Sunday, September 29, 2013

Preparing for the Run for a Cure Africa Lagos: How do you Track your Progress?



Because we live in the age of technology (Thank God!), we can incorporate technology in our race training as well. I find that I really like to be able to track my time with each run and upload my results to my computer so I can compare runs and see how well I am doing. This is especially helpful when training for races.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Late Night Snacking: Friend or Foe

Guest post by Brittany Jones of Healthy Choice


As women we dread it, but most of us succumb to it.  Late night snacking is the fear of women everywhere.  Okay, I’m exaggerating, but the guilt that accompanies that 10 pm scoop of ice cream can carry on into the next afternoon.  However, late night eating does not necessarily need to be demonized. Contrary to popular belief, eating later in the evening technically isn’t bad for you.  It isn’t when you eat that causes weight gain, it’s what you eat and how much.  But before you devour two bowls of cereal and a coke zero, take some of these tips into consideration.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Need a Quick Workout? Try This 15 Minute Workout



And of course, you can do it twice or three times for a full workout :) Maybe if I keep doing burpees I will start to love them.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

2013 Run for a Cure Africa Lagos Race Date Announced!



Remember we talked about the Twitter competition to guess the Run for a Cure Africa date in Lagos in November? Well, the competition is over and the date has been announced! It is going to be on Saturday, November 9th, 2013. 

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Join Globeathon and TW Magazine in the Walk to End Cancer



This Saturday, September 28th 2013, Globeathon is partnering with TW Magazine to organize a walk to create awareness of the various women's cancers, and the steps we need to start taking to end these diseases. This walk is scheduled to take place in Lagos, Nigeria starting at 6:30am. The walk begins at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel, goes on to Bar Beach, and then all the way back to the hotel. 

At the end of the walk, there is the option of a spa treatment for participants with a healthy lunch (It is discounted, but it is not free). Walk, spa, food? Sounds great to me! If you are in Lagos, please go out to participate.

How do you register? Visit the Globeathon site or the TW Magazine site for more details.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Monday, September 23, 2013

The 2013 Nigerian Blog Awards Nominations are Open


It’s time to nominate blogs for one or more of the 29 available categories. What do you need to do? Go to this link, and submit a nomination for each category. And don't forget to nominate Eights & Weights as the Best Fitness or Health blog!

Here are the instructions. Make sure you follow them so your nomination gets counted:

  • Only one blog can be nominated per category.
  • You do not have to submit a nominee for each category.
  • The blog address (e.g. http://blogaddress.com) of the blog (not the blog name) must be entered.
  • You must provide a valid email address before your nomination will be registered.
  • Once you’ve submitted your nomination form, please check for an email from nigerianblogawards@gmail.com and follow the instructions in the email to ensure your nominations are counted. If you don’t follow the instructions in the email your vote will not be counted.
  • Blogs nominated for categories they do not qualify for will not be counted.
  • Forms that nominate the same blog in most or all of the categories will not be counted.
  • If you make errors in your submission, send an email to nigerianblogawards@gmail.com and we can help you make the appropriate changes.

Get to nominating...

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Why is Yoga so Awesome?



Yoga can be a completely spiritual experience for some, a physical experience for others, and could contain elements for both for many. Contrary to the opinions of a lot of people, yoga isn't some meditative experience connecting you to a god you do not know or believe in. Because the concept of this practice is so foreign to many people I know, I wanted to highlight the benefits of yoga.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Friday Inspiration: Love Yourself



Loving yourself is so important with exercise, with yoga, and with life. If you can learn to love yourself and all the flaws, you can achieve so much more with your body, and you can love other people so much better. I am inspired by people that genuinely love themselves. Just something to start to work on this weekend :)

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Best Warm-Up Exercises for Running

Excerpt from article on Zest.co.uk published on August 12, 2010

Stretch after a workout, and warm out before. That's my policy. Whether you're heading out for a long-distance run or just a jog around the park, here are the four warm-up moves you don't want to miss...

Heel Flick

Start by jogging forwards slowly, then gradually bring your heels up towards your bum (you can do it on the spot if you prefer).

Focus on keeping your torso upright, and try to land lightly, making as little noise as possible as your feet touch the floor. Repeat for 60 seconds.





Swinging Side Stride
Moving clockwise, step out to the side with your left leg, bring your right foot to meet your left and, as you do so, almost immediately step out again with your left.

As you pick up the pace, begin to swing your arms from side to side across your body. After 30 seconds, stop and repeat, moving anti-clockwise.





Toe Walk
Start walking forwards as normal but, as you hit the ground with the ball of each foot, rise up on to your toes for a second, then place the rest of your foot back on the floor before you lift it up and move forwards.

Repeat for 60 seconds. You should feel your calves and ankles getting gradually looser as you progress.






High Knee
Start by jogging gently on the spot, then gradually raise each knee higher and higher with each step. You'll need to lean your torso slightly forwards rather than backwards to maintain balance.

