10 Ways to Never Skip a Workout Again!

I'm often asked how I manage to keep myself physically active as a busy mom. My simple answer is that I take things one day at a time. Each day is unique, and brings different challenges. Occasionally on a morning that I plan a long outdoor run, I wake up to falling snow. (I know, I know...this really shouldn't keep me from running...I'm hardcore, but I'm not THAT hardcore...that's what treadmills are for, right?!?) Early morning workouts don't ever work when I've spent the entire night awake with a sick child (or healthy children who spend the night playing musical beds...our bed is NOT big enough for the 5 of us!) Things happen, so I try to plan accordingly. Here are a few of my secrets for planning around life:

1. On a particularly hectic day, don't skip a workout just because you don't have a full hour to spare. Figure out how to fit in 10-minute mini sessions. Roll out of bed, and do some push-ups, jumping jacks, planks, and lunges. Later in the day, go on a quick, brisk walk. If you're reading something, find a wall, and squat while you read. Do seated Tupler's in the car! End the day with some pre-bed stretches. It may not seem like a lot at once, but throughout the day, you can easily squeeze in a full workout!
2. You may be tired of hearing it from me, but wear a heart rate monitor! At the end of the week, it's extremely motivating to see how much time I spent working out, how many calories I burned, and what zones I trained in. I try not to ever go more than two days without a workout! My heart rate monitor keeps me honest with myself.
3. Set goals for the ENTIRE year at the beginning of the year. Want to run a few races this year? Schedule them now! Even if the races aren't until later in the year, you'll have them on your mind, and will plan your training accordingly. For me, races aren't just about the race, but about the journey it takes to get to the starting line! And boy, it has been quite a journey this time around!
4. Have a nice stash of fitness DVDs at home. Workout DVDs are almost always my back-up plan. When I just can't pull myself out of bed early in the morning, I can start a DVD nearly an hour later, and still be done with my workout at the same time I would otherwise be returning home from the gym. For one, I don't have to brush my teeth (or put on mascara) to work out at home, and I don't have to account for any travel time. I still get in a good workout (as long as the kids and husband cooperate), and the day can continue as planned.
5. SCHEDULE your workouts. If you're always hoping to find time to work out, it's probably never going to happen if you have a busy schedule. You HAVE to plan it in. My workout schedule varies slightly from week to week based on my life schedule, but I always know when I'm going to work out the next day. I don't wake up in the morning hoping it will happen sometime that day. I wake up, and get moving. If you need to, put a reminder on your phone, write it on your calender, do whatever you need to do. I normally plan all my workouts a week in advance. Then when a day (or night) doesn't go as planned, I move to plan B. If you're a group fitness groupie (like myself), stay committed to the class! As an instructor, I don't have a choice whether or not to show up. Act as if you don't have a choice either! Be there!
6. Add variety to your workouts. If someone were to watch me and my different workout routines, they would think I have serious workout ADD. I don't do the same things day in and day out. I love group fitness classes, because each class is never the same...and I've tried LOTS of different classes. I LIFT. I ZUMBA. I CYCLE. I YOGA. I CORE CROSS TRAIN. I POWER PUMP. I TREK. But my own workouts are never the same, either. I run outside. I lift weights with gym machines. I use free weights. I use my own body weight for resistance. I interval train. I do the elliptical. I climb stairs. You get the idea. Variety is key for keeping workouts interesting. Variety is also key for avoiding plateaus. If your body never knows what's coming, it will never stop changing and improving!
7. Keep company with other fitness-minded people. If you try to place yourself in situations and with people where you won't have to compromise your fitness goals, you're much more likely to stay on track. At work, take breaks with the walkers rather than the donut-shop-frequenters. Eat with the brown baggers rather than with the fast foodies. Invite other health conscious couples over for a healthy home-cooked meal, and vice versa. Find a workout buddy, or an accountability partner. If you're not working out together, you can still report to one another and keep each other in check.
8. Change your workouts with the seasons. Don't hibernate for the winter just because you refuse to run outside in the snow. Right now I'm SO EXCITED that spring has sprung because I can truly enjoy the outdoors. Working out indoors, however, is the only thing that keeps me going in the depressing month of January. Winter months are great for snow sports, while summer is great for swimming. If your workouts change with the seasons, you'll have more to look forward to every few months than just changing colors and temperatures!
9. Forget the all-or-nothing mentality. Just because you may not always have time for a full hour workout doesn't mean you should skip the workout all together. 20-minutes is always better than nothing! The same goes for healthy eating. Just because you splurge at one meal doesn't mean that the whole day should go to waste. One healthy meal is better than a full day of indulging. (Unless indulging for a full day is planned. In that case, one bad day doesn't mean the whole week is shot!)
10. Just do it! Stop making excuses, and get moving. Use each day as a step towards your ultimate fitness goals. So what if you have 10- 50- 100-pounds to lose. Losing the weight won't happen overnight. It will, however, happen with lots of small steps along the way. Whatever the obstacles, do what it takes to get up and start. You will get better with time. You'll find what you like. Just push yourself to take the first step, to climb out of bed in the morning, to schedule your workouts. Once you make fitness a habit, it will become a way of life, and you will be that much closer to reaching your goals!

