You are what you eat | 1-26-05
It's taken me a few decades to become aware of how certain foods make me feel. Some make me feel energized. With others I feel bloated, tired, and lethargic, but I eat them because they taste good. Oh well, sometimes I still eat them knowing how I will feel.

The type and quantity of food you eat can affect not only how your body feels, but also your blood chemistry, cholesterol, HDL, and blood pressure, not to mention body weight and lean muscle mass. Exercise is good. But learning what's good for your body nutritionally is equally important to lifelong health. Becoming more aware of how foods affect you will enable you to make better choices based on how you want to feel, look, and live your life. If you'd like to learn more, I suggest ZÜM's weight management program Get Lean.

Start easy, start now | 1-04-05
Many people will begin the new year determined to whip themselves into top condition, only to crash and burn a few weeks later. There are two reasons so many people start fast and then flame out. One: they have unreasonable expectations about how much time they can give to their workouts. If you think you should work out six days a week -- when you haven't made time in the past six months for two days a week -- that's unreasonable. Self-imposed all-or-nothing goals will fail. Two: People leap into their January workouts believing they have the same body they had 10 years ago. Guys are especially guilty of this one, thinking "I haven't worked out in ten years but, hey, I think I'll start off bench pressing 300 pounds."

If it's been six months since you've exercised, commit to three days a week for 30 minutes. At the gym, combine 15 minutes of aerobic activity for your heart with 15 minutes of movements that strengthen your core: lower back, abdominal muscles, buttocks and mid-back muscles for improved posture.

Or walk three days a week for 30 minutes. Next -- and this is the key -- do not increase the amount of time or energy for three weeks after you begin. Let your body get used to moving again. Until you can maintain this consistency, do not increase your workload; don't even increase the number of days per week. Retooling your life's schedule is always a challenge. Starting slow increases your odds of success. Once you see some gains and feel successful, it will be easier to add days, weights or distance. Lower your expectations and know that you're doing enough to maintain fitness. The key is to start easy. And start now.

It's better to undertrain than to overtrain | 11-23-04
I can still hear the words coming out of his mouth, "It's better to undertrain than to overtrain." And it wasn't just any mouth, either. It belonged to Bill Bowerman, perhaps America's greatest coach of track and field, inventor of the Nike shoe, and my college track mentor at the University of Oregon. Bowerman was saying what many great artists and performers from Picasso to DiMaggio have preached and proven: less is more.

What better time to apply this to our lives than during the chaos and pressure of the holiday season -- a time of year that can wreak havoc on waistlines, sobriety, and sense of calm, not to mention comfort and joy. My prescription is to heed Bill's "less is more" advice for the next six weeks.

You don't have to do it all at once | 11-08-04
Lately I've been asked, "How do I do cardio, develop my strength, tighten my butt, lose 12 pounds, include core exercises, and improve my flexibility when right now I only have two or three days a week to work out?" The answer of course, is "you can -- just not all at once. My approach is to select a primary and secondary goal. For instance, aerobic improvement as a primary goal and greater flexibility as the secondary goal. Focus on just those for three months, and save the other stuff for winter, spring and summer. You'll see and feel the results. Remember, if you try to do it all at once, you'll only frustrate yourself.

Just do it...correctly | 10-13-04
When I was on my quest to be an Olympian, I was really hard on myself for not being able to perform all exercises and skills perfectly upon my first attempt. It took me awhile to learn that mastering movements takes time -- a lifetime in fact. When I realized this, I began to ease up on myself and focus on the quality of movements rather than the quantity. Then guess what? Exercising began to be more relaxed and enjoyable and less about just pushing through it to get it over with. Over time, I began to enjoy mastering movements without pressuring myself. The way the human body can move is amazing -- what a gift. But mastery of any movement takes time -- repetition after repetition. I invite you to enjoy the challenge of mastery and stop just pushing your way thru it. Quality versus quantity equals better results and more enjoyment.

Choose to feel good | 9-30-04
There are two questions I often think of: How do I want to feel in my body for the rest of my life and what am I willing to do to ensure long term physical health? I believe that it's about making daily choices that aid in maintaining our physical well being. It's about making a commitment to health and fitness for the long haul -- your entire life. Long term physical health is something earned through consistent intention and effort.

Lately our culture has become especially immobile and our sedentary habits are destroying our health. I don't want you to go down that path. I want you to choose healthy, vibrant lifestyles and it all starts with the choices you make now. We've talked about cycles and the natural swings between following a structured plan and the need to take time off. Hopefully you've taken my advice and allowed yourself some time off. I now invite you to join me at the club to begin your fall training program. The time to recommit is now. Your emotional and physical health depends on the choice you make. Choose to feel good. See you at the club.

Coming back after time off | 7-20-04
I haven't seen some of you for a while, you know who you are. I hope you're taking some well deserved time off to enjoy yourself this summer.

Now when you're ready to start back up the question always arises, how much should I do? The same workout I did before my break? Just some light stretching, or maybe two of Joe DeShaw's hardcore classes back to back? Forget the later as an option. Of all the barriers to exercising sanely, how much to do is a big one. People have a tendency to make unrealistic assumptions of how much to do coming off vacation or returning from an illness. In general people do too much and end up feeling like they've gone through a few 2-a-day practices with the Seahawks. Remember less is more. Be easy on yourself and start back slowly.

