What are the latest and greatest health-related products? How can I spice up my ho-hum workout? Are the new nutritious food products and health-focused restaurants worth my money? If you're asking any of these questions you've found the right spot!Note: While I'm a journalist with a Bachelor's degree in kinesiology and am a Certified Health Education Specialist, I don't replace the guidance/counseling that comes from a good chat with your doctor or dietitian. For more information, feel free to contact me at karlaswalsh@gmail.com!
Healthful Bites
When I first began training for my half-marathon, I was worried that after a few weeks, the novelty would wear off and it would get boring, monotonous and no longer fun. But the “Type A” in me loved crossing another run off the calendar and seeing the continual progress as I followed the schedule was extremely motivating! Now that I’ve crossed the finish line, I’ve been brainstorming new fitness challenges to try. Enter #PlankADay!
Started by a couple of friends in Massachusetts in June 2011, the movement asks participants to do one—just one—plank each day for as long as possible. My strength training took a bit of a hit while I was running, so I figured this is the perfect counterbalance! Planks don’t just work your ab muscles, they also improve back, arm and quadriceps strength.
For the month of May, in addition to my regular workouts, I will be completing at least one prone plank daily. When time allows, I’ll toss in some side planks as well! Will you join me?
Photo courtesy of Pinterest user Richard Lipp
Do you like physical challenges or do you prefer to wing it?
We all know that cardio is a great way to scorch calories, but doing strength moves (like lunges, step-ups or squats) that engage your larger muscle groups can also get your heart pumping while giving your muscles a varied workout. Today, I have three exercises that engage the upper body muscles while your lower body is performing some variation of a squat—be it the traditional version, a plie or with a tiptoe raise.
Grab a fairly light set of dumbbells, a little free space and get ready for a total-body workout!
If you only have time for cardio or weights, which do you choose and why?
You can’t bash the brain and body benefits of yoga. In fact, the slower pace is often a welcome respite for me after a week of hard core circuits, spin classes and treadmill time. But with my wandering mind and a wild drive to multitask, I occasionally have a hard time setting aside time for the more mellow forms of the “practice” when I could be pushing my strength and cardio capacity to the limit. Anyone else feel that way?
That’s why today I have two amped up yoga moves (that are a great supplement to the three that I shared nearly one year ago)! Find a carpeted area or snag a mat and prepare to try a couple fun new spins on yoga exercises that will leave you feeling stretched and strengthened.
Can you turn your mind off to meditate, as instructors often recommend during parts of yoga classes?
We all know the benefits of a well-balanced, square meal. So today, I have a workout that’s based on the quadrilateral! Grab a medium-heavy set of dumbbells, a jump rope if you have one and want to use it and a bit of open space and get ready to sweat and sculpt. The first two moves will also challenge your most important muscle: your heart!
While performing the lateral raises, keep your core muscles tight and your belly button sucked in—this will help you avoid using momentum and tweaking your back while swaying. Try to keep your trunk still throughout the motion and let your shoulders do the work.
Do your workout routines ever get, well, too routine? If so, how do you spice them up?
Yoga with benefits! Take a break from our usual strength moves that often require weights with these yoga-inspired toners. They’ll limber you up while challenging your leg and core muscles. Grab a mat if you have it or slip on a pair of shoes so you won’t slide around the floor, and get ready to try these three fun exercises!
Are you able to dedicate time to yoga and meditation? Or when you attempt to get into it, does your mind wander to every other place, like mine? :)
Today, I’m happy to share with you a guest post from someone with a bit of a different perspective than I do about the wellness world! My dad Bob, a mechanical engineer and avid golfer, recently made his foray into structured gym exercise. Since I’m not nearby to hear the day-to-day stories about his gym time, I wanted to learn more about how he felt about the experience and asked him to share his story here on Healthful Bites. FYI: I interjected a few comments, noted in italic font.
Take it away Dad!
—
About six months ago I bit the bullet and signed up for a gym membership. It was long overdue. My weight had been creeping up for years, and figured that hitting the gym during the winter months would be a great way to keep in shape for golf season, while hopefully dropping some pounds. The initial goal? Lose 28 pounds in six months.
Part of the new gym membership was a personal training session. At the time, I swore the trainer was trying to make me throw up! Well, not really, but he overestimated how fit I was. We worked out for about 30 minutes. Looking back now, the workout it was no big deal. We did three rotations of:
- 15 BOSU ball push-ups
- 15 squats with a kettlebell
- 1-minute planks on the BOSU ball.
