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Women, Do You Have a Story to Tell?

Published at September 5, 2008 in this just in. Closed

“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere. ~Frank A. Clark”

Something to share? Specifically, how exercise got you through a hard time (divorce, death, illness, surgery), how it kept you going, or changed you for the better?

If so, I’d like to hear from you.

I am putting together an e-book to be distributed free on the web (so obviously there is no compensation). My desire is to provide other women with hope, inspiration and motivation, and realize that they are not alone in their struggles. You can use your own name or write anonymously.

If interested, please send me an e-mail.

See my personal essay, or read Tammy’s personal account for inspiration. I will also publish a select few of your stories on this blog under the “In Your Words” section.

If you don’t want to contribute, but would like a free copy of the e-book, e-mail me. I will never share your e-mail address…it stays in my (weight-trained) calloused little hands.

~Helen

A Food Journal is Key to Weight Loss Success

Published at August 31, 2008 in this just in. 0 Comments

What Do You Really Put in Your Mouth?

(written for suite101.com)

Recording what you actually eat vs. what you think you eat can be a valuable tool in the struggle with weight loss.

It’s a common phrase among people who start writing down what they eat: “No wonder I’m not losing weight.”

They discover they may not be eating enough. They discover they may be eating too much. They discover they are just eating the wrong things.

How do you stack up? Do you know if you are eating the right amounts and types? Knowledge is power, and in this case it’s a simple fix: start keeping a food journal.

It may seem boring and it may feel tedious, but keeping a record of what you eat can make the difference between weight loss failure or success.

(continue reading at suite101.com)

Teaching Spinning®: The Human Element

Published at August 15, 2008 in motivation and tips. 0 Comments

(written for Mad Dogg Athletics)

I cried that day—all the way up the side of the mountain.

I walked, pushed my bike, stopped and cried some more. Yet, I continued to press onward. It was a sight: a small, tough and usually cheerful Spinning® instructor now sobbing her way up 12 miles of mountain.

When I finally reached the top, my fellow Spinning instructors (the “real” cyclists who rode with me that day) swore they would never tell a soul of my miserable trek. But I decided to share with my students how I had cracked, to show that there was an actual human being behind the Spinning machine I had become.

(Continue reading at spinning.com)

Aquatic Exercise: Getting Fit in the Pool

Published at July 15, 2008 in tips. 0 Comments

(written for LAs the Place.com)

Now that temperatures are soaring, exercise may be the last thing on your mind. That hot, sticky feeling is often a great workout de-motivator.

However, we have an opportunity to turn this de-motivator into a motivator: exercising in the pool. Using water as a way to get in shape is both effective and fun. No longer associated only with seniors, aquatic fitness allows us work our bodies hard, yet stay cool and comfortable.

Athletes, housewives, rehabilitation patients and even children are catching this next wave in fitness, and a wide variety of workout options are now available.

(continue reading at LAs the Place)

5 Effective Tips for Weight Loss

Published at July 5, 2008 in motivation and tips. 0 Comments

(written for Suite101.com)

Weight loss is a challenge. But here are a few simple tricks that will help you on your road to weight loss success. They are simple, free and most of all - painless.

(continue reading at Suite101.com)

Russian Kettlebells: My Butt and Thighs are So Sore

Published at May 27, 2008 in this just in. 0 Comments

BUT I LIKE IT

When a personal trainer says she is sore, that’s either a good thing or a bad thing.

In this case, it’s a good thing.

I am testing Russian kettlebells. From my article on building a home-based gym, “Kettlebells provide a thorough, whole-body workout that incorporates strength, endurance and flexibility. The kettlebells’ off-centered weight forces you to use more stabilizer muscles with each move, thus involving many muscles simultaneously. Your core stays active and your body’s muscles learn to work smoothly as one unit.”

Uhm. Yes. And my butt and legs, more specifically hamstrings, are very sore.

The kettlebell professionals at Iron Core in San Diego, California, sent me a kettlebell to experiment with. After very casually playing around with it for two weeks I started yesterday on a six week training program to see how effective kettlebells are in shaping my body. Cardiovascularly I am very strong. However, I am discovering that even as a personal trainer and Spinning instructor there are muscles I apparently miss when I hit the weight room or ride.

