Finish Strong!

This father/son team has fans around the world. Maybe this video of their story will help you to finish the challenge strong!

Triple Threat Core Workout

Kelly Pettit, staff contractor and certified personal trainer, recently led challenge participants through this effective core workout.  Keep these moves handy so you always have a workout that targets the core.  Remember, all movement starts from the core.   From getting out of bed in the morning onward, our core initiates all the movements that take place throughout the day.  Hope you find this helpful!

Triple Threat Core Workout

Do each exercise, within a circuit, for one minute total (30 seconds each side, if applies) before moving on to next exercise. Go through the circuit 3 times before moving on to next circuit.

Circuit #1

1)Crunch

2) Reverse Crunch

3) Wipers

Circuit #2

1) Single Leg Squat and Press (use med. ball or weight)

2) Get Up and Press (use weight)

3) Core Twist (use weight)

Circuit #3

1) Diagonal Chop (use med. ball or weight)

2) Plank Rock and Hold

3) Bicycle (alternate speed)

Back Work – 1 set only

Superman, legs lift only – 20 reps

Superman, arms lift only – 20 reps

Superman, arms and legs lift – 20 reps

Feel free to email kelly@bodyfitatlanta.com with any questions.

Congratulations to NPMI 70.3 Ironman Finishers!

Congratulations to Philip Duffie, Joel Thomas, Anna and Michael Simmons, Krista Glasscock and Cliff Atfield for finishing the Augusta 70.3 Ford Ironman event on September 26.  Their perseverance throughout a rainy 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run and added 6,834 fitness points to the NPM Atlanta Challenge total!  Way to go!

Thank you, Cliff Atfield, for sending along these great action shots from the event.  Who’s in for next year?

Run/Walk/Run Method Works for Everyone

Jeff Galloway, winner of the inaugural Peachtree Road Race, Olympian, coach and native Atlantan, developed the Run/Walk/Run method of running. His method is great for all levels of runners, from the beginner to the elite endurance athlete. His evidence shows that people using this method continue to improve in pace while staying injury free, dispelling the myth that walking = weakness. Give it a try this fall as you enjoy the beautiful weather!

Getting Started and Sticking With Exercise

Article courtesy of About.com

Here are some tips and tricks to fit exercise into your life in simple, painless ways.

Start Small
Exercise is not an all or none endeavor. It is a continuum. Keep in mind that a little is better than none and you can do something today, so don’t worry about what you will do next month. This perspective is hard for anyone who expects a lot from themselves and sets long-term fitness goals. Don’t expect results overnight. But do expect to take small steps every day.

Start Where You Are
Your exercise program doesn’t need to be elaborate. It doesn’t require you to join a gym or sweat for an hour every day. Look at your current routine and you may discover you already walk 15 minutes at a time taking the dog around the block or walking to the store for milk. That’s exercise. You can use that as a jumpstart and add another 5 minutes or walk at a faster pace — start from where you are.

Go Low Tech
Technology is a wonderful thing, but much of it reduces us to very lazy people. If you want to fit activity into your daily life, just go low-tech and you will probably burn another few hundred calories a day. Walk or ride your bike for errands, take the stairs, mow your lawn with a push mower, give up your television remote and actually get up to change the channel, walk down the hall to your co-workers office rather than calling.

Surround Yourself with Good Role Models
If all your friends are couch potatoes, odds are you will have a hard time becoming active while hanging out with them. If you surround yourself with people who are healthy and active, odds are it will be easy for you to stay active as well. Peer pressure is a wonderful thing if you use it in positive ways!

Set Weekly Goals
Check in with yourself each week by setting attainable, yet realistic goals. Try to set a plan to go faster, farther or longer with your routine. You can even set nutrition goals such as getting 5 servings of fruit and vegetables each day. Your goal can be as simple as taking a daily 15 minute walk or as intense as completing your first marathon. Only you know what is realistic for you.

Try Something New
If you always try to start a walking program, and always drop out after a few weeks take heart. It may not be the exercise you can’t stick with but the type of exercise. You may need to try a variety of activities before you find one that you really like and want to do long-term. Sign up for a yoga class or snowboarding lesson. Try running or biking instead of walking, go with others or go alone, try exercising at different times of the day. Keep your options open and find exercise you enjoy so you never view exercise as a chore. It should be fun and fulfilling!

Write it Down
Keep an exercise log book. Simply writing down what you did, how long and how you felt can be great motivation. Not only can you view your progress and look back at your accomplishments, but you can plan ahead and decide where you want to be in a week, a month or more.

