Blog — Fitness

Just before the new year, the ACSM published its annual list of fitness trend predictions. The list itself was rather predictable, citing yoga, exercise for weight loss, and group training amongst some of the “rising” trends in 2015. But the one item that really stuck out as having some weight was HIIT training.

High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT as it is more commonly referred to, should be the second most popular fitness trend of the year. It was a big deal a few years back, and apparently it’s going to see a resurgence.

What is it exactly? The ACSM describes HIIT as “short bursts of activity followed by a short period of rest or recovery. These exercise programs are usually performed in less than 30 minutes.”

That’s what makes HIIT so desirable — that 30 minute timeframe. It’s hard to include time in a list of workout excuses when it only requires 30 minutes. HIIT requires less time, but demands more of you during that time. You blast through circuits with little to no rest between moves or machines. It’s also a total body workout; because you never stop moving, and you’re doing strength training and not solely focused on strength or cardio exercises, you get the best of both worlds in one quick, tidy (very sweaty) session.

Making time for an hour or longer at the gym, and managing a schedule of cardio versus strength sessions, can be cumbersome at best. With HIIT workouts, you get it all squared away at once. Whose jam-packed, always-busy schedule couldn’t use that? HIIT really is the schedule relief we’ve all needed at the gym.

Or not at the gym, for that matter. Another great benefit of HIIT workouts is that it doesn’t require that you be in any one place. At home, the park, the gym, a hotel room… it honestly doesn’t matter. As long as you can dedicate that half hour to just getting the job done, then HIIT goes anywhere you do. That means you don’t have to just sit at your kid’s soccer practice or sack out on the couch during a Gilmore Girls marathon… you can use that time and that space to complete a legitimate, meaningful workout.

A lot of resources exist for getting your HIIT on! Everything from gym classes to books, DVDs, and more are available. These are often free or cheap (eliminating the cost excuse!).

Jessica Smith’s 2012 book Thin In 10 is one example. The resourceful book, co-authored by Liz Neporent, is hinged on HIIT principles and introduces those throughout its approachable fitness instruction. One of Jessica’s HIIT workouts includes a five-minute warm-up, something as simple as marching in place. You’ll do a series of exercises, and in each set you go all in with maximum effort for about 20-30 minutes, with active rest between moves. Lateral burpees, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, high knee marches, and squats are some of the moves you’ll do over two or three sets.

No equipment, no trainer, no certain place to be, and no brainer… HIIT workouts just make sense. Women’s Health Magazine likens HIIT training to a nice BOGO deal, combining cardio and strength training in to one fast-blast workout.

She’s the woman you love to hate the most, but she’s also the one pushing you harder than anyone else toward that goal. The relationship with a personal trainer is a unique and special one, and clients either soar or break under their tutelage. For every tidbit of insight and encouragement your trainer offers you, there’s something she’s holding back.

Pamela Hernandez, a certified personal trainer and health coach, recently published a really insightful piece on her blog at ThriveFit. She is regularly faced with clients who complain, “You make it look so easy!” She usually says “Because I’ve had more practice.” What she wants to say but leaves out to those bewildered clients, “I have to make it look easy so you don’t start doubting my ability or yours.” She plans workouts in advance and tries new stuff several times on herself until she’s got it and trusts that she can properly show you. You’ll get it too…with practice!

We talked with a few trainers who keep a few things to themselves during those sweat sessions. Whether to maintain the relationship, your respect of their position, a level of professionalism, or to not insult, offend, or scare you away, these personal trainers know when to keep their mouths shut!

“I think I am going to give the high protein diet a try,” said one of Valerie Orsoni’s clients to her. A wellness expert and founder of LeBootcamp, Valerie says she knew what the outcome would be for her client, recognizing that rapid weight loss with an equal or better regain were in the cards.

“I had already told her several times not to,” recounts Valerie, who this time didn’t say a word. “I let her do it for ten days, and then we looked at the situation and she realized, had I said something at first, she might have wanted to ‘win the fight’ and might have done it on a longer period of time.”

