Friday, September 28, 2012

Touting Meal Time

Many personal trainers and fitness instructors have embraced the growing body of information that points away from isolated muscular conditioning, and toward integrated, total-body functional conditioning.
 
I would LOVE to see more personal trainers, fitness instructors, and "weight-management" counselors embracing the growing body of science that points away from isolated nutrient shakes and bars, and toward nature's optimally integrated, functional and simple REAL FOOD.
 
Sure, we humans have crapped up the oceans, the soil, the air, the water table, and the genetics of our food supply, but I'm still willing to bet big money that a supplement in the form of a pill, shake, or bar is NOWHERE NEAR as nutrient dense as a plate of fresh fish/meat, veggies, and rice/grains - and NOWHERE NEAR as effective at giving your digestive system (aka your second brain) a good workout from one end to the other :-)
 
I know first hand that there are people who cannot chew, cannot digest solid food, cannot tolerate enough food to absorb sufficient nutrients, and so on. If you are one of these people, and you know why this is the case, of course you have to sustain yourself with meal replacements. If you are one of these people and you don't know why...please find out. If you are NOT one of these people but you are sustaining yourself with meal replacements instead of meals, you are on your way to becoming one of these people.
 
Let me put it this way... did you notice a difference in quality between the replacement referees and the REAL refs? Same thing with meal replacements.... one pitfall after another. Please have a healthy meal, and a wonderful day.

Friday, September 7, 2012

The Night Before a Long Run

Tomorrow is a Saturday.  Every Saturday morning since the first of June, we coaches of CREW and our dear CREWmates have rolled up and at 'em to start our weekly long run at 6:00am.  We will continue this ritual (including Tuesday morning speedwork and Thursday morning tempo runs) until the Savannah Rock 'N' Roll marathon on November 3rd.

It really craps up our Friday night social lives.

But I digress.

In Janeland, Fridays are for cross training.  The farther we get into the training season, the harder it is to keep up with cross training.  A general sense of malaise sets in as the miles pile up and the fatigue in your legs complicates your ability to climb the stairs to your second floor apartment.  I know! It's only the second floor!  Pathetic.

But for some reason I cannot explain, I like running when I'm sore from the previous day's workout.  Racing when sore is even better. 

She's not normal, you say.  Never claimed to be, say I.

So here's a slice o' my life, today's home workout routine.  Routine is the wrong word for it, as this implies that I performed the same exercises earlier this week or this month.  I do different exercises all the time and I don't happen to keep records of my workout choices for myself the way I do for my clients. 

Always start with stickwork/myofacial release on thighs/calves/traps/low back.

TRX today!  I LOVE this thing.  Usually I combine TRX movements with stability ball and dumbbell exercises for my resistance training, but I beat myself up pretty well earlier this week with some combination of things like that.  Today it's a more streamlined approach. 

All TRX:

Jump squats 20x
Suspended lunge 15x
"I-T-Y" combo for upper back/shoulders 21x
Push up-chest flye-lat reachover for chest/shoulders 21x
Standing side facing twists 20x
Rear plank pull up wide grip 6x
Bicep curl 15x
Tricep extension 15x
Front plank suspended knee curl/side curl 20x
Supine hip bridge/leg curl 20x

One set.  Ordinarily I would do two sets, but it was getting late and I had to get dinner ready.  Now it's time to hit the hay.

I think I'll be sore tomorrow.  :-)

Be Well.

AnyWay

Jane Sez:  Since we're all almost settled into the whole back-to-school thing, I thought the time was right to share this post from one of my favorite coaches/trainers of all time, Mike Boyle.


LET ME MAKE THIS CLEAR:  MIKE BOYLE AND KENT KEITH ARE THE AUTHORS OF THE FOLLOWING CONTENT:

Mike Boyle
www.FunctionalStrengthCoach4.com
www.OnlineBodyByBoyle.com


Sorry to go all “philosophical” on you but, I think this is important.


In a recent StrengthCoach post related to youth sports and early
specialization (this time the specific topic was youth winter indoor
football) one of my readers and frequent contributors
Michelle Hart-Miller, a wonderful person and excellent coach,
sounded almost despondent in her response.


“In this society I’m beginning to question making any effort at all.”

My response was to post The Paradoxical Commandments, a series
of wonderful inspirational thoughts that have found there way around
the world. On some of my worst days dealing with any problem I try to
remember the concept of “Anyway”. The Paradoxical Commandments
were written in 1968 by Kent Keith and are contained in a book
called AnyWay.


People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot
down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.

Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.


I truly believe this is what keeps me coaching. One small victory
can offset numerous losses.


 


So sez Mike.  So say I.  Be Well.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Come on, get happy!

I ran my slowest half-marathon race last weekend.  But, I couldn't be happier about it.


Find your joy.  For your own good.  There is a growing body of research which indicates that happiness and optimism reduce your risk of illness, increase the likelihood of surviving illness, and increase your lifespan. 


(I swear I just heard someone muttering under their breath, "There's a real discovery, Sherlock.")


