Your exercise routine has fizzled out. Now what?

Ok, so we’re nearly two weeks into January, and I am wondering how many fitness resolutions are already out the window. As someone who loves being active, I’m all for goals that promote a more active lifestyle. But if you don’t get off on the right start, well-meaning intentions will only go so far in delivering you to the gym. Before you commit to getting fit, evaluate your motives, and make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. (Read What Motivates You to Move?) Once you’ve established that your goals come from a genuine desire for well being (rather than trying to reach an unattainable or unmaintainable body weight/shape/size), you still might get discouraged at what seems like a long road ahead of you. If your motivation has already petered out, here are a few suggestions to help spark the flame again.

Buy some new work out clothes. This may seem like a shallow approach, but if you feel self conscious in your over-sized holey sweats while everyone else is walking around in their Nike/Reebok/Adidas gear, you will look for every excuse not to go. While there is no limit to how much you can spend on fitness apparel, you don’t have to spend a lot on functional, yet fashionable clothing that will give you the freedom you need to move. I recently stocked up on Champion boot-cut fitted pants from Target, and while I was lucky enough to catch them on sale for $14.99, their regular price of $19.99 still can’t be beat. I also got a few tank tops with built in bras, like this Champion Racer Back Tank for $18.99. And speaking of bras, make sure you have a properly fitted bra that gives you the support you need. If you are uncomfortable because the girls are bouncing around too much, that will just add to your list of excuses to avoid moving. For extra support, check out the Ultimate Sport Bra from Lane Bryant. Old Navy is another great source for reasonably priced fitness clothes, and Junonia is a good source for plus-sized active wear. If you’re ready to spend a little more and want to check out some fun styles, try the newest brand from the Gap brand of stores, Athleta. While many of their price points are beyond what I’m willing to spend, I definitely love their styles and would enjoy heading to the gym in some of their cute tops. Whatever you do, find clothes that are comfortable to work out in but make you feel good too. You’d be surprised what a difference it can make.

What Motivates You to Move?

Do you feel chained to the treadmill? Do you dread the gym? Maybe you go every day, or every other day, or every third Tuesday of every leap year but with every workout, you are cursing, swearing and gritting your teeth, praying that it will all be over soon. If this sounds like you — if you work out because you have to instead of because you want to, it’s time to take a look at what your motivation is.

If the primary goal for every workout is to burn as many calories as possible, then you might be leading yourself down a dead-end. Why? Because if it hasn’t already happened, sooner or later, your workout will become drudgery in the name of exonerating you from your eating “sins.” Once that happens, discipline will carry you only so far in keeping up with your routine before you become resentful of exercise and give it up all together. Even if you are one of the rare people to maintain an exercise routine through sheer will power alone, you probably would rather be attending a life insurance convention.

So, you may be wondering? How does one fall in love with exercise? Is that even possible? I like to think that yes, it is possible to fall in love, though sometimes you have to look in unexpected places.

First of all, anything that you have to do is going to be less enjoyable than what you want to do. Ever heard the expression “force causes resistance”? When you force yourself to exercise, there will be a part of you that resists. You may go through the motions, but eventually you may quit as your will power wanes. Instead of thinking about what you have to do, or trying to burn off the extra piece of cake you had last night, think about how the act of motion actually makes your body feel. Even if you feel a little sore after a workout (if you consistently feel extremely sore, it’s time to re-evaluate your workouts), you might notice that your mind is clear and you have more energy. By paying attention to your body, and the sensations you feel in your muscles during and after exercise, you might gain a different perspective and view it as a way to appreciate and love your body instead of using it as a punishment for your food crimes.

It’s also counter-productive to have the attitude that says exercising for less than 30 or 60 minutes is not worth doing. Studies have shown that cumulative exercise is as effective as doing it in one big chunk in terms of many health benefits. Plus, the idea that you have to do something that you might not enjoy for 30 minutes or longer is a lot harder to stomach than 10 or 15 minutes at a time.

Think back to when you were a kid. You probably weren’t concerned with the number of calories you burned doing your favorite activities and you were happy to do the things you enjoyed even if you could squeeze in just 5 minutes of whatever it was you were doing. And if those things gave you pleasure then, maybe they still do. Did you dream of being Olivia Newton John, roller-skating gracefully through the land of Xanadu (ok, I’m really dating myself here), wearing pretty white roller skates? If so, try roller-blading. It’s a great low-impact activity and you can choose your own pace. Don’t think about burning a certain number of calories. Just enjoy the motion of moving your legs, and the thrill you feel as you glide along.

