Patty Hartong's Blog

I just registered for my (HKC) Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification – July 23rd in Torrance, CA. I can’t wait.

I must say, I love working out with the kettlebells...but........Before I train my clients, I need to get certified. 

Check out the GOLD STANDARD in kettlebell training.... the Dragon Door. http://www.dragondoor.com 

We will work on form and technique (which I really like) by breaking down each movement. I'll learn the proper technique for the goblet squat, double swing, single arm swing, the deadlift and the turkish get-up.

Stay tuned... Patty

 

 

....I’m all Zumba ready for my Silver Lakes CSD Zumba class at 5pm Wed June 1st......as well as, 6pm Bootcamp and 7:15pm Yoga classes!

 

JOIN ME to get FIT for LIFE…… (not just bikini season!)… lol

 

Also - Next Monday, June 6th join me for 5pm Step Cardio Conditioning, 6pm Bootcamp and 7:15pm Zumba....

 

Call first - classes are full..... Cheers - Patty

 

FITNESS Announcement: Patty Hartong - Zumba Certified CSD Group Fitness Instructor now serving Silver Lakes and Helendale. My Monday night class is full – Would anyone be interested in a 5pm Wednesday class or a Friday night class? Contact the CSD -

or Email me @ calfitnessandyoga@yahoo.com or call me at 760-951-3508.

ZUMBA® FITNESS. MOVING THE WORLD TO A NEW BEAT.

Think happy thoughts. And yes, I'm serious about this one. In exploring the effects of positive thinking, researchers have found that individuals who think positively tend to have lower rates of depression, a better ability to cope with and manage stress, an increased life span, and are more likely to adopt and adhere to an active, healthy lifestyle long-term. The process of consciously changing the way we think about something is called cognitive restructuring, and requires us to develop a mindfull awareness of our automatic thoughts, or the that takes place in our minds all day long. Once you become aware of the thoughts that you have, especially those which are counterproductive, you can then begin to practice replacing those negative thoughts with more positive, realistic ones, and yes it does take some practice, but it most certainly is possible.So for example, if you think to yourself I hate exercise what do you think will probably happen? More than likely you won’t exercise, or if you do, you won't enjoy it and it turn the less likely you will be to stick with it long-term. Now, it’s probably not very realistic to replace that thought with; but what if instead you thought something like I wouldnt mind walking outside during my lunch break. It would give me a chance to enjoy some fresh air during the day and also be more physicall activity. Now that's just one example of a way to replace a negative thought with one which is more positive, and realistic. The key to changing the way you feel about exercise is to change the way you think about exercise, which starts by finding activities that you enjoy.

Hello Silver Lakes Fit Females

Great news: The CSD is looking into adding a new low impact class to Monday nights. It would be more of low impact step/conditioning class, like before. All fitness levels encouraged.  

> *Time: 5:00pm -5:50pm – approx 50 minute class

> *Program Design:   20-30 minutes cardio (step) with conditioning (weights, bands and bars) followed by a 15 minute core (abs) workout.

> *8 week program (8 classes’ total) *Price $40.00 (for 2 months)
> *Minimum class size is 10.
> *Class Detail:  
Get a total body workout all in one class. Cardio training and muscle conditioning combined using a variety of equipment including steps, bands, bars and weights. This program is designed to enhance cardiovascular endurance, core strength, and flexibility while burning fat and calories.  So what do you think?  If you are interested -Please reply.  

ALSO:
> Coming soon:  Zumba Fitness – Monday Nights - 7:15pm. Watch your CSD newsletter and emails for more details and start date.   Here’s to health - Patty Hartong

