Welcome to Power Fitness PDX


YOU have the power, strength and courage to make your life the best yet. Without even realizing it, you possess incredible determination and dedication to be your most active self possible...you just need a little nudge, education, and support. Through working with Power Fitness PDX your goals will not only be reached, but surpassed. What you thought was physically impossible for you to achieve will seem like a walk in the park when done training with Power Fitness PDX. You will not only feel and look better externally, but internally too. To improve one's strength on the outside has to come from improving their strength on the inside. It is time to Challenge the POWER of YOU! TM



Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Wednesday --- Wonderous NEW CHALLENGE

Hello Power Fitness PDX'ers!

I hope the last day of June is fantastic! Tomorrow starts a new month, which is a perfect time for revisiting your goals and your health and "fitspirations".  Many of you have talked about wanting to make big changes, making Summer be very active, yet are struggling in one way another. What are those struggles? And are they habits that can be changed easily or ones that will take time? A big part of the struggles that have been shared with me and in class are the food choices and food quantities.  You are with me from 2-3 hours each week to work HARD and be PUSHED, and with yourself the other 165 hours. In those 3 hours, let yourself be PUSHED and don't give up. Your body can do incredible things, and you have the ability to push yourself FAR. But in addition to being pushed, let's everyone work on training to go even longer on your own workouts and push yourself to do more challenging exercises.  YOU CAN DO IT.

Thus the struggles. In class last month one PFPDX'r shared she felt stronger and was complimented by her family on her defined biceps...but she was bummed about her core and not having the stomach she'd hoped for. This is the stuggle you are aware of...much of the extra "love" is from adipose tissue that likes to deposit on the stomach, hips, back and inner thighs.  You can exercise tons, but to see significant shifts in the adipose areas, your diet needs to be changed.  AND not just diet, but balance and juggling the daily diet.  For some people, they don't want to make food changes but will workout more to regulate their caloric consumption. While that counters increased caloric intake, it doesn't counter the lack of healthy nutrients your body needs.  In order to really feel different on the inside and outside with one's body, think of food as fuel.  You wouldn't have your child skip breakfast and only drink coffee with sweetner, grab a muffin for lunch at Starbucks, and then enjoy 2 glasses of wine while cooking dinner....so why do you?  To eat natural foods 90% of the time and special foods (ie: Goldfish Crackers, cookies, brownies, richer pasta dish, extra glass of wine) 10% of the time is realistic.  But if you can challenge yourself to ONE week of eating clean and not drinking, by week's end YOU WILL feel different. By clean eating I mean fruits, vegetables, lean meat slices, nuts, grilled tofu, spices instead of milk/cream based sauces, non-processed foods, cooking every meal, not using frozen dinners or store bought and increase your water to 100 oz/day.  Go to the Market Place and Farmer's Market and pick 3 new vegetables to incorporate into your meals, 3 new fruits to try, and extra virgin olive oil.  The little changes from one week to the next gradually become habits which is what you want. 

With the one week CLEAN challenge, email me YOU ARE IN.  In addition to eating clean, add 30 minutes of exercise daily.  The days are longer, 30 minutes is attainable. It is a walk to the market instead of drive, using the stairs at BART instead of escalator, taking a lunch break for 3 mile run...you can add it in. By weeks end, you've exercised an additional 3.5 hours!  

CLEAN Challenge: July 5-July12.
Write down what you eat daily and water intake.
Write down daily exercise and bonus workouts throughout the week.
Summer is the time to have fun and train more!

The Challenge is a motivator.  At the end, those who participated the entire week are entered to win $50 to Scott's Shoes!! 
 
In addition, I CHALLENGE EVERYONE to add an adventure date with your best friend/partner/sister this week. Hit the Redwood trails and do jumps, push ups, lunges along the route. Run to the Ferry, go to SF and do the stairs to COIT Tower followed by hill repeats and Lombard Stair repeats.  Bikeride to the Oakland Farmer's Market via a ride around Lake Merritt.

Summer is the time to PLAY!  Post your adventure dates on the Facebook Page and how much fun you had!

A new Class Schedule will be sent to you this week. Stair workouts will now be added to the schedule, in addition to a different meeting spot. Add some more cardio jazz and quad magic to your workouts!

I look forward to hearing from you and making magic happen in July!

