Get ready to break out those short-shorts! These plyometric moves from Nora Tobin are sure to slim down your legs and butt. Watch this video to learn how to do this high-powered, lower body workout.
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mercredi 22 juillet 2015
Get in the Best Shape of Your Life
Excuses for those extra pounds? Oh, you've got good ones: Maybe you had a kid or two. Maybe an injury came between you and your Zumba addiction. Maybe you moved, switched jobs, got really busy. Or perhaps it was just the damn holiday cookies. Whatever the cause, you're eager to reclaim your shape; you're just not sure how.
Celeb trainer Tracy Anderson, 37, feels your pain. You'd never tell by looking at her rock-solid body, but 14 years ago, five-foot-tall Anderson struggled to shed the 60 pounds she gained while pregnant with her first child. "I ate everything in sight," she says. "I swam if I felt like it, or did a walk, but I had no exercise strategy or regimen." After getting back in shape, she used her experience to create The Tracy Anderson Method, an ever-changing set of exercises designed to whittle the body into shape; they helped her drop the 30 pounds she gained while pregnant with her second baby in just four months.
The program uses lower resistance and high reps that firm without adding bulk, inspiring a devoted following that includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Richie, and Molly Sims. Anderson's shape-up, designed especially for Health readers, "will sculpt the arms, legs, and core and pull your body into its healthiest proportions," she promises—even if it's been a while since you were on speaking terms with your abs. As she says, "Our muscles are really powerful; they'll do what we empower them to do."
The workout basics: an hour of exercise four to six times a week, split up into 30 minutes of cardio (whether it's Anderson's dance aerobics DVD or a combo of running, skipping, and galloping sideways on a treadmill) and 30 minutes of muscle sculptors. If you can't fit one focused hour of exercise into your schedule, break up the cardio and the moves; just make sure you do the full 30 minutes of each.
As for the food part of the program (you knew that was coming!), it's a 1,400-calories-a-day mix of lean protein, nonstarchy veggies, and healthy carbs, created by Ashley Koff, RD, author of Mom Energy. Stick with the single serving sizes and do not skip meals, Koff cautions: "It'll play with your body's energy signals, making it harder to make good choices and reach your goal."
Follow both parts of Health's plan and you could drop up to 12 pounds in one month, ultimately lose more than 35 pounds, and get the most buff you've ever been. "Once that first breakthrough happens," Anderson says, "it's the most freeing thing in the world."
Here's how to do it:
How to Stick to a Workout Plan
Anyone who's paid for a gym membership knows this much: Starting a workout program is one thing, but keeping at it? Challenging! Stay motivated with the help of Anderson's seven stick-with-it strategies.
8 Moves to a Stronger and Leaner You
These exercises by Anderson are designed to work body parts in the most muscle-targeted, time-efficient way. (All together now: Woo-hoo!)
How to Eat Right on 1,400 Calories a Day
Koff has a philosophy—that you should eat the right amount of nutrients at each "eating occasion"(that's Koff-speak for three meals and one snack a day). To make it easier, follow the RD's six pound-melting tactics.
The 1,400-Calorie, Metabolism-Boosting Meal Plan
When Koff tells her clients they get to eat at least 1,400 calories on her plan, they're pleasantly surprised. But it's overly restricting calories or skipping meals that backfires.
How Molly Sims Lost the Baby Weight
Molly Sims has had her share of firsts in the past 16 months. She got married to producer Scott Stuber in September 2011. Then last June came the most thrilling production of the model/actresss life: the birth of her first child, Brooks Alan Stuber. But she soon found herself facing another first—losing the 50 pounds she gained during pregnancy. Anderson and Koff to the rescue!
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Celeb trainer Tracy Anderson, 37, feels your pain. You'd never tell by looking at her rock-solid body, but 14 years ago, five-foot-tall Anderson struggled to shed the 60 pounds she gained while pregnant with her first child. "I ate everything in sight," she says. "I swam if I felt like it, or did a walk, but I had no exercise strategy or regimen." After getting back in shape, she used her experience to create The Tracy Anderson Method, an ever-changing set of exercises designed to whittle the body into shape; they helped her drop the 30 pounds she gained while pregnant with her second baby in just four months.
