Get Active Tips

Got this in my inbox because I'm part of the KP Run/Walk. Just thought I'll share them here

What is cross training?
Cross training is an alternative exercise to running or walking. Running and walking can put stress on the calf, hamstring and the Achilles tendon. Although a little stress is good because it strengthens the muscle, cross training allows the muscle time to recover. Good cross training exercises include rowing, swimming and upper body weight training. Try not to do activities that will overly tire the muscles, like stair machines, step aerobics, lower body weight training, power walking and spinning classes.

Should I stretch before a run or walk?
There are essentially two schools of thought about stretching. Some experts say yes, some experts say no. Many injuries are caused by improper stretching - meaning stretching outside your range of motion. If you choose to stretch, be careful not to over extend your muscles. A three-minute walk before picking up the pace at the beginning of a walk or run, and then slowing the pace at the end of a run for a cool down works very well.

I'm cramped for time. How can I find time to exercise?
To maintain your progress, you need to work out at least every other day. If you are cramped for time, try to just exercise in five minute increments. Try a short walk in the morning and a short walk in the evening. Take a break from your computer and walk around the building. If you walk five minutes one day, you'll walk 10 minutes most days.

From REMEDY magazine

Just wanted to share something I found interesting in the Fall 2009 issue of REMEDY magazine on page 7

Do Workouts really work?

You leave the gym after an hour on the stationary bike, confident that you'll be burning off extra calories all day.

Well, maybe not.

Research shows that eating as little as 240 calories of carbohydrates during the hour before exercise can reduce fat-burning during exercise, and the boost in fat-burning during exercise can be stuymied up for up to six hours after eating a meal.

The study in Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews states, "Exercise of an hour or less has little impact on 24-hour fat oxidation." Edward Melanson, Ph.D., a resarcher at the University of Colorado Health Scineces Center in Denver, explains: "It's not that exercise doesn't burn fat, it's just that we replace the calories."

This shouldn't discourage people from exercise, he says, but should help them be realistic about "calories in, calories out."

You wake up that early to workout on a Saturday??

One of my girl friends just asked me that.

Yes, I do.

Right now, I have a 8-weeks free membership to Bodyplex.

How?

My job is involve with the Kaiser Permanente Corporate Run/Walk. So...Bodyplex. is sponsoring them this year. Last year, Bally's sponsored them.

I freaking love the exercise machines at Bodyplex. Very modern and high tech.

However, the place is a lot smaller than Bally's and it's farther for me to drive. The closest one is 30 minutes away.

Regardless, I enjoy going to Bodyplex. Just wish I had more time to work out.

Convo earlier when I was walking at work

This is one convo that happened today. It isn't the first time; it won't be the last time either.

*Co-worker - just someone who works at the same company. Doesn't actually mean in same department or area under same manager.

*Nicki - me, the blogger, the poster.

Co-worker - Next time you go walking, let me know.

Nicki - I just go whenever I can.

Co-worker - But let me know next time so I could walk with you.

Nicki - (thinking to myself so I won't offend him/her. If you really want to then you could have done it already.) I'll see if I remember.

Co-worker - How many often do you walk?

Nicki - twice a day.

Co-worker - How long have you been walking?

Nicki - I'm not sure. Maybe a year or so.

Co-worker - do you walk twice a day, every day?

Nicki - 99.9% of the time, yes, I do.

Co-worker - when don't you?

Nicki - when I'm in meetings, but I keep a track of when, what time, how many times I walk. But I try my best to make time for it.

Co-worker - even when it rains?

Nicki - yes

Co-worker - I want to lose ___ (fill in the blank) lbs. I see you've been walking and looking better. Next time, let me know when you go walking.

Nicki - Walking alone doesn't help you lose all the weight. You have to do more than that, such as eating healthy as well. (I know I avoided giving the answer to when I go walking again)

Co-worker - Come get me when you go walking next time.

Nicki - okay (please, I'm not)

Besides, walking is **not** the *only* workout I do. It's just that lots of people at work know me as the girl who walks outside.

You can not rely on others to help yourself. Sure, it helps if there is some motivation. However, in the end, it's all up to you. Only you.

Just because you lost the weight when you reach your goal, you can not quit. You have to continue.

Exercise is only a small amount of weight loss. Eating healthy is the biggest amount.

