Physical Funness for the Motion Starved

Fit more fun into your fitness while exploring the outdoors.

Category Archives: Fitness


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I love green

I'm exercising!

In case it’s not clear, I am attempting to encourage you to exercise in ways that are fun and interesting so that you don’t even notice that you’re exercising. The key to becoming and staying fit is to become naturally active.

Ever hear of the Green Hour or Green Exercise?  Green Exercise is a term used to refer to exercise obtained while outside in nature.  The Green Hour refers to being in nature for one hour. If you haven’t guessed I am a massive fan of Green Exercise, lots of Green Hours and pretty much everything green.

When I first started working on my fitness I spent a lot of time in the gym as well as outside, working out. Eventually I gave up on the gym because it stank and I didn’t like weird guys watching me in the mirror and trying to chat me up.  I didn’t go to the gym to make friends I went to chill out and get my sweat on. This experience brought me to where I am today.

Did you know that abundant scientific evidence shows that activity in natural areas decreases the risk of mental illness and improves your sense of well-being? With just 5 minutes of Greenness (that’s my word) you’ll receive both positive short-term mental health and long-term physical benefits.

It’s really easy, all you gotta do is make sure you get outside during your lunch break, walk to work or to the bar if that’s what it takes.  All natural environments are beneficial including parks in urban settings. Apparently, green areas with water add something extra and a blue and green environment seems even better for health. That’s pretty darn cool don’t you think? Plus you get fresh air and furry critter sightings. What more could you want?

Fyi – Approximate calories burned per half hour if you’re a 150 lb person.

  • Badminton 133
  • Gardening 114
  • Golf 133
  • Hiking 191
  • Home repair 76
  • Horse back riding 114
  • Kayaking 152
  • Kick ball 229
  • Lawn mowing 171
  • Sex 170
  • Walking 88


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Is it Friday yet?

Mr. Weather Man says it’s going to be sunny all weekend here in the Bay Area.  And…it’ll be warmer too!  Halleluiah! I don’t care if it’s still a bit chilly, get outside and get some vitamin D. You need it.

Here are a few of my suggestions for new and interesting things to try this weekend.

  • Friday Nights at the de Young Opening Night. Season six starts today.  If you’ve never been to one of these events now is the time to go.  The museum offers all sorts of interesting things during these Friday evening events. Free admission, live music, films, lectures and creative activities.  Go for a walk in the park and then wander into the museum.  Good for the body and soul!
  • Saturday check out The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s Architecture Ride. This guided, two-hour ride through the city takes you on a tour of the designs of James and Merritt Reid. For more info visit the SFBC website. Why not learn something while you exercise?  Sounds like a good idea to me! Free to SFBC members, $5 for the nonmembers.
  • Some of the boys at Bespoke Cycles SF will be leading a bike ride this Sunday. Meet at 9am at the GGB concession stand for a friendly, no drop, LSD (long slow distance) ride. Contact Ari at Bespoke for more info and to RSVP.  Ari’s my pal, go work him over for me!
  • Spaghetti Squash – I made some last night. It was pretty good, tastes nothing like pasta so don’t be fooled.  It’s full of water so that’s good and low in calorie.  Only has about 2 grams of fiber per serving so that’s not that impressive but give it a try.  It’s not bad!

Don’t forget my Fitness Walk this coming Wed.  I expect to see a bunch of new faces!

Have a great weekend, see you back here on Monday.




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Goal Setting Kelley style

If you are the type to set New Years resolutions or goals then you have done so for 2011 by now.  If not, then maybe what I have to say will help.

Like with everything there’s a ton of information out there about goal setting.  Everyone has a plan. Frankly, it’s not hard to understand but it’s not all that interesting either. All you have to do is figure out what you want and then make it happen. To make it happen you simply need to acknowledge the truth about what you’re willing to do, and willing to continue to do, for as long as it takes.

Example: My goal is to become lighter and fitter. However, I know that I like to eat a lot of food and drink wine. That’s just the way it is and I’m not willing to revise that for very long. Because of that, it’s easier and smarter for me to ramp up my exercise routine then it is for me to make a big change in my eating habits. Fortunately, when I start working out harder or more often, I’m less interested in drinking a bunch of wine and eating all the food that comes with it. This system works for me, as it’s something that I can sustain for long periods of time. Years and years rather than weeks or months.

