Used previously by old time strong men and popularised by Russian athletes, the kettlebell is now used by top sports teams, martial artists, athletes, Hollywood celebrities and everyday trainers throughout the world, due to the outstanding results people are getting.

The foundation kettlebell exercise is the kettlebell swing. The swing can be done with 1 or 2 hands. It involves hiking the kettlebell between your legs before using your hips and posterior chain to propel the kettlebell forward and up in a circular swing movement before it drops under control back between your legs. The following great benefits can be gained by training with kettlebell swings.

 What is the benefit?
1). Kettlebells are highly efficient and allow you to do fitness and weight training in one workout at the same time.

2). Swings develop the important posterior chain muscles of the body such as the hamstrings, glutes, core and back. These muscles are often overlooked with traditional weight training but they are crucial for a large number of sports as these muscles are heavily involved in sprinting, jumping and tackling movements.

3). A kettlebell swing is a perfect choice of exercise for tabata training. This very short but intense style of training is ideal for kettlebell swings as they hit a lot of muscle at one time and get the heart rate soaring. Although Tabata training only involves work periods of 20 seconds with 10seconds of rest it is very brutal but very effective.

4). Swings work the abs and strengthen the core muscles as they provide a stable platform for other muscles to pull from. Traditional crunches are useless and do nothing for you, hit your abs with functional abdominal training that actually has benefit in the real world.

5). A key benefit of kettlebell swings is that they train all parts of the back from the lower back all the way to traps. They train all the muscles together giving you a great functional workout

6). High rep swings also develop back endurance which Professor Stuart McGill a leading spine/back expert considers has a very positive effect on the reduction of back injuries.

7). Swings are a fantastic conditioner and body fat burner. More and more studies are concluding that greater body fat burning occurs when training is performed at higher intensity levels rather than long slow endurance type training.

Although it sounds too good to be true there is a downside of kettlebell swings … they are hard work. However, if you build into your program gradually, a program based around kettlebell swing movements will provide fantastic workouts to get you fit, lean and healthy in a surprisingly short amount of time.

How to Swing a Kettlebell Correctly!

The kettlebell swing is the foundation movement for a large proportion of kettlebell exercises. The swing utilises a hip thrust that is fundamental to other kettlebell exercises such as the kettlebell clean and the kettlebell one arm snatch.
The swing maximizes muscular endurance in the back and waist, is a great lower body strength builder and is a highly effective conditioning exercise.

1) The starting position of the Two Arm Kettlebell Swing is with the kettlebell on the ground in front of you, knees bent, your weight centered towards your heels and your back flat

2) Start the movement by hiking the kettlebell behind you and then drive your hips forward to propel the kettlebell through its arc. The movement is similar to performing a standing broad jump, but of course you stay in the same spot

3) Your arms are just hooks and the power comes from the movement of the hips and the muscles of the posterior chain ie, hamstrings, glutes, lower back.

4) Swing the kettlebell to about chest height. At the top of the movement breathe out whilst contracting your quads, glutes and your abs (by tilting your pelvis up).

5) Breathe in and hold your breath as you let the kettlebell free fall back between your legs so that it passes through your legs as high as possible (to keep the arc tight and to stop unnecessary pulling on your back). Aim for your groin and then get your groin out of the way by taking you hips back

6) Although different trainees will have varying amount of knee bend the important thing is that the hips go back and thrust forward and that the quads do not take over the exercise. You should feel the movement in your hamstrings. If your quads are instead fatiguing then you are not taking the hips back at the bottom of the movement.

Dumbbell training is also one good way to shape up our abs. When doing exercises with the dumbbells, the muscles of the abdomen are also recruited to help maintain the balance. As the upper limbs carry out the training, the muscles from the body are also used to provide greater force and maintain balance so they are also included in the training.

Power and endurance are increased as both muscles and cardiovascular organs participate in the training. The other training courses in weightlifting may require another course of training for cardiovascular workout but if you are not at liberty to do all the courses, the cardio workout of the dumbbell training may be enough. Probably one of the best advantages of dumbbell training is that a lot of the routines are applicable in everyday life. Some of the range-of-motion exercises using dumbbells follow the natural movements of our upper limbs as we normally move. With dumbbell training, the everyday activities of sports, work and just ordinary movements are made easier.

