April 20, 2024

Do You Need to Dial Up Your Fitness Effort?

Fit Mind:

Effort= Results!

Put in the effort to your fitness, and you will be rewarded with results. Fitness takes consistency, commitment and dedication. Here’s how to get started:

 

1. Get up early.

2. Stay up late.

3. Pack your gym and work bags the night before.

4. Plan pre and post workout snacks ahead of time.

5. Ask for help.

6. Instead of lunch, go workout.

7. Set 30 day goals.

8.  Set mini goals for each workout.

9. Ride, run or walk to work.

10. Walk your errands, carry your bags and don’t sit down.

 

Your Fitness Team

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Form your Fitness Team

Getting fit takes effort, support and accountability. Form a fitness team by asking others to join you in your healthy living journey. Set a time to meet once a month, or even once a week. Share your top 3 fitness goals, as well as your specific plan how you’ll accomplish each. Ask for regular support of accountability via emails, texts or phone calls. As you work toward your goals together, you’ll be able to share your successes and problem-solve to overcome any obstacles that may come up. Having your team to report progress to will increase adherence and consistency, as well as keep motivation high. Your motivation will soar through encouraging your team members to keep going, stick with it and never give up on their fitness goals. Consider your fitness team as a healthy living mastermind group getting together for the common purpose of creating a healthy mind, body and heart. Who will you invite to join your fitness team?

 

Healthy Choices Add Up

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Healthy Choices Add Up

Not tomorrow, today! What can you do RIGHT NOW to CHOOSE healthy?

Drink a glass of water.

Take 5 deep breaths.

Stand up.

Walk down the hallway.

Reset your posture: Pull your shoulders up to your ears, and then pull your shoulders down and back.

Eat veggies.

Say no to sugary snacks and beverages.

Call, email or text someone who makes you happy.

Watch a funny video on YouTube that makes you laugh.

Download a fitness or food tracking app.

Stand up for yourself.

Clean your desk.

Sit up straight.

Help someone else.

Pet your dog or cat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take Responsibility for Your Fitness!

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Take responsibility for your health and fitness!

YOU are in charge of your workout! If you want to feel better, look better and function better, log consistent workouts. You can have more energy. You don’t have to live in pain. You don’t have to settle for poor posture. You can have strong muscles. Take responsibility RIGHT NOW by:

Get up earlier and log a home workout via YouTube, DVD or App.

Exercise at lunch.

Walk as much as you can during your day.

Sit less, take more breaks during your day.

If you don’t enjoy your workout, or at least part of it, try a new type of exercise. Keep trying new exercise until you find what works for you.

Join a community sports league or exercise class.

Train for an event like running or triathlon.

Schedule workouts with friends, instead of happy hours and meals.

Download a stretching app and do it every night after work.

Commit to a daily practice of deep breathing and meditation.

 

 

 

 

 

Stretch for Relaxation

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Seated Hamstring and Low Back Stretch

Ease muscle tension at the end of the day with this full body stretch. Begin seated on the floor with both legs out straight in front of you. Cross your right ankle over your left ankle and walk your hands forward, tuck your chin to your chest and bend forward from your low back. Hold for 2 to 3 deep breaths, then release. Next, cross your left ankle over your right ankle, walk your hands forward and ease into the stretch. Hold for 2 to 3 deep breaths, then release.

 

*Consult your physician before performing exercise.

All Fitness Counts!

Get Fit Quick Tip:

All Fitness Counts!

Think all fitness has to be about counting reps and measuring heart rate? Think again! All physical activity counts toward a healthy heart, strong muscles and decreased stress. Think outside the box when it comes to workouts and you’ll keep motivation fresh and interest up. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

Dance.

Jump Rope.

Kickball.

Adventure Race.

Rock Climbing.

Boxing.

Orienteering.

Martial Arts.

Roller Blading.

Slackline.

 

 

 

Get Visual with Your Fitness by Melissa Kahn

With the new year well under way, it’s normal to struggle to keep up with your resolutions right about now. It’s hard to establish new habits in just a few weeks’ time, so don’t be discouraged. Sometimes, a little help is all you need to keep going. If you find yourself lagging on your goals, consider creating a Vision Board for motivation. Writing it down is a great first step, but actively visualizing your goals every day might be just the boost you need. Here’s how:

1) Fill your Vision Board with vibrant visual expressions: You might want to keep your board small (letter size paper) or go poster size, depending on the size and number of the images you’ve chosen. Cut out photos and phrases that represent your heart’s desire, and feel free to include physical, professional, spiritual, financial, and relationship goals. The more dynamic and exciting to you, the more inspired you’ll feel every day!

