Tag Archives: lifestyle

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Strength Training: How And Why To Do It Right

by Holly Perkins

In addition to being the New Balance Fitness Ambassador, I work everyday with private clients as a personal trainer and fitness coach. It’s funny to me how ideas and themes seem to present themselves from many directions at certain times in my life. Recently, the value of strength training was presenting itself over and over with almost every one of my clients. Specifically, three clients stood out:

• A newbie starting a 30-pound weight loss journey.
• A newly pregnant mom.
• A mom rebounding after baby #1.

While every one of these gals is very different, it became clear that strength training holds the key to the doorway of their goals and more.

If you spend any time “floating around” – the Internet, the news, fitness magazines – you know that strength training is a buzzword and foremost fitness concept. “Yeah, yeah, yeah – I know,” most of my clients say, because they too have heard it many times. And while I know every detail about why strength training is so revolutionary, I continue to be reminded about how powerfully effective proper strength training can be. I hope you’ll find this article on a day when you have the peace, clarity and time to really absorb what I’m about to say, because this article can change your life in very positive ways.

Most women, in an attempt to lose weight and tighten up, spend way too much time doing cardio. I call it “cardio-ing yourself to death.” If you want a healthier, more resilient, more energetic body, you must strength train. Yes, I said must.

Cardio can only do two things for you:
• Burn calories in an effort to burn body fat.
• Improve your cardiovascular fitness if you do it right.
Weight Loss Newbie

My weight loss client that I referenced above has been failing because she erroneously has been using cardio as her avenue for weight loss. I asked her: do you really want to be a smaller version of yourself? Or do you want to change your body for the better? Once she stopped to really think about this, her answer was that she wants to be healthier, be fit, and be smaller—but look different. Strength training will inspire her muscle metabolism for better, long-term fat burning, and will bring muscle to the areas where she wants shape and definition.

Newly Pregnant Mom

Photos uploaded to Flickr by Simply Bike, some rights reserved.

My newly pregnant mom has very different goals. She is at a healthy weight for her structure and wants to create a strong, functional body to carry her through pregnancy. Studies show that women who are super fit withstand the challenges of pregnancy far better, have shorter labor, and deliver babies at their optimal weight. For this client, strength training is the best way to get her to her goals. While cardio fitness is important for other reasons, strength training is going to improve the function and ability of her “vehicle,” which will be carrying her and her baby for 9 months. Pregnant or not, most people desire more stamina, relief from non-descript aches and pains and protection against generalized fatigue. The only way to keep your structure supported with ideal alignment is through strength training. Many people think that it is your bones that hold your body upright. The truth is that your muscles are responsible for keeping you lifted and aligned so that your natural energy can flow. We all develop muscular imbalances that cause energy loss. These imbalances can only be corrected through structured, specific strength training.

Rebounding Mom

There is an interesting quality that develops when a woman experiences a new level of real strength. The third client that I referenced above has been dealing with the changes that come after baby #1. It is a whole new world, and during the transition time, it can be a bit unsettling as you navigate a new life. For this client, the last 5-8 pounds of pregnancy weight are still lingering, she doesn’t feel her usual sense of energy and ability, and she always feels “fat.” With her, I am emphasizing strength training in her workouts not only for the body shaping benefits, but because physical strength reaches far beyond the physical. There is a supremely fantastic sense of self that comes from concerted strength training. If you haven’t experienced what I’m talking about, I hope someday you do. You will feel a new kind of security and capability when your body is strong. Personally, I feel my most spiritually profound when I have stayed committed to my strength training program. I want all of my clients—and you—to experience this sensation. I really believe it holds the power to fix many parts of our lives. While it may be a physical application, I know for certain that strength training will give my client the foundation she needs to be invincible.

My Strength Training Program

Most women fear that strength training will make them bulky. While this is absolutely possible, there are a few ways to build muscle without adding size to your overall circumferences. In my 16+ years of experience, I have found that if I stick to a few basics, I can transform any body without bulking up. Now that I have made my case for strength training, I’ll give you the know-how to create a proper strength training program that will get you to your goals. There are a few principles that you need to understand:

• Strength and size are not synonymous. You can be strong without being muscular.
• Progressively heavier weight loads will eventually lead to larger muscles.
• Your body fat is layered over your muscles.
• You should assume that your muscles are weaker than you think they are.
• Perfect muscles develop from perfect technique.

