If you have the winter workout blahs or have hit a weight loss plateau, there are some easy, effortless ways to boost your fat loss and calorie burn WITHOUT spending more time in the gym.

1) Add in some plyometics:
Plyometrics is a fun, easy way to get your heart pumping. These moves (jumping, skipping, leaping) bring out the kid in us, boost happy brain chemicals, and can double your calorie burn in a single workout. Aside from the direct increase in calorie-burn from added intensity, they foster use of different muscle fibers and “shock” the body into using more energy to create stronger muscles overall. This can allow you to exercise at a greater intensity and for longer periods of time much quicker. Caution to those with knee problems — utilize plyometrics only underthe supervision of a trained professional.
Some ideas:

During your daily walk, add 30 high-knee marching movements every 15 minutes. If running, skip for 30 seconds each mile or two.

Turn and move into a side squat slowly – 5-10 on each side – followed by 10 squat jumps (slight squat down, then use your arms to propel you as you jump forward) mid-workout.

Repeat as desired for even greater results.

2.) Add hills on your route: “Hills give you strength”, my running coach used to say. He is absolutely right! Driving your body uphill against gravity is a great way to boost your calorie-burn and sculpt your rear. It can be an easy way to add speed to your overall pace by building greater strength and resiliency and power to your legs. Add hills to 10-20% of your workout outside or bump the treadmill incline up 2% for 5-10 minutes of your workout. Continue to up the incline 1% per week to keep your body guessing.

3.) Add in some intervals: Interval training is simply doing short bursts of higher intensity in your workout. Fartleks are a great way to do this if you are a runner (race you to the stop sign!) ; if you walk as your primary form of cardiovascular exercise, you can toss ten 1-minute speed-walking sessions into a 30 minute brisk walk to double your calorie burn. This is also a fantastic way to break into jogging or running from walking. Jeff Galloway revolutionized injury-free running by making this method of walk-running popular.

These are just three, easy and funw ays to add variety and results to your existing fitness routine. If you have any existing or chronic injury, you will want to speak with a knowledgable fitness professional about the best way to boost your workouts for maximum results. As with any new endeavor, add the change in slowly (for one or two workouts a week) building up slowly to allow the body to adapt and prevent injuries.

Have any readers benefited from these methods? I know hill training was key to my Boston marathon qualifying time last May. How have some of these methods benefited you?

I used to do all of my fitness solo. This was in part to not knowing anyone who was interested in exercise and being concerned about others being too fit or too unfit to be a suitable partner while I was training. Regular group exercise (outside a gym environment) did not come to me until I joined Always Running in college. Having a group of people expecting my presence made a radical difference in my consistency, progress, and motivation. I formed lasting friendships, shared resources and experiences, and had great adventures on the trails with others. I could get all geeky about anatomy, sweat, exercise, and running shoes and they would respond with equal enthusiasm. Sharing successes and setbacks were received with understanding and encouragement. My family doesn’t quite get what it means to qualify for Boston, but my running buddies sure do!

Exercising with others is a powerful way to develop a foundation of support for your fitness goals. Long after your trainer has switched gyms or retired, your exercise buddy will be there to share in your sweat, boost you up after defeat, and cheer you to the finish line.

The internet has allowed for an abundance of options in finding others with similar goals, exercise availability, and support. You can connect locally and find someone to drag you out of bed (or drag out of bed) for a morning hike every Saturday or connect virtually with someone across the country who has the same desire to lower his cholesterol by 50 points or complete a race a month for the next year. Below are some great resources to check out.

• Meet-up.com: Meet-up is a great source for free activities of all kinds – hiking, cycling, triathlete training, tennis, running, and more! Search for your desired activity and attend an outing in your area.

• SparkPeople: Spark People has launched regional groups for fitness and nutrition goal support. It is also a great resource for nutrition and exercise information and a place to keep track of your personal goals.

• Post a request on your gym bulletin board for someone to lift weights or do cardio with.  If you enjoy each other’s company, outdoor off-site activities can be arranged.

• Exercisefriends.com: a site specifically for finding an exercise partner by age, activity, and location.

• Speak up in your existing class or group – always see the same people in your Yoga  or Spin class? Strike up a conversation and make a friendship. People are often very excited to connect with others.

• Visit your local running store or athletic store and ask about group activities. Road Runner Sports and other local running shoe stores often host running groups. Title Nine has been known to hold rowing groups, hiking groups, and women’s soccer groups. Lululemon often holds yoga in the store during off hours. Visit your local fitness store and inquire about what is available, or be pro-active and start one with their support!

