Category: Fitness (Page 4 of 10)

Can You Be Fit and Strong on a Road Trip?

June 25, 2020 / Jill McCauslin / 2 Comments

I’ve had to make a few trips out of town this year and I’m wondering if it’s possible to be fit and strong on a road trip. It’s definitely a challenge,

Eating While Traveling

My trips this year have been road trips. I’ve learned to pack food for the journey because trying to eat on the road is not great. Stopping to eat at a restaurant takes time and choices aren’t great anyway. That leaves eating at a fast food restaurant or grabbing snacks from a gas station. I remember reading Michael Pollan’s Food Rules. One of the rules was don’t buy food where you buy gasoline. There’s a reason for that. Gas stations are now mini restaurants; some have fast food franchises tucked inside the station. It’s challenging to find healthy, unprocessed food in one of these places. You might be able to find an apple and sometimes you’ll see a cup of hummus with a few veggies but there’s not a lot.

So, I pack easy to eat things for in the car. I might bring apples, nuts, a snack or protein bar that I’ve bought at home. (Don’t forget to check out Chris and my sampling of protein bars!) I also make sure to have lots of water in the car with me. I usually fill a couple of my sports bottles and then throw in some extra bought bottles of water. I have run out of water while stuck in a traffic jam and it makes a miserable experience even worse.

I usually start my morning travels with a travel mug of coffee. Finding decent coffee on the road is not always easy. It seems like there are Starbucks and coffee shops everywhere but it turns out not to be true.

Exercising While Traveling

Days filled with long drives are usually days when I don’t hit my step goal with my Fitbit. When I know I’m going to be in the car all day, I try to get in a brisk walk before starting the drive. I’m usually eager to get on the road so that walk is usually a short one.

When I stop for gas or a bathroom break, I try to walk around the gas station or rest area and not take a straight line from the store to my car. I also try to do some stretching exercises at those breaks. I can usually find a step to do some heel drops if nothing else.

The problem with sitting in the car all day is that it’s tiring. It’s amazing how it saps the energy from your body.

Sometimes when I reach my destination, I’m able to get in a good walk. That is energizing for sure. Other times that doesn’t happen and I’ve learned to just accept that it’s not going to happen and I’ll not worry about reaching my goals that day.

Fit and Strong on a Road Trip?

I think it’s not easy to maintain a healthy way of eating and moving while on the road but with some planning, it’s possible to not go too far astray.

Do you have any suggestions? Anything that works well for you? Please share your ideas!

Creating a Home Gym

June 4, 2020 / Jill McCauslin / 3 Comments

Creating a home gym has turned into a bit of a process. My gym closed along with many others this spring so I was left with having to work out at home. I had a treadmill so I knew that would be the centerpiece of any home gym I could come up with.

My condo has a first floor bedroom that I intended to use as a guest room. My treadmill, however, had to be on the first floor because nobody was going to carry it up the stairs to the second floor. It is heavy. Instead, I moved the guest room upstairs. I have so few people who visit me overnight that it’s really not a critical thing for me. I did put a single bed in the room with the treadmill. It didn’t look good but it worked.

Creating a Home Gym

I ended up replacing the carpeting with new flooring so I had to move furniture around. When that happened, I removed the twin bed from what was becoming my home gym and added my bike with the smart trainer. I began to call this space my cardio room.

I found some old weights and my resistance bands and added those to the room. Finally, I found a jump rope and my dumb bells and added those to the room. I also keep my yoga mat here. There is some shelving in the closet and I’m using that for my running accessories. Now I call this my home gym.

As you can notice from the photo, I have a large TV in the room. I can use the TV for my Zwift bike rides, watch videos while on the treadmill, or stream fitness classes and work out to them.

I intend to add some shelving with hooks so I can hang my race medals and put the trophies I’ve won over the years. Probably a couple of inspirational posters would be a good idea too.

This room feels so inviting for working out. Maybe I won’t return to my gym when it reopens. Well, I am missing some strength equipment and I do miss my classes.

