Commercial Break Workouts

We all lead busy lives -- but I'm a firm believer than exercise still needs to be a priority.

The good news, is studies have shown that breaking workouts into smaller segments is just as effective as long workouts.

Tonight, as you're unwinding after class or a long workday in front of the TV, get up and move a little!

Scream for your Calorie Burn!

Happy Halloween, fellow foodies! I'm not going to tell you to stay away from candy and treats, but if you are trying to lose weight, indulge in a smart way. 

If you're looking for a different sort of burn this 'Fright Night', try a scary movie --a new study has shown that watching scary movies and horror films burns calories!

According to the study, you burn around 200 calories, just by watching a scary movie -- unless you're already desensitized to the gore and adrenaline rush.

A 90-minute horror movie can burn 113, which is about equivalent to the calorie burn that a 150 pound person would experience walking at a leisurely pace for 35 minutes. 

The study found that the scarier the movie, the more calories were burned.  Top three calorie-burning horror flicks were as follows:

1. The Shining -- Average viewer burned 184 calories
2. Jaws -- Average viewer burned 161 calories
3. The Exorcist -- Average viewer burned 158 calories

According to researchers:

     "Each of the ten films tested set pulses racing, sparking an increase in the heart rate of the case studies. As the pulse quickens and blood pumps around the body faster, the body experiences a surge in adrenaline. It is this release of fast acting adrenaline, produced during short bursts of intense stress (or in this case, brought on by fear), which is known to lower the appetite, increase the Basal Metabolic Rate and ultimately burn a higher level of calories"

Happy Halloween, Foodies!

New Workout: Trail Running

Hi Guys,

I wanted to share this amazing new workout my friend Brittany showed me this past weekend. It's called Trail Running. Essentially, you go hiking on a trail in a park or nature preserve, but run during the flatter parts of the trail. 

Does it sound intimidating? Yes. Is it also invigorating and easier than you think it is? Yes. Here's why.

The object of trail running is NOT to break your neck. So, rough terrain forces you to slow down and walk for stretches of the trail. Now, in street running, walking usually means a significant decrease in heart rate and difficulty, but trail running, you're still hiking -- so you're still pushing yourself to burn those calories in an intense workout. 

The other good thing about trail running is that you're not focusing on the pain. Most beginning runners, myself included, have issues getting past a certain point because they hit a mental block that is hard to push past. On the trails, you must focus on your feet -- and watch out for rocks and roots -- so that you almost don't notice the time passing or the exertion. 

Brittany and I did an hour and a half trail run. According to our heart rate monitors, I burned 1000 calories, while she burned 1100. Can you beat our records?

See below for a short video for tips on how to get started. 

Flying Trapeze

Today I'm talking about alternative burns. I'll be the first to admit that while Ellipticals on high levels of resistance are great for a toning cardio session, they are flat out DULL. I mean it. Boring with a capital "B". Sadly, a lot of workouts can feel similarly stagnant after awhile. 

My sister has figured out a way to make even the most exciting Zumba class feel relatively ordinary. How? She gets a full body workout from taking trapeze lessons every week at the New York Trapeze School's Washington, DC location

I went down to DC with my family a few weekends ago. First, we saw a trapeze show in which my sister performed. The next day, my siblings and I took a lesson for ourselves.

What an unbelievable experience. First, the school instructors gave each of us a harness and explained to us the safety instructions. Then we climbed a 30-foot ladder to an elevated platform where we grabbed the trapeze bar and launched ourselves into the air, attempting to (at the instructor’s command), pull our knees up to link over the bar so that we could release our hands. We swung for a few moments, and then released – first pulling our knees back to hang vertically by our arms, before falling “gracefully” into a net below.

Not only is flying trapeze one hell of an exhilarating adrenaline rush, (seeking: serious thrill seekers), but it's also a fantastic workout! Experts say it’s comparable to gymnastics work – and focuses primarily on the exerciser’s lats, abdominals, and shoulder muscles. I absolutely agree – two days later, and I was STILL delightfully sore from my offbeat workout.

In fact, while I wasn’t wearing my heart rate monitor during the class, an hour flying trapeze session can burn an average of 300 calories – which is the amount an average person burns doing an hour of weight-lifting.

If I haven’t convinced you, I’ve included some videos below.


This first clip is my sister’s performance (her group had 80s themed costumes) during her trapeze recital.

And here's my attempt. I'm particularly proud of my delicate "dismount". I am the PICTURE of grace. 

And if you're still not tempted to try trapeze, here's a video of some professionals from my sister's recital -- in all their toned glory!

There are several trapeze schools around the country:

http://www.trapezeschool.com/default.php (With locations in NYC, DC, Boston, LA and Chicago)

http://www.trapezearts.com/index.php (Oakland, CA)

http://www.flytrapeze.com/ (Woodland Hills, CA)

http://theflyingtrapeze.net/ (Miami, FL)

http://www.trapezehigh.com/ (Del Mar, CA and Escondido, CA)

http://www.trapeze-experience.com/ (West Palm Beach, FL, The Hamptons, NY, and Rhinebeck, NY)

And so many others!