Fewer calories and more nutrition, even in brownies..... Pureeing vegetables and then slipping them into food where they'll be undetectable — that's a sneaky technique parents have been using on picky kids for ages. But researchers at Pennsylvania State University decided to try it on a group of adults to see whether it could help them cut calories and lose weight. It worked — even better than the researchers expected. The unsuspecting men and women, who ate various comfort foods enhanced with vegetable purees, not only liked the doctored dishes, but also more than doubled their vegetable consumption and cut their calories by up to 360 calories a day. — Renee Comet Imagine — if people could eat 360 fewer calories a day, they could lose one pound of body fat in 10 days. Definitely something to consider in a country where 70 percent of adults over age 20 are overweight or obese. In the study, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 41 subjects, ages 20 to 45, agreed to eat three meals at a laboratory once a week for three weeks. The meals were always the same: Carrot bread at breakfast, macaroni and cheese at lunch, and chicken-and-rice casserole for dinner. The subjects could eat as much as they wanted, along with side dishes like rolls, strawberry yogurt, and broccoli and green beans, depending on the meal. Portion size was controlled by weight, and researchers tracked the amount of food each participant ate. 11 Tips for Eating Vegetables. The subjects were told the study was examining perceptions of different tastes. What they weren't told is that some of the entrees had been padded with purees: The mac and cheese and chicken casserole contained cauliflower and squash puree, while the carrot bread contained pureed carrots and squash, according to Alexandria Blatt, coauthor of the study. The subjects ate both vegetable-laden dishes as well as dishes prepared traditionally, without hidden vegetables. Because vegetables have fewer calories, ounce for ounce, than the ingredients they replaced, those eating the enhanced entrees were still getting the same weight of food but with fewer calories, Blatt says. Plus, they couldn't really detect much of a difference. About 45 percent of the participants told researchers they could tell there was something different about the appearance, taste or texture of the doctored entrees, but only two people said they could tell the food contained extra vegetables. And surprisingly, the carrot bread with the most puree got the highest rating for taste and texture, probably because of the increased moistness. Although the study lasted only three weeks, Blatt says the strategy was still a success. Participants gave positive ratings to the food, which shows that adding hidden vegetables to favorite foods can be a palatable way to boost nutrients while decreasing calories. For "individuals with a low liking for vegetables," they wrote, covertly adding purees into entrees is just another way of getting them to eat more vitamin-packed vegetables. Still, the researchers acknowledge that this stealth strategy has its critics. "Stealth vegetables get a pretty bad rap from dietitians because they say people aren't learning to like vegetables," says coauthor Barbara Rolls, professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State and the creator of the Volumetrics diet, which emphasizes foods, like vegetables, with high water and fiber content. The criticism, however, sidesteps the fact that many Americans can't get past vegetables' taste and texture, says Rolls. Despite years of prodding by health experts and the government, Americans still eat far fewer vegetables than is recommended. What the study shows is that pureed veggies can be covertly added to a variety of foods without altering their taste and texture, she says. "The point is that the food industry could easily add vegetable puree to their products to help Americans eat more vegetables and reduce their calories." A childish idea? But not everyone thinks being sneaky about vegetables is a good idea, or that it's a strategy that can be followed over the long run. "This can only work in the long term if someone else is doing the stealthing. Imagine how upset people will feel when they find out they have been forced to eat veggies. Treated like children, they will do doubt react like children," says Marion Nestle, a professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University. Dietitian Helen Rasmussen, who works with older adults at Tufts University's Nutrition Center on Aging, wonders if home cooks will be willing to do the extra work to make the purees. "The people in the study were paid to eat those meals. Would they go to extra lengths to steam and puree different vegetables? Is this really going to solve our obesity problem?" On the other hand, she adds, "it is an interesting way to offset calories. And if it works for one person, then it's a good idea." For those who want ideas for adding vegetable purees to familiar recipes, Rolls says her new book, called The Volumetrics Diet Plan, due out spring 2012, will have some recipes for low-calorie dishes with added puree, including the pumpkin bread and squash risotto recipes that follow. How to Hide Your Veggies New York dietitian Mindy Hermann, coauthor with Barbara Rolls on the 2012 Volumetrics diet book, offers these tips for adding vegetable purees to other dishes: •Match color of vegetable to color of dish, especially in light-colored dishes. For example, pureed cauliflower in potato soup or a rice dish, or pureed squash in mac and cheese. •Tomato-based dishes are best for hiding purees because their flavor and color are very forgiving. Use white (cauliflower, parsnip, onion), orange (carrot, pumpkin, squash), or even green (broccoli) purees. •Spice it up. Mexican-flavored dishes are particularly good for hiding purees. •Tuck pureed squash or pureed black beans into brownie or chocolate cake batter. •Substitute vegetable purees for up to half the added fat in baked goods. •Add purees to casseroles that have ingredients of several different textures and colors so that the purees won't be as noticeable. •Add as much as you can get away with while retaining the flavor, appearance and appeal of the original dish. Pumpkin Cranberry Bread The extra pumpkin in this recipe yields an extremely moist, dense lower-calorie bread that bakes best in a flat glass pan. If you don't have cranberries, use blueberries or raspberries. Makes 24 servings; 2 x 2-inch square 1 29-ounce can of pumpkin 1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 eggs (or 1 cup egg substitute) 3 cups whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (or other berries) 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch glass cake pan with cooking spray. 2. Stir together the pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl and blend well. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir flour mixture into pumpkin mixture and blend well. Gently fold in the cranberries or other berries. 3. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for about 55-60 minutes, until the top is dry and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Place pan on rack and cool completely. Serve sprinkled with a little powdered sugar or topped with fresh fruit. © The Volumetrics Diet, by Barbara J. Rolls with Mindy Hermann, Harper Collins, 2012 Recipe: Butternut Squash Risotto >> Butternut Squash Risotto A faster, no-fuss version of risotto made with quick-cooking brown rice. The squash gives it a creamy texture. Try this recipe with other types of winter squash as well. Makes 6 servings; 1 cup each 3 cups (about 1 pound) fresh butternut squash cubes (or use frozen butternut squash cubes) One 14.5-ounce can reduced-sodium vegetable broth 2 teaspoons olive oil 2 medium onions, chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 cup instant (parboiled) brown rice 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup packaged grated Parmesan) 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves, cilantro or other herbs Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1. Combine 2 cups of squash with 1 cup of the vegetable broth in a microwavable bowl, cover and microwave until the squash is very soft, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then mash by hand or puree in blender or food processor until smooth. 2. Meanwhile, chop the remaining cup of squash into small pieces. Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Sauté the squash, onion and garlic until soft, stirring often, for about 6 minutes. Stir in the rice, 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth, and the wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until almost all the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining broth and simmer uncovered until almost all the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add the squash mixture and simmer until all the liquid evaporates and the rice is fully cooked, about 8 minutes. Stir in the nutmeg and cheese. Top each serving with a sprinkle of fresh herbs. Note: 1 ounce of Parmesan equals about 1/4 cup of packaged grated cheese or 1/2 cup of freshly grated cheese © The Volumetrics Diet Plan, by Barbara Rolls with Mindy Hermann, Harper Collins, Spring 2012 Candy Sagon writes about health and nutrition for the AARP Bulletin.