Despite their appearance, many joggers and cyclists are not really lean. They may be slender because they have little muscle mass, but their body fat percentages are often surprisingly high.. In contrast, sprinters are lean and muscular with low body fat percentages. They have high human growth hormone (HGH) and testosterone levels–good for both females and males. Think back to the last track meet you saw. Who would you rather look like: the sprinters or the distance runners?

Benefits of Sprinting
1) Sprinting will reduce body fat and strengthen you far more than long, slow cardio because sprinting requires maximal recruitment of muscle. After about 8 seconds, sprinting sends acid signals to the muscles, which activates the fast twitch fibers. Fast-twitch fibers are thicker than slow twitch fibers, and it is fast twitch fibers that grow in size when activated by the right training.
2) Sprinting naturally increases human growth hormone. Human growth hormone increases muscle mass, thickens and adds flexibility to the skin, enhances the immune system, promotes weight loss through fat redistribution and loss, and increases stamina.
3) Sprinting strengthens your cardiovascular system with brief bursts of high intensity followed by long periods of recovery. You strengthen your skeletal muscles by doing heavy, low-repetition sets with long recoveries. You should strengthen your heart the same way. Sprinting doesn’t cause the continuous stress on the heart that long, slow cardio does.
4) Sprint workouts are short and a lot more fun than long, boring cardio workouts.

The Definition of Sprinting
Based on the misleading articles and workouts I’ve seen posted all over the web, I’d better define what sprinting is. Sprinting is not just running faster than a jog. You cannot “sprint” for 30-60 second or even more with an equal recovery for 6-10 repetitions as some fitness “experts” advise. This is an anaerobic or interval workout. It’s far better for you than plodding along the road or on a treadmill, but it’s not sprinting and won’t give you the benefits mentioned above. Sprint means “to race or move at full speed.” Think playing tag or running to first base after a hit. Sprint workouts feature short, high-intensity repetitions and long, easy recoveries.

Where to Do a Sprint Workout
A track is the best place to do sprints because it’s marked (in meters), and its surface is ideal for sprinting. A grass or dirt surface is next best; however, check your course for gopher holes and such before starting your sprints. Twisting an ankle will end your sprint workouts for awhile. The one place not to do your sprint workout is on concrete. Your back will thank you.

How to Do a Sprint Workout
Start your workout by warming up for about 5 minutes. Measure out a course from 50-100 yards (or meters) long. Remember that you need to sprint at least 8 seconds before your body sends the signals that produce human growth homone. Do 5-10 repetitions. The total distance of your sprints should not exceed 400-800 yards or meters. Between repetitions, walk slowly at least twice the distance that you ran. This should take from 1-2 minutes. Don’t jog to “keep your heart rate up.” You need to recover so that each repetition can be run at close to full speed. No matter what workout you planned, if you reach a point where you can’t sprint because of fatigue, quit. Jogging to “finish” the workout won’t do you any good since intensity is the objective, not volume.

If you’re out of your teens and haven’t been sprinting for a year or more, you will probably not be able to sprint at full speed right away. You should allow yourself at least a week for every decade you’ve lived to build up to full speed sprinting. In other words, if you’re 40 and haven’t been doing any sprinting in the past year, allow at least 4 weeks of gradually increasing the speed of your sprints before trying to go full speed in your workout. Even then, it doesn’t hurt to hold back a little on the first repetition or two of each session.

How Often to Do a Sprint Workout
If you’re running, cycling, swimming, etc. in addition to sprinting, limit your sprint workouts to twice a week with at least 48-72 hours between. If you’re not doing anything else but strength training, you can go to 3 times a week if you want.

Sprinting is a natural and valuable human activity. If you think back to when you were a kid, how many times did you jog for miles? Almost never, right? On the other hand, you probably sprinted nearly every day on the playground, the athletic field, or just down the street. If you want to maintain a youthful body, you have to continue to do the things that youthful bodies naturally do. Sprinting is one of those things.

Sprinting Is Actually One of The Best Butt Exercises 
Do You Know What the Gluteal Fold Is? The gluteal fold is the area where the butt meets the hamstring. A person with a well developed glute-hamstring area would have a smooth transition between these two muscle groups. A person with less development here would almost be able to hold a pencil at the junction between the hamstrings and butt muscles. Sprinting is an amazing way to develop definition and firm up the glute and hamstring area. The nice thing about sprinting is that it seems to build proportionate muscles in the legs, hips and butt over time. I always recommend Sprinting builds great definition and tone in the lower body that can’t be duplicated with resistance training.

