Wellness Wednesday 11/16

From now until New Year’s Day, your schedule will likely be filled with family obligations, traveling and festive outings with all sorts of tempting treats. It’s no surprise that many of us see our waistlines expand during the holiday season. Even the most disciplined people can find it difficult to stick to their health and fitness routines.

But this year can be different.

To help keep us on track, I’ve enlisted the aid of several colleagues – leading experts in health, sports medicine, behavioral psychology, fitness and nutrition – for some much-needed advice. Here are their secrets to staying fit during the season of overindulgence:

1. Keep moving.

“In addition to staying active, try to avoid sitting for prolonged periods of time, such as when watching football games or eating. Remember: Too much sitting is hazardous to your health. Research shows that getting up for just five minutes every 30 to 60 minutes and performing light activity (say, pacing around the house or performing simple squat exercises) reduces the risk of diabetes and other heart disease risk factors.”

2. Be the man or woman with a plan. And hydrate.

“The holidays can be a real land mine in terms of disrupting your best exercise and weight-control intentions. Start each day with a game plan, just like a great coach going into a big game. First, track your food intake and activity level. Doing so makes you aware of the amount of calories in certain foods. Even if you decide to eat higher-calorie options, you will probably eat smaller portions and make other adjustments to stay within your daily caloric goals.

 “Also, stay hydrated. Your brain can sometimes confuse thirst with hunger. A large glass of water before a meal (and especially before considering seconds) can help lessen the amount of food you consume. Drink six to eight glasses of water per day, and be sure to have two big glasses of water before the big, calorie-rich meals.”

 

3. Make lists, exercise early and sleep.

“The holiday season is one of my favorite times of the year, but I recognize that it has the potential to be hard on my health. To alleviate the potential negative impacts of the season, I recommend making sure workouts are in the morning so you don’t get distracted later in the day by parties, events or other holiday hoopla. I also recommendgetting plenty of rest and maintaining lists to stay organized and stress-free.”

 

4. Expect the unexpected.

“We are glass half-full people, so we hope for the best, but we prepare for the worst. We always have an emergency bag of healthy food that requires no refrigeration and can be readily eaten as is – a health umbrella of sorts. While the rain may indeed fall on the just and the unjust, it does not fall on the prepared.”

 

5. Be creative and get rid of ‘all or nothing’ mindsets.

“The holidays are hectic, but do your best to avoid the ‘all or nothing’ mentality when it comes to healthful eating and physical activity. In reality, there is more than just one way to live healthfully and be active.

 “During the holidays, get a bit creative with exercise and opt for fun ways that make physical activity a family affair. From exploring new group fitness classes to buildingphysical activity into holiday traditions – like taking a family walk around the neighborhood before opening Christmas presents – think outside the box when it comes to ways to have quality time with family and friends while also prioritizing your health.”

 

6. Plan – and remember there is always time and opportunity for a workout.

“Plan your workouts for the week and note them in your schedule to assure they are a part of your day. Also, remember that some exercise is better than none. Rather than skipping the gym altogether, make time for a quick workout. If my schedule keeps me from the gym, I find at least 15 minutes to do body-weight exercises or kettlebell swings in the evening. It may not be my normal weightlifting workout, but I do sweat and feel a lot better when I’m done.”

 

7. Indulge for a night, not a season.

“It’s easy to overindulge when the season of parties and leftovers – so many leftovers – is upon us. Avoid allowing ‘treats’ to become staples by not letting them linger in the house after the celebration has ended. When the party is over, it is time to dump the junk!”

– Sherry Pagoto, associate professor in the Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School

8. Remember it’s a single day.

“Enjoy the holiday. If you worry about eating too much on this single day, the reality is that one day won’t make or break your health plan. Unfortunately, most people start a pattern of daily ‘treats’ in some form or another or skip exercise due to visiting relatives. That routine then somehow continues from Thanksgiving through the end of the year. Enjoy the holiday, but don’t let it go from a day of indulgence to a month of indulgence that leads to unwanted habits that continue beyond the holiday season.”

 

My Workout Playlist Today…..

Eminem-Love the Way You Lie
Mary Jane Girls-All Night Long
Dreamgirl- Jaquees
Hotline Bling-Drake
Dirty Laundry-Nickelback
Empire-Drake

Workout Wednesday…

Wellness Wednesday 11/9

20-Minute Home Cardio Workout

With the holidays just around the corner, traveling, parties, shopping, and other seasonal outings may start to take over your schedule, leaving little time for the gym. This does not mean your rockstar body (which you worked so hard for all year long) is going to vanish right before your eyes. Your prevention plan: Change up your routine so you can get in a full-body workout in half the time—no gym needed.

This at-home cardio workout is an efficient way to burn off extra calories and keep your metabolism stoked through the holiday season. It also works wonders for your attitude and mindset. Instead of feeling guilty after splurging on the pumpkin bread, knowing that you’ve kept up with your workouts will help you feel satisfied and strong.

Try this cardio workout in the morning and you’ll be energized and empowered throughout your day.

 

My Workout Playlist Today

Hit or Nah-Rayven Justice
Firework-Katy Perry
Blase-Ty Dolla
Ninjas in Paris-Jay n Kanye
Big Rings-Drake
Too Good and Needed Me Remix- Drake n Rihanna

Workout Wednesday….

