CategoriesLive Fit.

Five Creative Ways to Stay Healthy When Boredom Hits

Are you bored with your exercise routine? Tired of trying to incorporate whole foods into your day? Do you feel like you might slap the next person who asks you how much sleep you got or if you meditated today?  

This happens to the best of us. But before you slap anyone, incorporate one of the following five ideas to stay healthy when boredom strikes:

1) Do the opposite: If you’re a gym rat, get outside. If you typically work out solo, join a group class. Go to a studio for yoga, pilates or spinning. Try CrossFit. If you always exercise with a group, go it alone. Lift some weights. Row. Utilize stairs. Change how or what you eat. Have breakfast for dinner. Drink a smoothie for lunch. Try fasting. Do something to change up your routine.

2)  Intensify: Take your workout up a notch. Lift more. Run faster. Swim longer. Walk hills. Whatever it is you do, do it faster, further or harder. Challenge yourself, from the inside out.

3)  Get creative: Make a new playlist. Create a vision board of how you want health to feel. Do a photography project — take a selfie every time you get out to run, or  photograph the beautiful meal you’ve created. Journal. Take some time to connect with what health means to you, which is not only exercise or food related. Expand your vision of health.

4)  Go to the dark side for a given amount of time: Sometimes when we get bored, we crave something “bad,” such as eating a tub of ice cream or lounging around and watching movies all day long. I’ll admit, I do it. Indulge a craving. If get up early to exercise, take one day and sleep in. If you eat healthy six days, take one day or one meal and eat ice cream or nothing but cheese. Give yourself some freedom, yet pay attention to how it feels. Indulge, but do it consciously.

5) Pattern check: Every three months, throw a pattern check into your regime. Analyze your habits. Do you typically exercise in the same way every week?  Do you eat the same things? Identify those habits that are serving you, and you want to do more of, as well as those habits that are stale. Change some up. Run a new route.  Use a new machine. Take class from a different teacher. Join a new group. Shake up at least one of your patterns, and breathe new energy into your health practice.  This often spills over into other areas of your life. Pattern check.

The bottom line here is to do something different. Boredom is a signal. It doesn’t necessarily mean stop, but adjust. Make a change and infuse new life into what has become ho-hum.

What will you do?

 

CategoriesNourish.

How to Eat Pre- and Post-Workout When You Have Dietary Restrictions

Contrary to what you might expect, the hour or so spent in the elliptical or weight room is secondary compared to how you plan your meals before and after the main event. While the health benefits of a regular exercise routine certainly cannot be overstated, a diet filled with empty calories and minimal nutrients can and will work against you when it’s time to hit the gym. Fueling your body with the right foods both pre- and post- workout will produce the most payoff, turning nutrients into energy for stamina and improving body composition to help maintain your ideal weight and overall health.

Healthy, complex carbohydrates are your body’s best friend prior to a workout, while hearty proteins should be limited until afterwards (of course, remember to have a water bottle on hand at all times!).

You’ve likely heard of “carb-loading,” a common practice used by marathon runners to supercharge muscle energy stores in time for race day. Though mass carb consumption is intended for endurance athletes and not necessary before short workouts, the energy-boosting effects of healthy carbohydrates remain just as important. After your session, reach for lean proteins to help your body recover and build muscle to give you the upper-hand in future workouts.

Mileage can vary when it comes to these general guidelines — especially for those with special dietary needs or restrictions. Fortunately, there is often a way to get your share of healthy carbs and proteins from the foods on your grocery list.

Whole grain pasta, bread and rice are surefire ways for vegetarians to eat complex carbs, while some of these (namely most pastas) may not be vegan-friendly. Whole fruits and starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes, squash and corn are healthy carb sources for both vegetarians and vegans. Beans or lentils and rice make a complete protein when eaten together, and can make a delicious pre- or post-workout snack or meal when sprinkled with dairy or vegan cheese. A scoop of natural peanut butter on an apple or whole grain toast can provide protein, carbs and healthy fats.

