My tips for living a fit life are simple.
“Try a new workout. Then try another. Find activities that invigorate you. Get new music. Bust a move. Team up with a friend. Go to a class. Meet other fit people. Subscribe to fitness blogs or magazines. Swap healthy recipes. Schedule your workouts in your planner. Don’t cancel. Set a new health goal every month. Reward yourself with something other than dessert. Surround yourself with positive messages. Turn off the television. Put down your smartphone. Make a grocery shopping list. Pack your lunch. Show your child that fitness is important. Don’t make excuses. Make action. Decide to be the most fit you’ve been, no matter what your age. Journal. Breath deeper. Love yourself. Care about your health. Believe in your power to change. Stop waiting for life to slow down (it won’t).” by Trina Gray

Visit her full blog post at: http://trinagrayfitness.com/

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And check out Dr. Robert Lustig’s Youtube.com lecture called “Sugar; The Bitter Truth:”

What do you think? Leave your reply below!
 

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A few other things to keep in mind:

1. Safety – We always have your safety in mind first and foremost.  We do not generally plan workouts that are high risk or above the capabilities of most clients in classes.  And we never want you to feel that you might injure yourself during our workouts.  So if you are worried about injuring yourself while trying a new skill ask for help so we can show you the proper form and set you up for success.

2. We are there to challenge you – As trainers we are there to help you reach your goals.  But above and beyond that we are there to push you out of your comfort zone and into the space where you can do things you never thought possible.  My clients, particularly my female clients, are so much tougher and stronger than they realize! It is my job to help them see that.  I push you not to be mean or belittling but to help you realize you CAN accomplish anything if you put your mind to it.  Part of that is removing those modifications and giving you new exercises that will continue to challenge you mentally and physically.

3. Take responsibility – Yes, it is my job as a trainer to help you realize your full potential. However, it is YOUR job to take responsibility for the energy you bring into class.  If you walk into boot camp with the preconceived notion that you cannot perform exercises because you are too old, too young, too clumsy, etc. then you are correct. You won’t be able to perform them.  Ageism is my favorite – “Erica, you expect me to do that?  You expect me to do a minute of pushups on my toes or jump squats across the basketball court?  I’m too old for that!”  Well, let me tell you something…barring any injuries or physical limitations, we have plenty of clients at age 50, age 60 and beyond who are successfully doing just that.  And do you know why they are successful?  Because never once have they told me they can’t do something because of their age.  Granted their version of a jump squat may look a little different that the 25 year old’s next to them, but they still do it.  Choose to bring a positive, can-do attitude to class and you will be surprised at what you can accomplish.  And remember: we are not miracle workers.  We cannot control what you put in your mouth, how much time you dedicate to exercise outside our classes or how much enthusiasm and perseverance you bring into classes.  So take responsibility and don’t always take the easy way out.

4. Ask for help – do you long to try a more advanced version of an exercise but are unsure how to perform it correctly?  Or do you need a spotter to help you get through your first attempt to help you feel comfortable?  Then ask for help!  We are pretty good at gauging when clients need an extra hand to push them to the next level, but sometimes we miss it.  Don’t be afraid to ask and we will be there to help!

Now go out and challenge yourself to try one new exercise this week that scares you!  One that you feel has been out of your reach until this moment.  We will help you accomplish it.

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Hikes ~ Top of the World

We are lucky enough to live in a state that features warm sunny weather most of the year.  And particularly this year, even the winter months offer pleasant temps for a walk outside.  And for many of you who are new to exercise or who prefer a low impact cardio workout, walking can be valuable way to lose weight and improve fitness.  However, I have a few rules for walking to make your workouts efficient and effective.

Erica’s Rules for Walking:

1. Set goals – It’s time to face the truth: you need to be exercising most days of the week.  “What?” you ask, “Most days of the week?”  Yes…you should be physically active about 5 days peacweek.  The sad truth is that most of us are primarily sedentary.  We drive to work where we sit at desks for eight or more hours each day.  We often eat our lunches at our desks and rarely get up until it is quitting time.  At the end of the day we drive home and then spend the evening with family responsibilities and then time sitting in front of the TV, computer, tablet or other electronic device until we do it all over again.  Our bodies are meant to move.  And with the majority of our population classified as overweight or obese, it is not a luxury but a necessity to move more.  So start by setting goals for your walking program.  For example, how many days a week will you walk?  Which days?  How long will each walk last and how far will you go?

