Tag Archives: exercise benefits

10 Reasons Winter Running is Awesome

I try to offer balanced content on this blog so forgive me while I take a moment to post yet another exercise-themed article. This week it occurred to me that I don’t have much time left to write this post! The reason? Winter is almost over! Before you know it, you might miss out on the chance to enjoy winter running before the most popular running season hits (the spring!). Running in the winter is way underrated but it’s actually my favorite season for it! Here are 10 reasons why it’s so awesome:

 

 

1) Temperature Regulation is Easier

I get so hot running in the summer. Even when I’m carrying a Camelback and gels I can’t stand it. My runs are abruptly cut short and I pay the price several times a year from heat exhaustion or heat sensitivity. But not in the winter, baby! I love the fact that winter running involves layering because temperature regulation is so much easier when you can take off a headband and expose your ears to the cold. I like going out in a puffer vest over a long-sleeved, fitted Lululemon jacket. When I get too hot I simply unzip the vest or take my hands out of those cute fold-over mittens that Lululemon designs for some of their jackets (the ones that sometimes say “cold hands, warm heart”). I find that “unlayering” during my winter runs allows me to better regulate my temperature as I get hot and I can run for much longer than usual. Give it a try!

 

2) Less Dehydration

Of course you can become dehydrated from winter running although it’s far less common than running in the heat and humidity. So, yay for that! Winter running scores another point!

 

3) Easier to Run for Distance

As I mentioned in #1, the ability to layer up and remove said layers as needed makes winter running easier. For example, in the summer when you strip down to a sports bra and you’re still too hot you don’t have many options left. Agreed? The lower risk of dehydration also makes it easier to run longer with less fatigue. Another sneaky reason it’s easier to run for longer might be because it’s just so refreshing to finally be outside after long hours indoors! Which brings me to the next feather in winter’s cap…

 

4) Antidote for Cabin Fever

Does anyone else get as crazy as I do after a couple days trapped indoors? I mean, ditching the kids with my husband for an hour of fresh air is well worth the energy expenditure required for a good run. Kid free on Saturday morning? Yes please! It’s basically a dream.

 

5) Protect Against Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder

On a more serious note, research shows that people who both exercise regularly and get outdoors have the best chances to beat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The Summit Medical Group states that “many people can manage or avoid SAD with 30 to 60 minutes of exercise and 20 minutes of exposure to sunlight each day.” Outdoor running in the winter checks BOTH of those boxes!

 

 

6) Boost Vitamin D

Vitamin D is often called the “sunshine vitamin” so it’s little surprise that we get less of it during the winter. Getting outside for a run helps you boost this vitamin in your body, aiding in disease prevention and weight loss. It also helps you prevent bone fractures and fight depression. This is the power of the sun! Even a 10-20 minute walk on your lunch break can be beneficial.

 

7) Take Advantage of Those Rare Warm Winter Days

Ever notice how many people are outside on a Saturday in January or February that is unseasonably and blissfully warm? It’s like seeing one ant creeping towards a crumb and knowing that within minutes there will be hundreds crawling all over it. People thrive off being outdoors. It’s part of our human DNA and what makes us healthy! Staying in shape on the less enticing, more frigid days of winter makes it easier to get out and take full advantage of exercise, hiking and sports on the ones that surprise us and feel like spring.

 

8) Enjoy Winter Sports

If you’re a fan of skiing, snowboarding or another kind of winter sport then staying in shape is important and might even impact your safety! Although running doesn’t perfectly translate into going down a snowy mountain on skis free of your legs burning, it does help your core and hips stay strong. It also keeps up your cardio stamina!

 

9) Beat the Last-Minute Stress of Getting in Shape for Summer

So many people start thinking about getting in shape for the summer come April or May but that’s when lots of families and students start taking spring break trips – and it’s merely a month or two before Memorial Day and summer vacations begin. This doesn’t leave much time to get into a regular routine with exercise. Getting a jump on exercise in the dreary, post-holiday winter months is a great way to get a head start on your “beach bod” before summertime and margaritas take it away again (kidding…sort of).

 

10) Prep for Spring Races

Spring races usually begin late-March and go through early June. If you want to run a race in April then you’ve got to start training during the winter, regardless of the dissimilar weather conditions. Signing up for a spring race is a great way to set a goal during wintertime and have something to look forward to in the spring besides just patio and rooftop happy hours. 

 

 

I hope you enjoy the end of winter with some invigorating running – or even walking! You will feel amazing if you can motivate to get out there in the cold temperatures. You won’t regret it! Just be careful of ice…

 

Yours in health and wellness,

Maggie

 

 

 

The Benefits (and drawbacks) of Soul Cycle, Body Pump and Barre

 

 

Benefits of Group Exercises Classes

Group exercise classes are truly one of the fitness industry’s great gifts. They’re energetic and uplifting, not to mention an efficient use of time. Many gyms offer these classes for free with a monthly membership while other “boutique” studios offer options for people who don’t belong to big box gyms (think Pure Barre, Soul Cycle, OrangeTheory, SolidCore, etc.). Classes are a great way to stay in shape and ride the energy provided by the participants and instructor.