In the first 4-6 weeks of a strength training program, your body will go through a transition phase. During this time, your muscles are responding to a new stimulus and may “plump up” temporarily. This is the time when most women freak out and think that they are bulking up. It’s important to know this is simply a transitory phase where the muscles are swelling slightly, causing your layer of body fat to push outward. It is physiologically impossible to bulk up in the first 4-6 weeks of a strength training program. Stay the course, and allow your body time to recover and release any swelling in the muscles. If you feel sore after a strength workout, you can be sure that your muscles are holding onto unnecessary water that may look like bulk.

There are ways that you can minimize the muscle trauma that causes swelling so that your muscles can develop nicely without temporary plumping. Beyond this, your body will respond best if you follow some rules when you begin your strength-training program. There are many, many ways to execute a strength-training program with success. I have found, in my experience, the following protocol to be foolproof. You will see that my approach utilizes traditional gym workouts with dumbbells and weight machines. Other activities that help promote strength are yoga, martial arts, and Pilates. I find that these activities are limited in their ability to promote strength for most people. They are beneficial as part of your larger fitness programming, but for this article I am focusing on weight-based strength training. Follow these steps and in 6 weeks you’ll be looking and feeling strong, lean and invincible:

Programming:

Choose one of the two programs. For best results follow Plan 1. You’ll want to consult a pro, fitness magazines or the internet to select exercises for each group of muscles.

Assume you are weaker than you think you are and begin with very light weights.

Learn PERFECT technique for each exercise by using mirrors and watching for symmetry in movement or by working with a pro.

Complete 3 sets of each exercise for 12 repetitions using the same weight for all 3 sets. Every single repetition should have perfect technique with no compensation in movement. For the first 2-3 weeks don’t increase your weight loads. This will allow your muscles, ligaments and tendons to adapt to the new activity with limited swelling.

After the initial 2-3 weeks, you can increase your weight loads by a small amount for each exercise. It is very important that you maintain perfect technique. If an increase in weight load causes you to lose good form, return to the original weight load and complete each set for 15 repetitions. Then after 2-3 weeks you can attempt to increase the weight loads again watching for perfect technique. For example, if you are using 3 pound dumbbells for shoulder exercises, you can increase to 4 or 5 pounds. If you are using 40 pounds on a leg press machine, you can increase to 45 pounds by using a ½ plate increment. Maintain these weight loads for 2-3 weeks before increasing.

PLAN 1, 4 days each week of strength training.
Day 1: Legs and Shoulders
Day 2: Back and Biceps
Day 3: Chest and Triceps
Day 4: Legs and Abs
PLAN 2, 3 days each week of strength training.
Day 1: Legs, Back and Biceps
Day 2: Chest, Shoulders and Triceps
Day 3: Legs and Abs

It’s become apparent to me that strength training really is the key to most fitness goals for most people. What are your goals? Better energy and stamina? A faster metabolism? A healthy, resilient body to carry you through life? Make a commitment for 6 weeks and follow my suggestions here. I hope that you too get to experience the magical benefits that come from consistent strength training.

Keep me posted on your progress!

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The Skinny On How To Get Skinny

by Holly Perkins

Photos uploaded to Flickr by Ferran Moreno Lanza, bass_nroll and Fernando Stankuns, some rights reserved.

Most people exercise either to be fit or to lose weight. While there are other motivations, the real essence boils down to one of these two goals. Proper food strategy is extremely important to support your efforts and help you reach your goals as efficiently as possible. The human body has complex and intelligent systems designed to protect vital body processes. While exercise is beneficial, the body experiences it as stress and sets in motion biochemical interplay to either foster adaptation or inspire preservation. Simply, this means that you will get the best fitness results if you are calculated in your habits before and after workouts. One decision can make or break your exercise efforts.

