Some New Fitness Ideas

Sometimes http://www.thatsfit.com/ goes a bit “over the top”, but I thought this post from Martha Edwards merited a “look-see” at http://tinyurl.com/nhagqu.

There’s never anything wrong with reviewing a variety of fitness concepts, no matter how wacky, to identify what the best form of exercise is for you.

Learn from the expertise of others (and more importantly from their mistakes) to create the best fitness plan for YOU!

Learn From Your Race Event

You just ran your personal best in a 10K. Or maybe you ran your worst 10K in the last several years.

No reason to be too happy or too upset about either situation really. I thought this post on http://www.active.com/ made the best point – what can you learn from your performance in an event? The answer is pretty simple – you can draw many conclusions that may help you prepare for the next event.

Look at your time. How does it compare to other similar events? Time is the ultimate quantifiable and deliverable result!

Consider weather conditions and how they impacted your ability to perform.

Did you feel you properly hydrated?

How was your food intake prior to the event?

These are just a few of the items you can use to measure your performance against other past performances to make for an improved performance the next time. Check out this post on http://www.active.com/ to learn more what I mean -- http://tinyurl.com/lhmr6k.

What Is Your Body Telling You?

We experience many issues with our bodies – some serious, some not so serious.

Melinda Beck of the Wall Street Journal recently wrote an educational piece about certain symptoms to consider with more care and concern than others. Check it out - http://tinyurl.com/lu8wfg.

There’s no doubt that some issues minor, but others may indicate more serious problems that need immediate attention. What about “losing hair”, “small fatty deposits” on your eyelids or other conditions? Read Beck’s article to see what attention should be taken to address certain signs like these that YOU may encounter.

Think About Tapering For Your Race

Again, most beginners aren’t educated about the value of tapering. Your training plan should include time at the end of the cycle that “lightens the load” and allows your body to recover for peak performance on race day.

Make sure your training plan gives you the appropriate amount of time that allows you enough recovery to gain success at the event.

Here’s an example “tapering” offered in a post earlier this year by Andrea Hill -- http://tinyurl.com/9thkys.

Check Out These New Workouts

As a follower of the "Total Wellness Blog", I'm always interested in some of the workouts prescribed by this blog's author, Yuri Elkaim.

I encourage you take a look at this site out as he posts some great information, particularly in the area of new workouts and exercises. If you're limited on time and equipment, check out his latest 20-minute stability ball workout --http://tinyurl.com/n2q6zj.

Also, he recently posted some workout videos that offer some great new fitness routines -- http://tinyurl.com/msqgq8.

He really does have some great content! If you’re finding yourself short on time or in search of “that new routine”, this is a great place to look.

I've been keeping up with posts pretty well here, but I have some travel that's making it harder to keep up. Thanks for being patient and keep checking back as I will be posting as often as I can!

Here Are Some Pound-Shedding Ideas

Most athletes I know are always looking for ways to “lose those last few pounds”.

Are you keeping an “eating log”? When you’re forced to be accountable for what you eat, it helps keep the overeating habits in line.

What about eliminating sugary pop or energy drinks and replacing them with water? Some of these alternative drinks have way too many sugars, carbohydrates and chemicals. Water is the best way to stay hydrated without adding the potential for weight gain.

Check out Jim Vance’s post on http://www.active.com/ to learn more about these types of weight-loss tips at http://tinyurl.com/lf3xdz.

Getting Ready For A Marathon

With all the attention on marathons as the training season for fall marathons approaches, it’s important to make sure you’re entirely prepared for the event. This is particularly true if you’re doing your first marathon.

Do your research if you’re planning to do a marathon. If you’re committed to the event, you will need to do the appropriate research to address the issues associated with completing this race. While I don’t want to scare you, this is a very physically demanding exercise on your body and you must be prepared to address the issues associated with heavy marathon training.

As I have mentioned in the past, “Marathon The Ultimate Training Guide” by Hal Higdon is a great reference for marathon training. “50/50 Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons In 50 Days and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance” by Dean Karnazes is another reference that will provide inspiration.

Christine Luff also offers another primer on issues to consider before taking on your first marathon at --. http://tinyurl.com/ngdp6r.

With the holiday and some travel over the next several days, I may not be posting much until the middle of next week. Thanks for reading and have a great Fourth of July holiday!