Take a Walk!

So my belly continues to get bigger and this week my running buddy, i.e. mom, was out of town. Basically that means I had no motivation to get up and jog my regular 5 miles. However, the weather has been particularly lovely in Houston and I just couldn't bare to let it go to waste. Thus, I have been taking morning walks...and boy are they lovely!

How nice it is just to get out and enjoy some fresh air! It makes my whole day go better if I start with a little outdoor exercise. So I walked. At first I didn't have a plan- just headed out without a thought. As I started walking though I began to make little plans...I am going to walk fast until I get to that tree/the end of this song/etc. and then I am going to take bigger steps until (fill in the blank). Some spurts I would focus on my posture, others on speed or size of steps or breathing or making sure I rolled through my whole foot and really pushed off from my toes to take the next step (an excellent calf-worker!).

Then I got ambitious; every so often I would do a set of lunges and squats. It was really quite wonderful and when I got home I realized that I had covered many miles and almost two whole hours. The next day my rear was even a bit sore which, as weird as it is to say, felt wonderful!

I have continued my morning walks this week as my mom has been gone and have even added in some jogging, just to mix it up and keep it interesting. :) So my challenge for everyone this week is this: take a walk! Go outside and enjoy the fresh air- I can guarantee you will feel good afterwards. And as you are walking around, have fun with it. Mix it up; pick different things to do or focus on while you are walking.

One thing I highly recommend focusing on is your posture:

-keep your hips tucked under (not pushed back causing your back to arch)

-point your knees and toes straight forward (not turned out or in)

-pull your shoulder blades down (not together as if they are meeting at your spine but down as if they would meet your rear end)

-elongate your neck by trying to increase the distance between your ears and shoulders (not by sticking your nose in the air!)

Good luck!

Cross-training with Pilates

I was so glad to hear that Kathy is becoming a runner. One of the best things about her training schedule is that it calls for cross-training. And we all remember last week when Katie was asking about what to do for her abs. Well, here is my solution to both our skinny ladies: the Pilates for Life DVD series! I check out the 20-minute abs and waist workout from the library and renew it as many times as I can. When all those weeks have gone by, I return it and check it out again. I practically own it for free!

Here are some reasons why I love it and you will too:

• The instructor lady Amy Brown has a fun Canadian accent.
• The whole workout is seriously only 20 minutes (warm-up and cool-down included).
• You don't get all dripping with sweat, but you still feel the difference.
• You tone your muscles without adding bulk.
• Pilates improves more than just the area you are working on. I particularly love how it improves my posture which greatly benefits my running.
• It has beginner and intermediate level workouts on the same DVD. The more you do it, the better you get and the more challenging it becomes so you constantly improve.
• And for practicality's sake, it is affordable (when you check it out from the library) as well as convenient to do when you have just a little time to squeeze it in.

So, check out your local library's selection of pilates DVD's. I have tried a few others that I enjoyed but they had longer workouts. Still, they are worth mentioning. I really like Precision Pilates with Jennifer Kries. Her workouts are 30 minutes and she combines dance, pilates, and yoga. I have also tried Pilates On The Go with Maria Leone. That was more intense and workouts lasted about 45 minutes. I only did that one once or twice because it was a real challenge. It wasn't as fun, but it did give results. It just depends on what you are looking for in a workout.

I'd love to hear if any of you try these out! Also, please share with us other DVD workouts you like!

Commitment

How committed are you? Really? What would it take for you to skip the gym?

Well, for most outdoors runners, a hurricane is a pretty good reason to skip the morning jog...but not us! Last Friday when I woke up, it was sprinkling. It had rained hard during the night, but was definitely letting up. So I called my mom as usual and we both headed out for our mile alone until we met at the corner to go the other 4 miles together.

It was sprinkling, but no big deal when I started out. I have to run along this road that doesn't have a sidewalk or much of a side of the road to get to our meeting point...and it was super fun

on Friday because all the cars that passed by sprayed me! Between the inevitable puddles and cars spraying me, my feet were completely soaked by the time I met my mom, but we were both already wet so we decided to continue on.