Common Challenges in Group Exercise Classes

There are drawbacks in group fitness too. Some instructors lack experience even though they outwardly appear to know what they are doing. This can lead to low quality coaching for participants. It can also be difficult to keep pace with group classes when you’re a newbie, sometimes making the exercises physically precarious and mentally intimidating. Overall, the benefits and drawbacks vary according to the studio/gym, instructor and format.

Three group exercise formats in particular have proven the test of time and have mostly positive participant experience; Soul Cycle, Body Pump and Barre. They are so popular that they have “cult followings” of people willing to pay top dollar to participate and attend class several times a week. It’s easy to get swept away in the results and excitement of these wonderful programs! But just as every class holds promise for results, each also has the capacity to wear down participants.

Let’s explore the benefits and drawbacks of each of these popular classes so that you can stay keenly aware of how to care for yourself when/if you participate.

 

 

Soul Cycle

I can still remember people in the fitness industry whispering about the increasingly popular Soul Cycle studio up in NYC. I was working in DC when Soul Cycle was just getting started up there and no one could believe the concept. Free weights on a bike? Candlelight during an energizing cycle class? And people are paying WHAT for it? It’s fairly ironic that Soul Cycle opened up in DC right across the street from the sports club that I worked at during my 20s. No one thought it could ever expand and transform the landscape of boutique fitness offerings in the way that it did.

Soul Cycle is incredibly fun and helps participants burn a lot of energy in a short period of time. It involves an engaging, full-body workout on the bike using upper body exercise equipment while pedaling away to loud music. It’s great to knock out exercising both the upper and lower body at the same time but when we step back from the excitement and think about it hard, we have to ask ourselves: Was the bike designed to be used for upper body exercise? Short answer: No.

I’m not saying there is anything wrong with getting creative with exercise equipment. Switching things up can keep workouts fun and fresh. But when we use equipment in ways that it wasn’t designed to be used, contraindications can arise. In Soul Cycle, participants are at risk for low quality upper body movement because of the challenge engaging the core for stability without compromising the lower back. At best, the free weight workout will build a little bit of upper body endurance while helping people burn more energy on the bike. My professional preference remains keeping my hands on the handlebars and better utilizing the bike itself for energy burn (longer hills, interval work, heavier resistance, speed drills, in/out of saddle drills, etc.), but that’s just me.

Upper body exercises aside, Soul Cycle and many other cycle studios spend a lot of time out of the saddle (i.e. hovering above the seat). People tire very quickly in this position and tend to lose form, allowing their hips to drift forward in front of the seat. This creates a more upright posture and undue pressure on the knee joints. In a perfect world, instructors will correct form but more often than not, it goes unchecked.

Solution:

Enjoy Soul Cycle and pedal your heart out! Just remember to properly engage your core and do slower and heavier upper body exercises at another time too. And don’t forget – keep your rear in OR above the seat at all times!

 

 

Body Pump

Next year will be the 30th year of Body Pump’s existence in the fitness realm. It was developed by a man named Phillip Mills and his wife Jackie, a doctor and former gymnast. Phillip was inspired by his father Les Mills who was a former Olympian. Phillip created the Body Pump class and checked all the boxes for what can make a successful group fitness experience. For this reason, many big box gyms train instructors to teach Body Pump for their class offerings.

Body Pump is a full-body workout and it consists of the same exercises every class, with some variations here and there. There is a lot of technique instruction for squats, lunges, deadlifts, presses, push-ups, rows and chest presses, to name a few. Each exercise is set to a song so there is plenty of time to focus on each move. The class creates an environment where dedicated participants get to master the moves and watch their progress improve as they place heavier plates on their bars.

Although Phillip created an amazing class, it does have its challenges too. In practice, a newbie walking into Body Pump can get easily overwhelmed if they rack their bar with heavier plates than they can handle. Many people feel peer pressure from the quick tempo of the regular participants and won’t stop to adjust their weights to what they can safely do. This creates a major injury risk for people doing several minutes straight of a single exercise without any breaks! It’s also challenging to get the full range of motion for the exercises in class due to the fast tempo. This can make some movements ballistic and contraindicated.

The endurance nature of the weight lifting in Body Pump isn’t for everyone, especially people who like to lift heavy and have rest intervals. A lot of people also mistakenly assume that Body Pump is strength training but it’s not…at least not according to the true definition of what strength training is: 10 or fewer reps until muscle failure. So while it will create definition and muscular endurance, it doesn’t create “strength” according to classic standards.

Solution:

Body Pump away! But remember to slow down and/or adjust the weights to your needs, even if this means pausing mid-class or setting your own speed to stay safe. Also, it’s a good idea to hit the gym for some heavier and slower weight lifting exercises from time to time. You will find that your technical foundation from Body Pump along with your improved endurance will make for success on the gym floor! 

 

 

Barre

Barre is a ballet-inspired format that utilizes – go figure – the bar! I’m guessing this isn’t news to you though. Barre tends to be a popular option for women, particularly those who have a dance or gymnastics background or who don’t love weight machines and classes focused on lifting. Barre classes can vary greatly depending on the studio and instructor but they typically involve time spent working the core and hips at the bar, and a free weights portion to incorporate more upper body exercises. Each class incorporates stretching intermittently through class or at the end.

