Holiday Gift Ideas for the Fitness Enthusiast... or Fitness Newbie

Here are some hot holiday gift ideas for the fitness enthusiast in your life. Whether they're just starting to break a sweat or an avid workout fan, these tools and toys below are excellent additions to anyone's fitness routine. You might even find some things to add to your own holiday wishlist!

BOSU Trainer - This inflatable dome-shaped piece of equipment has a wide range of uses. By adding an unstable surface to your routine exercises, you engage your core, work additional stabilizing muscles, and enhance your balance. Flip the BOSU over (dome-side down) for even more exercise options.  Buying tip: sporting goods stores and Target also sell the BOSU, watch for sales!

Kettlebells - More fun, as well as functional, than a set of dumbbells. The range of movements available to do with a kettlebell are incredibly varied. Due to its' shape and handling, kettlebell exercises are more likely to utilize your whole body and engage your core. Buying tip: don't let the shape fool you, a 10 lb kettlebell will be a challenge for a beginner or intermediate-level fitness buff. For a great workout program - kettlebell + DVD workouts - check out Kettleworx (also sold at Target and sporting goods stores).

Heart Rate Monitor - For those looking to track their progress and monitor their workout intensity. This simple and effective tool will make sure you're training as intensely as you need to be to get results. Buying tip: there are several forms to choose from. While some heart rate monitors boast they can track heart rate through a touch screen on a watch, that's not always the most practical if you're in an intense workout. While it does take getting used to, a chest strap monitor with corresponding watch (readout) may be more efficient and effective.

Foam Roller - Myofascial release is just a fitness-nerd term for "wow, rolling on this thing really feels good." Available at Target, Walmart, and any sporting goods store, this simple piece of equipment is essential to any home gym. Use it before or after a workout to massage your muscles and enhance their recovery. Buying tip: there are a lot of fancy models of foam rollers emerging now, given the increasing popularity of them. You don't necessarily need a body-sized one or one with special nubs, but beware that low-cost rollers (<$15) often lose their form quickly, making it harder to roll on.

Fitness DVDs or Books - There are a plethora of fitness DVDs on the market today, which can enhance anyone's fitness routine. From yoga and dance to Jillian Michaels strength training and Walk Away the Pounds, there's something for everyone. As far as books go, Women's Health & Men's Health Magazines have a great series of books that offer effective workout/exercise ideas and you don't need a gym membership to use them. Each book is full of sound, safe fitness/nutrition advice, with great descriptions and pictures of each exercise.  Some titles in their series are:  The Big Book of Yoga, Big Book of Abs, Big Book of 15 Minute Workouts, Big Book of Exercises. Buying tip: you can get all of these at a great price on amazon.com!


What fitness gifts would YOU like to receive this year? Please share below!

Are You Insane? (Or... how to commit to a healthy lifestyle)

The last post that I wrote (I Quit the Gym...) made me reminisce about my fitness journey and what motivated me to make lifestyle changes. Which made me ponder the question "what does it really take to commit to a healthier lifestyle?"

Some individuals are provoked into action by witnessing a close friend/family member have a health scare or having a health scare of their own. I use "health scare" in a broad sense, as it can include realizing that one's Body Mass Index (BMI) score is above the recommended range, being prescribed medicine to control hypertension/cholesterol/diabetes, being easily winded while playing with one's kids, or something as dire as having a heart attack/stroke. Other individuals may see a picture of themselves and are shocked into wanting to make a change. Anyone who's been on a weight loss journey has one of those defining moments, which propels them to make immediate changes toward moving more and eating better.

My defining moment was stepping on the scale in January 2000 and weighing 215 at the age of 21. Yes, it was my own personal Y2K moment: I stepped on it a few times to make sure my scale hadn't been affected by the turn of the millennium. The analytical side of me realized I weighed approximately 10 pounds per year of life that I had lived. What if I continued to weigh 10 times my age as I got older?!? It was a shock-and-awe tactic that was quite effective. The next day I borrowed a friend's Tae Bo videos, started cooking for myself instead of eating out every night, and I never looked back. The scale has never hit that high since then.

Even after someone has a defining moment, it doesn't mean it will last a lifetime for them. 50% of individuals who begin a fitness program quit in the first six months. Which brings me back to that original question of what does it take to COMMIT to that lifestyle?

When we live in a society that caters to instant gratification, it is hard to commit to a program that will take 3-12 months to see the final results that one wants to see. That's why weight loss and improving one's fitness is not for the faint of heart or weak-willed. That doesn't mean that some people can't succeed... EVERYONE can succeed. You just have to have - or find - the emotional tools within yourself to persevere and commit to the work that needs to be done.