What are YOUR fitness secrets?

I'm leaving on a jet plane

I'm leaving in 1/2 hour for a quick get-away to California! I can't wait...even if it's only for a few days, I'm so excited to get a glimpse of warmer weather. Be healthy for me while I'm gone! I wish we were going on a Cruise, but incase any of you will be in the next little while, here are some tips for staying healthy while on board ... (Recognize these tips? They first ran last May after our glorious cruise. Vacation time is drawing near, so I thought it would be appropriate to publish again! Enjoy!)

1. TAKE THE STAIRS! We decided on the first day that we would take the stairs E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E. Our room was on deck 2, we ate dinner on deck 3, we watched shows on deck 5, we enjoyed the buffet on deck 9, we swam on deck 11, and ran on deck 12. Each day gave us PLENTY of opportunites for stair climbing. (With many an ice-cream cone waiting at the end of the big climb!)
2. CHECK OUT THE GYM! We made it a point of finding the fitness center the first day. It was at the front end of the ship, with windows looking out. I decided that running on the treadmill while watching the waves crash in front of me would be worth a daily trip. Let me tell you...running on a moving boat is a killer core workout...you never know which way the incline is going to go! The gym also offered several free health seminars and fitness classes (for a fee--I would've gone--but I'm too cheap!)
3. MAKE FITNESS FUN! I LOVED the days at sea on the ship. My favorite activity of the week was probably the Disco Dance Class taught by the Cruise Director. We spent an hour learning a new dance. I was laughing the whole time, and sweating by the end. We also entered a free-throw contest, a ping-pong contest, and danced every chance we got.
4. TRY THE LOW-CAL ENTREES. OK...I didn't really do this one, but I did love the fruit and salad bars! I occasionally tried the "SPA" selections at dinner, but only in addition to the three other entrees I ordered. Yes, I ordered A LOT of food, but I never felt obligated to clean the plate! With so much food, a few bites of each entree (and dessert) was plenty.
5. ON DECK FOR THE CURE! I was really sad that our cruise coincided with Susan G. Komen's Race For The Cure. I was thrilled, however, to find out that a small scale version of this do-good race was on schedule for the week. I walked a mile in my flip-flops for On Deck For The Cure...and yes, I cried.
6. DRINK WATER! OK...I'm pretty sure the drink servers hated us. But the fact that we didn't spend a dime on a single beverage on board saved us not only a LOT of money, but a TON of calories!
7. PLAN ACTIVE EXCURSIONS! We hiked, we snorkeled, we swam, and we ran on the beach. (But I was also sore after holding on for dear life to my husband driving a motor scooter on the left side of the road in the Bahamas!)
8. ENJOY! Don't stress...you're on vacation. If you eat more for a week than you normally would, your body will adjust when you get home. Whatever you do, have fun! Your only real jobs while cruising are to eat and poop. Everything else is extra. Enjoy!

Are any of you gearing up for a Cruise or otherwise fun vacation? Do you try to stay healthy and active while you're gone, or is vacation an excuse to RELAX? I'm usually a combination of both...I'm healthy in moderation. That's what vacation is for, right? Have a good week!

10 Tips for Making Fitness a Way of Life

I'm often asked how I manage to keep myself physically active as a busy mom. My simple answer is that I take things one day at a time. Each day is unique, and brings different challenges. Occasionally on a morning that I plan a long outdoor run, I wake up to falling snow. Early morning workouts don't ever work when I've spent the entire night awake with a sick child (or healthy children who spend the night playing musical beds...our bed is NOT big enough for the 4 of us!) Things happen, so I try to plan accordingly. Here are a few of my secrets for planning around life:

