By Michelle Kruse

I love outdoor exercise. The scenery is better, the hills, the freedom, the fresh air, everything. But, I require a temperature at least in the double digits before I head out for a run. The current temperatures and wind chills in Kansas City make outdoor exercise dangerous and I mean I’m stuck indoors. While walking and running outdoors are the perfect form of exercise, you can’t expect to start walking for exercise in January unless you have a back-up plan.

The key is having something to do that works for you. If you have convenient access to a gym, consider joining in January when rates are low. Just make sure it’s easy for you to get there and not out of your way (that way you can’t make excuses). Most gyms offer free consultations with trainers to show you how to use equipment and how to get started. Take advantage of all the free services you can and take notes on the exercises they show you.

Don’t limit your indoor exercise to the traditional “gym.” Community centers often offer great workout equipment at an affordable price. There are indoor pools to join, aerobics studios, dance classes and even mall-walking clubs (FREE!) to join. Simply find an activity you enjoy, check out the atmosphere (you’ll be more inclined to stick with it if you like the people there) and make a commitment.

As a working mom of two young kids, exercise is all about convenience. There is not a gym conveniently located to us, so we turned part of our basement into a workout area. We spent the money we would have paid for gym memberships on a treadmill, bike trainers (set your outdoor road bike up on one of these inexpensive pieces of equipment), free weights and some yoga/aerobics videos. Having different equipment helps annihilate boredom and cross training is key to getting in great shape.

Be creative. Some days I just don’t feel like yet another treadmill workout. When I feel the need for a change, I often borrow exercise DVD’s from the local library or trade with friends. I scour through fitness magazines for new weight lifting and circuit training routines to break the monotony. I also have an addiction to Redbox movies and books on CD (free at the public library) to get me through treadmill and stationary bike workouts.

Have a goal. Your exercise goal shouldn’t be about pounds lost. It should be an achievable fitness goal. A great goal is to train for a 5K – local charity walk/runs abound and are a great motivating force. Start small with your goals. Maybe you can only make it through five minutes of an exercise video now. Make your goal to make it a little further every time. Before you know it, you’ll be moving on to more advanced videos.

Be realistic. Some days it’s nearly impossible to squeeze it all in. On those days, I’ll spend about 15 minutes before I get in the shower jumping rope, doing jumping jacks or just stretching – anything to get my body moving.

By Michelle Kruse

As I type this, I am sitting in the airport waiting to leave New Orleans. Happily, this is the first time I’ve ever left this town feeling well. In the city of excess everything, it’s hard to come away not feeling heavier, bloated, and worn out. What’s different? This time I made a conscious effort to eat well, avoid salty junk, and avoid smoky jazz joints and smoky restaurants. I traveled with my dietitian colleague, Sally Brown. That helped, too. My tips for traveling “light:”

1. BYOWP: Bring Your Own Whey Protein!!! CardioWhey comes in single serve packets – you can even take them on the airplane – in your carry-on. Mix it with some milk, juice or even water and have a healthy breakfast anytime. You can always find a fresh fruit cup, orange, or apple somewhere – have it with your CardioWhey and you’ve got a complete meal.

2. Request what you want at restaurants. Just because something is not on the menu, it doesn’t mean they don’t have it or can’t do it. Chances are your server can replace iceberg with darker greens or can add extra veggies to your salad. Order light dressing or even just vinegar and olive oil on the side so you can control your calories. Ask for a light protein source with your salad – small piece of grilled chicken, fish, etc.

3. SHARE! Sally and I split meals in the evenings. The portions are huge. You don’t have to eat it all! Splitting with a friend means your portion is more reasonable. Skip dessert or order fresh berries for dessert. Even when they’re not on the menu, many nice restaurants will still serve them.

4. Travel with healthy snacks. My husband always travels with raw nuts, apples, and other “easy” snacks. Then when the peanuts and pretzels come on the plane, we can skip them and eat our own healthy food.

5. Research your exercise before you leave. I always call to see if there is a lap pool at the hotel and bring a suit and goggles if so. I check out the workout room online and when I arrive, I ask at the front desk for a running map. Most hotels have safe routes mapped out for walkers and runners. They’ll always make one for you. Just ask! Never leave home without your running/walking shoes and workout clothes.

