Burning Calories When The Gym Is The Last Place On Your Mind

By Matt Tucker

So you want to get in shape, but you would rather get a root canal than go to the gym. You already ran the rat race all day at work and the last thing you want to do is feel like you are spinning a hamster wheel by jogging on the treadmill. If listening to Kenny G on repeat for five hours straight sounds more exciting than exercising for 20 minutes then you need to continue reading.

I have heard hundreds of excuses why people don’t exercise. I understand. It is hard to get motivated. Let me ask you this: what would you say if I told you that it is possible to have fun AND burn calories at the same time? It can be done.

Whether you despise the gym or you just want to mix up your workout routine, check out ProLong Magazine’s list of Alternative Fitness Ideas:

Stay Young at Heart; Play Like a Kid Again: For fun, fitness, and to meet new people, join an adult recreation league. You quickly forget you are exercising when running around on the playing field with your friends. Leagues like Sports Monster offer exciting sports like Ultimate Frisbee, Dodgeball, Soccer, Flag Football, Volleyball, and Broom Ball.

Put On Your Dancing Shoes: You’ve spent enough time on the couch watching Dancing With The Stars. It’s time to get up and dance. Sign up for a swing class or simply go to the club and get your groove on.

Walk the Dog: Fenced in backyards make dog owners lazy. Don’t just open the door and let Fido out to do his business. Taking your dog for a long walk in the evening is a great way to unwind and burn some calories while bonding with your pup.

Explore Your City: There is no better way to see a city’s nooks and crannies than taking a walking tour. Lace up some comfortable shoes and start exploring. You never know what you may find along the way.

Rock Climbing: Get your adrenaline pumping and challenge yourself. Indoor rock climbing is an excellent full-body workout, a perfect evening activity to break up a long week, and a great date idea. Rock on.

Build a Snowman: Remember how much you used to love snow days as a kid? Next time it snows, grab your friends and get outside. Make a snowman, build a fort, and have a snowball fight. Then grab your sled and feel the burn when you hike back to the top of the hill.

Kick It Old School: Fight off the pounds by signing up for martial arts class and give your love handles a roundhouse kick to the face.

Boatload of Fun: Rent a canoe or kayak and spend the afternoon paddling around the lake. Laughing burns calories. Add more laughs to boating by wearing eye patches and talking like a pirate.

Sex: Enough said.

Finish Your Chores: Yard and house work can be quite the workout. Keep the tractor in the shed and mow the lawn with a push mower. Shovel snow. Rake leaves. Chop Wood. Garden. Vacuum. Your house will look great and so will you.

Hand-Eye Coordination: Give your fingers a workout and log onto ProLong Magazine often to check out all of the awesome content that we have on the website for your viewing pleasure.

Share your Alternative Fitness Ideas by commenting below!

Ten Ways To Overcome Your Fear of The Gym

By Matt Tucker

The gym (and its mirrors, spandex, and sweaty skin) can certainly be an intimidating place for those that are already self-conscious about their bodies. Nonetheless, you are paying the hefty monthly membership fee for a reason: to get fit. Don’t just shrink your wallet; get over your fear and embarrassment and start shrinking your waistline too.

Several people recently told me that they don’t go to their gym because they are scared or embarrassed. One friend said, “I need to lose ten pounds before I can work out at my gym.”

Ten Ways to Overcome Fear and Embarrassment at the Gym

1. Remind yourself why you are there: You signed up to lose 20 pounds before your wedding, look better naked, lose that stubborn baby weight, or help lower your cholesterol. When driving (or better yet – biking) to the gym, remind yourself why you are going there in the first place. What prompted you to join the gym?

2. Power in numbers: Workout with a friend. Meet your buddy at the gym so you have someone to talk to. It is always nice to have a familiar face in an uncomfortable place. Plus, you will be less likely to skip a session when someone is meeting you there.

3. Everyone is there for the same reason: Even the fittest people at the gym were beginners at one point. Your target weight may be months away, but the important thing is that you are taking the first step to achieving your goal.

4. Less staring eyes: If you are convinced that everyone is staring at your while you workout then avoid going when the gym is crowded. Ask a gym employee when are the busiest times of the day. When is your gym least crowded?

