Its all in the numbers...

10, 2000, 120. Numbers numbers numbers. They tend to rule our lives don't they? How many repetitions? How many calories? How much do I weigh? Sometimes they can be to your detriment as many individuals tend to get caught up in the qualitative aspects and lose focus on the big picture. On the other hand, numbers can help provide us that extra shove towards the confetti and champagne at the end of the light! Lets explore those numbers:

• 59% MORE calories are burned when training large muscle groups verses small ones!
  
  What can I do with this information? Focus in on training multiple muscle systems by doing movements such as push-ups, lunges, reverse planks, and squats.


• 15 beats higher your heart rate spikes when performing circuit style weight workouts verses traditional cardio such as paced jogging.
  
  What can I do with this information? Try this circuit with Natalie Coughlin from itrain. It takes you through the whole workout while she gives thorough explanations and tips.
  
  


• 10 times more calories are burned by muscle tissue than by fat tissue!
  
  What can I do with this information? Get to working! Resistance training is a great way to gain muscle mass and reduce fat!! The above link will take you to Cranky Fitness where you can learn all about the benefits while giving you a hand up to get started!

What does your love affair with numbers entail? Does your motivation waver with the numbers?

Chiggety-check it out!

Hope you guys are enjoying a fabu week!! Today, I'm flexing my muscle of creativity over at the home of the illustrious Bumbling Band. So please do clizick your way on over there to enjoy the styling of "It's more than just a washboard"--a topic on core training.

For your enjoyment during our photo-op, I said,"Puppy, give me gangsta'!" he took a deep breath, sat down and gave me a brilliant Tony Montana don't you think??

Have a great day! ~rupal

Its the little things that matter most: Running

I love that my day job involves helping people achieve their fitness goals and rehabilitating them to achieve positive movement experiences, but look people, I'm no saint. Let me explain: I'm very wishy-washy when it comes to cardio, I'm talking about the actual act of doing anything cardiovascular in nature. I love the way it makes me feel afterwards, love getting the sweat on, but argh, there has got to be an easier way. Because of my neither-here-nor-there attitude about cardio, I periodically switch up what I do, sometimes I'm in a running mood, other times I am religious about spin class, then there are the waves that come about where I machine hop (and if the gym is real busy, I turn it into my own little game of musical machines...by-the-way, not as fun with only 1 contestant and no prize).

Being the therapist that I am, I'm always thinking (over-thinking?) how to make the exercise I'm doing more effective. Just to reiterate from yesterday's post, our body will follow a path of least resistance to help us achieve our goals. Minor biomechanical faults (i.e. postural adaptations) can lead to weakness or lack of flexibility in key muscle groups, leading to inefficiency of movement and vulnerability to injury.

Running and walking are popular activities since they don't involve the use of equipment and have the potential to be entertaining seeing as how the venue can be changed at the drop of a hat. This must be the reason that non-runners like me keep going back to it. Compensatory muscle activity around the hip joint is often seen in individuals suffering running/walking related injuries. For this reason, it is important to pay special attention to hip mobility and strength. Lets take a look at some key muscles which are often neglected.

• Piriformis
  This little booger of a muscle is one which helps the thigh bone turn outwards. It is located deep in your buttocks and is often times shortened from running. This tightness causes restricted hip mobility and can lead to pain in the low back or down the leg.
  
  Remedy: Figure 4 stretch, Knee across Chest stretch


• Gluteus Medius
  The gluteus medius is, as you would guess, the medium version of the gluteus maximus or butt-ocks. It performs the rotation and provides stabilization at the hip joint while you run. Weakness here can lead to uneven hips and shoulders which will be compensated by overactivity of other muscle groups, thus lending to injury in the knees and hips.
  
  Remedy: Strengthen via Clam exercises, Single Leg squat


• Tensor Fascia Latae
  The tensor fascia latae (TFL) is a short muscle which attaches into the Iliotibial band (ITB) and runs from the crest of the hip down into the outside of the leg, below the knee. It acts to help stabilize your knee and pull your leg outwards. This structure (ITB) often times becomes tight in runners, especially those running on uneven surfaces.
  