5 miles in 1.25 hrs

So proud of my daughter for keeping up this morning!!! Fastest ever for the both of us!

That's an average of 15 mins per mile.

Way to go!!

Weight issues - scale vs clothes

Being a female, we tend to be our worst critics. No matter how many people tell you that you look great, you will always focus on the negatives. You damn if you do, you damn if you don't. It's also because women are so cruel. What I mean is this - you see a beautiful woman down the street, nicely toned body with long silky hair. She's a perfect ten in men's eyes. You know what other females say? They criticize her and say, "well, I'm sure she paid for those." Instead of giving props to her, they put her down so they can feel better. That makes me really mad. Comments like these are pure envious. No wonder women are never satisfied with themselves!

Or you have a woman who after having kids, worked out hard in the gym to keep her flattering figure and is proud of it. Women criticize her by saying, "why she always gotta show off" or "she looks good......for a mom." WTF???

I'm tired of stepping on the scale but it's motivating me to lose more weight. The pounds aren't shedding at all but the clothes are bigger ane looser. That is great but I have to challenge myself to do better. Make the pounds and clothes decrease.

People say muscles weigh more than fat but that's not true. Muscles just take up less room than fat. One pound of feathers = one pound of rocks. Just takes more to fill up with feathers, that's all.

It's also because I'm getting older so I'm losing more in areas than others. Maybe my body type is definitely curvy versus big on top because my jeans are falling down while by thighs still have some room.

I need to overcome all this free food stuff around the holidays. Every time I think I'm doing well, I disappoint myself. Got an email that there's free barbeque for everyone in the area tomorrow! Focus. Stay focus.

Kaiser Permanente Corporate Run/Walk

Wow, I'm a bit sore this morning. Last night at the Run/Walk, I was able to run half and walk the other half. It felt great!!! Well, not this morning but it was a huge accomplishment for me. Next year, I will do the run and train for it too. I'm excited. Not sure if I'll still be at the same company but I'm going to do it!! It'll help me lose lots more weight, be active, and energetic. I was very impress running with one of my heavy-set coworker. Dang, he can out-run me!!!!

While I was running downhill, I heard my name. One of my ex-coworker saw me! OMG, it was so great to reunite with her! I haven't seen her in years! Since I'm competitive, I didn't walk with them too long and continued running afterwards. Later I was looking for their company's tent but unable to do so. There were so many companies there! Over 200, I believe! The event was huge. Got a lot of freebies! Loving it! Protein granola bars and smooties everywhere! Vitamin water and bottled water too.

Bitten by fleas & workout

My dog Puchy got a lot of fleas. I still love her to death though. She's an 8-year-old Min Pin. We've had her since she was a year old and is a part of the family. Never ever have we had a flea problem until several months ago. All these stupid stray dogs are running around in the neighborhood infested with fleas!! They come to our yard and then Puchy goes outside to pee and voila - Puchy gets it, brings it in the house...then we all get it. Puchy's been sleeping in the garage since then. We bathe her daily, comb her hair, flea-bomb the place twice!! I'm over it. My leg looks so nasty now with all the flea bites. I must have some yummy, juicy, sweet blood that the fleas keep coming back to me and biting me! Only me! Well, my daughter, but not as bad as me! Urgh! They have been areas as my butt, back, thighs, arms, chest, and even neck!! My ankle and feet area are the worse though. I'm so pissed off at Cook's Pest Control - they stood me up twice! I set up appointments and they never showed up. So hubby said forget it. He got some advise from people at work and he's treating the house their way. I've ordered medicine for Puchy and should get it in the mail today. Hopefully!!

On a brighter note, I've been working out again. Just slowly doing it again. I've been idle for a month or so because of hectic life at work and home. Although I say I prefer to work out in the morning, I have been doing it in the late evenings. My typical workout is jump roping. I love that! I usually jump rope for 30 mins. How I calculate it is if I do 600 jump ropes - that's equal to 10 mins worth. So I do 3 sets of 600 jump ropes to equal 1800 jump ropes and 30 mins. I may go over or a little less but it pretty much balances out.

I feel great after the workouts. I eat less, have more energy. However, I don't see a significant amount of weight loss on the scale but I feel great in my clothes. Hubby hugged me yesterday and told me that I've lost weight cause he can't pull on my extra, snuggled skin like he did a few days ago. Yah! Sucess!