The End....of Excuses

The end of excuses

I don’t have enough time. My spouse is not supportive. I have always been “big boned”. I don’t know about you but I have heard these things in my life and in my head far too many times.

 I have a thyroid problem. My kids deserve to have treats in the house. I love to cook. Truthfully, a thyroid issue does not glue you to the couch, your kids deserve to have a healthy parent that teaches them good habits, and you can love to cook healthy meals just as much.

Why do we make excuses? Research has proven that there are three main reasons we make excuses. Deflecting blame off of ourselves and onto others, we doubt our ability to achieve the goal, and lack of real desire for what we say we want. These are all valid issues and fears; it should help to know that most of not all of us suffer from these forms of self-sabotage often. Let’s get out of our heads and out of our own way for a bit.

I talk to clients all the time about giving away their power. When we duck the blame for our own situations we are giving away our power, our energy, and it damages our self-esteem. Each and every one of us currently holds the power inside of us to have anything we want. I am not saying it will all be easy to get but with a little works and doing simple things like changing one daily habit consistently overtime we can perform miracles. We can become stronger, healthier, smarter, and wealthier, but when you pass the blame you pass your power. Would you let your neighbor run an extension cord from your house to theirs so that they could borrow your power? Can you see how expensive that will get?

Have you set your goals so huge that you actually doubt your ability to reach them? Maybe it is t time to pull out the old history book, have you done it before? What resources did you employ to lose the last 20 lbs.? Find a friend who has finished their degree and ask them for tips to get you to graduation. Talk to a friend who has struggled with their relationships but now has a successful marriage. Then again, maybe it is time to scale back your big aspirations into smaller more achievable steps. It is so much easier to save for a car by putting a dollar in savings a day than it will be waiting and hoping for something to come along.

Finally, WHO wants it? Are you making excuses about not working for things because you think you should want them? Society has become a very politically correct machine. We are supposed to want a steady career, a house, and a dog. What if none of those things bring you joy? Are you barely keeping your head above water with your current responsibilities and it would really make you happier to do less? The bravest things I have ever seen a client do is reduce the pressure in their life to be someone else’s idea of perfection. I have had clients who have walked away from PTO service, learn to love a messy house, and stop contact with toxic people in their life all in the name of finding Joy.

There are only a few hours in the day, a few days in the years, and a few years to live. I empower you this month to stop with the excuses. Love yourself and fill your life with the people and things that bring you happiness. If you leave a little space in your life, love will come to fill it and your wildest dreams will become a reality.

Now is the time to take advantage of our 6 week fall challenge. If you are feeling stuck, and could use some new resources, the trainers at Health and Fitness Academy are more than happy to help you throw your excuses out the door and get you on the road to a healthier 2015. Give us a Call at 208.557.2823 or email me at ghouston@mvhospital.net. For pricing information and break your excuse cycle.

Injuries...Again?!

Injuries…Again!?

     They can happen to the best of us. We push our bodies daily and those nagging aches and pains always somehow manage to turn into an injury. What to do? Some of us will probably want to "gut it out" and continue pushing and training and some of us will get discouraged and allow old habits to creep in that halt us in our health and fitness efforts. I’m sure all of us have experienced at least one situation like this in our lifetime. The question is how do we continue to make progress toward our health & fitness goals even with an injury?

     Personally, this is something I have dealt with more than a time or two throughout my life already. Recently, I find myself back in this same predicament and for me, the physical part is difficult but I’ve learned I can always get through it. My greater struggle is staying positive and not letting discouragement get the best of me especially in times of greater pain.

     Here are a few steps I follow:

     1. Listen to my body. Aches and pains will come and go but when things aren’t showing an improvement over a 2-4 week period, it’s time to be seen by a doctor.

     2. During that 2-4 week period, analyze what I’m doing and if I am really taking enough steps or being consistent enough to keep myself healthy. Nutrition? Proper warm up? Proper cool down? What movements hurt? What movements don’t? Keeping up on my flexibility and fascia rolling? Have I tried modifying my workouts? Have I tried icing the affected area? Have I tried an anti-inflammatory, whether that is a more natural option or medications?

