Thinking Triathlon?

Are you thinking a triathlon is in your future?

If you have regularly run and biked your way to better fitness, you may be ready.  How is your swim?  Have you incorporated swimming into your routine?  It's not a requirement, but are you willing to learn and train in the pool?

If you have answered "yes" to most of these questions, competing in a short triathlon event might be what you need to keep yourself motivated and engaged.  Tri Coach Gail Bernhardt has just the plan for you if you are ready to take this plunge.  Check out her blogpost on www.active.com.

Body Composition

We often have questions about body composition.

Why am I not looking better after working so hard?  Doesn't muscle weigh more than fat?

The fact of the matter is everyone is different -- diet and exercise affect everyone differently.  While some general trends hold true for most, we are all made of different body compositions.

This post from the Run To The Finish blog helps sort out some answers to these questions . . . as well as some common myths.  It is worth the read.

Farmers Heavier Than Other Groups

A recent study by the U. S. Department of Agriculture shows that farmers are heavier than other groups of the population - but one Iowa farmer is doing something about it.

Darcy Maulsby, a Lake City, Iowa farmer and a 39-year-old president of the Calhoun County Farm Bureau, has shed 85 pounds and taken her dress size down five notches. 

The study showed that nearly a quarter of the 90,000 Iowa and North Carolina farmers and spouses participating in this study reported doing no physical exercise during their free time.  Eighteen percent reported doing less than an hour a week in exercise.

Maulsby reversed that trend by "getting her butt of the couch".  She uses her gravel road outside her home to regularly walk her dog and swims at a local pool.  She satred a blog called Farmerlicious to share recipes and provide fun facts about food and farming at http://darcymaulsby.wordpress.com.

I Love This Guy - Older Adult Trainer

John David, a 73-year-old fitness trainer, is my new hero and role model.

David was recently featured on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition".  He earned a certified fitness training designation in his mid-50s and tried to switch careers from television to fitness trainig.  However, he discovered that fitness centers weren't looking to hire older trainers - they wanted younger people.

So, he made lemonade out of lemons.  Volunteering time to do fitness training at retirement facilities led to paid work.  Although David says the income is not great, he enjoys helping seniors stay healthy.  He says the health needs of seniors is much different than younger people - and he can related to that. 

I love this story because this is what I am considering doing as a career upon retirement.  I would really enjoy doing part-time work to help seniors keep fit in a way that isn't intimidating to them.

Interval Workouts

Interval workouts help make you faster - in whatever you are doing.

Here are two approaches from Leila Harper of www.active.com that can be applied to running, swimming and biking to help make you quicker!

Listen To Jillian Michaels

How many times have you watched NBC's "The Biggest Loser" and thought what a witch Jillian Michaels is?

If you watch this show at all, I guarantee you have had this thought.  However, I really have grown to respect Michaels and USA Today recently profiled the health guru and the new book she has written that offers great advice on how to live a healthy lifestyle.

Michaels is right - successful weight loss is not found in fad diets.  Weight loss is found by eating and exercising with common sense.  You can learn more about her approach by reading her new book Slim for Life: My Insider Secrets to Simple, Fast, and Lasting Weight Loss.

Michaels' approach makes sense - develop fitness habits that allow you to burn the most calories in the least amount of time and enjoy foods in a way that you manage your intake without feeling as though you are depriving yourself.  Common sense.

Stabilty Exercises

Here are some stability exercises to try out to get yourself on track.

Balance is important in your training.  These exercises complete with photos and instructions from www.active.com will show you how to get some balance back into your routine.

Trouble With Fitness-Based Work Spaces

A few years ago, fitness-based work spaces became a popular trend.  While it seemed like a good idea, some downsides have revealed themselves.

So, while the point seems noble enough with making fitness esay in your workspace, it's not that easy.  On treadmills, people were making mistakes in their typing.  Some folks were actually gaining weight as opposed to losing it.

Take a look at this article from the Wall Street Journal and learn more about whether fitness at your work station is for you.

Couples Working Through Need For Fitness

This article certainly got my attention. 

I have to believe there are many couples out there who have issues because one is more into fitness while the other is not.  My wife and I generally don't take up fitness activities together, but we certainly communicate through this issue as we respect one another's feelings about the importance of fitness.

This article makes a good point - communication is key.  If one partner is not interested in fitness, there is nothing wrong with that.  But some couples can certainly look at doing fitness activities together. It may lead to better understanding of the other's desire to be committed to health and wellness.

Take look at Elizabeth Bernstein's article in the Wall Street Journal and it may offer some helpful direction.

Maintaining Running Speed

I'm always looking for some new workouts to maintain what I have built or make myself better.

I ran across this post from Gale Bernhardt on www.active.com that offers some treadmill running workouts to help maintain your speed in the off-season. 

We should be gearing up for this season at this point in the year with the weather getting warmer, but I really liked these workouts.  They will come in handy for the next off-season or they might be good to insert into your routine when you have some questionable weather.