5. Rock out: Make a playlist with your favorite songs and listen to your mp3 player while you workout. Get lost in the music and forget about your embarrassment. Just try not to sing out loud when you are on the treadmill. It usually draws more attention. Occasional air guitar is fine.

6. DON’T compare yourself to others: Be realistic. If you are a 43 year old mother of two, don’t compare your thighs to the 19 year old college track and field star’s legs. However, if you are intrigued by a person’s rock-hard calves, don’t be afraid to ask what exercises they do. How else would you know that they go hiking three days a week outside the gym?

7. DO compare yourself to yourself: Ask a trainer at your gym to help you track your progress with measurements and regular body fat assessments. Better yet, how do your jeans fit? Are you less winded when you walk up a flight of stairs? Notice small improvements and write them down.

8. Stay Classy: Check out a group class designed for beginners. You will probably see other people just like you. If the pace is right, jump in and sign up.  Consider a yoga class.  Read Alicia Parks article “Getting Back To The Yoga Mat”. 

9. Money doesn’t buy happiness: But it does buy some really cool workout clothes that you can wear with confidence. Spandex pants and over-sized T-shirts aren’t the most flattering. Invest in a few new items that make you smile when you look in the mirror. Check out www.lucy.com for excellent women’s yoga, running, and fitness activewear.

10. Forget about it: Fear of embarrassment is usually worse than embarrassment itself. The first few trips to the gym may be tough, but the fear will wear off quickly. Chances are the fear will vanish after a few workouts. Just know that each potentially embarrassing workout is moving you one step closer to your goal.

What have you done to feel more comfortable when working out?

More articles by Matt Tucker

Burn More Calories By “Sweating” The Small Stuff

Your Fitness Program’s Worst Enemy

Get Out Of The Rut And Back Into Your Favorite Jeans

New Years Resolutions Are A Waste Of Time

 

by Matt Tucker

I like the big picture. At the end of the day, the big picture is most important. Still, I think the little things are what make it so great. I like people with an outstanding attention to detail. Maybe it is because I pride myself on paying close attention to the little things. (I have been known to proofread and edit other people’s grocery lists for no reason other than the fact that ‘broccoli’ was misspelled. I know, it is borderline OCD, and I’m fine with that).

I think it is the spices and herbs that turn a meal from good to great. It is the fine, hand-carved woodworking and stained glass that make European cathedrals so glorious. It can be a comedian’s subtle facial gesture that determines if an audience is laughing hysterically or hearing crickets. A well timed, nicely written greeting card can revive a relationship, help land a job, or seal a business deal. No one will argue that the attention to detail – a focus on the little things – can make a huge difference in business, relationships, art, cooking, and sometimes even grocery lists. But what about fitness?

Little things make a huge difference with fitness and athletics too. Professional cyclists and their coaches meticulously monitor heart rate, lactic threshold, and power output. Bike manufacturers go through unbelievably great lengths to make a cyclist’s rig lighter, more aerodynamic, and more efficient. All of these details combine to paint the big picture – winning or losing. In some cases, even a second, gram, or watt can decide if a cyclist is standing on the podium or not.

Sure, it makes sense that a professional athlete monitors as much as possible including nutrition, training, power, etc. They have a lot at stake. It’s their job. How about the rest of us? Most of us don’t have the means to monitor our power output and lactic threshold. That’s fine. We do have the means to monitor what we eat and how much we exercise. Still, one of the biggest factors that determines a person’s weight is a very subtle, yet extremely important characteristic.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota reported in 2005 that “non-exercise activity thermogenesis” is more important than formal exercise in determining who is lean and who is obese. They did this by attaching motion sensors to twenty people (ten who were lean and ten who were overweight) for ten straight days.

James Levine, M.D., the Mayo Clinic endocrinologist that lead the study, explains that the calories that people burn in their everyday activities are far, far more important in obesity than they previously imagined. The data from the sensors showed that an obese persons sit, on average, 150 minutes more each day than their naturally lean counterparts. This means obese people burn 350 fewer calories a day than do lean people.

People who are naturally compelled to stand, walk, pace, and fidget, rather than sit down, are burning more calories everyday. All of the small movements create a slow burn throughout the day.