     3. See a doctor.

     4. Learn what treatment options are available? Begin in the direction that is best for you.

          a. Recently, mine was an injection and physical therapy.

     5. Once in physical therapy, I discussed my options for continued exercise with my therapist that I can do outside of my appointments and exercises prescribed by them.

          a. Options:

               i. Cardio: Walking, Swimming, Elliptical

                    1. As long as my pain stays as is or decreases, but does not increase. As long as any discomfort is tolerable and remains in a certain spot and does not begin to travel to other areas.

               ii. Resistance Training

                    1. No forward bending. Choose supported exercises for my spine. No twisting or side bending under resistance for now. Let pain be my primary guide.

6. At this point I would highly recommend seeking professional help, if needed for your continued exercise routine. Seek out a Personal Trainer that is experienced working with injuries. You may seek a recommendation from your Physical Therapist. Luckily, I am just that, which means I get to write my own workout routines!


**Learning my restrictions but knowing I CAN STILL EXERCISE and IT IS ENCOURAGED, was motivating! It’s only been a few days since the conversation with my therapist but I have already done (not including my therapy exercises):


Saturday:
20 minutes elliptical
20 minutes treadmill walking
20 minutes swimming laps

Sunday:
30 minutes elliptical
35 minutes resistance training
10 minutes fascia rolling

Monday:
30 minutes elliptical

Tuesday:
None

Wednesday: (TODAY!)
Game plan
30 minutes elliptical
30 minutes swimming

Tomorrow game plan:
30 minutes elliptical
30-45 minutes resistance training

**I have also reviewed my nutrition content as I am not able to give the intensity I typically do in my workouts and am able to modify what is needed to make sure I am still getting the nutrients I need to heal, but not keeping the same intake I do with higher amounts and levels of activity.

**As for my mental state, I have my good days and bad, especially depending on the pain level. I try to focus on positive self-talk statements to help me through those bad days and the more I move, the better I feel. Am I always motivated to move…absolutely not! Sometimes I just have to go through the motions at first until the positive kicks in!

If you are in search of a Personal Trainer that can help you through this transition of injury, the Trainer’s at the Health & Fitness Academy are definitely worthy of this delicate time in your life. Please feel free to reach out to us at 208-557-2823 and let us know how we can help!


For a few additional reading resources check out:http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/10-tips-when-training-with-an-injury.html
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/nutrition-for-injury-part-1


Until next time,
Hayley Earley, BS, CSCS, Pn1
hearley@mvhospital.net

            

Benefits of Being First

When it comes to strength training and cardio, does it matter if you do strength training first or second?

Although the answer to this question depends on your goals, let’s talk about the benefits of strength training first.

 

First of all, if you do your strength training before your cardio session, your anaerobic energy system (which uses mainly carbohydrates as your energy source) will be depleted. That means your body will use its aerobic energy system to burn fat to keep you going.

Also, after a workout, your body continues to burn additional calories for up to 48 hours. This phenomenon is called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC. EPOC occurs because your body needs energy to repair your muscles after you’ve challenged them. It occurs at a much higher rate after intense weight training than after low intensity, steady-state cardiovascular training; that’s why it’s important to put as much energy into your lifting sessions as you can. If you do steady-state cardio before your weight lifting session, you won’t have the energy to work as hard as you can during your strength training. A less productive weight training session can impact EPOC; therefore, impacting the amount of calories you burn post workout.

In addition, the “perceived exertion” rates, or how hard your workout feels, is higher when you do cardio before strength training – even if the results you get from both routines are the same. What this means is that that if you do the same routine, but do cardio first, it will feel much harder than if you did the same exact workout by doing the strength portion first.

Finally, if you try maxing out on a strength exercise after an intense cardio session, you may fatigued, both mentally and physically, which could increase the chance of getting injured. Besides needing the mental determination to max out on an exercise after cardio, you will also need the help of assisting muscles to aid the movement. These assisting muscles may have become fatigued from the cardio beforehand. By tiring these stabilizer and assistance muscles before performing heavy strength training, you risk the chance of completing an exercise incorrectly or with improper form, which again, could lead to injury.

So again, whether you should do strength training or cardio first is dependent upon your goals, but these are some benefits of getting your strength session in first!

  Until next time, have fun strength training!

