To reach any goal, you must have the proper tools. The same goes for your fitness and overall health.  But I realize that everyone’s tool box is a bit different. I asked my twitter followers (@coachtia) what was on their must-haves list and several said iPods for runs or long cardio sessions. I don’t even know how to work one of those things. I have one co-worker who tweeted that he chews gum during runs because it keeps his mouth from getting dry and he synchronizes sweats with chewing. Weird, huh?

Well, my list is pretty simple, but these are truly my workout essentials:

1. Real running shoes. Currently my shoe of choice is a Mizuno. The brand doesn’t matter as much as going to a professional who helps you pick out a shoe that is right for your foot and running gait, especially if you are logging lots of miles. Your shins will thank you.

2. Weight-lifting gloves. A lot of women don’t wear them, but if you’re even doing moderate weights they will help prevent callouses and discomfort. You don’t have to spend a lot: I got mine at Wal-Mart nearly eight years ago, and they still serve me fine.

3. Two sports bras. I’ve never met a sports bra that I could wear without additional support, even the expensive ones that say you can. Maybe one is out there, but until I find it I’ll simply double up each and every time I workout.

4. Hip hop mixtapes. When I put myself through tough bootcamp-style workouts, I require booming bass and the hottest hits to keep me motivated. I usually find new mixtapes every couple of months to burn to a CD and play over the loudspeakers in the group fitness room. However, when I run in the neighborhood, I prefer silence to gather my thoughts.

5. A sweatband and cotton headwrap. OK, that’s two but I put them as one because they are my go-to remedies for preserving my fresh-from-the-salon hairstyle, even after a tough workout. They help soak up the sweat so my hair doesn’t get too damp. Even if I don’t use the wrap, I wear a sweat band during all workouts.

Well, now you have Coach Tia’s list of fitness must-haves. Anything you find a bit weird? Anything you want to try for yourself? Or leave me a comment about what you have in your own workout must-haves list!

Welcome to our first FitMommies blog of 2010. If you’re like the majority of folks out there, you have put your health at the top of your New Year’s Resolutions list. Losing weight and getting more fit are two of the most common resolutions in America.

Local fitness and health centers always look forward to booming business in January and February as newly energized consumers pay for yearlong memberships and personal training sessions. But by March, usually the crowds are back to normal, and many of those new members don’t come back.

I want to help you stay on track with that New Year’s Resolution all year long. Here are 10 tips especially for you:

1. Ease into it. Going from zero workouts to hardcore sessions in the gym six days a week is almost a sure-fire recipe for a quick burnout.
2. Set a reasonable and measurable goal. There is no better way to stay on track than having an end result in mind. (See my previous “Going for the Goal” blog posting for more tips on goal setting.)
3. Watch what you eat. You will get results faster if your nutritional habits mirror your new dedication to working out.
4. Don’t pay too much attention to the scale. Weight is only one indicator of your fitness level; others include how your clothes fit, endurance and energy.
5. Switch it up. If you get bored with your workouts in a few months, try something new. (My “Cardio Workout” blog can give you more tips for this.)
6. Don’t allow excuses. Yes, the kids’ have your schedule packed and work is stressful. Make time for yourself!
7. Find a fitness buddy. Make sure it’s someone who motivates you in a positive way to stick to your plan.
8. Join the right gym. There are small gyms, large national chains, Christian-oriented centers, women-only gyms, 24-hour facilities, and the list goes on. Visit around to determine what’s best for you.
9. Set yourself up for success. Whatever approach you take to getting fit, make sure you have the right shoes, clothing and equipment.
10. Follow me on Twitter.com/CoachTia. I will supply you with motivation and tips to keep you on track!

OK, folks, let’s get moving in 2010! I look forward to hearing all your success stories!

-Coach Tia

This month I’m answering a reader question. Feel free to submit yours in the comment section below, via email (insert here) or on twitter @coachtia!

Now on to a Noir Mommie’s question about cardio workouts and running:

Coach Tia,

Can you provide an exercise regimen to help me with my cardio? I enjoy lifting weights but my personal weakness is running. I have a hard time building up my endurance. I find myself constantly making excuses. Thanks!

Taylor

Seattle, WA

Taylor, let me first congratulate you for your dedication to adding good cardio workouts into your exercise routine. Cardio, also known as endurance activity or aerobic exercise, has many benefits such as weight loss, heart health and increasing energy levels. Any activity that increases your heart rate qualifies, but running is probably the most common exercise we think of under this category. Generally speaking, most exercise guidelines suggest 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week.  As a trainer, I know that injuries or just personal comfort levels mean that some women favor certain types of cardio activity more than others. I have also learned that many women hate to run! They can only stomach running for a few minutes at a time and come up with reasons to miss scheduled workouts.  If that sounds like you, I would suggest trying another type of the dozens, if not hundreds, of types of cardio activity. In the gym next the treadmills are stationary bikes, elliptical machines and stair masters. Many gyms also offer a variety of group exercise classes, such as step, Zuumba, spinning and kickboxing. Outside of the gym, there are sports leagues and recreation activities galore, everything from tennis to swimming to racquetball. If at home workouts are your thing, you can use fitness DVDs or even Wii Fit to get moving. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as it elevates your heart rate for an extended period of time (and I’ll blog more about that later), it’s cardio. Have it your way! Now, if you insist on running, I have some suggestions. First, make sure you are dressed properly. Nothing makes running more uncomfortable than the wrong support up top, clothes that fit too tight or too loosely, or the wrong shoes, which can cause shin splints or other injuries. It is also important that you warm up by stretching and starting slow, as well as cool down at the end of your workout. Remember to pump your arms, pick up your knees and use good form. Indoor running is very different from outdoor running, so if one isn’t working for you try the other. If you have been trying to meet a distance goal, change your mindset and focus on running for a certain amount of time, or vice versa. Often that can help build your endurance by pushing you past your limits. Switch it up by adding some sprints intervals to your workout, whether on the treadmill or at the local track. If you are running the same streets in your neighborhood, go to mapmyrun.com to find new routes in your city or create one.  Even switching up the music on your mp3 player might help motivate you to keep running farther and longer. Please let me know if my advice helps kick up your cardio workouts and if you stick with running or try something else. Good luck!

