Move Your Body ~ LOEWEN BEHOLD ~ Move Your Life

I’ve been in a slump lately. I was fortunate enough to have four whole complete days off in a row over the Canada Day long weekend. Heaven right? Well its supposed to be, but instead I crashed and burned. I got out of bed on Saturday morning audibly groaning at the idea of running, or doing anything for that matter. Plus my right Achilles Tendon insisted on loudly reminding me that its propelled me through an active life for more than 42 years.

So instead of dragging my sorry ass down the road, I headed for the gym with my IPOD, and jumped on one of the Spinning bikes, something I haven’t done in eons.  The first 10 minutes were so pathetic I may as well have been reading a cookbook, but once Aerosmith started belting out Sweet Emotion, I was pumping my quads like mad to ascend the biggest ass hill I could muster.  Before I could fully recover I cranked up U2, I Will Follow and hummed along as fast as my short legs would go.  And Sia’s Breathe Me?  That’s gotta be the best ride through the desert I’ve ever had.  (Well second best, but that’s another story)

It was 70 minutes later, when I finally dialed in Pearl Jam, Just Breathe and simmered down, my clothes drenched, a puddle of sweat on the floor. It was the best, and toughest, workout I’ve had in sometime, and I felt fantastic – wholly and completely alive.  I went home and thoroughly enjoyed cleaning and organizing closets. Really, I did.

Its so easy to fall into a rut, like a hamster in a treadmill, going, going, going….  heading out the door everyday, running down the same road, at the same speed. Sometimes, like a car that’s idling too high, the best remedy might be to just hit the gas pedal, blow out the cobwebs and go for it.  Who knows where you’ll end up?  It sure worked for me.  This time anyway.  And wow my closets look great.

How about you?  Ever tried this route?

Clothes shopping at Winners makes me feel like a loser, or at least it did last week. I was nearly mowed down twice by an unsmiling salesperson with a movable rack of clothes. I’m not sure exactly where she was going in such a rush, but I was happy to escape with my Achilles tendon in tact. I swear the sterile change room had lighting designed to emphasize every dimple and pucker and the annoying anti-shop lifting devices were attached in places that prevented doing up the clothes. Maybe a mute point because nothing fit properly anyway. Imagine that.

Unfortunately this happens to me a lot, and I’m pretty sure I am not alone.  N’est pas? Somewhere along the way we’ve been brainwashed into believing we need to fit ourselves into factory made clothing of a certain size, namely size 6, or smaller. When we don’t, we either makes ourselves lie down on the bed, exhaling every bit of available carbon dioxide in our bodies and zipping, so we can beat ourselves up over the resulting muffin top, (is it any wonder?) or we buy it anyway, despite the fact it fits in some places but not in others, telling ourselves not eating for two or three days will remedy the problem.

But it doesn’t really, does it? The item sits in the closet never to be worn, instead serving as a painful reminder of how bad we are for not starving away those annoying lumps and bumps. I say its time to stop the torture. The whole concept of size 6 arrived with the mass production of clothes during the Industrial Revolution. Prior to that, we sewed, or had sewn for us, garmets tailor made for our unique shapes. Imagine that?

Obviously, that would get pricey and might not be realistic in today’s world, but about three years ago, I discovered that a good tailor can do pretty much anything, even jeans, and its not nearly as expensive as one might think. So now, when I really like something, I buy a size larger and take it to the Duncan Tailors where they get out the pin cushion and for about $12.00 make it fit me. Sure it costs a little more, but less than spending money on clothes I’ll never wear.

Winners may not be my favourite place to shop, but I am usually able to come home with something I feel good about, knowing a few alterations will make it work for me. I can honestly say I am done with trying to fit into what’s on the rack.  Thank God, because it was a losing battle.

What about you?  What are your shopping experiences?

I find it painful to go to the gym. Not so much because I don’t like cardio equipment, fans and TVs, but because its extremely difficult to watch people essentially wasting time by unknowingly performing ineffective, or worse yet potentially harmful, exercises without offering up some assistance. Especially as I am an extroverted Fitness Yackadactyl (creature defined by a well defined and constantly moving set of jaw muscles, or in this blogger’s case, fingers).

I was reminded of this the other day while driving to work and listening to CBC. I heard about something called ROWE, or Results Only Work Environment.  The tagline, ‘where people are paid for productivity and not time spent,’ expresses the underlying premise of getting the job done, rather than putting in a prerequisite number of hours.

So, how does this apply to fitness you ask? We can increase productivity and decrease time at the gym by applying ROWE to exercise. The key is to select exercises and activities that give you the most bang for your time-spent buck. Here are some tips for constructing your Results Only Workout. 

