The Exercise Space

What is Functional Fitness?

Dawn — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:09:17 +0000

You’ve probably heard the the words functional fitness before, but what does that mean? When your body is functionally fit, you are able to perform everyday movements in everyday situations without the pain associated with, say a bad back. For example you may be able to lift your weight in a bench press, but are you able to lift your toddler or a bag of groceries into your car without any problems? When you workout at a gym on the machines you are training your muscles to work in 1 plane with 1 stable and controlled motion. When you train for functional fitness you work multiple muscles at one time to work together in an unstable, yet controlled environment. For example, you may stand on 1 leg while holding a dumbell and (more…)

Lose Weight Without a ‘Diet’

Dawn — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:49:01 +0000

At some point in our lives most of us have tried a going on a ‘diet’ for some reason or another. We may feel the need for structure in our food choices or feel overwhelmed trying to decide what to eat. Or we may feel like it is the easy fix to dropping weight quickly. We lose 5 or 10 pounds and a couple weeks (or a couple of days for some of us) go by and we find ourselves bored of the routine, or tired of being hungry. An event or occasion pops up and we say we will get back on it after. But after never comes, does it? Excuse after excuse and then we feel like failures.

So why do we still try to convince ourselves there is a ‘diet’ out there that will magically work this time? I think we need to be really honest with ourselves and find out the real reason why we think we need an easy fix. Losing weight is not easy. But it is doable with the right attitude and the right information. (more…)

Lose 100 lbs - Sheila Lozano did!

Dawn — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:55:02 +0000

Sheila before

You most likely won’t lose 100 lbs over night, or even in a few weeks… (unless your on The Biggest Loser), but it can realistically happen slowly and with lifestyle changes and long term commitment.

“I started my journey in June of 2007. I was always a larger girl, but never really dieted. I just became fine with the way I was, however I did not feel healthy. After I kept talking about losing weight I finally made the decision to go to a gym and get a membership. The manager then convinced me that working out with a trainer 2 days a week was a good idea. That’s where I originally met Dawn. It was the best decision I ever made, and money spent!

Something just clicked, and I decided that I was going to accomplish this no matter what. It was a huge sacrifice of time and a life change in how I view, prepare, and eat food. Now, 100 lbs lighter, I feel better than ever, have more energy, and will lead a healthier lifestyle from now on.” Sheila Lozano 12/09

I met Shiela Lozano almost 3 years ago. She was 270+ lbs and wanted to get healthy. We started off working out 2 times a week together. In addition she was working out another 3 or 4 days on her own, with specific homework I gave her. Sheila knew she had to change her eating habits as well, and was ready for the change. Instead of putting her on a ‘diet’ I gave her healthier substitutions for the foods she was already eating and liked. Knowing she had a long road ahead of her, I did not want her to get ‘bored’ of her workouts so I made sure I changed them up every time we worked out together. Now, almost 3 years later, I don’t think we have ever done the same workout twice! Sheila has been very consistant with her workout and eating habits and is living proof that being fit is a life long commitment of daily decisions to make time for exercise and healthy food choices.

Words cannot describe how proud I am of this woman. Sheila has shown determintation, commitment, incredible hard work (lots of sweat!), strength, temprance, balance (dessert is ok) and patience in her journey to become the fit and strong person she is today. Along the way she has to learned how to run and completed her first half marathon!!!

Congradulations Sheila, I believe in you, like you have believed in yourself

The 10 Minute Workout - No Equipment Needed, No Excuses!

Dawn — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:39:31 +0000

We are all short on time some days…ok probably more days than not. The things that keep us healthy are the things that seem to get skipped - like our workouts!!!! I don’t always have an hour to do a full workout, or sometimes even 30 minutes. But I can usually find 10 minutes, once, twice, or even 3 times throughout my day.

Here is my 10 minute plan when I am super short on time and have no access to equipment. Even if you can just squeeze it in once in your day, your body will get the benefit. Done twice or three times, even better! (more…)

The Benefits of Working Out With a Personal Trainer

Dawn — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:50:32 +0000

~ To learn how to exercise properly (good technique) and avoid injury: A good trainer (not all trainers are good) will teach you how to exercise correctly by keeping your body in alignment and making sure your form is solid. A good trainer will watch you throughout each and every exercise to make sure you are moving properly and correcting you when you are slipping out of form or cheating your exercise.