The program uses lower resistance and high reps that firm without adding bulk, inspiring a devoted following that includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Richie, and Molly Sims. Anderson's shape-up, designed especially for Health readers, "will sculpt the arms, legs, and core and pull your body into its healthiest proportions," she promises—even if it's been a while since you were on speaking terms with your abs. As she says, "Our muscles are really powerful; they'll do what we empower them to do."
The workout basics: an hour of exercise four to six times a week, split up into 30 minutes of cardio (whether it's Anderson's dance aerobics DVD or a combo of running, skipping, and galloping sideways on a treadmill) and 30 minutes of muscle sculptors. If you can't fit one focused hour of exercise into your schedule, break up the cardio and the moves; just make sure you do the full 30 minutes of each.
As for the food part of the program (you knew that was coming!), it's a 1,400-calories-a-day mix of lean protein, nonstarchy veggies, and healthy carbs, created by Ashley Koff, RD, author of Mom Energy. Stick with the single serving sizes and do not skip meals, Koff cautions: "It'll play with your body's energy signals, making it harder to make good choices and reach your goal."
Follow both parts of Health's plan and you could drop up to 12 pounds in one month, ultimately lose more than 35 pounds, and get the most buff you've ever been. "Once that first breakthrough happens," Anderson says, "it's the most freeing thing in the world."
Here's how to do it:
How to Stick to a Workout Plan
Anyone who's paid for a gym membership knows this much: Starting a workout program is one thing, but keeping at it? Challenging! Stay motivated with the help of Anderson's seven stick-with-it strategies.
8 Moves to a Stronger and Leaner You
These exercises by Anderson are designed to work body parts in the most muscle-targeted, time-efficient way. (All together now: Woo-hoo!)
How to Eat Right on 1,400 Calories a Day
Koff has a philosophy—that you should eat the right amount of nutrients at each "eating occasion"(that's Koff-speak for three meals and one snack a day). To make it easier, follow the RD's six pound-melting tactics.
The 1,400-Calorie, Metabolism-Boosting Meal Plan
When Koff tells her clients they get to eat at least 1,400 calories on her plan, they're pleasantly surprised. But it's overly restricting calories or skipping meals that backfires.
How Molly Sims Lost the Baby Weight
Molly Sims has had her share of firsts in the past 16 months. She got married to producer Scott Stuber in September 2011. Then last June came the most thrilling production of the model/actresss life: the birth of her first child, Brooks Alan Stuber. But she soon found herself facing another first—losing the 50 pounds she gained during pregnancy. Anderson and Koff to the rescue!
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Before and After Weight Loss: Once "Lumpy," Now Lean
If I hadn't taken up running, I'm not sure how much I would weigh now—but I know it would be a lot. By the time I found the sport, I tipped the scales at more than 200 pounds. It didn't help that I had just moved to New York City, where fit, slim people surrounded me. I felt lumpy and bumpy, like America Ferrera at the beginning of Ugly Betty! So I started walking—and before long, I was running. Within a few months, I had dropped 40 pounds.
Found: my inner athlete Getting lighter made running easier and, in turn, more fun. To stay on track, I signed up for the New York City Half Marathon. I trained for 3 1/2 months, even through winter. Logging all those miles had a direct impact on my diet. The more I ran, the better I ate. I ditched meals that came in greasy paper bags (think burgers and fries) for ones that fueled my runs, such as pasta, eggplant and kale. The combination of eating clean and training hard helped me shed another 10 pounds (and gave me a pair of killer legs!). In March 2011, when I crossed the finish line at the half marathon, I felt an amazing sense of accomplishment. I was hooked.
The hardest race Six months later, I ran my first marathon. I've since completed four more, including this year's Boston Marathon. I finished minutes before the bombs went off. It was very scary; I was close enough to feel the explosions in my bones. Although I'm signed up to run the Chicago Marathon next month, I'm not sure if I will. I'm afraid to race right now. But I know I'll keep running. It has changed my body—and my life.
Secret Weapons, Shared Cipriana reveals what keeps her going strong every day.
The Inspiration: My Brother, Federico I ran my first marathon to help raise money in his name for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He died from complications relating to diabetes when he was 23.
