April 19, 2024

Dining out? Always do this before you go…

February 13, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Research your options!

Planning ahead is key to a healthy lifestyle, and that means be informed. If you’re heading out to eat, one easy action sets you up for a healthy meal success. Seeking out information ahead of time takes the guess-work out of making nutritious food choices. So how do you do it?

Look up the menu online. Look up the menu online ahead of time to plan for a healthy meal. Firstly, you won’t get caught up in making a fast, pressured decision. Secondly, you won’t be distracted by others choices. Finally, you won’t be swayed by spontaneous cravings.

 

 

 

 

 

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Stage your Comeback! By Nicole Bryan

March 5, 2015 By Leave a Comment

What’s your comeback story?

Look to those you know who’ve staged an exercise comeback after a setback for inspiration and motivation. One thing all comebacks have in common whether sports related, work related or otherwise; the comeback kid always says all the hard work was worthwhile. No one has ever regretted it.

Here are 6 steps to stage your best comeback yet!

Review. Retrace steps to determine where you strayed from your goal.

Research. Are there pieces of the puzzle that you’ve been missing? Maybe there is a new technology or method to make your goal easier to accomplish.

Be Vulnerable. Everyone makes mistakes and poor decisions. Don’t be afraid to let others know you’ve slacked off in your progress. If they know you are struggling, they may be able to help get you back on track.

Progress is Cumulative. Even if you falter on your way to your goal, exercise is cumulative. Every little bit counts. Stay out of the all or none mindset. You are not starting at zero again, simply start where you are!

Accept Responsibility. YOU ate the cookies, YOU slept in, YOU skipped your run. Take responsibility, and then move on.

Leave the Past in the Past. Focus forward. The past is the past, so leave it there. Acknowledge it, learn from it and then let it go.

So if you’ve strayed from your exercise and fitness goal, stage your comeback. A comeback takes planning, consistency, hard work and dedication…and you’ll never regret it!

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Let’s Chat!

January 4, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Let’s Chat Fitness!

Find your Fitness Motivation with us on Twitter:

Meet us at #HealthyWayMag on Twitter TOMORROW, Monday January 5th at 5pm(Pacific)/8pm(Eastern)!

 

 

Here’s how it works:

1. Log into Twitter.

2. Use hashtag #HealthyWayMag to follow the chat feed.

3. Interact and chat with other fitness enthusiasts. We pose fitness-related questions for discussion, everyone joins in and offers their thoughts, tips, experience and advice.

4. GET MOTIVATED!

 

Tomorrow, January 5th Fitness Chat is Sponsored by ENERGYbits:

ENERGYbits® is a high protein, low calorie snack gives unlimited energy as it is 100% organic spirulina algae. Spirulina contains as much gram for gram of calcium as milk, as well as containing 5 times more iron than spinach. Easy to carry and convenient to consume before or even during your workout. It’s stomach-friendly and it’s packed with nutrients which means awesome energy for you. Follow them on Twitter via @ENERGYbits

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Get Your Fitness Back on Track by Angelena Riggs

January 26, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Finding the Motivation to Start Again

The hardest part of starting up your fitness and healthy eating again after a setback is finding the motivation to get back on track. We have all struggled with this at some point or another. We are working out consistently and eating right, and then something happens that takes us out of that routine and we have a hard time getting started again.

Here are a few tips to get your fitness motivation back on track:

Determine your “why”- If you know exactly why you are working toward a goal it is much easier to get back into your healthy routine. It must be personal to you in order for it to increase motivation.

Create a motivation board- One thing I find motivating is to have my goals posted where I can see them daily. I also like motivational quotes or mantras that help to keep me on track. You can even use a virtual motivation board on Pinterest where you can pin different workouts, recipes, and motivation quotes to keep you inspired.

Find a fitness buddy- Working out and eating healthy can be fun and easy if you have someone to share it with. Find a like-minded friend or even co-worker who is also working on getting back in the swing of things and help to motivate one another. Even if you don’t do all of your workouts together you will have someone to share your successes and struggles.