 

I am Super-human!

So in preparation to write this post I have been studiously paying attention to the events taking place in my life this past month. I am prepping for a mountain race that I have been wanting to do for about 8 years and just haven't signed up for due to various reasons...excuses. On Tuesday, I had planned my last tough training, hill climbing run, up Table Rock and thought it might be a perfect place to get some blog info from. Well...as it turns out, I was right but not in the ways I had imagined.

As you've noticed, we have had some cooler weather and rainy conditions.  As we set out Tuesday morning the temperature was quite crisp. We saw many pockets of beautiful low hanging clouds over the mountains and rivers as well as frost tipped grain fields. The drive was beautiful as the early morning sun peeked over the mountains to greet us good morning.

Upon entering Victor we could see white stuff on the mountain tops. Holy cow! Remember all the rain we got, well that meant snow for the high places. We began to wonder what kind of adventures were waiting for us. Driving down the washboard road to the trail head we could see just how far down the snowline really was and figured we would most likely run into it. Excitement rising!

We parked next to a vehicle that was covered in awesome frost designs and felt a little giddy that we were headed up the mountain in 34 degree weather in JULY and excited to experience the cool morning as we climbed. It didn't take long before we ran into the signs of snow on the broad leafed mountain flowers
and we knew we were in for more awesomeness than we had planned for.

The mountain flowers are still in bloom in an array of reds, purples, yellows and white, while the green popped off the mountain sides...especially in the snow. The flowers were courageously showing their beauty as they hung low under their heavy loads. Up closer to the top on the flat lands the snow became more prevalent and near the top was about 3 inches we got to climb up and maneuver through to complete our trek.

Once on top we took a few pictures and hoped the Tetons would come out from hiding behind the clouds and reveal their amazingness. Alas, the weather was too cold and with numb hands and toes we decided to head down knowing our trek up was reward enough. After making our way down the snowy slopes and starting on the Huckleberry trail, we looked back and for a brief moment saw the  Tetons reveal themselves just long enough to take a picture. Icing on the cake baby!

Now came the scramble down where we got to practice hopping over rocks, steep descends, creek crossings and crazy foot placement. Yes, we stopped to smell the flowers or at least take pictures of them and enjoy beautiful things as we saw them. We met some cool peeps on the trail as well, which, unknown to us, would soon come in handy.

As we were walking at one point on the trail and talking about great things, probably solving the worlds problems, it happened. That moment you don't anticipate where everything happens so quickly and yet so slowly, the world gets foggy and you are now laying on the ground, writhing in pain. Remember the Awesome adventure part I talked about earlier, well this wasn't what I expected. In the fog of trying to right myself from rolling my ankle and not fall off the trail I felt my ankle move and the instant searing pain that comes with it. I knew I was hurt! How about that adventure now?!

I won't go into all the details because this is a family friendly blog and I may have let some poopy words escape my mouth while intense pain surged through my body . I wondered how I was going to get off the mountain, hoping to not pass out or throw up and grateful for the man and young girl I knew would soon be coming upon us. I was also grateful  for ibuprofen, Rena my hiking buddy who carried my pack, that I didn't fall further from the trail than I did and the man who wrapped my foot so I could eventually hike out.

The hiking out was a little ouchy but still fun once the initial pain passed and as I got to know my new friend Brett and his niece Talia. We found out we have many things in common and other serendipitous things. We enjoyed the beauty of the trail and in helping each other and building relationships, which tempered the pain and made the adventure worth it.

So cold temps, snow covered flowers, hiding Tetons, rocks, rivers, rolled ankles (no break), hiking out, fried pickles, safe return home and crutches...made for an Awesome day of adventure. Nope, it didn't go as planned and I won't be running my race but my day wasn't ruined. I had a tough half hour with lots of pain but it was a small moment in many wonderful hours, and, it could have been worse. Someone today also said to me, in a loving manner, that it was good for her to see that I am not invincible, which made me more relateable. (did I just make that word up, its not in my spell check?)  Yep, I am Super Human!  I thought about this statement and how I will respond to my injury and find the positive in it and how to relate to others better because of it, although right now, I am still not too happy about it.

