Recovery Workouts

Well, hola!  The family is still here and I'm savoring every minute.  However, I can't stay away from the blog too long, otherwise I start having an unexplained twitch.  So, while the babies nap, I wanted to share something that's been on my mind for a while...

One of my favorite things about this field of fitness is after being entrenched in it for about a dozen years now, I still learn new things all the time. One of my newer (within the past year) discoveries has been active recovery or recovery workouts.

I used to diligently workout six days a week and I would push it HARD every day. We’re talking razor blade intensity. I just figured the harder I pushed the more results I would see. More calories burned right?

Here was my schedule more or less:

Mon/Wed/Fri - Lift for 45-60 minutes. Cardio using HIIT for 30-45 minutes.
Tu/Th/Sat - Hardcore cardio for 45-90 minutes (more if there was a bike involved)
Sunday -- Day off.

I did notice, however, a pattern developing...

By mid-week I was sore, trashed and pretty much dragging from Wednesday on. When Saturday’s long cardio workout rolled around, the thought of it practically made me want to cry. I’d either drag myself through it, or skip it altogether, and be disappointed in myself all weekend. Monday would come, and I’d repeat the cycle all over again.

I was working myself into the ground. I was setting myself up for burnout week after week.  It was not working.

Only about a year ago did I start scheduling in a “recovery workout” each week. I’ve discovered that I need it on Thursdays. By Thursday my body is needing a change of pace and my mind is needing a change of scenery.

Now my week usually looks something like this:

Mon/Wed/Fri - Lift for 45-60 minutes. Cardio using HIIT for 30-45 minutes.

Tu/Sat - Hardcore cardio for 45-90 minutes (more if there was a bike involved)

Th - Recovery workout for 60-90 minutes.

Sunday -- Day off.

**Just a note:  The above schedule is not set in stone.  I change it up about every 3 months or so.  When it comes to my workouts I swear I have ADHD.

Some recovery workouts I revel in are:

60 minutes lap swim

60 minutes brisk walk

60-90 minutes yoga

60 minute hike

I accomplish a few things by treating myself with a recovery workout:

-  My aging bod is given an opportunity to be renewed and restored.

-  Psychologically I am able to be renewed and restored.

-  I have far less injuries.

-  Afterwards, I’m a totally ready to jump back into my more intense workouts.

I recommend active recovery to clients and readers who workout HARD and intense week after week. You know who you are (we share the same crazed look in our eye).  However, if you are not at the intense level, but find yourself at more of a moderate exercise level, then a recovery workout is not necessary. Just keep up the moderate workouts.

As a self proclaimed fitness nut, I was very nervous to grant myself this luxury. I thought for sure I’d lose strength, my body fat would increase, and -- heaven forbid! -- I’d gain weight. But, to my surprise, none of that happened. The only thing that has happened is that I avoid those dreaded burnouts.  I was also pleased to read that studies are supporting active recovery and recovery workouts too!

I will take it, thank you very much.

Hey, Fit Momma, how about  you?  I know a lot of you out there push yourself to the limit.  What recovery workouts do you need and enjoy?

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Quest for Rest

There is one super de duper important element of health and fitness that I have never broached on this blog -- pretty much because I stink at it:

Sleep.

I wish I could say sleep and I have a long, loving history -- but that would be lying. I am a terrible sleeper and always have been.  It is not the falling asleep (I’m typically exhausted), it is the staying asleep.  I wake up at any sort of sound, light, bump, bark, bad smell, or rustle of the sheets. I have many theories on why this is, but as I have watched my father struggle to get a good night’s rest his entire life, I can’t help but think I was cut from the same cloth. Along with the acne and large nose, I inherited his inability to sleep well. Love you, Dad :)

A typical night for me will be between 4-6 hours of interrupted sleep. My kids were/are great sleepers thanks to this book, the culprit is my overactive brain that does not have an “off” switch.  Yes, I do have a notebook by the side of my bed and yes, I do write down my racing thoughts in the middle of the night.  Then I lay there and stew and stress about them.

A friend of mine and I were talking about my frustrations a few years back. She said, “Don’t you get used to it? After a while don’t you just adjust to getting less sleep?” I could honestly answer, no. No!  Are you kidding?  You think being exhausted, grouchy, shuffling around in a daze, nonproductive, and acting like a tall two-year-old from about 4:00 PM is called being adjusted?  Did I mention that I have a short fuse when I'm this tired?

I have not accepted this lying down (ha!). I have read books. I’ve researched online. I’ve tried many techniques that find success with others but do nada for me:

-Melatonin
-Benedryl
-Prescription sleeping pills
-Herbal tea before bed

The things I’ve tried that do help are:

-Ear plugs.
-My husband and I sleep in two twin size mattresses that we push together during the day, then slide apart about 4 inches when we sleep. We even have our own sets of sheets and blankets. And for heaven sakes, no touching allowed!
-Warm bath before bed.
-Read a book before bed.
-No computer or screen time after 8:00 PM. That just wires me big time.
-Yoga.
-I must eat 100% awesome in order to have a restful sleep. This is a HUGE motivation for me to eat clean and keep my calories in check during the day.

Despite all these extensive measures, I still go to bed with my fingers cross each night.