The Go-To Snack: Trader Joe's Instant Miso Soup Honestly, it doesn't get any easier: Just add water, and you have a quickie snack in seconds. Plus, it's filling and low-calorie.
The Idol: Allyson Felix She is a beast! Not only is she gorgeous, she's superpowerful and superfast. She has also dominated the last couple of Olympic Games in track and field. I'd love to run like her.
The Must-Have Gear: Girlie Skirts I dress ultrafeminine when I run. I'm talking sparkly headbands and skorts with ruffles. No one expects the girl in the skirt to be an actual athlete—that is, until my pretty, ruffly skirt bounces away in front of them!
Share Your Transformation
Have an amazing body makeover of your own?
Tell us about it at health.com/i-did-it and let us know what diet and fitness tricks worked for you.
Share your transformation! Have an amazing body makeover of your own? Tell us about it. E-mail before-and-after photos to IDidIt@health.com and tell us what worked for you. Please include your phone number.
from Diet & Fitness - Health.com http://ift.tt/17vRQPK
via IFTTT
Found: my inner athlete Getting lighter made running easier and, in turn, more fun. To stay on track, I signed up for the New York City Half Marathon. I trained for 3 1/2 months, even through winter. Logging all those miles had a direct impact on my diet. The more I ran, the better I ate. I ditched meals that came in greasy paper bags (think burgers and fries) for ones that fueled my runs, such as pasta, eggplant and kale. The combination of eating clean and training hard helped me shed another 10 pounds (and gave me a pair of killer legs!). In March 2011, when I crossed the finish line at the half marathon, I felt an amazing sense of accomplishment. I was hooked.
The hardest race Six months later, I ran my first marathon. I've since completed four more, including this year's Boston Marathon. I finished minutes before the bombs went off. It was very scary; I was close enough to feel the explosions in my bones. Although I'm signed up to run the Chicago Marathon next month, I'm not sure if I will. I'm afraid to race right now. But I know I'll keep running. It has changed my body—and my life.
Secret Weapons, Shared Cipriana reveals what keeps her going strong every day.
The Inspiration: My Brother, Federico I ran my first marathon to help raise money in his name for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He died from complications relating to diabetes when he was 23.
The Go-To Snack: Trader Joe's Instant Miso Soup Honestly, it doesn't get any easier: Just add water, and you have a quickie snack in seconds. Plus, it's filling and low-calorie.
The Idol: Allyson Felix She is a beast! Not only is she gorgeous, she's superpowerful and superfast. She has also dominated the last couple of Olympic Games in track and field. I'd love to run like her.
The Must-Have Gear: Girlie Skirts I dress ultrafeminine when I run. I'm talking sparkly headbands and skorts with ruffles. No one expects the girl in the skirt to be an actual athlete—that is, until my pretty, ruffly skirt bounces away in front of them!
Share Your Transformation
Have an amazing body makeover of your own?
Tell us about it at health.com/i-did-it and let us know what diet and fitness tricks worked for you.
Share your transformation! Have an amazing body makeover of your own? Tell us about it. E-mail before-and-after photos to IDidIt@health.com and tell us what worked for you. Please include your phone number.
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The New Way To Lose Weight Fast
A buzzy British eating plan called the Fast Diet grabbed our attention when it jumped the pond to the United States this spring. The diet—which involves cutting your calories two days a week—was created by Dr. Michael Mosley, MBBS, a science journalist, and built on research suggesting that intermittent fasting (IF) can not only help people shed weight but also reduce their risk of heart disease and diabetes. While the concept of fasting for health benefits and weight control has been around for centuries (even Hippocrates recommended it!), it has been gaining momentum in recent months thanks to Dr. Mosley's book The FastDiet (as well as other expert-penned IF offerings, including The 2-Day Diet). Curious? Here is an exclusive excerpt of the book—along with our own version of a 500-calorie day.
Why I created this plan, by Dr. Michael Mosley, MBBS
About 15 months ago when I was 55, I went for a medical checkup and had a nasty shock. I discovered that although I looked quite slim, I was actually a TOFI (thin on the outside, fat on the inside). Internal fat, also called visceral fat, is the most dangerous sort of fat because it wraps itself around your internal organs and puts you at increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. Blood tests showed I was a borderline diabetic and had a cholesterol score that was way too high. Obviously I was going to have to do something about this.
