June 4, 2026

Music and Motivation by Zachary Fiorido

February 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Music and Exercise Motivation: 5 Reasons to Crank Up the Tunes!

 

Music is a great way to stay motivated and accountable to your workouts. It is one of the easiest forms of exercise motivation.  Here are 5 reasons why you should crank up the tunes.

 

1)    Getting up in the am is a struggle, especially with your annoying alarm clock blaring. Change that to a happy go lucky song that makes you want to dance and you are on your way to waking up excited. Gone are the days of snoozing.

2)    Feeling sad and blue?  Studies have shown that people who listen to music have reduced depression and feelings of pain. Don’t worry, be happy!

3)    When you are feeling tired and unmotivated to exercise, create a special playlist with songs that immediately pick you up. This playlist should only be played once every 2 weeks, that way all songs have a special meaning that makes you want to crush your fitness goals!

4)    Cardio Junkie? Playing upbeat music can actually make you go faster. Select songs with BPM (Beats Per Minute) around 130 to 150 BPM. The faster the song the faster you go! Check out a great app on Itunes called “Tempo Magic Pro” This app allows you to adjust any song to go faster or slower.

5)    Not a music lover? No worries. Try audiobooks and podcasts. You can get motivated and inspired just as much as music through spoken words.

Having troubles finding new music? Check out my Youtube Channel for Workout Music Playlists at: www.Youtube.com/ZacharyFiorido

 

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Finding Time for Fitness by Tera Busker

February 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment

We are all busy and often have a hard time for finding time for fitness. Try these 7 tips to find time in your day to get in a great workout and make a positive step in the healthy direction.

Make it a PRIORITY! It’s easy to let excuses and every day activities get in the way of your fitness schedule. Too tired, too busy, too much to do – we have all been there. But if you want to make fitness a part of your life, you have to find time to make it a part of your life.  Schedule your workouts just like you would any other important appointment like going to the dentist or getting your hair done. Write it in your calendar and block out time in your day to get it done.

Be sneaky! Sneak fitness into your everyday chores and activities. Make small changes in your day like taking the stairs at work, walking to your co-workers office instead of emailing them,  squatting while you fold laundry or cleaning the house at a brisk pace.

PLAY! If you have kids or pets, be active with them! Kid and pet free? Join a sport league. Working out doesn’t have to mean spending time in a gym. Taking Fido for a hike, playing tag with the kids or joining a backyard game of flag football counts too! Having fun with your fitness makes it seem like a less daunting task.

Wake up early. Getting your workout completed first thing in the morning means you will be less likely to be distracted by other responsibilities later in the day.  Also, working out in the morning starts out your day with a sense of accomplishment and puts a little extra pep in your step.

Be prepared! If you know that you have limited time between getting up in the morning and heading out to the gym before you have to get to work, get in a routine of making sure your gym bag is packed every night before you go to bed.  That way in the morning you will not be rushed or have to skip your workout because you aren’t ready.

Get into a routine. If working out during your lunch hour works best for you, try to stick to that schedule. Life does have a way of throwing a wrench in your plan every now and again, but changing  up your routine too much leaves room for excuses to sneak in.

Instead of finding ways you CAN’T, try to find ways you CAN! Don’t “can’t” yourself to death. Anyone can find a million reasons why they can’t find time for fitness, but try to change up your thinking and try to find ways you can. Can’t workout for an hour every day? Then make the most of the time you can. Can’t afford a gym membership? Go for a jog or walk outside and do bodyweight strength exercises! Focus on the positive of what you can do and try to eliminate the negative of what you can’t.

Tera Busker is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and owner of Fitness To Go, an exclusive In Home & Private Studio Personal Training Service based out of Roberts, WI. www.fitnesstogo.net

 

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Boost Energy Naturally by Rachael Roehmholdt

February 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

If you’re anything like me, you are no stranger to the mid-day energy slump. While it can seem easy and convenient to swig down coffee, soda, energy drinks, and excess amounts of sugar to give us an uptick during the day, there are better and more natural ways to even out your energy levels.

 

Here are five gentle ways to boost energy the natural way:

 

1. Reduce caffeine.

It might seem counter-intuitive to reduce the amount of caffeine when you want to gain more energy. By reducing your consumption of coffee, sodas, and energy drinks, you’ll avoid the ups and downs that come with blood sugar and mood swings and overall feel a lot more even keel.

