Setbacks and bouncebacks #2

March 3rd, 2010 by Corey No comments »

I’m not getting back into the swing of things as quickly as I had hoped. If I push myself a bit I end up with quite a bit of pain in my leg. Nothing unbearable, but I figure it is symptomatic of the problem still existing.

So, not as many posts as I would like but it comes with my lack of a routine. I’ve been back to the gym twice in the past week which is less than I would like. I’ve started interval running and racquetball again.

Slowly and surely, wins the race.. Thanks to the dailyburn motivators who keep poking me when I get idle!!

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Setbacks and bouncebacks

January 14th, 2010 by Corey 1 comment »

The doctor says I need to exercise for my heart health and weight management.  I totally agree with this.  However, I think he had a hidden agenda of seeing me back in the office for a sport injury, because months of rigorous exercise led to a very sore knee.  This pain did not go away with standard over-the-counter medicines, so I let up on my exercise schedule and ended up seeing the Doctor again.

I’ve got some treatment under way and things seem to be getting better but I am hesitant to jump back into my full routine yet.  I have not avoided using it and I still go for a hike, bike ride, and other activities here and there, I’m just not on the elliptical as much as I was before.  And I can feel the difference. :(

But it is a new year, a time for new resolutions (and a time to stick with them 2 weeks in), so I am going to try an ab routine that will help my core with less use of my knee while it heals.  The last time I worked an ab routine consistently I could begin to see lines of definition and I loved it.  That was 10 years ago.

I’ll be starting the “Truth About Abs” program.  Mike the instructor goes into detail about fat loss and workouts that strengthen your abs and quickly reduces fat in that area (something I really need right now after the holidays!).  He also adds motivation help, something we all need as our resolutions start to fade with time.

This is no gimmick, no fat pills, just the real deal: a program we can all follow.  Grab a copy for yourself and join with me! Click here to get the Truth About Abs program

Good luck!

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Posted in Exercise, Motivation

DailyBurn review

September 14th, 2009 by Corey 2 comments »

dailyburn

Months ago I started using gyminee.com, which has since become dailyburn.com.  DailyBurn is a social network of sorts that is built to provide the following fitness helps:

  • Weight tracking + goals
  • Exercise & workout tracking (including calories burned, weight lifted, distance traveled)
  • Nutrition & diet tracking
  • Motivation
  • Online challenges

I mostly use the site to track my exercise and weight.  I am linked up with a few friends and colleagues as “motivators” on the site and I get to see my weekly exercise report next to theirs.  Likewise, there is group support and you can see group progress for statistics such as calories burned, distance traveled (running, cycling, rowing, etc), and nutrition goals met.  I am really fond of the site so this is mostly a positive review.  (not a paid review mind you, but if you work at dailyburn – call me!)  However there are some drawbacks as well.

Pros

The site is very clean and easy to use.  I like how the exercises have a good feel for how many calories are spent performing an exercise, for when I am playing racquetball or biking, but it also allows you to enter a specific amount of calories if you happen to have a number from an exercise machine.

There is a free iPhone app and an iGoogle gadget.  I mainly use the iGoogle gadget since I see iGoogle all day and it reminds me of my goals.  With my common exercises preconfigured it takes me just a few clicks every day to record my weight and exercise progress through the gadget.  Easy peasy.

Many exercises have videos showing you how to properly do the exercise.  This is great for beginners!

The challenges are a good idea.  Motivation is a big reason why many people use DailyBurn, and throwing yourself into a challenge amongst other motivators is always a good idea.  Some challenges can be won by being the first person to meet the goal, while other challenges, like “lose 10 pounds” are categorized as “everyone wins”.  The site automatically tracks your progress in the challenge.

Just today I discovered that they do have some Facebook integration for challenges.  I was going to put a lack of Facebook integration as a “Con” but I stand corrected.

You can pay for a Pro account which get you a lot more features like more body metrics to track, meal planner, and more workout programs.

Cons

There is a difference on the site between an individual exercise and a more comprehensive workout.  This can get confusing when searching for an exercise that also had a workout of the same name.  The website treats them differently.  This is an oddity that takes a little getting use to.

