Review: Mizuno Women's Meridian Split Skirt and Mizuno Women's Jinx Sport Tank

I've been a huge fan of Mizuno running shoes for a long time now. They helped to keep me injury free during this last racing season and I truly believe it has a lot to do with investing in some great shoes. Jay picked me up some new running clothes recently and I couldn't wait to review them on the blog. 

The first is the Mizuno Women's Meridian Split Skirt. I've never owned a running skirt before and couldn't wait to try this out when I saw it. I went for a 30 minute run and was so impressed with this skirt. The skirt never rode up at all and the shorts underneath were so comfortable. It's the perfect length -- not too long but not too short either. I loved that there were several pockets that I could put keys or whatever I needed. I ran on a 85 degree day and this skirt didn't get weighed down with sweat at all. I couldn't believe how cute and comfortable it was! 

The Mizuno Women's Jinx Sport Tank was also amazing. I usually have to wear another sports bra with built-in bra tanks like these but I didn't have to at all with this tank. It has an adjustable support bra for more support and no extra sports bra was needed. Less laundry = one happy runner. As I mentioned it was HOT during my run and this tank kept the moisture away and I never felt sweaty on my run. The tank also had pockets in case I needed to store anything.

I was a huge fan and felt cute yet was extremely comfortable on my run. I highly recommend both products and the Mizuno brand in general. This was not a sponsored post, I just really love their products and am a big fan! 

Would you ever try a running skirt? What do you think of this look? 

Fitness: Why Rest and Recovery Days are so Important

Even if you're not training for a race it's easy to get obsessed with working out. When you start to see results you want to keep going and it's easy to overdo it. Working out too much does more harm than good for your body. It sounds crazy since exercise is so good for you, but if you workout too much you don't give your body a chance to adjust and repair. Every time we workout our body breaks down our muscles so they get stronger the next time. If you don't incorporate rest days your body can't repair these muscles and instead they become fatigued and overworked, eventually leading to burnout. 

You want to start an exercise program you can maintain for the long term. The moment you stop or lower your activity level, the pounds will start to creep on. Working out 5-7 days a week? That might not be realistic over the long term. Everyone is different but most people do best with 3-5 days a week of activity with active recovery and rest days in between. 

I've found that 4-5 days a week of moderate to intense workouts work best for me and my schedule. I try to do 3-4 days with some form of cardio and 2-3 days of weight training. This combination might not work best for you so play around with numbers and see how your body responds. I need at least two rest days a week to get the most out of my workouts and can't do too much cardio or I'm always hungry and my energy is drained. 

On my rest days I make sure to still move and stretch since I sit at a desk all day for my day job. I'll walk for 30 minutes on the treadmill during lunch or make sure to do some yoga poses when I get home after work. I really try to listen to my body. Somedays I really need to just do nothing and be lazy and that's okay too. You have to treat your body right or overtime you'll completely burn out and have to start from scratch. 

So, as much as you might want to keep going, make sure to take some time off and let your body rest. You'll be doing yourself a ton of good and it will keep you strong in the long term.

How many rest and active recovery days do you schedule each week? What types of workouts do you schedule in your routine? 

Health & Fitness: Strengthening Your Shoulders

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When I go to the gym, my shoulders aren’t one area I tend to spend a lot of time working. I usually focus on doing cardio, abs and weights for my bigger muscle groups like legs, biceps triceps, forearms and back. I occasionally get in some shoulder exercises, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized how weak my shoulders really are. 

A few months ago, I got back into playing volleyball. I’d been on a long hiatus from the sport and decided to jump back in. After a few weeks, I worked out all the kinks that come from being away from a sport. I’m currently playing twice per week for an average of two to three hours per session. It’s a great way to stay in shape – I would much rather be playing a sport than on a treadmill or lifting. The only downside is the shoulder pain I started experiencing from repeatedly serving and hitting the ball. No matter how many stretches and warm-up exercises I did before playing, by the end of the night—and often times before I was done playing—my shoulder would be in pain. 

So I decided I need to focus more attention on strengthening my shoulders so that I wouldn’t continually put myself at risk for injury and have to quit playing volleyball. And when you think about it, strong shoulders are important for everyday activities like household chores and carrying groceries.

Your shoulders are one of those areas of the body you don’t really think about until injury strikes. I’m happy to say that my shoulder has been feeling MUCH better, and it’s all thanks to sticking to a solid shoulder routine. Check out the videos if you want to learn how to do any of the moves.

Weights at the gym (no more than twice per week):

• Military/shoulder press with free weights (two 10- to- 12-pound weights) 
• Lateral raise with free weights (two 5- to 8-pound weights) 
• Front raise with free weights (two 5- to 8-pound weights) 
• Cuff internal and external rotation on cable system (two 10 pound weights) 
• Shrugs with free weights (two 15- to 20-pound weights) 

Resistance band with medium tension at home (daily):

• Front raise 
• Lateral raise 
• Upright row 
• Forward roll 
• Backward roll (I do this one standing up instead.)
• Cuff external rotation 
• Cuff internal rotation 

Much more could be added to this list, but these are the ones I’ve incorporated into my routine for now. I’m sure as my shoulders get stronger, I’ll either bump up the weight or resistance slightly or try out some new exercises. 

Have you ever had to build a workout routine to help yourself recover from an injury?

Health & Fitness: 10 Ways to Stay Active at Work

Like many of you, Adrianne and I work an office job 8 hours a day (at least) 5 days a week. That equals a lot of sitting and not much activity. I used to be a server and between running around to my tables and lifting heavy plates I didn't have to worry too much about remaining active. Since switching over to the desk job my activity level has decreased dramatically. I've come up with a few tips for staying more active throughout the day and hope they help you too!

