MOVE MOVE MOVE - I'm Looking for ACTION!!

It's JULY and you need to take control of your fitness activity (or at least add it to your daily activities)!

Whether you can get moving here at lunch time or when you get home from work - let's try and fit this pyramid in TODAY and then every-other-day!

YOU CAN DO IT!

PICK-ME-UP Pyramid (from Tone It Up)
*If you have a set of stairs, walk up & down twice then GO!

10 jumping jacks

20 lunges

30 tummy tucks

40 second plank on your forearms

30 squats

20 bicycle crunches

10 push-ups

(x2)

I originally found these ladies on Facebook. They always have some fun posts with recipes or workouts!

I know you can do this pyramid! SO enjoy it!
If you are already feeling physically fit - put this in at the beginning of a run or planned workout and again at the end! MOVE Your FULL BODY!

When you get this mastered - increase each set by 10!

OHH Shin Splints!

Train EVERYTHING, that means your feet too!

During high school lacrosse and cross country I suffered from shin splints.
I did my best to ignore them. I attempted to help myself by wearing leggings or knee highs with the uniform, but once I started running in cleats or for longer than 20 minutes my shins would begin to BURN!

In high school you really do not care about preventing injuries, at least taking responsibility for the process of preventative measures. As I've matured through injuries and in life in general, I have become incredibly serious about ways to keep the body in one comfortable condition!

These are some of my tricks that I have picked up over the years that have helped me continue to train and keep me injury free. I do have some mishaps from time to time, but for the most part I truly believe that all of this has become a huge benefit to my health and fitness.

This post is inspired by my roomie Jenn and her 5-finger shoes and my recent "uh-oh" with my knee from a run!
Not only is barefoot training a new excitement for many athlete's, it is outstanding for your muscles from your toes to your back! The training will help develop and strengthen the muscles in your toes, feet, ankles, knees, hips and back. If you aren't into switching from regular running shoes to the barefoot training or 5-finger shoe, immediately after a run take off your shoes and let your feet do the work!

• Calf raises - an old school workout that can be quickly forgotten but immediately reenacted. Start off doing 10-12 on flat ground, improve to 15-20 and then move to a step so you get a deeper dip.
• Balancing - start on one foot, hold yourself on the one then switch. It's surprising how many muscles you are actually using!
• Toe Curls - take a small towel or a dry washcloth and put it flat on the floor, spread out. Step on it with one foot and begin to gather the cloth under your toes. Repeat it 2-4 times. Your muscles in your toes and shins will feel this the first few times you do this!
• ABC Cursive Style - Since my first ballet class I have pointed my toes to write the alphabet in cursive. Going through all 26 characters once with each point foot is a wonderful workout for your shins!
• Spider Toes - I'm really not the biggest fan of feet, especially long toes... but this is a great exercise. Find a bunch of tiny objects (or buy a small pack of erasers or something from the dollar store). Placed on the floor, pick up each object, one-by-one, with your toes and place them over towards the other foot. Then repeat the exercise with the other foot!
• Jumpies - Rowers know this workout way too well. In a squat position spring off of the balls of your feet to about an inch off of the ground and land back on the balls of your feet then center your balance as you drop on your heels. Repeat the jump from the squat 12-15 times with 2 reps.

The purpose of all of this is to prevent injuries to your feet, ankles, Achilles, shins, knees, hips and back! You want to be at the top of your game, your best fitness possible - well it is NOT going to happen if all you do is run or go to the gym and get a "great" set in - PREVENT INJURIES! I can promise you one thing, 5-10 minutes a day with a combination of anything posted above will save hundreds to thousands of dollars and weeks, months or even years that an injury can easily take away from you. Don't be a victim of yourself.

My Thoughts Exactly - Runner's World Today

Today I got an email from Runner's World. I get one most every day and half of the time I just automatically delete it from my blackberry and therefore from my inbox. However, I was pretty interested in the article attached to the email from today. These are just little tips if you're a runner - typical things you have already heard. I just decided to add a bit more to the tips...


