These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things

Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens... Ok well we aren't talking about those favorite things but lets be honest we all love that song! You know what is crazy? The more you work out, the more gear you find yourself "needing." There are several things that we have found for us that are must haves. It doesn't mean you have to use them but here's what works for us...

1. Fitbit: We have discussed this several times as you probably recall from our previous posts. Any day now they are going to catch on and offer us a sponsorship. We are sure of it. Ok maybe not, but we can dream can't we? This pedometer was a life changer for us both. It completely makes us accountable for our fitness goals! Plus it adds a little healthy competition into our lives.

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2. Flipbelt: These can be one of the most game changing necessity you purchase, especially if you are running longer than a couple miles. There are several types of running belts which will hold a phone, mints, energy chews or whatever else you might need while running. The Flipbelt is our favorite because it is easy to use, has several different pockets along the belt, a clip for your keys and it had great reviews. Plus it's comfortable to wear, washable and comes in a ton of different colors! 

3. Headbands: Headbands are one of those workout necessities that can speak a lot about your personality. You can get sparkly, plain, bright, bold, simple, wide, and/or skinny. The possibilities are endless. We have ones that are nice and wide made from stretchy material to smaller tighter gripping ones. The best thing is that they can be easy to make yourself.

4. Tank Tops: Ok first thing first, we have to admit something to you guys here... we are completely, 100% addicted to these. There we've said it, moving on. Second, tank tops are so fun, and we live by the motto that each race deserves it's own special one. Some of our favorite ones we have found at Wal-Mart for less than $10, most recently our princess one we wore for the Diva Dash. We have a couple which were specially made for us (thank you Etsy), one that is monogramed, and we give them to each other for our birthdays. Next to headbands they are a great way to express your personality while you work out, plus they really are much cooler than wearing a t-shirt.

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5. Water Bottles: No matter where you are working out you will need one, at the gym, at home or outside. Remember water is IMPORTANT! The Camelback bottles have been very useful for both us. We use the double insulated ones so they don't sweat and the water stays cooler for longer. For those of you doing a lot outside and not wanting to carry a bottle, we have clip on bottles we attach to our running belts or pants. Another way to go is to use bottles which can go on your arm or can be held in your hand, as of now we haven't used any of these yet. Find something you are comfy with during your whole workout.

One of the most important things to do before purchasing anything is to do your research, look at the reviews and talk to someone you know who might have some insight. But most importantly remember, these are products that work for us, they may work for you or something else might work better. A lot of this was trial and error for us. We would love to hear what some of your favorite products are. Share them with us in the comment section below!

Remember you've got this!

Fitster Sisters

(These are our personal reviews of these products, we were not compensated for the reviews and recommend doing research before purchasing something.

Always remember before starting a workout program it might be beneficial to discuss with a health professional.)

Fall Race Season Is Coming: How To Pick The Race For You

The summer is coming to a close, school is starting, and hopefully we will begin to start getting some relief from the 100 degree days. That can only mean one thing... Fall race season is upon us and there are going to be more races than you know what to do with. If you are anything like us you will want to do them all, especially if there is a cool t-shirt, or better yet a medal!!!  The only issue is that we are not made of money and would go broke if we did every race out there.

There are many things to take into consideration when picking a race. Races are great motivators to help us focused on fitness goals, which is why we keep signing up for them. The thing is you need to be picky and make sure the race is a good one for you. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are trying to figure out if you really do need to sign up for your 7th race in a month.

1) Do I get a t-shirt?  Or better yet is the t-shirt Dri-fit? It's basically like college where we would do anything for a shirt.  It's probably not that extreme but it's close but it is still one of the very first things we look at. The more races you do, the more likely it will become that you can go a week or four with out wearing the same race t-shirt.

2) Is there a medal? Nothing will get us to a finish line faster than getting a medal now a days. It's so important to have that bling around our necks now. Not only is having a medal important, but so is what it looks like. Is it shaped like a tiara or a firework? Does it sparkle or light up? Seriously, you think this is a joke but something about having this amazing 6 inch medal hanging around the neck after a few miles of running is incredibly rewarding!

