Many months later...

So... my last post was May 24...

oh boy

Since then I have... Had a baby.  With minimal drugs and interventions - had to have some for my safety and that of the baby.

May 29!  Gorgeous little boy.  we are so glad to have him

Had emergency surgery... twice.

additional bedrest to recover... 7 weeks total.

So.  that sums that up.  I've been posting primarily on my Errantsoprano blog and think I will stick to posting there and will take to posting my fitness updates over there as well... It just takes too much time with a little boy to update both!

So -

To catch up:  www.errantsoprano.blogspot.com
Check it out!  :)

37 week look-back. Expectations vs. Reality

I recently discovered a blog called Healthy Tipping Point through the Fitnessista and was SO excited once I started reading... Among other things, I have the same due date as she does! She wrote a post today about her expectations of pregnancy and the realities so far.  Inspired, I decided to do the same! So...

I am 37 weeks pregnant and I laugh, because reality did not quite match up to my expectations of pregnancy!

1) I will be that crazy fit pregnant woman. (just like when I wasn't pregnant...) Y'all knew I was expecting this...

post workout glow, dec 2010

HAH!
my body had other ideas.  working out beyond walking or yoga destroyed me, so I had to couch it.  Then I went into preterm labor at 33 weeks, 5 days and it's been bedrest since then (until now, since I'm full term! went on 2 longish walks yesterday and it was GLORIOUS). I stayed active at work, walking around, moving light furniture, etc... and best of all,  I joined an amazing prenatal yoga class at 14 weeks and I wish I could go every day!  (sadly they only have class 3 days a week, and I can really only make it one day a week...)

I can still do this, though!  31 weeks pregnant!!! :-D

2) I'm going to gain a ton of weight, get huge as a house, and enjoy every second of it!  Eat my way through our pantry with NO sense of guilt!

Before...

Now - 37 weeks

oh boy... this one...  I have only gained 21 lbs.  21.  0_0  and it was a struggle to make it there sometimes.  I'm 5'2" and small framed, but I don't know if that's an excuse.  My weight - all belly and boobs.  and don't get me wrong, I get a kick out of it, but I look like I stuck padding in my bra and a watermelon under my shirt and called it "pregnancy."  I was also surprised that I'm almost never hungry. And when I do eat, I rarely feel guilty, except when I let my sweet tooth rule.  I think the baby has flattened my stomach so there's no room.  End Result?  I'm afraid I'll weigh less after having him than I did when I got pregnant!  As for getting huge as a house... I see that top picture - or any picture of me before I got pregnant, and can't believe that I EVER looked like that!  I've gotten used to my Watermelon belly!

3) I'm going to hate knowing baby's gender.
not completely!
my husband wanted to find out, and I didn't really.  But I decided it would be too much of a strain for him to keep it from me for 20 weeks.  So, I caved.  But, you know what?  I actually LOVE knowing that I'm having a little boy.  We have gotten to get used to the name we picked for him (we have a backup in case he's a she when he comes out!), and its fun to just know sometimes... I still tried to keep our baby stuff as neutral as possible, but I can't wait to meet him and kiss his baby face, so that's enough excitement to keep me going! I think I would have loved not knowing too... Maybe the next one we can play it that way!

4) Labor and Childbirth - no worries!  ;)
Hmmm
funny thing here.  I wasn't scared, wasn't worried, never freaked.  My body is meant to do this, so it will happen.  Then I went into preterm labor.  and it never stopped, but baby hasn't arrived yet.  SO I've been in labor for 3 and a half weeks now.  and it SUCKS.  and I have moments when I'm curled up on the floor bawling because I'm in pain and i'm scared. Or a contraction wakes me up at 2 in the morning and I start crying because (and this is a quote) "I can't do this.  He's not going to fit.  Can we undo this pregnancy?"  or "I can't do this anymore.  Get him out NOW!"  I'll let you know about the childbirth part when I know!  the scary part at this very moment is that it could be tonight, tomorrow, or not till June 20... (God help me...).  So, along those lines, any prayers, good thoughts, good vibes, friendly 'ju-ju' you wanna send my way is INCREDIBLY welcome.  and accepted with love.

Barefoot and Pregnant in the Workforce

The Title was too catchy to pass up!

So, it's true - Thanks to an unfortunate footwear choice this morning, I am barefoot and pregnant in my workplace...


