Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Let's stretch
Sunday, March 24, 2013
COTW!!!
Happy Sunday evening everyone!!! Hope you all enjoyed the chilly weekend, I know it was chilly everywhere in the US of A. Let's discuss challenge of the week (COTW)! How did the luck of the Irish green meal go for everyone?? I posted mine on Facebook, but I'll repost here to help recap.
To the left is my attempt at a green meal. Portobello mushroom, kale, spinach, & asparagus. Now we have already established that I am not the chef in our household, however on occasion I will cook myself a little something especially when it's a meal (like such) that makes my husband want to barf. Colin is not a fan of mushrooms. Everything you see is compliments of my favorite grocery, Tradaaah Joe's. I sautéed the portobello, kale & spinach together with some balsamic vinaigrette & light olive oil. The asparagus was baked with seasoning salt & olive oil. The entire meal was absolutely scrumptious!!! Made a great lunch on my day off, and would make a great dinner any other day. If you need more pizazz some feta or mozzarella cheese make the mushroom a little more rich.
Onto challenge of the week for this last week of March.... Easter. Easter is a challenging holiday for many reasons. One because of all the candy and two because it's a holiday & holidays are stressful, duh. Holidays are mainly stressful because of family drama, and EVERYONE'S family has drama. Boy do I know! Colin & I will be traveling to Cleveland to spend Easter weekend with my German grandparents & my mom. Stress will be everywhere due to not only the family, but long car ride & my grandparents' lack of internet & cable. My challenge to everyone this week is stress management during this holiday weekend! Stress can lead to unhealthy behaviors & attitudes, inevitably feeding any unhealthy lifestyle. Find a way to manage the stress without causing epic meltdowns (both within yourself or between family).
Laugh it off, have an inside joke with your spouse/significant other, count to 10, breath, find time to exercise, drink an extra cocktail....whatever you think will help give it a try & stick to it! My go to is always exercise, however sometimes with my Omi's amazing cooking I'm in too much of a food coma to leave the couch. I may try some meditative breathing, or a cocktail & laugh with my hubby. I want us all to try a stress management technique & really persevere I think we will find that at the end of the weekend we are more relaxed & maybe even enjoyed our holiday!!! Good luck practical people, I know we can do it!!!
To the left is my attempt at a green meal. Portobello mushroom, kale, spinach, & asparagus. Now we have already established that I am not the chef in our household, however on occasion I will cook myself a little something especially when it's a meal (like such) that makes my husband want to barf. Colin is not a fan of mushrooms. Everything you see is compliments of my favorite grocery, Tradaaah Joe's. I sautéed the portobello, kale & spinach together with some balsamic vinaigrette & light olive oil. The asparagus was baked with seasoning salt & olive oil. The entire meal was absolutely scrumptious!!! Made a great lunch on my day off, and would make a great dinner any other day. If you need more pizazz some feta or mozzarella cheese make the mushroom a little more rich.
Onto challenge of the week for this last week of March.... Easter. Easter is a challenging holiday for many reasons. One because of all the candy and two because it's a holiday & holidays are stressful, duh. Holidays are mainly stressful because of family drama, and EVERYONE'S family has drama. Boy do I know! Colin & I will be traveling to Cleveland to spend Easter weekend with my German grandparents & my mom. Stress will be everywhere due to not only the family, but long car ride & my grandparents' lack of internet & cable. My challenge to everyone this week is stress management during this holiday weekend! Stress can lead to unhealthy behaviors & attitudes, inevitably feeding any unhealthy lifestyle. Find a way to manage the stress without causing epic meltdowns (both within yourself or between family).
Laugh it off, have an inside joke with your spouse/significant other, count to 10, breath, find time to exercise, drink an extra cocktail....whatever you think will help give it a try & stick to it! My go to is always exercise, however sometimes with my Omi's amazing cooking I'm in too much of a food coma to leave the couch. I may try some meditative breathing, or a cocktail & laugh with my hubby. I want us all to try a stress management technique & really persevere I think we will find that at the end of the weekend we are more relaxed & maybe even enjoyed our holiday!!! Good luck practical people, I know we can do it!!!
Thursday, March 21, 2013
GOTR!!!
