The end is in sight

Well, after all the hard work and fitness opportunities, we have one more big day. The moving day! We will be moving to our newly remodeled/painted condo this weekend. As I see it, moving is a great opportunity to get a strength and cardio workout in! Lifting boxes and furniture is not for the weak. Especially when you don't have many people to help. If you're like Damian and I we also try to get it all done in warp speed and that's were the cardio comes in. I mean really, who wants to be moving the entire day!? I think that may be our type A personalities or impatience kicking in. I am super pumped and ready for my weekend workout. I am anticipating soreness since I haven't moved since last year. Hopefully, we can stop moving and enjoy one place for a couple years. For those of you who don't know, I recently tallied up my moves. Since 2001, I have lived in 11 different apartments. Now that's a whole lot of boxes, stairs, and sore legs! Sounds like fun, here we go...

Possibilities

Since I am always on the look out for fitness related movement, I find it appropriate to talk about the possibilities of remodeling a condo. As most people know, there are slight benefits to housework. However, most people would have to be fairly sedentary to really see the benefits from traditional housework. The way I see it, at least it is movement, which is better than nothing! Damian (my husband for those of you who don't know) and I recently purchased a condo. We have decided to do some light remodeling to the interior. This includes painting, which I have the pleasure of doing the majority. I find this task can be mind-numbing unless you turn it into an aerobic and strength workout. I have also found a way to incorporate ballet moves. Instead of constantly bending forward with the paint brush or roller, simply do plie's or sumo squats. Now you are incorporating your leg muscles and not just your back over and over again. Another option is to start working with your non-dominant hand so that you balance your arm movement and don't end up too sore on one arm. I have also discovered you can incorporate balance exercises by standing on one leg while painting. I suggest making sure you are working on a large portion of the wall so if you loose your balance you don't mess up your paint job. See... there are endless possibilities to turning your mind-numbing paint job into a full body workout.

Does anyone else have exercises they can think of? I have many walls to paint! I will try them out and post my results.

Reaching the End

Well, I have come to the end of my Europe tour. What is more appropriate than finishing up in Amsterdam? From a fitness prospective, I found a couple yoga studios but not much else in the sense of "traditional" gyms. By far Amsterdam has been the biggest bicycling city I have visited (see picture of commuter bike parking). To be fair, I didn't notice much "working out" aside from cycling. I don't think many people think fitness when thinking about Amsterdam. It is a very nice city with many canals and great architecture. It was fun walking around the winding streets. The favorite "thing to do" it seems is sitting at a coffee shop. Unfortunately, the goal at the coffee shop doesn't seem to motivate people to be active. I gave in and decided this leg of the trip was more for relaxation and site seeing.

It has been fun trying to discover new fitness trends around Europe. However, I have concluded that the U.S. seems to be ahead of the curve when it comes to fitness. Now, if we could only get the majority of Americans to use the fabulous fitness and nutrition options we have available, maybe we could do something about the over-weight and obesity statistics.

Ein Prosit

I made to Munich! First observation there are lots of cyclists and it is very clean. It is very interesting that most of the cities I have visited use cycling as the main mode of transportation. Maybe the US should adopt this trend. It is a much greener approach. Although, I think that would require everyone to go back to driving school. I think one of the main reason I don't ride a bike everywhere is because I don't trust drivers. Europe has very strict driving requirements before one can obtain a license. One of my friends in London said, they are not even allowed to roll back one inch in a manual vehicle when coming off a stop or they fail the driving test, wow! One might say to me, you have always lived in big cities...Yes, this is true and big cities typically have more congestion and smog/pollution. Plus after visiting Paris, I am convinced that the US could adopt the cycling trend. They have tons of people, cars, cyclists, and seems to have figured out how to co-exist.

Munich seemed to have an even better solution for cyclists. To reduce the number of accidents lets get them off the street. Brilliant! All the walking paths have a side for cyclists and another for pedestrians. If you are walking on the wrong side you will realize it very quickly because you hear a bell and if you don't move you will get hit. I moved in time but there was increased heart rate and jumping involved.

After almost a month of traveling I needed a workout myself. So I tried Anusara Yoga in German. It was interesting not knowing what the teacher was saying. It is amazing how much verbal cuing helps in yoga. When you use visual cuing I think it takes away from the mind body relaxation connection. To constantly have to watch the person in front or around you puts you just a couple seconds behind so you always feel like you are rushing through the poses. Ultimately the class served it's purpose, which was to loosen up and get some blood pumping. In the end, I felt better!

Outside of yoga, I decided to take a walk in the English Garden. It is a huge park which stretches alongside the river Isar. The park is the largest city park in Europe and larger than New York's Central Park. It was beautiful! I also had the pleasure of observing the coolest thing ever. Surfing in a river! If you had told me that people surfed in a river in Munich I wouldn't have believed it. Well seeing is believing. Check out this video.