What convinced me to try intermittent fasting? Well, a large number of studies with animals and humans have shown that it's good for health and weight loss. One of the best-researched forms of intermittent fasting is alternate-day fasting, in which you cut calories every other day. I, however, found ADF too difficult to do on a regular basis.
Instead I decided to cut my calories just two days a week. I started calling it the 5:2 Fast Diet because for five days a week I was eating normally, and for two days a week I limited myself to 600 calories a day.
After three months, I had lost 19 pounds (down from 187 to 168), and my body fat had dropped from 28 to 21 percent. I lost 3 inches around my waist and stopped snoring, which delighted my wife and quite possibly the neighbors. Even better, my diabetes and heart disease risks, as indicated by blood tests, improved in spectacular fashion. My wife, Clare, who is also a doctor, was impressed. She regularly sees overweight patients who have blood chemistry like mine had been, and she said none of the advice she gives them has had anything like the same effect.
The basics
The Fast Diet is different from other programs because you diet for just two days a week. On fast days you eat healthily, but around a quarter of what would be normal for someone of your gender (500 calories for women or 600 for men).
There are various ways to handle fast days; some people prefer to eat all their calories in one sitting, others split them between breakfast and dinner, and others have three small meals over the course of the day. You have to see what works for you. [Note from the editors of Health: We recommend dividing the calories into mini meals, as shown at right.]
How to choose the right food
Because you eat less than normal on a fast day, it's important that you choose foods that will keep you satisfied longer.
Aim for fare that's high in protein, rich in fiber and has a low glycemic index, since high-GI foods (like bread, potatoes and rice) are likely to make your blood sugar spike, then crash. The Fast Diet doesn't recommend boycotting carbs entirely or living permanently on a high-protein diet. But the combination of proteins and low-GI foods on a fast day are helpful weapons in keeping hunger at bay.
On your fast days, go for healthy options that are low in saturated fat, like steamed white fish, skinless chicken, low-fat dairy, shrimp, tuna, tofu and other plant-based proteins. Nuts, seeds and legumes (beans, peas and lentils) have lots of fiber to fill you up (nuts may be high-calorie, but they're generally low-GI and satiating). Eggs, meanwhile, are low in saturated fat and full of nutritional value. They won't adversely affect your cholesterol levels, and they score a mere 90 calories each, so an egg-based breakfast on a fast day makes perfect sense; poach or boil them to save on calories. Two eggs plus a 1¾-ounce serving of smoked salmon clocks in at a sensible 250 calories.
When to fast, when to feast
Monday is an obvious choice for a fast day, particularly if it follows a social weekend. For that reason you might avoid Saturdays and Sundays, when family lunches and brunches, dinner dates and parties make calorie-cutting a chore. Thursday would then make a sensible second fasting day. But be flexible; don't force yourself to fast when it feels wrong. If you're stressed or tired on a day that you have designated a fast, try again another day. But do aim to establish a pattern. That way your fasts will become familiar. Be kind to yourself, but be tough, too.
Reshaping your body—and appetite
The first thing you can expect is to lose weight, thanks to the simple law of thermodynamics (weight loss occurs when energy in is less than energy out). If you cut to 500 calories two days a week and don't compensate by eating more on other days, you should lose 1 to 2 pounds a week. This won't be all fat: Some of it will be water and some digested food in your body. You can expect, however, to lose around 10 pounds of fat over a 10-week period.
You should find that over the weeks your BMI, body fat and waist measurement will drop. Your cholesterol count and blood glucose levels will also improve. The changes will start to show up in the mirror as your body becomes leaner and lighter.
Hopefully your food preferences will adapt, so that even on non-fast days you will begin to choose healthy foods by default. You will also learn to recognize the sensation of being pleasantly full—satiated, not stuffed. The upshot? No more food hangovers, improved digestion, more bounce.
If you continue to fast and feast with awareness, all kinds of other changes should occur. You may discover that you've been suffering from portion distortion. Muffins will start to look vast. You might go from a Venti to a Grande to wanting only half a cup, no sugar, no cream. If you are like me, then one day soon, you'll arrive at a place where you say no to the cheesecake because you don't want it, not because you are denying yourself. This is the baseline power of intermittent fasting: It encourages you to recheck your diet. And that's your long-haul ticket to health.