  Remedy: Stretch ITB

Use these tips to help you ward off injury and to tweak minor growing pains you may currently be experiencing! They will probably even make you stronger and faster!

How do you feel about cardio? Do you kinda-sorta loathe running but keep going back to it because of its convenience?

take a deep breath in...and streeetch.

Ever took the time to notice the dog's behavior? The way he spins round and round to align his spine before he sits down to form a heap on the ground, or the way he reaches his arms and legs out to stretch after he wakes up from sweet slumber. Animals are very instinctive; he stretches his muscles because of an internal drive to balance out the muscle-length relationships. We too, have this subconscious drive to achieve balance amongst our body parts. Think back to when you took a nap in an unfamiliar spot such as the couch. Your body is kind of scrunched up in a position that is abnormal to any sleeping pattern you are used to and without thinking, you raise your arms above your head and get a good stretch on. Your brain automatically turned on to prompt you to stretch in an attempt to prevent future injury and preserve the mobility of your soft tissues. Genius.

These same principles can be applied with little conscious thought to preserve the integrity of our joints, optimize mobility pattern and maximize muscle performance.

Why do I need to stretch?

Adaptive shortening of the muscles can occur as the result of a musculoskeletal condition or postural patterning. Contributing factors include:

1. sedentary lifestyle
   
2. postural malalignment
   
3. trauma resulting in inflammation and/or pain
   
4. long periods of immobilization of the affected body part
   

When posture is to blame for alteration of length relationships of muscles, our body develops functional patterns which allow us to continue to fulfill our duties despite muscular imbalances (appropriately termed postural adaptation). This is the reason why we do not realize that we are any different than Joe Blow sitting next to you until we have an injury which is caused by these altered patterns of movement (back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain).

This means is that your body will adjust according to how you use it by substituting smaller muscles with larger ones and altering the movement relationships in your joints and muscles.

Your muscles attach on two different bones, so if the relationship between these two bones (i.e. distance is shortened) is altered, the muscle length will become habituated to its current state. For example: As in the case of Joe Farts, a majority of individuals spend their day's sitting at a computer with a hunched over posture, causing their shoulders to round forward. This brings your shoulder joint closer to your sternum or chest bone, thus your pectoral muscles (which span this distance) become shortened.

Why do I care?

Your body changes based on the demands you place on it. This can lead to muscle imbalances which make you vulnerable to injury or cause restrictions in mobility. Stretching can help you re-balance your body in order to improve muscle performance, prevent injury and re-introduce functional patterns of movement.

Do you know the benefits associated with stretching however, still just refuse to comply? How does stretching feel to you? Does it hurt so good or hurt so bad? Guilt-free gushing available here..for the small price of a comment!

Stretching exercises and methods to follow!

Bird-Dog!

This exercise is great to build back strength and shoulder stability, as well as to learn proper positioning of the spine and wake up your core! Swimmers can especially benefit from this one!

1. Begin on your hands and knees, position your hands so they are under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
   
   
2. Allow your neck, mid back and low back find their natural curves. (tip: place a broomstick along your back and it should touch you in three spots: back of your head, mid back and lower part of your pelvis)
   
   
3. Maintain the curves in your spine (keep the broomstick there if necessary), inhale to prepare, exhale as you reach your right arm and left leg out towards the wall in front and behind you, respectively.
   
   
4. Inhale and return to starting position. Exhale to switch to Left arm and right leg.
   
   
5. Perform 5-8 repetitions each side.
   
   

Easy pleasy:

• Lift left arm independently. Follow by Right Leg.
• Start on your belly rather than hands and knees.

