Month: February 2016

It’s easy to see why so many new runners assume that in order to become a better runner, you simply need to run a lot. I mean, principle of specificity, right? And when thinking of what it physically takes to be a strong runner, it’s easy to see why so many new runners assume it would be strong legs, strong lungs, and a strong cardiovascular system. After all, those are the parts doing all the work, right?

Well no, not exactly.

The human body is an amazing piece of machinery in which all of its pieces intricately work together. You may have heard of the concept of the “kinetic chain” before. The idea behind the kinetic chain is that every part of your body, including muscles, joints, and nerves, must work together to produce movements. No single movement of the body is independent. So what does all of this mean when it comes to running? In short, it means that there is much more involved in running than simply your legs, lungs, and heart.

And today we’re going to talk about core strength.

You don’t need a rock solid six pack to be a good runner, but a strong core does help. Believe it or not, your abdominal, lower back, and glute muscles have a huge impact on your running. Although the core itself is not a primary mover, it acts as a stabilizer, keeping your torso upright, your balance strong, and your arms and legs moving fluidly and in control. When you have a weak core, your posture will suffer, especially as you start to get tired, making your running less efficient.

Adding core-specific exercises to your training routine isn’t just beneficial, it should be considered absolutely necessary. But don’t worry, you don’t need any fancy equipment, nor do you need to spend hours in the gym to achieve a strong core.

Here are four exercise that can be done almost anywhere and will help you build a stronger core.

Plank: Lie on your stomach, then raise up onto your toes and forearms. Your toes should be about hip distance apart with your elbows resting on the floor directly under your shoulders. If this is too difficult, lower down to your knees. Engage your stomach, lower back, and glutes to ensure you have a straight line from the top of your head to your heels. Hold the position for 30 to 90 seconds.

Side Plank: Lie on your right side, supporting your upper body on your right forearm, with your left arm at your left side. Lift your hips, and keeping your body weight supported on the forearm and the side of the right foot, extend your left arm above your shoulder. Hold your core tight; do not allow your hips to sag toward the floor. Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds. Switch sides and repeat.

Superman: Lie on your stomach with your arms extended over your head, resting on the floor. Keeping your head in a neutral position, squeeze your lower back and glutes to raise one leg off the ground. At the same time, extend and raise the opposite arm off the ground. Hold for 30 seconds. Relax, then repeat on the opposite side. For a more advanced move, lift both arms and both legs off of the ground at the same time and hold for 30 seconds. You will feel…and look…like Superman flying through the air (hence the name!)

Glute Bridges: Lie on your back with your legs bent and feet flat on the ground. Next, lift your hips so there is a straight line from your shoulders to your knees (similar to keeping your body flat in the plank position, only now you are facing the opposite direction). Squeeze your glutes tight to keep your hips from sagging. Hold for 30 seconds. For a more advanced move, while in the bridge, extend one leg straight out so your knees are side by side. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch to the other side.

Of course these are countless other core-strengthening exercise options for you to choose from. But whatever you choose, make sure the exercises target all layers of the abdomen, and be sure to include lower back and glute-strengthening exercises. In other words, don’t spend all of your energy trying to knock out hundreds of crunches, which typically only target the most superficial layers of the abdomen.

Pay close attention to your form, and take your time with your exercises. A few sets of properly executed exercises will be far more effective than flying through tons of repetitions with bad form and minimal effort.

While I can’t promise that you’ll end up with a washboard abdomen, I can assure you that adding core-strengthening exercises to your training will make you a stronger, more efficient runner. 

Successful entrepreneurs swear by it. Business execs insist on it. Weight Watchers has built their brand around it. Accountability is the number one tool used by people to be successful at whatever they’re working toward. Basically, accountability means being responsible for your actions.
Accountability doesn’t work only in business; it’s the best tool I’ve used for years to help my clients be successful at losing weight and getting in shape. It’s the number one reason why personal trainers (as well as gym buddies) are so effective at getting their clients and friends fit. It plays the most important role in making successful and permanent life changes. Why does it work? Here are the four reasons:
1. Accountability tricks your brain into believing that your weight loss and workouts are really important. Your brain naturally assumes that if you’ve taken the step to have to answer to someone about it, it must be really important. So it makes it a priority.
2. When you are accountable to someone else, they’re going to give you opinions about everything that you do. Whether it’s your [linkbuilder id=”6434″ text=”food choices”], your workout exercises or the times that you go to sleep. They’ll feel responsible for you and your success and will push you to get back on track and stay there.
3. Studies show that we’re wired to seek approval from others because we grow up with accountability in our families, our society, and in the classroom. When we seek someone to be accountable to it intrinsically feels comfortable, like we’ve been doing it our entire lives. And by appointing someone to that position, we become responsible for our actions and try to do our best to keep those who are watching over us happy.
4. Even though we’re not teens anymore, peer pressure still affects us. Most of us still want approval from our friends, and we’ll do anything to make our friends proud. We’ll skip the second helping of meatloaf or make sure to do the extra mile on the treadmill because our accountability partner is watching and judging.
How do you choose someone to be accountable to? Look around your circle. It should be someone who cares about you, like your mom, your friend, your sister or brother. Or you can hire someone to help you. Personal trainers are skilled at keeping their clients accountable, as are life coaches and groups like Overeaters Anonymous or Weight Watchers. Even your group fitness instructor can help keep you accountable to your workouts.
Don’t have an actual person who can help you? Health and fitness apps do a great job of keeping you honest. They give you real-time advice, feedback and keep you forthright about your workouts and what you eat. If you don’t have a smartphone or just prefer pen and paper, food and exercise logs can work really well. The simple act of writing down what you eat and drink every day, as well as logging your workouts, will help you be mindful of your goals by keeping you honest about your daily habits and patterns.

