or maybe agree to do the exercises just during commercials while everyone else goes to the bathroom.

During halftime hop on the treadmill, turn up the volume on the television and walk to the Boss’s halftime show. Or march in place…lift those knees and don’t stop for the entire halftime.  Remember to drink your festive drink throughout.  After halftime do biceps and shoulder exercises or legs and triceps.

Oh and regarding the eating snacks issue…just be smart…dip carrots in salsa instead of slathering a Doritos chip with cheesy con queso. Enjoy a bowl of chili just leave off the sour cream.  Or saute some onions, peppers and lean chicken with some mexican seasonings and serve low fat fajitas for the big day. I love fajitas!!! Put some pretzels in a small bowl and agree to eating just the amount in the bowl. Avoid those football decorted cakes. Instead chill a container of Dole or Del Monte tropicial fruit beforehand and enjoy that instead. Very tasty! Don’t sit near any snack areas.  Keep your festive drink handy to keep your hands occupied.

 I guarantee whether your team wins or not, you will feel like a winner when the clock winds down and you’ve dedicated yourself to an exercise plan during the Super Bowl and stuck to it. Let me know how it goes.

Mult-Task Exercise Into Your Day

Alright so here’s what I’m hearing…the toughest part about getting fit is staying motivated and finding the time. I get the motivation part…you need someone to kick you, to nag you, to make you feel guilty enough to walk the walk and do that walk consistently. I am more than happy to be that nag…my ex husband would say it comes naturall! Let me help you. I’ll text you. I’ll email you…what do you need? Talk to me. And as my first line of “nag” business I am here to tell you the “can’t find time to exercise” is just a lame …ok, ok “misinformed” excuse and here is why. I understand it is often hard or impossible to chisel out an hour or two in every day to walk/jog and lift weights. So change your mind set. Don’t try to find an hour block of time. Treat exercise like any other activity you successfully multitask into your day. Let me explain. It works. Yesterday I found I was having a tough time getting the house ready for an onslaught of guests coming to visit this upcoming weekend and still getting in my workout for the day. I was frustrated. So I multitasked the workout. I took the sheets off the guest bed, put them in the washer, started the dishwasher and put meat in the crock pot. And then I hopped on the treadmill for 30 minutes. When I finished I took my hand weights upstairs…that’s right I took them out of the basement and to the place I was going to be working all day. And my weight bearing exercises were fit in between chores. It became like a little game. I vacuumed and then did 3 sets of tricep extensions. I dusted and then did 3 sets of tricep kick backs. While noodles were cooking I did 3 sets of side leg lifts. I made a salad and hopped onto the floor to do stomach crunches. I checked my email and then did 3 sets of squats. And so on and so on…By the end of the day I had cleaned my house, prepared dinner and had done my 30 min aerobic workout and finished my entire weight bearing regimen for the day. It worked. I was thrilled! My sister is a believer. She has her weights upstairs and she does her exercises while watching a half hour of John Stewart. Fit in your exercises while you’re cooking…between chopping, waiting for your fettuccini to cook or oven is preheating. Besides if your hands are busy while you’re cooking you won’t be as tempted to nibble on stuff or drink too many glasses of wine. If you have 5 things you do after getting out of the shower in the morning fit exercises in between those activities. Get creative. Buy a second pair of hand weights and keep them upstairs so they are handy. Put them next to the TV or the computer. You are supposed to rest your eyes from the computer on a regular basis anyway, use the eyeball “rest time” to knock out some exercises. It really works. Try it. You will feel so empowered at the end of the day knowing you sustained the fitness momentum.

SHE'S BAAAAACK!!!!!!

What the heck happened to me you ask?!!!  I left you high and dry with a pedometer strapped to your butt and looking for a little more inspiration…a regular Fitness interruptus…my sincerest apologies…but watch out!! I am back with a vengeance!

I need to at least offer an explanation. You see I may be a fitness enthusiast and a mom, but I am also a professional actress and occasionally a theatre deems me appropriate for a role…so for the last three months I have been rehearsing and then performing the show Christmas Carol for the illustrious Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC. Beautiful show, wonderful cast, impressive digs, great experience and a paycheck… but unfortunately my schedule made it impossible to do much of anything else.

I did manage to keep working out and walking, drinking water, getting some sleep, staying away from too many refined foods and hanging a little Christmas tinsel. During the run of the show, I also had the opportunity to list my tumblr blog in the program under my credits…figure I might get a few theatre goers interested in strapping on the pedometer and making a change in their own dress size.

I am so ready to go!! It is a new year… What do you want for yourself? You can have it. 2009 is going to be about determination and discipline and empowerment…my own and anyone else’s that I have the good fortune of influencing.  Let’s kick some butt together.

Right now.

Calories In, Verses Calories Burned- It's Not Brain Surgery!

So here’s the deal. You have your pedometer right? And you know where you sit (quite literally) in that illustrious  “sedentary” scale…so do something about it.

