Must needed equipment for stretching at home!

I must say, pretty much 10 times out of 10, I do not stretch.  Not before a run, not after I lift.  When I really got into running college, my Kinesiology/Exercise Physiology professor, who had ran several marathons, told us once that he thought stretching was o.k, but overrated.  I never stretched from then on.  I must say, I paying for that now as I get older. 

A few tips before I get to the article title: If you're going to stretch before a workout, make sure it is a dynamic warm-up, imitating what you are about to do.  For example, before a hard run, do some lunges, high knees, butt kicks or a light jog to mimic the more intense exercise you're about to do.  With a strength workout, do some mobility moves to open up your joints and get your body ready to do work - push-ups, runner's stretch, air squats, jumping jacks, burpees.

I do try to perform a dynamic warm-up before I do a strength circuit, but when I run, I just walk out the door and go.  I have ran consistently for 12 years.  5ks, 10ks, 13 half marathons, and 2 marathons.  That's a lot of running and a lot of running without stretching.  I have found, as I shift my focus on more strength training in the coming year, that I should have been stretching.  In particular, I should have been stretching my hamstrings.

You see, as runners, we tend to be very cut and fit on the front parts of our bodies: quads, abs, biceps, anterior delts.  If I were to make a sagittal cut (cutting my front and back halves in 2), you would see that the anterior portions are defined and overworked, while the posterior (hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors) are weak and tight.  My hamstring has lost flexibility through the years as finally, I'm trying to get that back.  I first noticed this quite obviously at the gym when I can easily leg press over 300lbs but can only squat 105 (3 sets of 8 reps).  I get to that "sticking point" and can't move.  My hamstrings and glutes are crazy weak! 

Here are my top items to have around the house to stretch your muscles (btw, static stretches (holding muscles in place for 20-30 sec) should ONLY happen after a workout if necessary). 

1.  Foam roller - hold under leg or arm muscles or roll back and forth really breaking up that connective tissue.  Here's some ways to use it: Foam Rolling


2. Lacrosse ball/semi-hard bouncy ball/tennis ball - Whatever you have, just make sure it's dense.  Here's way to use it: Tennis ball rehab

3. Elastic band - Use primarily for IT band syndrome or tight legs.  Here's a link:IT band stretches

4.  The stick - great for runners before and after races - All About The Stick

5. Your own body! - often times you can get effective stretching done with a couch, another person or by yourself.  Here's a few stretches I'm starting to incorporate at the gym more.  Just remember, a stretch should feel like a good stretch.  Some discomfort is good.  Pain is not!

February Cardio Fitness Challenge

February is Heart Health month so what better way to celebrate then to do a cardio circuit throughout the month.  I chose 3 exercises to get your heart pumping: jumping jacks, mt. climbers, and burpees.  I love them b/c they each work a different plane of your body.  Jacks are standing cardio, mt. climbers are on the floor and burpees combines the very best of both!

More women die from heart disease than any other diseases....combined.  I would love to see this stat go away in my lifetime.  We have to change our mentality.  We have to change how we eat and what we do in our free time.  We have to CHANGE OUR LIVES.  Let's decide to be PRO-active with our health and get moving now.  These moves are tough but can all be modified to be more intense or for beginner exercises.

To increase intensity:
Jumping jacks - hold light weights
Mt. Climbers - do double the amount listed for the day.
Burpees - add push-ups and a star jump at the end

Beginner version (work your way up):
Jumping Jacks - stay stationary and step out right foot with right arm going up in a jack, step foot back in to the center then repeat with the left foot out and left arm out.
Mt. Climbers - step foot in to tap slowly instead of fast feet.
Burpees - squat, step feet back in push up, step forward, and stand.

Get that heart pumping!

Printable Version 

5 Winter Workouts

Thank goodness this winter wasn't like the last one.  I spent most of my time on a treadmill 1 year ago, waiting for the feet of snow to melt outside.  Lately, I've been staying in by choice to switch up my routine.  I still love to run outside, but circuits inside are sometimes all I can fit in with Liam!  Some of these involve weights, some don't and some use your own furniture or favorite television show!

Some of my favorite moves can include soup cans, paper plates and dishtowels!  Be creative with your fitness!

Enjoy!

5 At home workouts

Fitness & Nutrition - Something you love, don’t do, or try to do? - ***Free workout included***

January is all about (that bass?...ya right) fitness and all things to lose the holiday weight.  I, myself, am no exception to this.  I need motivation at times. As much as fitness is my life, my passion, my motivation, even I get into slumps and need to jazz it up a bit.  Here's what I have come to love, don't do and want to try for the coming year...