Tips On Sprinting Form
When you sprint, you need to relax your shoulders. There is a tendency to shrug the shoulders up as you sprint. The problem lies in the fact that if your shoulders start to rise, your hips lock up a bit…this decreases your ability to sprint quickly. Also, over time you will notice that your feet are barely contacting the ground for more than a split second. This is what you are aiming for. As you get better at sprinting, you will fly over the pavement in a way that is much different than jogging. 

Other Major Benefits of Sprinting
Sprinting creates major metabolic changes in your body. Research has shown that high intensity exercise will burn calories long after your workout is complete.  If you only do low intensity exercise, you probably won’t cause your body to increase HGH release. Consequently, you burn less body fat if you only include low intensity exercises in your workout routine.

Who has the time to go to the gym, or buy expensive equipment, or take long bike rides?

Well, if those are the things stopping you, you’re in luck.

It takes no equipment to get a great workout and get in shape, and with one or two pieces of simple equipment, you can turn that great workout into a fantastic one, you magnificent beast, you.

And with little or no equipment required for a fantastic workout, you can do it at home, or wherever you are. Even if you’re in solitary confinement.

It’s hard not to find time for this type of workout — you can do it while watching TV, for goodness sake!

The Pros and Cons of Bodyweight Exercises

Using just your bodyweight, you can do a large number of challenging exercises. I designed a workout that I do when I can’t make it to the gym, for example, and I can testify that it’s incredibly challenging (more on that below).

If you add just one or two pieces of equipment: a dumbbell, a kettlebell, a jump rope, a medicine ball, or a chinup bar, for example, you can increase the challenge even more.

Now, I’m not putting down lifting weights — I truly believe in lifting heavy weights when you can, but there are tremendous benefits from bodyweight exercises as well:

No gym fees or need to buy expensive equipment.
You can do the workout anywhere, anytime.
Most exercises involve many muscles working in coordination, resulting in great overall fitness and strength.
For people who are just starting with strength training, bodyweight is often more than enough to begin with. And it gives you a good foundation of strength you can build on later.
Bodyweight exercises aren’t the only thing you should ever do, however, for several reasons:

After awhile (a couple months perhaps), they aren’t all that challenging. You’ll need to continue to build your strength by adding weights. You can do that with some simple equipment (see below).
If you don’t have at least one or two pieces of equipment — a chinup bar or a resistance band perhaps — some muscles don’t get worked out as much as others. That’s not a problem over the short term, but over the long term you’ll want to make sure you get a balance.
I suggest starting with bodyweight exercises, and then slowly transitioning to a combination of bodyweight and weight training to get a good balance. And even if you’re doing a complete weight training program, you can always use bodyweight exercises anytime you can’t make it to the gym.

A few suggestions:
Choose a variety of exercises that work out all the parts of your body. Don’t do all variations of pushups, for example. You should be doing some pulling exercises (like pullups), some lower-body exercises, like lunges and squats, and others that work out all of your body, like burpees.
If you want a real challenge, mix cardio exercises (see below) with the strength exercises.

If you have some of the equipment listed below, definitely use them. Or buy one or two pieces of equipment … but there’s no need to rush out and buy a whole bunch of things. You can get a great workout without equipment, at least for awhile.

If you’re just starting out, take it easy and gradually build up. Don’t get discouraged, and don’t overdo it!

As you get stronger, gradually add weights. Dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, and medicine balls are some good ways to do that. It’ll take a couple months of bodyweight exercises, though, before you really need to move to weights.

Basic bodyweight exercises There are many, many variations of bodyweight exercises, but here are some of the more common ones:
- Pushups (there are many variations — Hindu pushups , dive bombers, diamond pushups  and others)
-Burpees 
-Squats  (variations: jump squats , Hindu squats )
-Lunges  (variation: jumping lunges, side lunges)
-Chair dips 
-Planks  (variation: side plank)
-Crunches – my favorite: bicycle crunches 
-Bear crawl – crawl quickly on hands and feet 
-Lateral barrier jump – jump sideways, over an obstacle 
-Isometrics
-Plyometrics

Exercises requiring minimal equipment
You don’t need to buy all of this equipment, but if you have any, these are great. Or buy one or two pieces in order to add an extra challenge to your workout:
-Pullup bar: Chinups, pullups, hanging knee raises (here’s the one I use)
-Resistance band
-Medicine ball
-Kettlebell 
-Dumbbells
-Tractor tires — there are lots of exercises where you flip tires, jump through them, etc.

