10 Reason You Should JUST FREAKING EXERCISE

I guess you can say I've always been an exerciser.

Sports? Absolutely not so much. Sticks, balls, shin guards, scores...oh my word, I have the cold sweats just typing those horrifying words. But regular old exercise? I've always been able to do.

I'm lucky, I like to work up a sweat and feel all burny. My husband on the other hand? He'd rather grow a boob on his back than skip to the corner and jog back home.

My point is this: Some people like to exercise and some people hate to exercise, but either way, you should really freaking exercise! Allow me to convince you...

1) Exercise makes your brain release endorphins and makes you feel all happy. Aside from that, exercise is now recognized as an anti-depressant. For real. Check out this article by this really smart professor from Boston University. He's cute and I believe him.

2) Sweating is good for you. Why? Well, a lot of reasons. But think about this...sweating is one of the major mechanisms for your body to get rid of muck, and gunk, and biproducts, and toxins. Really, if you're a regular heavy sweater, you don't have to worry about shopping around so much for colon cleanses and whatnot--you're already doing a pretty good job of sweating your excess crud right out through your pores.

This is also why you should never lick your treadmill.

3) If you're an exerciser, you can justify all kinds of adorable purchases from the active section of TJ Maxx. For real, have you been there lately? If you don't have an interest in wearing the world's cutest NorthFace half-zip for only $17.99, then let's just face it, you're a wreck of a person.

4) Once your find what you're into, exercise is honestly fun. Is it fun every single minute? No. But in general, bike rides, interval walks, dodge ball, ultimate frisbee...fun.

5) Movement and endurance are basic life skills. A few weeks ago, I saw a little boy dart into the parking lot at Sam's Club, and his mom wasn't able to chase after him. She had a really hard time changing directions, hopping a curb, and generally keeping up. My heart totally sunk for her. Motherhood is so stinkin' exhausting all on it's own--a basic level of fitness makes it more manageable.

Maybe you don't have a toddler who makes you feel like your hair's about to burst into flames, but you probably do have big bags of flour to lift at the grocery store, a lawn to mow, a fun run to benefit a friend....see where I'm going?

6) At our core, human beings like to move--and that's why I have a hard time believing it when people say things like, "I have no interest in exercise," or "I really hate moving and sweating." Don't get me wrong, on the surface, people hate these things, but deep down, we all want to be active. Think about it--out all these activities, in your wildest dreams, which ones seem most appealing to you?

Hiking around Acadia Park with some friends.

Playing soccer with your kids.

Doing tricks on a trampoline.

Playing video games.

Taking a Dance class.

Facebooking for a few hours.

Water skiing.

Watching TV.

Now don't get me wrong here. I looooove TV as much as the next guy, but my wildest dreams only have me watching TV while I sit on Dr. Drew's lap in Southern California.

6) Any idea what gives people heart problems? Family history, diet, lack of conditioning, and stress. Stress. Stupid, stupid stress makes people sick in so many ways. Now I'm stressed that I'll get sick from stress. But guess what? Exercise is an awesome stress reliever, and does a good job of helping people move on from disappointing and difficult parts of their days. It's almost like a magical reset button.

7) Exercise has a good chance of giving you a longer life, and making that life a lot more healthy and enjoyable.

8) Every time you finish a workout, whether it was your best ever or your worst ever, you just accomplished something hard. That feels good. Tackling hard things helps people a good sense of self. When people start exercising, they often worry that they'll feel inferior, or fat, or silly, or embarrassed. Honestly, 99% of the time I see the opposite effect. Exercise builds self esteem.

9) Exercise can be a hobby, and it's cool to have hobbies. Trust me, there's nothing worse than going on a date and when the hot guy's all, "So...what are you into?" You're like, "Ummmm....errrr.....well....Twitter? Shopping? I love to sleep!" Way more awesome to be able to say something like, "Tennis."

10) And finally, exercise is a great way to make new friends. Join a bowling league, or a spin class, or a soccer team, or a running club. Sweating your balls off, it builds bonds. Commiseration is a foolproof way to make a new friend.

