Watch out Shakira

Looking for a fun, energetic, and hip shaking class that makes you forget that you are working out and not just having a good time shaking your groove thing to the music? Have you tried Zumba yet?

Unfortunately for me, the Zumba class at my gym is offered on a night where I am usually teaching. But whenever I have a cancellation that night I rush over a shake my thang. Right now the class is only offered on one night, once a week at my gym.

This class is SO much fun. Great latino and club music that makes me feel like I am partying in Rio or Ibiza. The combinations are fun and fairly simple. Hooting and clapping are encouraged. My teacher has a great energy although she never really speaks in class, just demonstrates and we follow. Each class we learn a few different dance routines and then at the end there is a shimmying section. I really stink at this part. Great at the upper body shimmy and humbled by the lower body shimmy. I do it with a smile on my face and just laugh at my own lack of junk in my trunk. Kim Kardashian would ROCK this class.

If you're looking for a fun class to let loose and get a great workout, you should definitely give Zumba a try.

Life after the Ranch and back to reality

Arrived home after spending an amazing week of teaching at Rancho La Puerta. I met so many wonderful people of all ages and walks of life. It was like an adult summer camp filled with health, peace, emotional well being, exercise, nature, and pampering.

Although the weather in Tecate last week was not as warm as I was hoping for. The experience at the Ranch fulfilled all my hopes and desires. Most days started with an early morning hike through the mountains. Chatting with new friends and convening with nature. A healthy breakfast would follow with lots of fresh fruit, oatmeal, quinoa, eggs and even pancakes one morning. A nice warm cup of tea with a spoonful of agave warmed me up to teach.

Every day I taught a 9am Pilates Level 1 and a 10am Pilates Level 2. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons I also taught a level 2 Reformer class.It was a progressive series adding fundamentals and exercises every day. The clients were so fabulous. Open to learning something new or in a new way and making deep, internal changes in their bodies daily. I was so appreciative of their willingness and trust to explore with me every day. Each one of them was truly a gift to me.

Once my morning classes where finished, I had plenty of time to explore the ranch and take some classes on my own. Some of my favorites were Nia with Maya, Hulu Hoop with Hazel, Cardio Drumming with Miguel, and Release and Mobilize with Diane. I also tried a water class (which I have never done before). I felt a bit uncoordinated and retarded but was open to newness and got a great workout from Craig. I also explored some sound classes and some pampering treatments.

The Ranch's healthy spa cuisine left me feeling full and inspired to try adding some different things to my diet. So many wonderful meals and I ate all of them and actually lost 4lbs. Mostly what I will take away from the diet is to eat some complex carbs for breakfast like quinoa or rice with some fruit. Normally at home I eat carbs like bread for breakfast. Not anymore. As a whole there really was not a lot of bread in the menus. Lots of fresh vegetable soups and salads with toasted nuts and fruit slices and then a dinner of items like fresh fish, vegetarian lasagna, stir fry, enchiladas. Are you getting the picture that I ate and ate well?

Some evenings were filled with fun events like Bingo with Barry. This is definitely not to be missed. Hilarious. Fun. A bit raunchy. A good time had by all. Friday evening had a live band and dancing. A blast and a perfect way to end the week with all my new friends and students.

I truly enjoyed every minute at the Ranch. I feel rejuvenated, refreshed, invigorated, inspired, and at peace. I hope to be asked back in the future to Present again, as I would truly like to make Rancho La Puerta at least a yearly event.

The workout made by Mother Nature

My car Tuesday evening.

This week Chicago got hit with the Blizzard of 2011 or Snowmaggedon, as I like to call it. We started getting pounded by Mother Nature's white, wintery goodness on Tuesday evening leaving us with over 20 inches by Wednesday afternoon. Lakeshore Drive a major trafficway was closed down with cars and drivers being stranded there for hours. Schools got two Snow Days out of it and businesses were forced to close as it was both unsafe to travel as well as impossible. Although travelling and work was impossible getting a great workout wasn't.