Lucky for those with Celiac disease or otherwise gluten-free lifestyles, pasta is not off the table with the variety of tasty gluten-free options on today’s market. Alternative carbohydrate sources include quinoa, corn tortillas and potatoes, while protein can be found in beans, healthy and gluten-free grains including brown rice, nuts and seeds, or protein-rich veggies such as asparagus, broccoli and brussels sprouts. For on-the-go energy, try a gluten-free protein bar such as Larabar and Luna bars.

Of course, there are dozens more special diets out there, and it’s always imperative to take any food allergies or preferences into account when planning snacks and meals. Whatever your approach, support your fitness goals with conscious eating to ensure you’re geared up to hit the floor at Flow!

CategoriesBlog Live Fit.

Ditch Fads & Make a Lifestyle Change

Did you attempt a diet or workout plan to get “into shape” this summer? It’s now July, how did that work out for you?  If you are like many, diets or quick-fix workout plans don’t work – or if they do, results don’t last very long. Most people lose motivation quickly and can’t adhere to the strict requirements.  The most effective way to get lasting results is to make changes in your lifestyle.  Here are some tips as to how you can successfully implement a healthy lifestyle:

  1. Find your motivation.  Whether it is a trip to the beach in a few months, impressing your significant other (or making your ex jealous) or completing that race you entered, finding one or more motivating factors is key to implementing lifestyle changes.
  2. Create Accountability.  Involve your friends and family, or consider hiring a trainer.  Being accountable will help you stay on track.
  3. Be Invested.  How many times have you heard people say, “I only pay $20 a month for a gym so if I go once a month I will break even?”  You have probably seen advertisements for diet programs that cost thousands of dollars.  A large part of the success is the financial investment people make and their adherence because of such investment.  You don’t have to break the bank, but having some sort of investment will help you stick to your plan.
  4. Don’t diet.  Create meal plans that fit your taste and are practical and based on your lifestyle.  Avoiding the foods we shouldn’t eat goes along way.  It may not be practical for you to access the latest and greatest health food trends, but putting together a plan of foods to avoid, such as fried foods, dessert, soda and white bread, is something everyone can do.
  5. Plan around your workout.  Most people squeeze a workout into their schedules.  Pick days and times that work best for you, and commit to your workout times.  You can then plan the rest of your schedule around those times. 
  6. Create detailed goals that are achievable.  Specificity has been proved to increase the likelihood of success.  Set specific goals for yourself and also consider getting help in setting your goals.   Also make sure you set goals that are achievable in the short term.  You can continue to build on your goals, but feeling accomplishment will increase your chances of success. So if you want to lose 50 lbs, consider starting with your first 10 pounds within three months.
  7. Go slow and build.  Slow and steady may not get you the fastest results but is the best way to incorporate change into your lifestyle.  If you don’t exercise currently, don’t attempt to go four times a week.  Aim for twice a week, and make incremental changes.  Try something for at least 30 days, or until it becomes habit, before raising your targets. 
CategoriesBlog Move.

The Weight Belt. Wear it, or Go Without?

Whether to use or not use a weight belt has been a hot topic ever since I can remember. As a youngster in the ’90s, I remember seeing countless people wearing weight belts while doing bench press, squatting or even bicep curls. It just seemed to be the thing to do whether you were lifting 20 or 200 lbs. From the bodybuilder to the pencil-neck “newbie” at the gym, everyone was belted.

As sports science evolved in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the trend shifted as numerous “functional” training gurus discounted the use of a belt, stating that it weakens your core (the buzzword for your mid-section), which can lead to further injuries down the road. As more and more research came out supporting these claims, the use of the weight belt was replaced with corrective-accessory exercises geared toward strengthening muscles in such a way that you can create your own internal weight belt. This method of training became so popular that many strength coaches and trainers would forbid weight belts in their training facility, fearing the total obliteration and dysfunction of their client’s precious core musculature.

