Stretching

I know time is short for all of us. When we finally take the time to exercise, stretching is probably at the bottom of the list of things to get done.

While someone in their 20's with long muscles may be able to get away with not stretching, this omission will catch up with everyone eventually. Take me for instance. I have always been extremely flexible, to the point of gaining the nickname of Gumby in High School. I got cocky and stopped stretching. A decade later, I am trying to regain some of my lost flexibility by adding stretching into my workout every day.

A few tips:
1. Save your serious stretching for after you workout. By then your muscles will be warm and pliable. Also, when you stretch, there can be little tears in the muscle which might get in the way of a safe cardiovascular workout.
2. Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds. When I am adding flexibility to a muscle I will actually hold a stretch for two sets of three minutes each. To maintain flexibility, I hold one set of 30 seconds per stretch.
3. NEVER EVER bounce during a stretch. (unless you are attempting to "get out" of something with a self-induced injury.)

Budget in an extra 10 minutes for stretching. After a few weeks, you should begin to feel a big difference in your mobility. I know I have!

Healthy Tuna Salad

This is the best tuna salad ever. I eat it with a bowl of steamed broccoli sprinkled with freshly grated nutmeg and good sea salt.

1 can tuna packed in water (drained)
1 TBSP light sour cream
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 baby dill pickles, chopped
1 tsp sugar or 1/2 packet of equal
whole grain mustard to taste
sea salt to taste
hot sauce to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Enjoy a meal full of heart healthy protein and low in fat and calories. (About 180-200 calories for the entire recipe.)

Balance

Does your workout include functional balance training? If you don't know what that is, the answer is probably "no."

The following exercises engage small stabilizer muscles that are not used in a traditional strength training workout. Functional refers to movements that we use in everyday activities.

1. When doing a bicep curl, overhead tricep press, shoulder press, lateral raise or forward raise, lift one leg in front of or behind you during each set.

2. When performing a bent-over row, rear fly or bent-over tricep extension, bend forward (until your back is at table-top position) and lift your leg up behind you. Switch legs between sets.

3. Sit on a Swiss ball (Also called a stability ball or fitness ball) and try to lift your feet off of the floor.

4. Kneel on a Swiss ball with both hands on the ball as well. Balance in "Happy Cat" position.

All of these activities will be very difficult at first. Keep practicing and these exercises will be easy in no time. Not only will you enjoy a sense of accomplishment, you'll also improve your overall fitness!!

Have a great week!

Interval Training

In the last post, I mentioned interval training. It is a great way to challenge your muscles...especially your heart. Here is an example of one way to add intervals into your work-out. Try it out next week for something new!

Start out at warm-up pace for 5-10 minutes. Once you are warmed up, break the rest of your work-out into five minute intervals (save the last five minutes to cool down).

Here is how the 5 minutes look:
1st minute: regular post warm-up pace
2nd minute: increase resistance (or speed if running outside) just outside your comfort zone
3rd minute: increase resistance or speed well outside your comfort zone ("sprinting")
4th minute: recover at a pace much lower than your warm-up pace
5th minute: increase resistance or speed back to warm-up pace

This will make your work-out fly by!!

Have a happy, healthy day,

--Tanya Thompson

Peanut Butter Raisin Rolls

Ingredients:
1 Piece of Flat Out (I have bought these both at Winco and Costco)
1 TBSP peanut butter
1/8 cup raisins, chopped
1 packet Equal or 1 tsp sugar
Cinnamon to taste

Spread Flat Out with PB. Top with sweetner, raisins and cinnamon. Roll up tightly. Slice into rolls. Enjoy.

270 - 285 calories (more if you use sugar)
12 grams of protein
8 grams of fat

This is delicious and stays with you for a long time. It also travels well. It's great to put into a ziploc bag and take with you in the car.

Although not low enough in calories to act as a snack, it is a great main dish for breakfast or lunch. With tons of fiber, 1/2 serving of fruit, healthy fat and whole grains, it is a tasty meal.

Extreme Sports Conditioning

Extreme Sports Conditioning Session 1

--Two Hours of intense strength, interval and balance training
--$30 per session
--Accepting up to 6 participants
--Beginning the first week in April (time and date tbd)
--Personal training in a small group setting for 75% less than a regular training session!

If you are interested in taking your fitness to the next level, please contact Tanya Thompson at tetfitness@yahoo.com

Sessions will take place at The Club at Kruse Woods: 5300 SW Meadows Road, Lake Oswego, OR

Breaking the plateau

You've been working out regularly for six weeks - the fire in your belly is now a tiny flame- you've stopped seeing results - you have hit a plateau. If you don't do something now, the complacency that has set in will sabotoge all of your hard work.

First, you need to change your routine. If you run/walk outside, choose a new route. Add intervals to improve your overall fitness (e-mail me for details on intervals). If you belong to a gym, use a new machine, a different program on the same machine, add more resistance, and/or add intervals.

If you are currently not doing regular resistance training, now is the time to start. If you already have a program, it's time to increase your weights, number of reps, or both.

Have a happy and healthy week!!!