Pave Your Own Road to London

The Olympic Trials were held a few weeks ago and, right now, the majority of Americans are still buzzing about them as the 2012 London Olympic Games draw nearer. As each round of trials aired, the athlete inside of many grew hungry. For some, it’s motivating to watch such talented athletes succeed in their sports. Watching swimmer Ryan Lochte win his heat – while drooling over his hot bod of course – or holding your breath while gymnast Jordyn Wieber goes for her beam dismount kind of makes you wish you could be there doing something amazing yourself.

After you get past the initial awe of watching the athletes compete – something that isn’t quick to go – you begin to wonder how exactly they got to the position they are in today. What pushed them to get there? What made them the best? The U.S. Olympic Team’s athletes harbor more motivation, dedication, and perseverance than any other  in their sport, but why?

HBO Real Sports recently ran a story about 100m hurdler Lolo Jones that sparked the interest of many.  The interview covered the harrowing story of Jones’ childhood and revisited her failure to qualify at the 2004 Athens Olympics and her loss at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games where she knocked down the ninth hurdle; that ninth hurdle is something that has haunted her for the last four years. As Jones stepped past the finish line of that cruel race, she sank to the ground and remembers, “I felt like somebody had just stabbed me in the stomach. I didn’t even have the energy to get up. I couldn’t even stand.” However, right after that she reminded herself, “You’re at the Olympics. You made it to the show.”

Jones’ setbacks didn’t stop her; she has pushed on. In the interview, Jones says she has been training harder than she ever has before. The athlete is hungry for the gold and after everything she has been through she has once again qualified for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Jones literally ran away from her past and toward a brighter future. She had a tough road to London, but how she got there isn’t what is most important, it’s that she made it after everything she had to endure.

Now that you’ve learned about Lolo, I can assume that you’re sitting here wondering, “Okay, so how does this apply to me and my fitness goals? What does this mean for us, the ‘normal’ people?” Well, if you think about all of the times Lolo Jones has been turned away from the gold and the way she pushed forward after each setback, you may begin to see her drive and perseverance as inspiration. If you take what Jones and other Olympic athletes practice each day and work to apply their mental disciplines to your own life, your fitness goals and progress are sure to skyrocket.

It is important to remain positive and determined while training even if you are going through a slump or plateau in your fitness goals. Jones pushed harder each time she was at a loss, which is exactly what you should do in the gym. If you normally do twelve reps of each set, push for fifteen; the burn from those extra three reps will remind you that you’re stronger than you think. You’ll realize that, like Lolo, you can keep pushing to better yourself.

If you’re reading this, it’s safe to say you’re working toward a goal or, in the spirit of the Olympics, traveling on a road toward them. Enjoy the remainder of the summer Olympics and, while you’re at it, pave your own road to London because Nike is right, “If you have a body, you’re an athlete.”

Why You Should Add Avocado to Your Diet

Foods high in fat are not permitted in a clean diet. However, there are foods that contain “good” or “healthy” fats, and one of them is the avocado.”A medium-sized avocado contains 30 grams of fat, as much as a quarter-pound burger. That’s why diet experts have long urged Americans to go easy on avocados in favor of less fatty fruits and vegetables. But now nutritionists are taking another look. They’re finding that most of the fat in an avocado is monounsaturated — the ‘good’ kind that actually lowers cholesterol levels. Thanks to this new understanding, the U.S. government recently revised its official nutrition guidelines to urge Americans to eat more avocados” (WebMD.com).

Here are some additional health benefits of the avocado:

• Avocado is a great source of potassium, which may help regulate blood pressure.
• Because of the avocado’s carotenoid diversity, it has anti-inflammatory properties.
• “Avocados contain ‘oleic acid’, a monounsaturated fat that may help lower cholesterol” (Pyroenergen.com).
• Avocado can aid in the prevention of breast and prostate cancer.
• Avocado can help reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
• The “good” fats found in avocados are good for hair, skin, and nail health.
• Avocado can help to regulate blood sugar.

Find more nutritional benefits of the avocado here: http://www.avocado.org/avocado-nutrients/, http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-avocados.html, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=5

Never bought an avocado before? No worries! Here are some pointers on what to look for when choosing them at the grocery store. “For immediate use, select slightly  soft avocados that yield to gentle pressure  on the skin. For use in a few days, buy firm fruits that do not yield to the squeeze test.  Leave them at room temperature to ripen” (Mealsforyou.com). An avocado is ripe when it is somewhat soft. When buying avocados, I usually make sure mine are firm to touch – this way if I don’t eat them the same day, they won’t go bad! If you buy your avocados firm like I do, you will most likely have to wait 3-5 days for them to ripen. If you want to slow the ripening process, you can throw the avocados in the refrigerator. I usually only eat half of the avocado and save the rest for later, so you can also use the fridge to make sure the other half doesn’t go bad too quickly. Avoid avocados with sunken, dark spots or cracks.

