My partner Tiffany and I spent 2+ weeks in India on vacation - a trip that was on our 100 Things To Do Before We Die list.  (We make a point to cross 2 things off the list every year.)  We went to:

1. Mumbai - Got to know the city and took a tour of the world's most densely populated slum - Mumbai turned out to be my favorite city.  Here's me playing cricket with some kids in the street.  I got a hit and kept my pride intact.

1. Aurangabad - Went to see the Ellora Caves that were carved by Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monks between the 5th-12th centuries.  Crazy.

1. Varanasi - Stayed on the Ganges River along the many ghats.  One of the holiest sites in India.  Here's a sadhu.

1. Jaipur - These elephants were taking people up to Jaigargh Fort and we could have watched them all day.

1. Agra - Of course we had to see the Taj Mahal - incredible.  That's us handbalancing in front.

1. Delhi - Here are some of the powders that people throw at each other for the festival of Holi.  They also throw water balloons.  Of which I was the target of many.

It was an incredible trip that I'm still processing.  By far and away my favorite part of India is the people - so friendly, curious and amazing.  The food wasn't bad either!  I survived on almost no meat, and if you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know I've been trying to eat less of the red stuff.  I'll definitely be eating even less of it from this point forward.  I'm also happy to say our stomachs held up to eating the food street vendors sell - mmmmm.... samosas!

After India I was home for two days and then did a speaking engagement for Nestle Purina in Punta Cana.  After that it was a keynote in Cancun for Nationwide, for which my daughter came with and we had the chance to spend a couple of days on the beach, just the two of us. 

So now I'm back until Tuesday and then I'm off again.  I'll be back to blogging my regular schedule and keep your comments coming!

Jenny

Let's start with the superficial, shall we?  Strong shoulders look good and can create a great optical illusion:  broader shoulders make the waist look smaller.

Structurally, the shoulder girdle is one of the most unstable joints in the body due to the fact that it has to allow a large range of motion from lifting to pressing to rotating.  Keeping the shoulder muscles strong prevents injury and maintains correct postural alignment.

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL WORKOUT:

• Always do a warm-up of cardiovascular activity OR a set of 15 repetitions using a very light weight for each muscle group before doing your intense resistance training.
• Perform 8-12 repetitions of each exercise, doing 1-2 sets with no more than 60 seconds of rest between each set.
• Make sure you are using a challenging weight or body position.  Your last 2 repetitions should be extremely challenging to complete with good form.
• Work each muscle group 2 times per week.
• Do no work the same muscle group two consecutive days in a row.  Allow 1-3 days of recovery.
• ALWAYS stretch at the end of every workout.

Dumbbell Overhead Press:  Begin with your hands at shoulder height, palms facing forward.  Press up over the head fully extending the arms.

Upright Row with Band:  Place the band under your feet and then switch handles so you are holding the opposite ends of the band.  Keep your shoulders down away from the ears and lift your elbows as high as you can.

Lateral Raise with Band (can also be done with dumbbells):  Place one foot on the band, palms facing the floor.  Keep the palms facing the floor and lift the arms out to shoulder height.  Instead of bringing your arms all the way down between repetitions, keep some resistance on the band so you are challenging the muscles for the entire duration of the set.

Front Raise with Band (can also be done with dumbbells):  Place one foot on the band, palms facing the floor.  Keep the palms facing the floor and lift the arms straight out in front of you, stopping when you get to shoulder height.  Instead of bringing your arms all the way down between repetitions, keep some resistance on the band so you are challenging the muscles for the entire duration of the set.

I subscribe to Nutrition Action Healthletter and it's one of my favorite publications - on top of relevant issues and presents them in a simple and entertaining way.  

I LOVE this piece done by Bonnie Liebman and wanted to share it with you.  It's a shocking test that I bet you can't pass (I couldn't).

Step 1:  Look at these foods....

Step 2:  Match the above foods with the following ingredient labels:  (click the image to make it larger)

What's my point?  

If we can't pass this test, it shouldn't be passing our lips.

EAT FOOD.  FOOD, NOT INGREDIENTS!  

Your thoughts?