1. On a particularly hectic day, don't skip a workout just because you don't have a full hour to spare. Figure out how to fit in 10-minute mini sessions. Roll out of bed, and do some push-ups, jumping jacks, planks, and lunges. Later in the day, go on a quick, brisk walk. If you're reading something, find a wall, and squat while you read. Do seated Tupler's in the car! End the day with some pre-bed stretches. It may not seem like a lot at once, but throughout the day, you can easily squeeze in a full workout!
2. You may be tired of hearing it from me, but wear a heart rate monitor! At the end of the week, it's extremely motivating to see how much time I spent working out, how many calories I burned, and what zones I trained in. I try not to ever go more than two days without a workout! My heart rate monitor keeps me honest with myself.
3. Set goals for the ENTIRE year at the beginning of the year. Want to run a few races this year? Schedule them now! Even if the races aren't until late in the year, you'll have them on your mind, and will plan your training accordingly. For me, races aren't just about the race, but about the journey it takes to get to the starting line!
4. Have a nice stash of fitness DVDs at home. Workout DVDs are almost always my back-up plan. When I just can't pull myself out of bed early in the morning, I can start a DVD nearly an hour later, and still be done with my workout at the same time I would otherwise be returning home from the gym. For one, I don't have to brush my teeth (or put on mascara) to work out at home, and I don't have to account for any travel time. I still get in a good workout (as long as the kids and husband cooperate), and the day can continue as planned.
5. SCHEDULE your workouts. If you're always hoping to find time to work out, it's probably never going to happen if you have a busy schedule. You HAVE to plan it in. My workout schedule varies slightly from week to week based on my life schedule, but I always know when I'm going to work out the next day. I don't wake up in the morning hoping it will happen sometime that day. I wake up, and get moving. If you need to, put a reminder on your phone, write it on your calender, do whatever you need to do. I normally plan all my workouts a week in advance. Then when a day (or night) doesn't go as planned, I move to plan B.
6. Add variety to your workouts. If someone were to watch me and my different workout routines, they would think I have serious workout ADD. I don't do the same things day in and day out. I love group fitness classes, because each class is never the same...and I try LOTS of different classes. I LIFT. I CYCLE. I YOGA. I CORE CROSS TRAIN. I POWER PUMP. I TREK. But my own workouts are never the same, either. I run outside. I lift weights with gym machines. I use free weights. I use my own body weight for resistance. I interval train. I do the elliptical. I climb stairs. You get the idea. Variety is key for keeping workouts interesting. Variety is also key for avoiding plateaus. If your body never knows what's coming, it will never stop changing and improving!
7. Keep company with other fitness-minded people. If you try to place yourself in situations and with people where you won't have to compromise your fitness goals, you're much more likely to stay on track. At work, take breaks with the walkers rather than the donut-shop-frequenters. Eat with the brown baggers rather than with the fast foodies. Invite other health conscious couples over for a healthy home-cooked meal, and vice versa. Find a workout buddy, or an accountability partner. If you're not working out together, you can still report to one another and keep each other in check.
8. Change your workouts with the seasons. Don't hibernate for the winter just because you refuse to run outside in the snow. Right now I'm SO EXCITED for spring to come because I can truly enjoy the outdoors. Working out indoors, however, is the only thing that keeps me going in the depressing month of January. Winter months are great for snow sports, while summer is great for swimming. If your workouts change with the seasons, you'll have more to look forward to every few months than just changing colors and temperatures!
9. Forget the all-or-nothing mentality. Just because you may not always have time for a full hour workout doesn't mean you should skip the workout all together. 20-minutes is always better than nothing! The same goes for healthy eating. Just because you splurge at one meal doesn't mean that the whole day should go to waste. One healthy meal is better than a full day of indulging. (Unless indulging for a full day is planned. In that case, one bad day doesn't mean the whole week is shot!)
10. Just do it! Stop making excuses, and get moving. Use each day as a step towards your ultimate fitness goals. So what if you have 10- 50- 100-pounds to lose. Losing the weight won't happen overnight. It will, however, happen with lots of small steps along the way. Whatever the obstacles, do what it takes to get up and start. You will get better with time. You'll find what you like. Just push yourself to take the first step, to climb out of bed in the morning, to schedule your workouts. Once you make fitness a habit, it will become a way of life, and you will be that much closer to reaching your goals!

What are YOUR fitness secrets?

NO MORE CRUNCHES! (Guest post)

I'm thrilled that Bonnie from the Beautiful After The Belly Blog is enlightening the FitMePink world with her extensive knowledge of why CRUNCHES are BAD for us! Bonnie is a Prenatal/Postnatal Personal Trainer who specializes in the Diastasis Recti (diastasisrecti.com). Besides blogging about health and fitness (and you really should read her blog...it's chock full of amazing tips), she also teaches and trains in several locations in Chicagoland. Here's what she has to say about crunches...

Yes, its true. Crunches are absolutely TERRIBLE for the post partum woman’s body. Then why are they taught in gyms all over? I call it “False Traditions of our Fitness Fathers.”

A very high percentage of women - as high as 98 % - have a split in their recti muscles (the 6 pack muscle on the abs) following a pregnancy. The split creates a look and condition known as the “Mommy Tummy.” It is caused by continuous forward pressure during pregnancy. The official name for this split is DIASTASIS RECTI.