I'd like a challenge:

• Lift Right arm and Right leg together
• Perform this exercise standing

Shin splint: | sh in| |splint|

Shin splints: | sh in| |splint|
noun

1. acute pain in the shin and lower leg caused by prolonged running, typically on hard surfaces. This little piggy ran too hard and too fast and suffered from shin splints all the way home.
   
   
   
   The condition can occur in one of two places: the front or the outside of the lower leg. Depending on the location and various other factors, there may be different causes:
   
   
   
   1. Front: This type is the most common and is due to overuse of the anterior tibialis muscle. This muscles works to help us reach our toes upwards to place our heel on the ground (think normal walking patterns). In order for proper activation of this muscle to occur, the calf (gastroc-soleus complex) muscles must provide adequate length. If this the culprit, you will experience pain when you pull the ball of your foot up towards your head or if you passively stretch your foot down towards the ground.
      
      
   2. Outside: This type is likely due to fatigue of the posterior tibialis muscle. Pain associated with this condition will likely occur when the ball of the foot is passively (i.e. moved by an outside source, not your own muscles) bent towards the head or out to the side.
   
   Free-hab:
   
   
   
   • I think this one goes without saying: DISCONTINUE THE ACTIVITY WHICH INDUCES THE PAIN. If the pain has carried over to other activities, discontinue all activity and rest. If the pain persists only while pounding the pavement or the likes, find other pastimes which are low impact such as cycling or cross training as a substitute until you are all healed up.
   
   
   • ICE. Icing tip: Get a styrofoam cup, fill it up with water and stick it into the freezer. Once frozen, peel the cup down so that the top part of the ice sticks out and massage your shins. You want to continue to move the ice in a circular or lengthwise pattern for approx. 7 minutes, or less (stop when the area is numb!)
   
   
   • MASSAGE. Perfect time to reap the benefits of having a significant other around!! "Honey, I'm in so much pain, can you give me a massage? Puuhhlease?" You want to massage the leg perpendicular to the muscle fibers (i.e. if your foot is down on the ground, you want to provide the massaging force parallel to the floor). If you're super crafty, you can combo this with the ice!
   
   
   • STRENGTHEN. Find some rolls of quarters, 2 will do the trick to begin with, tie them up inside a sock or some pantyhose and place them on your foot. Perform 10-15 repetitions of lifting your foot towards your head. Switch feet and repeat. Increase weight as you feel necessary.
   
   
   • PREVENT. Ok so now you're all better. How to prevent recurrence? Proper warm up & stretching is key. Runner's stretches coming soon!
   
   
   Note: Severe shin splints can be caused by increased pressure in the muscular compartment and should be looked at by a medical doctor.

Overuse Injuries: Knowing is half the battle!

     Are you an avid do-er? I mean, do you work at something to be good at it? Like with fitness, do you run to meet a desired goal and not let anything stand in your way? Even pain, injury, pain, swelling, pain, further injury...oh and pain, plus, did I mention pain? Turns out there's a whole lot of you folks out there judging by the clientele that walks into my door on a daily basis. Golfer's elbow, tennis Elbow, shin splints, tendinitis, bursitis, plantar fasciitis and the list goes on and on. Well LISTEN UP friends, because today is the day you learn about your injuries and take the steps towards healing so that in the future you can kick your goal's butt all the way to Tasmania! The alternative? Well, let's just say it could mean spending some time knocked out on a gurney, or worse, you could have to give up your beloved sport for good!

The syndromes listed above are known as OVERUSE SYNDROMES or REPETITIVE TRAUMA SYNDROMES and they mean just what they say.

     Injury is our body's form of communication. It is your body's way of telling you, "Hey guy, maybe you should lay off for a while because I'm hurting here." When injury occurs, your body sets off a local inflammatory response to signal the brain that the area is stressed. Continued demands on this area places undue stress on the surrounding tissue and prolongs healing, thus leading to an overuse injury. These injuries often occur due to faulty positioning, muscle imbalances, fatigue, training errors, improper footwear or too high of demands placed on the imposed body part.