Wednesday Dig out.

I took early to starting to dig my car out on Wednesday morning. I shoveled for about an hour, burned over 300 calories (according to my heart rate monitor), and worked my core and shoulders galore. Although I realized I really needed to alternate sides while shoveling as my right obliques and shoulder (more dominant side) was extremely sore later that day. No worries though, I knew another day of shoveling was in store and I was sure to work my left side to balance my body out.  Unlike many of my neighbors, whose cars are still buried underneath the snow and now plowed in, I have been able to get in and out of my space since Thursday. I did need to mark my space, in order to assure that I would be able to return. This is a common and annoying tradition here in Chicago, that unfortunately many of us are forced to adhere to.

My karma inspired sign.

As well as my own workout from digging, my boy Logan, a vivacious 4 1/2 year old Golden got his own workout. He played fetch in the middle of the street. Diving into the snow as if it were the lake and coming up with his toy, while the rest of his body remained buried in the feet of snow. He would then try to gallop and swim his way out to bring his toy back. He played like this for over an hour and slept like a baby that night, with the occasional twitching of his sore legs.

Mother Nature may have intended to leave us couch bound for two days, but Logan and I both got a great workout and had a ton of fun in the wintery mountains of snow that were dropped on us. Take that Mother Nature.

What Yoga and Pilates is and is not.

Many of you have asked me to try to articulate how I describe the differences between Yoga and Pilates. While I could write a book on the subject, I will try to present the major differences (as I see them) as concisely as possible.

First let me say that I practice and enjoy both Pilates and Yoga. I find them as movement forms to have many similarities that lend well to one another. The following thoughts are my thoughts and are not meant to demean or belittle either Yoga or Pilates, but to try to put into words a clearer idea of what these both are and are not.

Yoga is a philosophy and Pilates is an exercise regimen

First, we must look at the intentions of both practices. Yoga is a philosophy that has existed for many thousands of years. There is a religious text called Bhagavad Gita that many of the asanas (postures) are representative of. The intention of the asanas is to create openess in the body to be able to sit in stillness for meditation and the attainment of kundalini or enlightenment. Only with the introduction of Yoga to the western world was it ever thought of as a fitness or exercise regime. Pilates has no spiritual or philosophical text or connection. It is an exercise regimen intended to create Uniform Body Development. The goal of Pilates is movement in the most precise, efficient, and effortless way.

Yoga works from the outside-in and Pilates from the inside-out

In yoga the series of movements start broad with sun salutions. They continue to be expansive and standing until about half way through practice, depending on style of yoga (i.e. Hatha, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Anusara, etc.) Then they move towards seated, prone, and supine work and finish supine with savasana (or rest pose). The external, expansion movement opens the body up for stillness and internal reflection. Pilates begins supine with small muscle engagement, connecting to mind body awareness and control. It moves from the center outward, starting with small movements and then gradually expanding to full body movements. The more expansive movements come at the end of the series leading to control of full range of motion, stability, and strength of movement.

Similar shapes

Both Yoga and Pilates shapes of movement are based off of things seen in Nature. Many of the movements mock animals like Cat, Swan, Snake, or Cobra. Many represent plants like Tree or Lotus. Many of the shapes are represented in both Yoga and Pilates. For example in Yoga Boat Pose is very similar to Pilates' Teaser; Pilates' Swan and Yoga's Cobra are similar, and many shapes make an appearance in both styles of movement.

Focus on Breath

Breath is a focus of both forms. The movements and the breath are coordinated. In most Yoga the breath is a heated cycle of breath (inhale through the nose, exhale through the nose), while in Pilates the breath is a cleansing style (inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth). See previous blog Breathe.

Like I said I could write a book. But let's start with these. Let me know your thoughts on the differences and similarities between the two in the comment section below. Or if you have a specific question about either forms feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer as clearly as possible. 

Hope this helps and sheds some light on the subject. 

Barefoot and Loving it

My barefoot running adventure continues. 

