Should You Run Every Day?

        I have this secret insecurity about running around other people.  As my last name suggests, I am not a runner, nor do I have a lot of endurance when it comes to running.  So when I go to the gym and all of these girls are running at 7 mph for 30 minutes to an hour, I get pretty self-conscious.  However, I hear girls complaining about how they are always running but not losing any weight.  This makes them run even more.  Well, if you are one of those girls, I'm here to tell you that “running until you don't jiggle” might not be the way to get the results you want.  Once again, I'm no expert, these are just some things I've learned and changed about my workout routine.  So grab a snack, sit back, and get comfortable.  Hopefully I won’t ramble too much…

Change up your routine

Our bodies are very adaptive to the exercises we do. So just like you would do a variety of leg exercises and not just squats, maybe a little change in your cardio routine could be beneficial to you. Instead of jogging for an hour, jog/walk for 4 minutes, sprint for 1.  Do this until your workout is complete.

Space out your workouts

Running is a high impact cardio workout on the body. Think about it: you're constantly pounding on your leg muscles and bones, not to mention your entire spine as well. While running is important and is a great way to stimulate muscles all over your body, doing something that is so high impact every day for long periods of time is not giving your muscles enough time to heal.  After a high impact/high intensity workout, it can take your body at LEAST 3 days to heal.  But you don’t want to wait for more than 6 days before you repeat your cardio workout, or do another type of cardiovascular exercise.  

        What I like to do (take it or leave it), is to work my legs on Mondays and Fridays, arms/back Tuesdays and Thursdays, and cardio Wednesdays and Saturdays.  That is, if I get in every workout that I plan.  You might be wondering how I manage to keep up my amazing 6 pack (lol right).  I work out my abs every day that I think about it.  According to the strength and conditioning coach at Troy University, you can work out your abs and calves every day if you wanted to.  These muscles are really thick and can heal quickly. 

Slow it down!

There is a difference between cardio and fat burning exercises. While cardio workouts CAN burn fat, they will not maximize the potential fat burn. You can actually alter a few things from your normal cardio workout to make it a fat burning workout. During a steady run, your heart rate will be around the 180 bpm range. At this point, your body is in “cardio mode”. Your body is gaining the ability to take in more oxygen and is improving your lung, heart, and blood vessel functions. However, when your heart rate stays between 120-140 bpm, your body is in “fat burn mode”. The best way I've found to keep my heart rate in this range is to walk on the treadmill at about 3-3.5 mph (enough to keep you breathing slightly heavy) with a 4+ incline. Something that helps me know that I've reached the fat burning point of my workout is when my stomach sweat is cold. Gross, I know. If you get to this point, don’t quit!

Let me know if any of these tips have helped you, or if you have any of your own.  Also, if you have any suggestions or ideas of things I could write about, feel free to comment below or let me know on any of my social medias.

3 Exercises You May Be Doing Wrong

        For many exercises, quality is more important than quantity.  Using the correct form when working out is important for injury prevention and muscle conditioning.  The lunge, crunch, and plank are three exercises that are commonly performed incorrectly.

LUNGE

Lunges are a great way to strengthen your quads, hamstrings, and glutes.  One of the most common mistakes while performing a lunge is actually lunging too far forward (pictured) where the knee is lined up with or in front of the toe.  This puts unwanted stress on the knee, rather than the leg and butt muscles. 

When doing a lunge, not only should you remember to keep your lower leg at a right angle with your foot, but you should also keep your head and chest upright, with your shoulders back.  Keeping good posture will help ensure that the right muscles get worked out and reduce muscle strain.  When bringing yourself back UP from a lunge, remember to use your front leg to bring your weight up.  The lunging leg is the one your are working at the time.

CRUNCH

I see this mistake so often.  When performing a basic crunch or situp, it is common to keep your hands behind your head.  After a few crunches, your core becomes tired and you want to find ways to make your 100 reps easier or faster.  Pulling on your head like I've demonstrated above is putting stress on your neck rather than your abs.  In a way, your arms are doing all of the work for you, while crunches are supposed to work your core.