Girls on the Run or GOTR. If you don't know what it is, to learn more I suggest going to their website (www.girlsontherun.org) or checking out their Facebook page (it's linked to PracticallyFit's page, so you can find it there). In a nutshell GOTR is a program that strives to educate & empower young girls to prevent any at-risk behaviors later in life. Here in Charlotte GOTR targets 3rd-5th graders educating them on topics from peer pressure to running to positive body image. The team utilizes a semester to target these subjects while also incorporating running & activity. At the end of the season the team participates in a 5K run to finish their season together.
Yesterday I was invited to speak or "guest coach" at a GOTR meet at a local elementary school by my close friend, Katie. Katie is one of the coaches and she does an amazing job! Prior to yesterday I have coached one other meet with Katie, where I discussed running form & injury. Yesterday my topic was nutrition & running form (we'll save this discussion for another blog). I'm always a little nervous. What could be so scary about 9 & 10 year old girls? But honestly I'm an adult physical therapist who does not have her own children, so teaching & reasoning with kids is a little scary. I came prepared with a couple topics I wanted to touch on, knowing in my head that the girls would ultimately drive the discussion.
As we navigated the beginning of the meet Katie brought up that I was there to discuss nutrition & that this would be a great topic since the team had recently discussed how saying "I look fat," is not a positive way to think about oneself. I couldn't believe it, 9 & 10 year old girls thinking they look fat??? They each weight like 45 pounds!?!? This really resonated with me & we will come back to this in a sec.
I went through my talk and as I predicted the girls directed the meet, which was great! They asked questions that were important to them. For example, "should I buy running shoes that match my outfit?" and "is it okay to drink Gatorade instead of water?" Then we finished the session with their run. I got the chance to run with some of the girls & help them work on their form which was hilarious & educational. Trying to correct a 9 year old's running form is waaaaay harder than it sounds. Another great experience with GOTR, I can't wait to be a guest coach again!!!
Now back to looking fat. This statement is the exact reason GOTR exists, to build self-confidence. At an early age this program instills positive self-esteem in young girls, the people who will most likely need that self-esteem the most in years to come. When I asked Katie where thinking they "looked fat" came from, she said it begins with what the girls hear form their parents & trickles into the student body, eventually becoming a trend, then "everybody's doing it." My first thought was, "how sad? we are set up to fail before we even hit our teenage years," then my second thought was, "No! it's time for adults to have a G (or boys) OTR for themselves." We start out life with great self-esteem & little by little we get torn down, by others sometimes, but mainly by our own doing. Eventually that self-confidence gets pulled down enough that we don't feel worthy of life's basic gifts like love. That lack of self-confidence can be the difference in a healthy lifestyle vs sedentary or a dream career vs none. We talk ourselves into thinking how we aren't skinny enough, or aren't smart enough, or aren't pretty enough for something, the list could go on & on & on. And you know what? That's not fair to ourselves! As we age & accomplish more and more our self-esteem should grow. We should be proud of ourself & feel more confident. Begin to think more positively about yourself. Even you are having a day where you "feel fat," maybe try to notice another positive attribute about yourself outside or inside. Maybe your hair looks great, or you totally rocked a presentation that day, whatever the case may be start looking at yourself in a more positive light. Today, pat yourself on the back for just being you & I think it's time that we are start viewing ourselves better, while continuing to stand up to peer pressure.
Programs like GOTR are amazing they teach our youth to believe in themselves & strive to be the best not allowing others to pull them down, while also educating them about healthy behaviors. There is not a better program that does all of these things. Girls on the run is so much fun!!!
We should always have the GOTR mission in our heads:
"We believe that every girl CAN embrace who she is, CAN define who she wants to be, CAN rise to any challenge, CAN change the world, CAN!"
As we navigated the beginning of the meet Katie brought up that I was there to discuss nutrition & that this would be a great topic since the team had recently discussed how saying "I look fat," is not a positive way to think about oneself. I couldn't believe it, 9 & 10 year old girls thinking they look fat??? They each weight like 45 pounds!?!? This really resonated with me & we will come back to this in a sec.
I went through my talk and as I predicted the girls directed the meet, which was great! They asked questions that were important to them. For example, "should I buy running shoes that match my outfit?" and "is it okay to drink Gatorade instead of water?" Then we finished the session with their run. I got the chance to run with some of the girls & help them work on their form which was hilarious & educational. Trying to correct a 9 year old's running form is waaaaay harder than it sounds. Another great experience with GOTR, I can't wait to be a guest coach again!!!
