Fit vs Skinny

Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. How many of you have seen this meme, or a version of it? And there are several different versions of it. Some better, some worse. 

It makes me so mad when I see it. It sends all the wrong messages.

 1) It is so important to eat properly. Without proper nutrition, your body can't function properly. You're setting yourself up for a poor immune system, broken bones, hair and nail issues. Not eating leads to muscle weakness, not just in your arms and legs, but all muscles, including your heart and all internal organs. This weakness can lead to death. 

By stating that "Nothing tastes as good", it implies that a person shouldn't eat. It encourages eating disorders instead of healthy eating. According to National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, up to 24 million people in America have an eating disorder. Seeing "motivational" memes like the first 5 is mentally and emotionally devastating to them. 

2) The ultimate goal shouldn't be "skinny". These memes send the message that the only goal should be thinness. Muscle mass isn't skinny. Fit isn't skinny. If you have a bony collar and shoulder, you don't have a lot of muscle tone in your shoulders and chest. 

Muscles are important for movement and support. Our muscular system actually helps us move and breathe, and digest food, and move the blood through our bodies. Muscles are necessary. Strong muscles aren't something to be ashamed of. 

Resistance training won't cause you to bulk up, It'll actually cause you to build muscle mass. Remember, muscle is denser than fat. This means that it takes up less space than fat. Muscle also burns more calories than fat. That means that if you eat right, and workout regularly, you will build muscle and tone up. This should be the ultimate goal.

It's important that we start sharing motivational memes that encourage healthy eating and exercise. We need to STOP spreading memes and pictures that are devastating to the minds of our society. 

Our society already puts so much pressure on young girls to have the "perfect body". I beg of you, please help encourage all of our friends and family members to be healthy.  Healthy is good. Healthy is strong. Healthy eats properly. No more starving, no more eating disorders. 

Just one last thought:

Eating right and actually being fit! That's what I'm talking about. A truly motivational meme!!!

Yoga...ahhhhh

I haven't been on my treadmill in almost 2 weeks. Yes, you read that right, 2 weeks. And the little cardio lover in me misses it terribly. Don't worry, I'll be back on her this Sunday. I was just taking a quick break to get my yoga instruction certification.

That's right, folks, I am officially certified to teach one on one and small group yoga. I have always done yoga after my runs to help stretch my tight and tired muscles. So, I figured why not get certified in it. I completely agree with the mind-body connections that are stressed through yoga. The centering ones thoughts and focusing on our own inner strength.

What I haven't done, is full length, one hour classes...that is until now. And holy crap, that stuff is hard!!! I sweat more while doing yoga than when I run. My muscles ached so much more after doing a yoga session than when I focused on resistance training for the day. It was mind blowing!!! I am officially hooked. This ain't your mama's yoga people. This is hard core, make you sweat and hurt yoga. It is amazing!!! I can complete a session of Insanity with barely a shaky muscle, but I struggled to complete these yoga sessions. WOW!!! I now know what I am doing on my non-running days.

But what about cardio training?

I wore my heart rate monitor while doing these classes. Not only was I sweating like crazy, but my heart rate was in the working zone pretty much the entire time! I didn't know that was possible "just stretching".  Speaking of stretching, I am so much more flexible now than I was just 2 weeks ago. This stuff works, it really works. And at the end, you relax, and reflect, on yourself and how YOU feel.

Namaste, everyone.

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year, everyone!!! I hope that you're all having a great start to your new year. We here in my household are. 

I know that it's winter and, at least here, dangerously cold outside, but that doesn't mean that you should forgo you workout. 

Bring your workout indoors!!! I know it is really hard to stay motivated when you have to put on about a million layers just to go outside. So workout inside. If you want, you can invest in some hardcore workout dvd's that promise crazy results in as little as 30 minutes a day if you workout 6 days a week and eat only foods off the approved diet guide. 

But isn't it depressing enough that you can't go outside and enjoy life? 

I think that best way to combat the winter blues is to put on some really fun, upbeat music and have a dance party in your living room. You can follow choreographed workouts, which are a lot of fun, get some dance party/workout games for your gaming system and dance it out while trying to get a high score, or just crank that cd up and dance however feels right. All of these are great ways to burn calories and put a smile on your face. And if you're an "adult" like me that owns their own furniture, you can even add some difficulty to your dancing by dancing on the couch!!! Seriously, I do this all the time. I tend to hop on the couch and dance around, the springiness of the couch adds a lot of difficulty, imagine walking on sand, but it's still fun. After a good 20 or 30 minute dance party, you'll be dripping with sweat and smiling from ear to ear. 

Take that Winter!!!