Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Relax will ya?




I came across this text on facebook a while ago and reposted it on my wall. I knew at that time it was something I should write a bit about because it is so bloody true. It's not easy to relax. Most people don't have a clue how to do it. Relaxing is the opposite of tension, not just the absence. It goes way beyond just the absence of tension. You have to move past that point. But most people don't even know how to let go of tension in the first place. They are wired 24/7 and don't even realize it.

Stress is common these days. Actually, it's normal. If you're not stressed you're doing something weird, or even wrong. How can you not be stressed when there are bills to be paid, jobs to uphold, expectations to be met. And these days everyone knows everything everyone does because we have become our own Big Brothers thanks to facebook and other social media. Yes, I have yielded to that one just like the rest of you, but I make sure it doesn't run my life. It's hard though, being in charge of your own life. We let the crowd lead us into temptation and pretend it's all okay because we don't know what else to do. But are we happy? Not as happy as we could be. We worry too much. We don't take time to relax. Even if we would be able to find the time (read make time) we still wouldn't know how.


Here's a question. Why should we? Everything is fine the way it is, right? We all know that's not true. We all know deep down that something, at some point, has got to give. We can't keep this up. When a rubber band is constantly stretched at some point it can't bounce back anymore. We are getting close to that point and when we do, the band will snap and lord knows what will happen to us. And it's not just about preventing damage. It's like with medication and nutrition. Medication is sick care, it takes care of the sickness and that's it. Proper nutrition makes a person healthy and is therefor health care. Relaxation does the same thing. It's goal is not just to take away the stress,  but also to create a different state of being where you are more balanced, resilient and feel more content. If you'd ask me I'd say happiness is being content so what more could you ask for?


So, how the hell do you relax? That's a good question, and a difficult one. To be honest it differs for a lot of people. Some people love the pling plong ocean breeze music you can get one meditation CD's. Others hate that stuff. You'll have to try a bunch of different things and see what happens, see what fits you best. I know people who love relaxing in the shower. They just stand there with their eyers closed and let the water run over their bodies and let all the tension wash off of them. I must say I find that quite comfortable as well but I shower at the gym most days so that's a bit unpractical then. You can also lie down like I have people do at the end of a BodyBalance class. A lot of yoga classes end that way. It's an official yoga pose, lying flat on your back, arms and legs slightly away from your body, letting everything become soft and relaxed, emptying your mind. But not all of us have that option. But if you can discipline yourself you can even train to relax while you are commuting to or from work on public transport. Sit, close your eyes and feel your body, feel your breath, and be aware. That's all there is to it really. Just be aware. Be in the moment and be yourself. Be you. I know, I make it sound so simple. I know it's not. It takes a lot of practice. I have been meditating, or relaxing, or being aware, in the moment, or what ever you want to call it, every morning for 10 minutes for over a week again after not having done that in ages. It's not easy at all. I used to be pretty good at it so I know I can do it again. But it takes time. I'm starting to get the hang of it again but I have spend a lot of time in the past focusing on this so I do remember a few tricks that I can apply that seem to work for me personally.
Like I said, it's different for everyone. Try a few things and let me know what works for you. I can always use a bit of inspiration and you might help others get some new ideas as well.

I'll be posting little bits of inspiration on my facebook page so keep an eye out if you'd like to get inspired.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

A personal note.

Just like everyone else I am as human as you can get. This means I am not a fluffy ball of positive energy bouncing around making other people smile all the time. I wish I was but alas, nu such thing. I have been trying to call the gender team in Amsterdam all week. You can only call them between 9 and 12 and every time I call the line is busy or they have switched on the answering machine already. I want to know where I am with the waiting list. It's frustrating to be out and everything and have nothing happening. I'm afraid other people might think it was just some brain fart and I got over it and am now pretending I didn't say anything. I still very much want to start hormone treatment and get chest surgery. Just thinking about how long I probably still have to wait is driving me nuts. I find it hard to expect people to take this seriously while nothing is really changing. On the other hand, I am still convinced this shouldn't be a big deal as I will still be the same person as far as we don't continuously change anyway. All very confusing and frustrating. I'm not sure what I want to happen. I want the whole process of transitioning to be over so I can just be who I am and be done with it. This lingering is not doing me any good. Lately I have been feeling drained. It's like I have been put on hold and can't move on with things. I wish it was something in my head and I could do something to get things moving again but unfortunately it's true.