My point is this: an bad incident or moment in a day doesn't make a bad day and a bad day doesn't make a bad life. We all get to experience the unexpected and feel pain that wasn't part of the plan. We writhe around and try not to pass out and see what the next steps are. Remember we are not invincible and to accept assistance from those on the trail of life. You never know where these relationships may lead you or how you may change a life for the better through your experience.  You have a choice in how the adventure ends! Will you let a moment of ouch in a wonderful day ruin your day? Or your life?

If you need assistance in getting back on track after a "spill,"  give the trainers at Health and Fitness Academy a holler and let us assist you with getting back on the trail and enjoying the journey.

Until Next time,
Go BE Great!

Jennifer Saunders
BS, ACE Certified Personal Trainer
ButtinGear, Reiki Energy Therapy
Intuitive Life Coach

The Change Challenge

Changing it up….

There are a lot of reasons to make changes in our lives. Some of us make changes every day, we are comfortable with change.  We accept the fact that some changes stick better than others. We accept the fact that if one strategy doesn’t work, there are other options to try. Other personalities struggle with change. These types of people have a much longer planning stage than most. They might not make as many changes in their lifetime, but when they do, they are lifelong.

How can you make sure that you are ready for change? I want you to ask yourself four questions.

Why?

How?

How will I?

I can…I will!!

The Why, is very important. Many people in our history have tried to make changes for others and failed because there was nothing attached to the change that benefits the person doing the work. This is a fast way to get nowhere. Do you want to become more well read, make more money, lose weight, or live a happier life? Be really honest about your why, your why makes the most difference.

The How, is going to take some research. I want you to make a list of the steps it will take from start to finish.  The bigger the life change, the bigger the list usually. Only when you write down, in your own words, what it is going to take to make this change can you build yourself a successful plan.

Now this is your personal plan. Go back through your How list and either accept the steps it is going to take, or make adjustments for those steps you know are going to be more difficult for you. Adjustments can be made in many different ways. Breaking big steps down into smaller more manageable steps can help you with the more difficult aspects of change. Accepting the fact that there are things you are not willing to do and looking for alternatives to those “impossible” requirements. Lastly, find help for those phases of change that are going to be the most difficult. Bring family and friends on board who can help shore you up during the most intimidating moments, build your network.

Finally, I can….I will!! Research has shown that when athletes use more mental imagery skills before their training, their game strategies, mental toughness, self-confidence, and motivational attitudes all seemed to develop in accordance with their new learnt skills. (Monroe-Chandler et al 2007) This means it is time to picture your results, find a quest place every day to meditate. Visualize the reaching of your goals and the outcome will become more real.

Time for this month’s challenge

This month I want to challenge you to the 1.5 mile cooper test.

 You will need to Run/Jog/Walk for 1.5 miles then use the following scale to find out how your cardiovascular fitness is looking. If you find yourself in the bottom 20%, you can used the steps I blogged earlier to help you improve on that score.

If you find yourself needing further help, don't forget that the trainers at MV Health and Fitness Academy are always here to help. You can contact me at ghouston@mvhospital.net or call 208.557.2823. 

Remember, do not be scared of big changes, you will never regret it.

Cooking Matters

Cooking Matters

            I recently turned my focus toward making cooking a priority in my life. I have never been a great cook nor thought I had the patience for it. I can be very detailed, organized, planned and regimented in just about every aspect of my life, except for cooking. When I am hungry, I want it now, I don’t want to take the time to make a gourmet meal. If you couldn’t tell by that statement, I struggle with an “all or nothing mindset” as some of you may be able to relate. I have to remind myself regularly that cooking at home and controlling my health doesn’t have to end up like a chef’s gourmet meal. Cooking at home is cooking at home, no matter how fancy it ends up and it is important in a healthy lifestyle so now I am on my own journey of finding my rhythm with cooking.

            I had the opportunity to attend a lecture last week titled “Cooking Matters”. It was a motivation to dig deeper into this journey I already set myself on. Cooking matters because we can control what goes in our bodies, we can create memories with our family by cooking together, we can be rewarded with a great tasting meal when we are done with our efforts, and we can share our love of food with others such as our family and friends.

