Exercise Myth: Squats make your butt bigger...

Answer: LIE!

Anyone who says they do don't understand anatomy. The same thing happens to men who say, "Crunches just make my stomach stick out more...it never gets flat." Well no kidding...here's why;

When you work a major muscle group that isn't used to getting worked there is a layer of fat sitting right on the outside. So when you jump into an exercise like squats regularly you are building new muscle. This will push that fat out farther, making it look like your bum is getting bigger when it is not.

Solution: Mix your new exercise with cardio of some kind. You need to find new ways to burn calories and slim the fat. Do NOT give up on exercises that build muscle. If you don't want to 'bulk up' then get rid of the fat so the only thing left is the lean muscle.

Action: So where can someone with no time to workout fit squats into their day?

• Doing laundry: Do a squat everytime you lower yourself down to put something in the dryer. Or when you are picking clothes up to put in the washer. You could get in 8-10 per load, plus it's better for your back than bending over at the waist.

• Doing the dishes: Instead of bending straight over to put the dishes in, bend at the knee and lower yourself down to place your dishes.

• Pick up the kids toys: Put one leg in front of the other and lower yourself to a single leg squat. Stand up and put the back leg forward toward the next toy and lower again. Focus on using your quads to push your body up.

• Brushing your teeth: If you have an electric toothbrush you can use the timer on it to switch legs as you squat.

• Blow-drying your hair: We stand still for way too long in the bathroom anyway...find a way to get something out of it!

When doing a squat be sure that your weight is in your heels and your back is straight, not leaning forward over your legs. Squats should be a straight up and down motion...not a forward and backward one. If you feel the pressure in your knees, check to make sure you are putting all the weight on your heels...your toes shouldn't feel any pressure.

When the weight is more toward the heels then the work is being done in the hamstrings which also engages your rear end and lifts it. And who doesn't want that!?

If you find other places to get a few squats in then check back in and share!

Fit Ball Pike Exercise

Everyone has seen how to do crunches on a fit/stability ball. (If you have any questions let me know.) In order to keep your routine fresh you may need to try some new moves and keep your body guessing...so it is constantly working! Try this pike position exercise. Starting in the same position you use for push ups;

• Hands/Arms are directly over your shoulders, NOT your head!
• Body is straight and tight
  
• Feet and shins are firmly planted in the ball.
• Don't forget to breathe!
  

Using a rolling motion, contract your abs, curl your back and roll your feet across the ball until you are in a pike position,(shown below) then roll back down to starting position. Try 2 sets of 10.

TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

If you don't have enough core strength to pike completely in half don't fret. This is just something to work toward. If you want to make it easier start by putting the ball further up your legs. The closer it is to your core the less work your core is doing. Roll up and try to get your rear end in the air. Practice balancing with your arms and moving the ball. It takes balance and practice. Have fun and see how far you can go!

New Year's Resolutions: Are your goals attainable or sustainable?

Happy New Year Everyone!

I am not surprised to suddenly hear from so many of you wanting to lose your holiday weight.

It's not like you have another resolution option...the marketing is brilliant...January 1 all you see is exercise infomercials, diet books, treadmill sales and weight loss pills at the forefront of the grocery store.

So how is 2009 going to be different? Instead of falling for the latest quick fix and diet fad you will take baby steps to real life change. Baby steps are;

• Skipping dessert once a week
• Packing your own lunch once a week
  
• Sitting on your fit ball while you watch television
• Exercising while you brush your teeth
• Taking your dog for a walk
• Setting realistic goals.....

Are you still trying to fit into your high school jeans? Trying to hit some magic number on the scale (most likely your wedding weight or your pre-pregnancy weight)? You might be able to kill yourself to lose that sacred number, but how long can you stay there? How long can you keep up a crash diet and a crazy workout schedule? Instead of working your butt off for a month with a gym membership you probably won't use after Valentine's Day, why don't you really ring in the New Year with lasting change. SUSTAINABLE GOALS!

Start with the first pound. What are you going to do today to lose ONE pound? That doesn't sound that hard does it? One. That's it. When you lose one pound hop back in here and celebrate with me! Then we will find your next goal. Your next size. Your next workout.

Take baby steps to real change...not just a commitment until everyone stops talking about resolutions.

Multi-Task Your Wall Sits

Most people have to change up their exercise routines often to fight boredom and having their body get used to the exercise. You have to keep your body guessing in order to keep it learning and fighting for you.

The best way to keep exercises fresh is to create variety.

A wall sit is an exercise to strengthen your glutes, abs and thighs. To be done correctly be sure that your entire back is firmly pressed against the wall. Your feet are shoulder width apart. You 'sit' down as far as you can on the wall putting all the pressure on your legs. Keeping your back flat and your abs tight you sit for a period of time. If you are just starting out I would suggest 5 sets of 30 seconds.