Autumn is not helping. It's getting darker again and this weekend the clock is moving an hour back so it will be dark longer in the morning. I don't mind the dark in the evening. The mornings is what I find hardest. If I have to get up and there is no sun I feel tired the rest of the day. I should take a look at a daylight lamp. I've heard it can really help. Other then that I have started a new morning ritual. I kept coming across this whole drinking lemon water in the morning and the theory sounds good. So I'm trying that. It sure does kick start your bowels so you get a clean start in the morning. I've been doing it for a week now and so far to be honest I just feel more tired. I'm guessing it's the spring cleaning effect. First things just seem to get worse as all the bad stuff that has been hiding under the bed and in drawers is all coming out and need to be taken care of. So I am giving it a bit longer, at least a month, to see what happens. I'm calling it my sour-Zen project as I am combining it with meditating in the morning. I hadn't done that in ages so I need to practice again. It's not like riding a bicycle it seems. Right now I'm just taking 10-15 minutes which doesn't sound like long but when you have a million things rushing around in your head all asking for your attention it feels like for ever. I'm getting better at shutting up and just being though. Eventually I should have some proper balance in my head again. I'll post an update on facebook every now and then to let you all know how I'm doing on this.

If you have any more tips for me on how to survive the dark ages and the endless waiting list I'd much appreciate it.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Why drinking 'fat coke' really is like drinking fat.


Lately I have been posting a lot of links on sugar on my facebook page. In my previous blog I also mentioned sugared beverages are bad and promised to explain why. If you want the complete picture you can watch the The Skinny on Obesity clips on YouTube but if you want to go straight to the bitter truth you should watch Ep. 2: Sickeningly Sweet. That clip describes very well how what we call sugar is treated by the body.
We all know now that sugars are carbs, but most people don't know what a carb is. Some will get to a carbohydrate which is the complete word. That still doesn't mean anything to anyone. People might now it's energy. Very good. But not all carbs are just energy. Some are toxic. Like alcohol, hence the word intoxicated. Alcohol is metabolized (changed into something else or used as energy) by the brain and the liver. The liver is the place in the body that handles all toxins. There is another carb that the liver deals with: fructose. That's sugar, right? Sugar from fruit. How is that bad? Wasn't fruit supposed to be good for you? Yes, it is. Fruit contains a lot of vitamins and minerals and fiber along with glucose and fructose. Glucose is the good kind of sugar, the kind that your entire body can use for energy. That's the kind of sugar/carb you want. The fiber helps keep the fructose in your bowels where it can be eaten by the bacteria living in there. They are the good guys that help you get rid of the toxins. So only a small amount of the fructose is absorbed and your body can handle that just fine. That tiny bit is moved to your liver where it is broken down and part of it is burned and that tiny last bit that's left will be turned into fat. If you live a healthy life and don't sit around all day you will burn that bit of fat later on, no problem. But that's fruit. What about juice? Isn't that just fruit as well? Sure, but without the fiber. And without the fiber your body will absorb the whole lot of fructose. That's just the beginning.

Let's take a look at coke. 240 calories per serving according to the Coca Cola website, of which 65 grams of sugar. That's everything. There is nothing else in there. So how is this fat coke? Those 65 grams of sugar are half glucose, which is fine, and half fructose, which is bad if you absorb it because, like I said, some of it will get turned into fat. Unless there is fiber of course. Now lets take a look at what they say about that. "Not a significant source of fat calories, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron." No fiber. None what so ever. So all the calories from fat coke go straight to your liver and get turned mostly into fat. And that is how fat coke really is like drinking fat.
But honestly, the same goes for any drink that has sugar (as the companies call it without discriminating between different types like glucose and fructose) that doesn't contain any fiber. The only drinks that are really good are water, tea and smoothies (if properly made with fresh fruit, preferably unpeeled). Coffee is a different issue and an ongoing debate I first need to reed up on more before I say anything about that so for now let's just ignore that one, just leave out the sugar from now on.

It gets even worse when it comes to soda. Look at the amount of salt: Sodium 75mg. You need to double that for the total amount of salt. 150 mg of salt in one serving. Salt makes you thirsty and you drink more. So you get another coke, and absorb more fructose and salt. Check out Ep. 3 on how fructose makes you hungry and you will see how sugared beverages are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the sugar problem. It's the core of what we in Dutch call welvaatsziektes, freely translated to prosperity illnesses which I think covers the load quite well. If you want to lose weight and become healthy and fit, cut out the fructose (except when taken with fiber like in fresh fruits). That's the best thing you could ever do for your body.


The full lecture: Sugar: the bitter truth.  There is a lot more information about this out there but I have found this the most accessable for most people. If you want you can do a bit more research yourself or keep an eye on my facebook page as I will post a link to the articles I come across.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

On exercise and losing weight.