I have gotten over the initial hump of really sore calf muscles and feet. Now I find the foot strike pattern right away and feel great. As I am running barefoot I am becoming more aware of how great running can feel. Before when I ran in typical running shoes, my left knee would always have soreness, my outer hips and low back were tight, and my hamstrings were overworking. Running barefoot has released my low back and outer hip soreness, now I feel activation of my inner thighs (adductors) and my transverse abdominals working to support my stride. I also feel my pelvic halves moving independently, like a locomotion arm, versus as one large, clunky unit. I do not feel any soreness in left knee at all and my hamstrings are working more efficiently with the strike at the midpoint of my foot rather than the heel. I am addicted to barefoot running!

One little glitch is the blister that I have accumulated on the bottom of my second toe on each foot (more on the left than the right). From everything that I have read this is perfectly normal and it's not preventing me from continuing to run. Let me also clarify, that I am not running perfectly barefoot, but in Vibram's Five Fingers (which is a barefoot glove-like shoe). There probably is a little friction of my toes inside the shoe as I strike the surface that is causing the blistering. I find it interesting that it is more on my left foot than right as the left is where my knee and hip pain used to be. Which proves to me that the change of foot contact is a new pattern for me (more so on the left than the right) that I was not making contact with in the past.

If you have or ever want to enjoy running again, I highly recommend trying the barefoot style. The positive patterns and efficient movement definitely outweigh the initial soreness and minor blisters.

This is Part II of my Barefoot Running journey. Click here to see Part I.

TRX vs. ActivCore

First let's discuss how these two very similar systems describe themselves.

TRX is described as:

" Suspension training"

 "a revolutionary method of leveraged body weight system"

"Safely perform hundreds of exercises that build power, strength, flexibility, balance, mobility, and prevent injuries, all at the intensity you choose." 

ActivCore is described as:

"Functional exercise"

"facilitates strength development, balance enhancement and improved coordination all of which improve movements of daily living, injury prevention and performance enhancement."

"Comprehensive knowledge of physical medicine and exercise science underlies the Redcord solution, which utilizes these five principles: controlled instability, functional exercise,  pain free positioning of movements, precise control of exercise intensity, and freedom of movement in all planes."

I took a group class on both the TRX and ActivCore at local studios. Here is what I found. TRX class was very upbeat, energetic, and cardio infused. It included lots of lunges and exercises similar to what gym equipment provides with the added instability of the straps using your own body weight. It allows for movements in all planes and has both handles and straps as one with the unit. Each side of the strap is adjustable with a riser in the center to check for balanced movement. Both straps are attached at one center point that is then anchored. ActivCore was much more of a mind/body class. Functional movement in sets of 4x4 or 6x4 with rests built in to help trigger neurological/muscle activation connection. These movements were more Pilates and Physical Therapy like. Each strap is attached to a separate anchor, which allows for more instability in an asymmetrical way. The straps, handles and slings can be removed and added for different exercises.  Think the difference of doing Hundreds on the Reformer, where the springs are attached to the carriage underneath versus doing Hundreds on the Cadillac with arms in the springs, where each arm is responsible for the movement/stability of each spring. Imbalances are easier to see and work on at the Cadillac, where on the Reformer a stronger side can dominate and cheat for a weaker side.

I thoroughly enjoyed both classes and feel that I was able to make some new connections of movement. Personally, I feel the ActivCore is a better fit for myself and my clients given my focus on Pilates, rehabilitation, and mind/body styles of exercise. TRX I felt is more geared towards a gym clientele mentality as was developed by Navy Seals. Regardless of whether you chose to try ActivCore, TRX, or both I am confident that you will get a great workout. I know I sure did.

If you have used either TRX, ActivCore or both would love your thoughts on the two sytems. Please post your comments below.

Xtend Barre

Bar classes are all the rage from Bar Method, Dailey Method, Barre Bee Fit, etc. Everyone from Drew Barrymore to Madonna with Barre3 are taking Bar style classes.