Boarding time – there’s no place like home!

By Michelle Kruse

Redbox Junkie,

I don’t watch much TV, with the exception of Go Diego Go and Hannah Montana.  If it weren’t for The Office, I wouldn’t watch it at all.  I haven’t seen many movies since having kids – no time and I can’t stay awake long enough!  However, the constant rain and dark mornings are leaving me no choice but to hit the basement treadmill.  BORING!  I would rather run in sub freezing temperatures outdoors than have to do even 10 minutes on a treadmill.  During the winter, I have to have major motivation to stay on the treadmill.

Last year, it was Sex and the City.  It was a lot more fun starting my morning with that show on DVD instead of the morning news.  I could run through the entire episode without boredom, and I couldn’t wait to get downstairs to run again so I could watch the next episode.  This year:  Redbox.  For only a buck this self-proclaimed cheapskate can make it through an hour plus run on the treadmill without dying of boredom!  Plus, I can’t wait to get home and watch my movie.  My only rule:  I must not watch without motion – I have to run, walk, bike, or lift the entire time I’m watching the movie.  It may sound silly, but the reward of actually watching a movie in its entirety is enough to keep me in the basement working out.  Another bonus, I can choose any girly romantic comedy I want because I’m the only one watching it!

By Michelle Kruse

And the Winner is…..
A recent study was performed to discover which states were the top 10 “brainiest” states in the nation. Unfortunately, it looks like my home state of Missouri has a way to go. (I’m originally from Nebraska and they didn’t fare much better.) So who were the winners? The study determined that the following ten states have the healthiest brains:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. Maryland
3. Washington state
4. Vermont
5. Connecticut
6. Colorado
7. Massachusetts
8. New Jersey
9. Maine
10. New Hampshire

Researchers reached their conclusion by devising a score based on over 21 factors, and looking at data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The major factors included diet, which made up 36% of the score, physical activity 25%, mental health 24%, and social well-being 15%.
These experts suggest that the key to maintaining brain health is eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, exercising (30 minutes a day), playing games, learning new things like languages, taking up new hobbies, and of course eating omega-3 fatty acids from fish and nuts.

It is interesting to note, that almost half of the diet score was based on fish sales and the consumption of the omega-3 fatty acid, DHA. With our brains made up of almost 60% DHA, it is no wonder that this omega-3 fatty acid impacted the results. (Are you getting enough?) Most experts recommend 500-1,000mg DHA + EPA per day. However, individual needs vary. Personally, I take a little more (4 CardioTabs Omega-3 fish oil softgels daily), because it really helps my dry eyes. Wearing my contacts is a lot more comfortable when I’m taking that amount. I’ve experimented a lot to come up with my “magic number.” During both of my pregnancies, I made sure I took at least three CardioTabs fish oil softgels daily to help ensure I received enough DHA to support myself and my developing babies. I also breast fed both of my children their entire first year because of all of research on the benefits of breast milk (side bonus: it helps melt away the baby weight). During this time, I continued to take fish oil because I knew that this was the most important time of my children’s lives for brain and eye development and the only way that they were going to receive the benefits of omega-3 was if I consumed it. Another mom-perk – consuming DHA from omega-3 fish oil may also ward off post partum depression – the theory is that baby takes so much of mom’s DHA that there isn’t much left over for mom’s brain. For me, CardioTabs Omega-3 was the perfect choice during pregnancy and nursing and also now because it is higher in DHA than most omega-3 fish oils available.

So remember the advice of the experts and tell your friends and family – you may catapult your state to the top 10.

By Michelle Kruse

Ironman 70.3 – conquered! And I had a blast! Seriously, it was fun. My pre-race anxiety was unnecessary. I did not sleep at all the night before the race (too wound-up, I guess) and that added to my nerves. It’s the swim that stresses me out. It’s all-out war. I hate watching people get beat up in the swim. Really, the girl next to me at the bike transition had a bloody lip. It scares the heck out of me that I’m going to get hit and thrown under water. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. I did have to stop and tread water near the finish just to find a spot to get into the finishing “corral.” Bodies were everywhere.

