Update: My Health

Last night I posted a status on my Facebook that read: "Finally!  I was able to run 4 miles without getting vertigo, blurred vision, lightheadedness or near blacking out.  Brittany = 1.  Brittany's brain, central nervous system & dead right vestibular system = 0.  I WILL conquer this!"  I realized shortly after that some people may have NO clue what that status was about.  What better way to update folks than a blog post?

If you are an avid reader of my blog, you know my story.  You know what happened to me.  You know some of the struggles I have faced over the last 9 months with this mysterious health issue that didn't seem to give me relief for a good amount of time and that I still struggle with sometimes.  You also know I haven't been given a diagnosis (which I believe is the toughest part of this whole deal). 

About 6 weeks ago I started to feel crummy again and thought to myself, "Is this ever going to end?"  I reached out and found another general practitioner to see.  I wanted a fresh slate or a second opinion if you will.  I felt like maybe a new pair of eyes looking into my medical history and story would be able to pick out something that hadn't been thought of yet. 

I went to Stillwater and went through another long visit, blood work and discussed options.  I felt hopeful.  I got a call immediately the following morning.  My new doctor wanted me to have brain mapping done to help pin-point where my "short circuit" was happening in my head and to help understand why.  I scheduled the appointment with United Hospital.  My appointment day came and my sister, Shannon drove me to the cities.  I wasn't going to be able to drive after the test so I took my most trusted person with me.  After nearly 2 hours the tests were done and I was feeling a little out of sorts from it but overall I had a feeling a hope.  I wanted this to be the test that would help me find answers. 

I got my results within a couple of days.  Drum role... I have low tone, pitch & frequency deafness in my right ear with little functional hearing at high tones.  I already knew my hearing was pretty much gone on that side so that wasn't shocking to me.  I was most interested in my brain mapping results instead of my audiology test.  The ENT said the results of my test showed that my left vestibular system is functioning normal; however, my right vestibular system (inner ear) is completely dead and non-responsive.  It just doesn't work anymore. 

So...to help you understand what that means in layman's terms:  the brain, central nervous system, eyes and vestibular systems all work together to keep you upright and balanced.  Since my right side is dead, my brain, central nervous system and eyes are all sending messages to it but it isn't talking back anymore.  This gets my brain all confused and makes me feel those sensations of vertigo, lightheadedness, loss of balance & control, near blacking out and blurred vision.  Silly brain!  Ha.  Isn't great I can laugh about this now?  It is pretty amazing how a small little part of you can play such a vital role in your everyday functioning.  I encourage you to read more about the vestibular system and how it contributes to your balance & sense of spatial orientation. 

You may be asking yourself, "Well, why is dead?"  "What happened to make it that way."  GOOD QUESTION!  We don't really know.  Isn't that a bummer?  Ugh.  My doctor has three reasons for why my vestibular system died on me.  1: it completely degenerated on it's own for an unknown reason. (I don't like this one...I'm a "need answers" kind of person)  2: I could have had a virus get into my right vestibular system that destroyed all the nerves. 3: There is a possibility I have multiple sclerosis(MS) but that is a very hard and tricky thing to diagnosis.  I have accepted all three reasons and that has been important for me.  I struggled a lot with questioning why it was happening and what was causing it.  Since I have accepted those, I feel more like my old self.  I know some days are going to be hard and I'm going to feel like crap but that's life.  I know that my time on earth is short and I'm not going to let this one thing bring me down and overtake my thinking or way of life. 

My doctor talked with me about vestibular rehabilitation therapy and the things I need to do to help my brain & central nervous system recalibrate itself to solely use my left vestibular system.  I am working out and continually challenging myself.  Running, rollerblading, biking & kayaking are working on my balance and helps me get stronger.  There are lots of other things that I am doing that are helping me recover from the loss.  As I continue to do those things, my symptoms should get better and there is hope that I will be completely symptom free someday.  I will go in for check ups and hope it will get better.  If new symptoms arrise (like they have... i.e. left quad muscle twitching & spasms) AND things get worse, I will go in for further evaluation and tests to explore other possible causes.  I'm not going to think about that until I have to.

I will never give up.  I will never back down.  I stand strong.

peace & love

bj



A Week of Workouts

Instead of posting every single day this week, I decided that I would do one big collection of the week's workouts. 

" I’m not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat." – Michael Jordan

"Just because you’re not sick doesn’t mean you’re healthy." – Author Unknown

"Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity." – John F. Kennedy

peace & love
bj

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY 

THURSDAY 

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Rest & Recovery: Do a light jog or walk.  Do not let your heart rate go above 60 beats per minute.