At one point it started up so hard that we stood under a tree for a minute, but soon enough it lightened back up and we were off again. It alternated between just sprinkling and full out storming, but we made the whole five miles! We were absolutely soaking when we were done- I stood in the garage and rung out my shirt, headband, ponytail, and each of my socks before going inside to wrap up in a towel. I wanted to take pictures for you, but it was pretty gross and I didn't have my camera on me- sorry!

The way we see it, you are pretty much ringing wet when you are done running in Houston anyway...usually it is sweat, so the rain is actually kind of nice. Plus once you are already soaked, why stop? We can't really get any wetter, so we just continue on!

I will completely accredit this attitude to my mother who hasn't missed a day of running due to

weather in close to 30 years. Running was just something she did, like showering or getting dressed, to get ready in the morning and she did it in snow, extreme heat, and even hurricanes! (Disclaimer: the hurricane actually hit south of us, so we just got lots of rain...don't worry!) I am proud to say that I am slowly adapting this way of thinking too and I feel awkward without my morning exercise.

So here is a thought for you- what would stop you from exercising? Why? How can you make yourself do it anyway?

On anther note, I have a challenge for you this

week: DO YARD WORK! Why? Here are the top 3 reasons I came up with.

1. It is a good workout. Pushing a lawn mower is no easy task! And pulling weeds can be a great exercise for your legs if you squat. Sweeping or raking sure makes those arm muscles sore. It is a great way to mix up your workouts...

2. It is good to be outside. Fresh air is good for everyone...it makes you happier, no?

3. It can be a good form of service. Service is a win-win situation: you feel good and something that somebody needs is getting done! Find an elderly person, chronically/terminally ill person, or a mom whose husband is serving in the military or just works long hours. Still at a loss? It is summer and a million people go on vacation- see if you can find someone who will be out of town for a week and offer to take care of their yard while they are gone. This is a great option for people, like myself, who do not have a yard of their own at the moment.

I have been taking care of my parents lawn while they have been traveling this summer and it is getting easier the more I do it...I finally found the self-propel lever, which has helped a lot! It is nice to get some fresh air and I always feel like I have had a good workout when I am done...just remember to drink lots of water while you work!

So make a commitment this week to figure out how you can do some yard work and report back!

Kathy Week 27: I'm in love!!

Kathy's Week 27 Stats:

Today's Weight: 139

Last Week's Weight: 140

Starting Weight: 151

Total Weight Loss: 12 pounds

What a change in my eating and exercising this week! I'm in love...

...with my iPod touch!

Last week I was discouraged about my weight re-gain, and I promised to use the the mypyramid.gov website to record my eating. That lasted for one day. Something about that site is way too complicated for me. 

But then I got to thinking about my iPod touch. I bought it several weeks ago so that my husband and I could coordinate our calendars more easily. I've only gradually been learning to use some of the other apps that are available. I did a little research, and discovered that there was an app for tracking eating and exercise, and it came with great reviews!  And it was free!! Love that price.

If you're starting to tune me out because you don't have an iPhone or and iPod touch, stay with me, because the same program is available free to anyone on line!! It's called myfitnesspal.com, and it's a wonderful website.

I've been using myfitnesspal.com to record every mouthful this week. I love it because it has a huge database of foods, both generic and brand names, so I can type in what I'm eating and it comes up with the nutrition information. I can add my own foods if I want to. It remembers all of it, and when I go to add a food, it brings up the foods I eat most often automatically, which makes it quick and simple.

Back in January, I set a daily calorie goal for myself of 1600 calories per day. The myfitnesspal.com website recommends that a woman of my height and age eat 1200 calories per day to lose weight. Bummer. :( 

But then I realized that I can record my exercise, and it gives me more calories to eat, depending on how much I've exercised. Cool! :)

Guess what? I've been exercising more. Hahaha...I do love to eat. :)

So I started some great exercises from a little booklet that came when I subscribed to Prevention magazine. I'm still going to Curves 3 mornings a week, but in addition to that, I'm doing some moves like these. So far I've been using 5 and 10 pound weights, but next week I go up to 15 pounds on one of the days. Yikes! 

