Yoga for Runners
April 30, 2009
I didn’t do much yoga when I was marathon training and maybe that is why I’m still nursing injured knees 8 months later. Live and learn, I suppose. If you are runner, or even if you aren’t, you will see benefits from these yoga stretches.
from Fit Sugar: Running is such a great form of exercise since it burns calories, keeps your heart healthy, an tones your lower body. The problem is, many people suffer from injuries that could be prevented if they stretched their tight muscles regularly. If you’re a runner, do these five yoga poses after a run to ease tension and prevent pains… Go To Yoga for Runners article at Fit Sugar!
Swine Flu and Martha Stewart’s Life Calendar
April 28, 2009
Just when it seems that we got ourselves out of flu season, the swine flu appears out of nowhere. This raises awareness and concern for our health and this is a good time to think about other illnesses and precautions we should be taking. We know that the flu shot will not protect you from the swine flu but is still a good idea and next season, the shot will probably help to curb some strains involved in the swine flu. The best way to prevent the flu is to keep washing your hands and limit unnecessary human contact.
Right now every news and talk show is talking health and Martha Stewart is no different. However, I did like that way she presented a ‘Life Calendar’ that provides a suggestion of tests and screenings that you should schedule throughout your life. It covers the basics: eye exams, dental exams, pap and mammograms, but also the less thought of vitamin D, colonoscopy and blood lipids. Take a look at this calendar, print it out and put it somewhere or even set your scheduling program to remind you when each exam or screening should be scheduled.
<<Click Here for the Martha Stewart Life Calendar>>
7 Ways to Go Green on the Cheap!
April 22, 2009
It’s Earth Day 2009 and if you haven’t already jumped on the ‘going green’ bandwagon – then you better get to it! Here are just a handful of ideas that are easy and cheap (some even save you money) for you to start saving the environment!
1. Reusable Napkins and Dish Towels
Find those discount bins and stock up on cheap cloth napkins and dish towels. Use them instead of paper napkins and towels and when dirty, toss them into your laundry! We’ve been doing this since the beginning of the year and we’ve cut our paper product use down to 1 roll of papertowels and only a handful of paper napkins for the last 4 months! Plus you get a splash of color and a bit of luxury when you use cloth napkins for every meal!
2. Eat Local
It takes fuel to get that food from far away. Find a local farmer’s market and you’ll be rewarded with delicious in-season produce, while helping your local economy and the environment at the same time.
<<Find a Farmers Market Near You!>>
3. Unplug appliances when not in use.
Even when an appliance is turned off, it is drawing energy. Save a bit of cash and help the environment by keeping appliances like a toaster, blender, battery chargers, hair dryers, etc. unplugged when you aren’t using them!
4. CFLs
They cost less to run, last for years and come in so many varieties that now you can select your warmth factor for every room! When it comes time to recycle – Home Depot has a CFL recycling center.
5. Reusable Bags
They are everywhere and pretty darn cheap! My favorite bags are from Reusable Bags and I can’t take them anywhere without getting compliments! Pack N Tote: Grocery Cart Helper Bags
6. Walk More, Drive Less.
Burn those calories and save that fuel!
7. Veggies More, Meat Less.
Meat uses a large amount of energy to produce, much more than fruits and vegetables. Just cutting meat out of your diet a meal or two a week will help the environment and reduce your calories at the same time!
Find more information:
Also – the first film from Disneynature, Earth, is being released in theaters today!
We Should All Be Fit Chix!
April 17, 2009
I mentioned that when I was in Phoenix, I came across a great boutique store, Fit Chix, focused on women’s fitness. With the amazing help of the salespeople, I bought a great 2 piece triathlon training suit. I wanted to learn more about this great company and its inspiration so I went straight to the founders, Dan and Mike. I was going to edit their answers to my questions, but just think that they worded it so well that it is best left alone. You can really see their passion and excitement from their response. I look forward to talking with them in the future as we work to make fitness a must for all people but especially women! Check out their locations and also their site at www.FitChix.com.
