Sunday, October 24, 2010

Fire Up Your Burn w Intervals

Does your exercise routine include intervals – training that alternates high-intensity bursts with slower?  It should and here’s why:
·         Intervals can cut gym time by 25% because you can burn calories and fat faster than maintaining one pace
·         Intervals keep your metabolism cranked higher and longer after your workout, helping you burn an extra 120 calories AFTER you’re done….who doesn’t want that?!
·         Intervals will work with any form of cardio and helps keep you from getting bored
Self magazine calls it the shortcut to slim and I completely agree, it helps me get more bang for my buck when I’m working out.  Below are a couple of examples of how to incorporate intervals into your daily workout. 
RPE = Rate of perceived exertion: on a scale of 1 – 10 where 1 is sitting on the couch (sad, I know) and 10 is carrying the couch!
Interval Exercise #1 – for beginners –
Warm Up – 5 minutes of cardio at a moderate pace (RPE – 5 or 6)
Intervals – Alternate between 1 minute at a harder pace (7 or 8) with 1 minute of an easier pace (4 or 5).  Repeat the whole cycle 6 – 8 times
Cool Down – 5 minutes at an easy pace (4 or 5)
Interval Exercise #2 – pump it up a little –
 Warm Up – 5 minutes of cardio at a moderate pace (RPE – 5 or 6)
Intervals – Start at 30 seconds for as hard as you can maintain (9-10) with 1-2 minutes of rest.  Repeat the whole cycle 6 – 8 times
Cool Down – 5 minutes at an easy pace (4 or 5)
Remember, do what you can and if you ever don’t feel well stop and rest and always always stay hydrated!!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

How to stay healthy in a job that may be hurting you!

Most of us have jobs that force us to stay in unnatural positions for long periods of time.  Whether you sit all day, stand all day, or squint at a computer screen you know that our jobs can be quite damaging to our bodies.  While I can't convince your bosses to let you work less or take more vacation time I can give you a couple of pointers to help reduce the everyday pains caused by your job! (and no, I can't make the annoying coworker vanish!)

DO YOU SIT ALL DAY LONG? 

It's official: Sitting too much is bad for you!! Not only does it place pressure on the low back and tailbone, causing pain and even sciatic nerve trouble for some women, but two recent studies also found that the more time people spend on their butts each day, the more likely they are to die of cancer or heart disease.  Sitting at a computer all day also tends to cause people to hunch their shoulders causing poor posture and a tense upper back.


How to stay healthy: The way to ward off both back strain and the scarier, more serious health effects of sitting is fairly simple.  For five minutes every hour, get up and do something - take a bathroom break or go outside for a lap or two around the block.  If low-back pain is an issue for you, add in some stretches too, at least once every couple of hours.  One easy one is to prop the ankle of one leg on the knee of the other, bend over and hold.  To stretch the shoulders place your hands on a door frame and lean forward.  Plus, the more active you can be during your off hours, the better it will be for your health.

DO YOU TAKE CARE OF KIDS?
Congratulations on the calories you're burning! With all the carrying and stroller-pushing, moms and dads of young kids often have strong legs and practically ripped arms. But many of them also end up with soreness and tightness of the low back and shoulders.

How to stay healthy:
Make sure you lift with the legs when you pick up your child, like how you'd lift anything else that's heavy, especially if he's all the way down on the ground.  And if you're tall, get stroller-handle extenders.

DO YOU TYPE CONSTANTLY?
Spending 20 or more hours a week in front of a computer can put someone at risk of wrist injuries.

How to stay healthy: "When you're typing, keep your wrists in a neutral position," says John Lloyd, Ph.D., a certified ergonomist in South Florida — never rest them on your desk or hold them up too high. "Ideally, your forearms should be supported on armrests." Taking frequent breaks from your keyboard, at least a few minutes each hour, will help too.

DO YOU STAND FOR HOURS ON END? (LIKE ME!)
On the positive side, your job is more active than someone who's stuck at a desk, so you've got some built-in protection against heart disease and obesity. That said, anyone who's ever walked around an amusement park or museum for a day knows that after several hours on your feet, your legs just hurt.

