Roller Derby is a “going for the gold” type sport.  In this sport, the skater is moving at amazing speed putting up a fight to get through the Pack which may result in anything from bruises to pain and broken bones to the feeling of strong inner strength.

An American-invented contact sport, according to the Derby Dolls website (a roller derby league in L.A.), roller derby was created in 1935 by Leo Seltzer.  A match is composed of two teams with five players each … four Blockers and one Jammer … which face off against each other.  The Blockers skate together to form a Pack.  A Jammer from the opposing team fights her way through the Pack scoring points if she succeeds plus earning more points when she laps the team.

In the 70’s, roller derby was played to sold-out crowds across the U.S., and it has made a comeback in recent years.  But with the movie Whip It coming to theaters on October 2 with Ellen Page (Juno) playing the leading part, I expect the sport will take off even more so.  Director Drew Barrymore … yes, besides playing a role in the movie, she was also the director … has shared these motivational thoughts about the leading role in Whip It:

“I believe that girls can do it all.  . . . finding your inner strength, believing you can do what boys do, and figuring who you are along the way.”

In case you think this is the sport for you (remember it is extreme), Derby Dolls has provided on their site a list of roller derby leagues.  Hopefully, you can find one in your area.

I think it would be a blast to watch the Derby Dolls live in real action, but for the time being I’ll have to settle on YouTube.

Run by women for women of all skill levels, the Venus de Miles road ride offers three different bike courses from which you can choose from:

(1) a 35-mile jaunt through scenic countryside,
(2) a bit more challenging 50-mile course, or (3) a tough 65-mile climb through Jamestown.

If you miss the registration deadline, there is still a possibility you can get in as they are allowing late registration up until the day of the event (at a slightly higher fee of course).  But be aware that they are capping this year’s ride at 1500 riders.  Your registration fee also gets you a free T-shirt, lunch and beer after the race, a celebration in the park with prizes plus activities such as massages, mini-facials, yoga, and more.  But your registration not only benefits you, the rider.  This bike ride is in support of Greenhouse Scholars, an organization providing mentorship and scholarship to high-performing, under-resourced students.

If you want to attend, you can find more details for the Venus de Miles bike ride here.  Or you can find updates on the Venus de Miles blog.  Everyone is a winner on this ride, so get your Trek bike dusted off and loaded in the car.

What do pop singer Kelly Clarkson and I have in common?

No, I don’t have a beautiful voice from which I can establish a huge following of fans.  And I have never met Simon Cowell. But rather Kelly and I both do an intense boot camp-type workout regimen.

Yes, Kelly Clarkson recently told Self Magazine (September 2009 issue) that she attends Crossfit, a strength training and cardio program used by police academies and military special operations. Clarkson tells Self about her workout that increases her energy:

“I love it.  It’s like boot camp.  You never work out more than 35 minutes, but it’s so intense. It makes me feel like G.I. Jane. It’s very empowering. I feel like I can whup ass!” “I do it totally for my psyche,” she told Self. “I’m much better when those endorphins are going. It’s a release. And I also love food, so there’s a payoff!”

And don’t forget about the health benefits, Kelly!

With Kelly Clarkson doing Crossfit, she just might be a great example for any skeptics out there who think that women cannot do a serious strength training workout and still retain a feminine look.

While Crossfit trains elite athletes worldwide, people who train with Crossfit range anywhere from housewives to Olympic athletes.  You set your goals. Click here to find a Crossfit affiliate in your state or workout on your own by watching Crossfit’s videos or by following their Workout of the Day (WOD).

On a side note, there is a lot of controversy about Self retouching the cover photo to enhance Kelly Clarkson’s looks.  But while Kelly’s weight has fluctuated up and down in the past, there is no doubt that she always looks fabulous!  Take a look at the above recent video of Kelly Clarkson’s performance on Oprah.

If you are a fan of the show such as I am, you may recall that Bill won the grand prize of $250,000 and brother Jim took home the eliminated players “at home” prize of $100,000. Quite impressive!

While first the nation watched them fight obesity by losing an amazing amount of weight on national television, the famous twins can now watch their viewers do the same by applying to their lifestyle Bill and Jim’s advice. In June, Bill and Jim released their Rapid Action Metabolism Program, which is a healthy weight loss plan that teaches people how to reach their weight loss goals using the same system the twins used during the show to lose weight, and after the show to keep the weight off.

