Last week I had the pleasure of co-hosting a fantastic launch party with Erica for 12 of our lucky readers. We all had the chance to play the brand spankin' new Kinect for Xbox 360 and the ultra-cool Your Shape: Fitness Evolved by Ubisoft.
I completely embarrassed myself at the very end of the evening, when Erica so kindly suggested I challenge our co-host, one of the designers of Your Shape. He doubled my score and then laughed in my face.
Our mummy guests loved Your Shape! It was so gratifying for me to see a group of mommies, all of different ages, lifestyles and fitness levels, enjoying some active play. To up the intensity level, I took it upon myself to travel around the room and give the mummies some drill sergeant treatment while they waited their turns on the consoles.
I arrived home that night, exhausted (because I was up past my 8:30 bedtime... lame... so lame...) and excited. I told Sweaty Hubby just how cool Xbox 360 was.
The next day, true to hubby form, he went out and bought us an Xbox with Kinect.
I was all, "We don't need it. We just bought a Wii last year..." doing my fiscally-responsible, anti-consumerism wife thing.
But secretly, I was all, "YES! YES! YES!"
Because...
It.
Is.
Awesome.
If you haven't heard of the Xbox Kinect or haven't seen it in action, here's a gratuitously cheesy (but short) preview of our new favourite game, Kinect Adventures.
So... the real matter here is, of course... Is it a workout?
Yes!
It's not going to give you the workout that your regular step class or 5K is going to, but you'll be amazed how the Kinect can really get your heart rate up! One of my favourite mini-games on the Kinect Adventures game involves jumping, squatting, sidestepping and hopping so quickly that I was actually getting a cardio workout... albeit for the 2-3 minutes my turn lasted. There are other games that use various amounts of physical effort.
The Your Shape game by Ubisoft offers virtual personal training, cardio, and fun active games to get your heart rate up and train a variety of muscles. The key is to put some old fashioned elbow grease into it. As with most things, you'll get out of it what you put it. Move quickly, ai for the best form with the most effort you can muster and you'll definitely get a mild to moderate workout. Whether you play for 10 minutes or 2 hours, you've made a healthy choice and modeled an active lifestyle to your children.
Don't invest in the Xbox Kinect expecting to finally fit into your old prom dress. But, if you're looking for a great new family activity or a fun idea for Friday date nights, why not get off the couch, move your muscles and have a blast at the same time?
I'm all for it!
Now I'm going to email Sweaty Hubby and set up a Kinect date for tonight!
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A couple of months ago, a longtime client – let’s call her “S” - asked my opinion on the Reetone series of shoes.
S has a daughter-in-law who works for Reebok, as a matter of fact, and she gets some pretty amazing discounts on Reebok shoes and athletic wear... enough to make me very jealous as she’s usually looking cute and coordinated while we’re training... I, on the other hand, am generally dishevelled and underslept. But smiling. Always smiling.
S jogs 2-3 times per week, does strength training 2 times per week and usually does yoga once per week. Her question to me:
Do the Reetone shoes really make a difference? Should she bother?
First, there are a few different Reetone products. Take your pick... they’re all based on the same technology:
Reebok Easytone Walking Shoes
Reebok Runtone Running Shoes
Reebok Traintone Cross-training Shoes
Reebok Easytone Flip Flops
Reebok claims: “Easytone’s balance ball-inspired technology with moving air creates micro instability, toning key leg muscles as you walk: gluteus maximus, hamstrings, calves.”
What does this mean? Basically, the sole of the shoe has been made unstable by the addition of “balance pods” – this is similar technology to an inflatable stability ball or BOSU balance trainer. That's the BOSU to the left. In other words, the sole of the shoe has air pockets. It’s not flat. It’s difficult to walk on, and this forces your leg muscles to work differently in order to keep you balanced and to maintain a normal stride as you walk.
What does this mean for your ass?