A 2011 study authored by Ed Diener and Micaela Chan reviewed more than 160 other germane studies and came to the conclusion that, "health and then longevity in turn are influenced by our mood states."  They point to high subjective well-being as the way to turn the odds in your favor with blood pressure, inflammation, thickening of arterial walls, and cortisol (a stress hormone) levels.


Pick up a copy of the book, The How of Happiness: A Scienctific Approach to Getting the Life You Want (Penguin 2007) by Sonja Lyubomirsky.  In it you will find specific strategies to help you count your blessings, savor the joyful times in your life, learn to forgive, cope with difficulties, and take care of your body and spirit, among others.


Do you have the good fortune to earn your living doing something that brings you joy and feeds your soul?


Many will find themselves saying their career is built around something they're good at, which also happens to provide a decent wage.  A few of us are blessed with a passion for what we do for a living.


So we have hobbies and pasttimes and part time endeavors to bring us joy.  Perhaps it brings us a sense of peace and calm, as opposed to mighty heights of gaiety or vigor.


You don't have to be maniacally ecstatic to enjoy robust health.  Maintaining optimism and making daily choices with upbeat intentions are good for you, but chasing an almighty-never-ending-high, or a complete avoidance of upset are not particularly healthy.


I choose to be happy with my slow half-marathon performance because 6 weeks ago I hurt my foot in an accidental fall.  So I feel grateful to be running so long a distance without pain, with such a short time spent rehabbing.  And I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent running and talking with Nicole, Janis, and Jennifer along those miles.   It was time well spent with really nice people I have something in common with, and who I would like to get to know even better. (Cultivating supportive relationships is another one of the strategies in the aforementioned book, The How of Happiness.)


Everybody has a different path to their happy place.  I hope you find yours and travel that path often enough to enjoy a long and happy life.


Be Well!


Reference: 

Diener, E., & Chan, M.Y. 2011. Happy people live longer: Subjective well-being contributes to health and longevity. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 3 (1), 1-43.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

A.L.I.V.E. and well!

Well, hello there!

I've been a bad, bad blogger.  A stranger.  Three months without a post.  This is not how former professional writers are supposed to work.


I have been busy without telling you what I've been busy with.

Last post, I mentioned my A.L.I.V.E. protocol training, how consuming and exciting I was finding the work, and how you ought to enjoy the quiet while you could because eventually it would be all you could do to shut me up about it.

The time has come. This is a powerful, efficient, and essential approach to reverse the chronic dis-ease we have come to accept as the new normal in the 21st century. It does not come in a bottle. No shakes, no gadgets, no fancy garments. You, your body, your choices, your health, and a tremendous amount of research, guidance, and support over eight weeks.

 
What is so important and so valuable about the A.L.I.V.E. protocol? The results. It is called a protocol because... and before and after blood tests confirm this... it prevents the progress and turns the tide on a variety of disorders which are making most of the people I work with sick and tired.


Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? From diabetes or pre-diabetes or metabolic disorder? From high blood pressure or high cholesterol or high triglycerides? From arthritis, allergies, hormonal imbalances, overweight, digestive distress? From sleep deprivation, stress, fatigue, brain fog?


I've presented information seminars about the A.L.I.V.E. protocol twice since the end of April, in two different formats.  The first was a live program I hosted for members of The Landing Club.  The second was a webinar at Strong Gym, where I invited all my clients.  Each was 2 hours long.  It's a long time to sit people down and detail the rationale, research, and results of the protocol.


It gets complicated because, in spite of so many marketing efforts to convince you otherwise, there is no one single product, no single gadget, no single method, and no single magic pill that will solve the problems associated with inflammation.  Did I mention the "sick and tired" problems I listed above are associated with inflammation?  Maybe I didn't.  Well, they are.  But with a specific, coordinated combination of supportive eating and exercise, the A.L.I.V.E. protocol can reduce inflammation and reduce those problems.


I will be conducting another live seminar in the not-to-distant future, both at The Landings Club and in Savannah.  When a time and date are set I will post it.  I will also be coming back regularly to share the feedback I'm receiving from the people who are going through the protocol with me right now.  It's an exciting journey for all of us, and I'm thrilled to empower people to change their lives and their health in such a dramatically positive way!


I'll be back soon... promise!  Be Well!!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Back in the saddle again

Where has Jane been?

It has been a month and a half since my last post.  Wow.  I guess I got busy again.  Not drained, certainly not dragging, but juggling lots of balls in the air at once.  Should my fingers spend too much time on the keyboard, one of those balls might drop.  Yikes!  Can't have that, now, can we?

One wonderful thing which has come into my life is my weekly Local Farmbag (thanks, Carrie Smith!).  Local Farmbag delivers fresh, often organic, always locally grown fruits and vegetables in a big brown bag or two onto your doorstep every week.  Or, if you prefer, every other week.  There are different sized bags for our differing produce-consumption needs.  For me and the sweet-ums, the single bag is more than enough.  And believe you me, we eat our veggies and fruits every darn day.