Fast-forward to present day where sports such as powerlifting, Olympic lifting and CrossFit are growing at a rapid rate and everyday Joes and Janes are establishing PRs (personal records) on movements once reserved for elite athletes, such as deadlifts, front squats, push presses, clean and jerks and snatches. People are now training to be strong and powerful and are looking for any safe and legal advantage to improve their progress in the gym while keeping themselves injury free. With a new focus on safety and efficiently moving heavier weights, we have seen an increase in the use of weight belts (along with other accessories, such as knee and elbow sleeves). So if you are one of those people who continues to scratch their heads as to whether or not to use a weight belt, continue reading as we discuss the functionality, fit, and use for this accessory.

Belt function: The main purpose of wearing a weight belt is to increase intra-abdominal pressure, which in theory will improve spinal stabilization and control (and lessen the chance of hyperextension, forward flexion or lateral flexion) and allow you to lift additional weight. Understand that this function does not work unless correct breathing is done during the intended movement. Without proper Valsalva maneuver breathing (holding your breath and contracting your abdominals against the belt during exertion), you lose any ability to create the intra-abdominal pressure needed to stabilize.

Belt fit:  Though there are various styles and types of belts on the market, which differ by the amount of intra-abdominal pressure you can create, belt width, belt rigidity and clasping device, the fit is extremely important for using the belt to its fullest capacity.

As far as positioning, the belt should rest above the hips surrounding the lower back and over the front of your abdominals. The fit should be tight, but not so tight that you cannot breathe or expand your abdominals against the belt.

Belt use: Though injury prevention is a common reason people cite as to why they use a belt (which research does support), It should be primarily viewed as a performance enhancer that allows you to move more weight. Further, weight belts should only be used with large, compound movements, such as push presses, squats and deadlifts, and during near maximal lifts under five to six reps. If you are sitting on a leg-extension machine and are wearing a belt, you will most likely get laughed at for: one, being on a leg extension machine and, two, being on a leg-extension machine with a weight belt. So save yourself the embarrassment and avoid both.

Belt myths: One of the biggest myths regarding the use of the weight belt is it weakens the abdominals because of the assistance provided by the belt. While there is truth in this, it only becomes a problem if you violate the belt-use rules (see above) and do not incorporate core training in your program. Understand that the you should not be using a belt as a way to compensate for a dysfunctional or weak core. There is no excuse in eliminating these crucial exercises in favor of utilizing a belt.

Another myth is that belts can allow some to get away with less-than-stellar form. Once again, view the belt as something that allows you to do a particular lift (which is already done well) better. If you do a squat with crappy form beltless, you would most likely do the same exercise crappy with a belt (and possibly increase the chance of injury because of the increased load).

Take-home message: With proper mechanics, core training, breathing technique and fit, the weightlifting belt can serve as a performance enhancer to catapult your strength to the next level during compound lifts done at near-maximal weight. It is important to note that the weight belt should never be used as a replacement “crutch “for a poorly trained or functioning core, or as an excuse to use less-than-optimal form.

For more information regarding the use of a weight built, proper fitting or about types of belts, please consult one of our certified personal trainers.

CategoriesBlog Live Fit.

Are You Tracking?

…and I’m not talking Pokeman.

These days there are devices to track just about anything.  With a simple app or wearable gadget, you can track daily steps, sleep patterns, heart rate, calories, cadence, foot strike, distance, speed and more. Next time you take a walk, be it down the hall or outside, notice other people’s wrists. Just about everyone is tracking something, and if you fall into the group of users tracking data, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Your why: The average child asks roughly 400 questions a day, and a lot of those begin with, “Why?” Even at a young age, we intuitively know: The motive behind any action is the most important part.  If you don’t know your why (and even if you do), assume some childlike behavior and dig into it. Why are you tracking? Your why will keep you committed when you get bored or want to quit.