So, now that we all know, and knowing is half the battle, what can you do to remedy the situation?

There is good news and bad news.

...the bad: You need to take rest from the activity causing your grief. The 24 carat gold lining here is that once you go back to sport, you will be like brand new and ready to knock over any new people...err, goals that may come in your way. Rest is important as well as icing the affected body part. Ice will help to alleviate the pain, rid you of the swelling and promote healing.

...the good: You can continue to stay fit. So you love running, but your knees are giving you the old 'shove off!' bit, well try the stationary bike for a while, you'd be amazed at how motivating a spin class can be. Shaking it up a bit is healthy for you in many ways. First off, it forces you to challenge yourself physically and mentally. It also helps you to balance out your muscles and reduces the strain to your joints, helping to prevent future injury.

For take-away please:

You love your sport, but sometimes it hurts so bad. Well, you need to back off, switch up your routine and nurse your wound. When you finally get to return, you may realize that you are that much better equipped mentally and physically.


Want specifics? Stay tuned for tips to nurse your shin splints, plantar fasciitis and tendinitis injuries!

So what about you? Are you guilty of pushing yourself even know you are injured? Do you ignore the pain signals your body is sending you? Spill your beans in the comments!

Pinwheel!

Push-up variations galore 'round here this week peeps! Check the pinwheel out! It has all the same benefits as the Crowd-Pusher, with the added challenge of dynamic movement! Whoo-wee this is a good one!

1. Assume a Push-up position.
   
   
2. Draw attention to your trunk, make sure you are holding yourself upright by engaging your core muscles rather than resting through your hands.
   
   
3. Inhale to prepare, exhale as you lower yourself down to perform a regular Push-up.
   
   
4. Exhale to return to the starting position, on the way up, rotate your body and send your right arm up in the air, forming the letter T with your body.
   
   
5. Inhale at the top, exhale as you control your arm back down to the floor.
   
   
6. Repeat with L arm, perform 3-5 repetitions on each side.
   

Crowd Pusher!

With this exercise under your belt, the next time you get stuck in the body surfing section of the concert you will be well equipped with the guns to ward off unwelcome traffic, or to help you swim your way through a crowd...oh wait, its also good for swimming in the agua.

The crowd pusher is excellent for head, neck and shoulder organization, shoulder stability, core control, hip stability and upper extremity strengthening! The functionality of this exercise stems from the necessity of the patron to maintain head and neck alignment during movement of the arms, which we see in reaching activities, or pushing or pulling activities with the arms. We also challenge the trunk to remain stable while the shoulder blade and joints act to move the arm. This allows us to learn how to disassociate arm movement from spine movement, making for safer and more energy efficient mobility.

1. Assume a pushup position with feet spread wide. Maintain the soft curves of your low back, mid back and neck while in this position.
   
   
2. Draw attention to your trunk muscles. Are you able to maintain the majority of your weight through your trunk or are your arms suffering? Engage your trunk, push the weight through the pinky side of your hands and lift through your palms, as if your hands were attached to a puppet string and the puppet-master was gently placing your fingers on the ground.
   
   
3. Inhale to prepare, exhale as you lift your arm out to your side, keeping your elbow straight. Your shoulders and hips should stay parallel to the ground, think of a tray of your favorite beer perched on them, we all know that its blasphemy to spill good beer!
   
   
4. Inhale to return to starting position, repeat with opposite arm.
   
   
5. Repeat for 8-10 repetitions each arm.
   
   
   Make it easy!
   
   
   
   • Try this one on your knees
   
   
   • Plop yourself on top of a stability ball (positioned directly under your sternum).
   
   
   
   CHALLONGE:
   
   
   
   • Graduate to light dumbbells or weighted balls.
   
   
   • Bring feet closer together.

Sit Down, Put your feet up, Relax!

