What Makes My Legs Burn?

Body weight squats and lunges...

O.K. This is fun, have a water bottle close by and get ready to count!

1. Basic squat: feet hip distance & parallel, hands on your hips, basic squat with your core engaged and chest up X 10 reps

2. Sumo squat: step your feet apart to about a leg's distance with your toes pointing out, squat, core engaged, chest up X 10 reps

3. Squat jump: begin with your feet together, your knees bent into a squat and your hands at the back of your head; jump your feet (parallel) out and back together, repeat X 10 reps

4. Side leg lift: take a wide stance, your feet just wider than your hips and parallel, squat and as you straighten up, lift your bent right leg up to the side, lower into a squat and repeat X 10 reps and switch legs

5. Lunge jump: step your right leg back into a wide lunge, jump up and switch legs, repeat X 10 reps per leg, 20 jump lunges total

8. Single leg squat: root yourself on your right leg, lifting your left foot of the ground or propping the toe of your left foot behind you as a balance; single leg squat on your right leg X 10 reps and switch to your left leg

9. "Monkey" Lunge: step your right leg back into a wide lunge with your arms extended overhead, bend your right(extended) knee down toward the ground and straighten, repeat, maintaining the bend of your left knee throughout X 10 reps, step your right foot to your left and switch legs

10. Shake your legs out and grab your water bottle. You just did over 100 squats and lunges! Fun!

All Over Blaster!

My lovely friend Gerda first introduced me to these absolutely fabulous treats; Dolphin Push-ups!

Start out in plank position with your forearms in a straight line on the floor and your fingers pointing forward.

Inhale and lift your hips so your body becomes an inverted V; similar to Down Dog. Slowly lower your hips back into plank and repeat for 12 repetitions. Press back into Child's Pose to rest.

This will target your core, arms and legs!

My Sore Muscles...

The last couple weeks I have been feeling pretty run down and my weight training has taken a back burner.

Yesterday, without wanting to "over-do" it, I knew I needed to get started again with my routine. What follows is what I came up with to ease back into weight training and now I am feeling a bit sore in places.
Set #1
1. Pull-ups: not many, I can only do 3-5 so on the last one I come down as slowly as possible
2. Push-ups: I did 15
3. Oblique/Center/Oblique/Center crunches on the BOSU: 15 each

Set #2
20 Reps of:
1. Squats with my feet hip distance apart
2. Jump Squats on the BOSU
3. Forward Lunge with and overhead press using a medicine ball
4. Alternating Jump Lunge

Set #3
1. Reverse Lunge: 20 reps with each leg with a torso twist/press using a medicine ball
2. Tuck Jumps: 10, this is just a standing jump pulling your knees up as close to your chest as possible
3. Hamstring Curl with a stability ball: lie on your back with your feet on a stability ball, press up into a shoulder bridge and straighten your legs to roll the ball away from your body, bend your knees to bring the ball back, repeat for 20 repetitions.

Then I did it again. This was quick and pretty fun. My biceps, back and chest are feeling the pull-ups and push-ups and my quads and glutes are also twinging a bit.

I followed it up with stretching and water!

Slow Down #3...Lay Down!

This post was in my head for last week as the 3rd installment of the importance of slowing down and then I got sidelined by one of the worst colds in my personal history. Losing out to a cold for the better part of a week and still feeling the tail ends of it is inspiration to wrap up with a trio of suggestions for optimal health and wellness!

This one is simple! Lie down and take a nap. You don’t have time you say; at least that is what I always say, but research shows that people who nap actually perform better in test taking situations, are more focused and therefore more productive.

Getting enough rest is one of the most important aspects of optimal health and most of us don’t get it. I am not advocating a 2 hour nap in the middle of a busy Tuesday but finding a quiet spot to lie down and let your body totally relax for 10 minutes is pretty simple to fit and will leaving you feeling refreshed and energized for what is yet to come in your day.

Over the last few months I have been scheduling in “nap” times here and there, I don’t get them in too often, but when I do, I turn off my phone and set my alarm for a few minutes ahead, rarely more than 20. Sometimes I fall asleep; sometimes I completely relax into a deep meditative state. When my alarm goes off, I get up, splash a bit of water on my face and feel as though I am starting new in my day. I am calm, focused, my mood is elevated and I completely avoid the late afternoon sluggishness that often hits.

Try and schedule a quick nap into your week, drink a lot of water and enjoy feeling energized knowing you are truly taking care of your health!

Slow Down #2...Take Notes

For a few years of my early “adult” life I thought I would grow up to be a writer; I have the student loans and a piece of paper somewhere to prove it. The funny thing about me and writing is that sitting down to write was just about impossible and usually done only when a poem or short story was due the following day.

When I started as a G.T. client, my coach “suggested” that I start keeping a daily journal. I started writing in my journal as recommended, initially keeping track of my weight, water intake, exercise and tips that my coach gave me. I didn’t go into much detail but I wrote something down each day. As the weeks progressed, I got more specific with the things that were going on in my days. Before long, writing in my journal became enjoyable and now I am committed.