On The Ball with Tennis Expert Gyata Stormon – Episode 51

February 11, 2020 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

In episode 51 of the Fit Strong Women Over 50 podcast, Chris and Jill continue to explore the different ways that women over 50 find to be fit and strong. In this episode, we talk with Gyata Stormon, tennis coach, author, and yoga instructor. Gyata is the author of the recently published On the Ball: Doubles Tennis Tactics for Recreational Players.

Currently living in upstate New York, Gyata has lived all over the world. Dealing with health and fitness in different places gives her a unique perspective on how the Becoming Elli community might benefit from tennis and yoga.

Gyata gives us advice on how to begin playing as adults and WHY we should consider starting to play. If you played when you were young or never played at all, Gyata believes we can learn to play tennis and enjoy it. She sees tennis not only as a way to stay fit but to have social connections and mental exercise.

We discuss:

How to stay fit and strong playing tennis
How to avoid injury
The difference between singles and doubles in tennis
Her philosophy on coaching
Gyata’s travels around the world and how this affected her sport
Yoga
Staying motivated
Eating paleo

Gyata shared with us some insights about overcoming breast cancer and mental health issues. She discussed how playing tennis, practicing yoga, modifying her diet, and maintaining healthy relationships keeps her moving forward.

During our conversation, Gyata described some of her favorite “go-to” foods. She talked about nut breads, including cashew bread. She also describes how she makes sprouts.

Links and how to reach Gyata Stormon

website: www.ontheballbook.com

Facebook: Gyata Stormon

Instagram: Gyata Stormon

Email ontheballbook@gmail.com

Amazon: On the Ball

Cashew bread recipe that Chris is going to try
(Note that Jill is hoping to be invited over for a cup of tea and a slice of this bread.)

Winter Weather Workouts

February 8, 2020 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

With the weather we have had in Northeast Ohio this week, 90% of my workouts have been indoors.

But today I’m going to talk about the joys of winter weather workouts because today I witnessed a lot of motivational people this morning when I stopped by the Prediction 5K Run.

It was snowy, icy and cold… about 22 degrees, but yet still around 200 people ran the Prediction 5K outside in an effort to finish their prediction of how long it would take them.

No watches, beepers, or electronic devices to help were allowed.

Some of the folks wore trax on the bottom of their running shoes and everyone had gloves. The course was twice around. Some people found the first loop a bit scary with the ice on the hill, others thought the second loop was tougher.

What amazed me was there was a three way tie for first place… where three different people predicted their finishing times within ONE SECOND for running a snowy icy course of 3.1 miles.

The second place (or is it 4th place) winner, predicted their finish time within 2 seconds.

This is a fun way to have a race where people who train a lot and know their pace probably have the best idea of their finish times. But folks who walk, or jog or normally never think they might win a race have a really good chance to finish as a winner.

The race organizers had awesome prizes – see photo!

The good news, it was not the wintery mix we’ve been having the past few days. I’m really going to be celebrating spring!!

Even the sunflower sculpture outside my gym was cold during the ice storm this week!

If you’re outside clearing your driveway, walking the trails or running the roads, remember to keep your sense of balance. Our podcast about balance featured Jill Rango and I still remember her encouraging us to “Walk like Pengiuns.”

Walking Lady dog at the local community center path.

My dog Lady was thrilled to have two short hikes this week, but my best workouts were doing strength/cardio and abs in a group exercise class.

My left shoulder is almost as strong as my right shoulder after really focusing on it the last 3 months. It’s hard to keep my body balanced, but I know it is the imbalances that tend to cause injuries when I modify my gait or other movement because of a former injury. It’s important for me to strengthen those hurt portions.

How are your workouts going? Leave me a message in the comments below or email chris@becomingelli.com or call 330-970-6662 and leave a voice message.

Making 2020 Commitments

January 4, 2020 / Chris Brown / 5 Comments

I’m starting this year by making 2020 commitments. I guess it is kinda like resolutions, but I’m following Jill’s lead of selecting 3 words for the new year.

