Guest post: Exercise during cancer recovery

 Today's blog post is written by Melanie Bowen.
Melanie is currently a Master's student with a passion that stems from her grandmother's cancer diagnosis. She often highlights the great benefits of alternative nutritional, emotional, and physical treatments on those diagnosed with cancer or other serious illness.  To read more from Melanie, visit her blog for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. In her spare time, you can find Melanie trying new vegan recipes, on her yoga mat, or spending time with her family.

 

Exercise During Cancer Recovery

The diagnosis is enough to send your brain reeling. When you're diagnosed with cancer, it is typically followed up with a series of tests and days filled with doctors. It is truly a life-changer and you may start to question everything you do. Should you keep your diet the same? Can you keep up with your exercise routine? Should you even exercise at all? It is important to follow the recommendations of your physician, and there are always exceptions, but cancer may not be your excuse to get out of breaking a little sweat! Depending on where you are in your recovery will affect what type of exercise is best. We'll break that down a little further to help you get started.

Light Exercise

Patients undergoing aggressive treatment for mesothelioma or other lung-related cancers can perform light exercise. Light stretching is an example of a simple light exercise. As long as you maintain your normal breathing and chat with a friend easily while performing the activity, it falls into this category. Stretching can be done while standing or sitting down, depending on your condition. If you are confined to a chair it may be as simple as raising your arms up overhead or reaching behind your back for several repetitions.

It might sound simple, but the benefits are far-reaching. Light stretching can ease depression and fatigue. Stretching obviously increases flexibility, but it also boosts feelings of tranquility while physically challenging your body so you are able to get a better night's sleep.

Moderate Exercise

You've recently completed your cancer treatment and are ready to start building up your strength. With a moderate exercise program you'll break a sweat after about 10 minutes and can still chat with your friend, but your breathing will be more rapid. Water aerobics or aquatic exercise is a wonderful place to start. The buoyancy of the water eases stress on your joints but the resistance of the water works your muscles no matter which direction you move. It is safer for raising your body temperature because you dissipate heat more effectively in the water. It is a fun way to increase your strength and flexibility while regulating your weight. Exercising in the water is also a good way to enhance your stamina.

Advanced Exercise

This level is for those who are in the advanced phase of recovery and would like to get the spring back in their step. Weight training is an excellent method to achieve this goal. Your body becomes more powerful while you feel more energized. Lifting weights increases bone density and muscle, which will help burn more fat. It is especially beneficial if you have had stomach or prostate cancer, which can cause you to lose muscle mass at an alarming rate. Using exercise machines at a gym are a great way to get started. The machine helps you maintain good body mechanics to avoid injury and it's easy to track your progress. Free weights are also easy to use and can be very effective when combined with moves like lunges or squats.

Cancer can be scary enough without stripping you of everything normal in your life. Exercise is a great way to boost your energy and your spirit. The benefits of exercise greatly outweigh its conveniences. Actively participating in a fitness program is also a way to keep feeling more like you.

P.S. Today (Sunday 2nd June) is National Cancer Survivor Day, just thought I'd mention it.

Obsession: yoga video (part II)

My newest obsession: Meghan Currie's yoga video "Mad love".

Just watch it and you'll understand.



// I'm off for a mini-vacation to South Karelia (Eastern Finland). I'll be able to go to the gym once, which means that I'll most definitely bring my yoga mat. I'm not even closely as flexible as Meghan (especially after my killer workouts this week), but you know what? I don't care. I'll finish my yoga as flow-y as possible. This one is all about breathing and moving to my own rhytm.

Have a great day,
/Ulrika

Supplement info: Magnesium

Good morning, happy people!

After writing the "Diet tip of the day: Drink more water" - post I've received a ton of questions on supplements and superfoods. Therefore I want to share my knowledge with you guys. This is the first part of my "supplement info"-series. My main goal is to introduce some of the most important supplements any athlete (beginner, intermediate or professional) should be taking - giving you a description of why they work and some tips on using them correctly.

Do you want to improve recovery after a really tough workout?
Do you want to sleep better at night?
Do you wish to reduce muscle spasms, cramps and improve your tolerance of vigorous physical activity?

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant element by mass in the human body and is essential to good health. It's ions are essential to all living cells, where they are needed in manipulating important biological compounds like ATP, DNA and RNA. Magnesium is required in the catalysation of more than 300 enzymes in the human body, and it has been detected in nearly 4,000 binding sites of human proteins.

Magnesium is important to metabolism, enzyme function, the proper function of the nervous system, the uptake of calcium, the immune system, muscle function (keeping the heart beat steady - the heart is a muscle), strengthening bones and protein synthesis. Taken correctly, magnesium prevents stroke and heart attacks; and can help pain in fibromyalgia, migraine and premenstrual symptoms.

Magnesium is essential in a healthy diet. Magnesium, just like Vitamin D, plays a part in many chemical reactions and functions in the human body, and deficiency is therefore challenging to diagnose. Many people may not have enough magnesium stored in their body because they fail to get the recommended amount of magnesium from their diet. Having enough body stores of magnesium can prevent stroke and heart attacks and immune dysfunction.