That workout would be too easy now, but at the time it was more than I could handle. It may have worked out better that I was so pooped though, because when he started his sales pitch on training sessions I had to leave. I didn’t spill my cookies, but I stood over the porcelain throne for a good five minutes. When I came out he felt sorry for me and skipped the sales pitch.
Don’t worry, things start to turn around! Keep reading by clicking below.
I was losing weight at a good pace for a month, but then I started to plateau. I got some good advice from Nikki Stephens, a marketing person at my gym, which really made a difference. She told me to include some interval work, try to work in some running and change my workout every few weeks. Good advice, Nikki!
Over the holidays, I basically maintained, which in itself is a small victory considering all of those cookies lying around! As 2011 began, my weight loss picked back up again.
Now I’m incorporating a different strength training routine five days a week:
- Sunday: Kettlebell
- Monday: Gym weight machines
- Wednesday: BOSU ball
- Thursday: Medicine ball
- Saturday: Planks (Bob’s note: My daughter, and your blogger, is a plank psycho. She designed this day for me because I wanted to do more ab work. I also wanted to be able to move the next day so I had to do some modifications.) Psycho is a strong word; I’d say love (See Exhibit A, B and C for evidence supporting these claims.) :)
I do six days of cardio a week. I run four days and do the elliptical machine two days. These days, I’m running 14 miles each week. Well mostly running…OK, running and walking. I’ve slowly been increasing the speed and duration of my runs. Some of my recent accomplishments:
- Yesterday I ran a mile straight and completed my first sub 10-minute mile in 20 years.
- On Fridays, I’m finishing five miles. Last week, I averaged 11:30 per mile.
I also walk two miles at lunch on workdays, but I have to admit that habit is more about stress relief than it is about exercise!
I am not going to meet my goal of 28 pounds. But I have lost 18 pounds in five months. When I started, I figured that doing anything would allow me to drop 2 pounds a week. However, I didn’t take into account that I was hungry more often because I was exercising much more. I also fell into the trap thinking that I was exercising more that I did not have to watch what I ate as much. But now I’m wiser!
I still plan on losing the 28 pounds, but it won’t happen within six months. When I get there, I plan on staying there and working more on flexibility and strength.
Image from Overstock
—
Way to go, Dad! You’ve done an awesome job, and I know you can keep it up. I’m glad to hear you rewarded yourself with some new sneakers—a nice workout outfit or pair of shoes is the perfect treat for an exercise job well done :)
Now tell me: What was your first trip to the gym like?
Now that we stretched out those hips, let’s strengthen them! Today I have four exercises that challenge the hips, thighs, glutes and even involve a little oblique action. You don’t even need any equipment! Just lace up your shoes and join in the lower body toning fun.
By the way, the dance-based move is an attitude not an arabesque. Oops! (Told you it was a while since ballet class! The closest I’ve been lately is several barre DVDs.)
Do you prefer graceful toning methods, like dance moves, or more athletic exercises, like the curtsy lunge?
P.S.: Don’t forget to enter the giveaway by Friday for a chance to win six workout DVDs, a fancy jar of P.B. and an extra surprise or two!
Whether you’re an apple or a pear (or neither) these three exercises for your hips and thighs will be a great addition to your routine. Simply grab a mat if you’re on a hard surface and a stability ball, and get ready to feel the burn! If you’re looking for an even greater challenge, strap on a set of ankle weights—as long as you can keep good form.
Did you know that strengthening your hips can help alleviate knee pain? So these moves will not only tone your muscles, but may also decrease cardio-sabataging (and overall ouchy) joint soreness. Neat!
Do you ever suffer from knee pain? Have you found any way to ease this ailment?
Too often, we—or at least I— focus on cranking out reps, working hard and getting the job done during exercise. So to add a little more fun in to process, try these three rolling-based moves. A couple even give a nod to egg rolls (the gym class kind, not the Chinese food!).
For this well-balanced routine, you’ll just need a stability ball and a bit of open space… And the ability to ignore whatever craziness is going on with my hair in this video :)
What was your favorite elementary school gym class activity? How do you make your workouts fun these days?
PS: How about them Packers? No better excuse to hit the treadmill for some incline walking than an apartment with no TV and a big game on :) (That was my cagey plan yesterday so that I wouldn’t miss the game.) Hopefully the Packers will roll (*groan*) on through the Steelers in a couple of weeks!