A lot of people ask me how they can lose weight. Mostly they ask me what kind of exercise they can do to get rid of fat. They ask if sup ups or crunches are better for losing stomach fat. Well, sit ups are a no go these days in general because they are not very effective and they can be bad for your back and neck. Most important, they don't burn stomach fat. But neither do crunches, or planks, or cardio even! Okay, it does at some point but only if your body feels like it. You can not force your body to burn fat where you want it. You can only make it burn fat in general. Your body will decide which fat it can spare. So targeting area's where you want the fat to be gone is nothing but frustrating unless you get lucky and most of us don't. A friend of mine is burning her boobs and she's not happy about it but mine have been staying the same and I want to get rid of them. Life is unfair when it comes to stuff like that. So all you can do is be patient and wait for your body to be ready to start at the fat you want to burn. This means you need to burn the other fat your body wants to get rid of first. The order in which you burn fat doesn't change. I go from bottom to top: legs and ass first, now my stomach and eventually my boobs I hope. A lot of people do it the other way around too. Some have a different order all together. The only way to find out what your fat burning order is, is by burning it.


So what is a good way to start burning fat? Crunches, and planks, and cardio. But didn't I say that doesn't work? I said at some point. It takes time. Fat doesn't burn anything. It just sits there. Muscle does burn energy, even when you are asleep. Especially when you are asleep to be more precise because that is when it restores itself and that takes up energy. And of course when you are moving. When you have very little muscle you will only be able to use little muscle doing your daily things. When you have more muscle you will automatically use more muscle in every day use, like walking up the stairs. You use your entire legs and butt for that. Not just part of them. So more muscle is more energy use. And that is a very effective way to get rid o the extra calories.


What about cardio? There is a button on every crosstrainer/stationary bike/stair master/etc that says: fatburning, or something of the sorts. If you press that button and follow the program, you should be burning fat, right? Cause it said so. Sure. You will burn more calories from fat then from sugar during exercise. True. Now lets take a look at how this works. A Big Mac contains 570 Calories. If you weigh 170lbs, or 77Kg, you have to do 75 minutes of cardio to burn that. And that doesn't get rid of the fries. You would have to do twice that much exercise if you get a large fries with that which is also 570 Calories. So, you do your 2 and a half hours of cardio to burn your meal and then what? You feel hungry and you go and eat again. In the mean time your easy tread will only have boosted your internal energy burning system, your metabolism, a tiny bit. You get a bit of an afterburn, where you are burning more calories after working out then before, but not much. This disappears pretty quickly. So a few hours later the effect will be gone and the pizza you are having for dinner does straight to your stomach fat again. Not what you want.


So then what? Lately there have been studies on this quite a bit. One of the studies you should really take a look at if you have the time is The truth about exercise. It's a BBC documentary. They show that you can achieve a much greater boost for your metabolism by doing high intensity interval training, also known as HIIT these days. 30 seconds of explosive training followed by recovery and then repeated a few times. In total you might be spending 5 minutes or so on your training bike and that's about it. That's all you need to boost your internal burner to keep that flame high. You will start feeling fitter, more energetic and healthier in general.


Does that mean you can just go ahead and eat what ever you want? Hell no. Food is the most important factor in weight control. Period. That's just fact. So you need to take a look at that as well. One of the first things you should get rid of is sugared beverages. I'll explain why soon.


Want to stay up to date quicker and get some extra tips? Check out my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TylerFokker. I also have some links on there explaining a few things about the sugared drinks so if you're curious, go check it out.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

The Trans*-initiative needs your help!

Last night I was at the biannual meeting for the coordinators at the COC Leiden. The COC is a national organization that stands up for GLBT rights, provides a meeting place and organizes events and so on. It has done a lot of great work already and since about a month I am proud to be representing the local trans community by becoming the coordinator for the Trans*-initiative. The Trans*-initiative was started in 2010 and mostly consist of a GenderFreeZone evening which is a workshop on a trans related topic and then a party which is open to everyone to stimulate the integration between trans and non-trans people. Last Friday I supplied the workshop on how to change your body by using exercise and nutrition so it can represent more who you are inside and to become more healthy and mentally stable (those 2 are linked in a way most people don't realize). The workshop went really well and, despite the rain, was well visited. Also the party was a great success. It was wonderful to see so many non-trans people showing up as well to show their support.
Even though I prefer to be optimistic, I also need to be realistic. Having between 10 and 20 people visiting the workshop is not as many as should be possible. When you consider the size of this city and the fact that this is the only meeting place for trans people in the region it's not a lot. There are so many others out there that we're not reaching. I know my personal network is limited but I am hoping others will help me use their networks as well so I can reach more people to invite them to these workshops. They are valuable, even if it's just to meet others and see you're not alone. So many of us do feel lonely even though we don't have to. I would greatly appreciate it if you would go to our page: https://www.facebook.com/cocleiden?fref=ts and like us and share the events on there. We are trying really hard to provide information and help, a sanctuary if you will even, but we can only do that if we can reach people. Your help would mean a lot.
The other thing I discussed during the meeting last night was educating people on transgenderism. Firstly the people who we send out to schools to talk about diversity, discrimination and GLBT issues. I have been getting the same questions from my GLB friends as my straight friends. This shows people are people which is good, but, it also shows that, even if you are part of the GLBT community, information is not that easy to come by. We are working on gathering information and setting up workshops for the volunteers of the educational program first as they go out into the world spreading the information even further. Once that is done we want to set up a workshop for other people who are interested but don't know where to look for information. So my question to you is: what would you like to know? What do you think we should put in the workshop? And if you are a transgender, what do you think is important to tell people? We have some ideas but it's just a small team and the more people think about this the better. So I could really use your input. Please leave me a comment below and I will make a summery at some point. Of course, when the time comes and the workshop is ready I'll let you know when, what and where.
Many thanks!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Basisschema thuis training voor transmannen