Doing a “Crunch” or “Rolling like a ball” or “jackknife” or “V sit” or “Teaser” or “Pilates 100” is the worst thing you can do for this condition because is makes the split WIDER!

SO…..WHAT is the answer?

Seated Tuplers and Headlifts are the best bet because they will actually BRING your recti back together and eliminate the “mommy tummy.”

How are they done?

SEATED TUPLERS: Imagine your belly is a sideways elevator and the 1st floor is where your belly is normally at in its relaxed position. Bring your belly all the way back to your spine (5th floor) and hold it there for a second, then release to the 3rd floor (in between the 1st and 5th), then back to 5th floor again (squeeze and hold for a second) then back to 3rd floor. Continuing doing until you reach 100.

100 may seem like a lot, but a set of 100 only takes 2 ½ minutes. Do 5 sets a day, altogether, or spaced out, whatever is easiest. Do this exercise sitting down with firm back support. You should be able to feel this in your back, as it also works the lower lumbar muscles. This is the FASTEST way to repair your recti and bring them back together, closing the diastasis.

Yes you DO breathe. You “sniff” to bring air in, and COUNT as your exhale, which forces the air to work through your body.

Once you get good, you can do this while driving – like at a stop light, or during highway driving. They are EXTREMELY POTABLE exercises.

HEAD LIFT: Lay on your back with your knees bent. Expand your belly to allow air to come into the body, Exhale, bring your bellybutton all the way to the spine (this is working the TRANSVERSE ABDOMINUS – the key to bringing in the recti). Hold the belly there and you slightly tilt your pelvus to bring the small of the back pressed into the floor, tuck the chin, and then lift up your head and bring it back down fairly quickly.

If your abdominals show any movement, then it means your TRANSVERSE is not quite strong enough. There should be no visible movement on your abdominals.

ONE LAST QUESTION: How do you get the transverse strong enough to do the headlift? THE SEATED TUPLERS – it is the fastest way because it strengthens your abdominals in a seated position, which is the MISSING LINK of abdominals. You will not have gravity working against you in a seated position. Then when you begin to do abdominals while laying on your back where gravity is working against you, you will already have a mind body connection to the muscle to tell if your transverse muscle is actually engaged.

Quick story to rap up: I was in a Yoga Class today, and there was a girl who was 33 and pregnant with her 6th child. She is quite fit, loves to run, etc. and was doing some of the worst abdominals you can do while pregnant – ROLLING LIKE A BALL, V SIT, JACKNIFING. I knew she had a HERNIA after her 5th child (which is due to the split in the recti ) and had to have surgery and comprehensive physical theraphy with her abdominals and pelvic floor. I just cringed. The damage you can do with these particular exercises is so much greater when you're pregnant because you already have the forward pressure of the uterus on your abdominals!

Thank you, Bonnie! For more tips on strengthening the abdominals, losing the "mommy tummy," great recipes, and other healthy-living tips, check out her blog!

Selfish Blogging

Tonight, I was at my weekly get-together-to-sing-a-little-and-talk-A-LOT night with my girlfriends. It was the first time we've gotten together since before Christmas, and it was great. It's our "singing practice," but we didn't even sing a single note tonight. We talked, and laughed, and relished in the beauty of away-from-home-and-kids time.

Four of us are pregnant, and listening to the two that are still in their first trimester made me SO GRATEFUL to have those 13 weeks of you know what behind me. All night vomit fests should be enough to force every woman to never have a second child, but somehow we forget.

One of my so-miserable-she-hasn't-washed-her-hair-in-five-days friends asked me how in the world I manage to keep working out when I'm pregnant. Honestly, when I wasn't feeling good for those few months, working out was the only thing that made me feel better.

A few nights ago, I was feeling sorry for myself. I had just watched Julie & Julia and was wondering why in the world I even write this silly fitness blog. I definitely don't have the knowledge or skills MizFit has, or the organization SimpleMom has, or the 365-day plan Julie Powell had.

But tonight, after talking to my lovely friends, I realized why I blog. I've started and failed at a lot of things in life. I've dreamed big dreams I've yet to accomplish. But I've somehow mastered the art of fitting fitness into my occasionally chaotic life. If I accomplish NOTHING else in a day, I can almost always (as long as the last two weeks don't count) say that I exercised in some way. And somehow, blogging about it keeps me motivated and accountable.

So for those of you who stop by and read what I have to say, thank you! YOU are my inspiration! I can't wait to share 2010 with you!

More Worms For Dinner, and other updates...

