www.lynngrieger.com

Which would you rather do to decrease your risk of developing a chronic illness such as diabetes:  make some changes to your lifestyle, or take medication?

A new 10 year follow-up study from the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) trial followed 2800 adults at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The results, published in the October 2009 issue of The Lancet, show that lifestyle changes work better than medication.

Just what are lifestyle changes? We’re talking about healthier eating habits, maintaining a healthy weight, regular daily activity and exercise, not smoking, and finding healthy ways to deal with stress. The folks who utilize these methods reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 34%. Only 18% of the people who took medication (in this study, the medication used was metformin) reduced their risk of developing diabetes.

Sure, making changes to your usual eating, exercise, and stress management habits takes some time and effort. Popping a pill is comparatively easy. However, if you truly want to decrease your risk of chronic disease, making even small changes to your daily habits will give you vastly improved results.

This is where coaching can help. Set long term goals, and then break those goals down into realistic and achieveable 3-month goals. Develop a weekly strategy to meet those 3-month goals, and then set new 3-month goals. Personal coaching helps you through this entire process, giving you support, encouragement, and accountability. If you want to live a healthy, active, fulfilled life; don’t you owe it to yourself to get started, today?

Have you ever wanted the luxury of a personal trainer, someone who can give you individualized workouts, help you develop a healthy eating style, and works with you to meet your goals?

Now you can get all of this - online! I’m one of the trainers at www.fitorbit.com, a comprehensive website that gives you the opportunity to connect with a personal trainer without ever leaving your house. Not sure what exercises to do at the gym to maximize your time? Curious about the best way to strengthen your core? Having trouble dropping weight? All of these goals can be reached by working with me through FitOrbit.

For more info, go to http://trainers.fitorbit.com/personal-fitness/LynnGrieger

Have you ever set a goal, worked really hard, but fell short of your expectations?

The women in our 2009 Training for More group experienced this first hand this year. On race day the end of April, the weather was hot and humid, to protect the participants the race director did not time the race, and everyone went slower than expected. We were ready for snow, but not temperatures in the high 80’s.

Fern and Patty (in the photo with me above) decided they wanted to bring closure to their goal of running a fast half-marathon this Spring. Patty found a half-marathon in Utica, NY, only a 3-hour drive. We rearranged our schedules, drove to Utica, and completed the goal. Everything fell into place:  the weather was cool, the race was well-organized, the course was beautiful (and flat), and the volunteers were enthusiastic.

Fern and Patty smashed their goals and had an awesome race. They took a disappointing situation and turned it around, putting their goal of a fast Spring marathon behind them. We did it together, the same way we trained throughout the Winter.

Lessons learned:
-  things don’t always work out the way we want
-  there are always alternatives to consider
-  disappointments can be overcome
-  setting goals with friends makes the entire experience more fun

What goals are you working toward? How can you turn a disappointment into a victory?

The More half-marathon didn’t end up to be the race we planned on.  

Temperatures in NYC were in the 70’s early on race morning, and climbed to almost 90 before noon. When the 43 women in my training group arrived in Central Park at 7am, the race directors had already cancelled the marathon portion of the races. The half-marathon was still on, but it wasn’t timed. The race director encouraged everyone walking, or who couldn’t finish the 13.1 miles in 3 hours, to do just one loop - about 7 miles - of the 2 loop course.

The weather is obviously beyond our control. We trained in below freezing weather when the roads were covered in snow and our eyelashes froze. We ran and walked in the rain. We wore face masks, 2 layers of gloves, Yak Trax, and long underwear to get in our miles. We never planned on one of the hottest days of the Spring - and we hadn’t trained in hot weather.

We were disappointed, but no one gave up. We started off at a slow pace, drank water and Gatorade at every rest stop, searched out the shady spots of the course, and encouraged each other to do our best. We can’t control the weather, but we CAN control our attitude.

I’m proud of the women in the Training for More group who stuck together through cold weather and steaming humidity. Each and every one put out her best effort that day, and while the day didn’t turn out as planned, we all met the challenge. 15 weeks of training came down to one hot morning in NYC’s Central Park. Just like every other training session, we laced up our shoes, stretched our legs, and started out for the day:  together.

You bet! A new study from the Division of Immunology and Rheumatology in the Department of Medicine at Stanford University in California shows that moderate to vigorous exercise decreases risk of disability and death as we age.

The researchers followed a group of age 50+ runners in California for over two decades. After only 19 years, 15% of runners had died, compared to 34% of controls. It also took longer for runners to become disabled compared to controls.

Here’s the take-home message:  get off the couch and get moving, especially as you get older. Run, walk (vigorously, meaning that you’re working hard enough that you can’t sing, but you can still talk in phrases), play basketball or hockey, hike, snowboard or ski. You get the idea. Instead of thinking of middle age as the time when you kick back and watch TV or the grandkids running around, join those grandkids and get moving!

Arch Internal Med, 2008, Vol. 168, No. 15, pp. 1638-1646

Here’s what happened:  I planned ahead to fit in exercise on Monday, and my plans blew up in my face. What to do? I figured I had three options:

1.  Throw up my hands and retreat to the couch with a book.
2.  Come up with an alternative plan for exercise.
3.  Call myself a failure and other names I won’t type here and feel horrible for the rest of the day.