I have found my journal to be a valuable tool for several reasons. Not only does it provide a record of the basic info, but now I write about the details of my day. My journal is a tool for contemplation and brainstorming and allows me to process things and leave them behind if necessary.

Now that I have been keeping a journal for the last 1 ½ year, I am able to look back and see the changes that I have made physically and mentally, I can look at my weight and reference it with my food from the G.T. food journal and pinpoint things in my diet that affect my body in certain ways. I know that when my weight goes up a few pounds it could be an indication that my immune system is compromised and I may be getting sick or that there may be intolerance to something in my diet.

Not only are my journals packed with information about my body; writing in my journal has become a means to calm my mind and often forces me to stop the busyness that I fill my days with. It is rewarding to look back at the stack of filled journals and know that I set my mind to something and have been dedicated and consistent. There are a few things in my life that I am a bit “obsessed” with and perhaps writing daily in my jouranl is one of them but as someone who shunned journaling for years I am a dedicated convert.

My suggestion is to set a goal and make notes in a journal every day for 2weeks or everyday for a month; whatever feels doable. It may become enjoyable and if that is the case, the information about yourself that you will be able to reference in the future will serve as the material for one of the most in depth and valuable educations available. And who knows, it could be fun!

Slow Down!

As a Genesis Transformation coach and personal trainer my intention is to offer support and guidance to my clients as they strive to achieve their optimal health and fitness goals. I receive great joy and satisfaction from having a job that I truly love.

As a G.T. coach, I am also a Genesis Transformation client and work with my own coach who supports me and helps to direct the path I am following.
Recently she added a “long, slow run” to my cardiovascular routine.

I realized on my last run that the long run is as much a benefit for my head space as it is for my cardio health. For years running has been my “thing.” In the past I ran obsessively to process the chaos in my brain from all the crap I was putting into my body. Over the last year the reasons why I run have changed. Now a run for me is an opportunity for meditation; it allows me to quiet my mind and organize my thoughts and I often return home full of clarity and motivation for the tasks in front of me.

A long slow run is also a great training tool for your heart (research “aerobic base building”) and body. Your heart is a muscle and just like the rest of the muscles in your body it will perform with greater efficiency if it is properly conditioned. Slow training will also allow you to be mindful of your posture and body position.

This week I am recommending taking time to condition your mind. Take a long walk, run or bike ride in the woods. Leave your music at home and enjoy the world around you. Notice what changes are occurring as spring comes into full bloom. Where do your thoughts lead you? What happens in your body? Are there areas of tension, specific aches and twinges that need attention? Take notes of what you learn about your body and your mind while out and about.

Remember to drink your water and enjoy some quiet time on your own. It is a great personal gift! Happy spring!

Lessons!

I was having a conversation the other day with the mother of one of my daughter Lillian’s classmates about math and working at home to improve comprehension. I walked away thinking to myself that I don’t really love math and I don’t even care much for trying to explain first grade math.

I consider myself lucky in the fact that Lillian has a good head on her shoulders and can figure out a lot for herself, despite my floundering explanations. In thinking of the lack of enthusiasm I have for working on sums with Lillian, I started thinking about how I encourage her math skills in other aspects of her life.

As a Genesis Transformation Coach, Personal Trainer and someone who has always been conscious of diet, I am pretty meticulous with what I feed myself and my family. The nature of our diet puts me in the kitchen for a fair amount of time. I have few complaints, I love to cook! The enjoyment I get in the kitchen seems to be transferring over to my girls; Lillian and I have been cooking together for years and now Sage is following right behind.

The lessons my girls are learning from our kitchen are valuable! When I follow recipes, I tend to alter them. As Lillian and I cook together and change the ingredient amounts, I encourage Lil to figure out how to increase some ingredients or decrease others. As we are cooking, we are developing her math skills. Math may not be my strong suit but I am a great cook and I am able to help my daughter develop her math brain in the time that we cook together; we also have a lovely time side by side at the counter.

My two year old, Sage, also loves to stand at the counter and ‘help’. The lessons we are sharing with her are not yet mathematical, but she always wants to participate and the enthusiasm she has for her creations is addicting. When Sage asks for juice, she wants to make it; she wants to put carrots and beets, peppers and apples, fresh ginger and mint, celery and spinach into the juicer. She loves the color, loves the pulp and loves the results. For breakfast, she often wants pancakes and that means that she will be making them. We add pumpkin and applesauce, fresh local eggs and honey. She doesn’t use syrup and eats stacks. At dinner she will eat a rainbow of veggies double dipping, at least, in hummus.

We are not perfect. Both my girls love sweets and pizza, french fries and tacos made with frozen fish sticks are favorites. But all in all my girls eat a well rounded diet and the lessons they are learning out of our kitchen will stay with them throughout their lives. They are both strong, healthy and enthusiastically use their well fueled brains. I get to enjoy time in my kitchen with my girls and share my love of good food with them as well as reap the rewards of children who usually eat what is in front of them, even if things are hidden and disguised occasionally.