Are you putting in the time and energy but still not getting the results you want?  Make sure you're not falling into the following traps:

1.  LONGER WORKOUTS AT A LOWER INTENSITY BURN MORE FAT.

Short and intense interval training sessions can improve whole body fat oxidation by 36% and may offer greater benefits than lengthy bouts of steady-state exercise.  Interval training allows you to get more work done in the same amount of time because you can work at greater intensity levels than if you were doing steady state training.  Your overall production (calories burned) will be greater despite the frequent breaks because you are able to work at a higher intensity. 

Interval training also improves your level of fitness very quickly, typically in a matter of just a few weeks, and this improvement in fitness allows you to perform more work and burn more calories during an exercise session.

2.  I SHOULD WORKOUT ON AN EMPTY STOMACH SO MY BODY WILL BURN FAT.

You must put glucose (food) in the system before you exercise.  If you are exercising with no glucose in the system, it sends your body into Emergency Mode.  Emergency Mode = hold on to body fat for as long as possible because it is valuable energy and will be necessary to survive.  Instead of fat, your body will break down muscle tissue and use that as energy.  It does this for two major reasons:

1) Muscle is metabolically active tissue.  For this reason it's viewed as costly when there is not enough energy coming in.  Your body is "doing you a favor" by getting rid of really needy, high maintenance cells.  Emergency Mode is all about energy conservation:  Get rid of muscle, hold on to fat.

2) Losing muscle mass slows down your metabolism, which conserves energy.  This is your body's goal when you are in Emergency Mode.

If you are working out - or even physically active - and there is no glucose in the system, your primary fuel source is muscle, not fat.  Get your body out of Emergency Mode by making sure to keep adequate glucose in the system by eating several small meals and snacks throughout the day.

3.  IF I DON'T HAVE AT LEAST 30 MINUTES TO EXERCISE I SHOULD JUST SKIP IT BECAUSE I WON'T GET ANY BENEFIT.

Science has shown that you do not have to do long, continuous workouts to get benefit.  Studies have taken two groups of exercisers and divided them in to '30 minutes of continuous exercise done in one session' and '30 minutes done in 3 bouts of 10 minutes each, spread throughout the day'.  Guess which group got more benefit?  The second group that spread out their three 10 minutes sessions reaped more benefit, and here's why:  Every time you exercise, your metabolism increases.  When you finish exercising, it takes a while for your metabolism to slow back down.  This means free extra calories being burned!  I like to think of this as the "Afterburner Effect".  The group that did 30 consecutive minutes got only one "afterburner effect", whereas the second group got three!

Another benefit to splitting up your workouts is that it may be more do-able from a time management perspective.  Finding a big block of time can be very challenging, but finding 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes mid-day and 10 minutes in the evening definitely has possibilities.  Instead of bagging a workout because you don't have 45 minutes or an hour, see how much you can accumulate throughout the day or week.

4.  IF I STOP EXERCISING, ALL MY MUSCLE WILL TURN TO FAT.

Muscle cannot turn into fat.  Molecularly the two are as different as oil and water.  As you begin to exercise your muscle fibers hypertrophy (grow), causing your metabolism to increase.  This increase in energy expenditure creates an energy deficit, and so your body uses stored energy from the fat cells causing them to shrink in size.  When you stop exercising the muscle fibers atrophy (shrink), causing your metabolism to slow.  This decrease in physical activity and energy expenditure coupled with eating the way you did when you were working out creates an energy surplus, which is stored in the fat cells and they grow larger.  It is just a matter of taking up space, not turning into something else.

5.  WORKING MY ABS ALL THE TIME WILL GET ME A SIX-PACK STOMACH.

Physical activity - including resistance training - will help reduce body fat, but not specifically or exclusively in the isolated muscle group being worked.  Current theory shows that a reduction in calorie intake coupled with exercise results in fat reduction throughout the entire body, not in localized spots.  You cannot "spot reduce" fat on specific areas of the body.  Body fat decreases in an all over body sense - your body genetically decides where the fat goes to or comes from first and unfortunately you can't control it.  Reducing body fat is best accomplished through a combination of cardiovascular activity, resistance training, and a healthy diet.

6.  I'M TOO OLD TO HAVE A FIRM STOMACH OR TONED LEGS.

Although studies indicate you may lose muscle mass as you become older, you can slow or even reverse the process through exercise.  There is no reason why you cannot improve the strength, flexibility, and overall appearance of your body no matter how old you are.  The old adage "Use it or lose it" applies here.  Most people lose muscle mass because they stop exercising, not because they are old.  They become sedentary.  Depending on your present level of fitness, you can add muscle mass to some degree or another.  You're never too old to receive the health benefits of exercise and to look great!