Love - I'm loving creating my own workouts at home or in the gym.  The possibilities are endless and it's so fun for me to mix it up, while still making gain in my strength and cardio.  Here's a quick workout to try at home:

Tabata Workout 20/10 -

20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat each move 4x for a total of 2 min

Burpees

Bicep curl

Jumping jacks

Push-ups

Rest 1 min

Alternating Reverse Lunges

Lateral shoulder raise

Crunches
Mt. Climbers

Don't do: Count calories.  I just don't.  I know a lot of people who have success with apps like My Fitness Pal and I think those are phenomenal for motivation, accountability and staying on track.  Personally, I spent years writing down and slaving over how to lose weight and obsessing over it.  I used to be confined to a number on the scale.  Now while I don't like it when that numbers escalates 5-10lbs, I will not let it define me anymore. So, for me, I concentrate on vegetables, lean meats and small splurges like bite-sized candy and know that when tight jeans get too tight, I need to eat a little better. 

Something to try:  Barre Class.  I love all things fitness and would love an "outside the box" workout.  I am definitely a runner and bootcamp girl at heart but this sounds fun and challenging.  Might even help me become a better runner!  My aunt does the class and really likes it. I'm hoping to try this soon! Here's a link to what it entails: Pure Barre class

What do you want to try this year and what are you loving in regards to fitness?

What kind of music do you run to?

Runner Tip #3 - How to select the right song list

When I first started running in college on the treadmills at Lantz (EIU is awesome!) I ran with a portable cd player and a mix cd I made from illegally downloaded songs!  And that was in the year 2003!  We've come a long way in our technology, especially in our devices that are super small and super convenient to run with!  That said, I've had a Nike running device and 2 iPod's since then but any mp3 player works great.  There frankly is no rhyme or reason to selecting music to exercise to but here is what I do....

First, in iTunes, I create a new playlist and label it, "Running 1" or "Indy Mini Mix" if I have a big race coming up.  Then I scroll down through all of my music.  You should really do this when you have 10-20 minutes.  I sometimes sample them to see if they get me going at all.  Some are fast songs and some are slow. If they are inspirational to me at all or have a good running beat to them, I drag them over to my playlist.

Now, let's say I'm done and have about 25-35 songs in my playlist (which is frankly a lot...I'm very picky).  I then sample the beginning and ending of songs to see which ones I want in what order.  This may be a little anal for some of you, but honestly, that's how they put recording artist's albums together.  It does have a purpose.  Music should flow from one song to the next....especially when you are running!  If not, I find it jarring and I almost always skip the song when I end up running to it.

The type of music is also very important.  I know someone who only listens to slow, mellow Christian music when he runs.  That's great, but I need a little umph (sp?) once in a while.  I have another friend who listens to sermons and various podcasts when he runs.  Boring for me, but works great for him.  Run to whatever gets you in the mood to run.  There are some songs that come on, that I will hit repeat on 3-4 times during a run, because on that particular day, that song just has "it".  I tend to be very eclectic in my running mix music.

Here is what is on my playlist right now and what I used for the Indy Half Marathon:
1 Chariots of Fire theme song - great for a beginning of any race
2. Pump It Up - don't know the artist but it's sort of a techno song (probably not the 90's song you are thinking of though)
3. Barefoot Blue Jean Night - Jake Owen - just a fun song
4. The Way - Jeremy Camp - when this song came on during the race, I ran to it 4-5 times because it had such amazing lyrics
5. Airplanes - B.o.B - sort of weird transition because this song has some cuss words in it but it is still a good fast paced song.
6. Christ is Risen - Matt Mahar
7. Happy Day - Tim Hughes
8. Separate Ways - Journey - great and a long song which helps to pass time
9. Jesus Paid It All - Kristian Stanfill
10.  Forever Reign - Shane and Shane
11. Umbrella - Rihanna - guilty pleasure!
12.  Your Grace is Enough - Matt Mahar
13. 4 Minutes to Save the World - Madonna ft. Justin Timberlake
14. Gone in 60 Seconds - Moby
15. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - Steven Curtis Chapman
16. I Can Transform Ya - Chris Brown
17. In My Head - Jason Derulo
18. The Stand - Hillsong United
19. Baba O Riley - The Who - oldie but a goodie
20. Living on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
21. Salvation is Here - Hillsong United
22. How He Loves - David Crowder Band

If you know any of these songs, I can tell you I'm really into a repeating anthem that builds.  For instance, Jesus Paid It All, "Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead." That phrase is mighty and it repeats and builds over and over.  Another one from Christs is Risen is "Oh death where is your sting? Oh hell, where is your victory? Oh church, come stand in the light.  Our God is not dead, he's Alive!  He's alive!"

Some of favorite Christian artists right now are: Matt Mahar, Hillsong United, Shane and Shane, Francesca Battistelli, The Afters, and Chris Tomlin.  But I very much need some pop/rap songs in there for the beat.  It's funny because sometimes I need a boost and other times I can forever to songs like How He Loves which has parts that are slow.

My advice is to pick what you like, can sing along to, and works for you.  Afterall, you are the one it's for.  If you are into podcasts, do that.  If rap is your thing, put that on your mix!  Run to what you like and make sure it flows so it's not just a mix of random stuff.

Hope this helps and happy running!