After a conversation I had this morning, I decided to 'give' you all some tools for determining the calories burned in your activities. One is this calculator from Glamour.com, which I fully admit is not an exercise expert. But I like this calculator. Here is one from Self Magazine. Here is another on from my.calorie.counter.com...I don't find this one as easy to use, but its helpful to note that the results are similar. There are a million calorie calculators out there and the results vary ... which I think is natural since everyones efforts vary - Think of it this way - the harder you work, the bigger the payoff.
Now, when looking at the calories burned, I want you all to keep in mind that muscle building exercises such as weight lifting (and to an extent yoga) may have a lower 'burn'; however, muscle building stokes your metabolism, leading to more of a 'burn' over the course of a day.
Here are some examples for a 150 pound person:
"Yoga" (90 minutes) which I assume to mean Hatha or Gentle Yoga: About 268 calories
Weight Lifting (45 minutes) Vigorous Effort: About 321 calories
Stationary Bike (60 minutes) Moderate Effort: About 500 calories
Swimming (60 minutes) Moderate Effort: About 500 calories
Rowing (60 minutes) Moderate Effort: About 500 calories
Running (60 minutes) at 10 minute miles: About 714 calories
Jumping Rope (60 minutes...god help you) Moderate Effort: About 714 calories
Power Yoga (90 minutes): About 718 calories
Swimming (60 minutes) Vigorous Effort: About 785 calories
Friday, December 3, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Surviving Winter
If you are anything like me, winter can get you down. Way Down. Like bottom of the barell, there is no meaning to life, everything sucks down. I hear this has something to do with the lack of sunlight - and I believe that to be totally true. For me, it also has to do with being cold. I hate being cold...and I am cold pretty much constantly in the winter.
So if there a point to that suck-fest rant? Of course! Here is a list of ways to beat the winter blues...or grays, as it often feels:
1) Eat or drink something citrus. Yup, I am talking clementines but also maybe lemon or lime in your water...or how about some lemon tea? The burst of citrus will wake up your senses and also remind you of happy, sunny times.
2) Get moving. You knew that was coming, right? Winter often makes us want to hole up where its warm and not move, but getting in some kind of exercise will make you feel better and, in the end, warm you up a bit.
3) Think warm veggies. Its winter and a cold salad is hardly appealing but that is no reason to skip your veggies. At lunch you can have a (low sodium?) veggie soup, you can microwave some frozen veggies, you can zap up some spinach and make a warm spinach and (insert protein here) wrap. Whatever - just eat them. The vitamins will make you happy.
4) Go to a heated yoga class. It is warm there and your soul will be happy.
5) If its sunny, get outside. Now, if you are locked in an office with no windows, you may not get to see if there is sun. Check weather.com - they'll tell you when to expect some sun. Once you find some sun, bundle up and get in it. Take a wake. Drink a coffee or tea outside. Go for a run if your schedule permits. Just DO NOT and I repeat DO NOT let that sun go to waste. Yay vitamin D!
I lived in Cleveland, Ohio for a few years and let me tell you, the thing I missed most about New England (other than shellfish) was the lack of sun in the winter. Lake effect winters suck - gray, gray, gray with more gray. Here is New England we are fortunate enough to often have sparkly sun afternoons - try and take advantage!
If you all have any beat-the-winter-blahs tips, I'd love to hear them!
So if there a point to that suck-fest rant? Of course! Here is a list of ways to beat the winter blues...or grays, as it often feels:
1) Eat or drink something citrus. Yup, I am talking clementines but also maybe lemon or lime in your water...or how about some lemon tea? The burst of citrus will wake up your senses and also remind you of happy, sunny times.
2) Get moving. You knew that was coming, right? Winter often makes us want to hole up where its warm and not move, but getting in some kind of exercise will make you feel better and, in the end, warm you up a bit.
3) Think warm veggies. Its winter and a cold salad is hardly appealing but that is no reason to skip your veggies. At lunch you can have a (low sodium?) veggie soup, you can microwave some frozen veggies, you can zap up some spinach and make a warm spinach and (insert protein here) wrap. Whatever - just eat them. The vitamins will make you happy.
4) Go to a heated yoga class. It is warm there and your soul will be happy.
5) If its sunny, get outside. Now, if you are locked in an office with no windows, you may not get to see if there is sun. Check weather.com - they'll tell you when to expect some sun. Once you find some sun, bundle up and get in it. Take a wake. Drink a coffee or tea outside. Go for a run if your schedule permits. Just DO NOT and I repeat DO NOT let that sun go to waste. Yay vitamin D!
I lived in Cleveland, Ohio for a few years and let me tell you, the thing I missed most about New England (other than shellfish) was the lack of sun in the winter. Lake effect winters suck - gray, gray, gray with more gray. Here is New England we are fortunate enough to often have sparkly sun afternoons - try and take advantage!
If you all have any beat-the-winter-blahs tips, I'd love to hear them!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thankful
Hi All! I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving - for me, Thanksgiving this year was perfect...but it certainly wasn't shaping up that way!
