As a runner who likes to run on trails I know to look where I am going. One wrong step could result in a fall. I know this when I go out for a run and it slows me down enough to choose my steps well. In this way Trail Running is a mental game as well. You know you could get hurt but moving your body through nature like that is well worth the risk.
But What about the gym?
Yes, you need to look where you are going because people are moving heavy objects, sometimes very quickly. You also have to have a long view. Going to the gym is just something you need to do. It makes us more human since we are no longer hunting our food on foot and dragging it home. We move more and better when we are in the gym lifting weights. It makes us lose weight faster. It improves our brain function, blood function, insulin regulation and genetic pathways thus slowing aging.
When you begin to make exercise part of your lifestyle it may be difficult to keep these things in mind, especially if you are recovering from Bariatric Surgery. For those affected by Obesity the goals are very different than the goals of a life long athlete. Both people have to keep an eye on where their fitness goals are taking them; in the direction of health or the direction of a shorter life.
Many in the fitness industry still think Obesity is a simple issue; Simply solved with a "calories in, calories out" approach. Trust me, there are millions who have tried this method unsuccessfully. If that worked it would have already. We were all heading in that direction of fitness until a few innovators took the time to see what was working and what wasn't. You cannot always exercise you way through obesity or cancer or Crohn's Disease. Each individual is effected in their own way by their medical condition. There are many who are judgmental and say Obesity is self imposed. There are many cancers that were due to lifestyle but rarely are they judged so harshly. Some who have been ill come back to fight for others. Some give up and re-start their fight over and over. It is a fitness professionals job to meet each client where they are on the day and encourage fitness regardless of the starting point.
Keep your eyes focused forward! Where are we going to help those who are asking for help? Fitness professionals should be as professionals in allied health fields. Use the proper terms to address those with obesity. Do not give diet advice for someone under the care of an RD and or MD. Work toward a better functioning individual regardless of their weight. If someone comes for fitness training and education then address their issues from a strength and mobility standpoint first. The person who is 400lbs benefits just as much, or more, from being able to perform a squat as the 110lb person does.
Exercise should be fun and leaving you feeling challenged but not defeated. It will not be fun every day. Find the fun in an improved quality of life. Weight training works! It can help almost anyone feel better. Those who do not feel better are rare. A little muscle soreness aside your body will thank you for lifting weights and for exercise in general. Do not be discouraged at the pace of the scale or how your clothes fit. Fight for your life!
Friday, May 24, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Other Sports
So I competed in the CrossFit Games Open and have since had some time to reflect. It was competition! Pure and simple. They determined that fitness, when judged by the CrossFit parameters, should be judged based upon a particular set of exercises performed over a set time frame. It was scaled to everybody broken down by gender and even age group at some point. It was fitness in competition format!
For me It was FUN!
I enjoy competing. It is fun to test myself against an old me and against others. I am competitive I like seeing how I stack up against others and athletic events, which is part of the popularity of FlyWheel. CrossFit is its own sport just as running is its own support and football is its own sport. It takes a certain fitness to play football but it takes a different fitness to run as a sport regardless of distance. Most people who do CrossFit regularly can jump into a football game and fare pretty well. Those same people can probably jump into a half marathon and gut it out at least once without injury. There are cases of professional football players who did not fare well in a CrossFit work out. They are truly fit, at the peak of anyone's game and yet they suffer under a CrossFit work out.
But just as those same football players will adapt and improve their own football skills by doing CrossFit so too will a runner improve their running form and be a stronger runner for it by incorporating CrossFit. They call CrossFit "The Sport of Fitness" but you have to be pretty fit and pretty fearless to take it on for any length of time. CrossFit draws and maintains a certain type of person, the person who thrives on bettering their last performance. Just as Krank Nashville is great for getting you fit enough for their indoor cycling class and/or Strength Classes Krankers tend to do quite well at CrossFit when they go. However most Krankers prefer the comradeship found at Krank. It is Fitness and athletic ability, just slightly more specified to a different fitness.
We are all trying to become more fit and healthy. One type of exercise should not be looked down upon by any other fitness group. Yoga requires fitness. Pilates requires fitness they just don't have competitions. There are other sports besides baseball, football, basketball and hockey. It was not so long ago that Soccer was a rare sport in the US. After Pele and bunch of European guys wowed the US for a few years then Soccer basically vanished until the mid 80's. There are Other Sports out there. There is Roller Derby and Mountain Biking and Spartan Race or anything that requires mental and physical stamina to endure to the finish. I like running on trails. Lucky for me there is plenty of that activity to go race and test myself against others regularly. I like Spartan Racing as well as an occasional backyard football game. Our psyche wants to compete.
We compete in sports.
We put Gym Time to the test.
We challenge our comfort zone.
Most importantly we improve ourselves simply by seeing a thing through.
I encourage you to find your sport.
I encourage you to improve upon who you are through physical challenge.
