fitnessandfood

Well my previous post on the Tracy Anderson method sure got a lot of hits, and as they say, give the people what they want.  Although I had mixed feelings about the method itself, in an interview with the Guardian on 3 January 2009, Anderson reveals ten sensible tips for anyone looking to get in shape.

1. Train for an hour a day, six days a week, splitting the time between cardiovascular exercise and strength training/stretching.
2. Anderson cautions against gym-style weight training, as she says most weights are too heavy and cause bulking.
3. Dancing is one of the best forms of cardio out there - there are lots of dance aerobic videos out there to try, from salsa to belly-dancing, urban to ballet.
4. Anderson recommends low weights and high reps - up to 60 repetitions for a single exercise with weights as low as 1-3 lbs.
5. Keep the mind engaged while exercising - don’t “tune out”, really think about the movement as it’s happening.
6. Watch yourself in a mirror will help you think about your movements.
7. Don’t push yourself too hard to achieve an unrealistic fitness goal - i.e. not everyone can be like Madonna (or should be).
8. Be balanced with your eating - eat sensibly, but don’t deprive yourself.
9. Do think about what you eat, however, and try to cut out processed foods or food with high saturated fat (dairy, red meat).
10. And the final tip is to cut down on alcohol - Anderson claims it slows the metabolism for three days after consumed.

These are good general guidelines for anyone seeking to increase their fitness and overall health.  My personal goal is to start engaging the mind when I run, as it’s so easy to get into a rhythm and not really think about anything (in fact, one of my favourite parts about running).  Tuning into my movement will help me analyse the efficiency of my running as well as connecting more with my body and perhaps discovering a bit more about my niggling back pain.

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