(written for LAs the Place.com)
Now that temperatures are soaring, exercise may be the last thing on your mind. That hot, sticky feeling is often a great workout de-motivator.
However, we have an opportunity to turn this de-motivator into a motivator: exercising in the pool. Using water as a way to get in shape is both effective and fun. No longer associated only with seniors, aquatic fitness allows us work our bodies hard, yet stay cool and comfortable.
Athletes, housewives, rehabilitation patients and even children are catching this next wave in fitness, and a wide variety of workout options are now available.
(continue reading at LAs the Place)
BUT I LIKE IT
When a personal trainer says she is sore, that’s either a good thing or a bad thing.
In this case, it’s a good thing.
I am testing Russian kettlebells. From my article on building a home-based gym, “Kettlebells provide a thorough, whole-body workout that incorporates strength, endurance and flexibility. The kettlebells’ off-centered weight forces you to use more stabilizer muscles with each move, thus involving many muscles simultaneously. Your core stays active and your body’s muscles learn to work smoothly as one unit.”
Uhm. Yes. And my butt and legs, more specifically hamstrings, are very sore.
The kettlebell professionals at Iron Core in San Diego, California, sent me a kettlebell to experiment with. After very casually playing around with it for two weeks I started yesterday on a six week training program to see how effective kettlebells are in shaping my body. Cardiovascularly I am very strong. However, I am discovering that even as a personal trainer and Spinning instructor there are muscles I apparently miss when I hit the weight room or ride.
I will write a complete review for my LA’s the Place fitness column (with a link from here and my plentyofwords site), with thoughts and progress notes, in about six weeks. Until then, I walk like a rodeo rider.
(written for lastheplace.com)
If sweating and grunting in a room full of strangers is not for you, do not fret. An effective workout can be had inexpensively in the privacy of your own home or office. All you need are a few basics and some creativity.
Continue reading at www.lastheplace.com
(Written for CitiHealth Publications)
I remember my first Spinning® class vividly. With 50 pounds left to lose, an out of shape body and baggy black sweat pants, I wore my insecurity like a badge. As I hesitantly got onto the Spin bike the instructor walked in – and I froze. Taking one look at his very lean frame, I thought, “Uh oh. I’m in trouble.”
Continue reading ‘Spinning: Up Close and Personal’
(by Helen Ryan. Written for LA’s the Place)
Most things I know about life I learned in Spin class.
It’s true.
The stationary bike has been my teacher, and I have spent hundreds of hours learning from it.
Four years ago when I saw my first Spin bike it seemed like…just a bike. Made of cold metal with an unwelcoming seat, it did not look very comfortable. I felt physically awkward: I was very overweight and out of shape in a room full of really fit people. I wanted to leave, to run as fast and far as I could, but did not want to be seen as chickening out.
The first half hour was hell. My behind was numb, my legs were shaky and my heart was pounding. But then I felt something inside. A little spark that ignited a part of me…a part I thought was long gone. That spark re-ignited my pilot light and eventually changed – and saved – my life.
Continue reading at LA’s the Place…
(Written for CitiHealth Publications)
Every January begins the same: You vow to eat better, exercise and become healthier and fitter. A few months later you read an article on “bikini bodies by June” and wonder, “What happened to those vows?”
You are not alone. 60 percent of people drop their fitness resolutions within six months of making them. This year, be one of the 40 percent who succeeds. With these 11 steps, it’s easier than you imagine.
Continue reading ‘11 Ways to Fit Exercise into Your Life’
(by Helen Ryan. written for LA’s the Place)
Not much happening in the metabolism department? Need a change to get things going? Here are eight (nearly) painless ways to stoke your metabolic fire.
Continue reading at LA’s the Place….