I don’t use the nutrition tracking mainly because it is difficult to throw together the nutritional value for home cooked meals.  It can be done, but it is a pain to figure out what measurement of each kind of food went into the meal, then enter each of those individually within the site.  We eat at home a lot so nutrition tracking was a no go for me.  I don’t really have a good suggestion for how to fix this issue, and the only nutritional tracking app that I have found to come close to being easy here is the CalorieKing nutrition tracker.

I see a lot of people join and link up as motivators but then just as quickly stop using the site (diminishing the motivational aspect).  The site does give you an easy way to nudge the friend in hopes that they will update their progress or get out and exercise.

Overall

Sign up!!!  I’ve used it for months and I am still using it, which says a lot as picky as I am.  If you sign up, go to “find motivators” and find me as cshields.

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Posted in Exercise, Food, Motivation

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Meet me at the gym

September 7th, 2009 by Corey 1 comment »

gym

In these hard economic times, many blogs are advising you to cancel your gym membership to save money.  If you have a membership that you don’t ever use this may be a good idea financially, but I am going to advise against canceling it.  If you already have a membership but do not make use of it, make it a goal right now to go back within the next 24 hours.  Get in the habit of going and exercising for at least 30 minutes.

I categorize my gym membership as investing in my overall health and longevity.  It is right up there with my retirement fund.  When it comes time for retirement, I want to be physically able to enjoy the money I have earned.  In that sense I see the gym membership as part of my retirement planning, so long as I make frequent use of it.

Now, it does no good to try and justify a membership if it breaks the bank.  No amount of exercise can balance out the stress of dealing with debt.  If you are in a tight budget, start with something inexpensive like running.  (see my previous post on running)  If you can afford a gym membership, now may be the perfect time to get started.  Gyms are feeling the economic strain as much as the rest of us, and many of them are offering great deals.  And on that note, here are some of my quick gym tips:

  • Always ask for a free trial.  Most places will give a one day or one week trial.  Use it and shop around the gyms close by.
  • Look into group exercise programs that may not be full fledged gyms.  For women these options are more plentiful.  Jazzercise and Zumba are both programs that are gaining in popularity (my wife recently joined Jazzercise and really likes it).  CrossFit is another program that adds a lot of strength training to the circuit.
  • Negotiate with the gym for a lower price than advertised (or lower than you are currently paying).  It never hurts to ask.  If you are able to pay for more up-front then ask for a discount if pay for 6 months or a year at once.  A Lifehacker reader recommends joining at the end of the month for the best deal.  Be careful paying for too much time up front, as some gyms have been closing up shop recently.  Make sure you see a steady flow of members using the gym.
  • Check with your employer for any gym perks.  If there are none, ask that they comp your gym membership.  In these days of salary freezes, that is a cheap way to make some employees happy (and healthy!).  Again, it never hurts to ask.
  • Look into your local college or university student recreation center.  Many rec centers will allow public memberships that are quite cheap, and often times there will be free group exercise classes included in that membership.  I work for a university so I am given a good discount in the student rec facilities, and they are my gym of choice.
  • Find a partner!  Knowing that someone will be expecting you there helps motivate you to show up.  If you do not have someone in mind, check with the gym to see if there is a board of posted requests for exercise buddies.  If not, ask them to post a request for you.  A motivational partner can be very helpful at times and is a lot cheaper than a personal trainer!
  • Change up your routine and try new exercises, sports, and machines.  Old routines can get boring quickly and you will lose your drive.  Does your gym have a racquetball court?  Find a partner and try it out!  (my personal favorite)

As US politicians debate what to do with the health care system, I get the feeling that few people are addressing the need for change in our lifestyles to help ward off the need for that health care.  And for you congressmen reading this, here is my health care reform idea:  Make our gym memberships tax deductible!

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Be an example

August 31st, 2009 by Corey 1 comment »

ultimate frisbee

One big source of motivation comes from knowing that you are being watched.  Now, this is not always a good motivator for everyone or else we would not see criminals doing their thing on camera when they can expect to be videotaped.  But for me, it works.