Have you utilized any of the above resources or found any others which have worked well for you? Comment below on where you have gone for extra support and how it has helped you out!

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a very real and common winter phenomenon. Historically we have called it the “winter blues” or “cabin fever”. I don’t doubt that its root is multi-faceted, but lack of sunlight hours in the winter months have a very strong and real impact on our physiology. The farther north one lives, the more likely one is to drive to work or school in the dark, sit in a building all day with artificially lighting, then drive back home afterward in the dark.

I grew up in Alaska and experienced severe seasonal affective disorder from the ages of 14 until I moved away at 22. It is what prompted me to get involved in exercise, as I found it to offer some relief from very debilitating depression. There were months where I saw very little sunlight because it was too cold to be outside or I would be sitting in windowless classrooms all day. Those of you who know me personally know I have a fairly strong response to cold, wintery behavior. This is partially in response to associating winter with such extreme emotional dispondency. At the time, all that was offered as a remedy was the new and exciting SSRI’s that Eli Lilly and other companies were manufacturing. I tried most of them at least once with varying degrees of relief.

Initially, I would like to say that a decrease in energy and vigor in the winter is PERFECTLY NORMAL. The world around us – plants and non-migratory animals – go into a state of dormancy or hibernation. Like them, we are an integral part of this cycle. Winter is a time of rest and reflection so that we have the reserves required for spring and summer’s bustle of activity. In our disconnection from nature’s cycles we have asked our body to continue with high productivity month after month and year after year. Our rest comes in the form of sick days and paid vacations. It is out of rhythm with the greater cycle we live in. This is, I believe, part of the reason why this condition has become so debilitating.

Older and wiser, I have found some non-pharmaceutical solutions to the winter blues. I am eternally grateful for exercise, the accidental discovery that gave me something to work with during my adolescence and has since become an integral part of my life and career. I have also found other tools over the years which are of benefit:

• Light Therapy: Sunlight affects our mood and energy by encouraging production of both melatonin and serotonin through messages sent from the retina to the brain. “Light boxes” simulate the intensity of sunlight on a clear spring day and can help normalize mood and sleep. I’ve also had clients benefit from dawn simulators to help with waking up in the morning.
• Taking Breaks during daylight hours: If you work in an environment which has little access to natural light, be sure to get out for 10-20 minutes a day while the sun is still up. It’s amazing how much of a boost a brisk walk can do mid-day.
• Get thee to thy local gym! If the weather is too crummy to be outside, get into the gym for three hours a week. The time you take for this will be returned in increased productivity, better moods, and decreased illness. Lift weights, watch the news while taking a brisk walk on the treadmill — just get your heart pumping and your blood moving. Hire a quality trainer or get an exercise buddy f you have trouble making it to the gym.
• Omega-3′s: A natural part of many diets in far-northern countries are high-doses of omega-3 fats from marine life. Cultural and laboratory studies demonstrate marked improvement from or absence of depressive symptoms when high doses of omega 3 fatty acids are consumed regularly. Dosage is dependent on symptoms; speak to a health professional knowledgable in nutrition and brain health for your specific needs.
• Expect Less of Yourself: This has been my most recent change and has really made a difference. Knowing that I am not seperate from the natural world around me has given me permission to slow down a bit from November through February. I do not expect as much from myself, I do not push myself and I allow more time for soothing, restorative activities: cooking, reading, having tea with loved ones, sleeping in a little more on weekends, and so on. Traditionally a Type A, this shift has taken some time to embrace but now that I have there is a lot less struggle in the winter months. Keep your appointment book a little more open for downtime, get a massage, sit in a cafe with a friend you’ve been dying to catch up with and re-connect.
• Monitor Yourself: Keep tabs on how you are doing. If you are trying to wean off of medication, make sure you have professional support to ensure a smooth transition. If you find that coming off of medication is not an option, the above suggestions can still be of benefit to you. Implement them as a means of not just surviving SAD, but moving through the season gracefully and pleasantly. You are not alone; upwards of 10% of northern populations experience symptoms.

I’d love to hear about your own persoanl experience with the winter blues and how you have worked with this season to stay happy, whole and healthy. Your ideas and suggestions may offer relief to someone struggling. Please comment below and share your experiences.