Before I jump into 2020, a quick summary of 2019. Last year was okay when it comes to work outs, but not great. The hardest part was no running, but I had made that commitment to myself. Honestly I really miss it and may do a bit of it in 2020, but it won’t be a major focus.

My daily calorie burn in 2019 was an average of 25 calories less than in 2018 (according to my FitBit.) It’s not that I didn’t get enough exercise, I actually spent more active time, it’s just I didn’t run and I did a lot more yoga:

Outside bike-riding: 523 miles (down from usual of over 700 a year)
Walking the dog: 55 miles
Spinning classes: 41
Yoga classes: 38
Strength circuit classes: 21
Kayaking: 3

Moving into Next Year by Making 2020 Commitments

2019 was a very good year but I’m ready to look forward. Here are my 3 focus words for 2020:

Grateful – Focus on gratitude. Count my blessings, hug my loved ones and try to look at the good side of situations. It’s too easy for me to get fixated on what is not going well and ignore the 99% of how lucky I am. While I don’t want to be overly pollyanna-ish (I’m naturally opimistic), I do want to be sure not to miss the good things that come from difficult situations. (A good friend calls them growth opportunities.)

Cue – After re-reading the book on building habits, I’m going to focus on the cue to the habits, more than the actual routine or reward. Set a reminder on my phone to take my vitamins. Put out exercise clothes the night before for the next morning. Make my to-do list at the end of the workday.

Declutter – Let go of the things that are too worn, outdated, I don’t need or don’t bring me joy. Finish the projects I start. Discard or donate the things that I’m no longer interested in. In my mind, this word somehow ties in with letting go of procrastination.

For instance, years ago in my 30’s and 40’s I thought for sure I’d want to be working on quilts. Ha! Funny. Although I did more than 11 or 12 quilts before my kids were born, instead of wanting to curl up on the couch and quilt when I got older – instead I now want to be outside, riding my bike, walking the dog and enjoying the weather. Anyone interested in taking over my quilting stash?

I’m also looking at slight changes in my eating. I started some of this before the new year, but have been watching to see the effects.

Are you making any changes for 2020? Have a 3 word focus? Slight changes or a big move? Let me know how you’re doing by sending an email (chris@becomingelli.com) or leave a voice mail (330-970-6662) or leave a comment below.

Ten Tips for Using Your Treadmill

December 26, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 2 Comments

Whether you use a treadmill at home or if you use one at your gym, it’s good to think about the best ways for using your treadmill. I’ve come up with ten tips for using your treadmill.

I like my treadmill and I like using the treadmill at times at the gym. It’s a great way to get some cardio in. I also like to use the treadmill to work on speed over the winter months. Once summer begins to wind down, I begin to think about the treadmill.

I have had a couple injuries due to falling off a treadmill. It sounds funny to think of someone falling off a treadmill and it’s a common gag video on YouTube. Trust me, it’s not funny if it happens to you. I have a significant scar on my leg from my most recent fall.

Ten Tips for Using Your Treadmill

There are some common sense rules that we should all follow to remain safe while using the treadmill.

