Fun
I’ve probably whined 1,394 times about how much my two year old hates the gym daycare. Usually an easy-going kid, he turns into a crazed lunatic if I even mention the g-word.{gym}. Frustrating as someone who actually enjoys fitness and working out. Stressful as someone who uses exercise as a mental sanity tool.
Instead of simply whining and crying about {because, yes, I will continue to whine}, I also try to make it a point to fit in exercise throughout the rest of my day. It may not be the peaceful mental break that I dream of, but at least I’m staying healthy and active. An added bonus, I’m teaching my kid to be healthy and active and that fitness is fun.
We ride bikes {or rather, I chase after him}, we run races down the street and throughout the house. We jump, we dance, we climb. The key for both of us is making it something fun and realistic.
I recently got a chance to try out Just Dance 2015, an interactive video game where, non surprisingly, all you have to do is dance. I knew I’d like it, but I wasn’t sure how it would go over with a two year old. I shouldn’t have wondered – it was hit. Now after breakfast every morning he asks if he can “dance to the movie on tv”.
While there are tons of top pop songs on the dance list, we’ve been doing “What Did the Fox Say?” on repeat because of course my toddler thinks it’s hilarious. There’s also a Tetris song, one with a frog, and a dancing Santa. Luckily he hasn’t jumped on the Frozen bandwagon yet. You can imagine how many times we’ve done those. I’d say his favorite of all his Katy Perry’s Dark Horse, which now I can’t listen to on the radio without seeing the Egyptian-like dance moves that are on the screen.
At first I thought it’d be the kind of game where you step on different symbols on a mat, but instead it’s free-form. That’s good because you can really dance, bad because someone can see you really dance. 
It’s been a fun way to incorporate a little extra physical activity into our day, and I’m looking forward to have something to keep us moving when the weather starts to turn colder.
In addition to being fun, Just Dance has partnered with Stomp Out Bullying to raise awareness and help put an end to childhood bullying, and to show people everywhere that “it’s okay to dance to your own beat!”
You can find Just Dance 2015 on Amazon.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Sports Nutrition
Back in my former life I was a sports dietitian.
Ok, I still am, but most days it doesn’t feel like that. I spend more of my time writing and chasing after a wild 13 month old than I do training clients. I’m ok with that {for now}, but when I get a chance to merge the worlds of sports nutrition and writing I get extra excited. Call me lame, I don’t care.
Today’s sports nutrition topic is… tart cherry juice!
One of the most important –and overlooked- elements of training is muscle recovery. You have to adequately recover before you can move on to your next training session and expect to make improvements in your performance. It may seem boring, but proper recovery isn’t as hard to achieve as you might think. And when I say “training”, I don’t mean you have to be some elite athlete- this applies to anybody looking to maximize their workouts, even if you do those workouts in the corner of your living room in what little spare time you have.
Back to muscle recovery. Most of the time we turn to protein for recovery after a workout. The amino acids that form protein help rebuild and repair the microscopic tears that occur in muscle tissue during training. It should be noted that carbohydrate after a workout is also important as it helps replenish lost glycogen stores. {Here’s some more about protein in exercise recovery from Active.com.}
But we’re not talking about protein today. You likely already know a bit about protein, but do you know about tart cherry juice? It seems like an odd thing to associate with sports training or working out {usually juice is just a source of empty calories}, but research has shown some beneficial effects of using tart cherry juice to add with muscle recovery.
Some theories?
– The antioxidants in tart cherry juice {specifically from Montmorency cherries} may reduce damage from oxidative stress caused by intense exercise.
– Tart cherry juice contains polyphenolic compounds, such as flavonoids and anthocyanins, that reduce inflammation.
– The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds in tart cherry juice can reduce the symptoms associated with intense exercise, including pain and loss of strength.
If you’re interested in research-y type things, you can read more:
Cheribundi, a company that makes tart cherry juice, sent me some samples to try a few months. While I’m not training for anything big right now, I do maximize my limited workout time by doing short, high intensity strength training. Most of the time it leaves me sore and feeling the burn for a couple days. {Which is good, but makes the next workout harder.}
I decided to give the cherry juice a try by including it in my post workout routine. My assessment? I’m less sore these days. But let’s be honest: I’m not a scientific study. I can’t tell you whether it’s the cherry juice, the post-workout protein intake, improvement in muscle strength from being consistent, or any other number of factors. I can tell you it tastes good though! The ginger and chocolate flavors are fun, but I’ve yet to try those. I prefer the original cherry juice, because if you’re drinking it for recovery, why skimp? {The
“skinny” version cuts the tartness with stevia as opposed to apple juice.} I don’t love that the bottle clearly states “Not From Concentrate”, but they’re only referring to the cherries- the apple juice is from concentrate. It’s needed for the flavor though- the word “tart” isn’t emphasized for nothing!
{Cheribundi makes a whey protein tart cherry juice which may be the best of both worlds: protein + antioxidants. I didn’t test this one since I can’t eat whey {a dairy protein} right now.}
I’d love to hear from you: have you tried tart cherry juice as part of your post workout routine? Do you think it helps/doesn’t help?
Health Info
Last week we talked about ways to “make it work”- specifically how to keep up with healthy eating even in the midst of a chaotic and busy life. Now it’s time to talk about the other half of the equation: exercise.