Now back to looking fat. This statement is the exact reason GOTR exists, to build self-confidence. At an early age this program instills positive self-esteem in young girls, the people who will most likely need that self-esteem the most in years to come. When I asked Katie where thinking they "looked fat" came from, she said it begins with what the girls hear form their parents & trickles into the student body, eventually becoming a trend, then "everybody's doing it." My first thought was, "how sad? we are set up to fail before we even hit our teenage years," then my second thought was, "No! it's time for adults to have a G (or boys) OTR for themselves." We start out life with great self-esteem & little by little we get torn down, by others sometimes, but mainly by our own doing. Eventually that self-confidence gets pulled down enough that we don't feel worthy of life's basic gifts like love. That lack of self-confidence can be the difference in a healthy lifestyle vs sedentary or a dream career vs none. We talk ourselves into thinking how we aren't skinny enough, or aren't smart enough, or aren't pretty enough for something, the list could go on & on & on. And you know what? That's not fair to ourselves! As we age & accomplish more and more our self-esteem should grow. We should be proud of ourself & feel more confident. Begin to think more positively about yourself. Even you are having a day where you "feel fat," maybe try to notice another positive attribute about yourself outside or inside. Maybe your hair looks great, or you totally rocked a presentation that day, whatever the case may be start looking at yourself in a more positive light. Today, pat yourself on the back for just being you & I think it's time that we are start viewing ourselves better, while continuing to stand up to peer pressure.
Programs like GOTR are amazing they teach our youth to believe in themselves & strive to be the best not allowing others to pull them down, while also educating them about healthy behaviors. There is not a better program that does all of these things. Girls on the run is so much fun!!!
We should always have the GOTR mission in our heads:
"We believe that every girl CAN embrace who she is, CAN define who she wants to be, CAN rise to any challenge, CAN change the world, CAN!"
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Music makes the people...
Who doesn't love a good song??? Music can instantly brighten my mood and motivate me to do anything from working out to cleaning up around the house. Music and it's effects on exercise have been widely studied. Energetic & feel good music makes you work harder & faster. Studies have shown if a runner is listening to a faster pace song their cadence will increase unconsciously. Talk about a way to push yourself harder without the mental exhaustion...sounds good to me!
Everyone has different music that motivates them. The type of music that motivates me can vary depending on the mood I'm in. Some days I need a little calm in my life, so I'll listen to some Michael Buble while exercising. Other days I'm pumped up & dance music it what pushes me. Whatever your choice, just choose your music based on your favorite beats & artists. Today I needed a song & some coffee to push me to the gym, but while cleaning P.Y.T. by Michael Jackson came on my Pandora & boom it was like my mood just lifted!
Below you'll find my current workout playlist. It's an hour of a variety of songs that help push me to the limit in my work out. Yes, you can make fun of me for my love of Britney Spears and others. But hey it may be that Britney song that motivates me to do an extra plank, therefore getting me one step closer to Britney's body circa 1998. So take today and put together an awesome playlist and I bet you'll feel the difference in your work out!
Ashley's current work out playlist
1. PYT - Michael Jackson
2. I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons
3. I Cry - Flo Rida
4. Die Young - Ke$ha
5. Spiderwebs - No Doubt
6. Take me Home Tonight - Eddie Money
7. I wanna go - Britney Spears
8. Love on Top - Beyonce
9. Shake it out - Florence & the Machine
10. Levels - Avicii
11. Little Talks - Of Monsters & Men
12. Rhythm Nation - Janet Jackson
13. Stronger - Britney Spears
14. Til the World Ends - Britney Spears
15. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
16. Say my name - Destiny's Child
17. Starships - Nicki Minaj
18. Everybody Talks - Neon Trees
19. I love it - Icona Pop
20. Can't hold us - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
21. I'm just a girl - No Doubt
Feel free to steal any of my awesome songs...come on I know you love this playlist as much as I do ;) Or if you have songs that motivate you feel free to post them to the Facebook or twitter page!
Everyone has different music that motivates them. The type of music that motivates me can vary depending on the mood I'm in. Some days I need a little calm in my life, so I'll listen to some Michael Buble while exercising. Other days I'm pumped up & dance music it what pushes me. Whatever your choice, just choose your music based on your favorite beats & artists. Today I needed a song & some coffee to push me to the gym, but while cleaning P.Y.T. by Michael Jackson came on my Pandora & boom it was like my mood just lifted!
