I’m going to let you in on my dirty little secret. I’m a bit very scattered when it comes to fitness goals, or any goals for that matter. It’s not that I lack goals, it’s the exact opposite…I usually have way too many on the go. In a matter of a few weeks I’ll decide I’m going to finally make it past that 15th push-up, teach myself to kneel unsupported on a stability ball while doing lateral dumbbell raises, run 5K and learn to play tennis. They are usually fairly lofty goals, so of course I don’t always succeed or I have to shelve them for a later date…ahem running. But some of the time I do hit the mark – six pull-ups in a row thank you very much.

This week the one-legged squat has caught my attention. The strength, balance and sheer determination required for a successful one-legged squat is much too tempting for me to resist. And what a party trick! Dropped you pen? Let me just lower my body down to the floor on one leg and pick that up for you.

Ok so I have had this goal before. It was about eight months ago, which was way too soon for my first attempt, but I quickly realised that and set it aside for later. This time around I’m starting slow, using a stability ball between my back and the wall to help make sure I don’t collapse in a twisted heap. I can’t get down to 90 degrees for more than one just yet, but I can do about 12 part way. And I will continue to add single leg squats to my routine each week until I can do two, then three, and one day maybe even 10.

The reason I think it’s a good idea to set goals both big and small (even though things don’t always work out in my favor) is I need something to get excited for.  There is no better feeling than suceeding at something I set out to do, especially if I wasn’t really sure I could do it.

If you set a lot of goals for yourself, chances are you’ll reach at least one. And once you do there’s another one waiting to be chased.

crystals staying inspired, women's fitness, working out muscle, working out

I receive emails from fitness websites and organizations on a daily basis.  Prevention Magazine, Women’s Health ACE, Can-Fit-Pro… I like to get the latest information and check out new and improved workout programs and exercises.

But one thing has been bothing me. And it’s not the fact that most of the emails I get are trying to sell me books about some new diet or weight loss program subscription. It’s also not the fact that some of these companies (I’m not mentioning any names) don’t find it at all ironic that many of the emails they’ve sent me in the past few years have been for the “last” or “only” workout or diet plan I’ll ever need. Then why do they keep creating new ones I wonder? But I digress.

The thing that bothers me is workout routines that target only one or two muscle groups. Who doesn’t want tanktop arms, a bodacious booty or awesome abs? The exercises in and of themselves aren’t bad. In fact I get a lot of my own moves and ideas from these types of emails. But if I’m spending 30 minutes, two to three times a week working my abdominals, when am I going to have time to work the rest of my muscles.

I know these exercises are a small part of a much bigger fitness routine, so I pick and choose the ones I like and add them to my reperetoire. But some people are so focussed on spot reduction, like getting rid of arm fat for example, that they forget about everything else and think doing eight exercises for their biceps, triceps and shoulders is all it’s going to take to lose fat in that area.

I get why these emails are sent out. If someone is stressing about the state of their stomach an email that screams “banish ab flab for good”, especially if it also specifies there is no exercise required (don’t even get me started on that), is what’s going to entice them to go to the website it came from.

For someone who is inactive and possibly overweight the promise of muscle definition and flat abs in a matter of weeks sounds too good to be true, and it is. If you read the fine print these spot training plans require healthy eating, cardiovascualr activity and even more strength training to be effective. Even then it often takes months to see results, unless you’re starving yourself and working out excessively, which isn’t a great way to make lasting lifestyle chanegs.

So ifyou want to send me emails with exercises suggestions that’s great, but be upfront about what is involved and what results are realistic.

crystals women's fitness, working out, workout routines strength training, working out

Fridays at work have been reminding me a lot of grade school recently. That’s because I’ve been leading a 45 minute jump rope class. No I’m not fit enough to skip the entire time – strength training moves are sprinkled throughout. In the moderation that is my style I still haven’t jumped rope for more than two minutes continuosly, even though I’ve been at it for over a month.

Class starts with some dynamic movements to limber up, we work at swinging the rope with good technique and then add in some jumps focussing on limiting joint impact. Next comes practising the art of jumping in, which we do several times, as well as jumping out…all while keeping the rope swinging. When we do jump in it’s for 30 seconds to a few minutes of skipping at a time. Later in the class when we’ve got a good flow going we change up our jumping style with high knees, slalom jumps and jacks.