2. Eat dark leafy green vegetables.

Dark leafy green vegetables are packed full of vitamins and nutrients, which are essential to giving you that boost in energy that you’re looking for. Enjoy broccoli, collard greens, bok choy, kale, mustard greens, arugula, and dandelion greens throughout the day or incorporate them into your snacks to get that natural feel-good energy boost.

3. Drink water.

Before you grab that candy bar or reach for that can of soda, grab a glass of water and wait a few minutes. Our bodies send off the signal that we need energy, but for most of us, that signal is telling us that we’re dehydrated. Start with drinking a glass of water, then if that doesn’t help, you can start troubleshooting with other ways to get that natural boost.

4. Use gentle sweets.

Instead of choosing candy or other sugar-loaded treats or drinks, opt for natural sweets that are gentler on the body. Avoid sugar and artificial sweeteners as these have a funny way of tricking our bodies into more of those sugar swings and the desire for more of them. Instead opt for natural sweeteners and aim to get sweet vegetables into your diet to satiate that sweet craving once in a while.

5. Get physical.

Even if you start small, you can boost your energy just by getting out of your chair and moving a little bit. You don’t have to put in a hard core sweat session, but even some designated time for physical movement can get your blood moving and give you that energy that your body craves.

Increasing your energy doesn’t have to be done with a quick-fix. Over time, these small changes can add up to overall increased energy levels. Enjoy!

Rachael Roehmholdt is a certified holistic health coach and founder of Be More Healthful. With a passion for good food and living a healthful and balanced life, she believes that small changes to our everyday lives can set us up for a lifetime of health and happiness.

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5 Steps to a Healthy Living Space! By Coach Juli Shulem

February 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

A healthy living space is part of wellness! An efficient household means less stress for everyone. Here are your five expert tips how to create a healthy, organized and functional living space:

1.    Make a plan!
Before organizing, know what it is or where it is that you will be focusing. To just begin willy-nilly often ends up leaving a bigger mess than which you started. Go through the entire house and list areas room-by-room. Be specific: kitchen counter, dining room table, under table, pantry, cutlery drawer, etc. Break the project into small, doable tasks that you can check off your list.

2.    Schedule specific time.
If you find you have been saying, “I need to organize this” and yet you never get around to it, chances are without scheduling it as an appointment with yourself, it won’t happen. Just like exercising: you need to plan and schedule this for it to become part of your regular day. If you have a very long list of organizing tasks, then you would be best off scheduling time daily to address it. I encourage clients to schedule 30-45 minutes each day.

3.    Start with “stuffed spaces.”
It is impossible to put things away where there is no space for anything to go. It only makes sense to begin by clearing space in existing cabinets and cupboards. There is usually so much packed into these and much of the things in the back are no longer useful. Start here and be ready to toss items that cause you to say, “Oh my, I still have this?”

4.    Get rid of unworn clothes.
It’s probably time to do a wardrobe assessment. Try items on and see what still fits, looks good, makes you feel good and is in style. Be realistic about how many different sizes of clothes you need to hold onto. Chances are if you have been a size for a few years, you won’t be changing drastically anytime soon, and if you do, you will probably want new clothes anyway. Let go of the ones you aren’t wearing.

5.    Schedule a donation pick-up within 48 hours of organizing.
So many times, a client gets things bagged or boxed only to have the stuff sit around in corners for days or weeks. Plan for your give-aways to be removed promptly. Afraid you will go back through your bags and boxes? Use opaque trash bags.

Contributed by Coach Juli, CPC: Efficiency & ADHD Coach. Efficiency Expert since 1984, and author of the eBook, Order! A Logical Approach to an Organized Way of Life, www.getordernow.com. Contact at jshulem@gmail.com, 805-964-2389 or www.julishulem.com

 

 

 

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Attention Gym Members! By Brett Klika

February 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment

If the public exercise forum of the gym is something new to you, it can be intimidating.  All that equipment, all those people, and “where can I put my keys?”  Have no fear, it’s pretty simple to get in and get out with a smile (and a good amount of sweat) on your face without a hitch.

Just like in any organization, the gym has both spoken and unspoken rules or “codes of conduct.”  Familiarize yourself with these simple etiquette guidelines to guarantee that you’ll have a positive and productive workout experience, while empowering others to do the same.

Below are some basic gym tips to help you navigate the world of working out!

Lock away cell phones.
Spending your (and others) workout time walking around talking on your phone takes away from not only yours, but everyone else’s workout. Leave the cell phone in your locker or keep it with you in silent or vibrate-mode for absolute emergencies.