In case you were worried, we all survived the worms-in-the-brown-rice disaster. Stie's comment that she's "just a good tape worm away from reaching [her] goal weight" would have been a happy ending to the story (in my case...not in my pregnant friend's)! Maybe I'll buy some more Great Value brown rice in hopes for some sort of fat-eating parasite! But all was not lost, and my dear friend Evelyn and I have shared many a laugh because of the unfortunate event.

First, I took over a peace offering:And Evelyn brought over the BEST "wormy" Chicken, Bacon and Ranch Pizza EVER. What a nice friend for working so hard to make me feel OK after feeding her rotten rice! As for the rest of my silly experiments, going 'poo-free is actually going well! The baking soda wash makes my hair squeaky clean, and the vinegar rinse makes it super soft! I have super fine hair, so I'm trying to adjust the amounts to see what works best. Too much vinegar makes it too soft and straight. By focusing only on the ends with the vinegar rinse, everything seems fine. Has anyone else dared to give it a try?

My cousin mentioned to me that she actually washes her hair with egg whites! In college, I used to curl my hair with an egg-white mousse, but I've never tried washing it that way! Michelle adds her own concoction of good smells with cloves, mint, crushed flowers, etc. Who knew eggs could be so versatile! The baking soda thing's working for me, but maybe I'll get brave someday and give this one a try!

The other experiment--waking up early to work out--is going quite well. I'm definitely more tired. And I'm for sure suffering from sleep-deprivation-induced-grumpiness. But I love being done with my workout by 7 am. More on this later.

Are you experimenting with anything? (Brown rice meal worms, anyone?) Let us know what you've tried and what works/doesn't work for you!

Side note to the egg-white mousse thing: After my mission, I was at a friendly gathering where my pre-mission-boyfriend was also present with his wife. I'd used egg whites in my hair that night to give it the crunchy-curly look (I know...so hot). My ex's wife was having a major allergic reaction for some reason, and they weren't sure why, so they left early. Come to find out, she was allergic to eggs, and my hair had caused the reaction! Good way to put an end to an otherwise awkward evening! Go me!

Working Out Early Morning vs. Never At All...

It's going to take me a while to really admit it, but summer is over. As a stay-at-home mom with a 3-year old and a 1-year old, my life of motherhood has yet to revolve around the school year or the seasons. I can up and leave on vacation anytime somewhere-other-than-here beckons. I can also workout whenever my little heart desires. Most days, it's desire is to be at the gym by 8:30 so I can fit in a little cardio session before the group fitness class at 9. Tough life, I know.

Recently, I had a hard decision to make. I was getting ready to sign The Boy up for preschool, and I had two sessions to choose from: morning or afternoon. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but I hated making the choice! If I chose morning, I would have to drastically change my workout schedule. No more 9am group fitness if he has to be to school by 9:30. If I chose afternoon, The Boy (and I) would miss out on the much-needed nap time. An early-morning-angel-boy isn't quite so pleasant by late afternoon if he's missed his nap. His teacher would NOT thank me for that choice. So somewhat reluctantly, I chose morning preschool.

I would love to think that I could change from working out in the morning to working out in the evening, but it just won't happen. Sure, it may happen on occasion, but things always come up at night...meetings, parties, snuggling up with a good book on the couch, reality TV...you know, important stuff. I love me a good workout, but by nighttime, my motivation to get sweaty drops to pretty much nothing.

Before The Girl entered this world 19 months ago, I was somehow motivated to get out of bed at the crack 'o dawn to workout. But since then, my bed has become cozier. I've stayed up later. Now, waking up at 5am sounds (and feels) like waking up in the middle of the night. (Why wake up at 5, when I can drop my kids off at the kids' club and work out at 9?) But I'm trying to find motivation to do it again. Sure, I could go to the gym and do my own thing while The Boy is at preschool. But there's no group fitness option. Lame, I know, but most days, it keeps me going. The 5:30 am group fit classes are my only other morning option.

So right now, as I type, I'm building up the motivation to wake up in T-10 hours. I think I can do it. I actually love working out early...once I'm up and there. It's just the getting up. It's the leaving the pillow that has formed itself so nicely around my head. It's the wanting to find out what happens in the rest of the now-interrupted-by-the-alarm-clock dream. It's the trying to negotiate with myself that I'll fit in a workout later...sounds good in my half-asleep mind, but it never actually happens. So here's my new commitment:

I will wake up at 5 am at least 3 days a week to work out. I'll allow myself the other two days to negotiate a later time. I'll be more productive as a result. I'll be a better mom! I'll blog more! I can take a power nap later! So, along with Mama Sweat, here's my new mantra:

The benefits I'll gain from working out early are much more important than the bit of sleep I'll lose!

Say it with me now.

The benefits I'll gain from working out early are much more important than the bit of sleep I'll lose!

