April 3, 2013

Client of the Month, Alan Hagstrom

This month I want to honor Alan Hagstrom.  After beating cancer and recovering from a bout of the shingles, Alan took a hold of life and is making huge improvements weekly.  He decided to start tracking his food habits at the first of the year and learn what they are.  Alan began reading about processed foods and refined sugars and their effects on his body.  He lowered his overall sugar intake, increased his protein and veggies and works to consistently eat within his recommended calorie allowance.

Besides that, Alan is walking weekly with another Stronger U client, building social support into his routine.  He’s visiting his local fitness center three times a week and increasing the distance he walks or bikes.  He’s also gaining strength and balance in his workouts with me.  In the last month alone, Alan has dropped 3lbs, 1.5% body fat, and 5 inches throughout his body (since he began training in 2010, he’s dropped 11 inches throughout his body!).

Alan says that what drove his current motivation were his health recovery and a desire to optimize his ability to enjoy life in the future.  Additionally, he wishes to build on a “burgeoning new consciousness” of what it takes to feed and exercise his body correctly.  Here’s what Alan has to say about his first quarter experience with our Cruise White Bear Lake contest:

“Thanks to Kristi and her focused good counsel, the Cruise White Bear Lake has turned out to be one of the best events I have ever taken on. Kristi has led me on a strengthening exercise program each week specifically designed for my personal situation, age, treatment recovery status, and general health. For exercise outside the sessions, while I am not jogging due to foot conditions long beyond my current control, I have been able to do plenty of walking with fellow Stronger U Fitness client Alan Wyman, with a neighborhood walking group, or on my own. Also, thanks to the availability of a fitness center for the town home association to which I belong, I have accomplished some treadmill walking and cycling indoors while waiting for the outdoors to be decent for regular walking and cycling.  Walking with Alan Wyman has included discoveries of indoor areas for walking at the coliseum in the state fairgrounds and in the fascinating St. Paul Skyway system. That made the Cruise especially fun this time.

Perhaps the most educational and life changing aspect of this particular race, however, has been the nutrition discoveries online with Lose It!  Keeping track of what I eat each day has made a significant difference in my perception of good eating and finding ways to get to my goal of healthy eating and weight loss. Kristi again has been key to this process, analyzing with me my daily and weekly patterns, helping me set achievable goals and encouraging me along the way. For the first time in years I am close to the weight that both feels good and looks right. Having lost about ten pounds in the first quarter of this year, I am on track to be where I want to be.”

Congratulations, Alan!  Your zest for personal growth is inspiring!

Filed Under: Client of the Month Tagged: ,
April 1, 2013

What Constitutes Exercise?

I get questions all the time on whether one thing or another would be considered exercise.  It’s easy to think that exercise must be an all out effort, sweaty and breathy, where you feel you’ll fall over before you finish.  This mindset fails for a few reasons:

  • It isn’t fun–If you feel like you have to go until you drop, you probably won’t be inspired to exercise often.
  • It’s stressful–Always training at the highest possible intensities becomes catabolic.  It actually can break your body down.  High intensities can help boost your metabolism, but these can be achieved in the equivalent of 5-8 ’100 yard’ dashes.  Too much intensity for too long can have reverse effects on your body.
  • It’s harder to plan for–Intense workouts should be specific and efficient (think of the circuit training we do in the studio).  Feeling the need to set multiple hours per week aside to work and work can be difficult.

So what can you do if you want to get in the recommended exercise amount each week without feeling overwhelmed or breaking down your body?  *Recommended exercise is a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise for basic cardiovascular health; 300 minutes per week for greater weight loss or body composition results.

Use a Rating of Perceived Exertion scale (or heart rate monitor) to help you identify the amount of work you’re doing through your daily activities.  On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the lowest movement and 10 being the most intense, consider “3-4″ moderate intensity, “6-7″ vigorous intensity and “9-10″ all out effort.  At “3-4″ you should notice that your breathing is more rapid, but not at all labored.  At “5-6″ it should be difficult to hold a conversation.  At “9-10″ you will experience very labored breathing.