Cheers-
--
Erin Kreitz Shirey- Owner, Lead Trainer and Coach
BS Kinesiology
ACE, NASM, Fit to Deliver and Stott Pilates
c- 503.703.1269
a- po box 1077, alameda, ca 94501
e- powerfitnesspdx@gmail.com
w- www.powerfitnesspdx.com
b- www.powerfitnesspdx.blogspot.com
t- http://twitter.com/powerfitness

Monday, June 28, 2010

Food thoughts....

We often plan out our week, but don't plan out our food choices. That can create some havok on reaching your health and fitness goals.  If you are training hard and being conscientious about exercise but not planning out your food you will end up not seeing the results that you are hoping for.  Planning out your meals makes you more aware of what you are putting into your body and how it will nourish you.  Think of food as fuel, which helps make your choices better for your body.

When starting out the day:
  • Eat breakfast!  It kickstarts your day and metabolism.  Did you know it takes 20 minutes for your body to feel full? It is because there is an actual hormone that takes that long to process the food intake... and it is why people say to "sit and eat".  
  • Make hard boiled eggs 4 at a time, have yogurt measured out, slice up fruit so it's ready to grab, make your own healthy breakfast bars, or have cereal with nonfat or soymilk.
  • Sit down when you eat. Plan at least 10 minutes to sit down and eat breakfast, preferably more.  
  • If you are not a breakfast eater, have lunch choices at breakfast time. Such as a turkey roll up of farm fresh sliced turkey rolled with lowfat cheese, lettuce and some mustard. Add an apple and 8 wheat crackers and you are set. 
Additional breakfast ideas are: 
  • Nonfat Greek yogurt, fresh  berries and 1 TB sliced almonds
  • 2 egg whites scrambled with spinach, garlic, tomatoes and lemon juice
  • Slice of fortified wheat bread with 1 tb natural peanut or almond butter and sliced fruit or banana instead of jam

When thinking of lunch, plan plan plan! 
  • Slice carrots, bell peppers, celery and put a serving of hummus in a to-go tupperwear that helps from sitting by the tub and eating more than you should.  
  •  Get deli meat healthy option slices, and do the roll stated above.
  • Make vegetable soup on weekends and put it in single serving tupperwares. Grab a container of soup, low fat cheese stick, 8-12 honey wheat pretzles and piece of fruit.
Snacks are good to be eaten at 10:00/11:00 am and 4:00 pm. Think of handful of trailmix, Balance Bar, Luna Protein Bar and dried apricots, carrots with hummus and sunflower seeds, bowl of Kashi Go Lean with nonfat or soymilk, or kiwi/pineapple and cottage cheese.

Plan well, eat well and before you know it you'll be past your goals! Rock your meals, rock your workouts, rock your body.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Monday starts New Session!!


Don't wait- make Summer the best yet and challenge yourself to Power Fitness PDX.  Workouts at the beach have been proven to burn 60% more energy when running and training on sand. NOW is the time to start moving since the only thing we can never get back is time.

Power Fitness PDX Session 6: Discipline
Women's Only Boot Camp- MWF- 5:45-6:45 am- Crown Beach
50+ Boot Camp- MTuTh- 8:45-9:45 am - Mondays- Harbor Bay Trail & Tuesdays/Thursdays- Crown Beach
Family Fitness Boot Camp Challenge on Redwood Trail- Saturday, July 3rd- 9:00 am
TEAM limited to 14 people- ensuring that goals happen NOW!
Register with a friend and both save $20 - www.powerfitnesspdx.com

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Goals- what goals?

This week the topic of goals has come up again.  The challenge seems to be that some goals are set, but they are not met. When asking what activities are being done on non-Power Fitness PDX days the answers speak volumes.  It is hard to meet a health and fitness goal if the effort isn't there all the time

Harsh as it may sound, when Mia Hamm set to become an incredible soccer player she had days when she didn't feel like training.  Days where she just wanted to roll over, hit snooze and miss morning practice. But those are the days that make YOU the person you strive to be and make YOU jump over goals. They are the hours that define stating a goal and achieving it.  YOU can do it!  Nobody ever said at the end of the day they wished they didn't exercise, but say they wish they did.

Now, what are your goals for the Next Session- Discipline?  Mine, they are heavy as I am challenging myself to not only do one triathlon/month, and Hood to Coast in August, but to get all my PR's down by 10%.  This means I must follow through on a big goal of getting to sleep by 10:30 pm every night.  I know this month will be the month I have to be disciplined- we move and there are a lot of Summer events. It can be done and it will only help me not only be a better teacher but better athlete, wife and Mom too. 

