BMI Calculator – Don’t trust it!

In this day and age we constantly rely on technology and little tools to give us some extra insight or to be a key to the truth. Well, this can be such a downfall for the fitness industry! Things like the BMI calculator (which can be found all over the internet) constantly give people misconceptions of their own personal fitness. Problems can arise like self-consciousness, exercise dependency, or even really really serious things like anorexia. Why then, do we let some little tool that someone came up with have so much control over the way we see ourselves and the way we treat our bodies? The truth of the matter is that the BMI calculator is not really a reliable source…

• The BMI calculator negates muscle mass. This is one major downfall of the calculator, and perhaps the most obvious. I have friends who train for bodybuilding competitions and are rock solid muscle through and through. But guess what? They have an obese weight, according to the BMI calculator. This doesn’t just go for those with a TON of muscle, but it even goes for people who train lots as well. The BMI calculator fails to recognize that a pound of muscle weights just the same as a pound of fat.
• Apparently, the difference of a decimal point can tell us that we are underweight, overweight, or obese. But really….. .1 on the BMI calculator is the difference between these classifications…. that just doesn’t seem legitimate to me!

Moral of the story – you are more than a number! There are lots of other ways to indicate your health… the number one being by the way you feel! Don’t rely on a number to tell you how much you need to workout – just take everything with a grain of salt!

gym intimidation

I keep hearing about gym intimidation – so many people, especially new gym-goers, feel awkward around the regulars or super muscular people when hitting the treadmill.

I have to admit, the gym can be a vulnerable place. Between the surrounding mirrors, the toned bodies, and worries of how we look, the gym forces us to face lots of issues that can make us feel less than confident. This phenomenon of gym intimidation makes me so sad, though. I want everyone to go to the gym and feel good about themselves and their bodies! Even if your fitness goal hasn’t been achieved yet, the gym should make you feel empowered – kudos to you for getting there and making the effort! That is the first and most vital step of the process. Just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean gym intimidation will go away, unfortunately.

Even I feel a little on edge at the gym sometimes. I think everyone does, from the most muscular meat heads to the newest exerciser. Because this is such a common problem, here are my top tips for feeling your best when you’re working out.

How to feel confident in the gym and avoid intimidation!

• Hire a personal trainer! Working out with a personal trainer can be such a big help because this professional will guide you through the steps to give you a solid workout while using correct form. This could give you a confident edge – you won’t look like a newcomer with some training. Also, fitness professionals understand the concerns of new exercisers and genuinely want to help you work through them.
• Use the mirrors to your advantage. As I have mentioned before, sometimes the mirrors are the scariest part of the gym! They can also be your biggest help to ensure that you can check your form and correct your mistakes – this way you don’t have to worry about other people correcting them for you!
• Create a playlist that keeps you motivated. Music always help me stay in the zone. It helps me to block out all outside occurrences and stay focused on my workout, not everybody else’s.
• Develop tunnel-vision in the gym. I am in a business ethics class right now and we are discussing tunnel-vision – this is what happens when somebody becomes fixated on one factor that makes them forget all of the other factors that are also present. While this is usually not a very good thing, I think it can really be advantageous in the gym! If we have tunnel-vision focus on our workouts and zone out everything else, a good workout is bound to happen!

The thing is, we are all human and we all have things that make us intimidated and uncomfortable. Don’t let this keep you from exercising, though, because I can almost promise that all of the other gym-goers feel or have felt the exact same way.

 

Workout playlist!

Music really can add so much to a workout! Here’s what’s on my workout playlist right now…

1. Dark Horse by Katy Perry ft. Juicy J
2. Applause by Lady Gaga
3. Walk This Way by Aerosmith
4. Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson
5. Forever by Chris Brown
6. Bring Em Out by T.I.
7. Halftime by The Ying Yang Twins
8. Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet

As you can see, I love a good mix! To me, variation keeps me excited about my workout and it keeps me motivated! Another tip I love is to use beats per minute (BPM) as a tool during workouts. Having the music match the intensity of my workout adds so much to the workout experience… more on BPM later!

 

Lifetime Fitness Strictly Strength Class – Group Fitness Class Review

One of my favorite parts of being home from college for the holidays is the fact that I get to work out in my home fitness club! Even though my school has an amazing gym for all of the students, it is just not the same as my good old Lifetime Fitness facility!

As some of you may know, I have my ACE Group Fitness Instructor certification test in just THREE DAYS!!! I am getting extremely nervous, so please send me some good vibes! In hopes and anticipation of passing this test, I have been trying lots of different fitness classes at Lifetime to try to see what kind of classes I would like to lead in the future. On Thursday, I tried out a class called Strictly Strength. Here is my review on this challenging class!

I had no idea what to expect as I was beginning this strictly strength class. As I was gathering all kinds of equipment from a barbell to steps, I could not help but notice all of the different people in this class! There were college aged kids, pregnant women, middle aged adults, and even some seniors! I was automatically amazed that this class appealed to so many different individuals… and this was before the warm up!

The class began and we performed a choreographed series of movements with our barbell, and even added some lunges! I was already breaking a sweat by this time!