MISNOMER #1:  Squats Are Bad For Your Knees.  Squats done IMPROPERLY can be bad for your knees.  Unless you have a knee injury or structural issue, squats should not cause pain or damage to the knee joint if done properly.  The key is alignment:  the knees should always be behind the toes.  As you lower into your squat position, you need to keep the majority of your weight in your heels (you should even be able to wiggle your toes) and STICK YOUR BUTT OUT.  

  CORRECT ALIGNMENT                   INCORRECT ALIGNMENT

MISNOMER #2:  Working inner and outer thighs will reduce fat on the thighs and make them slimmer.  AARGHHHHH!!!  This is one gets me fired up.  Unless you are planning on cracking nuts between your legs, there is no reason why you should be working inner and outer thighs.  First of all, it is physiologically impossible to spot reduce - you cannot burn fat off an area of the body by doing resistance or toning exercises for that are.  Read one of my previous posts addressing spot reduction here.

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL WORKOUT

• Always do a warm-up of cardiovascular activity OR a set of 15 repetitions using a very light weight for each muscle group before doing your intense resistance training.

• Perform 8-12 repetitions of each exercise, doing 1-2 sets with no more than 60 seconds of rest between each set.

• Make sure you are using a challenging weight or body position.  Your last 2 repetitions should be extremely challenging to complete with good form.

• Work each muscle group 2 times per week.

• Do not work a single muscle group two consecutive days in a row.  Allow 1-3 days of recovery.

• ALWAYS stretch at the end of every workout.

SQUAT ROLLDOWNS:  Begin in a standing position and place the exercise ball behind your low back, between you and a wall.  Step your feet forward and keep them hip width apart.  Keeping the abdominals engaged, roll down the ball lowering your hips closer to the floor.  Try to get the legs to a 90 degree angle and be sure the knees are behind the toes.  Press yourself back up and give the legs a strong squeeze at the top.  For more resistance you can hold dumbbells in your hands.

LUNGES AROUND THE WORLD:  This is a 9-step series of lunges - you'll do 10-12 on the right side and then 10-12 on the left.

1. 1.  Step your right foot directly forward into a lunge position and then press back to stand.  
2. 2.  Step your right foot forward at a 45 degree angle to the front and then press back to stand.  
3. 3.  Step your right foot directly out to the side for a squat and then press back to stand.  
4. 4.  Step your right foot back into a rear lunge at a 315-degree angle and then press back to stand.  
5. 5.  Step your right foot directly behind you for a lunge to the back and then press back up to stand.
6. 6.  Step your right foot back into a rear lunge at a 315-degree angle and then press back to stand. 
7. 7.  Step your right foot directly out to the side for a squat and then press back to stand.  
8. 8.  Step your right foot forward at a 45 degree angle to the front and then press back to stand.  
9. 9.  Step your right foot directly forward into a lunge position and then press back to stand.  

HAMSTRING CURLS ON THE BALL:  Lie on your back, place the ball under your heels and lift your hips.  Bring the feet toward your hips and then roll back out.

CHAIR LUNGES:  You will spend a good amount of time in your "air chair" for this exercise.  Begin in a squat position.  Continue to maintain your squat while stepping the right leg back into a lunge.  Bring the right leg back into the squat position and then immediately step back into the lunge again.  Repeat 8-12 times on the right leg before moving on to the left leg.

STEP ON THE CEILING:  Lie on your stomach with knees bent, feet flat.  Engage your glutes and lift your thighs off the floor.

This is one of THE BEST THINGS I have ever made.  I. LOVE. IT.  

I've made a quick tutorial on how you can convert your dusty treadmill into one of the best devices for productivity and health.  You won't be able to stand sitting at your desk anymore (pardon the pun).

Here's the previous post I mentioned about standing work stations, the great benefits (there are a lot - this one is worth reading) and how you can create your own.

The brackets I used were Tornado E-Z Ancors that I found at Home Depot.

Send me photos of you using your new walking work stations!  Convince your boss to find a couple of used treadmills and bring them into the office.  All you entrepreneurs working from home, turn the treadmill into your "satellite office".  Take your board work station with you to the gym.  Bling it out.  Stay at home parents, use it while paying bills, organizing calendars, changing diapers...    