Set small goals- Whether you are trying to run faster, lose weight, or gain muscle, set small goals. Breaking down your goals into smaller goals allows you to see progress, and the task won’t seem so overwhelming. For example, if you have 40 pounds you want to lose, start in 10 pound increments. Every time you reach a 10 pound goal reward yourself with something to keep you motivated, like new workout clothing or gear.

Angelena is a mom, healthy living blogger at On Fire Fitness Healthy Living (www.OnFireFitnesspt.com), an NASM Certified Personal trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist. Her goal is to inspire others to take the steps to living a healthy lifestyle. Visit Angelena on Facebook and Twitter.

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Break-Time: At-Your-Desk Stretching

September 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Unfortunately sore, tired, painful muscles and joints are a regular and ongoing challenge for those who work in front of a computer. However, there is help! Welcome to the world of ergonomics. Ergonomics involve fitting a worker to his/her work space. An ergonomic evaluation will review posture, reach and focal points, including such angles as seat height, monitor position and keyboard placement just to name a few. A proper fit prevents many of the overuse conditions we may experience, such as cumulative trauma disorders, repetitive stress injuries and repetitive motion injuries. We know of these conditions as tendonitis, sprains, strains, carpel tunnel syndrome, neck/back pain, and bursitis.

One beneficial action to take right now is to take mini-breaks during your work day, school day or study day. Here are several stretches with which to begin: (As always, consult your doctor before beginning any exercises.)

Reach up and over stretch. Reach both arms straight up overhead. Lean to your right, then your left.

Wrist circles. Circle your wrists 5 times one direction, then 5 times the opposite direction.

Extend fingers stretch. Make a fist, then extend and straighten your fingers.

Hands behind body with chin to chest stretch. Lace your fingers behind your body. Keeping your torso upright, extend your arms, and press your hands down toward the floor. At the same time lower your chin toward your chest.

Arms out to sides stretch. Extend both arms straight out the sides of your body. Keeping your arms parallel to the floor and your palms facing forward, pinch your shoulder blades together and pull your arms back.

Hands behind head stretch. Lace your fingers and place your hands on the back of your neck. Keeping your hands in place and your torso upright, pinch your shoulder blades together and pull your elbows wide.

Palm down and in stretch. Extend your right arm in front of your body with your palm facing the floor. Curl your fingers in while bending your wrist down and in. Repeat with your left arm forward.

Arms overhead with look up stretch. Lace your fingers and reach both arms up overhead until your elbows are straight. Look up to the ceiling.

Investing in a professional ergonomics evaluation, taking breaks and doing a few stretches or range of motion exercises during the day will help reduce common overuse injuries we find in the workplace. You’ll also improve work efficiency as well as comfort during your day.

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Worst Weight Loss Advice by Danielle Prestejohn

July 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Admit it, at some point in time we’ve all fallen suspect to the lure of some fabulous new diet or weight loss tip. Maybe it was to stop snacking at night, eating mini meals, or swapping half of your grains for vegetables. Regardless of whether they’ve worked, you’ve likely tried or at least thought about it. Let’s be honest some of these tips actually work wonders, and others not so much.

Here is a collection of some of what I consider to be the world’s worst weight loss advice. Dieters Beware!  

Low fat diets. Luckily we are slowly moving away from this trend. Eat a diet low in fat and you will be hungry, cranky, and likely not absorbing key vitamins you need to thrive. Fat does not make us fat; instead it protects our major organs, absorbs certain vitamins, and helps our bodies to function. Worst of all are the “health” foods geared at dieters that are far from healthy. Beware of fat free cookies, candy, and snack foods. It’s not healthy and will not lead to weight loss, even if it’s low fat.

100 calorie packs. Limiting your food to 100 calories does not make it a weight loss food. Packaged, processed, and packed full of not so good for you ingredients, 100-calorie packs are simply a marketing gimmick for dieters. You will not lose weight snacking on these. Most are high in carbohydrates and devoid of fats and protein meaning you will burn them off quickly and be hungry again in 20 minutes. Eating 3-100 calorie packs does not equal a healthy snack.