Fortunately, I made it through in one piece and it was onto the bike. Having the swim behind me eased my nerves and I was ready to enjoy the rest of the race. The bike wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t difficult. I held back a little bit b/c I wanted to be all right for the run, but I finished the bike faster than I thought I would. Then, the run went great! I walked through every water stop (all 12 of them) and felt strong the entire run. It was wonderful to high-five my kids as I ran by (four times) and seeing my husband, my parents and friends on the route made it truly enjoyable.

I wasn’t in this thing to “win,” obviously. I was there for fun and to challenge myself. In the end, I beat my best goal by half an hour and had I known how close I was to going under six hours, I would have pushed just “one minute” somewhere on the race (like not chatted for an hour with the girl next to me on the run – but that’s part of what made it so fun). I finished in 6 hours, one minute and 24 seconds. The best part is I finished strong, happy, and ready to do it all over again and finished with my husband, kids, parents and friends hugging me at the finish line. I’m truly proud of this accomplishment!

What’s next?

By Michelle Kruse

Exercise for Life!

By Becky Captain, R.N., Nurse Practitioner, Preventive Cardiology Clinic

Exercise is your insurance policy. It doesn’t have to cost you any money AND it will give you more time on the clock of life. As an added bonus, exercise will add quality to your life.

Close your eyes and picture yourself 10 years from now with your overweight, tired, low self -esteem body lying on a hospital bed with a heart monitor and a nurse constantly checking your blood pressure, blood sugar and heart rate. Your worried family is by your bedside. Open your eyes. Scary, huh?

Now close your eyes and picture yourself and family on a sandy beach or out in nature with all the energy you never imagined possible due to the reconditioned body you have carved. Feels good. Doesn’t it?
All of us have the ability to change our mindset and choose a different future, or a different past. Becoming fit doesn’t take years—you’ll see the benefit of exercise within a few weeks.

Does the following sound familiar?
You know you’ve got to start exercising and you vow to park the car in the furthest parking space, hit the gym after work, sign up for an exercise class, and take the stairs. But a week passes and before you know it, parking spots are opening up right in front of the stores and buildings, the elevator is already in the lobby and you’ve had an intense week of juggling work, kids and deadlines. How could you have ever thought you could fit in exercise when you have 100 things to do (including your bone density test)? Really, what were you thinking? You still have to organize the sock drawer and Tupperware cabinets too. How can you exercise with those items in such chaos? Been there? Many of us have.

So why does exercise seem so wonderful until we actually have to do it? Lack of motivation? OR is it a misunderstanding that leads us to believe motivation is something that will come to us if we wait long enough…that someday we’ll wake up and finally want to exercise. We must stop living in that fantasy. The reality of motivation—it is something we create—not something we wait for. So, stop waiting for the motivation to come to you—just do it! Make it happen today!

Download this form to learn about the six ways to create your motivation.

By Michelle Kruse

I’m over my disappointment from the marathon. I spent a week in Phoenix, AZ visiting family and friends and attending a great conference. The ADA subgroup, Sports Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition’s annual meeting was great for CardioTabs as well as for me to get some information about my nutritional needs-and hopefully resolve my cramping issues.

Now that the marathon is over, I’m focusing all my efforts on training for Ironman Kansas (70.3). I asked the advice of Sally Brown, RD of Ebodyfuel.com and Heather Fleming (nutritionist with conscious nutrition). Both think it’s possible that I’m not getting enough sodium and that my electrolyte replacement choice wasn’t good enough. I read so many papers about cardiovascular health and heart disease and follow that dietary advice pretty well. My dad had his first heart attack at 40, so salt has been missing from my diet for a LONG time. Since the majority of Americans get too much salt, who’d have thought I’d be getting too little? I’m a very salty sweater and I’m possibly not replacing enough of that salt lost during exercise.

I was told to try a mix of Cytomax and Carbopro for long workouts. I was also told to make sure I was consuming my CardioWhey within 30 minutes post-workout. Yes, even though I work for the company, I wasn’t following the advice perfectly. Doing this should aid in my recovery and help my muscles repair themselves between workouts, even help bolster a weak (post endurance workout) immune system. Yesterday, I biked 30 miles then ran two miles (pushing both kids in the jogging stroller – seriously tough). I used the Cytomax and no cramping yet.

Today’s swim should be a good test of the new formula. On Saturday, I’m planning to bike the 56 mile course for the half Ironman. I’ll use all three products and see what happens.