Common first symptoms of magnesium deficiency are numbness and tingling, apathy, memory loss and learning difficulties, nausea, desorientation, sleep disorders, irritation, muscle spasms and cramps, headache, loss of appetite, fatigue and weakness. Magnesium deficiency can cause asthma, diabetes and osteoporosis. Keep in mind that many of these symptoms are general and can be caused by many other things than magnesium deficiency!
Magnesium deficiency is usually caused by a disease or dysfunction of the intestines (diabetes, kidney dysfunction, irritated bowel syndrome), certain types of medicine (diuretic compounds, birth control pills and antibiotics), stress or alcoholism.

Good dietary sources of magnesium include green vegetables (spinach, agar, green leafy spices), fruits like banana and avocado; beans and peas; tomatoes, ginger, cumin, fish (halibut), nuts and seeds (especially cashews, almonds, sunflower and pumpkin seeds), and whole, unrefined grains. Refined grains (e.g. white flour) are generally low in magnesium, because when they are processed, the magnesium-rich germ and bran are removed. So make sure you eat whole-grain products in stead of processed foods! Coffee, cocoa and tea are also good sources of magnesium. When it comes to cocoa, choose raw cacao (here's why).

Keep in mind that carbonated drinks like sodas decrease the uptake of magnesium, as does taking large amounts of calcium supplements.

Magnesium dietary supplements are widely available. Here's a short description of the different forms of magnesium supplements:

Magnesium oxide is one of the most common forms in magnesium dietary supplements, because it has a high magnesium content per weight (60%), but it is the least bioavailable. Magnesium oxide works mostly as a laxative in the human body, so don't overdose on it - you'll feel the consequences pretty fast.
Magnesium citrate has been reported as more bioavailable then oxide or amino-acid chelate (glycinate) forms. Citrate is a common form of magnesium in supplements, you'll find it in almost every supermarket.
Magnesium glycinate is a highly bioavailable form of magnesium, and it provides a high level of absorption and is considered ideal for those who are trying to correct a deficiency. (It's also the form I mostly use).
Magnesium chloride or lactate has only 12% magnesium, but it is still more bioavailable than magnesium oxide.
Magnesium stearate is a potentially harmful additive, a binding ingredient in drugs and mints, and shouldn't be used as a magnesium supplement. According to a health-oriented website magnesium stearate (or the stearic acid in it) can lower your immune system and potentially prevent the absorption of nutrients in your intestine. So, steer clear of magnesium stearate.

So, what did you learn? Don't use magnesium oxide, take almost anything else. Except for magnesium stearate, that is. Read the labels on your supplement bottles! If you're unsure about supplementing on magnesium, leave a comment or send me a message - I'm glad to help.

Excess magnesium in the blood is filtered at the kidneys, so it's difficult to overdose on magnesium from dietary sources. With supplements, overdose is possible, but mostly in people with poorly functioning kidneys.So you shouldn't worry.

<sup>Picture source 1 2

 Hope you're having a great day!

/Coach U</sup>

Friday motivation.

My motivational moodboard of the week:

 

 

Hi peeps.

I'm going through some serious sh*t in my personal life, but you know what? I'm strong, I'll get through it. I'm more motivated than ever to work out like crazy and to get shredded by August. Heck, I'll be in top shape in July.

No excuses, just get it done.

/Coach U

Picture source

Workout schedule for January and February

Hi peeps,

I want to share my workout schedule with you guys. This is a schedule I'll keep up for two months, starting this week.

If you missed yesterday's post about my new year's resolutions, read it here. I've modified my usual workout schedule quite a lot, trying to keep it as simple as possible without putting too much stress on my body.

I reached my goal before Christmas, by the way. I deadlifted a 5 reps set with 100 kgs and benchpressed a set of 6 reps with 50 kgs. Soooo happy.

Monday
Leg workout - supertough crosstraining strength & plyo workout. This is a set I would love to do with a friend, since lifting heavy and jumping high is really tough, and a little competition never hurts.. If I'm the winner, of course ;) No, just kidding. Four rounds of 15 burpees superset with 6-8 heavy deadlifts is so much more fun to do with someone else cheering me on.

If you don't puke, faint or die KEEP GOING!

Tuesday
Upper body crosstraining workout.

I still love my handstand push-ups and chin-ups, and I won't stop doing them. I've added a few basic dumbbell exercises to this workout - you'll see it with pictures as soon as I recruit a friend with me to the gym.

Wednesday
Low-impact leg & core workout at the gym, focusing on my glutes and deep abs (i.e. M. Transversus Abdominis). I've modified a few Tracy Anderson's leg series to match my goals, so I do them with a pulley or elastic bands. This workout includes a lot of bodyweight training, too. Workout coming up...

Thursday
Pole dancing at my local gym. Love. Pole dancing really works my upper body, I'm sore in places I didn't know existed. Gripping the pole, climbing it, spinning on it makes me work my muscles in a way I haven't done before. I love it.

Friday
Yoga.
I love the feeling after a great yoga workout. Energized, but not drained. Remember my motivational yoga video? Check it out here.

Saturday
Endurance training of my choice - dancing, jogging, skiing.. Anything that I find fun at the moment. This is the part of my workouts that I do for me and me alone.