Stay alert. You want to be aware of what you’re doing on the treadmill.
No Phones! You need to focus on what you’re doing. If you want to listen to music, use headphones or just play the music. You can set your phone to airplane mode so you’re not distracted by the notification pings. You really don’t want to be looking down at that screen. It’s easy to lose your footing.
Be careful with watching TV while on the treadmill. When I fell off the treadmill, I was watching TV and not really paying attention. I put my foot down on the edge of the belt and flew off the back. It took me several minutes to even be able to get myself up and I was bleeding heavily. I felt lucky not to be more severely injured.
Don’t hold on to the rails. This affects your stride and posture. It also makes what you’re doing easier on your body so you burn fewer calories and don’t reap as much benefit from your workout as you should. Use the rails when you’re getting on and off. If you feel off-balance while walking or running, of course you should use the rails at least until you feel balanced again. If you really feel like you need to use the rails, reduce your speed or your incline. That’s better than holding on.
Do NOT leave a treadmill running and get off it, especially at the gym. People don’t realize that the treadmill is running, get on, and can be seriously injured. It’s also dangerous for you to get back on.
Use the rubber strips to straddle the belt on the treadmill. Start your treadmill at a slow speed and then carefully get on. Get your balance and stride before increasing the speed. Be sure to increase the speed gradually.
If you have small children in the house, unplug the treadmill every time that you finish using it. Treadmills are very dangerous for children. The belts, cords, and motor all present dangers to them.
If you’re worried about using the treadmill at a high speed, don’t forget that you can use the incline button to make your workout more challenging.
Just as you increased speed gradually, decrease the speed to its lowest number before getting off of the treadmill. Again, use the rubber strips to straddle the belt and then turn it off.
Be sure to let yourself cool down before getting off the treadmill. If you jump off right away without letting your heart rate slow down, you’re likely to feel dizzy and faint.

Don’t Forget: Pay Attention

The important thing to remember when using your treadmill is to pay attention. You can vary the speed and incline and you can practice long endurance runs. Your treadmill is a versatile tool but it needs to be treated with respect.

I’d love to hear how you incorporate the treadmill into your fitness routine. Can you think of more than my ten tips for using your treadmill? Feel free to comment here or to send me an email at jill@becomingelli.com.

Keeping My Toes Happy

December 8, 2019 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

I have challenges with my toes. While not nearly as serious as some of my friends, I noticed changes in my toes and feet over the last few years.

My feet are starting to look like my mother’s. I’ve got some bunion action on two different joints. My baby toe and 4th toe now stay in the rolled position on both sides. Toes 2 and 3 are not looking hammered, so that makes me very happy. However, it is big toe, number one, that is starting to give me some grief. They have developed a distinct angle to them, which is not natural.

We have lots of sayings about them too: “Toe the line.” “Going toe to toe.” “From head to toe.” Toes are the foundation. When you have a weak base, it can cause other problems as well. Toes are so important to balance. That’s one of the reasons why I focus on my toes.

I think one thing that really caused the problem was having worn high heels, every weekday, 9-5 at the office, from age 22 until I was 38.

I remember the day I threw away my high heels. I was standing on the second floor of the R&D building at work… in front of the copy machine, xeroxing a memo for the weekly marketing department production schedule. I was in pain. Those stupid shoes were sending shooting pains up and down my calves. The shoes weren’t stupid, but I was for wearing them! That was my last day in high heels at work. I went out and bought some low pumps. Thank goodness or I’d have much worse toe problems today.

Also when I was a kid, I’d pretend to be a ballerina and stand on my tippy tippy toes. No, not the top joint, but actually having the tip of the toe nail touch the floor. Now that I think about that, it was fun balancing, but probably a bad thing to do to my joints. Luckily I usually only did that around Christmas time, inspired by the nutcracker ballet.

So at this stage of my life, I am working with what I’ve got… which is some pre arthritis and maybe some arthritis as well. I am trying to keep my toes happy! I value “comfort” over “cute” when it comes to footwear. And I do preventative and rehab on my toes and feet.

Here’s how I am exercising:

Lots of exercise modifications:

I do a warm up of my toe joints before class.
During class, I try not to get carried away and do something that would jolt the joint.
Burpees, while great for cardio, are a big no-no for my toes. When the group exercise calls for mountain climbers or burpees, anything you have to slam down on your bent toes, I step back and carefully place my feet.
I get down very carefully for push-ups.
Quick pylo lunge jumps are painful so I modify. I get my cardio by changing the movement to something that doesn’t force the toe joint quickly into a bent position.

Go slowly:

Getting into downward dog is something I do very carefully, especially the first few times from certain positions.
Planks are okay if I get into them slowly. I find I have to have more of the “palm” of my foot on the ground than what I expect I should.
I do separate exercises for my feet and toes. I call it my “Toga” (toe yoga, get it?!)