According to Reebok’s studies, the Reetone series of shoes increase the work performed by the gluteus maximus (ass), hamstrings (back of the thighs) and calves (um... calves). Muscle activity in the glutes is increased by 28%, in the hamstrings by 11% and in the calves by 11% over walking in regular athletic shoes.
Sure. And cream is going to make my boobs look like I haven’t breastfed two kids, right? Nothing comes this easy, ladies.
The American Council on Exercise was as sceptical as you – but they have a team of researchers! Their study found the following:
“Across the board, none of the toning shoes showed statistically significant increases in either exercise response or muscle activation during any of the treadmill trials. There is simply no evidence to support the claims that these shoes will help wearers exercise more intensely, burn more calories or improve muscle strength and tone.”
The Reetone shoes have received lots of good reviews. They look good, they’re gimmicky, they promise to deliver fitness without increased effort – of course people like them! People also like leprechauns. But nobody believes they’re real...
The one plus that the Reetone series may offer is the added motivation wearers may feel to walk, run or stroll in order to achieve the promised toning effects. If you need to spend $245 on a new pair of shoes to feel motivated to walk, by all means, spend.
If not, my verdict is:
Don’t bother.
"
With all the time you’ve got on your hands, mummy (yeah, right...), you’re probably wondering which of your many idle hours each day to devote to exercise.
The best advice I can give you is to choose the time of day when it is easiest for you to schedule your workouts and stick with your plan. No matter how motivated you are to be one of those morning jog chicks, if you’ve got 4 kids to get out the door to school and a hubby who works the night shift, morning is probably not your “zen” time. Perhaps you might aim for a pre-lunch, post laundry jog or an after-school workout while your husband hangs out with the little ones. The point is, be realistic about your daily schedule and choose the time that you are least likely to blow off your workout plans.
One thing mommies can almost always count on: naptime and bedtime. Try scheduling your workouts while baby is sleeping or after the kids are in bed for the evening.
Got a no-napper? Or a night-owl? Try a workout you can do with your little one in a carrier or a quick 10-minute workout that won’t derail your busy day.
So, now... back to our original question. Perhaps you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant and still living in a child-free universe. Maybe you are an empty-nester or have teenaged kids who don’t demand as much of your schedule as they used to... I hate you. Good for you! You have options!
If you have a choice, what time of day is best for a workout?
Morning
Morning is the time of day I personally recommend most frequently to my clients. Morning can be 6:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m., depending on your lifestyle and schedule - the key is that exercise is one of the very first things you do in the day. Why? Almost nothing can interfere with a morning exercise appointment – really... how often do you get invited out for drinks at 6:00 a.m.? Studies show morning exercisers are most successful at sticking with their workout plans. That’s enough reason for me.
Morning workouts also:
Rev the metabolism for the day
Give you an energy buzz to start your work day
Make you feel as if you’ve accomplished something important and help you feel more positive for the rest of the day
Afternoon/Evening
More and more studies are coming out with evidence that some of the best strength and endurance gains can be made later in the day, when the body’s core temperature is higher. Great! On the other hand, exercising too late in the evening can rev your body and brain up too close to bedtime, making it difficult to fall asleep. If you like late evening workouts (and it is one of the most common workout times for working mommies), consider a more moderate workout and save the sprints and more vigorous exercise for days you can work out earlier. Generally, though, late afternoon and evening workouts are probably the optimal time for muscle building.
Afternoon/evening workouts also:
Are less likely to cause injury because muscles and ligaments are warmer
Can help relieve the day’s stress
Different days bring different challenges, so sometimes a combination of early and later 
workouts are best over the course of a week. My top tip for scheduling is to look at your week ahead of time, perhaps in a few quiet moments on the weekend, and schedule your workouts for the week ahead. Use your daybook or your PDA and make appointments with yourself, even if they're just 10 or 20 minutes each.
One day, you'll have enough time to decide whether you're a morning exerciser or an evening exerciser. I promise.
Which works best for you - morning or evening? Do you feel a difference in your body depending on the time you exercise?
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