Related: Stretch It Out: It Really Is Necessary

3. What's in the Swag Bag? We need to know e're getting something besides the medal. It's assumed there is an awesome shirt but if a jacket or a towel are an added bonus, sign our butts up! There is a very real chance that we will train for and run a half marathon just so the jacket can be in our wardrobes. It's totally worth that $60 fee. Plus if we are being honest, how many of you our there get a little bit of enjoyment out of wearing your swag around town? Then you see someone else with the same stuff and you have a silent moment of like of appreciation for each other.

4) What's the distance? Oh it's a marathon....26.2 miles...umm no!! You would think this would be one of the very first things on the list but it usually isn't. However the distance is oh so very important. Most longer races will have a time limit and then they will start shutting down parts of the course. It's important to know if you are able to do the distance of the race in the given time period. Plus longer races take a toll on your body and you need to know if you body can handle the distance.

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5) What's the fee? This really should be one of the first questions asked but it's not anymore. As we sat discussing our upcoming half marathon and whether or not to do another one, for the first 15 minutes neither of us even mentioned he fees. We discussed whether or not our bodies could handle the distance and what the medal looked like and what the swag was. Then for the last few minutes we finally discussed the fee. It just doesn't matter as much! Also ask yourself is there a groupon, is the fee on sale, or when are the dates the fee will go up. Most races will be less expensive the further out you sign up. As you get closer the fees tend to go up, for many races you aren't gauranteed a t-shirt after a certain sign up date.

6) Where is the race fee going? Many of us love doing these races because they are fundraisers for a good cause. It's important however to read the fine print if that is something you really care about. We recently did a race, not naming names, that said it went in support of a local charity but when we looked into it only $1 of our $30 entry fee was going to that charity.

7) When is it? If we are being honest this should be the second thing you ask your self. Mostly because you need to maike sure you have time to train for the race. We both know people who can go out and run a half-marathon with next to know training, and run fast. It's not fair and it's not something most people can do. We really encourage you to take the time to train for races! Especially if it's your first one at a longer distance. This will help you to avoid injury.
 

Whatever your reason is for a race, commit to it and own that day! Whether you run it, walk it or skip, that race is yours and remember you got this!

Fitster Sisters

Stretch It Out: It Really Is Necessary

You've finished your workout, you feel great and you are in a hurry so you think to yourself I don't really need to stretch. WRONG!!!  It's very easy to toss stretching to the side, but in doing so you are missing out on some much need benefits. Tegan is honestly the worst about this, it is her least favorite part of working out. She can't even tell you why. However, this is not the example to live by!

Stretching is actually an exercise and you CAN/WILL burn calories! Doing mild stretching for about 30 minutes will burn on average around 90-100 calories. Say hello to the extra snack you can now eat because you chose to stretch! Beyond the calories being burned, stretching also has many benefits for your muscles. After exercise, muscles become tight and tired, we have to help work out the knots and other build up we have in our bodies. This helps to prevent or alleviate soreness and fatigue. 

STRETCH EVERYTHING: When deciding what to stretch, stretch it all! Most forms of exercise takes it out on your whole body, so stretching your legs, your arms and even your neck/back/core is helpful.

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STRETCH BEFORE/AFTER: Now there is actually some debate about stretching before your workout. Some experts say it's not necessary, some say it is, and some say just do a few quick stretches. So who do you listen to? Who is right? This is a question we have asked ourselves since we are not experts ourselves! We say do what is right for you and speak with your doctor. Tegan doesn't stretch a ton before her work outs (but she does do it), where as Andrea stretches a little more. Make sure you are listening closely to your body. Even holding the stretch for 15 seconds is better than not stretching. It will help your body to recover. You can easily get injured if you don't stretch. Andrea's husband rarely stretched before or after a run, needless to say he hurt his Achilles' tendons on both ankles. He had to sit out of running for 4 weeks before slowly progressing back into it, know what the biggest advice the doctor and other experts have him? STRETCH CRAZY HEAD!! He's still not always the best but he understands the importance of it now. He could have to have surgery if he damaged them further, which stretching can prevent. So take those extra few minutes. 

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STRETCH BEFORE BED: One of the easiest times to stretch, if you don't have tons of time around your workout, is before going to bed. It can be relaxing and a nice way to warm your muscles up before going to sleep. This can help make sure they aren't tight in the morning. Plus you burn a couple extra calories, so that's a win!!