Everyone who sends in a photo gets a free PowerHouse Hit the Deck™!  

Let me see what you've got!

FOR REAL?!   

There are so many things wrong with this sign.  Where do I begin?

1.  Kids "NEED" candy.  Do I even "need" to go into my mom lecture about need vs. want?  I don't "want" to, but I will if I "need" to....

2.  In the United States 1 in 3 kids are overweight or obese.  ONE IN THREE, and the numbers are climbing at an alarming rate.  I have an idea:  let's tell them they need more candy.

3.  I Tweeted/Facebooked a link to this article last week about the fact that kids now spend over 7 hours a day with various forms of media like TV, computer and video games.  That's 53 hours a week, most likely sitting.  While they eat the candy they need.

Not to name names... but thank you Hollywood Video for helping our kids get the things they need.  

1. 1.  People often ask me what I eat
2. 2.  A common "obstacle" is how to eat healthy while traveling  

I know there are a lot of you who travel on a regular basis and may buy into the story that it's impossible to eat healthy while on the road.  Here's the moral of this post:  DO THE BEST YOU CAN.  Make the healthiest choices available to you, be creative, and really open your eyes to what's available.  Healthy choices do exist, and here are a few ideas...

HERE'S HOW I ROLL:

Yes, that freakin' briefcase is bursting at the seams.  As an exercise physiologist I know this is awful for your back.  As a traveler with a bad back, I also know how bad it is from experience.  But this is literally the essentials (spoken like a true woman, no?).  I can't tell you how many times I've gone through this bag committed to paring it down, only to find there's nothing I can take out.  The straps literally tore off my last briefcase.

LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK:

Yep.  Like I said, just the essentials.  Maybe the bag is just too small?

LET'S LOOK AT THE FOOD SITUATION:

Before you start wondering if I'm really going to eat all of this, the answer is yes, BUT NOT ALL AT ONCE.  This is my stash, and it took me less than 7 minutes to assemble once making it past security.  It is my travel routine to make sure I am fully stocked and minus the sushi - which is my lunch - this is what I ALWAYS have in my bag:  Peanut M&Ms, trail mix, a bottle of water, and in this instance biscotti cookies left over from a previous flight snack service that were smashed in the bottom of my bag.  These things can stay in my bag forever without going bad, even if they get squished they're still edible, and they ensure that I have balanced energy and can perform optimally regardless of what travel craziness may be going on around me.  

SUSHI:  I ate this as my meal on the airplane.  (Sorry dude sitting next to me for the obnoxious fishy smell).  

WHY IS THIS A GOOD CHOICE?   This is unagi (eel), cucumber, avocado, rice and nori (roasted seaweed wrapper).  Eel is a fattier fish, but it's a better choice than a cheeseburger.  The combination of protein, grains and fat mean it will make me feel satisfied longer, be a longer-term source of energy and will not spike my blood glucose and result in an energy crash.

PEANUT M&MS:  I like having a small handful of these mid-afternoon or as dessert after room service.  These are ALWAYS in my bag.  

WHY IS THIS A GOOD COICE?  They are not a health food, but we all jones for a little somethin' somethin' sweet every now and again, and from an energy management perspective, this is a good choice.  The fat and protein in the nuts make it low glycemic, which again means there's no resulting glucose spike and sugar crash.  Besides, we are all entitled to eat a few foods that simply taste good - our want foods.

TRAIL MIX:  Trail mixes can be a healthy option, or they can be full of sugar, candy and trans fats.  Stay away from the varieties that have candy (too much sugar), yogurt covered nuts (lots of trans fats) or the banana chips (lots of saturated fat).

WHY IS THIS A GOOD CHOICE?  I eat a lot of nuts.  You are what you eat, right?  They are low glycemic, contain unsaturated fat (the healthier kind) and are a good source of protein.  There's a wide variety of mixes and choices, and you can even make your own getting crazy with things like pepitas (pumpkin seeds), soy nuts, pistachios or pine nuts.  The particular blend I have here is not the healthiest, but I am getting burned out on the variety I usually choose.  Again, do the best you can.  It's better than a candy bar.

WATER: Hydration is critical.

