Snow, snow, snow on the mountains. For many of us in the Northwest, the only thing that can get us through the wet months that lay ahead is knowing that if it’s raining down here, it’s snowing in the mountains!

Skiing and snowboarding are amazing sports and they are very intense.  Be prepared to hit the mountain with some strength this winter.  Try these workouts to get you there!

After a light warm-up, do these exercises below 3 times per week on alternating days. Do each of the four exercises for one minute with a 30 second table top in between each exercise. That will take you about 6 minutes. Take a 2 minute break, and then do it again. It will only take you 15 minutes, but it should be a fast-paced, intense workout to make it count. Be sure to fit in Read more on Exercises For Skiing and Snowboarding…

In the summer, I’m always outside — cycling, running and hiking — but as the weather gets a little colder and the nights a little darker, I find I spend a lot less time outdoors.

Although I still get outdoors to run (because I have the right gear!), during the fall and winter months I like to start taking more indoor classes, using my indoor rock climbing membership at The Source rock climbing gym more and ramp up my weight training.

Here are a few of my favorite resistance training exercises:

Upper Body: Assisted Chin-ups

(You can use a Gravitron so you don’t need to pull your full body weight).  As you pull with your arms, your body will lift upward. Stop once your chin has cleared the bar. Slowly return to the starting position. Attempt to achieve full range of motion without locking out on your elbows. Try to focus on pulling with the muscles in your back rather than your arms. Perform a set of eight to 12 reps. Read more on Find Your Indoor Workout Sweet Spot…

We hosted the 6th annual Girlfriends Half Marathon yesterday where close to 3,000 women ran 13.1 miles to raise money for breast cancer and other local charities.  What an amazing and inspirational day and I feel great…well except I am a little tight.  I know that there were LOTS of half marathons this past weekend all across the country and I bet I am not the only one that is feeling a little stiff and tight.

Let me help you!  Have you ever tried using a foam roller to stretch and release muscle aches and pains?  Self-myofascial release using a foam roller is a perfect way to help release tight areas for runners and athletes of all kinds!

Here are my favorite myofascial release techniques:

IT band: Lie on your right side supported by your right elbow and maintain your head in neutral and ears aligned with shoulders. Place the roller under your right thigh and place your left leg over and in front of your right leg. Roll just below hip joint down the lateral thigh to the knee.

Piriformis/glutes: Sit on the full roller and cross your right ankle over your left knee. Roll on the right hip area while pulling the right knee toward the opposite shoulder to increase the stretch. Read more on Post Race Muscle Relief…

Halloween candy is yummy, but kids like spiders too…spider rings that is.  The truth is that, although kids love to get candy, many of them would like just as much to get some cool new Halloween pencils or pens, spooky stickers, tattoos, or spider rings.  Or you can even try one of these options:

Mini rice cereal bites.
Packages of trail mix.
Cereal or energy bars
Small boxes of raisins.
Small packages of dried fruit.
Sugar-free gum.
Mini juice boxes.

You may not be the “coolest” parent on the block, but  at least you can feel good about the fact that you’re not sending your neighbors’ kids into sugar oblivion!

Here are some other tips to putting a limit on the sugar factor around your house… Read more on They Like Spiders Too!…

We are all human and creatures of habit…right?  Yes, that is correct, but we have often formed habits that aren’t necessary and we only do them because that is the way we have always done things.

This is all very true for nutritional habits and I want to help you get a handle on your nutritional habits by explaining exactly how to change them.  Really!

The first step to getting control of these nutritional habits is to become aware of your patterns.
A journal that tracks your exercise and dietary habits will help you examine your behaviors. Once you discover what actually stimulates your less-than-healthy behavior, you then have the choice of either changing the stimulus or situation, or changing your response to the stimulus or situation. Review the following examples to help clarify the action steps. Read more on Change Your Nutritional Habits. Really….