Naar aanleiding van de sport workshop bij het Trans*-initiatief COC Leiden afgelopen vrijdag.


Hardlopen: maandag, woensdag, vrijdag.

Krachttraining: dinsdag, donderdag, zaterdag.

Zondag is een rust dag.

Als beloning voor goede training en rest van de week gezond eten op zaterdag avond iets lekkers.

Benodigdheden: een springtouw, 2 stoelen en een bezemsteel of stang.

Je traint 7 weken normaal. Dan neem je 1 week rust waarbij je krachttraining inruilt voor rust momenten: yoga/relaxatie CD/etc. Je blijft wel hardlopen maar blijft op het zelfde niveau lopen als op de vrijdag er voor.

Tijdens de normale trainingsweken begin je iedere training met 5 minuten springtouw om je lichaam goed warm te krijgen. In het begin kan dit lastig zijn en kan je niet ahcter elkaar blijven touwspringen. Blijf gewoon proberen. Het zal steeds makkelijker gaan. Lukt het niet qua uithoudingsvermogen, neem dan tussendoor een paar seconden rust en pak hem weer op zodra je kan. Probeer je rust steeds korter te maken zodat je van de 5 minuten steeds meer tijd echt aan het springen bent.

Hardlopen: op het internet zijn er een heleboel hardloop schema's te vinden. Je kan ook mp3 bestanden downloaden voor op je iPod zodat je zelf de tijd niet hoeft bij te houden.  Let op! Dergelijke schema's zijn richtlijnen. Als het schema zegt dat je een stap vooruit moet maar je bent daar niet aan toe, neem dan iets meer tijd tot je er wel aan toe bent. Als je sneller kan dan het schema is dat ook prima. Pas het aan op jouw behoeftes.

Kan je niet hardlopen omdat je last hebt van je enkels of knieën, ga dan fietsen. Als het erg slecht weer is kan je ook binnen langer touwspringen.


Krachttraining:

Begin met 5 minuten springtouw als warming up.

Rug en biceps: pull ups. Neem een bezemsteel (of iets dergelijks) en leg hem over 2 stoelen. Ga onder de steel liggen met de steel boven je hart. Pak de steel breed beet (ongeveer net zo breed als je handen staan bij een push up) en trek je bovenlichaam omhoog. Je billen blijven nog op de grond. Span je buik en onderrug ook goed aan terwijl je dit doet. Zwaardere optie is ook de billen van de grond. Wil je nog zwaarder, zoek dan een riggeltje waar je je aan vast kan houden om je hele lichaam aan op te trekken.
Doe 6 herhalingen, rust een minuut en doe nog 2 sets. Als dit makkelijk gaat ga je naar 8 herhalingen, dan naar 10 herhalingen en dan naar 4 sets met weer 6 herhalingen. Als je op 4 sets van 10 zit ga je naar de zwaardere optie.
 
Borst en triceps: push ups. Kom op je knieën. Zet je handen breed genoeg zodat je ellebogen in een hoek van 90 graden komen als je je bovenlichaam tussen je ellebogen hebt. Je hoeft niet lager te zakken dan dat. Als je omhoog komt strek je je ellebogen net niet helemaal uit. Zwaardere optie is op de tenen. Nog zwaarder is 1 voet op de ander. Ook hier span je weer je core goed aan: navel in, rug sterk.
Doe 6 herhalingen, rust een minuut en doe nog 2 sets. De laatste set zet je je handen onder je schouders en duw je je ellebogen naar binnen voor extra training voor je triceps. Als dit makkelijk gaat ga je naar 8 herhalingen, dan naar 10 herhalingen en dan naar 4 sets met weer 6 herhalingen. Als je op 4 sets van 10 zit ga je naar de zwaardere optie.