No carb diets. I say no carb as opposed to low carb. Some people thrive on a lower carbohydrate diet that is still full of fruits and vegetables and that is fine. What are not okay are diets that promote an extremely low number of carbohydrates, we’re talking less than 60 grams. This is a quick way to lose energy fast, and put your body into ketosis, which can potentially do some serious damage to your kidneys. The only reason people see initial success with low carb diets is because they lose water weight. Carbohydrates store water in our bodies while fats and protein do not. This means the second you start eating carbohydrates again; your weight will come back.

Skipping meals. Skipping meals is not an effective way to lose weight. You will slow your metabolism and end up hungrier in the long run, likely eating more at your next meal.

Very low calorie diets. I’m not talking about Very Low Calorie Diets, which are considered to be diets consisting of 800 calories or less, are monitored by medical professionals and are designed for those who are obese with serious health problems. I’m talking about the diets that dip below 1200 calories a day. These diets are not only incredibly difficult to follow, but they are also unsafe. Follow a really low calorie diet and you can expect the not so pleasant side effects of low energy, fatigue, a slowed metabolism, potential heart problems, and dehydration.

This article is written by Danielle Prestejohn, M.S. applied nutrition. Sign up for Danielle’s free guide to ditching the diets and ditching the misery via http://danielleprestejohn.com/free-updates/.  For more information go to http://www.danielleprestejohn.com and http://www.Facebook.com/daniellegracep.

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At-Home Core Strength by Chanda Fetter

April 22, 2013 By 1 Comment

3 Effective Ways to Strengthen Your Core  Muscles At Home

We can’t always make time for the gym, sometimes we have to rely on the space and items we have around our home to get those important exercises done.  The following three exercises will help strengthen your core, tighten your waistline, reduce back pain and give you a boost of energy!

Sitting V with Trunk Rotation – Grab a bag of potatoes or fruit, something that might equate to 8-10 lbs.  Sit on the ground and wedge your feet under the couch to secure them in place.  Sit up tall and hinge back from the hips to engage your abdominals.  Be sure you don’t hinge back too far as you don’t want to over recruit your hip flexor muscles, nor do you want to load your lower back.  Stay at a safe angle that allows maximum recruitment of your abdominal wall.  Take your weight and rotate side to side making sure to stay evenly planted on your tail.  While you are performing this exercise be sure to tighten your abs and breathe deep.  Know that this exercise can be performed with just your body weight as well for less intensity by simply crossing your arms on your chest.   Perform until you find fatigue in your abdominals then rest for a few breaths and repeat 3x.

Back Extensions – Take a few pillows and place them on the floor.  Lie on your stomach so the pillows rest under your hips.  Wedge your feet under the couch and place your hands behind your head.  Lengthen out of your spine and inhale, then exhale and lift your chest off the ground to find a position just beyond neutral.  You’ll want to be sure you pull the shoulder blades down your back so you’re not taking weight into your neck and shoulders.  Keep your gluteal muscles relaxed and feel the muscles along the sides of your spine tighten and you extend your back.  Perform 3 sets of 8-12 reps with a 3 second hold at the top.

Plank with Rotation Knee Tucks – Take an ordinary kitchen towel or pillowcase and place it under your feet.  Assume a plank position up on your hands, tighten your abdominals and make sure to keep your legs zipped together as one.   Take a deep breath in and as you exhale pull your knees across your body and into your right elbow then your left.  Do this a total of 8-10x keeping a nice pace.  Notice that your hips will lift slightly as you pull the knees across your body.  This is an advanced exercise so know that holding a static plank is a great alternative.  Planks can be done on your hands, your forearms, on your toes or on your knees.

By Chanda Fetter
IM=X Pilates, Owner and Master Trainer. Contact Chanda via chanda@imxsb.net, www.imxsb.net or 805-687-4692.

 

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Why Race? Written By Hope Epton

April 7, 2013 By Leave a Comment

This article is sponsored by RecoFit.
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Why Race? Written by Hope Epton
 
If you have been on the Internet, you are bound to have seen advertisements for an array of races, in many distances, all over the world. You may also wonder, why would you race? Why would you pay money to do something you can otherwise for free? It’s all about the PLACES.

 

 

Progress
Race events often allow us to measure how far we’ve come in a particular sport. While we train, we push ourselves, but on race day, there is likely more adrenaline, the crowd, the cheers, we will go harder than usual. If the course is certified, it may give you a better idea of your race pace, and a more accurate reading of your overall time and pace.