Sunday
Rest day.

This workout schedule is missing my daily walks with my dear little puglet (it's a dog, in case you don't know) and my evening stretches. One of my goals for January is to increase the range of motion in my hips.

Hope you're feeling inspired!

Love,
Ulrika

Picture source: Fitness girls on facebook

New year's resolution: goals for 2013

Hello beautiful people,

I hope you had a splendid Christmas and NYE - now that you're (hopefully) back to your normal routines regarding eating and working out, I'd like to share my top 5 goals (i.e. New year's resolution) for the year 2013.

1. I will stop competing with others and do more stuff for ME.
This one is really tough for me. I've already written a few texts about motivation, and to be quite honest, I have no problems with it - quite the opposite. I'm strongly externally motivated, i.e. competitive. Last year I would have written phrases like Squat deeper than the guys at the gym, finish first on a 10K run, lift heavier than any girl I know. This year I'll compete with myself, and no one else. I will do more stuff I actually love, i.e. dance like nobody's watching. I'll start this tomorrow with poledancing ;)

2. I will make sure that I rest enough.
I've learned to accept the fact that I have a sleeping disorder. I wake up at 5:15 every morning and go to bed after 11 p.m. I have chronic black circles under my eyes, and I'm ready to get rid of them. I'm launching a huge battle against my sleep deprivation and stress levels, starting today. My means are clear, too. Less running, more yoga. Less coffee, more sleep. 1-2 rest days per week (now that's a tough one!).

3. I will be in the best shape of my life on August 10th, 2013.
Do I really need to explain this further? I have a few motivational pictures I'd like to share with you guys, here goes:

Picture source
That's Nicole Wilkins, by the way. She's an IFBB Figure competitor, and I absolutely adore her. I don't need to be as ripped as she is on stage, but her off-season body is smashing. I'd love to look like that.

Now, I'm reeeeeally far from my goal #3, but you know what - I don't care. I'll beat the odds, you'll see. I have a metabolic disease which affects my hormonal balance (and therefore my body composition), and I hate it - but I will give 110% and work with what I've got.

4. I will spend less money on excessive junk.
By this I mean that I'll think twice before buying any clothes or any other unnecessary sh*t. I'll bring my lunch and snacks to work to avoid spending excess money on groceries, I won't go shopping unless I actually need something and I'll sell my clothes online or at a thrift store before August.

5. I will start enjoying my meals more.
I'll keep eating healthy and clean, but I will enjoy my meals a lot more. Ever get the feeling that you eat the same stuff week after week, lacking variation and taste? That's my November and December for you, ha-ha. I promise myself that I'll eat more stuff that I actually enjoy, and not choose foods solely based on their nutritional value. Food is fuel, but it's a big part of my life and I should teach myself to enjoy every meal more.

Here are my top 5 goals for the year 2013. I wish you a healthy, happy new year and hope to hear your goals and resolutions ;)

Love,
Ulrika

How should I start running?

Hey,

Hope you've had a great Halloween! I don't know about you guys, but we had a really quiet Halloween with just two trick-or-treaters. We didn't stock up on sweets, because we didn't want to eat all the leftovers ourselves. My plan worked perfectly, no excess candy to munch on the weekend.

I promised myself last week that I'd go jogging on Saturdays. I promised myself to keep my promises too, ha ha. Since I woke up an hour earlier than I should and I had a tremendous amount of energy, I decided to go for a 45-minute run before work. I felt awesome!

If you haven't been exercising regularly for years, start off with brisk walks. When your walks feel light in intensity, you can add a few jogs into your regular routine (read a bit further, running for beginners-routine coming up!).


How should I get started?
 
Make sure you're exercising properly. Don't be greedy, your fitness level won't improve massively on the first jog.

Here are a few pitfalls you should avoid when beginning your new hobby:

• You're running too fast. Make sure your pace is mild and you feel good during your workout (and afterwards!). Running at a high velocity requires a few week's training, so be patient.
• You're runs are too long in duration. Keep in mind that your career as a runner should start with walking and progress into jogging. Running won't become a habit if you start with high-intensity workouts and feel like sh*t afterwards.
• You're running because you "should be running". If you have no interest in running, why do it? There are a million different cardio exercises that are just as good. If you don't like what you're doing, it's hard to stay motivated.

Set goals.
Set your own goals based on your own fitness level. Read here about setting goals, if you're insecure. An example could be to run for 45 minutes without feeling like dying.


Exercise routines -interval training

Beginner
If you've never run before, start off with 2-3 brisk walks per week. Each workout should last for 20-30 minutes and you should feel energized afterwards.
When your walks feel really easy and light in intensity, add a few minutes jogs into the routine. Your walks could look like this:

Warm-up for 10 minutes (brisk walking)

Light jogging 1 minute

Walking 4 minutes

Repeat the jogging/walking-interval twice for a 20-minute workout.

After completing this routine for 2-3 weeks (and still feeling good), add a little bit of length to your runs. Keep in mind that the workout should still feel easy and you add a maximum of five minutes to each workout per week.

