Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

Braidwood over at Authentic Threads has an EXCELLENT entry about focusing on your workout:

• Do you like to read or do something else while you are working out? | Authentic Threads

I think it’s better to be mentally focused on working out when you work out. Doing something else to distract yourself from working out reminds me of taking vocabulary courses instead of reading books. When you do that, you are missing the experience of the activity, to get to the side effect.

Of course, It is helpful to have a good vocabulary and it will probably increase your life to exercise regularly, but it is fun to read books and it is fun to be in your body. While you are here, you might as well get the full richness of life if you can.

I’m a big fan of distracting myself while I workout. I like to play video games, surf the web, listen to music and even watch my walking DVDs while I’m on the treadmill and exercise bike. The idea of focusing on the run, which is what most long distance runners do, is foreign to me.

But Braidwood is right. It’s fun to play and use our bodies. If we HAVE to exercise, we might as well find something we like to do and focus on it. I would never think of doing something distracting while I’m playing DDR. It’s too fun to want distraction AND it’s a great workout. I should focus on that a lot more than putting in the miles on the treadmill.

The other day, I received an email about my treadmill spreadsheets. You can download them here:

• Starling Fitness » Treadmill Workout Spreadsheet

Here’s the email:

Laura,

I was wondering if you can answer a question for me. Am I supposed to do each treadmill workout (The nine on excel) for a week and than move on to the next one?

Thank you for your time and work on the workouts! I’m excited to start them!

Tiffany

Tiffany,

No, they are just a variety of workouts that I created on the Excel sheets. They vary in difficulty level, so some of them might be too hard for a beginner and too easy for a long-time runner. The idea was to give you an example of HOW to use Excel to plan your run on the treadmill.

Use the Save As… feature and save a version of this workout with a different name. Play with it as much as you want to create your own workouts. Have a little fun with it without worrying about “breaking” it because you have the original saved.

If you create something fun, feel free to share it.

Thanks,
Laura Moncur
Starling Fitness

I love this funny video for the ExerTech 3000:

I love how one of the “actual customers” says,

But this is only a broom…

Seriously, though, next time you are tempted to spend your good money on some exercise gadget you see on television, remember this commercial for the ExerTech 3000. In the end, they all have about the same usefulness as a broom.

I’m pretty stoked about Seventeen Magazine’s pullout section this month. The theme is: Get Toned Without The Gym! Here is a scan of the pullout section here:

You can replace the following exercise equipment at home without spending a dime:

• Ab Roller
• Arm Machine
• Elliptical Trainer
• Leg Machine
• Stairclimber
• Treadmill

Seventeen magazine has a lot of video workouts here:

• Video Workouts – Seventeen.com

Next time you’re thinking that you can’t workout because you can’t get to the gym or you don’t have a gym membership, try out this workout and let it kick your butt!

A couple of weeks ago, I took a trip to my city library’s periodical department. In the back room, they have all the Seventeen magazines that have ever been printed. I took out some of the huge bound books and leafed through the Eighties. I found this advertisement from Reebok. I reads:

Because life is not a spectator sport.

I never realized how closely I took this advertisement to heart. All my life, I have spurned sports that don’t include me such as football, basketball and all those other sports that only allowed boys to play. I’ve also avoided watching sports on television. There is no point if I can’t play.

All the fun is in the playing, right?

I love sports like running, tennis, golf and swimming because I am EXPECTED to play. I’m even allowed to compete in running events. Whether I run fast or slow, I can sign up to compete in the next 5K in my town. They include me no matter what I look like. As long as I’m willing to tread the miles, I’m allowed to play along.

Next time you find yourself dreading your workout at the gym, think about sports that include you. Would you like to be in a bicycle race? Would you like to kick some butt on the golfing green? Make your workouts fun and enjoyable and you’ll be able to exercise without the drudgery. In fact, a workout at the gym means so much more when you’re doing it to be strong for your next race, game or competition.

Make your workouts MEAN something because life is not a spectator sport!

In the early twentieth century, the Bennett Sisters were a vaudeville act, featuring wrestling, fencing and boxing. Almost a century before Joanie “Chyna Doll” Laurer wowed audiences, the Bennett Sisters were showing their skills to the world.

When I look at these photos, I wonder if they were just an act, just like the rest of the vaudeville acts, or were they “real” athletes. There is no question whether the women wrestlers of today are athletes or not. Their antics might be an act, but the physical stamina required to perform those acts is very real.

What is an athlete?

Dictionary.com gave me this definition:

ath·lete: a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.

If that’s the case, Chyna, The Bennett Sisters and I are all on the same page. We’re all athletes. Just because my game requiring physical skill is Dance Dance Revolution doesn’t negate my abilities.