There are many ways to add avocado to your daily diet. You can add a few avocado slices to your eggs in the morning or with your chicken at night. You can make a clean guacamole to enjoy with whole grain chips or throw a few slices into a salad – “Recent research has shown that absorption of two key carotenoid antioxidants—lycopene and beta-carotene—increases significantly when fresh avocado (or avocado oil) is added to an otherwise avocado-free salad” (WHFoods.com). One of my favorite ways to eat avocado is over a lean turkey burger topped with a pinch of salt! Avocado isn’t only a healthy option, but it can also aid in weight loss. When compared to butter and cheese, avocado is the best clean and “waist-friendly” option! Check it out:

This recipe from Tosca Reno’s “The Eat-Clean Diet” is a fun way to spice up an Italian-style dinner while staying on track!

See more of Tosca’s “Bruschetta with Tomato & Avocado” here:  http://www.eatcleandiet.com/food_and_recipes/clean_recipe/bruschetta_with_tomatoavocado.aspx

When eating the fatty fruit, remember that although healthy, they are also high in calories. Practice portion control!

Pictures from: http://www.avocado.org/avocado-nutrients/, http://sigonas.wordpress.com/2010/01/12/california-hass-avocados-are-here/, http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/08/avocado-dip.html, http://www.avocado.org/nutrition/

The Benefits of Using Ankle Weights!

Before I begin, I would first like to speak of my own experience with ankle weights. As a gymnast, my coach would make me train using ankle weights. I would have to do my beam routines – layouts and all – with ankle weights on! All of the gymnasts would always complain because the routines would become too difficult as our legs were weighed down; it was hard to flip with so much extra weight on our ankles and it took a lot of effort to get our legs over our heads! After we completed the specified number of routines, we were then told to take the weights off and do the same number of routines without them. The routines I did when I took the weights off were extremely easy compared to the ones I did with them on. Over time, I found that doing my routines with ankle weights on gave me the strength to breeze through my routines. My core muscles strengthened and my skills became a lot easier for me as I grew stronger and gained more endurance. Today, when I do bootcamp-type workouts, I supplement them with ankle weights. I’ll do the first half of the workout with them on and the second half without them!

In this post, I would like to address the women who are in the beginner fit level. Don’t worry, ladies, you do not have to do beam routines! All I would suggest if you are just getting started with your exercise would be to walk! That’s it? Walk? Yup! You can reap countless health benefits from walking alone, but walking with ankle weights makes the cardio much more beneficial. “The added weight can increase energy expenditure, respiration rate, heart rate and training intensity, which can all have positive impacts on overall health” (Livestrong.com). If you have a hard time walking and you tire easily, walking with ankle weights adds intensity to each walking session and, eventually, you will be able to walk for a longer period of time as you’ve increased your overall endurance. When adding the ankle weights to your walking sessions, you will torch more calories than you would without them because your body has to work harder than it normally would. During your walking sessions, you can implement strength training by wearing the ankle weights. This way you will not only be burning calories, but you’ll also be getting stronger at the same time. Remember, the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn at rest!

Although there are numerous benefits of ankle weight walking, you must make sure not to use them every time you are doing your aerobic exercise. The weights put extra stress on your joints and sometimes you need to give them a break! My advice would be to alternate on and off whenever you walk – use them one day, leave them behind the next!

If you need a little guidance, here are a few workout tips on how to walk with ankle weights:

• Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
• Walk heel to toe.
• Arms are always opposite of legs – if the right leg steps forward, the left arm is in front.
• Maintain good posture – the ankle weights will be pulling you down a bit, so keep your back and shoulders upright.
• Keep abdominal muscles tight – squeeze them during your walk!
• Keep a steady pace.

If you want to change it up a little, you can also use the weights on your wrists to increase the strength of your arms!

If you are a little worried about using the ankle weights – you may not be confident in your ability to add the weight – don’t worry! Take some time to find your walking rhythm and when you feel you are able to add the ankle weights do so! Don’t feel you need to buy extremely heavy ankle weights. There are ankle weights of all kinds – there are different amounts of weight you can choose from, style, fit, etc. It is all up to your personal preference, but no matter which one you choose, you WILL benefit from them!

Head to your local Sports Authority to pick up some ankle weights! Browse some of the different kinds here: http://www.sportsauthority.com/family/index.jsp?cp=710958&categoryId=693991&pg=1

Source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/228090-benefits-of-walking-with-ankle-weights/, picture from: http://www.sportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12072965&cp=710958.693991&pg=2&parentPage=family