On the other side of the coin, my friend Jacks is better about cutting calories than she is about ramping up her exercise routine.  Jacks does not like to sweat, it messes up her hair and that’s important to her. With that, she’s happy to eat half portions and cut out alcohol completely rather than partake in high impact exercise. Jacks prefers low impact movement like shopping/walking and Pilates to keep tone.  In the end this combination works for her, she remains light which makes exercising more tolerable and less sweaty.

Does this make sense?  Jumping into a big calorie cutting and/or exercise program is hard for everyone.  Why not try a different approach?  Be honest with yourself. What are you really willing to do to reach your goal? Don’t forget to consider your lifestyle and the things in life that you enjoy like spending time with your kids or happy hour with your friends. You may be able to get where you want to be by suffering for a while but can you keep it up? Be smart and be honest.

Lastly… a quote from George Hincapie (the absolute hottest pro bike racer who ever lived)…

“Enduring those cold and rainy training days are the days that help you reach your goals.” (Remember that when it’s nasty outside.)


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Darn, I just trashed my good helmet!

Quick reminder… if you crack your bike helmet, even a little bit, it’s trashed. Whether it be from your kid tossing it across the room, or the action of you detaching from your bike, the rule is; if it’s cracked, it’s done. The helmet goes in the trash and you go shopping.  I know they’re expensive but so is brain surgery. End of story.

See below for some interesting things to do this weekend:

Presidio Habitats – This is an outdoor art exhibition celebrating the wild Presidio. It’s a free, self guided tour through the trails of the presidio. Along the path you’ll visit 11 sculptures by international artists.  It’s super cool!  Go for a walk or a run and get some culture along the way. You’ll need a map as some of the pieces are off the beaten path.  Exhibition closes in May so you have some time but don’t miss it!

Yoga Tree SF – There are a couple good yoga workshops at Yoga Tree on Valencia this weekend. Saturday they offer a two-hour Yoga 101 workshop. This workshop is great for those new to yoga as well as seasoned yogis. Sunday Yoga Tree offers a 3-hour Yin class with live music.  This class is perfect for those who use yoga as a recovery or therapeutic tool.  I attend this workshop often and find it super rejuvenating.  Click on the link for more info.

Gotta love the Sports Basement. Check out their calendar.  This weekend they offer too many interesting events to list them all.  My favorites are, a Running Dysfunction Clinic, Zumba Class & Core Fitness Class. They also offer Boot Camp classes, runs and bike rides for all.  On Tuesday they even have a “Thank Dog! Bootcamp”. It’s for you and your dog. I see some good stories coming from that! Wish I had a dog.

In an effort to support local business and get you out’a the house, I send along this link. It’s for something called Shop SF Get More.  The SF convention & visitors Bureau came up with it to get us to spend more money in the city.  It’s a bunch of downloadable coupons that will get you hefty discounts on food and goods around town.  In my mind it’s a chance to try something new.  One of the coupons is for free wine at Momi Toby’s in Hayes Valley.  I’ve been to Momi Toby’s before but not for free wine. There’s also a coupon for 20% off at Lombardi Sports. I can use that to get a new bike helmet. Get my feel?

One last thing. There will be some road closures accessing the GGB this weekend.  I’m attaching the link so you can see for yourself. It’s kind of hard to make sense of, but the gist is they’ll affect you if you are planning to drive or ride across the GGB Fri – Sun.

That’s it for this week. I’m taking the weekend off, see you on Monday.  Remember to fiber up and drink your water!


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Shake it up!

Shakin' it up in Iowa

Routines are good. We all need some structure in our lives. However, keeping to the same old routine becomes boring and eventually stalls your fitness.  Getting outside of your world or comfort zone can be exciting, stimulating and even frightening.

