Sweat It Out? The Road to Recovery...

This entry comes on the first full day of feeling normal after having a 48 hour bug that left me sweating, vomiting and totally incapacitated on my couch from Friday night to Sunday afternoon.  Great weekend for me!  Blah!  While I was in no position to work out at all during that 48 hour visit to Hell it got me to thinking, about working out and being sick.  Let’s face it, we’ve all been in that situation where we have been “mildly” sick and wondered if working out would help us “sweat it out”.  We’ve all recovered from the crying “I want my Mommy” moments and wondered how soon is too soon to get back in the groove.  While my answer may not be the the opinion of everyone, here’s some sound advice I follow that helps me feel better on my road to recovery.

We all know that being sick is no fun but if you over do it, you will just prolong your illness. With that in mind, your key word is LIGHT.  You are there to feel better, not break a personal record.  Next time you are sick, and have the energy, do some LIGHT cardio.  Nothing intense, just keep moving.  Open up those nasal passages and keep breathing.  As simple as it seems, even just walking around the block will feel pretty good especially if you have been immobile on the couch for a few hours.  Trust me, I know.  Walking the dogs around the block (as far as I could make it before feeling like I was going to pass out) while I was home sick this weekend helped me feel better without me even realizing it.  If you feel the need to do some weight training, go LIGHT.  Again, if you are sick it’s really just about moving and feeling better.  Your recovery will not be compromised as long as you go LIGHT.

When should you NOT work out?  If you are vomiting, you have a fever, you are nauseous or are highly contagious and working out in a public gym, you should NOT be working out.  Not only is it unfair and irresponsible to bring your funk in to the gym but karma will get you back when your body can’t recover and you end up prolonging your illness another week or so.  It is not a sign of weakness when you cannot hit the gym and “kill it” the way you do every day.  Everyone gets sick and needs to take the time to take care of themselves.  Besides, we all know you are a bad ass...

...even when you are crying for your Mommy.

Slow Down, You Move Too Fast...

6:15 pm Tuesday, January 19, 2010.  Long day gone by, early AM session, four hour rehearsal, even my dogs got an hour long workout in the dog run.  Sometimes those of us who have dedicated ourselves to motivating others and changing lives need a break from the role of the motivator and become the client.  My solution?  Give my little sister a call and step outside of my comfort zone and have her tell me what to do all in the name of centering, focus, stretch, relaxation and changing perspective; AKA Yoga!

My sister, Candace Yoshioka, owner of YoshiYoga our “sister company” (pardon the pun) came over and we spent the hour bending, stretching and inverting to look a the world a different way.  After setting up the dogs in the bedroom to keep them from wanting to show me up with their perfect downward facing dog poses, we dimmed the lights, lit some candles, set some focus points, cleared a portion of the wall to use for inversions and set out on a 60 minute journey of balance, stretch and changing perspective.

I am no stranger to yoga and have been in numerous classes but never one on one.  Similarly to one on one training, the personal attention I received in my living room were far more helpful than any corrections I have heard in class.  Many of you read this blog because you are used to one on one training.  You are used to high intensity, fast moving, sweat producing exercise to go along with the rat race we all run over and over again.  This experience proved to be the perfect combination of strength and stretch, work and fun, relaxation and power.  The perfect way to wind down after a long day.

Find the balance of your rat race and your down time.  Take a moment to step out of your comfort zone and look at the world from a new perspective.  Nothing compares to change!

...and Feelin’ Groovy!

Resolutions???

To resolve or not to resolve, that is the question...

We’ve all made resolutions and we’ve all resolved not to make resolutions.  We’ve disappointed ourselves and overcome some major obstacles.  This year my resolution came before the new year.  100 days before the end of 2009 I chose to go in search of quality of life, gave notice to my corporate job and launched L.I.V.E. to take control of my life.  I love the fitness industry and I love to help people better their lives and help them find quality of life so why not do the same for myself?  I’ve resolved to create a business that helps people and in return I will take my own advice and work out on a regular basis, get enough sleep, eat well, cook more, spend time with people I love and ultimately remember what makes me happy and go for it!

The moral of this story?  Take control.  Make that resolution that will change your life no matter how big or small.  If you have always wanted to start a workout regime, do it!  If you want to take the time for yourself, do it!  If you want to learn to cook, go out and take a class or buy a cookbook.  There is nothing that compares to being happy and you are the only one that can make it happen!

Here’s to a great 2010!!!