Cardio exercises
-Jumping jacks
-Jump rope – requires jump rope, of course, but it’s a great workout 
-Side shuffles
-Touchdowns
-Run 800 meters (or a mile)
-Interval running
-Rowing (requires a rowing machine)

Although triathletes come in various shapes, sizes and sexes, you have to be in excellent physical condition to participate in a triathlon. If you are participating in a race, or plan to do so, here are five key phases you should add to your triathlon training.

Hydration is the absolute, number one, most important training tip. Start off well hydrated, or even over-hydrated if you don’t mind potty visits three times in the last hour of your pre-triathlon race or training sessions. Then, if the triathlon event is less than an hour, you will not need to take in liquids during the event.

Phase One
Fun exercise. Most of your triathlon training should be enjoyable. The post-triathlon race season, and the early build up for next year, should be even more fun. Include long gentle sessions, cruising at 70 percent of your maximum heart rate, plus plenty of speedplay.

Running element. Two hundred to 800 meter efforts on trails, grass or other soft surfaces. Run 10-20 percent of your mileage as speedplay at about 10K of your race effort.

Swimming. Time to switch your environment. Ocean, lake or pool…seek a change. Swim 30-90 seconds in moderate effort surges.

Biking – Go off-road or to the road. Ride hard up the hills or do 2-10 minute surges.

Phase Two
Strength exercise – You still keep your long runs and bike rides, but you’re now in full triathlon training. Hill repeats for running and biking. Use resistance devices for swimming. In all the triathlon disciplines, keep your cadence and work on form. Also include weight training twice a week, until two weeks before your main triathlon races. Keep that relaxing speedplay exercise also.

Phase Three
Improve your oxygen delivery system or anaerobic threshold, while improving exercise efficiency. For triathlon running, you need to practice running at 15K to half-marathon race pace, with one to two mile repeats and 4- to 5-mile tempo runs. Run at 80-86 % maximum heart rate for these sessions. Biking at about one-hour time trial pace means 5- to 15-minute repeats at that pace. Swimming will require 3- to 5-minute efforts at 90 percent maximum swimming heart rate. Keep some strength and speedplay sessions too. Continue long runs and bike rides.

Phase Four
Improve oxygen uptake capacity (VO2 Max) and exercise form. Use a 5K pace for running (95 % of max VO2), usually as 1- to 3-minute efforts or 300-600 meters. If very experienced, use 5-minute efforts to perfect relaxed running form. Biking will also need 1- to 5-minute efforts at 15-minute time trial pace, which is closer to 100 % of max VO2 on the bike. One-minute efforts are more the norm for swimmers; form is so much more important against the high resistance of water. Retain some anaerobic exercise, strength and speedplay sessions too.

Phase Five
Peaking requires resting by 20-40 percent, but only in the last 2-3 weeks. The type of training that’s most often neglected is long efforts at VO2 Max. Running 1,000 to 1,600 meters at 5K pace, biking 4-6 minute efforts, and swimming 2 to 3 minutes at high intensity, places the muscles, including the heart muscle, in the high training zone for a greater percentage of the exercise session.

The well-trained runner/triathlete will find 12 x 400 meters at 5K pace easy. Three times one-mile at 5K pace is more demanding, especially if you only take a two-minute rest between reps. Match each session of long efforts with a session of short efforts at 5K intensity. Keep some anaerobic threshold exercise, strength speedplay sessions too. Never ignore a strength while working on your weakness.

Four weeks of relative rest in phase one should be followed by about eight weeks in each of the other four, triathlon-training phases. These 36 weeks leave triathletes a 16-week racing season.