I will write a complete review for my LA’s the Place fitness column (with a link from here and my plentyofwords site), with thoughts and progress notes, in about six weeks. Until then, I walk like a rodeo rider.

A Woman Says, “I Love My Thighs”

Published at April 12, 2008 in motivation and brain food. 2 Comments

(written for One More Set - a health and fitness blog)

Yes, that’s correct. You actually heard a woman say that she loves her thighs.

My thighs are not particularly attractive: They are neither long nor thin nor tan. In fact, they are kind of short, bulky and pale. So why do I love them?

Continue reading ‘A Woman Says, “I Love My Thighs”’

Homegrown Muscle: Building a Home-Based Gym

Published at April 6, 2008 in tips. 0 Comments

(written for lastheplace.com)

If sweating and grunting in a room full of strangers is not for you, do not fret. An effective workout can be had inexpensively in the privacy of your own home or office. All you need are a few basics and some creativity.

Continue reading at www.lastheplace.com

My Apologies

Published at April 6, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

…to anyone who visited this site in the last couple of days. Apparently a drug distribution company hacked my site and placed links to their products under my blogroll. I am definitely NOT an endorser of any pharmaceutical products or companies. In fact, I consider myself the “anti-drug.” I have fixed the security glitch. I apologize again.

Helen

Spinning: Up Close and Personal

Published at March 20, 2008 in this just in. 1 Comment

(Written for CitiHealth Publications)

I remember my first Spinning® class vividly. With 50 pounds left to lose, an out of shape body and baggy black sweat pants, I wore my insecurity like a badge. As I hesitantly got onto the Spin bike the instructor walked in - and I froze. Taking one look at his very lean frame, I thought, “Uh oh. I’m in trouble.”
Continue reading ‘Spinning: Up Close and Personal’

Aquatic Fitness – Not Your Grandmother’s Water Aerobics Class

Published at February 29, 2008 in this just in. 0 Comments

Training in water brings fitness to a new level

(Written for CitiHealth Publications)

Nancy and Bob Dubay of Temecula are very fit. The couple strength trains, walks, golfs and performs regular cardiovascular exercise. So when they signed up for private aquatic training last summer both were unsure of what to expect. They were pleasantly surprised

“It’s a good workout,” says Nancy Dubay. “The intervals were hard and got my heart rate up. But I felt refreshed after – full of energy.”

“I was very pleased with how easy it was on my body, while still being challenging,” adds Bob Dubay. “I wanted to try working out in the water because my back was bothering me from other forms of exercise. My heart rate was elevated, my legs and core definitely felt it. And core strength is important for back health.”

Continue reading ‘Aquatic Fitness – Not Your Grandmother’s Water Aerobics Class’

How Spinning® Saved My Life

Published at February 15, 2008 in motivation and brain food. 2 Comments

(by Helen Ryan. Written for LA’s the Place)

Most things I know about life I learned in Spin class.

It’s true.

The stationary bike has been my teacher, and I have spent hundreds of hours learning from it.

Four years ago when I saw my first Spin bike it seemed like…just a bike. Made of cold metal with an unwelcoming seat, it did not look very comfortable. I felt physically awkward: I was very overweight and out of shape in a room full of really fit people. I wanted to leave, to run as fast and far as I could, but did not want to be seen as chickening out.

The first half hour was hell. My behind was numb, my legs were shaky and my heart was pounding. But then I felt something inside. A little spark that ignited a part of me…a part I thought was long gone. That spark re-ignited my pilot light and eventually changed - and saved - my life.

Continue reading at LA’s the Place…

Boot Camp is Here to Stay

Published at January 23, 2008 in this just in. 0 Comments

The boot camp concept is here to stay. People are interested in functional fitness (i.e. exercises that help you do more in your daily life rather than just moving isolated parts).

So take a peek at our new Temecula boot camp FitCAMP web site (and our demo video) at myfitcamp.com. My partner in crime, Teri (the blond one) and I hope you enjoy it. And if you are ever in Temecula, come join us!

11 Ways to Fit Exercise into Your Life

Published at December 28, 2007 in tips. 0 Comments

(Written for CitiHealth Publications)

Every January begins the same: You vow to eat better, exercise and become healthier and fitter. A few months later you read an article on “bikini bodies by June” and wonder, “What happened to those vows?”

