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

This advertisement for Skechers Resistance running shoes in one of my fitness magazines puzzles me:

It reads:

Helps increase postural muscle activation up to 85%

Helps increase gluteus medius muscle activation up to 71%

Helps increase calf muscle activation up to 68%

Helps burn up to 13.2% more calories

That all looks technical and scientific to me. So many numbers and percentages means they MUST have research studies proving that, right? I looked at the Skechers Resistance Runner website and videos, but there were no links to any studies. The video features the designer, a runner and the founder of the company, but not a doctor among them. They show people running on treadmills hooked up to machines and computers, but WHERE is the research data?!

Without access to the actual data, I’m not believing it and I’m CERTAINLY not going to pay a hundred and fifty bucks for a shoe that might be no better than the twenty dollar trainers at Payless Shoe Source.

Shoe companies have been promising a workout in a shoe for a LONG time. Dr. Scholl’s Exercise Sandals promised beautiful legs to my grandma and she never once saw results from them, even after YEARS of wearing them.

I’m not going to believe that the Skechers Resistance Runner is any more able to “increase muscle activation” than the Dr. Scholl’s Exercise Sandal unless they actually SHOW ME THE DATA.

As excellent as the Cool Running Couch to 5K Podcast [iTunes Link] is, I have to admit that I would MUCH rather listen to my own music. I dreamed of an iPhone app that would let me program intervals that would break into my workout playlist and tell me when it was time for me to run.

I got my wish with UltraTimer.

• UltraTimer [iTunes Link]

With UltraTimer, I was able to program in the Cool Running Couch-to-5K Running Plan so that it would tell me when to run. I could even record my own voice saying, “Increase speed to 5.0 mph.” This has been so helpful to me because I don’t have to look at the iPhone screen while I’m doing my workout. I just listen to the prompts that I recorded for myself.

I was worried that it might be difficult to use, but I found it incredibly easy and I was running with a program that only took me about five minutes to program, and that included recording the voice prompts. At the end of the workout, I even have a voice prompt that tells me that I did a good job and that I’m proud of myself.

There is even a way for me to export my workouts, so soon, I will share my running plan with you (since the Couch to 5K basically leaves you wondering what the heck to do if you’re a REAL beginner). If you own an iPhone, creating and downloading a running program just got a lot easier. Try out UltraTimer today!

I don’t usually write running shoe reviews because they all feel the same to me. I don’t have the foot problems that a lot of people have, so pretty much any shoe works for me. With that, I don’t end up LOVING my shoes the way other people do. Since the shoes from anywhere would work for me, I rarely fall in LOVE with shoes, not even enough to clean them.

That was until I got my Nike Zoom Sister One Limited Editions.

You are looking at my beloved running shoes. Not since my ill-fated Nike Air Zoom Moire+, who only lasted one year at the Nike Store, have I found a pair of shoes I love enough to CLEAN.

I like them because they are light-weight. They feel really good on my feet and don’t do that annoying thing other shoes do that make my socks fall off my feet and bunch up around my arch. Even though they are quite plastic, they allow my feet to breathe. They even look good when I’m just tooling around town with jeans and a sweater, but since I’ve cleaned them, they aren’t allowed to go outdoors anymore.

I love them that much.

Once I realized that they were the perfect pair of shoes for me, I immediately ordered two more pair from the Nike Store. Since the Air Moire+ were canceled so quickly, I refuse to be left hanging like I was last time. I’ll have two pair in waiting so that I can keep happily running for the next few years.

Now, if I could only get Nike to realize that fat people need workout CLOTHES as well as shoes, then I wouldn’t have to hate them…

One of the most surprisingly good apps for me has been iPeriod for the iPhone. You can download it here:

• iPeriod at iTunes

It’s a program meant to track your menstrual cycle, but I have been using it for tracking my weight, my moods and how often I exercise and stay on my eating program. You can add four of your own items to track (I added exercise, eating healthy and some work items). Additionally, it allows you to track your mood, so you can see if that affects your eating.

Tracking the weight is the best of any other app I’ve tried (including Edibles, sorry to say). Here is screen shot of my weight over the last month.

As you can see I have had some lows and highs. Once I get more data, I’ll be able to see if the trend is that I’m losing or maintaining. I’d LIKE it to be losing, so I can alter my program to match my goals.

I really didn’t think iPeriod would be that good for me, but what was meant to be a menstrual tracker has become so much more for me. Fortunately, they have MANY privacy features, including turning OFF its name so that no one knows that it has anything to do with my monthly cycle.

