Active Potato

Have there been times when going to the gym just seemed like drudgery?  Going to be active indoors just doesn’t sound fun when the sun is shining, the skies are clear and the temperature is just right. I rather hit the trails, go for a swim or get my lawn and garden planted. Anything but staying inside with fluorescent lights and stinking muscle heads. There are so many fun physical activities outside of the gym. Workout at the gym is just a way for me to be physically ready to play outside. Why try to be physically fit if you don’t want to get out and play?

I use to be a regular runner, and even would trail run. I got the best feeling after a good four mile run but with knee issues I had to alter my cardio workout. So I got out the bike…specifically a mountain bike. The area I live in has the best mountain bike trails for all levels of skill and fitness.  I try to hit the trails often when the weather is corporative.

Biking the Trails

But you don’t have to mountain bike…there is so much more. Golfing can be very fun and if you walk the course you have your physical activity. (Remember the pro golfers walk the course).  Cross country skiing, downhill skiing and going sledding with the kids are all great “get off the couch” work outs for the winter months.  If you enjoy team sports, softball leagues are always available in all levels of competition. Hiking is always a mind calming activity. Find a path that is suitable for you.

What ever you do will be better then just sitting on the couch…so get on out there!!!

I love trying different workouts and activities, but they have to be fun. Workouts don’t have to be dumb bells, treadmills and stationary bikes. When I enter a gym I look for the unusual or unused equipment. Take for instance, the stair climber. Here is a machine that is always open and ready for use. Why? I am not sure but does it give a bang of a cardio workout. The rowing machine is also always open, what a great chance to get the heart rate up plus work on those arms which can get neglected on most cardio activities.  Right now, I am enjoying the tread climber. It is a piece of equipment where the platform is split and inclines as you step. It feels like hiking and boy can you feel the hamstrings working as you step.

For my strength training, I have found the stabilizer balls and kettle bells to be an interesting addition to my workout. You can be creative when designing exercise programs with just these two items. The ball makes for a great way to work your core muscles. Just balancing on the ball engages the abdominal muscles. One way is to lay on the ball with it centered between your shoulder blades and twist back and forth with a weighted stick.

Kettle bells are weighted ball with a handle. They come in a variety of weights. I use the kettle bell swing as a way to elevate my heart rate between sets. Keep good upright postures when doing the swing and squat each time the bell goes between your legs. Change it up by swinging the bell with one arm at a time, switching from one hand to the other.Kettle Bell Swing

The halo is another great core exercise. All you do is swing the kettle bell over your head while keeping your hips stable. It really engages all your core muscles.Halo Exercise

I also do a transversal exercise by crossing the kettle bell to my foot and then lift the bell over my head. I do several with each arm.  At first you may think that the kettle bells are for arms but the next day you will realize that your legs and abs also had a great workout.

Snap at shoulder

Lift overhead

You can find so many different exercises in magazines, websites and television.  Sometimes they even provide a full workout. I found a lot of ideas just surfing the video websites. Just be careful that they are safe and simple.  Find the exercises that have different levels of difficulty so you can build up to the harder version.  Really note the posture and positions of the back so to ensure you are doing it correctly.  Try an exercise a few times before dismissing it because sometimes it just take practice to do it right.

Above all…keep it safe and fun so you stay off the couch.

I started this 12 week program all excited about learning a new way to exercise. My trainer started me out on the exercise machines. You knows the ones, you see them all lined up at the gym. Each machine works out a specific muscle group by using levers and pulleys to lift a weighted plate.  At first glance, these machines seem to be intriguing and easy.  All you need to do is sit and move a particular appendage. No real skill needed.  However, I find this type of workout inefficient, time consuming and BORING.    Working just one specific muscle doesn’t relate to the way the body naturally moves.  Muscles complement each other so why not design a program that promotes this concept. Also working out one muscle at a time takes time. I was doing about 12 exercises a session just to get a full body workout.  It was making my work out session too long to schedule in my busy life style.  Maybe I am a little hyperactive, but just sitting on a machine doing three sets of 15 moving my leg up and down is just plain boring.  I just can’t get my mind and body into it.

So what to do? For me, I got off the machines and made a workout session that I like doing. I prefer cardio activities, such as running and biking but strength training is essential to any healthy fitness program. One objective is to do exercises that focused on several different muscle groups by using balance and transversal movements. I also created a workout session that will take less than 45 minutes to complete yet will provide a full body workout.  To alleviate the boredom, I added some cardio between the strength sets.  For example, I would do 30 kettle bell swings between each set of dead lifts, or I would do a minute of jump roping.  Just getting my heart rate alleviated keeps me focused. Another aspect is to do something that is hard to do so you can create a goal of achieving the skill to complete a certain number. I have trouble with pushups, so I added them to my workout with the goal of adding more each week. To keep the boredom at bay, I plan on switching my exercises every week or two.  There are such an array of different exercises why just sit on a machine or the couch.

Use your imagination, change it up and for goodness sake…

get off the couch!!!

Does the weight loss roller coaster never stop? For awhile you are feeling great about your weight loss efforts …your clothes are looser, your gut stays in, you have energy and radiant confidence.   Why is it we loose this great feeling?  What makes us go back to being a coach potato snacking on crap food? You know the kind of food I am talking about… processed, sodium soaked, fat laden and over loaded with sugar!! It is no big secret which foods are good for us and how important being active is for our well being.  So here I am trying to loose the ten pounds I always fight with.  My weight is back at the point where I get panicky about how I look and especially how I feel. This is also the point where I start looking at the newest and greatest diets and exercise programs, hoping to find a quick fix to this issue. Even after four years of fitness education, I still can get pulled into the latest craze or gimmick. I even bought a pair of “Shape Ups” shoes because the commercial says it will make my rear end perky. Though they are comfortable and my feet seem to like them, I hardly think I will suddenly have a rear end as nice as the model on T.V.

In the mail the other week, I received a flyer asking for 25 women who would like to participate in a 12 week weight loss program for free.  It was a promotional ploy to get you interested in a women’s orientated gym in my local area. I investigated to see if I could partake in the promotion.   When I got there the gym manager described the program and the amenities of the facility. The program consisted of a personal trainer who would provide me with a program combining cardio and strength exercises plus I would be required to do a daily food dairy. I would have to weigh in once a week and meet with the trainer every three weeks. There were a few other extras such as discount massages and free group lessons.  Of course, nothing is really free, the program may be free but the gym membership for the 12 weeks was about $120.00. Since I felt this program was well balanced and the gym had a cozy, friendly feel about it, I paid the $120.00. Maybe this would be the push I need to get off the couch.  The way I look at it, 12 weeks may turn into a 12 pound lost.  Right now I am feeling motivated and positive; hopefully, I can keep this feeling alive through my twelve week journey. Here’s to a great next twelve weeks!!