The second reason runners should cross-train besides injury prevention is to make them stronger and faster runners. There is a false notion in the running community that runners need to be lean and wiry to be a fast runner. Actually, strong runners are faster than runners with no muscle mass. Runners on the days they are not running should be incorporating resistance training into their workouts so they can become stronger come race day. Running marathons is not just a test of cardiovascular endurance. Developing your muscular strength and muscular endurance will ultimately make you run faster.

A study was released recently that found runners who strength trained 2-3 times for 8 weeks lowered their 5K times by 30 seconds. This is a tangible difference that resistance training provides runners. One of the unfounded fears of runners is that they will get heavy and bulky if they weight train which will slow them down on their runs. Unless you are a body builder, you will gain muscle without adding mass or bulk to your frame by lifting weights a couple times a week as a supplement to your running program.

Running is no different than golf or baseball. Tiger Woods transformed the game of golf into a power game of strength. He made it a requirement that golfers get strong in order to be competitive with him on the greens. Runners will see the benefits of adding strength training to their workouts very quickly. Their bodies will be come lean, strong, and defined. More importantly, their race times will become faster than they have ever been before.

To my surprise, the other day I heard a member say that she spins because it is fun, but her body has become so accustomed to it that she might as well be drinking coffee. It has always been my philosophy as a spin instructor that my role is to lead you on as challenging a ride as possible. If you do not leave spinning completely spent and drenched than it is your fault that you did not work hard enough increasing your speed and resistance.

Well, I did a spin ride on my own today that was a real eye opener for me. It was the most intense spin ride I have done in a long time because it was completely different than the typical interval spin ride that you find in group exercise. My quads were on fire. My heart felt like it was beating out of my chest. Pools of sweat formed under my bike from my dripping body. In other words, this was a spin ride.

I decided just for fun to spin as fast as I could for 20 minutes or until I reached 15 miles, whichever came first. My bike had a flat road resistance of a lower gear, but a gear that felt like I was at the base of a small hill. Put it this way. My goal was to go as fast as I could in as high a gear as I could hold. I knew I was doing something right because I was not in my comfort zone.

An endurance ride of this kind which encompasses speed and distance training is heart rate intensive and challenges the muscles differently. In a typical interval ride where there are a variety of speeds and terrains, your heart rate has time to slow down and your muscles have time to recover. At the end of 20 minutes of my race day ride, I had a newfound respect for Lance Armstrong.

Spinning is like any other type of exercise. If it becomes so routine and predictable than you are not doing your body any favors. Add a race day ride once a week to your spinning repertoire and I will guarantee you that you will fall in love with spinning all over again, in a love/hate kind of way!

I am a private kind of runner too. I have a running partner, but I am not part of a large, organized running team all training together for running a marathon. I strive to run 3-4 times a week and vary my runs so I can be ready come race day. That said, the mere fact of me running has garnered a lot of bystander attention. “I saw you running.” “You’re always running.” “Why are you running.” “How far did you run?” And my personal favorite, “Why did I see you walking when you were supposed to be running?”

These inquiries are all meant as means of support, but have catapulted my private journey into a more public spotlight. It now seems that not only does everyone know I am running a marathon, but many people have now expressed interest in cheering me on come race day. Oy!

Now don’t get me wrong. I think it is wonderful that the streets of a marathon are peppered with cheering fans of all of the runners lending them support during their grueling race. I hear that the spectators are the main motivating factor to cross the finish line long after your body and your mind have given up. I am warmed by this notion as long as all of the cheering spectators are strangers to me. The idea of friends and family standing on the sidelines for the entire duration of the marathon to see my progress, or worse my failure to progress, makes me queasy.

I know I can’t stop people from attending so I have done the next best thing and comprised a list of requests for good behavior from my peeps which may be helpful with your peeps as well.  First, I don’t need to be involved with any of the planning details on your end. Where you stand for best viewing, what you wear,  and what you bring to the marathon are the least of my concerns come race day. I just want to cross the finish line alive. Your comfort level is not on my radar screen.

Second, leave the big signs and the rowdy cheering for others. It not only won’t motivate me, it will most likely irritate me. Something tells me I will have enough to be irritated by such as pain, extreme discomfort, and fatigue.

Third, be strategic in your yells. If I am only halfway done, please refrain from telling me I’m almost finished. Not helpful. If I am nearing the end and look like I want to die, less is more when it comes to cheering. “Looking great!” will probably not be as motivating as merely clapping! A little praying at that time probably would be a welcome addition.

Finally, as if I didn’t sound excited enough by your presence on the sidelines already, this marathon journey is really all about me. It is a personal goal and I am doing it to prove something to myself only. At the end of the race, the last thing I want to worry about is finding you. That said, if you succeed in finding me, don’t get me wrong, I will be the first to give you a smelly, sweaty hug and thank you for coming to cheer me on to victory!

