Fitness

August 2008 - Posts

• Stopping Autumn Expansion

  By James Krieger, M.S., M.S.  Summer's ending, kids are back in school, and it's time to get back into a routine. Research shows that physical activity decreases during the fall months for many reasons, such as spending less time outdoors and getting busy with your kids' school activities. Add increased caloric intake leading up to and during the holidays, and you've got a recipe for weight gain. There are things you can do to avoid this decrease in activity and the associated weight gain.  First, consider trying some winter sports, such as skiing.  This will help get you outdoors and help you stay active.  Also, you will be relegated to the gym more often because of the weather, so make sure you establish firm goals as to when you will work out.  For example, set a goal of hitting the gym at 7 AM on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  You are much more likely to meet these goals when you have clear, specific goals, rather than just going to the gym whenever you think you have the time. This may also be the time to try new things in the gym you've never tried.  Hire a personal trainer to design you a brand new routine.  If you've always done machines, try free weights.  Try a new piece of cardio equipment or a new program on the cardio equipment.  You can even try one of the various group fitness classes the gym offers, if you've never attended one before. A variety of things will help keep your program fresh, as the same old routine, day-in and day-out in the gym can get monotonous for some people. Also, get creative with trying to increase your activity throughout the day.  Since you'll be spending more time indoors, you'll likely be walking around less.  However, you can do things to prevent this.  Wear a pedometer and set daily step goals.  Walk to a coworker's desk instead of emailing or calling them. Take the stairs rather than the elevator. Put a treadmill in front of your TV and walk while you watch all the new fall television shows.  It's amazing how the little things you do can add up throughout the day. Finally, fall can be the time you grab a workout partner.  Having a partner can help keep you accountable, and keep you on track. While people usually become less active once the summer is over, it doesn't have to be this way.  All it takes is some planning and effort, and you'll be able to fend off any autumn expansion.  If you're still having a difficult time with those last few pounds, or staying motivated, visit the Resource Center to find more ideas on varying up the program. Posted Aug 28 2008, 07:49 PM by admin Filed under: routine, summer, caloric intake, autumn

• EXERCISE ESCAPE

  By James Krieger, M.S., M.S.  Ever go on a vacation and wonder how you're going to keep your exercise up? Now, when I say "exercise escape", I don't mean escaping exercise!  But, I also don't mean some random exercise routine in your hotel room or hotel gym (which is what many vacation exercise articles are about). What I'm talking about here is taking advantage of your vacation to do new physical activities that you've never done before. Going to Maui?  Sign up for a surfing lesson.  Better yet, sign up for a kite-surfing lesson.  Try paddle boarding.  Rent some snorkel gear and go snorkeling.  Hike the trails of Mount Haleakala (Maui's highest peak).  Just make sure you choose activities that are going to require some physical effort, and that will take long enough to count as good exercise. Going to Florida?  Try some waterskiing or wakeboarding at the Orlando Waterski Complex. Going to Colorado, the Swiss Alps, or Whistler?  Skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing are all fun activities that will give you a great workout as well. Are you staying more local?  Taking a weekend trip to the San Juans?  Try kayaking among the beautiful islands. Headed down the Oregon coast?  Stop at the Gorge for a windsurfing or kite-surfing lesson.  Or, just walk/run the long beaches of the coast.  If you're headed to central or eastern Oregon, you can try whitewater rafting, or taking hikes around Mount Hood. Headed on a cruise?  While you may not have the option of doing something completely new, you most likely will have a workout facility, or a track to walk/run on.  If there's a lap pool, you can take advantage of that as well. Or, sign up for an adventurous excursion when you stop in a port. The bottom line is, no matter where you go there is bound to be some type of new physical activity that you can incorporate into your vacation.  The bonus is that it becomes part of your vacation, rather than some type of workout chore that you need to do while on vacation.  You will also benefit because it will be a nice break from your standard workout routine, which may actually help improve your fitness by "shaking things up" and getting your body to adapt to a new activity.  So, make your vacation not just about relaxing, but active relaxing.   By James Krieger, M.S., M.S.   Posted Aug 01 2008, 09:20 PM by 20/20 Lifestyles