As part of your effort to have an amazing 2011, I propose that each of us tries something new at least once a week.  It can be a new food that you’d otherwise pass up (like the okra curry recipe I’ll post tomorrow), asking someone to get together who you might otherwise dismiss. Go trampolining, get a new hairstyle, buy a sexy plaid workout top rather than the usual solid. Why not go for a ride on 40 lb cruiser bike instead of that carbon fiber racer you covet. Believe me you’ll get a workout!

Challenges don’t have to be big they just have to be something you wouldn’t normally do.  Something that will take some effort and maybe some guts.

Here are some examples.

  • While waiting for my friends on the street the other night, I let a scruffy man with a golf club sing me a song. When he approached me I didn’t look away or get angry. I stood there, let him sing his strange song, I smiled, shook his hand and give him a dollar (sure I wanted to rush home and scrub my hand but I remained calm). I did something a little frightening, but something good. (Fortunately, he used his club to illustrate his song rather than smash me over the head with.)
  • My friend Mo just signed up for 2 weeks of early morning yoga classes.  She’s normally the high speed, marathon runner, bike racer type. Now, one day into her yoga challenge, she’s not convinced it was her best move, but that’s the challenge. She’ll end up crushing the yoga class, but she doesn’t know that yet.
  • Normally I don’t eat much red meat especially meats that seem more like pets than dinner. Rabbit, lamb, veal. But a few weeks ago I had some lamb.  Initially I panicked when my date ordered it and immediately started working on my escape plan. Instead I dug deep and give it a try. In the end I didn’t like the lamb one bit, but I tried it and I learned not to do that again.
  • The big one. Last summer I rode my bike the entire length of Iowa with my Dad and Paula.  It was completely insane as we had not trained for the almost 500 mile ride. However, we all survived and the experience was beyond amazing! We learned that in fact there are no limits to what you can do.

The point I am attempting to get across is that when you challenge yourself you end up surprising yourself. You learn things, you meet new people and you find out what you’re made of. The confidence you gain encourages you to keep trying more and more, new and exciting things.  I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again…it’s all about the stories. In the end all you have are your stories so go out and stir things up!


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The anklebone is connected to the knee bone

They say that if you stand up straight you’ll look 10 lbs thinner. I’d have to agree. While you’re working on your New Years diet and exercise regiment take an easy 10 lbs off with these common sense tips to adjust your posture.

  • Your feet are designed to point straightforward, directly beneath your knees. Feet and kneecaps should be pointed forward, not splayed out to the side. The body was designed to move at right angles. Remember that.
  • Hips should be level. One side should not be higher than the other or jutted forward. Hips should sit directly under the shoulders and over the knees when standing. Put your hands on your hips and look in the mirror. Think about those right angles and make adjustments as needed.
  • While you’re looking in the mirror look at your shoulders. They should be level and parallel to your hips, not hunched forward over your knees. If one hip rides up than that shoulder may ride up as well. Not good.
  • Your head should be erect and chin level. Nose should not be pointed up or down.
  • Same thing when you’re sitting. Feet straightforward, under knees. Hips square, shoulders over hips, head erect…

Remember, your body is one unit designed to move at right angles. If one part is out of balance it affects the whole party.

For fun, do a little self check based on the above tips and see what you think. If you choose to make an effort to revise your posture, know that initially it’ll be hard to get your body to remember the right angle rule automatically. It’ll take some thought and attention on your part but with practice eventually your new and better posture will become the norm. Give it a try. You’ll look and feel better for it.

By the way, most of what I’ve shared here was taken from The Egoscue Method. It’s a very common sense approach to movement and physical health. Check it out! (Thanks Coach B for turning me onto it.)

 

 


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The first Monday

In case you’re wondering why I’m here, I’m attempting to provide an environment in which folks may be entertained, educated and inspired (yes, at some point I intend to get rich off this). My approach is simple and to the point. My topics are well researched, however I will not be listing a bunch of long-winded study information. It’s my hope that I will inspire my readers to look further into the issues that interest them on their own. So, you might say that I will be “teasing” you with information and ideas hoping that you will be sparked to into bettering your lives.

With that, today I offer a few bits of information that perhaps are new to you.

