The 15-Minute Workout

Let's face it - We're all busy and important people and sometimes we simply don't have time to get in a full workout. Try this equipment-free, fun and challenging routine to get it in wherever you are in 15 mins!

15 Pushups (Muscles Worked: Chest, Shoulders and Core)
Modification: Perform on your knees
Progression: Use a staggered stance so that one hand is under your shoulder and one is parallel to your chest

25 sit-ups (Muscle Worked: Abdominals)
Modification: Crunches
Progression: Keep your hands over-head

20 Jump squats (Cardio. Muscles Worked: Quads and Hamstrings)
Modification: Don’t come down as low during the squat portion and rather than jumping, simply reach up
Progression: Perform side to side. Get down as low as you can and jump as high as you can on each repetition

15 Forward lunges on each leg - 15 Back lunges on each leg (Muscles Worked: Quads and Hamstrings. Balance)
(Make sure your front knee stays directly over your toes and that you are on the ball of your back foot)
Modification: Keep your lunges shallow
Progression: Add a jump to each repetition

25 Reverse Crunches (Abdominals)
(Aim to lift your hips off the ground without swinging the legs)
Modification: Keep your head and shoulders on the floor and focus on gently lifting the hips off the ground
Progression: While lifting the legs 90degrees, simultaneously perform a crunch with the upper half of your body with arms overhead reaching towards the toes

30 seconds of High-Knees (Cardio)
Modification: Low-impact knee lifts
Progression: Knee tuck-jumps

20 Plie Squats (Muscles Worked: Adductors and Quads. Balance)
(Wide stance with toes turned out to the side. Make sure knees do not go past the toes and hips are tucked in)
Modification: Hold onto something for balance and keep the squats shallow
Progression: Perform on your toes

20 Curtsy Squats on Each Side (Muscles Worked: Abductors and Quads. Balance.)
(One foot steps the other so you are on the ball of the back foot and hips facing forward)
Modification: Hold onto something for balance and keep the squats shallow
Progression: Between each repetition, lift the back leg to perform a side lateral extension

20 Side-Step Squats (Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Abductors and Adductors)
Start with legs only hip width apart. Step wide to the right and squat. Bring feet back to hip width apart and squat. Repeat on the left side
Modification: Don’t perform the center close-legged squats
Progression: Substitute the closed leg squat with a jump

Repeat once

As your fitness level improves, you can challenge yourself by using the progressions or going through this routine as many times as you can within a 15 minute period!

You Don't Have to Like it - You just Have to DO IT!!!

So you haven't been able to work out lately? Whether it's because of an injury, work, travel, or personal reasons, getting started back up again can be tough. Really tough. Reasons to delay like, "What's another day of not exercising going to do," or "I'll start back again on Monday" play in your head as your waistline slowly expands. Here's my 1-2-3 to getting back on track and what you can do to help yourself stay there.

1. DON'T PUNISH YOURSELF. Whether you've been away from the gym for days, weeks, or months, trying to compensate for this through increased excersise and/or decreased eating won't work. These two extremes will lead to hunger, burnout, injuries and depression. Move forward and don't look back (do this for break-ups too).

2. PREPARE. You know what you need to do and how you need to do it. Get your schedule in order, plan your workouts, and take time to go food shopping. Prepare as much food as you can ahead of time so that you aren't making rash decisions about what to eat in a state of hunger. This time-saving step will make the transition of regularly incoporating the gym a lot easier. You'll know what you have to do when you get there and have a healthy meal waiting for your after. Perfect.

3. GET THERE! Look, getting to the gym is half the battle, right? If that initial motivation is holding you back, enlist help! Make a gym-date with your friend or hire a trainer for the first few weeks to stay motivated. With a trainer you are motivated because someone is expecting you to show up and you've made the financial commitment to do so. Other ideas to help you stay motivated are to set-up a rewards system so that if you complete each planned workout to the best of your ability, you reward yourself with a massage or a pair of shoes for example. Another idea is to put money aside in a jar every time you skip a workout. When you reach your goals, you get your money back. In psychology/psychiarty there exists a saying, "Change your behavior and your mind will follow." This means that once a consistent pattern of behavior is established, that behavior will become easier and normal to that individual. You know those "crazy" people who wake up super-early to work out at 6am and actually like it? It wasn't easy for them the first few weeks to wake-up and hit the gym, but over time, they established a routine. Now it's no problem for them at all and they come into work boasting about how great it is that their workout is already done. You might be sitting next to him/her right now. Other proven ways to stay committed are to share your goals with others so you are held accountable and to write down your goals and keep a diary of your progress towards those goals. Visualization is also a helpful tool. Put up photos of the body you'd like to have, or hang a pair of jeans you'd like to fit into.

