30 Minutes a Day

I said in my mind, 'Keep fighting.' - Kim Clijsters

Exercising for 30 minutes a day to fight cancer!

Moderate exercise can reduce your risk of cancer, that means 30-60 minutes per day and probably includes activities your already doing regularly. Cancer runs in my family, and this is a big motivator for me in my workouts. When I'm getting to my limit, I remind myself that I'm doing this for someone I love who is fighting cancer. It makes running for 5 more minutes suddenly feel doable compared to the fight for your life.

 

A Different Kind of Cardio

"I have a very eclectic Ipod, so I've got my cardio ... anything from Beyonce to Jay Z to Janelle Monae, her song 'Tightrope,' that's a good cardio song." - Michelle Obama

I hate running. Most of my friends are runners. They often invite me to go running with them, especially on the stairs at seacliff. If you live in the 831 area and you don't know these stairs, you've probably either been living under a rock or don't live a very active lifestyle.  

I'm not a runner. My knees swell up, my ankles hurt, and I get dizzy because I tend to already have very low blood pressure. This uphoria all my runner friends tell me about, this great feeling after you run, I've never felt. I just feel like I need ice and a little faint. But hey, it's not for everyone. And if you aren't a runner there's some good news- there are great cardio alternatives out there:

Structured running or agility training- This is great because it allows me to still kind of run but not for the long distances that kill my body, but in shorter more intense sessions that leave my heart pumping and legs looking fab! For agility training- set up an obstacle to jump over, a ladder to run through/hop through/whatever, get a workout band and run banded squats forward backward and sideways, throw in some jump squats (try one legged!) and you'll be burning calories as well as muscle, hardcore. 

Biking- obviously

Elliptical machines/ bike machines/ tread mills- This is always a go to at the gym for cardio. Mix them up regularly for more results. I like ellipticals because they are low impact on the joints, so I will do that for ten minutes at the beginning of my workout but hop on the bike, stair master, or tread mill for an additional 10-15 minutes at the end.

Spin class- So good! I loved it, but haven't been going lately. Read my other post on spin class for more details!

Arobics/ Zumba/ Dance- It's fun and calorie burning, and hey, Michelle Obama is into it. Dance it out!

Jumping rope- The best cardio workout you will EVER do. I talk about this in several other posts. A recent SHAPE magazine article also raved about the benefits of jump roping, read it here. It boosts your metabolism all day and works every muscle in your body if you do it properly. Find out more at fitness magazine jump rope basics. Also, I have heard from someone who goes to the gym with John Basedow that he is all about jumping rope, and we know he's got his cardio on point! If it works for him, it works for me!

High intensity interval training- HIIT- Interval training is my favorite workout right now, and doing it at high intensity with no or few breaks will leave you glowing, heart racing, and feeling the burn. There are lots of HIIT workouts you can find on the internet. The most important thing is to mix it up and not do the same workout all the time for maximum impact.

Hiking, walking, and other outdoor activities- While not exactly a cardio workout, being active outside promotes healthy blood flow and circulation. It's part of a healthy lifestyle and promotes a good cardiovascular system. 

Cross Training Sets

"Adopt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own." -Bruce Lee

I think one of the biggest benefits to taking workout classes and trying new workouts is that you can take even just one piece of it you love, and adapt it to change the way you work out at home or on your own. If you were a runner, use those workout you love even if you don't run anymore. If you were a gymnast, you can still use pieces of that workout in your gym routine. Our workouts are unique to who we are and where we have been. Cross training in your workout not only gives you a great workout, it lets you express that, and shapes your body to reflect our varying life experiences! Think about that, that's a wonderful thing! So, I just thought I'd share a couple home cross training workout sets I love to do outside my regular circuit training workout. These are three exercise sets of 10 reps each 3 times... I just do these every once in a while. They are a combination of things I've learned from gymnastics as well as boxing, ballet workout, and various fitness classes which I have put together to target my own biggest problem areas with exercises I love.