Instead of pulling on your neck, simply rest your head in your hands and focus on squeezing your core to pull your body up.  To perform a simple crunch, only go up far enough to lift your shoulders and upper back off the floor, lower yourself (not all the way back to the floor), and repeat.  Keep your elbows out, look up, and keep your chin off of your chest.  Imagine that you have a grapefruit fit under your chin while you're crunching.  Also imagine that you have a string attached to your breast bone and someone straight above you is pulling on that string to lift you up.

If you find it too difficult to keep your elbows out to your side, and you frequently catch yourself pulling your head rather than using your core, try crossing your arms over your chest while keeping good form with your head as well.
*Try to keep your feet on the floor as best as you can while crunching.  If your core isn't strong enough yet, find a partner who can hold your feet down or something to fit your feet under so you aren't relying on your feet to pull your body up*

PLANK

The plank is a great move to throw in your workout because it doesn't just work your abs.  Your entire body is working hard to hold this difficult position.  Remember to keep your butt down and your back as flat as possible and keep your forearm and upper arm at a right angle to ensure that your shoulders are getting a good workout as well.  This move is HARD, but so good for you.  Keep breathing during your hold and try to keep your core as stable as possible.

While this is technically a plank because I'm still holding my body off the floor, I'm putting the majority of my weight on my elbows and toes because I am leaning forward so far.  Try not to let your back cave in, but let it be like a flat shelf from your shoulders to your butt.

Keep your weight evenly distributed between your elbows and toes and keep your arms lined up with your shoulders.   

3 Meals to Make on a College Budget

        As mentioned in my last post, eating healthy is crucial to begin and maintain a healthy lifestyle.  As many of you may already know, living off of a college budget is tough.  But I have learned some easy recipes that are "college friendly", actually taste good, and won't break your bank account.  Keep in mind that some of these meals might not be suitable for someone who's living somewhere without an oven or a stove top.
        Frozen chicken breasts are my best friend when it comes to making easy meals in the apartment.  You can get a bag for less than $10 at Walmart or Food World and it'll last you for several meals.  Be very cautious when cooking and handling raw chicken.  Make sure everything is sanitized once you're done cooking and make sure you take the time to check if the chicken in cooked thoroughly.
        When I cook, I usually am cooking for myself, Taylor, and his brother Mason.  Maybe that will give you some idea to how you could adjust the recipe to fit your needs.  If I don't explain anything well enough feel free to critique me or ask any questions in the comments.



BALSAMIC CHICKEN (One of my favorites)

        This recipe has so much flavor and is so easy to make!  If you want to make it even healthier, use less dressings and honey to make less sauce.  If you want to add more color, add some cherry tomatoes in with the other vegetables.

What I use:

• 3 frozen chicken breasts (1 per person)
• 1 12 oz bag of frozen or fresh green beans
• 1/2 box of uncut fresh mushrooms
•  1/4 cup of Italian dressing
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp balsamic dressing

What I do:

1. Thoroughly cook the chicken in a skillet with olive oil and season with salt and pepper if you wish; set aside when done
2. If green beans are frozen, you'll want to cook them before the mushrooms.  Use the same skillet that you used for the chicken and cook the green beans with some olive oil.  Once the green beans are cooked through, wash and add in the mushrooms until they begin to soften.
3. Remove the vegetables and set aside.  Add both dressings and honey into the skillet until it begins to bubble.  Add the chicken to warm it back up and get coated with the sauce.  If your vegetables stay warm you can plate everything at this point, but if they cool down too much you could throw the vegetables in to heat back up.

BUFFALO CHICKEN BOMBS

        Now this recipe isn't the healthiest to make, but it is so delicious and easy for those nights that you don't want to put a lot of effort into a meal.  Pair this with a side of green vegetables and you're all set.