While psychologists and psychiatrists have their saying about establishing a routine, I think the one that works best was one my mother used to tell me as a child (and sometimes still) regarding doing things I don't want to do ... "You don't have to like it, you just have to do it." Get to the gym and before you know it, you'll find yourself back into an easy, healthy routine.

How to Get Legally High

I don't get those people who go to the gym, hit some cardio, and feel great after. You know who they are. They step off the treadmill, the stair climber, and sometimes appear magically from the steam room to tell you how great they feel and how they just crushed their workout. I never feel like that! I get done teaching or done watching Britney Spears' music videos while on the elliptical and think to myself, "Thank God that's over!" These people are high off of exercise. I 've heard about this phenomenon also knows as the "runners high," but I don’t ever recall feeling like that. Not wanting to miss out on a good time, I did some research to find out why people were getting high without me and how I can get in on the action.

The term "runner's high" is used to describe the feeling of euphoria after a prolonged and rigorous workout. This feeling is not exclusive to runners, but was first coined by long-distance runners who reported feeling euphoric, motivated and energized after marathons. The rush these athletes felt is due to a release of chemicals from the pitutairy gland called endorphins. Endorphines not only bring about the feeling of elation, but also block the sensation of pain. Scientists discovered that endorphins are released when the body is placed under great stress for a considerable period of time and when muscles use up their stored glycogen and begin functioning only with oxygen.

To get this exercise-induced high, you must exercise for at least 30 minutes in order to fully deplete your glycogen stores and work at a moderate to high intensity (Tip: If your workout goal is to chase this high, a carbohydrate-laden snack is best pre-workout as your body burns through carbs faster than it burns though protein and fats thus depleting your glycogen stores more quickly). How do you know if you are working hard enough? You should be breathless. If you're talking to your friend while on cardio, texting, or flipping through your iPod touch, you're not going to get there. Similarly, if Im teaching a spin class while singing along to Beyonce, Im not going to get there either which leaves me wanting to knock out the next person who posts on Facebook how great their am-fasted morning cardio was (I will delete you).

The simple solution? Put your phone away, pre-set your workout music and work out as hard as you can for as long as you can. Eat right, focus, and your next workout will leave you legally high.

Dieters Beware

Trying to lose weight and still can't understand why the pounds aren't coming off? An article in the January edition of Time Magazine suggests a possible reason. For all of you who count calories, please stop reading here.

"When you buy a car with a six-cylinder engine, you expect to get six cylinders. When you buy a dress in a size 10, you expect a size 10. And when you buy a burger at a fast-food joint that's listed on the menu as containing 500 calories, you jolly well expect 500. But you may be getting a lot more than that. The same may be true of the omelet and the pasta you get at a sit-down restaurant — and of the frozen dinner with the label you read so carefully before you tossed it in your supermarket basket and took it home.

According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, prepared foods may contain an average of 8% more calories than their package labels own up to and restaurant meals may contain a whopping 18% more. Worse still, as far as Food and Drug Administration regulations are concerned, that's perfectly O.K.

The findings are the result of work conducted by Susan Roberts, professor of nutrition at Tufts University, and Jean Mayer, of Tufts' USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging. It was Roberts who initiated the study, and it was her own struggles with weight that got her started. Author of the book The Instant Diet, she was working on new recipes for the paperback version (retitled The "i" Diet) and, as was her practice, used herself as a guinea pig. As a rule, she lost weight on the menu plans she recommended to readers, but when she redeveloped some of the meals using what were supposed to be calorically equivalent supermarket or restaurant foods, the pounds stopped dropping off. Just as suspiciously, she always felt full.
"I went into the lab and said, 'I don't believe these calorie numbers,' " she says. "So we went out and started collecting foods and sampling their contents."

In all, she studied 29 restaurants and 10 frozen-food products, taking care to select foods that dieters would be likely to choose, which meant that they were said to contain 500 calories or fewer and that, in restaurants, they were among the lowest-calorie items on the menus. Back in the lab, Roberts' tests revealed the high-calorie truth, and the numbers were even more troubling than ordinary dieters would appreciate.

