Cross Training & Healthy Diet to get ready for the Holiday Season!

After a busy summer of travel, visitors and lots of good food and wine... I decided I needed to make a change before the holiday season hit full force.

A good friend of mine is training for a full 26 mile marathon in December and while I am not quite that ambitious (yet) I thought getting out the running shoes might be a good idea. I asked her to set me up with a easy training schedule to follow to help me get on track with a running routine. She obliged by giving me a 5 week course to follow that really helped me "ease" into the running, or in my case "jogging" routine again.

As I followed her schedule for "training for a 5k run", I continued to cross train with my spin classes, three days a week and my swim workouts twice a week, along with longer workouts on my road bike two or three times a week. I noticed that not only was I less "bored" with my workouts now, but I was seeing results again. My muscles were being a challenged again as I added diversity to my routine.

Cross training is a great way to condition different muscle groups, develop a new set of skills, and reduce boredom that creeps in after months of the same exercise routines. Cross training also allows you the ability to vary the stress placed on specific muscles or even your cardiovascular system. After months of the same movements your body becomes extremely efficient performing those movements, and while that is great for competition, it limits the amount of overall fitness you possess and reduces the actual conditioning you get while training; rather than continuing to improve, you simply maintain a certain level of fitness. In addition, Cross training can reduce the risk of injury from repetitive strain or overuse.

The next element of my plan was to find an easy to follow diet to get ready for the holiday season and the yummy foods that will surely added unwanted inches to my waist. I have tried a few different diet shake plans, and have had various results, when I came across the Usana Reset kit. The meal-replacement shakes are low glycemic, meaning that the ingredients are formulated to produce only small fluctuations in blood glucose levels for sustained energy to keep you satisfied longer, and the plan is only five days long and very easy to follow. You get your 3 meals a day via your shakes, in a variety of flavors: chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. You also get 10 nutrition bars, 5 peanut butter and 5 oatmeal raisin (2 a day for your snacks), and 5 days worth of the "healthy pack" vitamins. The DVD that comes in the pack helps to educate and inspire you to do what you need to do to stay on track. The Reset kit boasts a 5 pound lose in 5 days, with no starvation. So far, I'm on day 3 and it is working great. I recommend drinking plenty of water to flush your system. I also incorporated the Usana  Rev3 surge pack drink mix in one water a day, to give me an added boost of energy.

I am now getting psyched to do a triathalon. Part of the motivation for me to continue to train, I have added a long term goal. I am planning on participating in the sprint tri in Santa Barbara next summer. But for now, I will be fitting into the cute party dresses for the holidays and loving it!

Staying Fit & Having Fun - A Healthy Spin on Things!

About Three years ago I decided that jogging was going to do my knees in and it just wasn't so enjoyable for me anymore. That's when I started evaluating my choices based on my age, my location and my exercise time constraints

I live in California (I'm lucky to have decent weather most of the time), in a small town with beautiful rolling hills and lots of horse ranches and vineyards. I looked around at what people who came to visit did, (besides all the touristy things like wine tasting and eating pastries), and realized that a majority of them cycled. Turns out there are an amazing amount of great cycling routes right outside my front door.

I started my cycle fitness by taking spin classes. It may not be necessary for everyone to start this way, but it gave me the confidence to know that I had built up the stamina for staying out for an hour or two on my bike. Another way to do this, is to purchase a "trainer" for your road bike. It is a stationary device in which you place your bike and do your work out without leaving your house, garage or where ever you place your trainer and bike combo. This is also a good way to get to know your bike, how to shift the gears, where to place your hands, etc.

Now it was time to do some serious cycling, so I signed up for a few local events. I started with the 50 mile rides and worked up to the 100 miles rides. Now I am hooked! What a great way to get out, see the beautiful countryside and get invigorated.

Burn calories and boost your cardiovascular health. Biking is a low-impact way to accomplish both of these. It's an idea activity if you have lower-back or knee problems.

Before exercising, Stretch out. Do gentle movement-based stretches like arm circles and walking lunges to increase your range of motion. After your ride, when your body is sufficiently warm, switch to held stretches, like hip flexor stretch (good for hips tight from sitting at a desk).

When considering which bike to purchase...
First, decide what type of riding fits your lifestyle and agenda. For trail riding, choose a rugged mountain bike. For riding long distances on paved roads, choose a lightweight, speedy road bike. For commuting to work or running errands (a great way to burn calories while you accomplish daily tasks) consider a hybrid bike, which combines some features of mountain and road bikes.

Does your bike fit you properly?
As a general guideline, you should be able to stand over the bike, with your feet on the ground, with an inch or two of clearance between your tailbone and the top bar of the bike. The saddle should be sized to support your sit bones but not your entire rear-end.

Choose a bike based on how comfortable you feel on it, how easy it is to switch gears and whether you feel confident on it.