Practical Tip: Wear a pedometer to get a measurement of your steps.  Or even better, if you have a smart phone you can download apps like Runkeeper, MapMyWalk, MapMyRun or Trails to keep track of your distance, speed and elevation change.  Many apps even provide links to Facebook so you can post your walking workouts for accountability.

2. Walk like you mean it – When you set off on your walk take the first few minutes to do a mental body check.  Where are you looking? Are you looking down at the ground?  Tilt your head up and look ahead of you.  It will lift your chest, help straighten your posture and set you upright instead of hunched over.  What are your arms doing?  They should be moving!  Walking should be a full body exercise!  Pump your arms to help propel you forward and engage your upper body.

If you walk on the treadmill the same questions apply.  Where are you looking?  You should be looking ahead.  Craning your neck to watch a high TV can strain the back muscles.  And looking down to read a book can do the same, while also taking your focus from the task at hand.  And my biggest rule for treadmill walking?  Do not hold on to the sides or handles!  Unless you have balance limitations or other reasons to be worried about losing your footing, you should let your arms pump just like when you are walking outdoors.  Why?  First, walking should be a rotational movement through the upper body.  As your arms swing, your torso should rotate to the right and left contributing to a smooth gait around the hips and spine.  When you hold on to the treadmill your rotational movement is limited through the upper body.  This rotation must happen somewhere else in order to propel you forward, usually translating to the lower back, which can cause discomfort and pain.  Second, I often see people holding on to the treadmill so they can read a book while walking.  In my opinion, if you can read a book while exercising, not only is your mindfulness not on your exertion, your breathing and heart rate, but you probably are not working as hard as you should.  So let that machine go and use your entire body and your mind to focus on the task at hand.

3. Challenge Yourself – I suggest you measure your exertion level when taking your daily walk.  I recommend a modified version of the Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale (RPE).  Imagine a scale between 1 – 10, 1 being completely sedentary (like laying on the couch) and 10 being a sprint.  Provided you are generally healthy with no limitations and a doctor’s approval to exercise, you should be at a minimum of 5-6 on the RPE scale when walking.  If you can easily chat with your neighbor about the day’s gossip, then you are probably not working hard enough.  Rather, you should feel it necessary to take a breath every few words and it should feel uncomfortable (but not impossible) to talk.

Practical Tip – If you analyze your daily walk and decide you need to up your ante, here are a few suggestions:

*Add hills or stairs – Walking up hills or stairs is an effective way to increase the difficulty of your low-impact workouts.  Not only do they provide a strenuous cardio workout but they also engage your glute and hamstring muscles more than walking on flat surfaces, which can help tone your tush and legs.

*Walk on sand – Barefoot walks in the sand challenge the core and balance as well as the muscles of the foot and lower leg, which are often neglected as we move through our daily lives in shoes.  Don’t live near the beach?  No problem! Many communities offer beach volleyball courts and many parks feature sandy playgrounds.

4. Dog walking – Now let’s address our four legged friends.  I love dogs and I encourage all dog owners to get outside and enjoy the beautiful OC surroundings with their pooches as part of a healthy and active lifestyle.  However, I do not consider dog walking a workout. I myself have a dog, a two-year old bundle of energy who needs multiple walks each day.  But I also am aware of my movement when I walk her.  She stops frequently to sniff the grass, say “hello” to other dogs or greet people as they walk by.  I consequently stop too.  Unless we are doing our daily run up El Toro Road my heart rate does not stay elevated for any significant amount of time, nor does it ever reach the RPE of 6-7 let alone 8-9.  By all means, enjoy the ritual you share with your pooch.  However, understand that it is not a replacement for a rigorous workout unless you structure it as such.

Putting it all together:

Now that you know my rules, what should your walking program look like?  We already determined that you should be physically active most days of the week.  Set a goal to walk for fitness about four – five days each week.

Next, divide your weekly walks into two categories: long steady days and short interval days.  Your long and steady days should involve your flat trails or sidewalks and should last 45-60 minutes at an RPE of 5-7.  Your interval days should be shorter, only 20-30 minutes, and should be more intense with an RPE of 7+.  Interval days can include your hills, stairs or sand.  Try this interval workout you can do on a treadmill:

Start with a flat warm-up at an RPE of 5-6 for 5 minutes

Increase the incline to treadmill to 3% or more (pick an incline that puts your  RPE at 7 or 8 but is controlled) for 1 minute.

