Who has time to get a workout in? Depending on what you’re doing or have planned for the day, it may get put off until later.

And if it gets put off, it may never happen. So, it’s a good idea if you can, to make your workout one of the first things you do each day.

Here’s a little video I made, which for me, is a supplement to my regular workouts. This is done indoors and only takes a couple minutes to do.

And who doesn’t have just a couple of extra minutes to spend on themselves? Make this a part of your regular routine and it becomes easier to do!

Most people think that in order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in. But that’s not how it works.

Most weight loss occurs when the range between calories taken in and calories burned is between 300 to 500. In other words, if you’re consuming 2,000 calories per day and burning 1,800, you’ll still lose weight, as long as you’re somewhere within this range.

When you try to starve yourself, or take in fewer calories than you’re used to, the body reacts and goes into storage mode. It stores all the fat it can and continues to if you keep starving yourself.

When you keep your body’s metabolism high by giving it enough fuel, it burns more calories. Get some free information on metabolism by signing up for my mailing list on the right sidebar of this blog!

Tonight I went for a run just after it got dark out. My original intention was to hit the road while it was still light out. But, I waited a bit too long.

At least, I got the workout in on what I call the shortest day of the year. Since we spring forward tonight, and for the most part, set the clocks before we go to bed, it’s a short day by an hour.

Tomorrow, if I run at this same time of night, it’ll be light out still. Ahh, signs of spring in the air as we approach better weather and longer days! Before long, I can stop wearing gloves, a hat, and a long sleeve top!

Read more wordpress blogs about springing forward for 2009 here.

Well, I just got past a knee injury and am back running pain-free again for the most part. That is, until last weekend.

I developed a pain in my right heel which makes it hard to stand on it at times. So, this is where the cross training comes in.

If this was summer time with good weather, I’d rely more on biking on the roads instead of running until the heel gets better. Luckily, I belong to a fitness club and am able to use their equipment for the sake of variety.

Ordinarily, I’d go for about a 4 or 5 mile run. Before going outside, I’d strap on the Garmin Forerunner 305. But with my heel the way it is, I did some cross training instead.

I spent the first 10 minutes on a lifecycle. The guy next to me was on a bike with a wheel that generated a slight breeze, so it was nice to get that during the 10-minute workout. After that, I headed over to the stairclimber for another 10 minutes. Then next to that, I got onto the elliptical trainer for another 10. By the time I was done, it was a great workout and didn’t even seem like 30 minutes.

None of this workout put any undue pressure on the heel, so it didn’t make it any worse for wear. I’ve done some occasional cycling on the stationary bike, as well as using the elliptical, but it’s been a while since I’ve been on the stairclimber. That’s the one I should add to the routine more often. This is good use of the calves and quads.

Even if you’re not dealing with an injury, cross training provides a diversion from the routine and targets some muscles differently than running. And this can only enhance your overall running fitness. To your good health!

Leave me a comment if you enjoyed my short article, thanks!

Lactic acid is produced when we run a workout and burn glycogen without oxygen. The harder and more intense the run is, the more lactic acid we create. When the lactic acid enters the blood, it breaks down into both lactate and hydrogen ions. Running feels more difficult as the rate of hydrogen ions increases. This makes it hard for the muscles to contract and contributes to that burning feeling after a good workout.

With enough training, we can stave off the hydrogen ions and delay the onset of the burning sensation. The goal is to run workouts that take you beyond your lactate threshold – easier said than done. But that’s the key to running faster with better endurance.

One way to push past your threshold is to do interval sessions on the track. For example, run four 400-meter repeats with short recovery periods. The recovery period in between could be only 200 meters. Each successive 400 will be more difficult than the last, but that’s all part of this good workout. Add this routine at least once a week to your regular workouts for better fitness as well as variety’s sake.

Several days ago, a friend gave me a unique gift of something I had only heard of before. I got 2 bottles of Mona Vie Acai Blend juice. At first I thought, since this is juice, you drink it liberally and it’s gone in only a couple of days. But it’s actually best taken in small doses. It’s more like a food supplement to be taken 1 or 2 ounces at a time, then twice a day.

