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Monthly Archives: February 2015

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Defining the Fit, Beautiful Woman

There has been a lot of buzz about an untouched photo of 48 year old supermodel Cindy Crawford donning lingerie which popped up on Twitter a few weeks ago.  The original tweet by Charlene White, a British journalist, attributed the photo to Marie Claire magazine.  However, it appears the photo was taken as part of a feature for the Latin American publication of Marie Claire but the photo was never printed.  Meaning the online photo was likely leaked.  It is unclear whether or not Ms Crawford was aware of, much less approved of, the leaked photo which has gone viral since its Twitter debut.  (For that reason, I have not linked to the pic here.)

I think the photo is beautiful and refreshing.  Crawford looks real and fantastic.  If she had released this photo herself, which is what I believed when I went searching for it, my blog post today would write itself.  It was a disappointment to learn that it’s quite possible she never meant for the photo to be released to the public.  I considered changing my topic but I just can’t let it go.

The good news is the photo has been met with atta girls and kudos almost universally.  It seems as though the only people huffing and puffing over it are those in the fashion and beauty industry who are standing on their soap boxes proclaiming their disgust over the invasion of Ms Crawford’s privacy but they’re barely able to hide their real objections to it.  Namely, they don’t like it when they are exposed for the deceptive and destructive industry they represent.

My hope is Ms Crawford will actually take this (perhaps unwanted) opportunity and embrace what it could represent.  That being changing the conversation and image about what fitness and beauty are.  Luckily, she would have a lot of good company: Jamie Lee Curtis, This Girl Can, The Chi Blog, Kate Winslet, and even some companies like Dove, just to name a few.  Or you can simply watch for yourself how we are manipulated into believing that there is such a thing as the woman who has the perfect fit and beautiful body:

We need strong, confident female celebrities, influential organizations and corporations to counteract the false narratives and bad behaviors of Victoria Secret’s Perfect “Body” campaign, Mike Jeffries CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch and Under Armour’s alliance with Gisele Bundchen.

And we need each other – moms, daughters, sisters, girlfriends – exposing the truth, modeling healthy behavior and promoting a healthy body image.

A fit woman is a beautiful woman because fitness is nurturing the whole self – mind, body and soul.  Fitness is not: the absence of cellulite or visible body fat, deprivation diets, purges, cleanses, juicing, obsessing over food, obsessing over exercise, a thigh gap, lack of stretch marks, wrinkle-free faces, and perfectly toned mid-riffs.

One cannot see fitness any more than one can see a kind heart.  You cannot assume a thin person is fit and you cannot assume a seemingly overweight person isn’t fit.  No matter what the ads and magazines tell you.  For the most part, the ads and magazines lie.

Here’s hoping Ms Crawford joins the chorus praising her viral photo.  We’re happy to add another brave, beautiful woman to this worthy fight.

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Shovel This!

It’s another brutal winter for many in the United States. For regular gym-goers or outdoor exercise enthusiasts, this type of weather brings the meaning of cabin fever to a whole new level. Read my post from last year (another unrelenting winter for those of us in the Northeast) to reassure yourself that shoveling is a fantastic replacement for the workout you planned but can’t do because of the weather. It’s filled with tips for when and how to shovel as well as guidelines for those who shouldn’t shovel.

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Fit&Happier Workout of the Month: Strength Training with Resistance Tubes

Fit&Happier Workout of the Month defined:  These are 30 minute general fitness workouts designed to offer a complete and balanced approach to strength and cardiovascular training in the most efficient way possible.  Strength training workouts will each feature a different form of resistance, or load, so that you can choose the type of resistance based on equipment availability and your preference.  These will offer full-body strength training and muscle toning with base exercises appropriate for beginners and progressions for those more experienced in strength training.  Cardio workouts are designed to get the most calorie burn possible in the time allotted.  Combo workouts combine strength and cardio training into one, efficient, full-body, calorie-burning workout.  All workouts conclude with flexibility training as no workout is complete without it.  Click on the exercises to link to step-by-step written and video instructions provided by ACE Fitness.

Resistance Tubes: When it comes to versatility, space efficiency and budget-friendliness there is no strength training product better than a set of resistance tubes.  The average set, which can fit in a bread bag and weighs less than a pound, will contain a variety of resistance levels to mimic the external load of products such as a full set of dumbbells or medicine balls but for a fraction of the cost.  In order to have the most versatility in strength training options, be sure to acquire a set that includes three to five resistance levels, a door anchor and an ankle cuff.  Here is a link to an example of the set I use with my clients, which runs around $30 retail.

In order to avoid injury, be sure to triple check the security of the anchor points before beginning any exercise.  Also, check the tubes for wear and tear each time you workout with them, especially as they age or if you use them often.

