EXERCISE

Believe it or not, but exercising is a very GOOD idea! If you are feeling sore all over, one of the best things you can do is get your body moving with some nice cardio. I know you think I’m crazy, but here me out. With a little light exercise, you’ll get oxygenated and nutrient rich blood pumping into your muscles that will help speed up recovery and decrease the soreness. If you don’t do anything, your nutrient rich blood doesn’t have a huge need to go into your muscles…but as soon as you start using those muscles, the blood flow will help speed up your recovery.

TAKE A BATH

An Epson Salt Bath will work WONDERS on your body

Look…I know we have men in our class, so I’m not going to get all girly on you and tell you to light a candle and break out the bubble bath. But…if you do take an EPSON SALT BATH it can literally help ease and release tension through those tired muscles.

Epson salt has Magnesium in it, which has a healing effect on sore muscles. It’s also great for sprains, bruises, taking the sting out of insect bites, and drawing out splinters.

So pop your favorite soft jazz in the ipod, light a candle, and go soak those aching muscles!

FOAM ROLL

Another name for foam rolling is self-myofacial release…which is just the technical word for self massage. Instead of paying a masseuse a 100bucks (save it for bootcamp!), you can get your foam roller out and roll those aching muscles. Foam rolling also helps to get blood flow into your muscles in order to facilitate healing. The best thing I can do here is to actually show you some foam rolling techniques.

SHIN SPLINTS AND CALF PAIN:

You’ve gotta check out this video to learn how to specifically target your calf muscles. This can make the difference between dealing with shin and lower leg pain, and not having any pain at all. I highly recommend that you roll your shins and calves EVERYDAY if you are feeling tenderness. You also need to make sure that you are STRETCHING this area every day. You can stretch your calves almost anywhere. Find a stair and drop your heel down. The video below deals specifically with foam rolling the lower legs. I recommend digging right in.

ICE!

I’m guessing not many of you are going to take me up on this one, but I have never found any other modality to work as well as icing. If your knees or ankles (or any other joint in your body) are causing you a little grief, then wrapping it up on ice is the most effective way to kill the inflammation. If you have Achilles tendinitis (the bottoms of your feet and heel hurt like hell), freeze a small water botttle, put it on the ground, and roll the bottom of your foot over it for 5-10 minutes.

But if you really want to kill all aches and pains before they even have the chance to start, then take an ice bath. Yes, you might think that sounds crazy, but how do you think athletes are able to get out there and push past their peak day in and day out? They have a whole recovery process, and it often times includes an ice bath.

Here’s no surprise to everyone who knows me. I’m not a runner. Sure, I’ll do a mile or two on the trails, but as soon as the mileage goes above 3 or 4, my ankles, knees, and hips ache. A few years ago I decided to drop the “belief system” that I don’t run, so I signed up for a 1/2 marathon and started training. The amazing thing was I never had joint pain during the entire process for one big reason: Ice Baths.

After every run, I would take 2 bags of ice and dump it in the tub with cold water. After a temporary spell of uncontrollable cussing, all would be well in the world. : )

Often times I hear clients saying they are in pain from their workouts, so they pop a pill (like Advil or Alieve) to kill the pain. I’m not a big fan of this modality, especially when ice is so effective. Okay yes…. I get it… IT’S FREAKING COLD! But a little cold is well worth having a pain free body.

Sleep

Yes, sleep is insanely important, especially when you are exercising, losing weight, and getting in shape! You do almost all of your recovering when you sleep. You produce most of your ATP (ie: energy) when you sleep! If you are sleep deprived, you are making life very tough for your body! Give it a break and get some ZZZ’! How much? It varies for everyone, but a safe bet is 8-9 hours consistently. For those of you who are looking at that number knowing you only get 6-7 regularly, stop reading this blog IMMEDIATELY and GO TAKE A NAP! You’re sore muscles will appreciate it!

Have you tried any of the above? Did it work? Write your comments below!

