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

When I started watching this video, I thought Riffraff67 was a cute little guy and I was going to enjoy watching him play Dance Central 2. It was a song I haven’t played yet, so I was just interested is seeing how the moves went, but I found myself entranced by Riffraff67’s dancing!

While I was watching this video, everything I had thought about this guy at the beginning evaporated like water spilled on a hot stove. I thought he was cute and kinda cuddly before the video started, but afterward, I thought he was a DANCE GOD!

The next time you feel like you’re not in good enough shape to do something, remember Riffraff67’s dancing. With enough practice, it doesn’t matter what your body looks like. All that matters is how good you can do what you are doing. Whatever it is that you like to do, get out there and practice! Practice! Practice until you can do it with such grace and skill that no one can argue with how awesome you are.

Back in 2004, when I fell in love with Yourself! Fitness, I dreamed of a game that could tell if I was doing the moves right or not. With Nike+ Kinect, it looks like that dream has finally come true.

I haven’t tried this game yet, but there are lots of videos on YouTube, showing how the game plays and what it does. I’m excited about it and I can’t wait until my copy comes in the mail!

Here is the E3 Trailer for the game:

Here is a quick video showing a five minute drill.

I love the moving obstacles in Split Decision. It reminds me of a Japanese game show called Human Tetris.

You can see full-blown workouts on YouTube. This guys shows everything, so if you want to try to workout with it, you can.

It looks like a good workout game with lots to do. Some people complained that they had to have LOTS more room than they usually have for Kinect games, so that worries me a little.

In nine short years, exergaming has gone from Maya telling me what to do and never knowing if I was following along or not to a game system that can see my every move and log each rep and whether I did it correctly. It’s one of those rare times when I am pleasantly surprised at how much technology has advanced!

We bought a Kinect for our Xbox over a year ago, but I just wasn’t in the mood for exergaming. I had played with Wii Sports and DDR for a long time and the Kinect had such an awkward user interface that I just threw those games into the game drawer and forgot about them.

Until last week…

I reconnected the Kinect to the Xbox and dropped in Dance Central 2. It had the same awkward interface, but Sean noticed something that I had never realized before. You can control the menus with a game controller! Suddenly, that frustrating and stupid game turned out to be lots of fun! (more…)

This blog post from CrossFit204 is brilliant.

• Reflections on Mirrors : CrossFit 204

It starts out:

There are no mirrors in our gym because we don’t care what you look like.

In fact, we don’t care how old you are, or whether you’re male or female. We don’t care what colour your skin is either. Or if you’re overweight or loaded with muscle. Or if you’re tall or short. Or blond. Or brunette.

We treat everyone like an athlete, and there’s no profiling here.

It goes on to be an inspirational call to give your workout the best you can and ends with:

We’re actually putting mirrors in the bathrooms very soon. But they’re not there for you to evaluate your appearance.

They’re there so you can look yourself in the eye and ask one important question:

Did you give your very best effort in the workout?

If you live in Winnipeg, you can join CrossFit 204 and actually work out in that mythical gym without mirrors. If not, click on over to the CrossFit 204 blog and read the entire post. It’s truly inspirational.

This motivational poster from I CAN DO IT really made me feel better.

It reads:

Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, just like the muscles of the body.

I’ve always believed that if you craft a diet that has enough of the proper nutrients, you won’t be tempted to eat poorly. Unfortunately, I have NEVER found a diet that left me completely free from cravings or temptation. Low carb has made me feel like I’m not starving, even though I’m eating few calories, but I’m still tempted to eat things that aren’t healthy for me.

That’s where mental will comes in. Low carb brought me to the point where I’m not fighting my body’s hunger, but I have to fight my eating habits that I have developed over the years. Every time I stop myself from eating a carb-filled treat, it’s like a workout for my mind. Every time I avert my eyes in a store or at a restaurant, I’m building my mental muscles.

The same is true for exercise. The workout itself is building the muscles of my body, but the act of getting out of my bright blue comfy chair builds my mental will. Being disciplined enough to do a workout every single day doesn’t come naturally to anyone. It’s something that every athlete has to develop.

The next time you’re tempted to do something that you know will go against your plans, STOP yourself. Just take a moment to consider that this is your chance for you to build your will power muscles. Make the right decision and you will feel your abilities grow with each good choice.

Damn, Nike! Why u wanna make me cry?!!

Here’s the full transcript:

When I was growing up, girls just didn’t run in public.
No one on my all-boys team would pass to me.
Dad told me I couldn’t be a boxer. He said I was too small.
There was a guy who tried to spit on me and then push me out of his way.
There comes a point where you have to be sure of yourself.
People aren’t used to women being so passionate.
It scares them.
One day, I just said it doesn’t matter what other people think.
I’m a fashion model who can dunk. I’m a girl. That doesn’t mean I have to wear a skirt.
Doesn’t mean I can’t get all fired up.
They used to say that girl is crazy.
But then I just kept winning.
I didn’t set out to dominate. I just did.
Somebody’s got to be the best.
So why not me?
I’m 55 years old and I run close to 70 miles a week. ?I never felt like quitting. There’s something telling me to do it every single day.
Just want to play ball.

