Bosu Squats

Bosu. What the heck is that? It’s that blue half-ball thingy that you see at the gym and don’t really know what its purpose is. Guess what? It’s got a lot going on! Today I’m going to discuss all the fun you can have using it to do squats. Bosu means Both Sides Up or Both Sides Utilized. Today, we’re talking about the round, bubble side, not the black, flat side with the handles (if you remember a while back, I talked about how to do a push-up on this side: click to see). Fun stuff!

For beginners, first try doing regular squats on the Bosu. Stand in front of a mirror so that you can get the positioning down, and if you’re up to it, grab yourself some light weights (5-10 for beginners). Squats by themselves are a great workout, so don’t be discouraged if you start out weightless or with 3-pounders – your legs will be sore either way. ☺

I was working out with my friend Jodi and was forced to use 17.5-pound weights, but if you’re balance-challenged or just starting out with the Bosu, go weightless and move up as you begin to feel more comfortable. (I would have been happy with some 10-pound weights, and my legs not shaking like an earthquake the whole time, but anyway.)

The Squat Step on the bubble side of the Bosu with feet shoulder width apart, toes slightly pointed outward. You can use wall/mirror to stable yourself or if you’re with a friend grab onto their arm. Contract your core to stabilize the body. While keeping your body weight centered on the Bosu, slowly lower your bottom to the Bosu by bending the knees just like a regular squat. Don’t let your knees go beyond your toes while squatting and push through your heels to isolate the glute. Without pausing, slowly exhale as you raise your body by straightening the legs – don’t spend more than 2 seconds at the top or bottom of your squat. Do this exercise with a fluid movement and try to keep the top of the Bosu stable, which will also work your core. Do three sets of 10-20 reps and move the weight and reps up as you master this move.

Muscles Worked

I usually do this routine with some lunges or step-ups (just step up and down on a bench, switching legs) and you’ve got yourself a nice little leg workout! Don’t mind the creepy photos below – I needed to find two that matched and this was the best Google could do for me. ☺

Healthy Chocolate Pudding

Not only is this pudding healthy and delicious, it takes less than 10 minutes to make! I know the main ingredient sounds a bit odd, but after reading reviews on different blogs of children who love this recipe, I knew I had to give it a go.

Ingredients 1 medium-sized, ripe avocado (pitted and peeled) 3 heaping T of raw cocoa powder (use normal cocoa powder if can't find raw) 1/3 cup agave nectar 1/2 t sea salt 2 t alcohol-free vanilla extract (I found this at Trader Joe's) 1/2 t cinnamon 1/2 cup water (I probably used about a cup, but blend it first before adding more) Berries (blueberries and strawberries are my favorites!)

Put all of the ingredients into a blender until the pudding is really creamy. Use a spatula to get the little avocado pieces mixed in and add water as needed. Once the pudding has reached the desired creaminess, put some berries on top, and it's ready to eat! I put my pudding in four serving dishes and froze it (about 4 hours) for a gelato-like consistency. Then I added blueberries, cocoa powder and coconut! It was a huge hit!

Travel Fitness: Hong Kong & Malaysia

The two most difficult times to stay in shape (for me) are traveling and holidays. Do you agree? I just got back from a two-week trip to Hong Kong and Malaysia and man, it’s really hard to maintain a routine while exploring new horizons!

Many hotels have an in-house gym, but when you’re in another country, do you really want to spend an hour indoors, confined to a treadmill? Usually the answer is no. Now, for me, I was lucky enough to stay with my friend’s family, which meant early mornings of eating, followed by long days of sightseeing and more EATING (and no gym included). I couldn’t turn down the delicious food and I also couldn’t skip off to the gym.

Lucky for me, Asia is filled with a lot of stairs and hills, which make for a nice fitness playground. Have you ever seen an amusement park in America with huge hills, escalators and stairs…on top of mountain? Well, Hong Kong is filled with settings of this nature, so I couldn’t get away from a little bit of exercise each day (translation: eat more wonderful food!). I've found that the easiest and most effective travel exercises are lunges, walking and push-ups. Also, abs, but with hardwood floors, this wasn’t attainable for me on this trip.

Stair Lunges For a great workout to strengthen your quads, glutes and hamstrings, try using stairs outdoors (or indoors, if your hotel has more than four floors)! I found a great hill near the apartment complex I stayed at and started with three stairs at a time for around 75 stairs. Remember, walking lunges, in addition to the incline, are more difficult and require more stability than a typical lunge. Perfect!

Execution Start at the bottom. Take a step up with your right foot to your destination stair (start with two stairs). Then complete the lunge. While keeping your balance (tighten your core!), take your left foot and go up another two stairs to complete the left side. Keep switching off until you reach the top! You can do this on the subway stairs, hotel stairs, bleachers, or really anywhere that has a long flight of stairs. And always remember to refuel with water, especially in hot and humid climates. Once you master two stairs, try for three (three is the max for me, given my height!) Remember! Maintain good posture throughout movement Contract back glute during stretch Do not let front knee slide past foot Do not let back foot touch the ground as you step into next lunge Keep chest up as you step

When you incorporate a quick and effective workout into your sightseeing, you can be unexpectedly sore. Even though I was walking around 3-7 miles per day,  I was definitely sore from my lunges - I consulted my fellow traveler and her buns weren’t sore, so yay for stair lunges!  I also did around 20 push-ups every two or three days and upon my return to the States, I didn’t feel as though I skimped out on my workouts! Try incorporating a workout into your next travels and let me know your stories!