Being a big believer in eating healthy and exercising regularly for losing and maintaining weight, there are a couple of things I really like about Jim and Bill sharing this program with us. (1) First seeing them achieve their weight loss goals on TV provides us living proof that they know how to do it, and (2) they use a common sense change-of-lifestyle approach without any diet fad attached. And, I might add, they provide their knowledge at a reasonable price too!

Click here to go to Bill and Jim’s weight loss plan website.

ellen and levi

Originally uploaded by noahstone

How does a person keep stress in check?

This year is not quite halfway through yet, but I can honestly say it certainly has been one of the most difficult and challenging years I have ever encountered. And while I have managed to ward off any depression setting in, I definitely had to work hard at keeping my stress in check.

Here’s a touch of what’s been going on in my little corner of the world:

• After a couple of long stays at the hospital with serious heart and lung problems, my Dad was finally released with these departing words from his heart doctor: “Your heart is only functioning at 30% and will never get better. You may live up to 10 years, or you may live only 10 days.” Not quite the encouraging words we had hoped for, but they could have been much worse I suppose. The doctors then told this 75-year-old workaholic to go home and sit in front of the TV. Instead he went home and fretted over completing repairs on his house which my Mom would have to burden alone should the worst happen to him. Therefore, my siblings and I are hurriedly doing the repairs for him (if we don’t, he’ll do them himself), while still somehow trying to maintain our own households. We’ll be replacing his roof soon and I can’t wait to get that over with. (Here’s a bit of strength training info: My Dad has always been an extremely strong man. When he first entered the hospital, the doctors said they were surprised he hadn’t died of heart failure yet. They claimed it was due to the fact that his body was so strong.)

• Before the health issues with my Dad popped up, my husband and I were already burdened with concerns over my husband’s business which quickly went from thriving to dying due to the economy. We’ve had to temporarily find other ways to make an income. Business has picked up again (yeah!), but it certainly set us back a huge step.

Outside of my home:

• I watched a friend suffer through agonizing surgeries after having his kneecap removed due to an infection which consumed his entire leg. He finally received an artificial knee and is healing well now, but, Yikes!, the pain he endured. Luckily, he was in the same hospital as my Dad so I could visit the two in one trip. And, luckily, he didn’t lose his entire leg.

• And, sadly, just last week a wonderful and loving neighbor lost his battle to cancer. Such a tremendous loss for us, but who can blame God for wanting to take such a loyal servant to finally serve in his Heavenly Kingdom.

Now, not everything is bad in this little spot in the middle of the U.S. I do have good news too. My daughter announced early in the year that she is getting married … in June! This is great news, but how do you pay for a wedding on such short notice when your business suffered so tremendously? The timing could have been better. And how do you help one person, my father, get through a difficult stage of his life (preparing for death) while cheerfully helping another person, my daughter, start a new and exciting stage of her life (a family of her own)? From roofing clothes to wedding clothes, it seems I’m constantly going from one extreme to the other … that being from sadness to gladness.

When I think back to being in my 20’s, I’m certain that dealing with just one of the struggles mentioned above would have put me into a depression that would have taken me weeks to overcome. But while my motivation for the goals I have set for myself is definitely slacking, a depression is not yet overtaking.

What do I have that gives me strength now that I didn’t have in my 20’s? Well, two important things give me the strength I need to fight stress.

First of all, in my 20’s, I was not a born-again Christian. While I had my heart set on earthly goals, I did not have my heart set on more important heavenly goals. I did not have in my life an awesome preacher whom I have today to help me keep my eyes on the ultimate goal. Being a born-again Christian sure seems to make troubled times seem not so troubling.

Secondly, while I do occasionally lose track of some of my earthly goals (such as this blog), I never lose focus on my health goals. Day-after-day I continue to arise at 5:30 a.m. to take my daily dose of cardio, weight lifting, boxing, and/or abdominal crunches. There is no doubt in my mind that exercising has played a major role in fighting off depression and possibly other health issues. By pumping up endorphins, exercise improves one’s mood. It gives self-confidence, which empowers a person to tackle the worst situations, and it lessens the symptoms of depression. It helps you sleep better and it helps ward off other illnesses that may try to set in.