     Life's always throwing you that occasional curve ball, like having to fly across the world to complete some paperwork and becoming aware, once you get to the baggage claim, that the necessary documents are still sitting on your desk at your starting destination; finally coming to the crushing realization that you know NO ONE in the city who can help. D'oh! Of course, this didn't happen to me, oh no, never, I'm very responsible and the least bit pea-brained. Annnyway...

     Stress masks itself in many forms from anxiety and depression to loss of attentiveness and even physical illness. Stressors are often the things that our mind perceives are beyond our control or an accumulation of too many things on our plate. When we feel stressed, such as in aforementioned scenario, said person's body sets off a signal to their brain, to trigger a fight or flight response which increases the heart rate, releases adrenalin and acts to slow or shut down any unnecessary processes occurring in the body in order to allow the individual to focus on the imposed danger. After the threat has passed, our body returns to a normal state via a relaxation response. In individuals with chronic stress, this relaxation phase is never fully achieved and thus they are left with higher than normal levels of cortisol, "the stress hormone". High levels of cortisol have shown to have effects on our body ranging from high blood pressure and impaired immune responses to even heart disease!

     This is the reason why all of us health professionals are always harping on and on about stress relief and time management! It's just not enough to take time out to 'relax' because as some of us know, even though our body is indulging in the serene warmth of a quiet bath, our mind is still chasing the cat at 100 miles per hour.

     Recent research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has shown that Mindful Meditation may just be the answer. Subjects who practiced mindful meditation for a week's time reported reduced feelings of anger, anxiety and depression. On top of that, when presented with a stressful situation, they demonstrated the ability to manage their stress better than their counterparts. So why does this work? Well, the docs say that this sort of practice helps to induce the physiological changes which are necessary for our body's hormonal levels to return to baseline. Better yet, you only need approximately 3 minutes a day!! So lets get started!

1. Find a quiet room to practice.
2. Sit upright or lie on a cushioned surface.
   
3. Close your eyes. Begin to scan your body from top to bottom for any physical discomforts or heaviness. Listen to your body, make any minor adjustments needed and let them go.
   
4. Begin to breathe slowly and deeply. On the exhale, let all the thoughts flow out of your body, notice the sounds around you but do not try to identify them, notice the intermittent silence.
   
5. Remember that during this practice, you are not trying to change anything or do anything, you are just becoming aware of your body, letting your thoughts flow free and drift away.
   
6. Open your eyes slowly.
   
   Additional resource for Mindful Meditation: UCLA SEMEL INSTITUTE
   
   How do YOU relieve stress? Do you feel like your methods are sufficient to manage your stressors?
   

La Musica de Saturday!

Hola peeps! Happy weekend to you all! Just thought I'd drop in to throw a little musical cheer your way. Here is a play list I put together for your enjoyment, feel free to visit itunes and download these tunes to your ipod for your workout pleasure, or just kick back and bop to the beat straight from here! Enjoy!

Fun Fitness Thursday

     Thursdays are great. Almost at the weekend but not so close where your dilly-dallying on the computer all day playing text twist, leading to an unproductive send off. Nope, Thursdays are a day where you can just close your eyes momentarily and feel the warmth of freedom from work, wrapped in the silk blanket of your plans for relaxation and fun. Ahh. Are you there yet? Ok great. Just hang out there while you kick back and read some ways to introduce some childish fun into your workout routine!

By-the-way, have you read this article on adding variety to your routine? Crabby McSlacker will have you rolling around on the floor, belly laughing your way to sore abs in no time!

1. Hula Hoops!
   Yes, you read that correctly! Hula-hooping can be a great way to get your pelvis a rockin', raise your pulse and open the floodgate for endorphins (ok, there are other activities that can also lend to these things, but lets think vertical here people!)
   
   
2. Start a kickball team!
   Get some buddies together and form a team, or just contact the organization to join an existing team! Its a great way to make some friends and kick it old school...literally!
   
   
3. Right hand, Green
   Do those words prompt a flood of family fun time memories from your childhood? Twister can be great at any social gathering, I mean who doesn't love an elbow or buttocks in their face at the risk of falling on top of someone you barely know! Dust it off and get to twisting my friends!
   
