photo credit: flickr

I’ve been a regular fitness blogger for more than four years now … this is the 870th post for my blog.

That number doesn’t include all the writing that I do for FitStudio.com, or what I wrote for AOL That’s Fit and ActivewearUSA back in the day. I’m easily at somewhere around 1,500 fitness blog posts in my time and I have to be honest: sometimes I run out of ideas.

Like today, for instance …

I usually write days ahead of time. I have a few ideas, but none of them appeal to me. Meh.

Do I want to write a post about motivation? How good would it likely be if I’m not feeling motivated to do so myself? Meh.

How about I try and find a new study and talk about that?  Meh.

A how-to about something? Okay, what something? Meh.

Yep, just like with working out, sometimes I lack motivation to write as well. So here I am with a big pile of mehs. I thought I’d share my process for what I do to get out of my blahs and write something interesting for my readers.

Cool Fitness Blogger Topics

I unplug.  Yes, in order to write online, I get offline. Usually a workout or at least a walk around the neighborhood clears my head, and half the time I come up with an idea while I’m distracted doing something else.

I Google “fitness news”.  Sometimes ideas are sparked by something new coming down the pike. It can be a new study that intrigues me — like the one that just came out saying that meditation boosts metabolism. Or I might see a story about Parkour workouts (using buildings and landmarks as a jungle gym) and I think about me and hooping in the park so I do a story on why I’m a Hoop girl.

I read other people’s fitness blogs. What topics of conversation are other folks focusing on? Usually I have my own opinion on their opinion. Summer fitness plans? Crazy 100-mile road races? Paleo something or other? These often provide ideas for writing stories.

I read magazines.  Actually, a LOT of magazines, and I constantly get ideas from them. Fitness magazines will let me know what the trends are (Zumba is still going strong!), but Vogue has been a great source of ideas over the years. Prevention magazine is probably my favorite for finding little studies I can riff on, and I’ve gotten several ideas from Dwell magazine and Architectural Digest.  (Yes, in my dream life I’d be an interior designer.)

My readers inspire me.  I have an active Facebook and Twitter stream (please feel free to friend or follow me!) and people ask me questions all the time. I love answering their questions, but frequently I find these will inspire a blog post too.

So I’ll ask you straight out now: what would you like to read about from me? What topic are you interested in that you’d like to know more about?  Leave a comment below and I’ll put it on my ideas list.

I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas! And I hope this post will help inspire a few fitness bloggers too.

Cheers,

Lisa

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photo credit: Flickr

That Om might do more to whittle your waist then you think. Scientists from the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine unveiled a new study on meditation and revealed what looks like permanent increases in your metabolism from having a regular meditation practice.

So go grab those mala beads!

The researchers rounded up a couple dozen participants with no prior meditative experience and another couple dozen participants with a minimum of four years practicing meditation then tested them at the genetic level (via blood tests) both before and after an eight-week program. They found a suppression of stress, inflammation, cancer, and trauma, all things we’ve got other studies to reinforce this one. They also found a positive response for insulin production and — this one is the kicker for me — an increase in mitochondria, which are the energy centers of our cells. In layman’s terms, metabolism increased for people who meditated regularly and it was more pronounced in the more experienced group.

So if you were looking for yet one more reason to start meditation, you’ve got it. Meditation helps keep you in your skinny jeans!

What Type of Meditation Boosts Metabolism?

Knowing all the good things that meditation can do for you is one thing. It’s another entirely to actually figure out what works for you and then do it. The practice can get quite elaborate as Zen meditation is, for instance, an entire system that you build up to that ends in shaving your head, wearing specific clothing, and sitting on specific seats in a specific position. Or it can be as simple as being aware of your breathing in a quiet place for a few minutes a day.

The advanced meditators used several different approaches, from yoga to Zen to simple awareness, and all of them had positive results. While different forms of meditation do seem to stimulate the brain in different ways, the overall benefit of less stress and more energy cuts across all options. Besides, at the end of the day, you want to do the type of meditation that you’ll stick with … that’s the most important part!