The more Nike does commercials like this, the more I love them. Why can’t they show just as much respect to people who are overweight as to women and minorities?

After writing yesterday’s entry about Zombies, Run! I found this fan art from phantoms-siren on deviantART.

She says:

I’m a huge fan of the iPhone app ‘Zombies, Run!’ As a chronic pain and fatigue sufferer anything that can make exercise bearable is wonderful, and this game actually makes me want to go out and, if not run, then walk really fast. I know that Runner 5 isn’t necessarily female, since anyone playing is Runner 5, but this is what I ended up with.

It seems the app is helpful to a huge group of people. Just ask RoOkin.

He has lost 2 stone (that’s 28 pounds to us Yanks) for his upcoming wedding and Zombies, Run! has helped him. So much so, that he bought the t-shirt.

At DragonCon last year, this cute girl dressed up as Runner 5.

I loved all this fan art so much I made a little of my own.

It reads:

I am Runner 5.

I will distract the zombies.

I will pick up supplies.

I will save the world!

Original photo via: Runner by Aarni Heiskanen on Flickr

Oh, and this has NOTHING to do with Zombies, Run!, but I love it anyway.

Via: work sweat achieve

Here is where you can download the app:

• Zombies, Run! for iPhone
• Zombies, Run! 5K Race Training for iPhone
• Zombies, Run! for Android
• Zombies, Run! for Windows Phone

I’ve been running with an app on my iPhone called Zombies, Run! It’s a compelling story about Abel Township and their desperate survival despite the swarms of zombies. It really has made my exercise more intense and, paradoxically, easier to finish.

I’ve talked about Zombies, Run! before:

• Starling Fitness – Zombies, Run! Makes Exercise Fun

The whole premise is that I am Runner 5 and it’s my job to leave the safety of the bunker to get supplies, distract zombies and ultimately find out the truth behind the strange occurrences in Abel Township. It has made my running much more intense.

Original photo via: Zombie Walk 2012 by Grmisiti on Flickr

I run like zombies are chasing me because in my headphones, they are. If you’d like a description of what it’s like, here is a fan-made film by Mars Rising.

I just found out that they are working on Zombies, Run! 2 and it should be released in the spring, so you have a bit of time to download the original and get caught up before the 60 new missions are ready.

I like that I can run outside or inside on the treadmill. I can’t have zombie chases when I’m on the treadmill, but that doesn’t bother me. The noises of the zombies on the audio tracks is enough to keep me running. Additionally, I’ve also been able to use this app while I’m on the exercise bike. I put it in accelerometer mode and put it in my pocket and it works pretty well while I’m pedaling away on the bike. That helps ALOT when it’s particularly cold or miserable outside.

Here is where you can download the app:

• Zombies, Run! for iPhone
• Zombies, Run! 5K Race Training for iPhone
• Zombies, Run! for Android
• Zombies, Run! for Windows Phone

Here’s a teaser video for the new update:

They have been talking about it on the Zombies, Run! Blog:

• Zombies, Run! | Introducing Zombies, Run! 2
• Zombies, Run! | Base Builder 2.0

If your running, walking or biking has felt boring lately, download this app. It is a little pricey, but it is WELL worth the money. Enjoy your runs and get away from the zombies!

This image from work sweat achieve is something I want to believe.

It reads:

Run your self doubt into the ground.

I’ve always been plagued by low self esteem and self doubt. It gives me hope that if I run long and hard enough that they will both be trampled into the ground. Could I somehow pound my self loathing into a pulp while running? I think I might actually might be able to do that. When I was running regularly, I felt much better about myself than I do now. I still hated myself, but I felt better. For all I know, I was one run away from finally crushing my self doubt into nothingness if I hadn’t quit.

Why should I exercise every day? Because it gets me one day closer to conquering self loathing for good.

I found this animated GIF on work sweat achieve and it reminded me that exercise is awesome.

It reads:

Exercise relaxes the mind.

Exercise strengthens the body.

Exercise toughens the spirit.

Whenever I focus on exercise to stave off stress or depression, I am much more consistent than when I’m exercising to lose weight. If the scale stops moving, I get unmotivated to exercise when I’m concentrating on losing weight. When I decide to exercise every day in order to keep my mind healthy, I end up motivated far longer.

The next time you think you’re going to skip your workout, remember this little GIF and tell yourself to do it for your mental health instead of to lose weight. It’s a great way to trick yourself into working out, even when you are feeling unmotivated.