Thursday November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving! I'm so grateful for all of you and want to send a big Thank You to those of you who read my articles, send emails, post your comments and participate in our exercise family. Your support and encouragement keeps me going and makes this job possible. I'm truly inspired by my readers and am regularly awed by your intelligence, thoughtfulness and commitment to health. I can't thank you enough.
Group hug!
Having said that, I'll leave you with a few workout ideas, if you're looking for something to do on this holiday. If you're around, leave a comment and tell us what kind of exercise you're getting in today.
Thanksgiving Exercise Ideas
Wednesday November 25, 2009
Are you ready for Thanksgiving? I certainly am, but only because I'm not cooking a huge dinner (my friends are taking care of that) and I'm not traveling - the two things that make you a little crazy over the holidays.
Unfortunately, not everyone is that lucky. I know many of you will be at the airport, fighting people for overhead bin space or doing everything you can to avoid the middle seat. Some of you will be trapped in a car with relatives for hours at a time saying things like, "Don't make me pull this car over!" or "Must we have World War III right now?"
Whatever you're doing, I'm hoping to convince you to keep some kind of exercise on the schedule this weekend. Your workouts will not only keep stress at manageable levels, it can also be a great way to get some quiet time in the midst of family chaos. For ideas, check out my holiday survival guide and then tell us how you stay on track during the holidays. Do you stick with your normal routine or do you wing it?
Holiday Exercise Resources
Tuesday November 24, 2009
As Thanksgiving barrels its way here, my client workouts have morphed into short, slightly frantic workouts. Many of my clients are leaving town and don't have time for longer workouts, so they've requested shorter, more torturous workouts. (Okay, maybe I misheard the 'torturous' part...whatever.)
As a result of their demands, we've been doing more combination exercises to save time without compromising on intensity - you can imagine how happy this makes them.
If you're in the same boat, combining moves is a great option. Not all exercises work well together, so it does take some practice to find combos that: A) Use about the same amount of weight and B) Flow well so that there aren't awkward movements or transitions that could cause injury. Below are a few examples of exercises that often work well together. Be sure to leave a comment to tell us about your favorite combination moves.
Walking Lunge with Overhead Press
Hold medium weights over the shoulders and step forward with the right foot into a lunge. Push up, stepping the left foot forward while simultaneously pressing the weights overhead. Switch legs and step forward with the left foot, repeating the overhead press. Continue alternating walking lunges with presses for 10-16 reps.
Deadlifts with Row
Stand with feet hip-width apart holding weights in front of thighs. Keeping the abs in and back straight, tip from the hips and lower the weights down (skimming the legs) as low as your flexibility allows. Squeeze glutes and hamstrings to come up and then lower back down until the torso is parallel to the floor, turn the hands so that they're parallel and pull the weights up in a row contracting the lats. Repeat, alternating deadlifts and rows for 10-16 reps.
Squat Toss
Stand with feet hip-width apart and hold a med ball. Squat as low as you can (knees behind toes and abs contracted) and touch the ball to the floor. Press through the heels to press back up while sweeping the weight up and overhead. Toss the ball up, catch it and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Monday November 23, 2009
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because of all the great childhood memories I have. My favorite is our tradition of throwing rolls at each other (I'm pretty sure this one doesn't fall into the 'Classic Thanksgiving Traditions' Category). This family tradition was started by my grandmother when I asked her to pass me a roll. I'm not sure if it was because she was way down at the other end of the table or, as she suggests, she was just crazy. Either way, it was memorable enough that it became part of our Thanksgiving meal. At least I didn't ask her to pass me a knife.
I don't make it home for Thanksgiving anymore (which means I now have to throw rolls at my husband), but my new tradition is taking a long run on Thanksgiving day to think about what I'm thankful for and, of course, what's for dinner.
Exercise is tough this time of year, but a holiday is sometimes a great time for taking a long walk or run and reflecting on family, gratitude and tradition.
What about you? Will you exercise over the Thanksgiving holiday? Vote in this week's poll and tell us about your exercise plans.
