Take Your Big Leap

by Kris Pitcher

Welcome to your leap year! Every four years we get a leap year, which has an extra day. You get 366 days instead of the regular 365 days to make your impact.

We get this extra day in order to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year. And did you know a non leap year is called a Common Year? Neither did I.

I guess my question is...if we have this extra day, this extra special day - what will you do to take your big leap? How will you make this amazing extra day, extra amazing?

I feel like if we get this extra leap every four years, we ought to take advantage of it. Is there something that has been holding you back? Something that you can leap forward past?

Should you set a leap goal? A stretch goal? Have you been coasting along doing the bare minimum to get by? These are just questions we have time to ponder on an extra day.

This is no common year and we should set the bar a little higher for ourselves. It's rare that we are given anything "extra", but we can give ourselves something extra every day.

Take your big leap! Be extraordinary on this "extra" day. Make your impact, on your life and on the lives of others. Don't waste time though, next year will be a common year. Ready? Set? Leap!

Anything Goes!

by Kris Pitcher

If we take our cues from fashion this spring, anything goes! Bright colors, patterns, and solids abound. Geometrics are in, florals are great, and even big prints can work.

The catwalks and magazines are flush with both skinny pants and wide leg slacks. This tells me there is something for everyone. It also tells me, everyone is...well, "in".

No matter your shape or size, or what style flatters you best, this is your season. We should take this approach with ourselves, with our bodies. If we took an "anything goes" attitude we'd approach our fitness pursuits with a whole new attitude.

We'd feel confident and proud and ready to take care of our self. We'd be first in line to make the best choices to get to our goals.

We'd even like what we saw when we caught a glimpse of ourselves in the mirror. Why? Because it's our season and anything goes!

Our anything goes attitude would put us right in front of the Zumba class, in our swim suit to hit the pool like we used to, or in the weight room where we know we need to be...but we're a little self conscious.

Let spring fashion guide your attitude in how you see yourself. Truly, anything does go. We all fit in. Our colors, textures, patterns and fabrics make us uniquely individual. And that is what makes us wonderful.

Put something colorful on and get ready to strut your stuff. Your new attitude can't wait for spring. Anything goes, now!

Strictly Speaking, On Direction

by Kris Pitcher

When I was in fifth grade my teacher said something which has stuck with me ever since, "When all else fails, follow the directions."

At the time, it was said in a damaging way. I was trying to clarify instructions, and the teacher assumed I didn't read the directions at all...I think it hurt my feelings. LOL! Let's assume I'm over it, but the message has stayed with me, following directions works.

Admittedly, I don't always follow directions. How many pieces of furniture have you put together without the directions only to have a few left over screws? I can't be the only one. And did you read the manual for the last phone you got? Me either.

I realize following directions can be time consuming, frustrating, and confusing even. But the truth is, when we strictly follow directions they do get us from point A to point B. So, here's a delicate question.

Why won't we follow our eating plans, our diets, our workout schedules, which our coaches and our trainer have so carefully laid out for us?

Don't get me wrong, we appreciate your honesty. If asked about compliance and you say, "I'm doing most of what you say," or, "I'm following 85%." That helps us determine why you may not be responding the way we anticipate.

I know it's difficult to make changes, and that there are times when you find you have to improvise. But it's still a valid point, "When all else fails, follow the directions." It's tough...but it is love. *Smile!

Shape Shifters

by Kris Pitcher

Our weight on the scale is a tricky thing. I know it plays head games with us...with me. But, I do like to check in every now and then to see where I am.

Sometimes it's not as bad as I thought. I might have been giving myself the mental beat down for nothing. Other times, well let's just say it reels me back in. But this week, I thought things were different.

See, my slacks had been a little snug. So after two pretty solid weeks of being right on track with my eating schedule things were loosening up. Yeah me! I got on the scale after a moderate carb day...136. OK, I thought - I can live with that!

A couple of days later I wanted to see where I was following a low carb day. I had been feeling like I'd made progress...my slacks were fitting even better! And when I lifted up on my tippy toes before I got in the shower to sneak a peek in the mirror, I even liked the changes I was seeing.

Before I stepped on the scale I actually thought about it. Do I really need to step on there? Do I need to see a number? What if nothing changed? The number doesn't matter. I stepped on any way.

138! And then I reminded myself what I tell everyone else. The number on the scale doesn't really tell me anything. My shape is shifting. I'm getting smaller, my slacks are telling me so! If I'm gaining muscle, thank the lawrd! That's what I'm trying so hard to do.

My point here is stop denying your shifting shape due to the number on the scale. Things ARE changing. Your scale weight means nothing. Shoot, you could make up any number you want if it makes you feel better.

It's just one, of many, measurements we can use to track our progression. I say progression because for me, I WANT to gain muscle. So, if it's measuring that, great. I don't need to be any certain number, my size is changing...I'm getting SMALLER.

From that, I can assess that I'm moving in the right direction. Keep moving in the right direction and quit letting the scale determine what kind of day you're going to have. Instead, start celebrating the changes that are happening in your shape!