I know you’ve heard the analogy before, but I hope to shine new light on it. Think of your body as a world-class sports car. In order to respond quickly, maneuver efficiently and perform at very fast speeds, a sports car must be finely tuned, regularly serviced and operating on high quality fuel. And that is your body in a nutshell. What you put into your body and when dictates how well it runs during your workouts and how quickly it adapts after your workouts. If your goal is to burn body fat and lose weight through exercise, your pre and post nutrition will make or break your ride.

You will often hear experts suggest a 2-pound weight loss per week for long term weight loss goals. That doesn’t sound like much weight each week, huh? But I offer you this:

The Rules:

In order to lose 1 pound of pure body fat, your body must have a calorie deficit of 3500 calories. If that 1 pound of fat loss occurs in one week, that means you need to have a daily calorie deficit of 500 calories every day that week. There are only two ways to create a calorie deficit and get skinny: cut back on calories or burn them off. The best strategy is to do both.

Therefore, how to burn off the calories? Exercise, obviously. One big mistake I see regularly, and one I am guilty of in the past, is to let the motivation of calorie burning cause you to walk into your workout empty, without food. If your goal is to burn off extra body fat by burning calories, doesn’t it make sense to be empty when you exercise? Many people erroneously think that this will cause your body to tap into body fat stores for fuel. But let’s return to the sports car analogy: do you think it will run well if it is without fuel?

At any given moment, your body has a limited amount of circulating fuel. Your body is smart, and is designed to make sure fuel is available to preserve your brain function. Your body will always keep a small amount of fuel so that the master computer—your brain—is protected and up to the task of directing your body functions. When you exercise, your muscles are responsible for driving movement. Your muscles also require fuel. If there is limited fuel in your system, the brain will always win out. This is problematic for many reasons. First, while your brain is demanding fuel, your muscles—also needing fuel to drive movement—will be forced to tap into their own fuel and catabolize its own muscle tissue. One goal of exercise is to inspire muscle growth and development; therefore, a breaking down of tissue will limit your progress. The second, and potentially worse problem is that the catabolism of muscle tissue often causes an increase in appetite that is particularly fond of sugar. If you have cravings after your workouts, take a look at your fueling!

Most importantly, proper fueling before and after workouts will allow you the energy needed to have excellent workouts. If you regularly feel fatigued and lacking enthusiasm around your workouts, take a look at your nutrition around your exercise. If you are properly fueled with the right foods, you will have more energy during your workout, and therefore be able to workout harder. Just like the sports car, you’ll be able to respond quickly, maneuver efficiently and perform at very fast speeds. And this will help you to become fit faster, and burn off calories more effectively.

There are a few basic rules that will help you navigate the roadway of your weight loss efforts:
The Rules:
Before workouts:

Photo uploaded to Flickr by Thomas Hawk, some rights reserved.

If you’ve had a complete meal 2-3 hours immediately prior to your workout, you only need to eat a snack after your workout. Choose a snack that emphasizes protein unless your workout is long and intense. See below for snack suggestions.

If your last meal was longer than 3 hours before the start of your workout, you must eat a small snack before your workout. You’ll want to choose something with fast digesting protein and moderate carbohydrates. String cheese and an apple works great for many of my clients. I like cottage cheese with fruit or gluten-free whole grain bread.

After workouts:

Photo uploaded to Flickr by DeathByBokeh, some rights reserved.

You don’t need to eat immediately after if your workout is 60 minutes or less and of a moderate intensity. However, you should plan to eat a meal within 60 minutes.

You should plan for a light snack immediately after your workout and a meal within 60 minutes of the snack if your workout is 60 minutes and intense. A snack that emphasizes protein is best. Look for dairy based proteins like milk, low fat string cheese, cottage cheese or whey protein powder.

If your workout is longer than 60 minutes and of any intensity, you’ll want to eat a substantial snack that includes both protein and a fast carb like sugar or fruit. This is where sports drinks or protein shakes are useful. My favorite is a whey protein shake blended with quick digesting fruit like pineapple, mango or banana.