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via IFTTT
Why I created this plan, by Dr. Michael Mosley, MBBS
About 15 months ago when I was 55, I went for a medical checkup and had a nasty shock. I discovered that although I looked quite slim, I was actually a TOFI (thin on the outside, fat on the inside). Internal fat, also called visceral fat, is the most dangerous sort of fat because it wraps itself around your internal organs and puts you at increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. Blood tests showed I was a borderline diabetic and had a cholesterol score that was way too high. Obviously I was going to have to do something about this.
What convinced me to try intermittent fasting? Well, a large number of studies with animals and humans have shown that it's good for health and weight loss. One of the best-researched forms of intermittent fasting is alternate-day fasting, in which you cut calories every other day. I, however, found ADF too difficult to do on a regular basis.
Instead I decided to cut my calories just two days a week. I started calling it the 5:2 Fast Diet because for five days a week I was eating normally, and for two days a week I limited myself to 600 calories a day.
After three months, I had lost 19 pounds (down from 187 to 168), and my body fat had dropped from 28 to 21 percent. I lost 3 inches around my waist and stopped snoring, which delighted my wife and quite possibly the neighbors. Even better, my diabetes and heart disease risks, as indicated by blood tests, improved in spectacular fashion. My wife, Clare, who is also a doctor, was impressed. She regularly sees overweight patients who have blood chemistry like mine had been, and she said none of the advice she gives them has had anything like the same effect.
The basics
The Fast Diet is different from other programs because you diet for just two days a week. On fast days you eat healthily, but around a quarter of what would be normal for someone of your gender (500 calories for women or 600 for men).
There are various ways to handle fast days; some people prefer to eat all their calories in one sitting, others split them between breakfast and dinner, and others have three small meals over the course of the day. You have to see what works for you. [Note from the editors of Health: We recommend dividing the calories into mini meals, as shown at right.]
How to choose the right food
Because you eat less than normal on a fast day, it's important that you choose foods that will keep you satisfied longer.
Aim for fare that's high in protein, rich in fiber and has a low glycemic index, since high-GI foods (like bread, potatoes and rice) are likely to make your blood sugar spike, then crash. The Fast Diet doesn't recommend boycotting carbs entirely or living permanently on a high-protein diet. But the combination of proteins and low-GI foods on a fast day are helpful weapons in keeping hunger at bay.
On your fast days, go for healthy options that are low in saturated fat, like steamed white fish, skinless chicken, low-fat dairy, shrimp, tuna, tofu and other plant-based proteins. Nuts, seeds and legumes (beans, peas and lentils) have lots of fiber to fill you up (nuts may be high-calorie, but they're generally low-GI and satiating). Eggs, meanwhile, are low in saturated fat and full of nutritional value. They won't adversely affect your cholesterol levels, and they score a mere 90 calories each, so an egg-based breakfast on a fast day makes perfect sense; poach or boil them to save on calories. Two eggs plus a 1¾-ounce serving of smoked salmon clocks in at a sensible 250 calories.
When to fast, when to feast
Monday is an obvious choice for a fast day, particularly if it follows a social weekend. For that reason you might avoid Saturdays and Sundays, when family lunches and brunches, dinner dates and parties make calorie-cutting a chore. Thursday would then make a sensible second fasting day. But be flexible; don't force yourself to fast when it feels wrong. If you're stressed or tired on a day that you have designated a fast, try again another day. But do aim to establish a pattern. That way your fasts will become familiar. Be kind to yourself, but be tough, too.
Reshaping your body—and appetite
The first thing you can expect is to lose weight, thanks to the simple law of thermodynamics (weight loss occurs when energy in is less than energy out). If you cut to 500 calories two days a week and don't compensate by eating more on other days, you should lose 1 to 2 pounds a week. This won't be all fat: Some of it will be water and some digested food in your body. You can expect, however, to lose around 10 pounds of fat over a 10-week period.
You should find that over the weeks your BMI, body fat and waist measurement will drop. Your cholesterol count and blood glucose levels will also improve. The changes will start to show up in the mirror as your body becomes leaner and lighter.