Lauren Martin, a NESTA personal trainer, will never lie about your progress just to make you feel better. If you ask and she answers, know it’s the honest truth, even if you don’t want to hear it. She’ll also never compare you to another client. Like most trainers, Martin believes in positive reinforcement; and she’s certainly not going to downplay another client’s efforts to boost yours (or talk yours down to someone else).

“Shut up. You’re wrong,” is bubbling just under the surface for Byron E. Hall, III, a district fitness manager for Portland Sport and Spa who holds a half dozen varied national fitness certifications. He’d never tell you that you need to remember that your trainer is “untangling years of bad information and habits in order to help you work smarter not harder, and we only have a few hours a week to do so.” So listen up. You’re paying him and trainers like him good money to get their expertise. You wouldn’t second guess your cardiothoracic surgeon based on what you scraped together from a few health talk shows, so don’t second guess your trainer based on an infographic from a fitness mag site.

His other dirty secret? “We eat like [garbage], too!” Yep it’s true. He may have told you to skip the dressing-soaked Caesar, but he did it with a burger and fries on his breath. “We just know that our usual healthy eating habits and consistent workout routines will easily offset that massively calorie dense lunch, and we’re pretty sure that’s the last thing you wanna hear!,” he said.

Pamela is right there with him, owning up to enjoying homemade ice cream on her birthday![insert shock and horror!!] “A client made a comment about how on my birthday I probably celebrated with hummus and vegetables.” Yeah right! Ice cream fits in with the 80/20 rule she lives by and prescribes to her clients. “I practice what I preach because it makes me feel good.”

Guest Post by ENELL Ambassador Allison Elliott-Shannon:

“Allison sucks! Allison sucks!”

That was pretty much the soundtrack to gym class for me, grades 1-8. In first and second grades I hid from the teacher because I thought jumping jacks were boring. Third grade was the high point of my P.E. career, as we learned the Virginia Reel year and I played on a competitive tee ball team; but I quit tee ball the next year when I found myself the only girl on the team, and was subject to much spitting and stomping of my hands by my teammates. That was the beginning of the downhill slide, and by fourth grade I was living in fear of being picked last for kickball /dodgeball/basketball/softball teams (which happened often).

Having a sadistic gym teacher, who encouraged kids to bully one another to toughen up the weaklings, didn’t help. By middle school, I would do practically anything to get out of running laps or having to serve in volleyball.

I had a brief flirtation with badminton, but otherwise I was solidly Not Athletic. My peers thought so, my gym teachers thought so, and I agreed. Add to my general dislike of sports that I was on the short side, with stubby legs and zero upper body strength, and it’s small surprise that my high school varsity letter was from the Academic Team.

With that background, it’s surprising that at the age of 35 I put hundreds of miles a year on my running shoes. I started running at 33, when my then-fiancé encouraged me to join him on the road. He told me he wanted a running partner, and perhaps I was swayed out of my right mind by love and our upcoming nuptials; I agreed to start training.

It was slow going at first. I would run to the end of the block then come to a halt, gasping for air. Slowly that block became two blocks, then a quarter of a mile, and so on until I reached a mile, then two miles, then 3.1. Over time, 3.1 stretched out into five, at which point I decided to start working on speed rather than distance. I can now do a heart-pounding 5k in a time that probably beats anything I could do as a thin-but-out-of-shape 20 year old. I ‘m not super fast for a runner, but I’m fast for me.

Running has been a physical challenge, yes, but even more of a mental one. I have learned things about myself: that I’m more motivated by positive rewards than by punishment, that I can go longer if I don’t know how far I’m really going, and that feeling mentally defeated is worse for me than any fatigue of the body. I have also learned, by talking to more experienced runners (including my fellow ENELL Ambassadors) that every runner has a voice in their head constantly telling them to quit; the secret of running is to say “I will do it” to your brain in an authoritative tone.

