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Jun 28 2017

The easiest interval workout in the history of the universe

by Marilyn McKenna

Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration. And when I say “easy” I don’t mean it’s easy to do … Honestly, what would be the point of that??? It’s the easiest interval workout in the universe because it’s easy to remember. As in, it’s not one of those interval workouts I read about in fitness […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness Tagged With: Cardio, elliptical, intervals

Jul 15 2016

2 Reasons Your Cardio’s Not Working for You Anymore

by Marilyn McKenna

We are such creatures of habit, aren’t we? I see the same people on the same cardio machines day after day at my gym. (And I don’t just mean they’re always on the elliptical or whatever; they’re literally on the same machine! As in, the woman with the purple running shorts is always on the […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Weight Loss Tagged With: Calorie Burn, Cardio, Heart Rate Monitor, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Plateau

Jan 6 2016

[PODCAST]: My 3 favorite treadmill workouts for winter running

by Marilyn McKenna

Maybe you just joined a gym. Or you’re determined to start going again after a break. You walk in and are faced with a sea of treadmills and other equipment. Not really sure what to do, you hop on a treadmill and push start. But a few minutes in you’re huffing and puffing, plus it’s […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Podcasts Tagged With: Beginning Running, Conditioning, Endurance, HIIT, Podcast, Total Body Workout, Treadmill, Treadmill Running, Treadmill Workout

Jan 5 2016

6 ways your workout may be missing the mark

by Marilyn McKenna

It’s early January and as predictable as swallows flying to Capistrano or rain falling in Seattle, my gym is packed once again. Don’t get me wrong; I hold no animosity toward those who join a gym in January. They’re following through on their New Year’s resolution to get fit and healthy, and what’s not to […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Strength Training, Weight Loss Tagged With: 10-20-30, Balance, Ballroom Dancing, Basketball, Cardio, Fitness Goals, Flexibility, Gym Workout, HIIT, Insanity, New Year, New Year's Resolution, New Years Goals, Shawn T, Strength Training

Nov 17 2015

How tapping into your inner 17-year-old boosts fitness

by Marilyn McKenna

Picture this: I’m driving down the road, flailing my arms around like a lunatic (my kids say my “dancing” involves much more elbow than is necessary), but I’m headed to the gym, so I gotta get in the zone. For me, getting in the zone means a little bitta Flo Rida’s “The Club Can’t (must […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Weight Loss Tagged With: Fitness, Fitness Boost, Fitness Hack, Music, Playlist, Running

Oct 29 2015

Book excerpt: Chapter 9 “Get Moving! How Exercise Helped Me Heal”

by Marilyn McKenna

From pages 151 – 153 of Eat Like It Matters: Does everybody have an inner athlete? I dunno. I do know that 120 pounds ago I would’ve told you that I didn’t have one. Turns out, I was wrong. I do have an inner athlete, and I have harnessed her strength and drive to finally put to rest […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Strength Training, Weight Loss Tagged With: Athlete, Behavioral Change, Book Excerpt, Eat Like It Matters, Exercise, Fitness, Running, Strength Training, Transformation, Triathlon

Sep 14 2015

12-minute workout that will rock your world!

by Marilyn McKenna

A friend shared a recent New York Times article about an interval workout I’d never heard of before. The article cites a study that followed runners who improved their fitness and overall health by replacing two of their regular weekly runs with a simple interval pattern. The most intriguing part?[/caption] The entire workout lasts only […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness Tagged With: 12-minute workout, High Intensity Interval Training, HIIT, Interval Training, Running

Aug 14 2015

Q: How do I break through an “exercise plateau”?

by Marilyn McKenna

I love, love, love it when a reader’s question gets me thinking about something in a new way. Really, there’s nothing better than a little brainstorming sesh with somebody to get the creative problem-solving juices flowing! So here’s the question that a reader posed to me recently about breaking through her “exercise plateau,” followed by […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Strength Training, Weight Loss Tagged With: Comfort Zone, Cross Training, Exercise Plateau, Fitness Plateau, Reader Question, Strength Training

Aug 4 2015

Blog: What is carbo-loading (and do I need to do it)?

by Marilyn McKenna

The ubiquitous beer garden at the end of a 5K race can be a lot of fun, not to mention an incentive to get to the finish line. Just as common is the “carbo-loading” dinner the night before the big race so that runners can get their fill and store up carbohydrates, giving them plenty […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Weight Loss Tagged With: Carb loading, Carbo loading, Carbohydrates, Cycling, Endurance, Metabolism, Running

