Archive for October, 2009

Why do you workout?

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

I’ve had two conversations this month that have caused me to reflect on that question. One was at one of my speaking engagements.

During the speech I went around the room and asked the women why they did or didn’t exercise. One of the woman very frankly stated, “Because I don’t like it.” The other women chuckled and sighed jealously – “Well look at her, she doesn’t need to!”

The second conversation took place this morning. One of my boot campers remarked, “The first time I saw Stacy at class I was like ‘What’s she doing here? She doesn’t need a boot camp!’ “  My response was, “Well how do you think she got that way?! How do you think she stays fit?”

Stacy, unlike the woman at my talk  (a skinny woman with poor posture and no muscle tone who “didn’t need to workout”),  possesses an athletic body - sinewy and strong; the body of a runner who also lift weights.

Too often we think of fitness as a means to an end (often that end is weight loss) instead of the lifelong journey that it really is.  Weight loss or the elusive six pack shouldn’t be the end of your journey. There are always new goals to be set and mastered – whether it’s increasing your strength by 30 pounds, lifting your body weight over a bar or developing better foot speed.

Then there are all of those intrinsic rewards; those benefits that can’t be measured – energy, happiness, independence, inner strength.

I’ll never convince the naysayers that they should exercise. No matter how many times I tout benefits like independence, inner and outer strength and youthful energy not to mention weight control and disease prevention, they just ain’t buyin’.

So, I pose this question – Why do you work out? I’ll give you my answers first:

  • Working out makes me feel strong.
  • Working out brings balance and control to my crazy life.
  • Working out helps me deal with my stress in a productive way (read – it keeps me from yelling at my husband or eating a boxful of Lucky Charms).
  • Lifting heavy things empowers me.
  • Getting through a tough workout means that I can get through almost anything that life throws my way.
  • My body does what I want it to do when I want it to do it (well, most of the time) because I workout.
  • Working out makes me independent (I don’t have to wait for some dude to lift that heavy object for me).
  • Working out makes me feel like a bad ass!

So, why do you workout? Holla back…

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It IS easy being green

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

I find that many of my new clients have trouble getting in the recommended 3-5 servings of vegetables a day, not to mention the recommended 3 servings a week of green leafy vegetables. My clients are no different from most Americans. According to surveys conducted by the CDC only 27% of adults get the recommended amount of daily vegetable servings. Whether it’s lack of time or knowledge or simply preference, most of us find it hard to be “green”.

Enter Green Smoothies. They’re packed with vitamins (C, K and several of the B’s), minerals (calcium, potassium and iron) and phytonutrients (beta-carotene).  Try the recipe below from my friend Ruth Harp from Whole Foods Market in Wynnewood.

I have to admit, I was skeptical at first because of the color of these smoothies, but they’re actually quite tasty. Have the smoothie as an evening snack, complement to lunch (I’ll have leftover smoothie when I don’t have time to make a salad) or post-workout (just make sure you add some protein to the meal).

Green Smoothies (taken from the Whole Foods Wynnewood newsletter)

2 bananas

2 cups pineapple chunks

1/3 – 1/2 bunch greens (Kale, Collard Greens, Swiss Chard) washed and chopped into large pieces

Water 

  • Place bananas in blender. 
  • Add pineapple and then greens. 
  • Fill blender with water/ice mixture to about 2 inches below the top. 
  • Blend well.

Green Smoothies can be stored for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. 

  1. Green smoothies are very nutritious. Use about 60% ripe organic fruit mixed with about 40% organic green vegetables.  They taste like fruit but have all the nutrition contained in dark leafy greens.
  2. Green smoothies are very easy to digest. When blended well, all of the valuable nutrients become easy for the body digest.
  3.  Green smoothies, as opposed to juices, are a complete food because they still have fiber.
  4. Start with less greens and don’t use the stems at first as they can be bitter.  Let your taste buds adjust and build up your ability to drink a smoothie with more greens!

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The best intentions…

Monday, October 19th, 2009

I spent the weekend in sunny warm Orlando.  To tell the truth, it was unseasonably cold (49 degrees on Sunday morning) and I spent 10+ hours a day in a conference room under fluorescent lights, I never really saw the sun. So, I spent the weekend in temperature controlled, fluorescent Orlando.

The conference was at the Orlando Hilton; a beautiful new hotel with a friendly accommodating staff, and most important to me, a state of the art gym and a 1/4 mile track. I managed to get to the gym on Friday and Saturday between the afternoon and evening sessions, but Sunday was a different story.

Out late Sunday after attending an awards ceremony and some networking at the hotel bar, I went to bed at 12:30 with the best of intentions. I set the alarm for 6:30, prepared to get up, go to the gym and stop at the hotel restaurant for an omelet breakfast.

Instead, I hit the snooze button 6 times, showered, packed and had an overpriced Cliff Bar ($3 – I was harried, hungry and desperate) from the hotel “cafe”.

The good news is that I still managed to squeeze in a workout. I practiced what I preach Sunday morning.

I often council my clients, over-scheduled moms and over-traveled CEOs, to fit in a workout even if it’s only a 15 minute one. I can think of quite a few of my CEOs who have reported doing squats, push-ups and towel pull ups in their hotel rooms.

Here’s the working that I did yesterday morning:

Do as many reps of each exercise as possible:

1 minute push-ups

1 minute mountain climbers

1 minute tuck jumps

-Do 3 rounds total, resting 30 seconds between each round.

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Hello world!

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

Welcome to my new blog!

After 3 years of procrastination and distraction I’ve finally gotten around to launching the Performance Fitness blog. I’ll be sharing health and fitness information and well as my unique observations on life with all of my readers. :-)

Look for frequently updated content including weekly workouts and recipes, reviews of magazine and research articles, client success stories, announcements and any cool new workout techniques that I’m experimenting with.

To your health!

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