You are not alone. 60 percent of people drop their fitness resolutions within six months of making them. This year, be one of the 40 percent who succeeds. With these 11 steps, it’s easier than you imagine.

Continue reading ‘11 Ways to Fit Exercise into Your Life’

8 Easy Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

Published at October 3, 2007 in tips. 0 Comments

(by Helen Ryan. written for LA’s the Place)

Not much happening in the metabolism department? Need a change to get things going? Here are eight (nearly) painless ways to stoke your metabolic fire.

Continue reading at LA’s the Place….

Question: Motivation

Published at August 25, 2007 in motivation. 13 Comments

How do you stay motivated to exercise? How do you get out and run when you don’t want to? What makes you get on your bike when you are tired? Share your tips and thoughts.

The “A-Ha” Moment

Published at August 24, 2007 in motivation. 3 Comments

Air under my feet. Levitating. Higher. Higher still. Faster. Sweat pouring. The sound of my own raspy breath filling my ears. Heart pounding, thighs screaming. Tears welling up in my eyes, easily mistaken for sweat. Not tears of pain. Or agony. Or defeat. But joy. Joy tinged with sadness.

At my “a-ha moment.” The moment I realized who I had become – who I had changed myself back into – how hard I had worked – and what I had lost in the process. I was now someone strong and capable, physically and mentally fit. I was there, in the moment, with 200 other fitness professionals, sweating, breathing and moving. I had fought for this. Hard. Gained a lot and lost even more. But I had triumphed. I was there and I was doing it. All my hard work and all that I lost, both physically and personally, wrapped up into the one moment. I sweated. And then I cried.

Continue reading ‘The “A-Ha” Moment’

The Squeeze that Broke the Dam

Published at August 9, 2007 in brain food. 10 Comments

We were not very close, my father and I. Sure we were cordial. Polite. Even friendly. But consistently superficial – shallow, even. Always joking, always laughing, but never really talking. Communication was neither of our strong points. We were the comedians – the happy makers – the King and Princess of rose-colored glasses. So that day in the doctor’s office was no different. Until the squeeze. The squeeze that finally broke the dam.

Continue reading ‘The Squeeze that Broke the Dam’

Nintendo Wii - Fitness Friend or Foe?

Published at August 5, 2007 in kids' fitness. 8 Comments

We have video game systems in my house. A lot of them. Playstation 2, GameCube, Nintendo DS. So it was a hard sell to get me to purchase yet an additional system - the Nintendo Wii. I didn’t want another reason for my kids to sit around. According to the American Obesity Society, 30% of American children are overweight and 15% of American children are actually obese, with the numbers steadily rising. Lack of exercise is a contributing factor. And yes - the personal trainer’s children hate to exercise.

So..to Wii or not to Wii? That was the question.

Continue reading ‘Nintendo Wii - Fitness Friend or Foe?’

What Happened to My Waist?

Published at July 31, 2007 in tips. 0 Comments

Fitness Over 40
(by Helen Ryan. written for lastheplace.com)

You exercise sporadically. You eat about the same as you always have. Then one day you can’t button your pants. What gives?

Hormonal changes and loss of lean body mass (muscle) contribute to this waist creep - the expansion of our waistlines we tend to experience as we approach, and pass, our 40s.

On average, women lose five pounds of muscle per decade after 18 years of age. If we continue to eat as we did when we were younger, the issue of calories in versus calories out comes strongly into play. But keeping the creep at bay is easier than you think.

Continue reading ‘What Happened to My Waist?’

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Women, Do You Have a Story to Tell?

A Food Journal is Key to Weight Loss Success

Teaching Spinning®: The Human Element

Aquatic Exercise: Getting Fit in the Pool

5 Effective Tips for Weight Loss

Russian Kettlebells: My Butt and Thighs are So Sore

A Woman Says, “I Love My Thighs”

Homegrown Muscle: Building a Home-Based Gym

My Apologies

Spinning: Up Close and Personal

Aquatic Fitness – Not Your Grandmother’s Water Aerobics Class

How Spinning® Saved My Life

Boot Camp is Here to Stay

11 Ways to Fit Exercise into Your Life

8 Easy Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

Question: Motivation

The “A-Ha” Moment

The Squeeze that Broke the Dam

Nintendo Wii - Fitness Friend or Foe?

What Happened to My Waist?

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