Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Getting back into the swing of things

The weather is getting better, bikinis, people are considering to bust out some workouts, trying to get back into shape. The last thing you need is some reason to stop you from getting back in shape. As you begin sweating it out again, you may experience some soreness or blisters or maybe a tweaked muscle. It is EXTREMELY important that you first are able to identify whether this is a serious injury or a natural result of your workout. You certainly don't want to push a serious injury.

The other side of the coin is, you have enough junk in your mind telling you not to work out. There is every reason in the world to pick up the PS3 controller, watch a Seinfeld rerun, or sleep in an extra 45 minutes. Do not let a minor injury discourage you. If you are just getting back into a routine, you have to assume there will be some new soreness. You HAVE to push through it. The soreness will subside, but if you wait for it to be gone before you engage another workout, you will have passed up valuable time to stuff in another good sweet.

Personally, I always develop a blister on my right foot when I get back into running. I just have to pop it, slap on a band-aid and get back out there the next day.

Of course, this is simple, but isn't that the whole point? Fight through and don't let something so small discourage you!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Reason #47 not to work out

I injured my __________. There are many reasons to skip a work out. One common is an injury. I recently jammed my finger and I talked myself out of a few weight training workout. I even talked myself out of a jog. A jog?!? I jammed my finger, and I let that ruin a jog? The jostling did aggravate it, but still, tape it to another finger, or heck, just deal with it.

The point is that if you hurt your wrist, hop on the exercise bike; if you hurt your foot, try some yoga. You have four limbs - move your good ones.

It still does a body good

Drink milk. You're bones still needs protection. I promise.
Some people are concerned about calories. Some people try to eat a healthier breakfast and, in doing so, try to avoid cereal. Some people hate the taste. Valid points, I say. But do it anyway. Drinking milk is one of those things that you don't realize how much you should have done it until it is too late. That is to say, it is a preventative measure. Taking in the good calcium in milk assists in avoiding injury. When engaging in vigorous exercise, you are putting a lot of stress on your joints and need to help fortify them. This is ESPECIALLY true you are doing any weight training. More strain on joint - higher need for fortification.

Drink milk!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Drinking extra calories

This won't appeal to someone who is just wanting to just maintain their current fitness level, but if you are wanting to lose some weight, a GREAT idea is to only drink water. Look at a can of soda or a serving of juice (which is always a ton smaller than what you actually pour for yourself). You could drink 200-500 calories a day on beverages alone. It's ridiculous. Just drink water. It is an easy win and something that is easy to stay conscious of.

Calories
100-150 One serving of juice in the morning (Breakfast)
150-250 Soda (Lunch)
150-250 Soda (Snack)
100-300 Beer/Wine (Dinner)

500-950 Potential caloric intake from ONLY beverages

Taking a Mt Dew can out of my hand is nothing I was eager to dive into, but it makes a serious difference. Give it a whirl. If you are interested in calorie reduction, START with beverages. (another benefit to your best friend and mine, water)

Monday, October 12, 2009

Captain Obvious strikes again

Stretch. When was the last time you just stretched? Middle School gym?

Stretch. Lower back, hamstrings, hips, quads, hamstrings, calves, groin, shoulders, chest, upper back. There are tons of reasons to do it. I don't want to list reasons...yes, I do.

Stretching...
- Increases muscle flexibilitiy, which helps guard against injury during workouts, particularly sports. For example, if you are playing basketball and arm gets tangled with an opponent and pulled back, if your body is more equipped to stretch back more, you are less inclined to strain a muscle.

- Increases blood flow in the body.

- helps speed the recovery process up for sore muscles.

- Energizes.

- Warms up muscles for better muscle performance during exercise/workouts.

Stretch more! Do it!

Poop! Very literally.

My apologies for the title for the vulgarity and pun usage. But doodying helps. Hear me out. When you are constipated, you are stomach area obviously swells more because of it. You also feel more bloated. However much excess weight that is, you are carrying it around all day and, more importantly, affects your workout in that not only do you feel more weighed down but you are actually dragging around an additional 2-5 lbs (possibly more). Imagine how annoying that is if you are going for a 2 mile run or a 5 mile bike ride.

Well, Garth, what are you proposing I do to poop more frequently? I am not encouraging procedures or meds or anything extreme. As usual, I am suggesting some very easy and within your power. Drink a ton of water and eat plenty of fiber. I have read all over the place that water is great for the digestive system. It makes a lot of sense. Think high school chemistry class; water dilutes what you eat. It makes things easier for your digestive track to digest. And fiber is very well documented to assist your digestive system. Make sure it is apart of your regular diet. Easy way? Eat an apple. Raisin bran has a good amount of fiber, too. They also have fiber bars that are a good snack. And green vegetables, specifically green beans, are a very good source as well.

Drink water - more than you currently do now
Eat more apples
Eat green veges
Doody.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Protect your feet

Two summers ago, I went to a running shop that watched you run and looked at the shape of your feet and then provided options for you to try on and run a little in. GREAT service. I had NO idea what to shop for before I went to a place like this. Putting a lot of pounding on your feet for a few mile run can be very hard on your knees, hips, back as well as your feet. Getting a good pair of shoes for walking/running is a really good idea. I strongly recommend finding a place like this and picking up a pair if you do anywhere close to moderate running. It will definitely pay dividends in the form of fewer/no blisters, less soreness in legs/hips, protecting your feet and knees for your future.

Your feet are worth it.