This is a lunge with 10-pound weights.

Here's a chest press with 10-pound weights.

We already had two 5-pound weights, and one 10-pound weight. Starting this exercise regimen meant buying three more weights (one 10-pound, and two 15-pound), but that was half the cost of our yoga classes, which we miss very much now that it's summertime. Can't wait to begin yoga again in the fall.

Here's a core exercise called the Hover. 

If you're interested in doing this Prevention program, just email me at haynieoregon@gmail.com with your mailing address, and I'll send you a copy of the pages from my booklet. I looked for the program on the Prevention website, but I couldn't find it. :(

I really like the way the exercise program is set up - it has strength and cardio training for a 28-day program, with a slightly different workout each day, to keep the metabolism revved. It's not complicated, but it's really making me work! My muscles are sore!

Oh, and one last thing about myfitnesspal.com: in the tools section, it has a cool "ticker" which you can customize and add to your own blog, facebook page, etc. Check out mine on my personal blog.

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend (if you're in the U.S.) and let me know how you're doing with your fitness and health goals!

Kathy Week 23: Sunshine!

Kathy's Week 23 Stats:

Today's Weight: 136

Last Week's Weight: 139

Starting Weight: 151

Total Weight Loss: 15 pounds

I live in the Pacific Northwest, in a notoriously rainy region. It is gloriously green around here, but you don't get green without moisture! I rarely complain about the rain, even when I'm out camping and hiking. I have learned to buy good rain gear (it can be expensive, so I buy one piece at a time) and just get out and go! 

However, this spring has been a doozy for rain. We had a week or so of gorgeous sun in February. March was its usual rainy self. It rained every day in April. It rained almost every day in May. It's rained every day in June so far until...today! It's supposed to start raining again tomorrow, so I wanted to hurry outside and take this week's photos for you:

I am so excited to be down by 15 pounds since January! That's an average of 3 pounds a month; a nice, steady, healthy rate of loss. I feel healthy and strong. Hooray!

I'm still going to yoga class once a week and the Curves gym 3 mornings a week. Here are some fun moves we learned in yoga last Tuesday:

The half hand stand. I can maintain this for almost a minute. I'm practicing this pose regularly, to increase my arm and shoulder strength. I'd like to be able to hold it for two minutes or more! (My trunk and legs are supposed to be at a 90 degree angle - I didn't quite get there on this practice. But it's fun to do and I'm getting better at it!)

The standing half moon. I practice this on both sides, for balance, leg strength, and a core body workout. (Still trying to get that outstretched leg up a little higher, so that I'm straight out...I'll keep practicing!)

Speaking of the rain...last Monday my husband Mark and I were signed up for a 10K walk. But...you guessed it...it was so rainy that we backed out. Mark has a jacket and pants that are water repellant, but not water proof, and we didn't think it would hold up to 6 miles in 2 hours of steady rain. (To tell the truth, I had to coax him a bit to undertake a 10K in the first place, and I didn't want to push him out into the rain and have it end up being his last 10K.

The race was to begin at 8:30 am, and we had planned to leave the house by 7:30 to take care of registration. At 7:30 it was raining pretty hard. By 8:30...it stopped raining! Oh, no! No way to get to the starting line in time, now.

Can you guess what we did instead? Does the word "biathlon" pique your interest? Click here to find out how we had a great athletic morning after all. And then come back and leave me a comment about how you make the best of rainy days.

Have a great weekend everyone! Enjoy the sunshine, wherever you are!

Are you one of the 28% of Americans that (supposedly) floss daily?

Flossing is oh so important- not only to the health of your teeth, but to your overall health as well. Many diseases start in the mouth as the mouth is the gateway to the body. It is the only part of the body that is involved in food ingestion, digestion, breathing, speaking...and is the only soft tissue of the internal body that is constantly exposed to the outside world.