I urge you to discover your true strength. The strength that is stronger than your greatest weakness. When you overcome your ability to quit in a physical endeavor then you send a signal to your subconscious mind that you can overcome more than you thought before.
Strive for physical fitness and your mental fitness will come along for the ride. Choose a sport to compete in. Any sport. Any One that scares you. Try to get good at it. It doesn't matter if you take up knitting for speed. At least you will find achievement and a more fit mind.
Compete with yourself or friends to see who can be most fit and healthy. Even the loser of that challenge will add years to their life.
No go be healthier than you ever thought possible.
For me It was FUN!
I enjoy competing. It is fun to test myself against an old me and against others. I am competitive I like seeing how I stack up against others and athletic events, which is part of the popularity of FlyWheel. CrossFit is its own sport just as running is its own support and football is its own sport. It takes a certain fitness to play football but it takes a different fitness to run as a sport regardless of distance. Most people who do CrossFit regularly can jump into a football game and fare pretty well. Those same people can probably jump into a half marathon and gut it out at least once without injury. There are cases of professional football players who did not fare well in a CrossFit work out. They are truly fit, at the peak of anyone's game and yet they suffer under a CrossFit work out.
But just as those same football players will adapt and improve their own football skills by doing CrossFit so too will a runner improve their running form and be a stronger runner for it by incorporating CrossFit. They call CrossFit "The Sport of Fitness" but you have to be pretty fit and pretty fearless to take it on for any length of time. CrossFit draws and maintains a certain type of person, the person who thrives on bettering their last performance. Just as Krank Nashville is great for getting you fit enough for their indoor cycling class and/or Strength Classes Krankers tend to do quite well at CrossFit when they go. However most Krankers prefer the comradeship found at Krank. It is Fitness and athletic ability, just slightly more specified to a different fitness.
We are all trying to become more fit and healthy. One type of exercise should not be looked down upon by any other fitness group. Yoga requires fitness. Pilates requires fitness they just don't have competitions. There are other sports besides baseball, football, basketball and hockey. It was not so long ago that Soccer was a rare sport in the US. After Pele and bunch of European guys wowed the US for a few years then Soccer basically vanished until the mid 80's. There are Other Sports out there. There is Roller Derby and Mountain Biking and Spartan Race or anything that requires mental and physical stamina to endure to the finish. I like running on trails. Lucky for me there is plenty of that activity to go race and test myself against others regularly. I like Spartan Racing as well as an occasional backyard football game. Our psyche wants to compete.
We compete in sports.
We put Gym Time to the test.
We challenge our comfort zone.
Most importantly we improve ourselves simply by seeing a thing through.
I encourage you to find your sport.
I encourage you to improve upon who you are through physical challenge.
I urge you to discover your true strength. The strength that is stronger than your greatest weakness. When you overcome your ability to quit in a physical endeavor then you send a signal to your subconscious mind that you can overcome more than you thought before.
Strive for physical fitness and your mental fitness will come along for the ride. Choose a sport to compete in. Any sport. Any One that scares you. Try to get good at it. It doesn't matter if you take up knitting for speed. At least you will find achievement and a more fit mind.
Compete with yourself or friends to see who can be most fit and healthy. Even the loser of that challenge will add years to their life.
No go be healthier than you ever thought possible.
Friday, April 19, 2013
15min video on Better Tri Performance
It is simple to me- Triathlon and the training necessary for it make you a healthier person. You cannot be so out of balanced from biking as to effect your run. You cannot be so out of balance from swimming to effect your biking. You cannot be so sore from time in the gym to destroy any one aspect of your tri workouts. So we must strike a balance in most aspects of our training, and in turn in our lives, to be a better and more efficient triathlete.
Here is I just a short video I did with my friend Jerry Yoo, a PT in New Jersey, about how I like to see the run trained for. I coach runners of all distances and fitness levels as well as triathletes. I love to see triathletes improve in all aspects but especially the run.
Give it watch. Comment and share.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xLgfXvHf_g
Stay healthy out there. Encourage each other to do better. Help other athletes who are in need.
Andy
Here is I just a short video I did with my friend Jerry Yoo, a PT in New Jersey, about how I like to see the run trained for. I coach runners of all distances and fitness levels as well as triathletes. I love to see triathletes improve in all aspects but especially the run.
Give it watch. Comment and share.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xLgfXvHf_g
Stay healthy out there. Encourage each other to do better. Help other athletes who are in need.
Andy
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
My Turkey (or grass fed beef) Chili recipe
I have made a few changes to this recipe but I have posted something similar before.
This is good food! It is healthy. High protein. High fiber. And most importantly: High flavor!
Enjoy!