What I use:

• 2 12 oz cans of white or dark chicken (drained)
• 1 can of croissant dough
• 1/4 cup of hot sauce (you can use more or less depending on how spicy you want it)
• approx. 3 tablespoons of mayo (eyeball this. You really only need enough to make a thick mixture) 
• *optional: 1 powdered ranch packet

What I do:

1. Preheat oven according to croissant can directions.
2. Combine chicken, hot sauce, powdered ranch if desired, and mayo in a bowl
3. Unravel and scoop in chicken mixture evenly between croissants and fold edges
4. Bake according to croissant directions and enjoy!

CHICKEN FAJITAS

        I love this recipe because of it is so versatile.  You can add in or take away the ingredients that you do or don't like and it'll still taste amazing.  The vegetables add so much color and texture to the meal and it is so filling.  Make it a little healthier and skip the tortilla, it actually tastes amazing in a bowl!

What I use:

• 3 frozen chicken breasts
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 2-3 tablespoons of hot sauce
• olive oil
• 1/2 of a yellow onion
• approx. 1 bell pepper per person (use different colors for flavor variety)
• 1 lime
• *optional: tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream

What I do:

1. Marinade and thaw chicken breasts in refrigerator for up to 2 hours in 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp hot sauce, and 1 tbsp taco seasoning.
2. Cook chicken in skillet thoroughly and set aside.
3. Use same skillet and cook onions in a bit of olive oil until they are golden brown.  Add in peppers until they begin to wilt and char.
4. While vegetables are cooking, cut chicken into strips and add into skillet.  Add another tbsp of taco seasoning and more hot sauce if you wish.
5. Serve on a tortilla or in a bowl with any toppings you want and a bit of lime juice.

I hope y'all will try some of these recipes and enjoy them as much as I do.  Once again, let me know if you have any questions or if I need to clarify anything.  Send me a picture/message on any of my social medias letting me know that you tried one of the recipes and what you think of it (my username for everything is @shaynerw)

How I Fought the Freshman Fifteen

        You always hear that “everyone’s body is different” and “what may work for me may not work for you” but it's true.  ESPECIALLY when it comes to weight loss or getting in shape.  There are different body types and everyone's metabolism varies, causing some people to lose weight quickly or slowly.  But I have noticed ways that I can keep weight off and tone up even with all of the nasty foods you might “have to buy” and are surrounded by on a college budget.  Now keep in mind that I'm not a certified nutritionist or physical trainer or anything like that, but exercising and staying healthy is a big passion of mine, so I catch myself researching and experimenting with different exercises.  So, here is what I have learned to work to completely avoid and fight that dreaded freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior fifteen.

Left: Winter Senior Year (2014)
Right: Spring Freshman Year (2015)

EXERCISE

        This is kind of a given, but many students tend to forget when they're staying busy with classes, homework, and other campus events.  But fitting some sort of exercise into your every day routine will not only make you feel better, but you'll also be on the road to slimming down!  Some easy ways to fit in a little bit of exercise includes walking to class, always taking the stairs, or even play basketball with friends.

        I have a pretty busy schedule, but every day I usually have some sort of odd break between classes or practices, so I'll use that time to go to the campus gym and either run or do some sort of weight lifting for about 30 minutes to an hour.  Many people like to work out at the end of the day, but I prefer to exercise at the beginning if possible.  Working out towards the beginning of my day just wakes me up and puts me in a better mood for the whole day.  There's a lot of science behind that, but I won't go into those details :)

        If you're just too busy to fit in a 30 minute workout at some point in your day, there are SO many workouts online (I LOVE Pinterest) that you could pull up on your phone.  I love to do the 5-10 minute workouts before showers if I haven't had time to work out at any other point that day.  I mean, you're about to shower.  So why not work up a little sweat?? That is a GREAT way to fit in some small workouts into your busy schedule.  (If you want me to go into detail with my workouts, let me know)

DRINK WATER

        Another given…but so important!!  Girls, go buy a cute pink water bottle from Walmart and keep it in your backpack (there's a special holder for it remember?).  Having a cute water bottle always helps me get excited about drinking water…weird I know, but try it! Get one with a straw so while you're sitting in class or even walking to your next one you can be sipping on it all day.  You will be going to the bathroom a lot, so be prepared.