I love Pilates and think it has its place in a well-balanced exercise program. But, for weight loss alone, I find these claims highly unlikely. A complete exercise program for maximum weight loss works your cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and endurance, balance, flexibility, and core conditioning. An hour of Pilates burns less than 300 calories an hour and does not condition your cardiovascular system at all. Specifically for weight loss purposes, cardiovascular exercise in which your heart rate is elevated needs to be present.

It is a disservice to people desperately struggling to lose weight to see celebrities lie about the means to which they were successful. The fitness magazines are no different with their features success stories of “regular people” who have dropped major pounds. The weight loss myths that are propagated  through these magazine stories are not helpful to the people at home wanting to replicate the successes of what they see in others.

How many times have you seen celebrities, especially, give birth and the next week be thinner than they were when they were pregnant? Besides making me sick, I love the reasons given for their rapid weight loss. It’s always breastfeeding and running after the children that’s responsible for their successes. I breastfed all 3 of my children and run after them all the time. I can personally attest this method of rapid weight loss is a bunch of bunk. By not sharing the truth about their diet and exercise secrets with mainstream America, people are left confused as to why their results aren’t the same when they are doing the same routine that celebrities purportedly do.

In the most recent issue of Shape magazine, there was a weight loss success story where a person lost 70 pounds by “walking to do errands, parking in the furthest spot in the lot, and going up and down the stairs in her house.” Don’t get me wrong, kudos to anyone that loses 70 pounds. But, if you are sitting at home trying to lose 70 or more pounds yourself, DON’T BE FOOLED! It is terrific advice to lead an active life, but if weight loss is your goal, emulating this prescription for success won’t quite cut it.

It astounds me that people of all walks of life are still in the closet about how they truly successfully lost weight and kept it off. In this world of TMI, when people share every nuance of their life with each other, it is a sad reality that people are so private about how they lost weight when it could really make a difference in other people’s lives who are struggling with the same issues. My grandmother always said ‘I was born on a Tuesday, but not last Tuesday.’ We are not dumb. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Lasting weight loss requires a healthy balanced diet and regular moderately intense exercise, the more intense the better. Especially if it’s Pilates!

When the planes crashed into the Twin Towers on 9/11, that’s not the only thing that crashed. Healthy eating and exercising were replaced with fattening comfort food and a ‘who cares’ attitude about working out. The two most common excuses to justify the expanding waistlines of people around the country at that time were “Why bother if I’m just going to die anyway” and the altruistic excuse of “There are much more important things to worry about than how many carbs I’m eating.”

The Swine Flu epidemic is resurrecting some of this same chatter and behavior among people. The new excuse for not exercising, however, is “Going to the gym is just going to make me more likely to get sick.” The news is even guilty of going so far as propagating a ’social distancing’ theory which suggests you avoid public places if you can in order to stop the spread of the epidemic. There are several problems with using this as the cornerstone justification for sidelining your exercise regimen.

First of all, it is unrealistic to live your life in a bubble forever because of conceptually what could happen at some point in the future. In addition, The Center for Disease Control cites that being strong and healthy might not prevent you from getting Swine Flu, but it definitely will impact your response and recovery from it. Exercise strengthens not only your muscles, but also boosts your immunity.

There are some extra precautions you can take in regard to exercise that fall way short of abandoning it. Summer is well on its way and provides a perfect opportunity to take your exercise outside a couple times a week as a complement to always working out in the gym. Also, if you are working out at the gym, make sure you wipe down all equipment before and after you use it with a disinfectant wipe, and  be sure to include weights and dumbbells. Cover all handlebars on cardio equipment with towels and place a towel on your mat before laying down to do crunches.

The most important rule you can follow is to stay home if you are sick. You are doing yourself and others a huge favor in stopping the spread of all illness. It is important to take note that the CDC does recommend taking extra precautions with children under 5, the elderly, and people who are immuno-suppressed. Because young children are more susceptible of being very sick or dying if they contract Swine Flu, it makes sense until things are more under control to have other babysitting arrangements for your children while you work out than bringing them to the child care at the gym. I know my 15 month old daughter will be staying at home for right now.

There is a difference between doing all that you can to stay healthy while you exercise and avoiding exercise altogether. Do not let times of crisis provide you with an excuse to stop living a healthy life.  A strong and healthy body will allow you to face any crisis head-on.

These are not elite athletes I’m talking about either. One local physical therapist that usually specializes in athletes has now found his practice inundated with casual exercisers whose bodies are in excruciating, debilitating pain. The good news is there are some ways to help prevent exercise related injury.

