The Fitness Motivation Monitor

Be Smart: Six Tips To Keep It Safe

Have you ever been burned out or injured by your exercise routine? If so, you are not alone. It’s no fun and puts a damper on your good intentions. Be smart and follow some sound advice:

1. The sole of exercise – take care of your feet. From blisters to bone spurs, when your feet hurt exercise is not an option. Wear shoes that give the proper support for the activity you choose. Many specialty sport shoe stores will analyze your gait and make sure you get a proper fitting shoe for your foot.

2. Minimize joint stress – if you engage in a lot of high impact exercise, like running, incorporate some low- or non-impact forms of exercise, like biking, swimming or the elliptical trainer to limit the jarring of your joints.

3. Rest up – I cannot overstress rest. If you are not rested you are prone to injury and burn out. At a minimum you will not get the maximum benefits from your exercise. What a waste! In addition to daily rest, I recommend an occasional break from your regular routine. Every 10-12 weeks take an active rest week, doing fun low intensity activities. Don’t worry. You won’t suddenly gain weight and lose all your strength. Rather you will come back refreshed and ready to charge on.

4. Round it out – aerobic exercise, strength training and stretching each give your body entirely different benefits. You want your muscles to be strong in appropriate proportion to one another and achieve optimal results for your time spent.

5. LISTEN! – if you feel signals that are unusual, stop exercising. Abnormal heart beats, light-headedness, pain and prolonged fatigue are signals to stop, not push harder.

6. Listen to your mother – Good posture is especially important to exercise. Keep your body in proper alignment and your abdominal muscles tight to reduce stress to the body and decrease the chance of injury.

Message from the President:

These last two months I’ve been on a safety kick in this newsletter and I started to examine why. As corny as it may sound, it comes down to “I care.”

Health is a huge priority for me. It is very high on my list of values. A big part of health is safety. I don’t believe in “no pain, no gain” or results at any cost, because sometimes the cost is the very thing you are striving for – health!

To lead a life of ultimate health, exercise must be enjoyable and give you energy, not serve as a punishment or something you have to do. It holds its place as part of an overall program. Eating should also be enjoyable and give you energy. No one, or no company, should tell you that a particular diet or pill will solve your problems. Discover what gives you that joy and energy. You are in control of your body and your body knows best.

To your health,
Amy Lundberg
Aim For It, President

Quick Weight Loss… But At What Cost?

Do you know someone who has used ephedra products to lose weight quickly? Considering consumers spent $1.3 billion on these products last year it is likely that you do. Ephedra is heavily promoted (by companies making big bucks - $1.3 billion) to increase weight loss and boost energy. No wonder people from professional sports players to stay-at-home moms are using these products.

Ephedra is a stimulant that suppresses appetite, stimulates the thyroid gland (metabolism) and increases blood pressure and heart rate. At first glance it might seem a small price for the significant weight loss it might produce. But when you hear it’s been blamed for over 100 deaths, including former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler, it suddenly doesn’t look so good.

Whether ephedra is dangerous for you depends on many factors, from dosage and quality of the product to the status of your health. Why risk it?

The way I see it is that if ephedra was a safe solution for weight loss, we would not have the growing numbers of overweight and obesity that we have in this country. And when it comes to suppressing appetite, I am concerned. After all, our bodies know what we need. We just need to listen. Suppressing appetite denies the body of the nutrients and fuel that it needs and wants.

The NFL, NCAA and International Olympics Committee currently ban Ephedra. A movement is growing to ban ephedra completely in the US, but with the money to be made it will not be an easy thing to accomplish. In the meantime, several manufacturers have stopped making these products and some stores have stopped selling them.

In the fitness industry we have always known there is no pill that will solve people’s weight problems. It is exercise and healthy, mindful eating – always has been, and my guess is it always will be. It is too bad that some people had to find out with their lives.

Summer Classes

Group Fitness By Phone

AN ALTERNATIVE-GET FIT AND SAVE MONEY
Need support in losing weight but find personal training unaffordable? I'm excited to announce Group Fitness By Phone. Because its a group, I am able to offer it at a lower per person cost. If you want support, accountability and learn how to maintain your motivation to loose exess weight for a lifetime call to see if this is the right program for you. Enrollment Limited to 5 people so call early to reserve your space! 218-846-1525

Inutitive Eating Class

ARE YOU:
An Emotional or Stress Eater?
Tired of losing but then regaining weight?
Struggling with negative beliefs about your body?
Transform your relationship with food and weight.
Enrollment Limited to 5
Call early to reserve your space! 218-846-1525

Boot Camp - The Ultimate Summer Workout!
Mon & Wed, June 2 - August 6   6-7 am

This class will use the City Park and Beach to give an excellent outdoor strength and endurance workout. If you are looking for something different and challenging and you love nature, this class is for you! Come join the fun and see your body physically change to the fit image you desire.

This Class is not for the weak! Expect to be pushed!
Your fee includes a t-shirt after completion of the class.
Meet at the park (corner of Roosevelt and North Shore Dr.)

Yoga on the Beach - Indulge Yourself!
Mon & Wed, June 2 - August 6   7-8 am

This class offers a refreshing and energizing morning workout. It will be comprised of tai chi, yoga and pilates. Gain flexibility, balance, and core strength. Excellent class for enhancing mental well-being to start your day.
Meet at the beach next to the pavilion.

Register at the Lincoln Ed. Center, 204 E. Willow, Detroit Lakes or call 218-847-4418.

Fitness by Phone® Works!

Her Story: “As an extremely busy woman, who is nearing 30 (metabolism slowing down) and spends 70% of her time on a plane, I needed some fitness help. Due to my demanding travel schedule, I was unable to work out on a regular schedule or even meet consistently with a personal trainer. When I heard about Fitness by Phone® I knew it would be perfect for someone like me that still needs the motivation of a personal trainer but is unable to get to the gym on a regular basis. My objectives were to get motivated, lose a couple of pounds and ultimately workout on a regular basis - regardless of the location.

The hardest part of working out is scheduling time for it. That's one of the benefits of this program - every week I have to schedule my workouts and I know exactly what I need to do to accomplish my goals. Planning has been a key to my success - before I was haphazard about my workout schedule and before I knew it, the week was over and I had barely squeezed in two workouts. Also, by setting goals I can push myself harder because I know I'm accountable when I have to report my weekly fitness results. Now that I know how many calories I'm burning, it also helps keep my eating in balance. If I've only burned a couple hundred calories, I monitor my food intake to balance that out.

Overall, I would highly recommend Fitness by Phone®. It is very flexible to meet the challenging demands of my travel schedule, yet at the same time gives me the structure and motivation I need to keep moving! It is perfect for all types of people - my mom is also doing this with me and I'm pleased to see her becoming the most active she's been in years.”

Holly Mallett, Atlanta, GA

A great way to get fruit in your day is with a smoothie, especially during the summer. Unfortunately when purchasing one at your local juice joint you often get more than you bargained for – fruit juices, frozen yogurts and sherbet add many unwanted calories. Some commercial smoothies contain well in excess of 600 calories and tend not to keep you satiated for very long.

The solution? Ask for half a banana or plain yogurt in place of sherbet or frozen yogurt. Better yet, make one at home. The newer home blenders are sturdy enough for this use. My favorite includes a peeled orange (seeds and all), ½ banana, ½ cup plain nonfat yogurt and ½ - ¾ cup combination of frozen strawberries with pineapple or mango. Then I add in low fat milk to thin it out. If I need a bit more protein I’ll add soft tofu (on the package it even indicates that it is good for smoothies). I’ve cut a couple hundred calories and enjoy it just the same!