Schuine buik: ga op je rug liggen en zet je voeten plat op de grond. Till je schouderbladen van de grond af en draai 1 schouder in de richting van je tegenovergestelde heup. Herhaal 10 maal en wissel van kant. Zwaardere optie is tegenovergestelde knie naar de elleboog brengen. Je mag de elleboog helemaal voorbij de buitenkant van de knie brengen. Nog zwaarder is het andere been uitstrekken. Nog zwaarder is met een gewichtje op de schouder die omhoog gaat.

Doe 10 herhalingen per kant, iedere kant 3 maal met 1 minuut rust. Gaat dit makkelijk, houd dit niveau dan nog 1 week zo vol en ga dan naar de zwaardere optie.

Rechte buik: ga op je rug liggen en til de schouderbladen van de grond. Je hoeft niet helemaal ophoog te komen in een sit up. Tot het zwaarste punt en dan weer terug. Je zal merken dat dit punt in de loop van de tijd iets hoger zal gaan liggen. Zwaardere optie is 1 been uitstrekken als je omhoog komt. Nog zwaarder is beide benen uistrekken als je omlaag komt. Nog zwaarder is de heupen iets van de grond tillen als je omhoog komt.

Doe 10 herhalingen en herhaal 3 maal met 1 minuut rust tussendoor. Gaat dit makkelijk, houd dit niveau dan nog 1 week zo vol en ga dan naar de zwaardere optie.

Core: plank. Kom liggen op je buik. Zet je ellebogen onder je schouders en til je heupen van de vloer zodat je lichaam helemaal recht wordt. Let hierbij voornamelijk op de lijn van de voorkant van je lichaam. Trek je navel goed in, span je billen en je onderrug aan en duw jezelf omhoog vanuit je schouders en armen. Blijf zo helemaal strak staan. Begin met 15 seconden, 3 maal met een halve minuut rust tussendoor. Als dit lukt verleng dan telkend met 5 seconden tot je aan een minuut zit. Ga dan naar de zwaardere optie en til je knieën ook van de vloer zodat je alleen op je ellebogen en tenen steunt.

Schud even je hele lichaam los, maak je even helemaal lang en rol een paar keer met je schouders. Je kan eventueel nog wat stretches opzoeken op het internet.

Op de eerste van de maand doe je een meeting met een meetlint: bovenbeen, heupen en buik. Schrijf dit ergens op zodat je de verschillen kan zien. In het begin kan dit vrij weinig zijn maar houd vol. Houd ook bij hoeveel herhalingen je van iedere oefening doet. Dan kan je zien hoe snel je vooruitgang boekt.

Basis schema thuistraining voor transvrouwen

Naar aanleiding van de workshop bij het Trans*-initiatief COC Leiden.

Hardlopen/fietsen: maandag, woensdag, vrijdag.

Krachttraining: dinsdag, donderdag, zaterdag.

Zondag is een rust dag.

Als beloning voor goede training en rest van de week gezond eten op zaterdag avond iets lekkers.

Benodigdheden: een springtouw, een weerstandsband/koord.

Je traint 7 weken normaal. Dan neem je 1 week rust waarbij je krachttraining inruilt voor rust momenten: yoga/relaxatie CD/etc. Je blijft wel hardlopen maar blijft op het zelfde niveau lopen als op de vrijdag er voor.

Tijdens de normale trainingsweken begin je iedere training met 5 minuten springtouw om je lichaam goed warm te krijgen. In het begin kan dit lastig zijn en kan je niet ahcter elkaar blijven touwspringen. Blijf gewoon proberen. Het zal steeds makkelijker gaan. Lukt het niet qua uithoudingsvermogen, neem dan tussendoor een paar seconden rust en pak hem weer op zodra je kan. Probeer je rust steeds korter te maken zodat je van de 5 minuten steeds meer tijd echt aan het springen bent.

Hardlopen: op het internet zijn er een heleboel hardloop schema's te vinden. Je kan ook mp3 bestanden downloaden voor op je iPod zodat je zelf de tijd niet hoeft bij te houden.  Let op! Dergelijke schema's zijn richtlijnen. Als het schema zegt dat je een stap vooruit moet maar je bent daar niet aan toe, neem dan iets meer tijd tot je er wel aan toe bent. Als je sneller kan dan het schema is dat ook prima. Pas het aan op jouw behoeftes.
Fietsen: stippel een handige route voor jezelf uit. Je kan kijken of het lukt om op stukken die langer recht zijn (en niet te druk) een stukje te sprinten. Door die snellere stukken gaat je hartslag even flink omhoog en krijg je een goede cardio workout.
Als het erg slecht weer is kan je ook binnen langer touwspringen.


