Adventure racing is to fitness what skinny jeans are to fashion. They’re fun, fabulous and oh-so-on-trend, but the jury’s still out on what we’ll think when we look back at photos of ourselves in them 10 years down the track. Whether they’re here to stay or simply another fitness fad is yet to be seen, but one thing I can tell you is that they’re a hell of a lot of fun!
So, you don’t feel like working out today? Well, it would seem you’re not alone. According to the 2011-12 Australian Health Survey, a whopping 63% of Australian adults are classed as overweight or obese, which would indicate that there’s a heck of a lot of people out there forgoing exercise in favour of extra sleep, boozy lunches, longer work hours or any other of the myriad excuses that us personal trainers hear daily.
Well I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready for this rain to stop. I quite enjoyed it over the weekend – it was a good excuse to stay indoors and relax – but now I’m it’s time for the sun to return! Just last week I was marking the winter solstice and celebrating the downhill slide to summer, but it seems someone is out there making a mockery of me. Or maybe just reminding me that I should leave weather forecasting to the experts.
I have a confession to make. Despite all my good intentions, I did not manage to fit either a run or a circuit session in today. I know, I know, I’m as disappointed in myself as you are. Actually I’m not really. The thing is, Sunday exercise is a bit of a bonus session to me. I try to make sure I’m never reliant on it because let’s face it – it’s the day I’m most likely to get caught up with other more pressing items like seeing friends, having brunch, sleeping and shopping.
It has been brought to my attention over the last few weeks that I am not necessarily what some people might consider a lazy girl. Now I don’t deny that (it’s all right there on my ‘about’ page) but I did think it was worth giving you a little more insight into why – with all the options out there – I went with Lazy Girl Fitness, and what it means to me. Let me start by giving you a few facts:
Salmon is one of my favourite things to eat, which is kinda nice given it’s also a great source of protein, vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids. Unfortunately my enthusiasm for eating it doesn’t quite match my talent for cooking it, and my repertoire of salmon-based dishes consists of exactly one. Luckily I REALLY like this dish… and now you can fall in love with it too.
Dust off your summer frocks and dig out your swimsuits my friends, because this Friday is the shortest day of the year. In practical terms it mightn’t mean much (Saturday brings us just one extra second of daylight) but to me, it means everything. In fact, call me an optimist or just call me crazy, but I’d go so far as to say that as of next weekend we’re on the downhill slide to summer.
Training ruts are a terrible thing. One moment you’re feeling motivated, together and strong and the next you’re wondering why you bother to eat well and exercise at all. When these negative feelings threaten to surface I find it’s a good idea to try to focus on all of the positive things that have come from your training – people you’ve met, goals you’ve achieved and adventures you’ve had. So today I thought I’d take the opportunity to reflect back on five of the most memorable and influential training moments I’ve had as a trainer, and as an individual.
It’s a little under 11 weeks until the 2013 Sun-Herald City2Surf, and people all over the country are starting to panic a little. Why did I enter? Is there enough time left to train? Do I really have to wear a Spiderman costume? Well folks, the answers to those, and many more questions, will be answered in today’s post.
By now there’s a fair chance you’re aware of my love for High Intensity Interval Training – and in my defence, what’s not to love about a workout that’s time-efficient, burns big calories (for up to 24 hours after you finish your workout!) and helps increase your aerobic capacity? Truth is though, this extreme level of intensity is not for everyone, and in many cases, regular interval training is going to be challenging and effective enough for you to get results.