So. Did I convince you? In the next post, I'll help you learn how to get started!

Newsletter

I just sent this newsletter out to my mailing list. Thought I'd post it here, too.

But first, my knee is feeling really great and I'm on Twitter...which I have no idea how to work. I'm @KVCoaching. Wish me luck with that one!

Okay. Newsletter:

Hi Everyone, and Happy Early Spring! We have so many exciting new things to announce over here at Kennebec Valley Coaching!

UPDATES
I'm so excited to announce, that since their first session in January, The Fifty Pound Club has lost a collective 122 pounds! And that's a whole lot of pounds!!! Everyone's looking so fit and strong--every week we're seeing more and more progress! We still have 5 spots available in the group. If you or someone you know might be interested, you can find more information here.

This week, we're placing an order for KVCoaching Technical T-Shirts (the sweat wicking kind). They'll be really fun to wear for racing and group runs. They'll be $15 each and they run true to size--I'm planning to order a medium. We have mens and womens specific sizes. They're lime green and pretty awesome. Send me an email by tomorrow morning with your size if you're interested!

We have an awesome new online challenge starting April 15th! The Buddy System Bathing Suit Sixty Day Super Challenge will be so. much. fun. You'll work together with two friends to win $25 gift cards to TJ Maxx to put towards new bathing suits. More details are here. Only $24 for a group of 3!

Our resident Pilates expert, Michelle, has had a great time teaching this winter. She's planning a spring class, possibly early morning. For more info, you can contact her directly at jmdelisle623@hotmail.com

NEW! NEW! NEW!
Lunch Pump starts the first week of April! The studio will be open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11-1:30. Stop in anytime for a 20-30 minute predesigned strength workout over your lunch break. I'll be there to cheer you on, answer any questions, and generally motivate the crap out of you. Mondays will focus on butts and guts, Wednesdays will focus on upper body, and Friday will be about the lower body. The workouts shouldn't be super sweaty, but in case they are, we have a really clean and private shower on site. Also, the Tot Spot will be open and can accommodate up to 3 kids at a time. Lunch Pump will be $29 per month, $29 for a 6-session punch card, or $8 for a drop-in. We also offer special group pricing for offices. But......DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL WE'RE OFFERING 50% OFF A 1-MONTH PASS!!!! That's literally $1.25 per workout. You've got NOTHING to lose! More details are here.

GROUPS AND CLASSES
Our 5k for Newbies group starts on Friday April 6, at 6pm at the Winthrop Grade School Gym. The class will meet for 9 sessions, and cap off with The PTA Friday Night 5k--a separate fundraiser for the PTA. So far, we have 38 registrants, and plenty of room for more! The group is only $59 for adults and $39 for K-12 students, and 30% benefits the PTA. That group will also offer a variation for runners who can already complete a 5k, but who are looking to gain some speed. More info is here.

Halftastic--10k and Half  Training group starts on April 14th at 7am at the studio. We'll cap off the group with the Kennebec Rail Trail Half Marathon and Half Marathon Relay in late June. Those shooting for the relay should be able to run at least 2 miles when the group starts, and those looking to complete the entire half should be up around 5 or 6. This group will be co-coached by Seth Hasty. More info is here. Pass it along to your distance-loving friends! (And if you love running with the group, but hate the idea of running so far, come anyway! We'll modify for you!)

Stroller Rollers starts on April 4th at 9:30. It's super fun, and a crazy plyometrics workout! More info is here.

Before & After Boot Camp is still around and meeting on Wednesday nights at 7 at the studio. During the first week of May, we'll move over to Capitol Park for the summer. Only $29 for a 5-class punch card, or $8 for a drop in. This is a fun one to do with friends.

CUSTOMIZE!
Personal training has been getting super popular at KVC. There are lots of ways to customize really affordable packages. Honestly, you'll be surprised how affordable personal and small group training can be. Check out the Individuals and Pricing tabs on the website for more information. Don't see a package that fits you? Email me!

Also, I'm working with a few businesses, running classes for their employees. These classes range in price from $40-$50 and can include up to 10 people from your office. Run it by your boss!