1. Take a break at least once an hour to get a glass of water, hit the restroom or just take a quick lap around the office. Sitting all day is really hard on your body and breaking it up really helps. My future husband is a Physical Therapist and told me that I really need to be getting up every 10-15 minutes. Although that is ideal, not much work would get done!

2. Use your lunch break to get away from your desk. I used to eat at my desk during my lunch while continuing to work. Now I either leave the office and go for a walk, go window shopping or go to the gym. Our work recently installed a fitness center and I've been utilizing that on my lunch break on most days. Not only is my workout already done but it really breaks up the work day.

3. Schedule your workouts and write it down in your calendar. I keep a calendar in my purse and I log all of my planned workouts for the week. If they vary at all after I've planned them out I make the changes so I can keep record of what I did each week. It keeps me accountable and like any other "appointment" on my calendar, I feel like I have to do it.

4. Make workout plans with a friend. Go for a walk and talk about life. Help each other out  through a challenging weights workout. I've found that when I workout with a friend it doesn't feel like working out. Time goes by so quick and before I know it -- the workout is done!

5. Buy and wear a pedometer. Studies show that people who wear a pedometer on average walk a mile a day further than those who don't. Add that up and that's 7 miles a week! I know if I was wearing one I would be much more conscious about how many steps I was taking.

6. Always take the stairs. This may not apply to you if you work on the ground floor (or 57 stories high) but I've found that taking the stairs to the 4th floor every day has really helped give me some extra cardio. No matter how good of shape I'm in, I always find the stairs to be such a challenge!

7. Park farther away. Not just at work but everywhere. It's so easy to stay in your car and hunt for that perfect close parking space. Think about how many extra steps you could get in if you just parked a little farther away.

8. Instead of calling or emailing a coworker -- go walk and see them! I find it's so easy to hide behind my computer all day and not have any face-to-face interaction. If I would get up more and go visit my coworkers in person, not only would I move a lot more but I would be able to interact with my colleagues. Win-win if you ask me. 

9.  Work on your posture. It's so easy to slump down and look at your computer screen all day. Make a conscious effort to suck in your belly, pull your shoulders back and sit up tall. It's great for working all the muscles in your core and is so much better for your body. 

10. Do stretches at your desk. It will help get your blood flowing and give your body a small boost of energy. I find that stretching really helps when I'm super stressed at work -- it clears my mind and helps me focus. 

Those are just a few of of the many things you can do each day to get some more activity into your life. I find it's always nice to have a friendly reminder from time to time. 

Are you doing any of the above to stay more active? Do you have any other ways that you use to get more activity into your day? 

Health & Fitness: What is HIIT Anyways?

I'm sure you've seen the word HIIT before and wondered what the heck it is. I reference it a lot in my Weekly Workout Log on my personal blog but haven’t taken the time to explain it. Answer: High-Intensity Interval Training. AKA a quick, super effective workout that will get your heart pumping. It’s the most effective workout you can do to help burn fat – fast!

You want to make sure to do any interval training on non-consecutive days. Your heart is also a muscle and needs rest too. Please always check with a doctor before adding a new fitness routine and if it doesn't feel right -- DON'T DO IT!

Here’s my go-to treadmill HIIT workout that I do almost every week. You can play around with speeds and intervals to keep your body guessing and to keep from getting bored.

It's that quick and easy! The first and last 5 minutes are dedicated to a good warm up and cool down so please make sure to take the time to do these. It will make a huge difference in your recovery and prevent injury. 

If you try this workout let us know -- we'd love your feedback! Have any HIIT workouts you'd like to share?

Got 10 Minutes? Squeeze in a Leg Workout!

One of the biggest reasons many people don’t go to the gym is because they don’t have time. I agree – sometimes there’s just not enough time in the day to get yourself to the gym. And sometimes maybe you just don’t feel up to a full-on workout. But, neither of those are great excuses for not getting in some form of exercise. 

I admit, there are days where I skip the gym. But, I always try to do something at home – whether it’s crunches, cardio or whatever I can work up the strength to do that night. 

Here’s a quick 10-minute leg workout you can do at home:

Squats

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Start with your feet about shoulder width apart. Put your hands on your hips or keep them straight in front of you. Keep your back straight as you perform a sitting motion. Once you’ve bent your legs 90 degrees, stand back up.

Frog Jumps

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Start in a squat position. Jump as high as you can and try to land softly back in your squat position.

Walking Lunges

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Start by standing with your hands on your hips. Step forward with your right leg until your leg reaches a 90 degree angle. Don’t let your knee pass your toes. Stand up on your right leg and bring your left leg forward and step into a lunge with that leg. 

Sumo Squats

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Stand with your legs a bit farther than shoulder width apart. Point your toes outward. Squat down until both of your knees reach 90 degree angles. 

Side Lunges

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Start with your feet about shoulder width apart. Put your hands on your hips. Lift your right foot and step to the side while squatting. Keep your knee aligned above your toes and squat until your leg has reached a 90 degree angle. Try to keep your back straight. With this exercise, you can either work one side repeatedly for a stronger burn or go from side-to-side.

Perform each exercise for approximately 45 to 50 seconds. Rest for 10 to 15 seconds and move onto the next exercise. Do these five moves twice and you’re done! If you’d like, you can even hold dumbbells in your hands while performing some of these exercises to make them more challenging.

There are plenty of other leg exercises you can incorporate into this routine. Play around and see what works best for you. The whole point of any 10-minute routine is to get up and get moving. We all have those days where we’re either too busy to get to the gym or just don’t feel like it, so create some 10-minute workouts and use them as a back-up to make yourself get off the couch on those busy or lazy days!