Fitness and Blogging : It's All About Consistency

It was a gloomy Thursday morning, reminiscent previous morning mountain climbs, I woke up earlier than usual.  I was really excited on that 11^th of August as I prepared for the Blogging 101 Event that Tag Media was conducting that day.

Various thoughts come to mind during my preparation. Questions like : How do I improve on my blog? How can I maximize the digital platform in sharing my advocacy of a Fitness Lifestyle through Blogging?  The more I think of all of these, the more I got excited.

I have started this blog around 2009 after realizing that work, life, balance could be achieved if we focus on Fitness as a base. This advocacy is what drives me to write posts despite not knowing if I do have a readership base or none at all. 

I realized that my blogging journey is like climbing a mountain. There are terrains that you need to navigate, sometimes, you stop and get frustrated not knowing how to start again, but, you move on.

The Blogging 101 Advocacy caught my attention knowing that the workshop would broaden my understanding on what I have been doing for the past seven years.

My Trusty Planners and Netbook

How to Make the Most Use of Your Planner (Three Simple Ways to Productivity)

I love fitness.
I also love writing, reading and yes, collecting planners. 
Some might say, in this digital world, writing in paper is near extinction - I say, it's a lost art that is a gold mine once discovered.

In my case, having these notebooks and binders give me this compelling need to use them  for whatever function they may bring, then again, we all know that it is not possible.

Take your pick

I eventually came to terms with the thought that these are just tools for me to do what needs to be done, while enjoying what I love doing -- which is writing, and providing a venue for creativity. As tools, we  need to know what works and what does not.

Everyone wants to be productive. 
There is a sense of accomplishment when one ticks off a "To Do List" or when things happen as planned. With this thought in mind, a question popped up :   What do we "plan" for? What goes in our "planners" or notebooks?

In this post, I am sharing three things that I have realized would help in "planning" your day.

First of all, know your non-negotiables.

15 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Fitness - Part 2

As promised, here are the remaining items on the list..

     6.    Magazines

Reading fitness magazines and looking at possible workout moves motivate me. 
Yes I am aware that most are perfected by photoshop and some are probably genetic freaks, but being a visual person, fitness models and their workouts motivate me to work harder. 

Fitness mags for PinayFitness geeks.

Besides, cut outs are a good addition to one's Vision Board (hmm.. might do an article on that one time)

     7.    Blogs

I know that reading blogs inspire me. This is the same reason why I decided to bring back the habit of writing in my blog. It gives me accountability to my readers and who knows, I might be inspiring other people with my PinayFitness Journey too.
Until I have figured out the "subscribe" button, please feel free to visit my blog anytime. lol.

     8.    Success Stories

If a fitness website has success stories, for sure I will go back and read inspirational stories. Showing the ups and downs they go through is such a learning experience.

     9.    Instagram

Those catchy memes in Instagram really helps me in getting back on track. I usually download them and make them my wallpaper or share in the PinayFitness Facebook Page.

     10.  Forums and Facebook Groups

Talking about one’s fitness concerns and sharing ideas in a group full of like minded people would definitely help your fitness goals. Check in daily. 

Interact and post : PinayFitness Facebook Page

Post and interact. It really helps. Be part of the PinayFitness Facebook Group and share your thoughts on fitness too!

     11. Rewards

If you exercise for a few days, give yourself a reward! Progressed to a week? Add another reward. Do it often during the start of you “Balik Alindog” Program.

Stickers and pretty stuffs are my rewards. How about you?

In my case, my “rewards” are stickers. I am a member of a planner community & it gives me pleasure to put stickers in my monthly planner, knowing that I got it done. Weird, but that’s how I roll.

     12. Stress Reliever

Work. Home stuff. Life in general. Yup. All stress producer. Exercise = stress relief.

I also use exercise to regenerate and refresh myself as a form of rest.

13. An exercise log / graph

Writing it down makes a whole world of difference. Monitoring your progress in you planner, writing what you ate, how many glasses of water you took in (hydration is very important!), you body weight and tape measurement – then graph it at the end of the week for four weeks. You’d be pleasantly surprised once the month ends.