Reduce the incline to 0% for 2 minutes

Repeat cycle for 20-30 minutes

Cool down and stretch

As you get fitter you can increase the difficulty by making the incline higher, the speed faster or the “rest” cycle on 0% shorter.

Now get out there and get walking!

Participate in the conversation….What is your favorite local running route? 

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Enough said.

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Most classes attended in 2011 ~ Bob Crowe

Client of the year ~ Julie Willard

Shining Stars ~ Gabrielle Rankin and Linda Sarvey

Honorary Whip Cracker ~ Nita Chu

Award of Excellence Personal Training Category ~ Linda Bogue

Most Improved ~ Colette DiProfio

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What do you enjoy doing in life? One of my biggest passions is travel, especially international travel. I enjoy visiting those far away places seldom touched by westerners where I may one of the few (or maybe the only) Caucasian person locals see in a year. I like to spend quality time in off the beaten path towns, getting to know the local landscape, culture and food. I have a long list of countries I still want to see. And each time I visit one it seems that two more are added to the list as I talk to other people I meet along the way.

As most of you know, my latest adventure was a two-week trip through Costa Rica. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew Costa Rica is a mecca for adventure travel – whitewater rafting, zip lining, hiking and particularly surfing. But I did little research prior to leaving and wasn’t sure what other adventures were in store. It didn’t take long for me to realize that Costa Rica would be one of the easiest countries I have ever traveled through. Almost everyone speaks English. In fact, there were only two people during the entire trip I encountered who didn’t speak English fluently! It was clean, friendly and safe. They even take American dollars!

During the trip I got a chance to do all sorts of outdoor activities, from swimming to horseback riding and hiking. The hikes were strenuous and included climbing over boulders and trekking up and down canyons to hidden waterfalls. The scenery was breathtaking. I event tried a new sport, well new to me anyway, called canyoning. It involved being suited up in a life jacket, helmet and enormous work gloves and then rapelling off bridges, jumping into rivers, climbing up canyon walls and being swung by a giant rope into the face of a waterfall – not sure I ever need to try this sport again but it was definitely an experience! But I am not giving you all of these details just because I want to tell you about my fabulous vacation! I want to remind you that at Driven Fitness we believe in training you to become better at your chosen hobby or sport. Whether you are a cyclist, runner, yogi, hiker, surfer or skier we want you to be fit and strong so you can enjoy the things in life that YOU love. So when you think about ditching class or giving only 50% during an exercise you hate, remind yourself of this: the work you do during our sessions will help you live the life you want outside of them! it and strong so you can enjoy the things in life that YOU love. So when you think about ditching class or giving only 50% during an exercise you hate, remind yourself of this: the work you do during our sessions will help you live the life you want outside of them!

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The next time that nagging little voice inside your head tries to convince you to skip the gym…the next time she tells you to reach for the cookie jar…or when she says the journey is  just “too hard,” or “you don’t have enough time” or “you’re too tired” think about one of these folks.  They have beaten the odds to live a fit and healthy lifestyle.  So if they can do it…why can’t you?

You ARE STRONG…

Ernestine Shepherd, 74, of Baltimore has been crowned by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest competitive female bodybuilder ever.  Read more about Ernestine.

You can ALWAYS do what you love…

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1. Fruit Juice- Fruit juices are loaded with sugars, particularly if you purchase them rather than juice fresh fruits yourself.   Bottled juice can contain added sugar (natural or artificial) and preservatives.

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And take a look at the calorie content of those scrumptious smoothies and juices you can purchase from your local smoothie shop.  Some smoothies at Jamba Juice contain over 500kcal each!  Check out their nutrition profile here.  If you really crave a refreshing fruit juice, eat the whole fruit itself.  That way you are also getting the fiber and other vitamins naturally.

2.  Soda – this one is pretty obvious.  Soda is not good for you.  Even diet soda.  According to Dr. V, experts believe the artificial sweeteners in diet colas may lead to brain disfunction and memory problems.

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In addition, the phosphoric acid found in dark colas may decrease bone density; and caffeine itself may interfere with calcium absorption .  In a study at Tufts  University researchers found that women “regularly drank cola-based sodas — three or more a day — had almost 4% lower bone mineral density in the hip, even though researchers controlled for calcium and vitamin D intake. But women who

drank non-cola soft drinks, like Sprite or Mountain Dew, didn’t appear to have lower bone density.”  Reference Web Site Here

3. Alcohol -  It’s pure sugar. Some alcoholic beverages may have fewer calories than others, but if you are truly commited to weight loss try cutting out alcohol and watch the results.