SUNDAY

Rest & Recovery: Play with your kids (dogs), get on your bike or rollerblades.  Enjoy the day.  Get ready to get back at it tomorrow!

Rest & Recovery

I know I have been sharing alot of workouts this week and giving you plenty of options to choose from.  Having diversity is nice in a workout routine.  Something that is just as equally as important as your workouts is having 1-2 days a week of rest & recovery.

Just because you take a rest & recovery day doesn't mean you have to be off completely either.  Doing 20 to 30 minutes below 60% of your max heart rate would be OK.  Simple things like playing with your children, taking the dog for a walk, rollerblading or playing a game of bowling on the Wii could count as that 20 -30 minutes of light exercise.

Here are some reasons why taking a rest day is good:

• Your muscles grow when you rest which helps in building mass
• Overtraining can cause a weight-loss plateau
• Overtraining often leads to physical burnout
• Gives you some free time to spend with family or friends
• Allows adaptations to conditioning exercises (cardio) & strength training (lifting)
• Restocks glycogen stores
• Reduces fatigue
• Helps prevent overuse injuries
• Prevents mental burnout
• Can lower stress
• Boosts brain function

One Type of Rest That is Very Important: Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important forms of rest and provides time for the body to adapt to the physical and mental demands of training.

• Make sure you’re getting enough sleep (8 hours per night is a good guideline)

• Ensure your sleep is good quality, make sure the room is dark, quiet and peaceful.

Passive resting such as reading and listening to music are great ways for the body to relax, both physically and mentally.

 

Enjoy your rest & recovery day so you can get back at your training with a fresh body and mind!

 

peace & love

bj

 

 

Not Your Typical Day At The Park

Being a busy mom can take a toll on your workout regiment.  It can also cause feelings of guilt when you want to take time for yourself to get a workout in.  Sometimes it just isn't an option to have 30 minutes or an hour to dedicate to a workout.  So, what do you do?  Do you just skip the workout?  Nope, that is the last thing you want to do.  Being able to juggle activities and manage time is tricky but that's OK.  We can come up with all sorts of workouts to do when you have your little ankle bitter with you.

I have a 4 year old that is full of spunk and loves to play at the park.  Those are moments that I want to share with him and would rather choose the park over the gym but I can still work in some stuff during "playtime" at the park too!  There often times are multiple pieces of playground equipment that you can utilize during a body weight workout.  Perfect, huh?  You bet.  And if your little guy or gal is anything like mine, they will want to jump in and do it with you.  What a bonus...you get to workout and play with your mini-me.  It is also a great way to tucker them out so they just might go to bed early and without a fight.

Here is my Not Your Typical Day At The Park workout.

peace & love
bj

6 Pack {No, Not of Beer...}

This post title is pretty self explanatory for the type of workout I will be sharing.  I yearn to have my flat washboard stomach back that I had pre-baby.  Hell, I don't even have a baby anymore!  He is four years old and no longer a valid excuse for why I'm a little soft in the mid-section. 

Most women out there that have had a child will understand when I say our mid-section suffered a severe beating from pregnancy.  It gets stretched, soft, and squishy.  Our abdomen is probably one of the top trouble spots and it can be rather discouraging.

Let's face the facts: Training abs kind of sucks.  You won't be setting any personal records in a max out weight.  It seems to take forever to see results like other parts of the body that can "pop" in 2 weeks.  Never the less, abs are important for both form and function.  Having that 6 pack pulls together a strong and sexy physique, while having a strong core aids to safeguard against physical ailments.

This 6 pack abs workout is sure to work your core and help you on your way to getting that core strengthened up and looking good.

peace & love
bj

Summer Short Shorts Ready Workout

I refuse to wear Bermuda shorts just because I'm a mom and I'm getting older.  I still want to wear a pair of shorts that is mid/upper-thigh and looks flattering without being too short.  I'm not 18 anymore so booty shorts are out but that doesn't mean I have to resort to Bermuda shorts or even capri pants. 

Having a great butt and legs makes all the difference in the ability to wear fashionable summer styles.  We don't want to be showing off cellulite backsides, so let's fix it! 

You will hear me continually pretch about nutrition.  Body transformation of any sort starts with nutrition.  Eating right and healthy is the key element.  Without that, you won't see the progress you would hope for.  Committing to a lifestyle change is your best bet.  Your stomach shouldn't be a waste basket.  You should focus on eating whole/natural foods without preservatives or fillers.  Those added "ingredients" are harder for the body to digest and prevent your body from working optimally.

