Tag Archives: exercise

The Legs Feed the Wolf

Miracle Movie Image

With these few words, legendary hockey coach, Herb Brooks insists on intense stamina and speed training in the race to beat competitors. The faster man gets the puck.

Now, I understand that you may not look at your life in terms of predator and prey and that you have no interest in training like a professional athlete. But when it comes to success in your life, this quote is exceedingly appropriate. What do you want and need to do day to day? What are the challenges you face? Who are your “competitors”? What kind of ingenuity, strength and stamina are required for you to metaphorically catch your dinner, keep up or get ahead? I argue, the state of your health and fitness habits will absolutely determine what you bring to the table. Consistent exercise could be an untapped well of better rest, more energy and clearer thinking for the challenges unique to your life.

Memorable, primal and concise, I invite you to post “the legs feed the wolf” somewhere in your space.  Thinking of your healthy habits as a means of getting a promotion or keeping up with your kids or gracefully adapting to change are inspiring motivations to consider. The next time you consider cancelling your workout or postponing a new exercise plan, remember this law. It might just give you the nudge you need to make the better choice.

Have a great weekend! Go Hawks!!!

Interested in the movie? I highly recommend it. Click on the image above to purchase.

Eyeball Deep?

Clients share their stress levels as part of our weekly process. And because I adore metaphors, the idea of standing in water that is up to our eyeballs has fit the bill in capturing the very high stress levels for some this past month.

Underwater too deepWhen life feels like too much, maybe “prioritizing,” “changing our expectations” and “scaling back” are NOT the solutions. (I realize I just lost of few of you with that statement.) Maybe, they are not even options. Maybe, we need to acknowledge that we are being asked to do too much and that it’s not possible to handle everything as well as usual for a while. Instead, we just have to keep temporarily plowing through.

In years of learning from and advising women on great stress management tools, in my opinion, the worst decision in this scenario is adding a guilt trip on top of it all. So, the next time life is asking too much and you have to keep going none the less, recognize all that you ARE doing and say “no thanks” to burdening yourself with a useless guilt trip.

The Good Dumbbells

ParkDistricGymBlakelyFITThe other day, I overheard another trainer’s client lament “Ah, these aren’t the good dumbbells.” I smiled a little and continued training. This person preferred the newer gym dumbbells – shiny handles and rubberized heads, a strong contrast to the worn and weathered metal variety.
I smiled because, how much more irrelevant could appearance be than with dumbbells? What is a dumbbell’s job? Be a consistent external load, must have handle. Appearance is irrelevant. Shiny and rubberized are not going to make your biceps any stronger, form any better or feet any safer than the older, uglier weight in the corner.

Above is a photo of where I have been working out lately – a Chicago park district gym across the hallway from where my daughter takes a tumbling class. Yes, Chicago Reader’s 2012 Best Personal Trainer works out at a $17 per month 1,000 square foot public gym.  It is very simple and limited in it’s equipment but it doesn’t matter. It fits my schedule and my needs. I get in a quick workout while my daughter enjoys a class 100 feet away. Any one of you could get in a great workout at a gym like this. Sometimes it’s important to resist being charmed by the new and shiny. The old dumbbells in the corner will work just as well.

The Truth Will Set You Free…

Michelle Blakely Headshot

How do you mislead yourself?  How do you think, talk or behave in untruthful ways regarding your health habits?

Maybe you don’t complete cardio for the full 30 minutes, maybe you don’t eat the same way in front of others as you do alone, maybe you ignore what your body is telling you when an injury recurs because it’s better to be tough than care for the problem, maybe you have a gym membership with automated withdrawals that you haven’t used in over 6 months, maybe you are a size 14 but hold onto your size 8 clothing, maybe you say negative things to yourself about your body when the truth is your body does an incredibly effective job and generally looks quite nice.

Did something immediately pop into your head? When we strive to be healthier, slimmer, or more athletic we only stand in our way when we avoid the present truth. The fact is – if you don’t REALLY know where you are you can’t get where want to be.

This is not a guilt ridden suggestion. Having been privy to hundreds of individuals’ stories and struggles with weight loss, food and fitness programs, I want to help you see your habits clearly. When you truly see where you are you will know HOW to get where you’d like to be. Clearly seeing where we omit, exaggerate or (most popular) ignore healthy or unhealthy habits is an incredibly liberating experience. You will find room to celebrate how well you are doing in some areas and a clear perspective on the habits that are standing directly in your way.

How does one get honest about the big healthy habits?

Hire an expert or write it down. I inadvertently did both – and even as a fitness professional for almost ten years with plenty of great healthy habits – I had a moment that wasn’t pretty. About a year ago, while seeing a chiropractor, I was asked to keep a food log. No problem I thought, I have clients do this all the time – had the form already in my files and was almost proud to share my diet. In the prior two years, although good to begin with, I had revamped our household’s cooking and eating patterns. We had fruits and veggies coming out our ears, variety on the plate, seasonal foods incorporated, lean meats and fiber gracing every dinner and occasional indulgences to keep the balance. So, I was shocked and a bit more than embarrassed to see that in one day I had consumed four cans of Orange Fanta. Yes, FOUR. I might as well have been injecting high fructose corn syrup and Yellow Number Three. I’m not oblivious. I know the importance of diet much more than most but, even an as an expert in the field, I had slowly developed a bad habit.

How do you develop a bad habit?

Take a look at the first habit that popped into your head. Usually, rationalizing and no self monitor facilitate untruthfulness. In terms of my experience, when I quietly noticed that the pop seemed to be

 

gone rather quickly, I thought: “someone else must be drinking it too” (nope – hubby, babysitter and toddler are not to blame) or “it was OK because I had such an active job” (ignores the detrimental effect on my teeth, bones or organs), or “it wasn’t really that much because I have no other vices or indulgences” (that’s akin to: “I don’t have to change the oil in the car because I always rotate the tires.”) I share this with you to remind you that it happens to all of us and to offer my support and encouragement.

What you can do

I invite you to take a look at your habits – see where you really are and you will absolutely be better suited to get where you want to be. Do you remember the thought that popped into your head at the start of the article? I suggest this is your starting point. Keep a log for one week; whether it’s exercise, taking your medicine, negative chatter about your body or what you are eating. Follow the steps below:

  • Focus on your immediate thought to “How do you mislead yourself?”
  • Write down that habit/thought pattern honestly for one week
  • Take look once the week is up
  • Decide how you could best help yourself (remove the candy jar from your desk and buy yourself fruit for break time, complete your cardio during your favorite show, see a physician regarding that injury and really follow their advice, donate the “skinny clothes” to a charity, replace the urge for negative chatter with thoughts about the assets your body has)
  • Implement and record the new healthier habit and/or enlist the help of a professional
  • Celebrate your new, heathier habits

Give yourself that sense of perspective and accountability. My sincere hope is that you find success by being willing to take an honest look because even in healthy habits, the truth will set you free.

Strength Training Exclusively for Women, Chicago, IL