The new year is coming up...You know what the means!!!

New Year's Resolutions!!!

 

 

Of course, this may be the year that is the same as every other year... The gym's are a crowded mess, everyone is posting there New Year resolution but... after 2 to maybe 3 weeks, everyone suddenly stops and doesn't keep on with their resolutions... Let's Change That! Instead of starting out with something huge as to say " I want to lose 80 lbs in 2 months" why not start small and work your way up? make a simple resolution of 5 lbs in 2 months and once you achieve that... continue on with it! the key to keeping in track with your resolution is to keep motivated. make sure your goal is realistic.

 

Self-improvement, or at least the desire for it, is a shared American hobby. It’s why so many of us—some estimates say more than 40% of Americans—make New Year’s resolutions. (For comparison, about one-third of Americans watch the Super Bowl.)

 

 

The Basic Criteria for making a new year's resolution: Keep it SIMPLE, keep it TANGIBLE, and make one that you can REMEMBER on a day to day basis.

 

 

 

 



Pregnant? Try exercising!!

Worried about gaining weight throughout your pregnancy? try any sort of exercise! Not only is it beneficial to your health but ALSO your babies health. A new recent study has shown that exercise may boost the baby's brain... Exercising can ease back pain, help you sleep better, boost your mood and energy levels, and of course Prevent excessive weight gain!

 

Although I can not speak from personal experience, I know many people who have had birth in which they have exercised and they have told me it seemed that their birth's were much smoother and that is because when you exercise your strengthening your muscles which makes it easier for you to control when giving birth.

 

There are a multitude of exercises you can do while pregnant, brisk walk on the treadmill (or outside) swimming, dance, or even yoga. Remember though: Before doing any sort of exercise it is always great to consult a doctor! :)

According to the NYTime article:
" The women in the exercise group were asked to work out for at least 20 minutes, three times a week, at a moderate intensity, equivalent to about a six or so on a scale of exertion from one to 10. Most of the women walked or jogged.
Every month, for the remainder of each woman’s pregnancy, she would visit the university’s exercise lab, so researchers could monitor her fitness. All of the volunteers, including those in the nonexercise group, also maintained daily activity logs.
After about six months and following the dictates of nature, the women gave birth. All, thankfully, had healthy boys or girls — which the scientists gently requested that the mothers almost immediately bring in for testing.

Within 12 days of birth, in fact, each of the newborns accompanied his or her mother to the lab. There, each baby was fitted with an adorable little cap containing electrodes that monitor electrical activity in the brain, settled in his or her mother’s lap, and soothed to sleep. Researchers then started a sound loop featuring a variety of low, soft sounds that recurred frequently, interspersed occasionally with more jarring, unfamiliar noises, while the baby’s brain activity was recorded. In this case, the relevant brainwave activity soared in response to the novel sounds among the children born to mothers who had remained sedentary during pregnancy. But it was noticeably blunted in the babies whose mothers had exercised. In essence, “their brains were more mature,”

 

 

Multiple Ways to Exercise...

Too cold to run outside? No motivation? Don't worry! you don't HAVE to be outside to get the best exercise possible. There are many things you can do to get in your 15 minutes of daily exercise. Those include: Mall Walking, AB workouts during commercials, playing with your pet, walking, dancing, and even CLEANING.

The Next time you say to yourself " I don't have time for exercise" "I can't afford it" Just remember that is TOTAL B.S yes... BULLSH*T.

Daily exercise is a constant reminder that you are BETTERING YOUR LIFE– that you must continue to make other good choices or you’re practically wasting your time.

Exercise is a bonus.  Exercise helps your heart get stronger, can help build muscle, usually gets you outside the house and absorbing vitamin D, and brings you a litany of other health benefits.

:)

Are treadmills really as effective as running outdoors?

To answer your questions, treadmill running and road running are not quite the same. Running on the treadmill is easier than running outdoors, for a variety of reasons. One reason is that the treadmill belt assists leg turnover, making it easier to run faster. So most runners find that their pace on the treadmill doesn’t correlate to their road pace. Also, some of the soft tissue conditioning or “hardening” that occurs with road running does not occur with treadmill running because the plate or base on the treadmill "gives" more than road surfaces. And, obviously there are no weather conditions to deal with when running indoors.