This makes a very big pot of chili:
1 box Pomi Chopped tomatoes (no spices) (or can of 24oz Chopped)
1 box Pomi Strained (or 24oz canned or bagged strained)
1 lb of Ground turkey or Grass Fed Beef
1 med Yellow Onion - Chopped large
1or 2 can Black beans - rinsed
1 can Kidney Beans - rinsed
1 can Pinto Beans - rinsed
1 each - Red, yellow, orange and/or green pepper - cut into large chunks
1tbps Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Fresh Black pepper (to taste)
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Cumin
2 tbsp Olive Oil
In
pot brown meat with Olive Oil and half of spices. (if you ise beef that is 85/15 then you may want to drain some of the fat before you move you on). After a few min add
chopped onions. When onions are brown add strained tomatoes, chopped
tomatoes. Once tomatoes begin to bubble add beans and remainder of
spices. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Mixture should be thick and hearty
looking. Stir regularly to prevent sticking and ensure spices blend
well. Taste and adjust spices to your liking.
I like to add tabasco or Trader Joe's Jalapeno Pepper Sauce to add some heat. Cut Jalapenos for greater flavor, remove seeds to keep heat down and flavor higher.Sometimes I like to add Green Chiles. They add a nce flavor without cranking up the heat. I like this with a warm corn tortilla or corn bread. If carbs make you gain then stay away from flour tortillas.
Enjoy your food!
Eat Clean. Be lean! Be strong! Race Fast!
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Answer to a question
Answer to Question
by Andrew Nelson for www.tricoachandy.com
andy@getfitnyc.com
I was recently presented with a situation from one of the athletes on a women’s triathlon team:
She is a cyclist and a runner who has pain in the knee. The MRI showed significant edema, inflammation, and bursitis. The bursitis was the result of a fall. Inflammation is often the result of trauma; edema is a fluid buildup in the tissues of the body usually the hands, legs and ankles and can be from injury or pregnancy).
As a longtime athlete, she has worked hard to overcome some injuries (Runner’s Knee, most recently) and is concerned about losing the fitness she has gained.
She asked which procedure would get her back racing sooner?
The doctor gave her 3 choices - 1) cortisone shots; 2) 4-6 weeks of immobilization and crutches; 3) PRP, physical therapy, and complete rest (not even swimming).
Here is my take from years of coaching, running, racing, and being an athlete:
1- If you can manage it financially, get the PRP and the PT. Complete rest may lead to a greater understanding of why you race to begin with.
2- If you gained fitness once, you will not go back to “zero” if you take the time to heal. It may seem like you are "losing ALL of your fitness," but the reality is that is just not the case. If you make things worse by not recovering fully then you will be out longer.
3- Treat fitness and exercise as an investment in your body; a long term investment. There will be ups and downs; as well as plateaus. Fitness and health are not just for this season or this training cycle. Athletes, especially highly competitive ones, do get injured (in her case it was another bike accident avoiding a car).
4- You can strength train without mobilizing the knee joint. Straight leg raise w/ankle weights, hip abduction w/cables, straight leg dead lift- all of these will strengthen the hips/legs without bending the knee.
5- Swimming can be done while still immobilizing the knee, ONLY IF THE DOCTOR CLEARS YOU. Swim with a pull buoy and a band around your ankles (and maybe even your knees). It feels strange at first but makes your upper body swim form and rotation come from the hips; where you’re stronger anyway.
6- Take it slow! If you were running 6-10 miles/session before the injury, start with a 1/2 mile easy jog. That’s right, 1/2 mile. Your body will need to reestablish neural pathways for optimal muscle ordering; an efficient gait. This will help the body to break the old injury cycle. If you try to come back too quickly and resume where you left off, you risk re-injuring yourself.
Even great doctors who are athletes often fail to see what great trainers and coaches are able to do to keep athletes moving. I once had a dentist who had been a teacher of Dentistry tell me: “Some dentists were A students and some dentists were C students. At the end of school they were all still dentists.” Coaches and trainers are not all the same; just like any professional.
I understand the head game of an injury (I once took 13 weeks off immediately after being trained for a marathon to recover from an accident). The “career” of an athlete can be cut short, and lead to a lifetime of pain, by not taking the proper down time or doing too, much too soon after an injury. Take time to recover fully from an injury. Sometimes a longer time recovering can mean a stronger next season and a longer athletic career.
Stay Healthy and use a great coach to help you achieve better results for next season.
by Andrew Nelson for www.tricoachandy.com
andy@getfitnyc.com
I was recently presented with a situation from one of the athletes on a women’s triathlon team:
She is a cyclist and a runner who has pain in the knee. The MRI showed significant edema, inflammation, and bursitis. The bursitis was the result of a fall. Inflammation is often the result of trauma; edema is a fluid buildup in the tissues of the body usually the hands, legs and ankles and can be from injury or pregnancy).
As a longtime athlete, she has worked hard to overcome some injuries (Runner’s Knee, most recently) and is concerned about losing the fitness she has gained.
She asked which procedure would get her back racing sooner?
The doctor gave her 3 choices - 1) cortisone shots; 2) 4-6 weeks of immobilization and crutches; 3) PRP, physical therapy, and complete rest (not even swimming).
Here is my take from years of coaching, running, racing, and being an athlete:
1- If you can manage it financially, get the PRP and the PT. Complete rest may lead to a greater understanding of why you race to begin with.