Finally, I’ve learned that running is about working with what you have in terms of your body. I don’t have long legs, my feet underpronate, and my bosom requires industrial-strength support. I look like nobody’s idea of a runner.  But through running, I’ve found a new confidence in my body. I’ve learned that the road is a judgment-free zone, where it’s just me and my heart rate (and often my husband, who slows down his speedy pace to stay with me). On the road there are no taunting peers, no cruel gym teachers, and no boys trying to spit on me. I’ve learned to take pride in my muscled legs. When the pedicurist looks at my broken-off toenails and asks “What happened?” I’m proud to say “I’m a runner.” My body is imperfect, but I’m making it stronger through using it to meet my goals.

When friends who see my ceaseless flow of social media posts about my latest distances say they are impressed by my running and wish they could do the same, I say with all sincerity “If I can do it, anyone can.” Because it’s true: if the girl who literally ran and hid from gym class can become the women who laces up her shoes and hits the road regularly, there is hope for us all. As the quote popularly attributed to George Eliot says, “It’s never too late to become what you might have been.”

About Allison Elliott-Shannon: Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest /  Instagram

Allison Elliott-Shannon became a runner for the first time in her early 30s. Starting with a short run to the end of the block, she built on small successes over the course of about a year, until she completed her first competitive 5k. Now working on moving into the 10k range and improving her speed, she has been a fan of Enell since being introduced to the Enell Sport early on in her running program.

Allison is a marketing director, writer, and history nerd, and a native of the Kentucky Appalachian Knobs. She now lives in Lexington, Ky., with her husband and stepdaughter. She spends her workdays thinking of ways to help students and faculty engage with a large academic library system. Event planning is part of her day job, and also figures into her volunteer service for the Junior League of Lexington and the historic Bodley-Bullock House in downtown Lexington.

When she isn’t rambling about the Bluegrass state, Allison enjoys travel further afield. Recent trips have taken her to Charleston, S.C., Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New York City. She and her family are big fans of Disney Parks, and she managed to set foot in both Walt Disney World and Disneyland last year. Her current goal is to get back to Europe, to revisit the places she saw while living in London as a college student. She never met a historical marker she didn’t like, and seeks out historical tours of every city she visits.

Other minor life obsessions for Allison include: retro advertising, vintage jewelry, and the collected works of Jane Austen. Her favorite American novel is All the King’s Men, and she would love to own a vintage Ford Mustang. When procrastinating, she turns to Pinterest, Apartment Therapy, and the IKEA catalog for pleasant distraction. She also makes one heck of a pan of brownies.

Allison runs for her health, to spend time with her husband, and to challenge herself. Someday she will compete during the Disney Princess Half Marathon event.

Thanksgiving has more or less looked the same for decades…centuries even. Football was one of the only modern updates to the recipe. Turkey, cranberries, touchdown, nap, rinse, repeat. But the turkey trot has changed that. Finally. Thankfully!

Base image from Daniel Parks via Flickr

The popularity has exploded beyond a few local running clubs and now the most novice and newbie runners grace starting lines across the country. This is a trend we love even more than seconds of pumpkin pie. This year there are more than 1300 races planned throughout the U.S., all scheduled between November 1 and Thanksgiving Day. That means millions of runners — whether for their first or hundredth time — will get up off the couch and move their bodies.

If you’re one of the newbs, know that you are welcomed with open arms. Enjoy a strong start with these race day tips:

Check the Weather. Unless you’re in So-Cal or Florida, the weather can be impressively temperamental during November. You could be facing an unseasonably warm race or one that’s painfully bitter cold.

Dress in Layers. Because of the tricky weather, you definitely want to dress in layers. Wear a moisture-wicking tank or tee under a hoodie or long-sleeve tee, something you can tie around your waist when the race heats up.

Take a Donation! Like most races, turkey trots are traditionally used as a food bank donation drive. Some put your entry fee toward the donation, some encourage cash donations at the gate, and some simply accept canned goods and other non-perishables. It’s an easy way to kick-off the giving season.

Wear Good Shoes. If this is your first race — whether you do the one mile, the 5k, or go the longer distance — do not wear those dusty sneakers you bought five or so years ago. You will kill your feet and you will hurt at the finish line. It’s also not a great day to break in a new pair. Plan ahead and spend a few days in some new kicks.