At the center of the body’s hormonal system is the thyroid, a small butterfly shaped gland that sits atop the adams apple. The thyroid and the hormones it release’s control most of the body’s metabolism. When the thyroid begins to malfunction or a disease affects its processes the metabolism of the body can become seriously affected. One of the biggest changes that can occur as a result of a thyroid problem is weight gain or weight loss. With a weight gain because of thyroid problems one can find it that much more difficult to loose that weight.

What many people who are trying to loose weight do not take into account is how well their metabolism is functioning with regards to their thyroid. The main problem is most weight loss experts and programs recommend cutting calories. For many people this does work, but for those with a malfunctioning thyroid cutting calories can do more damage then good.

There are two forms of thyroid disorders, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Both conditions can have profound affects on a person’s metabolism.
Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid does not release adequate amounts of the hormones T3 and T4. When this happens the metabolism slows, causing fatigue, weakness and rapid weight gain. For people trying to loose weight an under-active thyroid can make attaining any sort of weight loss nearly impossible. Cutting calories will not help with weight loss when suffering from this condition. In fact, because of the already slowed metabolism the body will start hoarding what little calories it is getting, further exacerbating the fatigue and weakness associated with hypothyroidism.

Hyperthyroidism, on the other hand, occurs when the thyroid releases too much thyroid hormone. When this happens the person’s metabolism raises drastically. While this may seem like a good thing for someone trying to loose weight the truth is that both forms of thyroid dysfunction are extremely dangerous and must be treated with thyroid hormone replacement therapy.

For those with normal thyroid function loosing and gaining weight is a matter of calories in and calories out. But for those who are having difficulty loosing weight despite trying all the normal routes making sure the thyroid is functioning properly may be the first step to restoring the body’s hormonal balance.

Twelve Ways to Revive and Boost Your Metabolism – When You’re Hypothyroid, What You Can Do to Jumpstart Your Metabolism

When you’re hypothyroid, fatigue, difficulty losing weight, or continued weight gain can all be attributable to a drop in the metabolism that frequently accompanies hypothyroidism. Even after your hypothyroidism is properly treated with thyroid hormone replacement, you may find that your metabolism has not bounced back to where it was before. This sluggishness in your metabolism can leave you feeling exhausted, and finding that you can’t lose weight, despite a healthy low-calorie diet.

Here are some ways you can help revive and boost your metabolism.

Make sure you eat breakfast.  If you don’t eat breakfast, you slow down your metabolism and send the body into “hoard mode,” thinking it’s starving because you’re going a long period of time frequently 8 to 10 hours or more, without food.

Eat the majority of your food earlier in the day. Dinner should be your lightest meal, and some experts recommend you don’t anything after 8 p.m., or any later than 3 to 4 hours before bedtime. This helps your body process and burn the food when you’re aware and moving around and burning more calories per hour.

Don’t starve. Dropping your calorie intake below 1,000 calories a day will signal to your body that you are in starvation mode, and will slow down your metabolism.

Eat smaller meals more frequently. Smaller, more frequent meals keeps your blood sugar stable and provides a steady source of energy to fuel metabolism.

Get enough aerobic exercise. As much as you can is really a help for your metabolism, and if you do it in the morning, you’ll raise your metabolism all day.

Build muscle with weight training or resistance exercise. At least two to three times a week, you should add weight training or progressive resistance exercise that builds muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat, and the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even at rest!

Water, water, water!! You’ve heard it before, but drink those 8 8-ounce glasses of water every day. The energy burning process of metabolism needs water to work effectively.

Get enough B vitamins. Among supplements, if you are suffering from flagging energy, you need to make sure that you are getting enough B vitamins. Vitamin B-12 in particular is one that is essential for energy. To ensure you’re getting enough B vitamins, consider taking a B complex, plus a separate sublingual B-12.

Try a supplement for fatigue. Another type of supplement useful for fatigue is in the area of substances that the body naturally produces for energy production.
Supplements in this category include:
        – Co-enzyme Q10, also known as CoQ10, which supplies energy to muscles 
        – L- Carnitine 
        – NADH (Nicotinamide Adenine Finucleotide) which helps cells convert food into energy 
        - Green Tea extract 
        - Try Chinese Herbs

In terms of herbal remedies, while you should avoid ephedra and ma huang stimulants, you can ask your practitioner about schizandra–a Chinese herb that is used for fatigue. Ginseng is also popular for energy. Before trying any herbs, supplements, or vitamins, you should of course consult with your practitioner to ensure they are safe for you. Ginseng, for example, is not recommended for someone with high blood pressure and many herbs and supplements are not recommended during pregnancy.