Here are a couple different strategies to try:
First Things First
Exercise in the morning before you start your day. Some people aren’t morning exercisers, but if it’s already done, other things can’t get in the way.
Do Something Small
I try to start most mornings with a walk around the neighborhood. It’s not far- maybe a mile- and doesn’t take much time. I know as soon as I sit down to check my email, it could be hours before I get up again. This way, if my workout gets pushed off, at least I’ve done something to get the blood flowing.
Squeeze It In
There’s no difference between 30 minutes of exercise and 10 minutes of exercise 3 times a day. 10 minutes before breakfast, 10 minutes at lunch time, and 10 minutes before dinner give you your fill. Grab a set of handweights and pump out a few sets, do some jumping jacks or push ups, or go for a walk. Just be sure to warm up adequately so you don’t get hurt.
Write It Down
If you check your calendar as many times a day as I do, you’re probably going to see if you have a some gym time planned. Seeing it and planning for it help you make it happen.
Make a Plan
I do beset when I’m training for something because the consequences for skipping too many workouts are more tangible. You don’t have to be actually training for something to take this approach- set a goal, pick a date, and come up with a plan. I’ve used the same approach for strength training as I do for a race- if I didn’t lift 3 times a week, I knew I’d never increase my strength or up my weights.
Form a Routine
The more consistent you can be, the easier it is to stick with it. Many people operate on a routine- there’s a specific time they get up in the morning, come home from work, eat dinner, etc. Add exercise to that routine to help you keep it up even when things get busy.
Take a Class/Recruit a Buddy
Knowing spin class is every Wednesday at 7 can help you get there even when you’re tempted not to. It helps you plan around your workout time, and seeing other people in class can help motivate you to go. Having a workout buddy- someone you meet for a walk, you go to a class with, or you meet at the gym- helps keep you accountable too. You may ditch your own workout for a wimpy excuse, but you probably wouldn’t ditch your friend unless it was important.
Pay for a Class/Membership
Prepay for a month of yoga classes or boot camp, etc. If you’ve already paid upfront, the chances of you making it to that class are pretty good. 
How do you stay on track?
{Pssst…Have you checked out my 24 week pregnancy update yet?}
Training
Before taking off on a run or hopping on your bike, you probably check the weather report. Maybe you look up the forecast online, or perhaps you just stick your head out the door to gauge the temperature. Or you may ignore the weather report completely, knowing your headed out for run whether its hot, cold, rainy, or dry.
But there’s one weather report you really should be checking before heading outdoors for a workout, and it’s pretty likely you’re not already doing it.
The Air Quality Index.
That’s the one where they say whether it’s a “code orange” or “code yellow”- and they’re not talking about national security. They’re talking about the quality of the air we breathe.
Air quality looks at two important factors:
1. Ground level ozone
and
2. Particle pollution
Ground-level ozone forms when pollutants from things like cars and power plants combine with the hot sunlight. It causes a substance that irritates the lungs, throat, and eyes. It can cause shortness of breath and aggravate asthma.
Particle pollution is literally referring to particles in the air- small solids and liquids that get suspended in the air and can get deep into our lungs. It can also irritate the lungs and asthma, as well as cause arrhythmias and heart attacks. Particle pollution is especially high when there’s a forest fire, residential wood or trash burning, or weather that keeps pollution close to the ground.
Repeated damage from air pollution can cause permanent reduced lung function.
Most of the time when you hear about air quality, you hear it in terms of whether “sensitive people” should go outside or not. So why is this the one weather report you need to pay attention to? It’s highly likely you fall into the sensitive category. In fact, if you exercise outdoors at all, you certainly do.
When you exercise, you breathe deeper and faster, pulling more and more of that potentially polluted air straight into your lungs.
So what do you do?
– Try not to exercise outdoors when alerts are orange, red, or purple. If you’re extra sensitive, also avoid exercising when it’s yellow.
– Take it easy if you are exercising outdoors- the more you exert yourself, the more air pollution you breathe in.
– Find out what time of day the air is best in your area and exercise then. In many places, that’s the morning.
– Hit the treadmill, stationary bike, or other indoor activity.
For more info, visit AirNow.
Do you pay attention to the air quality before exercising? Did you know being active puts you into the sensitive category along with children, older adults, and those with asthma and other lung or heart problems? It’s been orange all week in NC…
Training
1. You have lots of extra time.
Lots of extra restless, antsy, unproductive time.
Sure, going for an hour long run doesn’t really interfere too much with your day. But when you consider getting changed, driving to the trail {yes, I drive to run}, running, driving home, eating, showering, and getting dressed again, you’ve pretty much lost a big chunk of your day.
2. You save lots of money at Target.
I might have a small obsession with C9 sports bras and C9 shirts. Let’s not get started on their pants and jackets.
Not exercising? No need for new workout clothes.
3. You have beautiful toenails.
Who knew how good your feet could look when you’re not smashing them into the front of your shoes over and over again?!
{Ok, you caught me. Those definitely aren’t my feet. But at least my toenails are the color nature intended and not purple and black.}
And you probably thought I was going to talk about the benefits of rest days, didn’t you? 
{<—Reading that post makes me laugh. I was horrified by not running for 9 days. Now it’s been 9 months. Talk about perspective.}