If your goal is to be fit and healthy, regardless of weight loss, your workouts will be optimized if you follow this fueling strategy. If your goal is fat loss or weight loss, give this strategy a try for two weeks. You’ll be amazed how fast, efficient and energized your sports car is!

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Get to know Holly Perkins

Get to Know Holly Perkins
Guest editor Holly Perkins offers her insights on fitness, motivation, and the importance of challenging yourself.

Holly Perkins is used to challenging people’s limits, including her own. She’s trained and guided people through numerous marathons and mountain climbing expeditions, including excursions to Mt. Kilimanjaro. As a renowned fitness expert — and New Balance Fitness Ambassador — she understands the importance of commitment to personal achievement, and how rewarding it is once those goals are accomplished.

Her work as a personal training consultant was founded on the idea that science and fitness can work together to help people reach their optimal fitness levels. Holly’s intimate knowledge of physiology, nutrition, and health, as well as her seemingly boundless enthusiasm, have helped countless people reach their goals, and shifted the way we think about fitness.

Holly is joining us this month as NB’s Wellness guest editor, offering her insights and advice on various topics, including how she stays motivated, the benefits of strength training, and why she’s at the forefront of the “kale as dietary staple” movement.

When did you discover you wanted to get serious about fitness and training?

For me fitness started early. I remember joining a dance aerobics class in sixth grade because my best friend’s mom was making her go to lose weight. I thought, and still do, that it was absurd that my friend needed to lose weight. We were perfect in my eyes! Nonetheless, I was overly excited about taking a dance class with the grown-ups and absolutely loved it. I often wonder if it was this beginning that helped me to consider “exercise” as a fun thing. I wonder too, does that friend now regard fitness as a chore? I’ve always looked forward to fitness and physical activity, and this naturally lead me to get my college degree in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition and become a personal trainer. I was thrilled to work with people who came to me to in search of elite fitness. I think this is when I began to fully define myself—and my life—through health and fitness. But truly, I have been in love with fitness my entire life. It’s the longest love affair I’ve ever had.

What’s your favorite part about your job?

While a blessing and a curse, I am a very sensitive soul. I tend to be moved and burdened by the challenges of our existence. When I get particularly heavy with the troubles of the world, I find incredible comfort knowing that I get to help people feel better and be healthier. That is the number one reason I do everything that I do. Then, the other reasons all fall in as a close second to that: I get to wear comfy shoes all day, I make my own hours, and I get to pick who I work with!

You have a great attitude towards personal achievement, did you always have terrific self-confidence or is it something you learned throughout your career?

I think I was born with pretty good self-confidence in general. However, I was also born with some unhealthy habits regarding how I use and treat my body. I’ve developed a strong value in personal achievement because I’ve really had to conquer some demons (coffee and donuts!) and have learned how good it feels to hold myself accountable. I get a great sense of accomplishment whenever I complete something that required me to stay committed, like training for a half marathon. I believe that most of us must cultivate self-confidence, but that we do it in very personalized ways.

You spend a lot of your time on the road. What’s the one event you participate in that you’ve come to look forward to more than any other?

For the past three years I have had the honor of attending the Susan G. Komen Global Race for The Cure in Washington D.C. Each year 50,000 people from around the world come in support of breast cancer. I get to be on stage and lead this massive group in a warm up before the race starts. And every year I am moved to tears by the stories of survivors and their commitment to end this disease. I doubt my own strength if I were ever challenged like some of these incredible folks. They move me beyond words. I look forward to this event every year.

You provide motivation to your clients on a regular basis, is there something or someone that keeps you motivated throughout the day?

Motivation is the hardest thing for me! People who are self-motivators inspire me and I try to surround myself with them as much as possible. I have had to cultivate self-discipline over the years and I tend to cycle in and out of ideal. Ultimately, I thrive on the feeling I get from a good workout. I become a better person on all levels through exercise and proper nutrition. I’ve learned that I really don’t care too much about what I look like, so the intrinsic values are much more important to me on a day when I’m lacking motivation.

Do you have a favorite exercise or activity?