As each knee gets higher, pump your alternate hand higher too. Continue for 60 seconds.





For the full article, visit Zest.co.uk.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Zest.co.uk

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Want to do Some Cardio and Also Work Your Legs? Try Heel Flicks!



Heel flicks can be used as a warm up for runners, as a cardio exercise on their own, or to work on your legs. But how about all three? :) The workout from TribeSports that I posted last night had heel flicks and you might be asking what that is.

How do you do it? Start by jogging either in motion or on the spot. Slowly start to kick your heels back with each step until your heels touch your bum as you run. Easy!

Don't be worried if your heels don't initially hit your bum. Sometimes, it takes practice. The more you do them, the better your body will move.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Monday, September 16, 2013

TribeSports 15 Minute Workout



I found this workout routine on TribeSport's Instagram account, and I thought it would be fun to try. So give it a go today! It's only 15 minutes so I did two rounds. 

Cheers Eights & Weights!

My Interview on CSG!



Last week, I had a chance to chat with Lolah, the lady behind Christian Soldier Girl Fitness, about my workout inspiration, how I work out, my nutrition, and my goals. It was a fun interview for me, so definitely check it out to learn a little more about me and how I got into Eights & Weights!

The full interview can be found on the CSG site here.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Sunday, September 15, 2013

"Run for a Cure Africa" Race Tips: Know Your Race Day Details



If you have been following Eights & Weights for the last couple of weeks, you probably know that I have been giving race tips for the big "Run for a Cure Africa" race in Lagos, Nigeria in November. Run for a Cure Africa is currently hosting a competition on Twitter to see who can guess the actual date of the race. The first ten people to guess right get free entry! So find @RFCA2000 on Twitter and throw in your guess. The date will be announced on September 16th, 2013.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Breathalyzer Device Tells When You're Burning Fat

Excerpt from article by Kathleen Doheny on WebMD


Would you buy a breathalyzer device if it helped tell you if your diet and exercise program were being efficient? Well, you may be in luck soon. This article below talks about a study performed in Japan using such a device.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

“Run for a Cure Africa” Race Tips: You’ve Got to Dress Right



Unfortunately, I have come across some race pictures recently that shocked me. Folks were wearing jeans to run! At the risk of sounding like a running snob, if performance is your primary objective (and if you don’t want to be super uncomfortable), you need to dress the part.

So you’re like “Okay, Suzanne, please tell me what dressing the part means”. Of course I will!

The 3 most important things to think about with race attire are: comfort, temperature, and motion. For women, the additional factor to consider is support. These are probably the key to helping you perform at your best.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Friday Inspiration: Do not be Afraid to Try New Things



It is easy to stay in your comfort zone, but you really don't achieve much in life or with your body if you stay with what you know. The depth of your growth usually occurs at the end of your comfort.

So what am I trying to say? With exercise, with relationships, with work, with travel, and with all of your experiences, do not be afraid to leap. The worst is that you fail and gain experience. Go for the seemingly ridiculous. As the saying goes, "Don't fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains 3 phrases: could have, might have, and should have." Deep.

Have a lovely weekend, readers. Do something you haven't done before.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Do You Even Lift?



Women tend to like to do all the cardio because they want to see the maximum number of calories burned in one single session. But cardio is not everything. So let's talk about strength training a bit, shall we? Why is strength training so important? 

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Check out "A Day in the Life of Suzanne" on Dudunorth!



I did a profile for Dudunorth, as part of the 'Discipline' series. This profile was me summarizing my day step by step, complete with pictures. Please check it out because I'd like people to see a different side of me, and understand what is going through my mind as I'm doing some of these activities. You think it is not easy for you? Then we're alike because working out is not always easy for me too.

Dudunorth is a website that showcases exceptional talent by promoting the work of Africans in North America. Check out the site at Dudunorth.com.

Check out my full profile on Dudunorth here and learn how discipline is a major part of my life.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Have You Challenged Yourself Lately?



It is so easy to get really comfortable in our exercise routines, and do the same things over and over again. Humans are creatures of habit, and so once we think "I've got this!", we start to slack off a little. You probably know this because you may have gone through those ruts where your exercise gets really boring and you just get through it.

Monday, September 2, 2013

The September Inspiration Challenge is On!



What inspires you? We all have our inspirations in life; things or people that make us want to be better - to do better - whether it be in fitness or just in life. Throughout this month, in partnership with GaiamTV, I am hosting a challenge on our social networks (Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook) called September Inspiration.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Preparing for the “Run for a Cure Africa” in November? Some Tips for First-Time Runners



Run for a Cure Africa started in 2009 with the vision of turning the Breast Cancer mortality rate in Africa into the Breast Cancer survival rate. In November 2013, the organization will be hosting another race in Lagos, Nigeria to garner awareness of breast cancer prevention and survival. Eights & Weights is partnering with Run for a Cure to bring you weekly tips on preparing for the big race!

Registration opens in a few days, and there will be more information about the race date and registration this week. Now on to your tips!
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