Tabata

I started Tabata workouts about three years ago.  My first exposure was actually through a Tabata instructor certification when I was seven months pregnant with my third baby.  I didn't know what to expect, but once I went through the first workout, I LOVED IT!

Tabata is a form of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).  The name is from the guy who invented it - Dr. Izumi Tabata - a Japanese physician and researcher.  He and his colleagues wanted to develop a way to increase athletes performance in a short amount of time.  At some point, the rest of us figured out that it was a pretty dang good method.

Below are a few reasons why I love Tabata:

1.  Time.  Or, the fact that it doesn't require much.  One round of Tabata is 4 minutes long.  It is broken down to :20 seconds of your very best effort, followed by :10 seconds of rest, repeated 8 times.  Typically there is about a one minute break before beginning the next round.  A typical Tabata workout for me is 4 rounds.  A warm up, workout and recovery can be finished in less than a half hour.

2.  Training effectiveness.  Check out this link for details on the original test groups.  Whether you are training for an endurance event, or looking to get a lot done in a little amount of time, you'll see improvements from Tabata.

3.  Variety in movements.  I love how custom Tabata can be.  Want more cardio?  Want more strength?  Want to use equipment?  No equipment?  Need to modify?  Go for it.  I did Tabata throughout the latter portion of my 3rd pregnancy, and through my entire 4th pregnancy.  Did it prepare my body for child birth?  You betcha.  But that's a whole other topic.

4.  Location.  Workout at the gym?  You can do Tabata.  At home?  Yep.  On vacation?  Been there.  At the park?  Done that.  With kids?  Yep.

Here's a great one that can be done anywhere.  It is a mix of strength and cardio.  Dumbells are the only equipment needed.

Warm up:  walk, jog in place.

1.  Squat to Calf Raise with Bicep Curl:  Feet shoulder distance apart, dumbells to sides of body.  Lower into a squat.  Raise from squat and lift dumbells to bicep curl as legs continue onto balls of feet in a calf raise.  Lower dumbbells to sides of body and return back to squat.  Repeat.

2.  Scissor Lunges:  Begin in lunge position with right foot back.  Lower into lunge.  As you lift, quickly move the right foot forward and left foot back to lunge position with the left leg back.  This can be done in a lower impact stepping motion, or a higher impact jumping motion.

3.  Tricep Push-up to One-arm Back Row:  Begin in plank position, hands directly under shoulders and grasping dumbells.  Lower to a tricep push-up.  Lift back into plank and raise one dumbbell in row position, keeping elbow close to body, and squeezing core to maintain alignment.  Lower dumbbell back to plank position and repeat, beginning with tricep push-up.  Alternate row from one side to the other.

4.  Burpee with Jumping Jack Feet:  From a standing position crouch down until both hands and feet are on floor.  Press weight into hands as you extend (or hop) feet back into plank position.  Keeping hands under the shoulders, hop feet out into wide v position, and then hop feet back to plank position.  Repeat out/in with feet.  Hop feet toward hands and stand.  Repeat entire movement.  Hopping can be replaced with stepping feet in and out, and alternating feet from one side to the other.

From time to time, I'll post more of my favorite Tabata workouts on my Facebook page.  Enjoy!

Sit Strong

The image on the left is me in my "mindless posture."  Or, my we-are-lucky-we-made-it-out-the-door-and-are-getting-there-on-time posture.  Or, my be-quiet-I-am-trying-to-drive-do-you-know-being-that-loud-could-make-me-get-in-a-car-accident posture.  It just depends on the day.

My son actually snapped that photo of me as we were driving home from school.  And I took a good look at it.

"Are you kidding me?!"  I said to myself.  Here I am, an educator of posture, and I look like that driving my kids around?  Yikes!

But, it's the truth.  Unless I'm thinking about good posture (insert moment where I straighten up on my chair to continue typing), it doesn't happen for me naturally.  Some people have that natural posture.  It's beautiful.  I love it.  But, my body waaaants to curve.  