Does this mean that people who sit still and don’t fidget are destined to be obese? They are certainly at a disadvantage, but a person can still create their own fate. What this means is that they are going to have to work a bit harder to find ways to burn more calories to keep up with their leaner, fidgety friends. For some this could mean spending more time on the treadmill. Or as the study shows, it could mean making a conscious effort to move around as much as possible.

Here are a few ideas to help a naturally sedentary person start moving:

• Pace or walk around the block while talking on your cell phone.
• Watch where you sit. Avoid the couch at all costs. Sit on the floor when watching TV. Sit on an exercise ball when at your desk. In both cases, you will constantly shift your weight to stay comfortable.
• Clean the house. A 135 pound woman can burn 113 calories doing general house cleaning for a half hour. Raking the leaves for the same time will burn another 130.
• If you have multiple bathrooms in your house, walk to the farthest one when you have to go.
• Forget the escalator, use the stairs.

Want more info about how small things can have a big impact? Check out my article, “Your Fitness Program’s Worst Enemy.”

Your Fitness Programs Worst Enemy

by Matt Tucker

Inconsistency is a fitness program’s worst enemy. If you are only working out once a week or once a month, my guess is that you are not very happy with the results. Even if you are hitting the gym a few times a week on average, you may be surprised to see the detrimental effects of skipping one or two workouts here and there.

 Let’s say your regular fitness routine includes jogging for 30 minutes, three times per week. Let’s assume you are a 175 pound man and you typically run at a 9 minute per mile pace. Each 30 minute jogging session burns about 460 calories.

 3,500 calories is equal to about a pound. If you burn 3,500 more than you eat, then you will lose 1 pound. If you consume 3,500 calories more than you burn, you will gain a pound.

 Continuing with our example, we can determine the effect that skipping jogs has on our subject:

• If he skips one workout each month for a year, he retains 5,520 calories (1.5 pounds)
• If he skips one workout every other week for a year, he retains 11,040 calories (3.15 pounds)
• If he skips one workout every week for a year, he retains 23,920 calories (6.8 pounds)

 Skipping just one workout doesn’t seem like a big deal at the time, but compound it over a year and the calories burned (or NOT burned) can cause a large variance in your weight. Skipping one workout a week can easily be the difference between busting the button off your pants or tightening your belt a notch.

 After a long day at the office, the cushions on the couch look much more comfortable than the seat on your exercise bike. Before you melt into the sofa, remind yourself of these two things:

1. Exercise fights fatigue and boosts energy levels. If you are constantly tired, exercise more, not less.

2. Skipping workouts will sneak up on you. A few hundred calories may not seem like much, but multiplied by 12 months of missed workouts and you could be plus or minus five pounds by the end of the year.

 If you buy a new bathing suit next summer,do you want to buy one that is the same size, larger, or smaller? Consistency plays a major role in determining if you are going to maintain, gain, or lose inches. Commit to yourself and your goals. Don’t let fatigue tie you to the couch. Fight fatigue and fat by sticking to your plan and making each and every workout a priority.

 To calculate the number of calories you can burn doing different exercises and activities, go to http://www.internetfitness.com/calculators/calburncalc.htm. Simply enter your bodyweight and average time to see how many calories you will burn by doing each exercise. Use this as a guide to figure out how many calories you DON’T burn when you skip a workout.

 For more information about making a making a plan to reach your goals, read my article, “New Years Resolutions Are a Waste of Time.”

by Matt Tucker

One of the best ways to get in shape and stay motivated is to register and train for a race. Whether it is a 5k or 10k walk or run, half or full Marathon, century bike ride, or triathlon, completing a race is a thrilling fitness experience.

Here is an 11 Step Guide to help you cross the finish line (and get fit along the way):

1. Choose your Event: Decide if you want to run, walk, bike, or try a triathlon. Don’t be afraid to try something new and exciting. Haven’t ran since high school gym class? No worries. Keep reading.

2. Find a Race: Do some research to find a list of events in your area. Check out www.coolrunning.com to search by state and event type. Choose an event that allows adequate training time. Pay the entry fee NOW. Registration fees are generally less expensive if you sign up early. Plus, you are less likely to quit if you already paid.