Roma

I found Rome to be an interesting city. On one hand, it is a typical city with fast paced people, trash and conveniences. On the other, you could be walking along and BAM run right into a ruin. Historically it is one of the coolest cities. Fitness wise...well let's just say, we are still in Italy. I did see more runners. I could never be certain if they were Italian or expats. I did stumble upon an outdoor track facility and there were people running and working on body weight exercises, which was cool to watch. The picture to the right shows the "old school" park circuits that I used to see everywhere in parks growing up. I wonder what ever happened to them. I always thought it was a good workout. If you look at the right side of the picture below you will see a high jump with crash pad and track. I was looking down at the track facilities from a hill on the way to the Baths of Caracalla. It felt very Olympic/Gladiator (not the dying part) all at the same time. Given that Rome is a big city, I thought there would be plenty of yoga studios and gyms. I picked up a business yellow pages of sorts and looked up yoga. To my surprise there were only four studios listed. Guess where they were located...yep, you guessed it, in the touristy areas. They were amongst the Gucci, Prada, and who could forget The Hard Rock Cafe. I am not suggesting this to be a bad thing...it just figures. It may be that the Italians don't hold exercise in a studio or gym at high priority. However, they realize that other countries do, so they offer travelers their usual conveniences. Unfortunately, my goal was to see what the locals did for exercise. I think in Rome, I may have had to travel outside of the main city center to really see the fitness regime of a local Roma Italian.

The Italian Job

Well, not much fitness going on so far in the traditional sense anyway. I found that in Bologna no one was really concerned with working out. Although, I did see a couple poster sized ads for the institute naturale. It seemed this place had yoga, meditation and some healthy workshops. That was really the only thing I found. Again, there was a lot of walking done by all. My general observation was that Bologna was a much fatter city. The most disappointing fact was that the there were at least three McDonalds in a 1.5 mile radius and they were always packed. I wish I could say it was only tourists, but this time, it seemed it was a little bit of everyone. I get that it is inexpensive but so is pasta! It really showed on the children of the area. They were all overweight and borderline obese. This inspired me to go to our hotel's "fitness center" and get a work-out in. Well, not much working out happened. I don't know why I thought when the hotel said they had a fitness center it was going to actually have fitness equipment. It turned out to only have an arm bike, which was good considering my foot. However, not much of a workout. The rest of the room consisted of a lounge chair because after the strenuous arm bike one must lay down. Then if you've really exhausted yourself, you can take a nice steam and/or shower. This fitness center had more spa amenities than fitness equipment. Ha, ha, ha...my mistake, what was I thinking? Why would anyone want to actually workout in the fitness center? :-0

The next area of Italy we visited was Cinque Terre. This is where I saw a lot of non-traditional exercising. All the locals were carrying something up and down stairs all day. They were out fishing or rowing boats. None of the locals seemed to be overweight. Cinque Terre fit all my expectations of Italy. All the locals were working hard and constantly cleaning. The only time they stopped was 1-5pm everyday for their siesta. This is a well deserved rest! Then they wake up and continue until 10-11pm. It starts all over again the next day. Even with all this hard work no one seems to complain. They are always saying ciao to one another and seem to be in a cheerful mood. Cinque Terre encompasses a particular lifestyle one that would be an adjustment for me but seems to be the only place the locals could imagine living.

Next, I will be observing Rome. I am hoping to find a yoga studio or gym to explore.

To be continued…

Paris part duex

I decided to observe the Parisians as we were walking around. I have discovered that their daily lives entail a great deal of exercise. Of course there is plenty of walking, which tends to be the case in many cities. In addition, they have a bicycle rental program that is widely used by everyone; Parisians, tourists and tipsy people post bar hoping. I also saw some swing dance classes being held along la seine (river). The coolest form of exercise I observed was the Friday night rollerblading. I was told that they meet every Friday and Sunday. I was able to look up more information on their website, www.pari-roller.com. I looked at the course and it ended up going right by where we were staying, which was quite convenient. I believe the course is typically about 18km and gets fairly aggressive toward the end. It is suggested that you have some rollerblading experience. I didn’t realize that rollerblading was so big in Paris. Apparently, it just never went out of style like in the states. I remember my rollerblades and how much fun I used to have in them. It was a great form of exercise but didn’t seem like you were working so hard. This is probably why it has done so well in Paris. Maybe they will make a come-back in the states.