Here are some of the foot and toe exercises I do to help keep movement, maintain good position and reduce pain.

Toga exercises:

Roll the golf ball – I have high arches. It feels really good to me to GENTLY and lightly roll the ball on the planter facia ligament on the arch of my foot.
Hold the golf ball with your fingers on the bottom of your instep. Wiggle the toes. Slowly raise and lower the big toe. Careful placement is the key here.
Widen the space between the toes – put the soft gel sponge that they goes between the toes during a pedicure to separate the toes while applying polish
Interlace your toes with fingers
Zipper up your toes by interlacing your two sets of toes – I usually need lotion to get the toes to move into position.
Toe lifts
Towel scrunches with the toes
Working on the big toe after a workout
Foot massages by using my knuckles to really dig into the fascia

I really try to protect these important joints. Doing stretches, PT type exercises and loosening up tight tendons (very gently) really helps to keep my toes working better. I need to keep my toes happy for darned near everything like standing, walking, going up stairs, running, and once in a while, even jumping.

Do you have trouble with your toes? What do you do to keep them working? Any toe or foot exercise that you do often that really does the trick? I’d love to know new ways to keep my toes happy! Send me a message or leave a comment below. Thanks!

Eating Healthy During the Holidays

November 26, 2019 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

In Episode 46, Jill and Chris discuss the importance of protein for women over 50 from an earlier recording with personal trainer, Brian Kennell. They also discuss the challenges of eating healthy during the holiday season and offer tips.

Limited time, free special bonus: Downloadable food planner and tracker PDF for eating healthy during holiday feasting with 20 tips.

In this podcast we discuss:

Ways of eating healthy during the holidays
How many grams of protein a day women over 50 should eat
Why cutting calories to lose weight and exercising to lose weight at the same time can be a problem.
3 reasons why women over 50 don’t always get enough protein
Strength training to build muscle
Sources of lean protein
Why changes in body composition toward more muscle and less fat are a lot slower than losing just weight on the scale
Thanksgiving food preparation ideas
Getting enough protein and exercise
Gluten free and vegan ideas and options

(Along with eating healthy during the holidays, you may be interested in hearing more from Brian. Here is a link to our earlier podcast with Brian Kennell when he talks about how women over 50 can stay Healthy, Fit and Active.)

CBD Products for Improving Health

November 19, 2019 / Chris Brown / 2 Comments

I’m just not sure about the CBD products that are on the market. I have to say, when it comes to this, I am not an early adopter. As a baby boomer who grew up super straight in the Midwest, I remember being severely cautioned on the effects of marijuana by my parents and watching the scare movie called Reefer Madness.

So now that 33 states have approved the legal status of cannabis (marijuana) for medical purposes and the remaining 17 allow cannabidiol (CBD), maybe I need to rethink my outdated opinions on it. In Ohio you can buy it in many places, right off the shelf, over the counter.

Even my local grocery store is touting the benefits – not only for humans but for dogs.

I understand it’s used for arthritis pain, for anxiety, for sleep, even epilepsy and schizophrenia.

It’s not about getting high, but even so, misconceptions and confusion abound. Some of the results are still unproven, according to an article AARP.

Like all supplements, CBD products aren’t necessarily regulated like pharmaceuticals. The dosage could be higher or lower than what the label says. The National Institute of Health cautions, “Care must be taken when directing patients toward CBD products because there is little regulation, and studies have found inaccurate labeling of CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol quantities.

Some people report side effects, but others say it really works well for them. In a 2019 survey by Consumer Reports, 15% of people over 60 have tried it and in the general population, 3/4 said it worked at least moderately well with 48% reporting it was very or extremely effective.

Some of the women over 50 who blog about their workouts have talked about it, like Wendy when she reviewed the book, “The Athletes Guide to CBD“.