Gluteal Amnesia One thing I commonly find while treating low back pain is what I have come to call “gluteal amnesia”. That is, the individuals have at some point forgotten how to use the glutes correctly in coordination with the rest of the muscles of the body. When that happens other muscles must step up and take up the slack“ typically it’s the lumbar extensor muscles and/or the hamstrings that step up, and since those muscles aren’t built for that specific function, eventually they become painful and injured. Let’s talk about the glute for a second. The glutes’ primary function is to extend the hip“ that is, to push you forward while your foot is on the ground. It’s also responsible then for pushing you up out of a chair and lifting heavy weights. The gluteus maximus itself is a fairly short and robust muscle that only crosses the hip joint and when the hamstring and lumbar extensors (two muscle groups that are long and thin and cross multiple joints) have to take up the slack, they simply can’t do it. This is one reason many people get hurt doing dead lifts or lifting anything in particular. If you think you might suffer from “gluteal amnesia” the first thing to do is learn to activate your glutes before you start trying heavy lifting. Try a one-legged bridge and sense where you feel the most muscle contraction“ is it in the glutes or the hamstrings? If you are having trouble creating an intense gluteal contraction you should talk with a trained professional. I’ve had high level athletes that have had to put in a lot of concerted effort in order to perform a low-weight dead-lift without feeling it in their back. I am always available for questions and consultation. Patty