2- If you gained fitness once, you will not go back to “zero” if you take the time to heal. It may seem like you are "losing ALL of your fitness," but the reality is that is just not the case. If you make things worse by not recovering fully then you will be out longer.
3- Treat fitness and exercise as an investment in your body; a long term investment. There will be ups and downs; as well as plateaus. Fitness and health are not just for this season or this training cycle. Athletes, especially highly competitive ones, do get injured (in her case it was another bike accident avoiding a car).
4- You can strength train without mobilizing the knee joint. Straight leg raise w/ankle weights, hip abduction w/cables, straight leg dead lift- all of these will strengthen the hips/legs without bending the knee.
5- Swimming can be done while still immobilizing the knee, ONLY IF THE DOCTOR CLEARS YOU. Swim with a pull buoy and a band around your ankles (and maybe even your knees). It feels strange at first but makes your upper body swim form and rotation come from the hips; where you’re stronger anyway.
6- Take it slow! If you were running 6-10 miles/session before the injury, start with a 1/2 mile easy jog. That’s right, 1/2 mile. Your body will need to reestablish neural pathways for optimal muscle ordering; an efficient gait. This will help the body to break the old injury cycle. If you try to come back too quickly and resume where you left off, you risk re-injuring yourself.
Even great doctors who are athletes often fail to see what great trainers and coaches are able to do to keep athletes moving. I once had a dentist who had been a teacher of Dentistry tell me: “Some dentists were A students and some dentists were C students. At the end of school they were all still dentists.” Coaches and trainers are not all the same; just like any professional.
I understand the head game of an injury (I once took 13 weeks off immediately after being trained for a marathon to recover from an accident). The “career” of an athlete can be cut short, and lead to a lifetime of pain, by not taking the proper down time or doing too, much too soon after an injury. Take time to recover fully from an injury. Sometimes a longer time recovering can mean a stronger next season and a longer athletic career.
Stay Healthy and use a great coach to help you achieve better results for next season.
Monday, February 4, 2013
The Effects ARE Real
Strength training improves your Marathon running. Strength training improves your bike sprint performance. Strength training makes your swim stroke stronger. I know that is hard for most runners to imagine and even harder for cyclists to see how more muscle can lead to FASTER times. I like to run! I am a running coach! I am a triathlon coach! But giving up 1 or 2 runs a week in exchange for focused Strength training can improve your run and or bike regardless of distance. Throw in some speed work and you just might drop that marathon time/century time/mile swim time.
The science is clear and unwavering that strength training improves your running economy and helps to better vascularize your muscles, improving blood flow during exercise. So why don't more people who call themselves athletes strength train? It makes you more lean. It makes you stronger. It reduces injury. And if done properly, improves your balance and function in everyday activities. It even makes you look better.
So I ask again: Why don't more runners strength train? I mean pick up something that weighs more than they do. Simple answer: Runners like only running. To that end they should build muscle so they have the stable, strong base to continue to run without injury. My father is a lifelong runner and, at 67, he JUST got what I have been telling him for 10 years. Cyclist fear having more weight to carry up hills but the strength:weight ratio improves more than the weight stays on. Swimmers do not float as well, though but somehow finish faster.
Now I will make the argument that lifting heavy improves endurance performance. Yes, at the professional level running more, faster helps you to run a marathon faster. However, most people who run do not spend 2-3hrs/day working out and 21 hours only recovering like the pros do. Most people spend the day sitting down at a desk letting their hip muscles get short and junky. Strength training and the preparatory work necessary to lift are great at making a runner, cyclist, swimmer or triathlete stronger and more flexible, allowing a powerful run stride/pedal stroke/swim stroke that is more efficient.
I would also make the argument that preparing your body to strength training helps to make you better at the other sports. If you are a triathlete you need to be very flexible, very strong, and have tremendous endurance. Strength training combined with swimming, biking and running can make you a very balanced strong and focused person. More muscle allows you to finish stronger, recover faster and prepare better.
Don't just watch a video on YouTube of how to do the following lifts, get some professional coaching or at least take a small strength training class.
My recommended lifts for endurance athletes are as follows:
Dead Lift (build to fewer than 6 reps. GO HEAVY)
Dumbbell snatch
Kettlebell swings (initiate from the hips)
Thrusters (Front Squat to Jerk press)
Pull Ups
Push Ups
Squats (build to fewer than 6 reps with great knees placement)
Med Ball Chop or slam/ Med Ball Cross Body lift
Box Jump
Now go have some fun being strong. The hills will look and feel easier.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Easy Healthy Delicious Recipe
I LOVE to Eat. I love to eat well. I love the way I feel after a meal that I put love in to creating and has the most flavor for the nutrition content. Food should taste good! Period! The thing is to open up what tastes good to you.
Try new vegetables.
Try new ways to prepare meats and vegeatables.
Eat Healthy fats like avocados, olive oil and nuts.