3. Make a Plan: Even a novice runner can complete a marathon with proper coaching, training, and enough time. To prevent injury, make sure you follow a plan designed for your event. Check out the ‘Training’ tabs at www.runnersworld.com and www.bicycling.com or check out a training book at your local library.

4. Mark your Calendar: Post the big day on your calendar and start counting down. Track your progress and keep a log of all of your training. Follow your training guide and check off each workout.

5. Gear Up: If you are running, go to your local running store and get professionally fitted with a pair of sneakers. Tell them about your plans and they will be happy to help. If biking, take your bike to your local shop and get a tune up.

6. Join the Club: Find a friend with whom to train. Training with others is a great way to stay stay motivated. While you are at the bike shop or running store, ask about cycling or running clubs. Want to train with certified coaches and help raise funds for a lifesaving cause? Check out www.teamintraining.org for more information.

7. Tell all your Friends: Make sure your friends and family know your plans. Their excitement will boost your motivation. It’s Okay to smile when they tell you are crazy. Who knows, maybe your accomplishment will motivate them to get in shape too.

8. No Bailout: Now that everyone knows you are running a race, you can’t back out. Embrace the encouragement and don’t let yourself or your friends down. Unless an injury makes a break necessary, keep up with your training. Race day will be a lot more fun and less painful if your body is conditioned.

9. Moral Support: Remember your those friends and family from #7? Invite them to come to the race and cheer you on. Hearing your name and seeing a familiar face can offer an extra (and sometimes extremely helpful) boost.

10. Be Prepared: Print out all of the race details. Get a good night’s sleep. Double check that you have all your gear. Arrive early. Stay hydrated.

11. Enjoy Yourself: Last, and certainly not least, HAVE FUN! Embrace the experience. Feel the burn. Revel in completing your goal. Savor the camaraderie with the other participants. Hug your friends at the end. Eat a delicious celebratory meal. Go home and sign up for your next event.

Matt Tucker is a fitness-crazed, bike addict, with a coffee obsession. He lives in Denver where he frequents local music venues, coffee shops, public libraries, dog parks, and ski slopes. He is a vegetarian because of health and environmental reasons, not because he likes cows. And yes, there is a way to get enough protein on a vegetarian diet and still have the power to run half-marathons and ride hundred mile bike rides. Matt convinced his company to let him work from home 1,800 miles away from the corporate office and eventually quit his six-figure job to travel and try to create work that he is passionate about.

By Matt Tucker

No, I’m not talking about lawyers. I’m talking about your local watering hole.

There is a reason some bartender’s tip jars are overflowing with cash every night they are behind the bar. And it is rarely because they make the best tasting Mojitos. There is more to bar tending than pouring drinks. Anyone can learn a recipe, shake, pour, and serve. Some, however, know that the job is more about building relationships and earning customer loyalty, and less about slinging cocktails.

As Og Mandino said, “the surest way to doom yourself to mediocrity is to perform only the work for which you are paid.” On paper, a bartenders’ job description may be to pour drinks. However, those that are making the big bucks are doing much more; none of which pertains to whiskey and beer.

Whether you are working for tips or commission, there is a lot that can be learned from watching the best bartender in your town. Regardless of your industry, some principles are universal.

Here are 8 principles that can be taken out of the bar and into your place of business. The best, and highest paid, bartenders …

Listen: It’s loud, but they still manage to hear your order. Is it superior hearing? No, it is all about paying attention. Even when the house is packed, the best bartenders make you feel like you are the only one in the room when you are ordering.

Ask Questions: Not only are they asking, “What can I getcha?”, they are also asking questions to build rapport and lighten the mood.

Remember Your Name and Favorite Drink: People love hearing their own name. It sounds familiar. It sounds wonderful. Remembering a person’s name and some other details from your last conversation proves that you listen, pay attention, and actually care.

Provide Service With a Smile: It doesn’t matter how swamped they are. They are having fun and providing excellent customer service no matter what.

Are You A Resource: Great bartenders know the hottest clubs, the best restaurants, and are happy to make recommendations. How well do you know your product and industry? Are you a resource to your customers?

