Maintaining Runner's Form

How often do you think about your form when you’re running? Most often, we’d guess, you really don’t. Whether you're running outside or on a treadmill, we don't imagine you're usually thinking of how you should be holding your body. If you did, however, you could increase your performance and your endurance. Not only that, but you could lessen your chance of injury if you’re holding your body the correct way while you’re running.

Let’s start from the top & work our way down!

Mind: So this isn’t as much about the way you’re physically holding yourself as much as it is about what your mental state is. Don’t over-think while you’re running. This is meant to be a stress-reducing exercise, so clear your mind and just run.

Head: Keep your head up! Looking down means that you’re probably leaning forward which will create more stress on your lower back.

Eyes: Keep them forward:

Jaw: Hold your mouth open while you run that way you will breathe both through your nose & through your mouth so you get the most oxygen through your run.

Shoulders: Relax! Tensing up your shoulders takes energy away from what you could be using to cover more distance on your run.

Hands: Lightly cup your hands. Just as tensing your shoulders takes energy, so does clenching your muscles in your hands while you run.

Back: Be upright. Don’t bend at the waist or hunch since this restricts breathing and blood flow. Tall posture ensures your hip flexors & abductors are in prime function which decreases the chance of injury.

Ankles: Lean forward on your ankles to help push yourself along.

Feet: There is no one correct way to use your feet so use whatever kind of foot strike feels right to you!

Follow these tips for optimal running stance and you will be amazing even yourself with the difference it makes1

Original: http://www.shape.com/fitness/training-plans/run-faster-longer-stronger-and-injury-free

Be Done With Those Post-Run Headaches

You know those days when you feel like that run on the treadmill or elliptical could go on forever and you would be fine with it? Maybe you are running off stress or maybe you're just filled with a ton of energy. You feel great; not at all dizzy, or overheated, or hungry, or feeling any pain and then an hour or more later, a dull headache moves in. 

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. Headaches can be caused from a couple reasons. One of them being that you are not consuming enough water throughout the day. Maybe not just drinking water, but incorporating water-filled fruits & vegetables like bananas or sweet potatoes. 

Once the actual run starts, if it's under an hour or when it's cool out, hydrating during your workout isn't necessary. If you're running longer than an hour, it's hot, or you're sweating buckets, mix an electrolyte package with your water. 

Something you may not realize is the time of day that you are running also matters. When you run early in the morning, stay hydrated the night before and sip 8 ounces of water 15 minutes before heading out. Later in the day, you should have a water bottle on you all day and drink from it frequently. 

Low blood sugar levels can also cause headaches. One to two hours before your workout, have something quick such as a fruit and nut bar, whole-wheat toast with nut butter, or a small bowl of cereal. After your run, you’re going to want a mix of carbohydrates and protein.

A tightness in the neck or shoulders can also contribute to causing the headache. Take time after your run to stretch out the neck, shoulders, and upper back then reward yourself by relaxing in a hot shower and give yourself a little well-deserved upper-body self-massage.

If none of these tips seem to be working for you, it's best to see a doctor to make sure there isn't a more serious underlying issue.

Original: http://www.fitsugar.com/How-Prevent-Postrun-Headaches-35399990

Cardio Myths Vs. Facts

Those of you who love to hear your elliptical gearing up at the end of a long day can agree that nothing beats cardio. And of course you know how fantastic it is for your heart and that it's a great calorie burner, but there are some cardio myths out there masquerading as fact. We want to make sure that you have all the correct information to work with so here are five of the biggest cardio myths:

MYTH: For weight loss, cardio is the one & only answer.
FACT:  Of course if you’re pushing yourself on that treadmill or elliptical day in and day out, you will drop weight and you will drop it fast. Cardio alone, however, burns away both fat and muscle, which of course you don’t want.  Make sure the weight you lose is the right kind of weight. You need those muscles!

MYTH: Cardio workouts have to be at least an hour long to matter.
FACT: All body movements burn calories, not just the ones that keep your heart pumping for over an hour. To burn them more efficiently, in fact you should introduce high-intensity interval training to routine which can elevate your metabolism so that you could still be burning up to 38 hours after your workout. Even 10 minutes at a high intensity is beneficial. And a recent study suggests that short, infrequent bouts of slow running can do your heart good.

MYTH: Cardio on an empty stomach torches maximum body fat.

FACT: The idea that if your body doesn't have available food calories, it'll dip into the body's stored supply, thus losing inches & lbs, is simply untrue. Fat burn is consistent whether you’ve eaten before a workout or not. In fact, your body needs energy which comes to you in the form of food. Having a pre-workout snack will actually help you perform better, thus burning more fat in the end.

MYTH: It's important to stay in the "fat-burning zone" if your aim is to burn fat.