I would like to touch on the rumor that Parisians are so healthy yet they eat heavy food and smoke. Well, from my experience there are a couple differences. They are not obsessed with fast food like Americans. However, there were McDonalds, which was disappointing but they were typically full of tourists. It seemed that the meals were very different than I had expected. I was expecting what I had heard…heavy creamy food. What I found was small breakfast, which consisted mostly of bread, juice, tea or coffee. Lunch was a salad, cured meat and/or cheese and a baguette. Dinner almost always included mixed greens and was an appropriate proportion. Of course there is always wine with dinner but our wine glasses in the U.S. are HUGE! We can typically finish a bottle of wine with 4.5 glasses in Paris it took us 8 glasses. It seemed most Parisians ordered a half carafe with dinner. In the end, I think they do a better job of the cliché, everything in moderation. They also take their time eating and really enjoy their food and company. Dare I say it…maybe we could learn something from the French.

Bonjour from Paris!

We visited The Dailey Method today and met with Kelly Dailey-Vinoche. The studio has a quality of exclusivity because of its location. It is in a neighborhood that is very elite. The actual studio is a re-designed horse stable in the back of this enormous and gorgeous property. It seemed like it would have been someone's mansion at one time. I imagine there were different quarters... those who lived in it, the staff and the horse stables. What amazing artchitecture! Today it is used for different businesses and of course, The Dailey Method.

When we arrived the class was in session so I was able to see the end of the class. They were holding their lunch express class, which was an hour, normally class runs for 90 minutes. It seemed everyone really enjoyed class by the relaxed expressions on their faces upon exiting the studio. Kelly taught a really nice stretching and relaxation series toward the end of class. I was standing outside thinking I could use that, which means it even worked on me! That is a sign of a good class when observers want what the participants are getting.

The Paris studio is smaller than the Chicago location I recently visited. This is completely understandable because real estate and space is hard to find in Paris. I think, it is just the right size and it has everything you need. At first, I thought the location was tough because it was all the way in the back and had no window/store front on the sidewalk. However, after speaking with Kelly and learning more about the culture in the neighborhood I think it may be a good thing. Paris still has a strong class system. This means word of mouth is basically the only way to grow a business in this particular area. Unless of course you were born into the families. So, with the location being so hidden it creates exclusivity, which works well when trying to break into the system.

One difference we spoke about, french women keep themselves looking good with products and pampering not necessarily exercise. This can be a challenge when opening a studio that is prodominently focused on women. Although, for all you men out there I guarantee if you took a class you would get your butt kicked! Another interesting note, it seems France is about 10 years behind the fitness trends in the US. Just to give you an idea, when Kelly decided to open the studio about 6 years ago pilates was just becoming popular. So this means that The Dailey Method in Paris is cutting edge...so next time you are in Paris it is must try!

For more information go to the website: www.thedaileymethod.fr

London Trends

Well, the Gymbox was not all I had hoped it would be. It turns out the "human weights" were a promotional gimmick the bank location did around January. Apparently, there was a mixed review from the current members. The gym put it on to promote membership, which when all said and done, they did. However, they also lost members who were offended by the hiring of "little people." I find it strange that one would stop their membership to a gym because they contracted with "little people." It makes me wonder if people know that Disney employs "little people." Who do you think plays Donald and Daisy Duck? People never cease to amaze me! Or maybe, I have more of an open mind because I thought the "human weights" sounded so cool I wanted to lift them. Would lifting a person little or not offend you? If yes, please tell me why because I clearly don't get it...

Eventhough, the gym didn't have the "human weights" it did have some redeeming qualities. They have the only MMA fighting octagon cage in London and a full size boxing ring, which is all in a seperate room so if you don't want to work out next to sweaty fighting men and women you don't have to. Their weight room is actually built inside an old bank vault. This has a coolness factor to it but if you like natural light this is not the place for you. The other awesome service they offer is the group classes, which were so similar to Crunch Fitness that I had to ask if the owners had any connection to Crunch. It turns out that one of the owners lived in New York City and was a member of Crunch Fitness and brought the concept to London and called it, Gymbox...anything goes. Sound familiar? It should because Crunch's slogan is...no judgements. Competition in the market place keeps businessses on their toes and from what I saw Gymbox may be doing a better job.

In addition to visiting the Gymbox, I wanted to get a general feel for fitness in and around London. When exercising happens, it seems it is mostly done in a gym verses outside, which makes sense considering London gets something like 2 weeks of hot nice weather. However, when I passed by the gyms they weren't packed with people. The place that was packed was the pub where many people were doing 16oz curl exercises. It seems this is how London gets its exercise :-)

Next, on to Paris where I will be meeting with Kelly Dailey-Vinoche who opened The Dailey Method studio.

The Dailey Method

The Dailey Method...a new studio in Chicago!