The photo on the right is my "mindful posture."  I'm actually engaging my abs and trying to stack my shoulders over my hips, my head over my shoulders.  It's not perfect, but it's definitely better than the prior.  I feel so much stronger when I sit like this.  I can feel myself breathing better.

Looking at the two images made me stop for a moment and think.  How do I want my kids to see me?  Sure, I might have good posture when I'm working out, but what about the rest of the time?  And if I feel stronger in the picture on the right, imagine what that body language communicates to my kids?  And how do I want my spine to look as I continue to age?

Change happens one day at a time.  I don't think that overnight I am going to roll out of bed and have perfect posture all the time because I wrote about it.  But, just for today, I am going to make a little note to be more mindful about my posture.  And it's going to start each time I am in the car.  

Today, when I drive, I'm going to pull my belly into my spine, and squeeze those abs.  And maybe smile a bit at those other crazy drivers out there.

Join me?

Find the time to exercise

You'd think with over 8 years of group fitness teaching experience (that is a lot of classes over the years!), and countless continuing education courses and trainings, that I would write up, plan and execute all of my workouts perfectly, right?  Wrong.  I was struggling to "find the time."   

Since I was post-baby and we had just moved into a new home, I was T.I.R.E.D.  Low on energy, wanting to use any down time to sleep (or unpack), and scrambling from one thing to the next.  I often relate the life with a newborn like one really loooong day that continues for a few months.  Throw in all the other changes we had going on and I was downright exhausted.

I figured since I was so tired, the only time I could fit in a workout would be mid-morning, after I took my son to school, and before I had to take my daughter to kindergarten.  There wasn't a gym available where I could take the new baby (she had to be older), so my previous routine of "take them to the gym" wasn't an option.  That, and the window of time wasn't quite big enough to manage a gym class, lunch and any kind of kid time.  Not to mention leaving time for unpacking.  So I figured winging it solo would be the way to go.  I'd have to juggle the three girls, but since I was only looking for 20-30 minutes, it seemed totally manageable.

The first workout went like this:
Wake up.  Get dressed in workout clothes.  Wiz through morning routine and take son to school.  Zip home and feed baby.  Rock baby to sleep.  Look outside.  Weather is nice.  Girls should enjoy sunshine.  Mental decision to take workout outside.  Grab a bag of playdoh.  Get girls on bikes, baby in stroller (crossing fingers she will stay asleep).  Walk to workout location.  It's next to a picnic table, and fairly secluded (construction workers won't see me exercising, and I'm not right in front of a house).  Didn't take time to plan a workout, but pull out an old favorite.  Tabata.  Need a timer.  Dig out phone from stroller.  Pull out playdoh for girls to use at table.  Check on baby (still sleeping!).  Start first 4 minute interval (there were 4 total).  With breaks entire workout was 20 minutes.  Girls happily played.  Success!

Simple enough right?  It was so successful, two days later, I actually thought this could be my new "normal."  