Below you'll find my current workout playlist. It's an hour of a variety of songs that help push me to the limit in my work out. Yes, you can make fun of me for my love of Britney Spears and others. But hey it may be that Britney song that motivates me to do an extra plank, therefore getting me one step closer to Britney's body circa 1998. So take today and put together an awesome playlist and I bet you'll feel the difference in your work out!Ashley's current work out playlist
1. PYT - Michael Jackson
2. I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons
3. I Cry - Flo Rida
4. Die Young - Ke$ha5. Spiderwebs - No Doubt
6. Take me Home Tonight - Eddie Money
7. I wanna go - Britney Spears
8. Love on Top - Beyonce
9. Shake it out - Florence & the Machine
10. Levels - Avicii
11. Little Talks - Of Monsters & Men
12. Rhythm Nation - Janet Jackson
13. Stronger - Britney Spears
14. Til the World Ends - Britney Spears
15. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
16. Say my name - Destiny's Child
17. Starships - Nicki Minaj
18. Everybody Talks - Neon Trees
19. I love it - Icona Pop
20. Can't hold us - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
21. I'm just a girl - No Doubt
Feel free to steal any of my awesome songs...come on I know you love this playlist as much as I do ;) Or if you have songs that motivate you feel free to post them to the Facebook or twitter page!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
The Luck of the Irish.
Oh, St. Patty's day, you won again. The headache and dehydration this morning proved it. A beautiful spring day spent celebrating green beer made for a great weekend! Now it's time to detox and get back to life, which brings us to the challenge of the week!How did everyone's first challenge of the week go?1? My purpose in challenge of the week is to give us all small goals that can help us to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Small, short-term goals are great! They make us feel positive & strong. They help us to constantly keep improving ourselves. My challenge of the week went great. I fulfilled the challenge in several ways....
As previously blogged I tried hot yoga again, yes this was a second time, not a first so not technically a new exercise for challenge of the week. Nonetheless still a newer exercise, intense, & a new routine.
On a smaller scale I changed a couple of my running routes. Shaking up the route helped curb my future boredom. Regular downhills became crazy hard uphills. I also worked on varying speed & foot strike. Overall, a great way to change up the usual routine & increase the intensity, a successful first challenge of the week!
Onto the second official challenge of the week!! In honor of St. Patrick's Day & detoxing after green beer galore, my challenge is to make an all green meal! Green meal entails veggies, not limited to just a boring salad. Let's try to make as much of the meal green as possible (yes like the color), but for protein maybe try a veggie burger or portobello mushroom. Now, I am not a cook, Colin is definitely the cook in the household, but I will challenge myself to create a scrumptious green meal this week. Feel free to post pics of your green meals to the Facebook page I would love to see what everyone is getting into! Good luck with the Challengeoftheweek, I know it will be a fun endeavor for all!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Downward Facing Dog?
Yoga has always been a sporadic thing for me. Here & there whenever I felt like I needed some relaxation and a break from the regular work out. I never felt like yoga was a "real" work out, and I could never appreciate the practice of it. Lately, power vinyasa yoga has been a challenging training work out. I don't know how I got back to it, but usually my return to yoga is because I have gotten so bored with everything else I am desperately searching for new work out. However, now yoga has proven to really be a "practice" which is what it is supposed to be. I have found the relaxation, strength, balance & breath that it takes to complete the challenging flows & poses.
While, this work out never felt "real" to me, upon my re-discovery of yoga I have found an intense challenge. It could have something to do with trying power yoga vs regular, or the fact that my left leg is still weak after my second knee surgery approximately a year ago. Whatever the case, this power yoga class has been my new favorite exercise endeavor, relaxing & empowering. I have never felt stronger after leaving a class. Between the balance poses & the chaturanga dandasana (a yoga tricep push-up) I am feeling strong in my arms, legs, butt & core. I am loving it!
Now to throw a curve ball in my yoga practice my friend, Lisa, asked me to come with her and try hot yoga..... Let's be clear I have been morally opposed to hot yoga. My feeling had always been, "great you sweat out the water weight but what else?" To humor myself, or probably pass out from heat stroke I went. This particular studio practices Baptiste Yoga, which is a specific type of yoga focusing on restoring balance in your life. The first class was not only sweaty, but intense!!! Each flow & pose engaged a new area of muscles causing my body to recalibrate and work hard to maintain positioning. After the first class I was sore for about 3 days and couldn't believe it. After a little research I found that one of the main principles of hot yoga is that the heat pushes your muscles to stretch further, allowing a deeper attainment of all the poses. While I believe parts of this, all I know is something happened and allowed me to push myself, get out of my own head, relax, & be sore for several days!!!