Those shoes are going away... they do NOT get along with my feet!

Thankfully, my wonderful coworkers are quite understanding (and have done the same from time to time)!

Its been a while since I've posted (months!) for a variety of reasons - none of which are particularly good when it comes down to it other than they stack up and make getting to the computer difficult:
1)  I've been working in an office, then
2) going to teach, then
3)  rehearsals or collapsing on the couch.
4) The house is yet to be ready for the baby and while there is very little I can actually do by myself, I'm always trying to 'help.'
5) I am the WORST at resting, even though I know i'm not going to be getting any sleep in a couple weeks, so I tend to work myself into exhaustion and then need several days in bed/on the couch  to recuperate.
6) This means that working out DEFINITELY doesn't happen.  Sometimes yoga or walking does...

On the Fitness front, I have discovered that doing anything resembling  my workouts (that weren't yoga) before baby has set me downward spiraling physically and it takes a week and a half to recuperate from them... so no 'workouts'.

As I'm sure you can imagine, I've been missing my workouts like crazy!  Can't wait to get my bodyrock on...

The good news is that I've managed to stay in pretty decent shape between work and yoga and I'm looking like this these days:


WHOAH, right?  haha
I keep getting random people coming up to me with "you're having a boy, right?"

um.... yes.  how did you know?

Apparently i'm carrying like a typical soon to be mommy of a boy. The part i'm happy about is that that baby  weight is all in the front - all 19lbs of it!

Seems like a long time since I looked like this:


or this:

The awesome thing is that I can still do this:  

that was from yoga 3 weeks ago...whose a strong mama?  

just goes to show that pregnancy doesn't have to change how strong and amazing you are except to make you MORE so.  

anyway.  That's it for now, but hopefully next time won't be so long away and the plan is to bring in a little more life - because being fit is more than just how you workout! 

~Katie

Trying out the Thai

I've been trying to at least throw something worky-outy into my day. That has been my current 'workout' maintenance. Despite my original plan (what did I know back then, really?) to be the fittest pregnant woman ever, it turns out that with work (office job) and work (teaching) and then the general exhaustion that comes with being pregnant (UGH... its actually really exhausting just to BE pregnant) it's near impossible to do actual workouts these days.

In the meantime I'm trying my hand at making Thai Curry....

Pictures to follow!

Opening to new possibilities

We've all had a moment when we realize how stuck in a rut we've gotten, right? It is our tendancy as humans to find routine pleasant and treat it like a security blanket. This applies to workouts, too.

I know you are now sitting there saying; "wait, you're always saying to find something you like and sticking with it."

Good point.

To get into a regular routine of working out, to get yourself started on the route to fitness you need to find something you can stick with long-term. However, your body will get stuck in a rut just as much as your mind tends to. Before you start to lose interest and notice that you've hit a plateau - change it up!

This may not be as much of an issue for some of you, but others - like me - tend to repeat the same workout (video, written out, gym) over and over again until our body can move through it without thinking. NOT a good habit for improving your fitness. So, here are some suggestions for changing it up:

For the Runner:

*add some weights

*go on a mountain run (or make it a brisk mountain hike)

*Snow hike

*Take a yoga class

*Try bodyrock.tv or workouts from online websites like womenshealthmag.com or mensheath.com

*try out the weight room or resistance bands.

For the weightlifter:

*go on a run

*take a long walk (any terrain)

*jump rope

*grab your bicycle and hit the hills

*take in a ZUMBA class

*go to a yoga class

For the Yogi:

*hit the trails - walk, run, jog, unicycle (ok, just joking), bicycle

*hit the gym - try out something new like an elliptical, treadmill, or rowing machine

*try a class - spin class, zumba, aerobics, dance trance, etc

*check out a workout video

*try some bodyweight (alla bodyrock.tv)

For everyone:

*go for a swim

*go for a hike

*try a new class (at the gym, community center, yoga studio)

*go for a fast walk

*try a new workout from a website.

*hit the skating rink (ice or roller)

*join a sports team

*check out something you've always wanted to do - Gymnastics, trapeze, dance classes,

*grab your bike and hit the hills (or the flats)

Some questions for the day:

What is your favorite workout?