Or maybe instead of roller skating, it was ice skating you got excited about. I wasn’t actually much into ice skating as a kid, but when I signed my kids up for ice skating lessons, I decided to give it a try. It turns out, I really enjoy it! Now when I take the kids to practice in between their lessons, I get on the ice too and enjoy (un)gracefully gliding along the ice. Given the rising popularity of ice hockey, I’d be willing to bet there’s an indoor ice skating rink near you.

Did you love to splash around in the pool on hot summer days? Then check out your local community pool or see if a nearby gym has a pool. You really can’t do much better for your body than some laps in the pool since you get a total body workout with no impact. I used to think I hated swimming. The idea of going back and forth and back and forth without any change of scenery seemed like the most boring kind of exercise one could do, topping even a treadmill, where at least you can watch TV. But determined to do a triathlon, I finally challenged myself to take it up, and I’ve actually come to love it. I don’t try and swim fast or hard. I just keep a steady pace, focusing on my breathing, much like one does while meditating. In fact, it really puts me in a meditative state, clearing my mind, and giving me a great feeling of relaxation. I often finish off my swimming workouts with a few minutes in the hot tub.

Maybe you were obsessed with horses as a kid. Though horse-back riding lessons can be costly, it’s great exercise and can provide a lot of enjoyment if you’re a “horse person”. (Check out the article Don’t ‘Weight’ for Life to Happen to read about Karen who lists horse-back riding lessons among the many activities she enjoys regularly.) Other outdoor activities you might enjoy are hiking, rock climbing, or even just taking long walks through your neighborhood, park, or nearby woods if available.

If you were on a team as a kid, perhaps it’s time to revisit that sport, or other sports you always wanted try but didn’t. Most communities have various levels of team sports for women, ranging from the casual, play-for-fun leagues, to semi-competitive, or, if you’re really serious, the “stay out of my way or I’ll kick your a__” leagues. Did you know you can even join adult kick ball teams?

And of course there are the more obvious forms of exercise like running or biking. It could be that you once enjoyed those things but turning it into something you have to do has taken away all the pleasure. Many years ago I decided that since I loved running, it would be fun to do a marathon (yes, I realize that ‘fun’ and ‘marathon’ aren’t something many of you would put in the same sentence). But once I began training, meeting weekly mileage goals, and feeling the need to run a certain number of days each week to hit certain bench marks, I no longer looked forward to my running workouts. I felt like I couldn’t take the time to do any other activity I enjoyed because I felt like I should be devoting all my time to my training. About half way through my training, I finally decided to quit, not because I didn’t think I could do a marathon, but because I wanted to regain my enjoyment of running. And I did, once the pressure was off and I could balance it with other forms of exercise I enjoy. Since then I have run a number of half marathons and I even did a triathlon, but my outlook on training has changed. I have learned to bring balance to my workouts through cross training and, importantly, rest.

If you can afford a gym membership, the variety of classes most offer these days can help stave off exercise boredom. Many gyms offer Latin, hip hop, salsa and ballroom dancing, just to name a few, and that’s in addition to the standard step aerobics, kick boxing, and core strength building classes you will probably find. If you haven’t looked at the class schedule at your gym, it’s time to revisit it and perhaps try something new.

I believe there is something out there for everyone to enjoy. We already fill our lives with mundane responsibilities — life is too short to add one more thing to our routine that we loathe doing. We were meant to move, we simply need to figure out what makes us feel good, and “just do it.”

Abby Lentz Is Out to Change the Image of Yoga

For most of us, the word ‘yoga’ conjures up image of svelt women in form fitting clothing bending themselves in seemingly impossible ways. Of course, that’s a bit of a stereotype. Nonetheless, we don’t generally associate yoga, and especially yoga instructors, with people who are overweight or obese. Abby Lentz is out to change the image of yoga. An experienced instructor who has been practicing yoga for over 30 years, Abby, who is approaching her 61st birthday weighs upwards of 240 pounds.

Talking to Abby was invigorating and inspiring, and I couldn’t wait to share her experiences and perspectives on life, weight, and exercise with VenusVision readers. When we spoke, I immediately heard the zest for life Abby has. While many overweight and obese women retreat into themselves, hiding their bodies from the world and feeling ashamed about their weight, Abby is a woman who clearly has not let her weight get in the way of living a life full of fun, adventure, and opportunities to learn and grow.

