inerTRAIN Blog
July 2, 2013
Getting to the core of the matter
 “Sit Up Straight, Young Man!”
I teach Pilates, and I emphasize core training in every workout I assign to my clients. In fact, I believe building a strong and flexible core to be of utmost importance—more important than cardio, more important than high-intensity exercise, and more important than strength training. Some may disagree, but I firmly believe that just as a tree’s branches are only as strong as its trunk, so are your limbs only as strong as your core can support.
I’ve gathered dozens of testimonials that support this. One client, who would suffer every spring for days after weeding and planting his gardens, had no difficulties at all after a year of Pilates.
Another client, who walked in with a cane to our first training session, progressed to walking with no cane but falling frequently, to no cane but rarely falling, to eventually running (yes, running!) races up to 10k. She credits much of it to grit and determination, and also to our commitment to building her functional core strength. She has MS and has nearly reversed most of her symptoms.
A friend who had competed in over a dozen triathlons, improving a bit each time but never showing monumental progress, smashed his best time after redesigning his training regimen to include a focus on core strength.
I just laugh when I read articles from fitness ego-maniacs that ridicule Pilates. This stuff works, y’all!
When my son ran for a competitive track club, the coaches asked me to lead the team in some core strengthening sessions. I did, and it shocked me to find that these athletes, who were breaking records and earning full-ride scholarships for their abilities, could barely do some of the exercises. The coaches and I got excited, knowing how much stronger they’d be after adding core work to their training.
At one track meet, as I sat in the bleachers for hours and hours, the club’s star sprinter, Patrice, looked at me and gasped, “Look at you! Look at you sitting up so straight! You’ve been sitting like that all day! How do you do that?! No one else is sitting up like that!”
It was quite the entertaining exchange, as I laughed and explained that, because I have a strong core, it’s easier and less painful for me to sit up straight than it is for me to slouch. She was sold. “I’m going to do those exercises every day,” she said, as she shook her head and walked away.
If you add one thing to your fitness regimen, let it be building your core strength and improving your posture. How?
Proper posture requires the attention to:
- flexibility—slouching means some muscles are short and tight while others are too long and stretched
- strengthening—focus on flexion (forward bending), extension (arching the back), and rotation (twisting for oblique work)
- standing and sitting positions—from the side, the ear, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle bone should align vertically
Be aware of your posture throughout the day. Notice when and how you tend to slouch and take steps to improve. Think of keeping your core muscles engaged slightly—perhaps 15-20%— while sitting and standing. Keep your upper back and neck comfortably straight, your shoulders relaxed and pulled gently down and back, and your pelvis in a neutral position.
Ask your trainer for help if you’re unsure how to do these things and ask him or her to incorporate exercises and stretches that will help you build your core strength and correct your posture. Do this, and then everything you do—from exercise to gardening to cleaning your house—will be easier.
So for crying out loud, listen to your mother and sit up straight!
January 23, 2013
Goal Setting: A How-to Guide
 January is a time for reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the next. Now is the time of year when we tend to set goals for ourselves, calling them “New Year’s Resolutions.” We proclaim things like, “I will quit smoking this year,” or “I will save more money,” or “I will lose those ten pounds.” We don’t always stop and think about these resolutions as goals. We say these things, but we don’t always stick to them because they aren’t measurable and they aren’t meaningful enough for us to hold ourselves accountable.
Setting goals for ourselves is difficult because it requires genuine self-reflection. The most important thing is that we are realistic about our goals and that we think about them in the long-term. Resolutions are things that you hope to change that year. Goals are often major lifestyle changes. Try the following sequence of steps for goal-setting.
Step 1: Start by focusing on something you really want to achieve. In other words, how do you envision yourself in the future? This is the result, not the goal. This achievement MUST be something you’re passionate about. Without passion, there is no motivation. Really think about why you are doing this…you need to have a WHY.
Step 2: Take the result you envision and define the big goal you want to achieve. It has to be something you can measure and track. Put words to it. Write it down.
Step 3: Set smaller intermediate goals that will move you toward your larger goal. If you create milestones for yourself, the big goal doesn’t seem insurmountable. Congratulate yourself when you reach these milestones and use that as further motivation.
Step 4: Once you reach your first larger goal, always set another. Goal-setting is more effective if you make it a habit. If you’re not constantly working toward something, there is a risk of slipping back into your old ways. Remember, the goal can be something new or even to continue to maintain the progress you have made at the level you achieved.
Now let’s take a real-life example to demonstrate how it works:
Suppose you think to yourself, “I want to have enough energy to play with my grandchildren.” This is something you could easily be passionate about, but it is a RESULT, not a goal. The goal has to be measurable.
To define the goal, change the words to “I want to increase my energy level.” You can measure that in a number of ways, such as how many flights of stairs you can go up without getting out of breath, or how long you can do a particular activity (i.e. play tennis, ride a bike, etc.).
From there, you could perhaps set an intermediate goal of adding ten minutes the first month and twenty minutes the second month to the amount of time you are able to walk at a brisk pace.
Once you are able to increase your energy to the level you set (your larger goal), set another goal for yourself, even if it is just to continue operating at the new energy level for the next six months. Continue repeating the cycle.