Intermediate
Your fitness level is "intermediate", you work out 2-3 times a week and have done the beginner phase already, or you've been walking/running 20-45-minute runs for 3-4 weeks.

When your fitness level is improving, you can easily crank up the volume:

Warm-up: walk 10 minutes

Jog 2 minutes

Walk 3 minutes

You can slowly move onto a more jogging, less walking type of routine: jog 3 minutes, walk 2 minutes or jog 4 minutes, walk 1 minute. As soon as this routine feels easy, start doing your workouts jogging.

Advanced
In case you've been running straight for 45 minutes and it still feels easy, add a little more intensity to your workouts.

Warm-up: light jogging 10 minutes

Run 1 minute

Jog 4 minutes

Repeat the run/jog-routine 2-6 times.

Run a maximum of three times per week, keeping at least one rest day in between workouts. Remember to stretch your quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes and hip adductors after every workout!

Have a nice run ;)
/Ulrika

Picture source

Workout routines: Lower body plyo circuit

This is what really got me and my friend Maija going last month  - a lower body plyometric circuit! I presented my September workout schedule earlier (here), and now is the time to show you exactly what the plyo circuit is.

Get shredded with this awesome routine! Incorporate it into your workout schedule by replacing a lower body resistance training or a high intensity interval training (HIIT) routine with this. I recommend that you do this 1-2 times per week, keeping a minimum of 48 hours between workouts.

This is one of my favourite workout routines so far. It's short (it takes me about 35 minutes to complete five rounds), effective and I can totally feel my buns and thighs burning afterwards!

Before starting the circuit, make sure you're decently warmed up. By that, I mean a 10-15 minute light cardio on a stationary bike, treadmill or any cardio machine of your choice. You should have broken a bit of sweat before moving on to the circuit.

You'll need: a bench or a step, 2 x 3-5 kg dumbbells, a water bottle and a towel to wipe your sweat (trust me, you'll need it!). Bring a stopwatch to time your progress.

Remember to drink lots of water after the workout. Have a healthy carb-filled recovery drink or meal waiting for you ~30 minutes after working out.

Five rounds of:
Weighted reverse lunge from bench or step (15 reps per leg)
Mountainclimbers (30 seconds)
Bench jumps (10 reps)
Weighted lunge jumps (10 reps per leg)
Jumping jacks (30 seconds)

Try to keep minimal pauses between rounds, no pauses between exercises. Start off with three rounds and work your way up as your body adapts to the workout. This set shouldn't feel easy; in fact, this is one of the toughest sets I do during my workout week.

Breaking down the routine

Reverse lunge from bench or step

Get ready: Stand on an elevated platform, feet hip-width apart with two 3-5 kg dumbbells in each hand. 

Go: Step back with your right leg and lower your body until your left knee is bent at at least 90 degrees. Pause, then push through the left heel and step your right foot on the board. That's one rep. Do all reps on the right leg before stepping back with your left leg.

Mountainclimbers

Get ready: Start in a full plank position, with your palms straight under your shoulders and feet hip-width apart. Make sure you don't round your shoulders or let your hips sag!

Go: Alternate running your knees into your chest as fast as possible, sprinting for 30 seconds until you're completely out of breath.

Bench jumps

Get ready: Stand in front of your bench (or box) with your arms by your sides, feet hip-width apart.

Go: Jump onto your bench, landing as softly as possible, and jump back down. Repeat 10 times.

Lunge jumps

Get ready: Feet in a hip-width position, hands by your sides (holding dumbbells, if possible). Step back with your right leg and lower until your left knee is in a 90 degree angle.

Go: Jump up as fast as you can, extending your knees. Land softly in the same position, lower and repeat 10 times before stepping back with your left leg.

Jumping jacks

Get ready: Stand with your feet together, arms straight by your sides.

 Go: Jump and spread your feet, extending your arms up. Jump and bring them back together. Repeat for 30 seconds.

Tip: Keep your arms as straight as possible, stay on the balls of your feet.

Have a great workout!

/Ulrika

Picture source 1 2 3 4 5

Obsession: yoga

I know this is an old video, but I still watch this every now and again. It's just mesmerizing, you know? I recommend taking three minutes to watch the video, it's worth it.

The first time I saw this video I couldn't help but thinking "I need to master this". Too bad I'm not that skinny or flexible, and my arm balance could definitely need a lot more work. But you know what? I'm still going for it. Maybe not this year, but the next. I'll practice until I'm there.

Briohny Smyth from Equinox makes it look so easy. *sigh*
Well, I guess she didn't just browse videos on YouTube and go "ooh I need to learn that" :D She lives and breathes yoga, just like I live and breathe the gym. I need to refocus. More yoga? Oh, yes.

I've had some issues with my lower back. It feels tired and stiff every now and again, mostly after long runs or lifting heavy. Completing just a few sun salutations eases the pain - completing a full 90-minute session makes me feel reborn. The best part is that I don't have to go anywhere special to do it. I can just walk into our spare room and close the door behind me, roll out my yoga mat and close my eyes.

You know the feeling after a tough workout at the gym? The feeling I get after a yoga workout is entirely different. I feel warm, but not necessarily sweaty. Every muscle and joint in my body feels like it's had a workout, but nothing feels sore. I feel at least a few inches longer after the deep stretches. My mind is peaceful and my breath is eased.