Quench Your Thirst: Great bartenders know what you want and give it to you fast. They …

Hook You Up: Providing something “on the house” can be a great investment. You can’t give everything away for free, but a strategically placed freebie to a loyal customer can land a huge tip or close a big sale.

Treat Everyone Like a VIP: Treat customers like a VIP and they will buy like a VIP.

If a customer has a bad experience, they will go to the next bar. If they love the service, they’ll keep coming back for more. Customers can get a Coor’s Light at any bar; why will they come back to your bar?

Matt Tucker is a fitness-crazed, bike addict, with a coffee obsession. He lives in Denver where he frequents local music venues, coffee shops, public libraries, dog parks, and ski slopes. He is a vegetarian because of health and environmental reasons, not because he likes cows. And yes, there is a way to get enough protein on a vegetarian diet and still have the power to run half-marathons and ride hundred mile bike rides. Matt convinced his company to let him work from home 1,800 miles away from the corporate office and eventually quit his six-figure job to travel and try to create work that he is passionate about.

By Matt Tucker

New Years Resolutions are a waste of time. I don’t like them. I don’t make them. Why? Because they don’t work. They fail. Don’t believe me? Go to your local gym and ask the guy behind the desk when their fitness center is the busiest. He will tell you that the first three weeks of each new year brings a sudden increase in unfamiliar faces and new memberships. All the people that gained five pounds over the holidays are super-excited to lose that new weight and more. They tell their friends and coworkers about their intentions. They skip dessert for a few weeks. Still, before January is over, so is their diet and exercise plan. As David Zinczenko explains in The Abs Diet, diets don’t work; healthy lifestyles do. (www.absdiet.com)

If a goal is important to you, start today. Why wait until tomorrow or next week or January 1st? Decide today that you are going to take the first step to achieving your goal.

You do have goals, right? If not, you better get some. Write them down. Keep a list. Figure out how to make them happen. Constantly ask yourself if what you are doing is moving you closer or farther from achievement.

Making goals is both great and pointless. That’s right, making goals is great. Making goals is pointless. Let me elaborate:

Making goals is great…if you stick with them.

Making goals is pointless…if you don’t.

Before you tell your friends how you are about to embark on a healthy new lifestyle, make a plan. First, write down some goals. Choose a few that are easily achieved to help build your confidence and make you feel good. Now pick one or two BIG goals. You know, the kind that are life-changing. The kind that you have been thinking about for a long time.

Now it is time to figure out how you are going to make them happen. In my experience, it helps to break them down into smaller parts. Let’s say, for example, you want to lose five, 15, or even 50 pounds? That is an awesome goal – granted you have consulted a doctor before starting any new diet or exercise program, as all programs are required to say.

Reaching this goal may take months or even years. If you are like most people, you don’t want to wait that long to see the finish line. So don’t wait. Break your BIG goal into many smaller parts. What you need do is make daily and weekly goals to stay on track.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – Confucius

A person can’t lose 50 pounds. A person CAN lose one pound. And then another pound. And then another until finally, one day, they all add up to 50. Don’t try to lose 50 pounds. Try to lose one. And then try to lose another. And another. You get the idea.

Things come up. Don’t let them get in the way of your goals.
Make a plan. What are you going to do today to get you closer to your goal? What are you going to do tomorrow? And next week? And next month? Get your calender and start filling in what you are going to do. Look at it often. Hang it on the refrigerator. Write down everything you are going to do and more importantly, DO EVERYTHING you write. Write down everything you did and pat yourself on the back. Look back and assess what is helping and what it hurting. Keep doing what is helping and stop what is hurting.

Overgeneralizing? Maybe, but I don’t think so. The key here is planning and doing. You can talk all you want about losing weight – to continue with the previous example – but talking burns a lot less calories than walking, jogging, or cycling. Don’t just talk. Take action.

ProGress

• Make a list of goals you want to achieve

• Break them into smaller parts

• Write daily and weekly goals on a calendar

• Constantly review the calendar and keep up the good work

ProMote

• What large goal are you currently working toward? What have you done to stay motivated along the way?

*Photos are from the 2009 Philadelphia Mummers Parade. The Parade is an annual tradition on New Year’s Day.