Jun 23 2015

The 4 elements of fitness

by Marilyn McKenna

There are four elements of fitness; does your workout hit them all? They are: strength, stamina, flexibility and balance. You could argue the balance one with me, but really why would you? (Besides, it’s my blog, so I win.) No, I’m teasing (mostly). But seriously, balance is a very important part of functional movement, especially as […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Strength Training Tagged With: Balance, Elements of Fitness, Fitness, Flexibility, Hot Yoga, Namaste, Running Injuries, Stamina, Strength, Yoga

Jun 7 2015

100 days of awesome BONUS ROUND!

by Marilyn McKenna

Oh my, it’s time for “100 days of awesome!” BONUS ROUND!!!! Several people have asked me, “Marilyn, how come there’s no cardio in the ‘100 days of awesome”? It wasn’t really an oversight; I just feel like the whole-body strength training moves are so important in building muscle strength. But the more I thought about […]

Filed Under: 100 days of awesome!, Cardio, Fitness, Weight Loss Tagged With: 100 Day Challenge, 100 Days of Awesome, BONUS ROUND, Cardio, Low-Intensity Cardio

Feb 13 2015

Running Tutorial: Hills

by Marilyn McKenna

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Videos Tagged With: Exercise, Running, Tutorial

Feb 6 2015

Running Tutorial: How to Build Speed

by Marilyn McKenna

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Videos

Jan 30 2015

Running Tutorial: Total Body Treadmill Workout

by Marilyn McKenna

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Videos

Jan 23 2015

Running 101: Breathing, cramps and discomfort

by Marilyn McKenna

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Videos

Jan 16 2015

How to Start a Running Program

by Marilyn McKenna

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Weight Loss

Nov 21 2014

Fitness Hack: The Countdown is On!

by Taryn Langlois

Guest blog, by Personal Trainer Taryn   There are simple little tricks we can use to make a workout easier: they are fitness hacks. For example, doing alternating bicep curls (one arm at a time) rather than doing both arms at the same time, gives each arm a second or two of rest so you’ll […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Strength Training Tagged With: Fitness Hack

Oct 24 2014

Fitness Hack: Ladders

by Taryn Langlois

“Counting reps is monotonous!” “Doing the same workout each day gets old!” “My workout seems to drag on forever!” I have heard all of these complaints and many, many more. If you find yourself saying any of these (or even thinking them), then here’s a fitness hack to make your workout more enjoyable and engaging. With […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness Tagged With: Fitness Hack

Sep 21 2014

Is there a runner inside of you?

by Marilyn McKenna

I can’t answer that question. If you haven’t tried since junior high gym class, you probably can’t answer it either. Or you may be inclined to answer no. I’ve had people even yell “No!” emphatically to me in response to that question. Okay, that’s fair. Running isn’t the be-all-end-all of exercise. In many ways, as […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Weight Loss Tagged With: Runner

Sep 16 2014

M is for Music

by Marilyn McKenna

“Turn off that racket!” can be heard in households across America. In my house it’s one of the kids yelling at me rather than the other way around. Idk, I like loud stuff. I suppose it’s a throwback to our own teenage years when one way we cut loose and expressed ourselves was through our musical […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Weight Loss Tagged With: Music

Sep 10 2014

H is for HIIT

by Marilyn McKenna

“Gwen, have you heard of high intensity interval training?” (I have no idea why her name is Gwen.) Cheetahs do it naturally: short bursts of intense exertion interspersed with slower “recovery” periods. It’s a different approach to exercise than the way we traditionally think of cardio. But what’s it all about, and why do people do it? […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Strength Training, Weight Loss Tagged With: HIIT

Aug 26 2014

Try-It Tuesday: Kickboxing!

by Marilyn McKenna

Let me start by saying: I like to hit stuff. Oh, it’s not very ladylike or whatever, but I think it’s very liberating. Good way to get out your frustrations, I suppose. Still, when a friend invited me to try a class at the kickboxing studio she owns with her husband, I was uneasy. Never […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Strength Training, Weight Loss

Aug 17 2014

Mission Accomplished!

by Marilyn McKenna

As I sit here, I am exhausted but feeling so accomplished after having completed my first triathlon this morning. The weather could not have been better: calm, sunny, mild. As I waited for my “wave” to start the swim, the sun rose. The bike ride was glorious too; in filtered early morning sun, we crossed […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness

Aug 11 2014

Try-It Tuesday: Childhood Throwback

by Marilyn McKenna

I was scouring through old photos the other day, searching for something else entirely, when I came upon some photos of me ice skating when I was a little girl. Mom said the picture of my brother and me was our Christmas card photo in 1966. Which is impossible of course as I’m only 29. […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Videos

Jul 7 2014

Try-It Tuesday: The Triathlon

by Marilyn McKenna

Huff! Puff! Gasp! Wheeze! Ugh! That’s me, climbing up the last hill before I finally get home on my cycling route. I have a couple of loops I ride; they all end with that damn hill. I have mental tricks I play with myself to get up hills: mantras (“this hill can’t even handle me […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Weight Loss