I have always recommended yoga to others specifically for the relaxation techniques and spinal elongation principles. The stretching & breathing alone give a great benefit. However, now that I have really applied myself into the practice of yoga I understand the benefits far beyond breathing and now understand the balance, stability training, & perseverance of the practice. I am able to find new ways to challenge myself with each pose, each bind & each level of the positioning. If you are someone who has never tried yoga, find a basic yoga class in your area & give it a shot. If you are a person like me try a new type of yoga, or different studio & it can make all the difference. Now to my yogis out there continue with hot yoga, power, or flow whatever suits you but don't forget to change it up & continue to challenge your inner self & physical self. Remember yoga is always about your own practice, so perform yoga within your own limitations. If it doesn't feel right, or is straining something (specifically a joint or your back) back off on the intensity, don't allow anyone to push you into dysfunction.
Yoga is not only a great practice for the mind & spirit, but it is a physical challenge creating strength & stability for all those who practice! Namaste!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Marriage & Meals.
As most of you already know I am a newlywed, 10/13/12 I married my long-time love Colin. Now we all have heard the horror stories of "letting ourselves go" after marriage. So let's discuss....
My husband (God love him) and I are alike in several ways we are runners, outgoing, and blonde. Now let's illustrate the ways in which we are opposite, oh lord I could go on all day...He is a night person while I'm an early riser. I need things to be done yesterday & with Colin there is always tomorrow. He works in finance and I am in healthcare. I mean the list could go on for days, but the biggest opposite I'll address today is eating. We have lived together for over 2 years and I still find mealtime to be a struggle, and in talking with a plethora of my other newlywed friends I find I am not the only one with this issue.
I was raised by a single mom with 1 sister...seriously a house of all women is an understatement. While Colin was very much raised in the All-American family, like I'm talking they sat down and ate dinner together every night. Unreal to me, who spent most of my evenings between theater or dance grabbing something on the go. So I'm sure you can all imagine that meshing these 2 opposite lifestyles was tough, but not only that let's state the obvious in that Colin is a man & I am a woman. And men prefer meals (like real meals with meat & stuff), while women tend to graze. Seriously I am the epitome of a "grazer" as Colin likes to refer to me. Let's just state for the record that Harry has taken after me and will graze, seriously he's the weirdest lab ever. However, being raised with all women around I never learned these basic meal fundamentals which establish real differences between men & women.
I am definitely the world's pickiest & strangest eater, however I don't let my burden stand in Colin's way of enjoying anything & everything. We frequently make meals that are based off my love to graze & then Colin will make some extra meat, chicken or fish on the side to satisfy his gender. For example one of my favorite things to graze on is leftover veggies & rice, I'll have that with a side of cheese (per usual) & Colin will whip himself up some protein for the side dish. Earlier this week Colin cooked a batch of MahiMahi for himself & salmon for me that way we can enjoy the same side dishes, but not be grossed out by one another's main course. Chicken is my nemesis (unless fried of course), but if Colin feels like chicken he makes it for lunches or I substitute a different main entree. Hell, there are many nights when I eat what I want, and he eats what he wants. As impractical as it may seem, it works for us & our waistlines. Each week there's a grocery list on the counter & we can each add to it so when I head to the grocery Colin's manly requests are not forgotten. Colin, as our head chef, is willing to adapt to my ridiculous grazing habits & health concerns, cooking us both healthy options we will be happy with.
Now ladies & gentleman I am not condemning either sex for their eating habits, I am merely here to discuss how we can mesh the 2 and not have either party go off the deep end. My suggestion is why mesh at all? Continue to eat as you would eat if the other person was not around, women stick to your portion sizes & grazing habits, men go ahead & have the all-american meat & potatoes. Sure it's easier to make the exact same meal for both of you, but in all honesty there is definitely a middle ground. It's when you try to change your pre-programmed eating compass and adopt someone else's that the calories & subsequent weight can pile on. Don't let your partner's habits bring those scale numbers up, stick to your guns eat what you want, when you want, & be practical about the quantities. Then, weight-maintenance will be easy as pie....(yuck another food that I detest!)