WHY IS THIS A GOOD CHOICE?  The environment on a flight is very drying and dehydration can happen very quickly.  Dehydration can lead to poor energy and headaches.  Maintain control over your hydration levels by making sure it's available and sip on it throughout the duration of your flight.

COOKIE:  No redeeming qualities.  I put it in my bag when the Northwest flight attendant gave it to me knowing there would come a time when what I really wanted was a cookie.  These are ridiculously delicious.

In summary, I'm not advocating that everyone follow what I do.  I'm hoping this encourages you to see there are healthy options, and to REALLY look at what choices are available.  Airport snack shops have options - I've seen more than I care to.  Gas stations have options.  Do the best you can with what you have available to you.  Make a conscious choice to buy the healthier option.  Travel is hard - it's stressful, demanding and tiring.  Don't add to it by making nutrition choices that drain your energy, reduce your performance, and harm your health.

I've found something that works for me.  It's easy, enjoyable and I find I can maintain my energy and performance while traveling.  Oops, I gotta run....room service is here.

This gets me EVERY TIME.  I walk bleary-eyed into the kitchen to make my morning coffee, see this out of the corner of my eye and freak out.  ...Until I remember it's red rice from dinner the night before.  

1.  SPOT REDUCTION IS A PHYSIOLOGICAL IMPOSSIBILITY.  Doing crunches every day will not burn fat off the abdominal region (regardless of what informercials will tell you).  We are all genetically predisposed to gain or lose fat in certain areas first, but we cannot control it by working isolated areas of the body.  In order to have muscle definition we need to keep body fat in the lower end of a healthy range.  There are 3 things we need to do to reduce body fat:  reduce dietary intake, cardiovascular exercise and resistance training.  I've written a lot about this and you can read more about it here, here, here, and here.

2.  THINK QUALITY OVER QUANTITY.  

• Work the muscles both on the lift AND the lower.
• Do not let the muscles relax between each contraction - keep stress on the muscle for the ENTIRE duration of your work series.
• Do not use momentum - make your muscles do all of the work.
• Breathe out when you lift, in when you lower.
• Every other day is fine - you should give your muscles at least 24 hours to recover.

HOW MANY CRUNCHES SHOULD YOU DO?  Build up to 3-5 continuous minutes of various types of abdominal and core exercises.  The more variety within the 3-5 minutes the better as it will work different muscle groups from various angles.

ROLLOUTS:  Start with both shins on the ball, body facing down, hands on the floor and spine in a straight line.  Keeping your legs on the ball, bring your knees up and tuck them into your chest as tightly as you can.  Tuck your pelvis under at the end of the movement to get a full contraction of the abdominals.  Roll your legs back out and repeat.

PADDLING THE CANOE:  

1. 1.  From a seated position, extend your legs out straight, feet about 12 inches off the floor.  At the same time, lean back keeping your spine straight, shoulders about 12 inches off the floor.  
2. 2.  Tuck in and bring both knees over to the right side.  
3. 3.  Extend both legs out and lean back again.   
4. 4.  Tuck in and bring both knees over to the left side.
5. 5.  Keep alternating!

CRUNCHES ON THE BALL:  Begin seated on the ball and walk your feet out until the ball is centered between the hips and the shoulder blades.  Spine should be in a straight position.  Lift your chest and shoulders 3/4 of the way up - do NOT come all the way up to a seated position.  Lower yourself back down to a straight spine and crunch up again.

3/4 SIT-UPS:  Lift the shoulders several inches off the floor - this is your beginning and ending position, so do not let your shoulders touch the floor until you are done with the series.  Roll 3/4 of the way up and then lower back down, keeping your shoulders off the floor.  *Be sure and ONLY come 3/4 of the way up.  If you come all the way up, there is very little stress on your abs and you will not get the most from this exercise.

REVERSE CURLS: Bring your legs straight up into the air, feet directly above the hips.  Contract your abdominals, lift your hips off the floor, and then slowly lower down.  Be sure NOT to swing your legs and use momentum to get your hips off the floor.  Stay slow and controlled, as the movement does not have to be large.

Yep, it's that time of year again.  Below freezing temperatures.

I scared the CRAP out of 2 kids playing in the snow on my run....

If you want to get me going, tell me about your New Year's Resolution.  If you REALLY want to get me going tell me about the fad diet you're starting.  We'll save the fad diet for another time.  

