July 1, 2014 - Brooklyn Active Mama

Weekly Wednesday Workout: Elbow Push ups

by Nellie July 30, 2014

Weekly Wednesday Workout: Elbow Push ups

Today we work on the upper body!

httpv://youtu.be/K7InUqXlExw

I would be telling fibs if I told you that this is my favorite kind of push up, because its not. As a matter of fact my trainer makes me do these every time I see him (he has no mercy). Usually to get through a minute there may or may not be a hefty amount of swearing and pouting. With that said, these are highly effective because you are working so much all at the same time! The upper body by going up and down, the core which is supporting the entire movement, and of course the back muscles are getting love too!

Have you ever tried Elbow Push ups?

16 comments

dillemas

The Only Way to Win is to Sleep Your Way To The Top

by Nellie July 28, 2014

Do you get enough sleep?

I know it don’t. I am actually not sure where it all went wrong. As a teenager you could usually find me napping after school and on the weekend sleeping in until 12 then going right back to sleep after breakfast. (Oh how I miss those days!)

Now, things have dramatically changed–now that I have a full time job, a full time blog, 2 little humans that depend on me, a husband and so much more sleep seems to take a backseat to everything else. When I talk to my girlfriends we are all in the same boat, sleep deprived but somehow still keeping it together.

This post was inspired by the one and only Ariana Huffington’s interview this weekend at Blogher14. (You already know there is tons more to come on that!) she was interviewed by the one and only Guy Kawasaki and she talked about how important it is for her to get her rest. She gets a minimum of 8 hours sleep per night. She encouraged us to do the same, no matter how busy you are because the brain works better–all the stuff I already know but she already has an empire…I’m still hustling towards mine.

I’m not sure why the first thing I sacrifice is sleep. There have been many nights where I decide that photo editing/emails/TV/cleaning is way more important than rest. It’s that notion of just getting something done, OFF my to do list, that is so satisfying. But how is that good for my health? Especially now that half marathon training has me up at 4:30 am twice a week.

Ariana Huffington suggested having a transition period before bed. A good 30 minutes before your bedtime take the time to meditate, shut off all the screens and get as relaxed as possible. She also suggested a day of digital detox where you leave all the technology alone and rest.

[Tweet “”It’s a delusion that you have to burn out to succeed” [email protected] #blogher14″]

The interview made me step back and reevaluate my own sleep habits. Should I stop and really try to get more zzz or should I keep hustling to get where I need to be? Hmm.

Check out this brief TED Talk from Arianna where she chats about her aha moment, why women need more sleep plus I am kind of obsessed with her accent.

What do you think? Is a normal amount of sleep worth it in the end or YOLO no sleep at all? How many of hours sleep do you get? Do you have a transition period before bed?

26 comments

Weekly Wednesday Workout

Strength Training 101: Dumb Bell Hip Hinges

by Nellie July 23, 2014

Weekly Wednesday Workout: Dumb Bell Hip Hinges

Today we are going to work on our hips, legs and balance:

These are definitely not as easy as they look–this move requires a lot of balance and a lot of concentration. These can be done with or without weights. When I do these, I feel it most in my hamstrings. depending on the amount of weight that I am holding in each hand really determines how much I have to focus on balance. When I am holding a 5 pound dumb bell, easy peasy, when I have a 15 pound dumb bell– it is a totally different story! It is super important that these aren’t done very quickly, you might run the risk of pulling something!

Have you ever tried Dumb Bell Hip Hinges?

20 comments

run disney running

Run To Breathe 4 Mile Race Recap + A Video Announcement!

by Nellie July 18, 2014

It was a beautiful morning (for July) the temperature was about 71, humidity 75 and the race would be held in the gorgeous Central Park in NYC.

It had been a long time since I had done a New York Road Runners race. They manage the New York Marathon every year and boy you can see why, their races are extremely well organized and I even bought a membership for the year because the races they do are phenomenal.

