Physical Funness for the Motion Starved

Fit more fun into your fitness while exploring the outdoors.

Category Archives: Well-being


by Leave a comment

Small bites

Maybe it’s this fine weather or the onset of dementia but I can’t seem to focus on anything substantial to write about so I am gonna give you a few small tidbits to chew on.

Artichokes — They’re spiky green orbs of goodness. Artichokes are high in both fiber and protein. It’s currently artichoke season. Most people cook the whole artichoke, and slip each leaf petal, one by one, through their teeth until they reach the delectable heart.

You can steam, grill, bake or stuff an artichoke but the basic system is to place a trimmed artichoke on a rack above an inch or two of boiling water. Cover and steam 25 to 45 minutes, depending on size, or until a petal near the center pulls out easily.

One large artichoke contains, 60 calories, 6 grams of fiber, 4 grams protein.

Mothers Day is Sunday — Get your card in the mail, flowers ordered or whatever you need to do. Don’t forget.

Do you have your Bike to Work Day outfit ready? — Bike to Work Day is next Thursday.  Get your bike dusted off, tuned up and ready to roll. Remember just cuz you’re on a bike doesn’t mean you can dress like a sloth. Represent in style and get a sexy outfit in order. Use this day an excuse to buy something new and bike friendly to wear. If you’re gonna do it, do it with style! Here are Mo’s suggestions for outfit inspiration. Bespoke Taylor, Swerve, Cycle & Style. Check ‘em out. Also remember that Mo will be controlling the snacks and swag down at the Ferry Building Energizer Station from 7:30 – 9:30 am. Swing by and give her a holla!

It’s nice out — Get out, drink your water and eat your fiber. Look at people when they walk past you and smile for the sake of Pete! Do it, even if for no other reason than to freak ‘em out.

Thanks for reading, have a great weekend…

P.s. Watch where you drop your drawers, it’s poison oak season!


by Leave a comment

Where’s that funky stench coming from?

Deodorant just isn’t enough!

I don’t know about you but my exercise cloths smell really funky. Last week I was running and as I went along I kept smelling cheese. Then I realized it was me! I smelled like a big fat wheel of funky cheese!

If you ask folks how to get the stench out of your gear, you’ll be told to use Febreeze, 20 Mule Team Borax, white wine vinegar or baking soda. I even saw something that suggested you put your cloths in the freezer for a few days. That was funny!

Personally I like to stay away from products that contain ingredients that I can’t pronounce like Febreeze. Febreeze claims to be “specifically formulated to find and eliminate sweat odors.” It’s the “find” that worries me for some reason.  I recommend sticking with what Granny would have used. Baking soda or vinegar and possibly 20 Mule Team Borax. I like baking soda although I often have to rinse the batch twice.  They say you can pre soak but I don’t have the patience for that

Here’s the plan

  • First, your most offensive laundry should be washed separate from other clothes so you don’t spread the love.
  • My strongest recommendation is to add about a cup of baking soda to a large wash load. You can buy baking soda in a huge box so you don’t have to deal with all those small boxes.
  • Another idea is to use vinegar, this doubles as a fabric softener. Use a cup of white wine vinegar in the wash water.

That should do it although you’re gonna need to use this format every time you wash your workout cloths. That, or risk smelling like cheese.

Over and out…


by 1 Comment

The wild world of “outside”

Today I saw a photo of myself wearing stripes and decided that I should post about how stripes are never a good wardrobe choice for any person weighing over 100 lbs. Than, I had a glass of wine and changed my mind.

I workout outside. The workout classes I teach are also outside. I love to be “outside” and I workout outside because I have never found a gym that was as beautiful as any place I have ever been, outside.

With the outside venue one is privy to all sorts of attention. Often the attention comes from greasy alcohol soaked fellows that one usually chooses to ignore, but on occasion the attention comes from someone one might otherwise desire to entertain.

During tonight’s group workout I began to fantasize about ways to stop one or two of those desirable bodies and invite them to, share a push up or two.

I thought about setting a trap. You know, dig a hole and cover it with leaves. When your victim runs over it they fall into the pit. But that might piss a person off. Not a good way to start a relationship. Then I thought I’d pretend to fall and hurt myself (easy for me) and hope that my victim would take the bait. That might work but I hate appearing weak.

In a world where we’re all so absorbed in endless hours playing with our phones and on our computers we miss the fact that all those people we want so badly to meet, are running around in the same circles we are. The question is, how do we stop moving and start meeting. Believe it or not, people are actually nice if you’re nice to them (mostly)! There’s a world of lovely folks literally running right past us.

I write this post in an effort to remind those of you whom are looking for love, fun or trouble to think about getting back to basics and work the real world. The tangible world right in front of you. I ‘m outside a lot, I see a lot and I have the opportunity to meet a lot of folks when I am open to it. I see things that those of you on the inside miss.

My point — Take the blinders off, be open and send me your schemes for capture…


by 6 Comments

She let the boys eat her dust


I’m not really a horse person. I feel badly that horses are forced to haul around heifers like me for the purpose of our recreation. They always seem so sad.