 

However, the treadmill can be a great training tool. Because treadmill running is easier, use it for speed work. Use the treadmill to help you run faster by speeding up the pace for short intervals and then slow it down for recovery intervals. This is a very convenient way to get in some speed work or tempo runs in a controlled setting.
 

 

Run outdoors two or three days a week, with one day designated as your long run day and one or two other runs of shorter distance. This will provide the mileage, the conditioning, and the weather acclimatization you need for your half-marathon. Include the treadmill one or two days a week for speed work or tempo runs. This gives you three to five days of running. Continue with your cross-training one or two days a week, focusing on muscular strength and endurance.  Add some stretching exercises to promote muscular flexibility and you have a very well-rounded training plan. 

Best running shoes

Why Minimalist?

 

For many runners today, less is definitely more -- at least when it comes to the cushioning in their shoes. Millions have embraced the idea of minimal shoes, which weigh less and encourage a mid foot or forefoot strike rather than a heel-heavy landing. Shoe designers have taken note, engineering a new generation of footwear that lowers the height, or drop, between the heel and forefoot to naturally encourage this running style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

But beware: The closer your foot is to the ground,

the more careful you need to be about form. Land

primarily on your mid- or forefoot, with feet under

 hips and body leaning forward slightly. Increase

your mileage slowly to avoid injury, and don't be

surprised if your feet ache a bit at first; it takes a while

to build up strength in their muscles

Best Times of the Day to Exercise...

Could when you work out help you drop pounds, or even boost your overall health?

 

1. Exercise in the Late AfternoonIf you're looking for the sweet spot for exercise, science says to lace up your sneaks between 4 and 5 P.M., when your body temp is at its highest. Studies have shown that boosts your workout—your muscles are more flexible, your strength is at its peak and your perceived exertion is at a low.

2. Exercise in the Morning

Good news for early risers: It has been proven that morning exercisers stick with their routines. Plus,

3. Exercise with a Head Cold

Obviously, you shouldn’t hit the gym if you’re feeling like death. But when plagued only by above-the-neck symptoms—such as a sore throat or runny nose—moderate exercise might help. The mood-boosting chemicals released during exercise make symptoms feel less severe. To avoid prolonging your cold, work out at about half your typical intensity, and consider at-home and outdoor exercises so you don’t spread germs to other gym-goers.

 

When your motivation to work out is not there...

Has your workout become routine and boring?  

 

 

Lack of motivation seems to be one of the biggest barriers for a lot of people who are exercising and eating healthy. Staying motivated just requires a bit of creativity and variety.

 

 

How about dancing your way to fitness with Zumba? Zumba is a Latin-inspired cardio-dance workout that uses music and choreographed steps to form a fitness party atmosphere. One hour in a room with people who are psyched about having a good time, dancing around to high-energy Latin music in a non-intimidating atmosphere can be a absolute blast. Depending on the amount of energy you put into your moves you can burn up to 600 calories and hour!!

Interval training is also an interesting way to stay motivated. 

You’ll strengthen your heart.  It will help burn fat and calories and build endurance.

During a complete workout, you go through five to ten cycles of high and low intensity.

  If walking, walk as fast as you can for one lap, then and easier pace for two laps then repeat.

 If cycling, cycle at high intensity for one minute then follow with a three minute lighter cycle and repeat ten times for a 40-minute workout.

The more you exercise the more motivation you’ll have. That’s how it goes. Like most things in life you’ve got to put something in to get something out. Take the time to creating a clear mental picture of who you want to be and then begin to nurture those characteristics to produce what you want to see.

Remember, the choices you make every day are a manifestation of who you are. We can change; all we need to do is get up and get on with it. I’ll repeat, not easy, but worth it. Good intentions won’t get you to the body you want, but good actions will. You probably know what you have to do, now is the time to get it done.