I get irritated that the other 364 days of the year don't get taken as seriously as opportunities for change and improvement.  What's so great about January 1st?  Is it really a random date on the calendar that prepares you for significant lasting change?  How many of you know when making those commitments on January 1st they're something you're going to do for the short term - not for the rest of your life?

Begin contemplating what changes you want to make and why.  Now contemplate these things EVERY DAY instead of one day out of the year.  You've got to stay focused on what's really important.  You need to keep it front of mind.

Here are a few more strategies you may find helpful in making significant lasting change:

1.  Defy "All-Or-None Thinking"

Instead of trying to make a dramatic change or overhaul, chose a small handful of behaviors that are fairly easy to do - they are new and different, but perhaps not a 180 shift for you - that you can consistently do for the rest of your life.  These smaller shifts in behavior done consistently over time, will add up to make a dramatic difference.

For example, instead of telling yourself you're going to workout an hour a day every day, how about you make a commitment of accumulating 30 minutes of physical activity over the course of the day, 5 days of the week?  Getting 30 minutes a day, 5 times per week over the course of the year will make a considerably greater impact than putting in an hour a day every day for the month you could actually keep it up.  

2.  Figure Out the "Why"

You have to change your mindset before you can change your behaviors.  Change for the sake of change will not be long lasting.  As soon as it becomes difficult or challenging, we got back to our old behaviors...habits that are comfortable.  

Exercising to lose weight is not a significant "why".  If it was, everyone would already be eating and exercising appropriately and I would be out of a job.  Unfortunately, I have job security like you would not believe.  

Unless you can connect your new behavior to something REAL AND SIGNIFICANT that truly matters to you, don't bother.  

Why do I exercise 5 times per week regardless of my travel schedule?  

• Because if I don't I get edgy, critical and impatient.  My daughter and partner do not need me to be edgy, critical and impatient.  It's important to me to be a loving, patient and caring person.  
• If I don't exercise regularly, I don't have good energy.  I've got a lot on my calendar that has to get done.  Not having enough energy to get things done is not an option.  
• If I don't workout I don't sleep as well.  
• If I don't sweat, I feel nasty, clogged and toxic.  
• A low body fat percentage and high level of fitness are great too, but the other benefits far outweigh them.

3.  Stay In The Present Moment

Didn't live up to your commitments yesterday?  So what.  It's over.  It can't be changed.  It should have no bearing on what you're going to do today.  You can't fall off the wagon, because there is no such thing.  

Focus on the now.  What can you do RIGHT NOW that will move you in the right direction?  Even if it's an inch in the right direction, it's progress, versus completely giving up and not going anywhere or even moving backward.  It's a long life (hopefully) and it's about consistency over the long run.

1.  Don't starve yourself before a holiday meal.

The idea of "saving up calories" for big meals by starving yourself can actually make you put on more weight.  When you don't put enough glucose in the body it goes into starvation mode, which means your body wants to hold on to as much fat as possible.  Guess what will happen when you're in starvation mode and you eat an enormous meal?  The extra calories will be stored as fat.  Starving yourself or skipping meals also stimulates the stress response, which releases hormones that make us store more fat around the midsection.

Eat light and eat often!  If you know a huge meal is inevitable, eat light, small meals and snacks the day before and up to the meal.  You can cut back on calories and eating a little something every few hours keeps your body from going into fat storage mode.

2.  Be realistic about weight loss during the holidays - tread weight instead.

Instead of trying to lose weight for the next several weeks, how about adjusting goals to simply not gain?  For the short term, be realistic about weight loss goals.  There's food everywhere - the office, parties, family gatherings, you name it.  Make it your goal to tread weight and not let holiday weight gain happen to you.

Putting too much stress on yourself to lose weight at this time of year can backfire.  The added stress releases hormones that make us crave sugary, fatty foods and trigger the body to store more fat around the midsection.  Additionally, we may get so upset about one slip up that we just give up, go crazy for the holidays and worry about losing weight January 1st.  And we all know how well New Year's Resolutions work...

3.  Make exercise non-negotiable, but adjust expectations for the short term.

Make a commitment of at least 10 minutes of exercise each and every day - that's it - 10 minutes.  PowerHouse Hit the Deck allows you to get BOTH your cardiovascular AND your resistance training done at the same time in 10 minutes or less.