If you are experienced in working out reduce what you used to do by 50% to allow your body to readapt slowly. Give yourself three to four workouts to get back to where you were. If you are very new to exercising start with small increments of time. Fifteen to twenty minutes a day two times a week. Progressively build up to thirty minutes a day and once you are at thirty minutes consider adding a third day. Pay close attention to how you feel afterwards. You should feel as though you've done something but it shouldn't be painful or difficult. The whole idea of exercise is that it's good for you, it should invigorate you it shouldn't feel like punishment. So when returning from a break or just beginning make sure to start slow and progress upward from there. Regain your fitness slowly and pay close attention to how you feel. This will make exercise more enjoyable.

The key is to start | 6-28-04
People tell me that they need to get in shape before they start working out. Frankly that's never made sense to me. You need to start working out to get into shape. I've seen many people struggle with the idea of beginning to exercise. They don't feel good about their bodies and don't move with confidence. These negative thoughts are often barriers to achieving what you want. As you become aware of thoughts, such as, "I'm not in good enough shape to take that class", or any one of your personal favorites, you begin to see that they are actually getting in the way of your progress. There's no need to worry about whether you think you're in great shape or not. The key is to start.

Remember we all start at different places. There is always someone in better shape than you and there is always someone in worse shape. In the Olympics I was better than some and not as good as others. That's the way it has always been, and that's the way it will always be. Taking care of yourself and making your life better requires courage, intention, and action. And there's no time to start like now.

Active rest | 6-15-04
One of the major turning points in my quest to be an Olympian was learning that rest and recuperation needed to be integrated with the will to work hard before I realized a higher level of performance. Let me be honest, it took a long time to learn that lesson. When I did learn how to utilize "active rest," I began taking breaks from my typical routine or exercise program to allow my body to recover and my interest to rebuild.

The idea of active rest can be applied to all levels of fitness. Take a couple of days off during the week or try taking a couple of weeks off every few months. Stay active by stretching, walking, swimming or participating in a relaxing yoga, pilates class or just rest. Do what you feel like doing when you feel like doing it. Or do what I do...think about stretching while taking a nap.

On one hand you need to be consistent to reap the benefits of exercise. On the other hand by taking breaks now and then and actively resting you will create the balance needed to enjoy exercise for many years to come. If you're tired mentally or physically take some time off. Don't push through times of low energy or exercise may begin to feel like punishment. Watch that when you do take time off, you don't beat yourself up over it. Active rest can help reinvigorate your body and renew your enthusiasm to workout.

- Be good to yourself

Go ahead and splurge | 5-25-04
Yes I know you all think that I live off of alfalfa sprouts, sunflower seeds, rice milk, raw egg whites and wash my wheat germ down with Aloe Vera juice. But the reality is, my taste buds demand more. One of my favorite restaurants to indulge my love for sumptuous food is Marjorie's on the corner of Second and Bell in Belltown. It offers an eclectic Northwest Cuisine with tasty Caribbean influences. So go ahead and splurge every once in awhile and enjoy it. Everything in moderation -- especially alfalfa sprouts.

Spring training, don't forget the core | 5-10-04
If you choose to alter your exercise program to include more outdoor activities for the spring and summer seasons make sure you retain a few core movements in your gym training program. Recently I shifted my program to include more running, inline skating, and biking. After a couple of weeks of pounding the pavement boy were my hips and back tight and sore. Am I too old for this stuff? Na, I remembered then that six weeks had passed since Joe and I finished our winter season strength training program. During my hiatus my strength in those critical areas had deteriorated. Oh well just added a few low back postural and hip exercises two times a week. This along with some amazing bodywork/massage and now I'm feeling better. If you're planning any outdoor activities just remember not to back off the core movements. Check any of our ZÜM trainers for more help.

Seasonal cycles | 4-26-04
Seasonally cycling your exercise program to change your fitness goals will help to keep up your enthusiasm for working out. After a month long hibernation from an exercise program, Joe and I decided to decrease the emphasis on heavy weight lifting and increase our cardiovascular workouts. I'm going to run in a few low key 5k runs...believe it or not Joe might be joining me. I'm thinking about the Edge Water Rock and Roll May 22nd, join me if you'd like. Joe and I are also going to work on our flexibility taking yoga classes. So in summary changing your fitness goals every season will help keep your program fresh and enjoyable.

Natural ebb and flow | 4-13-04
I recently finished an intensive eight-week muscular development program/friendly competition with staff and friends. Now I don't feel like working as hard, and my motivation to continue on is not quite what it was. I just want to go to Top Pot for donuts. I'm allowing myself to take some time off because I know that in a few weeks my motivation and energy will return. Until then, I'm really cutting back on my workout time. Pay attention to the ebb and flow of your drive and energy. There are periods of time when you are not going to work out as often or as hard, and the key is to understand that this cycle is natural.

Balance | 3-29-04
Balance, like strength and cardio fitness, decreases as we get older. The good news is that with practice, your balance will improve. To increase your balance, practice standing on one leg on flat ground, or use one of the many balance toys at ZÜM, a balance beam, balance pad or half arc for example. Once on one leg and relatively stable, try and lean left then right, forward and backwards while maintaining your balance. Want to make it harder still? Close your eyes, but be careful!

Relaxing into movement | 3-15-04
Imagine the grace of Michael Jordan, seemingly effortless as he floats through the air. Efficiency of movement is learning how to relax into a movement using only the energy necessary and nothing more. In yoga you may be coached to breathe and relax into the tension that you experience in a pose. In baseball, players are reminded to "stay loose" and not to overswing when attempting to hit the ball. Relaxing into movement and learning to be sensitive to how much energy you put into it can be challenging but fun. First become aware of what musculature and parts of your body are required to perform an exercise or movement. The next step is to relax everything else not essential to the movement. When you shed the unnecessary you will expend less energy and enjoy the movement more as it becomes less effortful. Remember, it doesn't have to be hard to be good!