Your goal?  Turn your daily activities up a notch, so that they count at a “3-4″ on the RPE scale.  The more you’re moving moderately, the higher your daily metabolism will be.  Do activities that you enjoy and don’t feel like “real” workouts.  Schedule specific training times through the week  (more weight training and some cardio) where you can commit to keeping between a “5-7″ on the RPE scale.  These will cycle in intervals, from “3″, to “5″, down to “3″ again and up to “7″.  These intervals are great for your cardiovascular health and your metabolism!  With healthy nutrition and increased time of daily activity, you can achieve a great body composition using 2-3 very targeted (30 minute sessions) a week that cycle this way.  An RPE of “9-10″ should be used by a well-trained, healthy individual, in very short bursts (again, we’re thinking of quick sprints with all out force; these aren’t sustainable levels of intensity).

Try out the RPE scale this week as you go about your daily activities.  If you’re down at a “1″, ask yourself how you can move up to a “3″.  Find more and more natural ways to move in your every day life and you won’t feel as if you’re having to schedule in hours of tough training.  If you’re already doing hours of exercise, ask yourself if you’re moving smartly–instead of staying at a “7-8″ for 30-60 minutes multiple days per week, try cycling into intervals.  Do 2-3 minutes at a “3″ then one minute at a “7″.

*As a note, do remember that doing something that feels like a “3-4″ for several weeks will adapt your body, so that it is more a “1-2″.  This is where it’s easy to cheat ourselves.  Remember exercise is relative to your current conditioning.  If you are sedentary, ill, out-of-practice, a full day of house cleaning is exercise.  If you’re moving regularly and always keeping your home in order, cleaning is a daily activity (unless you up the intensity).  Always be fair to yourself, move as often as possible and love on your body!

For more information, feel free to ask me directly how to cycle intervals and whether training in the highest intensities are recommended for you.  For an RPE chart that you can keep beside you while training on your own, click here.

Filed Under: Mindset
March 11, 2013

New Pilates Class!

Start your week with an early morning Pilates class to help you feel stretched, strengthened, focused, and rejuvenated.  Pilates exercises are designed to correct muscle imbalances, strengthen the core, and lengthen the body from head to toe.  Take care of yourself and have fun while building this healthful habit into your weekly routine.   Classes, taught by Emily Stevenson, are offered on Sunday mornings from 7:00-8:00a.

Classes are Drop-in Rate, $10/student

Emily has been teaching Pilates,Yoga, and other types of fitness classes for the last 10 years.  Certifications include Mat and Reformer through Stott Pilates, NASM Certified Group Trainer, YogaFit, and is an American Heart Association BLS trainer. In addition Emily has a master’s degree in Psychotherapy and works as a mental health counselor and Psychology instructor.  She believes that a healthy mind must accompany a healthy body and strives to blend her passions to help individuals improve their overall psychological and physical wellness.  She is grateful for the opportunity to help people achieve their goals and to be a part of their self-enhancing experience.

Interested?  Call or email Emily:  612-743-5889 // fitlifepilates@aol.com

Filed Under: Activities Tagged: , , ,
February 11, 2013

Vacation Training

Spring Break is coming soon. That means travel time for many families. Even though you are on the road, that is not a reason to give up on workouts. You can do fairly comprehensive workouts with just a few items packed in your bag. Remember those colorful rubber fitness bands hanging on hooks at the studio? They are not very expensive, they are lightweight, and they pack very easily. I have brought mine along on a number of trips.

Those bands can be used for a wide variety of exercises and I can attest to the fact that you can burn calories using the bands. Kristi can show you how to make good use of them before a trip.

On my most recent trip I also brought along a strap similar to the TRX in the studio. That is harder to use as you must have a sturdy mounting place for it. The top of a door works, but make sure the door swings away from you and it is not too soft. I left a couple of minor marks in the top of one door. It is also heavier and may only find a place at home or on driving trips.

For the most complete and effective workout, bring along a laptop with Skype installed on it. I keep up with my scheduled workouts with Kristi while traveling that way. We can see each other so she can demonstrate an exercise and she can monitor to make sure you have your shoulders back or your feet wide enough or whatever else will make the exercise work.

In the photos you can see that I brought along a yoga mat and that helps when you don’t otherwise want to get down on that hotel room carpet or have a lanai with a rough floor like in my photo.

During the workout, I a reposition the camera on the laptop to make sure that Kristi can see when I do it right.