Here's how the second workout went:
Wake up.  Get dressed in workout clothes.  Wrangle through morning routine.  5 year old cries because she can't decide what to wear.  Literally drag 2 year old into car so son can get to school on time.  Son is mad at mom and fears he might be late (hmmm, wonder where he gets "I need to be on time" from?).  Make mental note to teach son about "external factors" after school.  Hurry back home to feed baby.  Baby spits up all over workout clothes.  They stink.  Hurry and change workout clothes.  Baby is wide awake (what?!  she's been asleep at this time EVERY morning for the past 4 mornings - that's like an eternity in baby life!).  Still committed.  Get shoes on girls.  Two year old won't wear socks.  Or sandals.  Throw shoes in stroller and buckle 2 year old.  5 year old pinches herself getting on bike helmet.  Cries.  Again.  2 year old cries.  Again.  Baby cries (how do they pick up the sympathy cry so quickly?!).  I'm burning with frustration inside, but am committed.  Walk to same secluded spot only to find it is not secluded today.  Construction workers taking an unexpected break on the same picnic table (for the love?!  how many picnic tables are there around here, and they chose the same one?!  They must have known.).  Keep walking and find another picnic table and spot to exercise.  Baby is screaming (clearly the fresh air didn't calm her down).  Pull out playdoh for girls.  Girls are excited to use it again.  Look for phone to use timer for same workout as last time.  Only to remember it was left in garage.  While trying to calm down 5 year old (or was it the 2 year old?!).  Who needs a timer anyway.  Ready to work.  Baby has calmed down, but is wide awake.  Begin workout.  Stop workout.  5 year old is crying.  Again.  Turns out playdoh lid wasn't put on all the way on and her favorite color is now dry.  And crumbling everywhere (Good thing we are outside).  Convince her another color is just as wonderful.  Begin workout.  Again.  Stop workout.  Now 5 year old is crying.  Again.  2 year old is pulling hair of 5 year old like a handrail with one hand as she is placing playdoh on top of her head and shouting "Crown!  Queen Elsa's crown!"  Help girls redirect love for Frozen movie.  Take a breath.  Begin workout.  No more than 2 minutes in (at least I'm guessing since I forgot my phone), and baby is crying.  2 year old poking baby since she was falling asleep.  And with that, I wrapped it up.  Irritated beyond belief.  Ball of frustration in my stomach (this worked so well last time!), coupled with sweat dripping off of me (for the wrong reasons!).  

Walking home, I kept trying to put the blame on my kiddos (if she would have done this...then I could have finished what I wanted to do), or on the playdoh (why don't they have better lids) or on the movie (who needed another princess movie anyway?).  I was a grouchy mamma.  

In reality, I was trying to conduct a symphony with the wrong sheet music.  

Now, I'm NOT writing this to say "don't workout with your kids."  Because I actually believe the exact opposite.  I think they learn so much from example, and often times they will join in with me.  I have had A LOT of successful workouts at the playground while they are having a blast too (something I'll write about later).

And, I'm NOT writing this to say "don't exercise at the gym."  Because I believe the opposite.  I think it's a great place to feel part of something and get into an awesome routine.

But, I'm sharing this because sometimes we have to reevaluate.  Things come into our life that change what worked in the past, and it's our job to discover what will work in the present.  

The phrase "finding the time" is a bit ironic.  As if we are going to magically uncover more time from under a rug to make a change.  We all know that won't happen.  We will never "find the time."  Instead, something has to be eliminated from somewhere.

I knew I needed exercise.  But with all of the change surrounding me, I was having a tough time figuring out where to plug it in.  I studied my day - how it was blocked out, and where I had a natural "chunk" of time for myself.  I looked at what I could eliminate (that made sense with other goals I had in our family life).  And guess what?  The only time open was to set the alarm clock earlier.

What?!?  Lose the little sleep I was getting and trade it for exercise?!  Even with my knowledge of the benefits of fitness, I was doubtful it would actually help my fatigue.  But, I put the plan in action for a one week trial.

I set up three things to make it happen:
1.  I found an exercise program that I could do from home (in my basement).  It was done for me and I didn't have to "write my own."
2.  I only had to commit 30 minutes of my time.
3.  I held myself accountable (more on that later).

What happened?  

It has become my new normal.  Wake up time is 45 minutes earlier.  I would rate my overall energy as "significantly higher."  I have become stronger.  I have built more patience into my day because I'm eating cleaner and exercising regularly.  And, I get to play with my girls in the morning instead of bounce from one place to the next, or try to juggle too many things in a short amount of time.  Time with those munchkins that I will cherish.

There are so many options out there.  Find what works for you.  Commit yourself to a trial run.  Your body (and mind) will thank you.

Start Somewhere

10 weeks after having my fourth baby, I felt tired and exhausted.  Tackling a newborn, unpacking a new home and trying to be a mom to my three other kids was taking everything I had.  I'd been given the all clear to begin exercising at 6 weeks, but other than a walk around the neighborhood, hadn't done much else.  I felt like I had no time to go back to my previous self.  I felt like my body just didn't have the energy to commit to one more thing.  I felt like I needed to wait until things slowed down.