Wear Your Sports Bra! You’ll put the girls through the paces at a turkey trot, so break out the big guns and wear your Enell. You’ll be more comfortable, not to mention feel more confident when your turkeys aren’t trotting this way and that down the trail.

Bring the Family. Racing may be an individual sport, but turkey trots are an ensemble! Turkey trots are extremely family friendly, so grab that crew of people sacked out at your house and get some fresh air and quality time together. Strollers, wagons, and sometimes even dogs are all more than welcome.

Take a Selfie. This is your first race and you deserve a race-day selfie to post across Facebook and Instagram like all of those other people you follow. A year from now when this first race is a distant memory, you’ll enjoy the souvenir from your first race.

Have Fun. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Sure there’s a finish line and some races are timed, but just go, enjoy the day, the energy of the scene, and cross the finish line in your own time. Whether you run, walk, or crawl, your finish line looks the same as everyone else. Cross it with pride and hopefully a smile on your sweaty face!

Do you have plans for a Turkey Trot this year?

Have you ever gotten an idea in your head that you want to do something, but then spend weeks researching it so you don’t feel like an idiot when you do it? This is exactly what happened to me trying out Bikram Yoga.

Bikram Yoga is a system of yoga that Bikram Choudhury synthesized from traditional yoga techniques and popularized beginning in the early 1970s.[1][2] Bikram’s classes run exactly 90 minutes and consist of a set series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. Bikram Yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (? 40.6°C) with a humidity of 40%, causing it to be categorized as a form of hot yoga. (via Wikipedia)

My ENELL SPORT Bra and I survived Bikram Yoga!

Things to Take to Class:

• Yoga Mat
• Long towel for your mat: You can purchase a special yoga towel that is thin but also the proper dimensions for a yoga mat if you think you’ll make this a habit, but a regular large bath towel works fine also.
• Hand towel for the dripping sweat: You won’t be able to wipe your brow on your shirt as it will be wet. Plus your hands will get slick, so you need to be able to dry them off.
• Water
• (optional) a friend – it helped get me in the hot room to know she was there suffering with me at first!

Top 5 Tips:

1. Talk to the instructor in advance: As part of my “research,” I spoke to the studio owner and one of the class instructors prior to committing to a class. I worried if I was too out of shape or not flexible enough. They gave me the answers I needed to hear to make myself feel comfortable walking into a super hot room for 90 minutes. The peace of mind was great. If by chance you happen across less kind instructors, save your money and take it elsewhere to a different studio. Yoga is not for the elite – it is for everyone.
2. Wear less clothing: This is not for vanity purposes, this is strictly for comfort. You will sweat, a lot. (You’d be just as soaked if you had run through your yard sprinklers for about 5 minutes). If you wear full length pants or a longer sleeved shirt, it will get sticky and heavy fast. I’ve worn both my ENELL SPORT and ENELL LITE to Bikram Yoga and I’d suggest the LITE as it doesn’t come as high up on the neck and allows for better deep breathing as it’s a little more forgiving around the ribcage.
3. Stop stressing, no one is looking at you: I am not flexible and my body is quite round and much larger than the other attendees. In order to hold the poses (or get into them in the first place), you have to concentrate wholly on yourself and your body. One side-eye to the gal on your left and you’ll topple. So stop being so self-conscious. (Easier said than done, I understand.)
4. It’s okay to sit: My first class, I sat for 50% of it. I was just trying to stand the heat and humidity – forget about moving my body. While sitting, I noticed something: nearly everyone else sat too for a little bit. Even those who looked like they could do the class in their sleep with perfect form sometimes had to take a rest. It is okay! Just focus on breathing and take little sips of water if needed.
5. Don’t chug: In a hot, humid environment you will get thirsty. You’re sweating a lot of your hydration away so it’s natural to want to grab your water bottle. Don’t take large gulps of water, otherwise you’ll feel really bloated and nauseated. Tiny sips are much better. You get to wet your mouth and not have your stomach hit with a liter of water.

Do you have questions about Bikram yoga? Experiences you’d like to share? We’d love to chat in the comments!