The small inset that Skype provides helps to show me what Kristi is seeing on the other end. Sometimes, that other end is a little blurry but it shows enough detail to work well.

So, next time you are going to be away on vacation or a business trip, don’t forget that there are ways to keep in shape on the road and we are in a connected world. A world that allows us to take our trainer with us.

p.s. For those in the Cruise White Bear Lake Challenge, the time using Skype counts as in the studio time. For the double points, do the workout on your own.

Filed Under: Staying Strong Tagged: , , , ,
February 1, 2013

Client of the Month, Melinda Lopes

Melinda is a woman who can set her mind to something, plan out her schedule accordingly and stick with it for the long haul.  After a yearly checkup in the Fall that revealed high cholesterol, she decided she was ready to increase her cardiovascular health and lower her body weight and body fat.

Melinda began coming into the studio on her own time through the week to exercise on the treadmill and bike, as well as complete extra stretching.  She also started logging her food regularly enough to understand her personal habits and make appropriate changes.  She says that helped her gain a lot of awareness and make healthier choices, especially regarding wine.  Not realizing the slower digestion of food that occurs when consuming alcohol, or considering the amount of calories that added to her total day, Melinda hadn’t taken wine into account.

Holding to these goals for the last four months, Melinda has made serious improvements.  Down 17 pounds on the scale, she’s lost 5.5% body fat and 13.5 inches throughout her body.  Her overall strength and biomechanical control have progressed as she’s increased her movement and flexibility.  Melinda has taken opportunities to engage in sports with her kids and enjoys fitting into a size “small” pant!  She’s even experiencing medical improvements as lymphatic fluid drains better.

She says she had to make the decision to come to the studio while she was out running around because if she was at home she wouldn’t be exercising.  I know the big commitment it has been for Melinda to fit her goals into her busy daily schedule and I applaud her determination and success!

Congratulations, Melinda!

Filed Under: Client of the Month Tagged: ,
January 4, 2013

Client of the Month, Alan Wyman

Congratulations to Alan Wyman, client of the month!  Alan made it through the holidays leaner than he was at the beginning of December.

Alan was sick at the beginning of our 4th quarter contest in October–that kind of “can’t get out of bed” sick that didn’t afford him a way to join into the contest.  He found a few ways to set goals and move himself forward the second week, then started rallying the third and fourth weeks.  Alan was able to finish the contest in 3rd place!

Alan became serious keeping his calories down, drank tons of water daily, started doing cardio and resistance training at home on his own, and started walking with a partner.  He got a hold of actionable steps he could implement each day that help him to reach his bigger goals.  I can’t say enough how excited I’ve been for Alan every time he jumps on the scale and sees it go down!

In the last three months of 2012, Alan lost 12 pounds of fat, 4% body fat, dropped 9 pounds on the scale and over 6 inches throughout his body.  Super, super work, Alan!

If you want to make a simple commitment to yourself that will help you mark your progress easily, grab that pair of jeans or button-down shirt that is just a bit too snug.  Take a beginning picture now (or at the start of our contest), then retake a picture once every 4 weeks.  It will give you a lot of incentive and also be a marker other than the scale or mirror (which might not tell you the whole truth).  Get those too tight clothes out and resolve to get into them in the next 12 weeks!

Filed Under: Client of the Month Tagged: ,
January 4, 2013

Cruise White Bear Lake 2013

 

Win $300.00!

 
It’s the beginning of another year — that time when we all want to focus on getting healthy after another holiday season. We’ll be using the same game board style challenge that we used in our fourth quarter contest to kick off 2013. So, get yourself back on a routine, think through your goals for the next couple of months, pick your game piece and get on the board!

Goals

Create a lifestyle! Make physical activity a conscious daily event, choose fresh foods and eat consistently within your calorie window, support and gain support from a like-minded community, remain creatively inspired, gain balance and forward progression.

Move your game piece!

This game will be relative to your lifestyle! Healthy lifestyle choices will allow you to travel forward on our ten mile route. Stagnating will keep your game piece in place or even move it backward. Remember, healthy breaks are necessary but too long and you will see negative effects.

Build in a break!

Take one week per person of “down time” without losing ground during the ten week contest. You must inform us of your break one week in advance.