My kids are a little young to recognize whether someone is in or out of shape.  We are trying to teach them good eating habits and set the example for them there, but they are learning.  However, I help out with a local Boy Scout troop full of teenage boys who know their way around the entire gamut of physical activity from camping to sports.  They know where people rank in their abilities.  Every week in their scout meeting they recite the scout oath, which begins and concludes as such:

On my honor I will do my best  …  to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

I admit that when I was a scout these words did not mean much to me, however I feel that they mean more to our kids and teenagers in this day and age than any other.  They just do not realize it.  In the past few decades, the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled.  This is not a trend that seems to be slowing down either.  The Boy Scouts of America have released new guidelines this year for high adventure activities, setting body mass index (BMI) limits for boys and adult leaders alike.  It is a shame for any boy to be denied an activity, but in those cases it is for their own safety.

As Boy Scout leaders, we try to set an example for the scouts.  We teach skills by example.  Yet, in many cases we forget to pay attention to staying “physically strong”. I do not want to put down anybody who gives of their time to help teach the youth of this country, but a good number of scout leaders need to work on their own physical strength.  That was the conclusion I came to this year when finding myself being watched by these scouts.  Becoming an example can be a great motivator.

For me, one of the highlights of this year’s summer camp was a camp-wide game of ultimate frisbee (pictured above).  Our troop all participated along with 3 of us adult leaders.  No other adults were in the game.  Half way through the game, a scout from another troop says to one of ours: “Who is that guy in your troop?  He’s awesome [at ultimate frisbee]“.  This scout was referring to one of our leaders, a skinny younger looking man easily confused as one of their own.  Our scout replied “Dude, that’s my scoutmaster!”  I hope those boys realize that they can choose to live a life that permits them to be as active as they are today, decades down the road.  It is not that hard.

So, be an example for someone in your life!  Become a motivator!  That does not mean that you have to be physically fit.  I am motivated anytime I hear friends or relatives tell me that they are trying.  Good health and fitness is a process, and we should all be trying together.

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Baby steps to running

August 24th, 2009 by Corey No comments »

running

Let me start by setting the record straight, I do not like to run.  In the process of running for my health lately, I have figured out that it is not the act of running itself that I dislike.  I loathe the feeling of fatigue and physical despair that comes by the time I hit the end of the driveway.  This is due to a lack of endurance, and that endurance is never going to build itself up without some exercise.  (technically speaking it would be low endurance, but in my case let’s call it a total lack)

My personal feelings aside, I set out to start running this year.  I was given a tip to try the “Couch to 5k” program, a tip I would like to pass along to all of you.  This is an interval running program, where you start out by alternating short runs with longer walks.  For example, the program for week 1 is to jog for 60 seconds and then walk for 90 seconds, and repeat this process for 20 minutes.  I will leave the rest of the program up to your own review and place links below.  I was quite skeptical at first but wanted to give it an honest effort.

Week 1 was hard.  In fact, the very first day I started the program I stopped about one cycle short of 20 minutes.  The thing that I noticed immediately about the program is this:  It is designed for those of us who do not have the endurance to run long distances. 60 seconds is your goal.  You get enough of a break after that to rest and be ready for your next 60 seconds.  As the weeks progress, your timings change along with your increased endurance, and you run for longer distances.  If you follow this program to the letter you should be running a full 5k in just 9 weeks with no prior exercise routine.  My suggestion is to move from week to week at your own pace.  I typically spend 2 weeks on each week of the program, and I have broken it up with other exercise routines that help build and maintain my endurance as well.  It is more important to continue at a slow pace than to burn yourself out on the program by trying to progress too quickly.

I am sure that there are plenty of other reasons to hate running, but the Couch to 5k program helps me to overcome my excuse.  I am nowhere near able to run a 5k, but it has become an activity that I can foresee myself doing someday.  My goal is to run in a benefit 5k next summer.

I encourage everyone who is still “on the couch” to give this program a try.  Running is one of the most inexpensive ways of getting your exercise in.  If you do not like to run, I’m with you, but give this program a 3 week trial.  If your outlook on running has not improved by the end of those 3 weeks, you’ve lost nothing but time (but gained a little fitness in the process).

Couch to 5k Resources:

Official program outline: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Website full of C25K resources, including links to podcasts that have the timings for each week to let you know when to run and walk: http://www.c25k.com/

I have become fond of the Podrunner Intervals podcast series.  It is a bit of upbeat techno music and fun to run to: http://www.djsteveboy.com/intervals.html

If I can do it, so can you.

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