OK, I feel better. The alarm is set. My new schedule starts tomorrow. Who's with me?

20 Reasons I LOVE Yoga!

Here's a little tidbit of information about me: I'm a little bit OCD about my work outs, and missing a workout seriously stresses me out. Forgetting to wear my heart rate monitor before going to the gym just about sends me into a fit of hysteria. I love my cardio workouts, and I love strength training workouts. But today I reminded myself that I LOVE YOGA! I often opt for the higher calorie burn, thinking that Yoga just isn't enough. But tonight I attended a Yoga class, and remembered why I should do it more often! We would all do well to incorporate some Yoga into our regular fitness regimen.

I LOVE YOGA BECAUSE...

• I have to adjust my rear view mirror for the drive home...it makes me sit taller by improving my posture.
• It decreases blood pressure, lowers the heart rate, and improves circulation.
• It helps me control my breathing in normal-life-stressful situations.
• It massages my internal organs, so I'm more in tune with my body.
• It helps me stay regular (along with my fabulous fiber!)
• It gives me a stronger immune system.
• It gives me a higher tolerance for pain.
• It reduces spinal compression and back pain.
  
• It stimulates detoxification of the body...and keeps me younger.
• It is non-competitive. (Although I'm still working on remembering that I don't need to compare what I'm doing to what the instructor is doing.)
  
• It makes me stronger...using only my own body weight.
• I sleep better.
• It teaches me balance and control over my body.
• It makes me a better runner.
• It improves...ahem...sexuality.
• It improves my mood.
• It reduces stress and anxiety.
• It humbles me into better self-acceptance. I can't do every move. And that's OK!
• It's a great measuring stick for my own level of strength and fitness.
• It teaches me to remain calm in the midst of a storm.

For more surprising health benefits of Yoga, read this. Why do YOU love Yoga?

My 9 Favorite Gym Personalities

I've talked a lot lately about why I love the gym. One reason I haven't mentioned is purely for the entertainment factor. I love people watching! Most people go to the gym to work out in peace, to lose the muffin top, or to burn enough calories to make up for the over-indulgent weekend. They show up, they quietly do their thing, and they leave feeling good about what they've accomplished. Occasionally, however, you'll see someone who catches your attention in a big way. For some, these annoying personalities ruin the gym experience. And yes--maybe they do need to learn proper gym etiquette. However, I love seeing those that "stand out" in the gym crowd:

1. The cell phone addict. I occasionally walk into the gym talking on my phone, but the conversation usually lasts no more than a few minutes once inside. Others, however, will show up and gab for 45 minutes straight while walking on the treadmill. If you really want to get in a good workout, you probably shouldn't be able to carry on a long conversation! But thanks for sharing the juicy details of your life with the rest of us gym-goers.
2. The Sweat-er. OK...I guess I sort of fit into this category, because I. sweat. a. lot. I try to be conscious, however, of the sweat I leave behind. There's nothing worse than going to sit on a machine that displays a perfect wet outline of Mr. Sweat. Ewwwww.
3. The Beauty Queen. Back in my Personal Training days, I had an adorable old lady named Christine who never showed up without lipstick, earrings, and an overwhelming aroma of hairspray and perfume. I'm not sure who she was trying to impress, but I loved her dearly. I felt bad working her hard, however, because I didn't want to mess up her hair! These days, I see girls showing up with long, flowy hair (that they never put in a pony tail), with their full makeup on (that they never work quite hard enough to sweat off), their cleavage spilling out of their tops, and their bum cheeks hanging out the back. Really, girls? Are you trying to make those of us who roll out of bed and head to the gym with bed hair and no makeup look bad? Well it's working. But we're the ones laughing!
4. The Farter. Do I need to explain? These ones are always lurking somewhere in my early morning spin class. Small, crowded, sweaty damp room. I'm not laughing...I'm choking.
5. The Grunter. We see your muscles, guys. Do we really need to hear them, too? Actually, this one makes me laugh more than any other. Keep on grunting. You're helping strengthen my core with laughter.
6. The Social Butterfly. For some, the gym really is just a social outlet. Avoid eye contact at all cost unless you want to spend 20 minutes gabbing instead of working out! They have nice jaw muscles, though.
7. The Front Row Performer. In group fit classes, these girls are the ones who stand closest to the instructor, but practically make up their own routine. The instructor marches, and they jump. The instructor does 10 squats, and they do 20. Over-achieving-attention-seeking-non-conformists. I love these girls. I'm just not brave enough to join them. I'm a conformer, yes I am.
8. The impatient guy. Stop asking me if I'm done with the machine. I'll get off when I'm done! Unless you're secretly hitting on me...I'm married...he liked it so he put a ring on it! (Not that I've ever been hit on at the gym--refer to #3--I'm no beauty-gym-queen.)
9. The Nudist. OK, I don't love this one. I usually avoid the locker room in case the beauty queen decides to take a shower and forgets to put her clothes back on. I don't want to see it, thanks! I got enough of that in Finland (the land of the nekkid saunas!)

