It's time to stop

Overtraining can strike anyone, but is more often found in endurance athletes and formerly sedentary individuals who’ve lost significant weight and are afraid they’ll slip back to their old ways, and their old weight. Overtraining can carry the following symptoms:

• You have a higher than normal resting heart rate
• You’re irritable and have trouble sleeping
• You’re unable to complete normal workouts
• You’re chronically fatigued
• There’s a lack of progression in athletic performance
• You can’t bust through a weight loss plateau
• Your body fat percentage is increasing despite continued workouts
• You become sick more frequently
• Your training log indicates that you’re going hard all the time

If you’re experiencing more than one of these symptoms, you might be a victim of Overtraining Syndrome.  Prevention of overtraining is the best medicine.  To prevent overtraining, here are a few recommendations:

• Keep a training log to track what you’re doing and the progress you’re making toward your goal. 
• Follow a training plan that incorporates a variety of exercise and rest days.
• Place your rest days after your higher intensity days (and before long endurance workouts if fat loss is a goal)
• Balance volume and intensity.  You can’t have both.  As intensity increase, volume must decrease.
• Fuel up appropriately.  This means eating enough food to support your body and muscle growth as well as eating quality food.
• Get more sleep.  The quality of your workout and your performance is directly related to the amount of rest you give your body. 

If you’re already overtrained and past the point of prevention, the remedy is to back off and rest.  You’re not getting stronger while you’re working out.  Instead, you get stronger when you rest.  If you never give your body time to rest and you’re always going at the highest intensity, you’ll crash sooner than later. 

By rest, I’m not referring to just switching exercises.  For example, an overtrained cyclist cannot simply reduce their bike mileage and swap that for running. 

You need to back off and get some rest.  Your body needs to recover and rebuild.  Learn to take the time off and you’ll come back even stronger.

Tao of Pooh

Her explanation and my reply reminded me of a book I read awhile back called “The Tao of Pooh“.  For those who’ve never read the book, Benjamin Hoff eloquently uses the characters in A.A. Milne’s books to describe the principles of Taoism.  It’s a fun read and really gets you thinking about your approach to life.

My favorite character in the Winnie the Pooh books has always been Tigger.   Rabbit is always focused on getting things done, to the point where he never has time for fun.  Tigger takes things as they come and gets easily distracted.  He enjoys life to it’s fullest and this frustrates characters like Rabbit to no end. 

Who would you imagine is the healthier one?  Tightly wound Rabbit or springs-on-his feet Tigger? 

Who are you?

I love Tigger, but sometimes I feel more like Rabbit.  I’m going on vacation soon and I’m going to do everything I can to live like Tigger.  Sorry Rabbit, you’re not invited.

According to IRS Publication 502:

“You can include in medical expenses amounts you pay to lose weight if it is a treatment for a specific disease diagnosed by a physician (such as obesity, hypertension, or heart disease). This includes fees you pay for membership in a weight reduction group as well as fees for attendance at periodic meetings. You cannot include membership dues in a gym, health club, or spa as medical expenses, but you can include separate fees charged there for weight loss activities.”

The rules specifically exclude gym membership fees, but they do include additional fees for weight loss activities.  To me, that says if you sign up for a specific program at your gym to assist in your medically-required weight loss program, such as personal training, classes, etc, you can include those expenses.

I am not a tax advisor and am not providing tax advice.  If you think you may qualify for this deduction, contact a qualified tax professional for advice.

Check it out.  What do you have to lose?

Can I ask for two minutes of your time to give me some feedback?

Leave a short comment below to tell me the one thing you would like to know about fitness, weight loss, functional strength, toning, reshaping, eating better, making your workouts more fun and effective, or any other topic on your mind.

I look forward to your feedback!

Put away the cell phone!

You can work out.

You can’t do both. You have to decide. Try to do both and you’re just wasting time. Please get off the treadmill/elliptical/whatever machine and give it to someone who really wants to do something.

You’re driving everyone nuts. Please stop.

Hang up. Put the phone away. Get a real work out.

When you’re done, and only when you’re done, send me a text and tell me how well your workout went. Just don’t do them both at the same time, please.

I still remember watching TV on New Year’s Day 2000 and seeing this commercial.   Y2K didn’t stop this guy from living his life.  He didn’t let the imminent end of the world ruin his fitness.  What will you be doing to make 2010 your best year ever?

Mike Ehredt - Project America Run

My friend Mike Ehredt is first and foremost and all-around great guy, and second a world class athlete.  He’s pretty humble and would never tell you that, but he’s accomplished some pretty impressive athletic endevours in remote places all around the world, including the Marathon des Sable.

In May 2010 he’ll be undertaking his biggest and most important adventure to date.  He’ll be running across the USA in honor of fallen veterans of the Iraq War.  Mike will be placing a flag each mile for each soldier whose lives and dreams were sacrificed.

Visit the Project America Run website, learn about this increible journey, and please consider making a donation to allow Mike to honor our national’s veterans.

Thanks Mike!

That’s right. Those flip flops that you love so much and are all the rage are causing problems. Just Google “flip flop foot pain” and you’ll come up with all sorts of articles.

Think about this…

Would you sleep every night on a mattress that’s less than 1″ thick? How would your back feel? Why subject your feet to the same torture? Think of the pounding that your feet endure every day, all day long. Show ‘em some love and unless you’re at the beach, drop the flops.

Here’s a good article from WebMD.