Do something with it: Don’t gather data simply to have it or tell anyone who will listen how many steps you’ve taken or how little you’ve slept. Do something with it. Most tracking devices gather more information than you need, so decide what you’re interested in, or what you want to get better at, and start there.  If it’s steps per day, identify ways in which you can increase your steps, especially if you sit at work for long periods of time.

If you want to improve your running form, track not only distance and speed, but also cadence and foot strike.  This information can help reduce injury, improve posture and decrease that race time — but you have to know how to handle the information.  You might want to get a video of you running so that you can see what your data is conveying.

If you’re tracking sleep, you might also keep a journal, recording what happens before bed (what you ate or drank, and what kind of day you had) and pair that with the information you receive from your device/app. Only when you do something with the information, can you begin to make changes for the better.

Leave the device at home (occasionally).  If you worked at it, you could track just about every detail of your entire life. Please don’t. Occasionally it’s freeing to go without. Leave your watch (or better yet, your phone) at home one day and don’t track a thing. Go on a run and allow your body to decide how fast and how far you want to go. Sleep the entire night without any gadgets in your room.  Don’t log your food/calories in that app. Move your body without worrying about steps taken.  Play with your movement and rest when you need to without measuring a thing

CategoriesBlog Live Fit. Move.

As It Heats Up, Don’t Forget to Cool Down (Post-Exercise, That Is)

You wouldn’t jump into a rigorous workout without a quick warmup. However, many gym-goers forgo a post-exercise cool-down routine in the name of hitting the locker room and bouncing out, especially those squeezing in an after-work session who are eager to get home and unwind already.

No matter the length or challenge level of your gym time, avoid suddenly halting all movement as soon as you hop off the treadmill. Even while you’re chugging your water bottle, it’s important to slow your heart rate gradually to avoid dizziness and fainting. Factoring in hot summer weather, take extra care to re-regulate your body temperature to its resting level. A minimum of five minutes spent doing any of the following activities is all it takes to go the extra mile for your muscles.

1. Walk it out

Whether you prefer laps around the track or a post-run neighborhood stroll, walking takes your pace down a few notches while keeping the blood flowing. A steady decrease in movement keeps blood from pooling in your lower body, which can lead to lightheadedness.

2. Stretch (Again)

You’ve already primed your workout with a set of stretches — now bring it full circle with a wrap-up session. Your muscles are most susceptible to stretching once they’ve had the chance to warm up throughout your spin class, run, or time in the weight room. Regular stretching, both before and after each workout, can help prevent injury in the long run.

3. Suit up

Pack your swimsuit and hit the nearest pool (or lake… after all, Seattle is within miles of several) for a refreshing dip that doubles as a low-impact exercise. A few laps is all it takes!

4. Hit the mat

A major perk of a Flow Fitness membership is our comprehensive schedule of trainer-led classes, from advanced high-intensity sessions to our restorative Deep Stretch yoga class. Join today to release muscle tension, improve posture and flexibility, and practice mindful breathing, simultaneously de-stressing mind and muscles following your full access to our machine and amenity packed facilities.

Featured image courtesy of Pixabay

CategoriesBlog Live Fit. Move.

Do you track your workouts?

You might want to.

As the old adage goes, ” Fail to plan, plan to fail.” I’m sure among the high-level executives, leaders, business owners, educators and parents who are members at Flow, these words have come out of their mouths at one point or another when describing ways to become successful. 

It’s true. From motivational speeches to self-help books, one of the themes that resonates with each chapter or spoken word is that without a map, you are bound to get lost. 

While this message seems to make perfect sense to me, it can fall on deaf ears when it comes to people’s workouts. Each day I come in to work, I see countless people wandering around looking for the next exercise to do or scratching their heads as they decide how much weight they should put on so they can perform the coveted “three sets of 10” on each exercise they select. Occasionally, I’ll see a person copy the same workout a trainer or an extremely fit member is doing. But rarely do I see a member enter the gym with a binder, a notebook or a smartphone (with the notes section open) or even a piece of paper with a detailed program that will get them through the next few months of training . 