Build your fitness program around 4 key cornerstones: Cardiovascular, Strength, Flexibility and Nourishment

Cardiovascular – In order to achieve results you must elevate your heart rate to 70 – 85% of your HR MAX. I can explain this at length if you are interested, or you can aim to work at an intensity where your heart and breathing rates are high enough you are able to carry on a conversation, but JUST barely. Never mind all the Fat Burning Zone, jargon, which warrants a post of its own. Just get your heart rate up and keep it up everyday for 30 – 50 minutes, remembering you can do this in intermittent bouts. Heart Rate Monitors are fabulous for helping with this, but if you don’t want to spend $100 ask me about taking your own pulse manually. Its free.

Strength – If you want maximum benefit for minimum time, perform one set of 12 reps of these four exercises: Chest Press or Push Up, Mid or Bent Over Row, Squat or Lunge and Dead Bug.  You will hit all the major muscle groups in the body with these four exercises.  Also, note the single set training has proven to be effectiveprovided your one set is a good one.  Remember, you MUST lift to momentary muscle fatigue in 12 or less reps.  This means you are not able to complete another rep while maintaining perfect form. If you are curling A two LB dumbbell 40 times, its much too light and you’re wearing out your joints, and not making a good use of your time.

NB – Generally weight exercises that involve bouncing, momentum, twisting of the spine, or bending over while hanging on to weights are NOT a good idea.

Flexibility - Stretch each major muscle group in the body and hold for 15 – 30 seconds without bouncing. Emphasize areas that are typically tight – hamstrings, hipflexors, calves, pecs and back of the neck. Yoga Sun Salutations are also a complete practice, so performing four Sun Series A and Sun Series B is a great way to target key tight spots.

NB – Generally, stretches that involve bouncing or wincing are not a good idea. You should never feel pain in a joint, only gentle tension in a muscle.

Nourishment – When it comes to eating focus your efforts on what you need to do, rather than obsessing about what you don’t. Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Take time to slowly chew your food and pay attention to how what you are eating makes you feel.

And don’t forget to breathe!

I loooove this bag.  I bought one years ago when I was working at the Golden Door teaching a gazillion fitness classes a day. It fits perfectly into a locker without any ramming or jamming, and the front flap, complete with pouches for shampoo and toiletries, opens just like the locker door. The interior of the bag is split perfectly so a breatheable lower compartment perfectly fits my stinky sweaty shoes, and there’s a waterproof outer pocket for a wet swimsuit or towel.

Sadly, I don’t teach fitness all day every day, but I still love, and use the bag all the time.  Its worth noting that I have been using it frequently for almost 10 years and it has endured beautifully. I like to leave the toiletries, indoor gym shoes and a towel inside at all times, and then all I need to do is tuck in some shorts and a top the night before, and I am good to go. Its so easy.  No excuses.

Funnily enough though, someone at work asked me if I had a cat in my bag. She thought I was carrying a pet transport bag.  No, just my gear ready to go!

Over the past 20 years Personal Training I have come to see strengths and weaknesses are not as black and white we might think. Sometimes muscles that appear strong are actually weak, and strong muscles, while looking good in the mirror, are typically tight and short, often leading to musculo-skeletal injuries. Apparently, this blurring of the lines extends beyond just muscles.

I was having lunch with a friend last week and he talked about how sometimes our percieved biggest weakness is actually our hidden greatest strength. I immediately thought of my own body, which after running eleven marathons, teaching literally thousands of fitness classes, pumping countless weights, practicing yoga and Pilates daily and consuming a vegetarian diet, still resembles the Venus de Milo, not Twiggy. What the hell?

We all know Fitness Professionals are NOT supposed to be curvy. Says who? Well, no one actually says it out loud. Instead they do things like suggest playing squash, or cutting down on carbs to help shrink my hips.  Riiiiggght. Do you think if it was that easy I wouldn’t have done it by now? Then there is the ridiculously obvious look of surprise when people discover my marathon PR is sub 3:45. Once in a high school track meet, someone actually remarked, OUT LOUD, that he couldn’t believe someone my size could run so fast. Sigh.

I guess that’s when it became a bit personal mission to show people fitness comes in varying shapes and sizes. Okay maybe its more that ‘a bit’ of a mission. Maybe its a life-driving-all-consuming obsession. I still struggle inside, looking at many of my colleagues with envy, but honestly its what defines my work. Thank you to so many of you who have responded and stuck with me for years even though I am so not a Barbie Doll. You have transformed what I percieve as my biggest struggle into my greatest strength.