Hopefully your food preferences will adapt, so that even on non-fast days you will begin to choose healthy foods by default. You will also learn to recognize the sensation of being pleasantly full—satiated, not stuffed. The upshot? No more food hangovers, improved digestion, more bounce.
If you continue to fast and feast with awareness, all kinds of other changes should occur. You may discover that you've been suffering from portion distortion. Muffins will start to look vast. You might go from a Venti to a Grande to wanting only half a cup, no sugar, no cream. If you are like me, then one day soon, you'll arrive at a place where you say no to the cheesecake because you don't want it, not because you are denying yourself. This is the baseline power of intermittent fasting: It encourages you to recheck your diet. And that's your long-haul ticket to health.
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via IFTTT
lundi 20 juillet 2015
3 Easy Portion Control Tricks
mercredi 8 juillet 2015
10 Protein-Packed Pulse Recipes That Satisfy
These delicious superfood recipes feature chickpeas, lentils, and other pulses.
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from Diet & Fitness - Health.com http://ift.tt/1CpBoXM
via IFTTT
A Running Vacation Rebooted My Spirit
"These runs just aren't doing it for me anymore," I griped to my husband after finishing my usual four-mile trail. For months, I hadn't felt the exhilaration I once did. Worse, my weight had begun to creep up, along with anxiety and insomnia.
"Maybe you should start cycling again," Gordon said.
"But I like to run," I responded. "It's my thing, like triathlons are yours."
"Then sign up for a half marathon," he suggested, "to push your mileage."
RELATED: 15 Running Tips You Need to Know
"Ugh." I'd given up competition years before, when I realized it sucked the joy out of running. Still, I felt an uncomfortable pang at my resistance to trying a new activity. There was a time when I had been up for anything: backpacking through the Austrian Alps, canoeing in the remote Canadian wilderness. Where had that fearless woman gone?
A few days later, Gordon came home with a grin on his face and announced, "I have just the thing to get you out of your exercise rut—a four-day running vacation in Spain!" Excited, I visited the website of the tour company, Running and Trekking Costa Brava, and stopped cold. Each day would include 11 to 15 miles of running, with hundreds of feet of climbing and steep descents. I'd never even finished more than eight miles at once. I could feel a knee-jerk no forming in my mind, along with the reasons: too difficult, too scary. "Sign us up," I blurted, before I could talk myself out of it.
RELATED: 4 Exercises to Beat a Fitness Plateau
I trained for 12 weeks, pushing my mileage with each outing. By the time we arrived in Girona, Spain, and met up with the tour group—five avid runners, most of whom were younger than me by at least a decade—my legs were significantly stronger, and there was less squishy flesh around my waist. My mind, however, was in worry overdrive: What if my slower pace drags the group down? What if I embarrass myself? What if I fail?
The first morning, we set off on a narrow single track that traversed upward through a forest of cork trees. Within minutes, Gordon and I fell behind, and it wasn't his fault. Distracted by distress over feeling slow, old and unfit, I tripped on a tree root and fell hard, scraping flesh off my left elbow and bloodying my knee.
Dabbing at the wounds, I felt tears of self-doubt and discouragement pooling. Back home, I had created a life structured around things I was good at: writing, raising our sons, being part of our community. For the first time in a long while, I was out of my comfort zone. My ego felt as raw and exposed as my oozing elbow.
RELATED: 24 Motivational Quotes
I pushed on, though, and we arrived at a breathtaking promontory, the gem-bright sea in front of us. "Can you believe we're here?" asked a crazy-fit woman, throwing her arms around me. I couldn't. Relief flooded through me. No one cares if I'm slow! Look where I am!
For too long, I had carefully avoided activities that challenged my competence, from a hip-hop class to a speaking engagement. I'd thought my fitness routine was in a rut. In reality, it was my mind-set that was stuck.
Over the next three days, we covered miles of difficult terrain; I went at a comfortable pace at the rear of the pack. The running never felt easy, but it never felt impossible, either—and that made me proud.