Wow! What an amazing facility (check out more pics below). When you walk in, the studio has an open and clean feel to it. The person working the front desk immediately greeted me and was very welcoming. I mentioned I had a meeting with the owner Tami Conway. She made a point to come out from behind the desk and show me around so I felt very comfortable while I waited. I really enjoyed the level of customer service I experienced the entire time I was there. Customer service is so often over looked and I find it is what makes me want return or not. In this case...definitely return.

I would like to delve into what The Dailey Method is for those of you who do not know. The Dailey Method uses a the ballet barre, light weights, and stretching straps to offer a total body muscular endurance approach to toning and lengthening.

Now is the part were anyone who has heard of The Bar Method or Exhale will ask, what makes The Dailey Method different? I have taken classes at both The Bar Method and The Dailey Method. I can not speak about Exhale as I have not been there, yet. The one thing that I tend to really hone in on is the level of knowledge the instructors at each class display. Now, if you are reading this and you know me, you know that education is one of my biggest concerns. I find all too often that fitness professionals work with individuals to improve their bodies and haven't a clue about anatomy, physiology or kinesiology.

I always ask instructors questions, which I already have answers to. This is not to be mean but more to see if they know why they are doing the things they are instructing others to do. I found the many times I took class at The Bar Method, the instructors were not always sure, which to me is concerning. However, you should draw your own conclusion. It was refreshing when I found a completely different level of knowledge at The Dailey Method. The instructors are required to go through a fairly extensive education process. As matter of fact, Tami mentioned that they just had an anatomy workshop for the instructors a couple weeks ago. Not only does the facility feel like I could eat off the floor, the instructors are knowlegable too. What I really enjoyed seeing is the dry erase board that Tami had in her office. It had the whole month of exercises programmed out. This is typically done by trainers but rarely by group instructors. It is to ensure that you are offering a well balanced program, which as far as I can tell The Dailey Method in Chicago is accomplishing.

I am impressed! The Dailey Method in Chicago gets two thumbs up from me.

To find out more information about what the studio offers, location, and pricing check out: http://www.thedaileymethod.com/chicago.html

For those of you who have attended a Dailey Method class I would love to hear about your experiences, even if it isn't the Chicago location. I know many of you reading this blog may be from CA. Let me know if you had the same or different experience.

Next, I will be traveling to Europe. I am hoping to visit The Dailey Method in Paris. I wonder if the classes will be different. Do Parisians really workout???

First stop, London where I will check out the human weights...stay tuned.

Researching Europe

This last week I sat down and tried to find the health/fitness places I would like to visit while in Europe. First, let me fill you in on where I am going. I will be visiting London, Paris, Bologna, Italy, Cinque Terre, Italy, Rome, Munich, and Amsterdam. I started with London since it is the first place I will be visiting. I was in luck...I actually found what seems to be an awesome and fun gym, the Gymbox. Anyone heard of it? They have human weight machines. Human weights...what? What I understand, they have created a place for actual people (who have been weighed) to sit and you lift them. The human weights can heckle you or scream affirmations to inspire you. I suppose they decide what to say depending on their mood or how wimpy they think your being. I can't wait to check this place out!

Then, I hit a road block. I started to research Paris. I thought Time Out Paris would be a good place to start. They typically publish an article with the best trainers and fitness centers. I found a couple gyms but nothing to write home about. I tried moving on to Italy and found the same results. Hmm...I wonder what they do for workouts. I guess I will have to wait and see. They must do something, right??

Does running cause damage to your knees? New studies say maybe not!

Phys Ed: Can Running Actually Help Your Knees?

I was immediately drawn to this article on the well blog of the NY times. Almost every lecture I have attended for my Athletic Training Certification has taught, repetitive high impact activity will eventually wear down the cartilage of a joint in turn causing arthritis. After reading this article, I have to question what I thought to be true. I have often wondered how those people who look like they are well into their 80's are still running. Are they in pain? Do they just work through it because they love the "runners high" so much? If what the research is suggesting is true, then maybe their joints are healthier than mine. Considering I am recovering from a tear of my plantar fascia that may or may not have been caused from running the San Francisco half marathon, it may take me some time to wrap my head around this one.

I am interested in hearing what other people think about this since I am not completely convinced...Do you think running can actually help your knees?

Time Magazine Article

Many clients, friends and colleagues have asked my opinion about this article: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857-1,00.html

I think it is a great article that brought up many interesting points. I read the entire article and really thought about the points they were trying to make. I tend to agree with the research and the author, it’s more about what you eat. The unfortunate part is the article is skewed.

They need to do a study on eating a healthy diet with efficient exercise and see what the outcome is. They only talked about how hungry you get post aggressive exercise...duh! What about exercising so that you don't completely destroy yourself, continue to be active through out the day and eat a healthy diet, I wonder what kind of results you would get then, hmm???