My husband (God love him) and I are alike in several ways we are runners, outgoing, and blonde. Now let's illustrate the ways in which we are opposite, oh lord I could go on all day...He is a night person while I'm an early riser. I need things to be done yesterday & with Colin there is always tomorrow. He works in finance and I am in healthcare. I mean the list could go on for days, but the biggest opposite I'll address today is eating. We have lived together for over 2 years and I still find mealtime to be a struggle, and in talking with a plethora of my other newlywed friends I find I am not the only one with this issue.
I was raised by a single mom with 1 sister...seriously a house of all women is an understatement. While Colin was very much raised in the All-American family, like I'm talking they sat down and ate dinner together every night. Unreal to me, who spent most of my evenings between theater or dance grabbing something on the go. So I'm sure you can all imagine that meshing these 2 opposite lifestyles was tough, but not only that let's state the obvious in that Colin is a man & I am a woman. And men prefer meals (like real meals with meat & stuff), while women tend to graze. Seriously I am the epitome of a "grazer" as Colin likes to refer to me. Let's just state for the record that Harry has taken after me and will graze, seriously he's the weirdest lab ever. However, being raised with all women around I never learned these basic meal fundamentals which establish real differences between men & women.
I am definitely the world's pickiest & strangest eater, however I don't let my burden stand in Colin's way of enjoying anything & everything. We frequently make meals that are based off my love to graze & then Colin will make some extra meat, chicken or fish on the side to satisfy his gender. For example one of my favorite things to graze on is leftover veggies & rice, I'll have that with a side of cheese (per usual) & Colin will whip himself up some protein for the side dish. Earlier this week Colin cooked a batch of MahiMahi for himself & salmon for me that way we can enjoy the same side dishes, but not be grossed out by one another's main course. Chicken is my nemesis (unless fried of course), but if Colin feels like chicken he makes it for lunches or I substitute a different main entree. Hell, there are many nights when I eat what I want, and he eats what he wants. As impractical as it may seem, it works for us & our waistlines. Each week there's a grocery list on the counter & we can each add to it so when I head to the grocery Colin's manly requests are not forgotten. Colin, as our head chef, is willing to adapt to my ridiculous grazing habits & health concerns, cooking us both healthy options we will be happy with.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Let's get it started!
Sometimes the hardest part of exercise is actually getting the motivation to go exercise.
I've worked with patients from all walks of life, but many of them have never exercised more than a required phys ed class. These patients are my hardest to motivate & to some of my readers this may be you! The cliche recommendation is do what you love!!! Honestly though if you don't love anything that has to do with movement you are tuned out right after that phrase.
My motto for motivation has always been to build a foundation! Find something that you don't hate to do & start to do it 10-15 minutes, 2-3 times per week. Running & spin classes are my foundation. So whenever I'm burnt out or have no motivation I know I can turn to 1 of those 2 & know that when I'm finished it will be well worth the sweat. Whether your choice is an intense cardio-filled interval class or a rousing game of Just Dance on PlayStation (my favorite game by the way!) as Nike says Just Do It! Doesn't matter what it is if it gets you moving and you are having fun or relieving stress you have found your foundation!
Once you have this amazing foundation what do you do next?? Build of course (so corny I know). Seriously, you have your base to go from there. If Wii is the only thing you love to do with movement, maybe you try a new game, or a higher level of your favorite game. For an adrenaline junky like myself it's always finding the next best sweaty burn!!!
Today I couldn't stand the thought of being inside or even working out in general. I checked the YMCA schedule & one of my favorite teachers was teaching spin...voila motivation! I went back to my foundation of spinning/running and was able to convince myself into that work out. Can't wait for my 1 o'clock class!!!
Once you have that foundation you can convince yourself to try other activities to keep building on your foundation. So to all my readers start to build your foundation & you may surprise yourself with what you enjoy & what you might be good at.
CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: start your foundation! For my readers who have a foundation, like myself, let's try something new or rev up the intensity.... hmmm what am I going to try this week??
I've worked with patients from all walks of life, but many of them have never exercised more than a required phys ed class. These patients are my hardest to motivate & to some of my readers this may be you! The cliche recommendation is do what you love!!! Honestly though if you don't love anything that has to do with movement you are tuned out right after that phrase.
My motto for motivation has always been to build a foundation! Find something that you don't hate to do & start to do it 10-15 minutes, 2-3 times per week. Running & spin classes are my foundation. So whenever I'm burnt out or have no motivation I know I can turn to 1 of those 2 & know that when I'm finished it will be well worth the sweat. Whether your choice is an intense cardio-filled interval class or a rousing game of Just Dance on PlayStation (my favorite game by the way!) as Nike says Just Do It! Doesn't matter what it is if it gets you moving and you are having fun or relieving stress you have found your foundation!