More Information:

Exercise and Depression
Omega-3-for-depression
http://www.mcmanweb.com/omega3.html
Light Therapy Products and SAD Information

I had the great honor of being consulted recently for an article in the Seattle PI on smoothies.  To read more about how smoothies are an awesome recovery food and a great carrier for extra nutrition, click here:

Here we are in the last stretch of winter. Motivation is at an all time low – I can feel it and so can my colleagues and clients. Spring is just around the corner, but right now it feels as though we are sitting in the darkest hour before the dawn (nevermind those extra 3 minutes of sunlight per day).

With patience thin and cold winds blowing, it’s hard to get out of bed and face the gym or lace your running shoes. Excuses are numerous, but taking control of your lifestyle and moving through this last patch of winter maintaining or increasing your activity levels will leave you with greater energy, a better body, and a feeling of accomplishment that outshines staying in bed or cuddling up to a bowl of ice cream!

Here are some tips for beating the Winter Workout Blahs:

• Don’t Go It Alone: Get a partner or a trainer to help you out! I’m currently boosting my workouts by running with a friend and doing exercise videos in my basement. Find a friend or colleague to go walking with during the day, after work, or on weekends. Or hire a personal trainer for a hard-core, body-changing workout several times a week. Having someone else to exercise with will hold you accountable when excuses mount and motivation wanes!
• Bring It Indoors: Yoga and gym classes may be more your cup of tea when the weather is cold and wet. If you want something that doesn’t feel like exercise, classes like belly dancing, hip hop, salsa, swing, rock climbing and martial arts are offered through community colleges and local businesses.
• Turn Your Home into Your Gym: For a small subset of the population, exercising at home is the only way to go. Purchase someone else’s unused treadmill, exercise bike, or weight set and do it yourself! Rent exercise videos to keep variety up for both mental and physical benefits. No athlete’s foot, no gym class flashbacks, and clean up is a snap!
• Break it Up into Pieces: If time is a factor, break it up into little pieces. Get off a bus stop earlier than usual, or utilize half your lunch break for walking outside with a coworker. Sneak in extra steps – wear a pedometer for inspiration and motivation to keep going!

It’s hard enough to stay fit in the winter, holiday distractions aside. It’s darker, colder, and our bodies are aching to hibernate and craving sweets to compensate. It’s really, really easy to give in and take tie off, and this is a huge contributor to seasonal weight gain. Here are some ideas to combat the inertia and stay fit during the holidays:

• Sign up for something! Even in the cold weather, there are 5k races that you can run or walk in throughout the year. Turkey Trot, Jingle Bell, and other fun runs this season are often to raise money for worthy causes. Signing up for an event keeps you mindful of staying ins hape — you want to make sure you can cross the finish line!
• Find Activity partners: Sites such as Meetup.com are a great place to join a group who enjoy doing the same activity you do – be it rock climbing, cycling, walking, or rollerblading. You can also find a friend at work to be your walking buddy during the week; motivate and hold one another accountable! It’s easier to stay active when someone is counting on you
• Hire a professional: Sometimes you just need to lay down some cash and set an appointment to get things done. This is where a personal trainer, running coach, or other fitness professional can hold you accountable to your workouts and keep you exercising through the season.
• Join a gym. Hint — this time of year gets really slow, and great deals pop up in gyms desperate for membership. There’s no reason you should ever have to pay an initiation fee — many gyms will void them this time of year to get you in — take advantage of it!

The important thing is to keep moving – no matter what the activity is! A body in motion tends to stay in motion, and a body at rest….well, we’ve all fallen off the bandwagon and felt the difficulty of getting back on track again! Don’t give up on yourslef — staying active through December will give you a jump start on the New Year, help negate holiday goodies, and give you a sense of pride and accomplishment!

I haven’t always been a marathon runner. In fact, I wasn’t even a regular runner until I was in my 20’s. I didn’t play any sports in school, my parents weren’t physically active, and there was no role model for me follow into a world of fitness. My journey into physical activity was about as organic as it gets – after my 15 year old heart was broken for the first time, I had an overwhelming urge to run away from everything. There was an anxious twitch that overtook my body and my agitation was directed out on a trail. So I ran for a bit, and I felt better. Like I might be able to wake up the next day and live a bit longer.

I remember the first morning I ran to my high school without stopping. It was just before it got too cold to run in Alaska. The total distance was probably about 2 miles and it was the first runner’s high I’d ever experienced. I felt like I could do anything! After my adolescent heart was crushed, I desperately needed to feel that power. I signed up for weight class in gym that year. I saw exercise as a way out of hurt and a way back to accepting myself in the face of rejection.