Try different kinds of meditation, see what appeals to you, and give it a go. If it doesn’t work after a few tries then pick another option. I have been using a Sanskrit chant for the past few months that has worked very well for me and I never would have guessed that this would have been my ticket when I began trying to meditate four years ago. This, for some reason, works for me when simple awareness, counting breaths, and using various chants in English didn’t. Just keep trying ’til you get something.

How about you? Do you meditate? Have you noticed a difference in your waistline? Do you think this is another great reason to try? Find out more about how meditation works here.

Cheers,

Lisa

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The gym at the Westin Copley Place

It’s happened to me so many times … book a hotel and check to see if there’s a picture of the gym. Then try to guess how many treadmills there are vs. how many treadmills are reflected in the mirror. Cross my fingers and book a room.

Then I get to hotel, go down to the gym and, blech, it’s awful! Half the time they smell funky. There was one hotel I checked into that didn’t even have the gym in the hotel … it was at another property two blocks away. Geez! So much for that hotel workout.

I have noticed in recent years that it’s getting better. Hotels seem to realize that a LOT of people work out and they want easy access to their sweat while they’re on the road. The days of the traveling salesman with a paunch because he’s trapped in a diet of airplane food and taxi transportation can now be over. Of course you’ll have to convince that guy to actually expend the effort.

The Westin Hotel chain has been making an effort in the fitness area and they invited me to stay for the weekend as their guest at the Westin Copley Place  location in Boston to sample everything they had. It was funny … I walked into the gym and noticed a small boxy area with a yoga mat thrown down and a couple of weights and physioballs. I sighed, thinking “same old, same old” and then I turned and realized I had been looking at only one small area; the gym extended far away with a good array of cardio gear, weights, and other bells and whistles. “Yay!” I thought. The picture on the website was telling the truth.

The Westin actually has an array of options for you to do a hotel workout. There is a running concierge that will lead runs along the Charles River a couple of times a week and they even rent workout gear (T-shirts, shorts, capris, and sneakers).

This is crucial! I was smushing clothing in my luggage and realized I had to choose between the cute wedges and my sneakers. The wedges won and I was without sneakers thinking, well I’ll just wing it and do Pilates in my room. (Something I do all the time when I travel by the way … I’m always sacrificing my sneakers for cute shoes!)

I rented a pair of New Balance sneakers for only $5 and was able to work off my Mother’s Day buffet in the gym. (Yes the bacon was danged yummy, and so was the French toast, pancakes, and breakfast potatoes.) Some Westins even let you book a workout hotel room that features a treadmill and other workout gear so you can exercise whenever you want with no restrictions.

Travel Workouts

Figuring out how to exercise while traveling can be tough. But if you find yourself in a hotel that doesn’t have stellar amenities, I’ve got a few ideas.

Hotel workout in your room.  Download a workout to your laptop or tablet and hit the floor. I don’t bring a yoga mat with me, I just lay two towels down and use that as my mat. It always works well.

Use the pool. A lot of hotels do have pools and I’ll do resistance work, jogging back and forth if it’s shallow, hanging off the wall to do kicks and inner/outer thigh work, or swimming with just my arms to get an arm workout (a great toning trick by the way).

Ditch transportation and walk. I just came back from a trip to New York City and I walked as much as humanly possible. In fact during my three-night stay I walked nearly 10 miles(!) and that was in addition to the 21 hours of training I did at the Pilates conference I attended. Had I been just a tourist wandering around that distance easily would have been double. On a trip to Paris I actually dropped two pounds because even though I thoroughly enjoyed the French cuisine, I literally walked from one end of the city to the other and had a grand time. Yes, you do have to budget walking time into your day, but it’s really worth it.