I've taken these Bar Style classes at few different locations now. With my background in Pilates and Yoga I find some of the cuing and exercises in most of these Bar style classes to overuse certain muscle groups and place the body is some poor postural patterns of movement.  Also many of these schools of Bar lack the proper training to instructors and teach a choreography that is repetitive with very little anatomical knowledge.

Xtend Barre is not one of these. "The Xtend workout combines the amazing results of dance with the principles of strength and safety in Pilates." In order to take the training course to teach Xtend you must already hold a Pilates Certification and the classes can only be held in a licensed studio or workout facility.

Out of the many styles of Bar classes I found this style to be the most thorough class. The class moved through all parts of the body from light arm weights, plies, Pilates style ab work, thigh work, and stretching. The cuing was precise and form driven. It was a small class (only 6 people at the location I took class) versus the 20-30 people that are usually in a Bar class. This Bar style also seemed to have a little more of the dance class feel to it instead of the aerobic class feel.


I found Xtend Barre at Harmony Mind Body Fitness in Lincoln Park neighborhood. Definitely the best Bar style class I have found yet. Try it for yourself and Xtend your Bar horizons.

Parkour

Equinox Health clubs is known for their innovative Group Exercise classes like Tabata, Intensati, and now Parkour.  I participated in a demo class of Parkour at Equinox Chicago's 900 North Michigan location.

To say this class was out of my element is an understatement.  We were lead through a warm up of conditioning exercises by Group Fitness Managers Tonya Dugger and Jen Hogg. In the 30 minute workout many were already gasping for air and sweating it up.  Then we were lead by Alex through a Parkour workout. We vaulted over highly stacked steps, army crawled through hurdles, precision jumped over steps (and eventually people), and grapevined around hurdles creating a circuit like feel. My heart rate was up and at one point when checking my heart rate monitor was at 92%.  By the end of the hour long class I had burned almost 800 calories and had a ton of fun.  Did I do everything like the instructor? By no means. But I attempted it and laughed at myself in good humor.


According to the website Parkour US

"Parkour or l'art du déplacement is NOT a extreme sport, rather it is a physical discipline that allow one to overcome their obstacles to get from point a to point b in the most efficient using the possibility of human body. Such movement may contain running, jumping, climbing, vaulting and other movements that may help the efficiency. 

One who trains and practice the discipline is called a “traceur” or “traceuses” for women practitioners. The goal of parkour is to allow a traceur adopt to his or her environment by using the surrounding structure. Whether the environment is in the rural or urban area, a traceur is trained to be able to face the obstacles at any given time. 

Movements are often trained by repetitions, building ground up from the basics. Parkour is often confused with freerunning. Freerunning, a distant cousin of parkour, contains movements that are not efficient, such as flips. Parkour originated in France, founded by David Belle and many others. Along with the physical movements, parkour contains philosophy which enhances a traceur’s ability to solve problems and their awareness of surroundings. 

Furthermore, there are NO COMPETITIONS in parkour; the only competition is you, and yourself."

Some Parkour moves that you will see in a class.

Check your local Equinox to see when and where Parkour classes are available.  Definitely a challenge and a lot of fun. 

Rock-n-Roll with Pilates

Rolling like a Ball (ex:Rolling)

Pilates was Rocking-n-Rolling before Elvis or the Beatles.

Granted I am talking about movement and not music. This Rock-n-Roll is admired by all ages young and old and was born before it's musical genre.

The Pilates system has many rolling exercises (supine) and rocking exercises (prone) built into it's series. The rocking and the rolling takes place in the "powerhouse" of the body, between the shoulder blades and hips.  

In the Pilates Mat series the Rolling exercises (supine or on your back) include Rolling like a Ball, Open Leg Rocker, Boomerang, Seal and Crab. Rocking exercises (prone or on your belly) include Swan Dive and Rocking. Rolling is meant to allow breath into the body to it's fullest deepest potential, the spine to stretch and lengthen, and massage the spine against the mat and the internal organs with breath. 

