The first time I heard about kettlebell training a few months ago, I was skeptical. Swing around a big, heavy weight? Participate in the number one strength training no-no: Using (gasp) momentum? Um, not so sure about that.

Over the past few months, I’ve done some research and discovered what other people were a bit quicker to pick up on: Kettlebell training is kind of fun. Not fun in the way that, say, going to the beach and sipping cocktails is fun, of course, but fun in the sense that it can breathe new life into your workouts. It’s so different from traditional training that it instantly engages your body, and your mind, in a whole different way.

I’ve taken this newfound enthusiasm and put it to good use in a couple of new articles this week. First, Kettlebell Training offers a few basics for what it is and how it might benefit you. Second, Getting Started With Kettlebell Training offers details about how to choose your weight and a variety of kettlebell exercises to show you what it’s all about.

Have you tried kettlebell training? How did you get started and what do you think about it? Leave a comment and tell us what you think about kettlebell training.

Kettlebell Training: Is It For You? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 07:00:30.

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The first time I heard about kettlebell training a few months ago, I was skeptical. Swing around a big, heavy weight? Participate in the number one strength training no-no: Using (gasp) momentum? Um, not so sure about that.

Over the past few months, I’ve done some research and discovered what other people were a bit quicker to pick up on: Kettlebell training is kind of fun. Not fun in the way that, say, going to the beach and sipping cocktails is fun, of course, but fun in the sense that it can breathe new life into your workouts. It’s so different from traditional training that it instantly engages your body, and your mind, in a whole different way.

I’ve taken this newfound enthusiasm and put it to good use in a couple of new articles this week. First, Kettlebell Training offers a few basics for what it is and how it might benefit you. Second, Getting Started With Kettlebell Training offers details about how to choose your weight and a variety of kettlebell exercises to show you what it’s all about.

Have you tried kettlebell training? How did you get started and what do you think about it? Leave a comment and tell us what you think about kettlebell training.

Kettlebell Training: Is It For You? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 07:00:30.

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Have you ever had one of those days where, halfway through your workout you suddenly think, “I’m so done with this workout”? There may not be any particular reason - you slept fine, you feel okay, you’re doing your usual routine, but the usual drive you have to workout just isn’t there. If you’re just starting out, this can be a critical time. Skipping the workout may snowball into days or weeks of missed workouts. On the other hand, you may need to back off if it’s just not happening. Here are a few tips for getting through a little bad mojo:

1. Cut it short - Overcome a bad mojo day by shifting gears. If your original goal was to run 3 miles or lift weights for an hour, decide you’ll go through a long warm up. If you don’t feel like continuing after that, give yourself permission to quit and try again tomorrow.
2. Give yourself permission to have a bad workout - We sometimes feel guilty when we’re having a bad mojo day. We know there’s no physical reason not to give our all and forget that mental energy is just important as physical energy. If the mental energy isn’t there, you may not be able to workout at your normal level. Give yourself permission to back off and do what you can.
3. Go through the motions - There will be times when you don’t feel connected to your workout and your goals feel far away. It’s tempting to give up completely, but going through the motions can remind you of what you’re working for. Everything in life ebbs and flows, including your workout mojo - even if you don’t feel it now, you will feel it again.
4. Take a break - Mental energy can sometimes overcome lack of physical energy and vice versa, but when both are lagging, that may be a sign you’re tired and need to back off. Take a day off or do something simple - take a walk or do some light stretching until you feel fully recovered.

What do you do when you can’t find your workout mojo? Do you worry that it’s gone forever and try to push yourself harder to get it back? Or do you recognize that it’s just one of those days? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

More Ways to Find Your Workout Mojo

• Revisit Your New Year’s Resolutions
• Recapture Your Exercise Enthusiasm
• How Mind Games Can Motivate You
• Weight Loss Success Stories

  Getting Back Your Workout Mojo originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 07:00:12.

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Have you ever had one of those days where, halfway through your workout you suddenly think, “I’m so done with this workout”? There may not be any particular reason - you slept fine, you feel okay, you’re doing your usual routine, but the usual drive you have to workout just isn’t there. If you’re just starting out, this can be a critical time. Skipping the workout may snowball into days or weeks of missed workouts. On the other hand, you may need to back off if it’s just not happening. Here are a few tips for getting through a little bad mojo:

1. Cut it short - Overcome a bad mojo day by shifting gears. If your original goal was to run 3 miles or lift weights for an hour, decide you’ll go through a long warm up. If you don’t feel like continuing after that, give yourself permission to quit and try again tomorrow.
2. Give yourself permission to have a bad workout - We sometimes feel guilty when we’re having a bad mojo day. We know there’s no physical reason not to give our all and forget that mental energy is just important as physical energy. If the mental energy isn’t there, you may not be able to workout at your normal level. Give yourself permission to back off and do what you can.
3. Go through the motions - There will be times when you don’t feel connected to your workout and your goals feel far away. It’s tempting to give up completely, but going through the motions can remind you of what you’re working for. Everything in life ebbs and flows, including your workout mojo - even if you don’t feel it now, you will feel it again.
4. Take a break - Mental energy can sometimes overcome lack of physical energy and vice versa, but when both are lagging, that may be a sign you’re tired and need to back off. Take a day off or do something simple - take a walk or do some light stretching until you feel fully recovered.