One of my favorite new discoveries in this class were Gliding Discs! These little gems were such a challenge! We placed them under our hands or feet in plank position and performed mountain climbers and moving mountain climbers, but that wasn’t the most challenging part! Next, we got in plank position and slid our arms out in front of us (the gliders were under our hands) and then really had to contract our abdominals (and everything we had, for that matter) to move our arms back to the perfect plank position. WOW! I could really feel the burn – these Gliding Discs make for such an amazing and challenging workout!

You can check out these Gliding Discs at http://www.glidingdiscs.com and order them on that site or through various fitness equipment sites like http://www.power-systems.com/p-4117-gliding-discs.aspx?gclid=CMeY4L-b07sCFeFlOgodpHAAJg. Needless to say, I will be making a purchase soon!

The class continued with more strength exercises – everything from abs to shoulders to glutes were targeted! While these exercises all made me feel the burn, I couldn’t help but notice how great the instructor was! Her encouragement and participation in the class made the class so much fun, and sometimes that is exactly what group fitness is supposed to be! She created such a positive environment that I could tell that some of the regulars in the class had even become friends – and even though it was only my first time in the class, I felt welcomed and included! The team aspect of group fitness is something that I love so much!

If you are a member of a fitness club that offers group fitness classes, try a new class this week to kick off the new year! Like always, changing up your workout is always a good thing to do to avoid burnout, and I think that exercising with other individuals who are like minded can help in that area as well!

I know it isn’t technically Friday… but I hope you enjoyed this Fit Friday post! Yesterday my family and I went downtown to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra, which is our Christmas tradition! If you ever get the chance to see these amazing people perform, GO SEE THEM! This is some of the most incredible talent I have ever seen and I am always in awe of their capabilities! The show is truly an experience, and definitely worth the time and money!

As we are approaching the new year (which I just can’t believe) I know that resolutions are always a common topic. Do you have any this year? Comment or email me with your resolutions! I would love to see if I can help with any health and fitness goals. I am not usually one to make resolutions, but I have a different outlook this season! Make sure to come back and visit The Good Life Gal to find out what I am looking to accomplish in the new year!

Mirrors in the Gym: Best Friend or Worst Enemy??

At my gym, mirrors surround me and give me a 360 degree view. Scary? Yes. Helpful? Yes.

Being surrounded by mirrors can be a scary thing because we constantly stare at ourselves in criticism… I have to fix that, this looks too big, my arm looks like a sausage… the list goes on and on. While these thoughts are pretty much never true, these mirrors tend to make us focus on the negative rather than the positive. Yes, this is normal, but it sure is a reason to hate the mirrors at the gym. Just last night as I was sitting in yoga, I looked in the mirror and thought to myself that I really needed that workout, and yet at the same time I knew I was being unreasonable and unrealistic.

On the other hand, mirrors in the gym are vital! One of the most important aspects of exercise is form… even the workout rookie knows that! Mirrors give us the chance to constantly be ensuring that our form is spot on… which leads not only to a better workout with better results, but to less injuries!

Today, I encourage you to realize that the mirrors are there to help you out and be your friend, not to hurt you! Every time you think a critical thought, know that those thoughts are unreasonable! You are beautiful! And the effort of just getting to the gym is awesome! Use these mirrors to encourage yourself instead of beat yourself down for illegitimate reasons… they are there to make sure you get the best workout possible!

Most importantly, always remember to be happy with yourself! Our thoughts control our lives, so positive thoughts about yourself will inevitably lead to a good, positive life! Don’t let anything, even those silly mirrors, let you think that you are not a superstar!

The “I” in Motivation

As I am currently dreading the workout I know I have ahead of me, I know that my mind is the only thing that has me trapped in this “anything but the gym” mentality.

Every single time we have plans, goals, or to-do’s, our minds are called to pick between two simple choices: will we come from a positive, motivational place or a resigned, numb, and lazy one?

At the time, I am having to do some major mindset adjusting because naturally, after this busy day of nannying and running countless errands for my up-and-coming move, I am finding myself with absolutely no motivation to get my butt to the gym. While the gym is actually my happy place and I often go there to release this kind of stress, today I am just not feeling it!

But being the fitness freak that I am, I know that I won’t regret it if I go get my workout in… I will regret it if I skip out, though.

Moral of the story: The only person who can truly motivate you is you. 

We constantly search for motivation (especially in our fitness lives) by finding other people to motivate us. Sure, fitness professionals like personal trainers and group fitness instructors are great at coaching and sparking determination, but real motivation is the product of an internal fire that only YOU can spark. And hey, you also have the power to put the fire out.

Our thoughts truly do control us, and our lives truly are products of our minds. I have the power to make the decision to motivate myself by letting the good thoughts flow in and the bad, lazy thoughts flow out. And making sure they stay out!

When you are down or unmotivated, remember that you are your own biggest tool. The best trainer in the world could be shouting words of encouragement right in your ear as you run on that treadmill, but the minute you lose your inner drive, he’s no more than some weird guy yelling at you. In life, we have these various tools that should help us to be the best selves we can possibly be. The more tools the merrier! Use trainers and other sources of motivation as a supplement to your most powerful tool… your mind!

Today, choose to live the good life by choosing positivity over negativity. Our thoughts are our own conscious choices, so use them to your advantage!