2010 = New Fitness Goals!

It's a new year, friends. Happy days at the gym begin right about now...when everyone joins and vows they're going to starting working out and staying in shape. We have all been in this predicament with one excuse or another, and it's important to have goals in the fitness world. However, staying healthy should be a life goal, not just one of those new year's resolutions that is top of mind on January 1st and is nowhere to be found come March 1st. Don't let this be you! Power through all year long with reasonable goals. The new year is about starting fresh, so don't give yourself unreasonable goals, e.g., work out every day (after never working out at all). Start with one or two days a week and get yourself into a routine - you can even mix it up with some outdoor activities with friends (sports team, dance class, yoga, cycling), weather permitting. If your a novice, start off slow and if your seasoned "professional" just start by adding in something new; work with a trainer, Pilates, jumping rope instead of the stair climber, etc.

My first change to my fitness regimen in 2010 is adding Boot Camp to the mix. For six weeks at The Sporting Club, I will be doing Boot Camp every Tuesday or Thursday night. I will be sharing some exercises that I learn and hopefully you will try them at home...but be sure to report back with feedback!

A Happy and Healthy 2010 to all of you!

PS. I did 48 push-ups...in a row. My goal for January is 50!

I Moved to Sunny San Diego!

Would anyone in NYC be offended if I tell you that I'm cold? :) In a city that usually holds temperatures in the 70s year-round, I'm feeling just a bit cold in the 50- and 60-degree lows we are seeing in SSD (Sunny San Diego).

After five and a half years of living and loving NYC, I made the move to San Diego to obtain an EMBA in Global Entrepreneurship from San Diego State. Sadly to say, the program has been since canceled...thanks to three people who dropped out last minute. Instead of spending a year abroad in Abu Dhabi, India and Hong Kong, learning all about international business, working out and eating in other climates and cultures, I'm "stuck" in San Diego. I know life works in mysterious ways, so I don't blame anyone, but I was quite bummed that I quit my job, moved across the country and am now jobless. No biggie...there's always Burger King. Just a joke.

With the move, I faced a great challenge facing my world. How do I leave the love of my life? Boyfriend? No...Equinox. This gym has been a long standing part of my life and saying goodbye was bittersweet. Unemployed and heartbroken, I learned that my only inexpensive option was 24 Hour Fitness. After all the luxuries found at Equinox, this whole "bring your own towel," "clean your machine after you workout" and "bring your own kettlebells" concept puts the fear in me, but I know I can make it through. I was a member of 24 Hour for about 10 years prior to moving to NYC, so I think the transition will be somewhat okay.

And...a  year membership only put me out $200, so I just keep reminding myself that Equinox cost me $142 PER MONTH. With the "extra" cash, I plan to utilize the personal trainers and have started out with 3 sessions for just $99. Wish me luck!

San Diego: The Sporting Club at The Aventine

Located in La Jolla, California, The Sporting Club is actually one of the more expensive gyms in San Diego, but I guess coming from New York City, it seems pretty inexpensive for what you get. To be a member of this luxurious little gym, it costs $100 per month with a $300 initiation fee. Because this gym is part of the Hyatt, the property includes tennis courts and an Olympic-sized swimming pool where you can get poolside service. Shaped like a circle, The Sporting Club has an open layout; on the mezzanine, where the cardio equipment lies, overlooks the entirety of first floor of the gym, so you can look down on all the southern California hunks who are pumping iron. HA! Everything at this gym is clean, clean, clean. This was my second visit to this gym (the first was about two years ago when I attended a kick-boxing class), but on this trip my girlfriend, Jodi, and I stuck to the usual elliptical machines and then some abdominal work. I loved that I was looking outside at an 85-degree day with beautiful blue skies.

Once we finished our gym session, we went down to the locker rooms, which have the most serene sauna and steam room I have ever scene, outside of a spa. I didn't go in, but they looked lovely. The lockers were the lockless type where you can type in your own code. The showers had all the normal shampoo, conditioner and body wash, but the shampoo smelled a bit like Band-Aids (don't ask why I know this smell), but the conditioner was yummy and smelled of mint/eucalyptus. Jodi told me that there is a private locker room area that serves food and drinks the VIP members. Excuse me.

My second visit to the gym entailed lying by the pool with two of my best friends and some beers (woops!).  Although I didn't work out, I got to watch an incredible fit swim instructor hold a private lesson—it was at that time I was regretting my choice of beverage.

A guest pass will drain your wallet of $20, but if you sneak in the back door as a guest—it won't cost a thing. ;-)