Coming to yoga after the birth of her first child, Abby immediately fell in love with yoga, enjoying the self awareness that came with it, which she believes is the true value of yoga. “People come to the yoga mat thinking about their physical body … but they keep coming because of the sense of well being,” she said. However, yoga can be intimidating to someone who is overweight or obese, when there aren’t a lot of options available when it comes to fitness DVDs. Abby wanted to make yoga accessible to a group of people who would greatly benefit from all it has to offer but don’t have the opportunities for trying it. Going a step further than just a beginners class, Heavyweight Yoga accounts for overweight and obese participants through gentle, encouraging  language, and appropriate poses modified to take into account some of the limitations of someone who is larger.

“Yoga is a wonderful entry point [into exercise] if you’re obese because it can help bring you to a point of having a dedication to your health without risking injury. It gives you that feeling that you’ve started, that you’re making headway. And then when your body tells you it’s ready to do something more aerobic, yoga will be there to help you with that so you will be more mindful in whatever activity you choose and hopefully avoid injury.” Abby provides a safe environment for people to push themselves to the point of what she calls “sweet discomfort.” Abby describes ’sweet discomfort’ as the point to which you work your body to to the edge, and then go just a little bit further.”

Exerting yourself just a little bit more is where you’ll find progress according to Abby. “When you come past your edge, and you gradually move your edge further and further … it helps my students feel like they’re making progress. If you come to your edge every time, you won’t make any progress. You have to be uncomfortable but you don’t want pain.”

Abby points out that “sweet discomfort” is a great message to implement into your real life. “You don’t want to be doing the same thing every day. You have to take a little risk.” Not afraid to apply this philosophy to her own life, Abby has taken on many risks and reaped the benefits of pushing herself to her own point of sweet discomfort. In addition to being a successful yoga instructor with her own DVD and another one coming soon, Abby also considers herself a triathlete and a marathoner, having walked the Dublin City Marathon in 2000.

Up until finishing the Dublin marathon, Abby never thought of herself as an athlete. But after crossing that finish line, it changed her perspective, and she now views herself nothing short of an athlete. Though many might discount her huge accomplishment because she walked the entire marathon, I challenge anyone to walk 26.2 miles in a day, and then tell me how they feel! She finished 7093rd, and while the glass-half-empty outlook would only focus on the fact that 7092 people finished before Abby, she points out that 1.) she finished, 2.) there were more than 100 people who finished after her, and 3.) over 9000 people started the race, meaning that “lots of people didn’t complete the task they came to do.” Abby now proudly identifies herself as a marathoner and feels that the training and completion of the race brought her athleticism to a new level, which has led to her continuing interest in other endurance events. Currently, she is training for her 3rd triathlon, and an upcoming half-marathon.

Since Abby is making her living using her body at an age she points out is when many people are wrapping up their careers, I asked her about her relationship with her body and how that has evolved over time. She shared with me her insecurities about her body that started at the age of 10 when she began to consider herself fat as she was teased relentlessly by an older sibling about her appearance, which, they can now both admit was perfectly normal. But as she points out, body image fluctuates, and learning to feel ok with herself and her body came in large part from teaching yoga and being in front of people, wearing a unitard revealing her full self. “I teach in clothing that allows people to see exactly what I am asking them to do with their bodies. It was always the hardest part for me in the first year.”

When she started teaching, she had already been a student in that same class, so she found herself in a very supportive, familiar environment. But going out into the world made her come face to face with prejudice and stereotypes towards heavier people, as students coming to her class for the first time would assume just about anyone in the classroom was the instructor before imagining that she — the large woman in the unitard at the front of the room, fiddling with the CD player — could possibly be the instructor. When Abby sensed a look of disbelief, reading behind their eyes the question “What could this fat person possibly know?” those were the nights she would really “kick butt” to show them exactly what she has to offer, since, after all she’s been “doing this longer than most of them have been breathing.” And any issues she has with her self and her own body “melt away” when she hears the wonderful, enthusiastic response she receives from so many people who have benefitted from her program.

Wanting to capture the essence of her spirit and share it with my readers, I asked Abby what she would suggest, beyond yoga, to help women become more comfortable with their bodies, and learn to love themselves unconditionally. She emphasized the importance of hobbies, and finding something you love, but encourages women to focus their energy on hobbies that get them moving. It doesn’t have to be running, or biking, or even walking, which she is not particularly fond of. It can be anything, even skipping, as she suggested. Just something that makes you feel good and makes your body move. But she also emphasized the importance of being good to yourself in a variety of ways, like getting a facial, taking or bath, or simply taking time out to do something that you love. And, she added, “let yourself eat!”

