Movie Review: "Soul Surfer"

I took my older kids to see the movie "Soul Surfer" the other day. We really enjoyed it. The acting won't win any awards I don't think, but the message was amazing. It tells the true story of a young woman in Hawaii who was a champion competitive surfer. While resting on her board out in the water one day she was attacked by a shark and lost one of her arms. Many people would have pretty much given up on life in general at that point, but this girl through faith and determination, and with the love and support of her family and church group, goes on to inspire others through service and by retraining herself to compete at the highest levels in the surfing community. She didn't give up when the going got rough. When one thing didn't work she tried another, until she found a way. And in the end she fulfilled her dreams against the odds, and helped others find courage to reach for theirs as well.

We often feel discouraged and want to give up on our fitness goals. We feel like our bodies have changed with age and weight gain and just aren't capable anymore of what they once were. Watching this movie will inspire us to remember that where there is will to work hard and the grit to keep on trying...we can accomplish great things. If she can do it so can we!!! I would definitely recommend seeing this movie.

Workout With Friends

I'm going early in the morning to lead an exercise class at my church building. That's not as impressive as it sounds. I'm simply putting in a DVD and doing the workout along with the ladies. There are other women who "teach" more than I do on other weeks. One who does Jazzercize and a group that do a Hip Hop class.  Today it's my turn again though and we will be doing the P90X KenpoX workout together. Probably about ten of us gathering together to kick and punch off the pounds while the little ones run around and play in the back of the gym.

I'm telling you this to illustrate a point. That it is way more fun to workout with friends. Let's face it...exercise can be tough. When the alarm goes off first thing in the morning it is really easy to just hit the snooze button several times until it is too late to fit in the workout. Oh come on now...you know you've done that too.  Hard to embrace the burn and the sweat some days. Even though we know it is good for us, we still would rather not sometimes. The treadmill can be boring. Running outside can get cold. Working so hard while the rest of the family sleeps can bring out the martyr in the best of us.

But getting together with a group of people who share your same goals...
Having someone that is expecting you that you don't want to let down by not showing up...
Having a friend to chat with...

It all helps overcome the inertia and makes the experience far more enjoyable overall. When working out with others you can push each other a little further and support each other. Working out together can really build your friendships too, which is just as important to overall happiness in life as our physical health. So get a group together. Or even just one friend to walk with a few days a week. It's fun!

Happy Easter

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter tomorrow. Enjoy the time with your family and friends!!!  And go ahead...eat a little candy with the kids. Then run a little extra the next day! :-)

Earth Day

Today is Earth Day! Perfect day to get out for a run, walk or hike and enjoy this beautiful world we live in.

Gearing Up For The Grand Canyon

On May 13th I'm going to be hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim. Starting at one side at about 5 am and hopefully climbing out the other side 9 to 10 hours later. I'm a little nervous about this , but excited to take on the challenge. My Step- Dad leads a group through twice a year and it's become a bit of a right of passage in the family. My 20 year old son and my 16 year old daughter have done it previously. This time my 18 year old son and my 12 year old daughter and I will be going. It will be fun to share that experience with two of my kids. But it's definitely not going to be easy. I'm down to just a few weeks now so have to start getting more serious about training for it. Here's my plan:

Mondays: P90X Kenpo

Tuesdays: Run two miles

Wednesdays: P90X Plyometrics

Thursdays: Run two miles

Fridays: P90X Kenpo

Saturdays: Run two miles

Sundays: Rest

In addition I will be climbing the main stairs in my house 50 times a day to get those climbing muscles going strong. I want to drop about 5 pounds beforehand too so I have less to carry. :-) Wish me luck!!

Review: Tracy Anderson - Perfect Design Series

A friend of mine loaned me this DVD series to try and review. So I've been doing these workouts this week. I would give them a mixed review. A 3 out of 5 maybe? I found the warm-up and arm segments to be rather chaotic and hard to follow. To be fair it may be my lack of dance skills to blame, but I had a tough time figuring out what she was doing most of the time. But the exercise segments themselves were very good. She is in great shape herself and has a pleasant soothing voice. I liked that there was minimal equipment necessary...only a chair at a few points so they could be done almost anywhere. The moves were designed to use your own body weight and resistance to help push your muscles. The series seems geared more to body sculpting than aerobics, and the key to her program appeared to be repetition with many many reps of each move. I was pretty sore the next day when I did these workouts and new muscle patterns were tested and tried. The DVD's show endorsements from Courtney Cox and Shakira who are no doubt far better dancers than I am. So I am sure that the parts I had a hard time with would get easier after a few times through watching more closely. Overall a pretty good program.


Tracy Anderson Perfect Design Series: Sequence II

Water For Weight Loss

photo by, Ryan Faulkner Photography

Water is an essential element in any weight loss program. It is generally recommended that we drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day for optimal health. Why is it so important?

- Water has no calories and effectively fills the stomach which reduces our hunger level so we are less likely to overeat.

- Dehydration is often perceived by the brain as hunger. So often when we think we need food, what our body really needs is a drink of water. Again we avoid consuming empty or unnecessary calories by staying adequately hydrated.

- Water flushes out toxins and waste products from the body which allows our organs to function properly. When we allow those toxins to build up, the body organs have to work harder to compensate and we feel tired more frequently. This makes keeping up with our workout programs far more difficult.

- Approximately 2/3 of the body is made up of water. Every cell needs it in order to thrive. Additionally water protects and lubricates the joints which is very important with the added stresses of exercise that we are imposing when trying to lose weight. We get sick less often when drinking enough water as well as have fewer head and body aches.

-  Water helps regulate body temperature which is critical when running and sweating from workouts.

- Water also aids in digestion, which in turn boosts your metabolism so you can burn more calories even while standing still.


Signs that you are not drinking enough water?

- Urine with a strong odor and/or that is dark in color.

- Dry skin, mouth and eyes.

- Fatigue

- Thirst. Bear in mind that by the time you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated so drinking even before you feel the signs of thirst is best.

Come up with a system for yourself to remind you to drink enough fluids. A chart on the wall or computer can help. I drink a standard size water bottle and then fill it two more times during the day and I then know I've had the right amount. Juices and other drinks can substitute for some of the requirement, but they come with added calories and sugars which are not ideal. Coffee and sodas are actually counterproductive because the caffeine and sodium are dehydrating substances, so avoid them if you can. If you absolutely must consume them, be sure to drink extra water that day to compensate.