“Here’s a snapshot of how your body uses energy during the day: You burn around one calorie per minute at rest. If you start to walk, that might increase to four or five calories per minute. Vigorous exercise might bounce that up to 10 or 12 calories per minute…”

                        Martica Heaner (an exercise physiologist and nutritionist)

I don’t know about you, but I like to eat and if I can burn the food faster, I’m all for it. So get moving. All you need are your feet on a treadmill or on the pavement for 10 -15 minutes to start.

My recommendation is to step outside now while the weather is crisp enough to make it truly invigorating.  Map out a route for yourself beforehand. Make sure it is safe and well lit and without hazardous potholes. Get some sturdy walking shoes, socks with decent thickness to absorb perspiration and put on clothes that are layerable especially since you might be cool when you start walking but after you get warmed up you’ll probably want to shed a layer.

I really like these wick away fabrics you can buy. They are lightweight sportswear that literally suck sweat up and off your body. They can be pricey so hop on Ebay or Craig’s List, TJ Max or Marshalls.  I actually bought some Underarmour wick away shirts on Ebay for a fraction of what they cost in a sports store. The Underarmour is great but it does run tight so if you like loose clothes, get a size larger than you normally would.

I also love music to motivate me. Grab an MP3 or an Ipod and headphones and download some motivating music. I actually put together a walking mix for myself. It has about 8 minutes of laid back music at the front for walking slower because I am warming up my body and mind at a slower pace in the beginning and then the music picks up the pace as I do.

And remember to stretch out a little beforehand. Don’t go crazy with it. Your muscles are not warmed up and do not take kindly to a whole lot of stretching. Better to save the harder stretching for after the walk. I will offer some easy stretches I like to do, in my next posting.

Also do not forget sun screen if you are walking outside. That’s right we are at the age for telltale sunspots so let’s be real careful.

Drink a big ole glass of water before you leave to hydrate yourself.

And finally remember to go to the bathroom before you leave. Trust me, when you start walking you can… how shall I say… get other things moving so try and take care of your personal needs so you don’t have to race home or back to the office faster than you expected!

And when you get back, drink another glass of water. And take a look at that pedometer. It will feel good to see those numbers.

It will be tough starting this process. I know it well. But be easy on yourself. Walk for 10-15 minutes at first. And congratulate yourself heartily at the end. Increase the length of time gradually. Just get moving. Do it today. And tell me how it feels. Let’s kick some butt.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye, I want to hear from Ye!

My wiz-brained techno friend Aaron made it possible for you to now write to me and have your comments posted on my blog every time you have something to say. So say away! Questions, comments, suggestions, complaints whatever. Let it fly.

Ok and while we’re at it…How many steps did you walk? You’ve had plenty of time to get that pedometer, so absolutely no excuses… So let’s hear how you did. Were you officially sedentary? I want to hear from you. Because now the fun begins. That’s right, more butt kicking… but you’ll love yourself the next morning for it. And besides now that we have comment ability on the website you can write and complain if your butt hurts from exercising and you hate me for it.

"Good Housekeeping's" Best Butt Kickers

So how cool is this… today I saw a “Good Housekeeping” magazine review of the best pedometers. They did the work for me in reviewing those amazing little butt kickers. The top three for accuracy, value etc are listed below…drum roll please.

Sportline 350 - $34.95 Said to be very accurate, very easy to use and extremely durable. (wonder if it would have survived my accidental dunking in the toilet?)

Accumen 10 K stepper plus- $20.00

And the

Oregon Scientific PE 316FM- $29.95 Comes with an FM radio, ear buds and a back lite so you can read it in the dark if you have a sudden insane urge to go walking in the pitch black or decide to wear your pedometer on your pajamas to record your late night sleep walking.

Think I’ll go out and buy a new one today!

Where Inspiration Can Lead...

So while you’re walking with a pedometer on your butt, drinking water and having some sort of fitness epiphany, I thought I would let you know how inspired all this redefining the age “50” has actually made me…

I am presently studying to become an ACE certified personal trainer! That’s right, I became so enamored with “feeling the burn” I want to inspire others to feel it too. I guess I could just have stopped random people on the street and asked them to “drop and give me 20” but it helps to have the credibility of some nationally recognized certification organization before making that request.

So here I am burning the midnight oil, studying day after day and learning more about my hip flexors and Adenosine Triphosphate production in my mitochondria than any human ever really wanted to know! In all seriousness, it is actually weirdly interesting to finally understand why my body hurts sometimes and not other times after exercise, the actual physiological reasoning behind stretching and warming up the body before exercise and what the heck blood pressure actually means…just to name a tiny bit of the info I am cramming into my rapidly expanding brain.

But don’t give it a thought yourself…just keep walking. If you’re like me, in the beginning I was only concerned with the wrinkles in my butt and eliminating the unsightly “flags” under my arms I called triceps.

But just thought I’d let you know where inspiration can lead you…..