Try mate tea.  In the process of writing my book, Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You…That You Need to Know, I had the opportunity to interview herbal and aromatherapy expert Mindy Green of the Herbal Research Foundation. I asked her what, as a person with hypothyroidism, I should reach for when I’m just completely out of steam, and am ready for a giant double espresso in order to make it through the day. Mindy, said, unquestionably, mate tea. Mate, pronounced, “mah-tay,” is an herbal tea native to South America. Mate is considered far more nutritious than black tea or coffee, and though it also has some caffeine, its effects are energizing, rather than making people jittery.

Consider Energy Work. Energy and bodywork , such as yoga, tai chi, qigong (pronounced chee-gung), and Reiki, can all help in adding and balancing energy. In qigong, tai chi, and yoga, gentle movements are used to move energy along the energy pathways of the body. In Reiki, a practitioner helps open up energy channels.

My Goal is to finish. But, there a few other things too.

But there is so much more to racing a marathon than just your finish time. I have to train myself in my long runs to maintain hydration levels. How about maintaining your blood and liver glycogen levels? No matter how well you have loaded up on carbohydrates, if my blood sugar levels drop. So, when setting goals for a marathon I should have two sets of goals, Results Based and Performance Based.

Both sets of goals should have clear measurable attributes to them so I know I have met them. I should also include contingency plans to ensure I can meet them should something happen on the course. A marathon mimics life so I need to feel comfortable changing my goals at any time when the situation warrants it.

Mental Strategies Helpful for Marathon Training
Of all the distance running events, the marathon presents the greatest challenges both physically and mentally. Even after completing all the required training and making it to the race site rested and healthy, arriving at the starting line in less than the ideal state of mind can have a devastating effect on your performance. Let’s discuss a variety of mental strategies that will enable you to set realistic goals, complete the necessary training (in particular, the long runs), and be optimally prepared mentally for the challenges that await you in completing the marathon.

Please be familiar with the following terminology (described with positive outcomes), as each will be mentioned later in this section: mental rehearsal / visualization (the process of creating pictures or images in your mind), imagery (playing out/imagining in your mind the way you wish for an event to occur), self-talk (the “voice” in your head that can be trained to provide positive affirmations during adversity and tough times).

Before you begin
There are certain “prerequisites” or internal characteristic that a runner must possess in order to undertake the necessary training that the marathon requires. These include motivation, self-discipline, and effective time-management, all of which are inter-related characteristics. A coach can be enthusiastic about the training program he or she designs/presents and show interest in the runner’s development; however, motivation and self-discipline must be developed primarily from within. The best marathon training program in the world will not enable a runner to make it to the finish line of a marathon if he or she isn’t internally motivated to undergo and complete the training and then finish the race. Similarly, it requires a great deal of self-discipline to complete the long training runs while at the same time, cope with other daily distractions and manage all the personal responsibilities daily living provides. This is why it is crucial that the runner who wishes to train for the marathon be an effective manager of time.

Short and long term goal setting
Let’s start with general goal setting considerations. For most first time marathoners, goal setting is simple: to finish the race! Nevertheless, regardless of your experience level and race aspirations, it is best to be as specific as possible when setting goals. Be sure to write the goals down, perhaps tell others about your goals, and set a time frame for achieving the goals. These strategies will enhance the possibility of achieving both your short-term objectives as well as your big goal. There are two basic types of goals: process goals and outcome goals. It is important to set short-term objectives (process goals) on your way to achieving the big goal (outcome goal). These are definitions and examples of process and outcome goals:

Process goals – These types of goals involve activities that focus on mastering the task and increasing one’s skill level (e.g., the knowledge and training needed to complete a marathon). Examples of process goals include: following the training schedule as closely as possible; improving your nutrition; reading as much as you can about the marathon; consulting with your coach on a regular basis; getting more sleep to be as rested as possible, etc. Outcome goals – These goals relate to the finished product or stated differently, goals you hope to accomplish in the marathon. Examples include: breaking 4 hours in the marathon; running the second half of the marathon faster than the first 13.1 miles; defeating a rival; running a personal best in the marathon.