Learn to cook. Learn a NEW way to cook.
Discover new flavors. Be prepared to taste something you don't like.
Be adventurous about healthy food. Have some courage!
Enough of my rant. Here we go. This calls for Grass Fed Beef. If you cannot find Grass Fed, local organic beef then AT THE VERY LEAST get Chorizo with NO NITRATES/NITRITES. If their beef is good enough to eat then should not have to put nitrates in it.
Ingredients:
12oz. Grass Fed Organic Beef Chorizo or Smoked Turkey Kielbasa (nitrate/nitrite free please)- Sliced
1lb Kale - Red Russian is best - clean and stems removed
1 Cup Quinoa
1/2 cup Dried Cranberries- chopped
1/2 cup Pistachios (sunflower seeds or slivered almonds)
3tbsp Olive oil
Place 2cups of water and 1 grind of Himalayan Rock Salt in a large Sauce pan. Remove stems from kale, rinse, cut into ribbons and place in boiling water. Lower to a simmer for 25 min. (its actually healthier with Kale)
Place sausage in a medium ceramic sauce pan and heat on low. Stir occasionally to keep from burning. Cook until done. Use a thermometer if necessary.
Rinse Quinoa well in a mesh strainer and add to 2cups of boiling water w/1tbsp of olive oil. Simmer on Low for 10-15min.
If you are on a High Protein diet, Paleo or just trying to eat healthier then this recipe is great. I love the spice from the Chorizo with the flavor of the kale. The texture of the Quinoa, cranberries and pistachios makes for a very satisfying dish that is easy on your calories and has a very low glycemic impact.
Stay healthy and eat well!
Subscribe, comment and follow. Your best health is just a few bites away!
Try new vegetables.
Try new ways to prepare meats and vegeatables.
Eat Healthy fats like avocados, olive oil and nuts.
Learn to cook. Learn a NEW way to cook.
Discover new flavors. Be prepared to taste something you don't like.
Be adventurous about healthy food. Have some courage!
Enough of my rant. Here we go. This calls for Grass Fed Beef. If you cannot find Grass Fed, local organic beef then AT THE VERY LEAST get Chorizo with NO NITRATES/NITRITES. If their beef is good enough to eat then should not have to put nitrates in it.
Ingredients:
12oz. Grass Fed Organic Beef Chorizo or Smoked Turkey Kielbasa (nitrate/nitrite free please)- Sliced
1lb Kale - Red Russian is best - clean and stems removed
1 Cup Quinoa
1/2 cup Dried Cranberries- chopped
1/2 cup Pistachios (sunflower seeds or slivered almonds)
3tbsp Olive oil
Place 2cups of water and 1 grind of Himalayan Rock Salt in a large Sauce pan. Remove stems from kale, rinse, cut into ribbons and place in boiling water. Lower to a simmer for 25 min. (its actually healthier with Kale)
Place sausage in a medium ceramic sauce pan and heat on low. Stir occasionally to keep from burning. Cook until done. Use a thermometer if necessary.
Rinse Quinoa well in a mesh strainer and add to 2cups of boiling water w/1tbsp of olive oil. Simmer on Low for 10-15min.
If you are on a High Protein diet, Paleo or just trying to eat healthier then this recipe is great. I love the spice from the Chorizo with the flavor of the kale. The texture of the Quinoa, cranberries and pistachios makes for a very satisfying dish that is easy on your calories and has a very low glycemic impact.
Stay healthy and eat well!
Subscribe, comment and follow. Your best health is just a few bites away!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Well Its the 2 week mark
So we have been in 2013 for 2 weeks now. How are your resolutions going? Did you vow to change your diet? Get more exercise? Lose weight? Go to the gym every day?
And how are you doing? You are probably already letting the little things slip.
Did you write down your resolutions and post them where you can see them every day? Writing down your resolutions makes them more real. More real than just saying it.
I will talk mainly about diet goals since exercise info is everywhere.
98% of diets fail. If you change 1 small but effective daily habit, just 1, you can have a 95% success rate. Once that thing is part of your daily routine then we can add 1 more. If you try to do both small changes at the same time your fail rate will skyrocket to 80%.
So lets just start with 1 thing, for the next 2 weeks. Take a fish oil supplement and a multi-vitamin. That may sound like 2 things but only if you look at each supplement as an individual behavioral change. Take a quality multi and a quality fish oil. Take 1g for every 1% body fat. If you are obese then start with 25g over the course of the day. This 1 little thing shows dramatic results in a week or 2. Take a multi-vitamin so your body operates well. You really do need all of those vitamins for your body to be efficient at eating, moving and living.
For the next 2 weeks just make that small change, it is the best bang for your lifestyle change buck. Now go do it.
if you need further diet and exercise needs feel free to email me.
Andy@getfitnyc.com.
Stay healthy!
And how are you doing? You are probably already letting the little things slip.
Did you write down your resolutions and post them where you can see them every day? Writing down your resolutions makes them more real. More real than just saying it.