I have about 10 favorite exercises and activities! That’s like asking a mom of five which child is her favorite! I love them all equally but for different reasons. A few: walking lunges, running, yoga, walking my dog.

What’s the most significant change you’ve observed in the field of health and fitness in the past 10 years?

There are a few changes in the field that are really significant: The shift from “tons of carbs” in the late nineties, to “no carbs” in the early 2000’s, to the smartest place of “selective carbs” right now. I believe carbs are like medicine and we need to be strategic in how and when we eat them. Another change that is really just emerging is the value in wearing shoes that are supportive, but flatter and closer to the ground. I believe a great deal of hip, back and knee issues stem from shoes that have heels, both in regards to athletic and dress shoes. Our hip and leg muscles work best when the heel is close to the ground allowing the ankle more flexion. I promise you will see more athletic shoes being made with lower heel to toe ratios very soon.

As a proponent of proper nutrition, are there any favorite healthy dishes you find yourself making again and again?

Photo uploaded to Flickr by elana’s pantry, some rights reserved.

I have decided that I am the first official Kale Advocate. Kale is probably the most nutritious dark, leafy, green vegetable and has so many health benefits. I believe it is absolutely the best thing you can put into your body. I eat kale every day, sometimes twice a day. Right now I am making this salad all the time:

Raw dinosaur kale
½ Tbsp. Olive Oil
¼ lemon, juiced
pinch of salt

Combine in a bowl and massage the ingredients into the kale with your hands. Add a few dried cranberries – fantastic!

What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you?

It took me a very long time to figure out that discomfort is necessary in order to achieve anything worth achieving. There is a big difference between “no pain, no gain” and discomfort. For example,

“…in order for your body to become stronger, faster or leaner, you must challenge it beyond what it is currently capable of, which often means a little bit of discomfort.”

For me, that might mean that I complete one more set of walking lunges when my legs aren’t sufficiently fatigued. It might also mean that it’s uncomfortable when I really want to eat a donut, but I restrict myself because I know it will only derail me. This kind of discomfort is good. It guides you towards a healthier body. I wish that someone had helped me understand this 16 years ago. Although, self-discovery is a very powerful thing, and I’m thrilled that I now understand.

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Run with Rally Foundation as a Rally Athlete at the Walt Disney World Marathon in January 2012

We  wanted to invite you all to join an amazing opportunity taking place at the Happiest Place on Earth—Disney World! Run with Rally Foundation as a Rally Athlete at the Walt Disney World Marathon in January 2012—one of the nation’s premiere races!

Every weekday in America, two classrooms of children, about 46 kids, are diagnosed with cancer. To honor them, Rally is looking for 46 Mommas, Papas or any other supporters of children fighting cancer to participate as Rally Athletes on the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Team.

The Rally Athlete Program is the national endurance training and fundraising program for volunteers interested in participating in Full and Half Marathons and Triathlons. The only commitment Rally asks of participants is to train, fundraise and have fun!

By running as a Rally Athlete, you will have access to unique training benefits and multiple fundraising levels to suit your individual needs. Here is what being a Rally Athlete Training Team member offers you:

 

•       Certified Training Coach will provide athlete with training tips on nutrition, injury prevention,  form and technique and available to answer   any questions

•       Opportunity to choose a Rally Kid to run in honor of

•       Guaranteed race number for some of the nation’s premiere marathon and half marathons

•       Free personal online fundraising page to help you easily reach your goals

•       Race weekend events

•       Team uniform including a Rally Athlete cotton t-shirt and a race day dri-fit Rally Athlete shirt

•       An experience of a lifetime and a chance to make a difference in childhood cancer research

 

There will also be several informational meetings around Atlanta for those interested in finding out more!

 

Can’t run in the Disney Marathon? No problem! There are a number of race opportunities throughout the year that will fit your schedule. Please visit www.RallyAthlete.org or contact ester@rallyfoundation.org for more information!

 

New Balance Atlanta is thrilled about this opportunity and encourages you all to take part in the Rally Athlete Program!

 

 

Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which empowers volunteers across the country to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research to find better treatments with fewer long-term side effects and, ultimately, cures.