Sounds pretty tame, but believe me it’s not. Skipping as an adult is not the same as skipping on the playground and you’ll find that out within minutes as your heart rate soars and you either trip yourself up on the rope (learning how to do it again is one of the things that makes this workout fun) or quickly run out of breath.

But the chance to relive your carefree childhood aside, the reason you should try skipping again is it’s one of the best cardiovascular workouts you can get. Not to mention it strengthens your calves, thighs, butt, shoulders and forearms. It has been reported again and again that skipping burns more calories than running, around 10 calories a minute. And after my first class I believed it, but I still had to check it out for myself. The calorie counter on my Polar heart rate monitor agrees that it is one kick butt workout.

If you’re still not convinced, consider the possibility that a 10 minute skipping workout can beat your regular 30 minutes of cardio in terms of total calorie burn and cardiovascular conditioning. There’s a reason that boxers and Olympic athletes jump rope. It’s time you learn to skip too.

crystals Uncategorized, working out jump rope, skipping

There’s no denying that the acrobatics exhibited in pole dancing or strippercise classes will get you a toned, sexy body. But what about those women who don’t possess the exhibitionist gene? Well they’ll just have to exercise with a different sort of pole, or rather set of poles.

These poles are similar to the ones used for cross country skiing and the activity that’s becoming more popular everyday is called pole walking, Nordic walking or any variety of other names used by companies selling their own brand of ergonomic walking sticks.

The premise is simple and effective. Using your upper body while walking engages more muscles and burns more calories, while not making you feel like you’re working harder. The numbers being touted are 20 to almost 50 percent more calories burned while walking with poles. Pole walking is also said to be good for posture and balance, as well as being easy on joints. Basically it’s beneficial for men and women of all ages and abilities.

Since most of the time I’m not that crazy about cardio I like the idea of doing more work and not feeling it. I also like that It would allow me to work my upper body aerobically without using a rowing machine (which I don’t have access to) or gripping the moving handlebars on a cross trainer (which I find uncomfortable).

A coworker of mine just earned her Urban Polling certification (I neglected to mention there is a specific technique you have to use getting the most benefit) and will be leading classes so I’ll check one out and let everyone know what I think. Anyone else hopped on the Nordic walking bandwagon yet?

crystals fitness equipment advice, women's fitness, working out aerobic workout, pole walking

I’ve only had a few professional massages in my lifetime and I can say with certainty that there’s nothing better than having a sore, achy body manipulated by an expert. And after discovering self-myofascial release I haven’t changed my mind. What can I say, I love being pampered. But that doesn’t mean I don’t recognize the benefits of this type of self-massage or that I don’t employ it.

Basically self-myofascial release involves the use of a pretty inconspicuous piece of equipment known as a foam roller. Just think of yourself as the dough. With the foam roller in an open space on the floor you position your body so that the target muscle lays directly on top of it. As you roll back and forth your body weight presses muscle and fascia into the roller. Going back to the dough analogy it can be pretty uncomfortable when you roll over a knot, especially when instructions dictate that you focus the roller in these places for up to 45 seconds. Then it can be downright painful. A word of advice for beginners – just do as much as you can stand and work up to the recommended length of time. And you might not want to put all of your body weight into it right away.

A few of the reasons you should use self-myofascial release:

• It can help fix muscle imbalances

• You’ll increase range of motion in joints

• Muscles won’t be as sore in the days following a workout

• It can protect your body from injury

• Scar tissue that is already present can be broken down

Truthfully, the best part of self- myofascial release is when it’s over. But whatever you have to go through to get there, there’s no denying that a little TLC on a tight IT band or hamstring can have a beneficial effect on your comfort level. Sometimes when my muscles have been through a hard day, a few minutes of rolling is the best way I know to settle them down and get some sleep.

I won’t go into all the specifics, mostly because I’m not completely familiar with all of them myself, but I will encourage you to do something good for your body beyond resistance training, cardio and simple static stretching. Many sites offer complete descriptions of how it works and the best way to employ it so it’s easy to find instructions.

I guess this is one case where gains really do come from a least a little pain.

crystals Uncategorized, working out myofascial release