Rocking (ex:Rocking)

Rocking strengthens the muscles along the spine, stretches the front of the chest, shoulders, and abdominals. Rocking and rolling should be light and playful, like a beach ball blowing in the wind. It will teach your body that strength and flexibility can be (and need to be) relaxed and flexible on the outside of the body, while engaged and supported from inside the body. That proper and purposeful breathing can carry movement more effortless than tensed up muscles.

So turn it on, turn it up and play with some Old time Rock-n-Roll.

On The Ball

The resistance ball is a fabulous piece of apparatus that is fairly affordable and doesn't take up a lot of space. Adding a resistance ball to your Pilates exercises will add a sense of balance and instability to kick up the intensity of your Matwork.  It can also be used to mimic many of the exercises on the Reformer, Cadillac, or chair.

When picking a resistance ball, the size of the ball will be dependent on your height and leg length. The best way to know is to sit on the ball like sitting in a chair. Your knees should line up with your hips with your feet placed firmly on the floor. If the angle is greater the ball is too big, and smaller the ball is too big. I am 5'2" and use a 55cm ball. Also be sure to fill the ball to firmness.

Here are a few of my favorites on the Resistance ball to add to your workout. For more workouts like these be sure to visit and subscribe to piLALAtes YouTube channel.

Teaser: The Holy Grail of Pilates

Teaser is defined as:

"an advertising or promotional device intended to arouse interest or curiosity especially in something to follow."

"a puzzling problem." 

Pilates' Teaser is just that. Both "intended to arouse curiosity", "I want to be able to do that". "Look at how beautiful, graceful and strong the body looks in this position" and "a puzzling problem", "That is harder than it looks" and "How is the body capable of that?".

The Teaser is as synonymous to Pilates as Hundreds. Yet Teaser is truly an Intermediate/Advanced exercise that is meant to connect the previous teachings into utilizing your skills all in one exercise. Easier said than done. Teaser combines the knowledge of rolling and unrolling the spine, pelvic stabilization, core connection, supporting the leverage of long extensions of both arms and legs, breath, and control.  One could (and many do) rely on pure momentum to throw themselves up into this beautiful shape. However, Teaser like most of the Pilates repertoire, is about the journey and not the destination. Many times when teaching this exercise I will slow down the movement to take the momentum idea out. I also like having my clients close their eyes and visualize in their head the movement rather than focus on the external image. In class situations, especially, Teaser can become one of those competitive moments for a student. Closing your eyes takes the compete out of the exercise. 

Teaser is like finding the holy grail in Pilates, "available to all, but only fully realized by those who prepare themselves". Only when you let go of the preconceived ideas and focus on building the foundation do you realize that is right there within your reach. And one day you find yourself in Teaser with grace, ease, and strength from all the hard work you have done before.  Until then it is arousing your curiosity and puzzling you just as it is named to do.

Get out of town!

Living in the city has it's advantages. Everything is right at your demand and the energy is always moving. Sometimes, taking a drive and getting out the city for a day or two and into nature is actually what the body, mind, and soul need.

Nestled about 100 miles from downtown Chicago, Starved Rock State Park does exactly that. Starved Rock State Park located in Utica, IL is an easy escape by car off of Interstate 80.  I packed up my dog, some hiking gear, and snacks and plugged the Ipod into the car stereo to escape the windy city for the day. Just getting out of the traffic and stop-n-go of the city was relaxing.  I jammed out to my Ipod singing at the top of my lungs, something I rarely do in the city for fear of someone I know seeing me.  My Golden Retriever, Logan, enjoyed hanging his head out the window taking in the fresh smells of the Illinois Farmlands.

Arriving into Utica Illinois is a cute little town with some local restaurants, shops, trading posts, and lodgings. Following the well marked signs through town about 1-2 miles into Starved Rock National State Park to the Visitor Center. Parking is FREE and there is plenty of it, unlike downtown Chicago.  Logan and I mounted our packs for the day, stopped at the Visitor Center to grab a map of the trails, and headed out to surround ourselves with Nature.