What do you do when you can’t find your workout mojo? Do you worry that it’s gone forever and try to push yourself harder to get it back? Or do you recognize that it’s just one of those days? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

More Ways to Find Your Workout Mojo

• Revisit Your New Year’s Resolutions
• Recapture Your Exercise Enthusiasm
• How Mind Games Can Motivate You
• Weight Loss Success Stories

  Getting Back Your Workout Mojo originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 07:00:12.

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Autumn is associated with physical, emotional, and spiritual transformation and is a time for letting go and releasing the things…

The other day, my computer (which is prone to fits of rage), went into a sudden convulsive seizure that effectively ended any hope of finishing my work. I got so stressed out that I smashed it into little tiny pieces, set them on fire and did a ritual victory dance. Man, I love that fantasy.

Stress is a fact of life, of course, but there are times when it becomes so pervasive that it feels impossible to get rid of. We may attempt to deal with it with the usual recommendations - deep breathing, meditation, listening to soothing flutey music - but sometimes, the usual tricks just don’t work. When that happens, it’s tempting to go to the dark side to deal with it - alcohol, drugs, road rage or violent acts against inanimate electronics.

We’ve all heard that exercise can help relieve stress but, for many of us, not just any exercise will do. When I’m fantasizing about destroying my computer, a slow, breathy yoga session just isn’t going to cut it. A high intensity kickboxing session (where my imaginary opponent looks a lot like my computer) is often a better choice.

I’m curious about you. Do you use exercise to deal with stress and, if so, what’s your favorite workout? Does yoga help you calm down or do you prefer a more vigorous workout? Vote in this week’s poll and tell us what type of exercise helps you reduce stress.

Workouts for Stress Relief

• Relaxing Stretch
• Intense Intervals
• Slow and Steady Cardio
• Totaly Body - Fast and Furious

Vote in This Week’s Poll: What type of exercise helps you deal with stress? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Monday, October 19th, 2009 at 07:00:56.

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There are times in life when you may find it necessary to build a fortress around your heart (a.k.a. your psyche) to provide a sanctuary for your feelings. Self preservation is our number one primal instinct, and we will stop at almost nothing in order to protect ourselves.   Whether you apply this to hiding your vitiligo, or to avoiding potential relationships because of your vitiligo, the results are the same; the wall keeps out the potential hurt, but it also stops the inflow of experiencing many wonderful moments in life.
“The …

Every week I get emails from people telling me about some new fitness app/website/electronic device/whatnot that I simply have to try. It’s unfortunate that I can’t try all of these things - well, it’s probably a good thing I can’t try some of them - but my day only includes 24 hours and I haven’t figured out how to change that (not for lack of trying).

Over the past few weeks, I’ve gotten a number of these emails and some of them actually look useful, while others look…well….interesting. Here’s the latest:

Cadence - This iPhone/iTouch app is awesome and perfect for runners and walkers who want to move at a certain pace to their own music. This ingenious little app (which costs $2.99) crawls around inside your iTunes and gives you the beats per minute for each song in your library. It then creates playlists based on BPMs for your exercise pleasure. If you’ve ever spent a few hours trying to find songs to fit your pace, you’ll instantly fall in love with this app like I did. I may even leave my husband for it.

The Measure Up Bowl - This is another great idea I wish I’d thought of. These bowls include measurements on the inside of the bowl to help you pre-measure your portions. The measurements are different depending on which bowl you get, but range from 1/4 - 2 cups. This is especially good for measuring things like cereal, pasta, ice cream and other foods you may want to keep under control.

Muscle Recovery Mattresses - Here’s one that begs a question you’ve probably never asked before: Can a mattress help your muscles recover? Sleeping is obviously important for recovery, but now there are apparently mattresses which feature, “cutting-edge “Muscle-Recovery” materials.” This includes anti-sweat properties, performance fabrics and remote-activated adjustment capabilities. I wonder if it will put my workout clothes on for me and make my husband quit snoring?

PhysicalFitnet - This is another interesting website that I haven’t gotten to try, but thought I’d throw it out there. This site, which includes a huge database of video exercises, also has WorkoutBuilder Pro - an application that will allow personal trainers to create workouts for their clients. These workouts (which have pictures and videos) can be accessed on the computer or by smartphone. There’s a subscription fee, but it’s worth a look.

What about you? Heard about anything new you’d like to share? Leave a comment and tell us what you’re into.

What’s New in Fitness - Gear, Apps and More originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 07:00:06.

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Wow. That was my reaction when I read Jay’s story. At 420 pounds, Jay decided it was time to make some changes in his life. A local gym was offering a special, the first month for free, and Jay took that first step towards weight loss.

His persistence and determination are obvious. He started with 15 minute walks and strength training, gradually working his way up to longer, tougher workouts. His pictures are truly amazing. Learn more about how Jay lost weight and get inspired - I know I am.

Reader Success Story - Jay Lost 200 Pounds originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 11:08:11.

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So it’s no secret that I take yoga very seriously, but I have a lighter side too. Recent headlines…