If you are looking for a good app to track your weight, try iPeriod and see how it works for you!

Hands down, the best exercise equipment store is the thrift store. In Utah, the best thrift store (or second-hand store) is Deseret Industries, or The DI for short. If you are looking for some exercise equipment, whether it’s a treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical trainer or even an Ab-Doer, you will eventually find a GOOD one at the thrift store if you go there every week and really look.

Just last week, here is what I saw at the 4500 South DI:

So many Ab-Doers and Cardio Glides that I had my pick of the litter. Of course, I wasn’t looking for either of those, but if I had, it would have been perfect. Fortunately, I found exactly what I was looking for at the Redwood Road DI. I had wanted a recumbent exercise bike with magnetic resistance so that it would be quiet and I found it for only twenty five bucks.

I had seen a brand new version of this exact bike at Sears for over 250 dollars, so I saved over two hundred bucks just by biding my time and looking at every thrift store in town once a week for about a month. Sure, that’s a pain in the butt to wait and meticulously look, but it was worth the money.

If you want some exercise equipment, here is how to get it on the cheap:

• Go to the “real” sports stores and department stores to find out what you want. Use the demo units so you can know how they are supposed to feel when they are new. Determine the features that you are looking for. Also, check the prices to make sure that you aren’t paying full price for a used item.

• Make a list of the features you NEED, the features you’d LIKE and what you’re willing to live with. For example, on the bike I bought, the seat and back were falling apart and had been taped together with black tape. I didn’t care that the seat was damaged because what I wanted was magnetic resistance on a recumbent bike.

• Make a list of all the thrift shops and second hand stores in your area. With my list, I was able to hit a bunch of them on my way home from downtown each week, so it wasn’t difficult for me to look in so many stores.

• Visit the shops about once a week, preferably on the day that they receive new merchandise. Some stores get deliveries of second hand items on a regular basis from a central donation center. Others put new items out each day. Find out the rhythms of each store.

• In each store, go to the exercise equipment section and make a quick search. Don’t get distracted by the other goodies you might see there. This is supposed to be a quick search.

• Try out the equipment at the thrift store. If it’s a treadmill, insist that they allow you to plug it in and see if it works. Try it at every intensity level that you plan on using it. Some equipment works fine at lower levels, but when you crank up the speed or incline, they conk out. Make sure you test it thoroughly before buying it, so wear your jogging bra and running shoes on your outings.

• Make sure you can get it home. It’s not a deal if you have to rent a truck to haul the thing home. Make sure it will fit in your car or that you have a friend with a pickup to help you get the equipment home.

Believe me, there were plenty of exercise bikes at the thrift stores, but I wanted a very specific kind, so it took me a while to get what I wanted. You’ll have to do the same when you are looking for exercise equipment at thrift stores, but it will be worth it when you finally find it.

“My Nike+ is dead.” Mike was trying to start his workout, but the iPhone couldn’t find his sensor. It just sat there, spinning it’s wheel and searching helplessly.

“I’m going downtown tomorrow. I’ll pick you up a new sensor.”

So I did, but the next day when he tried to start his workout, it sat spinning again.

“Maybe you should reboot.”

When he turned off his iPhone and turned it back on, it worked just fine with his old sensor. “I guess we didn’t need to buy a new one.”

This happened to me just yesterday, but because it had happened to Mike last month, I knew what to do. Before you assume your Nike+ sensor is dead, try rebooting your iPhone. It might save you twenty bucks.

While I was in Las Vegas, I visited the Nike store to see if they had some comfortable shoes for me. I did buy some cute Nike+ shoes, but they had a big advertising campaign with the slogan,

Run into the dark of the night.

I thought that maybe Nike was selling shoes that light up so people can see you running in the dark, but that was wishful thinking.

They did have a jacket for $250 that had a rechargeable pack that lit up, however.

Here is the description from Nike:

Make your presence known when running at night or in other low-light conditions with the Nike Distance Light Running Jacket. This lightweight, flexible and washable (when control unit is removed) layer features electroluminescent (EL) panels on the front and back to help others on the road see you.

EL light provides visibility from multiple angles, and the blue-green variety used in these panels is less likely than red or white light to compete with other lights along roadways, helping you stand out. The panels in the Distance Light Jacket are activated by a small control unit in the front pocket and flash in a heart-beat pulse pattern that switches to a strobe pattern to indicate that charging is needed in the next two hours.