Resistance Tube Strength & Flexibility Training Workout

Concept: Use resistance tubes anchored at various points to strengthen, tone and stretch the major muscle groups of the body: upper arms, shoulders, core (back and abdominals), hips and legs.  Use the lowest resistance tube in which you can perform at least 10 repetitions with good form but where you reach your maximum effort at or below the 16th repetition.  If you can perform 16 or more repetitions with excellent form before reaching exhaustion, you should progress up a resistance level.  If you lose form before the 10th repetition, you should go down a resistance level.

Maximum effort or muscle exhaustion means that you can’t perform another repetition of the exercise without losing form and/or engaging another muscle group.  An example being, when performing biceps curls, the biceps are being targeted and the movement should be only elbow flexion and extension.  As one reaches her maximum effort/point of exhaustion, the biceps may begin to feel strained or “burn” and/or the individual may begin to swing or sway at the hips or torso, engaging hip or abdominal muscles instead of the biceps muscles.

I recommend using a cushioned, no-slip surface to perform this workout, such as an exercise mat or open area of wall-to-wall carpeting.  Be sure to have enough unobstructed space around you to allow for full range of motion of arms and legs.  Perform this workout 1-3 times per week, allowing at least 48 hours before repeating this workout.

Warm-Up: 2-5 minutes of high knee marching, swinging opposing arms to shoulder height as you lift knees to hip height or any other form of moderate cardio movement you choose.  The goal is to raise your heart-rate slightly before working your muscles.

Strength Workout: Perform the following exercise circuit in succession with no rest between exercises

  • Squats: 10-16 repetitions. Works core, hips and legs.  Attach handles to each end of tube.  Stand on resistance tube with both feet so the tube is centered under you while each hand is grasping each handle.  Position handles at height that allows for proper resistance in upward phase of squat.
  • Lat Pull-Downs: 10-16 repetitions. Works back.  Slide tube through loop of door anchor.  Securely anchor in a doorway above your head.  If necessary, for proper resistance during the pull-down phase, you can perform in kneeling position.
  • Standing Rotation: 10-16 repetitions, each side. Works abs/core, especially obliques. Position door anchor to chest-height, hold both handles in one hand.
  • Seated High Back Row: 10-16 repetitions. Works arms, back and shoulders. Position anchor in door frame or loop tube (without anchor) around leg of sturdy, heavy piece of furniture (such as dining room table) at chest height while seated on floor, facing anchor point.
  • Standing Hip Adduction & Standing Hip Abduction: 10-16 repetitions of both exercise on both legs.  Works inner & outer thighs, hip & glutes.  Remove handles, place anchor low on door frame or remove anchor and loop tube around the leg of a sturdy, heavy piece of furniture (such as dresser or dining room table) at ankle height.  Attach both ends of tube to ankle cuff.  Secure ankle cuff on ankle, perform adduction exercise, reposition body to perform abduction exercise.  Repeat on opposite leg.
  • After performing each exercise once, rest for 1-2 minutes and repeat the circuit (squats through ab/adductions) for a second set of each exercise.  After performing the circuit twice, perform the flexibility workout.

Flexibility Workout: Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds and breathe deeply throughout the stretches.

  • Quad/Hip Flexor Stretch: this stretch is done lying on side but progression in the link offers a deeper stretch by performing in standing position. Be sure to stretch both legs.
  • Cat-Cow: stretches chest, abs, back & shoulders.
  • Seated Straddle Stretch: Stretches inner thighs, hamstrings & glutes.
  • Leg Cross-Over Stretch: stretches obliques, back & outer thighs.  Stretch both sides.
  • Childs Pose: a relaxing stretch for your core to end your workout

Author’s Note: Always consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program.

Previous Fit&Happier Workouts of the Month – January: Body Weight Strength Training

Check back for these upcoming Fit&Happier Workouts of the Month – March: Free Weight Strength Training; April: Medicine Ball Strength Training; May: Stability Ball Strength Training; June: Balance & Strength Training; July: Functional Training (Strength); August: Interval Training (Cardio); September: Schoolyard Play Workout (Combo); October: Outdoor Cardio & Strength Combo; November: Timed Circuit (Combo); December: HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training-Cardio)

Click on the link to view previous Activity-Specific Workouts of the Month: Hockey & Cross-Country Skiing, Snowboarding & Figure Skating, Golf & Softball, Distance Running, Racquet Sports, Swimming, Waterskiing & Surfing, Cycling, Rowing & Desk Jockeys, Track, Field & Court Sports, Throwing & Pitching, Dancing, Downhill Skiing

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February’s Small Step: Plan Ahead

Just as we can’t “wing it” when it comes to work, parental obligations and important appointments on our calendars, so it is true with fitness.  To say, “I will go to the gym 3 times a week and eat 3 healthy meals a day,” without a concrete plan for how you will accomplish that is to set yourself up for failure.  We must have a concrete plan for exercise and healthy eating if we are to have a realistic chance of living a lifetime of fitness.  Planning ahead is this month’s Small Step strategy.