How to stay healthy: It seems counterintuitive, but after a long day of putting pressure on your legs and feet, the smartest thing to do is move them.  Fifteen minutes of brisk walking a day will soothe leg fatigue and reduce swelling.  Who knew?!

ARE YOU SUPER-STRESSED?

Most of us have some degree of stress in our lives and at our jobs, and that's fine — even exhilarating. Where things get ugly is if the pressure becomes chronic and your body and brain are constantly awash in stress hormones like norepinephrine and cortisol. That can lead to extra belly fat, and increased blood pressure and risk of heart disease.

How to stay healthy: Is there a magic "pill" for stress? Some experts say yes, and that it's exercise — physical activity can stop the production of cortisol and get rid of tension held in your muscles. Though any kind of physical activity will work, intense cardio like jogging or stair climbing may work best. One study from the University of Missouri in Columbia found that women who ran for 30 minutes felt less stress and anxiety than those who did something a little easier.  Research also shows that listening to music can help our mental and physical state.  It can help lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate by distracting the brains from stress.
Hopefully some of these pointers will help make your work day just a little less painful!
E-

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Exercise of the Week - Iron Jumping Jacks

I found this exercise when Fitness magazine did an article on how "Sex and the City" actress Kristin Davis stays in shape and I love it!  Plus, who doesn't want to look like her!  It's easy to do, targets multiple areas of the body, and is a great take off on your everyday jumping jacks.  You only need about 3 or 5 lb weights in each hand.  Motherly advice...be careful with this exercise if you have bad knees!

1. Start with your feet together, a weight in each hand, and elbows bent so the weights are at shoulder level, and the palms are facing each other.

2. Jump fee out to the sides, landing with wide feet, as you press the dumbbells overhead to form a V shape with your arms. (at right)

3. Lower weight to shoulders as you jump your feet together

I would do about 15 reps of this.  It will get your heart going and your muscles burning!  Rest for 30 seconds and do another round of 15. 

Enjoy!!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Recipe of the Week - Better Blueberry Muffins

If you hadn't already known, muffins can be a huge calories suck.  They are generally way too big so they can tip the scales as over 500 calories and have ton of sugar and fat in them.  No one wants that!!  The recipe below is delicious and it won't give you a muffin top, which is even better!  I've made this recipe and people LOVE it and they don't have to know that one muffin has less than 200 calories!

Makes 12

Prep Time - 20 Minutes
Total Time - 50 Minutes

For the Muffins:

1 1/2 cup whole - wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats (NOT instant)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons lowfat buttermilk
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries, washed and dried

For the Topping (I didn't add this and it was still yummy!):

1/4 cup blueberry all-fruit spread
24  fresh  blueberries, washed and dried

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Combine flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, oats, baking power, backing soda and salt in a large bowl
2. In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg, oil, and vanilla
3. Toss blueberries with flour mixture
4. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture and stir gently
5. Line a 12 count muffin pan or a loaf pan with nonstick spray or lines, divide batter evenly, sprinkle with remaining sugar
6. Bake 12-15 minutes or until tops are just set
7. Remove pan from oven and top each muffin with 1 teaspoon fruit spread and 2 blueberries
8. Bake 3-5 more minutes or until golden
9. Let cool, serve and enjoy!!

Nutrition Info for 1 muffin
173 calories
4 g fat (less then 1 g saturated fat)
31 g carbs
4 g protein
3 g fiber

