New Year's Resolutions? #Fitness Tips Round-up! #FitnessTips #Workout

It's a New Year, and with that tends to come resolutions that often involve striving for a healthier lifestyle.  Fitness is one of my passions, and one of my jobs, so every once in a while I dedicate my blog to a topic related to nutrition or exercise.  So, I've decided to list a roundup of my first 9 "Friday Fitness" posts, just click a title to open the link of any subject that might help you achieve your goals!

Friday Fitness #1: Multi-Tasking - Working Several Muscle Groups at Once

Friday Fitness #2: Low-Impact Cardio - Moves that Will Raise Your Heart Rate, Not Hurt

Your Joints

Yoga can be a great place to start -
strength, stretching, and relaxation!

Friday Fitness #3: Plyometric Exercises

Friday Fitness #4: Zumba

Friday Fitness #5: The Importance of CPR Certification

Friday Fitness #6: Training for Triathlons

Friday Fitness #7: White Foods and Nutrition

Friday Fitness #8: The Importance of Stretching

Friday Fitness #9: Building a Backyard Soccer Goal

Future installments will include the Value of Interval Training, Dealing with Patellar Tendonitis, and Drinking Enough Water...so be sure to check back, or go over to the right-hand column where it says "Join This Site" to follow my blog (hint - some browsers make you click on the little overlapping squares in the upper right corner to Join).

And if you need a book to read while putting miles on the treadmill or stationary bike, try one of my ghost story/romances--SILVER LAKE or GULL HARBOR.  Plus, 99 cents will get you a copy of my new Young Adult Paranormal Romance DIVINE FALL.  I can promise they are all page-turners, so you'll be hooked right from the start and the workout will fly by!  Happy, healthy 2015!

Friday #Fitness 6 - Training for Triathlons

Today, instead of writing about ghosts, I'm ghost-writing...for my husband.  Why?  Because although I'm passionate about fitness, I've never participated in a triathlon.  Despite my 23 years of teaching fitness classes, I'd have no chance at completing a triathlon, unless maybe I had three days and multiple breaks.  My husband is the triathlete in the family, so I've collected some of his tips for anyone interested in attempting this type of physical challenge.

Swim - Bike - Run is the most common Triathlon

His first advice was "Run until your toenails fall off.  Then run some more."  But I didn't think that was entirely helpful.  So we'll go with - start slow.  There are different lengths of triathlons.  The distances can vary, but here is the general breakdown:  

Sprint - typically 750 meters (0.47 miles) swim, 20 kilometers (12 miles) bike, 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) run

Olympic - also known as "Intermediate" or "Standard" distance - 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles) swim, 40 kilometers (25 miles) bike, 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) run

Half Ironman - also known as the "Long Course" or the "70.3" - 1.9 kilometers (1.2 miles) swim, 90 kilometers (56 miles) bike, and a 21.1 kilometers (13.1 miles) run

Ironman - also known as "Ultra Distance" or "140.6" - 3.8 kilometers (2.4 miles) swim, 180.2 kilometers (112.0 miles) bike, and a full marathon: 42.2 kilometers (26.2 miles) run.

The Sprint distance looks daunting enough to me, but with proper training, it's a good first step.  My husband did the Olympic distance as his first triathlon, but before that, he ran in a few competitive races.  And although he has been a lifelong regular at the gym, he did not even start running in races until he was 40 years old.  First he trained for, and tackled, a popular local 7 mile road race.  One of our best friends visits to run this as well, and that added extra incentive for each of them to do well.  My husband also trained for and completed a half marathon, and soon felt ready to add in the swimming and biking components necessary to do well in a triathlon.

My husband (left) on the podium after he came in 3rd in his
age group in an Olympic Triathlon...and 19th overall out of
over 300 athletes!

Do some people complete triathlons with less training and equipment, using just the regular bike sitting in the garage?  Sure.  The equipment is expensive, and just to enter and finish a triathlon is an amazing feat.  But if you want to be truly competitive and make good time, there are some things you must have.  And a triathlon or road bike is one of them.

It's best to have a good bike, properly fitted to your body.  Frames come in different sizes, so even if you're going shop online or purchase secondhand, go to a reputable bike shop and get fitted first.  My husband chose an aerodynamic bike with clip-on cleats.  Not all bikes are created equally, and this choice really helps him in terms of finishing times.

A training program is a must, and he uses a free online website called Tri-newbies for this.  It's one of the few free things in this endeavor!  Lots of great information can be found at this site.