I recently came across a tweet that said "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get the same results that you've always got." It's similar to the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

If you've been thinking about making a lifestyle change, eating better, losing weight, starting a fitness program, but you just can't find the motivation to start, you're not alone. But if you keep sitting around thinking about changing but still doing what you've always done, you're not getting any closer to the body and life that you want. So do this activity instead:

1) If you're looking to tone up or lose weight, find a picture in a magazine or on the internet of someone who has features that you aspire to have. What do you want? Strong, toned, Michelle-Obama-arms? Muscular, powerful, Venus-Williams legs? Solid, sleek, Jillian-Michaels-abs? Now, you need to be realistic here.... find someone of a similar height and body frame so that you're not trying to fit a yacht into a marina designed for a canoe. It doesn't need to be a Hollywood celebrity, in fact it might be helpful if it's not... because you don't know that all their body parts were with them when they were born anyway.

2) Cut (or print) out this picture and post it prominently in your bathroom, bedroom, or kitchen. Let it be an inspiration to help you make better decisions.  When you feel a temptation for that piece of chocolate cake, you can ask yourself "do I really want cake?" or "do I really want my goal body?"  When you have a visualization of a goal, you are more likely to accomplish it.

3) Make a realistic plan to get the body you want. And when I say realistic, I mean one that includes eating healthfully and exercising. Not doing some crazy fad diet where you eat tofu and drink kale shakes for 3 weeks straight.  If you need help devising this realistic, HEALTHY plan, consult a registered dietitian or a certified personal trainer. And no, the people selling you that protein shake that promises to make you lose 10 pounds of fat in 10 days as long as you drink two a day and eat a salad for dinner are NOT registered dietitians.

4) Give up the excuses. You will always be busy at work. Your family will always have pressing needs. You will always have things on your to do list that need to get done. But guess what? If you have time to look at Facebook or Twitter, find the latest deal on Groupon, or play Angry Birds on your iWhatever, I think you have some time you can devote to working out. Quit finding reasons why you can't and just do it. Take a walk after dinner. Don't buy the mac n' cheese at the grocery store. Don't eat the fries with that hamburger. It just takes one small *different* choice that will set off a chain reaction of more *different* choices that will get you closer to that goal.

As my brother says on a frequent basis, there are people who make things happen and there are people who sit and watch things happen. Which do you want to be?  Find your defining moment, visualize your body-to-be, plan your work, and then work your plan. I promise you, even when you're only halfway to your goal, you will realize it has been worth all the hard work and effort. The pride and happiness that come with accomplishing a goal is more satisfying than any piece of food could ever be.

Stand Up For Your Waist

Technology has helped us master the art of convenience. To talk to a colleague, we send an IM or email instead of walking to her office. If we don’t like what’s on the TV, we push a few buttons on the remote sitting next to us. We don’t even need to drive to and then walk into the record store or movie rental store anymore… we access iTunes or Netflix and voila: new music and movies immediately in our hands. But all of this technological advancement is leading to another advancement… that of our expanding waistlines.


A recent study published in the European Heart Journal (January 2011) showed that individuals who spend most of their day sedentary had waistlines that were 4 cm larger than those who frequently moved around. Those 4cm do more than just require one buy a larger size pair of jeans. Waist to hip ratio and waist circumference are two measurements that are key indicators of cardiovascular health.  Excess fat located in the abdominal area has been linked to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and increased risk for diabetes.


So how sedentary are you?  Do you spend the majority of your work day in front of a computer? Do you frequently veg out in front of the TV or video game console?  Let’s calculate:  assuming you get 7 hours of sleep (during which you’re probably horizontal) and you spend 8 hours working at a sedentary job and then another 3 hours on the couch catching up on The Bachelorette, True Blood, Glee, or Grey’s Anatomy, you’re left with 6 waking hours in your day. Are you active enough during those 6 hours? Other studies have shown that even exercising for the recommended amount per day (minimally 30 minutes of moderate exercise) is not enough to combat the sedentary nature of our lives.


What can you do? Find ways to increase your activity throughout the day. Simply taking short breaks each hour during work to stand, stretch, and pace can be helpful. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Have walking meetings if possible. While working on a laptop, place it on a counter or table that will allow you to stand while you check email or surf the internet. Park your car a little further from the entrance to the store. Get up and move around the house during commercials of your favorite TV show… and if you DVR’d it just to skip the commercials, then watch a decent portion of your show standing up or while lifting some dumbbells in front of the TV. When you walk to the mailbox, circle around the block before going back inside. There are numerous, easy ways to increase your activity throughout the day… you just have to be creative.


And knowing your waist/hip ratio is a great health initiative too. Use the Waist-to-Hip Ratio Norms chart below to see where you fall.  To accurately measure your waist, find the narrowest part of your torso, above your belly button. For your hips, measure the area of your hips with the maximal circumference of your buttocks.  Divide the measurement for your waist by the measurement for your hips:  W/H.

Gender	Excellent	Good	Average	At-Risk
Males	<0.85	0.85-0.89	0.90-0.95	>0.95
Females	<0.75	0.75-0.79	0.80-0.86	>0.86

Source:  American Council on Exercise. (2010). ACE Personal Trainer Manual: 4th edition (pg. 188). San Diego: Author.