This can be a busy time of year, but it's all the more reason to stay committed to your fitness plan because:

• You'll have more energy to get everything done.
• You'll sleep better and wake up more rested and refreshed.
• You'll be more resilient to stress.
• You can prevent holiday weight gain.

4. Turn it off!  Everyone's short on time, so cut back on watching T.V.

The average American watches 4+ hours of television each day.  What could you do with the gift of 4 extra hours?  Besides, while you're watching TV you're being bombarded with food commercials and you're not expending much energy - it's a recipe for weight gain.

Use that time for getting things done, connecting with others, or better yet, doing things that help you recover from stress.

5.  Go easy on alcohol.

Alcohol stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis - the central command station for the stress response!  Alcohol triggers the stress response and releases cortisol.  It interferes with the quality of your sleep, can sap your energy for the next day, and leave you more vulnerable to stress.

It would be hypocritical of me to tell you not to drink at all - I love a glass of wine or cocktail.  Strive to find a healthy balance where you get to enjoy the flavor, the social aspect of sharing in holiday revelry, and keeping yourself healthy and resilient to stress.

I know this can be a busy time of year, but it's all the more reason to stay committed to your fitness program.

• You'll have more energy to get everything done.
• You'll sleep better and wake up more rested and refreshed.
• You'll be more resilient to stress.
• You can prevent holiday weight gain.

Give yourself 10 minutes.  You don't even have to change your clothes - grab your dumbbells, ball, band, and get to it!

Next month's segment with be ABDOMINALS AND CORE - you're not going to want to miss this one!  Tune in Thursday, December 31st.

BACK EXERCISES

Seated Row with Band:  Sit on the floor with legs straight out in front of you.  Lay the band across your shins, wrap each end outside around your feet and pull through the center of your feet.  Sit up tall and keeping your elbows close to your sides, pull the band back and squeeze your shoulder blades together.  For increased resistance, move your hands down the band closer to your feet.

Reverse Dumbbell Flyes:  Start with your belly on the ball and dumbbells in each hand.  Extend your arms straight out to the sides with the dumbbells lifted a couple of inches off the floor.  Keeping the arms straight, lift the dumbbells to approximately shoulder height.

Low Back on the Ball:  Begin with your belly and hips on the ball, hands behind the back.  Engage the muscles in your back and lift the chest and shoulders to the point where your spine is in a straight line.  For more resistance you can place your hands behind the head, and for even more difficulty you can reach the arms forward ala Superman.

Lat Pulldown with Band:  Begin in a standing position.  Wrap the ends of the band around your hands and bring your arms up over the head.  Pull the arms down and out to the sides, hands at shoulder height.  Keep the arms long and extended.  For increased resistance you can place both hands closer together on the band.

As someone who's degree is technically in Kinesiology (the study of muscular movement, especially the mechanics of human motion), this is stunning to me.  Does this mean there's an opposite version of me somewhere out there?  A doppleganger of sorts?  The Anti-Jenny.

Our society has gotten to the point where we have to study mashing our butts flat all day?  Unfortunately, it has.

Here's the summation of the article, and you're going to want to STAND UP for this one:  "Too much sitting is hazardous to one's heath, regardless of whether one meets the minimal daily exercise guidelines or not."  Getting in a good 30-45 minute workout each day will not counteract the fact that we may spend the other 15 hours of the day sitting.  They also found that even among physically active people there was a strong correlation between sitting and mortality risk.

It makes sense if you think about it.  Our ancestors didn't sit around all day on the prairie or savannah and then do 45 minutes of movement.  They pretty much moved around ALL DAY.  Hunting, farming, walking, working, chores, cooking....  All of it took a lot of energy and kept them very busy.  Our strength as a species developed from adapting to hardship (and our giant brains).  

We're still adapting as a species, and it's not good.  We're adapting to sitting for long periods by losing muscle mass, cardiovascular capacity, increasing fat mass, back pain and our risk for many diseases.  Here's a tweet by ToddNarsonDC (retweet from someone else I follow - not endorsing, just quoting) just yesterday "2.6 mill yrs eating like a caveman; 50 yrs eating w/ FDA & McDonalds.  All of a sudden we're sick.  Cavemen were smarter".  Adaptation in action.

Move more.  I've blogged about this topic and I encourage you to read it as it's got strategies for getting more movement both at work and at home.  

Let's see if we can put these inactivity physiologists out of work!