   
4. Nintendo Wii
   Tennis on the Wii? Or better yet, hop yourself on the Wii Fit and get to surfing! Now that's fun, just don't be lazy and do it all sitting down...believe me, its possible.
   
   
5. Air Guitar
   Movement, music, make-believe. What more do you need? In the privacy of your own home (recommended for beginners) or in national competitions, air guitar can up your heart rate and set your sights soaring for a sold out crowd!
   

What are you waiting for? GO HAVE SOME FUN!

Corkscrew!

Spinal articulation involves the movement of one bone or vertebra on its adjacent joint surface. I have explained ad nauseam the fab benefits involved in learning how to move your spine efficiently and effectively, so let's not venture that path again, and rather talk about the role of your pelvis.

Your pelvis serves as a key stabilizer and mobilizer for your back, namely your low back. It can reduce excess pressure on your low back by distributing movement across its wide surface area as well as serve as a stable base for pure spinal articulation to take place.

This exercise introduces the pelvis as a stabilizer to allow rotational movement to occur along the length of the spine, a fundamental movement in daily life during reaching activities as well as sports related actions (golf swing, tennis serve, kicking etc.)

1. Sit up tall on your sits bones with your arms out to your sides at shoulder height. Imagine your pelvis as a large, orange ceramic bowl filled to the brim with wine. Sitting up tall on your sits bones will prevent this wine from suffering any spillage. Keep this in mind to maintain your posturing in this exercise. If you suffer from tight hamstrings, prop yourself up on a rolled up towel or a phonebook.
   
   
2. Keep your collar bones wide and connect your ribcage down into your abdominals to prevent them from flaring.
   
   
3. Inhale to prepare, growing taller through the crown of your head. Exhale and twist from the waist towards the right, leaving your pelvis in the starting position. Inhale in place, exhale to twist deeper.
   
   
4. Inhale and return to center. Repeat to opposite side
   
   
5. Repeat 5-8 repetitions to each side.

Leg Drop!

Introducing spinal mobility exercises into your daily regime can help you achieve proper posturing, help to balance out muscular length relationships in your trunk as well as facilitate functional muscle firing patterns during spinal movement.

1. Lay flat on your back, arms out and palms flat on the floor. Pay special attention to the relationship of your spine with the floor beneath you.
   
   
2. Draw your attention to your low back curve. For optimal alignment of your spine, remember the grape method and maintain the soft curve of your low back so that a grape would fit snugly between your back and the floor. Draw your shoulders down and back, finding length in your collar bones.
   
   
3. Bend your knees up to place your feet flat on the floor. Knees should be touching one another.
   
   
4. Inhale to prepare. Imagining a sandbag attached to your knees, exhale as you allow them to drop to the right side using only weight of the sand to allow them to fall in a controlled manner (i.e. try to fully relax your hip muscles), only when appropriate, your hips, waist and ribs will follow.
   
   
5. Inhale in this position, exhale as you start the motion from your LEFT SHOULDER to first bring the ribs back down to the mat, following all the way until your knees are back to the starting position.
   
   
6. Repeat to the left side.
   
   
7. Repeat for 5-8 repetitions to each side.

Tips:

• Challenge your abs by bring your hands closer in towards your body


• Having difficulty starting from the ribs and working your way down without recruiting your legs to help?? Try drawing your ribs down towards the mat on an exhale. Continue to visualize the movement starting at your shoulder or your core.

Let's do the twist!

     Remember the days of Chubby Checker and the twist? Ok, fine, I'm too young but my parents do tell me stories of the raging 60's...or wait...was that the 50's...never mind, that's not the point! I mean, check out their moves! They are just corkscrewing their way around the dance floor as if they are eternally wound up dolls! The famed dance craze that lead the way to other popular sensations gained its credibility because it was easy to do and popular across a wide age span! The simple movement, as is demonstrated in the video is a fantastic demonstration of spinal movement in it's purest form.