Don’t leave a sweat “autograph.”
A good lather of sweat is great, and means you’re working hard to forge a new body of steel. However, a sweaty machine is not a pleasant welcome for the next exerciser. After you’re done with a piece of equipment, wipe it off for the next person.

Choose the right gym.
There are now many different types of gyms offering many different types of exercise experiences.  Make sure when you go to a gym to sign up, you feel comfortable and welcome.

If you like to lift heavy weights with loud music, the local mom and pop “Fun Fit” might not be a place for you.  If you’re just getting started going to a gym, the local bodybuilding/powerlifting mecca might not  provide the experience for which you are looking.

Luckily, there are now options for everyone to find a place they feel at home!

You may be a better door than a window.
Narcissistic or not, gyms are surrounded with mirrors for a reason.  Gym-goers not only like to see their progress, but mirrors provide feedback on form and technique.

If someone is looking in the mirror while doing an exercise, it’s rude to walk in between him or her and the mirror.  It can be distracting and take away from their focus.  Either walk around them, or wait until they are done with their exercise.

Put away weights, plates, or any other equipment when finished.
This is the cardinal rule of using a public gym, yet it is probably the most frequently broken one.  It’s a concept we are introduced to in kindergarten. When you’re done, put it away.

Make sure to put everything you use back where it came from. That way,someone else doesn’t have to spend half their workout time cleaning up a mess they didn’t make.

Brett Klika C.S.C.S., author of “The Underground Workout Manual- Exercise and Fat Loss in the Real World” (www.undergroundworkoutmanual.com is a world- renowned human performance specialist, motivational speaker, author, and educator. In his 15-year career, Brett has accrued more than 20,000 hours of training with youth, athletes, executives, and everyday people. He uses this knowledge and experience to motivate individuals and audiences around the world through his writing, speaking and DVD’s. For his free blog or to try the Underground Workout Manual for FREE, visit www.brettklika.com.

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Total Body Workout! By Tera Busker

February 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment

30 x 3 Workout

This workout is fast, effective and FUN!!!!
30 seconds WORK, 30 Seconds REST, 30 Minutes (thus the 30 x 3) and you’re done. Complete this circuit 6 times for a great, full body workout. Be sure to consult your physician before beginning this or any exercise program.

 

30 Seconds: Squat/Shoulder Press
30 seconds: Rest
30 Seconds: Renegade Row Pushup
30 seconds: Rest
30 Seconds: Alternating Reverse Lunge with Rotation and Bicep Curl
30 seconds: Rest
30 Seconds: Tricep Extension with Hip Bridge
30 seconds: Rest
30 Seconds: Plank with Walkout
30 seconds: Rest
Repeat for a total of 6 circuits

Squat with Shoulder Press: Holding weights in both hands at shoulder height, lower your body into a squat. As you stand back up, raise weights straight over head in one smooth motion. As you lower back into a squat, lower weights back to shoulder height.

Renegade Row Pushup: Place a pair of dumbbells on the floor and set yourself up in pushup position, grasping the handles with each hand. Lower your body to the floor, pause, then push yourself back up. Once you’re back in the starting position, row the dumbbell in your right hand to the side of your chest, keeping your elbow close to your ribs. Pause, then lower the dumbbell back down and repeat with your left arm. Try to keep your hips from rotating while performing this exercise.

Alternating Reverse Lunge with Rotation and Bicep Curl: Hold dumbbells at your sides and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step back with your left foot, and bend both knees to lower your body until your right knee is bent at least 90 degrees. At the same time, rotate your upper body toward your right leg and curl the dumbbells to your chest. Reverse the movement by lowering the weights and rotating your chest to face front, then return to standing. Repeat on opposite side.

Tricep Extension with Hip Bridge: Lying on your back with arms extended straight above your shoulders, lift hips off of the ground. As you lower the hips back to the mat, bend arms from the elbows only and lower weights down towards the ears. (Imagine putting earmuffs on and then taking them back off.) Repeat the motion by lifting the hips back up as you raise the weights.

Plank with Walkout: Set yourself up in a plank position on the elbows. Pull the navel in tight and keep the back and hips flat, step out to the side a few inches with your right foot, step out to the side a few inches with your left foot, step back in with your right foot and step back in with your left foot. Repeat. Try not to rock the hips as you perform this exercise.

