November 22, 2025

How to Reduce Anxiety and Stress by Coach Juli

August 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Anxiety falls into two basic categories, that which is manageable and considered normal in our lives, and that which hinders normal daily functioning. How do you know which category your anxiety falls into?

Anxiety is a natural reaction to real stresses, as a normal level of it can propel you to prepare for things you need to deal with and spur your energy level to handle issues in the moment. That form of anxiety can be motivating.

If you find yourself crippled and unable to function, then you will most likely need professional help. Since I am not a doctor, I will provide some ideas on how to deal with the more common normal anxiety.

Here’s how you can manage anxiety in 3 steps:

Plan your week so you can be prepared. If you know what is coming up in the next few days and you have a good working plan of how you are going to accomplish those items which may be anxiety producing, you will be proactive versus reactive.

Strive to avoid negativity. Be positive in how you see things as much as you possibly can. Sure, some situations aren’t ideal, but you can change how you think about them and approach them by adopting a positive attitude.

Decompress. Being stressed out and letting anxiety get the best of you can make everything worse. Try something that is calming such as yoga, meditation, or simply breathing deeply for a few minutes. Some clients find going out for a fifteen minute workout helps them to relax and reduce anxiety. Find what works for you and keep that in your “decompression toolbox” for the next time anxiety strikes.
 

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

Filed Under: Your Fitness Tagged With: , , , , , ,

5 Reasons to Try Group Exercise by Crystal Reia

July 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Have you ever tried out group fitness? Many studies show that participating in group exercise will keep you going longer and stronger so you can achieve your fitness goals. Check out some great benefits below and maybe you’ll step out of your comfort zone and try out that class!

1. Commitment/Motivation – Signing up for group classes gives you an appointment time with yourself! You are less likely to miss classes when you sign up with a friend, rather than go it alone. Having the support of others around you, who are there for the same reasons as you are will help keep you motivated to keep on going!

2. Focus – Attending a group class lead by a trainer you trust takes all the guessing work out of the equation for you! A trainer is a leader. He or she will set rules, establish boundries and help you set goals. When you do not have to come up with your own workouts, it allows you to be free to really focus on yourself and allow you to get the most out of your workouts! Pay special attention to form, technique as it will help you… you do not have to be perfect, but giving it your 110% every time, be present in the moment and you will see results if you stick with it.

3. No More Boredom – Group classes switch up routines all the time. You’ll never be bored in group exercise. There are many different classes from, Strength Training, Cardio, Drills, Circuit, Dance, Spin Class… the options are endless! Find a variety of classes you like to do and call a friend and get moving together. The switching up of routines will keep your muscles guessing!

4. Beginners Welcome – No previous experience is required to attend group sessions! Trainers will give you plenty of options to suit every fitness level in the class. You will learn lot’s of great new exercises and will grow stronger every time you go. You do not need to be worried about giving it a try. So lock up any self-anxiety you might have, stand beside someone who has been attending class regularly. You’ll find the regular’s very friendly and willing to help out their fellow classmates!

5. Energy Boost – Energy is “literally” infectious! You can’t help but getting caught up in the energy of your trainer and the others around you in group classes! Believe me, getting there might be half the battle, but once you do, you’ll be glad you did! And the energy you’ll have after class will keep you coming back for more!

By Crystal Reia, Personal Trainer
Owner of Your Health-Your Choice
PTS, PFS, OAS

Filed Under: Your Fitness Tagged With: , , , , ,

Creative Exercising by Gen Levrant

July 24, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Training your body safely, effectively and functionally at home with no need for equipment is a great way of giving it a fat-burning blast and making you feel fantastic. Here are five ways of utilising your best training tool in no time at all, whatever your fitness level. As always, consult your physician before beginning exercise.

 

 

1) Clock lunge pattern
Imagine a clock face and lunge one leg forward to each number. It doesn’t have to be in numerical order, clockwise or anticlockwise ‐ this will warm up the joints and muscles of your lower body in every direction.
Make it harder: turn it into a hop to each number!

2) 3D press ups
Stagger your hands one in front of the other, then swap them over. Change your hands to as wide as you can for a wide press up and then put them together in front of you for a narrow press up. This will tone your pectoral muscles hitting them in every direction.
Make it harder: clap in‐between each rep!

3) Curtsey jumps
Step one foot behind the other in a curtsey and then switch legs to turn it into a continuous hop. This strengthens the hip and glute muscles and provides a cardio workout if you go fast enough!
Make it harder: do a tuck jump between reps!

4) Narrow to wide squats
Starting with your feet together, perform a squat lowering your bottom so it is level with your knees. Return to the start position and step your left foot out to the side as wide as you can. Perform another squat in this position before stepping the left foot back to the start. Squat narrow again and repeat with the right foot.
This engages and tones all the muscles of the thighs and glutes.
Make it harder: jump the feet narrow and wide instead of stepping!

5) Prone knee to chest
Starting in a press up position, pull one knee at a time towards your opposite shoulder. Alternate these with pulling each knee in to the side of the body as far as you can.
Make it harder: do a burpee after pulling in each knee!

Watch a demonstration of each move on Gen’s YouTube Channel HERE!