        Once you start learning to be less dependent on drinks other than water you will notice a difference in how you feel, and possibly how you look!  As soon as I made the decision to drink nothing but water, I noticed that I felt so much better and not so groggy.  As soon as I tried to drink a soda, it made me sick!  So now I only drink water, and occasionally some lemonade or even an iced coffee, but not much else.  Not only will you feel and look better, but you'll save so much money!  Only a few restaurants charge for cups of water, so choose the healthier, budget friendly route and order water instead of sweet tea!

  

        *tip for those who think they'll get headaches from not drinking caffeine: slowly wean yourself off of it!  If you have one drink with caffeine a day, try to go 5 days without it, and work yourself up until you don't crave it anymore!  It takes dedication, but if you really want to make a difference, you have to suck it up at some point and deal with the cravings.  It's not impossible, y'all!

 SLEEP

        Sleep: a college student’s best friend.  It's a blessing to have a break between classes to have a quick nap.  Really try to get organized and manage your time wisely so you can get to bed at a reasonable hour.  Start to train your body to go to bed earlier, or at least try to find times to squeeze in a power nap.  A power nap is NOT a 2 hour sleep.  A power nap is a 20-30 minute snooze.  You'll definitely notice a difference in how you feel between long sleeps and power naps.  Sleeping gives your body time to heal itself from exercise and of course give you some more energy to get through your day.

EAT HEALTHY

        It's common for students to automatically assume that there's no way they can eat healthy while in college.  There's the popular stereotype that college students are always eating ramen and cereal out of miscellaneous containers, but it doesn't have to be that way.  I don't know how other college dining halls are set up, but at least at Troy’s there is a shelf of apples and oranges.  (Do you realize how expensive those are at the grocery store?) So after you've (hopefully) eaten a healthy meal in your dining hall, grab an apple or two and save them for a snack when you're dying for that bagel from Einstein’s or those peanut M&Ms.  Now that's probably not the best example of how to stay healthy in college, but just be smart and aware of what you're putting into your body.  And when you see opportunities for (free) healthy food, don't hesitate to take it!

        “Myfitnesspal” is a GREAT app to use if you want to watch what you eat.  It's so simple too!  You just enter in your information (height, weight, etc.) and what your goals are (gain or lose weight, and how much) and it tells you how many calories you can eat in a day and still lose or gain the amount of weight you wish.  REMEMBER: there's a huge difference between 1000 calories of chicken and vegetables and 1000 calories of McDonalds.  You just enter the food that you eat into the app and it will tell you if you've reached your sodium or cholesterol limit of the day, etc.  The app has an exercise section so whenever you go on a run on the treadmill or even a bike ride, you can enter in how many calories you burned, and it will add that amount back to how many calories you can eat!  It will even count your steps!  After using the app for a few weeks, it made me much more conscious of what I ate and how many calories I was actually burning in an ordinary day.

        So there’s just a few things I've learned to help make sure that I avoid gaining unnecessary weight and how I can feel healthier all day long.  Hopefully these tips will help you and if I didn't explain anything in detail enough or if you have any questions, please let me know in the comments! 