I continued to take gym every quarter for the rest of high school. Kickboxing, advanced weights, step class, and so on. I began using the family gym membership. I was enough of a regular that one of the group fitness instructors told me I was a “natural” and I should look into personal training.

And here I am.

I write this because some of you have never been “fit”. You may tell yourself that you aren’t good at it, it’s been too long, you are too old, you don’t belong. The only reason I never ran track in high school is because I told myself I wasn’t good enough. In order to even be good enough to make a high school team, I should have been running in junior high. Or elementary school. I told myself it was too late for me. I never even bothered to look into tryouts, because I “knew” I’d never make it and I didn’t want to face that rejection. At 16, I was a washout. Past my prime. Put me out to pasture!

I now see how ridiculous that is. I hope you do, too. We are only limited by the barriers we lock ourselves into. My last year in high school I volunteered at a hospital with dietitians to make sure nutrition was the right career choice for me and I met a woman in her 60’s doing her internship – she had decided in her late 50’s to make a career change. Whenever I tell myself it’s too late for me, I think of her.

It never has to be too late.

My initial reasons for running a marathon were not noble. I wasn’t raising money for charity. I had these ideas that I would emerge from the experience a lean, long-legged gazelle. Never mind that I am 5’2”. I thought if I could run a marathon, I would never have to worry about not wanting to exercise again – it would be so ingrained in my day that it would be an effortless endeavor. I thought running a marathon would prove that I was stronger than my fears and bigger than ghosts that chased me. I was curious about what would happen in the course of training for such an event – could my body take it? What would it feel like to run for hours? Could I find the secret to the runner’s high?

I didn’t get what I expected; I received so much more. The gifts I received in preparation for my first event did not come to me at the finish line. They were granted in incremental doses – great and small – throughout the months of preparation for the big day.

Training for an event several months out is a grand experiment in mind and body. With few distractions or demands on a long run or ride (other than placing one foot or pedal in front of the other) you discover the unexpected. It is possible to run for longer than an hour. It’s possible to go longer than you ever dreamed! With practice, you get faster as well. You break barriers you did not know existed. You marvel at how loyal your body has been to you along these many miles and realize how it has always stood with you, time and time again, through dieting and childbirth and foolish mistakes. You develop an appreciation for it that extends far beyond dress sizes and BMIs.

Within these hours of solitude and quietness you also find miracles in the deep recesses of your mind. I discovered after 17 miles that I am a really, really good cheerleader and when push comes to shove I am the only one I can rely on to make it to the finish line. I discovered the power of attitude – how my rotten mood made a run unbearable and how easily that could turn around if I changed my internal dialogue. I found inspiration, great ideas, moving meditation, laughter, tears, and deep strength. I found the time to find more of who I am. I found I am stronger than my fears, so there is no need to outrun any ghosts. Each time I run, I have an opportunity to learn more, connect deeper, and become inspired.

Those of you in training have your own beautiful stories. Those of you who have considered trying the seemingly impossible have beautiful stories waiting to be woven. Join me on the trails. Join me at the starting line. I am waiting to hear your stories.

This is the million dollar question — once weight is lost, how does one keep it off?
As a nation of yo-yo dieters, no price is too high to keep extra weight off forever. The industry would have us believe that the solution is in the next book, superfood, pill, or diet plan. Their livelihood depends on you believing you need something outside yourself – some magic potion or wise words – to keep the weight off for good.
The reality is this — the answer, in most cases, cannot be purchased. Put your checkbooks away.
Keeping weight off forever involves change between your ears, not change in your purse.

Susan Kayman and her cohorts set out to investigate the difference between formerly-obese women who relapsed and those who maintained their weight loss. The results were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Those who maintained their weight loss had mad skills. Not calorie counting skills, or kung-fu skills, but mad stress-coping skills.
Most people who are overweight have an unhealthy relationship with food. Food is one of the ways we can numb out, tune out, suppress rage and pain and console ourselves. For some of us, it was a behavior learned as a child when we had no power and no modeling of appropriate coping skills. As adults, it’s the easy way out. It’s legal, socially acceptable, easy to hide and even when we find out it no longer works we still don’t have a replacement. Food is always there, and goodness knows we are always being encouraged to partake.