Standing atop a 2,200-foot mountain on the last day, I gazed down at the miles of trail we'd climbed. I felt strong, confident—almost invincible. I pulled out my phone to take a photo and saw a text from a bookstore owner back home, inviting me to read an essay at an event. Public speaking is my biggest fear, period. Ordinarily, I'd say no as fast as my fingers could type. Instead I replied, "Sure, happy to do it." And I meant it.
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via IFTTT
"Maybe you should start cycling again," Gordon said.
"But I like to run," I responded. "It's my thing, like triathlons are yours."
"Then sign up for a half marathon," he suggested, "to push your mileage."
RELATED: 15 Running Tips You Need to Know
"Ugh." I'd given up competition years before, when I realized it sucked the joy out of running. Still, I felt an uncomfortable pang at my resistance to trying a new activity. There was a time when I had been up for anything: backpacking through the Austrian Alps, canoeing in the remote Canadian wilderness. Where had that fearless woman gone?
A few days later, Gordon came home with a grin on his face and announced, "I have just the thing to get you out of your exercise rut—a four-day running vacation in Spain!" Excited, I visited the website of the tour company, Running and Trekking Costa Brava, and stopped cold. Each day would include 11 to 15 miles of running, with hundreds of feet of climbing and steep descents. I'd never even finished more than eight miles at once. I could feel a knee-jerk no forming in my mind, along with the reasons: too difficult, too scary. "Sign us up," I blurted, before I could talk myself out of it.
RELATED: 4 Exercises to Beat a Fitness Plateau
I trained for 12 weeks, pushing my mileage with each outing. By the time we arrived in Girona, Spain, and met up with the tour group—five avid runners, most of whom were younger than me by at least a decade—my legs were significantly stronger, and there was less squishy flesh around my waist. My mind, however, was in worry overdrive: What if my slower pace drags the group down? What if I embarrass myself? What if I fail?
The first morning, we set off on a narrow single track that traversed upward through a forest of cork trees. Within minutes, Gordon and I fell behind, and it wasn't his fault. Distracted by distress over feeling slow, old and unfit, I tripped on a tree root and fell hard, scraping flesh off my left elbow and bloodying my knee.
Dabbing at the wounds, I felt tears of self-doubt and discouragement pooling. Back home, I had created a life structured around things I was good at: writing, raising our sons, being part of our community. For the first time in a long while, I was out of my comfort zone. My ego felt as raw and exposed as my oozing elbow.
RELATED: 24 Motivational Quotes
I pushed on, though, and we arrived at a breathtaking promontory, the gem-bright sea in front of us. "Can you believe we're here?" asked a crazy-fit woman, throwing her arms around me. I couldn't. Relief flooded through me. No one cares if I'm slow! Look where I am!
For too long, I had carefully avoided activities that challenged my competence, from a hip-hop class to a speaking engagement. I'd thought my fitness routine was in a rut. In reality, it was my mind-set that was stuck.
Over the next three days, we covered miles of difficult terrain; I went at a comfortable pace at the rear of the pack. The running never felt easy, but it never felt impossible, either—and that made me proud.
Standing atop a 2,200-foot mountain on the last day, I gazed down at the miles of trail we'd climbed. I felt strong, confident—almost invincible. I pulled out my phone to take a photo and saw a text from a bookstore owner back home, inviting me to read an essay at an event. Public speaking is my biggest fear, period. Ordinarily, I'd say no as fast as my fingers could type. Instead I replied, "Sure, happy to do it." And I meant it.
from Diet & Fitness - Health.com http://ift.tt/1KOpolF
via IFTTT
mardi 7 juillet 2015
4 Sneaky Reasons You're Overeating
You're probably eating more than you think you are, says Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD. Discover four unexpected things that boost your calorie intake so you can get your diet back on track.
from Diet & Fitness - Health.com http://ift.tt/1Hb72UO
via IFTTT
from Diet & Fitness - Health.com http://ift.tt/1Hb72UO
via IFTTT
jeudi 2 juillet 2015
10 Healthy Eating Habits That Will Change Your Life
Boost your energy, drop pounds, and feel happier than ever with these diet tweaks.
from Diet & Fitness - Health.com http://ift.tt/1JBi7m8
via IFTTT
from Diet & Fitness - Health.com http://ift.tt/1JBi7m8
via IFTTT
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