Silence Your Inner Critic
We all have little voices in our heads, telling us
what to do and what not to do (at least, I hope I'm not the only one
with voices in my head), but the most annoying one is The Criticizer.
Whether this comes from a critical parent, a nagging teacher we once had
or some odd strand of DNA, The Criticizer resides deep in the mind,
just waiting to tell you that whatever you're doing is wrong, wrong,
wrong.
The Criticizer especially delights in criticizing workouts. It likes to point out that, whatever you're doing, it isn't hard enough or long enough or good enough. It may tell you that you aren't working the right muscles, or choosing the right exercises or doing the right number of sets and reps. It might even convince you that, you're doing such a bad job, you should just give it up.
With all the conflicting information out there about exercise, it's easy to doubt yourself and The Criticizer only adds to the confusion. So, how do you tell that voice to shut up? There are some questions you can ask yourself to assess where you are, what you're doing and decide if you're on the right track.
That's what I'm talking about in my latest article about silencing your inner critic and I'd love to hear about your experiences. Do you have a Criticizer in your head? How do you deal with it and move forward with your workouts? Leave a comment and tell us about your inner critic.
The Criticizer especially delights in criticizing workouts. It likes to point out that, whatever you're doing, it isn't hard enough or long enough or good enough. It may tell you that you aren't working the right muscles, or choosing the right exercises or doing the right number of sets and reps. It might even convince you that, you're doing such a bad job, you should just give it up.
With all the conflicting information out there about exercise, it's easy to doubt yourself and The Criticizer only adds to the confusion. So, how do you tell that voice to shut up? There are some questions you can ask yourself to assess where you are, what you're doing and decide if you're on the right track.
That's what I'm talking about in my latest article about silencing your inner critic and I'd love to hear about your experiences. Do you have a Criticizer in your head? How do you deal with it and move forward with your workouts? Leave a comment and tell us about your inner critic.
Get Ready for Fall
People tell me that fall
is their favorite season of the year and I can understand why. The
weather becomes much more comfortable for outdoor exercise with crisp,
chilly mornings that inspire more energy than the hot, muggy mornings of
summer.
There's an art to dressing for outdoor workouts when the weather changes. In my case, I usually approach cool weather with all the aggression of a tsunami, wearing nothing less than my arctic gear for any temps that fall below 65 degrees. This is not a good idea. A better idea is to dress as though it's about 10 degrees warmer than the actual temperature, so you don't overheat. A rather reasonable idea that I may actually try this year.
Another good idea is to update your fall exercise wardrobe so that you have all the sweat-wicking comfort you need to stay warm and dry when it's chilly outside. Also, updating the wardrobe is a great way to ease the transition into a cooler season, if you're feeling a little blue about saying goodbye to summer.
If you're in the market, I've updated my top picks for fall essentials for men and women, as well as some ideas for how you can take advantage of fall for some great workouts:
What about you? Is there anything special you do to get ready for fall? What's the one thing in your fall wardrobe you can't live without? Leave a comment and tell us your favorite thing about exercising in the fall.
There's an art to dressing for outdoor workouts when the weather changes. In my case, I usually approach cool weather with all the aggression of a tsunami, wearing nothing less than my arctic gear for any temps that fall below 65 degrees. This is not a good idea. A better idea is to dress as though it's about 10 degrees warmer than the actual temperature, so you don't overheat. A rather reasonable idea that I may actually try this year.
Another good idea is to update your fall exercise wardrobe so that you have all the sweat-wicking comfort you need to stay warm and dry when it's chilly outside. Also, updating the wardrobe is a great way to ease the transition into a cooler season, if you're feeling a little blue about saying goodbye to summer.
If you're in the market, I've updated my top picks for fall essentials for men and women, as well as some ideas for how you can take advantage of fall for some great workouts:
What about you? Is there anything special you do to get ready for fall? What's the one thing in your fall wardrobe you can't live without? Leave a comment and tell us your favorite thing about exercising in the fall.
Exercise of the Week - Elliptical Trainer
Us exercisers are an opinionated bunch, and never more than when discussing the age old controversy: Elliptical Trainer vs. the Treadmill.
I once saw two trainers nearly come to blows defending their cardio
machines, which only proves the long-held theory that most of us
trainers desperately need a life.
One reason treadmillers are so gung-ho about the treadmill is that, not only does it mimic a movement we're familiar with, but it's easier to get your heart rate up with an impact activity. Add high impact to the mix (running, sprinting, etc.) and you get even more intensity, which adds to your overall calorie burn.
The elliptical trainer doesn't involve impact, so you may have to work harder to get your heart rate up. However, it's that no-impact thing that is so appealing to the elliptical crowd. You can protect your joints and there are a variety of ways to inject some intensity into your workouts by using the arm handles, adjusting the ramps and resistance and even going backwards.
Even if you're a diehard treadmill fan, the elliptical trainer is worth a try. It's great cross-training for high impact activities and there are plenty of ways to make your workouts more interesting. My favorite is interval training and I've put together a few of my favorites for your exercise pleasure:
One reason treadmillers are so gung-ho about the treadmill is that, not only does it mimic a movement we're familiar with, but it's easier to get your heart rate up with an impact activity. Add high impact to the mix (running, sprinting, etc.) and you get even more intensity, which adds to your overall calorie burn.
The elliptical trainer doesn't involve impact, so you may have to work harder to get your heart rate up. However, it's that no-impact thing that is so appealing to the elliptical crowd. You can protect your joints and there are a variety of ways to inject some intensity into your workouts by using the arm handles, adjusting the ramps and resistance and even going backwards.
Even if you're a diehard treadmill fan, the elliptical trainer is worth a try. It's great cross-training for high impact activities and there are plenty of ways to make your workouts more interesting. My favorite is interval training and I've put together a few of my favorites for your exercise pleasure:
- Elliptical Interval Workout
- Motion Traxx G-Series Elliptical Workouts - Deekron, my favorite Fitness DJ, offers two great (and free!) elliptical interval workouts through his G Series Fit Mixes.
- BeatBurn Elliptical Smartphone App - One of my favorite ways to spice up my elliptical workouts is with this handy little app. You move to the beat through a variety of intervals and your workouts change each time, keeping things fresh.
Vote in This Week's Poll: How often do you go to the gym?
That's what one new client asked me last week and I had to admit, yes I know all about that. In fact, I remember joining a gym in my early 20s and going exactly three times. I remember the guilt of getting the bill, writing out a check, promising myself I would start going (but, tomorrow because it's too late now and I'm exhausted from paying these bills anyway) and then...never following through.
Unfortunately, paying for a gym membership doesn't guarantee you'll actually go, so what can you do motivate yourself? I asked some of my friends and clients about this, some of whom go the gym daily and others who haven't been in months. Here's what they had to say:
- From pay-but-never-go-client: "I think I would be motivated if I kept my goals small - just making it a couple of times a week would make me feel better about myself."
- From a go-every-day-friend: "What motivates me is my butt...as in it's starting to get wider now that I'm in my 50's. I know I have to workout to keep it under control and the gym is the only place I'll work hard enough to do that."
- From another regular gym-goer: "When I'm tempted to skip the gym, I just think of this cute guy who always lifts weights at the same time I do. If I miss my workout, I won't get to spend half the time staring at him!" Hey, whatever works, right?
Salads
can play an important role in your meal planning. From a full meal to
serving as a side dish, many ingredients can be placed in a salad to
make it delicious - and to give you a little variety. Unfortunately,
some ingredients included in your salad could also add fat and calories,
reducing the heart-healthy benefits of your salad. If you are looking
for ways to spice up your salad, this