I will talk mainly about diet goals since exercise info is everywhere.
98% of diets fail. If you change 1 small but effective daily habit, just 1, you can have a 95% success rate. Once that thing is part of your daily routine then we can add 1 more. If you try to do both small changes at the same time your fail rate will skyrocket to 80%.
So lets just start with 1 thing, for the next 2 weeks. Take a fish oil supplement and a multi-vitamin. That may sound like 2 things but only if you look at each supplement as an individual behavioral change. Take a quality multi and a quality fish oil. Take 1g for every 1% body fat. If you are obese then start with 25g over the course of the day. This 1 little thing shows dramatic results in a week or 2. Take a multi-vitamin so your body operates well. You really do need all of those vitamins for your body to be efficient at eating, moving and living.
For the next 2 weeks just make that small change, it is the best bang for your lifestyle change buck. Now go do it.
if you need further diet and exercise needs feel free to email me.
Andy@getfitnyc.com.
Stay healthy!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
5 Simple ways to be Healthier (Simple does NOT mean Easy)
I love fitness! I love the concept, the challenge, the known and the unknown when challenging my fitness or the fitness of my clients/athletes. I love when someone has that "Aha moment"(thanks Oprah) when they grasp the healthy idea or movement exercise that has eluded them. Most of all I love success!
Running is simple (unless you look at it like an engineer). Eating fewer calories is simple. Even writing a training program is simple. Running 100 meters in 12 seconds is simple. Losing 100 pounds is simple. But not 1 of those things is easy. Some things in life are hard. You will spend far more effort trying to make your life easier than you would fortifying yourself against the struggle and enjoying your health.
Getting fit and staying fit is really very simple:
1- Improve your flexibility
2- Improve your stability
3- Improve your ability to move efficiently for your every day activities
4- Achieve a healthy weight
5- Eat for balanced hormones and muscle strength.
That is 5 SIMPLE things master so you can be healthy and extend healthy life.
1 - Keeping yourself flexible or having mobility can allow you to, as the word implies, keep you more mobile. If you are more mobile then you can can move more efficiently, easier and better. When we can move better then we can move more, allowing us to keep up with our kids or even grandkids.
Find a flexibility program that you can do daily a little while before bed or before you go out for the evening. Hold each stretch for a minute- Low back, hamstrings, calves, chest and Hip flexors. Your body will thank you by moving better longer. Do not get too creative. Just find what is stiff and try to make it move better. Find what is stuck and unstick it.
2- Improve your stability - The ability to stand on one foot/leg is an essential skill for walking. It can also come in handy if you are are texting and step into the street in front of a car. The ability to be stable in most positions you body can get into is a great way to avoid injury. However, you cannot train for everything. A stronger, more stable mid-section with strong abs, hips and low back can be enough to avoid most injuries that do not involve outside forces (like the car we mentioned).
Keep a strong core by holding plank for 60 sec, side plank 30 sec each side and a table top (face up plank) for 60 sec. Don't worry if you cant hold for the entire time, build up to longer and longer. See how long you can hold. Basic exercises done for a simple amount of time, 60 sec or 30 sec.
3- Improve your ability to move efficiently for your every day activities. If you just sit at a desk all day and you are transported there via a floating chair then you ONLY need to maintain minimal function to keep your body from getting sick. If you have to walk from the car to the office; shop for groceries, sit down on a toilet, play with your kids or do anything that requires movement you should train for it.
Go play on the monkey bars with your friends- start slow so you don't get hurt. Go to the gym and pick up something heavy- hire a coach or a trainer to show you what to do. Do deep breathing activities to improve how well you breathe. Get down on the floor and get back up as fast you can 10 times, try to do it faster tomorrow. Stick to simple exercises but make them challenging by adding speed or changing directions.
4- Achieve a healthy weight. This 1 simple thing is probably the hardest thing to do but yields the best outcome almost regardless of how you get there. Surgery, exercise, metabolic medication and lifestyle modification will all help you lose down to a healthy weight. A Healthy BMI, one below 25, is a great way to delay most cancers, reduce orthopedic injuries and lengthen life. No matter what healthy method is chosen it should be done for life as long as it works.
Choose a simple diet of healthy foods and daily exercise to keep your heart and mind healthy. A diet higher in protein, lower in carbohydrates and with a healthy balance of fats can keep your weight down and your body functioning smoother.
5- Eat for balanced hormones and muscle strength. A higher protein diet with healthy fats from mostly plant sources can help you to keep your hormones, especially insulin, more balanced. Especially when combined with proper exercises and well timed nutritional intake the right foods can balance your hormones and help to build lean muscles. It is simple to stay away from breads, sweets and pastry. The problem is we often associate these things with something like love or Mom or Gramma or Christmas or something other than a means of sustaining our bodies.