I do my yoga in silence, or listening to sounds of nature. Raindrops on our tin roof; the wind rustling in the trees; the sound of my deep breaths.
 
Inhale, exhale.

/Ulrika

Saturday motivation.

Motivational pictures of the week.

I wanted to share some beautiful pictures with you guys. These pictures are printed and glued to my motivational diary for this week's entry. As I've said before, i love to keep a log on my eating, working out and just overall feelings. My workouts this week haven't been perfect (I injured my left glute muscles last week), but I've really focused on clean eating and sleeping enough.

I've kept a dietary log this week, just to stay on track. I've written everything down, every sip of water and every supplement. Keeping a dietary log even for a week gives me perspective on my diet. I should be drinking a lot more water (even though I drink 2-3 litres every day), making sure I take my HCl supplements on every meal (with solid proteins, that is) and eating a lot more greens. We eat a lot of veggies and fruits, but we should focus a lot more on deep green leafy veggies like spinach. I grew my own spinach in the summer and got a bit of an overdose of it - eating spinach on every meal gets tiring after a month! Any ideas for a great substitute?

I completed my upper body CrossTraining workout on Tuesday, and my lats have been on fire ever since! Scap pulls, negative pull-ups and ring work seems to work my lats in a totally new way - adding some eccentric work to the mix seems to help too ;) As always, I did something different this week - I completed a BodyCombat class at 7 a.m. on Thursday morning. I'm not usually for cardio training at the break of dawn, but it was a lot of fun!

I've been working out with friends this week. It's so much fun, I bet we both feel so pumped up afterwards. I'm able to add a lot more weights and my plyo training goes a lot better when I'm not alone - I guess I'm a bit of a show-off :D Just kidding, it feels so much safer to squat with heavier weights when you know that if anything happens, there's someone there for you. I'll ask a friend to photograph my gym workouts next week, so you'll see both my workout routines! Prepare to be amazed.

I'm off to meet my nieces in a few hours, so I have to go now... I really hope you're having a great weekend!

Stay on track,
/Ulrika


Picture source

October and November workouts

Hi guys,

I'm so pumped up on this workout schedule!

I decided to go with this for two months, since I really need to focus on my ring work. I've heard that it takes several years to get good at ring gymnastics, which sucks for me :) Well, anyway. I'm really hoping that I get good at something before I ditch it.

(I'm really impatient, just in case you haven't noticed)

I've been doing this set for three weeks now. I'm really seeing a difference in my ring work, and especially on my handstand push-ups. This week I was able to complete four sets of two push-ups, yeah! I just couldn't stop smiling afterwards. You know the feeling, right?

So, here is my weekly workout routine:

Monday
Leg plyo workout. Alternating (supersetting) heavy lifts with plyometric exercises. (workout routine coming up!)

Tuesday
Upper body crosstraining-inspired workout. As I said before, I'm working on ring workouts, plus trying to master handstand push-ups. It's hard, I tell you. (workout routine coming up!)

Wednesday
Leg plyo workout, same as Monday.


Thursday
Upper body crosstraining-inspired workout, same as Tuesday.


Friday
Core training and HIIT (running, cycling, stairclimbing)

Saturday
Yoga


Sunday
Rest


Each workout is 45-65 minutes long, except for the Friday ab workout, which consists of 7 exercises plus a 30-minute cardio and a four-minute Tabata. Oh, how I love and hate Dr. Tabata.

So, how's your weekly workout schedule? Something new and exciting for fall?

/Ulrika

Fitness trends: Prana Beats®

Do you find yoga boring?
Can't break a sweat during a regular yoga class? 
Are you a yogi, always wanting to incorporate dance in your workout schedule?
Do you have two left legs and find dancing really challenging?
Do you want to end your day with a great, full-body workout that gives you inner peace?

If you answered "yes" to even one of these questions, you should try Prana Beats®. Prana Beats® is a new group fitness concept, combining dance and yoga in a bold, new way. It was established in 2011 by a Finnish yogini and dancer Mia Jokiniva and her yoga company Villa Mandala. The class consists of traditional yoga poses, starting with sun salutations; very easy dance routines (flamenco, hip hop, contemporary dance, reggae) and easy yet effective muscle workouts for the entire body. The three elements are rhytmic flow, harmony and prana "clean" (relaxation).

The class duration is 55 minutes, but according to the Villa Mandala home page there's also a 75 minute class (with a longer relaxation). Every teacher teaches the same program for three months, before the program changes (the concept reminds of the LesMills concept, where the teachers participate in four quarterly workshops every year). Prana Beats® programs vary a bit, since every other program focuses a bit more on dance routines and every other on yoga. This program, number three, focuses on yoga and meditation, but has a quite a few dance elements in it.

Picture source: MeNaiset

I entered my first Prana Beats® class yesterday at my local gym in Kerava. I called the gym in advance, asking the receptionist about the class and the participants - she said that Prana Beats® is the most popular class at the gym! Good thing I called, since I got the last spot.