Historically, Starved Rock had been inhabited by humans as early as 8000 B.C., with many different Native Americans settling between 1500-1700's. Both explorers Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette, are said to have come through on their way up the Illinois River. Starved Rock derives it's name from a "Native American legend of injustice and retribution", where a chief stood his ground on the bluff and ended up dying of starvation.

Starved Rock sits on a total of 2,816 acres of land. It has 13 miles of hiking trails that wind through natural bluffs and canyons and follow along the Illinois River. Hiking is available year round and the back drop changes with each season. At the "early end of spring, when the end of winter thaw is occurring and the rains are frequent, sparkling waterfalls are found at the heads of all 18 canyons, and vertical walls of moss-covered stone create a setting of natural geographic beauty uncommon in Illinois" (Starved Rock State Park Visitor's Guide).  They have a full lodge, family cabins, camping, horseback riding, and fishing/boating available as well. More information on these activities and lodging can be found at www.starvedrockstateparkorg.


The trails that leave from the Visitor/Lodge area are a little crowded and touristy. For a more rugged and less touristy hike park at the other end near the Council Overhang or Hennepin Canyon and hiking towards the Visitor/Lodge area.  The views are much more spectacular and the terrain is a little more athletic.

About two miles up the road is Matthieson State Park. This dell area has an upper area hiking trail that is a 3 mile loop with wood like views. The lower level is through the dells walking through the rocks and canyons. A little more rugged and wet, but Logan was in heaven tromping along and wading through the water.  Well worth a stop if you have the time.  There is also a horseback riding trail as well.

Logan and I hiked for 3 hours that day and according to my heart rate monitor I burned close to 1000 calories.  More importantly was the breath of fresh air, vacation like-mode, and cleansing of my spirit that happened less than 2 hours outside of Chicago.

Qualtiy over Quantity

With principles like control, precision, concentration, and centering, it is no wonder that Pilates is all about quality of movement.

Many forms of movement work off of sets and repetitions like 3 sets of 12 repetitions with increase in weight load.  These quantities of exercises are meant to exhaust or fatigue the muscle groups being used.  This is also why when lifting weights many trainers will work on one part of the body, i.e. Upper back, Chest and Arms.  Then the next day a different body part grouping, alternating the muscle groups but never focusing on full body development.

Pilates works on uniform body development. Working the entire body and all muscle groups in each session. The most amount of repetitions done for one specific exercise never exceeds 10 repetitions. There is no such thing as a set in Pilates, instead each exercise in the series flows from one to the next encouraging the entire body to become active, engaged, and developed.  The attention to form and quality is what allows Pilates to produce grand results without a lot of repetition and exhausting of the muscles. It also means that there does not need to be a rest period between workouts. When leaving a Pilates session many students comment on how "open", "tall", "free", and "strong" they feel.  There is not that feeling of not being able to move the next day that comes from other types of exercise.  Although you may feel an internal soreness from the deep connections of the work.  You can and should incorporate some amount of Pilates into your everyday routine.  This superior style of movement will allow you to lead a life full of quality and quantity.

Toning Shoes

There is a lot of hype going on regarding toning shoes. Many claim that they will work you out while you wear them. Fit Flops claims the following: “Get a workout while you walk”, “Firm your legs and bottom”, “You can reduce stress on your body”, “You can re-energize your feet”, and “Wearable relief for sports warriors everywhere”. Another company, Sketchers, has Shape ups. “designed to help you strengthen your muscles, including your back, abdomen and calves”, “will help you lose weight and improve your circulation, creating a healthier you”, and “Get in shape without setting foot in a gym”. And MBT the Anti-shoe “ the body's entire musculoskeletal system is activated and exercised, the muscles in the buttocks, stomach and back are strengthened, posture and gait are kept relaxed and upright; and stress on the joints;and back is relieved. Not only does the anti-shoe increase the fitness levels of its wearer with every step, it also has sustainable health benefits.”