In Abby’s yoga instruction, you’ll see more than some difficult poses. She incorporates what she calls the 3 As: awareness, acceptance and affection. She believes that every woman — every person has the right and ability to feel good in their bodies, and she is on a mission to help them get there. “Embrace small changes and the big changes will come,” she said, adding “It’s not how your body looks, it’s how your inner body feels … every day your body is different, and if you can love your body as it is today, that’s a big deal.”

Though completing a marathon and other athletic events mark major milestones in Abby’s life, I was curious as to what else she considered some of her greatest accomplishments. But really it all comes back to yoga, and everything she has gained from it. “It’s a minor miracle that I am on the yoga mat teaching people yoga. It’s unbelievably cool that somebody of my size can be doing this, making a living, that people trust me. It brings tears to my eyes.” She recognizes the power of the relationship between teacher and student. “When you teach anything you are as much a student learning as the people in front of you and I’m really grateful for all the lessons. If I’m not teaching, I’m also not learning.”

Following her dreams and making things happen is something Abby has proven that she’s good at and she reminded me that “there’s more than just one dream, and you can always take your dream and drop it to a level that’s really achievable. And, sometimes just saying “I tried” is something.”

Wrapping up our conversation, Abby shared her favorite poem by Rumi with me:

Thank you Abby, for opening up a world to so many people, and allowing them to come.

To learn more about Abby, visit HeartFeltYoga.com or you can purchase her DVD directly: HeavyWeight Yoga: Yoga for the Body You Have Today.

5 Things I Learned In My 30s

Getting older occasionally has its advantages. One thing we hope for is a little bit of wisdom here and there. I would never claim to be wise — I’ll leave that to the old bearded man sitting on top of the mountain — but I do think I’ve learned a few things in my 30s. Each piece of wisdom I have gained was there for the taking earlier in life, but perhaps because of the phase of life I was in, I was unable to see it. As my wise father always says, “It’s developmental.” But maybe if I shed a little light on a few of my own secrets, I can help a few others see things in a new light themselves.

I learned:

1. ) How to love my body, at any size.

When I was 9 months pregnant pushing 200 pounds (having gained 50 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight), my husband still couldn’t keep his hands off me. He has always found my body beautiful at my lowest weight and at my highest. So why shouldn’t I? Of course I realize it’s not as easy as saying “Oh, well he/she/they think I’m beautiful, so I must be.” Our confidence in our body must come from within and not depend on the opinions of others. And it has taken me 30-something years, and the birth of two children for me to learn what an amazing thing my body is. I respect its accomplishments both big and small, and as I grow older I want to treat my body right so that it can carry me through the future.

2.) That I love being active.
I love to run, but anything beyond that, I never had the ambition or confidence to try a sport. As a kid I always wanted to play soccer, but I did not share my wishes with my parents and so I just ignored my desires to be active, instead opting for hours of TV time. In high school, I tried out for the track team, but found it too rigorous for me at the time and consequently gave up on being active all together. After that, here and there I would try to get fit, but more out of an attempt to change my body and lose weight than for the joy of being active.

But after the birth of my first daughter, I was fortunate enough to have some time to try and figure out exactly what it was that I enjoy. I took up running again, and this time stuck with it, eventually running three half marathons to date. (A full marathon is yet to come!) I spent two years taking Karate, nine months of which were during my second pregnancy. I continued right up until a week before my second daughter was born, and even with a c-section, I was back after only 3 weeks. Karate really kept me in shape during my pregnancy and I fully believe helped to speed my recovery. Eventually I received the lowest level of black belt before I moved on to other activities.

Later, I discovered a love for biking and swimming, and eventually combined that love with my passion for running and participated in my first triathlon. I was hooked and can’t wait to do more!

The difference between my half-hearted attempts to get fit in the past, and my unfailing commitment to fitness these days is that I don’t focus on the number of calories I am burning. Instead, I am conscious of the feeling it gives me, not just in the moment (or when I am finished) but overall. I feel strong, powerful and healthy. And, if I don’t make it to the gym for a week or two because life has thrown a curve ball, I don’t have to berate myself since I am not going just for the sake of looking better.