Let’s talk now about marathon goal setting considerations. In the couple of weeks prior to the marathon, think about three (outcome) goals you would be interested in accomplishing for your marathon: (1) an easily obtainable goal, (2) a realistic yet moderately challenging goal, and (3) an ultimate goal. Determine a strategy to achieve the ultimate goal, but build into your plan flexibility to aim for less ambitious goals if things don’t pan out the way you had planned. Above all, be realistic. For example, if you don’t possess the genetic predisposition (natural ability) to run a sub-38 minute 10k, there is very little chance you can break three hours in the marathon, no matter how positive an attitude you possess!
Strategies for completing the training

Find a coach with the reputation for being both enthusiastic and positive. These traits can help inspire and motivate you.
Join a group or team whose members share your same goals. These individuals can provide you with the needed emotional support to succeed. Groups or a training partner can help make completing the long runs easier than doing these alone. It is essential to find training partners who run your approximate pace so that your workouts do not turn into races.
When doing your long runs, break the course into sections mentally. That is, mentally run from one landmark to the next instead of thinking of completing the entire 20-mile training course. When you reach the first landmark, then mentally think of running to the next and so forth.
Realize that the training will not always be easy. If running a marathon were simple, there would be no challenge as everyone would be able to do it. To enable you to cope with the physical and mental demands of completing the long training runs and the actual marathon when the going gets tough, there are several mental strategies you can utilize.
Examples of mental strategies during your training
- Self-talk thoughts Think and say to yourself…
-If this was easy, then everybody could complete a marathon”
-Keep running… Maybe I will feel better when I have some drink”
-If I quit now, I will be very disappointed in myself later this afternoon”
-I am not really physically tired; I am more fatigued mentally”
-Completing this important training run will give me confidence and enable me to finish the marathon comfortably”
-In just one more hour this run will be finished and I will be in at home… showering, relaxing, eating, etc.”

Imagery Imagine…
Imagine that you are a world-class runner and are in the lead of the Boston or Olympic marathon.
Imagine that your running form is smooth and graceful.
Imagine that your a running effortlessly and very relaxed.
Visualization / Mental rehearsal strategies Visualize…
Picture yourself running every mile of the marathon for which you are training. Visualize what the finish line area will look like (e.g., with the clock displaying the time you are shooting for).
See in your “mind’s eye” the spectators who will be cheering for you.  Think of all your friends back at home who will be thinking about you and pulling for you while you will be running.

Most of us occasionally lose sleep, but for others, it’s a serious problem. So serious, that you can create physical and emotional problems and you’re more prone to injury. If you use medication or take a drink to nod off, you’re also risking addiction.

But you should also know that insomnia is NOT really a serious health problem. It’s not a chronic illness – just irritating, because everyone else is sound asleep.

So here are the facts:

Most adults need approx 7 – 8 hrs of sleep each night. But it’s different for each one of us. So how do you know how many hours you need? If you’re not tired the next day, that’s what you need.

The key is to ask yourself why you can’t get to sleep. You may be in physical pain. You may have anxiety about a problem or situation and it’s spinning around in your brain…. Discover the cause and you can then put it behind you.

But, if you have serious medical condition you should always consult a physician.

As we age, our sleep patterns also change. It is not uncommon for elderly people to sleep less at night and take cat-naps during the day. Not everyone needs those 7 – 8 uninterrupted hours. Some need more, some less.

Note that, if you eat late night dinners, chances are you won’t be able to fall asleep on a full stomach. if you’re eating a heavy meal, give yourself at least 2 hrs before going to bed, but it’s best to eat lighter meals, earlier in the evening. If you’re hungry later on, eat a banana and drink chamomile tea. Other bedtime snacks suggestions, low sugar cereal or granola with low fat yogurt. Warm milk and ½ a sandwich – but make sure to keep it light.

And if you can’t sleep, don’t get up and raid the fridge late at night. Rich food, fatty food, spicy food, too much alcohol, caffeine and drinking lots of fluid, will all work against you
Computer games, IM, Facebook etc. can be stimulating activities and will keep your thoughts spinning, – even after your head hits the pillow. It’s more relaxing to read a book or flip through magazines – take a walk, ride a bike – but remember that too much stimulation will prevent you from sleeping.