Rules

  • Runs January 21st through March 31st. Sign up by January 16th.
  • Current Clients play for free. Non-clients pay $50 to play.
  • Choose a game piece to move around the lake.
  • Turn in your records every Monday.
  • Remember how much you gain from community support and planning activities together. It keeps you working toward your goals, makes it more difficult to slide backwards, helps you see other people going through the same things you are and just plain builds a healthy community around you. Many of you have noted how helpful this is—so reach out to each other!
  • Every 250 points will move your game piece ahead ¼ mile. Bonus moves can give you automatic ¼ or ½ mile advances. You can also lose ground and fall behind.
  • Points will not rollover week to week, so aim for increments of 250.
  • To receive points for supporting other players, please copy me on your emails. Supporting other contestants will help all of you to win!


Prizes

Every time you cruise 2.5 miles through the Stronger U route you will have your name entered into our raffle. At the end of the contest, we will draw for a $300 gift card to Amazon. Complete the full ten miles around the lake and receive a free training session!’

Clue: Doing the minimum of 30 minutes of exercise each day, meeting calorie goals just one day per week, choosing a couple of the listed food goals, plus asking for help and helping one team per week will advance you 3/4 of a mile every week. We know that you can do even better! Prove it!!

ACTIVITIES POINTS
Set and meet 2-Week Goal 100
Set and meet 4-Week Goal 200
Set and meet 10- Week Goal 500
Session at Stronger U 1pt/min
Exercising outside of the studio 2pt/min
Eat 5 fruits/veggies for at least 4 days/week 75
Drink at least 60 ounces of water 5 days/week 75
Eat at least 120g of protein a day 4 days/week 100
Eat under 2500 calories of junk food for the week 150
Eat inside 150 calories of your window 100/day
Share a picture of your exercise or healthy food 50
Share a video of your exercise or healthy food 75
Encourage a contestant (up to 2x/wk/contestant) 50
Ask a contestant for help reaching a specific goal. 75
Help a contestant reach a goal (up to 1/wk/contestant). 150
Join another contestant in a healthy activity. 200
Advance!! Lead an activity where at least 4 additional players join in. Advance ½ mile
Pass another team. 200
Advance!! Pass more than 2 teams. Advance ¼ mile
Advance!! Complete a full distance around the lake. Advance ½ mile
Share more than 300 words with others (something we can use in our blog) about how you are dealing with different challenges or how you’re succeeding. 200
Bonus! Someone you refer comes to Stronger U for a consultation. 200
Advance!! Someone you refer signs up as a Stronger U client. Advance ½ mile
Do less than 150 minutes of exercise outside the studio in one week (less than 300 minutes for two people). Retreat ¼ mile

Click on the map to track contestant progress!

Filed Under: Contest
November 30, 2012

Client of the Month, Jaime Holker

Jaime Holker first contacted me in the middle of September.  After experiencing a number of back problems, trying physical therapy and injections, she felt she was looking for something a little different.

After being an athlete growing up, Jaime was no stranger to taking hard knocks.  She’s one tough cookie.  But after experiencing debilitating pain and the inability to get back to a life that felt normal, discouragement set in.  She seemed to cycle between getting to a place of feeling better, trying to do something she loved, becoming injured and going backwards.  In her words, Jaime was “too young” to not be able to live the life she hoped for.

In her initial consultation, it was clear that Jaime needed “coaching”; just like high school, having someone expect something of her each day, hold her accountable and have a direction for her to move in.  It’s that role that I’ve tried to fill for her.  Each week Jaime has a home schedule she has to adhere to.  Every session with me we work to progress her one more step ahead, so she’s experiencing challenges, staying engaged, and best of all–succeeding!

Watching Jaime over the last few months go from afraid of moving and suffering injury to hanging upside down under a barbell doing horizontal pullups makes me cheer every time I see her perform an exercise.  And while she’ll still be working with her limits, she’s experiencing a stronger version of herself every day.  Keep up the incredible work, Jaime!

Filed Under: Client of the Month Tagged: ,
November 21, 2012

Beating Cancer Graciously

By:  Alan Hagstrom

Riding to earn a cycling merit badge.

Exercise has been an important part of my life. Growing up on Chicago’s west side I walked or biked most places. I walked to school most days, which in elementary school was only a couple of blocks but in high school was several miles. Scouting involved merit badges for physical fitness, swimming, life saving, and cycling, including six 25-mile trips and one 50-mile ride with friends. One was to O’Hare Airport in its early days. I continue to enjoy the freedom to discover new places and trails on a bike.