Here are 10 other important things to know to ensure you will have a successful workout:

1. Don’t wear improper footwear. Improper footwear increases the pounding on your joints and can lead to injury.  When purchasing shoes, shop at stores that specialize in athletic shoes and choose shoes specific to your activity.  If you don’t know, then ask the salesperson.  And always replace the shoes as soon as they begin to show signs of wear.
2. Don’t try to burn fat only in an isolated area. You can firm muscles in an isolated area, but you’ll be unsuccessful if you attempt to isolate fat burning to one part of the body.  Such as your stomach, thighs, hips, or arms.  Incorporate cardio into your workout with the goal to reduce all over body fat.  That being said, unfortunately, the areas that gain fat the fastest will be the most stubborn areas to let it go.
3. Don’t stretch before your workout. Like me, you probably grew up being told to always stretch before a workout.  Now experts are saying that is wrong!  Your muscles should never be stretched while they are still cold as this puts you at risk for pulled or torn muscles.  Go straight for the warm-up.  Which brings me to the next “don’t”.
4. Don’t skip a warm-up before your workout. Or you will increase your risk of injury.  If you skip a nice warm-up before a cardio workout, you raise the heart rate too fast.  And skipping a warm-up before lifting weights could result in torn muscles.  A 5-10 minute warm-up is needed to get the oxygen and blood flowing.
5. Don’t assume cardio is enough. Cardio is a great fat burner, but don’t forget strength training.  Keep in mind that we begin losing muscle at age 30.  And strength training builds muscle, which increases metabolism, which burns more calories.   It is very important to do both.
6. Don’t use bad form on cardio marchines. Never set the resistance so high that you have to hunch over or hang on to the handrail with a death grip.  Doing so is preventing your body from a good workout and it can throw off your alignment, which jars your spine, shoulders, and elbow.  And never read while using cardio machines, as this will take away your focus on form.  No matter the exercise, you’ll never have a successful workout if your form is bad.
7. Don’t think “no pain, no gain” is always true. Yes, some muscle aches and pains are normal and should be expected.  But sometimes pain is your body telling you to back off.  Joint and bone pain,  muscle strains, or ligament and tendon strains are all signs that something is wrong.  They will only get worse if you choose to ignore them because of the “no pain, no gain” theory.
8. Don’t think drinking water during a workout causes cramps. Quite the opposite is true.  If you are thirsty, you are dehydrated, and this actually increases your risk for cramps.  Always stay well hydrated.
9. Don’t skip the cool-down. Just like you should take 5-10 minutes to warm-up, you should also take 5-10 minutes to cool down giving your heart rate a chance to slow down properly.  Never just come to a sudden stop at the end of your workout.
10. Don’t let loss of motivation put an end to your workouts. You may be pumped up about your workouts for a long time, and then suddenly feel unmotivated.  Loss of motivation is a sign of over training.  When this happens, take a break or change the pace.  You may skip the weights and only do cardio for a while.  Or rest a day between workouts.  Another option is to reward yourself with a massage or new workout clothes.  (That sounds good to me!)

Here are the benefits of a good pec workout:

Most of us have relied on our chest muscles our entire life for pushing and pulling heavy things.  When we have good upper-body strength we have more strength for activities such as lifting and holding our children, pushing lawnmowers, and rearranging our furniture.  And with strong chest muscles we are less likely to injure ourselves while doing such activities.

What a good pec workout won’t do.

Don’t think that with a regular bench press workout you will turn your A cups into double-Ds.  It just won’t happen.  But with a little dedication, it can give you nice athletic cleavage.  And because it works the delts and triceps, it will give you nicely shaped arms and a better athletic frame.  Simply put, you will be in better overall shape.

How to bench press:

Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor.  Grab the barbell so your arms are evenly spaced a few inches wider than shoulder-width apart.  Arch your back just slightly.  Lift the bar off the rack and hold it at arm’s length over your chest.  Straighten your arms, but don’t lock your elbows.  Slowly lower the bar to your chest.  Pause, and then push the bar back up.  During this exercise, be sure to pull your abs in tight, exhale as you press the bar up, and inhale as you lower the bar down.