Jul 1 2014

Try-It Tuesday: Who Me, Hire a Trainer?

by Marilyn McKenna

Go ahead, say it. You know you want to, so just get it out of your system. “Ugh, you’ve got to be kidding! Me, hire a trainer?!? They’re so expensive!” Feel better? Good, now we can move on. I’ll address the cost (and why it’s not as expensive as you may think) in a moment, […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Strength Training, Weight Loss

Jun 4 2014

Fitness Dilemma: Distance, Speed or Time?

by Marilyn McKenna

Fitness dilemma: when you’re building up a fitness routine, what do you work on first: Distance? Speed? Time??? There is a temptation when you begin a new workout regimen to go all out and try to do too much, too soon. You’re gung-ho and filled with excitement about your new activity. Or, maybe the opposite […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness

May 23 2014

Drafting

by Marilyn McKenna

This is #9 of the “top 10 lessons that becoming an athlete have taught me about weight loss” that appeared in the “Building Sweat Equity” blog. “If you’re intimidated to try something new, ask for help.” Whether you’re a cyclist or not, you’re probably familiar with the concept of “drafting.” The physics of it are […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Weight Loss

Apr 28 2014

You don’t start with the marathon

by Marilyn McKenna

This is #2 of the “top 10 lessons that becoming an athlete have taught me about weight loss” that appeared in the “Building Sweat Equity” blog. In my mind, “you don’t start with the marathon” means that you don’t start at the end-point of a goal. You must start at the beginning and progress incrementally. […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Weight Loss

Apr 18 2014

Does everybody have an “inner-athlete”?

by Marilyn McKenna

I don’t know. I do know that 120 lbs. ago I would’ve told you I didn’t have one. Turns out, I was wrong. I do have an inner-athlete and I have harnessed her strength and drive to finally put to rest the food demons that tormented me most of my life. Becoming an athlete means […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Strength Training

Apr 10 2014

Top 10 Running Gadgets & Gizmos

by Marilyn McKenna

In Tuesday’s blog, “Run That By Me Again” I said that for about $100 you can get outfitted for a great pair of running / walking shoes. Truthfully, a good-fitting pair of shoes is all you need to get started on a running or walking fitness program. But you know I’ve got more goodies in […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness

Apr 9 2014

Play Your Cardios Right

by Marilyn McKenna

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Videos

Apr 8 2014

Run That By Me Again

by Marilyn McKenna

Walking and running have the lowest cost of entry of nearly any sport and are among the most convenient. Think about it, a good pair of shoes, a lively playlist and you can leave right from your own driveway. How much simpler can it be? Certainly there are other great ways to get a cardiovascular […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness

Dec 6 2013

Everyday Activity: A Graduate Level Course

by Marilyn McKenna

Incorporating activity into your everyday life can become addictive; at the very least I hope that it’ll become a habit for you. It certainly has for me! Once daily exercise and constant movement have become second nature to you, you may find yourself wanting to up the ante a little bit. There are ways to […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Close to Home, Fitness, Healthy Families, Weight Loss

Dec 5 2013

If I can move, I will move

by Marilyn McKenna

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Videos, Weight Loss

Dec 4 2013

Top 10 Ways to Fit Activity into Daily Life

by Marilyn McKenna

Choosing the more active path rather than the sedentary one is a guiding principle for living a long and healthy life. Forgive my bluntness, but there’s a reason you don’t see a lot of really old people who are fat. They’re all dead. Building activity into your everyday life is a mindset. It makes you […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Healthy Families, Weight Loss

Nov 10 2013

Cross-training doesn’t just sound cool — it is cool

by Marilyn McKenna

When I was fat – sorry if that word offends you; I don’t use euphemisms for it when I’m talking about myself – all sorts of exercise intimidated me. I was embarrassed to try something new and look foolish. I was nervous because it was unfamiliar, but even more so because of my physical size. […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Strength Training Tagged With: Cross Training, Exercise, Fitness

Nov 8 2012

Four-Mile Run in the Produce Section

by Marilyn McKenna

I may have mentioned that I like running … once or twice (ahem). At my age – perhaps a tad over 30 – it can be a cruel companion. Running is hard on my body. Sometimes my body protests … loudly! For example, while I was training for the Seattle Marathon in the fall of […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Weight Loss Tagged With: Fitness, Running

Jan 10 2012

Who’s That Lunatic on the Treadmill?

by Marilyn McKenna

Have you ever seen that crazy person on the treadmill who is either jamming to their tunes or swinging their arms around or maybe walking backwards or sideways? And you’re thinking to yourself, “What the heck are they doing? They look positively insane!” Yeah … that’s me. In my own defense, can I just say […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness Tagged With: Fitness, Running, Treadmill

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