You can listen to Dr. V’s entire interview and here the rest of the Top 7 Tips by downloading her podcast on iTunes: Jillian Michaels Podcast: “Circuit Training, Winter Workouts and Dr. V;” 10/14/11 (begins minute 17:12)

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A recent podcast called “Bob and Jillian on the Radio” (Date: 4/22/11) featured Bob from the Biggest Loser.   The two were back in action and talking about all kinds of health and fitness facts.  They also spent a long time chatting with one woman who called in with a question.  She’d lost a significant amount of weight through diet and exercise.  She wanted to know when her fear would go away – when would she stop fearing that the weight would come back.  When would she stop worrying about how many calories she took in that day and whether she got in a workout?  She still craves all of the bad foods that she did before her weight loss.  When would it get easier?  I loved Bob’s response.  He explained that worrying about those things never goes away.  Bob noted that he himself worries about all that stuff.  And it doesn’t get easier. It’s a lifestyle change for the long haul.

I loved his response because it was absolutely true.  It never gets easier.  Being healthy in this day and age, within this sedentary society we now live, is not easy.  I think there is a notion that “skinny” people have it easy. That they never worry about what they eat, how they look in the mirror, or how to motivate themselves to get to the gym every day.  But the fact is it isn’t easy for skinny people either, at least not the ones I know. Now let’s take a moment to clarify: when we are talking about “skinny” people, we are talking about fit people – people who successfully manage their weight through proper nutrition and exercise.  These people have to work really hard to maintain what you see when you pass them on the street.  It’s hard work.

There are a lot of people, fat, thin, short or tall, who have a fear of gaining weight.  It eats at the back of the mind and whispers to you as you eyeball a piece of delectable chocolate cake.  And there are some days when skinny people just don’t feel like working out either.  The difference between a fit person and an unfit person is that the fit person has learned how to win the battle against her inner demons.  Those voices that try to derail her from her goals.  It isn’t that the journey is any easier; it is just that she has mastered that hardest battle of all – the one in her own mind.

Secrets of Fit People

1. They don’t make excuses – I hear excuses 8 hours a day 5 days a week.  Fit people know how to take their excuses and squish them in their fit little hands.  Do you talk yourself away from your goals with excuses?

Try this exercise: write down every excuse you can think of and next to it write your strategy for overcoming it.  For example:

EXCUSE: I don’t have enough time

FIT PERSON SOLUTION: I will ask my husband to take the kids on Saturday morning so I can go to boot camp

EXCUSE: It is hard to eat healthy at work

FIT PERSON SOLUTION: I will pack my lunch

EXCUSE: I am too busy during the week to eat right

FIT PERSON SOLUTION: I will spend 2 hours on Sunday prepping my meals and pre-packing my snacks into serving size containers so during the week I can just grab what I need and go

2. Create “me” time – Fit people realize the value of placing themselves at the top of their priority lists.  The fitter you become the better you will feel, the more energy you will have, the more productive you will be and the more equipped you will be to handle life’s stresses.  But it all begins by accepting the notion that it is ok to take away from ________ (insert kids, spouse, work) to make time for you.

3.  Jump right back on the wagon – We all have our bad days.  The days we just say “heck with it” and indulge in a complete smorgasbord of inappropriate food and beverage.  But fit people know how to mentally get past those days.  They know that one bad day is not going to derail their entire weight management strategy.  The next day they just get back on track, do an extra workout or two during the week, and they are on their way.

If you have trouble getting past those bad days, try this exercise:  Write down everything you ate that day on a piece of paper.  Then write how you felt while you ate it and then how you felt after.  Then crumple up that piece of paper and throw it away.  Throw it away and then don’t think about it again.  It is a symbol of a clean slate, a way for you to start fresh again.

4. Find something they love – whether it’s hiking, swimming, Zumba, running, karate or weight lifting, fit people find the activities that inspire them to move.  Find what inspires you.

5. Don’t skip meals – fit people know the importance of eating every 4-5 hours.  They start their days with a healthy breakfast.  And they always carry healthy snacks with them so if they are caught off guard they have a healthy nibble and can bypass the drive thru.

So start now!  Start thinking like a fit person.  And decide to make the changes necessary to be fit for the long run.  Accept the fact that it will never be “easy.”  But since when are the best things to accomplish in life easy?  That’s what you tell your kids right?  It’s time to start listening to your own sound advice!  Live with the lesson that it won’t be easy…but it will be worth it.

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