So what category do you fit in? Farters, 'fess up! OK, don't. But thanks for making me laugh like an immature 10-year old! Who wants to join me in my people-watching--entertainment and a work out. Who could ask for more?

8 Ways To Stay Fit on a Cruise

It's taken me all week to finally sit down to admit that the vacation is indeed over. So hi, fit-me-peeps, I'm back! I have to admit that it was pretty easy to adjust to kid-free life. Our cruise. was. fabulous. I've yet to weigh myself to see what damage was done, and I probably won't. I don't need to...my skinny jeans are tight enough to show me that poundage was definitely gained. But I enjoyed every last morsel of food I shoveled into my mouth. And the lovely souveniers I'm prominently displaying on my thighs would be even bigger if I hadn't taken my own advice. Here are a few tips to minimize the post-vacation-extra-body-baggage:

1. TAKE THE STAIRS! We decided on the first day that we would take the stairs E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E. Our room was on deck 2, we ate dinner on deck 3, we watched shows on deck 5, we enjoyed the buffet on deck 9, we swam on deck 11, and ran on deck 12. Each day gave us PLENTY of opportunites for stair climbing. (With many an ice-cream cone waiting at the end of the big climb!)
2. CHECK OUT THE GYM! We made it a point of finding the fitness center the first day. It was at the front end of the ship, with windows looking out. I decided that running on the treadmill while watching the waves crash in front of me would be worth a daily trip. Let me tell you...running on a moving boat is a killer core workout...you never know which way the incline is going to go! The gym also offered several free health seminars and fitness classes (for a fee--I would've gone--but I'm too cheap!)
3. MAKE FITNESS FUN! I LOVED the days at sea on the ship. My favorite activity of the week was probably the Disco Dance Class taught by the Cruise Director. We spent an hour learning a new dance. I was laughing the whole time, and sweating by the end. We also entered a free-throw contest, a ping-pong contest, and danced every chance we got.
4. TRY THE LOW-CAL ENTREES. OK...I didn't really do this one, but I did love the fruit and salad bars! I occasionally tried the "SPA" selections at dinner, but only in addition to the three other entrees I ordered. Yes, I ordered A LOT of food, but I never felt obligated to clean the plate! With so much food, a few bites of each entree (and dessert) was plenty.
5. ON DECK FOR THE CURE! I was really sad that our cruise coincided with Susan G. Komen's Race For The Cure. I was thrilled, however, to find out that a small scale version of this do-good race was on schedule for the week. I walked a mile in my flip-flops for On Deck For The Cure...and yes, I cried.
6. DRINK WATER! OK...I'm pretty sure the drink servers hated us. But the fact that we didn't spend a dime on a single beverage on board saved us not only a LOT of money, but a TON of calories!
7. PLAN ACTIVE EXCURSIONS! We hiked, we snorkeled, we swam, and we ran on the beach. (But I was also sore after holding on for dear life to my husband driving a motor scooter on the left side of the road in the Bahamas!)
8. ENJOY! Don't stress...you're on vacation. If you eat more for a week than you normally would, your body will adjust when you get home. Whatever you do, have fun! Your only real jobs while cruising are to eat and poop. Everything else is extra. Enjoy!

Fitness In The Great Outdoors

I'm going to sneak out on a limb here and say that Spring just might possibly FINALLY be here. After a crazy snow storm last week, the temperatures look like they might actually be on the rise...for good. Well, at least for a few months. HALLELUJAH! I, for one, need the mental pick-me-up that warm temperatures bring.

While living in the-land-of-serious-dark-all-day-long-winters-Finland for a year and a half, I realized how much I really really love the sun. Winters were SERIOUSLY depressing. I remember looking at my watch at 2:00 in the afternoon while walking around in the pitch dark, thinking, "how am I going to survive the day in the dark for 7 more hours before we go home?" Summers in Finland, however, were heaven. The sun never slept!

In my life, I've discovered two things that really do keep me going. SUN. and EXERCISE. I've been missing the sun in a bad way!

I came across one study that shows the great benefits for children of combining the outdoors AND exercise. This particular study shows how a walk in the park improves attention in children with ADHD. I don't have ADHD, but I have plenty of moments (more than I'd like to admit), where I am mentally fatigued, easily distracted, and NEED TO GET OUT OF MY DANG HOUSE! A brisk walk outside ALWAYS makes me feel better. And running around in the park changes the temperament of my 2-year-old (in a good way) even more than a good nap...which is saying A LOT. This outside-induced-happiness has an even greater effect on my mood. Monster-Mom becomes Fun-Happy-Relaxed-Mom.