If this seems too easy, work toward getting your knees at a 90 degree angle while you sit.

If this seems to hard, raise your body up the wall a little, it will help keep the pressure on your bigger muscles and provide some relief.

Now to create a little variety...

Once you have mastered the technique and either find it bearable or want to add other body parts to the exercises you can try using a fit ball. Put the ball against he wall and lean your back against it. As you lower yourself as you normally would you will find it is harder to stabilize yourself. This will require more work from your abs and your back to stay balanced.

After trying the fit ball for a while you can bring the focus back to your legs by trying a one legged wall sit pictured below.



Another option is to use your fit ball or medicine ball to tap the sides of the walls to work your obliques (side abs) and arms. You can use weights if you choose, but I do not recommend them because they can easily go through the drywall on accident. The motion you are looking for is pictured below, enough though she is not in the wall sit exercise...it is just the example of the arm motion.



Next would be to add a Heel raise...



If you position yourself as seen above, back against the wall, feet out 45 degrees from your body with your knees over your feet. Then lift your heels off the ground. Try 2 sets of 10. It focuses the exercise on your inner thighs, while still holding your pose using your larger leg muscles.

As you can see you can get a lot of mileage out of one exercise to keep it fresh and interesting.

This Flu Season Play Offense Instead of Defense

If flu season always hits your family hard, don't wait for it. Attack it with a few preventive measures.

Simply, go on the offensive instead of trying to play catch up when it hits. Take your daily vitamins. Start by increasing your Vitamin C intake. Your body can stand a LOT more vitamins than the average person puts in it. Build up your immune system to prevent flus and colds rather than hitting it with everything once you already have it. Some simple ways to do this aside from your normal daily vitamin is naturally fresh fruits and vegetables. There is also chewable tablets, my personal favorite is the Halls Vitamin C drops. They are so good for a sore through and have 60mg of Vit C per drop and they come in sugar free with no difference in the taste. Other vitamins that could use the boost is Vitamin B12, Zinc and Echinacea.

Another really good one that is just now becoming popular is "Probiotics". This digestive health aid has been around for decades...but is just now hitting main stream. You may see this word not only on supplements but on yogurt and cheese. The basic concept is that when you get sick you are given antibiotics. This just destroys ALL the bacteria in your system...good and bad. Probiotics just adds the 'good bacteria' so when a bad one comes along it will fight it off naturally instead of making you sick.

In short what do you need to boost your immune system?

-Vitamin C
-Vitamin B12
-Zinc
-Echinacea
-Probiotics

Aside from supplements the other way to fight off flu and colds is to workout. Keep your metabolism moving! Cardio Cardio Cardio! There is obviously a weight loss bonus here, but if you can keep your body moving though the winter you won't gain those extra holiday pounds and you could prevent the nasty bugs from ever hitting your house.

Walk with purpose

When I tell people to multitask it doesn't always mean doing squats while you put something in the dish washer. It can be even easier than that. When you walk...anywhere, from your desk to your fax, from one room to another, from you car to a building. Walk like you mean it. Walk with purpose. Engage as many muscles as you can.

How?

A. Stand up straight when you walk.

B. Practice your 'suck it up' technique from my previous post.

C. Your abs are 'up' when you take a step say with your right leg back you are pulling against your 'suck it up' motion. Use those lower ab muscles because you are resisting the 'suck it up' motion.

D. Your left leg is forward pushing into the ab area creating part of a crunch.

As you walk the back and forth motion of your legs and abs moving with and resisting is just another way to get as much use out of your muscles as possible.

Don't just walk from here to there.

Walk With Purpose!

What is your favorite workout video?

No one who's ever used a workout video owns just one! The best tip for multi-tasking your workout is taking your favorite moves from all the videos you like, and put them together to make a tailored workout that fits your troubled areas.

I am starting a series where I will focus on videos and target areas that are common to my email questions. If you would like me to focus on your problem area the email link is at the bottom of the page.

Let's get started:

Here's one most people have not tried and it should be the first one for people who have trouble in their mid section. Specifically your abs, love handles, muffin tops, that little pooch...etc. The key thing to think about while doing what's in the video's is to isolate the specific area to truly target that spot.

In the first video it teaches you to open up your hips and move them, independent of your stomach.

This second video is one of my favorite move to slim down those muffin tops!

You can put the hip drop into motion around the house with the Step Touch!

All that you've learned here can be done standing in the bathroom, in your closet while you pick out your clothes, while doing your laundry, setting the table...you name it.

Use these tips while you are 'Sucking it up'...try to see how far you can lift your hip up while keeping your foot on the ground. Really use your obliques and crunch it up as high as you can.

