Exercise & Workout article by Ben on Wednesday, September 02, 2009 4:20:08 PM EST
I just finished reading an interesting article about adding walking to your long distance running program to not only help reduce your risk of injury and make running a little less grueling on the body, but to also help improve your overall running/racing times. The article is from the NY Times Heath section and describes a training method first introduced by former Olympian Jeff Galloway. Here's is an excerpt from his website:
TRAINING PROGRAMS
Jeff's quest for the injury-free marathon training program led him to develop group training programs in 1978, and to author Runner's World articles which have been used by hundreds of thousands of runners of all abilities. His training schedules have inspired the second wave of marathoners who follow the Galloway run-walk, low mileage, three-day, suggestions to an over 98% success rate.
In his walk/run method of training you take short walking breaks at different scheduled times throughout your run whether it is a 5 mile charity event or a 26 mile marathon. These walking breaks can vary in length and frequency with some people walking for a minute then running for a minute while others may take a short walking break after every mile. These short breaks give your muscles and joints a chance to recover during your run which will help you pace yourself better, recover between runs faster and make your finishes stronger.
This method might sound a bit out there for any die hard runners but it makes a lot of sense. By taking short walking breaks you will decrease the amount of stress on your joints, allow your muscles recovery time and extend your running career for many more years!
General Fitness article by Ben on Monday, August 24, 2009 7:49:56 PM EST
I just got home from a weekend road trip through the Okanagon Valley in British Columbia, Canada. It was absolutely beautiful! We spent a few days driving through the country side and stayed in a couple of little towns along the way. Both of the towns we stayed in were beside lakes so we stayed in nice motels overlooking the lakes in each town. We spent the first night in Osoyoos and went swimming in the lake the following day. It was so spectacular! The water wasn't too cold, the weather wasn't too hot and the water was crystal clear! And there's something about swimming in a lake that is so refreshing!
The Okanagon is also the Napa Valley of Western Canada so we had to stop at a winery while we were up there. I'm not kidding, there were dozens and dozens of vineyards along the highway but we settled for a place a few kilometers off the highway up the side of a mountain called See Ya Later Ranch. The place was really cool and we were able to sit out on the patio overlooking the valley and share a bottle of chilled Unleashed Riesling.
My favorite part of the whole trip though was being able to enjoy and stock up on some great locally grown produce. The Okanagon valley is very warm and perfect for growing cherries, grapes, peppers, tomatoes, pears, apples, apricots and especially peaches. I absolutely LOVE Okanagon peaches! They are the sweetest, juiciest peaches you will ever taste! There's even a town that we drove through on the trip that was named Peachland. It looked like a pretty nice town too!
We also bought some locally grown blueberries and they look so delicious! Blueberries are loaded full of anti-oxidants and I'll definitely be having them with my Kashi cereal in the mornings for the next few days!
Anyways that's by far one of my favorite things about Summer.. fresh locally grown produce! I find myself very fortunate to live in a part of the world where I can have such a wide variety of tasty fruits and vegetables available to me. So if you have a chance before the end of Summer, try to get out there and support your local farmer's market. (man I can't wait till I can sink my teeth into some peaches and cream corn on the cob!)
Diet & Nutrition article by Marlaena on Monday, August 17, 2009 4:37:08 PM EST
Hey Everyone!
I figured there are probably quite a few people out there that are looking for a clean healthy protein bar so I thought I’d let everyone know about my personal favorite - ELEVATE ME! It’s a family run business that makes protein bars that are made with premium protein, organic dried fruits and natural ingredients from the Rocky Mountains of Jasper and Banff, Alberta!
Ingredients: whey protein isolate, dates, organic raisins†, almonds*, apples, cranberries (cranberries, apple juice, sunflower oil), blueberries, goji berries.
This protein bar does it’s best to keep the finished food as close to it’s natural state as possible, with no added colors, flavours or sweeteners. It contains 24% protein, naturally derived carbohydrates and low fat... plus vitamins and minerals.
The Blueberry Cranberry Bogiberry Boost is probably my favorite but there are lots of different ones to choose from… check out the link if you’re interested, you can find them at organic grocery stores, health food stores, drug stores and even Save on Foods…
General Fitness article by Ben on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 10:11:44 AM EST
Have a look at this video link that my client sent me this morning from ABC News (please forgive the commercial at the beginning, it's worth sitting through though). It's about Australian personal trainer Paul James who packed on almost 90 pounds of fat for an independent documentary and to get a better understanding of what it would be like to be as big as his overweight clients.
In just six months, Paul James was able to transform his body from ultra ripped fitness model to overweight, tubby guy with moobies and terrible posture! He had no rules and ate anything and everything he could get his hands on and stuff in his mouth... you can see by the picture above that he was really dedicated to the experiment!
He now battles an addiction to fats and sugars, experiences muscle, joint and lower back pains, has high cholesterol and high blood sugar and is realizing that it is going to be a very long road back to health. What took only 6 months to achieve will take much, much longer to reverse. That is if he's even able to get back into the shape he was in before he went on a six month eating binge! It's going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get his ripped, beached body back!
He claims he has no regrets and can now completely empathize with his heavier clients and the extra obstacles they face by being overweight. I guess now at least he'll never have another client sit there and try to say... "you don't know what it's like man!"
Disclaimer: The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.