No one would deny that the 18% calorie overload on restaurant menus is a problem. The additional 8% in frozen foods sounds less serious; in a 500-calorie entree, after all, 8% adds only 40 calories. That, however, is in a single meal. Over the course of a year, consuming just 5% more than you need in a 2,000-calorie diet can mean a 10-lb. weight gain. "The 18% and 8% figures are just what you need not to lose weight," says Roberts.

In her book, Roberts reformulated menus to correct for the problem, but there's a big, fattening world out there that isn't taking such remedial steps. Federal regulations are strict about the accuracy of the net weight of a package of prepared food, which must be at least 99% of the advertised weight. When it comes to calories, the count can be a far bigger 20% off. The Federal Government plays no role in checking the calorie claims in restaurants, which means it's up to the states to handle the job — with the predictable patchwork results. "It really is the Wild West when it comes to this," says Roberts. "And when state inspectors do visit, they have other issues to worry about — like making sure there are no mouse droppings in the kitchen."

Even a restaurant whose published numbers are accurate down to the last calorie still may not give customers a truly realistic sense of what they're consuming. Every item on the menu, after all, has a separate calorie count, but many people pay attention mostly to the main course, piling on side dishes as something of an afterthought. Five of the restaurants in the survey even provided side dishes at no extra cost, and these added up to an average of 471 extra calories — exceeding the 443-calorie average of the entrees. "What they should be telling consumers," Roberts says, "is what actually comes on the plate."

That seems like a fair requirement. It's hard enough to maintain your weight in the all-you-can-eat buffet that is the modern world. The least the health-conscious should be able to expect is a fair reading of what they're eating — and they can take responsibility from there." - Time Magazine 1/6/10

Unfortunately, this isn't the first I heard about this. I came across this article while researching the claim that protein bars can legally contain 30% more calories than the packaging claims. The best way to avoid hidden calories? Prepare clean meals at home using little fat and sodium . You will need to plan ahead, but that extra planning can save you 10lbs a year!

Always Packing

I once picked up a guy on the tennis court because I had a ton of drugs in my bag. Not the illegal ones, but truth be told I was carrying as many pain relievers as CVS stocks. I overheard him ask someone for Tylenol because he had a headache. I was packing.

I always carry Aleve, Tylenol and Advil in my gym bag (I'm usually touting a banana in case one of my students crashes from a lack of sugar and a screwdriver for spin shoes but that's besides the point). As an instructor, a trainer and an admitted-klutz, Im constantly injured or sore. Because all pain relievers are not the same, based on what ails me, I appropriately medicate.

So what are the differences between Advil, Tylenol and Aleve and how do I know which pill to pop? If inflammation is involved (i.e. swelling and redness), I use Aleve (naproxen). Aleve is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) and works by reducing hormones that cause inflammation and pain. Many Orthopedists recommend this to reduce swelling for sprains, tendinitis, bursitis and breaks, as do Rheumatologists for the treatment of Arthritis. The standard dose is one tablet, caplet, gelcap, or capsule every 8 to 12 hours while symptoms last (though 2 doses are recommended for the first treatment) with a full glass of water.

Aleve can be used in conjunction with Tylenol which functions principally as a fever reducer (antipyretic) and pain reliever (analgesic). "It works quickly to relieve pain caused by conditions such as headache, osteoarthritis, and muscle pain and to reduce fever caused by infection. Unlike acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, Aspirin), which is also an analgesic and antipyretic, acetaminophen does not reduce inflammation." Tylenol is often used in hospitals as the side effects are milder than other over-the-counter pain relievers. This is especially true for individuals who suffer from ulcers or acid reflux as it is less irritating to the stomach lining. The usual adult dose of Tylenol for pain or fever is 325 – 1000 mg every 4 to 6 hours as needed (maximum 4 g/day).

For general muscle aches and minimal swelling, I use Advil or Motrin (Ibuprofen). Advil is a pain reliever which reduces inflammation, but not as effectively as Aleve. It is, however, less irritating on the stomach which makes this a great second-line treatment if you need to reduce swelling and have a sensitive stomach. The typical dose of Advil for pain or fever is 200 – 400 mg every 4 to 6 hours as needed (maximum 3.2 g/day), though some doctors prescribe 600mg or 800mg doses.

For most exercise-induced pain, the best remedy of course, is to give your ailing body part a break and make sure you are well-hydrated. If that doesn't work, look for me carrying my gym bag and I'll hook it up.