Dreams and Aspirations

        As some of you know, I am generally an athletic person.  I played softball for 11 years, volleyball for 6, and basketball for 1.  And I know it's so hard to believe, but I wasn't exceptionally skilled at any of those sports.  Sure, I had some decent seasons and good games, but it was never really enough to get me a big scholarship.  
        I was more skilled at softball (mostly my senior year), but volleyball was and is my favorite sport. Since graduating high school, I've had the opportunity to play intramural sports at college, which has kept me sane.  I must add that my intramural softball team won the championship!
        I've also had the incredible opportunity to coach my old high school volleyball team.  This past year was my first year as assistant coach to my mother, and my sister was a senior captain on the team.  Our team won runner-up in our conference, and we came in third in our division at the National Association of Christian Athletes volleyball tournament in Tennessee among 40+ other home school teams.  Considering this was only EA's third year having a volleyball team, I think they did pretty well and they're only going to get better! Coaching those girls was such a blast and I can't wait for the upcoming months.  It came so easy to me and I loved it so much that I really believe that God's plans involve me coaching even more in the future.
        As mentioned in my previous post, I am finishing up my second year of studying Exercise Science.  I've really been enjoying my classes that involve the human body, not so much the math and history classes.  When people ask me what I want to do with an Exercise Science degree, at first I've been saying that I wanted to be a strength and conditioning coach.  While I still plan on learning more about and studying strength and conditioning, I'm leaning more towards coaching.  I guess you could say my dream job would be to become an upper level volleyball coach who is also a certified strength and conditioning coach.  Pretty specific I know, but a girl can dream.
        So while I'm taking these horrible cell biology, geography, and world literature classes, I'm daydreaming of volleyball season and weight lifting.

The EA Knights volleyball team after being awarded the ACSC Conference Runner-Up trophy

I'm Not a Writer...

....so don't get confused.  I have blogged on and off for several years now, but I've never truly stuck with it.  I hope to be different this time, so bear with me.  But before I get into "regular" posts, allow me to share some random information about me that you may or may not care about:         

As stated in my bio, I am just a simple college student.  I am currently a Sophomore, almost a Junior, and I haven't taken an English class in about 2 years.  So my posts might not be as elegant as others, but maybe I can share some stories or information that is interesting, educational, or even funny to you (let's be honest, the funny part probably won't happen, but that's OK).  Let's see...what else.  I am the oldest of 5 children who was raised by amazing parents.  They were somehow able to stay sane while homeschooling all FIVE of us.  I act like it was a huge task, but in reality, we were, and are, good kids.

Here's a nice picture of me with my siblings and parents. Oh, that's me, in the grey shirt and Chacos.  I just realized that I am wearing an outfit right now that is almost the exact same as the one in the picture...college.  My family includes my parents Donnie and Stacy (pictured top right), myself, my sister Harris Anne in the light blue shirt, and my three brothers David, Hudson, and Jack.  Yes, I am the oldest and currently have two siblings taller than me, and I'm not even short!  I will probably write another post specifically about the Walker family, because they are definitely interesting.

I am currently dating the most AMAZING man on the planet (what girlfriend wouldn't say their boyfriend is amazing, but mine actually is) who happens to have a very interesting life as well.  We both attend the same college, and that I am very thankful for. He studies Marketing and I study Exercise Science.  We keep each other company while we're away from our families, and we get along together very well.  Our families have known each other for years but we never more than friends before a few years ago.  Oh yeah. Did I mention that he's a quintuplet??  Don't know what that means?  Well, have you ever heard your mother talking about how having one child was?  Imagine having five boys...at once.  Yes, FIVE kids, sound familiar? Except Taylor and his four brothers were born only minutes apart.  Sounds like a blog post waiting to happen, right?

Finally, I have the most adorable fur child on the face of this earth.  Her name is Temperance Brennan, named after the character with the same name from one of my favorite TV shows, Bones.  She was a graduation/birthday present from my parents.  I got her from the local shelter and when I first saw her, she wasn't that cute.  She was sad and lonely, but I was drawn to her. As soon as she came home, she perked up and now she's the cuddliest, sweetest, most amazing dog in the world and she's one of my best friends.

Well that's basically it!  I plan to write posts on fitness, college, coaching, and just life in general.  Stay tuned if you wish :)

-SW