Change Your Life in 10 Minutes
Are there things in your life that could stand improvement but you just don't seem to be getting around to them?Whether it's one room of your house or your whole life that's a mess, you may have noticed that logic and emotions sometimes disagree on the best approach.Logic: "Just get off your ass and DEAL WITH IT and you will feel so much better!"Emotion: "You're right, logic, that's exactly what I should do! But f--k off willya, I just don't want to!"There is a a simple trick, that you already know, that is incredibly helpful in fixing this problem.However... there are tricks to the trick! Which is probably why you a...
Source: Cranky Fitness - November 18, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Have Phone, Will Travel
Happy Veterans' Day! We are all totally grateful and everything to any of you out there who have served, even though this post is not really about that.
Instead it's time for one of those "I've been on the road" camera-phone dumps, yay! (With perhaps a token nod towards health and fitness along the way).
But how about I skip the usual apology paragraph? We've already established I'm an unskilled photographer using sub-par equipment and this is just a meandering blog, not a slick fitness magazine. Let's pretend it's all on purpose and it's "gritty" or "authentic" or something. Like back when they first started using...
Source: Cranky Fitness - November 11, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Comfort Zones, November Goals, and "My Yoga Online" Review
(Logo by Crispin Lefay)
We all know, because it's gospel in the self improvement world, that we're supposed to keep pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones as often as we possibly can. Right?
Well, I have some thoughts about that. Shocking thoughts! Be forewarned.
Plus we've got a review of the My Yoga Online subscription I've been enjoying, and a giveaway winner to announce from last month. And I can't wait to read what everyone is up to as the holiday season looms menacingly approaches!
Yet before I get to any of that I need to apologize yet again for not even replying to most of the last ...
Source: Cranky Fitness - November 4, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Bright Lights, Big City
[Times Square Photo: Francisco Diez]
It's funny, Times Square has to be one of my least favorite New York 'hoods, but I love the way this photo captures the sense of being in certain parts of New York City.
The energy! The ambition! The excitement! The cheerfully wasteful excess as bazillions of kilowatts are unleashed solely to promote mindless consumerism!
Though I'm sorry, if you are a certain age, this location may have tripped a few rusty switches in the memory banks. Massive apologies if I have subjected you to Eva Gabor and Eddie Albert debating country versus city living in one of the most annoying tv theme song...
Source: Cranky Fitness - October 28, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Crabby Gets Schooled
As regular readers may recall, I am now in the process of studying for the ACE Health Coach Certification which I will take in about week's time. According to the Trans-Theoretical Model of Change (which they are very big on at ACE), I seem to be moving from Stage II: Slothful Procrastination, to Stage III, Freak Out and Realize it's Time to Get Your Ass in Gear.
So, rather than attempt to scrounge up breaking news about an important health and fitness topic, I decided it might be a good time to put the "Cranky" back into Cranky Fitness! So how 'bout I slop together a quick post bitching about test-re...
Source: Cranky Fitness - October 22, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
10-20-30 (Or 30-20-10) Interval Training
Three out of three formidable German women suggest you do 10-20-30's
So, what starts off slowly, then gets more uncomfortable, then downright painful, then proceeds to repeat itself over and over and over 'til you want to puke?
Why yes, it's a Cranky Fitness blog post!
But this also describes the exercise I love to hate, high intensity interval training, or HIIT. And there's a newish variation, getting all kinds of rave reviews of late, called the "10-20-30."
Curious about the why's, how's, when's, whether's, and whatevers? Let's check out this puppy out.
What is a 10-20-30?
Here's how it goes:
1. First you warm up...
Source: Cranky Fitness - October 14, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Time Travel For Fun and Profit
Sorry, this is not about "time travel" in the technologically sexy sense, telling you how to dial up a year and be physically transported there right this minute.
Nah, this is the more boring kind: psychological time travel. This just allows you to use your imagination to communicate with your future self, potentially allowing you to optimize, or at least not totally screw up, your coming years.
However, there are, even now, some virtual "time machines" out there that actually facilitate this process, if you care to go all Marty McFly and try to tinker with the fourth dimension.
Wait, this movie came out nearly...
Source: Cranky Fitness - October 7, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
October Goals and Yoga Giveaway: Flexibility and Stability
So we have a great giveaway for our goal check-in this month: it's a year's subscription to My Yoga Online. This normally costs $89.95 and it's pretty cool: they have vast numbers of streaming videos featuring yoga classes, pilates, meditation and other related om-o-licious things. Plus anyone who has an internet connection anywhere in the world can win, not just U.S. folks for once.