1. What inspired you to start the store? “Mike and I both come from the fitness equipment side of the fitness industry. We’ve spent the last 13 years each working with specialty fitness stores (me, mostly on the manufacturing side and Mike, mostly on the retail side). Mike worked as the sales and marketing director for a 17 store chain based out of the Northeast. I worked in sales and marketing for one of the top fitness equipment manufacturers. The company that Mike worked for became a customer of mine and we quickly became friends. Mike and I would spend countless hours during business trips debating the “flaws” in the specialty fitness model. We both believed that the manufacturer’s weren’t doing enough to build products that inspire people to actually use the equipment and that the retailers weren’t evolving their stores to create a unique “fitness experience” for the customer. We both watched as specialty store after specialty store opened up in low-traffic, less desirable “strip-mall/plazas” settings with the typical white walls, vinyl banners on the walls, barely clean carpet and a sea of steel (the equipment) that is often intimidating and overwhelming to the first time fitness shopper. Then there is the staff and in-store environment: frequently you’d find a person with no fitness knowledge whose business attire consisted of cargo shorts, a wrinkled shirt and a store “ambiance” with AC/DC blaring in the background…ugh! Mike and I noticed that little to no focus has ever been placed on truly being the total fitness resource for the shopper. When we created the FitChix model it was simply because we observed that there was very little focus on the female shopper at the specialty and big box levels, even though the female shopper is typically the one who initiates the search for health/wellness product and make the majority of the buying decisions in a family situation where fitness equipment is being considered. We thought it had to be frustrating and somewhat insulting that women’s fitness seemed to be an after-thought. FitChix was created to provide a complete fitness experience for women seeking to look better, feel better and life a more active lifestyle. Our stores are staffed by fitness professionals (personal trainers, yoga instructors, Pilates instructors, exercise science graduates, etc. that vary in age and expertise in the hopes of providing a wide range of experience and knowledge-base for our customers. Our stores have everything from sports bras (we do custom fitting) to baby joggers to yoga mats to treadmills. We carry accessories, apparel, equipment and information products so that, regardless of where you are in your fitness journey (or age), we have something that will help you get to the “next level”. Our goal from day one has been to provide a safe, fun and encouraging environment for women of all ages to explore their fitness goals and a more active lifestyle. We believe we are achieving that today.”
2. What is the plan of expansion for the store and site? “For the big-picture (over the next 10 years), we believe that FitChix can be successful in every major city/shopping mall in the U.S, although we may not add any additional stores in 2009, depending on the retail environment, we are actively looking for the right partners to help us achieve this goal. 2009 will see us focus more on the launch and growth of our catalogue division, FitChix Parties division and continued growth of our website initiatives. We will focus heavily on adding more products to our offering and a greater “experience with the products” to our customers. Our website is being updated this week with many improvements we’ve worked on for the last 2-3 months which include fitness blog, FitChix Parties section, Bra Finder (to help women find the perfect sports bra for their size and activity) as well as a simplified search process. We’re also adding a great deal of content and fitness facts for women. Again, big-picture: We believe FitChix can my synonymous with women’s fitness. Right now, if you ask a woman where she’d go for: 1.) getting started on their fitness plan 2.) to find a sports bra or fitness apparel, 3.) to learn about how to choose and use the right fitness products/equipment for their goals 4.) to get sound advice on nutrition and balance in their fitness routine, you’d probably get a terrible range of some big-box stores, internet and or a health club. Our goal is to offer advice, products and services wherever women feel most comfortable looking for it and talking about their own fitness goals/challenges, whether that be online, in a comfortable party setting or in a friendly store environment. We believe we can be the name women remember and choose when they think of fitness/wellness. We hope to add more products and programs that are customized for women and under the FitChix brand as well in the future.”
