Speed Bump

I've talked about Exercise is Medicine on Speedbump in the past  here  (and a series of exercise posts can be found here ). It is something I am increasingly passionate about, both personally and professionally. I've always been an exerciser - whether through sports, running or yoga. I like to exercise. Exercise makes me feel good about myself. My body feels 'right' when I'm exercising regularly. I don't relate well to those that don't like to exercise, that hate to exercise. I know those people exist and I try to remember that when sending out messages about exercise.  But I don't get it.  My problem is not that I don't want to exercise, it is that I find it harder and harder to find the time.  And I think that is the case for most people. Even those that hate to exercise know they should do it, and time is also a hindrance for them (a double whammy - to hate something and not have the time for it - no wonder so many people don't e...

I can get behind this 7 minute workout . This simple workout was published in a scientific journal, and has research behind it to support its effectiveness. The key to this workout is intensity. "The exercises should be performed in rapid succession, allowing 30 seconds for each, while, throughout, the intensity hovers at about an 8 on a discomfort scale of 1 to 10...Those seven minutes should be, in a word, unpleasant. The upside is, after seven minutes, you're done."  Important to know: "Interval training, though, requires intervals; the extremely intense activity must be intermingled with brief periods of recovery. In the program outlined by Mr. Jordan and his colleagues, this recovery is provided in part by a 10-second rest between exercises. But even more, he says, it’s accomplished by alternating an exercise that emphasizes the large muscles in the upper body with those in the lower body. During the intermezzo, the unexercised muscles have a moment to...

Happy Hearts Day! Did you know that February is American Heart Month ? The best thing we can do for our hearts is not to buy a box of chocolates - which I love as much as the next person (my Valentine gave me Christopher Elbow chocolates! He knows me well). The best thing we can do for our hearts every day is exercise. I haven't written much about exercise here lately. The sad reason is that I just have not been prioritizing exercise in my life. I have a million excuses, trust me. But they really are only excuses. I resolve to do better. I'm putting it in writing here on the internet where it will live forever. Since moving from our old house to the downtown loft, I lost a few of my best approaches to getting exercise. First, we moved away from the awesome Brookside trolley trail and great neighborhoods for running. I miss my old routes! And I miss being able to go out the door in the morning, even in the dark. I just don't feel safe doing that downtown and thus my mo...

This is Zip, my new Fitbit. Tragically, I lost my Fitbit Ultra a few weeks ago, and after going for several aimless, lost weeks without a tracker, I purchased the Zip. This is a new tracker from Fitbit that sells for almost half the price of the Ultra. It has a few less features than the Ultra that I already miss (no stop watch, no cheeky messages when you pick it up, no personal greetings) and has a replaceable watch battery instead of a USB charger. It comes in snappy colors and the clip comes on and off (I think I would really be likely to lose it without the clip).  I will report back after a few weeks to let you know how I like the Zip. The lower price is a great option for someone wanting to try out a tracker. Which everyone should! And...more info on the harms of sitting all day. Are you still sitting? One of the easiest and best things you can do for your health today, right now, is to stop sitting. Read about it here .

Please watch this video . And think. Then move.

Do you remember when I raved about my new Fitbit at the beginning of the summer? (Check out the post here ). Are you wondering if my love has faded? Wondering if this toy is gathering dust on a shelf, neglected and ignored like most fitness gadgets? Well, wonder and worry no more. My fitbit is still enjoying a special place in my daily routine and attire. If I leave the house without it, I feel at a complete loss for the day. I wear it every day, strive to hit my 10,000 steps every day (most days I get there), and I love it. Some family members recently received Fitbit gifts...the message of moving more, walking as much as possible every day is so important to me. I want everyone I love to get with the program. I'm working on putting together a Fitbit-inspired program with a group at work, too. More steps = better, happier, healthier lives! We recently added another Fitbit gadget to our home collection. The wi-fi smart scale from Fitbit, called Aria. Our ratty ...