You can add artisan baked bread, local grass fed beef, local free range poultry, wild caught fish, local eggs, and other nourishment to your order week to week.  Support local farmers, enjoy a variety of new foods and recipes, and feel better from the inside out!  This is such a win-win, it's amazing.

See for yourself, Low Country residents: http://www.localfarmbag.com/

Has Local Farmbag made me busier? I find myself blanching and chopping a little more on Wednesdays and Thursdays than I had been when I just bought all my produce at Kroger.

But my ASPIRE/ALIVE program studies with Phil Kaplan have really been taking up a big chunk of time.  I am still in the midst of a 16 week training program, which includes weekly conference calls and weekly testing and some kind of activity every single day toward the completion of this Trainer Training.  It's been wonderfully evolutionary, unconventional, challenging, affirming, and synergistic.  All of which gives you little to no detail, except to point out that I am jazzed about my investment of time, money, and energy so far.

(Speaking of jazzed, I've been busy with a few singing gigs, too.  Prepping, practicing, drilling... yes, vocalists do all these things, we don't just show up and start warbling.)

There is a great deal I cannot yet tell you about the ALIVE protocol.  In a couple more months, I expect you won't be able to get me to shut up about it, so enjoy the quiet while you can.
Here is a sample of the mindset of the innovator who brought this protocol and Trainer Training program together.  I've studied with Phil in a professional development context before and always found his advice to be thought-provoking and rewarding.

Let me know what thoughts this article provokes in you, ok?
http://bebetterproject.wordpress.com/2011/11/10/the-new-synergy/

Be Well!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

More Sharing

Oh, it's so nice to share!  And it's such a blessing to be able to easily access resources that are well expressed, well researched, engaging, entertaining, and educational.  I am loving me some internet.  Thank you, Michael Scott Scudder, for posting this and inviting me to share it.


I will want to view this repeatedly myself.  The first questions that came into my head will not be the last questions I have about this material.  Please remember, this information is only covering aerobic activity.  There's more... but we'll get to that another time.


If you are viewing this in the first place, you know me or you work with me and there's an awfully good chance you are already following this recommendation.  So please pass it on to your friends and family who haven't embraced the message.


I encourage you to post your questions in the comments section.  Other readers may have the same questions, but even if they don't they may be interested in the answers.


Be Well!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aUaInS6HIGo#!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Too Good Not To Share

OK, one more list to get your New Year started.  A few lines are a bit tongue in cheek, so have a sense of humor, alright?  Because it's mostly true (except #9, which is utterly false).

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203471004577140900388728374.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_News_BlogsModule

Be Well!

Monday, January 2, 2012

You Are GREAT! But Just In Case There's Room For Improvement...

I haven't posted much in the way of specific programs I conduct but there's nothing like a new year to get me trying new ways to get good information into more and more hands/hearts/minds.

The Back Care For Life program is all about giving you the tools to regain your comfort in your own skin.  It meets twice a week for six weeks.  If you have postural imbalances which are causing back or neck pain, we’ll find them and you’ll learn how to correct them.  If your exercise program isn’t addressing movements to actively and safely load and unload your spine, you’ll learn which movements to include.  Movement is medicine!  And I'll provide thorough coverage of stretching, stability, and balance exercises, with homework handouts. 
 

The comprehensive Back Care For Life program features a before-and-after postural assessment, so you can see documented progress over the course of the six-week program.  I can also modify exercises as appropriate in the event you have osteoporosis or a diagnosed back or neck injury, or other joint problem.


A new six week session of Back Care For Life begins at the Oakridge Fitness Center of The Landings Club on Tuesday, January 24th.  The sessions are held from 1:00pm to 2:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  If you have been through the program (this will be our third) and you know someone who might benefit from it as you have, I thank you for sharing this information with them and encourage them to register in advance at the Front Desk of the Fitness Center.


Not a Landings Club member?  Interested in attending the program in Savannah?  Let's get a minimum of six individuals registered for the program and we'll find a satellite location to hold the program... Strong Gym, for instance.   Email me to register.

More Self Improvement -- Here is a link for an excellent top 10 list for strengthening your resolve, to make your health and the health of the people whose lives you touch a top priority for 2012 and beyond:


http://drhyman.com/is-being-healthy-a-revolutionary-act-2959/

When I have previously inserted other author's blog posts in this space, it has caused confusion and led some readers to believe that I wrote the article.

So I am going to try to be more consistent about posting the link instead.  I had been copying and pasting just the text of other blogs in order to save you from some of the advertising the blogs feature.  Often, I will agree with the content of a blog article but I don't wish to be seen as endorsing the products being advertised. 

So please don't assume that I am the author of content of the link above.  Nor should you assume that I endorse or approve of the advertising.  If you want to know whether I approve of a certain product, ask me:-) 

I am counting on you, dear reader, to be media savvy.

OK, now you are all revolutionaries -- or health and fitness freedom-fighters, if you will.  Right?


Be Well!