Graphing my one month progress was a great motivation for me!

14.  An exercise class

Golds’ Gym Bootcamp, Cardio Martial Arts, Yoga. These are my favourite combination. I have fun working out with my kiddos, laughing at each others moves during the class, and eventually putting in that workout for the day. Invite your friends to join you for a class and for sure, you’ll be motivated to go there and workout.

     15. A day at the beach or a Class Reunion.

Yep. You know how that feels.

Last December trip. Good thing I was beach ready!

So how about you? How do you motivate yourself?

15 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Fitness - Part 1

MOTIVATION

 a ten letter word that is so hard to keep up. If this specific word has a gender, it probably is a lady that is super high maintenance.

We all can relate to writing resolutions at the start of the year and planing to work out – actively tackling it on the next few days, only to stop after a week or so, then trash it all and go back to the same old rut. It is the second month of the New Year, so how are we with our goals and plans?

But, how does a regular pinay with lots of things in her plate, find motivation to exercise when you feel that just thinking about it makes you tired already? I ask myself this million peso question every now and then, and I know that I’m not the only one.

Image from the net

Yes I have days when I struggle with putting in a workout in my schedule. I know that I should start making it a habit until it is part of my PinayFitness Routine, but the "M" word  is needed until the habit sticks and that, is where the challenge begins.

Recently however, I felt so happy because after lots of failed tries,  I was able to actually work on my goal – I was able to find motivation that was needed to make the habit stick. 

In this post, I am sharing what I did differently and what had helped get back on track.

The happiest loss of all. Loss of excess body fat.

Feel free to see if you can make some of these ideas “your own” so you can start working on your fitness goals..

Urban Legends: Fitness Myths Vs Facts

In the fitness world, there are lots of urban legends you’d hear in the gym locker room.

Statements like, “I don’t want to eat sinigang or sisig because ingesting pork fat will make me fat!” or “I stay away from those heavy weights because I don’t want to look like a She-Hulk”

Image from the net

An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true. As with all folklore and mythology, the designation suggests nothing about the story’s veracity, but merely that it is in circulation, exhibits variation over time, and carries some significance that motivates the community in preserving and propagating it.

- Wikipedia

As we embrace the fitness lifestyle, it is our responsibility to question these statements and find out for ourselves if these are categorized as what we all know as “fitness” urban legends.

Below are some of the Fact vs Myth statement that I stumbled upon and would like to share with you.

Please feel free to add some more.

—————————

Myth: High – carbohydrate, low fat diets works best.
Fact: People are becoming fat from carb overdose.

Myth: If you exercise, it doesn’t matter what you eat.
Fact: If you exercise, it matters even more what you eat!

Myth: Eating right means three big meals a day.
Fact: Eating  nutritious balanced meals with the proper portion is the way to go.

Myth: Weight training is only for young athletes.
Fact: People of all ages should do weight training.

Myth: Muscle grow while you’re working out
Fact: Muscle grow while you’re resting and recuperating, AFTER a good workout.

Myth: A certain number of sets and reps gets the job done.
Fact: High-intensity efforts produces the best results.

Myth: Aerobic is better for shaping up than weight training.
Fact: To transform your physique, you must train with weights.

Myth: If women lift weights, they’ll get “bulky”.
Fact: Resistance exercise helps women create lean, toned bodies.

Image from the net

Myth: You need to drink water only when you are thirsty.
Fact: Your body needs more water than it’s telling you.

Myth: Pinays are weak and dependent
Fact: Pinays are Positive Independent Natural Adaptable andYouthful!

So, now that all the myths and urban legends are debunked, care to share what have YOU heard through the grapevine?

How to Workout During the Rainy Season

So you want to work out but its raining really hard outside.

Running is not an option and going to the gym is too much hassle because of the heavy traffic.

From the net

That’s fine.  However, that's no excuse for you not to work out.