  • Light soy sauce contains 600 milligrams of sodium?  That’s insane! A healthy adult should consume no more than 2,300 mg in one day. Tip from my friend Skinny Scott, put your soy sauce in a spray bottle and spray it on your food.  That way the flavor stays on the surface and doesn’t get absorbed into your food like a sponge (and you don’t puff up like a blow fish and die of heart disease).
  • Cherries. Who doesn’t love cherries? Cherries have been shown to reduce inflammation and may help with arthritis pain. Drink a glass of unsweetened cherry juice or eat a few fresh or dried cherries everyday.  Unsweetened juices can be a bit tart, so if it’s too much for you I suggest cutting it with water. Try, ¾’s water, ¼ juice.  Same goes for Cranberry juice, which helps the body to eliminate excess fluid.

Don’t forget to move today.  If you’re stuck at your desk, make an effort to get up every hour and walk around. Circle your ankles and wrists 10 times each way, do 3 side bends each direction and gently stretch your neck, front, back and side-to-side. Do this every hour if you can.  Remember, every time you move you’re burning calories and helping your body function.

I’ll be back tomorrow with more and soon illustrations and photo’s to help illustrate all sorts of things. Also, feel free to comment on my posts.  Your comments won’t show up on the blog unless I approve them so say what you like.

Enjoy your first Monday of the year.


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It’s the Sunday before the big Monday

If you’re like most of us you’ll be starting your New Years diet & exercise program tomorrow. The said beginning of the New You. It happens at the beginning of every year and lots of Mondays throughout each year. We chow down on Sunday and start big on Monday. I’ve been there. I’ve tried every diet, exercise and over the counter aid known to man. I’ve lost thousands of pounds since my first diet at age 10 and gained most of those pounds back. In all my years, I’ve gone from looking great, to looking like a massive farm animal and back to looking great again, over and over. Same thing happens to most of us (even those folks on The Biggest Looser). What’s become clear to me is that you must find a solution to your fitness needs that you can live with every day, forever. It needs to be fun, reasonable and adaptable.

Here’s what I suggest. Start with a washing out of your insides. Use the terms detox or cleanse if you prefer. Sure, there are lots of things you can do and kits you can buy to help eliminate the havoc wreaked upon your body during the holidays. Some of those products even promise to cleanse your system of things that have been stuck in there for years. Remember those crayons you ate as a kid? They may still be in there. I’ve tried some of these products, they’re fun but they’re a bit of a commitment.

Why not start with these simple detox ideas…

First – drink water, drink lots of water. Water helps ease your digestion and clear your system of all the fat, alcohol and sponge like carbs you’ve been sucking down. For better taste, place lemon, cucumber, orange or grapefruit slices in a pitcher of water and keep it chilled. Also pour yourself some freshly squeezed grapefruit juice instead of that martini. Grapefruit juice is said to help detoxify your liver. Whatever…just drink up!

Second – Fiber, eat lots of it. Every meal. Same as with the water, fiber helps smooth the flow of digestion and scrub out all that stuff you don’t want in there anymore. Get my meaning…? It makes you feel fuller too which helps with that post holiday diet you’re working on. Great sources of fiber are: beans, lentils, Okra, pears, whole-wheat products. Remember you need 30 grams a day.

Third – Get your sweat on! Go outside, go to the gym, clean your house. Do whatever it takes but make it something you actually like. I’m going on a guided hike (in the rain) along the coast in search of shipwreck remains today. Sounds fun right? Here’s your plan…Warm up for 5-10 minutes, then start doing some serious moving. Make sure you’re sweating. Sweat for at least 20 minutes, cool down 5-10 minutes with some stretching and drink some of that yummy water.

Forth – Repeat daily. Try it for a week and see how you feel. Can’t hurt. Just one week and then we can reevaluate.

More on this tomorrow, recipe ideas too…


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Move your body every day

You all know that you should be getting at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day. This could include walking fast if that’s what works for you. You also know that weight-bearing exercise helps keep our bones strong and weight lifting helps burn more calories all day long. At the very least, do some jumping jacks or jump up a flight of stairs. You can hold onto the railing if you need to (but only if you need to!). If you feel like lifting weights is only for The Govenator than simply do a few push ups (on your knees if you need to or even against the wall). Use your body. Lastly, make time to move. More on this stuff later…