Besides being a better parent, here are a few more benefits of exercising outdoors:

• Running outside instead of on a treadmill increases the caloric burn by about 5 percent (due to wind and changing terrain).
• Changing temperatures increase calorie burn by about 7 percent because your body has to work to keep the internal temp at 98.6 degrees!
• SUN + EXERCISE = MOTHER NATURE'S ZOLOFT! This study, conducted in 2007 by researchers in England, found that outdoor workouts (i.e. A walk in the woods, a brief retreat, and even gardening) are ALL Better than anti-depressants alone! When they compared the mental benefits of a 30-minute walk outside with an indoor stroll, 71 percent who walked outside felt less tense after. 72 percent of the indoor walkers felt even more stressed.

The treadmill is one of my fondest old friends. I love that I can look down at any given second, and know EXACTLY how LONG I've been running, how FAR I've been running, how FAST I'm running, how much LONGER I'll be running, etc. I'm a numbers-kind-of-girl. But lately with my training, I've been running outside a lot more. And I have to say, I think I'm officially converted.

I honestly used to prefer the treadmill. Not anymore. When I'm outside, I don't feel like I'm running because I have to. I'm not yelling at kids to stay away from the treadmill, to share toys, to stop hitting each other. I don't increase my speed to hurry and get the run over with. I enjoy it. If the kids are with me in the jogging stroller, they enjoy it. I feel much more rejuvenated at the end. 10 miles outside feels like 4 miles on a treadmill (time-wise). Don't get me wrong. The treadmill has, and will always be my fall-back workout. But this summer, I'm going to take advantage of mother nature. I need it.

And running isn't all I'm going to do outside! Here are a few more outdoor workout ideas:

• Walking--one of the best lifetime sports!
• Jogging/Running--need I say more?
• Cycling
• Swimming
• Hiking
• Strength Training at the Park! Seriously...parks are FULL of FREE exercise equipment. Maybe I'll do a full post on this one later...I'm envisioning swing lunges using the swing to elevate the back leg, monkey bars for pull-up(s), straddling benches, swing/slide push-ups, stepping up onto benches, running around the playground, etc.
• Beach Yoga (for those vacationing or lucky enough to live in Sunny CA)
• Jumprope!

Are you convinced yet? Are you ready to trade in your gym membership? What gets you moving outside? Or do you still prefer the treadmill?

5 unconventional fitness tips

Thanks to Evelyn for directing my attention to a few crazy, somewhat unconventional fitness tips. Here are a few:

1. Don't exercise with your BFF. I actually agree with this one. If a friend gets you to the gym, that's great. But don't sit and chat! You will work out at a much lower intensity. A great solution? Group fitness. You're there together, but you're doing the work out at your own level of intensity!
2. Wear RED! I've never heard this one. Supposedly the colors red and orange cause certain light waves to enter the eye. They convert to electrical impulses in the brain, which increase body temperature temperature, energy levels, and appetite (does that mean that red makes you hungrier, too? There's a new diet for you...the NO RED diet...except when working out!) So you'll be able to work out longer (and harder) if you wear red! Anyone want to test the theory?
3. Drink pickle and pineapple juices to help with recovery! It makes sense, but gross! Pickle juice? I guess the salt and vinegar in pickle juice help muscles recover from sodium loss and decrease cramping. Isn't that what gatorade is for? Pineapple juice (which I'm much more willing to try) can also reduce post-workout inflammation. Enzymes found in pineapple juice help with lactic acid buildup in the muscles. Interesting.
4. Run barefoot. I'm not going to promote this one. Don't do it. I'm all about GOOD RUNNING SHOES. Shoes can take the broken glass. My feet? Not so much.
5. Shout empowering affirmations while you workout. I would love to walk into a gym to hear the members chanting, "I. AM. STRONG. NOW!" with each repetition. IntenSati is a fitness program which means "moving meditation." The idea is to use the mind, and more importantly, the voice to intensify workouts. While jumping, lunging, whatever, you repeat a single statement such as "I. CAN. DO. THIS." IntenSati creator Patricia Moreno says, "The repetition of a single statement moves you into a state of focused awareness." She claims these motivational chants boost emotional strength, increase self-confidence, and distract participants from feeling fatigued, which increases the effectiveness of their workouts. I like it. Try it!

For the wisdom behind these unconventional ideas, and more, click here.

What do you think? Are you willing to wear red and drink pickle juice to improve your workout? What other strange workout rituals have you heard of (or practice)?