Choose things you can gather, hunt, raise or pluck. I have never seen a loaf of bread growing in the field. I have never seen flakes in the field on a stalk. It is not always easy to choose the cleaner way of eating but it is simple. Know yourself. Know what you are really craving and eat only what can fuel you. Choose to find pleasure in things that will still leave you healthy long after the food is finished.
Choose a simple way of eating, exercising and stretching to keep yourself younger and healthier. These simple ways of eating and moving can improve brain function, increase insulin sensitivity, make your muscles stronger and more supple and make your life more full. If you are giving up sweets or bread for more quality time with your family and more life in your years then i would argue that you are making a healthier choice for you and your family.
Now go live simply and cleanly. Go live healthy!
Running is simple (unless you look at it like an engineer). Eating fewer calories is simple. Even writing a training program is simple. Running 100 meters in 12 seconds is simple. Losing 100 pounds is simple. But not 1 of those things is easy. Some things in life are hard. You will spend far more effort trying to make your life easier than you would fortifying yourself against the struggle and enjoying your health.
Getting fit and staying fit is really very simple:
1- Improve your flexibility
2- Improve your stability
3- Improve your ability to move efficiently for your every day activities
4- Achieve a healthy weight
5- Eat for balanced hormones and muscle strength.
That is 5 SIMPLE things master so you can be healthy and extend healthy life.
1 - Keeping yourself flexible or having mobility can allow you to, as the word implies, keep you more mobile. If you are more mobile then you can can move more efficiently, easier and better. When we can move better then we can move more, allowing us to keep up with our kids or even grandkids.
Find a flexibility program that you can do daily a little while before bed or before you go out for the evening. Hold each stretch for a minute- Low back, hamstrings, calves, chest and Hip flexors. Your body will thank you by moving better longer. Do not get too creative. Just find what is stiff and try to make it move better. Find what is stuck and unstick it.
2- Improve your stability - The ability to stand on one foot/leg is an essential skill for walking. It can also come in handy if you are are texting and step into the street in front of a car. The ability to be stable in most positions you body can get into is a great way to avoid injury. However, you cannot train for everything. A stronger, more stable mid-section with strong abs, hips and low back can be enough to avoid most injuries that do not involve outside forces (like the car we mentioned).
Keep a strong core by holding plank for 60 sec, side plank 30 sec each side and a table top (face up plank) for 60 sec. Don't worry if you cant hold for the entire time, build up to longer and longer. See how long you can hold. Basic exercises done for a simple amount of time, 60 sec or 30 sec.
3- Improve your ability to move efficiently for your every day activities. If you just sit at a desk all day and you are transported there via a floating chair then you ONLY need to maintain minimal function to keep your body from getting sick. If you have to walk from the car to the office; shop for groceries, sit down on a toilet, play with your kids or do anything that requires movement you should train for it.
Go play on the monkey bars with your friends- start slow so you don't get hurt. Go to the gym and pick up something heavy- hire a coach or a trainer to show you what to do. Do deep breathing activities to improve how well you breathe. Get down on the floor and get back up as fast you can 10 times, try to do it faster tomorrow. Stick to simple exercises but make them challenging by adding speed or changing directions.
4- Achieve a healthy weight. This 1 simple thing is probably the hardest thing to do but yields the best outcome almost regardless of how you get there. Surgery, exercise, metabolic medication and lifestyle modification will all help you lose down to a healthy weight. A Healthy BMI, one below 25, is a great way to delay most cancers, reduce orthopedic injuries and lengthen life. No matter what healthy method is chosen it should be done for life as long as it works.
Choose a simple diet of healthy foods and daily exercise to keep your heart and mind healthy. A diet higher in protein, lower in carbohydrates and with a healthy balance of fats can keep your weight down and your body functioning smoother.
5- Eat for balanced hormones and muscle strength. A higher protein diet with healthy fats from mostly plant sources can help you to keep your hormones, especially insulin, more balanced. Especially when combined with proper exercises and well timed nutritional intake the right foods can balance your hormones and help to build lean muscles. It is simple to stay away from breads, sweets and pastry. The problem is we often associate these things with something like love or Mom or Gramma or Christmas or something other than a means of sustaining our bodies.
Choose things you can gather, hunt, raise or pluck. I have never seen a loaf of bread growing in the field. I have never seen flakes in the field on a stalk. It is not always easy to choose the cleaner way of eating but it is simple. Know yourself. Know what you are really craving and eat only what can fuel you. Choose to find pleasure in things that will still leave you healthy long after the food is finished.
Choose a simple way of eating, exercising and stretching to keep yourself younger and healthier. These simple ways of eating and moving can improve brain function, increase insulin sensitivity, make your muscles stronger and more supple and make your life more full. If you are giving up sweets or bread for more quality time with your family and more life in your years then i would argue that you are making a healthier choice for you and your family.
