Tuesday, August 25, 2009

No Fitness Center? No problem!

By Bethany Garrity

Since I work at a fitness center, the idea of not having access to one has always seemed a little far-fetched. I’ve been lucky enough that with a little planning, catching a spin class before work or pilates class on my lunch break had been pretty easy to schedule; it’s a great perk of the job! Combine working in a fitness center to working only 5 minutes from home and I had easy access to the gym seven days a week. The key word in that statement is, of course, “had”.

About a year ago my husband and I moved closer to our family... and about 45 minutes further from work. This wasn’t a problem until just two short months later when we were blessed with our first child. Along with all of the joys of a new baby, we also found ourselves with an additional 20 minutes tagged on to our already long commute in order to drop the baby off at day care. Suddenly that morning spin class seemed a whole lot earlier and that great lunchtime pilates class meant I might be late to day care. So I found myself wondering, how do people maintain a consistent exercise schedule when they don’t have easy access to a fitness center?

Sure, I’ve always made the most of my opportunities when we travel. My husband and I frequent the hotel fitness centers, go for a run or (our favorite) travel with our bikes and hit up the local bike shops to find some great routes. But, that’s just for a week. This was looking to be a long term trend for me personally and I had to imagine that I was not alone. Let’s face it, in the midst of a tough economy people are cutting corners wherever they can… and in many cases this involves dropping a gym membership to save costs. So, I became very intrigued to find out what do people do when all of their workouts are taking place in the absence of a fitness center.

It turns out that Indy has a lot more to offer than I realized and summer is a great time to take advantage of all that the city has to offer. The best part is you can start in your own back yard…. literally! According to the American Council on Exercise, an hour of gardening can burn 300 calories. Still want more? Mowing your lawn with a push mower can help you burn another 400 calories. So, slather on the sunscreen and head outdoors! What could be better than accomplishing a household chore, getting in your daily exercise and getting a nice suntan while you’re at it?

Don’t enjoy yard work? Don’t worry there are plenty of other options that allow you to leave home and enjoy your community. Of course, there’s always the Monon Trail, which is a great place to walk, run, bike, rollerblade or any other form of movement that comes to mind! The double bonus here is that you get great people watching opportunities and can always find a great place to stop for lunch along the way.

If you’re looking for a little more of a “great outdoors” experience, Indy has that, too. Eagle Creek offers great roads for a bike ride, trails for hiking or running and, of course, a great beach where you can relax after finishing your exercise. On top of 3.5 miles of trails, Holliday Park also offers gardening work days for those of you who don’t have your own yard to play in (recall the great calorie burning effects of gardening that were mentioned above) as well as family fun days where you can partake in a scavenger hunt with your kiddos as a way to get the whole family active together.

If trail runs and bike rides aren’t you’re idea of fun, don’t worry there are still plenty of opportunities out there. There are sports complexes such as baseball diamonds, tennis courts, aquatics centers and even gyms located at parks throughout the city such as Broadripple Park and Krannert Park. Many of these parks offer group fitness classes, as well. Just check out http://www.indyparks.org/ to find a sports complex or park near you.

So, it turns out that there aren’t a lot of excuses for inactivity….. even when there isn’t easy access to a fitness center. Grab your tennis shoes and gym shorts and let’s get fit while exploring the city!

Bye Bye Bisque :(

By Annie Conner


I made a disappointing discovery today…. but before I get into that let me start from the beginning.


My previous entries have been about my “low-carb” quest. For the past two months I’ve significantly decreased the amount of bread, potatoes and pasta from my diet. It’s been tough because I LOVE these foods, however, I realized that I was consuming WAY too much of them and I wanted to see what effect they had on my health/weight. As I mentioned in my last two blogs, I’ve seen many positive results which I won’t get into again but I have had a struggle with finding good “replacement” foods. Restaurants are the most difficult when it comes to low-carb foods and there are only so many salads I can handle in one week.

So, I was overjoyed when I stumbled upon a little soup called Seafood Bisque. I had never had it before and on a whim decided to try it. WOW! Love at first taste. Two amazing “Bisque stops” are George’s (off of Binford and 71st) and Joe’s Crab Shack. My mouth is watering just writing about it. Discovering this little jewel gave me new encouragement and motivation to stick with my low-carb diet because I had just found a delightful replacement. And I came to the conclusion that it couldn’t be unhealthy because it’s soup, right? (You can probably tell right about now that my “health knowledge” of food is very limited) And it’s low-carb too!

But this is what I found today in my inbox. The article below destroyed my hope and love of bisque. I almost wished that I hadn’t read it…ignorance really is bliss in this case. Unless you want to know the truth DON’T proceed.

I do have to say though, articles like these do help you make healthier choices (even if you don’t want to make the healthy choice) and provide you with great “healthy” substitutions. I highly recommend signing up for weekly “diet tips” so you can stay on course with those healthy food decisions.

I just wish it wasn’t about Bisque….

What's Healthier: Lobster Bisque or New England Clam Chowder?

Chowders seem like the perfect food for both cold, wintry days and summertime escapes to the seashore. If you're staring down a menu that features both lobster bisque and New England clam chowder, you might not quibble over which one is a healthier (or not quite as awful) choice. After all, they're both laden with fat and calories, right? Well, yes, you're right — but one of them is almost 200 calories more per serving.

New England clam chowder: 543 calories
Lobster bisque: 710 calories Calories saved: 167 calories

Why it's a bargain: While it's not a total bargain (tomato-based Manhattan clam chowder is a better bet), New England clam chowder wins the distinction because it is made with milk or cream, while lobster bisque is made with heavy cream. Bisque, after all, means thick and creamy, so what would you expect?

What to look out for: Lower calories aside, New England clam is still loaded with almost 40 grams of fat for a two-cup serving. If you have to have it, order it in a cup rather than a bowl.

http://www.dietdetective.com/daily-diet-tip.aspx?issueid=40986