Now what about you?  What’s your hidden Golden Achilles Heel?

When we were kids, my siblings and I used to invent our own knock-knock jokes. Many have long since been forgotten, but one endures as part of family lore. My brother would tell this joke and then roar with laughter as we sat there trying to figure out what was so funny.  Well… today, some thirty five years later, I am thrilled because I get the joke, and its hiiilaaarious.

Knock, knock

Who’s there?

Bare Bum.

Bare Bum Who?

Bare Bum on a Bike.

This joke came to life today when I was walking down Government Street. People were hooting, hollering, smiling and laughing behind me. I turned to look and was completely agape at a parade of bare naked people riding bikes. Apparently, this Naked Bike Ride takes place in several cities across the globe to protest vehicle emissions. What an attention grabber.

Part of me was captivated. Another part was thinking OMG this is way too much information, but I realized these are real people, no airbrushing, no photoshop, just the real goods. It hit me that these folks are praticing what I preach about being comfortable in my own skin and letting go of what I think I am supposed to look like.

I don’t look so different from the nakedness I saw today on the street, yet I still haven’t the courage to let it all hang out. I’m still trying not to measure myself against the unreal images I see in the media. I want the courage and comfort they have, and I want to thank them for reminding me normal is actually what I saw riding down the road, not the perfection plastered all over billboards and magazines. Plus I love that this is a proactive protest encouraging cycling as a mode of transport.

Does putting my money where my mouth is mean I should participate next year? Maybe it will take me longer than a year.  What about you? Care to join me?

I’ve learned over the years the majority of my food choices actually occur in the grocery store, not when I open the fridge or the cupboard. Chances are, if I buy it someone in my house, will inevitably eat it. This means the important decisions I make about my diet are made as I nonchalantly load up my shopping cart, while carrying on a dialogue with my daughter about why we are not getting Cocopuffs or Count Choculas.

Here are ten tips I try to keep in mind so I don’t lose it in the cookie aisle. Some of these are adapted from Ramona Josephson’s Heart Smart Shopper, and others are gleaned from my own tumultuous experiences in the supermarket.

1. Always make a list, to avoid the spur of the moment and impulse decisions.  If you have tips on how to remember or not lose the list, please share because I am not sure my list has ever actually seen the inside of a grocery store, something I inherited from my mother. 
2. Never go shopping while hungry. It’s absolutely unbelievable how much more I spend and how many truly bad decisions I make while roaming the isles at Thrifty Foods with a gnawing, growling stomach.
3. Shop Wide. Typically the perimeter of the store contains all the essential items and the aisles contain evil, but irresistably seductive, items like Presidents Choice Chocolate Chip Cookies and Lindt chocolate, so I try not to go there unless I absolutely have to. 
4. Load up on grains, veggies and fruit (not Pirate Peanut Butter Cookies) and store them in the biggest area of your cart. When shopping for produce, variety in colour indicates a variety of nutrients.
5. Be discerning in your choice of dairy, meat and meat alternatives and store these in the child seat area to help minimize how many you buy. (I’ll get to where the child should go in just a moment.) Low fat options for dairy are preferable and a good rule of thumb when selecting meat is the faster the animal the leaner the meat. No, cows are not fast.  Nor are pigs. Fish and legumes are good though.
6. Foods like oil and sugar should be limited, so put them in that bottom undercarriage of your cart. This limits how much you can carry and maybe you’ll even forget about them.
7. Read food labels, particularly of products you consume regularly. I always check ingredient lists as they are listed in descending order, so if sugar is first on the list, which it often is with many packaged cereals, (and cookies) there is a problem. I also check  for percentage of fat content and total calories per serving. Ideally no more than 30% of total calories ingested should come in the form of fat, and not more than 10% from saturated fat. Serving sizes vary from product to product, so if comparison shopping you’ll need to do some basic math.
8. Watch for terms like “light’ or “lite“. This can actually refer to taste or texture and not calorie content.
9. Don’t be seduced by products promising to be fat free. They can still be loaded with sugar, and therefore calories.
10. Avoid trans fats, hydrogenated fats and saturated fats. All of these terms indicate your body can not break the fat molecules down, consequently they get deposited in your body.

 N.B. – Oh and tip number eleven. I love my daughter more than life itself, but grocery shopping is much easier when I go by myself. I know this isn’t always possible, so until she was almost five, I used to shop with her in a backpack. Product shelf placement is a science. Ever notice kids meltdown more in grocery stores than anywhere else on the planet…

Okay, and maybe I melt down in the cookie aisle, which reinforces my shop wide strategy, avoiding the chocolate covered Hob Nobs when they taunt me from the centre aisles.