Your gums are loaded with bacteria- some good and some bad. Flossing each and every day will keep the good bacteria while getting rid of the bad bacteria. If your teeth are not flossed, even if they are brushed, bacteria can cause serious problems.

Not flossing can result in inflammatory disease throughout your body- studies have found links between not flossing and cardivascular disease (bacteria enters the bloodstream through infected gums and can cause heart disease, clogged arteries, stroke, and more), respiratory disease (bacteria in mouth can travel and settle in the lungs when you breathe), and even premature births (women with severe bacteria and inflammation in their mouth are more likely to give birth prematurely).

I know it can be hard to start, but after hearing a friend that was a dentist say that if you could only do one thing- brush or floss- he would tell people to floss, my husband and I decided to go for it. It has been over a year now and we hardly miss a day...it has just become part of our routine to go to bed!

So suck it up and try it out this week; the benefits may not be as visible as some other exercises, but your health will improve nonetheless!

Challenge: Try to floss at least 5 times this upcoming week!

Tri/Biathlon update: It is this weekend! Wish me luck on Saturday and stay tuned for pictures! :)

Quick Hip and Glute Stretch

Now that I'm training for the Goat Mountain Gallop, my glutes are pretty sore in the evenings. Here's a quick yoga-type stretch for hips and glutes that is SO EASY to do!


Office Chair Yoga: Hip and Glute Stretch

I've been doing this stretch, and it really helps me! Most of the stretches I already knew don't work on the glutes, but I like this one. Does anyone have any other good glute stretches?


P.S. Speaking of the Goat Mountain Gallop, don't forget to enter the Bubble and Splash giveaway!

Kathy Week 12: Spring Break Road Trip!

No numbers today...we're on the road! We're driving to the Bay Area (800 miles) to visit our newest, darling grandson in California. In the car...no internet access...no scale...

Here's a photo of the little charmer we're on our way to meet:
He has two lively older siblings, 4-year-old twins, and we are anxious to see all of them, along with our daughter and son-in-law.

But that doesn't mean I won't be working on my goals! I have a guest pass from Curves to visit gyms in California, and I've already looked up the locations of a couple of them along our route. My husband has promised to remind me to focus on healthy eating choices, and we'll be going for lots of walks. We're packing water bottles in the car, so I'll be keeping my fluid intake up.

What else? I'll be doing some wonderful stretches we've been learning in our yoga class. I can do these anywhere, and they make my body feel soooooo good! Here's a really nice progression:

Start with Child's Pose.
Knees about hip-width apart, toes together.
Bum on ankles, and arms stretched out straight--no bend in the elbows.
Hands reaching forward.
Great stretch in: upper back, lower back, quads, hamstrings. Wow!
Hold for 1 minute or so.

Then go on to Downward Facing Dog.
Hands remain where they were for Child's Pose, but the feet are now hip-width apart, and the bum goes in the air.
Keep the heels as low as you can, and you will feel a wonderful stretch in the back of your legs.
Lift from the hamstrings.
Your body should be an inverted V.
Hold for a minute.

Then go into a Plank.
Keep your feet where they were for Downward Facing Dog, but you may need to walk your hands a little forward to keep them directly under your shoulders.
Your body should be in a plane. Don't let the bum sag.
Lift from the back of your hamstrings.
Builds strength in the abdominals and core muscles.
Hold for a minute or so.

Now back into Downward Facing Dog, and it will feel so good and restful after the Plank!
Remember to keep those heels down!
Hold for a minute.

Then go into another minute of Child's Pose.
You will feel yourself go more deeply into the pose each time you cycle through it, as your muscles get more and more relaxed.

You can finish here, or go back up into Downward Facing Dog, then Plank, then Downward Facing Dog, then Child's Pose...as many times as you like!




I'm writing this post while we're still in Oregon - time for me to go finish packing!

I hope you all have a wonderful week.

What are you doing for Spring Break?