Physical Funness for the Motion Starved

Fit more fun into your fitness while exploring the outdoors.

Tag Archives: fitness


by 2 Comments

Morning people

Morning stretch

Most mornings I wake up at 5:30 am and trudge around making coffee and getting ready to go out into the freezing cold where I command people to do things they usually don’t want to do. That’s my job these days. I’m a trainer. I love this job although I’m not used to thinking of myself in this manner just yet. Regardless, it was early on the morning of Friday, January 27th 2012 that I realized just how special it is to be up and out, starting your day while most of The City is still snug in their beds.

I think we all know that it’s difficult to cultivate and maintain the self-control and motivation necessary to regularly hoist ourselves out of a warm cocoon and heave our bodies into a state of ferocious discomfort, in the name of physical fitness. I will say this though; it’s well worth the effort. There is truly something special about watching the fog pull back from the shore or watching the sunrise, realizing that the clouds are sometimes orange, pink or purple early in the day.  Sometimes you hear owls and see wild critters, on a very special day you might see a bunny or three darting across your path. These are things you can’t begin comprehend until you experience them yourself.

So, the next time you’re laying in your warm bed trying to force your leg over the edge and toss the covers off, remember, feelings of discomfort are fleeting, only lasting for a moment. And, the first step onto the cold floor is the hardest; the day gets brighter and warmer from there.

Hope to see you out there…


by Leave a comment

Resolutions are for sissies, goals are the real deal

My New Years resolution is to exercise

It seems like everybody wants to know what my New Years resolutions are. It bugs me when people ask that because I think resolutions are for the birds. Or, “for sissies” according to a woman I know.

The dictionary says, a “resolution” is: a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.  Okay, that’s great, but you can’t just “do something” without a firm, reasonable goal and a clear path to reach that goal. From my experience, most folks make long mental lists of New Years resolutions and abandon them by February. Why? Because once they sober up they get lost in the enormity of the resolution and lose direction if there’s no established means to the end (path to the goal).

Example: To say, “I am going to spend more time this year with my family and friends” is too big a notion. How are you gonna do that? You need a specific plan of action that you can commit to, simply determining to resolve the notion will not make it happen.

Course of action: First, set a reasonable, measurable goal. Next, figure out a path or plan of action. Then, take it one step at a time, focus on the goal and move forward until you attain the prize. Remember, take small steps. If you mess up, stop, refocus and go again.

So, it’s time. We all need to set some goals. Start with breaking the year down and setting small goals within manageable chunks of time. Example: If you want to run a marathon this year and you currently don’t run, break your larger goal down into 5k, 10K, 21K etc, chunks. Make yourself a schedule or calendar that spells out exactly where you should be, and when. Same goes for weight loss, be reasonable, schedule yourself 2 pounds of loss a week and add some exercise goals in there too. Take things one month at a time.

As for me, one of my goals is to attend bikram yoga classes 3 days per week during the month of January. That’s all I feel comfortable committing to. In February I’ll reassess how I feel about bikram and my related goal. In this case, if I focus on one month at a time I’m more likely to reach the goal. Thinking about attending bikram three days a week for an entire year is far too daunting.

Lastly, remember that it takes three weeks to make something a habit. Try starting with a three or four-week challenge or goal. Sign up for a few weeks of fitness class if you want to lose weight or get in shape. If you want to cut back on alcohol, start with cutting back for one month. Three or four weeks sound a lot better than “this year” and after those few weeks are up, you can reassess your goal. This way you’re more likely to keep with the program.

Any questions?

P.s. Here’s a post I wrote this time last year it’s called Goal setting Kelley style. You may find it interesting.


by 2 Comments

More bang for your buck (The Season of Eating – Navigation Tip #4)

My first dumpling

Okay, I get it! We all have way too much to do this time of year. Along with our regular duties we now have to add holiday shopping and celebrating to the list of to-dos. I don’t know about you but I’m overwhelmed and very behind.