3.) That I am not a super mom, that being a stay at home mom is not the answer to my personal fulfillment. And that’s ok.

Before I had my first daughter, I worked for a large internet company. While it was definitely fun to work there during the the hey-day of dot.com boom (no, I wasn’t one of the dot.com millionaires) I quickly realized working in the corporate environment was not my thing. I had no desire to move up in the company, and was pretty much biding my time until I had kids, at which point I knew I wanted to stay home.

But when I actually came home with my first daughter, I discovered that I wasn’t a natural after all. Between the crazy post partem hormones, sleepless nights, round-the-clock nursing and colic, I quickly felt like I was losing my mind and questioned my ability to be a full time mom. I know a lot of those feelings are normal in the beginning, but there has always been a part of me that wondered if my children would be better off in someone else’s full time care, while I went back to work. The trouble was there wasn’t any work I could think of that I’d rather be doing than taking care of my children. A conundrum indeed! So I continued to stay at home, feeling incompetent and trying to keep up with my friends and all they were doing with their own kids the same age. But as my kids have gotten older, I have begun to realize something. They’re pretty great kids. They’re polite and well mannered. They are compassionate towards others. They’re loving. They’re smart and creative. They’re all around fabulous human beings. So I’ve concluded that I must being doing something right! I may not be the mom that sits down on the floor all day and plays with my kids. But I enjoy being with them, and we find other ways to enjoy each other’s company. I may not take them to art museums, plays, and concerts. But they love music, science and drama. I still lose my patience with them. I still sometimes say ‘no’ more times than I like, but I finally realized that my strengths as a parent are not lost on them.

4.) How to dress for my body.

Once I hit puberty, I had a peripheral interest in fashion, but without some lessons on what looks good on ME, I generally failed to pull together flattering, stylish outfits. Looking back at pictures of me in late teens and early 20s, I sometimes wonder, “What was I thinking?” when I put that on. But then came Stacy & Clinton from “What Not to Wear”, a popular show on The Learning Channel. Although I had started to come into my own sense of style before then, I learned some important lessons about what kind of clothes would flatter my pear shaped figure. I learned to be more objective about clothing, and pay less attention to the size on the label than how it fit my shape.

I don’t encourage women to obsess over their appearance, or constantly worry about how they are being judged on their appearance by others. But there is something empowering about feeling good in the clothes on your body. It gives a feeling of self confidence and lifts your spirit. Have you ever tried putting on a favorite outfit that you always feel good in when you are feeling down? Just like putting on a false smile causes a chemical reaction in your body that releases good feeling hormones, looking good on the outside can seep into your inner spirit and make you feel good on the inside.

5.) If someone stops petting you, move on.
I read this one in a book, and have made it a personal philosophy. One advantage to getting older is that a lot of things you worried about when you were younger are no longer a source of stress. In our teens and 20s, we usually spend a lot of time worrying about what others think of us, and consequently trying to please them. When a fair weather friend would stop returning my calls, I would fret over what I had done. Did I say something offensive without realizing it? Did I commit some major social faux paus? Or worse, was I just not cool enough/interesting enough/smart enough/attractive enough? And then I realized, none of that mattered. If my friendship is not worth the effort to others to maintain, then THEY are not worthy of my friendship and I move on. If I offend a friend, I expect them to tell me and clear the air. If they simply hold a grudge, or I worry over what I might have done, then both parties are only bathing themselves in self defeating negative energy.

So, what have you learned as you grow older?

Run In Style

If you’re an outdoor runner, you probably have more jackets for running than you care to count. You need a light-weight jacket for those cooler days, a vest when it’s just a little warmer, something water proof for wet days, etc., etc., etc. Thanks to Merrell, you might be able to get rid of just a few of your jackets, with their new lightweight Morph jacket. The Morph, made of reversible nylon and jersey fabric can be worn in eight (yes, you read that right — EIGHT!) different ways — a different style for a different mood and a different day.

The jacket may seem a little pricey at $129, but when you consider how many other jackets it could replace, you may just find it’s worth the price. Plus, it looks great!

This is the Morph at its most basic. You can also reverse the sleeves to the jacket is almost entirely black.

This view of the back shows where it zips midway allowing you to convert it into a bolero style jacket.

The morph reversed with blue bodice and black sleeves.

And now it’s a vest!

Since my body warms up more quickly than my arms when I am running, I love the idea of a bolero jacket for running.

And here is the bolero with blue sleeves.