What is your favorite way to change up your workout?

and here is a non-religion specific prayer to send you on your way today:

Reminding Myself of Myself

I have been taking it at a really good pregnancy level for my workouts - low key, but I've been feeling pretty good about them. Lots of Yoga lately, my favorite has been Prenatal Flow. It's SUCH a good workout, I'm usually a tiny bit sore the next day, but leave the class feeling worked and energized. :) Then, on Tuesday I decided to step it up a notch and rocked my own modified 'bodyrock.tv' workout:

Gymboss set for 10 seconds rest: 1 minute work x 24

1) side to side squats

2) side walks and kicks

3) side lunges, alt.

4) down dog to Plank flow

5) girl pushups

6) lunge pulses, Right Leg

7) lunge pulses, Left Leg

8) bicep curls

9) bent over Rows, Right Arm

10) bent over Rows, Left Arm

11) low squats

12) tricep dips

Unlike typical bodyrock workouts, I didn't push full out, rested when I needed to, and didn't count reps, so no scores!

End result, though, is that I'm going on 2 days of being SORE!!! My legs have been on fire! This would rock your world, pregnant or not!

Goal now is to find moderation - somewhere between Tuesday's workout and daily yoga!

P.S. We had our 20 week ultrasound yesterday and ITS A BOY!!! Dinosaur (my hubby) is understandably excited!

~Katie

Working past the winter 'blahs'

Now that Winter has finally hit northern California (hooray!) I thought this would be a good time to talk about making a change in your fitness for the new year and how to keep it going past the first 2 months!

So - first things first- Come up with realistic answers to these questions:

1) What am I hoping to achieve?

2) what are my goals for this week? this month? this year?

3) What am I willing to change?

4) HOW am I willing to change?

5) what is going to keep me motivated?

6) WHY and WHAT am I trying to change?

Answering these questions (and maybe you have more, that I didn't mention?) allows you to get an idea of what your serious goals are (what recurs?) and start your journey!

1) What you're hoping to achieve - I could get on my high horse here and tell you it should be something like "a strong and healthy heart" or "a better sense of health" or "be fit enough to have energy for the day", but we all know No.1 on most of our goals is to look better and feel better about how we look. Eventually, this may segue to the others, but for now... for a start - it'll do.

2) what are your goals for this week, month, year - this will give you practice making goals (hopefully realistic) that will help guide your progress. It also will help you connect to the rest of the questions in a realistic, achievable way.

3) What are you willing to change - This is important! What you are willing to change will determine (in a big way) what your progress will be and how you will progress. Are you willing to change your eating habits? Sleeping habits? Time use habits (c'mon people, I'm as addicted to facebook as you are!) Only you know the REALISTIC answer to this question. For example, I keep telling myself I'm going to stop eating sugar and that I won't eat artificial sweeteners (which I don't anyway - gross!), but I know that realistically, I'm not going to be able to cut sugar out of my diet completely. I'm not fully willing to change that part of my diet!

4) HOW are you willing to change - are you willing to change how you think about yourself? how you think/feel about exercise? about food? How can you make changes that will help your journey - only you can answer this!

5) what is going to keep you motivated - do you need someone else to keep you accountable? can you do it yourself? Maybe you need a picture to remind you of goals (or where you were that you don't want to go back to). Motivation - a serious, long term motivation - is what will keep you going when you most want to stop.

6) WHY and WHAT are you trying to change - Hah! this sounds familiar (see question 1). "I want to have slimmer thighs because I want to feel sexy in my jeans." sound familiar? :-D But seriously, think about why you want to change what you want to change. It will bring everything around.

Next up - workout options to keep you going in the new year!

- Katie

What I love about being Pregnant

This post isn't strictly fitness, but it's related enough to post here! :)

Things I've found I love about being pregnant:

1) I have a newly found and totally awesome love for my body.
2) I'm excited to put on weight (though, I've always had a little trouble putting on weight, I was never particularly excited when I did - now I am!)
3) I feel WAY more connected with my body in some ways because every feeling seems exaggerated.
4) I appreciate food more. In a very real sense I feel like food is now an amazing fuel, not just something that I eat and gorge on because I love the flavors. I'm super conscious now of what i'm putting in my body and how it will affect the baby!
5) I appreciate yoga so much more. I've always loved yoga, but since I've gotten pregnant, it's pretty much all I want to do! LOVE the way yoga-especially prenatal - makes me feel!

