Are you a Bride in search of the Best Health and Fitness program that is right for you?
Natalie Pyles asked:
Are you a Bride in search of the Best Health and Fitness program that is right for you?
Intelligent fitness tips for brides who want to be ready for the biggest day of their life
Your wedding day is fast approaching, and naturally, you want to look your absolute best as you head down the aisle. Before you freak out about what to do with your “trouble areas” and start thinking of all the reasons you **** working out, remember you can do this without a no-nonsense personal trainer or pricey gym membership. It just takes a little discipline, focus and a few smart fitness tricks!
Walk if you can’t run!
» Myth: You have to spend hours running on a treadmill to really get in shape fast.
» Fact: Walking every day is a smart and easy way to kick off your daily workout routine. Keeping a steady stride will help you burn calories, lose weight and relieve any pre-wedding stress.
» Go!: Try to shoot for at least 30 minutes of walking a day when possible, and do this at least 5 days a week. According to the American Council on Exercise, beginners can tone down the initial pressure by limiting both their pace and the distance they walk. This means you can break up the walking into manageable chunks throughout the day and still reap the benefits. Start off with a 5-minute morning stroll around your neighborhood; then increase your time and distance gradually throughout the day. Take a 10-minute walk during your lunch break and a 15-minute walk in the evening after work. Remember that keeping a steady pace is more important than the speed in which you walk. Your goal is to elevate your heart rate slightly (if you can’t talk while you walk, you’re going too fast).
Don’t skip stretching!
» Myth: As long as you break a sweat, you’re getting a full workout.
» Fact: Giving your body a proper warm-up and cool-down isn’t just a necessary part of any workout; it has plenty of additional benefits. Stretching before and after a workout not only increases overall flexibility and boosts circulation, but according to the staff at the Mayo Clinic, it can also improve your posture and relieve stress.
» GO!: Since most types of workouts cause the muscles in your body to flex and contract, you’ll want to stretch before and after each, and at least three times a week, to maintain a balance – especially if you don’t usually exercise. There’s an art to stretching properly. Breathe consistently and deeply, but be careful not to push your limits. It’s normal to feel a little tension, but you never want to prolong or hold a painful stretch.
Snack smart!
» Myth: You must avoid the vending machines at work at all costs.
» Fact: Smart snack choices can be found among the usual junk food offerings. You just have to know what to avoid.
» Go!: You’re busy and sometimes need to snack on the go – we get it. But if you must hit the vending machines, start by seeking out snacks that are low in fat, sodium, calories or carbohydrates, and beware of portion sizes. Live Healthy America ranks classic favorites like Doritos, Skittles and Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts among its top five “just don’t do it” vending snacks. Avoid these and grab something from its best-bets list: Baked! Lay’s Original Chips, Planters Sunflower Kernels and Smartfood Reduced Fat Popcorn.
Don’t believe everything you read about water!
» Myth: Drinking bottle after bottle of water will help you lose weight.
» Fact: There is such a thing as drinking “too much” water, and doing so can cause cramping and sodium deficiencies among other complications.
» Go!: People often say that drinking lots of water can help with dieting and intense workout plans. But if you dig a little more, you’ll find that some medical and health care professionals disagree. While keeping hydrated can help cleanse the body, drinking too much water could lead to decreased sodium levels in the blood. Stay hydrated, but be careful not to overdo it.
References: Idea Fitness, LSJ.com News
Forwarded By, Natalie Pyles
Health & Fitness Expert, Nutrition Specialist, Bridal fitness, Author, and NSA Speaker
Caffeinated Content for WordPress
Are you a Bride in search of the Best Health and Fitness program that is right for you?
Intelligent fitness tips for brides who want to be ready for the biggest day of their life
Your wedding day is fast approaching, and naturally, you want to look your absolute best as you head down the aisle. Before you freak out about what to do with your “trouble areas” and start thinking of all the reasons you **** working out, remember you can do this without a no-nonsense personal trainer or pricey gym membership. It just takes a little discipline, focus and a few smart fitness tricks!