Now go live simply and cleanly. Go live healthy!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Olympic and Election Year Health
For me the the best things in life come around every 4 years: the Olympics! I really enjoyed watching the Olympics on all the NBC channels this year. The technology and footage was just amazing! Others are absolutely glued to the television watching Election year debates and how quickly candidates fluctuate in the poles. I don't watch much TV (other than some Olympic sports and biking and running) or read the newspaper very much- I find them to be tough on my well being. This year we are offered political choices that seem to be as divisive as ever.
I believe quite fully in the American Dream, I feel like I get to live it EVERY day! The American Dream seems to have taken a very sharp turn somewhere. Somewhere we have skipped over the desire of humans to do useful work. Scrubbing toilets is useful work, the American dream says that if you work hard, use your brain a lot and get over your belief that you are "too good" to clean toilets then maybe you can invent something that takes the place of you scrubbing that toilet. That invention can make you a millionaire.
I will give you my take on this dream:
I do not fear that we will fail as a society in my lifetime. I do not feel that we will continue our trend toward an ever growing obesity epidemic either. We are Americans after all. We don't back down from a fight. We show the world just how rebellious we can be. Be rebellious in the fight against obesity, it will benefit your health and well being as well as the health of the economy. We use P90X, Sweatin to the Oldies, Tae Bo and Insanity:the Asylum to lose millions of pounds and become healthier than we ever thought.
DO NOT buy in to over eating as the "American Way!" DO NOT take being sedentary as the "American WAY!" We have the best athletes in the world, just look at our Olympic medal count! How can we have the best athletes and the highest level of obesity in the world? The sport of running has more participants, by far, than competitive eating. We should demand more of ourselves! We are the greatest nation after all! If your local, state or federal government imposes some rule or law that you feel infringes on your right to choose a gluttonous soda or trans-fats it is because you have not demanded better of yourself, you were irresponsible or too ill to make a better choice for yourself. Feel free to vote that politician out of office. Then show them that you can be responsible for your own healthy actions. Do not go it alone! Get help if you need it.
Get out and exercise to the best of your ability! Challenge yourself to do your part as a citizen. You can vote only every 4 years but you can make healthy choices that can effect the economy for the long run every time you eat. Choose more vegetables, lean protein sources and healthy fats like avocados and olive oil. Stay away from sugary foods, especially high fructose corn syrup and processed foods. Go out and participate in a sport or activity that brings you closer to your friends and family. Just DO NOT SIT THERE AND COMPLAIN!
GO! Be ACTIVE!
Make healthy choices like an industrious, productive and healthy American. Bring our greatness to a new level.
I believe quite fully in the American Dream, I feel like I get to live it EVERY day! The American Dream seems to have taken a very sharp turn somewhere. Somewhere we have skipped over the desire of humans to do useful work. Scrubbing toilets is useful work, the American dream says that if you work hard, use your brain a lot and get over your belief that you are "too good" to clean toilets then maybe you can invent something that takes the place of you scrubbing that toilet. That invention can make you a millionaire.
I will give you my take on this dream:
My American Dream says that if one works hard and wishes to improve their standing in life they can do so. I can push myself, as I feel every American should, to improve my input into this society and, as you raise your standards you can help those who are struggling to raise theirs. I choose making us, as a country, stronger and healthier as my means to living the dream. As I find ways to better my health and wealth I am encouraged, as a citizen of the USA and of the world, to improve the health and wealth of others. Effecting massive change on the health and wealth of this country is my dream. Making what i consider a good living at this chosen profession is My American Dream.
I do not fear that we will fail as a society in my lifetime. I do not feel that we will continue our trend toward an ever growing obesity epidemic either. We are Americans after all. We don't back down from a fight. We show the world just how rebellious we can be. Be rebellious in the fight against obesity, it will benefit your health and well being as well as the health of the economy. We use P90X, Sweatin to the Oldies, Tae Bo and Insanity:the Asylum to lose millions of pounds and become healthier than we ever thought.
DO NOT buy in to over eating as the "American Way!" DO NOT take being sedentary as the "American WAY!" We have the best athletes in the world, just look at our Olympic medal count! How can we have the best athletes and the highest level of obesity in the world? The sport of running has more participants, by far, than competitive eating. We should demand more of ourselves! We are the greatest nation after all! If your local, state or federal government imposes some rule or law that you feel infringes on your right to choose a gluttonous soda or trans-fats it is because you have not demanded better of yourself, you were irresponsible or too ill to make a better choice for yourself. Feel free to vote that politician out of office. Then show them that you can be responsible for your own healthy actions. Do not go it alone! Get help if you need it.
Get out and exercise to the best of your ability! Challenge yourself to do your part as a citizen. You can vote only every 4 years but you can make healthy choices that can effect the economy for the long run every time you eat. Choose more vegetables, lean protein sources and healthy fats like avocados and olive oil. Stay away from sugary foods, especially high fructose corn syrup and processed foods. Go out and participate in a sport or activity that brings you closer to your friends and family. Just DO NOT SIT THERE AND COMPLAIN!
GO! Be ACTIVE!
Make healthy choices like an industrious, productive and healthy American. Bring our greatness to a new level.
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