He much prefers to train on his bike outdoors (despite the risk of popping a tire--something the rider needs to be prepared for).  But of course, a two hour bike ride outdoors in the winter is not always realistic.  So he rides indoors when necessary, and to do this he puts his bike on this Kinetic Trainer and a Riser Ring.

A good heart rate monitor serves as my husband's "personal trainer".  Monitoring his heart rate allows him to stay within the proper training zone.  First, you need to figure out what that is, of course.  The rule of thumb to compute your training range is 180-(your age).  So at 40, your max level would be 140 beats per minute and the training range for running would be 130 to 140, and for biking 10 below that, at 120 to 130.  Of course, adjustments need to be made based on level of fitness.  The monitor my husband uses is made by Timex.

You know who else enjoys
the long runs?  Our rescue pup
Otis!  He doesn't wear his red bow
though, that's his holiday outfit.

The swim training can be done in a pool, but a swim clinic in a lake or the ocean is a good way to prepare for the actual race if you're uncomfortable swimming in an outdoor environment.  My husband uses a wetsuit as well during the race, and this allows him to have his heart rate monitor already strapped on underneath the suit to speed up transition times.

This hydration belt is helpful for storing water and energy bars and packets during long runs and bike rides.  Massive amounts of calories are burned during long sessions, and nutrients and water must be replaced.

All this sounds like a lot, but again...start slow.  Apparently, it's addictive, if my husband is any indication.  Now he's preparing for his first Half Ironman, which takes place in June.  I'll be there with the kids, as always, to cheer him on--from the sidelines.  Teaching seven classes a week leaves me with no room for additional workouts, but even if that weren't the case, I'm not sure I could ever find the dedication necessary to compete in something like this.  So I'll be sitting in a folding chair with my colorful sign, waiting at the finish line!

Friday Fitness - Zumba - Kathryn Knight

I’ve been teaching step aerobics for 22 years now, but Zumba has been the latest craze in cardio classes—and it has proved its staying power.  At the urging of some of my class members, I earned my Zumba certification about 5 years ago.  At first, I was a little frustrated.  I have no background whatsoever in Latin dance, and learning the salsa, cumbia, flamenco, and samba took me way outside my comfort zone.  Not only was I expected to do these dances, I had to be able to teach them to a class of people looking for an hour’s workout with little downtime between songs.

But I persevered, because once I start something, I rarely give up (see: writing two full-length novels, lol).  I practiced at home, forced my regular classes to try out a new dance with me, and attended other instructor’s classes. 

 

 

I didn’t love having to fill an hour with just Latin-inspired music, though…and soon I realized other instructors would just take ANY upbeat song they liked and create a dance for it.  Which just proves the age-old adage "everything old becomes new again": the format of specific dances choreographed to popular songs is EXACTLY how floor aerobics began in the first place.  I’d come full circle.

Creative dance moves not being my forte, I quickly discovered a treasure trove of examples: youtube is FULL of Zumba instructors willing to happily share their latest choreography.  I’ll pick a song I like, do a quick search, and instantly have dozens of routines to help inspire me.  Since I’m a perfectionist, I tend to watch every video and pick out the moves I like the best, then piece them together in a way that works for me.  And my packed classes tell me the members appreciate my efforts.

The benefits of Zumba are substantial.  One study showed the AVERAGE number of calories burned during an hour of Zumba is 817.  That is a great deal for an hour’s worth of exercise, and doing the moves with more intensity can propel that number even higher.  Zumba is a full body workout—while you are getting your heart rate up, you are also utilizing many different muscle groups throughout class.  Traditional fitness moves get thrown into the dances: squats, lunges, shuffles, jacks, etc.  But the other key is that Zumba is FUN!  The endorphins start flowing, and daily worries take a backseat as you dance your cares away.

 

 

So if you haven’t tried it, give it a shot.  You can find Zumba almost everywhere, and every instructor puts a different twist on their class.  You don’t have to be a great dancer—I get all levels of skill and fitness capabilities.  And although I mainly teach at a women’s gym, when I teach at our other location, I get plenty of men in class.

If you do decide to take the plunge, or if you’re already a fan of Zumba, leave a comment below with the name of the song you enjoy most during class!  I’m always looking for new routines to add to my class.

Friday Fitness Tips #2 - Kathryn Knight

The second installment of my sporadic posts about fitness is here!  Exercise is always on my mind, since almost every morning I am at the gym teaching classes or training gym members.  My absolute favorite class to teach is Step Aerobics--it's been around a long time (I personally have been teaching it for 22 years!) but at my gym, my step classes are still packed.  I work very hard to come up with new and challenging routines for my girls, and we have a great time.  But not all of my clients can do something as high-impact as my step class, so I like to keep some lower impact cardio activities in mind for the interval training clinics I teach.