Flashback to last Tuesday around 3:00pm. Me sitting at my desk making big mental plans involving just how many brussel sprouts I could eat come Thursday. Suddenly my throat tightens and gets a little scratchy. Huh - weird. I decide to solve that particular discomfort by getting my gazzilionth cup of coffee that day - because nothing soothes a throat like acidity!
4:00pm. No good. Entering "Where the hell did this sore throat come from" territory.
4:30pm. Panic. A little fuzzy in the head.
5:00pm. Actually fall asleep at desk from fuzzy-headed-ness.
6:10pm. At home explaining to Bill that I simply cannot go to yoga - I feel like crap and just need to lay down.
6:12pm. Bill telling my that yoga will make me feel better - it always does.
7:58pm. Me laying in savasana at the end of yoga class wanting to cry my throat hurts so bad everytime I breathe in.
Wednesday 3:30am. Wide awake with burning throat. Haven't slept a wink. Get up to find medicine.
5:00am. Get up - not sleeping anyway.
7:00am. Invade CVS for Dayquil and Vitamin C.
7:45am-4:30pm. Sit at desk, pray for work to be over.
6:00pm. Thank the Dayquil gods that I am still standing, make broccoli casserole, stuffed dates and cranberry pie.
Thursday 6:45am. Up before the alarm because I can't breathe. Take a miracle cocktail of coffee, Dayquil, Vitamin-C and a banana. Pull on race clothes and pack yoga clothes. Fumble to the car in 29 degree weather.
8:00am - Race time! By now I am so hopped up on meds and Thanksgiving-ness that I am ready to run! Do not be confused, I did not feel great but a race is a race is a race. And the Tiger Turkey Chase is my favorite race!
8:01am-8:50am - Ran a great race! Meri and Chrissy, for reasons I do not know, decided to hang with me for the first 4 miles of the race. We pulled off solid 9:40s-9:50s for those miles. They took off in the last mile but I kept up reasonably well, finishing only 20 seconds behind for a 49 minute and change finish - almost tying my best time on this course and hitting my goal time for 9:40ish pace. WooHoo.
9:00am. Eat a banana. Suck on inhaler. Go to yoga.
9:30am. Down dog.
10:30am. Way pleased with myself for pulling out a great yoga practice. Seriously, I actually participated in most of the power class - no problem.
12:00pm-5:00pm. Fantastic Thanksgiving with friends and family!!! Happy to be warm and fed, thankful for a body that can run and stretch.
Friday 3:00am. Wake-up, Coffee, Dayquil, Vitamin-C. Shop, Shop, Shop!!!
Flashback to last Tuesday around 3:00pm. Me sitting at my desk making big mental plans involving just how many brussel sprouts I could eat come Thursday. Suddenly my throat tightens and gets a little scratchy. Huh - weird. I decide to solve that particular discomfort by getting my gazzilionth cup of coffee that day - because nothing soothes a throat like acidity!
4:00pm. No good. Entering "Where the hell did this sore throat come from" territory.
4:30pm. Panic. A little fuzzy in the head.
5:00pm. Actually fall asleep at desk from fuzzy-headed-ness.
6:10pm. At home explaining to Bill that I simply cannot go to yoga - I feel like crap and just need to lay down.
6:12pm. Bill telling my that yoga will make me feel better - it always does.
7:58pm. Me laying in savasana at the end of yoga class wanting to cry my throat hurts so bad everytime I breathe in.
Wednesday 3:30am. Wide awake with burning throat. Haven't slept a wink. Get up to find medicine.
5:00am. Get up - not sleeping anyway.
7:00am. Invade CVS for Dayquil and Vitamin C.
7:45am-4:30pm. Sit at desk, pray for work to be over.
6:00pm. Thank the Dayquil gods that I am still standing, make broccoli casserole, stuffed dates and cranberry pie.
Thursday 6:45am. Up before the alarm because I can't breathe. Take a miracle cocktail of coffee, Dayquil, Vitamin-C and a banana. Pull on race clothes and pack yoga clothes. Fumble to the car in 29 degree weather.
8:00am - Race time! By now I am so hopped up on meds and Thanksgiving-ness that I am ready to run! Do not be confused, I did not feel great but a race is a race is a race. And the Tiger Turkey Chase is my favorite race!
8:01am-8:50am - Ran a great race! Meri and Chrissy, for reasons I do not know, decided to hang with me for the first 4 miles of the race. We pulled off solid 9:40s-9:50s for those miles. They took off in the last mile but I kept up reasonably well, finishing only 20 seconds behind for a 49 minute and change finish - almost tying my best time on this course and hitting my goal time for 9:40ish pace. WooHoo.
9:00am. Eat a banana. Suck on inhaler. Go to yoga.
9:30am. Down dog.
10:30am. Way pleased with myself for pulling out a great yoga practice. Seriously, I actually participated in most of the power class - no problem.
12:00pm-5:00pm. Fantastic Thanksgiving with friends and family!!! Happy to be warm and fed, thankful for a body that can run and stretch.
Friday 3:00am. Wake-up, Coffee, Dayquil, Vitamin-C. Shop, Shop, Shop!!!
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