Finally, if you need help defining and refining your goals, you could benefit from working with a personal trainer. When you have a person there to help set reasonable and achievable milestones as well as keep you on track and remind you of your “why” (that motivation and passion that got you started in the first place), the process will go much more smoothly. A trainer can map out a path to success and guide you as you work to achieve it.
Wishing you drive and perseverance to achieve all your goals in 2013!
In Health,
November 20, 2012
Travel Essentials
 Whether it’s for business or pleasure (or both), many of us are regular travelers. While we’re on the road, we may not always take the time to incorporate our normal healthy habits into our daily routine.
Let’s get real here; it’s easy to make a lot of excuses for ourselves to avoid working out while traveling. We’re away from the gym, our sleep schedule is often irregular, and we’re “too busy” because we’re working…or sightseeing…or partying. We have some suggestions for incorporating fitness into your travel plans even if you’re nowhere near a gym.
First of all, our travel workout can be done anywhere, including in the comfort of your hotel room. It is a challenging but effective workout. (You can have it emailed to you right from our homepage.)
If you prefer to exercise in the great outdoors, there are plenty of ways to do it. One of the best things you can do if you have the time while traveling to other cities is to check out some walking or bike tours. Not only do you get some exercise, but you also get to explore the city. Check with the front desk or guest services, as they can be very helpful in finding different options for you to explore.
Some of the walking paths have exercise stations set up every 100 yards or so, like chin-up bars or dip and push-ups stations. Take advantage of these if they’re available and do some of the stations in between your walk or run. If there aren’t stations set up along the walking path, make up your own! Every time you stop along the way to savor the view, do a set of bodyweight squats, push-ups, or jumping jacks to engage your muscles and get your heart rate up a bit more.
As we all know, sticking to your healthy eating plan is extremely difficult while traveling. Plan ahead—be prepared with healthy snacks for when you are on the go. Inevitably, most of us will overdo it during a dinner meal or two, especially when trying new restaurants. To counteract some of the damage, drink extra water before, during, and after your big meal. Follow that meal with a walk to help the digestion process.
When you overeat, your body starts sending you signals that it wants you to go relax so it can digest and store all those calories. So, instead of returning to your hotel room and crashing in front of the TV, go for a walk and you change the signals you are sending your body. Now, instead of storing the calories, you are telling your body to burn them up. In addition, you will feel much better afterwards and, most importantly, you will sleep better.
Finding ways to incorporate some exercise into your travel plans is important because it can help you feel energized before a big business meeting or conference. It can help you unwind after a long day of attending a training seminar or talking with clients. Or maybe you just want to feel less guilty as you eat that decadent dessert or tropical drink while vacationing with your friends or family.
In Health,
October 4, 2012
Get in the Game: Baseball Playoff Edition
 The hunt is over and that means it is time for October baseball! Whether you are lucky enough to have your team in the postseason or are simply cheering for the underdog, everyone will be watching as teams battle it out to become World Series champions. Instead of playing a drinking game while you watch like many fans do, why not sweat it out each inning with your favorite players and try a fitness game? Avoid adding empty calories to your day just sitting on the couch drinking beer, and instead work some extra ones off while cheering for more runs!
Here are the rules of the game: Do the listed exercises each time the corresponding event happens—and don't be afraid to come up with your own to add to the list. Start it off slow and follow these rules for just one team during each game of the division series, but by the time the World Series starts, kick it up a notch and do these exercises in both halves of the innings!
- Every time there is a base hit - High Knees x 30 reps
- Every time there's a strikeout - Jump Squats x 10 reps
- Every time a batter gets walked - Walking Lunges x 10 reps (each side)
- Every time a team scores a run - Bicycle Abs x 20 reps
- Every time a batter hits a home run - Burpees x 10 reps (Grand Slam = 50 burpees)
- Whenever there is a pitching change - Russian Twist x 1 minute (waiting for pitching change)
If you keep up with this game during each round of the playoffs, by the time new World Series champs are crowned, you will be in winning shape yourself! Play ball!
In Health,
July 30, 2012
Fitness in Paradise
 My husband and I recently returned from the Greek Islands, where we were vacationing for our honeymoon. Our trip took us from the romantic island of Santorini, to historic and picturesque Crete, to the charming island of Poros. Our favorite thing about the trip? We were enjoying some of the healthiest, most nourishing, and delicious local foods in the entire world!
While relaxation was, of course, a big part of our vacation, we really felt inspired to keep up with our exercise habits. Throughout the two-week stay, we did quite a bit of hiking through hilly areas and walking on the beach but, as two inerTRAIN clients, we wanted to keep up with our inerTRAIN workouts. You didn’t think we’d skip the baklava on this trip, did you?
We simply contacted our trainer before we left and told him that we needed workouts that we could do on the beach. Just because you can’t get to a gym, doesn’t mean you can’t squeeze in fitness here and there. Check out this video to see how easy it was!
Keeping up with our inerTRAIN workouts during our honeymoon allowed us to indulge in all of those Greek delicacies guilt-free while also energizing ourselves for the many hours we spent enjoying a romantic evening in the hotel room. Um…I meant sightseeing.
In Health,
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