Be picky about your hotel.  I choose a hotel for its location first and its fitness amenities second. As I said in the beginning, I’m always looking for pictures of hotel gyms on their websites and trying to figure out just how big or small those spaces are. While it has backfired and I’ve wound up silently cursing a talented photographer, I’ve gotten much better at knowing a good hotel gym when I see one. If it’s a choice between locations, I’ll always take the hotel with the better gym.

I’d like to officially thank the Westin Hotels again for inviting me to stay for the weekend. I was given my rooms for free (my husband and son stayed with me and they gave us pretty fabulous adjoining rooms), but my opinions are very much my own. Let me put it this way … I love what Westin is doing so much that I will be looking for Westin’s to stay in when I travel in the future.

How about you? Do you look for hotels to stay in based on their fitness amenities?

Cheers,

Lisa

The post Hotel Workout: New Ways to Get Your Sweat On appeared first on Lisa Johnson Fitness.

A static stretch you should avoid. Photo: flickr

Fascia. It’s been a percolating buzzword in the fitness industry for a few years now. Pilates instructors, myself included, have been talking about fascia even longer. I recently spent the day with PJ O’Clair, a self-researched fascia expert, and she has actually come up with a whole new movement pattern meant to combine fascia and muscle work that’s pretty darned cool called Zen•ga™.

The one thing PJ said that struck me was until pretty recently medical students in cadaver classes were told to remove the fascia and not even bother looking at it because it “wasn’t important.”

• Fascia “lines” our bodies and integrates with our muscle system. In fact, fascia can actually contract to assist the muscles.
• Fascia is made up of three components: elastic, collagen, and matrix. Elastin provides flexibility, collagen provides structure and strength, and the matrix is a gel-like substance.
• Fascia provides your body’s internal parts with “glide;” the ability for bones and muscle to slide along next to each other without doing damage. It also provides structure for your various internal parts, holding them in place so they don’t go anywhere.
• Harvard is taking this seriously. The Harvard Medical School hosted a symposium on fascia in 2007 and they are exploring how it works in the body.
• Fascia can become dense and less stretchy, which can be caused by or lead to injuries. Ignore fascia at your peril!

The champion of fascia, at least to fitness people, is Tom Myers. He has taught a course for years now called Anatomy Trains, and I know a slew of people who have gone through it. (No, I haven’t, but it’s on my list to get done this year!) There is also a dedicated German researcher, Robert Schleip, PhD, who is head of the Fascia Research Group.

How You Can Work With Fascia

Most fascial work has been done through massage, either actually going to a massage therapist or using things like foam rollers to work out kinks.  (You thought you were working your muscles didn’t you? You were actually working your fascia!) What is cool about PJ’s work is she’s trying to combine fascia work with movement and she’s been successful. Her approach is using inflatable balls that you can breathe into or use to support the body in various positions or using dynamic, opposing movements to create tension and then relaxation in the fascia.

A lot of this stuff is very cutting edge and not thoroughly researched yet. My suggestion is if you’re interested to try a few things out and see how it feels. If it feels better, then awesome … keep doing it.

Here are some options to try:

• The Melt Method, developed by Sue Hitzmann, has specifically designed balls and rollers to help release fascia. PJ was a particular fan of her rollers.
• Zen•ga, developed by PJ O’Clair and the Merrithew Health & Fitness staff. There are several DVDs available, which combine movement and those balls I described above. A word to the wise … just order the ball that goes with the video. It works a lot better as I’ve tried it without and it was a little awkward.
• The book “Fascia“, by Dr. Schleip, is a compilation of 100 researchers’ work that just came out last month. It’s technical so be prepared to take your time as you read through it.
• Rolfing, developed by Ida Rolf, is a specific approach to massage therapy that deals with fascia. I will say that I met a woman who worked directly with Ida before she died and said that she was very gentle to work with. But Rolfing is frequently more aggressive these days. Call and ask about the process before going to your local Rolfer. I’ve heard stories of people leaving in tears because the work was so painful. I’ve also found people who still work with a gentle approach, so check before you go!