If you want to focus on your upper chest, then incline the bench to a 45-degree angle.  Or if you really want to get strong, decline the bench 30 or 40 degrees.

Don’t have a barbell?

Then do pushups! Start in a pushup position, hands shoulder width apart.  While keeping your back straight, bend at the elbows until your chin almost touches the ground.  Push back up, and repeat.

Last year I missed out on The Ultimate Blog Party, a virtual party hosted by 5 Minutes For Mom specifically for women bloggers, who can participate by throwing their own blog party.  But this year, 2009, I am sure to participate.  Afterall, there are prizes to be won at this party!

If you are new here and/or have arrived through Janice and Susan’s Ultimate Blog Party 2009 … Welcome to my little corner of the party! I am grateful you are here.  I am Julie, the owner of The Health & Wellness Post.  And this is a strength training blog to help women (and men!) improve their health and lose weight.  Besides being a health blogger, I am also an independent distributor for the superjuice Vemma.

Here at The H&W Post, I rarely take time away from exercise to have a party, but I’m never above putting a little party into my exercise.  So before you move along with your blog party hopping, let’s join Chalene Johnson in a little hip hop dance.  But first, as requested by twins Janice and Susan, here are my top 3 party prize picks:

• Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer provided by Moms Who Think (#58).  (Can you believe I’m 44 and have never had a mixer!)
• Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook (#49) provided by Pudget: Losing Weight On A Budget.  I’m a big fan of Jillian’s!
• Simply Precious Photo Tile Necklace (#41) provided by Elemental Memories.  This is so precious!

Other preferences:  Nos. 15, 19, and 21.   Now, let’s exercise … um, I mean party! 

Well, here’s something that can help you build a better body in the comfort of your own home.

Crystalee at nuruplanet.com recently provided me with a deck of Nuru Exercise Anywhere cards for my review. Quite frankly, this is a nice little deck of cards.  And I’ll share with you my reasons for being so fond of this sweet little item.

First of all, the Nuru deck is right in step with the type of training which I share on my blog, strength training.  It illustrates various ways you can exercise using your own body weight as resistance (which in turn will burn calories and tone muscles) thereby making it easy to exercise anywhere.  It targets all the major muscle groups … abs, chest, back, shoulders, arms, and glutes.  And it is for everyone, from the beginner to the advanced.

Next, this item consists of 30 cards, bound together with a small metal ring, which fit nicely into the palm of your hand and easily in your purse.  It doesn’t take up much room in your home and is perfect for traveling.

Lastly, it comes with a decent price making it affordable for everyone.  You can get the Nuru Exercise Anywhere cards for under $10 as shipping is free.  Don’t we all love free shipping!

Here’s a sample of what you will find in a Nuru deck of cards.  (Photos provided by NuruPlanet.com.)

We all have times during our lives in which we experience a crisis.  Whether it be a financial crisis, a divorce, or a health issue, we experience them.  And with each crisis comes a fear of how we are going to get through it.  The most recent crisis millions of people are dealing with is, of course, the economy.  With thousands and thousands of Americans facing layoffs right now, the main question on every one’s mind is, “What if the bailout doesn’t work?” If the government doesn’t turn these tough times around soon, what will we do?

According to motivational speaker Anthony Robbins, we have to rescue ourselves.  We have to find a way to empower ourselves so that we can take action in our own rescue.  Now, this article isn’t to discuss all the steps you should take to rescue yourself from a crisis.  Anthony can help you with that better than I can.  This article is only to tell you the first, and probably most important, step.  In order to start rescuing yourself from a financial crisis, or any crisis, you first have to get strong . . . mentally and physically.  And the best way to do that is by starting each day with an intense workout.  Whether it be running, weight lifting, or something else, hit the pavement and hit it hard.  When you do a workout which pushes you past what you think are your limits, you get a sense of accomplishment, pride, and self-confidence.  Then you can take these feelings and use them as ammunition to fight the storm that faces you and push yourself through what you think are your financial limits.

A good workout will:

1. Feed both your mind and your body.
2. Help you avoid falling into a depression.
3. Motivate you to do something to change your life.
4. Empower you to take the necessary action to turn things around.
5. Give you strength to follow through.

But don’t just concentrate on building strength during the time of a crisis.  Do it continually so you will be up to the challenge of tackling a crisis head on as soon as it hits.