Rug:
Ga op de grond liggen met je voorhoofd op de rug van je handen. Til je bovenlichaam van de grond, zo hoog als je kan en kom weer terug richting te vloer maar leg je lcihaam niet weer helemaal
neer. Herhaal 15 tot 20 maal, leg het bovenlichaam neer en til de benen op, herhaal 15 tot 20 maal. Herhaal de hele set nog 2 tot 3 maal.

Borst:
Hiervoor heb je een weerstandsband of koord nodig. Je kan ze bestellen via het internet vanaf ongeveer 10 euro via oa
http://www.fitness-seller.nl/fitnessartikelen/weerstandsbanden/ Deze komen in verschillende weerstanden en je kan er nog een heleboel andere oefeningen mee doen.

Neem de uiteindes in beide handen en sla de band achterlangs om je lichaam. De band zit iets onder schouderhoogte. Spreid de armen en breng ze naar voren toe tot ze recht naar voren steken. Breng weer terug naar achter. Afhankelijk van het effect dat je wilt bereiken verhoog of verlaag je het aantal herhalingen en kies je een sterktere of minder sterke band. Als je iets meer of minder spanning wilt kan je de band ook iets strakker of losser vastpakken.
Schouders:
Transvrouwen: neem een klein gewicht (1 à  2 Kg) in de handen. Je kan hiervoor een waterflesje, een pak rijst, etc voor gebruiken. Strek de armen zijwaards op schouderhoogte en draai kleine cirkeltjes, 10 voorwaarts en 10 achterwaarts. Herhaal 2 tot 3 maal.

Buik:
Rechte buikspieren en diepere core: de plank. Kom op je buik  liggen op de grond. Zet je ellebogen recht onder je schouders en til je heupen van de vloer. Zorg dat je billen niet uitsteken naar boven maar probeer een rechte lijn te maken met je hele lichaam. Houd dit 30-60 seconden vol. rust een minuut en herhaal 2 tot 3 maal. Als dit makkelijk gaat kan je je knieën van de grond halen en alleen op ellebogen en tenen steunen. Trek de navel goed in en voorkom dat je gaat hangen. Als je last krijgt van je onderrug betekent dit vaak dat je je navel nog verder in moet trekken.

Schuine buikspieren: ga op de rug liggen met de voeten plat op de vloer. Til het bovenlichaam van de grond zodat de schouderbladen helemaal loskomen en draai in zodat de elleboog richting de tegenovergestelde knie gaat. Kom terug naar het midden en draai naar de andere kant. Herhaal aan  iedere kant 10 keer en rust. Herhaal de hele set nog 2 -3 maal.

Benen:
Lunges: Je gaat staan en stapt dan een been uit naar voren. Je zinkt naar beneden tot je achterste knie bijna  de grond raakt. Je voorste knie blijft boven je enkel. De achterste hiel komt helemaal los van de grond. Stap terug en herhaal aan de andere kant. Maak 10 herhalingen per kant en herhaal dan nog 2-3 maal. Gaat dit goed, doe dan 15, 20, 25 herhalingen per kant. Je kan ook gewichtjes in je handen nemen om te verzwaren.


Squats: zet je voeten ongeveer onder je schouders en maak een diepe kniebuiging. Zink echt in je benen en ga niet te veel met je bovenlichaan naar voren. Je duwt je billen naar achter en dan naar beneden. Je knieën blijven achter je tenen. Doe 15 herhalingen en rust even. Herhaal nog 2-3 maal. Gaat dit makkelijk, doe dan 20, 25 herhalingen. Je kan ook gewichtjes in je handen nemen om te verzwaren.


Schud even je hele lichaam los, maak je even helemaal lang en rol een paar keer met je schouders. Je kan eventueel nog wat stretches opzoeken op het internet.


Op de eerste van de maand doe je een meeting met een meetlint: bovenbeen, heupen en buik. Schrijf dit ergens op zodat je de verschillen kan zien. In het begin kan dit vrij weinig zijn maar houd vol. Houd ook bij hoeveel herhalingen je van iedere oefening doet. Dan kan je zien hoe snel je vooruitgang boekt.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Negative forces.