Let me know what you think about fascia. Have you even thought of it before? I’d love to get your thoughts on it, especially my readers who are already working with it.

Also check out this amazing interview I did with Ann Frederick, co-founder of Stretch to Win … we cover fascia and also why rolling with a foam roller might not be a good idea.

Cheers,

Lisa

Editors Note:  I’m introducing a new idea to my blog.  Fitness Geek will explore the geekier sides of fitness.  Based on science and research I’m hoping to show people that fitness is a very sophisticated area of research and a lot of cool things are happening right now.  I hope you like it. 

The post Fitness Geek: What is Fascia? appeared first on Lisa Johnson Fitness.

photo credit: flickr

It’s been a while … maybe all the way back to January when you made a resolution or two.

Time to check in with yourself and see how you’re doing. We’re coming into the warmer months and you might be thinking about how you look in shorts or if those tank top arms are ready. But you should also be thinking about how you feel.

Ask yourself the questions below. Go so far as to take out a pen and paper and write down your answers so you can refer to them later.

Do I feel healthy? 

Do you feel … well … good? Vibrant, with energy, like you’re getting all the right things for your body? Or do you feel burned out and like you’re struggling a bit?

Do I get enough sleep? 

Do you? Or do you let the late night news drift into a late night talk show or DVR catch-up and then kick yourself the next morning because you’re so sluggish? Are there certain days of the week that you’re rested and certain times that you’re not?

Do I feel fit? 

Do you feel like you’re inner athlete is just below the surface ready to jump into action when needed? Does the idea of a spontaneous fitness activity sound like fun or leave you full of dread? Do you feel cranky and sore when you wake up in the morning?

How are my joints? 

Bad backs, achy knees, sore shoulders … are any of these or other body parts bothering you? Is there an old injury that’s flaring up or a nagging pain that’s been getting worse lately? Any spots tender to the touch?

Am I eating mostly vegetables? 

The studies pretty much unanimously agree that we should be eating a plant-based diet. Lots of fruits and vegetables as the base of our diets and (lean) proteins and (minimal) fats and treats sprinkled on top. Are you eating a mostly plant-based diet lately or has it strayed into junky processed food?

Answering these questions honestly will give you an immediate measure of where you and your body are at and what you need to fix. If everything feels really off, then you might want to check in with your doctor for a physical to make sure all is A-OK.  By listening to our body, we know what we need to do to feel better.

I battled a nasty sinus infection all winter and when I finally started feeling better (after a second round of antibiotics), I realized just how crappy I felt before. I had let almost all of the above list go to pot. When I finally started eating well and exercising regularly, it was amazing how much more energy I had.

Even trainers need reminders to do the right thing and listen to their bodies. How about you? How did you do with my little quiz?

Cheers,

Lisa

The post Time For a Body Check In. How Are You Doing? appeared first on Lisa Johnson Fitness.

I wanted to update everyone on my happy collaboration with Diet.com. I’ve been providing workout videos and “rants” for their website and audience for a couple of months now and it has been a total blast.

The rants have been a lot of fun, such as the one I did last month on Busting April Fool’s Fitness Myths.

I’ve also done a few workout videos for them! There’s a Full Length Ab Workout … the Skinny Jeans Workout with just four quick moves to get you going … and my most current video, the Four Minute Tank Top Arms Workout.

I’ve Worked With Diet.com for a Looooonnngg Time

Wanna know a little trivia? The first Diet.com video ever shot featured me! That was how I met Sarah Dussault and how far back my relationship with Diet.com goes. It’s had more than 675,000 views (!!!) and it’s a simple Pilates sequence that I still teach to my clients today. My studio was still called Studio Elle back then (instead of Modern Pilates) and it was shot in my old space, which frankly was pretty beat up and not nearly as nice as my current digs.