~ To excel at a certain sport or event : If you’re training for a specific sport or event an experienced trainer can help you figure out what you need to do to stay strong during your season, as well as repairing and building up weakness for the up coming season or event. Make sure your trainer has sport specific training and has experience in your sport or event. (more…)

Drinking Wine & Fitness

Dawn — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:09:11 +0000

The ever so important wine question - can I drink wine while keeping fit?

…Damn straight it fits in to a healthy lifestyle. My doctor told me 1-2 glasses of wine a day is in the ‘healthy’ range. Wine is full of antioxidants, as well as potassium (which regulates fluid balance in the body), and alcohol which may help raise the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol, reduce risk of blood clots, and lower blood pressure. When finding a place for drinking wine in a healthy diet, note that a 5 ounce glass of red wine contains 120 calories, and a 5 ounce glass of white wine contains 118 calories. It all comes down to the simple equation of calories in versus calories out. If you take in less calories than your body is burning, you’ll lose weight regardless if it is low fat, no fat, high protein, or high fat. Your body is first concerned with quantity, then quality. The next step is to make good choices as far as quality so your body is getting all the nutrients it needs. Amongst all the benefits of drinking wine, alcohol robs your body of these nutrients, promotes dehydration, taxes your liver, and sometimes gives you the munchies (counter productive!) All things considered, I believe in moderation and balance. I need to have fun in my life, and not feel deprived while keeping fit for me.

Consistency With Food and Exercise

Dawn — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:55:53 +0000

Many of us can relate to the “I’ll start on Monday”, “after my vacation” or “after the holidays”. What are we really waiting for? Other than setting ourselves up for failure and a yo yo cycle of being ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and constantly stressing ourselves about failing to meet our goals. Maybe our goals are not realistic: “I want to lose 20 lbs before my class reunion at in 3 weeks” or “I am going to the gym 7 days a week for 2 hours each and everyday“. Neither of these ideas are helpful in our strive to be healthier as individuals and as a society. We will constantly be making excuses why we should break our diet or skip our exercise.

I think many of us set ourselves up by listening to what society tells us we should look like or what we should eat. It is important to have reachable goals when working towards something. It may not be in your genes, even with balanced food choices and moderate exercise, to be a size 2. More likely than not, the ideal requires an unideal life style, and how long can we honestly live like that? In my experience in the fitness/ nutrition business I see the average ‘diet’ last 1, maybe 2 weeks…and burn out rate after joining a gym at 6 months. (more…)

Fiber Muffins…that taste good!

Dawn — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 09:35:23 +0000

As many of us Americans fall very short on meeting our recommended daily fiber goal of 35grams per day, here is a muffin that is packed full of fiber. And trust me, it doesn’t taste anything like cardboard. One muffin at 120 calories makes a delicious afternoon snack - either plain, heated in the microwave, or with a little nut butter smeared on it.

Fiber Muffin Recipe (more…)

Oyster Series Race Rules, Recycled Cylces Rocks!

Dawn — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:08:52 +0000

On Saturday August 29th my 2 teammates and I had quite the adventure…and workout while participating in the Oyster Adventure Race Series in Seattle. Finishing 3rd was a wonderful reward! It is a crazy challenge for the adventurist and the very fit!

Huge thanks to Recycled Cycles Bike Shop for the awesome road bikes which made our rides not only more enjoyable…but helped us earn 3rd place! Our bikes were perfectly fitted to us by the very knowledgeable staff member Andy Voight, and the store general manager Ted was awesome too! Recycled Cycles not only rents bikes, they also sell used and new bikes, as well as offer classes too. Check them out at recycledcycles .com.

The race began with a blind folded ride with bags over our heads on The Duck. I, along with one member of every other team (there were 80 teams total) were transported to a mystery location, while our teammates all ran from home base in lower Queen Anne to a 2nd location. After arriving at our mystery location (Palisades restaurant) we were given a passport telling us to run to Kerry Park to meet up with our teammates.