We all have them. People in our lives who just suck the energy right out of you. Somehow it seems unavoidable. Every now and then they just pop up again. The tricky thing is that at first you don't really notice. Or you think it can't be that bad and you'll deal with it. So that's what you do, you try to deal with it and ignore the signals. Slowly things get worse, day after day, week after week. It's a slow process and you hardly notice it happening. And one day you wake up and realize you are stressed out of your hatter and can't pin point why. It takes a while to figure out what this negative force in your life is. Because it happened so slowly you hardly notice. But if you take a good look around and ask yourself the right questions, you'll track them down. You will be able to recognize the person who is sucking the life right out of you. And then, you need to deal with it.


This is often a lot more difficult to do then most people think. If something hurts, then you should just stop doing it. But what if that person is your partner? Or your mother? Or your boss? Do you simply tell them to shove it and walk away? You will most likely have invested time, effort, money and emotionally into this person. They are part of your life. But even if they are not that important to you personally and it wouldn't effect your life in such ways as quiting your job or getting a divorce, it can still be hard. Does it make you a bad person to just dump someone? What will they say and how will they feel? Fact is, you are the most important person in your life. If you're not, then you have some serious soul searching to do. You have to do what is right for you. Usually, when someone if draining you and you tell them to go away, they will find someone else to drain. You don't need to worry about them so much. They can take care of their own needs without you just fine, just like they have been doing by leeching off you. They weren't being friends. They used you, whether they were aware of it or not.


But what about your hubby? Or your boss? What to do about them? First you better make sure they are really at fault before you do anything. Ask yourself the right questions, ask them the right questions and weigh their answers. Are they aware of what they are doing? Can you make them aware? And if you can and do, can they fix it? And will they? In situations like this it is important to give them a fair chance, to give the relationship a fair change, and your career of course. If the other person realizes that they are at fault and they tell you they are willing to help make things better it doesn't mean they can just give you false hope, or buy you dinner once and then go back to beating you. They have to make changes that last. If they don't, confront them again and see if things get better. If they still don't change the things you really need to change, it's time to move on.


I have having trouble with the manager at the gym where I was working. He was chaotic and inconsistent. He told people what ever they wanted to hear just to get them off his back and then break his promises. He is also a bad listener and would sometimes even just walk off while you were speaking to him. Personally I think he's on the verge of having a major meltdown. He walks around with this hollow face and blank stare. It's worrying. It's also extremely frustrating to work for someone who doesn't know what's going on in his own gym while things are falling apart and he doesn't fix anything. He goes for short term solutions, pissing people off in the long run. He just hired a new girl to replace one of the girls who had a front desk job but he told the girl she could do personal training and stuff because that's what she wants. But he hired her for the front desk. I warned her not to get her hopes up and I wonder how long it's going to take before she gets bored, angry, or both. I sure as hell was. I was bored and angry. Those two usually go hand in hand for me. If I'm stuck in a place where I'm bored and can't grow and learn new things. When I'm not challenged, I get angry and frustrated. So I had started looking for other opportunities to learn, other gyms where I would find the challenge that I need. I had planned on leaving things in a decent manner without shouting or hard feelings. No such luck. He managed to push my buttons by bitching at me and I threw in the towel. Well, my personal trainer shirt actually. Quite literally though. If felt good. It's a weight off my back and I can finally breath again. On the other hand, all the stress that had been building up is coming out now and I'm noticing how tired I really am. I'm going to take the time I had scheduled to work for myself to regain my energy. Lord knows I need it. This means I will have plenty time to catch up on some reading, doing a bit of painting and meditating. I feel better already.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

A bit about fitness and gyms.

Right now I should be studying. They are launching the new releases this weekend at both the gyms where I teach Balance. I'm at track 4 right now, out of 9. I need a bit of a break every now and then though so it's okay to be writing this. Don't tell me it's not cause I'm doing it anyway. I know I only have tomorrow left before I have to teach Balance and I have a nutrition workshop tomorrow and have friends coming over for dinner but none the less, I'm pretty sure I'll know the whole release by Monday. Except the sun salutations maybe; they drive me nuts already. I don't think the students on Monday will mind much if I mess up or use an old track. They're not very picky and the manager doesn't seem like the type to complain unless the participants complain. No one there really seems to care much about quality in general. It's a budget gym after all. Still, I don't think that should matter.


It's the same problem at the gym where I work as a fitness instructor. All the other instructors spend most of their time drinking coffee, chatting with their friends, checking facebook and horsing around. I'm one of those strange people who actually talks to members to ask what they're doing and why and tell them if those two things don't match and if they want to reach their goals maybe they should tuck in their elbows or not overstretch their joints or actually use the muscle they are trying to target. People keep telling me that no one has ever given them any tips on how to work out. It's crazy! That's what the instructors are there for after all. I have to admit that I probably know as much as the rest of the instructors combined and they're all really young so they don't have much experience, but the only way to learn anything is to ask questions and then go looking for the answer. Alas, they don't seem to care. And at this wage, I'm not surprised. It's more profitable to stay on the unemployment line. But still. This is not the kind of work you do to get rich easy. It's the kind of work you do because you have a passion for helping people to become healthy and live happier lives.