I have worn all three. Of the three the MBT’s seem to me to be the most beneficial and scientifically built. While I feel a slight “workout” mostly I feel better postural alignment and stress reduction on my low back and knees. I enjoy teaching in these as well as taking walks. These are definitely worth the investment and live up to their promises.

As far as flip flops go. Flip flops in general are the worst shoes you can possibly wear. They offer no arch support or shock absorption and cause a great deal of pain in the body after wearing them for long periods of time. That being said both the Fit Flops and the Shape ups are the most comfortable flip flops I have ever worn. They offer great arch support, lots of shock absorption, and I actually feel good after wearing them for a good deal of time. However, they aren’t going to tone my gluts, things, and hamstrings; cause me to lose weight, or keep me out of the gym or from doing actual exercise. These are not a quick fix or a replacement to proper diet and exercise, sorry to tell you. They do feel great though after a long run or workout!

My advice is don’t go firing your personal trainer or giving up your gym membership. But if you’re looking for a comfortable pair of flips flops or shoes that will help ease your pains and help your posture you should definitely give them a try.

Do you Kettlebell??

Kettlebells? Have you heard of them? I love them! They are my favorite way to get Cardio and weight training done at the same time. In only 25 minutes I burn somewhere between 300-450 calories. Woo-hoo!! Exercise multi-tasking at its best. So what are these magnificent bells that I speak of?

Kettlebells are bowling ball-sized cast iron weights with a single looped handle on top, that range in weight. Kettlebells are a functional strength workout that engages the entire body, specifically the core. The exercises challenge both strength and stability at the same time. Because the kettlebell's center of mass is extended beyond the hand, it allows for swinging movements that are impossible to achieve with traditional dumbbells.

Kettlebell workouts focus on form and stability, which is probably why so many of my Pilates and Yoga friends are drawn to them. Like any form of exercise I recommend taking a few sessions with a professionally certified Kettlebell trainer to learn the basic exercises and watch your form. I bought a 12 pound Kettlebell, which came with a great 25 minute dvd at Target for under $20. Love the dvd and am planning on purchasing another one from the same company. I also am ready to purchase a heavier one and incorporate two Kettlebell movements into my sessions.

Have you tried Kettlebells? What are your thoughts about them?

Iphone Apps for working out

As many of you are, I am addicted to my Iphone. I want to use it for absolutely everything I possibly can. There are a few noteworthy Apps that I have found and use that I want to pass on to you.

The first is for all of you runners, cyclist, and rollerbladers. Its called Runkeeper. I downloaded a FREE version and love it. It works primarily off of a GPS system. Basically it computes how far you have gone in what amount of time and figures out your miles/hour and calories burned based off of your age, gender, and weight. You can save all your activities to see your progress as well as share info via twitter and facebook. The Ipod application will work while running this App, so never fear you can still listen to all your favorite tunes. This is a great application. One complaint I have is that the calories burned are only computed based off of the GPS distance and does not take into consideration resistance from winds or hilly terrain. I started wearing my heartrate monitor as well, since I am a bit anal about my calories (see my next favorite App) and found that it differed about 300 calories in my favor. And when you are counting calories, we all know every calorie counts.

The next App that I am addicted to is Lose It. Also FREE. I love that!! Lose it allows you to easily count your calories in and out. Many of the foods and exercises are already programmed into the software and their comprehensive database. However, you can also easily edit and add your own foods and exercises. On lose it you can set your goals by weight and date that you would like to reach it. It calculates the calories that you should take in per day based on removing the calories to lose the desired weight. Being the anal, overachiever that I am, I always try to stay below the goal number and input every bite and nibble. You can also track your nutrients like carbohydrates, protein, and fats by day and week. There is a graph that charts your progress as well and lets you know above it exactly how much you have lost to date. If you are trying to lose weight I highly recommend this App. Very user friendly and you will see the results. This truly works if you are diligent about inputting.

Do you have a health related IPhone App that you like?