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!

There Is a Reason Why "Run" Rhymes With "Fun"

Hooray! Today I registered for the 27th Best Dam Run and Walk 10K. My sister registered for it a few days ago. This is her first race and we are training together. Now we will officially be running it together! I'm really excited to share this experience with her. Doesn't that sound fun? There is no better way to enjoy running than to do a race with someone. Or is there?...

Today I have a training tip that is intended for running but can be applied to any workout plan. An article on Active.com suggests, "Each day, let your training plan have one vote for the kind of run you do and let your body--your feelings of fatigue and readiness, enjoyment, confidence, and comfort--have two votes." This is talking about your mind-body connection. While it's great to have a plan set out, leave room for adjustments that your body demands. For example, I donated blood last Monday, so I took it easier on my training run Tuesday morning. The more you pay attention to your body, the better you will know when you can push it and when you should hold back. This is one thing that top athletes master, and you can too! It leads to more enjoyment as well as more accomplishment, which leads to even more enjoyment. It's an upward cycle. Enticing, right? If you want to read the rest of the article, click HERE. Otherwise, enjoy your workout, whatever it may be!

I MADE IT!

Just so you don't spend all week worrying...I made it!

You can look forward to my full recap on my regular Thursday post :)

Runner's Forum

Do you wish you knew more about running? Do you have this itching desire to try something truly challenging for your mind and body--like running a marathon? Do you have questions about training, racing, or running in general?

     This is the perfect place to ask your questions. Two weeks ago I opened up to questions and two brave souls asked away. Here is the first of what will hopefully be many Runner's Forums here on The Skinny. Please leave your questions in the comments section and be assured that you are doing a huge favor for all the other people who have the same question but are too afraid to ask it.

Q: Kathy asked about tips for "rank beginners." Her concerns are that she feels awkward while running and tires easily. She also asked what kinds of goals are good for beginners.

 

A: These are great questions for someone who is just getting interested in running. So first I applaud Kathy for trying something new and for not being afraid to ask for help. Kathy, you are a star! As for feeling awkward while running, I think that will fade away as you run more. It seems that Mark is probably already helping you a lot with that by showing you some form. Tiring easily is common for new runners. That is why the best way to start running is by alternating walking and running like you have been. A great beginner goal is to extend the length of time you can run without walking. Perhaps you can run about 15 seconds without feeling too uncomfortable; set a goal to work up to running a minute without stopping. Here's how the workout might look: walk for three minutes to warm up, run 15 seconds, walk a minute, run 20 seconds, walk a minute. Continue alternating for about 20 minutes and then cool down by walking for about 5 minutes. It is going to depend on your own situation whether it takes you one workout to get up to running a minute straight or a few workouts to get there. Then set a goal to run for 2 minutes without stopping. As with any goal, keep setting new ones to challenge yourself but don't be ashamed that you still walk for part of your workout. Focus on your progress. Wouldn't it feel great to be able to run for 30-45 minutes without stopping to walk? That's about how long it takes most people to run a 5K. So register for a race. After you have a race under your belt, you are no longer a beginner in my book!

 

Q: Katie asked about how to become better at running. She wants to be able to run longer without stopping to walk. She is registered for a 5K and would like to run the whole distance, but isn't sure how to build up to that.

 

A: I'm so excited for you to run this race, Katie! You are really challenging yourself and this will be a great accomplishment. Are you currently following any type of training schedule? Your race day is the same as mine! So we've got about 4 weeks to go, right? I strongly recommend you run 3 times a week. Running regularly makes a huge difference. Especially when you are getting (back) into running, taking more than 2 days off from running significantly increases your chance of soreness. That just turns into a downward spiral.
     Another tip I have for you is that you consider your pace. You were running before that miraculous phase of life called pregnancy. Now that you are saying goodbye to all those extra pounds, you probably feel like picking up where you left off on the running. However, after such a big change in your body composition you likely need a slower pace than you ran before. Picking the right pace will allow you to run longer without stopping. Runner's World magazine (Jan. 2007) puts these definitions on pace:

• Easy: at this pace you could last all day, no labored breathing, speak in long sentences.
• Medium: still comfortable, but working harder, can still finish a sentence.
• Hard: uncomfortable, pushing your limit, can't get out 2 words without a big breath between them.

So find the pace for you that is around the medium mark. It is probably slower than you have been running recently, but it is more sustainable. You will find yourself running longer distances without stopping. Even if it takes you longer, you get that sense of accomplishment by doing the whole distance without slowing to walk. This is another reason why I love having a running partner; we keep a reasonable pace because we talk. And because we talk, the distance is more enjoyable.