No Time To Exercise

by Kris Pitcher

I can see why people say they have no time to exercise. Recently I have been challenged by my new work schedule...which I love. But it's taken some getting organized. OK, A LOT of getting organized.

At my new job, I work four 10 hour days and have Friday off. LOVE THAT! But let me tell you it has taken serious attention to detail to make everything I need to have happen...happen.

I've taken to putting four outfits on hangers including socks, bras, underwear - everything I need to get dressed in the morning. There are no decisions to make because there is no time for decisions.

Food prep happened any way, but now I pack my meals the night before so I can "grab and go" from the fridge. Packing the cooler takes about 2 minutes. Everything else I need is in a little pile on the counter, oatmeal, tea, nuts, spoons, one diet twist up (I love off season) - ready to go. 

The alarm goes off at 4:26 am so that I can be on the treadmill at 4:30 am. I may take a note from Karly and start sleeping in my workout clothes (sorry honey). This is what it takes to get my 45 minutes of cardio in. I haven't figured out what I'll do when it comes time to diet. Let's not go there just yet.

Showering has gotten faster. We shave our legs on Fridays only now...TMI? Sorry, but this is how you save time. Outfit goes on from the hanger, hair gets dried, make up on, teeth brushed, cooler packed, I quickly post my blog (smile) and I'm out the door by 6:28 am to get to work by 7:00 am.

I can make it to the gym by 6:00 pm to meet my husband for our workout. We're usually done and home by 7:30-7:45 pm. It's time to eat a meal and squeeze in one final meal before bed. It's also time to pack meals for the following day.

In order to get my eight hours of sleep, which I NEED, I have to be tucked in bed by 8:30 pm. So, you can see it's a crunch. There's no time for TV, no time for facebook, no time to write.

But I've made time for my workouts because they are paramount to who I am. When Friday comes, I sleep in until close to 7:00 am. I do my cardio later in the day. I jam through loads of laundry, go grocery shopping, I write, and I'm currently working on a sewing project.

Somehow, losing two hours in the day has made me more productive, better focused, and way more organized. No excuses, find the time.

Get Great Glutes!

by Kris Pitcher

This is the Stability Ball Reverse Extension. It's a great exercise for the hips and glutes. When executed correctly you can completely lift your legs by firing your glutes. This is your power house muscle for this move. This exercise comes straight from acefitness.org. Add this exercise to your lower body workout day and get ready to get great glutes!

Step 1

Starting Position: Begin in an all-fours position with your torso on the ball and hands and feet on the floor. Lengthen your legs and stretch your heels to the back of the room. Your hands should be under your shoulders.
Take a few deep breaths. Notice how your abdominals want to rest on the ball when you inhale.
Exhale and pull your abdominals away from the ball. Try to keep them pulled away even when you inhale. This is your abdominal engagement. Try to maintain this engagement throughout the exercise.

Step 2

Upward Phase: Gently exhale. With your abdominals engaged, slowly walk yourself forward until your hips lie directly over the top of the ball. With your feet together, lift your legs off the floor until they are in line with your torso. In this position, your body weight is distributed over the ball and supported by both hands placed on the floor. Press and hold your legs together so they move at the same time.

Step 3

Lowering Phase: Inhale. Keeping your legs pressed together, and slowly lower both legs back to the floor. Knees should be straight throughout the movement.
Do not bring your legs above parallel with the torso. This will cause your low back to arch.

Step 1

Starting Position: Lie prone (on your stomach) over the top of a properly-inflated stability ball (one that compresses approximately 6" under your body weight) with both feet and hands on the floor, hip- and shoulder-width apart.

Step 2

Upward Phase: Gently exhale, contract your abdominal/core muscles to stiffen your torso and slowly walk yourself forward until your hips lie directly over the top of the ball, lifting both legs in unison off the floor until they are parallel with your torso. In this position, your body weight is distributed over the ball and supported by both hands placed on the floor. Press and hold your legs together so they move at the same time. Think about squeezing a quarter between your knees to help maintain the position.

Step 3

Lowering Phase: Inhale and slowly lower both legs in unison back towards the floor while keeping them fully extended.

Avoid hyperextension in your low back by raising your legs past parallel alignment with your torso.

A Better Waist With The Plank!

by Kris Pitcher

You can forget crunches. Whew! Because you weren't doing them anyway, right?! Well, I wasn't. I wasn't doing them because they hurt my back...and turns out there's a reason for that.

The repeated spinal flexion of crunches can increase your risk of injury, or aggrevate existing injuries when doing standard lying crunches. Crunches are also often performed with poor form, pulling on the neck causing tension.

The plank is a more comprehensive exercise incorporating not only the rectus abdominus (used in the crunch) but the entire core. The plank works the transverse abdominus, the obliques, and the muscles of the lower back.

You can create a tight waistline by holding the plank for up to a minute. Start out with 15 seconds, building on that in 15 second increments.

There are many variations of the plank, but start out with the basic plank position to target your abs and back. Let's crank up our core and keep our back safe with this great exercise!