Wellness Wednesday 11/02

As we move into fall, the shorter, colder days can make it easy to become demotivated about your workout regime, but the change in season can also be a great time to try something new. Relaxnews rounds up three sports that will help mix up your workout and keep your fitness plan going through fall and beyond.

Hot yoga

If you hit up the park for an outdoor yoga class over summer, then keep your yoga flow going this fall by heading inside for a hot yoga class. Not only will hot yoga enable you to work out indoors, but the heated room will also keep you warm as the temperature starts to drop outside. Hot yoga provides the body with a great cardiovascular workout, according to Jennifer Aniston’s yoga teacher Mandy Ingber, with the high temperature an effective way of bringing the heart rate up. However, remember to hydrate before, during, and after class, advises Ingber.

Spinning

Outdoor cycling is great for warm summer days, but it isn’t as fun if you get caught in the rain. If you’re a cycling fan though, why not try an indoor spinning class? You won’t be able to explore the outdoors, but a class environment can bring its own benefits, with motivation from an expert trainer, a team atmosphere, and a chance to make new friends. Spinning also brings with it incredible health benefits, including burning up to 675 calories in 30 minutes, with the sprint cycling techniques used in classes also challenging the muscles in the legs and bum, and boosting cardiovascular activity for rapid results.

Trail running

You do have to head outdoors for trail running, but this is one sport that is worth getting caught in the rain for. First of all, summer can simply be too hot for running, making the cooler fall temperatures the perfect time to be outside. Trail running breaks the monotony of road running and has more health benefits than treadmill running, thanks to the more challenging terrain and the rugged ups and downs. Getting started is easy, with National Cross Country Running champion, fitness coach and trail runner Lesley Paterson advising wannabe runners to “just find a local park or trail, and just run!” If you are completely new to running, says Paterson, alternate between walking and running for one minute until you can run continuously without stopping, even if you try to run for just five minutes at first. As you build up fitness and strength, you may be able to run for an hour or even longer.

My Workout Playlist Today

24K Magic – Bruno Mars

Bossy-Kelis
Blow The Whistle-Too Short
He Dont-Byrson Tiller
My Way-Fetty Wap
Wenesday Weekend-Bj the Chicago Kid

Workout Wednesday…

 

 

Wellness Wednesday 10/26

HOW THE FIT GET FITTER

Forget clocking up more time on the treadmill. Research proves that it’s intensity not volume that gets results – whether you’re an active adult or an athlete, your fitness will fly when you add LES MILLS GRIT into the mix. So this week I have written a 2 minute challenge for you all. It’s pretty simple, there are four exercises of which you run for 30 seconds each. The idea being you do as many as you can of them in 30 seconds, so you work at your optimum for just 2 min. Keep your scores and I will re post in a month or so and you can see if you’ve improved.

1. Squat jumps
   Make sure you squat and touch floor between every jump. You want to keep your chest up, if you had something written on your shirt you should always be able to read it.
2. Push up jacks
   Like a normal push up but you jump feet out on way down, together on way up.
3. Switch kicks
   Kicking one foot out and switching to kick other foot out. Keep foot flexed, try and kick leg out at hip height but don’t over stretch as high as feels comfortable.
4. V sit ups
   Lie flat on your back, with your arms above your head. Now bring your hands and feet together, keeping legs and arms straight.

*remember form over quantity, you are better to do less correctly than more with bad form. Bad form is often how we get injuries.

Don’t forget to warm up first, it is very important!!! We don’t want pulled muscles. Do a nice cool down stretch afterwards too.

If you are really struggling and need a visual here are some links to You Tube videos.

Squat Jumps

Push up Jacks

Switch Kicks

V sit up’s

My Workout Playlist Today

No limit-Usher
No limit soldier- Master P
Deja Vu- Beyonce
Ruffneck – Mc Lyte
The Corner-Common
Cheap Thrills-Sia

Workout Wednesday….

Wellness Wednesday 8/10

“People often say motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” This popular Zig Ziglar quote holds especially true this time of year when we are half way through our New Year’s Resolutions or see our Vision Board  is starting to wear off. If your motivation is starting to taper, you’re not alone. An article in the Wall Street Journal, featured earlier this year, shared that check-ins on Facebook to facilities with “gym” or “fitness” in the name drop 10% in February. The good news is there are certain truths you can keep in mind to help keep goals realistic and healthy habits going strong.

Truth # 1: You won’t always feel like working out. Lately, I feel like I sometimes have the words “I don’t want to go” playing on repeat in my head on my way to the gym … and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The important thing is to show up and do what you can even if you’re unable to give 100 percent. Any activity is better than no activity and you’re not likely to say, “Gee, I really regret working out today.”

Truth # 2: An occasional splurge is okay. Part of why some health-related New Year’s Resolutions are doomed from the get-go is because we tend to demand nothing short of perfection from ourselves. Then, if we splurge on cheese fries or gain weight after the weekend, we beat ourselves up and throw in the towel on our goals. One indulgence is not going to cause you to gain weight. You may find it helpful to follow the 80/20 rule of choosing healthy options 80 percent of the time and leaving 20 percent for a little wiggle room.

Truth # 3: You’re in this for the long haul. In order for healthy goals to turn into habits, we have to make sure we’re doing something that we enjoy and can commit to long term.

Motivation, like most things in life, has its ups and downs. Just remind yourself of why your goals are important to you, accept that you are human and no one is perfect, and know that every day is a fresh start.

 

Workout Wednesday…..#Motivation