The first mistake many exercisers make when exercising, especially when lifting weights, is using improper form. Just because you are comfortable in the weight room and have been lifting weights for years doesn’t mean you are lifting weights properly. Whether you are new to weightlifting or not, everyone in my opinion can benefit from a few sessions with a personal trainer to teach you proper form for all exercises and how to use the equipment safely. It amazes me how many people fail to adjust the machines in the weight room before they use them to ensure that their body is in proper alignment. A few sessions with a personal trainer is not cheap, but it is certainly more financially feasible than the cost of months of physical therapy or surgery.

The second mistake exercisers routinely make is to resistance train alone. A friend of mine has been suffering from a shoulder injury for months because he was bench pressing weight that was heavier than he had usually lifted and he had no spotter. When forced to raise the bar alone, beyond which his body was comfortable or capable of at the time, he injured his shoulder. Spotters are not only necessary for safety purposes, but they also can help ensure you have proper form when executing the exercises.

The third mistake exercisers make which can lead to injury takes place in group exercise classes. Depending on the gym, group exercise classes can have up to 60 people with one instructor. This is not one on one personal training. If you are doing a sculpting class or a step or BOSU class which requires not only proper form, but coordination as well, you are forewarned that you need to be extra careful. The group exercise instructor is there to lead the class and provide cuing on modifications and safety. She or he cannot possibly be expected to monitor the form of every member taking the class for every exercise. Most cardio classes move very quickly and exercises flow from one into another. It is your responsibility to listen to your body and know your limitations. If you have no coordination and are accident prone, be extra careful performing jumps on the BOSU. If you know you have a bad back, don’t do exercises that exacerbate your condition. In addition, for a sculpting/toning class if your form is lacking, don’t be afraid to hire a personal trainer one or two times to teach you the proper way to perform upper and lower body exercises so you don’t get injured during a large group exercise class.

The fourth mistake people make when exercising that can lead to injury over time is to not incorporate flexibility training into their exercise program. Stretching is imperative after a workout. I always say to my clients stretch now or stretch later in physical therapy when you are injured. Injuries like tendonitis occur over time. Exercise causes a lot of wear and tear on the body. If you do not stretch regularly and lengthen your muscles, you will guaranteed be injured at some point.

The fifth mistake that people make when it comes to exercise related injury is not being attuned to their bodies. If something that you are doing hurts, stop doing it. I have a client that complains that her hip hurts for days only after she runs. For goodness sake, stop running then! Exercise is not supposed to leave you in agony for days and weeks at a time. If you are lifting weights and you feel a shooting, stabbing pain, stop immediately what you are doing. This is not lactic acid burn. This is pain that if you continue ignoring it, you will be in trouble.

Listen to your body. Don’t overtrain and don’t do any exercise which causes pain or aggravates an existing condition. The goal is to be able to exercise for life. Don’t let unnecessary injury sideline you indefinitely.

Yoga is one of my passions. I strongly believe that everyone should incorporate yoga a couple times a week into their regular exercise routines. Every balanced workout program should include cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and endurance, balance, and flexibility. Yoga is the missing link in most exercise programs.

I have been practicing and teaching yoga for years. My favorite types of yoga are power yoga and vinyasa yoga. If I can practice hot yoga where the room is kept at 100 degrees, even better. The yoga I teach is strong and powerful with a zen component. Tonight, I taught a yoga class that kicked my butt because it was different than the yoga I normally teach.

Iyengar yoga uses props like yoga straps and yoga blocks to assist people with poses and to ensure proper form. What makes Iyengar yoga especially different from other types of yoga is that postures, or asanas as they are called, are held longer than they are usually held. I taught an Iyengar yoga type class tonight without the props. It was a power yoga class where we held each posture longer than what was considered comfortable.

Vinyasa yoga is terrific because you move so quickly through the postures that your heart rate stays elevated throughout the entire practice. Tonight, though, what I found happened when we slowed way down and held each pose, for what felt like an eternity, was that we were able to get deeper into each pose and concentrate on our form. The muscular strength and endurance required to hold each posture was immense and took the whole class out of their comfort zone. As with any exercise, when you change up what you normally do, it takes your exercise to a whole new level and experience. We were sweating, our muscles were shaking, our heart rates were elevated, and our bodies were spent after 75 minutes of intense work.

True yogis might find fusing different types of yoga together disheartening. But, most people are not yoga purists. Simply by injecting a new element into a traditional form of yoga, you can take your yoga practice to a whole new level.

For example, most runners are consistent with the times of day they are likely to run. Your eating schedule and menu should correlate directly to the kind of runner you are: morning, afternoon, or evening runner.  One of the mistakes many runners make when it comes to nourishing their bodies is to only consider the meal right before or after they run.

In order to be able for your body to run well, you have to look at eating as a daily activity. As a general rule, there are two kinds of foods that runners need to include in their daily food intake, proteins and carbs. When to eat the proteins and the carbs varies depending on when you are running and how far you are planning to run. Proteins are necessary to allow for muscle recovery and carbohydrates are necessary to provide your body energy throughout the duration of your run.

