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 […]
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 […]
![[PODCAST]: My 3 favorite treadmill workouts for winter running](https://mk0marilynmcken8ph85.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Dollarphotoclub_79609037-600x400.jpg)
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Sep 14 2015
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Jun 23 2015
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 […]
Jun 7 2015
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 […]
Feb 13 2015
Feb 6 2015
Jan 16 2015
Nov 21 2014
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 […]
Oct 24 2014
“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 […]
Sep 21 2014
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 […]
Sep 16 2014
“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 […]
Sep 10 2014
“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? […]
Aug 26 2014
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 […]
Aug 17 2014
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 […]
Aug 11 2014
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. […]
Jul 7 2014
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 […]
Jul 1 2014
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, […]
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 […]
May 23 2014
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 […]
Apr 28 2014
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. […]
Apr 18 2014
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 […]
Apr 10 2014
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 […]
Apr 9 2014
Apr 8 2014
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 […]
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 […]
Dec 5 2013
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 […]
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. […]
Nov 8 2012
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 […]
Jan 10 2012
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 […]