FACT: This one is half true. But it's total calories burned (those pesky calories out) that matter for weight loss. A higher intensity workout gets more of those lbs off.  

MYTH: You can skip a legs' strength workout if you've ran or biked.
FACT: Although it may seem like you're working your legs and glutes, you aren't getting any muscle building benefits by running or biking. Building up these large muscles in your body help boost your metabolism so you need to do strength moves along with your cardio. And as an added bonus, strength workouts will make you a better runner and cyclist.

Original: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/cardio-myths-debunked?cid=Synd_Popsugar_CardioMythsStopBelieving_Content-Fitness_August14_CardioMythsStopBelieving

Spring in to Fitness With Best Buys From True Fitness at Fitness Showcase

True Fitness products have been recognized by the Treadmill Doctor as the “best buy” & Fitness Showcase is the only True Fitness Dealer in St. Louis & Springfield. We are proud to sell their award winning equipment!

We have deals running on many True Fitness products, such as the True PS 100 treadmill which was the winner in its price range for Best Buy treadmill, as was the ES900 Elliptical! Check out our specials in store or on our website!

You're Doing It Wrong On The Treadmill

Wondering why, even though you are dedicated to time on that treadmill, you still aren’t seeing results? You could be doing it wrong. Here are some mistakes you could be making that could be holding you back.

Not focusing: The thing that some people love about treadmills is that they’re convenient for multitasking, like reading a magazine, or having a conversation with your workout buddy. If you want to see results though you need to push yourself. Focus on your workout. Increase your speed. 

Not relaxing: While running on a treadmill may not feel as natural as running outside, you need to remember not to tense up. Try not to crowd the front of the treadmill and relax your form. It can alleviate neck, shoulder, and lower back pains that may cause you to take a break from your routine.

Not adjusting the incline: You’ll become a better runner if you increase the incline on that treadmill & you’ll burn more calories. Even a 1% increase will help & you won’t be able to notice. Increasing the incline also helps you avoid shin splints.

Same old, same old: The reason you may not being seeing the numbers on the scale change at all could be because you aren’t changing the speed on your treadmill. Using a treadmill at the same speed everyday can cause you to plateau, so switch it up! 

Treadmill loyalty: If the treadmill and the locker room are the only parts of your gym that you really see, then you're missing out on some great calorie-burning potential. Break the habit: start or end your running session with strength training (this five-minute basic workout is a great place to start) in order to build those metabolism-boosting muscles. 

Holding on: If you feel unsafe running on a treadmill without holding on to the handle bars, you could be hindering your results. When you run hands free you burn more calories and you work your upper body as well. Slow down your speed until you get the hang of not hanging on and keep your abs engaged to help balance yourself.

Original Article:  http://www.fitsugar.com/What-Do-Treadmill-33882388

 

Fit Tip: Track Your Health for Better Results

Documenting diet and exercise can go a long way in helping you stick to a fitness regimen. Whether you use pen and paper or a smartphone, documenting your health and fitness routines is an essential part of getting and staying fit. Use these tips from  to stay on track, even during the holiday season.

Log your exercise. You can use a monthly calendar or go high tech with tools like theLife Fitness LFconnect site. The site and mobile app allow exercisers to create and track their workouts and view progress over time. Remember to record both your cardio and strength training routines for a full picture.

Keep a food journal. You can go online and track what you eat through sites like MyFitnessPal and apps like Lose It!, or keep a notebook and write down what you eat every day. Keeping a food journal makes you more aware of what you are putting in your mouth, because you know you have to write it down later. Use your food journal to see how you are doing. Are you eating five servings of fruits and veggies most days? Are you eating too much at certain times of the day? Understanding your problem areas is essential to improvement. 

Track triggers. Be your own support system. Write down times or days when you have trouble eating healthy and see if you can identify any patterns. When do you stress eat? Keep a log of what triggers you. Eventually you can predict when you might emotionally eat and arm yourself with other choices.

Follow your vitals. Keep a list of health stats from doctor appointments and see if you can improve those as well. Weight is the easiest and most visible, but doesn’t give a full picture of your health. For example, you can take note of your HDL (good) and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, blood pressure and blood glucose to get a better understanding of your health over time.

People who track their diet and fitness have more success than those who don’t. Documenting helps you visualize the change you are creating in your life, so get tracking.

This Fit Tip was brought to you by Life Fitness 

What Works for Weight Loss: Negative or Positive Feedback?

A few weeks ago, TV broadcaster Jennifer Livingston in LaCrosse, Wis. defended herself against Mike Thompson, a viewer who criticized her for not being a responsible role model as an overweight, public personality. He asked her to reconsider her responsibility to promote a healthy lifestyle. Livingston made a public response where she said she’s more than a number on a scale, and that Mr. Thompson was out of line with his email. While the dust has settled on that exchange, the story brings to the surface a great weight loss question for discussion: What’s more motivating, positive or negative feedback?