All this time, I had been pronouncing this product the wrong way. It’s pronounced “ah-sah-yee”. As it turns out, these bottles are pretty pricey, so this is like liquid gold in a bottle. I’m almost through one bottle now, then onto the next. The question is, will I get hooked on it? If so, it’ll be an expensive habit to keep. And it tastes so good!

This juice has phytonutrients and antioxidants you need to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. It includes the Brazilian acai berry, as well as grape, apple, acerola, cranberry, passion fruit, and several other juices. This could indeed be a true superfood.

Have you tried this before? Let me know what you think of it.

As we get older and hormone levels decline, our healthy bones lose their structure. Our bones provide a framework supporting the muscles, skin and nerves as well as protecting the organs and other functions.

Osteoporosis is a disease of the bone that can lead up to a fracture. This is most common in women after menopause, but can also occur with men. This can be prevented by keeping the body healthy through exercise as well as getting enough calcium and vitamin D. The vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium.

Some factors that increase the risk of getting osteoporosis are excess alcohol consumption, a vitamin D deficiency, smoking, low calcium intake, being physically inactive, as well as a family history of bone-related problems. Some diseases can also increase the risk of bone loss by impacting calcium absorption

Since the body can’t produce its own calcium, it’s important to consume enough of this each day. Calcium is lost through the skin, sweat, and other bodily functions. If we don’t replace what we use, the difference comes out of our bones.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends the following guidelines for adults:
Adults under age 50 need 1,000 mg of calcium and 400 – 800 IU of vitamin D daily.

Adults 50 and over need 1,200 mg of calcium and 800 – 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily.

A cup of milk provides 300 mg of calcium and 100 IU of vitamin D. I try to get my daily intake of milk with my cereal in the morning, with lunch, then some at night with a meal or sometime afterwards. Milk tends to go pretty fast in my house so it’s a challenge sometimes to keep the refrigerator stocked up!

I got up this morning knowing I would get in a run eventually and thought about it for a few minutes. Yesterday when I was at Oakway Fitness Center, I heard that they’ll be open for New Year’s Day at 9 am. So, why not start off the year right and get there when they open?

I got there just before 9 am, changed, and went for a run from Oakway to the nearby Pre trail. It was only a total of 3 miles for an out and back course. The turnaround point was at the back of Autzen Stadium (:53 second spot on the video below), right off the trail. After returning, I got in a little stretching, 10 minutes on a stationary bike, and a few other machines for upper body fitness. I finished this off with a soak in the whirlpool. What a great start to the day, as well as to 2009.

Happy New Years to everyone! What are your fitness goals for this year?

You can check out the Pre trail here:

Workouts have taken on a whole new dimension with the Garmin Forerunner 305! For quite a while, I used the 201 until it finally broke on me. Then after that, I used a basic Polar watch with a heart rate monitor, then that stopped working for some reason. Now I have the best of both worlds with the combination of GPS and heart rate monitor in one neat package!

This Garmin picks up a signal faster than the old one, and keeps it active in dense areas. It used to be that I’d get different distances on a workout if ever the signal went out. Now that’s no longer the case.

The Forerunner 305 has so many options. It’s like bringing your coach along for the workout. The stats can be downloaded and compared from day to day.

If you’ve never had anything like this before, you’re missing out. After you use it for a while you’ll wonder how you ever got along without it. This is a must for every runner!

It’s snowing outside as I write this post. If I decide to run outdoors tomorrow, I’ll need something better than my usual running shoes. I’ll need to get a grip with that combination of ice and snow.

Here’s a way to convert an ordinary pair of running shoes into ones that can handle slippery and snowy streets and sidewalks. Get a handful of some small sheet metal screws and drill them into the soles of your shoes. Pick the thickest part of the shoes to avoid going all the way through as you insert these from the bottom. The head of the screw will end up on the bottom of the shoe, making contact with the ground. Stay away from the air or gel in the sole, if your shoes have these features. At least 5 screws per shoe should do the trick. Use only short screws 3/8″ to 1/2″ in length, otherwise you might feel these on the other side!

The design of the sheet metal screw is such that it will give you good traction and slip resistance on the road. If you have an alternate pair of seldom-used shoes to modify, this might be better than drilling into your current pair. Who says you won’t be able to run outdoors for lack of traction?