I am really enjoying working with the Diet.com staff and getting to know them even better than I did before. They’ve got a lot of creativity and they encourage my own as we brainstorm new video topics. You’ll be seeing a lot more rants and a lot more exercises in the near future. In fact, if you have any ideas for videos that you’d like to see, please leave ‘em in the comments below and we’ll add your idea to the list.

For instance, do you prefer full-length workout segments or the quickie demo reels so you can learn the moves and then do ‘em on your own? What type of rant video topics would you like to see me go off on?

Diet.com has a free membership section where you can get loads of healthy fitness inspiration. I strongly recommend you check them out … lots of great blog posts, videos, and motivation to keep you lean and mean.

So thank you so much Diet.com for bringing me on board and I can’t wait to do even more.

Cheers,

Lisa

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Love this runner’s necklace I found on Etsy!

Perhaps your Mom or the mother of your child has been hinting for some Mother’s Day fitness gifts? Well there’s a right way and a wrong way to do this. After all, you don’t want her to open the gift and say, “Do you think I’m fat?!”

Yep, that would be BAD … so here are some great ideas to make the Moms in your life both happy and healthy.

Mother’s Day Fitness Gifts

Time.  Number one on every Mom’s list is time!  Write up a gift certificate for her to redeem a day where you watch the kids and she has a night off to work out. Maybe she can go to that barre class she’s been talking about … or go for a run with a friend. Whatever it is, give her the time to do it.

New kicks.  Nothing motivates me more to exercise than new sneakers. Buy her a cute new pair in fun colors and let her be inspired to sweat. As fitting is important, perhaps go with her to the store to make sure what you buy are the best choice for her.

Workout with her.  I’ve been working on this with my husband for years. See, I like to have some company when I get out and exercise. We’ve slowly added running, kayaking, and now tennis to our list of things to do together, and it’s great to work up a sweat up with him. If this is for your actual Mom, remember that she’s a bit older and meet her where she is. Maybe a walk once a week to catch up or a round of golf even. It’s just as easy as a cup of coffee and  a whole lot healthier.

Fitness jewelry.  There are a lot of ways Moms can wear healthy reminders. I saw these kettlebell charms on Bonnie Pfeister’s blog and thought they were great!  I also love these marathon charms which are personalized with the race, date, and time … How cool would these be for a runner?

Restorative gifts.  That spa day becomes very healthy when you think about how it’ll help her de-stress. So would a series of yoga classes at her local studio or even some meditation tapes or books on finding balance. All of these are great Mother’s Day fitness gifts as far as I’m concerned.   Part of being healthy is to know when you need to unwind and rest.

My husband asked me what I wanted and honestly I have no idea … except I know it involves an experience more than a concrete gift. Maybe our first kayaking trip of the year?  That would be nice … and a good book in my favorite chair. How about you? What Mother’s Day fitness gifts are you thinking of for yourself or a loved one?

Cheers,

Lisa

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A ninja turtles running group? Sure, why not!

My husband lost a friend, early 40s, to a nasty cancer and he was brave and funny ’til the bitter end. The crowd of people around this man was amazing … members of the Boston improv comedy community, and his very awesome family and friends, all came together. And one of the things that came out of it was a running group.

Sounds a bit odd, I know … but TC had run the Disney marathon a few years back and a bunch of people wanted to do something in his honor. One thing led to another and suddenly there was a Facebook group and about a dozen runners signed up and training for Disney 2014 together. My husband is one of them, and my son and I will run the 5K the same week. We can’t wait … it’s going to be so much fun!

But the husband is gulping hard right now. It definitely is daunting to get a regular run schedule together and find the right training schedule. This is where running groups comes in.

That little Facebook page is teeming. Lots of people talking about their runs, setting up group runs, talking about fundraising for TC, talking about nearly anything running really from smart phone apps (we love MapMyRun’s MVP one) to good sports bras for the ladies (I’m a big fan of Shock Absorbers, hey they do what they say).