Once you have this amazing foundation what do you do next?? Build of course (so corny I know). Seriously, you have your base to go from there. If Wii is the only thing you love to do with movement, maybe you try a new game, or a higher level of your favorite game. For an adrenaline junky like myself it's always finding the next best sweaty burn!!!
Today I couldn't stand the thought of being inside or even working out in general. I checked the YMCA schedule & one of my favorite teachers was teaching spin...voila motivation! I went back to my foundation of spinning/running and was able to convince myself into that work out. Can't wait for my 1 o'clock class!!!
Once you have that foundation you can convince yourself to try other activities to keep building on your foundation. So to all my readers start to build your foundation & you may surprise yourself with what you enjoy & what you might be good at.
CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: start your foundation! For my readers who have a foundation, like myself, let's try something new or rev up the intensity.... hmmm what am I going to try this week??
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Unwind
Have you ever had a week where you get to Friday and it's like, "what honestly happened to me this week?!?!??" That was my week this week...cray cray, that's crazy for some of my more mature readers. It's weeks like these when my very necessary stress-relieving work outs take a back seat to adulthood duties. And it's also these weeks where those work outs are necessary to keep my sanity.
Excuses, excuses. Sometimes these crazy weeks lead to a much needed break. Take Friday night for example a pre-happy hour run was in the plan the entire day on Friday, well that is until 6PM hit. Then that pre-happy hour run turned into a veggie burger on the couch with The Rachel Zoe Project (I die.). However, after a little veg time (get it? ha) I indulged in a night out at local breweries to enjoy some great craft beers with great people. A chill night with friends while enjoying local craft beers including a Peach Hefeweizen which was actually amazing.
The next morning the husband and I (Harry still asleep, a common theme) had a great 6 mile run on a beautiful Southern morning. I felt strong & steady, enjoying the sun & wind around me. It also gave me a chance to talk to Colin and reconnect after that cray cray week. After that run I felt re-charged, like I could conquer the rest of the weekend ahead or climb a mountain whichever came first. I felt unstoppable.
These stressful weeks really used to get the best of me. Missed work outs or weak work outs left me feeling guilty and eventually led to an overindulgence of junk food or booze or both! Now I've realized sometimes we need those crazy weeks to earn that off day let our bodies & minds unwind. Crazy week? Do something you enjoy, get out, see some good friends, and share your crazy weeks. The work out will be there the next morning, and when it's time for that work out you will kill it, like I did this morning, because you are rested and happy, even it was a "this sh*t cray" kind of week.
Excuses, excuses. Sometimes these crazy weeks lead to a much needed break. Take Friday night for example a pre-happy hour run was in the plan the entire day on Friday, well that is until 6PM hit. Then that pre-happy hour run turned into a veggie burger on the couch with The Rachel Zoe Project (I die.). However, after a little veg time (get it? ha) I indulged in a night out at local breweries to enjoy some great craft beers with great people. A chill night with friends while enjoying local craft beers including a Peach Hefeweizen which was actually amazing.
The next morning the husband and I (Harry still asleep, a common theme) had a great 6 mile run on a beautiful Southern morning. I felt strong & steady, enjoying the sun & wind around me. It also gave me a chance to talk to Colin and reconnect after that cray cray week. After that run I felt re-charged, like I could conquer the rest of the weekend ahead or climb a mountain whichever came first. I felt unstoppable.
These stressful weeks really used to get the best of me. Missed work outs or weak work outs left me feeling guilty and eventually led to an overindulgence of junk food or booze or both! Now I've realized sometimes we need those crazy weeks to earn that off day let our bodies & minds unwind. Crazy week? Do something you enjoy, get out, see some good friends, and share your crazy weeks. The work out will be there the next morning, and when it's time for that work out you will kill it, like I did this morning, because you are rested and happy, even it was a "this sh*t cray" kind of week.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Here we go....
As I sit here to write my first blog I'm surrounded by my furry black lab Harry (snoring away), Sex & the City, & an eaten yogurt accompanied by a green tea....welcome to my blog, because this will probably be the regular.
Welcome to PracticallyFit, I'm your host, Ashley Austin. No really I'm Ashley Austin and let me use this first post to tell you why to read me & what I am all about.