What was happening to me?  I was rationalizing.  Looking for reasons not to start.  Finding ways to delay what would really help me feel better.  Why?  Because I knew it was going to be hard.  And I felt like I was doing enough hard things.

In that moment, I made the decision to try.  I've been an advocate for exercise and clean eating for years.  I needed to practice what I had preached for so long.  I planned to go for a run the next morning.  Our new homesite was next to trails, "why not take advantage of them?" I thought.

Before I could blink the next morning arrived and I was standing on my front porch looking at the trail in front of me.  I mentally planned to run to a specific spot on the trail.  The distance seemed more than doable and I began.  The crisp morning air shot into my lungs.  It felt invigorating.  

Until about the 6th stride.  When I remembered that I don't actually like to run.  30 seconds after that, my heart was pounding, and my side began to ache.  I was so close to home, I wanted to cry, quit, lay down on the grass and go to sleep - anything but continue.

I forced my legs to keep moving.  To the outside eye, this was anything from a run.  My body felt awkward.  I had no rhythm.  From an ariel view, I looked like a sluggish, jiggly snail moving across the earth.  At least that's how I felt.

I battled every step.  The loud voice in my head was shouting at me to quit.  To sit on the park bench, splash water on my face from the nearby creek and walk home "so sweaty."  But I wasn't going to lie to myself.  I wasn't going to let myself stop.  I needed to keep moving.

In an effort to distract myself, I began focusing on everything outside.  I would mentally say the name of what I saw.  House.  Tree.  Dog.  Then I counted my steps.  Anything to keep my mind from letting the quitting voice take over.

I approached the initial point on the trail where I had planned to slow and walk.  I'm a visual person, and had chosen a place with an actual line to it.  It was at the end of a bridge.  Once I crossed the bridge, I could walk, recover, do whatever I needed to do.

I so badly wanted to change the line.  Even to just the beginning of the bridge.  But my feet pounded on the pavement, the sound eventually changing to the pounding on the wooden bridge and as if I had fought through an endurance marathon, I crossed it.

Then I threw up.  (okay probably a little too much information, but hey, I'm honest.)

It took everything I had to make it across the bridge.  As a group fitness instructor, I often reference a perceived scale of exertion (or a 1-10 scale).  Always keeping ourselves below a 10 so that we can maintain control.  Well, I felt a solid 10.  

But crossing that line changed me.  Because I had managed to do something that felt really hard.  I didn't quit.  I had made myself stronger.  All the feelings from the night (and weeks) before had been erased.  

I smiled.  The blood pumping through me made me feel warm from the inside out.  True sweat dripped off my nose as if my body was telling me thank you for allowing it to work.

As an added bonus, each time I now cross the bridge, I have a spring in my step and smile on my face reminding myself of that moment.  Of starting somewhere.  

Want to start somewhere?  

1.  Commit Mentally.  No one, especially a new mom, has the time or energy sitting in excess to start exercising.  It has to be a mindful decision that you are going to commit yourself to.

2.  Take action.  We can think about starting all we want.  But we need to take those first steps.  Choose some type of fitness program - at home, with a group, inside, outside, on land, on water.  Decide what it is and schedule time to make it happen.  

3.  Embrace your present self.  If you're a new mom or if you've lost the routine of exercise, or if you've never really started exercise before, be realistic.  You are not the person you were 10 years ago.  That's actually a good thing.  But we need to listen to our present body.  And, no we don't need to push ourselves to a 10 like yours truly.  Set a goal that is realistic.  Then move forward.

4.  Cross your starting line.  I call it a starting line because getting through the first workout is going to feel extremely difficult.  But once you do it, you've started on your journey to becoming a stronger version of you.  

5.  Keep moving forward.  I actually chose a workout that I personally don't love.  That's okay.  I finished it.  Moving forward, I found something else that I loved a lot more.  It doesn't mean I won't still run on occasion, or that I might enjoy it more someday, but my present self needed a different option to succeed.  Because we're more likely to do something if we actually like it.