I've been doing yoga in silence for a few years now, so listening to the softly beating music was really hard for me in the beginning. Luckily, I was swept away by it in just a few minutes. The music reminded me of a slowed down Massive Attack, especially during the sun salutations. I loved it. I think I'll have a yoga playlist with me in the future. Massive Attack? Yes, please.

I was listening to a group of women talk after the class. They said that they're waiting for the new program (to be launched in November 2012), since they're not that keen on yoga. I find that hard to believe - I thought the class had too little yoga in it! :) Well, luckily we're all different. I'll just have to try program number 4 in November to see what all the fuss is about.

Mia Jokiniva, the creator of Prana Beats®. Picture source: Fit.fi

You don't need to wear shoes, and the gym usually provides a yoga mat for you (I had my own yoga mat with me, since I love it ;). I'd recommend wearing a long-sleeved sweater, since the relaxation is long (and perfect) - you don't want to freeze while lying on the floor.
If I'd have to name one wish, it would be more difficult dance choreos. I've done a lot of dancing in my time, and I really don't want to go through the same easy choreos every week for three months.

I just have to mention one last thing: the instructor (her name was Laura, if I remember correctly) was absolutely brilliant! She had amazing presence and was everything I needed on a Friday night: happy, always smiling and very inspiring. She had amazing technique and instructed the class flawlessly. Even I, a first-timer, was totally on board the whole time. The greatest thing about the class was that I felt serene and relaxed yet trained afterwards.

Have you tried Prana Beats® yet? I'd love to hear what you thought about it!

Hope you're having an inspiring weekend,
/Ulrika

September workouts

Picture source: Fitness World fb page

"Some call it obsession - I call it dedication"

It's been a really long time since I showed you my workout schedule. Here's what I've been up to all September. You know, I really enjoy this one. I'll give you a more detailed description of each workout (since each workout is different) in the next few weeks.
I did the plyo circuit with my friend Maija yesterday - ooooh it was awesome to have someone to work out with! I really miss having a trainer of my own, luckily friends are just as good. :)

Monday
Lower body resistance training + treadmill workout

Tuesday
Upper body resistance training + interval cardio on the elliptical trainer

Wednesday
Lower body plyo circuit + low intensity cardio on the elliptical trainer

Thursday
Upper body resistance training + deep stretching

Friday
Core circuit + HIIT (run, run, run!)

Saturday
A light jog + yin yoga

Sunday
Rest

So, I'm doing two-a-days and loving it! September has definitely been my favourite workout month so far. I still instruct a lot of group fitness classes, but they're mostly functional training, crosstraining and kettlebell classes, so I don't really work out while coaching (compared to Zumbas and other aerobic classes).
I've been rocking this routine for three weeks now, and I'm loving it. The first week was absolutely horrifying, I was constantly sore - my quads hurt so bad I felt like renting a wheelchair. Last week was a lot better - and this week is really not that bad at all. My body is really good at adapting, it seems. As I've said before, I want to keep my body guessing, so I'll do this workot routine for just a few more weeks and mix it up again - I don't want to get bored.

Now, before making a "I don't have time to work out"-speech, each gym (i.e. resistance training) workout takes about 30-40 minutes to finish, as does the cardio. Monday's workout is the only routine that needs a gym - you'll do just fine with 5 kg (11#) dumbbells in all the other exercises.
Oh, and remember that I do a minimum of 40 hours of work per week - I have just as much time to work out as you do. If you don't have time, you make time. I guess you could spare one hour of your day, even for a few days a week? In stead of lounging in front of the telly all night, go for a brisk walk or do a circuit workout at home. Or maybe hit the gym before work? Remember, a 20 minute workout is better than a 0 minute workout.

Stay dedicated,
/Ulrika
 

Setting goals

Effective goal setting means more than just writing down a wishlist and posting it on your fridge. Here's a few things you should keep in mind when setting goals and making an effective plan to reach them.


1. Determine the goal in a measurable way and set a deadline
Don't use vague terms. The phrase "I want to be stronger and better than before" won't carry you far, since it doesn't hold a specific, measurable goal or a deadline. I've been browsing a lot of fitness blogs and the phrase "I don't want to be perfect, I just want to be better than yesterday" comes up frequently. You probably know that I'm not very fond of this, since it doesn't really push you anywhere. Rather than saying "I want to be better" you should strive for a specific goal, like a specific dress size/body fat percentage/lifting a precise weight. These are just examples. Make sure you make the goals for yourself and no one else.
The date is really important! Make sure you have a specific deadline, or you'll procrastinate. Set a goal for this fall and for each single workout. Write down your goals. When you remember where you're going, you'll get there much faster. The more precise you are, the better.

2. Assess your starting physiology
Make an appointment with a personal trainer or a healthcare specialist. I recommend a full body composition analysis, for example the InBody or a body fat measurement with clamps. You'll get a realistic, objective analysis of your body composition.
In addition to the InBody or clamp measurements, I recommend a fitness test. Depending on your goals, a muscle fitness test (repeated squats, push-ups, back extensions and sit-ups) or an aerobic test (12 minute submaximal fitness test with a stationary bike or Cooper's test) are the ones to do. In case you have a specific goal like benchpressing 300 pounds, you should definitely test your bench press1RM (1 repetition maximum).
A hormonal profile, adrenal stress index and metabolic rate tests are excellent in assessing your situation in the beginning. Ask your physician more about testing your metabolism.
Assessing your starting physiology also helps you to get a realistic view of your limitations. For example, if you have a low testosterone level, you probably won't gain a lot of muscle mass in a short time.