If you workout with me you know that I like to choose exercises and activities that work more than one part of the body. Like doing squats with overhead press together.  You get “more bang for your buck” as you work the lower and upper body all at once. In my mind it’s about time management as much as it’s about getting more sweat for your effort.

With that here’s today’s Season of Eating Navigation Tip # 4 – More bang for your buck.

  • Rather than going to lunch/dinner/drinks with friends to celebrate the season, go for a hike and take along a bottle of bubbles to sip at a sweet spot in the trail. You get your cheer and exercise at the same time.
  • Gift cards are cool but why not give a friend a gift certificate to a workout class or workshop that you can attend with her/him. Give a gift and get one in return. See where I’m going with this? How about, Hip Hop, Hula Hoop or ever hear of Cocooning? Ooh…how about Massage for Couples!
  • Take your friends/family ice-skating. You can stop for a drink after. Remember, you burn more calories in the cold. If you decide to go, here are some helpful things to remember.
  • Teach somebody something. I learned to make Pork Dumplings this weekend. Rather than having a party where you just sit and eat, my friend Dora invited her friends over to learn how to make traditional Chinese Dumplings. We drank wine, ate yummy healthy dumplings, learned something cool and socialized. At the end of the day Dora sent everyone home with dumplings to enjoy another day. It was a great event and wonderful gift from Dora to all her friends. (Thanks again DL)

There you go, find ways to accomplish more than one thing at a time. Some say, “kill two birds with one stone” (but I never liked the image that congers up). You get the idea… and please feel free to share your “more bang for your buck” ideas.

Happy Monday!


by Leave a comment

The Season of Eating is now in session (Navigation Tip #1)

Sweating it out

How did you folks manage over Thanksgiving? I must admit, I ate more than I should have, but I wasn’t totally out of control. I did however let my exercise regiment go to complete shit.

As I was driving home from my holiday away I spent half of the 3.5 hour drive stressing about how much of a slug I had become over the past 4 days. Then my brain kicked in and reminded me that it’s okay to slack off once in a while. Give your body and brain a break. You’ve got to think of this, “slacker time” is recovery time. Like when you train for an event. You can’t work hard or be perfect all the time. The key however is not to beat yourself up and to get back on the program post-haste. You all know that. Right?

As I drove I realized that the first thing I needed to do was to get rid of the excess water that had hitched a ride in my body from all the extra carbs I’d mowed down. Remember, carbohydrates in the body hold water. When you cut them out of your diet, your body will naturally lose water, which is why those low carb diets are so popular. On the other side of the coin, when you drastically increase your carb intake with stuffing, two kinds of taters, rolls, pie, etc, you puff up like a balloon and feel like a stiff cow. You know the feeling?

So, I’ve come up with Step One, of The Season of Eating Navagation Plan – De Puffing, aka, ridding the body of extra water and toxins brought on by a few days of cheer. (Take notes, you may need this again in a few weeks!)

  • Drink lots of water — I know it sounds wrong but water flushes the body of all the excess water and toxins. If you don’t eat a bunch more carbs, the fresh water will flush everything out.
  • Get your sweat on — This week, start ramping up your activity level. I’m not suggesting you attempt a half marathon. I am asking you to SWEAT! Do it any way you can. Taking a steam at the spa will even help. As much as I hate it, I went to a Bikram yoga class last night and I’ve committed to another 4 classes this week (Gawd, help me!) Go for a walk, but walk up hill! SWEAT your booty off (literally)!
  • Stretch — When you stretch you stretch your insides. This allows all the stuff in your intestines to get out. Think about it. All those nooks and crannies need a little help sometimes. Best thing is get yourself to a yoga class at least once a week but three times would be impressive and cleansing!
  • Clean up your diet — You know the drill. If you want to clear your system of toxins, water and nasty stuff you need to eat clean. That means lots of fresh, organic fruits, veggies and non-processed foods. Do the best you can; I know it’s hard! An easy way to eat clean is to “juice.” While I am not into juicing, it does help to clean you out and feel spry again. I’ll share some info on juicing with you Wednesday. I need to give it a try myself before I pass on. It could be crap.