The good news is that you can burn that extra jiggly fat, start being lean, and have a great workout with just using your existing furniture at home and your body weight!

How?  Let me introduce you to Body Weight Circuit Training.

Completing one exercise right after the other without stopping a set  is what’s known as “circuit training”.  This builds both lean body weight and give you a great cardio workout.

So why does it work, you ask me?

In these exercises multiple muscle groups are used to complete the movement. These challenging movements get your heart rate pumping and in effect helps with the caloric burn that we all want.  With this in mind, studies showed that Circuit Training burns more calories than interval training — which actually burns MORE calories than steady cardio.

Efficient use of time is important for me and spending hours of running on a treadmill is not how I envision my time spent.  Here is a sample basic  workout that can be completed at home, in the park, or even in your office during lunch break.  

In a circuit routine, you’ll do each exercise in sequence without breaks in between as much as possible. 

Once done, you do it all over again.  If you can still do a set after the 2nd set,  try one more for third.

Note that it’s better to stop and take a break than to do an exercise incorrectly.  If you can’t do all three set of circuits without stopping, then you have yourself a goal.

As in any physical activity, WARM UP before starting.  Elevate your heart rate by running in place, jump rope, or jog up and down your stairs.  After the warm up,  start the circuit by doing the following movements:

Air Squats. 

Livestrong.com defines Air Squat as “an effective exercise for both the beginner and the advanced athlete. It uses just your body weight to tone and strengthen the muscles of your buttocks–gluteus minimus and maximus–and your thigh muscles, the hamstrings and quadriceps. Air squats also increase flexibility in the hamstrings and glutes. This exercise is great for women as it targets the problem areas of the butt and thighs. It’s also effective for people on the go who might not have access to a gym or weight-training equipment.”

Yes, you read it right! It’s GREAT for women as it targets butt and thighs.

Try to do 10- 15  repetition per circuit.

Here’s another great move for you.

Reward Yourself

So you're slowly inching in towards your goals.. Then what?
Oh yeah, the reward  - It’s important to reward yourself for your accomplishments during your fitness journey.
Reward yourself for the behavioral changes as well as physical.


After all the key to maintain  the habit  depends on the lifestyle changes you’ve made along the way.

Your rewards need to be non-food rewards.
The purpose of rewarding yourself is to strengthen your resolve to have that fitness lifestyle and maintain it.
Rewarding yourself increases your awareness of all that you have accomplished.


These are some of the list that I happen to stumble upon in my readings:

1. Begin a “Success Savings” Put PHP 100 (or any amount  you think is doable) in it for every week you've achieved your goal.  Put  PHP10 or PHP50 in it for every pound you've lost .
You decide the amount of money you’ll give for the desired action. Such as for sticking to your  plan. Not pigging out when you were depressed. For each pound lost. For each day or week you stick to your meal plan.

What an Inspiration!

Posting this to inspire us ladies who need a little motivation.

Okey, take a good look at the lady in the picture and try to guess her age.


She's no pinay but the fine lady in the picture recently made it into the Guinness Book of Record as the "World's Oldest Female Body Builder."

Her name is Ernestine Sheperd.
So, how old do you think she is?
40? 50?

My guess is as good as yours.. and we are ALL wrong.

Try Seventy Seven... yes you read it right.. 77!

Surprised? To know more about her, check out her article and video here and be totally inspired!

Her message is clear and inspirational: “being out of shape” as we age is something we can now contest. She is indeed a role model not just for senior women, but for everyone else who have read or heard about her story.

Need motivation?

Think of how a lady of 77,  Ernestine Shepherd , and how her dedication and commitment can make a difference in one's life.

Thank you Ernestine, for showing us that these things are possible!

Another article in this link.

My Mom

I'm super proud of her. She is such a strong woman and if you click on this video, you could see her playing dodgeball with her grand kids. 

For someone who's turning 70 years old this 2012, this is amazing (considering that she does not lift weights and do gym stuff)

She always makes sure to eat healthy though, drink her water and put it 30mins of movement every day (jog around, do body weight squats and play wall ping-pong for agility)

I pray that she makes is as sustainable as possible so that she can continue to inspire the lives that she touches.