3. Ask yourself the question "What am I willing to do to reach my goal?"
How many times a week are you ready to work out?
How much are you willing to change your diet?
Be realistic about these changes. A radical change in diet or exercise routines is never a good thing, since you're not likely to keep it up for a long time. Make small changes! I recommend one change a week, for example starting off with balancing your breakfast. I'll write a post about changing your diet in a few weeks.
No goals are achieved without making some sacrifices! This means that you'll really need to push yourself out of your comfort zone to gain results. People are used to staying inside their comfort zone, never changing their workouts because it's tough in the beginning. If you've been doing the same "fatburn" program on the same elliptical trainer for two years, you should definitely mix it up and try something different.
Remember: if it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you.
Don't underestimate how lapses in discipline can affect your training. If you drink like a fish on Friday and Saturday, Sunday and Monday won't be productive days when it comes to working out.

4. Determine the behaviours that go with step 3
Can you hear the difference between phrases "I'm trying to lose weight" and "I'm losing weight"? Stop trying and start doing. The same thing goes for behavioural changes, like "I will take my Omegas in the morning" vs. "I take my Omegas in the morning".
Your subconscious doesn't recognize the past or the future, so write positive behaviours in the present tense. That subtle change in phrasing changes your way of thinking and makes you change your behaviour on a longer term. Tell yourself that you can do this.

5. Make a list of intermediate goals with specific deadlines
You should be able to repeat the body composition tests (as presented in step 2) on a regular basis, for example every three to four months. If you're not progressing the way you should be, make a change in behaviour. Consult a trainer if you need help with balancing your workouts and diet.

6. Keep a detailed diet and training diary
Diet logs seem really hard to keep for some people, because they require honesty and seriously planning your meals. A well kept log helps you monitor and evaluate your progress and efficacy of your training program.
I recommend writing down feelings as well. A dietary journal is incomplete without a log about hunger (on a scale from 1 to 5, 1 being "not hungry at all" and 5 being "starving"). The same comes to training logs as well, write down the amount of reps you performed, the breaks you took and the weights you used - don't forget to write down the feeling you got from working out. It's really fun to look back on your old training and diet journals - I had so much fun reading my training log while I was on Atkins... Jeez, I really don't recommend working out like a maniac on really low carbs. But that's another story.

By following these steps you will reach your goals, just be true to yourself and your trainer. Give these few steps a try - for a change!

//Translation//Käännös
Tavoitteiden saavuttaminen vaatii tarkkaa suunnittelua ja selkeän, aikataulutetun ohjelman. Tässä lyhyesti muutama asia, joka kannattaa pitää mielessä tavoitteita laatiessa.
1. Aseta selkeä tavoite ja aikaraja. Mitä tarkempi olet tavoitteesi kanssa, sen parempi. Pyri välttämään epäselviä lauseita kuten "haluan olla parempi kuin ennen" - käytä mielummin mitattavia tavoitteita kuten vaatekokoa, rasvaprosenttia tai painoa, jonka haluat nostaa kuntosalilla. Aikarajan määrittäminen on erittäin tärkeää, ettei tavoitteesi saavuttaminen viivästy!
Aseta siis kokonaisvaltainen tavoite ja jaa se pienempiin osiin. Jokaisella harjoituksellakin pitäisi olla selkeä tavoite, jotta pysyt vauhdissa. Jos tarvitset apua tavoitteiden asettamisessa, ota yhteys personal traineriin tai fysioterapeuttiin.
2. Arvioi lähtötilanteesi. Suosittelen alkuun ainakin kehonkoostumusmittausta (esim. InBody tai pihtimittaus), lisäksi kuntotestiä (lihaskuntotestit, polkupyöräergometritesti tai Cooperin testi, riippuen tavoitteistasi). Jos tavoitteenasi on nostaa penkistä 100 kg, tehdään alkuun 1RM (yhden toiston maksimi) - testi. Lisäksi suosittelen ainakin hormonitasapainon testausta verikokein.
3. Kysy itseltäsi, mitä olet valmis muuttamaan saavuttaaksesi tavoitteesi. Kuinka monta kertaa viikossa olet valmis treenaamaan? Mitä olet valmis muuttamaan ruokavaliossasi?
4. Tee päätökset vaadittavan käyttäytymisen suhteen. Kerro alitajunnallesi preesenssissä, mitä aiot tehdä saavuttaaksesi tavoitteesi. Huomaatko eron lauseiden "yritän pudottaa painoani" ja "pudotan painoani" välillä? Kerro itsellesi, että pystyt tähän.
5. Tee itsellesi lista välitavoitteista aikarajoineen. Aiemmin suorittamasi testit pitää pystyä uusimaan tietyin väliajoin. Testien uusittaessa saat arvion siitä, kuinka treeni- ja ravinto-ohjelmasi on toiminut.
6. Pidä yksityiskohtaista treeni- ja ruokapäiväkirjaa. Kirjaa ylös kaikki syömisesi ja treenit, samoin tunteesi treenin aikana - ruokapäiväkirjaan kirjaa myös nälän tunne asteikolla 1-5 (1= ei ollenkaan nälkä, 5= kovin mahdollinen nälkä). Ruoka- ja treenipäiväkirjoja on myös hauskaa lukea myöhemmin, kun tilanteesi muuttuu.