I have a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Northwestern University and a Bachelor's of Science in Exercise Physiology from Syracuse University (Go Orange!) That's enough of the credentials let's get into the real me....I'm a bubbly 26 year old blonde who loves my husband (Colin Feehan), my black lab who you already met, Harry, & I have an insatiable passion for fitness & health. This extreme passion is what brings me to blogging.
I first thought about blogging several months ago while watching a non-credentialed famous fitness "expert" on the today show talk about the new fad fitness plan & diet. For the first time in my adult life I was angry at Matt Lauer. I thought, "really, Matt, you are going to feud with Ann and now have another know-nothing celebrity teaching our nation about fitness?!?" After my short-lived anger subsided, I thought, "well I could be that person teaching the nation about fitness and I actually know something." This leads us to today and PractiallyFit.
I have an extensive background in kinesiology, physiology, and health/wellness. During graduate school my thesis project involved health/wellness promotion to the geriatric population & basically finding out how little is done to educate our older adults. Everyday in my full-time job as an outpatient physical therapist I am astounded by how little is known about health, wellness, & overall fitness. I think I may be more astonished by where people get their info, usually it's Dr. Oz or The Doctors something like that, and come on I've seen these people do you really trust what they have to say??? I dedicate myself daily to helping my patients become aware of their bodies and what they can do to improve themselves. I love what I do and I am committed to educating people beyond my patients.
Our society is plagued with people constantly claiming to have the next best diet or exercise plan or eating regimen, but there's 2 big problems with these fads most of the time the people preaching have zero credibility & usually their "miracle diets" are BS. So I am here to give you PRACTICAL help with everyday fitness & health issues that we all have. Let's face it I'm a normal twenty-something with a full-time job, a husband, and a life, when do I have time for fitness?!?
But I do have time to be fit, I make time and commit myself to a healthy lifestyle...within reason. Hey I'm not about to pass up on that Blue Moon during the Syracuse game just to cut a few calories, but I'm also not about to sacrifice my arteries to a helping of McDonald's everyday. Being practical gets you a longggg way.
So here's my stab (this blog duh) at helping myself & all of you get a handle on how we can live life, love life & still be PracticallyFit.
Welcome to PracticallyFit, I'm your host, Ashley Austin. No really I'm Ashley Austin and let me use this first post to tell you why to read me & what I am all about.
I have a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Northwestern University and a Bachelor's of Science in Exercise Physiology from Syracuse University (Go Orange!) That's enough of the credentials let's get into the real me....I'm a bubbly 26 year old blonde who loves my husband (Colin Feehan), my black lab who you already met, Harry, & I have an insatiable passion for fitness & health. This extreme passion is what brings me to blogging.
I first thought about blogging several months ago while watching a non-credentialed famous fitness "expert" on the today show talk about the new fad fitness plan & diet. For the first time in my adult life I was angry at Matt Lauer. I thought, "really, Matt, you are going to feud with Ann and now have another know-nothing celebrity teaching our nation about fitness?!?" After my short-lived anger subsided, I thought, "well I could be that person teaching the nation about fitness and I actually know something." This leads us to today and PractiallyFit.
I have an extensive background in kinesiology, physiology, and health/wellness. During graduate school my thesis project involved health/wellness promotion to the geriatric population & basically finding out how little is done to educate our older adults. Everyday in my full-time job as an outpatient physical therapist I am astounded by how little is known about health, wellness, & overall fitness. I think I may be more astonished by where people get their info, usually it's Dr. Oz or The Doctors something like that, and come on I've seen these people do you really trust what they have to say??? I dedicate myself daily to helping my patients become aware of their bodies and what they can do to improve themselves. I love what I do and I am committed to educating people beyond my patients.
Our society is plagued with people constantly claiming to have the next best diet or exercise plan or eating regimen, but there's 2 big problems with these fads most of the time the people preaching have zero credibility & usually their "miracle diets" are BS. So I am here to give you PRACTICAL help with everyday fitness & health issues that we all have. Let's face it I'm a normal twenty-something with a full-time job, a husband, and a life, when do I have time for fitness?!?
But I do have time to be fit, I make time and commit myself to a healthy lifestyle...within reason. Hey I'm not about to pass up on that Blue Moon during the Syracuse game just to cut a few calories, but I'm also not about to sacrifice my arteries to a helping of McDonald's everyday. Being practical gets you a longggg way.
So here's my stab (this blog duh) at helping myself & all of you get a handle on how we can live life, love life & still be PracticallyFit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)