I hope everyone is well, and has a great spring. Looking forward to seeing you in the studio and out on the road!

Sugar Update and Stupid Knee Pain

Okay, sugar. Believe it or not, I'm still on the wagon. I have my daily moments of bottom-lip-biting, but for the most part this whole giving up sugar thing isn't nearly as impossible as I thought it would be. But I'll be honest, I can't wait to have a friggin' piece of pie on Easter.

In other news, I have a bum right knee.

For all the running I do, and for as long as I've been doing it, I can count my injuries on one hand. So this feels extra frustrating. Especially since the weather's starting to feel nice. I'm pretty sure it's an IT band flare up--super common in runners.

The IT band runs from your hip and inserts around and under your knee. See? That yellow thing? That big old bastard? That's the IT band.

It's Thursday, and I haven't run since Sunday, and I'm not even exaggerating when I tell you that I feel like every ounce of peace in my life has been sucked right from me, through my anus, with a Hoover. And I'm not even being dramatic.

This thing's been bugging me for a little over 2ish weeks, which is starting to feel like 47 years. I'm telling you, adherent Mormon or not, I'm just about to submerge my face in a bucket of vodka. Again, totally not dramatic.

I will say, I do have a new appreciation for people's aches and pains, because this shiz hurts like a sack of testicles being run over by a 10-speed bike. And you know what I'm about to say, right? That WASN'T EVEN DRAMATIC.

So the point of the post is this. If I actually had to chose, I'd pick running over chocolate cake IKNOWICAN'TEVENFREAKINGBELIEVEIJUSTSAIDTHAT. But it's true. I would. So if the ancient Greek God of Running could fly on over to the ancient Greek God of sweet treats, and let her know what I just wrote, maybe they could work together to lift this ridiculous knee curse.

Don't you feel so uplifted right now?

I Kicked My Sugar Addiction with Potato Chips....Seriously.

So I honestly think I've kicked the old sugar addiction. It took about 5 years and 4,003 false starts, but this time, I think the success is for real. The only way I can describe the way I feel right now is this: huge relief.

Sugar is bad, bad news. Especially when it's a part of your every day diet. Now don't get me wrong, the occasional piece of birthday cake or popcorn and soda at a sappy chick flick is good for the soul--and I don't plan to give that up. But sugary treats as an every day (or multiple times a day) habit? That's an absolute recipe for disaster.

Heart Disease? Diabetes? Acne? Lethargy? I'll stop.

Yesterday I saw this picture at Whole9's facebook page, and it literally made me say, "Holy $%^@." Don't worry, my kids are used to that kind of talk.

The caption said: Under normal circumstances, this is how much sugar is in ALL of your blood. Think what happens when you add 1-2 tsp of sugar/honey to your coffee/tea. Or, God forbid, you drink 2 ounces of soda. #Ouch

Whoa my goodness. That just jumped right into my face, and I'm so grateful that I seem to have a handle on this sugar thing. Just to be clear, when I say I had/have a sugar addiction, let me elaborate. On a typical day I was eating 1,000-1,500 calories of good nutritious food, and no joke, 600-1,000 calories of sugary treats.

I would eat breakfast, then I'd have candy. I would eat lunch, and I'd sneak away from work for a hot chocolate and a gigantic chocolate chip muffin. Then I'd eat dinner, and cap it off with a couple bowls of ice cream. 

I totally appreciate this comment from Stephanie on yesterday's post, because a few weeks ago, I swear I could have written it myself:

"So far this afternoon I have had five wintogreen lifesavers, six mini candy canes left over from Christmas, and two packets of hot apple cider mix poured straight into my mouth. Bring on the strategy."

Everyone likes sugar.  But poor Stephanie ate a whole mess of gross stuff, just to get the sugar buzz. I can so SO relate.

Okay. Now that I've established the fact that I wasn't just an occasional cake eater--and you really believe that high fructose corn syrup was pumping through my veins--I'll get to my Ah Ha! moment.