Walk if you can’t run!
» Myth: You have to spend hours running on a treadmill to really get in shape fast.
» Fact: Walking every day is a smart and easy way to kick off your daily workout routine. Keeping a steady stride will help you burn calories, lose weight and relieve any pre-wedding stress.
» Go!: Try to shoot for at least 30 minutes of walking a day when possible, and do this at least 5 days a week. According to the American Council on Exercise, beginners can tone down the initial pressure by limiting both their pace and the distance they walk. This means you can break up the walking into manageable chunks throughout the day and still reap the benefits. Start off with a 5-minute morning stroll around your neighborhood; then increase your time and distance gradually throughout the day. Take a 10-minute walk during your lunch break and a 15-minute walk in the evening after work. Remember that keeping a steady pace is more important than the speed in which you walk. Your goal is to elevate your heart rate slightly (if you can’t talk while you walk, you’re going too fast).
Don’t skip stretching!
» Myth: As long as you break a sweat, you’re getting a full workout.
» Fact: Giving your body a proper warm-up and cool-down isn’t just a necessary part of any workout; it has plenty of additional benefits. Stretching before and after a workout not only increases overall flexibility and boosts circulation, but according to the staff at the Mayo Clinic, it can also improve your posture and relieve stress.
» GO!: Since most types of workouts cause the muscles in your body to flex and contract, you’ll want to stretch before and after each, and at least three times a week, to maintain a balance – especially if you don’t usually exercise. There’s an art to stretching properly. Breathe consistently and deeply, but be careful not to push your limits. It’s normal to feel a little tension, but you never want to prolong or hold a painful stretch.
Snack smart!
» Myth: You must avoid the vending machines at work at all costs.
» Fact: Smart snack choices can be found among the usual junk food offerings. You just have to know what to avoid.
» Go!: You’re busy and sometimes need to snack on the go – we get it. But if you must hit the vending machines, start by seeking out snacks that are low in fat, sodium, calories or carbohydrates, and beware of portion sizes. Live Healthy America ranks classic favorites like Doritos, Skittles and Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts among its top five “just don’t do it” vending snacks. Avoid these and grab something from its best-bets list: Baked! Lay’s Original Chips, Planters Sunflower Kernels and Smartfood Reduced Fat Popcorn.
Don’t believe everything you read about water!
» Myth: Drinking bottle after bottle of water will help you lose weight.
» Fact: There is such a thing as drinking “too much” water, and doing so can cause cramping and sodium deficiencies among other complications.
» Go!: People often say that drinking lots of water can help with dieting and intense workout plans. But if you dig a little more, you’ll find that some medical and health care professionals disagree. While keeping hydrated can help cleanse the body, drinking too much water could lead to decreased sodium levels in the blood. Stay hydrated, but be careful not to overdo it.
References: Idea Fitness, LSJ.com News
Forwarded By, Natalie Pyles
Health & Fitness Expert, Nutrition Specialist, Bridal fitness, Author, and NSA Speaker
Caffeinated Content for WordPress
10 Tips to Help you Get your Health and Fitness Regime Back on Track
Liz Harper asked:
Procrastination – The Arch Enemy of Success
The majority of us do it at some point in our life… and hey, some of us might do it every day… procrastination has a way of finding its way into many corners of our life.
At home it usually happens around housework… “I’ll take the rubbish out after the footy” or “I’ll wash up in the morning”…
When it comes to exercise, the excuses are endless… “I’ll exercise after work”… then after work, it’s “oh I feel a bit tired… I’ll exercise in the morning”… then after going to bed too late and sleeping through the alarm, you repeat the procrastination game.
Sometimes the excuses are more elaborate… “I need to buy a new pair of sneakers first and if I’m doing that I should probably book an appointment with the podiatrist to check if I’ll need orthotics”.
But if you are serious about your Health and Fitness, then you must overcome procrastination. Below are ten (10) tips to help you get your Health and Fitness regime back on track.