Last month, I told you about one of four rules my friend Ana and I agreed upon as she sets out to become more fit. They are definitely four rules we all should live by as we work to improve our health. I also promised to come back and discuss the other three rules in more detail.

So let’s go back to Rule No. 1: Set reasonable and measurable goals.

Here are some examples of common goals you may hear:

-I want to lose weight
-I want to feel better
-I want to run a marathon.

All of these lack the specifics that are needed to keep you accountable and, therefore, keep you on track to actually attain them. Remember, goals should be reasonable, which means they will push you beyond your limits but also have a possibility of achievement.

Goals also have to be measurable with a specific endpoint and a specific timeframe. It’s a good idea to tie them to an event or date that has some meaning. That is why so many people find success getting in shape before their wedding or a vacation.

Now let’s update our examples above.

Before: I want to lose weight.
After: I want to lose 10 pounds by my 20th high school reunion in three months.

Before: I want to feel better.
After: In one year’s time, I want to lower my blood pressure and cholesterol levels and work out for at least 30 minutes at least three times a week.

Before: I want to run a marathon.
After: I want to participate in and finish the 26.2 with Donna Breast Cancer Marathon in February 2010.

Setting your goal is the first step. With an end result in mind, you can begin coming up with that weight loss or nutritional plan or begin outlining your marathon-training regime to ensure success.

Remember to follow me on twitter @coachtia or send me an e-mail. Let me know what your new specific and measurable fitness goal is!

I recently chatted online with an old friend who is having difficulty  finding time to exercise in her busy life as a working mom. Ana used  to sweat off the pounds in her college days as a member of FAMU’s  Incomparable Marching 100 Band. (Go Rattlers!) With no more early  morning band practices and a slowing metabolism, part of her is  yearning for the good old days.

Ana has two awesome kids and handles a lot of the family  responsibilities since her husband’s job requires late nights and  travel. In the course of the day, working out is often at the front of her  mind but the bottom of her list. Even with a free gym membership through her job – one that has onsite childcare – she wasn’t exercising and was not happy with herself about it.

We discussed her situation and ended up with 4 rules Ana would live by:
1. Set reasonable and measurable goals.
2. Find a workout partner or trainer to increase accountability.
3. Pay better attention to her food choices.
I promise to go into much greater detail about all three of these rules in future blogs. But I told her rule No. 4 was the most important of them all, “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

Many times we are too self-critical, keeping mental lists of all the reasons why we should be thinner, healthier, and more fit than we are. We start to believe we can’t get it together, which makes us feel worse and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Try this instead: whenever you realize you have fallen off the wagon, forgive yourself and make the commitment to get back on. Whether it’s been one week, one month or one year, don’t let what you haven’t been doing hinder you from starting back up again.

So what if you ate too much ice cream at last weekend’s birthday party? Commit yourself to working out extra hard this week to make up for it. If you haven’t been in the gym in a while, make a date with yourself in your planner, arrange a babysitter, throw on some sweats and spend 30 minutes improving your health.

Falling off the wagon is easy, but so is getting back on. It doesn’t take some major act or life changing-event, just make a simple commitment to yourself to start over again. Take one small step in the right direction. That path leads you toward your fitness goals!

Oh, and I am happy to report Ana is following our rules very well. Not too long after our chat she posted a message that she was headed to the gym with the kids in tow!

Remember, you can follow me on twitter @coachtia and e-mail me questions to fitmommies@noirmommies.com. I’d love to hear from you!

Welcome to Noir Mommies’ new Health and Fitness blog!

This space is for the Mommies who run marathons, those who are thinking  about running their first 5K and those who just want to find the time and  energy to walk around the block. No matter your fitness level, this space is  for you. And we hope those Noir Daddies, aunts, uncles (well you get the  picture) join us, too.

I am Coach Tia, a personal trainer and journalist based in Jacksonville, Fla.  I’m not a Mommie but I hope to be one someday. My fitness philosophy is  that workouts should be fun or they don’t last. I believe in starting with the  basics and having a solid foundation to build upon. I believe in eating  healthy but indulging every now and then. I believe that everyone should  have individual goals and not all of us have any intentions — or hope — of  ever being a size 2.

Noir Mommies, I know what you’re facing. It’s not easy to schedule workouts and eat correctly. Those last few pounds are always the hardest to lose. Sometimes you just don’t know where to begin. Do I have it about right? I can only imagine how difficult it is for all the Mommies, who must juggle family, work and other responsibilities and often sacrifice themselves in the process. But it can be done and this is what this blog is all about!

Each month, I will provide you with tools and tips to get you moving! I want this blog to be your go-to resource for everything from exercise tips to the latest health news. We’ll share recipes and fitness fashion tips. Send your questions about health, fitness and nutrition my way and I’ll find you solid, useful and easy to follow answers that are based on facts not fads.

I want to get started right away so follow me on twitter @coachtia and e-mail me questions to fitmommies@noirmommies.com. Consider me your virtual personal trainer! Let’s encourage one another together! I look forward to sharing our successes! We can do it!