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Always Keep Active

There is a difference between physical activity and exercise.  Exercise is actually a type of physical activity that is a planned routine.  While physical activity is simply doing activities that increases your physical fitness and overall health.

It is important to stay physically active, which does not always entail going to the gym to exercise.  It could simply mean, taking a walk in the park, going for a jog, hiking, skating, playing recreational sports, raking the leaves in your yard, shoveling snow, power washing your house, etc.
Physical Activities

Shredding For the Wedding 5/7/16

5/18/2016

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I shredded for the wedding!

I am now a married woman. We had a wonderful wedding last week that was filled with love and fun- lots of fun. The stress of the wedding planning was finally released and it was a joyous time. Leading up to the event, other than the usual wedding stress of how things were going to flow and getting all the decoration details in order, I, just like many other brides, had the thought in the back of my head - the worry about how my dress would fit the day of.

Maintaining my figure and staying toned is pretty much always my goal. This was the same goal I had for the dress. So in order to keep me focused on this goal, I had to think of a different- more specific one, that would force me to stay in a weekly routine. 
Take note, even if your goal is different from mine like weight loss, you need to find a more specific one to help you stay on track with fitness.

My more specific goal:
For about a year now I have been talking about training for and running a full marathon. I have done several half marathons, but never the full 26.2 miles. And with the wedding, I found that it was the perfect opportunity to get myself on a more strict workout regimen- so I signed up!!!!
(The wedding was May 7th but the race is in June, so my training has still continued, even after the I do's.)
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As soon as I signed up for the marathon, I sat down and wrote out my 4 month training program for both me and my now husband (of course I dragged him into it! Workout buddies make everything fun :-D ).

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Flexing for the wedding
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Vogue. I was feeling myself
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The workout regimen is extremely important in helping with anyone's fitness goals, but nutrition is also a key factor. I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables on a regular basis, and I get my protein from legumes, meat, and some dairy products. I continued with my normal routine. I did try to stay away from the processed foods as much as I could.

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Running Diaries (Race Prep)

9/5/2014

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My race is almost here! Tomorrow is the day! I have been getting myself ready for this 13.1 mile run, by running long runs on the weekend, staying flexible, drinking water, and eating right.  The thursday before the race, rather than going for a long run, I took a long walk - to keep my muscles loose, and keep my body moving.  It was an active rest day before the big day.

Long Runs                                            

I began running shorter distances and built up to 10 miles.  I started with 3 miles, then went to 4, 5, 6, and so on. This allowed me to build my stamina for the long run. 

Flexibility                                             

Being flexible allows you to move your muscles through a full range of motion. If your muscles are too tight, you are limited in your movements and won’t be able to perform as well.

The main muscles I wanted to target were my Hamstrings, Quads, Glutes, Calfs, and most importantly, my Hip Flexors. 

For one day this week I used a foam roller, to perform a myo-fascia release on some of these muscles.  This helps to release the toxins within the muscle, and loosens it up to help it perform its function better.

Other days, before my workout I performed dynamic stretches, like leg kicks, high knees, and butt kicks. After my workouts and during my downtime, performed static stretches, like the hurdle stretch, seated forward fold, stretches for the hip flexors and the IT band etc. 

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http://aretecomplete.com
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http://aretecomplete.com
Check out some of these stretches. Click.

Hydration                                                

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Hydration is important. Water helps keep your body at regular temperatures, transports waste and nutrients throughout your body, protects the joints, and more.  With exercise, we tend to perspire, and as you lose water, you want to replenish your body with what was lost.

Dehydration can cause a slack in performance, and can limit you from doing well. 

I am always drinking water, making sure that I get the right amount each day.  And with this race ahead of me, I have been focusing on my water intake and keeping my body hydrated.

Check out this post on hydration, and why it is important. Click.

Eat Right                                                         

I eat pretty healthy on a regular basis. I consume a lot of fruits and vegetables.  I eat meat occasionally.  And I don’t tend to eat junk food.  

Before my morning workouts, I made sure that I had something to eat an hour or two before my exercises/runs.  Fruit smoothies, oatmeal, cereal, yogurt and fruit, toast, etc. I made sure I ate to give my body something to metabolize.  If I don’t eat anything before a workout - I have absolutely no energy.  If I did not eat before exercising, my body would not have anything to use for fuel; so everything that seemed so easy before would become much more difficult.  Eating is extremely important.

Because running such a far distance, I need to make sure I eat right the night before (have enough carbs stored in my body for the run), and eat the morning of.  Stew and I will be staying at a bed and breakfast, so I don’t have to worry about preparing our breakfast.  We will wake up with enough time to get ready, eat, and sign in for the race.  After the half marathon, we will need to restore our body with some carbs and fats - since our bodies will still need energy - and protein, to help rebuild our muscles.
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#AlwaysKeepActive #FitgirlWcurls #LiveLife #RunRunRun #13.1 #Health #GetExcited
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Running Diaries

8/31/2014

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Running diaries

My boyfriend, Stew, and I decided to go on a ten mile run to prepare for a race that we signed up for next weekend. We tried a new trail that went around some ponds through a wooded area, on the bay side of Bethany Beach. The trail brought us out to route 1 highway, where we ran all the way to the Indian River Bridge - just outside of Dewey Beach. The sun was beating down on us and there was no shade around. Our bodies were getting tired with the loss of water and energy. On our run back we stopped at a market to grab some Gatorade, water, and some free cookies, since our bodies were in a calorie burning stage. It was a great run, we felt good and glad that we finished. Were both excited for this upcoming race.
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My birthday is next Friday, September 5th, and the race is my present. A half marathon - 13.1 miles in Lake Placid, New York. I cannot wait. This will be my second half that I will have done. My first was in Wilmington, Delaware in May, 2013. I have been wanting to sign up for another one ever since, but have been very wary about my knees.

