My foot!

Whenever my clients get injured, whether it's because they slept wrong, twisted their ankle wearing hooker heels or hurt their knee playing a rough game of tennis, I typically give the same advice:

REST, ICE, COMPRESS & ELEVATE

Yet, when I get injured, I have the hardest time following my advice. Last Sunday, I ran a half-marathon and have been limping around ever since. It feels like a stress fracture on the side of my foot. Instead of following the R.I.C.E. method above, I limp along, I overtrain and ignore my injury hoping it'll go away.

I'm off to ice my foot.

Shameless Lululemon Plug

I'm addicted to lululemon.
You see, if I'm going to wear pajamas all day at work, I want to look my very best and wear the most well-made comfy clothes out there. I fully endorse their brand.
I work harder when I'm stylin' at the gym.
Their pants make my backside look amazing and the tops hug my curves just right.
The better I think I look, the harder I work, the more looks I get, the more I push myself.
I dare you to look your best in the gym -- the more attention you get, the harder you'll want to work, too!

The Women's Locker Room

Come on, ladies.
Wrap it in a towel. Or at least put on your skivvies...
You see, I don't need to see all that I see in the locker room.
Do you REALLY need to lotion on your ankles naked, especially when I'm standing inches behind you trying to get my things?!
How about blow-drying your privates? Yup, seen it.
I know you might be comfortable with your naked body, but I'm not.
And cell phones. They have cameras. Put yours away.
It's not necessary, either, to carry on a conversation about how you're ovulating or not. It's not my business and I don't want to know.
If your hair smells badly when you blow-dry it, it's pretty obvious you didn't wash it and we all smell it. It stinks!
Perfume doesn't belong in the locker room. Maybe it smells good to you but to me it's a sneeze attack waiting to happen.
Let's clean up our act and leave no trace.
Mentally or physically.

Morning Sickness

You feel extremely exhausted and your boobs hurt. Then, nausea kicks in.
The stick says you're pregnant. Now what?!
Should you put a stop to your fitness routine?
Sit on the couch for the next 8-9 months eating bon-bons?

I have coached over 22 pregnancies, each one so different, so exciting -- I get giddy when someone tells me their news! However, the first trimester can be a pretty harsh experience, even unbearable. Estimates reveal that 60-80 percent of women experience nausea and/or vomiting that usually subsides after the 12th-14th week of pregnancy. Over the years, I have come up with some ways to help alleviate symptoms of morning sickness.

• Always have a bland snack (saltines, cheerios, a granola bar) in your purse.
  
• Drink lots of water. Vomiting can dehydrate you and send you into the hospital.
• Go for a walk. Several times a day.
  
• Work out! The more you move, the more distracted you'll be and the less nauseous you'll feel.
• Just say no to fatty, greasy foods. Even if you crave them. Packing on pounds too early will lead to regret later. It only takes 300 extra calories a day to make a baby! You're not eating for 2, no matter if it's twins!
  
• Sleep!
  
• Listen to your body -- there's a lot going on in there. You'll feel your heart rate spike anytime you get off the couch. Allow yourself to take it a little easier than normal.
• Eat smaller meals more frequently. Nausea usually hits an empty or full stomach.
• Snack on ginger chews, a homeopathic anti-nausea remedy. My favorite is spicy apple.
• If your morning sickness is unbearable, try acupuncture
• Know that morning sickness is temporary. Tomorrow is a better day. Stay optimistic.
  

And, remember: you're not an invalid. You're pregnant! People have had babies since day 1. Continue living your life...happy mommy, happy baby.

Wash your hands!!

Countless, terribly countless times I have been in a public restroom when someone leaves their toilet stall and simply exits the room without so much as a glance at the wash basin. I am so skeeved by it I grab a paper towel just to touch the doorknob to exit!

This article scares me.

Not only are your germs gross, they can be toxic and even deadly.

A certain colleague of mine woke up one day with warts, yes WARTS on his arm. The doc said he contracted a wart-causing skin bacteria from one of his clients...from stretching them. Needless to say he uses towels to touch his clients. One dear physical therapy friend found a small but painful pimple on his thigh...a nasty staph infection that nearly killed him due to a misdiagnosis by his doc! I have a nasty plantar's wart on the bottom of my foot likely from a dirty pedicure or the gym shower. A friend of mine has impetigo. She's had it for over a year and it keeps coming back like a bad penny.

The point is, my friends, that we all need to take serious precautions when we're exposing our skin in public:

• keep your clothes clean and dry
• use clean towels after bathing
• don't share razors or water bottles
  
• cleanse with antibacterial soap
  
• wash your hands often and use hand sanitizer
  
• clean the gym machine you're using before and after each use
  
• avoid skin-to-skin contact: instead of the hi-five, do a fist bump!
• keep your skin clean by showering often-rather have dry skin than ringworm!
  
• wear flip-flops in your gym's shower. plantar's warts are painful!
  

Let's all clean up our act, shall we?

Salt.

I like going to the movies.
When I do, I order popcorn. It's my treat, my vice, my salt lick.
Ironically, I saw the movie Salt today.
(Jolie is amazing, the movie, "meh".)
In my small popcorn, there were 225 calories, of which, 105 were from fat. I consumed 150 milligrams of sodium and 26 grams of carbs.
I guess I should reconsider my snack at the movies.
Consider the following alternatives for mindless movie snacking:

• 1 apple cut into slices dipped into 1T peanut butter
• sliced bell pepper with 2T hummus
• small bag of popchips
• 1/2 cup trail mix with m&m's mixed in
• LaraBar
• 1T almond butter with 2 graham crackers

Much better bang for your buck, don't you think? I should practice what I preach!!

Spot Toning

I get asked the same questions over and over again:

How do I get washboard abs?

Will my stomach ever go back to normal after I’ve had a baby?

Can I shed the fat in the back of my arms?

How do I get rid of these saddlebags?

Can I get rid of back fat?

In other words, can I spot tone?

The short answer is no.

The long answer is this: the only way you can tone your arms, butt, back, abs and thighs is to lose overall body fat. By consistently eating clean, getting enough rest, keeping overall stress levels low and a daily dose of exercise – strength training & cardio – your body will change drastically. You’ll see overall results instead of improvement in just one area. As fat burns off, your muscles will begin to show, thus, the look of a ‘toned’ body.

It's a simple or complicated as that! If you're new to the weight loss game or looking to get back into that itsy bitsy dress after having a baby, here are some tips to get you started:

• Keep a food and exercise log -- calories in, calories out.
• Hire a certified fitness coach and/or a dietitian and do what they say
  
• Make mini-goals for yourself every 4-6 weeks, i.e. a 5K run, a trip to the beach, a visit from an old friend
• Drink water. Lots of water. Add lemon for an extra cleanse to your intestines
• Move. Get off the couch.
  
• Join a local sports league and play your favorite sport