*found recipe in July Shape magazine

Saturday, October 9, 2010

At Home Exercises

I saw this article and thought it was perfect for people who may not be able to have a trainer or get into the gym, although everyone should have a trainer (you like that shameless plug?!).  Remember, there is always time to do a little activity and something is better than nothing!  
Workout routines for toning # 1: HOVER SQUAT
 Hover above a chair seat as if you were going to sit down, without letting your butt or thighs touch the seat. Hold for 30 seconds, building up to 1 minute. Do these body toning exercises whenever you get a moment, aiming for once an hour.
Workout routines for toning # 2: KITCHEN DIP
 Every time you're in the kitchen, perform triceps dips using a kitchen chair: Stand in front of a chair as if you were going to sit down, then bend knees and lower hips, placing hands on the seat edge, fingers pointing forward, arms straight. Walk feet forward, and with feet flat and torso erect, bend and straighten arms, keeping butt close to chair seat without touching it. Do 8-15 reps.
Workout routines for toning # 3: SHOPPING SQUEEZE
As you push your shopping cart, or whenever you're walking, contract your butt muscles as tightly as you can and keep them contracted as you walk. (No one has to know!)
Workout routines for toning # 4: COMMERCIAL CRUNCH
 Anytime a commercial comes on while you're watching television, do an ab exercise of your choice until the show you're watching returns; pick a new ab move for each ad.
Workout routines for toning # 5: TELEPHONE WALK
 Whenever you're on a cellular or cordless phone at home, walk around for the duration of the conversation. (Wear a pedometer and see the steps add up.)
Workout routines for toning # 6: BALANCING ACT
 When you brush your teeth, or while standing at the kitchen sink, lift one leg slightly and bend and straighten your standing leg to perform one-legged squats. Tighten your buttocks and keep your abs contracted as you squat. After 10-15 reps of these body toning exercises, switch legs and repeat.
-article found on www.shape.com/fitness

Friday, October 1, 2010

The Skinny on Our Favorite Adult Beverages

Okay, so we all know that alcohol isn’t very good for you in large doses, it dehydrates you, messes with your sleep patterns, and is a depressant to the central nervous system but I’d be crazy to expect people to stop drinking all together.  Actually, alcohol in moderate amounts (about a drink a day….not 7!) can have some health benefits.  What I wanted to do is put together a little information on your favorite drinks so you know what you are putting into your body and how to make it lower in calories.  Hopefully the next time you saddle up to the bar you’ll be able to make “better” choices and not kill your diet! 
P.S. When you drink, make sure you are drinking water….it will keep you hydrated!  Yay H2O!
FROZEN STRAWBERRY MARGARITA
What's in there: 564 calories, 16 g sugar in 12 oz.
Just because there's fruit in the name doesn't mean it's good for you; most restaurant versions are made with a sugary syrup and are seriously oversize. One of these slushy drinks packs in more calories than two bags of Skittles.
Make it healthier: Order a plain margarita on the rocks to save up to 300 calories. Also ask for one with no salt: That dusted rim may provide more than 2,000 milligrams of sodium, nearly your entire daily allowance. Want to mix up a batch at home? Skip the sugary mix and use fresh lime juice instead.
MOJITO
What's in there: 242 calories, 25 g sugar in 8 oz.
This Cuban cocktail (a blend of rum, sugar, mint leaves, lime juice, and club soda) can harm your waistline and
sap your energy, since sweet drinks may up your risk of having a hangover.
Make it healthier: Ask the bartender to cut back on the sugar by a third and add a few extra splashes of club soda to lower the calorie count. At home, swap the sweetener for a low- or no-cal one, like stevia.

Gin and Tonic

What's in there: 164 calories, 17 g sugar in 8 oz.
The standard shot (a 1.5-ounce serving) of gin has 97 calories— and no sugar. But fill that glass with tonic water and you'll wind up consuming 4 teaspoons of the sweet stuff.
Make it healthier: Trade the tonic for club soda, seltzer, or diet tonic and a wedge of lime to shave off nearly 70 calories. Also request a brand of gin that's 80 proof rather than 90 or 100 proof. The higher alcohol content can tack another 27 calories onto your drink.

Sangria

What's in there: 258 calories, 25 g sugar in 12 oz.
Prepared with antioxidant-rich red wine and fruit, sangria may seem like a smart choice. But many recipes also call for sugar, soda or juice, and spirits, like triple sec or brandy.
Make it healthier: Opt for a glass of red wine (125 calories) or create your own 100- calorie punch with 4 ounces of red wine, plus diet lemon-lime soda, orange slices, and berries.

Low Calorie Beer

What's in there: 156 calories, 0 g sugar in 12 oz.
A single beer won't do much dietary damage, but few people stop at one when they're socializing.
Make it healthier: Order a brew in a bottle rather than one that's on tap. Research shows that bartenders tend to overpour draft beers by 22 percent. Try MGD 64 or Beck's Premier Light to slash 92 calories.