Here is a leg & butt workout to help you on your journey of getting summer short shorts ready.

peace & love
bj

Triple A Pyramids: Arms, Abs, Ass

If this triple dose of pyramid power doesn't leave you sweaty and feeling good about yourself, I don't know what will!  This is my triple A pyramid workout that targets your arms, abs and ass.  It is a hybrid of circuit and pyramid training.  You will get the benefits of both styles, which will leave you feeling pretty darn good. 

High intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts are excellent for so many reasons.  Many of the popular workout videos and classes utilize this technique.  Why?  Because it works!

Here are a few examples of the benefits of HIIT:

• Efficiency (not wasting 90 mins in the gym)
• Burns more fat
• Healthier heart (anaerobic zone)
• Lose weight/fat, not muscle
• Increases your metabolism
• Challenging (less rest time for chatting/recovery)
• Working harder the whole time
• Conditions both your anaerobic and aerobic energy systems

*Important note to remember: key element that makes HIIT different from other interval training is the maximum effort given, not simply a higher heart rate.

WHAT YOU'RE DOING:

Warm up.  Work through each pyramid giving your maximum effort for each exercise listed.  Once you have completed the first pyramid (arms), rest for 3 minutes.  Continue to the next pyramid (abs) giving maximum effort for each exercise listed.  Rest for 3 minutes.  Work through the last pyramid (ass) with maximum effort. Rest for 3 minutes.  Repeat pyramids once more.  Cool down.  Best of luck!

peace & love

bj 

The Murph Workout, Tough As Hell

My Tough Mudder team leader, Dennis gave us this workout the other week to try.  He is always finding new and exciting ways for us to prepare & train.  This one is particularly challanging but it is in honor of a fallen solider, Lt. Michael Patrick Murphy.

Some of our team members have been doing this one weekly and tracking their times.  They have made individual goals for themselves of a time to beat.  I think the best performance is at 37 mins. right now with a goal to break 35 mins before Tough Mudder.

peace & love

bj

Chest & Tris: Beast Mode

With only 5 weeks left until Tough Mudder Minnesota, it is time to step it up!  I want to conquer that course and every obstacle it contains.  I know I will need strength, endurance, brute force and some craziness to do it. 

Monday is our designated chest (bench) day.  I threw in some tri work as well.  Flat bench is focusing on the peel technique in this workout.  If you have never tried it before, now is the time.  It is a great way to switch up your routine.  You will need a partner to assist with peeling off the weights and spotting.

This is a longer lift that will exhaust your upper body by the end.  Push your limits, test your body, make it adjust and build some strength & muscle!

Happy Chest Monday!

peace & love

bj

Supermodel Legs

A set of nicely toned and muscular legs on a woman is sexy and guys like sexy, right?  Um, right!  Those darn supermodels tend to always have the perfect set but that is because they work them!  There might be a select few women that are freaks of nature and just have gorgous legs but like most of the worldly population, we have to put some effort into having a smoking pair.  Unless, you are brazilan because those chicks are always hot! 

Another point to remember is nutrition!  It is essential to any body weight/shape goal.  Whether you are looking to shed pounds or tone up, 70% is based off your nutritional intake and 30% is the effort in the gym.  Haven't you ever heard of, "Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym"?  People have a hard time grasping that but it is true and it is science.  So, before you hork down two dilly bars from Dairy Queen think about that fact.  You can read my Clean Eating post for more info about nutrition.

Here is my Tone Your Legs Like A Supermodel & Your Swimsuit Depends On It workout. 

peace & love
bj

 

Mile, Circuit, Mile Combo

Running?  Yes, running.  I am finally posting a workout that involves running.  Sweet, huh?  I'm not a complete meat head that only lifts weights. 

This workout will ease you into running and won't scare you away from the trails or track.  It is intended to get you started logging miles but switch it up too.  We are working on endurance, cardio and overall body conditioning with this one.  The most important part of the workout is the general strength circuit in between the first mile and the second mile.  Make sure you DO NOT rest between the exercises, sets & reps.  The continual movement will make you sweat more, increase your heart rate and help with conditioning your body.  Ultimately, you will get more out of this workout with minimal rest.  Rest is important for some workouts but this one does not utilize rest...sorry!  We are focusing on going stronger for longer and need to push boundaries in training.

Diversity in your workouts is great!  Keep your body guessing peeps.  You don't want to acclimate your body to doing the same old routine because then your fitness will plateau.  Find ways to work the same muscles but in different movements.  Do research on fitness sites and then research some more!  Compile a library of exercise to pick and choose from when designing a workout.  This keeps it interesting.  Nobody likes to get bored!

peace & love
bj

Passion

Passion is such a great thing to have in your life but sometimes it is easy to forget or be sidetracked and fall into a funk.  Lots of us have all sorts of passions that include family, friends, faith, our career, hobbies and many others.  Some passions are at higher calibers than others but I think finding a balance that works for you is important.  It helps keep us happy, grounded and thankful. 