Our second leg (no resting in between unless you want to sacrifice time) was a mission to bike to the ‘Gum Wall’ and add our own gum then return to home base.

(more…)

Training for Your First Marathon - 16 week Plan

Dawn — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:31:21 +0000

Here it is, your first marathon training plan! Before beginning this plan you should already be logging anywhere from 12 - 20 miles per week. It is very important you have built up a base before attempting to jump right in to this plan, otherwise you risk injury. And injuries are no fun! While training for your first marathon it is also important to listen to your body. It is ok to push yourself, but it’s not ok to over train. Get your shoes on and get out there…

16 week Beginner’s Marathon Training Plan

week 1 (more…)

Exercising in The Heat

Dawn — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:04:49 +0000

Most likely you have heard a few of the things to watch for in this crazy heat of summer. The media is telling everyone, especially the elderly, to avoid exercising at the hottest points in the day. If you are going to exercise outside, even the fittest of us, we should go early in the morning when it is cooler and keep hydrated all day long. Stay inside with AC as much as possible.

It is very easy to get dehydrated in high temperatures. Dehydration is defined as excessive loss of body water. We may be dehydrated before we realize it and it can be very dangerous!

Common signs of dehydration:

thirst
loss of appetite
dry skin
dark colored urine
dry mouth
fatigue or weakness
chills
head rush

What to do: (more…)

Micro Classes at The Exercise Space

Dawn — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:42:38 +0000

What is a Micro Class? A Micro Class is a 45 minute class designed by you and your exercise partners focussing on what you want to work on. Gyms tend to offer the same types of classes over and over and classes can get really crowded…or your schedule may not allow you to make it to a class. The Exercise Space Micro Classes’ are a very affordable solution to get in shape with the detailed attention of a personal training session, but the price of a group class. Class is limited to four people so there’s no hiding! And the best part - Micro Classes are on Special now for only $85 per 50 minute class, whether it’s 2 ,3 or 4 people!

Here’s how to get started:

1. Grab 1, 2 or 3 of your friends, family, co-workers, or teammates etc. (up to 4 people total)

2. Pick a time (some weekends available)

3. Choose a focus (cardio, strength, cardio/strength, core/cardio, plyometrics, gut & butt, sport specific, or other of your choice)

4. Choose a location (currently offered at The Exercise Space, Harbor Steps, The Sculpture Park (downtown waterfront), Discovery Park, or Green Lake) Other locations may be able to be accommodated, just ask!

5. Sign up at : microclass

Pre Race Fuel

Dawn — Sat, 02 May 2009 13:44:26 +0000

Here is a great article for pre race nutrition. It was written for runner’s but can be adapted by most athletes.

pre race fuel

The Healthiest Nuts

Dawn — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:19:51 +0000

It seems like we are constantly being bombarded lately on how good nuts are for us… the news, health articles, doctors, nutritionists. Times havechanged since we were scared away from nuts during the low-fat craze of the last few decades, but now nuts are making a comeback!

Nuts are excellent sources of protein, minerals, “good” fats and other nutrients, fiber, and they’re good for the heart. But be careful, it only takes a small handful of nuts to to do the job and it is easy to get carried away! One ounce of nuts averages 180 calories and 17 grams of fat.

But what kind of nuts are the best… not all nuts are created equally! Here are my top 6 healthiest nuts:

Walnuts
The walnut is the king. It’s a great source of the healthy omega-3 essential fatty acids, which has been found to protect the heart, promote better cognitive function, provide anti-inflammatory benefits for asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, eczema and psoriasis, and fight cancer and support the immune system with it’s antioxidant compound ellagic acid. 1 ounce = 14 halves (more…)

Caffeine And Exercise?

Dawn — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:22:30 +0000

There have been many studies on this subject, and turns out caffeine enhances your body’s performance and speeds up muscle recovery! I am not a caffeine consumer, and this info probably won’t make me one either, but I know most of you out there are, so now you have a good excuse to consume your caffeine fix!

Studies show that caffeine ingestion prior to exercising extends endurance in moderately strenuous aerobic activity. Other studies researching caffeine consumption on elite athletes show increased performance times following caffeine consumption.

But… before you make Starbucks part of your pre-workout warm-up be aware that: (more…)