Anyway, in spite of my horse apathy I‘ve found myself attempting to “ride” a horse once or twice in my life. A few years ago I agreed to go on a 4-hour ride over the coastal mountains of Marin, and along the beach. Sounds like fun if you’re a “horse person” but for me it was absolute hell. I literally prayed (and I ain’t a church goer) for the entire 4 hours. After the ride my legs seized up so badly that I couldn’t get up from the dinner table. No shit. My mother had to come over, help me up and lean me against the wall so I wouldn’t fall over. Another time I hopped on the back of some poor weather-beaten horse while on vacation in Mexico. Some how I managed to spook the creature, who then knocked the 10-year-old Mexican attendant up against the fence like he was a rag doll.  I don’t plan to get on another horse. Been there done that, moving on now.

Sunday night on 60 Minutes there was a segment on a horse named Zenyatta. If you don’t follow horseracing you’ve probably never heard of her. Zenyatta is the greatest filly in horse racing history and is the most accomplished female athlete of our time. She is a queen in the sport of kings.

Zenyatta’s racing style was to start the race in the back of the pack and then as she came down the final stretch she’d fire off her rockets and pass all the other horses. They say, “She let the boys eat her dust.” Her style was graceful, kind and driven. It’s been said that she would only go fast enough to beat the boys not humiliate them. Zenyatta’s drink of choice, Guinness. No kidding, she’d have a drink with her trainer most evenings.

Zenyatta is the sort of creature I aspire to be. Watch the video even if you aren’t into horses. It’s kind of heart warming.


by Leave a comment

I predict a long hot season…

Hey there... what's U're sign?

It’s May. Did you know that May is named after the Greek goddess Maia? Maia was identified with the Roman goddess of fertility. Makes sense, spring, growth, rebirth, everyone is sniffing around looking for love this time of year. It must be the savage beast in us.

I wasn’t going to bring this up, but it keeps coming up so I feel compelled. My friend Jacks and I joke about it, when spring is in the air the phone starts ringing.  Old lovers seem to creep out from under the woodwork. It happens every year like clockwork. Suitors that you parted ways with years and years prior seem to suddenly feel the need to check in, to see if you’ve come to your senses I guess. It’s nuts, sometimes it’s amusing and some times annoying. Every single spring we ask ourselves “WTF?”

While this spring is no different, I still don’t have a clear answer for this phenomena other than, by definition spring means healing, hope and growth, and as time continues to move on, there will always be another spring and another chance. I guess it’s just the nature of the beast.

Anyway, lots going on in May, many opportunities for fun, fitness and romance. Start taking your vitamins and stay hydrated. I predict a long hot season…

P.s. May is both Skin Cancer Awareness and Bike to Work Month. Bottom line, wear your sunscreen and ride your bike.


by 1 Comment

FridayLicious

I’m glad the week is over. This week has been a bit lifeless for some reason; I can’t put my finger on it.

You should be coming on my hike tomorrow. We’ll be dodging hungry coyotes and mating rattlesnakes. Maybe we’ll even see some bobcats. I love the bobcats. They’re the cutest kitties you’ll ever see. Post workout we’ll picnic on the beach, sure you don’t want to join us? The details are on the “Schedule” page.

Enjoy the weekend, I’ll be back on Monday.

P.s. Three times recently I’ve been asked to talk about “body image.” Here’s all I have to say about body image.

Stop worrying about whether you’re fat. You’re not fat. Maybe you’re a little fat, but who gives a shit? There’s nothing more boring and fruitless than a woman lamenting the fact that her stomach is round or ass is big. Feed yourself, body and soul, every day. The people worthy of your love will love you more for this.


by 1 Comment

My nose is F’ing huge!

I hope that nose came with the glasses!

Sorry Dad, I know I have your nose and that fact makes you’re remotely proud, but our noses are ginormous! When I was 8 it didn’t seem like a big deal but as I age — “It” keeps growing, and frankly it’s starting to freak me out!

Yep, it’s true, your nose and ears grow until you die, like your hair! The only thing that stops growing are your eyes. At this rate, in a few years my “beautiful eyes” will look like pimples next to my GINORMOUS nose!

Your nose grows a half a millimeter a year, there’s nothing you can do about it other than stop looking in the mirror. Sure, there is surgery and there are exercises to “shrink your nose” but this is where I draw the line. Sorry but I have my limits. Google it yourself if you want to do nose shrinking exercises or cut yourself.

I’m gonna work on…loving my…nose/self…?


by Leave a comment

What motivates you?

I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the subject of motivation lately. Mostly what I’ve found is that people are motivated by the desire to impress. We do silly things like go on starvation diets so we can fit into dresses and look good for our lovers. The desire to impress doesn’t stop at fitness or physical appearance. We’re motivated to work hard so we can keep our boss’s happy, make money and pay for things that will make others think we’re cool. Essentially we’re motivated by the need to “win” approval.