Psychology of Exercise
Some people enjoy being distracted while exercising while others prefer to pay attention to how their body feels while exercising. Try both tactics and see what works best for you. If you’re new to exercise, being distracted by music, television, reading material, conversation or a personal trainer may help you stick with it. After you’ve been exercising a while it may be helpful to pay attention to your body sensations. Athletes often focus on their breathing, cadence or body movement to stay focused.

Make Exercise Part of Your Daily Routine
Rather than trying to go to the gym, or squeeze in more time for exercise look for ways you can add exercise to what you already do. Walk the dog, bike to the store or to work, do crunches or push-ups during commercials, pedal your exercise bike during your favorite TV show, meet friends for walking dates rather than dinner & drinks. If you are creative, you will realize you don’t need to change your routine much to fit exercise into your life.

Find a Buddy
Even if this person doesn’t exercise with you, let someone know of your plans and goals to help support your efforts. Making yourself accountable to another is a great way to keep you honest about your success and challenges with starting a new exercise program.

Make Exercise a Priority
If your exercise plans and goals are at the bottom of your priority list, you will never reach them. Period. You have to believe that this is important enough to make it happen. Take a serious look at your words, desires and behavior. Do you always talk about wanting to get active, but never actually do anything about it? If so, you are only fooling yourself and continuing the cycle of helplessness. Get honest with yourself about what you really want and how much you are willing to work to make it happen. You’ll be surprised how easy it falls into place once you put your energy into action rather than excuses.

Bob Hempen is First Staff Member to Reach 10,000 Points!

We asked Bob to tell us how he did it, and here’s what he had to say:

“I have a pretty robust workout schedule that I have followed for years. Most of my motivation always comes from within, and at times that motivation can get stale. I found that the Atlanta Challenge really gave me some outside motivation to try some new things, increase my intensity and add some training times to my weekly schedule. Many of my fellow staff have been training for various marathons, triathlons and other races, so keeping up with them was a great boost for my workout as I tracked my fitness points against the ‘competition’. I look forward to next year’s challenge.”

Congratulations, Bob!

Improve Your Sit and Reach Score with This Stretching Routine!

Stretching is an important part of any workout routine.  It helps increase your flexibility and reduce your chances of injury.  It’s best to stretch the muscles you’ve used after your cool down although, if you have any chronically tight muscles, you may want to stretch those after your warm up as well.  Below are some common stretches for your lower body including your quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves and hips.  Do each stretch at least once and hold for at least 15 seconds (more if you have time).  Each stretch should feel good.  If you feel any pain, ease up and go slower.

Instructions	Example
Hip/Glute Stretch Cross left  foot over right knee.  Clasp hands behind right thigh and gently pull the leg in towards you, keeping upper body relaxed.  Switch Legs	1
Hamstring Stretch Lie on floor with knees bent.  Straighten one leg and slowly pull it towards you, clasping the thigh, calf or ankle.  Keep knee slightly bent. Switch legs.	2
Inner Thigh Stretch Sit on floor with feet pressed together.  Keeping abs in, lean forward until you feel a gentle stretch in your inner thighs.	3
Lunge Stretch In lunge position, rest back knee on the floor, with front knee at 90 degree angle, abs in.  Gently press forward until you feel a stretch in the front of the leg/hip. Switch legs.	4
Kneeling Hamstring Stretch From above lunge position, slowly move backward until leg is slightly bent. Bend forward at the hip, keeping back flat until you feel gentle pull in the back of the leg. Switch legs.	5
Piriformis Stretch Begin on the hands and knees and bring the left knee in, resting it on the floor between your hands (you should be on the outside of the knee).  Straighten the right leg out behind you and, if you can, bend forward and rest the forearms on the floor.	6
Knees to Chest Lying on the floor, pull your knees into your chest and clasp your hands under your knees.  Gently press your hips to the floor.	7
Knee to Chest From above position, straighten one leg and pull the other knee into your chest until you feel a stretch in your hip.  Switch legs.	8
Calf Stretch On hands and knees, straighten your legs, but keep them slightly bent.  Gently press one or both feet towards the floor, keeping back flat and abs in.	9
Kneeling Calf Stretch On hands and knees, bring the left foot in between the hands and gently press the knee forward while pressing the heel towards the floor.	10
Spine Twist Lying on the floor, place right foot on the left knee.  Using your left hand, gently pull your right knee towards the floor, twisting your spine and keeping left arm straight out, hips and shoulders on the floor.  Switch sides.	11
Quad Stretch Lie down on your side using elbow for balance.  Using other arm, slowly pull your foot towards your glutes, keeping both knees together and bent knee pointing down.  Switch legs.	12

The Greatest Workout on Earth!