There are the obvious choices for low impact cardio: walking, swimming, biking, etc.  But those activities are not the kind of things I can have people do in a class-type training session.  So here are a few less-obvious drills to get your heart rate up without putting a lot of stress on your joints.

1.  Jumping jacks on a stability ball--this is a great way to get some cardio without impact.  All you need is a large inflated ball (everyone should have one at home, they are only about $15 and they are great for many things).  A good way to test for the correct size is to sit on the ball and check that your knees are about even with your hips.  Then start bouncing!  You really need to get your arms involved: overhead like regular jumping jacks, or crossing in front, or even little circles from your shoulders in both directions.



2.  Modified squat-thrusts--also called "burpees".  A modified squat-thrust takes out the impact.  You bend down, put your hands on the floor, walk one leg out at a time to a plank, walk them back in toward your hands, and stand up.  To make it even more challenging, use hand weights that have straight sides (so they won't roll when on the floor).  They become "handles" when you are bringing your legs in and out, and then when you stand up, add an overhead press.

3.  Squat-kicks--Squats are one of those exercises that a lot of people do incorrectly.  You really have to sit back, dropping your butt to knee level, while keeping your chest up (no leaning forward).  The weight should always be back in the heels.  I tell my class to think about the move starting at the hips, then the knees follow.  It's not a knee bend/lean forward.  Once good form is mastered, you can increase the cardio by adding a front kick alternating legs each time you come up.  A variation for abductors would be a side-leg lift on the way up.

4.  Walking push-ups--In a plank position (on hands and balls of feet), walk forward a few paces until you're in good form, then perform a push-up (you can drop to knees to modify this).  Then walk back to your starting spot and do a push-up.  Keep going, forward and back!

5.  Sit-ups with leg extensions and twists--this requires strong abdominal muscles and is not a great choice for people with a bad back.  Lying down with feet on floor and knees bent, come to a full sit-up, extending the right leg out straight and holding arms out to the right at shoulder height.  Put your leg back down for stability, arms pulled in near chest, and twist side-to-side on the way back down.  You alternate legs each time.

Obviously anyone just starting an exercise program should consult a doctor (that's what you always hear anyway, so I'll say it too).  And a few of these require work to build up to the final goal.  But almost anyone can bounce on a ball, and just the instability of the ball helps strengthen the core and improve balance.  In fact, you can gain benefits simply from sitting on the ball instead of a chair when at the computer. 

I hope these ideas will help people avoid boredom in a workout routine.  I know fitness isn't as popular a topic as hot look-alike men (my Charlie Hunnam - Travis Fimmel post had an amazing number of hits - thank you!) but along with romance, exercise is my other passion.  Let me know if you have any additions to the list, I'm always looking for new things to try :)

Friday Fitness Tips - Kathryn Knight

Aside from reading and writing, my other passion is fitness. I've been a certified group fitness instructor for 22 years now, and have taught classes nonstop during that time period--throughout graduate school, 3 moves, and 2 pregnancies. I'm a personal trainer as well, although I prefer the energy and camaraderie of group classes to one-on-one workouts. Being in front of a class and cuing every move helps clear my mind. I cannot possibly dwell on a plot issue that's troubling me when 20 people are expecting a cue every 8 counts. Usually by the time class is over, the endorphins have cleared any blockades, and the answer to "what happens next?" springs to the surface.

Exercise is the way I keep my sanity (what little I have left anyway), so I thought it would be fun to write every once and a while about a few of the tips I share with my class. Today it's about multi-tasking. I'm busy. The gym members who take my class are busy. So I try to pack in as much as I possibly can in an hour, especially during the strength training portion of class. And the benefit is two-fold: not only are you saving time, but working several muscle groups at once will burn major calories. For example, if you are doing squats, grab a Pilates ring and do chest presses at the same time. Or use some hand weights and add an overhead press to your squat.

Other examples include dynamic lunges with a bicep curls, burpees holding hand weights (with flat sides) finishing with an overhead press, or lying with your head and upper back on a stability ball (activating the gluts) while you do triceps extensions.




Of course this is not the recipe for huge muscle mass increases. That's a goal that requires different training and diet. But training several muscle groups at once is a great way to build strength and torch calories in a limited time period.