Let Them Eat Cake! But No Drinking ...

You're better off having a piece of cake than 2 or 3 drinks. While a piece of cake (350kcal) may have more calories than a vodka soda (90kcal), it certainly doesn't have more than a frozen margarita (700kcal). So yes, it depends on how many and what kind of drink you have that form the basis for the preceding statement. But calories aside, alcohol has terrible post-consumption effects!

Alcohol causes dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Not only are you likely to have a headache from the dehydration, you are likely to have false hunger pains and desire salty and fatty foods! Dehydration makes you hungry and because one of the 4 basic electrolytes is sodium, the body begins to crave foods with salt which combine fat, protein, and carbs. This is why it's more appealing to hit up Fuddruckers when hungover as opposed to whipping up an egg-white omelet.

Alcohol is a heavy diuretic. When you are dehydrated, the brain shrinks away from the skull and the blood vessels in the head expand giving you a headache. "The body’s capillaries begin to shrink, leading to mild hypothermia, or that cold, sickly feeling. Dehydration starts as your liver processes that 1st beverage, but other effects begin several hours later, as the alcohol makes its way through the small intestine. Alcohol breaks down into acetaldehyde, which the body attempts to expel because it’s toxic. Fat builds up in the liver as well, reducing some blood flow and preventing toxins from being flushed out of the liver. Also, alcohol inhibits the metabolization of glutamate, one of the body’s main stimulants. In the beginning, this inhibition makes the imbiber feel nice and mellow, but as the alcohol wears off, the body overcompensates for the lack of glutamine by producing more of it. This makes it hard to sleep."

When I do personal training or nutrition counseling, I always ask my clients not to drink. It's not just because of the empty calories, but because they are likely indulge after drinking as well. In addition, they can't have a good workout (or one at all) with a hangover and lack of proper sleep. If you are really committed to losing weight and training, ditch the alcohol. It's not worth it.

Ladies and Gentlemen: Start Your Engines!!

Ever hear someone say, “I can’t lose weight because I have a slow metabolism?” I have. I have heard it a lot. Perhaps the individual really does have a medical condition such as an underactive thyroid, but if not, here’s the truth about metabolism and a few things you can do to rev yours up.

Generally, metabolism refers to the number of calories your body burns in a day. It is influenced by your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is the number of calories you burn while performing basic functions like breathing, your level of physical activity, and the number of calories it takes to digest and absorb the foods you eat which is known as the Thermic Effect.

1. Eat Foods High in Fiber: Fiber-rich foods are more difficult to digest than simple carbohydrates and therefore have a greater thermic effect. Foods high in fiber include: Fruits, vegetables and whole grain cereals which can also help suppress your appetite.

2. Take Your Vitamins: Your body relies on vitamins and minerals to help it perform and run efficiently. If you become deficient in any of these vitamins or minerals, this deficit can have a negative impact on your BMR. There are lots of vitamin- rich foods including fruits, vegetables, eggs, liver and nuts. If it’s hard to maintain a balanced diet, try taking a multi-vitamin supplement.

3. Water: Yes, I know you’ve heard it time and time again, but drinking water will not only help you feel satiated so, but water helps transports all those vitamins and minerals so they can reach each individual cell and help you perform at
your maximum level! If you are not properly hydrated, your BMR may be reduced.

4. Power Protein: Protein isn’t just essential to help your body heal and repair, it has the greatest thermic effect of all the macronutrients. In essence, it takes more calories for your body to breakdown protein than it does fats and carbohydrates. In fact, research suggests that 25% of the calories in protein are burned during digestion and absorption alone.

5. Keep it Spicy: Spicy foods can temporarily increase your BMR by increasing your body’s temperature for a short period after consumption. In turn, you will burn more calories as your body attempts to regulate this increase in temperature.

6. Cardio is King: Regular cardiovascular exercise helps you not only burn calories as you work out, but the number of calories you burn after a cardio workout remains in an elevated state for approximately 75 minutes after your workout is completed

7. Get Lifted: A pound of muscle burns around 6 calories per day while a pound of fat burns around 2 calories per day. Which would you rather have more of? If you increase your lean muscle mass you can raise your BMR so that even at rest,
your body is burning an increased number of calories.

By making these few minor tweaks to your exercise and diet regimen, you can really rev up your metabolism. On your mark, get set, GO!