Being the shortest kid on the block and in school through all the elementary years, I made up for it in speed. I usually outran everybody and won many sprint races, able to compensate for my vertical challenge with horizontal momentum. I could pretty well depend on being able to get out of any trouble simply by running.

Playing flute in the high school marching band.

In high school I was part of the Marching Band, played Little League Baseball, and practiced basketball behind our family garage. Volleyball was a favorite sport in college and beyond. I competed for my dorm floor in the intramural wrestling match,  I also played tennis, with my brother and others. That, however, ended abruptly when I went after a ball I shouldn’t have and got a hairline fracture in my right ankle. The wound never healed right and greatly affected walking, ceased any running or jogging, and made me even more grateful for biking. Thanks to prescription orthotics and years of adjustment, walking has become possible again.

Stronger U Hike, 2010

Shortly after I retired, I decided that I needed a more disciplined age-appropriate exercise plan.  I went to Kristi Fox at Stronger U Fitness in White Bear Lake, only fifteen minutes away from my home.  She tailor-made a plan for me, to keep me active and strengthen me so I could enjoy my retirement but, more importantly, increase my potential for good health into the future. She organized group activities, like hikes and bike rides, that accommodated a variety of activity levels.  I have enjoyed the company of those who join in as well as the exercise.

In late August 2011, after a trip to the emergency room for intense abdominal pain, followed by numerous tests, I was diagnosed to have Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.  For years, as a health care chaplain and pastor, I was with those who received difficult diagnoses, but now I faced my own cancer diagnosis. I was stunned and confused and caught off balance, not really knowing what this would mean for my life and those family and friends around me.

Chemo treatments started in the fall, going through the winter into the spring of 2012.  I was determined to do all I could to meet the challenge and recover. A meditation/exercise group for cancer patients made a great difference. The medical help I have received and the support of family and friends has been vital. The congregations, in which I was active, offered prayers, meals, and ongoing contacts, which were a great blessing.

Neighborhood Walking Group on St. Croix River Trail Hike in Taylors Falls MN

A neighborhood walking group kept me walking almost every day when I felt good enough and they kept checking in on me regularly.

One of the most important supports during this time was Kristi and her guidance on how to keep active in the recovery. She accommodated my training to the cancer treatments and was always encouraging. Thankfully the prognosis is good and the cancer appears to have gone into remission.

Shortly after the initial chemotherapy, likely due to a lower immunity level, a shingles virus developed in my right leg. While I had heard of shingles, experiencing it was brand new, surprising me with its intense nerve pain, incredibly difficult to manage.  Just when I was recovering from the cancer treatments, I needed to deal with an even more aggressive challenge from this virus almost immobilizing me for four months.

Both health challenges drove me into hermit-mode and a fairly depressed state about life in general.  The new lease on life I had been experiencing in retirement was up for grabs and seriously challenged by these unexpected and sudden interruptions of practically everything.

Sierra Club Tour of St. Paul with Alan Wyman

Trying to keep on top of this new reality, I focused on eating right, resting enough, and being as active as I could. I read up a storm on how to cope and treat my new situation. I went to a counselor  to help me sort things out and am truly grateful for that good guidance.

The challenges made me realize how important exercise is in facing health challenges. I am convinced that it made a critical difference in my recovery. Kristi helped me through the crises with exercise appropriate to the condition in which I found myself, with her ongoing emotional support, and with ideas for recovery that came out of her own research into the issues I faced. I am impressed with her skills for exercise training, her personal knowledge, and also her commitment to learning what is necessary for her clients’ needs.

There have been many blessings along with the challenges of this past year. Working with Kristi on ways to assist in the healing process has been a crucial one. With her training skills, generous spirit, and understanding of important life challenges, I realize I am not alone in these events and have good hope for recovery.

As my health is restored, I am deeply grateful for the healing power God gives in the human body and the grace given in those who help us heal, Kristi very much among them.

 

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Staying Strong Tagged: , , , , ,
November 8, 2012

Why Plan?