Life is an experience that I hope to look back on one day and feel in my heart that I did everything that I wanted.  That I enjoyed as much as possible.  That I let my good times greatly out number my bad times.  That I grew and learned and taught others. 

I am pretty guilty of putting my interest/attention into too many things at once and I'm working on that.  I have always liked being a busy bee.  We are all "works in progress" and far from perfect.  Life is messy, confusing and darn right hard at times.  But when you find those things that you are truly passionate about it makes those rough patches seem insignificant.

I have discovered some my centers that help me have those fuzzy feel-good emotions and moments without spreading my time too thin.  They are what is most important in my life. They are what I carry the most passion about.  They get me excited, make me feel alive and put a smile on my face.

peace & love

 bj

MY FAMILY

   

WORKING OUT/FITNESS

DESIGNING WORKOUTS

MY CHURCH/FAITH

THE BEAUTY IN THE WORLD

Give Me A Strong & Sexy Core

ABS ABS ABS!!!  Give me a great set of strong & sexy abs, please!

They look great on guys, they look great of gals!  Man-o-man, are they sexy and if you don't think so...this post & site is probably not for you.  Sorry!

Here is a core workout I designed for my sister and I to torch through.

peace & love
bj

Chest Workout

It is Monday, which means it is chest day!  Here is a preview to what Shannon & I will be doing after work today.

Happy Monday Folks!

peace & love
bj

Tough Deck of Cards Workout

A couple months back my Tough Mudder team leader (Dennis) shared with me the deck of cards workout.  He encouraged me to give it a try.  Back then I hadn't hardly started working out and quite frankly I was scared shit-less to try it.  I thought to myself: "I don't want to die!"

Now that I have been working out and looking for some variety in workouts, I figured I would re-visit this option.  I took the basic concept of the deck of cards workout and switched it up to my own personal liking.

This is one TOUGH deck of cards!  Enjoy.

peace & love
bj

RULES:

-Start with a fully shuffled deck of cards (52 cards + 2 jokers).
-All face cards (Jack, Queen, & King) have a value of 10 reps.
-Aces will have a value of 11 reps.
-Jokers have a value of 20 reps and you choose which exercise to perform.
-Number cards will be face value (ex. 7 of hearts = 7 pushups).

-Clubs =Burpees
-Diamonds = Squat with high knee
-Hearts = Pushups
-Spades = Pullups

(Using compound exercises like the ones listed above burn more calories than individual/isolated workouts, trains your cardiovascular system; thus helps in more free flow of blood, builds muscle mass more rapidly/quickly and improve coordination, reaction time, and balance!)

Work through the cards, flipping them over one by one until you’ve gone through the entire deck. Each suit corresponds to a different exercise and the number on the card indicates the number of reps you’ll do (face cards = 10, Aces = 11, Joker = 20). So if you drew a 4 of clubs, you’d do 4 burpees.  Your goal is to work through the entire deck as fast as possible.

Good Luck!

Booty Blaster

This workout is the same concept as yesterday's post: high intensity, minimal rest, increased heart rate & cardio.  Today's workout is targeted on your booty!  This is particularly my favorite area to work but I am starting to even out and enjoy working my arms, back, bis, tris, chest & abs as equally as I enjoy legs & butt. 

This workout shouldn't take you longer than 30 mins. from warm-up to cool-down. 

I hope you like my booty blaster circuit!  Again, message me if you have any questions on exercises or the circuit.

peace & love
bj

Another Day, Another Workout

This last year I pretty much decided in my mind that I was hell bent of trying to get the rocking body back that I use to have when I was in college.  That has proved to be way more difficult than I initially thought!  Yikes.  I have come to terms with the fact that I am older, that I have had a child and that I love to eat food that is sometimes not the most healthiest of choices.    The last thing I want to do is make excuses for myself.  That just is not acceptable!  There are MANY women that have been in fair worse shape and used determination and grit to get themselves to where they want to be.  And so, I will do the same.  I continue on my road to finding a happy-medium of being healthy.
It is easy to get sidelined and get "too busy" for a workout.  I am as guilty as anyone!  In knowing that my schedule is going to start getting tighter with Cruz starting T-ball, soccer and swimming lessons I have started to brainstorm up workouts that will be beneficial and less time consuming.  Here is the first of many that I have constructed.  Let me know if you have any questions on a particular exercise.

peace & love
bj