I honestly don’t care who wrote the program or how the program is written (though related, program design is not the topic today), as there are many places to go to get training plans that are easy on the budget and effective. What I do care about is that you have a plan that closely resembles your goals and that you use this plan. Further, unless you record every single thing that happens during each individual workout, you have wasted your time in the gym. Recording should include the obvious, such as exercise sets, reps and weights. But it should also include amount of sleep, general energy level before, during and after training (usually on a 1-10 scale) and your food intake. (I’ll admit I fall short on this part, but plan to keep a consistent journal on my food intake over the next several months.) 

By keeping this training journal, you have an instant resource on how to prepare for the workouts ahead. Further, with this ever-evolving resource, you can make adjustments to your program based on previous successes and failures, which add to less frustration, less plateauing and better results.  

Having a program and recording your progress is probably one of the easiest adjustments that you can make to your current training regimen that would drastically improve your results.

Take action today and start drawing your own map to a better you. 

CategoriesBlog Nourish.

Ten Practical Healthy Eating Tips

There is an endless amount of “diets” prescribed in books, online and in apps.  While many of them probably achieve results if adhered to, most people are never able to fully adhere to them because the diets are impractical.  There are too many rules and foods to avoid for most diets to be practical for the common person and most fail because people cannot stick to them.  

We believe lifestyle changes are much more impactful than short-term diets.  Below are 10 simple rules to follow when eating that are practical, sustainable and will give you significant results.  

Start Your Day with Breakfast ~ Breakfast jumpstarts your metabolism, fuels you up to start your day and helps curb cravings for the remainder of the day.   If you are going to have one “bad” meal, make it breakfast.

Eat Real Food, Not Processed ~ If you don’t recognize ingredients on the box, you shouldn’t be eating it.  It is better to have slightly more calories or fat from whole foods than fewer calories from processed food.

Listen to Your Body ~ Eat when your body tells you to.  If you’re not hungry, don’t eat.  If you’re hungry, eat; putting it off will lead to overeating and poor decisions later.

Eat More Veggies and Colors ~ This is one is obvious, but most people don’t get sufficient vegetables.  You should aim to eat two pounds of vegetables per day.  Try eating one vegan meal a day to help you meet your recommended daily intake.  In addition, try to eat vegetables of varying colors, as each color represent different antioxidant phytochemicals that help protect against chronic diseases.

Don’t Skip Meals, and Snack When Necessary. ~ Skipping meals will slow down your metabolism and cause you to be starving later on.  If it’s going to be more than five hours in between meals and your body is hungry, you should grab a snack. It’ll give you energy and help you from overeating at your next meal.  The best snacks are unprocessed plant foods, so try to eat fruits, vegetables or nuts.  Leaving yourself with an empty stomach will lead to overeating or making poor eating decisions.     

Eat Your Calories, Don’t Drink Them ~ The body burns calories when breaking down food.  So while eating an apple or drinking an apple in a smoothie may provide the same nutritional benefit, eating the apple will result in fewer net calories because of the calories needed to break down the apple.

Drink More Water and Avoid Soda ~ Water is the best drink on the planet, and it’s almost impossible to drink too much.  Soda (including diet soda) is the one of the worst drinks in the world, and is a major cause of obesity and diabetes.  Sparkling, naturally flavored water is a great alternative and will also work in your cocktails.  Tea and 100-percent pure fruit juice are other alternatives.

Ditch the Whites ~ White flour is stripped of most of its nutrition and is therefore digested rapidly and causes your blood sugar to spike. White sugar can be addictive and is added to many processed foods that don’t even taste sweet, such as bread and pasta sauce.  Steer clear of foods with sugar listed among the first three ingredients.  So skip the free bread the next time you go to a restaurant.  