In the study, those who maintained their weight responded to stress differently than those who relapsed and gained the weight back. Relapsers lacked skills to cope with their stress and were more likely to use avoidance or escape techniques to numb out. 90% would not directly confront their problems, and 70% ended up unconsciously consuming food to deal with their emotions. They were also less likely to exercise and seek outside support.

The maintainers had developed a different approach. A whopping 95% of maintainers confronted problems directly rather than avoiding them. They also utilized external support, remained conscious of their behaviors and developed their own strategies for dealing with stressors. No big surprise, most were also exercising. Their coping strategies were similar to the control group of women who had never been obese and included relaxation techniques, exercise, seeking professional help, social support or talking about their feelings with trusted friends.

You can be your most powerful advocate or you can be your own Judas. Everyone experiences challenges and stresses and everyone needs support and encouragement from time to time. When you hold your tongue, bury your opinion, and play nice you deny your very self. You say, “I don’t matter,” “I’m not important,” and “I am invisible.” The pain of silencing yourself can be suppressed, for a short time, with some Ben and Jerry’s or pretzels or wine. But it won’t go away completely until you reverse your silence, speak your voice, and make your Self known. It is a fundamental human desire to be known and acknowledged.

If weight is one of your struggles, I’d like you to focus this week on utilizing your voice. Speak up! It doesn’t have to be about the huge issues you have been stuffing down for years. It can be as simple as expressing where YOU want to have for dinner, asking a friend or coworker to go for a walk with you, saying no to a second helping of potato salad, or taking initiative with a problem you have been avoiding. Brainstorm solutions to stressors in your life rather than commiserating with those who just like to complain.
Be a bad girl, I dare you! Stop playing nice when it makes you feel anything less than sheer joy. Say no to those who step over you, share a controversial opinion to raise a few brows, and shock people around you by being direct. Share the feelings you have that you are most unlikely to share with a dear, trusted friend.

See what happens. Play with it. You can always change your mind later.

Every once in awhile, you need to do something that makes you feel fully alive. Every Memorial Day weekend, I take an annual trek from Money Creek near Gold Bar through the Alpine Lakes and ending somewhere near Northbend in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River area. Near as we have been able to guess, this trek is 14.5-16 miles long, depending on how lost we get. At higher altitudes, the trail is usually still under snow this time of year.

There is a craziness about this Adventure Run/Trek that seems like challenging death. Bears, hypothermia, broken bones, and dehydration are all very real possibilities out there. In the woods with a small group, we operate on a very basic human level. Survival is paramount, and as a pack we need to ensure we are all safe and strong. It’s fun and surprisingly restorative to break life down to it’s simplest – eat, drink, stay injury-free, get out alive. You unite and support your pack, use the experience of Alpha members to stay safe and on trail, and work consciously on our most fundamental goal in life – surviving. It is a time when cell phones, computers, work hassles and traffic fall away. The basics are the most important – fuel, community, safety, water. Rather than challenging death, it’s embracing life as a human in it’s most pure form.

I like using events like these to see what fuel my body responds well to. The more I experiment, the more tools I have in my athletic arsenal. I’ve done the Gu thing, the Clif and Lara and Odwalla bar thing and am now looking into fresher, homemade options for my long runs.

This weekend I decided to test out a recipe a colleague found as an alternative to refined, sugary sweets. I altered it by adding protein and changing the ingredients a bit to suit my own tastes – creating an incredible fuel for the trail. This was popular in taste, highly satisfying, did not fall apart in my pack and kept me well-fueled without stomach cramps or a cloying flavor common in some processed energy bars.

Behold – my Almond Oat Energy Bites! Present them at your next family function, bring them with you on a hike, or make a batch to have on hand instead of costly energy bars!

Aimee’s Almond Oat Energy Bites

2 1/2 cups Rolled Oats
1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 cup Organic Raisins (very important – grapes are a highly sprayed crop)
1/2 cup Organic Dark Chocolate Chips
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 oz. Vanilla flavored Whey, Soy or Rice protein
1/2 cup Almond Butter
1/3 cup Agave Nectar (honey can be substituted)

1. Grind 1/2 cup oats and 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds in food processor until powdery.

2. Combine remaining 2 cups oats, remaining 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, raisins, chocolate chips and cinnamon in large bowl. Add oat/seed powder and mix well.

3. Stir in almond butter and agave nectar in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer to dry bowl and mix until soft dough forms.

4. Moisten hands, and roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place in freezer 20 minutes to set, then serve or store in the fridge.