How to Rock a Strapless Dress

Hey there, I just had a few questions that aren’t derby related. I am getting married in April and have been working out 4-5 times a week on top of derby now. I am concerned about toning my arms (among other things) because my dress is strapless. I have some okay biceps going due to my job but my triceps are pretty squishy. Do you have any tips on focusing on lengthening and toning arm muscles? I have a few small weights and treadmill, as well as doing push ups and working with a resistance band. Any advice to add to my routine would be much appreciated. Thanks! Chelsea Handle Her This is such a great question that I decided to answer it in a blog post because I think it’s a topic that many folks want the answer to: whether getting married, or preparing for a school reunion, getting Read More . . .

Do those new funny shoes work?

Subject: ? For your trainer Hey – I was wondering about those tennis shoes with the funky bottoms…skeechers and reebok make them (maybe also earth).  Anyway, can you ask your trainer if she has an opinion about them. Wouldn’t want to miss a buying opportunity if it’s healthy! Thx! I think that’s funny. You know – I AM interested in them though. Let’s see – what are their claims? From Reebok: (OMG! is their advertising selling sex!) 78% of men are speechless. 81% of women jealous. EasyTone helps you get better legs and a better butt with every single step. From Sketchers: 1. Tone your muscles 2. Promote healthy weight loss 3. Make it easy to get in shape! Okay – so at least they’re not trying to claim that you’ll burn more calories in them. What I think they’re doing is providing an unstable surface, so that you have Read More . . .

Question of the Day: Protein Drinks

Today’s Question is from Sarah: "I would also like to get your opinion on protein drinks.  What do you think of them?  Do you recommend them or suggest staying away from them?  I have heard lots of people talking about them, and one even came with my workout program (which I have been taking), but I’m not sure if it’s the best thing to do.  Any suggestions?" Oy! Protein Drinks! Let’s start with some definitions. Supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry. There are lots of "fitness" foods out there: Protein Drinks, Energy Drinks, Meal Replacement Powders (MRPs), Meal Replacement Drinks (MRDs), Protein Bars, Energy Bars, and Meal Replacement Bars. Meal replacements are designed to replace a complete meal, and therefore have a nutrient formula similar to what that manufacturer believes should be the nutrient breakdown of a meal. It will have an adequate supply of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. These Read More . . .

Exercising on an Empty Stomach

@dasschus ? for the week: do you burn more calories if you have something to eat first? Went on hike but past lunch & was hungry. on same hike after eating picnic bodybugg said I burned more calories. So does fueling up before exer. burn more calories? This question is a hotly debated topic among the fitness community: do you exercise on an empty stomach or not? The current theory is that when you perform cardiovascular exercise on an empty stomach, you’ll burn more calories from fat than you would if you ate prior to performing the same cardiovascular exercise. The rationalization is that while you’re sleeping, your body uses up all of the reserve energy in your muscles & when you wake, your body has no choice other than to use the body’s fat reserves to create energy. Let’s evaluate the pros & cons. Pros Exercising on an empty Read More . . .

How Quickly Will I See Results?

I received a question on Twitter today that I thought warranted a blog post. @dasschus asked “how long does it take for a surplus of calories to show up as a weight gain? How long until is shows as stored fat? Curious.” The answer to this question is pretty complex & like everything in health & the human body, what may be the answer for one person may not be the solution for all. Therefore, I’m going to answer this question from my own personal experience. The short answer is that it doesn’t happen instantly. That’s good and bad news because just as one day of eating poorly isn’t going to derail your weight loss goals, neither will one day of excessive activity make a noticeable difference either. The body ultimately takes an average of my calories in & calories out over a period of time. I notice a lag Read More . . .

Wii Fit

The Wii Fit (different from WWEE or Absolutely Fit) is a new video game launched from Nintendo to get people to move more. For years now there have been reports of folks who have dropped dramatic weight by using video games such as Dance Dance Revolution or some of the other Wii games. As a wellness professional, my first thought is, "That's great! It's getting people up & moving around — off the couch & that's just fantastic!" But then thinking about it for a bit, I start to get sad because it's a video game. I laugh when I think about my massage therapist, Annie. One of the newest hit video games is Guitar Hero. She says that "By the time one gets good at Guitar Hero, they could actually have learned the guitar!" Which is true. But I think that the Wii Fit is a little different. People Read More . . .