A client of mine inspired me to post about snacking on the road. She is moving her kids back to college and has to drive about 1,000 miles to get there. Being on the road is tough, and gas station food can be overwhelming with limited healthy options. We have all been there and when you’re trying to reach a goal that is important to you, ignore what people around you are doing and be disciplined. When you’re stuck on what to buy or pack for the road, you can refer to this list: *Hummus/peppers/carrots *Greek yogurt *Vegetable juice *Banana/other mess-free fruit *String Cheese *Homemade trail mix (leave out the chocolate!) *Dried Fruit *Walnuts and Almond mix *Popcorn Don’t forget the water. Remember that those “healthy” juices are full of sugar and synthetic additives that can delay progress toward your goal. Be strong!
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The American College of Sports Medicine has established a certification called “Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer” for fitness professionals that have seen the obvious need for fitness solutions necessary for a growing senior population and persons with disabilities. I would like to point out that I don’t necessarily agree with grouping seniors alongside people with disabilities. I have worked with many 65+ clients without major limitations and their biggest goals have been much the same as their younger peers - to lose weight or increase the physical capabilities of their bodies. The goal of this program is to adapt training methods to enable people to recognize barriers to develop a safe and effective training strategy for themselves or their clients. The goal is to improve the five major components of health - cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, muscle strength, flexibility, and a healthy body composition. If you or anyone you know are disabled, the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) is a great resource to help you develop strategies to stay physically active. They have articles and videos that provide safe and effective workout solutions for a wide varieties of physical and mental impairments. Contact TrainKC to find out more about working out with a fitness professional who is certified and ready to help you or someone you love build a program that will suit your lifestyle and improve your well-being. To read more about the NCHPAD, visit www.nchpad.org. Sending little Tommy and Sally off to school can be bittersweet for parents. It marks the end of summer vacations and the beginning of homework. If your kids are taking their lunch to school, help them pack healthy food that will keep them healthy and functional all day long. Here are some lunch ideas for your little ones: 1. Whole wheat bread or wrap with lean meats like turkey or chicken. Throw in some leafy stuff and a tomato, with a healthy homemade salad dressing. 2. Pasta salad - If your kids are highly athletic after school, they'll need some healthy carbs. Go pick up some whole wheat pasta and finely chop some color vegetables like bell peppers and celery with a homemade dressing. Skip the chips. Those freshly cut vegetables will give them the crunch they will look forward to. 3. Fruit salad - chop up bananas, apples, strawberries, pineapples, and grapes and throw it all together. This is a great substitute for dessert. 4. Hummus - You can experiment with flavors of hummus if you have any picky eaters. Tons of options are available and is fun to eat when you cut up some pita into different shapes or use vegetables for dippers. 5. Smoothie - This might be a new kid favorite. I notice a large group of kids in smoothie shops all summer long. Create your own version at home and you've got a great addition to your school lunches for 2-3 days. 6. Dried fruit and nuts - The options are endless if you go to any good grocery store. This could also be great afternoon snack when the kids get home. Maybe it will even motivate them to do their homework? Too optimistic? Have fun with school lunches and let your kids help prep their meals so they can develop healthy habits that will go beyond the 12th grade. Just about everyone who’s ever had muscle tightness or lower body pain has heard a friend say, “You should get a foam roller.” Months go by and you see one on the shelf at the store and you finally take their advice. Now what? Let’s go over what foam rollers do. Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release that aids in repair of tight muscles that lead to movement dysfunction. That ultimately can lead to pain and injury. Slow, intentional movements that are properly performed on the foam roller allow restoration of affected muscles and will help you move efficiently again. Foam rolling should be a part of your warm-up before your workout, and afterward to touch up on any areas that may have tightened up during the activity. When you use your foam roller, you should only roll over about one inch of your target area per second. If you happen to stumble upon an especially tender spot, stop right there and spend about 10-15 seconds letting the pressure saturate the area. Proceed to the next spot. Spend around 3-5 minutes working through your tough spots before heading into your dynamic warm-up. Then it’s off to workout. Be really cautious about foam rolling close to the knee joint. Stick to the belly of the muscle and gently work toward the sore spot, still avoiding the joint. Hydrate before and after, just like you would if you were to get a sports massage. A minimal amount of toxins are released with foam rolling and being hydrated helps alleviate the toxin’s effects. Schedule a training session with TrainKC to identify tight muscles and develop a foam rolling routine that will keep you feeling fresh and flexible. The extra few minutes it takes to get through the routine will be worth it. Foam rolling will increase your range of motion and will give you a little extra pop in your step, like an extra jolt of energy that will get you to your personal best! ACSM's Sports Medicine Bulletin this month published their newest research again proclaiming that caffeine can give an athlete quite a boost when it comes to endurance performance. The article points out that the news isn't shocking, nor is it interesting and new. The researchers are trying to narrow down as to why caffeine promotes improved performance. Here's what they came up with: "1) alternations in fat metabolism leading to glycogen sparing; 2) direct actions on skeletal muscle leading to increased force production, perhaps though alterations in calcium release from sarcoplasmic reticulum; 3) central and/or peripheral nervous system actions leading to increased skeletal muscle force production; and 4) reductions in perceptions of muscle pain and sense of effort." That may seem like a bunch of gibberish to you but let me translate. Caffeine may enhance performance, based on these