Use each day as a check off and let's make your goals a reality!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Mother's Day Class Thank You's and photos!

The 6th Annual Mother's Day Class was one month back and it was a blast! The Mamas got a great workout, the raffle was incredible, businesses have been thanked, money was raised for Alameda East Bay Miracle League, and now there are photos to share.  Take a moment to enjoy the magical morning- one that had generations of Moms taking time to Power Fitness PDX Boot Camp'it and laugh together.

We look forward to many more events like this together! Cheers!!

---Erin Kreitz Shirey
Power Fitness PDX, Owner, Master Trainer & Coach
** Photo is my family during warm ups of the 6th Annual Mother's Day Celebration Class, and the Annual Mother's Day Class is because of Makenzie, now Age 6!

How do YOU juggle Mom, Business and Running Shoes?

The Power MOB is a business organization I have been involved in since it's beginning stages. I blog monthly for them and this post can help many of you. Please take a read and know that we can find ways to fit in extra time to your schedule to run.  Yep, we can make it happen! Cheers-Erin

Running for me is a healthy drug. Yep, I am addicted, just like I am to coffee, to my children, to my husband, to my business, friends, and a vibrant life.  I am not "myself" if I can not run.  I don't feel like a balanced individual and am not my most ideal person...quicker to get frustrated, quicker to feel anxious and not as patient with my children. It could be why I run, a lot. 

The joy of running is that you can anywhere and everywhere, with little equipment outside of yourself and running shoes.  But many of my clients are trying to figure out how to incorporate running into their lives when they are busy as Moms, business owners, partners and lovers of life.  How can they adjust their schedule to make a balance of running and getting all the "to do's" done? My answer is you can't get your "to do's" done unless you have done your run.  Yes it rhymes, but it is a very true statement.  Every Mama can start somewhere by allowing herself the 20-60 minutes to pound the pavement either solo or pushing kids in a jogger.  It makes you a better Mom. 

When you are stressed and flustered, what is it you often think of doing?  Outside of enjoying a glass of wine, what is it that calms you down? 90% of the time it is to exercise and feel the endorphin rush.  If that is the case than why is it only 30% of the population regularly exercises? I have been trying to find the answer to that question since I graduated with my degree in Kinesiology in 1999.  My focus was to work with women and developing their self esteem through athletics, and through my research I continued to find women putting their time to exercise aside as they took care of all other needs  first. But WHY when women have experienced the way they feel after exercising and related to being in a better state of mind?  In my opinion it is because our hearts are bigger than we can comprehend and we are all incredible in the ability to do so much for so many.  Nobody informed me that the title Mom was synonymous with multitasker, but I also learned quick.

NOW running shoes WILL make their way into your life.  If you just had a baby, know that running with a baby is incredibly good for them. It helps calm them down, gives them fresh air, and the movement in the jogger can feel soothing and lull them to sleep.  If you have a toddler, run with them making each run an adventure.  Come prepared with snacks, stickers, notepads and your singing voice.  If your kids are older elementary age, invite them to come along and ride a bike while you run or go for a run before picking them up from school and meet them at school to walk home together, or walk them to school in your running clothes and make a run right after.  If your kids are in high school, do not over commit and take the time to run first thing in the day before they wake up.  We often think that as kids get older they need our time less, but it is during the Junior High and High School years that they need us more to be available to talk to.  They may not need us physically the same, but they need us mentally.  In order to be alert and available, a run can help clear the mind.

In addition to the above age related ways to incorporate a run into your day, map your schedule with a run date incorporated.  Schedule it like you do any other meeting, with specific locations and directions (ie: trails, hills, course). Even if it is at 4:45 am, schedule the time to run.  Highlight it in your organizer once it's done and write a little note about how you felt after.  Each run write your exact time and miles, little motivators to continue to inspire you at week's end with how far you have run. For every 50 miles, put $10 in a jar for a pedicure.  For every 5K or 10K race completed, put $20 in the jar.  That is incentive enough for many, but it helps you track your miles and know how important it is to keep track of accomplishments.