Barre is a great way to challenge the glutes and lower body muscles. Rapid pulsing movements are used to get a solid burn in muscles being worked. The burn comes from the exercises being fast and endurance in nature, and also from focus on the “transition zone” of the muscle. This zone is where the muscle goes from shortening to lengthening. Exercising in it can cause muscles to be very sore  and can result in positive neuromuscular adaptations.

While the transition zone is a great sweet spot for exercises, it’s difficult not to become ballistic with moves in it. A good barre instructor will be quick to catch participants who are getting ballistic but unfortunately in many cases participants start to put work that belongs in the abdominal muscles into the lower back. Additionally, some barre classes instruct participants to keep a “C” curve in the core, which can actually heighten risk for the lower back because it’s being stretched for long periods of time before being worked in rapid contracting movements again.

Solution:

Be a Barre babe, if that’s what you want! Just remember that every studio and instructor varies on form critique and safety. So, if an exercise feels uncomfortable in any part of your core (and I’m not talking tired or burning because there IS a difference) then flag down the instructor and ask how you can do the exercise better or differently. Low back injuries are no joke. Don’t flirt around with them!

 


Conclusion:

Every group exercise class comes with inherent risks. It’s up to *you* to be proactive about your safety and health. Don’t hesitate to be brave and advocate for your own health by asking instructors for help or modifying for your individual needs. The world of group exercise classes should feel wide open for you to choose what you enjoy!

 

 

Yours in health and wellness,

Maggie

 

Workout to Get Paid More

If you think I’m pulling your leg, you’re mistaken. The evidence has stacked up over the past five years and I’m officially pulling it all together for readers so that they can see, very clearly, how exercise impacts earnings. So go on, read some, sweat some, make more money…and consider thanking me with a pair of Jimmy Choos. 😉

Be it formal exercise or mere play – movement matters!


exercise and brain power


Evidence that Exercise Impacts the Brain

We all know that exercise impacts the body, but we typically think of the benefits in terms of muscular strength, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness and/or weight loss. But, exercise has major implications for the organ that makes us human: the brain. Just 30 minutes of exercise can pump a lot of extra blood to your brain, impacting your ability to problem solve and make decisions. In fact, exercise can even increase the size of your hippocampus, i.e. the memory center of the brain! Incredible, right?

According to Active, the extra oxygen, glucose and hormonal changes which accompany bouts of regular exercise may even lead to permanent structural changes in the brain. Here is more compelling evidence that Active has collected:

  • “In a study published in Perceptual and Motor Skills, women performed 20 percent better on memory tests after running on a treadmill than they did before exercising.”
  • “A study in Neurobiology of Learning and Memory found that people learned vocabulary words 20 percent faster after intense exercise than after low-intensity activity.”
  • “People who exercised during their workday were 23 percent more productive on those days than they were when they didn’t exercise, says a recent study from the International Journal of Workplace Health Management.”

Wow. If this isn’t brain power, I don’t know what is!


exercise and professional success


How Spending on Gym Memberships Pays You Back

In 2012, Time Magazine‘s Josh Sanburn reported that a study published by the Journal of Labor Research revealed that employees who engaged in regular exercise earned 9% more compared with their less active colleagues. (The active employees engaged in at least three hours of weekly exercise.) Sanburn reflects “considering that the average hourly wage in the U.S. is $23.41, the time workers spend at the gym is valued at $70.23 — but the extra pay the exercising employee receives is $84.28, about 20% more than the value of the time spent at the gym.”

Older studies support this correlation between exercise and earnings by evaluating the financial well-being of less active people; women who were obese earned 18% less and women who were overweight had 25% less overall family income compared with more active women.

Considering that #2 on on the list of 6 Daily Habits of the Worlds Most Successful CEOS is “they exercise regularly,” I would venture to say we should all attempt to follow suit. For our waistlines and wallets! 


children and exercise


What’s More: Children’s Exercise, Learning and ADHD

Dr. Mercola, a renowned alternative medicine proponent, says that research has shown that after 30 minutes of exercise on a treadmill, children are 10% more effective at problem solving.

ABC for Fitness, a school program encouraging teachers to incorporate shorts bursts of activity at the beginning of their classes, was evaluated by ABC News and the Journal Preventing Chronic Disease. ABC News found that kids who participated in the program doubled their reading scores and increased their math scores by 20%! What’s even more incredible is that the journal found that schools adopting the program had a “33% decline in ADHD medications used by its students.” Some doctors who work with ADHD children say that exercise is a regular component in their therapy treatment.

Not only is exercise an important part of encouraging physical and mental health in children, but there is strong evidence to suggest that physically active children are more likely to become active adults. Since habits are often established at a young age, let’s keep encouraging the next generation – and ourselves, no matter how old – to keep moving. Your occupational success, financial well-being, and children’s health may all pay the price if you don’t!

Yours in health and wellness,

Maggie

wellnesswinz blue sea