Take a drink. You’ve heard that before. A nightcap may make you sleepy, but you won’t have a peaceful night. Also, drinking before bed can become habit forming and that’s how many people start on the road to addiction. Beware that alcohol and sleep medication, definitely don’t mix.

Sleep can be affected 10-12 hrs after drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks. So cut down on caffeinated coffee, teas and sodas and of course cigarettes are stimulants. If you smoke before bedtime it won’t be helpful to get you to sleep.

Remedies to help you fall asleep

1) Make a to-do list for the next day then tell yourself you’ll do it tomorrow.
2) Write a worry list and tell yourself that there’s nothing you can do now, so go to sleep.
3) Listen to relaxing music before bed
4) If you can’t go to sleep in 15 minutes, get out of bed and do something – not the computer, housework or anything that will stimulate you – reading makes you drowsy.
5) Make sure you’re comfortable in bed.
6) Make sure the room is dark
7) The room should not be too hot nor too cool.
Wake up and go to sleep at the same time every night. This sets your natural body clock.
9) Use relaxation techniques: meditation tape, yoga – this will get both your body and mind to relax.
10) If you’re in bed, engage your brain in a non-stimulating exercise ex. counting, visualization, deep breathing

Unless sleep deprivation results from a medical problem, medication should always be used as a last resort. If you are using prescription drugs to get to sleep, have it monitored.

No drug is without side effects. Even over-the-counter medication can cause side-effects ex. rebound insomnia (then you’re worse than you were in the first place) and you can become dependent as well.

The up side is that occasional insomnia is normal. If you keep that in mind, you won’t worry about those bad nights and sleep deprivation won’t develop into an an obsession.

The elevated importance of experienced and educated fitness professionals was identified as the top trend of 2010, likely due to increased industry regulation and an influx of specialty certifications and educational programs available for these professionals. This trend has moved up the list since the survey’s inception in 2007, when it ranked third.

Strength training surged to second in the rankings, an indicator of the increased focus on strength training for various populations. Though strength training once was viewed only as a training method for male bodybuilders, more average exercisers and women are realizing its importance for healthy bones, muscles and aging.

Walter Thompson, Ph.D., FACSM, lead author of the fitness trends survey, says the 2010 predicted trends reflect consumer intelligence. “Consumers are more conscious of their finances than ever,” he said. “If they’re going to work with a fitness professional to improve their health, they’re going to do their homework and find someone who’s educated, experienced and certified by a reputable organization such as ACSM.”

The top 10 fitness trends predicted for 2010 are:

1. Educated and experienced fitness professionals. Because of an increase in the number of organizations offering health and fitness certifications, it’s important that consumers choose professionals certified through programs that are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, such as those offered by ACSM.

2. Strength training. Strength training is an essential part of a complete physical activity program – for all physical activity levels and genders. In addition, some health clubs still focus exclusively on weight lifting and strength training.

3. Children and obesity. Health and fitness professionals see the growing problem of childhood obesity as an opportunity to reverse an alarming trend. There is also an increasing market demand for programs tailored to overweight and obese children.

4. Personal training. Education, training and proper credentialing for health and fitness professionals who act as personal trainers has become increasingly important, and is an integral part of staffing for health and fitness facilities.

5. Core training. Different from strength training, this type of training specifically emphasizes conditioning of the middle-body muscles, including the pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen – all of which provide needed support for the spine.

6. Special fitness programs for older adults. With more and more of the baby boomer population reaching retirement age, health and fitness professionals are designing age-appropriate fitness programs to keep older adults healthy and happy well into their golden years.

7. Functional fitness. This is a trend toward using strength training to improve balance and ease of daily living. Functional fitness and special fitness programs for older adults are closely related.

8. Sport-specific training. This trend distinctly relates to young athletes. High school athletes are incorporating training into their off-seasons in order to stay in top shape for their sports, and might join a health and fitness club or local community health organization to increase strength and endurance.

9. Pilates. Incorporating core training using the entire body, Pilates classes have become a mainstay of many health and fitness clubs. Pilates also improves flexibility and posture.

10. Group personal training. Perhaps the most surprising top-10 trend of the survey, group personal training involves small groups, in lieu of one-on-one instruction. The trend may reflect economic difficulties and makes financial sense for both the client and the trainer.