I'm sure there will be more as things get really awesome around here (Can't wait to feel the baby getting it's exercise on), but for now, this kind of does it!

My new AMAZING treat

I recently realized that I was probably not getting enough protein (and some other nutrients) for baby building, so I came up with this super yummy smoothie in which I steal some of the hubby's chocolate protein powder (whey source). It tastes like a banana split to me!

1 cup frozen mixed berries
1/2 frozen banana
1/3 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1 scoop (came in the package) of chocolate Whey protein powder
1/4 cup fruit juice (I've been using gran-grape, but any would work)
3/4 cup vanilla almond milk (I mix TJ's unsweetened and sweetened)

Blend and enjoy! it makes about 2 8 oz smoothies. :)

Welcome to the 2nd Trimester!

Wow! I've made it to 14 weeks! :)

The amazing thing is that about 2 days ago I started to have energy again. I still poop-out around 8 or 9 o'clock, but my days are much more palatable, because i want to do something OTHER than lay on the couch all day!

Here is how my fatigue progressed (and the effect it had on my 'workouts')

At 4 weeks, when I found out I was expecting, I was excited and still had some energy going for me. At that point, I tired out more easily than before, but I could still happily and easily go on a 2 mile brisk walk, no problem.

At 6 weeks, all sorts of 'ugh' started happening. I was hit like a brick with nausea and fatigue and then I started experiencing some scary spotting. The effect of all of this was that the couch was my new best friend. For the next 2 weeks, I was a couch surfer. My exercise consisted of walking around the house and walking at rehearsals (aka, work).

Around 8 weeks I started noticing that I would get up, have 20 minutes of energy, and then I was done for the day. The nausea was still present, as was some occasional spotting, so I continued to take it EASY.

11 weeks and sun started to shine - my appetite came back some. Still some nausea and still only 20 minutes of energy a day, but I could face food again. Hooray! This happened to coincide with Thanksgiving, and nothing sounded better to me than turkey with cranberry relish and mashed potatoes with gravy. At this point I also saw a doctor (again, make this appt number 3, 'emergency' appointment, no. 2). This time I was put on antibiotics that made me dizzy, so... The couch surfer was back. Since said appointment with said antibiotics, no spotting (touch wood).

13 weeks, 5 days - I suddenly had energy again. It is mind blowing! I've been SO busy that the pregnancy fatigue has been KILLER. It is at this point (aka, last tuesday) that I welcomed yoga back into my routine. The most amazing part is that on that day I had a dentist appointment, did prenatal yoga, taught as a guest lecturer in a High school Choir Class, then went to work for an almost normal full length day and didn't start to slide on energy until 6:30. Not bad!

13 weeks, 6 days - Work then a gig. I work Tues/Thurs nights until 10 (and I am ready to fall asleep around 9), so I was exhausted from my long day the day before, but I survived work, a gig, some grocery shopping, and cooking dinner before I passed out at 8:30.

14 weeks (today!!!) - I woke up after having fallen asleep at 8:30 last night, got my breakfast, made the hubby coffee (then cleaned the coffeepot), and gave the house a cleaning once over before doing some yoga and couchtime. all before heading to work.

Hooray!

Katie

A new twist

So, Its been a while (again!), but this time for a very very good reason! Hubby and I are expecting! It's been a little bit of a rough ride so far, so my workouts have gone by the wayside for the moment, but things are getting better and I'm working my way back to working out. The biggest thing with pregnancy is changing your workout to adjust to body changes. I'm only 12 weeks and I already have a belly going, but have only gained 1lb, so the my body shape and balance has changed. Our little munchkin is about 2-3 inches now and boy does he wear me out! The Fatigue (it's extreme, you never realize how much until you're there) has also slowed my interested in working out. Lately, my workout has mostly been walking, lots of walking!

I've also felt sore like I've been working out regularly, particularly my abs - go go muscle stretching!

here is me in July/August - before

here I am at 11 weeks and 5 days! Teeny-tiny bump replacing my flat tummy!

So, now my family knows, and I've made my blogging announcement this blog will (hopefully) share my workout adventures as a cute, roly-poly pregnant woman!

Keeping up with the bloggers...