hypotheses: making energy more readily available, increasing metabolism, faster and perhaps more efficient brain to body reactions, and the caffeine buzz that increases focus thus making exercise seem effortless. So drink that cup of Joe this morning, and don't try to sneak any of those weird sugars or creams into your coffee. Have you ever been interested in working with a fitness professional and you do not know where you start? You may have discovered that a Google search ends in an overwhelming amount of personal trainers trying to sell their programs or products. While you may have the time to make the trip to the gym, a convenient style of personal training is emerging that could simplify and change your life. Online training programs have become readily available from the comfort of your home. If you are living in Kansas, you can hire a trainer in Florida. So, how does online training work? Most successful online training programs use online videos, Skype/Facetime sessions, and electronic communication accountability to help you reach your goals. While one-on-one, in-person training offers another tier of accountability, you cannot match the affordability and customization that is offered through a qualified personal trainer. You can expect to spend less than $100/month to have a daily, personalized solution for your fitness program. How do I know if the company I’m using is qualified to provide me with the most up-to-date information and be able to customize a training program for me? When you’re combing through the options, consider the following qualifications and don’t be afraid to ask for confirmation about any certifications or degrees that they have obtained. 1. Bachelor’s Degree in an Exercise-related field 2. Personal training certification (highly ranked organizations include ACSM, NASM, NSCA) 3. Years of experience 4. Highly skilled communicator (knows how to talk on the phone and does not just rely on email and text.) Of course, my recommendation is to shop local! That way, you are able to meet one-on-one with your trainer, even if the program will mostly be online. A meeting in person (or even Skype) can help build trust in your trainer. TrainKC offers in-home personal training, and also two affordable options for online training. We use online software from TrainingPeaks to help track your workouts and progress. Save time by skipping the trip to the gym, and consider signing up and investing some time in your personal well-being. It’s that time of year again! As we approach “racing season”, I would like to resurrect a post I made last August for any 13.1 mile procrastinators. If you are still considering participating in the Kansas City Waddell and Reed half marathon and haven’t prepped as well as you were hoping, check out this simple 8-week program I created last year. http://www.trainkc.com/blog/archives/08-2014 TrainKC will be volunteering once again this year with the Kansas City Track Club out on the course. Please consider volunteering if you plan to cheer on your friends. Lots of work goes into making this day special for in and out of town runners. You can find out information about volunteering for the Waddell and Reed Marathon by visiting the Kansas City Sports Commission. We are straddling a very fine line today with hot temperatures across the metro. Below is a helpful chart that can guide you to making good choices when deciding how to workout with high summer temps.. The best time of the day to workout when it's hot is before 9am and after 6pm when the sun isn't as intense.
I know that experienced exercisers ignore these conditions, but just merely being outside today puts us all in the "Danger" category. Proceed with caution and drink plenty of water, coconut water, or sports drinks. Avoid alcohol and ALWAYS wear sunscreen. Good choices on days like today are what will allow you to restore and retain good health for many, many years. Have you ever made the excuse that you can't exercise because it's raining? Don't let the weather keep you from working out. Plenty of online routines are available. You can crash YouTube for some free yoga, go through those stretches you've been told to do, or go old school with your workout by bringing back elementary level exercises to keep your routine fun and light.
Here's a good one for today's rainout: Dynamic Warmup: Knee Hugs Quad Stretch Lateral Lunges Toy Soldier Calf Raises The Workout: 30 seconds Jumping Jacks 10 pushups (see progression) 30 second Mountain Climbers 10 pushups 30 seconds Walking Lunges 30 second plank 30 seconds Prisoner Squats 30 second plank Repeat 4-5 times with a little rest between sets and should result in 30 minutes of exercise. Don't forget to stretch! The summer active season is in full force. Increased numbers of runners, bikers and outdoor enthusiasts are roaming the Kansas City area. After an endlessly rainy May, everyone has been enjoying the relief this past month. Trail runners and mountain bikers have been let back on all of the trails and triathlon and marathon training season is calling people outside. From rain, we skipped to near 100 degree temperatures so I thought it was important to review basic summer safety tips for the whole family.
1. If you are outside, WEAR SUNSCREEN! It's one of the easiest ways to protect yourself against skin cancer. Remember that on cloudy days, you can still get scorched. 2. For every hour you are outside, you should be drinking 16-20 ounces. If you are training for an endurance event, you should be drinking more than that and with some electrolytes (i.e. Gatorade, Tailwind, etc.). 3. Wear a hat. If you like to get in the woods where it is shady, beware of bugs, especially ticks! A hat can protect your head as you are rubbing against any brush and it will protect your face from the sun and keep you cooler. 4. Wear some for of ID. You may carry your Driver's License but a much more effective way to carry your information is on a RoadID. You can list your name, city of residency, a couple of emergency contacts and any allergies you have in case of an emergency. You should also tell at least one person that you are headed out and provide directions to where you are going. 5. If you are prone to mosquito bites, I have found a great natural solution for you. Well... maybe it wasn't an original idea, but it IS natural and not toxic like deet, which is in most bug repellents. Anyway, go to a local plant store and purchase a citronella plant. If you have ever been around a citronella candle, you will immediately recognize the smell of the plant when you find it. As it grows, snip off a leaf, roll it around in your hands, and rub the oil that is on your hands on your skin. It is not toxic and smells much, much better. Be safe out there and get as much fresh air as you can! |
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February 2017
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