If you liked these moves or want to learn more and put them together, you can find them at www.expertvillage.com.

Thanks to Expert Village for the videos...

Learn to "Suck It Up"!

I've given this advice for years...it's usually step number one for women who want to target their mid-section. Enjoy...Let me know if you have any questions!

SUCK IT UP

If you look at your stomach in the mirror standing sideways, when you suck in your stomach it leaves all the outside muscles loose. You can only pull it in as far as your muscles underneath the fat can tighten. Instead of sucking your stomach in, suck it UP. It’s the same motion as a belly laugh. Raise your belly button up toward your chest. When you suck it up, you are engaging all of your abdominal muscles, making them longer. This gives the muscles more room to spread out, so you end up flattening your abs all the way from your ribs to your pelvic bone, not just flattening your lower stomach.

Sucking it up while sitting at your desk is a great way to squeeze in your crunches. Envision pulling them up and under your ribs. Really try to raise your belly button a few inches. The added benefit to doing this at your desk is it improves your posture. You have to sit up straighter to give your abs more room to flatten out. Plus you get the added bonus of being able to do it without anyone noticing.

Fat Fighter TV

If just reading about working out isn't enough Sahar Aker from FatFighterTV.com has come up with the perfect solution. She has workout videos demonstrating proper technique. Her website is a must have if you are just starting out or don't quite understand what some of the terms mean.

She is also up to date on many health topics. Staying current is what has helped her stay so successful. Pop on over and check out website, she is happy to answer any questions you might have.

Sticking to my theme, I wrote an article for Fat Fighter TV. You can view it here: http://fatfightertv.com/blog/2008/09/how-to-multi-task-your-workouts/

Go show your love and offer suggestions to her subscribers about how we do things here!

Fitness Frame of Mind

When ever someone starts a new workout or weight loss program more often than not the person tries to find a way for this new fad to fit into their lifestyle. Not realizing it was that lifestyle that got them into the shape they are now.

When trying something new whether it's a new workout or routine you need to get into a fitness frame of mind. If you want this new adventure to really work it's way into your life, you have to find ways to let it.

For example, if you want to work on your mid section. It isn't enough to whip out 100 crunches and call it a day. You need to be thinking all day about your abs, your posture, your activities in a way that will keep your mid section working all day. Isn't that what true multi-tasking really is anyway?

So while you're sitting at your desk right now; sit up straight, uncross your legs, suck in your stomach. When you are up standing in line somewhere think about what your stomach is doing. Is it just sitting there relaxed? Are you shoulders hunched over?

When you are putting the groceries in the car....are you twisting your back? Or are you using good form? Keep your stomach tight. If you are moving them across your body can you engaging your obliques (side abs)?

If you want to truly focus on an area like your mid section you can certainly multi-task some extra work for them throughout your day. You just have to practice. Pretty soon you will do it without even thinking about it. That's when you start to see true change!

Olympic Moves

Are you inspired by the Olympics? Not really in training shape yet?

Now's the time to channel our inner Shawn Johnson and Jonathan Horton. I'm not saying you should run down to your kids playground and pretend the monkey bars are the high bar. I mean watch what they do in between events! Ever notice the gymnasts are always moving, always stretching. They sit in positions we would never dream of, while doing something else.

The next time you find yourself just laying on the couch. Plop down on the floor, stretch and watch T.V. If you get tired lean your back against the couch for a while. Just keep your legs apart for a while. Then try one leg bent in and one straight. Do this while getting through your favorite show. Set small goals for yourself depending on your starting point they could be, "In two weeks I want to be able to touch my toes when my legs are together in front of me." Or "When my legs are split apart in three weeks I want to be able to put my elbows on the floor when I lean forward." Make it a game.

Being limber and flexible will make you feel like more than an Olympian, you will be able to move on to much harder moves and do them with more confidence...which can only lead to meeting your goals, whether it's a gold medal or your favorite jeans.

What message are we sending our kids?

Great comment...decided to answer it for everyone...

I have a question, what message is being sent to kids when parents take them to swim lessons, T-Ball, Basketball etc, then stand on the side lines eating hot dogs and drinking soda?

Or when you have a parent (like many in Scottsdale) who use these events for babysitting instead of positive aspects?

Are we giving kids messages that you only have to exercise this 1, 2, 3 times a week for 30~45 mins? (Which is good.) Or are we, as adults, implying to them that exercises is over rated?

Heh, or am I making too big a deal out of it?


1) The message being sent is, "This is your time." Which means it can't be 'My time'. Most parents fall into the trap of wanting to do what's best for their kids and in doing that give up their own schedules, time and energy.