In this particular case, I planned on exercising later in the day. My morning appointments went later than expected, so I didn’t eat lunch on time. My the time I did eat lunch, I was so hungry I ate more than planned and was too full to go for a planned hard tempo run. By this time it was 3:30pm and it gets dark by 4:30.

I chose option #2. Instead of a planned tempo run, which would not have settled well with my too-full stomach, I went for a power walk with my Nordic walking poles. If you’re not familiar with Nordic walking poles, check them out here:  www.nordicwalkingonline.com I power-walked up Bromley Brook Road, a beautiful dirt road that heads up into the Green Mountains. 45 minutes later I was back at home, just as dusk was starting to settle in.

The benefits:
-  I got some fresh air and exericse.
-  Instead of feeling like a failure, I felt empowered. Life threw me a curve-ball, and I recovered with a hit.

I’m a big fan of planning ahead, but just as big a fan of being flexible. The next time your plans blow up in your face, how will you react?

BONUS:  I have an extra pair of Nordic walking poles. If you want to go out for a “test walk”, I’ll be happy to give you a lesson! Contact me at Lynn@LynnGrieger.com and set up an appointment!
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What motivates you to get up off the couch, out of bed, and out the door to exercise?

A confession:  when it’s dark and cold outside, my motivation levels dip. If it’s light when I wake up in the morning, it’s much easier to roll out of bed and head out for a run. On the other hand, when the only light is coming from the moon, it takes extra effort to get moving.

The same thing happens at the end of the day. In the summer when it’s light after work, I love to go for a bike ride after dinner. Now it’s dark when I leave work, and by the time I get home I have to use my high-beams to see the road.

Here’s the choice:  we can hibernate for the winter and watch our fitness levels decrease while our clothes fit tighter and tighter, or we can focus on why activity is important to us. When was the last time you actually sat down and made a list of all of the benefits you get from activity? Post that list where you can refer to it often:  on your computer, on the fridge, on the mirror in the bathroom.

The second step to increasing the probability of sticking with your exercise routine is to make it easy. That might mean putting together your workout bag in the evening, and even sticking it in your car at night so you have everything ready when you’re driving home from work. Set up an exercise date with a friend, so you have someone else depending on you to show up and exercise. Pack your walking shoes in your briefcase, or better yet leave a pair at work, along with socks, so you can get in a fast 15-20 minute walk at lunchtime.

Please share your favorite tips for continuing activity through the dark winter months. Even if you live somewhere warm and sunny, we want to hear from you!

Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in the same old exercise routine? Perhaps you’ve been taking the same exercise class for years, or walking the same route every day, or following the same strength training program.

Breaking out of your routine gives you three benefits:
1.  You use muscles in different ways, which gives you increased strength, endurance, and flexibility.
2.  You challenge your mind to learn a new routine.
3.  You open yourself up to new experiences and meeting new people.

This past week I tried two new exercises, and I feel great! OK, a bit sore in some places (those pesky muscles that I’m using in different ways are letting me know about it) but overall I’m energized physically and mentally.

Two friends and I joined a master’s swim class. Not only did we get a great work-out, but we also met some friendly new people and had a ball in the pool. Then tonight I went to a beginner’s spin class, led by a very  thorough and fit spin instructor who made sure each student got a fantastic workout. I met more new friendly people and I’m excited about getting out on my bike again next summer.

Here’s a challenge:  what new fitness activity can you try this month? Keep your mind open to the possibilities as they appear. A ballroom dancing class? An outdoor hike you’ve never experienced? Tai chi, yoga, or Pilates? Try something new and let us know how it feels both physically and emotionally.

I just found out the date for the 2009 More half-marathon in NYC has finally been confirmed! Put April 26, 2009 on your calendar and get ready to start training!

Last year 50 area women participated in our Training for More program to walk or run the 13.1 miles of the More half-marathon. This race is designed for women over 40, but if you’re a younger female you can also participate. Guys - you’re shut out!

If you participated in the 2008 training program, look for additional information soon about the 2009 program. If you want to participate this year, welcome! The only requirement is that you complete the required forms, have your physician’s permission to participate, and are willing to give it a try. We schedule walking and running training sessions on various days and times to meet as many different schedules as possible. I provide detailed information on walking, running, shoes, and clothing; nutrition and hydration; mental strategy; and how to make your goals a reality.

Here’s what you need to do:
-  Commit to the training program. Yeah, it will be cold, snow, and possibly even some sleet thrown in for good measure. We live in New England! The key is to dress appropriately and wear great shoes.
-  Put yourself a bit higher on your to-do list. You may need to have someone else start dinner, or skip cleaning the house on Saturday morning to fit in a training session. You’re worth it, you have goals, and you’re going to make those goals a reality!
-  Stay tuned for more information. Post a note or a question here, or email me directly at Lynn@LynnGrieger.com if you have questions.

I had so much fun last year walking, running, and getting to know every person in the training group. We’re a fantastic group of women with diverse interests, ages, shapes, and athletic ability. We all worked together to meet a common goal - finish the half-marathon smiling - and we did it! This year should be even more fun.