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Cashew Chicken Salad

Cashew Chicken Salad
Ingredients

Serves 1 (1 serving = 2.5 cups salad w/ 3 tablespoon dressing)
Dressing
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons olive oil
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Salad
3 tablespoons chopped cashews
2 ounces grilled chicken, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup finely shredded napa cabbage
¼ cup sliced cucumber
¼ cup shredded carrots
¼ cup sliced red bell pepper

Ingredients

Prep: 12 minutes / Start to Finish: 12 minutes
Whisk lime juice, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss dressing with salad ingredients.
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Super Seed Skillet Granola

Super Seed Skillet Granola
Ingredients

 Serves 6
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons each: raw sunflower, raw sesame, raw pumpkin and chia seeds
2 tablespoons dried tart cherries
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch sea salt
Ingredients

 Prep: 5 minutes / Start to Finish: 13 minutes
In skillet over medium heat, sauté all ingredients for 6-8 minutes, until toasted. Spread on parchment paper to cool. Serve on yogurt or baked fruit. Keeps up to 7 days in airtight container.
Nutrition

 1 serving = ¼ cup
160 calories, 7g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 25mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 7g sugar, 4g protein, vitamin A 2%, vitamin C 0%, calcium 6%, iron 8%
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Sirloin Mushroom Burger

Sirloin Mushroom Burger
Ingredients

 Serves 2
4 ounces ground sirloin
½ cup finely diced button mushrooms
1 small onion, sliced
1 zucchini, cut widthwise and each half cut into 6 pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
2 whole grain English muffins, toasted
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
Ingredients

 Prep: 15 minutes / Start to Finish: 30 minutes
Mix sirloin and mushrooms together and form 2 patties. Grill until internal temperature of burger reaches 160º F. In skillet sauté onions and zucchini wedges in oil about 6-8 minutes until tender. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place grilled burger on toasted English muffin and top with onions. Serve zucchini wedges on side sprinkled with parmesan.
Nutrition

 1 serving = 2.5oz burger, bun, ¼ cup onions, 6 zucchini wedges w/ 1 tablespoon cheese
350 calories, 16g total fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 40mg cholesterol, 470mg sodium, 34g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, 9g sugar, 22g protein, vitamin A 6%, vitamin C 35%, calcium 30%, iron 20%
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Inbox Zero: A Method For Your Email Madness

Photo uploaded to Flickr by: CHRISSPdotCOM, some rights reserved

It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed these days. Near-constant streams of incoming information and objects are rendering not just our email account(s), but our homes, cars and brains into inboxes. Luckily, Merlin Mann created Inbox Zero – a philosophy for dealing with informational buildup and redirecting your mental energy – which can help you cope with all the clutter. When you keep an inbox free of tasks to be done by completing them when you receive them, you free up your attention for the things that really matter to you. Finding comfort in zero, both inside and outside the email inbox, could be your ticket to a clearer mind and schedule. And who couldn’t use more time and energy to devote to the important things in life?

The roots of Inbox Zero lie in David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology. GTD is a way of dealing with both input and output that helps organize and prioritize tasks and create proportional responses. It encourages thinking of an inbox as a collection of immediately actionable items – a medium for communicating and completing tasks, not a catalog. Basically, it says that an inbox should not be a to-do list. It should be a tool for processing what you need to do.

If you balance your checkbook, you’re already familiar with zero being a good thing. To take that a step further, you could create a zero budget. By transferring your incoming money among checking, savings and retirement accounts, allotting it to each of your essential expenses and eliminating the unnecessary ones, you could account for (i.e., process) all of your income. And by accounting for all of your money, you won’t have to think or worry about it again until you receive more.

When’s the last time your inbox looked like this?

Beyond email and money, Inbox Zero can be implemented just about anywhere. Designate your problem areas – places where things stack up – as inboxes to be kept clear of distraction. If you find yourself with piles of stuff constantly taking up residence in the same spots in your home, your car or your handbag, taking a few moments to filter out the items that need to be processed and then taking care of them will keep your mind free to deal with the things that require more brain power. If you tossed a flyer about a new yoga class into your bag on your way out of the gym, put a little thought into whether you’re going to sign up for the class when you unpack your bag. If you know you’re not going to sign up, recycle the flyer. If you want to take the class, do what’s required to sign up, note the date and time in your calendar, then recycle the flyer.