Painful, but motivating? I’ve heard many people say that sometimes hearing the truth—even from strangers—can be painful, but motivating. Oftentimes people get so caught up with work, kids, stress and life that their personal health becomes the last thing they think about. Exercise, unfortunately, is the first thing that falls off of a daily routine when people are in a time crunch. When that happens it can take a jolt from an outsider to shine a light on their daily decisions and the toll they take on our health.

Is there a fine line? On the other hand, there’s a big difference between a friend encouraging you to exercise or keep food journals together versus a random email or online post from a stranger. It’s inappropriate to go around making judgments about people without knowing their story—or more importantly—them. It’s great to encourage family and friends to make healthy choices, as long as it is done in a respectful and encouraging way. It's never productive to only criticize.

Positive, but tough. I am wired toward the positive and have been since I was a kid.  Glass half full has been my motto forever and maybe I’m overly optimistic at times.  But, I believe you can attract more bees with honey. Having a positive mindset doesn’t mean I let people off the hook. I am positive and tough. People should be tough on themselves and get honest about the choices they are making and how those choices are impacting their health. I think people should take responsibility for their health. I am not into excuses. As a fitness trainer, there’s a balance to strike between encouragement and being tough. I do believe that those four words, “I don’t have time” are worthless and I tell my clients to switch those four words to this: “I choose to do something else I feel is more important.” Ouch! It’s a bit of a reality check. Are your health and happiness not important? I have always believed that in order for people to keep a habit, they have to enjoy it.

What motivates you to live a healthier life? Are you the kind of person who would rather have a trainer screaming in your face or someone smiling and encouraging you?

Comment and let us know! 

 

 

 Brought to you by LifeFitness

5 Gym Etiquette Rules to Live By

 by Laura Riley

Fit Tip: Add Treadmill Incline Training to Your Workout Routine

There is nothing like the thrill and challenge of climbing a mountain. And although incline training on a treadmill may not be quite the same experience as hiking up a mountain trail, you can still get great results (sans the mountain air). Use these tips to add variety and intensity to your workout with incline training.

Incline Training on a Treadmil

Most treadmills are equipped with the incline feature and can reach grades of 10-15 percent. You can manually incline the tread belt to simulate an uphill workout, but many Life Fitness treadmills also come with built-in hill climbing programs that automatically take the grade of the treadmill up and down to simulate an uphill or rolling hills workout. Incline training can be a great way to increase the intensity of your walking workout while keeping it low impact or to kick your running workout into high gear.  

Benefits of Incline Training

• Training indoors means you get to determine the terrain, grade of the hill, and avoid any environmental or weather issues. 
• Incline training gives an extra boost to your low impact walking workouts. The lower impact workouts on a treadmill decrease the risk of injury or strain to knees, hips, back, and ankles.
• If you are a runner, adding in a hill climb or two will kick your cardiovascular workout into high gear. Try a few rolling hills or jog up a steady climb.
• Studies show that by increasing the incline, you engage more leg and glute muscles then flat road training. This means increased heart rate, calorie burn and muscle strength.
• Using the incline feature or preprogrammed hill climbing workouts can provide variety and prevent boredom.
• Letting go of the handrails will also engage more core muscles for balance and increase the intensity. More muscles used means more calories burned.

If you are just beginning an exercise program, start at a low incline level and speed.  Listen to your body and as your endurance and strength improve, gradually increase the intensity and length of your workouts.

 

This Fit Tip was provided by Life Fitness August 24th, 2012

STAY ACTIVE DURING WINTER MONTHS

From skiing to shoveling snow, there are many winter-friendly ways to stay fit this holiday season. 

Even sledding is more work than you think! Every time you take a ride down the hill, you most likely have to walk all the back to the top - you can burn more calories by pulling a few kids on the sled as you go up! Try sledding for 30 minutes, and you can burn as many calories as a two-mile run.

One of our top manufacturers, Life Fitness breaks down potential calorie burn* of trying these outdoor activities for 30 minutes:

Sledding for 30 minutes: 250 calories

Ice skating for 30 minutes: 230 calories

Cross-country skiing for 30 minutes: 300 calories

Down-hill skiing for 30 minutes: 210 calories

Snowboarding for 30 minutes: 250 calories

Walking the dog for 30 minutes: 125 calories

Shoveling snow for 30 minutes: 230 calories

And when getting outdoors isn't feasible, hop on your home treadmill or elliptical trainer and indulge yourself in a favorite music playlist while sweating off some of those extra holiday treats!

*approximations based on an average 145 lbs woman for a 30 minutes of activity

Fit Tips are provided by Life Fitness, the leader in designing and manufacturing high-quality exercise equipment for fitness facilities and homes worldwide.