Lifestyle
There is something to be said for the thrill of race day, coupled with the continued motivation of a packed race schedule. Typically, smaller local 5k’s and sprint triathlons are organized to benefit charities or causes, which may add more of an interest. Signing up for a few races a year, will likely keep you motivated to keep moving all year long, even after the season change and the weather becomes challenging.

Activity
Plain and simple, it’s something to do that is healthy and fun. Some events are even family friendly with additions of shorter distances such as tot trots, and one mile runs for kids. It’s an activity that you can look forward to doing, and make a great time of it. Some events may become traditions for the family to participate in, year after year.

Community
What better way to meet like-minded people than to sign up for a race? The event itself will provide positive reinforcement, a place to cheer and be cheered on. You may even find a local club, which organizes additional activities, meet-ups, training clinics and support.

Experience
There is something to be said for experiencing something new. The race experience is full of emotions; nerves, excitement, and thrill of the unknown, even if you’ve done races previously. It can also be a useful way to gauge how effective your training has be, and areas you need to improve.

Swag
Yes, the most selfish and materialistic reason to race, the swag. A typical race will not only give you a free t-shirt, but a finishers medal as well. These collectibles can be yours to show off, craft into something special, or donate to other programs.

Regardless of your motivation to race, it’s about all about the places you go, the people you meet and the memories you make.
 
This article is written by Hope Epton. Hope is an ACSM Certified Health Fitness Specialist.

You will never succeed, if you never try! Check out Hope’s blog: http://SportyMom.me, her Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/SportyMomme, follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SportyMomme, on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/SportyMomme, and Instagram: SportyMomme.

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Exercise as a Family by Brett Klika C.S.C.S.

April 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment

We as adults wish to create a future of happy, healthy, disease-free adults with our kids, it’s time we start practicing what we preach.  If we want healthy kids, it’s time for us to be models of a healthy lifestyle.

Our kids model our behavior.  Their attitudes and actions toward everything from nutrition to exercise are shaped by our own actions and behaviors.  If we want our kids to eat well, we need to eat well.  If we want them to exercise, we need to exercise.

The above modeling creates a culture of wellness in the home.  In this environment, children learn that healthy habits are a positive way of life, not punitive novelties sentenced to mom and dad for “eating too much yummy food.”

Exercising as a family is not only a fun way to improve fitness, it’s a way to cultivate the culture of wellness and develop positive exercise habits at a young age.

Below are some fun exercise-based family activities guaranteed to create smiles and sweat!

1.  Sock Play!
Everyone in the family gathers as many of their balled-up socks as they can carry.  An area is selected as the “goal.”  This can be a container or basket in living room, house, backyard, front yard, park, anywhere.  On a “go” signal, everyone tries to throw their socks in the goal the fastest.  The primary rule is you cannot throw from the same place twice.

Each “round” lasts 2 minutes then everyone gathers up his or her socks for 60 seconds.  Five “rounds” is 15 minutes of pretty intense exercise, assuming everyone is moving.   Points can be kept making a goal or basket or any other parameters.  Safety rules appropriate to the environment are established.

2.  Family Boot Camp
Each family member writes down 5 of his or her favorite bodyweight (or weighted, level appropriate) exercises, for a total of at least 20.  Exercises can be dance moves, calisthenics, martial arts, anything physical that the entire family can do.

The family then goes for a walk, jog, or run and every 60 seconds, they do one of the exercises for 30 seconds.  By the end of all of the exercises, it’s been a 20- minute work out!  Feel free to go into overtime!

3.  Hide and Sweat!
The adults in the family write down 20 physical activities on separate small pieces of paper. These are then hid around the house.  Kids are then tasked to find them. When they find them they open them and the entire family performs the activity for the reps or amount of time given.

Putting a time limit on finding all of the activities and doing all of the exercises makes it more interesting!

A family that exercises together stays together!  Create a culture of wellness in your home to help our children grow to become happy, healthy, disease free adults!