1. Make sure you set yourself realistic goals. If you work a 55hr week, have a 1-2hr daily commute to/from work, plus family responsibilities, it might be a little bit unrealistic to expect yourself to go to the gym for 1hr, 6 days a week. Chances are, you’d be lucky to get there twice and the remaining four days would be guilt-ridden. Often this will make you abandon the idea of exercise completely.
It is important that EVERY exercise experience is positive. A better approach might be to allocate one gym day per week initially, and a 20 minute walk in your lunch break on another day. It is better to start off with smaller, achievable exercise goals and build up slowly until you are getting 150min/week of cardiovascular exercise.
2. Schedule Your Workout times in your diary or on your calendar. Scheduling workouts at a similar time and on set days can develop a routine. This allows others to learn your routine so they can work around it too. Once it’s in your diary, you treat it as you would any other appointment.
It is important to schedule exercise at a time when you’re most likely to do it. Don’t schedule it into times where you are likely to be too tired or hungry. Personally I find that exercising in the morning is best because you reduce the chance of “not being able to fit in exercise” later.
3. Get an exercise buddy. Find someone else of a similar fitness level to train with, and who is expecting you to meet them at a certain time and place, and then you are more likely to commit to training times that you’ve scheduled in your diary.
4. Get a Personal Trainer. A personal trainer is an even more committed version of the exercise buddy. A personal trainer is an appointment in your diary, that in some cases you will have to pay for even if you miss the session… this can be a great incentive to make sure you turn up! The advantage of a personal trainer is that you don’t need to think of the exercises yourself and you are more likely to train harder than if you were doing it on your own.
5. Document Your Progress. This is a great way to stay motivated. If you regularly review your progress and can easily see your improvements, you’ll be motivated to keep going.
6. Reward yourself regularly. Bribes work with kids… why not you? If you make the bribe good enough, you’d be surprised what you might do. Try getting a group of friends together with similar fitness goals and “pool together” for a super prize! Or buy yourself some new clothes whenever you reach a weight loss goal…Whatever works.
7. Bargain with yourself… say you’ll just do 5 minutes. You might not feel like exercising, but tell yourself that you’ll start your program and only do 5 minutes and then if you still don’t feel like doing it you’ll stop. Most times you’ll finish your program.
8. Take the approach that every bit counts. Incidentals count… hide the remote control! Make yourself take the stairs… park the car further away at the shops or at appointments… get off the bus or train one stop earlier… take the kids to the park and chase them around…or try getting up off the couch every ad break and move around (e.g. march on the spot or do pushups etc)
9. Choose exercise activities that fit with your lifestyle. If you are a busy mum with 3 kids under 3, it is unlikely that you can get to the gym 5 days a week. Similarly, if you are a corporate executive working a 60 hr week and commuting it is also unlikely that you’ll head to the gym straight after work at 8pm each day.
So pick exercise activities and times that fit with your lifestyle. A busy mum might be better off combining her exercise time with activities that include the kids. Pushing the pram off-road (i.e. not on pathways or the road) is an excellent workout for new mums. Or just chase the kids around for an hour at the park. It is also important for kids to learn that exercise is a part of daily life. Exercising as a family can have a very positive affect on family dynamics… like one of the sayings goes… the family that plays together – stays together.
10. Pick activities that are fun. There are so many forms of exercise; you should be able to choose something that you find enjoyable. For example, you might love looking at houses, so walk through a neighborhood full of great houses. Or ride a bike along the beachfront. Or swim or dance… Whatever you enjoy – do it!
Caffeinated Content
Procrastination – The Arch Enemy of Success
The majority of us do it at some point in our life… and hey, some of us might do it every day… procrastination has a way of finding its way into many corners of our life.
At home it usually happens around housework… “I’ll take the rubbish out after the footy” or “I’ll wash up in the morning”…
When it comes to exercise, the excuses are endless… “I’ll exercise after work”… then after work, it’s “oh I feel a bit tired… I’ll exercise in the morning”… then after going to bed too late and sleeping through the alarm, you repeat the procrastination game.