Have you tried it? Why did you use it? Does it work? How do you use it, by rubbing the oil into your joints? (I’m referring to aching joints and ligaments.)

Road Trip Challenges – Healthy Eating and Exercise

October 26, 2019 / Chris Brown / 1 Comment

Last weekend I went on a getaway trip with my husband to enjoy the beautiful fall season in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Viewing the red, yellow autumn leaves, spending time together while driving along the beautiful Pennsylvania countryside was refreshing for the spirit.

We both enjoy genealogy and tracing our family tree, so we spent quite a bit of time wandering around in small town and countryside cemeteries researching our ancestors and looking for clues.

Many of the stones in the cemeteries were from the 1800’s and were weather worn. It was difficult to read the inscriptions in some of the grave markers. I find that checking out the cemeteries is harder emotionally than just looking stuff up online in the census, birth and marriage records.

Sun shining on the leaves provided a cheerful alternative and gave balance to the seriousness of walking around in the graveyards.

The biggest challenge for me during the trip with car traveling is trying to eat healthy. Junk food abounds when you are riding on the turnpike. Here are some of my challenges and how I tried to overcome them.

Healthy Food
Car trips usually start out with the food we’ve packed. Fruit travels pretty well, but I always underestimate by bringing only a few items. Note to self – pack more good snacks in the little travel cooler next time. After the hours and miles added up, it was time for a break.

Turnpike service plazas are very convenient for taking a short walking break, restroom stop and a quick snack. Convenience is the main thing. You don’t have to get off the turnpike and then drive all over the country side to find a gas station or something that will work. Plenty of well marked parking. The bathrooms are clean and plentiful.

The big challenge is finding healthy food!

So often those stops include many choices, but they are all questionable. Most everything is deep fried, or covered in cheese, filled with sugar or in a bag with a giant list of unpronounceable ingredients.

The food court: Starbucks, Popeyes, Burger King, Hershey’s, Famili Pizza. Each choice had the same thing in common – saturated fat, lots of sugar, no vegetables. Thinking back to my Weight Watcher days, I calculated some of the points as more than one day’s worth in a single serving. Getting my veggies was a super challenge here! A few mushrooms and some green pepper slices on a pizza was the closest thing to a vegetable… and that didn’t even contain enough to count as a full serving of one vegetable.

Three good choices:

We opted to go to the convenience store section of the plaza and buy almonds, apple, banana and orange. Fruit and protein snacks worked, but still, I was missing my vegetables.
I brought my own water bottles for the whole trip, because I knew it would be pricey and maybe not available when I needed it.
Near our hotel over the weekend we found a Panera where they had their fall food menu. I enjoyed the butternut squash soup and a warm grain bowl of veggies, brown rice and quinoa. I forgot how much I like their pumpkin spice soup.The grain bowls are new to me, but reminded me of a Cobb salad but substituting rice and quinoa instead of croutons and bacon. Also no iceberg lettuce either, just a little bit of arugula. I had the Mediterranean Warm Grain bowl.

Walking
Hours in the car helps you get to the places you want to see. The downside of many miles in the car is stiff knees, creaky back and that mind-numbing feeling of still moving when you are actually stopped. Getting out of the car for doing short hike or walk breaks made the trip fun and kept my joints happy. We reminisced about all the trips we did in our 20’s from Rhode Island to Ohio and back in a weekend.

Having my FitBit tracker reminded me that I never got my 10,000 steps on either day of the trip, but reaching three-quarters of my goal wasn’t bad, considering all the miles in the car. Each hour the FitBit reminded me with a little buzz on my wrist that I didn’t get enough steps while I was sitting in the car.

I can’t say that this was a weekend of exercise or of healthy eating, but I did enjoy spending time with my husband seeing the beautiful fall leaves and doing a shared hobby.

How do you exercise and eat healthy during a weekend road trip? Share your suggestions with me a Chris@becomingelli.com, on our Becoming Elli voice mail 330-970-6662 or leave a comment below.