Secrets Of Speed
Intervals and tempo miles matter. But they're not the only tools a runner can use to get quicker. Heed the advice below and watch your PR get a little lower.
By Michelle Hamilton
From the August 2009 issue of Runner's World 

Lose Weight
A five-pound weight loss can take more than two minutes off your half-marathon time. Plus, weight loss can reduce your injury risk and improve your biomechanics. 

ME: While this world is screaming at you with certain body types on the news, in magazines and in store windows, understand that "Lose Weight" is not communicating the runway model look. Most people who start running do not ease themselves into a training program and therefore suffer from serious injuries because they are carrying too much weight. Too much weight can refer to everything from fat to bulk muscle weight. Your joints can only do soooo much so be good to them. "Lose weight" is saying; increase metabolic rate and then increase lean muscle mass! All in all, this "Lose Weight" is just to emphasize why lean muscle mass is incredibly important!

Wear Less
Don't wear things that will slow you down. That means no fuel belt, no headphones, no iPhone, no long-sleeve shirt around your waist, and no heavy shoes.

ME: This one is GREAT! I'm going to break it down. I don't wear a fuel belt anyways, so I'm not going to talk about that. 

Headphones - I'm a user and a believer. I have this relationship with my Nike's. It's called Nike+. I track all of my runs. I like to get a good jam in while running, sometimes I like to find a bit of inspiration when Lance Armstrong talks to me. It's difficult to run in Clemson and have hundreds of cars pass by at different speeds, it can really effect your tempo and breathing. I don't think you need to get rid of headphones but what I will tell you is to get rid of VOLUME! Turn it down. If you can't hear someone running up behind just have a shirt made with "I want to get attacked" on the back (Especially if you're a girl! Don't be ridiculous in what you're running in or how you're running!)

I won't even add to no iPhone, really... is that an issue?!

When dressing for a run you should go for the rule to always dress as if it is 20 degree's warmer than the actual outdoor temperature. NOW on hot days that doesn't mean wear next to nothing, it means be smart about how your constricting your body. If you wear a hat to block the sun on a hot day, unless it's a thin mesh one, it will not allow the heat from your body to exit.

Last... shoes can become expensive, there is no denying it. However, it's a better idea to spend the money on the shoes compared to months if not years of medical costs that can be associated with exercise injuries. For running, go to a running store. They will watch the way you walk, watch the way you step and tell you what the best options are for you! The shoes you run in are not your gym shoes though (unless all you do at the gym is cardio). If you like to run a few days a week and like to do some weights in the gym, you should be wearing completely flat shoes.
For both pair, and just in general, the lighter the shoe, the better!

Sleep More
Research from Stanford University indicates that athletes who get more sleep during training have better reaction time and speed. Even if you can't get 10 hours of sleep like the study subjects, the researchers say that just a 20-minute nap can help performance. 


ME: It is difficult to get into this great habit... enough said.

Drink Caffeine
Not only is caffeine credited with improved alertness and increased focus, newer research suggests it can improve pain tolerance and help you fatigue less quickly. To get the most out of caffeine, down a cup of plain tea or coffee (not a mocha frappuccino) 30 to 60 minutes before a race or hard workout.


ME: YES!! Bring on the coffee! Please do notice the word "plain." If you're adding cups of sugar to your coffee that's NOT good! That sugar is actually telling you you want to be hungry - gain weight... it's saying MORE MORE MORE to your system!
Don't be afraid of the dark stuff! Enjoy the energy.

Limit the Junk Food
Sugar can actually trigger hunger, which can lead to weight gain. Plus, you'll get more out of your mileage with long-lasting staples like whole-grain rice and pasta than with sugary foods that can cause sluggishness—not what you want if you're pushing for speed.


ME: Best advice... STAY away from any carbs that are white! Do not fear carbs, they are useful!