While the above seems a bit shallow to me, I am no different. I tell myself that I don’t care what others think, but I do. Life would be so much easier if I could ignore the need to be better than I am and just lay around all day drinking wine and eating cheese. Who cares if I get so big that the fire department would have to cut me out of my house when I die? There are so many interesting things I could do with my day if I didn’t have slave to impress “The Jones’s.”

It must have started earlier, but the first substantial effort I remember making to impress started with riding my bike. It started on a dare; my friend Michelle dared me to ride a century bike ride with her. I did it but not because I wanted to but because I didn’t want her to get the better of me. I wanted to “keep up.” Then came bike racing, if you think I ever wanted to race my bike you’re insane. Racing hurts like hell both emotionally and physically. But I started racing and continued to race for years because I wanted to impress and then I couldn’t stop because I’d then let the hordes of people down that I had worked so hard to impress. The circle is viscous and exhausting.

Anyway, the question posed is what motivates you? Right or wrong we all have our motives and hopefully they keep us from becoming big fat lazy, boring people. Over the years I’ve relaxed my desire to impress, in fact I often take the completely opposite route just to test people, or maybe it’s to shock them into being impressed? I’m not sure. The bottom line is, figure out what motivates you to take action and work it.

Motivate yourself and impress someone.


by Leave a comment

Shake, shake, shake your booty…

Pretty Petunia

I say this all the time and I can’t stress it enough. Change is good. Routines have their place but not as far as exercise is concerned and not if you care to be an interesting person. Obviously this is my opinion but think about it. Who are the most interesting, healthy people you know? They’re the ones who take chances and try different things every so often. Am I right?

I’m not saying you need to go bungee jump off the Golden Gate Bridge and get yourself arrested but I am suggesting that if you want to stay both physically, and mentally intact you’ll need to take a leap and try something challenging once in a while. Repeating the same moves everyday will not help you reach your goals. Whatever they may be. Remember, mixing up your routine doesn’t just cure the boredom; it also benefits your body’s ability to lose weight. Having variety in your life and in your workout keeps your body working hard to keep up with the different stresses you put on it. When doing this your metabolism increases and you burn more calories.

For instance, my friend Petunia, or Tunie as I like to call her has signed herself up for a Hip Hop dance class. Tunie does not dance. I have never seen Tunie attempt to dance, but knowing her the way I do, I believe it when she say’s she cannot dance. Because of this fact, Tunie signed herself up for a dance class. Don’t think for a second this was easy for her, she pondered it for years until she finally took the first step. She even went as far as to keep this new adventure of hers a secret from her pals because she was so anxious about her lack of HipHopAbility. Now, weeks into this adventure Tunie has fessed up and she’s having a great time. She admits that she still cannot dance but she absolutely loves it and she’s feeling good about herself for taking the plunge. That’s the part I like. Tunie has always been an inspiration to many of us so I’m glad she’s getting something from what she gives.

It’s springtime. Out with the old and in with the new! We’ll talk more about Spring-cleaning later. For now, consider stirring things up a bit.  Be your own Superhero and inspire someone! You can do it! I know you can…

P.s. Need help coming up with ways to stir things up? Contact me; I’m full of ideas. For now, take inspiration from Petunia, do something that frightens you.


by Leave a comment

Is it Friday yet?

Well…it’s certainly been a full week here at Motion Starved HQ.  First there was my post about crooked butt cracks, which sure got its fair share of attention, from folks all over the world too. Then, after writing about asparagus I decided to burn myself up a batch only to find that it was full of sand (you gotta rinse it!). Crunch, crunch, into the trash it went. Then I visited Dr. Barbara so she could snap my ankle back into place, as always she did a great job, thank you DB! After that however, I managed to shake something loose in my head causing a spell of the dizzies. It was like I was Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Dehydration, maybe, but not likely in this case. My educated guess based on unpleasant past experience says, some crystals shook loose in my inner ear. Silly things can really mess up a girl’s evening (and the next few). Are you wondering what I’m talking about?

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) — Basically, there are these little crystals that float around in the canals of your inner ear. Occasionally those little buggers get dislodged and strike against sensitive nerve endings within the inner ear, resulting in usually short, but severe, room-spinning vertigo (the “dizzies”) and in some cases nausea.

They say the thing to do is to figure out which side/ear is messed up and then avoid laying or tilting your head in that direction for a few weeks and the problem will go away on it’s own.  Silly as it sounds from my experience that’s all you can do. You’ll know which ear it is because when you tilt or turn your head in that direction you get very dizzy.

Anyway, don’t worry yourself, these things don’t usually happen unless you’ve had some sort of head trauma, hopefully none of you will need to deal with this. In my case I took a little fall on my bike a few years back traumatizing all sorts of body parts and sending me into a spin for months. I was walking around like a drunkard. Hella fun!

TGIF is all I have to say!  Go get you some love and some sun this weekend. Life is short, time to let the crazy out!

See you on Monday!

P.s. If you find yourself with a case of the “dizzies” you best visit the Dr. to decipher the cause, till you get there Dramamine or Bonine will help keep you upright.