Sometimes the excuses are more elaborate… “I need to buy a new pair of sneakers first and if I’m doing that I should probably book an appointment with the podiatrist to check if I’ll need orthotics”.
But if you are serious about your Health and Fitness, then you must overcome procrastination. Below are ten (10) tips to help you get your Health and Fitness regime back on track.
1. Make sure you set yourself realistic goals. If you work a 55hr week, have a 1-2hr daily commute to/from work, plus family responsibilities, it might be a little bit unrealistic to expect yourself to go to the gym for 1hr, 6 days a week. Chances are, you’d be lucky to get there twice and the remaining four days would be guilt-ridden. Often this will make you abandon the idea of exercise completely.
It is important that EVERY exercise experience is positive. A better approach might be to allocate one gym day per week initially, and a 20 minute walk in your lunch break on another day. It is better to start off with smaller, achievable exercise goals and build up slowly until you are getting 150min/week of cardiovascular exercise.
2. Schedule Your Workout times in your diary or on your calendar. Scheduling workouts at a similar time and on set days can develop a routine. This allows others to learn your routine so they can work around it too. Once it’s in your diary, you treat it as you would any other appointment.
It is important to schedule exercise at a time when you’re most likely to do it. Don’t schedule it into times where you are likely to be too tired or hungry. Personally I find that exercising in the morning is best because you reduce the chance of “not being able to fit in exercise” later.
3. Get an exercise buddy. Find someone else of a similar fitness level to train with, and who is expecting you to meet them at a certain time and place, and then you are more likely to commit to training times that you’ve scheduled in your diary.
4. Get a Personal Trainer. A personal trainer is an even more committed version of the exercise buddy. A personal trainer is an appointment in your diary, that in some cases you will have to pay for even if you miss the session… this can be a great incentive to make sure you turn up! The advantage of a personal trainer is that you don’t need to think of the exercises yourself and you are more likely to train harder than if you were doing it on your own.
5. Document Your Progress. This is a great way to stay motivated. If you regularly review your progress and can easily see your improvements, you’ll be motivated to keep going.
6. Reward yourself regularly. Bribes work with kids… why not you? If you make the bribe good enough, you’d be surprised what you might do. Try getting a group of friends together with similar fitness goals and “pool together” for a super prize! Or buy yourself some new clothes whenever you reach a weight loss goal…Whatever works.
7. Bargain with yourself… say you’ll just do 5 minutes. You might not feel like exercising, but tell yourself that you’ll start your program and only do 5 minutes and then if you still don’t feel like doing it you’ll stop. Most times you’ll finish your program.
8. Take the approach that every bit counts. Incidentals count… hide the remote control! Make yourself take the stairs… park the car further away at the shops or at appointments… get off the bus or train one stop earlier… take the kids to the park and chase them around…or try getting up off the couch every ad break and move around (e.g. march on the spot or do pushups etc)
9. Choose exercise activities that fit with your lifestyle. If you are a busy mum with 3 kids under 3, it is unlikely that you can get to the gym 5 days a week. Similarly, if you are a corporate executive working a 60 hr week and commuting it is also unlikely that you’ll head to the gym straight after work at 8pm each day.
So pick exercise activities and times that fit with your lifestyle. A busy mum might be better off combining her exercise time with activities that include the kids. Pushing the pram off-road (i.e. not on pathways or the road) is an excellent workout for new mums. Or just chase the kids around for an hour at the park. It is also important for kids to learn that exercise is a part of daily life. Exercising as a family can have a very positive affect on family dynamics… like one of the sayings goes… the family that plays together – stays together.
10. Pick activities that are fun. There are so many forms of exercise; you should be able to choose something that you find enjoyable. For example, you might love looking at houses, so walk through a neighborhood full of great houses. Or ride a bike along the beachfront. Or swim or dance… Whatever you enjoy – do it!
Caffeinated Content