I am not, but here goes another little post. I have recently come to the realization that blogging can be crazy difficult to do sometimes! I've been exploring lower impact, 'easier' but effective ways to get a workout in that's not as hardcore. Considering that I work and teach (I'm a private music teacher) and often get home exhausted, my only real chance to get my workout in is early in the morning, so gentler workouts that take more time are basically out of the question!

What I've found in doing my 'light cardio' workouts is that I miss my weight training, so its time to fit that back in!

Have you ever gone and tried something new exercise-wise? Did you miss your old routine? Did changing things up motivate you more, or make you less likely to do your workouts?

Life in the real world as a fitness buff!

Hey folks!

I'm trying to continue blogging on at least a monthly basis, though we'll see how long it lasts - I may just start posting my workouts again! :-P

I'm back to the rehearsal grind at the youth symphony I work at, which means I'm back to lifting and pushing things that often weigh as much, if not more, than I do! The other bright side is that I have lots of time in the morning to do as long or as intense of a workout as I want... Or I can take a the time to do a nice long yoga session. :)

I've been doing some awesome reading lately. I totally discovered Google Reader (about time, right?) and I'm loving having all my favorite blogs in one place. It has also gotten me to discover a couple other new ones! Here are some I've been reading that you might enjoy:

- http://fitnessista.com/

- http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/

- http://blogs.yogajournal.com/activeyogi/

- http://blogs.yogajournal.com/beginnersmind/

- http://blogs.yogajournal.com/enlightenedmotherhood/

- http://maggiebasiaga.wordpress.com/author/maggiebasiaga/

Predictable? Perhaps, but I enjoy them every moment I spend reading them! :)

Since I'm here, I want to send you with some lifestyle thoughts to go away with:

Sleep - what are your sleep habits and how do you feel when you wake up?

Exercise - what are your exercise habits and how do you feel after your workouts?

Food - what are your eating habits and how do you feel after eating?

Identifying your own habits will help you to stay on your journey towards health!

Fall into Shape!

Hi guys,

It's been a while, I know, I know. Sometimes it's so hard to keep up with the blog, work a job and a half, and still see my husband when I get home!

So, we finally went on our official honeymoon (to Kauai) and it is SUCH a great place to get your active on! Seriously, even people who aren't usually active find themselves being super active and acting like they're fit! ;) Even me, during my sluggish and lazy teenage years (as you can read here). Why is this?

Hawaii is such a naturally beautiful place, that you want to be out in nature. Many of the sights, you have to do some sort of little hike or other to see, so that gets you going with little spurts of movement. In the 2 times I've been to Hawaii, all 3 places we (first my family and I, then Ethan and I) required that we climb at least 2 sets of stairs to get to them. This is, of course, not always the case, but it didn't hurt my experiences of Hawaii! There are a lot of beautiful places to hike, and you don't want to sit out! Most of them are not crazy difficult and therefore completely accessible - who wants to sit out on that kind of opportunity!?

Then there is the water and the water sports. Most hotels/condos/resorts/timeshares that you stay at will have a pool for the guests. The ocean is warm (well, warmer than the pacific in NorCal) and so swimming in the ocean is comfortable. There are lots of opportunities to; Kayak, SUP, Surf, Boogeyboard, snorkel, scuba (if you go for that), and just swim with the added challenge of swimming or treading water with waves. So, when you're only there for a week or two and want to do as much as possible, there is no way you can be anything but totally active!

Anyway, it's fall again and what other season is there that is better for change?

The awesome thing about your journey towards getting fit, in shape, and healthy is that you can start small. You don't have to jump right into a 6 mile run in order to get into shape. In fact, doing that is the worst possible idea. So, how are you going to make this change in your life?

First steps first - start small.

Today or tomorrow or just soon do an assessment of where you are, fitness-wise. ask yourself these questions:

*how many pushups can I do?

*If I go for a run, how long can I run before i'm so uncomfortable, have cramps, joints start talking?

*how long can I jump rope for before I have to stop?

*how many crunches/sit-ups can I do?

once you've gotten some idea of where you are, find something small that you can do on a daily or bi-daily basis. It doesn't have to be anything big. There are a lot of resources available to you - Gyms, classes, the internet.

I'm going to give you a short, quick start to get you boosted and on your way, but first there is a list of resources I want you to look at. See if any click for you and are something you can stick with:

1) Netflix - yes, they have workout videos that you can order or stream.