The best way to start with Inbox Zero is starting at zero. This may be time intensive! At home, it could mean dumping out your briefcase or clearing off your table. In your email inbox, it means moving all of your email out of your inbox, into a separate folder. In both cases, as you look at each item you’ve moved out of the inbox, you should determine what you need to do to process it and then actually process it. And then keep going until there’s nothing left to process.

Everyone will have their own method for clearing out their three-dimensional inboxes, but there are a few tools that anyone can use to manage their email. Take a few minutes to evaluate the emails you’re receiving. Do you need to be alerted every time the furniture store has a sale, or can you check out the store’s website when you actually need furniture? That’s probably an email you can safely unsubscribe from. If you’re finding yourself merely glancing at emails from a particular source, let it go.

Setting up filters for bacn (the emails that fall somewhere between spam and meaningful communication) can really help. Do you need to know that someone commented on your Facebook status or added a reply to a forum thread you’re watching the moment it happens? Probably not. Setting up a filter to funnel those messages into a folder separate from your inbox will keep them available, but not up front and demanding your attention. (See the sidebar for a few how-to resources.)

An “email sprint” is a great way to steer yourself toward the bigger tasks at hand, and it’s as simple as turning your email off for an hour. No notifications, no open client, no checking your phone. Use the attention you’d be paying to your email for the important stuff. After an hour, reopen your email and process what’s arrived. When you get back down to zero, close your email again for another hour.

Don’t let an invitation hang around in your inbox. Save the details in your calendar and then delete it. Photo uploaded to Flickr by: Sarah Parrott, some rights reserved

If you find that you send the same responses over and over to emails that require little thought to process, write some canned responses that you can save in a document on your hard drive. When you start your email sprint, keep that file close at hand.

Take advantage of your organizational tools. If you receive an invitation to an event, respond to the invite and note the details in your calendar, then delete the email. If a family member sends you a link to a site or article that doesn’t require your immediate attention, click through and bookmark it so you can come back to it when you’ve got some free time, then delete the email. If a friend sends you their new mailing address or phone number via email, record it in your electronic or paper address book, then delete the email. Sensing a theme here?

Being comfortable with an empty inbox, whatever shape that inbox takes, is a challenge. Multitasking isn’t just a buzzword in job listings anymore – it’s a way of life. Just the sight of an empty inbox may take some getting used to, and getting to zero may be time consuming. But the effort spent learning the process and making it second nature will more than pay itself back. With the obstacles to your attention removed, you can spend more attention on family, friends and the projects that are most important to you.

Additional resources

Watch a video of Merlin Mann explaining the concepts behind Inbox Zero to the team at Google.

Find instructions on setting up:

Gmail folders and filters
Outlook folders and rules
Yahoo folders and filters
Hotmail folders and rules
Mac Mail mailboxes and filters

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Reclaiming Your Resolutions: How to Keep the Momentum Going

Photo uploaded to Flickr by: jodigreen, some rights reserved

The year is a quarter over—have you kept your New Year’s resolution?

Nearly 2,100 New Balance fans shared their resolutions with us in January as part of a contest to win a pair of NB Minimus or 890s. If, like more than a quarter of contest participants, you resolved to lose weight, is the scale still going down? Or if, like more than 170 entrants, you vowed to run a half or full marathon, are you tackling ever-increasing distances?

If you’re losing steam, you’re not alone. A host of studies has shown that about a third of people abandon their resolutions before January is even over.

But there’s good news! Research has also revealed that just making a resolution at all puts you way ahead of the curve. In two studies at the University of Scranton, 40 to 46 percent of New Year’s resolvers were successful at the six-month mark. When you compare that to the zero to four percent of non-resolvers who went on to make positive changes, it’s pretty impressive.