When I talk to people about creating a food plan, I often refer to budgeting.  Most of us can relate to income being a finite amount of money, being required to relegate a certain amount to paying the bills, needing an emergency fund, and wishing to have enough left over for fun now as well as savings later.  The enjoyable vacations that we take, the plays we might see, whatever the form of social engagement–this fun balances out life and gives us something to look forward to.  But if all your money went to fun, what would you pay the bills with?  And if all you ever did was pay the bills, what would be left over for pleasure?

This is where planning comes in.  When we talk about food planning, it often conjures up pictures of rigidity and continuous dieting.  Being stuck in a boring box of never enjoying your foods.  So, rather than plan, we tell ourselves that we’ll aim for decent foods and portion sizes as each meal comes up, cross our fingers and hope for the best.  If you’re happy with your current measurements, there’s nothing wrong with this.  Being in a “maintenance” phase suggests that you have enough history of healthy eating choices and don’t currently wish to see any changes in your overall physical composition.  Your planning in this case is mostly intrinsic and habitual.

Outside of maintenance, most people are looking for a change of some kind.  Weight loss, fat loss, muscle building–if you have a particular goal, you’re definitely going to need a particular plan.  If you know that you want a change, but feel that planning will cause you to lose flexibility, let me ask you this:  are you okay with your priority of flexibility equaling no change?  If not, can you picture making flexibility part of your plan?  If you wouldn’t treat your money without some kind of plan, if you wouldn’t go through a medical procedure without expecting a plan, then consider feeding yourself (energizing your body!) with equal clout.

Still a little hung up on creating a plan for your food?  Ask yourself what is in the way:

  • Do you have bigger priorities in your life right now?  Then you might want to let go of food planning for a time.
  • Are you nervous about what you might have to give up or commit to in order to plan?  Remember that you can take one small, manageable step at a time.  You don’t need to plan your entire week for the next 52.  Start with one meal once a week or two and see how that goes!  Get somebody alongside you to help you identify the things you want to keep and the things you’re okay letting go of.
  • Do you find it overwhelming?  What I do when I’m going to make a big change is research what I’m doing and why it should be most beneficial, then I write down my ideas.  Next, I sit with those until my internal emotions and feelings of being overwhelmed are comfortable with something new.  Once I implement the change I take things one day at a time, being more gracious with myself in the beginning and knowing I have to adjust.  If I desire bigger change, I can crimp down a little more as I get used to the expectations that I’m setting.
  • Are you uncertain of where to begin?  Ask questions!  Create food lists.  Practice looking at things in the grocery store that will be new to you.  Can you envision yourself eating that?  If not, find a happier middle ground until you can look at that tricky vegetable (brussels sprouts for me!) without finding it a threat.
  • Do you hate feeling regimented?  So do I!  A few tips for dealing with the feeling of being controlled are:  (1) Choosing health for yourself (take back the control), wanting clean foods because you want the energy and the fat loss that come from them.  (2) Make the decision on your own for you–your food plan won’t originate with outside regimenting but internal discipline.  (3) Set limits–if you feel too regimented after eating 3 clean-food, balanced meals, then eat two, take one off and eat two.  You will slowly eliminate cheat meals and at the same time be giving yourself the appropriate cheating necessary to offer you a mental and emotional break.   (4) Explore variety–if you’re so busy trying out new combinations of foods that you haven’t put together or eaten before, your new discoveries will begin to outweigh your feeling of being controlled.
  • Do you simply not like the idea of having homework?  You aren’t alone.  We all feel that we have enough on our plates without feeling like we have to write down a food plan.  So, this takes us back to the beginning.  Will you choose to plan what you can because you want change badly enough, or will you be okay with maintaining your current lifestyle until you can prioritize planning time?  If you want to have very limited planning concede small, incremental food changes that don’t require massive blueprints for weeks to come.  Start with exchanging desserts for fruits and veggies, or processed grains for whole grains.  Start by limiting junk foods to half (or three quarters if that’s too much) of your current daily total.

Remember, success without a plan is really just happenstance.  Once you’ve identified a goal, the best place to start is configuring a plan to get to that goal.  Only make the smallest possible changes so they don’t feel like overwhelming leaps.  Every tiny change you implement will become one more place that you are educated and empowered–not just for your food or your body composition, but gaining the skills to change anything else in your life.

What’s standing in your way?

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged: , , ,
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