2) exercise.tv - amazing website, you can buy workouts inexpensively or take advantage of the free ones.

3) bodyrock.tv - I wax on and on about this website because it's methods work. because it's workouts are accessible and only take 30 minutes or less to complete most of the time.

4) Hulu - yes, they actually have workout videos on hulu too! check them out here.

5) Your gym - there are gyms all over the place; 24 hour, California Family Fitness, 19 fitness, YMCA. There are a bunch around and they all have equipment to work out and most have classes you can take like aerobics, zumba, yoga, etc. and many have personal trainers who can help you on your journey.

6) The pavement outside - run, walk, jog, bike, roller skate. the pavement is calling.

7) women's health, men's health, yoga journal, fitness magazine, prevention magazine, Shape magazine, and others.

8) map my run

9) Yoga studios. They are all over the place. Just keep your eyes open and check out yelp.com for local ones.

Now, these are just a few of the resources you can check out. Don't let my suggestions be the end of where you look! Look for something that you love and can stick with.

Finally, here is your fall kickstart - a workout that uses no equipment but you, that should take no longer than 30 minutes (hopefully fewer) and will get you started on your journey. For most of my workouts I use a gymboss timer.

Fall into Shape:

go through this set of exercises 3 times.

1) 10 pushups -if you can't do full pushups, do girly ones off of your knees

2) 10 jump squats - if the jumping kills you on first go for normal squats - no jump. if too easy try for squat jump tucks.

3) 10 pike pushups

4) 40 high knees - each knee up counts as one rep

5) 30 bicycles - each knee in counts as one rep.

here are your exercise explanations:

Push up-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh00_rniF8E

jump squat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDOs1RrpPqo

squat jump tuck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpVS89H6t08

Pike pushups

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQLIy2psniI

high knees

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZZoCNMU48U

bicycles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ALYw6hy6Gc

One of these days I'll figure out my technology and get videos of myself up here!

~katie

Your 'Big' Goals.

In an earlier post I talked about setting small, realistic, day-to-day goals to achieve their long-term goals. The important component to that is that you have a realistic long-term goal. For example, My long term goal is to be as functionally fit as I can be and to be the healthiest I can be, so all of my short term fitness goals are with that in mind. This is a healthy type of goal to hold in regards to your exercise goals because it's not focused on appearances. Studies have shown that many people whose fitness and exercise goals are centered on their appearances give up and don't stick with their fitness routines because they don't see instant results. So, if you have trouble sticking with your short range goals, ask yourself why that is. Are your long term goals too unrealistic to the point that you quit because you aren't seeing the results you want?

In other news, I've been reading again! By now, you've probably all figured out that i'm a voracious reader. I love reading, and every time I see something that catches my eye regarding fitness, I read it. The most recent book is Real-world fitness by Kathy Kaehler.

What I liked best about this book is that she's very real about fitness and how you can get it to fit into your life! She also has a rock solid reputation that has been in place for many years.

so, I highly recommend this read.

If there are any books you highly recommend, let me know!

Workout No.1

So - the text again:

"Here's a home gym for KatieFit... I'm watching a movie and just worked the crap out of my quads and glutes. Wanna write a routine for it?"

so, here is your routine! (I'll post a video of the moves later):

go through this set of exercises 2 times (i'm assuming that your step can bear weight):

1) 15 Squats with dumbell press

2) 12 Right leg step-ups

3) 10 Romanian Deadlift and Rows

4) 12 Left leg step-ups

5) 15 Push ups with jumping jack legs

6) 10/leg plie squat with opening chest fly

7) 20 alt single leg toe touches (10/leg)

8) 24 Sumo pulses with legs

9) 5 Matrix ab exercises

10) 10 lunges with right foot on step

11) 25 mountain climbers (double count)

12) 10 lunges with left foot on step

13) 25 dumbell swings (you can use a medicine ball, kettle bell, or weighted sandbag here)

14) 25 bicycles (double count)

if you really want a goal to work for, time yourself and share your scores!

-Katie

A New Challenge for me - A New Opportunity for you!

Hi everyone,

I received a text this weekend I'd like to share with you and it got me thinking about a new thing to try here on KatieFit!

So here is essence of the text (accompanied by this picture):

"Here's a home gym for Katiefit... wanna write a routine for it?"