This article is written by Brett Klika. 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 every day people. He uses this knowledge and experience to motivate individuals and audiences around the world through his writing, speaking, DVD’s, and free blog, www.brettklika.com. To try the Underground Workout Manual for FREE, visit www.brettklika.com.

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Stick to it in 2013! Written by Brett Klika

December 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

GO GREEN AND GET FIT! This article is sponsored by AC4 Fitness. AC4Fitness is a neighborhood style health club specializing in strength training and cardio-equipment along with 24/7 access for members. That’s right, as an AC4 Fitness member you receive your own key allowing you to workout at any time that is best for you! And as featured in the LA Times, AC4 Fitness is a showcase for cardio-equipment that produces rather than uses electrical energy. Every time you exercise on an Elliptical your human power is fed into the electrical grid. Taking care of the environment while taking care of yourself just seems like a smart thing to do. And as a membership option you may also enjoy HydroMassage, Tanning, and Wi-Fi—all in a non-competitive, and clean environment with No Sales People. If you’re looking for an alternative health club that is: Simple – Affordable – Comfortable – Convenient – AND A LITTLE GREEN, give AC4 Fitness a look.You won’t be disappointed. Check out our modest membership fees and “paperless” enrollment process at www.AC4Fitness.com or visit us at 52 N Fairview Ave., Goleta, CA.

Stick to it in 2013!
Written by Brett Klika C.S.C.S.

Good resolutions are simply checks that people draw on a bank where they have no account.  ~Oscar Wilde

Ahh, The NewYear’s resolution. It’s often a little white lie we tell ourselves to paint a picture of hope, change, and a flat stomach for the year to come. It’s not that we’re dishonest. It’s not that we don’t really WANT change, we just don’t know how to stick to a program.

The above dilemma is why more than 50% of people who begin a workout plan in the New Year find their way back to the couch within six months.  The notion of “working out every day” looks good on paper in December but as the reality of time, energy, and motivation set in, the idea loses its sizzle by summer.

Do you find yourself in this same predicament year after year with diet and exercise? If so, let’s make a change in 2013.

Here are 5 tips to help you stick to your program in 2013.

Instead of just writing your resolution, write why you are making that resolution.
If there is a strong enough “why” we can make anything happen. If there was a $100 in the middle of a busy freeway, would you run out to get it? Probably not. What if a loved one was trapped in the middle of that freeway? It would probably change your motivation.  Your “why” for behavior got stronger!

If exercise is your plan, why? What will exercise do for you physically, mentally, and emotionally? What are the ramifications if you don’t succeed?

Find activities you enjoy.
Regardless of what the media marketing machine tells you, there is no “one” best way for everyone to exercise. Odds are, there are activities you enjoy doing more than others.  Do activities you enjoy (or dread less) and do them frequently. Don’t set yourself up for failure by resolving to do something you hate doing.

Get an “accountabilabuddy.”
Research has shown that you are more than twice as likely to exercise if you do the program with someone else. Why? Accountability!  It’s a lot harder to sleep through that alarm when you know a friend is waiting for you at the gym.

If you’re having a tough time finding a friend to commit, a personal trainer is a probably the most effective option there is for building accountability and expertise into a program.

Set realistic and specific goals.
Goals are easy to write. They are much more difficult to fulfill. Instead of saying you want to “lose 60 pounds by not eating any junk food and exercising every day”, you may want to be more specific and realistic. While 60 pounds may be your big goal, you can start with 10. If you currently don’t exercise at all, aim for 2 days per week and 30 minute workouts. If your diet is poor, make some subtle adjustments like “no sugary drinks Monday through Friday.”

These goals are more attainable and will deliver you increments of success. You can always build on them!

Exercise at the same time every day.
If you wait to “find the time” to exercise, it’s not going to happen. You need to make the time and build in a portion of your day reserved for exercise. For most people, first thing in the morning is the time of day they can control. Even those who claim to “not be morning people” eventually come to enjoy the uninterrupted solace of morning.

If it’s not the morning, create a time such as your lunch break, or on the way home from work, where you can commit to getting fit!

Exercise these tips as you’re committing to health and fitness in 2013!

This article is written by Brett Klika. 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, DVD’s, and free blog. To try the Underground Workout Manual for FREE and check out his blog, visit www.brettklika.com.

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