Benefits of Running Groups

It all sounds pretty awesome, but let me spell out the benefits. They’re simple …

1. Camaraderie towards a common goal
2. The ability to share information so everyone does better
3. Tons of support and motivation when needed and, I assume as this progresses, shoulders to cry on when needed.

Those all sound pretty good, don’t they?

Organized Running Groups vs. Friends Getting Together

In my husband’s case, this is a “friends getting together to help a family who lost a loved one.” But there are lots of organized running groups too and these have even more benefits. Groups likely have a coach to guide you and they also have regularly scheduled runs and track times that you can participate in. They also have a general philosophy about running that, if you like, can really help you reach new goals.

My point is, you can go organized by joining a larger group, or you can go mellow and just go running with a few friends regularly. Choose which one suits you best and do that. There isn’t a right way to do it. Heck you can do both — run informally with friends and get some coaching from a local group.

If you want to find running groups near you, just Google your town and “running group” and see what pops up. Likely there will be more than one to choose from and you can click around to see what group appeals to you. Keep in mind when each group schedules their runs because you’ll need to make sure you’re free to participate in them.

How about you? Have you ever belonged to a running group?  Did you find it helpful or intimidating? Let me know what you think.

Cheers,

Lisa

photo credit: Elizabeth Lloyd

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photo credit: flickr

I just spent my entire weekend with Pilates instructors observing the Pilates body up close and personal. I have to say the one word that always comes to mind with Pilates is lithe … graceful lines, toned limbs, fluid movement.

The experience was total immersion, something I haven’t done since my instructor trainee days well over a decade ago. Usually I just pop in for a two-hour continuing education workshop and then disappear for months. Watching people for three days, all I could think was, “It’s spectacular what people can do to move!”

The arc of Pilates has come a long way. It was October 1998 when Oprah Winfrey was on the cover of Vogue that Pilates was first written about in the mainstream. Before that, Pilates was this burgeoning secret. Actresses as far back as Raquel Welch in the 1970s were devotees, and the New York dance community has been doing Pilates since the Jerome Robbins days. But no one told anyone else what they were doing! They didn’t want to share!

But once that fateful Vogue hit the streets, I watched my business break wide open, so busy that I could barely remember my clients’ names (sadly that’s true). I opened my own studio, Modern Pilates, in 1999 and I haven’t looked back.

What is a Pilates Body?

The Pilates body is lean. You can definitely see muscles and lots of tone, especially the arms, abs, and legs. There isn’t any bulk at all. Before I was a Pilates devotee, it was a running joke how klutzy I was. After a couple years of Pilates, I started getting asked every now and then if I was a dancer. I laugh (a real dancer knows I’m not), but at least it proves I’m moving with more grace than I had before.

While having a sleek body is a goal for a whole lot of people, here’s the secret sauce for Pilates. You are so much functionally stronger. Your sense of balance improves dramatically and your body awareness becomes so refined, you’ll be amazed at how specific you can be when you move.

You’ll find other fitness activities are easier to do too. That’s another little Pilates secret: we make everything else work better. That’s why so many athletes do Pilates as part of their training, from golfers and tennis players to ice skaters and runners. They all use it to keep their joints strong and fluid.

Which segues into one of the best reasons to have a Pilates body … If you have aches and pains, you’ll likely find them gone or greatly diminished. And you’ll be less injury prone than before. At my studio, we’ve helped people avoid shoulder surgeries, recover from hip replacements, car accidents, broken limbs, cancer, all sorts of things. It’s one of the most gratifying parts of my job, to help someone who is in pain, and watch it melt away over a few weeks time and have them feeling better.

Would you like a Pilates body? One that is lithe, graceful, strong, looks darned good in a little black dress, and will carry you through a night dancing on 4″ heels?  Then try out a Pilates DVD (um, how about mine?) or head to your local gym or studio. Just use Google and you’ll find we’re everywhere.

Do you do Pilates? What do you think are the benefits? I’d love to hear your point of view.

Cheers,

Lisa

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