     As a closing comment, I would just like to explain that these answers are opinions based on experience and some research. I discuss the questions with my running partner and refer to Runner's World magazine (2007 issues that I picked up for free from the local library that is relocating and down-sizing!) for more information. Helpful comments and positive input are always welcome here on The Skinny.

And the WINNER is...

Congratulations SARAH!!!

Sarah has won the CD full of great workout tunes! I hope you use it well!

Now, on to my tip for today...another leg workout! So maybe you didn't try to Paso Legs workout...you don't have Paso music or you don't think you can do lunges and squats...but here is one you can definitely do! All you need is a set of stairs.

Begin at the bottom of the stairs and run up them as quickly as you can. Then come down.

Begin at the bottom of the stairs and run up them as quickly as you can, skipping a step each time. So this time you are only stepping on every other step. Then come down.

Begin at the bottom of the stairs and run up them as quickly as you can, skipping two steps each time. So this time you are only stepping on every third step. Then come down.

Begin at the bottom of the stairs and repeat the process (every step, every other step, every third step) but keeping your feet together...so you will be jumping.

Begin at the bottom of the stairs and repeat the process (every step, every other step, every third step) using only one leg at a time...so you will be hopping.

At the end of this series you will have gone up and down the stairs 12 times. If you can, go ahead and do it again!

Now here are a few tips- if you can't run, jump, or hop skipping more than one stair at a time, it is okay. Do two sets of skipping just one step instead of the skipping two stairs set and pretty soon you will build up enough strength to skip two steps...and will feel like the picture above! Also, don't worry about coming down the stairs any specific way...just walk normally. Don't take too long between each trip up the stairs and you will ensure that this is an aerobic workout as well as a strength training one! It is not necessary, but sometimes I find it helps if I am listening to Eye of the Tiger or the theme from Rocky :) And make sure you stretch once you are all done, especially your hamstrings, quads, calves, and ankles, so you will be able to do this workout again!

Kathy: Week 6 One Step at a Time

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Current Weight: 146

Last Week's Weight: 148
Starting Weight: 151

Total Weight Loss: 5 pounds


Today's BMI: 25.86 (still "overweight")

Yay! Two more pounds down the drain! I seem to be losing weight in stair steps, and I'm ok with that. Five pounds in five weeks = healthy weight loss. I've stepped up my exercising this week, and I feel great! 

So what's working well for me this week? I love eating healthy foods! Yesterday my husband and I went to Trader Joe's for the very first time. What can I say? We're a little slow on trends sometimes.

 We had a great time! We found some yummy foods to spice up our same-ol' same-ol' menus, while still staying within our calorie counts and criteria for healthy foods.

Speaking of calorie counts, I'm still eating four 400-calorie meals a day (3 meals plus snacks that total 400 calories). This week I picked up the Real Simple magazine at the grocery store - they have a feature article on 400-calorie meals. If you type "400-calorie meals" into their search window, you get a bunch of recipes.

I have noticed a couple of things about my body this week:

1. My clothes fit better. Yay!

2. I am stronger!! It is amazing to me to see how quickly my muscles have responded to the workouts. Muscles are designed to be active; they are designed to get stronger. Isn't that cool? I'm not a super-buff fitness model, I'm just a middle-aged grandma and school teacher, but my body still loves to get fit. It feels so good!

I've mentioned that my husband and I are taking a yoga class one night a week. Wow! We really really love this class. My balance is improving. My muscles get both stretched and strengthened from the yoga poses. I'm no yoga expert, but throughout the week I remember enough of the instructions to incorporate them into the moves I do throughout the day--sitting with better posture, standing taller, tweaking other exercise moves just a bit to improve my performance. If you've never taken a yoga class before, you might want to check it out! We are taking ours through a community education class, so it only costs about $6.00 per session. I know of a local gym (Nelson's Nautilus) that offers classes, which are available even to nonmembers. I'm sure you can find yoga classes in your area, too!

I also go to the Curves gym 3x a week for a 30-minute workout on their circuit. It's a good workout for me, with friendly women of all ages and fitness levels for companionship.

But aside from these workouts, I try to be more active every day! One of the gizmos that helps me is my little pedometer. I like to know how many steps I've walked every day. Super active people log 10,000 steps a day. Some days I get there, but most days are in the 5,000 step range. If I only have a couple thousand steps on my pedometer at the end of the day, I know I want to get up and move more tomorrow!