Eat Healthy Fats, Not Low Fat ~ Fat is a necessary nutrition component.  It also helps keep us full and adds flavor to our food.  Focus more on what fats you are eating rather than how much fat you eat.  Avocado, nuts, seeds, fatty fishes (sardines, tuna and salmon) and extra-virgin olive oil are all healthy fats.  Also, remember that whole is better than processed, so grab that stick of butter rather than the stick of low-fat margarine.  

It’s Ok to Occasionally Cheat ~ Indulging from time to time is actually good for sticking to an overall healthy diet.  You don’t need to strive for perfection. Find something that you can stick to long term. Eating healthy 90 percent for a lifetime is far better than eating 100 percent healthy for just four weeks.  

CategoriesBlog Move.

Run Outside, But Do Some Work Indoors

Summer is here, and it’s time to get outside.  Allow those treadmills and elliptical machines a well-deserved break, if only for three months’ time.

As a runner, especially in the Pacific Northwest, there’s no better time to get out in nature. However, don’t give up that gym membership just yet. Here are three reasons to spend some time indoors:

1)  Cross training: The benefits of cross training are many (see here for five specific ones). Now I know, as a runner, you immediately think of biking or swimming as cross training — and both you can also do outdoors (YAY!). But in both biking and swimming (for the most part) you move in the same plane of motion. That means you work the same muscles, over, and over (and over) again. This summer, challenge yourself and try something new — bootcamp, yoga, TRX or even zumba. Explore all planes of motion and activate muscles you never knew existed.

2)  Strength training and stability work: Both of these can be considered cross training, but I’m going to suggest they stand alone. Many injuries occur because we have a weak core (think back, glutes and hips, as well as abs). We sit all day and smash our hamstrings, overuse our hip flexors, calves and little pinky toes. Get into the gym and do some strength training. Learn proper dead-lift and squat techniques. Play with kettlebells, bosu balls and those trx bands. Do some agility work in class and practice box jumps, all while engaging your core.  Begin to work it into your daily routine, and play with how you can work it into every run.

3)  Accountability: Ever intended to do stairs, squats or incorporate some plyometrics into your run, and then did one set of stairs or squats and decided to move on? “Later,” you tell yourself. And then, low and behold, the run is done and those exercises become “next time.” Give next time a break and build in some accountability. Work with a trainer, take some classes or recruit a friend to keep you on track.

For these reasons, and more, you might keep that membership handy. Do the work indoors to take your run outdoors uninjured, strong and free!

CategoriesBlog Move.

Take A Hike!

Do you ever find yourself unmotivated to exercise? Are you struggling with your daily routine at the gym? Well I have the perfect solution: Go for a hike!

Instead of staring endlessly at the treadmill TV, look forward to what is around the next bend in the trail. Studies show that people who hike have less stress and more energy overall. And we all need that. You might have heard that hiking is good for you, but do you know how good it is? Here are just a few of the many benefits:

  1. Fuel in the form of oxygen: Aerobic activities, such as hiking, provide oxygen and fuel to your muscles and other body tissues. This extra fuel helps strengthen your muscles and lungs and increases your alertness, and energy and endurance levels, too.
  3. Lower risk of high cholesterol: Hiking helps increase your HDL levels, the good cholesterol, and lowers your triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels. This decreases the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. 
  5. Improved mood: A walk through densely wooded forests or along a rushing river not only calms your nerves but improves mood. Just being in nature releases you from the pressures of our everyday lives.
  7. Reach a goal: Have you ever had a goal that you were trying to reach? Starting out on a trail and making it all the way to the end is such a rewarding experience. Not only because you have pushed yourself up a mountain, but also because the end goal is spectacular.

So take my advice: Take a hike! 

And it just so happens, that I’m leading a hike to Bridal Veil Falls on June 18th.  Learn more here.

written by Flow Personal Trainer, Suz Weston