Life isn’t fair. Or at least that what my mother always said. And in some ways, she was 100 percent correct. If you have a naturally thin friend who seems to eat whatever she wants without gaining an ounce, while you seem to gain a pound just by smelling chocolate, you will agree that life isn’t fair. What is it that sets your friend apart–and if you emulate those traits, will you lose weight?

They Might Be N.E.A.T.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) performed an analysis of naturally thin people and discovered they engage in non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or N.E.A.T. Basically the term means those naturally thin people move more even when at rest.

They are the ones you notice fidgeting, standing up and pacing while talking on the phone, swinging their leg while sitting down, and engaging in more non-exercise activity than other people do.

Now, I was often accused of swinging my leg and hitting my brother’s leg during dinner but that alone didn’t make me thin. However, I can definitely see where little movements will add up to an additional calorie burn that can help you lose weight.

Genetics Helps

Researchers in the United Kingdom found that thin children and adolescents tended to have thin parents. It makes sense when you think about it. Thin parents pass on traits and genetics that flow into their children. Don’t despair if your folks are overweight. You can fight your genetic tendencies and overcome obesity by following the habits of naturally thin people.

They Pay Attention to Portions

I’ve known a lot of thin people in my life and one of the things they have in common is they do not eat gargantuan portions of food. This is one of the harder things to emulate, because in our society, food portions are huge.

Even though food portions tend to be on the larger side in restaurants and in processed foods, you can copy your thin friends’ strategy by trying one of these techniques:

1) Cut every restaurant portion in half (except steamed veggies and salad without dressing).

2) Take what you want from a larger bag and put it in a smaller baggie. Don’t go back for seconds.

3) Have baby-sized portions of really high-calorie foods. My thin friends “taste” a dessert rather than digging into a huge piece.

They Weigh Regularly

I know some current dieting fads recommend skipping the scale entirely, but years of research show that people who weigh regularly do weigh less than people who skip the scale.

Pick a weighing-in schedule that you can live with and doesn’t make you crazy. I recommend weighing in to check on your progress at least once a week.

Remember, when you don’t really know how much you weigh, it is easy to justify an extra serving of cake, chips, or alcohol.

They Work at It

Although it may seem as though those thin friends of yours don’t have to do anything to stay slim, I was surprised to find that my best thin friend exercised every morning before the sun came up and rarely ate dessert. I didn’t know she did these things because she didn’t talk about it until I started asking her.

Thin people do work at staying that way. They may exercise, deliberately skip tempting treats, drink a lot of water, and avoid fast food. What looks easy from the outside does require work and an awareness of what their body needs to stay trim.

Cough drops and cold medicine can get expensive, and it’s not always easy to tell exactly what ingredients are in the medications you’re taking. But with this simple recipe, you can make all-natural cough drops yourself with ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen.

YouTube user Dave Hax takes us step-by-step through how to make this DIY cold remedy that he says is “perfect to help soothe a sore throat, and act[s] as a great natural cold or flu remedy.” And with just a few household ingredients, it’s never been easier to make your own soothing cough drops for pennies on the dollar.

What You’ll Need:

–1 cup of sugar

–1/2 cup of water

–1 tablespoon of lemon juice

–1 tablespoon of honey

–1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger

–1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves

How to Get Started:

To begin, mix all of the ingredients together in a small pot over medium heat, and stir well until the mixture begins to simmer.

Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring frequently for approximately 15-20 minutes. It will be ready once the mixture looks dark and thick with a consistency similar to syrup.

While you’re waiting, you can start preparing the baking sheet. You may need two baking sheets, depending on how many drops you’re planning to make. Line each baking sheet with parchment paper.

Once the mix has finished simmering, use a spoon to scoop small drops onto the parchment paper. Be careful doing this, because the mixture is still very hot. Hax explains that you can also use a piping bag instead of a spoon for more symmetrical-looking drops, but because it’s easy to burn yourself he doesn’t recommend that method for beginners.

After you’ve used all of the mixture, let the drops cool for about 20 minutes. Then sprinkle a generous amount of powdered sugar on top to prevent them from sticking together, making sure to coat all the drops completely.

And that’s all there is to it! You can store them in a small container lined with parchment paper, and they make a delicious, all-natural alternative to traditional store-bought cough drops and cold medication. You can also dissolve the drops in a mug of hot water for a soothing drink.

This recipe takes under an hour from start to finish, and if you have most of the ingredients already it’s also incredibly inexpensive. Plus, the drops taste great!