A dynamic warm-up is one that challenges every part of your body that you use to run. Your body is a machine—your machine—and there are lots of moving parts. Your cardio capacity is certainly a driving factor in your performance, but your ability to get the most from your cardio endurance is highly dependent on your body's ability to transfer your effort efficiently, from head to toe and on to the pavement, during each and every running stride. A dynamic warm-up coordinates all of your moving parts—muscles, ligaments, and joints—by challenging your flexibility, mobility, strength and stability all at once; because that's what you ask of yourself when you run, right?! Doing so is pivotal in getting you to the finish line as fun, fast and pain-free as possible. The Goals of a Dynamic Warm-Up • Increase heart rate to get the blood pumping through the body and warm up the muscles. • Open up your joints, especially those within the hips, spine, feet and ankles. • Actively stretch your muscles to prepare them for what you'll be asking them for during the run. • Reinforce great posture. • Hit the ground running with all systems go when the gun goes off! The Keys to a Dynamic Warm-Up • Think of it as a part of the race. Do it! • Set aside time dedicated to it. Whether it's 30 minutes or two minutes, you can do your body good. • Clear your mind and focus on your body. Save chit-chatting with friends for before or after the race. • Move through the movements purposefully but continuously so that your heart rate increases throughout. The Key Elements of a Dynamic Warm-Up 1. Great Posture •Stand tall, like a string is attached to the top of your head gently pulling upward. •Stand with feet shoulder width apart and pointing straight forward. •Tighten key abdominals by pulling the bellybutton inward and rib cage downward. •Pull the shoulders back and downward while keeping arms relaxed. 2. Fire Up Your Glutes, Then Use Them, Always Two Options: Glute Bridge: Lying on your back, bend your knees to 90 degrees, keep heels on floor while pulling toes to your shins. Use your glutes to raise your hips so they are in a straight line with your knees and shoulders. Keep hips parallel to the ground. Hold for two seconds. Release, then repeat 10 times. Lateral Lunge: Start with great posture and your feet wider than your shoulders. From there, squat your hips down and over to the right while keeping your left leg straight. Keeping your feet flat on the ground, use your right glute to push you up to your starting position. Repeat on the left side. Do 10 total. 3. Open Up Your Joints and Stretch the Muscles Around Them Spine: Flex, extend, rotate and laterally bend the spine. Do this by rounding the back while reaching for your toes and then extending your back in the opposite direction. Then do a few side bends while keeping your abdominals and hips locked in place. Hips and Knees: Try these two options: Knee Hugs - Standing with great posture, grab one knee with both hands and bring it up toward your chest. Maintain balance on the lower leg by firing the glute. Release the knee and step forward with that leg. Alternate legs while stepping forward for 10 yards. Forward Lunge with a Twist - Lunge forward with one leg while keeping hips, knees, and ankles in line and hips parallel to the ground. Forward foot should be planted firmly on the ground to activate your glute. Hold that position strong while first reaching up with the arm of your lower leg, then reach the same arm to the outside of the forward leg to get a rotational stretch. Hold stretches for two seconds each. Face forward once again and return to standing using the strength of your forward leg. Ankles and Feet: Do the all-important Calf Raise and Calf Stretch. This will not only warm up your calves and the muscles and ligaments of your ankles and feet, but will also stretch out your plantar fascia and prepare it to take on the forces of your running stride. Calf Raise and Stretch: Either keep it simple by raising your calves up and down while standing in place, or find a wall or a large tree trunk and, while facing it, stand three to four feet away with both hands on the wall. After doing a posture check, lift one leg just off the ground and raise the other calf by coming up all the way up on your toes. Hold that position for two seconds, then release and push the heel of that foot into the ground to get a calf stretch. Then bend the knee and continue to stretch. Repeat 10 times on each side. 4. Put it all Together With Some Marching and Skipping You've moved all your parts, now it's time to get the heart rate even higher, and give you control of your movement instead of gravity. Forward March: Maintaining great posture and keeping your upper body as quiet as possible, march forward by bringing each knee up one at a time. Keep your toes pulled up toward your shin and hit the ground directly beneath your body, on your midfoot, each step forward. Drive your elbows back and keep them at 90 degrees throughout the drill. Do this over 10 yards twice . Forward Skip: Same as the march, except you alternate with one foot bouncing on the ground while one hip drives up as in the march, then both feet bounce together, then the opposite leg, then both feet. Repeat. Again, cover about 10 yards twice. Or something similar, as long as you are actively changing the direction of force on the ground and getting your heart rate up while keeping great posture and opening up the hips. The Two-Minute Version 1.Glute Bridge or Lateral Lunge 2.Forward Lunge with a Twist or Knee Hugs 3.Forward Skip You're committed. Your mind is strong and will only get stronger. Make sure you give your body the best chance you can give it so you can do all that you'd love to do with it. Because you can!

Follow me as I begin my teaching journey with the Zumba program. My first step in becoming a Zumba Instructor is to attend “Zumba Basic Steps Level 1”. Once I complete the training process I will be adding Zumba to my Group Fitness classes. Stay tuned! What is Zumba? If you are looking for a calorie incinerator that’s both exciting and fun, Zumba is the workout for you. ABOUT ZUMBA® FITNESS Are you ready to party yourself into shape? That’s exactly what the Zumba® program is all about. It’s an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health. Zumba Fitness® is the only Latin-inspired dance-fitness program that blends red-hot international music, and contagious steps to form a "fitness-party" that is downright addictive. Since its inception in 2001, Zumba Fitness has grown to become the world’s largest – and most successful – dance-fitness program with more than 10 million people of all shapes, sizes and ages taking weekly Zumba classes in over 90,000 locations across more than 110 countries. ZUMBA FITNESS®. MOVING THE WORLD TO A NEW BEAT. Zumba Fitness is very serious about supporting its licensed instructors and legally enforcing its trademarks. If you would like to check if an instructor is legally licensed to teach Zumba classes, go to the Zumba website and look up the instructor by name. NOTE: Instructor - Patty Hartong – coming soon!!!! Thanks!

Per Racheal Crosgrove Q&A in Womans Health  - The dreaded “muffin top” is made up of fat, so you can’t flex it away. Instead, focus on full-body exercises that burn more calories and get your metabolism revving long-term. One of the many effective exercises is the lunge with single-arm press.

Hold a dumbbell at your right shoulder and stand with your left foot three feet in front of your right. Lower into a lunge.

As you stand, press the weight overhead. Lower it back to your shoulder and repeat. Do 10 to 12, then repeat on the other side.

Holding a weight on one side while doing a lower-body move makes your core work harder to stabilize your body. The result: You’ll burn calories, rev your metabolism.