Mt. Kinabalu : We Came, We Saw, We Conquered!

Me with Mount Kinabalu at the background.

It was January of 2011 when hubby and I found ourselves packing our bags and taking the flight to Kota Kinabalu to climb the majestically surreal Mt Kinabalu -  4,095 meters above sea level, the lure of  Guinness World Records’ world's highest via ferrata, was so hard for us to resist that we HAD to try it for ourselves.

 

A via ferrata (Italian for “iron road”) is a mountain route which is equipped with fixed cables, stemples, ladders, and bridges. 

The use of these allows otherwise isolated routes to be joined to create longer routes which are accessible to people with a wide range of climbing abilities. 

Walkers and climbers can follow via ferratas without needing to use their own ropes and belays, and without the risks associated with unprotected scrambling and climbing. – Wikipedia

Just the perfect husband and wife adventure! 

The day of the climb, our guide picked us up from our hotel and eventually was introduced to two American Navy doctors  and a French Quality Manager of Petzl.  

Our guide was a silent, yet pleasantly friendly Malaysian guy named Francis – It was THE perfect team.

Hubby and I at the Timpohon Gate

The climb started with a refreshing view of Carson’s Waterfalls after Timpohon Gate, 1,866 meters above sea level.

As the elevation increased, lush forest unfolded, flora of all kinds, rock formations that served as our stairs welcomed us as we continued on our seemingly never-ending climb.

The big old trees were such breathtaking sights to behold with their large trunks and the greenest of greens served as our backdrop as we climbed our way towards our destination.

The four hour climb had us taking short recovery stops every once in a while as my heart rate was constantly at 160bpm (oh yes, I was using my HR monitor during the whole climb).

Interestingly, the distance was less than 10km but at 3,289m starting at Timpohon’s  1,866m and acclimating to thin air while climbing, we left the gate at 9:30am and arrived at the Laban Rata base camp at 1:30pm.

Coming from a tropical country, it was the first time for me to experience 10 degrees Celcius. I took a mental note of thanks for bringing along a pair of gloves, bonnet, thermal pants, 2 shirts, and a warm jacket.  Inside Pendant Hut where we were staying, I was freezing. 

By 3:30pm, our Mountain Torq trainer was already familiarizing the five of us on how to work with the steel rungs and cables embracing the mountain’s rock face and eventually, we had our early dinner since we needed to sleep early and wake up at 2am.

At 8:30pm, it was lights out. The room was comfortable and had double beds to accommodate us five climbers – I guess it was excitement plus the low temperature that gave me a hard time sleeping  that I found myself tossing and turning in my sleeping bag until it was 1:45am. 

After our light breakfast, at around 2:30 am it was time for our ascent to Low’s Peak. The highest accessible peak in South East Asia.

It was a freezingly cold non-stop uphill climb that tested our wits and strength. It was all mental, factoring in the steep incline, darkness, near zero temperature - The mind has to agree that you can do it – but it was totally all worth it. 

Our camera conked out on us and we have to ask for a stranger to take this photo for posterity.
Four months after,  he sent us the file via email and we were so happy even if it was a funny unexpected shot.

 Upon reaching Low's Peak - the highest point – we have to have our picture taken at the peak's signpost for posterity. But since our camera's battery died out from the altitude, we have to ask for a stranger to take ours! 

The two American US Navy Doctors and us.

It feels surreal to be transported in a place were you just were looking at in the photographs as posted in the internet and then, actually feeling, being and enveloping yourself with the whole experience - an experience well worth the challenging spectacular climb. 

The sunrise was breathtaking – seeing how it slowly casts its rays to the majestic granite rock face of Low’s Peak makes it seem eerie yet beautiful that even a high end cam would not give justice in capturing how it really looks – there was a bluish green metallic glow on its granite as the sunrise started to show its way and make its presence felt. It was one of those moments that make you feel so thankful to be alive. 