Think about where your goals stand today. If the resolutions you made in January haven’t quite rooted, or even if you didn’t make one at all, take a look at the following questions and see if you can figure out what adjustments might help you achieve the changes you’re looking for. Now is the perfect time to do a quick assessment and make some course corrections to get yourself on track.

Do you feel overwhelmed?

Many resolutions fail because they’re too ambitious, psychologists say. Maybe you’re tackling too many things at once. Did you vow, for instance, to lose 25 pounds, run a half marathon and pay off all your debt? Narrowing your list to just one of those things will lessen your chances of getting overwhelmed and throwing the whole lot out the window. Try assigning yourself a single goal for the next couple months and reassess the rest of your list once you’ve met it.

Next, make sure your goal is something you can actually achieve. Lose 10 pounds by the weekend? Not healthy. Train like Jackie Joyner-Kersee? Unlikely—after all, she was a professional. Never eat chocolate again? That’s crazy talk! Walk for 20 minutes three times a week? You can do that!

And the more specific you are, the better your chances for success. We loved contest participant Alex H.’s resolution to “start running away from fast food” (like more than 100 others who wanted to eat healthier), and Suzanne G.’s vow to “get my butt back.” But accomplishing those fabulous goals will require doing more specific things—like making the time to pack a lunch daily or doing 200 squats a week. A study (pdf) in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Compass suggests that it’s also helpful to be specific about when you’re going to do these things. For instance, exercise on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays right after work. Or reorganize one messy closet shelf every Sunday.

Are you finding it hard to get motivated?

The same study in Personality and Social Psychology Compass points out that if you’re someone who loves to sleep late, resolving to get up early to exercise will leave you frustrated. Similarly, if you live and die for Jon Hamm, you shouldn’t resolve to go to Weight Watchers meetings when Mad Men is on. In both of these cases, your motivation to sleep or drool at the TV may be higher than your motivation to stick to the resolution. Contest participants Mary B. (“walk to the grocery store for one or two items”), Eva A. (“take the stairs at work”) and Tee T. (“add on 15 minutes to my workouts”) have the right idea: since they’re altering activities they’d already be doing, they’ll be more likely to stay motivated.

Photo uploaded to Flickr by: smith_cl9, some rights reserved

Another great motivator? Peer pressure! The more people who are aware of your goals, the more accountability you’ll feel. A Quirkology study of 3,000 people found that this is especially true of women, who were much more likely to stick to their resolutions when they told their friends and family members about them. Also, working out with a friend has been shown to vastly increase the chances that you’ll do it. The same goes for almost any resolution. If you haven’t been motivated to cook at home by yourself, start a dinner group and hit the farmers market with your friends, then make a social event out of preparing healthy dishes from those fresh ingredients.

The Happiness Project
by Gretchen Rubin

Are you all about instant gratification?

If, like most of us, you like to see results immediately, you might be more successful if you break your resolution into steps and give yourself rewards along the way. Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire in England, led a 700-person study about keeping New Year’s resolutions. A common factor among those who succeeded? They broke down their goals into smaller segments. If your goal—like dozens of the NB fans who submitted their resolutions—is to lose 20 (or 30, or 50) pounds this year, you might instead aim to lose eight pounds in two months. And when you reach that goal? Treat yourself to a new pair of jeans as a reward and incentive to keep going.

Another way to see your progress is to literally put it somewhere where you can see it. In her book The Happiness Project, author Gretchen Rubin says she’s never been more successful at sticking to resolutions than when she measured her progress on a chart. She looked at it every day and put either a check mark (if she kept to her resolution) or an X (if she ignored her resolution).

Do you get frustrated when you experience a setback?

Don’t give up—even if the Xes on your chart are starting to outnumber the checks. The Quirkology study mentioned above found that women are more likely than men to give up if they slip and revert to old habits. However, the study also found that when women are encouraged to view lapses as merely temporary setbacks and to persist, they are 10% more likely to succeed.

As Henry Ford said, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”

Or, as NB contest participant Kelly P. said, “Stop making excuses and RUN, RUN, RUN!”

Have you kept your New Year’s resolution? We’d love to know your secrets: how do you keep motivated?