In Sickness and in Health?

Cold and flu season is fast approaching and additionally, some of us are already suffering from the runny nose, "burning" chest and generalized fatigue that accompanies seasonal allergies as well as upper respiratory infections. I used to be someone who trained without any regard to how I was feeling physically. My goal was only to check my workout off my list for the day, rather than giving my body what it needed at that particular time.  "No pain, no gain" was the thought process that prevailed. It took some education and maturity to understand that sometimes, "less is more" can be a more appropriate model when it comes to training, particularly in times of illness.

When we train, we intentionally breakdown muscle tissue which causes inflammation in the body. The healing process (and subsequently building and toning) then occurs during our rest periods, where our body relies on nutrients to repair itself. So, you can see why clean nutrition, rest, and sleep play such a role in getting in shape. The same is true when we are ill. Sickness causes inflammation in the body by way of our immune system. Again, this process requires rest and nutrients in order to recover. So, if you are already ill or even injured and fighting inflammation in your body, you are only stressing it more when you add the demands that training creates.

How long before you start to lose the gains you've worked so hard for? According to one study in Medicine and Science in Sports Exercise, "strength performance in general is readily maintained for up to 4 weeks of inactivity" in elite athletes; that time frame will be shorter for beginning exercisers (Mujika & Padilla, 2001). Unless you are planning on taking weeks off from working out, you're not going to lose any significant ground. Even if you need to go at a lower intensity for a while, this will still help to maintain your previous gains.

So, do not fret about taking a few days off from training to let yourself bounce back from the common cold---it's likely just what the doctor (and your trainer) would order for a speedy recovery!

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Get out There and Do Some Good!!!

This weekend I took advantage of some local opportunities to raise awareness and money for two very worthy causes. On Saturday morning, I joined my mom and sister in the Memory Walk, which involved a 2-mile walk and monetary donation that will be used to increase advocacy and fund research for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimers Disease. Not only did this event motivate me to get out of bed and get some exercise on a Saturday morning, but it also fed my spirit to be able to participate in an event of such importance. My grandpa suffers from Alzheimers and with a record setting turnout at the Memory Walk, it became even more apparent how devastating this disease is to so many individuals and their families.

The Tour de Forks was on Sunday. On a last-minute whim, the Haute Physique girls rallied to get a team together (as seen in the picture above) to participate in the event which consisted of a choice between a walk/run or bike ride. Like the Memory Walk, the participants in Tour de Forks were of all ages and fitness levels who came together to raise money for the Breast Cancer Coalition. Not only did we enjoy a beautiful day outdoors, we also got a great workout and again contributed dollars to an organization geared toward helping those in need.

These events were a great example of parents teaching their children lessons in being charitable and helping others. These activities also served as opportunites for families to be active together through participation in the races [notice haute baby, Thomas (going incognito above,  with mommy Sarah), gearing up for his first 5k]. From the very young to the very old, there were people of all ages out there making an effort. With President Obama recently proclaiming September as National Childhood Obesity Awareness month, these types of activities are a great way to get your kids involved and to get them moving, while learning to give back at the same time!

Tell us about a similar experience you've recently participated in!

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Time-Saving Workout #1

There is hardly a human being that I know who isn't busy. Busy is a state of mind and is a relative term that means something different to everyone. It is one of the most common reasons that I hear from my training clients as to why they've missed a workout or even not been able to plan ahead for their daily nutrition.

Well, today is one of those days for me. Ideally, I like to lift in the morning and do cardio in the evening so that I get two excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) states (i.e. the calorie burn that you get even after your workout is over). Unfortunately, it's not gonna happen today, so I needed something to really rev up my metabolism and get a good sweat on because I'm only getting one shot at it! So, here was my workout for the morning (today was a lower-body focus):

3 mins. as fast as I could go on the elliptical, alternating with 3 minutes of walking lunges, repeated for a total of 30 minutes.

I was dripping in sweat and my legs were sure burning by the end, but I got both resistance training and cardio done in one session! Try it at home on a day you are too "busy" to split your lifting and cardio. Any cardio machine could be used, or you could even just run in place, jump rope, or do jumping jacks if you don't have access to equipment. If there's no room to do walking lunges, you could do jump squats, stationary forward lunges and backward lunges, barbell squat, etc. The sky is the limit!

Please comment with your favorite time-saving workout ideas!

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Haute Babies Can Eat Clean, Too!

Our resident Haute Mommy-to-Be, Sarah K., gave birth to a healthy baby boy this weekend (Thomas Adam). I have watched her in awe at our workouts all summer, often leaving me in the dust! Between her new little bundle of joy and my own nephew who was born in March (not to mention all the expectant mommies and new babies at work), I've taken an interest in the nutrition recommendations for little ones. Below is a link to a segment on the Today Show from this morning which addresses this very topic as well as a newspaper write-up on the same author. I'd love to hear from all of you mothers as to what you think of this and if you feel it's practical?

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/35133959

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/norah-o-donnell/baby-love_b_697375.html#s132092


Congrats to Sarah and her hubby, and welcome to our first Haute Baby, Thomas!

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Goals for Next Week: Kettlebells

Hi All~

I'm loving hearing your goals for next week! Many of your are trying a new exercise or class and you've inspired me! I bought a kettlebell a few months back and use it every now and then in place of dumbbells, but I know it's got a lot more potential than this! In the most recent journal from ACSM, I read that while kettlebells are traditionally known for strength training, they increase the heart rate to the same level as you would by jogging at a 6 mile per hour pace. The good news is that I can count this as my cardio and strenght training in one, just like our functional workouts! So, my goal for next week is to do a full session of kettlebell training--I'll let you know how it goes! Thanks for the motivation!

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