How Susan Lost over 17% Body Fat in our Los Gatos Boot Camp

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After going to my training event last weekend, I’ve thought a lot about the concept of “doing a little, often, over the long haul”

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to start showcasing some of our Be Fit members who have been doing exactly that. Maybe they joined at first because we were running a big fitness or nutrition challenge, but they did something that most people don’t do:

They decided to stay and stick it out over the long haul.

Because that’s where you really change, progress, and grow.

This picture is Susan when she started, and then again a few months after

Susan Freiman joined Bootcamp the summer of 09 after having two children. She was ready to do the work, set some goals, and follow through. She joined when we ran our first fitness challenge, and she won! She lost the most percentage of body fat and even gained 2 pounds of muscle. Needless to say, she was thrilled and I just love it when our clients get results.

But she did something that most people don’t. She kept coming. She stayed in the game. She decided to stick it out for long haul.

And this is Susan after less than a year of training at our program

And that’s when the real fun starts.

Her body has continued to morph into an itty-bitty, lean, mean, fighting machine! As you’ll see from the interview below, it’s an inspirational story, but not out of reach. On the whole scheme of things, all she did was show up. She did a little, often, over the long haul.

She invited me into her home after an early bootcamp session to do this interview. So sit back, relax, and get ready to be inspired!

What questions do you have for Susan? She would love to answer them below!

What it really takes to reach your goals

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Have you ever been stuck on a plane in the middle seat with two rather large people sitting on either side of you?

That’s where I am right now, but not even this uncomfortable place can annoy me right now. I am flying back home after an incredible 5 days in Orlando FL. I work with an amazing company who helps me and other fitness business owners throughout the world have the best fitness business possible.

All the success and growth of Be Fit Bootcamps this year is directly related to working with my coaching company, NPE. And the better I can be at running my business means I can better serve you, bringing my passion to help you reach your health and wellness goals.

Going to a Training event like this always fires me up!

I spend hours masterminding with other high-level fitness professionals on how we can bring out the best in you and get our message of healthy living out to as many people as possible.

I had the distinct honor this year to be named Member of the Year, and considering the competition I was up against, I am so honored and humbled to hold this title. Working with pros who are so far ahead of me in their vision for touching lives and helping as many people as possible makes me “step up my game” and grow faster. This was truly a weekend to remember.

I can't believe I won! I'm here with Brad and Cynthia Linder, who run a KILLER bootcamp in my home town, Coppell Texas. Funny story: My Mom has been a member of their awesome bootcamp program for over 2 years now! Thanks for taking care of my Mom, Brad and Cynthia!

The Key Note Speaker, Dan John, was truly inspirational.

He’s a tremendous (and famous) strength coach who as luck would have it, teaches here in the Bay Area! His strength of character as a teacher, a mentor, and a coach shined through as he gave his strong message.

The biggest take away pretty much sums up how to do just about everything in life, and I’m going to share it with you here:

“A little and often, over the long haul”

It’s so simple, yet so profound. Take your exercise regime for example. You’re not going to reach your fat loss and fitness goals in a day, a week, or a month. But if you do a little, often, over the long haul, that’s how you change your body, your habits, and your life.

Think about your eating habits. If you cleaned up your eating even just a little today. If you stay consistent with it, imagine where you’ll be 6 months or a year from now.

Most of want quick fixes and fast solutions.

Although we do offer nutrition challenges and Kick-Start programs, they’re not a means to an end. They are meant to start you along on your journey, and give you quick success so that you will be motivated to stick it out for the long haul.

And that’s our mission here at Be Fit. It’s not about the “before and after picture”. Because what makes that before and after picture possible is everything that has to happen in between. We are here to help you with everything in between. And then when you get that hot after picture taken, we’re still here to help you over the long haul. One of our members, Susan Freiman, has done just that by setting her initial goals of losing her baby weight. But it didn’t stop there. Over the long haul, she is still in the game always improving her fitness and life.

What example can you give in your life where doing “a little, often, over the long haul” has positively affected you?

Protected: Prep Day for your Challenge

Are you a little sore from bootcamp?