Seuraa näitä askelia ja koe muutos!

Monday motivation (part 2)

Motivational pics of the week.

I wanted to make some motivational quotes of my own this week, how do you like them?  Feel free to share them, save them on your computer or smartphone, whatever.

Workouts this week:

Monday Gym, gym, gym! Upper body strength training at 6 a.m. The chin-ups went perfectly! Maybe I should consider doing this regularly. "I don't have time to work out - I MAKE time." I was actually a bit worried about waking up at 4:45 a.m., but by the time the alarm went off I was wide awake. I had to force down my breakfast; apparently I'm not used to eating at 5 a.m. :D

Tuesday Instructing a pilates class and a functional training class. One of my regular Personal Training clients cancelled Tuesday's session, so I'll have the perfect opportunity to do a 55-minute lower body strength workout in the morning. That's more than enough; supersetting sumo squats and walking lunges kills me. In a good way. I've really improved my squats: I was able to do sumo squats w/ a 90 kg barbell (4 sets of 8 reps) on Sunday. Happy.

Wednesday Gym (upper body strength) + Zumba in the park. I've noticed that I don't ever "cheat" while instructing, I give 120% of myself. I just love to instruct to a large group of people. In July I had ~250 participants in my Zumba class in the park. Pure awesomeness. This week I'll have another instructor with me - double the fun!

Thursday Time for a new InBody-analysis, yaiks! Instructing a functional training class + a deep stretching class. In other words, rest.

Friday Gym time! Lower body strength, again. I absolutely love my new program, the plyo combined with squats and lunges make me want to kill myself - in a good way. Does that even make sense? :D

Saturday Jogging (60 mins). Hope my hamstrings won't fail me.

Sunday Gymmin' away, upper body strength. My main goal is to not be able to wash my hair afterwards, with my upper body muscles sore from the workout. My arms will be totally useless for the rest of the day, ha ha.


My main focus this week is definitely food: making sure I eat enough. My smoothies are really healthy and keep me satisfied for a long time, but they are way too low in calories to keep me going all morning until noon... I'm going to have a serious discussion with myself this week.

What are you guys up to this week? Anything new and interesting?

Stay dedicated,
/Ulrika

Thursday motivation (part 2)

Picture source

Happy Thursday, fit people!

Just wanted to share my motivational pics of the week with you guys. As I've said before, I keep a motivational diary with pictures, quotes, exercise routines, recipes, nutritional diaries and so on.. This week I've been focusing on motivational quotes to keep me going. Here are few of the pictures from my diary.

I'm still really far from my main goal, but I've reached one of my goals for this summer (-5kg/-11 lbs in fat mass). The weirdest thing about this is that I feel absolutely amazing, I love pushing myself outside my comfort zone! I'm more motivated than ever right now. I just can't wait to sweat again!


Workouts this week:

Monday Gym, gym, gym! Lower body strength (60 mins). Feeling the burn in my buns & thighs, almost impossible to walk down a set of stairs. Had to wear baggy sweatpants after the workout, since my muscles were so pumped that I couldn't fit in my jeans.

Tuesday Pilates (60 mins). Jogging with my baby pug (60 mins) + NTC Core Crunch + NTC Ab Burner. How can something hurt and feel so good at the same time?

Jogging with miss Nuppu, the best Personal trainer ever. She never takes no for an answer, always believes in me and is actually fit for a pug ! Love.

Wednesday Powerwalking (30 mins) in the morning. Did this with an empty stomach, though I believe it had absolutely no effect on my body burning fat - I felt nauseous afterwards and had to force down my breakfast. Strength training in the afternoon (60 mins). Supersetting lower body workouts with plyo = almost passed out after 45 mins. :D I had to do some light cardio on a stationary bike for 10 mins to steady my pulse and allround feeling in my body before returning to my burpees. 60 mins of Zumba in the park in the evening. Had some real trouble moving my legs, they felt like concrete !

Thursday Deep stretching for 60 mins. Thursday means rest&recovery this week!

Friday Gym time! Upper body & core strength for 60 mins. My main goal is to do loads of chin-ups, dips and push-ups.

Saturday Swim, baby, swim. Trying to hit HIIT in the pool. Can't remember the last time I've been to the pool by myself (and not with clients). It's nice to do something different for a change :)

Sunday Deep stretching for 60 mins (i.e. rest). I'm doing two deep stretching sets this week, since my hamstrings and quads are sore from all the gym workouts I've been doing. Normally I'd do a second set of upper body strength on Sundays, but this week I'm keeping it light. Besides, it's good to have a recovery day after a HIIT workout.


What are you guys up to this week?

Have a strong weekend!
/Ulrika