How about a class in the Circus Arts?

Groupon has a great deal through March 11, 2011 to get you started!

Desk Job Got You Down? Try a Desk-Defying Workout!

Article courtesy of Nicole Nichols from The Daily Spark.

As a young college student studying health and fitness, I never expected that I’d have a desk job. Certainly I’d be on my feet, active, exercising, training people all day long, right? Turns out, my job is the exact opposite. Working for SparkPeople allows me to share my passion for health and fitness with so many people, helping them get fit and reach their goals. I love what I do. But I don’t love sitting on my rear for more than 40 hours per week while I do it. Being handed a “desk sentence” at such a young age is not what I expected.

Although I exercise most days of the week and try to maintain as active of a lifestyle as possible, I’m suffering from too much sitting. Lately, my back aches most of the time, sometimes so badly that I can’t sit, stand or lie down comfortably for days. My shoulders round forward, which is doing a number on my posture. My head and neck are in a permanent “forward” position, and my hips are tight. Throughout the day, I notice my shoulders creeping up toward my ears with tension and have to remind myself to relax them down. Ten, 30, 60, even 90 minutes of exercise a day doesn’t seem to matter much when I’m spending all the rest of my time on my butt (or on my back, sleeping).

I’m know I’m not alone. Women’s Health magazine recently reported on a poll of 6,300 people conducted by the Institute for Medicine and Public Health. They discovered that on average, we spend 56 hours a week sitting behind a computer, at the wheel or in front of the TV. A sedentary lifestyle seems to be the most common side effect we suffer from life in a modern world. We drive (or ride public transit) to work, sit all day at our white collar jobs, make the long commute home (sitting again), and then feel so achy, tired or exhausted from our long days of (mentally) hard work that we plop down on the couch and stare at the TV or computer for a few more hours before we lie down and go to bed. We know a sedentary lifestyle is bad for us. It definitely contributes to weight issues, heart disease, poor blood sugar control, and a host of other ailments.

For awhile, I felt hopeless. Destined for discomfort. Banished to a life of back pain. But lately, I’ve been tackling my issues head on by getting up from my desk throughout the day, targeting the muscles made weak or tight by sitting while I work out, and changing how I use my body while I use the computer. I’m happy to report that it’s been paying off. And since many of you struggle with sedentary jobs that create all sorts of muscular imbalances, which lead to pain and discomfort, I’m sharing a new workout plan with you.

The Desk Defying Workout
This workout involves three components: stretching, strengthening, and standing. Incorporate what you can during your workday, but these are suggestions for exercises to include in your fitness program–not necessarily at your desk. (Here’s a shortened version that’s printable and can be added to your SparkPeople Fitness Tracker with one click.

Stretch
When we spend a lot of time at a desk, using a computer, driving a car, or even preparing food in the kitchen, we tend to lean forward, round our backs (spinal flexion), hunch our shoulders, and push our heads forward. (Don’t believe me? Take note at how often your head actually touches your head rest while you drive.) Do that for hours each day for years and it affects your posture, which creates imbalances of tight and weak muscles throughout your body. Sitting, especially, does a number on the spine and tightens the hip flexors (which remain in a shortened position), chest and shoulders, which pull everything out of alignment. To counteract these effects, the following chest, hip, spine and shoulder stretches should be part of your routine EVERY DAY. These are going to help move your body in the opposite direction. Do them regularly throughout the day while you sit at your desk. Do them after each workout. Do them as often as you can. Hold each stretch for 15-30 seconds at a time. Many of these you can do at your desk throughout the day.

	Chest stretch on ball: Lying on a ball (or a foam roller or aerobics step or similar) allows you to stretch through a greater range of motion.
	Back bend (wheel) on ball: I do this move 2-3 times per day after I’ve been at my desk for awhile, but it might not be office appropriate for a lot of people; try it at the gym or at home.
	Upward dog: This stretch extends the spine to help counter all the forward flexion from reaching, leaning or slouching at your desk all day. This cobra pose also works much the same way.
	Camel stretch: Another spine-extending exercise that’s great if you can’t do the back bend stretch above.
	Chest/shoulder stretch: Try this throughout the day to help pull your shoulders back and stretch a tight chest.
	Neck stretch (extension): Focus on the neck extension (looking toward the ceiling) and don’t do the flexion (chin to chest) so much, since most of us sit with our necks already forward (flexed).
	Quad stretch: Helps stretch the front of the thigh, but if you pull your knee/thigh slightly back behind the body, you’ll also stretch the hips, which become tight after prolonged sitting.
	Kneeling hip flexor stretch: Another great one for hip flexors that are tight from being in a shortened (seated) position all day long.