There you go. An easy, effective start. Now all you have to do it is drink up and sweat it all out.

Stay tuned for a full month of tips on how to safely navigate The Season of Eating…


by 1 Comment

Somebody toss some cold water on me!


In my next life I’d like to come back with the ability to do this. Did you watch the video? You should. It’s inspiring and it’s freaking hot! Kinda like exercise porn in my mind. Maybe it’s the double Scorpio in me but regardless; it’s a fine way to spend 1:14. Watch the video and then think about what it would mean to be as focused and fit as this dude.


by 1 Comment

Dusty Muddy fun – NorCal Warrior Dash 2011

We are Warriors!

Talk about stepping outside your comfort zone! When I refer to getting outside ones comfort zone I’m referring to pushing beyond your usual day-to-day physical or psychological limits. Well let me tell you, there’s nothing like walking into what seems to be a ginormous frat party where 75% of the population is well under the age of 30 and you, are close to twice the average age of participant. All you can hope for is that nobody notices.

That’s what it was like stepping into the corral at the Warrior Dash in lovely Hollister California yesterday. What’s the Warrior Dash? If you don’t know, look here. It’s video of our course. If you have a clue than you know it’s a 5K obstacle course. You run, climb things, slide down things, jump over things and swim through mud so thick it’s like being inside a pudding cup. The best part was the dude driving the truck along side as you run the first 1.5 miles kicking up warm dust so thick it felt like running through a forest fire.

In an effort to keep this quick, let me just say that in spite of dust induced diminished lung capacity and a few extra lines in my face I had a great time at The Dash. This was my first obstacle course and a great introduction to this sort of event. I will say that if you plan to participate in one of these things (even this one, the “easy” one) I suggest you do some research and some training. Old Lady Kelley passed up dozens and dozens of 20 something’s having to walk rather than run and unable to complete the challenging, but basic obstacles. These events require well-rounded fitness of endurance, agility and upper body strength. Make no mistake.

So there you have it. I give The Warrior Dash 4 stars. A great way for anyone to shake things up, step outside your comfort zone and test your fitness, or just have a little adventure. Oh… and you get a free body mud facial, you get hosed down by a hot fire man with a big hose and a really cool fuzzy hat with horns!

P.s. I’ll post official photos on our Motion Starved Facebook page once they become available. Go there now and “like” us if you want to see ‘em.


by 3 Comments

Jump in on the action

Jumping Michelle

While I am busy trying to motivate you to get off your butts, MObama (aka Michelle Obama, The First Lady) is working hard to get America to exercise and eat right. Her latest plan of action: Get 24,025 people to do 1 minute of jumping jacks in a 24-hour period.

Starting yesterday, Tuesday 10/11 at 3 pm, the First Lady began trying to break the world record (Guinness-style) for the most people doing one minute of jumping jacks in a twenty-four hour period. To break the World Record, over 24,000 jumpers must be documented between 3PM EST yesterday and 3PM EST today, Wednesday. As we speak, thousands of kids and adults are gathering on the White House lawn to help Michelle realize her dream.

From what I can tell this stunt is technically aimed at children. But so what? We’re all young at heart and everyone can use a few extra jumping jacks. You know I’m right! If you want to get in on the official action here’s the Lets Jump website. There are rules but it’s not a big deal. You still have time.

If you can’t be bothered to get in on the official action (like me) then consider taking Kelley’s Just Jump Challenge.

Here’s how it works:

Get up from your computer, push in your chair, take five steps back and start jumping. Do 65 jacks. That should take you about a minute. If it takes you longer than do it again tomorrow and pick up your pace. Got it?

What do you say? Lets all do our part and start jumping!