Are you an advanced exerciser and want to take the workout to the next level? Here is a calorie torching version:
30 Seconds: Squat/Shoulder Press
30 seconds: Mountain Climbers
30 Seconds: Renegade Row Pushup
30 seconds: Jumping Jacks
30 Seconds: Alternating Reverse Lunge with Rotation and Bicep Curl
30 seconds: Mountain Climbers
30 Seconds: Tricep Extension with Hip Bridge
30 seconds: Jumping Jacks
30 Seconds: Plank with Walkout
30 seconds: Rest
Repeat for a total of 6 circuits

Tera Busker is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and owner of Fitness To Go, an exclusive In Home & Private Studio Personal Training Service based out of Roberts, WI. www.fitnesstogo.net

 

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Thinking about Another Diet? Think Again! By Gretchen Scalpi

February 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Thinking about Another Diet? Think Again!

For those of you who have made multiple attempts at weight loss, following the latest diet craze is hard to resist.  After all, even though other diets have failed, you may think the latest new diet might finally be “the one that works”.  Remember The Cookie Diet, The Grapefruit Diet, The Cabbage Soup Diet or The HCG diet?  One diet even recommended eating cotton balls before meals!  These crazy ideas can be hazardous to your health.  Do you know anyone who went on a crazy diet, lost weight and kept it off?

Over the years I have met so many people looking for the elusive diet plan that’s going to work for them.  Out of desperation they will try just about anything.  Well, here’s something you ought to know:  Diets are setup to fail!  It’s not the person who fails at dieting, it’s the diet that is a total failure.  Most of these plans are high on promises, but low on sensibility or long-term sustainability.

If you are checking out the latest, greatest diet, here’s a checklist of things to ask before you start yet another plan:

* Does it promise a quick, easy solution or fast weight loss?
* Is it less than 1,200 calories a day?
* Does it have too many rules about what you can and cannot eat?
* Does it eliminate entire food groups?
* Does it have a rigid plan that does not include your food preferences?
* Does it neglect guidelines for how to make healthy lifestyle changes?
* Does it rely on testimonials to show how effective it is?
* Does it focus on the sale of a product, such as special food or exercise equipment, as the sole way to achieve success?

If you came up with an answer of yes for one or more of these questions, you have just found another fad (or very restrictive) diet that’s going to fail you again.  Today there are so many more diet books, diet plans, and diet supplements to lure people into a false hope for quick and easy weight loss.

As unappealing and unexciting as this may sound, the truth of the matter is that there are no quick or easy ways to lose weight.  It takes effort, it takes patience, and most of all it involves making healthy lifestyle changes that are achieved over a period of time!  If you want lasting results, consider working one-on-one with a professional like a Registered Dietitian.

Gretchen Scalpi is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator and Certified Wellcoach®. Instead trying another fad diet plan purchase the book Gretchen created for you “The Quick Start Guide To Healthy Eating” at http://www.nutritionxpert.com/the-quick-start-guide.  The companion presentation “Virtual Grocery Store Tour” is available at http://www.nutritionxpert.com/a-virtual-grocery-store-tour/

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Decrease Clutter! By Coach Juli Shulem

January 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment

It would be easy to just say, “throw away stuff you don’t need” but therein lies the problem. Those with clutter issues generally cannot discern between what they need to keep and what they should get rid of.

Here are 3 tips to making a big impact on decreasing the clutter in your physical space:

1.    Increase border control.
Don’t let anything through your door that isn’t an asset to your life. This means start by not even buying things you don’t absolutely need.  Don’t go ‘shopping’ for things. Go ‘buying.’ That means you go for the items you need, with a list in hand, and nothing more. If you don’t let unnecessary items come into your home in the first place you will have less to deal with in the near and distant future. Not having the item around to begin with will stop the process of cluttering at the root.
This goes for not accepting things from others as well. If friends or family don’t want an item any longer, why do you need it?

2.    Don’t buy more containers.
I see in my coaching practice that those who are trying to get organized instantly want to go out and acquire storage containers thinking that this will help them become organized. Actually, you want to first get rid of things and then, based on what is left and where the items will be kept, you can get appropriate containers. If you get dozens of plastic boxes first you will have more clutter that you had to begin with and chances are you won’t need all those containers either.

3.    Delete dupes .
If you have a lot of things, and they have had ‘offspring,’ you can generally get rid of all but one (perhaps two) of the item and be just fine. Often the reason people have many of the same items is that they can’t locate it when needed, so they go out and purchase another only to find the original one days, weeks, or months later. This can happen over and over resulting in ridiculous amounts of something where one is sufficient.