So why do some athletes get all the attention and others are ignored?

It’s not about winning. There are marathon winners every week that never get shoe deals with Nike. There are cyclists that never make the cover of Sports Illustrated. Lance Armstrong, you say? Well, he hasn’t competed for over three years. Quick, name the last three winners of the Tour de France…

I’m waiting…

The truth of the matter is, FAME is very different from ATHLETICISM. Fame is the cover of Sports Illustrated. Fame is the stadium filled with screaming grease-paint covered fans. Fame is a show on the vaudeville circuit.

What is an athlete?

An athlete is the one who exercises every day. An athlete is the one who white knuckles a rest day because she wants to get out on the road and run, even though her body needs a break. An athlete practices to be better. An athlete is out there competing, even though she knows she’ll lose. Even though she knows there’s no stadium full of people. Even though Sports Illustrated would only put her on the cover if she was in a bikini. Even though it’s only her sister she’s fighting against.

Long-time readers, remember when I wrote that entry about my black toenail and how much it hurt? If you don’t here’s a refresher:

• Starling Fitness » Black Toenails: Final Update

Now, my feet are nationwide famous. Check it!

• ABC News: Marathon Glory Comes With a Price

It’s an article about running marathons and preventing injuries. Of course, I didn’t get black toenail from running a marathon. I didn’t even get it from running. I got it from walking on the treadmill for 10 miles one day and 7 miles the next… all while playing Animal Crossing.

It could be said that video games gave me black toenail… embarrassing, I know.

But not embarrassing enough to deny Lauren Cox from ABC News the right to use my photos. Feeling pretty stoked about that.

By the way, she wrote a really good article about all the things you should do to prevent injury during a marathon. It’s good advice, so check it out!

• ABC News: Marathon Glory Comes With a Price

If Otis the Cat can figure out an elliptical trainer within three minutes, then you can certainly learn how to exercise on it. Next time you’re intimidated by a piece of gym equipment (or even the idea of walking into the gym), remember Otis. Considering your brain is larger than a golf ball, you should be able to conquer even the scariest of cardio equipment.

Via: Two Arms! : Complete Running Network

I am coming off a magazine binge, but I wanted to share this article I found with you. Runners World had an Ask Miles question here:

• Ask Miles – November 2008

How should I react to rude comments? If I hear “Run, Forrest, run” one more time, I’m going to snap. —Owen R., Brooklyn

The best response to taunts is the very same response that Mr. Gump himself gave: No response at all. Wisenheimers aren’t trying to draw attention to you; they’re trying to draw attention to themselves. Any reaction from you is just fuel to the fire. Instead, go Zen. Keep your gaze ahead, your stride smooth. All of this assumes, of course, that it’s illegal to carry a Taser in your state. Otherwise, my advice would change dramatically.

My advice to Owen would be COMPLETELY different. If someone is screaming, “Run, Forrest, Run,” they might just be wanting to encourage you. I remember when I got black toenail. I wasn’t able to run (or even walk) for a couple of months. It was almost torture to drive past other runners because they were running and I couldn’t. A lot of times, I would give a quick beep or a wave at the runners on the road.

In fact, there have been a lot of times when people have beeped at me when I’m running and I’ve ALWAYS considered it a note of encouragement.

It’s all about your mentality. Every time you hear someone scream out their car at you, whether you can understand what they are saying or not, consider it a compliment or a word of encouragement. Sure, the mean guys screamed “Run, Forrest, run,” but so did his girlfriend and the entire stadium at the football game. Consider it a compliment and wave back!

For more motivation, here’s an inspirational video of Forrest Gump running:

If you bought a Wii Fit when they first came out, you’re probably a little sick of them calling you OBESE every freakin’ day. It’s probably gathering dust shoved under your couch…

Oh wait, that’s me…

Well, dust off your Wii Balance Board because Jillian Michaels (of Biggest Loser fame) has a workout game for you! It’s called Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2009 and it will be available TOMORROW!

Jillian is the really tough trainer from The Biggest Loser and she’s the one that I like the best. Sure, she makes me angry when she berates her team members, but then again, sometimes they don’t do their homework and totally deserve it.

I really bonded with Jillian the second season of the Biggest Loser, so when they replaced her with a Barbie Doll in the third season, I refused to watch. Every year I SAY I’m not going to watch, but that year, I really didn’t. When Jillian came riding back last year on her black motorcycle and brought members of the Black Team to victory, I was so happy. Suffice it to say that I’m pretty stoked about this game!

Here are some screen shots:

So, if your Wii Balance Board is hiding under the couch, pull it out, get Jillian’s game and get ready to sweat!