I’m somewhat in shock about having a teenage daughter. I don’t know if I ever got over the shock of becoming the mum of a teeny tiny baby, never mind an adolescent, who is taller than me.  Not that it takes much.

Yes, it is the greatest thing in my life, but in all honesty trying to arise this creature these days is no easy feat. Unless it’s horseback riding day, in which case, miraculously, this beautiful young lady is in the car, riding helmet on, smiling ear to ear, eyes sparkling, tapping her dusty riding boot and looking at me with that look.  The sort of look only a teenager can muster.

During the week though, its quite another story and so between the teenage awakening, or lack thereof, and my morning exercise thing, oh and the ironing I couldn’t get motivated to do the night before, mornings are ram-jam packed full, so we pretty much always make breakfast in the blender. I have come to love it.

I use many recipes out of a Super Smoothies cookbook, but I also make them up a lot, depending on what’s in season and what’s in my fridge or freezer.  Our favourite goes like this:

A couple of Bananas, a bunch of frozen mango, a chunk of frozen orange juice concentrate, some soy milk and mixed with some low fat soy milk, and some vanilla or a couple of sprigs of fresh mint.

What about you? Any favourite blender breakfast concoctions? Any tips for getting teenagers out of bed in the morning?  Any morning coping strategies (or lack thereof) to share?

In my family walking is a panacea for everything, or at least that’s what I grew up thinking. “Walk it off’ we tell each other. I think its akin to ‘suck it up’ or “buck up.”  My Mom, who pioneered the saying, may well be ahead of her time.

Our bodies are not meant to sit for eight, or more hours a day. We are made to move, a fact not lost on Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic, innovator of the treadmill working station. My body wholeheartedly agrees.

I’ve been relegated to a desk, and meetings, for the better part of my work day for about five years. My back, neck and hips protest regularly, begging for a return to my full time fitness days. Inspired by a friend, I’ve decided to invest in a mobile work station for my home office, so at least I can be walking the talk, while blogging.

It turns out there are several options. Steelcase  produces a dream unit called the Walkstation, but at $6000.00 (including the treadmill) its a little out my price range, particularly given a skookum treadmill isn’t really needed here. This is about keeping the body moving, not working out. A  simple model enabling you to walk a couple of miles per hour while working will do the trick.

If you already have a treadmill, you can purchase a special desk separately. Some companies offer very slick, polished models, but Trekdesk has a modest option for about $500. Or for the truly budget concious (me), there are also some do-it-yourself solutions.

At Primal Media, a workstation was created using simple inexpensive shelving from Home Depot.  This option is ideal if you already have a good quality running treadmill and would like to leave it available for running workouts, without having to dissemble  absolutely everything.

Or, cheaper yet,  Jenny Evans at LifeHacker has a great 6 minute video on how to construct a working platform from a board and two brackets. Despite not owning a drill or measuring tape, I’m thinking this is my best option. Then if I want to vary height I can always add an inexpensive key board tray or monitor arm.

I’m excited. What about you? Ever contemplated the idea?

I need to come clean. Literally and figuratively. These are my feet at the end of this morning’s run. What’s wrong with this picture?

1. Well for starters my feet are shaped like dinner plates. They are as wide as they are long, making  it very difficult to find shoes that fit. Wouldn’t you know the only ones that work, without causing my toenails to fall off, a plight common for runners, cost $180.00, hence the replacement delay.
2. Its June. I am standing in the middle of a puddle and I am chilly. I could obsess, but I’ll try to get over this wet west coast spring.
3. My runners are disintegrating, yet I haven’t found the time to get a new pair.
4. My socks are so ripe they could take off down the road by themselves. Maybe that’s where they go.
5. You can’t see it, but the truth is I run at 5:15 AM because my running clothes are older than my daughter. (She’s 13)

All this might not be so bad, but last week I wrote a post about self care as though I had it mastered. Clearly, I have some work to do before I can walk my own talk. Sigh. Don’t you love it when you discover you are full of you know what? Or does it only happen to me?

This week I am going to order new running shoes, buy 10 pairs of brand new pristine white running socks, and I am going to buy two new running outfits to replace my current collection of hand me downs, and ancient stinky mix-and-match get ups.

If there was a “What not the Wear” for exercise, I would be an ideal first contestant. Any fitness fashionitas out there with advice?

How about you?  Inspired to initiate your own self care affair?

N.B. – Truth be known?  I do exercise every day. I’ve nailed that part of my life.  But much of what I write about smelling the roses, mindfulness, self care and body image, I’m writing because I need to remind myself out loud, so I can be held accountable.