            Although I haven’t ventured very far into the cooking world yet, I did attempt a new recipe the other day that I thought sounded healthy and tasty. They turned out “interesting” but they grew on me quickly and believe it may be a regular healthier option for cookies that I enjoy so much. Today, I thought I’d share that recipe with you.

From www.getfitnowpt.com

           

Dark Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie Recipe

            Ingredients

Flax seeds, Chia seeds, Banana, Dark    

Chocolate Chips, PB2, Protein Powder

            Directions

            Preheat oven to 350

            In a large mixing bowl add 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder (you can use vegan protein powder to make these cookies vegan) and 1 scoop of PB2.

            If you don’t have PB2 available, you can use all natural peanut butter.

            Mash the banana, PB2 and protein powder until creamy.

            Mix in: ¼ cup of ground flax seeds and 2 tsp of chia seeds.

            Mix in: 2 tbps of dark chocolate chips

            Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.

            Drop 1 ½ tbsp sized drops onto the baking pan. The cookies will not rise, so spread them out into a circular shape.

            Bake 7-9 minutes or until cookies are firm.

            Edges should be golden brown.

           

Nutrition (per cookie):

Calories:          90

Fat:                  3.5g

Potassium:       123g

Carbs:              10g

Fiber:               3g

Sugar:              5.5g

Protein:            8g

What is your favorite recipe right now? Or a new one you want to try? I would love to hear from everyone about their recipes and love for cooking! Please tell me on Facebook or feel free to email me!

Stay tuned for more adventures in my world of cooking!

Until next time!

Hayley Earley, BS, CSCS, Pn1

hearley@mvhospital.net

Keep Yourself Motivated in 5 Simple Steps

When you wake up in the morning, is your first thought “I cannot wait to get to the gym today to do my strength training!” Although this might be the case on some days, it is not likely that you feel this way every single day. Do you know the secret to continuously staying motivated? No? Neither do I, but I do have some key tips to help you stay motivated. Here are my top 5 tips for staying motivated to continue strength training!

#1: Set Goals

In order to stay motivated you need to have a reason to be motivated; therefore, you need goals. Set a short term goal that is measureable and can be achieved within a reasonable amount of time. Once you have reached your first goal, set another goal. Keep goal setting until you achieve your long term goal. Always having a goal makes it so you always have something to work towards. Some examples of short term goals could be: strength training three times a week, increasing your bench press weight by 10 pounds, or getting at least 7 hours of sleep at least 5 days a week. Any goal that can be attained within a reasonable amount of time and can be measured can help you to stay motivated!

#2: Record and Track Your Progress

We all have to start somewhere, but how can you know how far you have come if you don’t have any record of where you started? Pick some statistics of yourself to keep track of, and reevaluate consistently so you can have proof of your progress. Pictures, measurements, body composition, and/or strength testing are great options for statistics to measure to help show you how far you have come. 

#3: Listen to Music

Music can easily change your mood. Finding a plethora of songs that motivate you and putting them into one playlist can really boost your desire to strength train when those songs start playing. On days you are not feeling like doing your strength training workout, turn on your playlist and drive to the gym. You will likely find that by the time you arrive, your music will have motivated you to get into the gym and get your workout done.

#4: Make Your Workouts Non-Negotiable

You might be busy but just like everyone else; you have to make the time to strength train. Pencil your workouts into your schedule and make them as non-negotiable as going to work, dropping your kids off to school, or going to a meeting, making dinner, or etc. Having a no excuse attitude about completing your strength training workouts, because they are non-negotiable, will help you to be motivated to get your workouts done rather than procrastinate them.

#5: Show Up No Matter What

Whether you want to strength train or not on any given training day, show up to the gym anyway. Once you are there, you will find it easier to get and stay motivated. From home, it will be harder to muster up the motivation. If you wait until you are motivated to go to the gym to strength train, it might not ever happen, and you might not ever become consistent. We know that consistency is key, so show up no matter what. Even if you don’t get your whole strength training workout in, some is better than none.

There are many other ways for you to get and stay motivated, but if you try out these 5 tips for a few weeks, you will likely find that you have increased motivation!

Go for consistency and have a purpose for your training. Remember to show up and do your best. Bring your music for some extra motivation. Remember, if your workouts are non-negotiable, they will get done! Good luck!