My limitations

Ever since high school track I have had tendinitis in both of my knees. Throughout the years the chronic injury kept getting worse. One of my knees would swell up after a sprint or long run, and the swelling would last for a good 2 weeks, limiting my range of motion and having me limping around with minor pain sometimes. When the inflammation went down and I started running again, it was only a matter of time when the other knee would flare up and repeat the same process. 

Over the last few years I have been strengthening and stretching my leg muscles, wearing my knee braces, and decreasing the amount of days that I run.  I was hesitant on signing up for any races when I moved to the Greater New York Area this past May, because I had a new job as a Personal Trainer and wouldn't want to be injured while on the job. Could you imagine seeing a Personal Trainer limping around the gym two weeks at a time?

I love to run, i won't let tendinitis keep me down

However, I have been on a couple long runs (Stew and I ran 8 miles the other week) along the Hudson River, overlooking an amazing view of NYC, and kept telling myself that "I have to do it."
 "I have to sign up for a run. I want to keep myself motivated with running. I love it too much to stop."

So I did it. I signed up for a 13.1 mile run for the day after my birthday. I'm celebrating my birthday with something active, and something that I enjoy greatly. My goal is to do a bunch of halves to eventually work my way up to the full 26.2 marathon.  

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#DoWhatYouLove #AlwaysKeepActive #StayActive #LoveLife #LiveLife #GetExcited #RunRunRun #Workout #Exercise #Healthy #FitGirlWCurls



Make sure you follow me on twitter @fitgirlwcurls 
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Take Advantage

2/22/2014

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The weather this weekend is great. Going from temperatures that were varying from 4-14 degrees fahrenheit, to this 50 degree weather - seems like the perfect temperature.  Definitely great weather to be doing some activities outside. Like walking or running.  This is a great opportunity to take your workouts outside during this “heat wave” (just make sure you dress appropriately.)

my Run

I’m up in Hoboken for the weekend, and my boyfriend and I thought it would be a  great idea to go for a long run to embrace the day.  Before our run we started our day with a great, nutrient filled breakfast, and then headed out the door.  We ran from Hoboken up to West New York - about a 9 mile run - with great views along the Hudson River of New York City.  
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Morning Burst Breakfast. (Kale and Spinach mix salad with red peppers, quinoa, avocado, and a homemade apple cider vinaigrette). (White Potato and Sweet Potato Homefries). (Scrambled Eggs). (Diced Mangos).
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Running along the Jersey side of the Hudson River.

Take advantage of the weekend weather

It may not be summertime sun, but with the proper clothing, it is perfect.  Do something active outside with friends or family to change up your routine.
  • Do your workouts outside
  • Go for a walk
  • Go for a run
  • Ride a bike
  • Play pick up games (Basketball, soccer, etc.)

Take advantage of the temperatures, and do something outdoors.
Always Stay Active! 
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Wissahickon Park

12/25/2013

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I love to run, absolutely love it! The running trails I normally run on are already paved, streets, or flat fields and tracks.  My boyfriend took me to Wissahickon Park, which is a part a Fairmont Park in Philadelphia.  This park has so many different trails to run, bike, hike, and even ride horses on.  

The trails we chose were the unpaved rocky, dirt terrain up a large hill.  Now I know this sounds quite intimidating to some, but I thought that this was the greatest run.  It was different from what I was used to, a new atmosphere to run in, and kept me alert the entire time I was running (You have to know where you are stepping if you run on this terrain, otherwise you can seriously hurt yourself.)

It was very scenic, we ran through the woods right along the Wissahickon creek.   It was pretty cold out, it had flurried a little bit before we decided to head out, so we were both bundled up greatly, with layers on top of layers, gloves, and ear warmers - we were warm and we were ready to run.

I think I may try and get more into this type of running.  It’s different from what I’m used to, and will be good when a change is needed
 
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Run Keeper is a great running app that I like to use that tells you the distance you ran, your run time, your average pace, calories burned, and more.  When using it today it told me that we ran 4.67 miles in an hour, averaging bout 12:56 minutes per mile. Not bad for a trail run, huh?
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If you are not a runner, Wissahickon is a great place to go for a walk, hike, mountain bike ride, and horse ride.  If you are interested in finding a new place to go for these activities in the Philadelphia area, this is a good spot to try. 
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    Author

    My name is Jenna and I am a Personal Trainer with a dream of motivating and inspiring others to live a healthy and active lifestyle. I live a life full of fun and adventure that I wish to share with all of you through my blog. With advise, tips, and my life stories I hope these posts help to motivate and inspire to begin and/or maintain an exercise program.

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