After a few shots with our friend’s camera.  We have to go take on another  task – the via ferrata.

After the initial descent from Low’s Peak, we then met the our Via Ferrata trainer at Sayat Hut @ 3,600m for Walk the Torq - Asia's first Via Ferrata.

It was such an exhilarating experience going down the mountain via ferrata and knowing that we came, we saw and we conquered.

Run Forrest Run! But wait! How do you prepare for one? - Part 2

So now you've read the previous post (click here)...
What next?

So you fee the energy... your watch, synchronized with the big digital clock.. the beat of the drums that the event organizers prepared for the runners sounds like your own heart beat..
Then the count down.. five.. four.. three.. two.. one!
The gun goes off.. and so does the runners!


What do you do?

WAIT! Pace yourself, Relax and Have Fun.

• DO NOT SPRINT! It is oh so easy to go with the flow and sprint with the pack after the gun shot, BUT that will wear you out easily. Stick to the plan and start slow.
• DO find a running buddy that has the the same pace as you do. It's more fun to run with a “pace buddies” and the sense of accomplishment is much better if shared.
• DO take a sip when you pass by a water station even if you are not thirsty. "Thirsty" is your body's special way of saying "I am dehydrated!"
• DO breathe. Relax and shake your arms and shoulders every once in a while to avoid muscle tightness. Avoid slouching during the race and be conscious of your posture.
• DO take time to enjoy the scenery. Sometimes we get focused on beating our personal record (PR) that we tend to forget to enjoy the run!
• DO NOT THINK NEGATIVE THOUGHTS. Be aware that this is a mind game. Change your thoughts into positive affirmations and think about how it would feel once you finish the race and how proud your family and friends will be of you and your accomplishment I remember during my first ever 10K race, I was thinking of my four kids during the last stretch -- imagining them cheering for me until the finish. And yes, it worked.

Listen to your Body!

• A run is one way of getting to know how your body reacts to stimulus. If during your run, you feel uncomfortable, slow down and assess how bad it really is. If it goes away resume your regular pace, but if the pain persists DO consider stopping and getting some help. No race is worth the risk of hurting yourself.  Pain is the body’s way of letting us know something is wrong.

Post Race -- CONGRATULATIONS!

• DO hydrate upon reaching the finish line.
• DO take care of blisters, cramping, or any other injuries immediately after the race.
• DO re-fuel yourself and restore your glycogen stores with a healthy and nutritious meal, preferably high in good carbs.
• DO NOT drink alcohol after pushing your body to its limits. What it needs is a healthy meal and water to replenish all that it lost during the race.
• DO cool down and stretch within 20 minutes of completing your event. This helps avoid lactic acid build up and Delayed Onset Muscular Soreness (DOMS).
• DO NOT lie down or sit immediately after the race. Move, mingle and take photographs for posterity. Now is the time to meet new friends!

So there!
Now that you know how to prepare for a run, let's lace up our shoes and shout it out..

"RUN (insert name here) RUN!!!     *see you on the road!

Now That the Holidays are OVER: Damage Control

It has been a few weeks since we have taken down our Christmas decors. 

Christmas carols are not playing on the radio and the last of the fireworks of Chinese New Year is no more.

I was hoping that since the tell-tale signs of the Holidays are now all gone, the remnants of the holiday bingeing, the proof of all these festivities would all be gone too. But sadly, unlike the Christmas decors, lights and Christmas carols, with FAT , that is not the case.  It is common fact that taking control of your weight can be hard during the holidays due to series of food-related celebrations during all those reunions and get together parties.  So how can you undo the damage done by a holiday meal so that it doesn’t have such a negative impact on your body weight?

I will be sharing with you how to go about with controlling whatever damage was done during the happiest season of the year.

1. Assessment : What is your number?

First of all, ask yourself: "How much weight did I gain during the past three months?"

Excessive eating and drinking might be the name of the game during the holidays and without you noticing it, the pounds have added up. A great wake up call would be to know that number and use that to motivate you into planning that GREAT COMEBACK!