Remember you got this!

The Fitster Sisters

(We aren't licensed medical practitioners, so always check with your doctor before exercising or if you have questions.)

The Rules People Aren't Telling You About

Everywhere we go in society there are these unspoken rules, rules that no one really speaks of but everyone seems to knows them. It's very Fight Clubish. You know, the first rule of Fight Club is you don't talk about Flight Club? Ooops... Did we just talk about Flight Club?

Working out is no different, there are all these rules no one talks about but people break all the time. We are going to assume they are broken because people don't know about them and not because they are just rude. But you know what they say about assuming... Well have no fear we are here to help you out a little bit.

1. Go against traffic: This is actually an official rule, and very IMPORTANT! For safety purposes, when working out outside running/walking/biking go against traffic this allows on coming traffic to see you and you to see it. Drivers get distracted, we all know it and we've all done it. Defensive working out is just as important as defensive driving.

2. Wave at cars: So this may not be one that goes for everyone, but we are from the Midwest and here we wave at our neighbors. Not only is it polite but it might also be a little entertaining. It's like saying "Hey There Driver, thank you so much for seeing me and not running me over. I really appreciate that!" On really long runs Tegan like to pretend the people waving back are really cheering her on. We get they aren't but anything to keep your mind off the fact that for some reason you decided to run a stupid amount of miles that day.

3. Buffer Treadmill: Every other one people, is it really that hard? This one is actually not just limited to the treadmill, it can go for really any equipment in the gym. The moment someone steps on a treadmill directly next to us, we are instantly racing. we don't care if you are running at a 10 (Is that possible? Does the treadmill even go that fast?) and we're running at our normal 5.3, we are going to race. Just be prepared for it. If you don't want this to happen leave that buffer treadmill! The closer you are to us the more we are going to pretend to look at something on the other side of the gym so we can see your numbers. Sorry! Ok... We aren't really sorry!

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4. Use Headphones: This goes for working out in the gym or outside, it's just polite people. Tegan actually just experienced this one on Sunday. Look, we are sure that you love your music and that's great, but we want to listen to our music and not yours. When we can hear your music over ours, we are going to be REALLY annoyed and am going to crush you in the imaginary race going on.

5. Staring happens, get over yourself: When you are on a stationary object staring will happen. There are only so many place you can look with out risking your own life and falling off. So Mr. Hot Guy when we are looking in your direction because we are on a treadmill and you are directly in front of us, I'm not staring at you because you are hot, I'm staring at you because there is no other place to look. Get over your self!

6. Gas is going to happen: Exercise gets everything in your system moving so don't be surpsied when a little gas come out, and don't be disgusted when the person next to you (who didn't leave the buffer treadmill) has some too. Just roll with it. I mean for the most part we are all adults here and it's not like it's some major secrete, people poop. If outside and you have some warning be aware of the people around you. Go behind the group or at least as down wind as you can get.

7. Stay to the right: We are not in the UK, here we drive and walk on the right side. Heck we even circle swim on the right. Is there seriously anything more annoying than when you are running and the person is walking down the middle of the sidewalk? Actually there is, it's when you say on your left and they move to their left and then you move to the right just to have them move to the right. It ends up as one of those awkward dances. While we are at it, if you are walking/running in a group, please don't walk 17 people across! It's really annoying to have to dodge in and out of groups. Walk a couple across in more than one row if necessary. You should have some space for people to be able to get by.

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8. Smile: Smile at the people around you at the gym, smile at the person you pass on the street, heck smile at your self in the mirror. Don't do that last one too much or you may look at little narcissistic. What we are saying is that a smile gives encouragement, it helps those who are dying to get a little more pep in their step. We try to smile at those that seem to need. Especially those woman that look like they want to be anywhere else than the gym. If we really think about it we are all in this together, so why not encourage those around you?

These are obviously not the only rules out there but they are a good start. By following these few simple rules you will not only be a more polite person but also helping to make the workout of your fellow human just a little bit more enjoyable. Don't we all need a little help in that department? We sure do!

We would love to hear some of your other "rules" are, feel free to leave them in the comment section below. We have a feeling that this won't be the last time we visit this topic.

Keep up the great work!
Fitster Sisters