Please sleep. Please sleep. Please sleep.

So, the Doc and I have instituted for the past two months something we fondly call the “Quest for Rest”. Immediately after the kids get tucked away around 8:00 or 8:30 PM, we have one hour before lights out for us. I know, this sounds nuts and nearly impossible, but it has been working for us. Most nights we are both in bed by 9:30 and at the very latest 10:00 PM.

I am happy to report that we are getting more sleep and I can detect a huge difference in my day. I am getting between 7-8 hours of sleep (yes, I still wake up to use the restroom every stinking night at 3:00 AM). I feel like a new person. Reborn. Energized. Renewed. Restored. Less stressed. Happy. Things are funnier. I no longer find myself just hanging on, but actually productive.

I know this is not realistic for many people, particularly those of you out there with teenagers. However, for now, I’m hanging on to my Quest for Rest. I’ll take as many ZZZ’s as I can catch.

How about you, Fit Mommas? Have you ever struggled for sleep?  What have you done that works?  Comment below and let us know?

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Pregnant Fit Momma Part 3: How hard?

First thing's first:
ONLY TWO MORE DAYS!
Click here
for the dealio on
first-ever-in-the-history-of-this-blog
GIVEAWAY!

And, let's get down to business:

You know working out during pregnancy is muy importante, but how hard should you push it? Like you are Lance Armstrong in the last leg of the Tour de France or like the little grandma at the grocery store putting along electric shopping cart (one of my secret dreams)?

There are many schools of thought on this, some research is more recent than others. It used to be that the doctor would throw out the oh-so-dangerous threshold of 140 beats per minute as the “do not pass or else zone”. Well, our mothers were barely unloading the dishwasher, their heart rate would reach 140, and they believed they had to lie on the couch for the rest of the day. Today, it is recommended by the American Congress of OBs and GYNS (ACOG) to use perceived exertion as a guide and stay in the mild to moderate zone (click here for the Trainer Momma Rate of Perceived Exertion chart).

You will find that as a pregnant woman your heart rate will race fairly quickly – much more so than in your pre-preggo state. That is fine -- just take the time to get it down again. Use the tried and true rule:

Be able to hold a conversation while you are exercising.

If you can’t discuss your last doctor’s appointment or talk about the woes of buying maternity clothes, then bring it down a notch. I remember being pregnant and trying to run stairs. Holy cow, just a few weeks prior I was flying up and down those puppies like Super Mom with a cape strapped on my back and firm determination in my eye. With the new pregnancy, I could barely make it a few laps without my hands on my knees and sucking air.

From Personal Training pics

Listen to your body. I think women become very good at this due to all the changes our bodies are constantly experiencing from a young age. Tune in, listen to the signals, and tone it down if necessary. Go slower when you are fatigued and do not exercise to exhaustion.

Yes, interval training is still very appropriate while pregnant, however the intervals need to be brought down a notch. You will naturally do this, especially as you progress through the ten months of being an oven.

Of course, there are always the caveats according to ACOG and according to just plain being a smart, logical person. Stop exercising and call your doctor if you get any of these symptoms:

• Excessive muscle soreness or pain
• Pain
• Problems breathing
• Feeling very tired for the whole workout
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Faintness
• Dizziness
• Irregular heartbeat

In addition women with certain other medical or obstetric conditions, including chronic hypertension or active thyroid, cardiac, vascular or pulmonary disease, should be evaluated carefully in order to determine whether an exercise program is appropriate.

Adapted from Pregnancy Today.

See more Trainer Momma Pregnancy posts here and here.

And I'm off to get the crock pot up and running for dinner tonight. Have a great day with your families!

Sick?

Does this nightstand look familiar?

From October 2009

Kleenex.

Cough drops.
Water.
Ear plugs (a failed attempt to sleep).
Tylenol, Ibuprofen…

Yep, that was my day yesterday: sick. Stuffy nose. Cough. Blasted headache that wouldn’t quit. Now that the colder weather is on its way, so are some other unwelcome guests: cold and flu season.

Flu?

If you have any of these symptoms:

fever
chills
muscle aches
extreme fatigue
nausea
vomiting
diarrhea

YOU HAVE THE FLU, GIRL. Red Box Notting Hill ASAP, stay in bed, and--for crying out loud -- try to take it easy (much easier said than done, right?). At this level, you most likely are contagious and want to quarantine yourself from human kind. Yes, this swine flu thing has given me the willies.

Cold?

However, if you are just feeling kind of lousy with the sniffles and getting over a mild cold, often it is beneficial to do a light cardio workout. An easy walk, spin on the bike, or a refreshing hike can often open up those nasal passage and you can actually start breathing air again. Your headache may ease due to the fresh air and movement.

This morning I wasn’t feeling 100%, but after my workout I finally felt like myself again. Uh-oh, she’s back! I was rarin’ to go with my newfound energy and my clients got a rip-roaring workout! :) YEEHA! (They’ll thank me later!)

Basically, just getting out there and moving is beneficial when recovering from a cold. This isn’t the time to hit it hard on the intense intervals. Your goal is to restore your health, not break it down further. In fact, if you throw caution to the wind and workout too hard, it actually can prolong your illness… And what mother has time for that?