2. ACT : Just Do It! 

The next thing that you can do to practice damage control is to get into the gym and do a weight lifting session the next day.  The common practice is to gravitate towards cardio training after a high calorie meal, but this isn’t really the most ideal way to go.  Weight lifting is what will use up excess carbohydrates in your system far better than cardio training, so will help to remove the excess calories that you consumed.
Also, weight training will help to elevate your metabolic rate for the hours after the session is completed, therefore will continue to help remove any excess fat that you may have burned off. Think of it as a way to scare off the bad spirits for the New Year.

3. Minimize Carbs Intake For a Week

Third, also make sure that you cut back on your carb intake around a week.   Protein consumption is one thing that YOU CANNOT REDUCE. This is definitely important as this is one of the building blocks to to maintain your lean body mass.

Fat can be reduced slightly, but sudden reduction would make you feel hungry all the time. 
Fat is a nutrient that will help provide some hunger control while reducing your calories, making reduced calorie intake much easier.  Just consider good fat sources like Omega 3 and Flaxseed Oil.

5. Never Ever Starve Yourself!

Finally, the last quick tip to help you recover from the holiday indulgence is to make sure that you aren’t starving yourself.  If you all of a sudden drop your calorie intake way down and keep it there, this would signal the body to start using up muscle mass as a fuel source which would waste all the hard work of the past training sessions that you have had. 
As always, a gradual approach is the best way to go. 
Bring your calorie intake much lower for two to three days and then adopt a more moderate calorie intake after that.

If you follow these quick tips, then you should have no problem reducing the damaging effects that the holiday indulgence that you had.


Related posts:

All About FAT 
Women and Weightlifting 

Need Motivation? Try Skechers GO Run!

It was a crazy Friday evening, with workload that makes you want to wish that you'd be nearing finish line but still a bit way far off.  
My friend Vima's invitation for the Skecher's event was a breath of fresh air for me.


I have been reassessing my schedule lately and I have been noticing that I need to put in more hours for exercise, wondering if it is lack of motivation or just plain laziness.


What really caught my interest for the launch was its name. GO RUN.


It reminds me of those moments when you decide that you'd wake up in the morning for a run, yet, stay a little while in bed.. read your friend's Facebook updates via mobile.. and without you noticing it, the sun is way high up. 
The name, is a fancy way to counteract that bad habit of procastination and replace it with a mantra for motivation: GO RUN. I likey.

Jenny Arce and me

It was a fun event where I was able to meet new friends and reconnect with old friends. We were requested to wear our running outfit and it kinda felt weird since we were in a mall but, as I say, what better way to support the sport?

Michelle doing her presentation

The lady who did the presentation was Michelle Estuar. She started it with telling us how heel-striking, a gait that is common among runners, is ineffecient and dangerous since this has a jarring impact on the body.


She also informed us that mid-foot is the best way to run and how Skechers GO Run's mid-foot strike technology enhances the natural running performance of runners by positioning the body for an efficient mid-foot strike, reducing the impact of heel striking.


Skechers GO Run is launched as a new minimalistic lightweight running shoe line that integrates this technology. 





Since almost everyone is into barefoot running nowadays, I noticed that GO Run closely mimics barefoot running while wearing shoes due to its weight: about 6.9oz for male and 4.9oz for women. It also lets the foot function, letting it flex and twist allowing your foot to move as naturally as possible .


After dinner was served the bloggers were getting to know each other a little better, nine bloggers were called up for a challenge. We were caught off guard! I was thinking to myself "Oh! That explained why there were three treadmills set-up outside the store!". We were divided in three batches and was tasked to run 500 meters wearing Skechers GO Run, the first one to reach it the goal would bring home his or her own pair of GO Run!


It was an all out run for all of us and I was lucky enough to be 2secs ahead of my batch and am now a proud owner of a Skechers Women's GO RUN in Gray!

A while ago, when I woke up, two words came to mind : GO RUN. And I did.


"The race does not always go to the swift, but to the ones who keep running."
                                                -Anonymous