Planning Ahead for Exercise

Here’s the tricky thing about converting yourself from a person who doesn’t exercise to one who exercises regularly: exercise usually isn’t enjoyable until one is doing it regularly.  What happens many times is that motivation is high for the first two weeks and then a workout or two are skipped.  Eventually, an entire week goes by without an exercise session and the person gives up.  But, if a person can get into a regular routine early on and, in the process, find a few types of workouts that speak to her, the positive workout effects begin to kick in and then it is much less of a struggle to get psyched up for the next workout.  (You can read about this phenomenon in my That Elusive A-ha Fitness Moment.)

Therefore, the first month is critical to setting this groundwork.  You must: come up with a concrete plan for when you will workout, how long the sessions will be and what you’ll do for your workouts.  Most importantly: schedule them on your calendar.  Schedule them at times when they’re not likely to get bumped.

Aim for a workout every-other-day.  It may seem like a lot but this regularity will jump-start your exercise routine and you’ll begin to see and feel positive results in short order.  These results are what converts the sedentary to regular exercisers.  Any type of exercise counts as a workout: brisk walking, yoga class, strength training workout, martial arts, dance.  Do exercise that you enjoy, you’re more likely to stick with it.

If you already have one or two go-to workouts that are enjoyable and accessible for you, you’re way ahead of the game.  But, most who aren’t working out regularly haven’t found something they enjoy.  This is the month to treat this like a buffet.  Try one or more of the following this month: get a one-month or week to week access to a gym that offers classes or equipment that you’d like to try; schedule a session or two with a personal trainer; take advantage of a nearby studio that may offer specific classes such as yoga, mat Pilates, Spin or Zumba; try some online or DVD workouts that interest you; and be sure to schedule a couple of walks in your neighborhood or over your lunch break at work – walking is an underrated excellent form of cardiovascular exercise.  The more different options you sample, the more likely you are to find at least one – preferably a few – that you enjoy and can use to begin to build a lasting fitness routine.

Remember, you don’t have to do this alone.  Recruit a friend to sample with you.  Having a workout buddy (or two) greatly increases your chances of sticking with it.

Planning Ahead with Your Diet

What diet and health studies have shown is people tend to consume fewer calories and eat more nutritionally balanced diets when they prepare their own meals at home.  Our busy lives make it very difficult to accomplish this on a regular basis.  Which is probably why Americans eat a large percentage of pre-made meals at restaurants and from take-out and store-bought processed foods.

A little planning and effort done on your least-scheduled day of the week (Saturday or Sunday for most people), can go a long way to accomplishing a full week of home-based, healthy meals.

Plan out meals, especially for the evenings that are your family’s busiest.  Create a shopping list based on your plan and stick to your list at the grocery store.  Be sure to plan quick and healthy foods for breakfasts, snacks and lunches (including those that need to be portable) and include those items on your list.  See my list of healthy pantry items and original recipes (including kid-friendly ones) to give you some ideas and help you get started.

When you do have the time to make a healthy meal from scratch at home, make extra.  Leftovers can be refrigerated and saved for a super-busy weeknight, packaged in one-serving sizes and frozen for a quick meal in a pinch, or packed for lunches the next day.

This month is a tall order but I know you can do it.  If you can plan out your exercise and meals each week this month, it will be easy to keep doing it week after week throughout the year.  The more thorough your planning, the more likely you’ll be able to follow through with your plans.

Remember to keep your plans realistic.  These should not be pie-in-the-sky wishes.  They should reflect your abilities, likes and dislikes and, most importantly, your unique family schedule and lifestyle.  What works for someone else may not work for you.  Make a plan that works for you.

If you’re new to the Small Steps series, you can read about the philosophy and strategies of the series here.  Know the Small Steps strategies don’t need to be done in any particular order and are independent of one another.  So, you can begin the series with this post, continue throughout the rest of the year and pick up what you missed next year.

Previous Small Steps posts: January’s Portion Control.

Author’s Note: I am an exercise professional, not a nutrition professional.  My diet recommendations are based on the most current science-backed information provided by nutrition professionals in the fitness industry.  Mine are general recommendations that are in line with the guidelines published by the US Dept of Health and Human Services for apparently healthy individuals.  If you have a health condition that requires dietary restrictions, I recommend consulting a medical doctor or registered dietician before making any changes to your diet.  Always consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program.

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