No one should run on a completely empty stomach. Your body will wilt like a flower if it doesn’t have the energy it needs to make it through your run. On the other hand, if you eat too much or too close to the time that you run, your stomach will hurt and you will feel sick.  The best solution is to eat lightly, around 200 calories an hour or two before you run.

The best foods to eat depend on when you run. If you are a morning runner, you should eat something just to have in your stomach before you run, like a banana or yogurt or some egg whites. It is most important for morning runners to focus on what they eat the night before they run rather than the early morning before they run. Dinner should have a mixture of a lean protein and a complex carbohydrate. The carbohydrates the night before will provide your body with the energy it needs without weighing you down by eating them in the morning before your run. This does not mean you should eat excess carbs. A half-cup to a cup of brown rice, whole wheat pasta, or a sweet potato make for good carb choices. Quinoa is a great grain that not only has carbs, but protein in it as well. It cooks and tastes like rice.

For morning runners, the time of day that is optimum for eating protein is your midday meal. You already consumed carbs before you ran in the morning to give your body energy for your run. After you have finished your run, by focusing on eating proteins, you are giving your muscles the ability to recover. Night runners should eat a light dinner of a protein/carb combo because they are going to need the extra energy that the carbs provide.

The best way to think about when to incorporate carbs into your diet, if you are training for a marathon, is to be sure to include them in the last meal before you plan on running. That is enough carbs for your daily diet. Runners often gain weight during their marathon training and are confused as to why. The answer is simple. They use running as a justification for eating carbs at every meal. That is not necessary. Proteins and vegetables should comprise the majority of your meals, unless it is the meal preceding your run.

Properly fueling your body is as important to your training as your running. If your tank is on empty, you will not be able to run fast or run far.

In order to determine whether you are the type of runner who would benefit from team training, you have to first take a look at your goals, your personality, and your running habits. Team training is ideal for runners who like the social component of being part of a large group. Running is an individual sport. Training for marathons can be grueling, monotonous, and isolating at times. By running with a group of like minded individuals who are all experiencing the same set of aches, pains, and experiences can be helpful in overcoming the pitfalls of training.

If you are not a competitive person, however, training with a group can also be daunting. Even though runners are usually split into groups based on ability level, there is still an element of competition when running with other runners. Sometimes, one of the more difficult aspects of being part of a running group is when other runners force you to run faster than you are physically capable of because you are trying to keep up with the pack. Running is all about running your own race. If you are lose focus of your own race, you will not be able to have the wherewithal to complete your marathon.

If you are new to running, on the other hand, training with a team can also be extremely helpful to you. Often, marathon teams are led by running coaches who are trained in teaching you the proper way to train for a marathon and are specialists that can help you with proper running form and technique. They can also assist you with helping you learn to properly pace yourself so you will be able to ultimately go the distance.

The truth is there is no right way to train for a marathon. If you are the type of person that is motivated by other people and is running because other people are expecting you to show up and train with them, then running as part of a team is the way to go for you. If you are disciplined, independent, and willing to put in the time that marathon training requires on your own, then you will be just as successful training on your own.

You become a marathon runner by running…a lot. Whether you run on your own or as part of a team will not ultimately affect your success if you are dedicated and committed to accomplishing your goal.

No one wants flabby underarms or “chicken wings” yet people are willing to neglect the exercises that will keep their triceps defined and make their arms look more toned. It is always important to work opposing muscle groups. Triceps are equally important to biceps when it comes to strength and definition in your arms.

Here are some of my favorite tricep exercises. Aim to do them back to back without stopping between exercises so that you will be sure to work your triceps to fatigue.

• Tricep Overhead Presses
  Stand with your dumbbells straight over your head and bend at the elbows while keeping the rest of your arm straight. Be sure to use heavy enough weights. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
• Tricep Kick-Backs
  Place one foot in front of the other and bend forward at the waist, making sure to keep your back flat. Hold the dumbbells in your hand and one arm at a time, kick your arm back while only bending at the elbows. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
• Tricep Dips
  Sit on a step, bench, or a BOSU and extend your legs straight out in front of you. Keep your arms pressed against your shoulders and dip your body down and lift up. Make sure your arms are lowering and not just your butt! Elbows should be pointing straight back. Do 25-30 dips.
• Tricep Push-Ups
  Tricep push-ups are similar to regular push-ups but they work the triceps rather than the chest. Get in a plank position, keeping your arms pressed into your sides. Your hands will be much more narrow than an ordinary push-up. Make sure your elbows are pointing straight back. Lower and raise as you would do a regular push-up, but because of your arm and hand positioning you are concentrating on your tricep muscles. These are challenging. Aim for 10 of them if you are keeping your legs straight out in a push-up position. If you need modifications, do them on your knees, with your back flat. Try to do 15-20 reps if you are on your knees.