Strengthen
To counter all that sitting and the poor posture that results, we need to strengthen muscles on the back of the body, as well as the core. Focus on these exercises during twice-weekly strength training sessions, aiming for 2 sets of 8-15 reps. Be sure to check out SparkPeople’s Better-Posture exercises for more ideas.

	Elbow plank: Strengthens the entire core. Hold plank in good form until your body begins to shake, then rest. Repeat 1-2 times.
	Side plank: Another great move for core strengthening, but it should only be held in good form for as long as you can before your core/body begins to shake.
	Rows: Any type of dumbbell, band or machine rows will help strengthen the mid and upper back as well as the back of the shoulders (posterior deltoids). These muscles can weaken over time when your posture is forward and your arms are in front of you while typing, using the computer, or driving.
	Superman: Great lower back strengthener that also includes hip and spinal extension (remember, that’s the opposite movement than we use while sitting all day, so we want more of it).
	Neck strengthener: While driving, practice pulling your chin in and pushing your head into the headrest behind you for a few seconds at a time, then releasing. If you have a high-back chair that you sit in at work, you can do this during your workday, too. This can help strengthen the back of the neck and the upper trapezius muscles to correct forward-head posture (common if you do a lot of desk work).

Stand
It may seem obvious, but the more you can stand during your workday and outside of work, the better off you’ll be. I was so tired of sitting all day at work and feeling uncomfortable that I made my own standing workstation for free. Instead of buying a fancy standing desk for several hundred dollars (yep, I looked into it), I set up my computer on a bar-height table we already had at the office. Perhaps you even have one at home! This is a much more economical solution that even your employer might be able to get behind. Here are some additional standing-related tips for your day.

• Get up from your desk as often as you can. Walk to the restroom that’s further away. Walk to the water cooler. Stop by your co-worker’s desk to ask that question instead of emailing it. Stand up even if just to stretch for a minute every 30-60 minutes throughout the day.
• When work is over, get on your feet. After sitting all day, the last thing I want to do is sit more at home, so I try to be physically active in addition to working out. The TV is rarely turned on in my house (we go days at a time without even plugging it in), and I’m able to get a lot done around the house each night: walking the dog, exercising, cooking dinner, a little yard work, cleaning the house, packing lunch for the next day, watering the garden and more. Sitting is the enemy when you have chronic back pain and poor posture. Get up and get moving!
• Take a short walking break during the day, if you can. A few laps around the office or to your lunch destination can do wonders.
• Plan some exercise before and after work. I try to squeeze in some activity before I go to work each day and again when I’m done. This way, I’m moving during the times I’m not confined to my desk.
• Limit screen time. I mentioned TV earlier, but it warrants another mention. The more TV you watch, the more likely you are to be overweight and suffer other health problems that stem from a sedentary lifestyle. But TV isn’t the only screen we spend time in front of. Monitor and limit your computer time at home, too. If you must use the computer, place it on a higher surface and stand up. If you must watch TV, try to get moving and avoid sitting down.
• Fidget. Move throughout the day, changing your body position and posture so you’re not always stuck in the same position for several hours.

There you have it: A simple plan of exercises, stretches and daily activity that can help you counteract the side effects of your desk job, helping decrease back pain, improve posture, and reduce your risk of health problems associated with prolonged sitting. Incorporate as many of these tips into your day as possible and, along with your consistent exercise program, you should notice better posture, less pain, and a stronger back.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been standing more, stretching my chest and hips, and working to strengthen those often-neglected muscles along the back of the body. And I’ve noticed a lot of improvements in my back pain. It comes on less often and goes away sooner. I can also stand longer and longer at my new upright workstation before taking a break in a chair, and I’ve noticed my spine feeling more mobile and flexible—something I haven’t felt in years, despite a steady practice of Pilates. Finally, I’m doing right by my body even though I have a sedentary job.

Our bodies were designed for motion, not sitting, so let this serve as a reminder to get up from your chair and get active as often as possible throughout the day.

Keep It Safe, NPM.

Stay injury free.  We need you!  Just sayin’.