The two problems I have with that line of thinking is just because your child is active doesn't mean you're not. And why are the parents on the sidelines eating hot dogs? Did needing a meal surprise them? It's like dinner sneaked up on them or something. I KNOW people don't always have time...but I just know people who actually do have time and still act like there isn't enough time in the day.

2) How are people using activities as baby-sitting? It's one thing to walk around the field/ballpark while your child is at practice for yourself, but it clearly another to LEAVE the facility.

3) Well the old cliche "Lead By Example" comes to mind...but are we 'implying to them that exercises is over rated'? I think there are millions of people who believe this. It's a way to cope with their schedules, lack of activity and justification for their lifestyle.

Thanks for the comment Crothos!

Discuss...

Multi-Task Someone Elses Workout!!

I observed quite a sight today. Kids had their first day of swim lessons. The lesson is 30 minutes.

There were about 30 moms and dads sitting in the bleachers and chairs around the pool, which backed up to the large windows leading to the rest of the gym. Right outside the windows were rows of stationary bikes, stair steppers and rowing machines. ALL facing the windows, looking in to the pools. Not only that, there was a door leading right to the pool next to these rows of machines.

My point: 29 moms sat for 30 minutes watching their kids learn to swim. One mom rode a stationary bike for 30 minutes...uninterrupted...without paying for childcare (other than the cost of the lessons of course)....while she watched her kids learn to swim.

Which mom do you think I was? Which one are you?

What have you done to multi-task lately?

Spice Up Your Life

While visiting with a friend I was trying to show her that eating at home is better for you if not only for the real purpose of being in control of what goes in your food. She said, "...but food at the restaurant just tastes so much better than mine..."

Why is that? Because restaurants...the good ones...use fresh ingredients and lots of seasonings, spices and marinades. Most people at home have the same dried seasonings in the round turn table with the white caps that they got as a wedding gift 10 years ago! Even dried seasonings need to be traded out every 6 months for new ones. They lose their flavor daily!

What to spice up your life? Here's what a few friends said their favorite ingredients are to make their home cooked meals taste like the big boys!

Michelle Spelman says, "Good Seasons Italian Dressing packets are a pretty versatile seasoning. I use it to season soups, sauces, marinades, salads, meats."

Susan Hawkins, "I adore dill! I put it in soups, dips, salads and on fish marinades (for salmon, in particular.)"

Creator of The Zen Kitchen, Dani Nordin went all out!

"In fall/winter, I'm all about smoked paprika and Indian/Morrocan spice blends (think nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper). In spring and summer, it's more Asian flavors (soy, sesame, chili-garlic paste, rice vinegar), or lemon, dijon and herbes de provence. Fresh herbs are a must in summer."

I couldn't agree more! This summer we made a fun Chicken Bruschetta dish on the grill. It calls for Italian dressing, mozzarella and basil. It didn't specify dry or fresh...I got fresh and it made all the difference. Everyone at our dinner party thought it was better than you get at a restaurant.

Lesson learned: Branch out. Use fresh ingredients. Get the full flavor out of your food. Get the best meal possible...right at home.

Email if you would like the recipe. Share your favorite fresh summer foods here also!

Food Diary Diet??

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080708/hl_nm/diet_diary_dc

Great article on Yahoo this morning!

Most everyone I know that's tried Weight Watchers said that the food diary was very helpful. It held them accountable for what they ate. It wasn't just in the mouth and gone from memory...it was on paper!

It's not a new idea by any means, but one of the most practical advice measures in the media at the moment! So hurray for getting something right!

Why have a diary? One prime example happened this last holiday weekend. (Holidays are when the mindless eating is as it's peak.) Family was in town for the 4th. We were eating dinner, someone commented that we sure were eating a ton of fruit. But we hadn't had any that day. They were thinking of the day before! Time truly does fly when you are having fun.

If they had a diary they would have seen what they had eaten and not lost track of time.

So how does someone write down everything they put in their mouth when they don't even have time to do everything already on their to-do list?

Like the article suggests...post it notes. Scratch paper, note book. For those of you who always eat out, put a slip of paper in your wallet/purse. While you are waiting for your food write down what you ordered. While you're doing that you can remind yourself what you've already put in your stomach today. Better yet, look at your diary before you order and think about what you are missing that day.

For those of you who keep a journal or diary if it's usually by your bed take two minutes to write down everything. The catch is you actually have to remember every thing. Every single M&M.

If that isn't working for you or you spend most of your day at a computer. (Who doesn't?) There are online food diaries. Some websites like www.sparkpeople.com even have nutrition labels so you can see your label for your entire days worth of food, not just one meal. Another one I recently found is http://www.tweetwhatyoueat.com/.

Want to take it one step further? Show your diary to your workout/diet partner. Be accountable for what you put in your body.

You aren't just what you eat, you are what you ate 2 weeks ago. It pays to keep track.