Some days don't go as planned and on those days don't feel bad, but know that each hour, day, week and month is a new opportunity to get started and move.  With work meetings, make sure to plan ahead and incorporate your run into the timeline.  When you know a wild day ahead is looming, incorporate more sprint days to get your energy and nerves out.  Do Stop Sign Drills, intense plyometrics, or 10K run at 5K pace to push yourself to the limit.  Your body can help you be in the perfect place when challenged with tough meetings, work questions and decisions, but the hurdle is for us to acknowledge it!

Some things you can do to help incorporate runs to your workday:

Think positive- put your brain into a positive place
Powerless- if you feel powerless over your schedule, set alarms to time your exercise window and ask family members and friends to hold you accountable.
Ask the question "Is it work it?"- if it is worth it at the end of the day to feel not as alert and a bit more overwhelmed because there was no window to run/exercise than own it and know the next day is a new day. If not, than put on your running shoes and head outside to pound pavement for at least 20 minutes.

Make yourself a priority and know you have choices.  Be consistent just like you are with your clients and family, and know that giving yourself permission to run will help make your life run more smoothly too.  So put on your running shoes, hit the pavement and let me know how it goes. I look forward to hearing about your latest and greatest business plans that happen...when out pounding pavement. Happy trails to you...


Power MOB June MOM Strength Workout
-
Can be done at home and/or in a park

3 Warm Up - jumping jacks, cross county skiing, jumping over an object, running in place
1 Minute Squat Jumps
1 Minute Mountain Climbers
1 Minute Burpees
1 Minute Reverse Jump Lunges

20 Jumping Jack Push Ups
1 Minute Plank with toe touches side to side
20 Dips on a bench/chair
1 Minute Elbow Plank Jumps
20 Diamond Push Ups

Repeat 2-3 times
For questions about any of the exercises, please email me anytime.

When not chasing after her two munchkins, running or teaching Power Fitness PDX, Erin writes for many athletic and parenting publications including CitySports, WalkAbout and Parents Magazine. Erin has a BS in Kinesiology and is ACE, NASM, ans Fit to Deliver Pre & Postnatal Certified trainer. She can be reached at powerfitnesspdx@gmail.com or www.powerfitnesspdx.com

Running Magazine Question- Moms and Dads: What Helps You Run?

Runners World Magazine asked the question: What helps you run?  
As a Mom and runner who has gotten faster post birth of my 2 girls, I thought I would share the advice.  I hope it helps some of you and have fun running with your little ones. 
My response:
RunningMamaErin says:
Being a runner who got faster post baby girls and working with pre and postnatal Moms as a personal trainer, there are many ways to make it all work.

Make your jogger your car for certain errands so you can get miles in on days when you are swamped with fitting everything in.This is key and a way to make no excuses but get miles in.

Make your runs adventures- point out signs, animals, trees, landmarks to your little ones… plan to see More and sing songs to them. Work sprints into your runs working with the stop signs and between busy blocks. When out running, add in strength work with your park benches by doing push ups, squats, planks, burpees, lunges, high knees, etc. all while incorporating and talking to your little ones.
Run on Trails! So entertaining and full of animals!! Hubby is a runner too and we have done trail runs with the girls for longer runs, finishing with a picnic by a park or at the end of the trail so they can run "to the end" too. An event out of a trail run. And the trails provide a more challenging element than flat surfaces.

When not running, encourage your kids to walk and run when out and about and not use the stroller. Than they look forward to a "ride" and can manage the time better.

Be specific about your running in your logs- don't just run but have a goal and write down to run 3, 5, 10 miles with your little one(s) and map the longer runs around their nap time so they sleep in the jogger.

Best gear- BOB strollers (love both my single and double), Etch A Scetch Boards, kid bag with note pads-stickers-crayons, snacks that you've prepped and can pass easily, Moving Comfort Sports Bras, Title Nine and See Jane Run for finding the perfect Sports Bras, perfect running shoes fitted post baby, Running buddies who get "it" and nice wine at the end of the day.

My own running has gotten much faster the past 6 years since my first kiddo and I just placed 1st in the See Jane Run 5K pushing my 2 year old in the jogger. You are more focused and determined and honestly, the best speed work is rushing to appointments or to get your kid to preschool on time when pushing kids in a jogging stroller!

Congrats to all the new Mom and Dad Runners out there! Nothing like making running a family affair from the get-go.

Cheers-
Erin, 34, Alameda CA
Mom to 2 girls- ages 6 & 2