World Class

I have had the pleasure of working with a very talented young lady for a little over a year now... and I was SO excited when her mom (who I also train and could write a blog about how a mother of 4 can do so much and still have time to get in good workouts, whew!) came to me and asked if I thought I could work with her daughter, "she's a dancer". I could hardly wait! My first dancer... but this was a whole new world to me, Irish dance. We spent a lot of time merging the worlds of dance and fitness until we found a good combo to help her stay healthy, increase her endurance, and improve her dance skillz. Well, with her hard work, endless practice, determination, and an ability to belive that she can always be a little bit better... she has rocked all of her competitions (or a "feis", pronounced fesh plural is feiseanna, as they are called in the world of Irish dancing) and shown me what hard work is all about! In March she placed 43 at the World Competiton (yes, it was in Ireland), in July she took 11th place at the North American Irish Dance Championships in Nashville, and just a few weeks ago she placed 5th at this years regional competition in Arizona... along with multiple first place finishes in smaller feiseanna in California and Oregon. Oh, and she has done all of this while maintaining her honor student status (a 4.35 GPA!) as a junior at SI College Prep. Now that's inspiring...

On the same note... I thought this was fun and helpful

Burn Off Holiday Calories!

25 Ideas, No Gym Time Required

-- By Nicole Nichols, Personal Trainer

Ah, the holidays are officially here!
And as much as we look forward to them, and all that comes with them (the friends, the family, and of course, the food!) it’s hard to escape the stress that they also bring.

"Exercise routine? Heh. Healthy eating? Forget about it." Sound like you?

Between the cooking, cleaning, traveling, decorating, shopping, and entertaining, how can you fit in your normal exercise routine? Or even a shorter exercise routine?

Well, if you’re like most "normal" Americans, you’ve probably bitten off more than you can chew when it comes to responsibilities. So, here’s a list of common holiday activities and the number of calories they burn. Realistically, you can keep your caloric intake in check (by keeping portions small and making healthier recipe substitutions), and by adding up these common activities—like cooking and cleaning—you can still burn a hefty sum of calories without setting foot in the gym.

(Based on a 40-year-old 5’5", 140-pound woman. Men, and women weighing over 140 pounds will burn more calories during the same activities.)

• Bathing dog (to look and smell pretty for guests!): 15 minutes = 56 calories
• Wrapping gifts or making crafts (hello party favors): 30 minutes = 48
• Bagging grass & leaves: 30 minutes = 127 calories
• Light baking (of all your favorite treats): 1 hour = 159 calories
• Tending bar for guests (not drinking it yourself!): 1 hour = 146 calories
• Changing bed linens (for the out-of-towners): 15 minutes = 40 calories
• Loading & Unloading the car (suitcases, groceries, kids): 10 minutes = 32 calories
• Carrying groceries: 5 minutes = 13 calories
• Taking out Trash: 2 minutes = 5 calories
• Carrying wood or lumber (Marshmallows not included): 5 minutes = 26 calories
• General to Heavy house cleaning: 1 hour = 191 calories
• Clearing dishes from the table: 5 minutes = 13 calories
• Washing dishes by hand: 15 minutes = 37 calories
• Dusting: 15 minutes = 40 calories
• Family Reunion (includes sitting, talking and eating…not fighting): 1 hour = 95 calories
• Food preparation: 1 hour = 195 calories
• Flag Football (fun for the whole family): 1 hour = 508 calories
• Putting away groceries: 5 minutes = 13 calories
• Quick nature hike after dinner: 15 minutes = 95 calories
• Light jogging (to get away from scary relatives): 15 minutes = 127 calories
• Mowing lawn (pushing power mower): 20 minutes = 95 calories
• Mopping floors: 15 minutes = 56 calories
• Playing catch (baseball or football): 30 minutes = 79 calories
• Raking lawn: 30 minutes = 137 calories
• Grocery shopping (with cart): 30 minutes = 73 calories
• Grocery shopping (with basket): 30 minutes = 79 calories
• Socializing while standing: 1 hour = 127 calories

So, if you’re finding it impossible to get to the gym, try something new this year…like NOT avoiding the extra holiday chores. Your partner and/or host will be happy, and so will you for keeping your waistline in check.

Nicole Nichols
With a Bachelor's degree in Health Promotion and several fitness certifications, Nicole enjoys teaching Spinning and Pilates classes and living a healthy, eco-friendly lifestyle.

Baby it's cold outside!

Wow, I don't know about all of you, but I feel like I have moved to the North Pole! It is so cold outside... so much for my run, I can hardly walk from my car to work without turning blue. So, time to get creative with my cardio, and with motivating myself to get out there. First things first - dress in layers that I can peel off as I warm-up, for me that includes 3 layers: a sweater, long sleeved shirt, an a tank top (or two). Second - embrace the elliptical and the treadmill. I know, sometimes boring... I keep myself occupied by reading on the elliptical or listening to Christmas music while I run on the treadmill. Not as pretty as being outside - but it works. Third - remember that physical activity = increased body temp = being warm!! I hope you find a creative way to stay active (and warm). How about shopping, gift wrapping, cleaning house, decorating, every little bit counts! Cheers to another cup of hot chocolate!

Mid-Week Melt Down

Today is Wednesday - hump day, half-way there day, is it almost Friday yet? I have found that Wednesdays appear to be a very hard day for me to motivate myself to workout. Granted - I did start my day at 5:40am (at work by 7 and even a few minutes early!), but, I should still have the energy to workout at some point during the day right? Well, not today. Some days, I just don't have it in me. But you know what else I have learned? Some days, that's just how it goes! And that's OK! Being FIT doesn't mean workingout everyday at any cost... it means listening to your body on days when you just aren't feeling it and making decisions to be FIT in other ways. I decided that my workout for the day would be to let myself relax, enjoy an evening with Jake and the kittens, eat a yummy and warm dinner, and just be. So here I am, sharing that time with you... because I want you to know that we all have those days where we just aren't feeling up to it, even me. Today I rest, and tomorrow I will be back at it, 110%.

On My Run...

I went for a run Friday morning before heading to the county for the weekend and although my route was the same as usual, I noticed that it seemed to go by fast (some days it drags on and on, we all know what that's like!). I spent the whole time trying to decide on what the heck I wanted to write about on my blog. I knew I wanted to start one, but I couldn't decide what I wanted to post about. Exercise information - ok, we can find that anywhere. Fitness myths - haven't we heard them all? Information about me - who cares! So, I decided I wanted to share with you why it is I even care about being healthy - why am I going for this run when its 40 degrees outside... Maybe something I write about that inspires me to be active will also inspire someone else. Besides, that's why I became a personal trainer and got involved in the industry in the first place - to help other people live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. If our quality of life is sub-par, why not do something about it? Believe me, I know it is easier said than done! But, we all find something that keeps us or gets us going right? Maybe what works for us will spark an interest in someone else. Or maybe, we just need somewhere to vent about what DOESN'T inspire us, and how to change it. Either way, we help someone.
I promise to only share stories with your permission and I will change names to protect the innocent, but I'm ready to go on this crazy ride that's called the world of blogging...