Another aspect of the giveaway I'm psyched about? The prize also fits quite nicely into a fitness and self-improvement theme, as yoga is known for developing flexibility, and well as its opposite/complement, stabilit...
Source: Cranky Fitness - September 30, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Menopause and Memory Loss
Recent studies seem to suggest that some women may suffer memory problems as they go through menopause. If you or a friend or family member has a menopausal brain, you may not be shocked by this finding.
However, this was apparently big news to the countless medical professionals who weren't taking menopausal women seriously when they were telling them "OMG I can't remember a goddamned f--cking thing anymore!" that they were experiencing memory difficulties.
As it happens, I'm 53 years old, and there is some possible evidence that my memory is less than optimal.
In fact, at the risk of putting one of the worl...
Source: Cranky Fitness - September 23, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
23andMe Genetic Testing: What's the Deal?
Curious about what the future might hold for your health?
After reading a great post on DNA testing by Charlotte at The Great Fitness Experiment, I became curious about 23andMe, a direct-to-consumer genetic testing outfit that's been getting quite a bit of buzz.
As a former hypochondriac, and as someone with a family medical history that doesn't inspire much optimism for a long and healthy life, I knew this was a bit of a psychological gamble. Did I really want to know how screwed I might be genetically? Mightn't I be better off thinking happy thoughts, trying to be reasonably conscientious about diet and exercise, and h...
Source: Cranky Fitness - September 16, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Vinegar Before High Carb Meals?
This is actually a follow-up to the last Sin and Redemption post, but why not pass on a not-yet-thoroughly-proven but intriguing tip for blunting glycemic impact, blocking starch absorption, decreasing appetite and possibly losing weight for those who are interested in that sort of thing?
Also, we shall answer the question: did Crabby indeed go out and have a hot fudge sundae the way she said she was going to as a reward for good behavior, or did she wuss out and settle for some faux nondairy low carb nonsugar substitute?
And in a totally unrelated side note, the awesome Jenn over at Fit Bottom Girls was nice enough to i...
Source: Cranky Fitness - September 9, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Kelp Noodles, Beer, Sin, and Goals
Yep, it's time for this months' goal support post!
For those who are not regulars here, the post is mainly a chance for people to check in and leave comments about what challenges they might be tackling, or how things are going generally, as well as to offer support to others who are doing the same. Comments and comment replies are thus highly encouraged.
And, as is traditional, I will also cram a bunch of seemingly unrelated things together and force them into a theme involving goals. In fact I probably should have used a catchier title, one like:
"Surprising Motivational Secret You Won't Believe!" ...
Source: Cranky Fitness - September 3, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Pork Butts and Wise Brains: Healthy Eating on the Road!
Blog regulars (hi, all 3 of you!) are aware that I am just now getting back from a house swap adventure in Toronto. And I've been threatening to do a post this week with a Healthy Eating on the Road theme, featuring a bunch of murky camera-phone pictures from our trip.
Gosh, can you contain your excitement? But then, just when I was hunkering down to slop together a bunch of trip pictures and contemplate the horror that is my email inbox, suddenly a new twist!
(Gratuitous Toronto museum photo.)
Yep, Rick Hanson's Wise Brain Bulletin just came out yesterday!
This is always cause for celebration, because it's a g...
Source: Cranky Fitness - August 27, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
World Class Fitness Destination: Toronto!
So sure, this is not a comprehensive list of all the exercise and activity options while visiting Toronto. For example: the whole question of winter. I have no idea what the hell Canadians do about that. Does shivering count as cardio?
In fact, this is just a crapload of inexpertly taken camera-phone photos as we continued to enjoy our Toronto house-swap adventure. But I did at least have fitness in mind as I snapped a few of them. And I've organized them by Healthy Activity Theme. So potential Toronto visitors who are concerned about over-consumption of tempting treats like poutine and canine testicles may find som...
Source: Cranky Fitness - August 19, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Death Ride
Note: Crabby is futzing around in Toronto this week and may or may not be back later on with a post of her own. She may also be tossing a few random trip photos up on the sad little Cranky Fitness Facebook page if you're really bored.
However, Crabby has left the blog in excellent hands today with an exciting account of, you guessed it, the Death Ride! The cool thing is that this way, you can go along for the ride yourself without experiencing sunburn or a sore ass or an untimely death.
So please welcome one of our favorite Cranketeers...
Death Ride Grandma! Take it away, DRG!!
Death Ride? Death Ride???
Why woul...
Source: Cranky Fitness - August 12, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