     While twisting, if the spine is moving favorably, then the rotation will be recruited from all three portions, thus preventing excessive pressure to any specific segment. For 'optimal' spinal motion to take place, the movement must be recruited throughout the spine rather than concentrated in one area.

     Movement in our spine is dictated by the function of the specified segment in which it is taking place. The neck vertebra demonstrate the greatest amount of rotational movement while the low back segments possess the most flexion and extension. The mid back or thoracic spine lacks the mobility of its superior and inferior counterparts due to its bony attachment to the rib cage as well as its structural integrity; it therefore serves as a guy-wire of sorts, acting to help aid movement and stabilize against extremes of motion in either area.

     Our body prefers to take the path of least resistance and thus, recruits the majority of spinal movement from either the neck or low back. This excess of motion causes wear and tear at these joints, eventually leading to crippling back pain. Re-introduction of normal spinal movement patterns is important for prevention of back, shoulder and hip injury.

Learning how to move our spine properly is easier than you think. It can be as simple as taking a dance class. Or staying tuned to learn easy-to-integrate-into-your-workout moves this week!!

Crossing the Speed Hump

     Think to the last time you were unsuccessful at completing a goal whether this goal was to lose weight by your wedding day, run the 5k in 25 minutes or just make it through an hour long spin class. What was the straw that broke the camel's back? 9 times out of 10 you will find that the limiting factor towards your success was your limited mental vigor. Our psyche is a powerful medium which can be the barrier against success or the coach guiding us towards triumph. Creating a force field (channel Violet in The Incredibles) against negative thoughts can help you realize your full potential and lead you down the path of becoming a stronger person, both mentally and physically.

Try these strategies next time you find yourself wound up:

• Take a hold of your physical distress.
  
  Don't let your glass-half-empty side get the best of you when you feel a little under the weather or down in the dumps. Instead, alternate between these two methods to help you take control of your future:
  
  Focus your attention to your physical state.
  
  Start from the head down and assess what is going on with you, including your breathing state, hunger status and your muscle health. How is this affecting you mentally and how can you adjust to improve your performance? Example: With a goal of weight loss, any given day can be a struggle against cravings. Assess where this craving is coming from, take control of it mentally (i.e. internalize why not fulfilling these cravings is beneficial to YOU) and move on.
  
  Focus on what's going on around you.
  
  Distract yourself by noticing your surroundings, down to the sights, smells and sounds.



• Stare your past failures in the eye.
  
  Still looming with regret over your past attempts at this goal? It is important to recognize WHY you did not achieve success in the past. So make a list, check it twice, b*itch & moan to everyone you know about it to get it out of your system. Finally, recognize how courageous of you it is to give it another go. Past experiences are there for us to learn from, so pay attention to why you failed previously so you can avoid those mistakes this time around.



• Recognize that you will have set-backs.

Know your limits. Accept that goal setting comes with hills and valleys. If you feel burnt out, don't give up! Instead, take a step back and do something you enjoy. Take a long bath, treat yourself to a massage or mani/pedi to induce relaxation so that you may re-focus at the appropriate time.


• Visualize success.
  
  Recognize that your goal is something that you must work towards, otherwise it would just be a 'to do'. See yourself at the finish line, receiving the praise of others and acknowledging that you worked hard to get where you are. Imagine yourself as a mentor for others who are experiencing similar struggles.

Are you a serial goal setter? What are your limiting factors for success? Have any of these strategies worked for you?

Run, Run like the wind!

New Year's resolution begin with run and end with marathon? Maybe you just committed to taking up the sport with a buddy or to (re-)introduce cardio into your routine? On a sharp (Brit talk for bitterly cold, can barely feel the tip of your nose) winter day did you lace up your shoes and attempt to brave the heinous weather, man against pavement, only to discover that running is uncomfortable or your really just out of shape? Here are some suggestions and solutions to starting a running program to help you reach your goals.