3. What’s the most overlooked area of fitness/health/wellness? “Women-specific products. Overall, there is a lack of clear message that explains the benefit and steps to achieve a balanced fitness approach to life or striking a clear balance in your life between cardio activity, strength training, stretching (flexibility) and nutrition. You’ll see a greater emphasis on this core-balance in all things we do moving forward.“
4. What’s the best thing about being fit?“Being able to do the things you love in life. Our bodies were meant for activity, but we’ve become a more sedentary society. One of the things we like to ask our customers is: What does being a fit, mean to you? And the answers are compelling. For some women, being fit means being athletic and in outstanding physical shape. For many, it’s just about striking that balance between being a mom, a professional and being in a healthy relationship. For others, it’s just about being able to walk up a flight of stairs or maintain their range of motion, that is the is the driving factor, especially for an aging population.”
Beat that Fitness Slump Now!
April 14, 2009
In a rut, slump or just down in the dumps? I’ve got 5 1/2 easy steps toward a better you!
You want to eat right, go to the gym, get more sleep, stop drinking coffee and soda, cut out cookies….
We can all name the things we know we should or shouldn’t be doing but creating a list of 50 things you want to accomplish this week towards being healthy is just silly. You can barely remember the whole list, let alone make it happen! It takes 21 days to make a habit – so it seems like picking 1 small thing a month would be the most effective way to do this, right? Find out by watching this episode of Fit Life!
Fitness Links:
Fitness programs: 5 steps to getting started – Mayo Clinic
4 Simple Steps to Start the Exercise Habit – Zen Habits
Jump-Start Your Exercise Routie – CBSNews
A big thanks to our sponsors!
Eastbay.com – Save 15% off any purchase with the Eastbay Discount Code: AFLIFE15
eMusic.com – Go to emusic.com/fitlife and claim your 14 day free trial and 35 free songs!
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The Fine Print:
You can find the rest of my shows on my Mevio profile at amy.mevio.com. If you would like to get all of my shows (Assercize, Fitness Attack, Fit Life) as well as my News & Recipes blog, subscribe to the main feed at feeds.feedburner.com/wamall or read it online at www.withamymac.com/news
Thank you to Mevio for free hosting and technical support!
Miniature Golf – AmyMac Style
April 3, 2009
I’ve always bragged that I could take the simplest activity and make it a workout. Yesterday, that skill was put to the test. We’ve been hard at work with a 1-1 bootcamp this week and are just exhausted. We are implementing a routine for the gym, food, appropriate snacks and portion sizes and burning as many calories as possible. However, yesterday, the request was to have fun (she doesn’t find working out as fun as I do) and I wondered what we could do to keep us on the right track but break up the routine a bit. We opted for miniature golf and then added another game to it. We had to find different exercises to do while the other person was on the green, we alternated between holding a squat, single leg balances, pushups, toe raises and jumping jacks. There were some steps in between holes, so we added stepups to the mix. We played 2 rounds and at the end, were exhausted! I was kind of surprised how effective it was. At the same time, we had fun and she was extremely happy to get out of the gym. Now doing stuff like this does cause stares as people watch you workout your way around the course, so be prepared if you decide to play a round.
Do you have an activity that you’ve amped up to make it a workout?
Indoor Plants to Clean the Air Around You!
April 1, 2009
I’ve been looking for ways to clean the air in the house without having to buy one of those expensive air purifiers for years. I know plants are helpful in this, but I’ve never been good with maintaining them. However, since I’m already working on growing a garden and making that a priority, I thought it would be a good time to try getting some indoor plants and clean up the air, naturally. I’ve started looking at which plants would be the most effective, as well as look great in the house. I’m using some of these resources to help me make my decisions. I already have a bamboo palm and love gerbera daisies. I’m excited – these are going to add so much to the house! Put a plant on your desk, add them to your house and breathe easier!
Best Air-Filtering House Plants According to NASA! – Treehugger.com
Top 10 Plants for Cleaning Toxins from the Air – SocalCleanse.com
Top Houseplants for Improving Indoor Air Quality – CleanAirGardening.com
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