Considering that this TerraLUX FlareStar30 Light runs for 50 hours on 2 AA batteries, can be attached to ANY jacket AND only costs about twelve bucks, spending $250 on a Nike jacket that lights up seems a little silly.

It’s so cold in Salt Lake City right now that the idea of running outside at night sounds miserable, but if you have to do your workouts in the dark, the TerraLUX LED lights sound like a much better option.

I absolutely LOVE this t-shirt for working out.

It’s a t-shirt for a personal trainer in Canada by the name of Roland Semprie. The shirt has markings along the front indicating when your workout is done. When the sweat reaches the appropriate mark, then you can stop working out.

I wish I could buy some t-shirts like this. They’re a great idea!

Via: » Roland Semprie Personal Trainer advertising/design goodness – advertising and design blog

I saw this vintage ad and it confused me.

It reads:

Loungewear for Losers

Here’s the wingingest look in Hostess Gowns for the woman who’s losing weight. The colorful skirts is light in weight because it’s 100% acetate satin quilted to fluffy Kodel polyester fiberfill. Sizes 38 to 44 $20

Also in black/orange. And note this: this Hostess Gown also comes in sizes 8-18, which should gie you something to aim at. $18

This “gown” looked like a robe to me. Was this something that people wore in public or was it for sleep? Fortunately, Xtabay Vintage explained it to me.

• Xtabay Vintage Clothing Boutique: The Return of the Hostess Gown

Back in the day, a hostess gown was a long dress the lady of the house would wear when she entertained. The dress only left the house to go to the cleaners, otherwise it was paired with silver mules or some other cross between a slipper and a sandal. In summer, the hostess gown might be made of cotton barkcloth with a Polynesian design custom made for Mai Tais on the patio. In the early 1960s, Vogue magazine even suggested having hostess gowns made to match your living room curtains and upholstery.

The hostess gown had many advantages. First, it was usually cut loose so that you wouldn’t have to wear a girdle. Many of the gowns had comfortable empire waists. It was fancy and informal at the same time, so it let guests know that this was an occasion, yet they could feel comfortable in your home. Hostess gowns briefly morphed into maxi dresses in the early 1970s, but they quickly fell out of fashion to be replaced first with Carol Brady outfits.

So, this wasn’t a robe, it was an informal dress that you wore when company came. I like that they made it in all sizes from 8-44, but the thought of wearing something so very quilted just makes me cringe. I think I’ll stick to my blue jeans and sweaters instead.

Not since Raymond Raving Rabbids have my arms hurts so much. Last weekend while we were out shopping, Mike and I bought a little gift for ourselves, Toy Story Mania! for the Wii.

I wouldn’t classify it as an exergame, but it’s so addictively fun that Mike and I played well past the point of pain. I wanted to play more, but my arms couldn’t take anymore pointing, shooting, twirling or shaking. Here’s a video showing some highlights from the game.

This commercial is a little misleading because it shows the entire family of four playing with 3D glasses on, but the game only comes with two sets of glasses. Maybe if you buy the game twice, the whole family can play. Or, you can just swipe the glasses from your Monsters Vs. Aliens 3D DVD. They’ll work just fine.

More importantly, Mike and I haven’t been able to find the 3D games yet. Honestly, the user interface leaves a little to be desired, but the game is so addictive that we muscled past the difficulty of learning how to navigate the menus.

I was hoping it was as fun as riding the Toy Story Midway Mania ride at Disney’s California Adventure. If you’ve never been on that ride, then here is a walkthrough the Disney World version to introduce you to it. This video is LONG because it shows the walk through the line (past Mr. Potato Head) and the entire ride. Fast forward to 5:50 to see the game part of the video.

The video game is actually BETTER than the ride at Disneyland because you can have as many tries as you need to get it right. Each game has a series of goals that you should achieve (i.e. breaking several submarine plates or hitting the golden plate on the airplane), so working on those goals together with your partner is fun. You also have individual scores, so you can beat your friend as well as work with them to achieve your goals.

The closest to exergaming that Toy Story Mania came to was the game with Hamm (the pig) where you are supposed to stand up and do what he does. Unfortunately, he’s a pig and it was VERY difficult to realize what he was doing. They should have used Jesse, Buzz or Woody for that game so we could visualize what they wanted. Let’s be honest. When a pig does jumping jacks, it does NOT look like jumping jacks.

Mike and I have LOVED this game and we’re eagerly awaiting the day that they come out with a Buzz Lightyear game.