Wearing my pedometer reminds me that it's a good thing to take more steps: I don't mind if I don't get the closest parking space, I prefer the stairs to the elevator, etc. One evening last week, I noticed that the pedometer only had 4,000 steps logged, so I headed out for a quick walk. In the spirit of "walking in circles," I checked my pedometer after a few blocks, noticed that I was around 5,000, and headed home--it was getting dark, and I was glad to have logged over 6,000 steps that day, thanks to a 15-minute walk in my neighborhood. 

Are you interested in wearing a pedometer to help motivate your healthy living? I don't know much about brands or types. I bought a good quality, but fairly inexpensive one several years ago, and it still serves me well. I ordered it online from the New Lifestyles website. They sell all kinds of fancier ones, but I bought the basic "SW-401." Along with it--and this is key--I also bought a STRAP to clip it to my waistband. The strap is only $3.00, but it's the reason I still have my $20.00 pedometer. I highly recommend the strap! It's saved me from losing the pedometer many, many times.

(Note to Alex: You'll be glad to know that yesterday afternoon--after sitting for most of the afternoon, doing homework for my university class--I was motivated to move! I went to a nearby track and jogged/walked for 25 minutes! It felt so good. My knees didn't hurt, but I need to work on my cardiovascular capacity--it was hard to breathe enough to keep running.)

I know this is quirky, but I write my steps in my journal every night! Don't ask me why. Sometimes I tally up how may steps I walked in a week (last week: nearly 32,000). Sometimes I compare between the same date last this and this year. But mostly I just like to write them down. Something about keeping a record of my walk through life, maybe?

My little record reminds me that we accomplish our goals to be healthier and happier one day at a time, one step at a time. There's no other way to get from here to there.

If you leave a comment today (I hope you do!) I'd love to hear about what you are doing today for your life goals. I'm sending "atta-girls" and "atta-boys" out to you...we can do it!

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Great lookin' Paso legs!

Have you entered the giveaway yet?  Make sure you are a follower so you can be entered to win reusable snack bags!

Okay, first I have a confession; I have been way too lax in my exercising and healthy eating.  I lost a good 25 pounds when I did my family challenge in 2007- since then I have put about 5-10 pounds of that back on...but I am still significantly smaller now than I used to be and so I have been pretty satisfied.  After all, fitting into a 4 was my initial goal and that is what I wear now!  I learned that I can run in the mornings and eat snacks and have a dessert during the day and I am generally the same weight the next morning.

However that is not enough for me anymore!  I have become soft- my arms, my middle, and of course my thighs are no longer toned.  Now while my arms are not exactly flapping in the wind, I am frustrated with my current state because I know I can do, and have done, better.  Thus I am recommitting myself today to health and fitness.  Fewer desserts, harder workouts, and healthier snacks...and I am writing it all down!  So consider yourself a success The Skinny- you are motivating me to get back on the wagon!  (Of course my rededication has nothing to do with the fact that yesterday when I bent down to unplug something and came face to face with my thighs I thought I saw one lone dimple...the beginnings of cellulite that I am not ready to embrace at 23 years old!)  So with that being put out there, on to my post.  

Ever wonder how you can tone up those ever-jiggly thighs?  This exercise always kicks my butt and helps me see improvement in my thighs quickly!  I am a ballroom dance instructor and dance is a big part of my life at the moment so...I use some ballroom music (a Paso Doble) to push me hard and at the same time set a time limit.

Step 1: Pick a Paso Doble- any will do, but one of my faves is Espana Cani.  You can search for Paso Dobles on Youtube of Itunes. 

Step 2: Get ready to work it!  Stand with feet a little closer than shoulder-width apart, but not completely together.  You can put your hands on your hips or, for an added challenge, hold weights straight down, straight out, or straight up by your ears.

    

Step 3: Take a step forward with one leg.  Try to bend your legs so your back knee brushes the ground.  Make sure that your back is straight, i.e. perpendicular to the ground the entire time.  (Hint: the bigger step you take, the easier/less bending you have to do to get your knee to touch the ground.)

Step 4: Bring your feet back to their starting position and repeat with other leg.  I do this, alternating each leg, until the first "crash" in a Paso song...basically a part in the song where you kind of think it is over for a second and then it starts again.