A few weeks ago, Jared and I started watching old episodes of Celebrity Rehab on Netflix. I immediately noticed 2 things. 1) Dr. Drew is a ridiculous babe and has moved to the top spot on the People-I-Would-Do-It-With-Even-Though-I'm-Married list, and 2) Those addicts in treatment smoke the sh!t out of their cigarettes.

No one walks in to that rehab facility and says, "You know what Dr. Drew? Today I'm gonna quit crack and heroin, and sugar, and cigarettes, and diet coke, and looking at girly magazines. Oh, and maybe I'll give up gluten, too."

No. They're like, "I'm here to quit heroin and crack, and smoke 1 million cigarettes and drink gallons of diet coke while I do it."

Clearly cigarettes and diet coke are crappy for your body, but not nearly as horrible as crack and heroin. So why not get rid of the biggies first, and then tackle the secondary issues?

Honestly, I could relate to this way of thinking so so much. Of all 4,003 times I've failed at giving up sugar, I've simultaneously failed at giving up white flour, processed foods, and keeping my calories under 1,800 each day.

I think...no, I know I was trying to do too much at once.

Then I read this article by Tina Haupert of Carrots n' Cake, and my eyes were totally opened.

I decided to give up sugary treats only, during lent (February 22nd until April 8th). Why lent? Because it never hurts to have Baby Jesus in your court. Can I get an Amen?

So basically I gave up baked goods, ice cream, candy...that kind of stuff.

For the first week I ate anything I wanted...as long as it wasn't a sugary treat. Bacon, potato chips, Subway footlongs....anything. I also exercised a little bit more to make up for the gluttony.

When I got a sugar craving, I ate a few chips. When I felt like I 'deserved' a treat, I had a meatball sub for lunch instead of a huge slab of cake. Nothing was off limits--except for the sugary treats. I also had a go-to healthy smoothie recipe--a cup of unsweetened almond or coconut milk, 1 or 2 extra ripe bananas, and a scoop of unsweeted baking cocoa (10 calories, no sugar, loaded with iron). That smoothie is so freaking good, and tastes just like a chocolate milk shake. And the only sugar comes from the bananas

I have to admit that slipped up once that first week. I was on an extremely stressful phone call with a friend, had a RIDICULOUS sugar craving and ate a spoonful of cold hot fudge. But guess what? That was all I had. I've had a few mini moments of weakness since, but nothing I can't overlook.

I really think I'm free!

This past week, I've been focusing on cleaning up my eating in other ways--mostly planning out healthy meals so I don't feel tempted to swing through a drive-thru. By the end of Lent, I really think my diet will be where I want it to be.

Did I get to a super healthy diet cold turkey? No. Not at all. But I'm getting there and making real progress. I can now make it through one day, or five days without sugar, which I never would have imagined! I can also eat a yogurt as a treat, which is just absurd for a person like me. I also eat potato chips, but I don't OVER eat potato chips.

I'm so happy. My runs are better, I feel more energetic, and I'm not constantly consumed with thoughts of treats any more.

This is week 2, here's to hoping it sticks and keeps on improving!

One million thanks to Dr. Drew and his Hollywood addicts for smoking like chimneys. They helped me see the light of moderation and being reasonable.

You can do it, too.

It's a Damn Cold Day in a Hell

Holy crap, I think I kicked my sugar habit. In the last 12 days I've had a gluten free brownie, a few bites of my husband's Ben & Jerry's, and a couple Skittles. 2 weeks ago, that would have been my breakfast dessert.

No joke, I found my strategy by watching Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.

More details tonight when I have an actual keyboard to type on.

Win a Free Month of Lunch Pump for Doing Absolutely Nothing!

There's so much new stuff happening at Kennebec Valley Coaching! I made a new calendar page to help me keep it all straight. You can check it out here.

If you want some info on our new pricing and whale-of-a-deal packages, click on this.

And finally, we're introducing a new daytime program called Lunch Pump, and if you're local you can win a 1-month pass...we're giving away 10!

Work? Not an excuse.

Kids? They're not an excuse either.

To win a 1-month pass good for the month of April, 'like' Kennebec Valley Coaching on Facebook and leave a comment about Lunch Pump, send me an email, or comment on this post!