Push up set: 

Military push ups-my fav!- these are a push up with a body roll up, followed by a push up with a a body roll down.

http://www.athletebychoice.com/totalcircuits/total-circuit-015/

 

 

Sumo push ups-Push up touch each of you shoulders, push up again 

Tricep push ups- push ups with your elbows in to your sides, not out.

Ab set:

Tuck ups-my fav!- lay flat arms up and legs out, tuck legs in and roll up to shoulder stand or as close as you can get) and then roll back down. 

V ups- lay flat arms up keeps arms by ears and lift arms and legs to sky and touch together ( this is more of a lift up than a v)

 

Bicycle- military kicks and hold your head is regular push up position, alternate knees to elbows. 

Butt set:

Frog leg lifts-my fav!- knees bent laying on your side, lift one leg up and alternate just your foot up and down keeping legs open.

 

Donkey kicks- on all fours lift leg at 90 degree angle and pulse (flex your foot, and make sure to keep a flat back).

Straight leg pulse- same as donkey kicks, but straight leg (flex your foot, and make sure to keep a flat back).

I love these little sets and do them every so often as supplemental to my workout. They really give you a boost in those areas like lower belly, fat part of your arm, and that spot right between your butt an thigh, while also strengthening your core! 

You really could do these as a circuit once in a while too, but I'd pick two from each group for that.

My Fitness Pal

"If Everyday Were Like Today, You'd Weigh 102 lbs in 5 Weeks." - My Fitness Pal

God, I love when my fitness pal tells me how fast I'll be fit and thin if I stay on track like I did today! And for that reason, the instant gratification I get even though I can't see my results yet, I find this app totally addicting! It's the easiest way I've found to track my calories and my exercise to get to a weight and fitness level where I want to be.

It's so easy to use. You put in your weight, your goal, your activity level, and set a calorie goal per day. Then, you enter the foods you eat and the exercise you do each day. Fitness pal tells you if your on track and your progress each day.

What's better is you can find your friends on facebook, or from your phones contacts, and share your food and exercise diary. Or, you can chose to keep your diary private. I like to share mine, and I enjoy getting snack ideas from my friends.

Before I started using fitness pal I would sometimes not eat enough before going to the gym, and get dizzy or tired. Which can be dangerous. On fitness pal, I can literally see if the breakfast I ate is going to be enough to get me through my gym workout. If my breakfast was 300 calories and my gym workout burns 500, that's a good thing to know.

I used to also think I was eating healthy, without understanding how many calories are in things or the breakdown of how much fat, protein, sugar, sodium I was getting each day, and what I still needed. Now I can see all of that on my fitness pal. I can actually look at the nutrition in my food and see if I need to eat more protein for dinner, or if I have extra calories to have that piece of cake for desert.

Whatever your using to track your progress, it needs to work for you. There are a lot of other aps and websites out there that work in ways similar to the fitness pal, and you should find the one that is a good fit for you. By tracking your progress in every meal, and every workout, its easy to stay inspired and on track. It's also impossible to lie to yourself when you see your not!

Pinterest

Let's be honest, based on what you pin on pinterest, are you more a deep fried cheese bread kind of person or the light tabouli chicken salad type?

It seems that it's so much easier to eat poorly these days and leave it up to your workout to burn it off. But eating healthy doesn't have to be a chore, and working out doesn't have to be a solution to your poor eating habits. Similarly, there will always be a great excuse to skip the gym, or to open up a box of mac and cheese for dinner. It’s the kids favorite meal anyways, right? But the harsh reality that you must remember is that someone out there IS busier than you and they ARE making the time to eat healthy and work out! In law school, I would spend crazy hours in the school library and work long hours late into every night of the week, but I managed to make time to stay healthy! I made the time because I couldn't afford not to be healthy and neither can you!

Here are some tips to get you started on the right track:

• sweet tooth? I love dipping berries in greek yogurt and freezing them. Hello low cal fab pre-gym time snack! :) 
• No time to work out? On study breaks, or even during commercial breaks from a tv show, try doing various workouts durring each commercial. I like to hold a body plank for the duration of one commercial, then switch it up! Do sit ups for the next, and jumping jacks for the next!  Everyone has time for this one! It only takes 3 minutes or so.