Before beginning:

1. Invest some time and money into new running shoes
   
   It may seem like a commitment and you are still unsure whether running is right for you, but running shoes provide the proper cushioning to absorb the impact endured. This can help to ward off injuries and increase the efficiency of your cadence.
   
   Buying Guidelines & Reviews.
   
   
2. Bust out the calender and pencil it in
   
   Making your running schedule regular ensures the likelihood that it will happen. Writing it down also makes it real and consistent so that in the event that a happy hour pops up out of no where, you can make adjustments accordingly.
   

Starting out:

1. Warm up & cool down
   
   Begin with a warm up including stretches and walking for at least 5 minutes time. Slowly increase your pace until you reach your desired speed.
   
   
2. Alternate walking and running
   
   At the beginning, interspersing walking and jogging can help make your experience comfortable by allowing you to catch your breath and ease the impact on your joints. As a rule of thumb: stay within a pace where you can easily hold a conversation mid run.
   

Set small goals based on:

1. First: Time
   
   Run/walk for 30 minutes (or any desired time period) at a comfortable pace. This will help you gauge your success based on completion of the time period rather than less important factors like speed or distance.
   
   
2. Second: Endurance
   
   Once you have conquered your desired time period of consistent running, set a distance to cover in that alloted period. This builds your cardiovascular endurance and tolerance to running.
   
   
3. Third: Speed
   
   Lastly, emphasize speed when you are consistent with the time & endurance. Signing up for a race or adding in rewards can help you focus your training.
   

Additional tips:

• Find a buddy to help keep you motivated and on track.


• Check off days you competed on the calender to help you stay focused & optimistic.


• Watch your form: Shoulders relaxed, swing arms forwards/backwards rather than side to side, keep your trunk upright & run with light feet so that you aren't heard from miles away (this reduces the impact on your joints).


• Make sure its fun! Change up your routine & route to keep you motivated!


• Learn more on Cardiovascular exercise

What are your cardio goals? Are you a beginning runner? Have you experienced any of the pitfalls of starting a running program? Please share for others to learn!

So Long, Farewell...

Today I say goodbye to friends and family in the states and head back home. Vacation over, boo-hoo. On the bright side, I’m super excited to have the time to focus on my blog again!

Scrunching yourself into teeny tiny airplane seats for hours at a time can be grueling to say the least! So, I have complied some resources for how to make your trip more enjoyable:

• Find the best seat, make sure you have access to power outlets or aren’t sitting next to the stinky lavatory here.


• Picking someone up from the airport? Check the progress of their flight here.


• Stretch it out! Airplane style
.

• Ever wondered how airplanes work?

Enjoy!! See ya on the other side!

Happy Happy New Year!

     Welcome 2009, woot-hoot! Hope everybody brought the new year in safely and are now settled comfortably on your couch ready for a Jan 1 college football frenzy or whatever else suits your fancy.

Since resolutions are a slippery-slidey slope, this year my ambitions will be outlined by a general theme of celebration, inspiration & laughter. Utilizing these three words to help guide me to accomplish my goals with a cool head, positive outlook and realistic vision.


CELEBRATE life.

• Make the most of every experience you are blessed to be a part of. Live it, taste it, smell it, hear it, feel it and most importantly-- learn it.


• Celebrate difference---of people, culture, colors, moods, love & lifestyle.

INSPIRE

• Strive to live your life so that you are setting an example for others. Wee-itty babies as well as your peers. Everyone has something to offer, learn from each other.


• Put on to others what you would have put on to you.

LAUGH-- a lot.

• Laughter can cross global lines of culture and language boundaries. So find a common thread and laugh it up!


• Laugh at yourself, allow yourself to make mistakes and pick up where you left off.

WARM WISHES FROM MY HEART TO YOURS FOR LAUGHTER, INSPIRATION & A TON OF CELEBRATION IN 2009!!