The Olympics have begun! Do they inspire you to get up and move, hit the gym, maybe even run a marathon? I think this article hits on many of our Olympic fantasies - I know I love to relive my rowing days every four years when the Olympics roll around. I wish I could stay home all day and watch beach volleyball, water polo, swimming and diving. I can't get enough of the facts, stats, and personal stories that make the games so unique. You can test your Olympics IQ with this  quiz about the health of Olympic athletes. While watching the Olympics definitely inspires me, I am still desperately trying to keep up my running in this summer heat, through the chaos of our move, and with a very busy work schedule. I decided it might help if I wrote down some reasons why I like to run. Here they are. ____________________________________________ I run to feel most like myself. There was a time when I didn't like to run, and when I ran to stay in shape...

Fellow Kansas Citians take note - we have a brand new bike sharing program in the city. The bicycle program is called Kansas City B-cycle  and it is definitely something to get excited about. The new bikes arrived at 12 locations around downtown KC in time for the 4th of July and the All Star game hoopla. I had heard about the bikes on  NPR  one morning and then we saw them first hand at Crown Center during All Star weekend. Cowtown Couriers - I had no idea we had bike couriers in KC. From their website "If you need a delivery made at the last minute, during rush hour, with a concert at the Sprint Center, Cowtown Couriers is the only service that can get the job done." Good to know! Another plug for Cafe Gratitude (I wrote about this unique new spot in KC here ). During All Star weekend, there was someone stationed with the bikes at the Crown Center location to answer questions and offer help with the new system. The 12 bike stati...

I have a new favorite toy. This is my Fitbit Wireless Activity Tracker  and even though I've had it for less than a week, we have become fast friends. Pedometers are nothing new and even the message that we should be walking 10,000 steps a day is not news. But Fitbit is not your father's pedometer - it has all the bells and whistles to make tech geeks happy, and is easy enough to use for those that are tech-challenged. Even though you've heard the message about getting in 10,000 daily steps, there are new reasons you should pay attention. I wrote previously about how inactivity can be just as detrimental to your health as activity can be beneficial. Researchers are finding out that sitting all day can increase your chances for cardiovascular disease and factors leading to type 2 diabetes and obesity. It's time to step up! I bought Ryan's Fitbit for Father's Day, knowing I had to get one for myself, too. We heard about Fitbit fro...

**You can improve your health one step at a time. Start here, start now.** Happy Monday! I am happy to report that my exercise for the past week went much better than last week . And I think I actually have the hot weather to thank. Knowing there is no way I would want to run in these afternoon temperatures, I got up early and exercised in the AM every day last week. I was dragging by the end of the week, but it was a sure fire plan to get in the miles. I was out the door for a run at 6am, home by 6:45. I have the kids to thank as well, as they slept in long enough for me to get in my workout (although I had to sneak out from under Izzy every morning as she has been in our bed every night since we returned from Spain. Going to have to do something about that soon). My weekly total:  170 minutes of exercise, 18.5 miles running and 3 toning workouts. My every day activity was probably very low given the heat - no trips to the park, no bike rides, no walks to the Farm...

**You can improve your health one step at a time. Start here, start now. ** My best workout of the week involved the whole family and a really small soccer ball. 

**You can improve your health one step at a time. Start here, start now.** Did you stay active this weekend? Move a little more? Hopefully you got in your daily exercise and also stayed active enough around the house to reach 10,000 steps per day - finally you get credit for mowing the lawn and cleaning the floors! Add 'em up! We're planning to purchase a couple pedometers and start tracking our daily steps. If you feel up to a little healthy competition, get yourself a pedometer and we can have some fun. I've rounded up a few health articles to start off the week: Finding the sweet spot  for exercise. In some cases, less is more. Here's an update on barefoot running  for those that might be interested. I am still not used to my Merrell's , but starting to like them more. Ever wonder how many daily steps kids need to stay healthy? I found this article on sugar very interesting. While we certainly consume way too much sugar, making it th...