2) Keep your Vision Board in a central place: Whether that’s in your office space or framed on top of your nightstand, it’s best to display your Board where you will see it daily. The thoughts you see repeatedly are the ones that will slowly creep into your subconscious mind, and will help you regain focus on the goals that you are intent on reaching. For additional inspiration, add dates for your goals to drive you faster and harder!

3) Actively visualize yourself reaching your goals: Starting a Vision Board is a great time to put your mediation skills to good use. Take 10 minutes out of your day every day to imagine the specific feelings you want to experience when you reach your goals. Picture your success in your mind, including every detail: what you’ll be eating, drinking, the perfume and clothes you’ll wear, and even the sounds you might hear when you know you’ve “made” it. Scientific research shows that the more deeply you connect to your goals on an emotional level, the more likely they are to come to life.

Once you have clear goals, set to visual tangible results, success is much more likely. Don’t let new habits scare you off this year: Get back in the game and make a visual and emotional commitment to living your best life.


Melissa Kahn is a Jenny Craig ambassador and the proud founder of Run, Heifer, Run! —a fun-loving community of fitness enthusiasts dedicated to common sense solutions for weight loss and healthy living. Melissa competes in triathlons now, having lost over 100 pounds, or the equivalent of 45 kilos of fear. She has maintained her healthy weight for more than five years.

Ready to Get Healthy? By Sarah Pace

Ready to get healthy? With a new year comes new resolve to improve ourselves in so many ways, including our health. My advice this time of year is to be consistent with the basics:

Don’t worry so much about what exercises to do and in what order you should do them; just show up.  Set a goal to show up 2 times each week for the first month, then 3 times each week in February. Can’t make it to the gym? No problem: get outside for a walk or take the stairs all day-all intentional activity counts!

Pack your gym clothes, shoes and water bottle the night before to avoid rushing around the next morning. You’ll develop a routine and soon it will become part of your ‘out the door’ mental checklist: do I have my gym bag? Water bottle? Check!

Bring a piece of fruit with you everywhere you go. Having something on hand will prevent impulse eating decisions. Ask yourself ‘am I hungry enough to eat this apple?’ And if the answer is no, you’re probably not actually hungry.

Mark your progress in a calendar or another physical and visible space to hold yourself accountable. When you can see that you made it to the gym 4 weeks in a row, you’ll want to make sure you continue in the 5th and 6th weeks, and even beyond!

 
For more fitness tips follow Sarah on Twitter: @SarahPace_Fit

Motivation…Guaranteed.

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Participate in a Race!

Competition doesn’t always have to be intense, anxiety-inducing and stressful. Racing can, in fact, be motivating, inspiring and fun! Not only does racing yield physical benefits, but many non-physical benefits as well. Here are 3 non-physical benefits of racing and why you shouldn’t automatically rule it out in your athletic journey:

Racing allows time alone with your thoughts. That’s right, if you’re always running here and there, racing allows a set period of time to RELAX, take in the view and gather your thoughts. Or simply blank your mind and don’t think about anything at all!

Racing can be FUN. Remember your care-free days of dashing around the playground at school, or racing through the park with friends? Unless you’re competing for sponsors or qualifications, racing can be pure, easy, adult-allowed FUN.

Racing feeds your spirit. Yes, competition is a great workout. However, racing will also feed your spirit as you witness the friendship among athletes who have just met, the encouragement one athlete offers to another, the support and genuine care volunteers give to competitors. Allow these actions to move you and feed your motivation.

Nutrient-Packed Tomato Soup by Shirley Plant

 

Soup is a great go-to meal any time of the day! Check out this nutrient-packed Tomato Soup sure to please every member of the family.

Tomato Soup

Ingredients
•    1 tin whole tomatoes ( 798ml)
•    1/2 large onion, diced
•    1 large sweet potato, sliced
•    1 cup cauliflower, cut into pieces
•    5 cups vegetable broth
•    2 tsp sea salt
•    1 tsp thyme
•    olive oil
•    pinch pepper

 

Directions
1.    In a soup pot with a little olive oil saute onion for a few minutes.
2.    Add in all other ingredients, bring to a boil and then let simmer for 20 minutes.
3.    Puree with a hand held blender.

 

Recipe by Shirley Plant- Nutrition Coach and Author of Finally Food I Can Eat. Looking for the latest and most reliable information on all things health, food and nutrition? The Eat Real Food Summit is here. Get FREE access today. You won’t believe the lineup!

Check out her website via www.deliciousalternatives.com. Follow her on Twitter via @sherrecipes