I was really excited about this 4mile race–and usually I am terrified. This is how my running pattern was (before 10k training and the running bug bit)

Browse active.com
Find a really cool looking 5k
Register
Don’t run until race day
Wake up race day morning wondering why the eff I did this
Pray to make it to the finish line
Make it to the finish line (hurting)
Go home
Repeat cycle

Now that I have actually been practicing running, I was geeked to run this race. 4miles is longer than my normal 3.1 but I had no fears, I knew in my bones I could do it.

When I arrived at the race there were literally thousands of people there. Since the race is a scored qualifying race for the 2016 marathon it sold out rather quickly. The race was benefitting Boomer Esiason’s Cystic Fibrosis foundation and the total amount of participants was just over 5000!

Even as the bell chimed and the music began I really didn’t cross the starting line until 20 minutes after the first runners started. I turned on my nikeplus app (since this is the app I train with for every run) and started easy with a jog.

However, I was stunned when I felt like giving up in the first 3 minutes. I didn’t understand why I was so tired so early! I walked for a minute, regrouped, and started running again. After about 5 minutes I started to feel good again, getting into longer run/shorter walk patterns.

I was very happy to be under 12 min per mile after the first mile because there were some hills involved. Second mile I was still under 12 so I knew if I could keep pushing I would have a PR because my usual miles are 12:30ish (on a good day). Mile 3 was harder, I walked a lot of that one but Mile 4 made me want to run to the end!

When it was all said and done Nike Plus said that I averaged 11:58 per mile! I was so excited I almost hugged everyone when I crossed the line. I beat my own expectations and I felt great during the race. I even felt like I could keep going!

There was a lot of post race fun like a great band and vendors but really, all I wanted to do was eat my cinnamon Raisin bagel and bask in what I just did.

It really goes to show that your only limits are the ones you set on yourself. When I said I wanted to run a 10k in January as a part of my fitness bucket list, I didn’t know how it would happen. I figured let me throw it out there and let the universe do what it may. Boy, did it ever.

I know I have a lot of miles to log and training runs to complete. I will be honest here, I feel ready, more than ready for my 10k races this fall. For the first time ever I can see past the 5k and even the 10k. Is there a Brooklyn Half in my future? Who knows! This is no longer an impossible idea and for that I am grateful.

This running bug has me ignoring my scale, reading running books, listening to running podcasts… I am loving it so much and it is giving me a new appreciation for my body. Putting on step in front of the other (no matter how fast or slow) is one of the greatest things you can do.

My next race is a 5mile run in August. Until then, train train train!

I did something a little crazy! Check out my video 🙂

httpv://youtu.be/BE8fsNT26zk

It’s Friday! Don’t forget to check in! How did you do with your fitness and wellness goals this week? What have you done lately that surprised yourself?

25 comments

Weekly Wednesday Workout

Weekly Wednesday Workout: Spiderman Planks

by Nellie July 16, 2014

Weekly Wednesday Workout: Spiderman Planks

This week we focus on our abs!!

httpv://youtu.be/dvAm7Gw0klA

I am not a fan of the planks, but I can’t deny how effective they are for flattening the tummy! We have done several planks in this series before but these are special because my trainer makes me do these more often than not. What I like about these is that there is an oblique element added. Plus you might actually feel a bit like spiderman when you do them. 🙂

Have you ever tried Spiderman Planks?

17 comments

July 2014

Weekly Wednesday Workout: Elbow Push ups

Have you ever tried Elbow Push ups?

What do you think? Is a normal amount of sleep worth it in the end or YOLO no sleep at all? How many of hours sleep do you get? Do you have a transition period before bed?

Weekly Wednesday Workout: Dumb Bell Hip Hinges

Have you ever tried Dumb Bell Hip Hinges?

It’s Friday! Don’t forget to check in! How did you do with your fitness and wellness goals this week? What have you done lately that surprised yourself?

Weekly Wednesday Workout: Spiderman Planks