Step 5: After the "crash", bring your legs to starting position if they aren't there already.  Widen your stance a bit at this point...about hip width.  Keep your feet in the same spots and do a squat- bend your knees forward, not out, like you are going to sit in a chair.  Go only as far as you can while keeping your form (back perpendicular to the ground).  The goal is to get your thighs parallel to the ground; if you can reach this point, do not go past it.

    

Step 6: Stand up.  Repeat over and over until the next "crash" in the music.  (Hint: it will help you balance to stick your arms straight out in front of you, parallel to the ground.)

Step 7: At each "crash" in the music, change your exercise.  If you are lunging, go to squats; if you are squatting, go to lunges!  

Some songs only have one or two crashes...it depends on your song.  But it will never be more than one minute of each exercise so keep going even when your legs are burning!  Try to go with the beat of the music...it helps to set a pace for the exercises so you are motivated to not slow down when those legs get tired.  If you are going to do more than one song, or your song more than one time, give your legs a couple of minutes to rest in between each set- a great time to do some arm or ab exercises!  Try doing just one song in the morning and one in the evening...or right before you eat each meal.  Just adding this routine a couple times to your day will really help to tone up your legs!  Good luck and Ole!

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Get paid $100 to work out for free

Hey everybody!  Want to get a good feel for where you're at with your health goals?  And get some great analysis on your fitness training?  I just got off the phone with a woman named Kathrine who's recruiting postpartum women in the Provo, Utah area to participate in a study through Brigham Young University.  They're paying a total of $100 to those who participate.  I lost my paper with the specific qualifications, but off the top of my head I think it was something like:

-baby no older than 9 months (pregnant women might qualify too, but I don't remember)
-4 month study
-no serious medical problems

If you qualify, you'll be asked to come in for two days of initial analysis (about 45-60 minutes each day), eight days apart.  After that, you'll be randomly selected to be in one of two groups.  Group one is flexibility training which you can do at home (or there's a group that meets once a week, I think).  Group two is strength training (weights).  For the strength training you have to go to a local physical therapist (they give you the info) twice a week with one of the people from the lab (They make sure you're doing the exercises right).  However, the physical therapist is open from something like 6:00am to 8:00pm, so it should be easy to make it work if that's something you're worried about.  (I was.)

I'm secretly hoping for the strength training one because I've always wanted to learn how to use weights properly (i.e. so I can do it without hurting myself or something).  But flexibility would be great too.  I would definitely benefit from either.  Anyway, I go in for my initial analysis this week and next week and then I get to start!  I'm really excited to make some money for doing things that I'm trying to do anyway!

If this is something you're interested in, give Kathrine a call at (801) 310-5295.  If you have any questions for me, leave it in the comments or shoot me an e-mail.

Oh, and of course I'll keep you all updated on how this goes.  I'm so excited!

Guest Author: Nana

(Posted by Kathy)
My mother, Katie's grandmother, Nancy Jenkins, sent the following email to me this afternoon. Mom / Nana is 74 years old, and my father is 77. They work as a team selling real estate in the small town of Colville, Washington, north of Spokane. This is their retirement "career." Before this career, she was a 4th grade school teacher for many years.

     "Hi Kathy and Mark, we stopped in at the Colville Fitness Center this morning before coming in for our floor duty at 11 A.M. We will go back to the Fitness Center at 4.30 P.M. for a 1 hour training session. We signed up for 3 months. We have been talking about it, after Dad said it would be alright on his ankle. We’ll probably go in about 5 or 6 A.M. unless we have an 8:00 meeting or an appointment.
      I really enjoyed all the blogs on weight loss, recipes, and exercises that you, Katie, and friends wrote. I’m impressed that you, Kathy, got up at 5 A.M. this morning to go to Curves, on your first day back at school. We’re cutting back on size of portions of food, and drinking lots of water, and cutting out things that we love like cheese. Of course, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, everybody is inclined to eat too much. I also signed up for Colville Get Fit. This is a community program where you get weighed in every so often, and also have the other medical items checked. For every so many pounds you lose, Community businesses donate food to the local food banks. There are also prizes you can win, etc. Your Dad said that he wasn’t interested in that. He has until Jan. 15^th to change his mind.

     I think you were very brave to have a before picture taken, and then, to put it in your blog. I’m old enough to say, “no way!” When I’m happy with the way I look, I will put in an “after picture”.

     With love, Mom and Dad"

Nana encourages me with her words, but she inspires me by how she lives. She cooks great, healthy food, and she and my dad have lived an active, healthy lifestyle their whole lives. They would rather go out and cut wood for their wood stove than watch a movie.


Who in your life inspires you to better health?