Contributed by Coach Juli, CPC: Efficiency & ADHD Coach. Efficiency Expert since 1984, and author of the eBook, Order! A Logical Approach to an Organized Way of Life, www.getordernow.com. Contact at jshulem@gmail.com 805-964-2389 or www.julishulem.com.

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What NOT to say to your Teen! By Maggie Ayre

January 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment

5 Things Never to Say to Your Teenager During their Sporting Event

Maggie is the UK leading Fitness Coach for Teens.  As a teenager she was a member of the British Sailing Team.
She is no stranger to competitive sport for teens and knows just how essential parental support is.

However, sometimes parents get it wrong and say the wrong thing at the wrong time.  Here Maggie shares her top 5 things never to say to your teenager during their sporting event.

1.    Don’t Mention What Happened Last Time
So your teen’s been here before she’s in pole position going into the final event, or he’s finally off the subs bench and the teams in the lead.  Last time it all went wrong in the closing stages.  Whatever you do don’t mention last time.  Your teen doesn’t need reminding.  Instead stick to positive comments only – no negative comments allowed.

2.    Don’t Change the Plan
If your teen never eats during a cycle race now is not the time to suggest a snack.  Changes to routine should always be introduced during training.

3.    Don’t  Criticize the Competition
The most successful sports men and women tend to be friends with everyone involved in the sport.  This season’s main competition may be next seasons training partner.  Avoid making personal comments.

4.    Let Them Focus
Now is not the time to mention the maths homework that needs to be done by tomorrow morning.

5.    Stay in the Moment
There’s time for celebration after the event is finished and a podium position or personal best secured.  Now is not the time to be talking about the future.  Don’t ask “what will you do when you’ve won” or “what’s the next step now it didn’t go so well” until another day.

Maggie Ayre is the UKs leading Fitness Coach for Teen Girls. As well as one-to-one and small group nutrition and fitness work with teens she has developed the 3G Program designed to be run at schools as part of the PE curriculum. She also offers mentoring for PE departments on how to re-engage teen girls with PE and has recently published her third book; “Nutrition for Exam Success – A Parent’s Guide” which is now available as a Kindle and paperback at Amazon.

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Green Tea: Healthy or Hype? By Lori Shemek, PhD

January 24, 2013 By Leave a Comment

All teas are healthy for you, in fact, the Chinese have known about the benefits of drinking tea since ancient times.  But there is one tea in particular that shines above the rest and that is:  Green Tea.  Green tea is a young tea and because of this, is also less processed.  There are many health advantages to drinking green tea due to its very high concentration of EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) and other antioxidants.  The active ingredients in green tea responsible for its broad healing effects along with EGCG are antioxidants including polyphenols, and catechins.

Here are the top 5 reasons why green tea is healthy for you:

1.     Green tea can help protect against cancer.  The polyphenols in green tea stop cancer in its tracks by shutting off the blood supply to the cancer. Many studies have linked green tea to a decreased risk of skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder cancer.

2.    Green tea improves cardiovascular health.  The polyphenols in green tea increase the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol and reduce the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol.  The antioxidants also help to prevent heart attack and stroke.

3.    Green tea can help prevent Alzhiemers Disease.  Green tea inhibits three enzymes linked to the development of Alzheimer’s. Polyphenols, present in green tea, have neuroprotective properties, binding with the toxic compounds that protect brain cells.

4.    Green tea help prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis . Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease that causes soreness, stiffness, inflammation and loss of function in the joints. The EGCG  in green tea help reduce pain, joint damage, inflammation and slow cartilage breakdown

5.    Green Tea helps prevent stress. Stress causes inflammation in the body.  Green tea contains a large concentration of catechins (antioxidants) that reduce the body’s mental and physical stress response.  Additionally, the amino acid Theanine can reduce stress, improve cognition and mood.

Drinking 3 cups of green tea a day or using an extract are beneficial and will help you to create optimal health now and in your future.

This article is written by Lori L Shemek, PhD, CNC. America’s #1 Fat Loss Expert and Best-Selling Author of ‘Fire-Up Your Fat Burn!’  Find Lori’s book here: http://www.amazon.com/FIRE-UP-YOUR-FAT-BURN-ebook/dp/B0083BW37G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337040876&sr=8-1

 

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