This got me thinking that this could be a really good theme for this blog- at least for a while. So here's the deal:

send me an email to KatieFitBlog@yahoo.com with a picture of what you have to work out with space-wise, equipment-wise, and let me know what you have to work with time-wise and I'll develop a workout for what you have available to you!

We can make it a further challenge by having you guys post your own varieties in the comments of each post! (if you want :-p)

So- by the end of the day, I hope to have a workout for this one and maybe some more emails to work with for future posts!

-Katie

Accountability

So, last night I wrote about goals and how setting realistic short-term goals can help you achieve your long-term goals of getting in shape (and/or losing weight). Today, I wanted to write a short post about another aspect that helps you achieve your goals. And that is...

Acountability!

yet another 'cliche' about achieving your goals. You've probably heard it a 'million' times - you need some way (or someone) to hold you accountable to your short term goals in order to achieve the long term goals.

So - who do you trust to hold you to your goals? If you trust yourself to keep you accountable, then there is your answer. If you don't trust yourself, and many of us don't, try to find a buddy with whom you can split the 'responsibilty' of both of your fitness. You can work out together and check in with each other to make sure that you are both sticking to your goals.

and, just a side-note: both goal-setting and having some sort of accountability system can help you achieve just about anything you're aiming at; learning/perfecting an instrument, learning a new skill like dance or painting, or training for a sport...

Goal-Setting

After a long while of inconsistent and incomplete workouts (due to the arm surgery) I'm back with a touch of philosophy about why some people succeed in their fitness goals while others struggle and give up, never succeeding in their quest to be fitter, healthier people.

Now that I'm working back into my regular workout scheduling I've been thinking about what it is that makes me succeed in my fitness goals even despite setbacks like the sprained ankle and arm surgery. The answer is very 'elementary school.'

Remember in school when your teachers talked about goal setting? I remember several teachers of mine going into HOW you should set goals. She would say that the key is to set a group of goals, short term goals and long term goals. Most importantly, the goals had to be ACHIEVABLE and REALISTIC.

So, what makes a goal achievable?

When it's something you can actually do, it's achievable. So - Setting a goal to workout for an hour a day, every day of the week if you work 40 hours a week is not realistic or achievable. setting a goal to workout 3 times a week for 20 minutes is far more achievable.

So, my goal to get back into working out regularly again - which is made challenging by my limitations from my arm and my long work days - is to workout or do yoga for at LEAST 10 minutes a day.

My goal for my health in my diet is to drink more water daily and make sure to include as many fruits and vegetables into my diet as I can manage.

What are your REALISTIC and ACHIEVABLE short term goals to improve your health and fitness?

I'm back and I'm answering a question!

Q: Hi Katiefit! so, why does my neck hurt when i do crunches and sit ups?

A: There are probably multiple reasons for this. The first is that your head is the heaviest single part of the body (on average it's 10-12lbs) and in the sit up position it's supported solely by your neck. ouch!- especially if you don't have the vertebrae and muscles aligned into the strongest position. Secondly, a lot of people use their heads and necks to create the action of a sit up. In other words, you're doing a sit up by pulling your head up rather than engaging your abs to pull up your shoulders.

My first suggestion to avoid this is to stop doing sit ups for a little while until your abs are stronger. I highly suggest standing abdominal exercises like these:

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/standing-ab-workout

also, try doing the ab bicycle exercise with your head on the ground. reach to your opposite knee with your hand instead of elbow to avoid pulling on the head. Another series of exercises you can try are plank-based exercises. Start in Plank from your forearms or your hands (pushup position). from here, you can do one of these options: a) balance and hold for 30 seconds and repeat, b) lift one leg at a time and balance and hold for at least 15 seconds, c) balance on one leg while you bring the other inside (under you), across (under you towards the opposite shoulder) and to the outside (to the outside of the shoulder on the same side) - then switch legs.

When you go back to doing crunches and sit ups make sure you don't have your hands ON your head. if you feel you should have them there, allow them to float behind your head. or you can cross them across your chest, or just keep them down by your hips (like in high school when they were making sure you went far enough. Was I the only one with this experience?)

Hope this helps!

Katie

references:

http://www.neckpainsupport.com/2010/07/neckpainwhileworkingout.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/378677-neck-pain-while-exercising/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/263465-how-to-avoid-neck-pain-during-exercise/