I know, I sound very idealistic. I'm afraid I am. That's the reason why I became an instructor. Because I have a passion. Because I want to make this world a better place because right now the world is ugly and I want to try to change it into a place I actually want to live in, one defective person at a time. But I can't do it alone. It would be nice if there were more instructors who share my passion. I know quite a few but they usually don't work at a low budget gym which is a shame because the people who can't afford proper guidance usually need it the most. They usually don't see what they are doing wrong and if no one tells them, they will never find out. This goes for everyone though. I'm only one person and I can't help everyone. The person who can help everyone is themselves. Sounds a bit odd but you know what I mean. If you're not sure if what you are doing is correct, or if you notice you're not making any progress even though you try very hard, or also if you are really sure you are doing everything right but never actually checked what anyone else thought about it, it might be a good idea to check with an instructor some time. See if you can find someone who looks like (s)he knows what's what and ask a few things. Tell them your goals and what you're doing to try to achieve them and see if they have any tips. Show them how you do an exercise and ask if your form is okay or if you could improve it a bit here and there to get more result. I know it should be the instructors who come to you if you're doing something wrong but it's time to face the facts. There are quite a few lazy ones out there and even the ones who are passionate and good at their jobs simply can't keep an eye on everyone all the time. So stand up for yourself and claim what's yours: the right to live in a healthy, fit body. Trust me, it will make life easier.


Just one more tip: try yoga. Seriously. Everyone! should try (read DO) yoga. You will benefit from it in ways you have never imagined. You can find good video's on-line if you can not afford a class.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

A bit about food.

I've been having a lot of nerve pain again lately. There is no telling why. It comes and goes. I have permanent nerve damage from my good old anorexia days. My body stripped the fatty acid casings off my nerves in my arms and legs, hands and feet, to preserve my brain. It seems so have worked because I am still alive and function just fine. But the price is nerve pain. Misfires you can call them. The nerve gets triggered for no reason, resulting in pain. It's not comfortable but I have a high pain threshold and you get used to it. It's not fun though, I can tell you that. I used to hope that with a healthy life style it would go away. Alas, eventhough it is a lot better, it will never fully go away.  Some things you can not restore. Obesity has long term effects that can not be reversed as well even if you lose all the extra weight. People hardly think about these things. There are so many things we do now that seem fine at the moment but have devastating effects in the long run. Because we don't see anything happening right now we think we can get away with it. Statements like: my grandparents ate like this all the time and they lived well into their eighties, simply don't apply. We need to develop a new view on the way we treat ourselves.

A Dutch study: http://musclemotion.nl/PDF/052-055%20Voedingswaarde.pdf
And an American one: http://www.utexas.edu/news/2004/12/01/nr_chemistry/



Here in Holland we still promote eating 2 pieces of fruit and 2 ounces of vegetables as day. These recommendations were set back in 1986. The amount of vitamin C in apples has declines by 80% since then. An apple a day does not keep the doctor away anymore.


 
My sister lives in Sydney. She told me the other day that she doesn't buy tomatoes because she can not afford them. She and her boyfriend both have above average incomes. Tomatoes are about 14 dollars per kilo. That's 11 euro's. Can you imagine? But she's not the only one who can not afford to eat healthy. I come across people at the gym on a regular basis who tell me they don't buy fruit because it's too expensive. In a time like this with the economy going down the drain world wide a lot of people are confronted with the choice between quantity and quality when it comes to food. Most people choose quantity. It's nice to get your vitamins but if you don't get in enough energy you're going to starve anyway.

To sum things up: most people can not afford healthy food and choose quantity over quality which can lead to long term, possible permanent damage.

I'm facing the same challenge. I don't have much to spend but am set on eating as healthy as I can. So I save money on a lot of other things. I hardly ever buy clothes, I don't go out but have people come over for a cuppa, I turn off the lights when I'm not in a room, I shower at the gym most of the time, etc. That saves me money to spend on food. I buy most of my fruit and veggies on the market instead of in the supermarket. Yes, even when it rains. It's a lot cheaper, at least, it is here in Holland. And I use my balcony to grow vegetables, strawberries and herbs. This year the harvest was a bit disappointing and it's starting to get colder so it's time to bring some of the pots inside. I am going to plant some new seeds and use the windowsill as a bit of a greenhouse. These are little things one can do but they add up.

I hope this helps people a bit to become more aware and get in good health. You only have one body. Treat it well and it will carry you.