 

Gen Levrant is an Advanced Personal Trainer and fat-loss specialist operating out of a private functional training studio in Southampton UK. For fitness tips, updates and further info: http://www.fasterpt.com/personal-trainer-southampton/or email Gen via gen@fasterpt.com. Follow her on Twitter @PTGen, and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FasterPersonalTrainingSouthampton

Filed Under: Your Fitness Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Triathlon Open-Water Swimming Tips by Mark Kleanthous

July 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Swimming in open water is very alien for most people. Beginners, experienced triathletes and the elite all sometimes get nervous from open water swimming.

For the majority of most people it is almost impossible to sink when wearing a correctly fitted triathlon wet suit. Just try to dive down in 1.5m swimming pool wearing a wet suit, then try and touch the bottom. Being relaxed in a wetsuit will give you the biggest improvements in performance. It is perfectly normal to become nervous, your mind is telling you to not swim in open water to avoid going into the unknown.

Two important principles for open-water swimming success:

Practice swimming in open water. Firstly do not venture out too far. Stay close to the edge where you can easily get out of the water. Try and float on your back in a swimming pool and see how much effort it takes, then repeat with a wetsuit on and you will soon realize how easily you float without any effort. You will have considerably more confidence in open water once you have experienced the art of floating.

Never swim alone and always swim close to others. Make sure you have already discussed an emergency action plan and you know the address of the entrance for emergency services to arrive THE BEST safety decisions are always made before you get into the water.

Here are three how-to tips to gain comfort swimming in open water:

Swim in all different conditions; calm day’s windy days, dull days and bright sunny days. Learn to love and experience what Mother Nature decides to throw at you. Frequency of open water swimming builds up self confidence.

Before you venture into open water, practice in a pool breathing on both sides. Learn the water polo style of looking ahead. If possible, swim is an adjacent lane to an aqua-cise or fun swim session and the pool will have more waves than normal. This will better prepare you for open water swimming.

Sighting or correct navigation is easy to learn. Find out how often you need to look up before going off course. You may need to look up every 4, 6 or 8 strokes. The more you swim in open water the less often you will need to look up and still swim in as straight line. If you swim 2 metres in the wrong direction you will at least need to cover another 2m to get back on track. Use 2 points as reference, a buoy and a tall building or tree directly behind the buoy. Make sure when looking up to sight, you kick a little more to keep your body vertical in the water and avoid the legs sinking.

Mistakes to avoid:
-Only start swimming in open water only when YOU are ready, not when others are ready. It is much better to wait a few extra weeks for the water to warm up then try and swim in freezing cold water and lose any confidence you have. Taking the plunge too early can set you back months.
-Avoid swimming close to rocks, weedy areas,  boat traffic and harbour walls where there is no place to exit the water.
-A wet suit can make you over confident, and will not prevent you from drowning.

Mark Kleanthous is an open water swim coach and has his own lake for individual coaching. He has competed in more than 450 triathlons and has competed as an elite and recorded some of the fastest T1 & T2 transition times overall. Mark Kleanthous has competed in triathlons for 30 consecutive seasons and crossed the finish line in more than 450 triathlons including 35 ironman events. He is the author of The Complete Book of Triathlon Training and is a full time sports and nutrition coach. Mark can be contacted via his web site www.ironmate.co.uk.

Filed Under: Your Fitness Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Circuit Workout by Tera Busker

July 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment


Are you looking for a fast, efficient and equipment free workout that will challenge your entire body? The 30 x 3 Workout is perfect for beginners – it can be done in a gym, in the privacy of your home or at the park while your kids play. Ready for a challenge?

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, heart pounding workout. As always, consult your physician before performing the following exercises.

30 Seconds: Squat Jump
30 seconds: Rest

30 Seconds: Mountain Climbers
30 seconds: Rest

30 Seconds: Jumping Switch Lunge
30 seconds: Rest

30 Seconds: Jumping Jacks
30 seconds: Rest

30 Seconds: Burpees
30 seconds: Rest

Repeat for a total of 6 circuits

30/20/10 Workout
Need a little more of a push? Try the 30/20/10 Advanced Circuit

30 seconds Strength, 20 seconds Cardio and 10 Seconds REST = 30 Minutes and you’re done. Complete this circuit 6 times for a great, advanced full body workout.

30 Seconds: Squat
20 Seconds: Squat Jump
10 Seconds: Rest

30 Seconds: Pushup
20 Seconds: Mountain Climbers
10 Seconds: Rest

30 Seconds: Alternating Reverse Lunge
20 Seconds: Jumping Switch Lunge
10 Seconds: Rest

30 Seconds: Bench Dips on a Chair
20 Seconds: Jumping Jacks
10 Seconds: Rest

30 Seconds: Plank with Shoulder Tap
20 Seconds: Burpees
10 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

Filed Under: Your Fitness Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Second-Chance Summertime Shape-Up

July 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Second-Chance Summer time Shape Up
It’s not too late to get fit and get healthy. It’s never too late to take control of your fitness! Start TODAY- here’s how:

When: Monday’s 5pm(pacific)/ 8pm(eastern)
Where: Find us at #HealthyWayMag on Twitter

Wondering how to bust through a fitness plateau? Worried how to get your workout back on track after a setback? Not getting the exercise results you’d like? Find your Fitness Answers by participating in our Live Fitness Chat on Twitter!

Health Your Way Online proudly presents our Second-Chance Summertime Shape-Up Chat Series Sponsors:

Rock My Run. If you’ve hit workout motivation-slump, be sure to check out Rock My Run. Their music mixes are designed specifically with runners and fitness enthusiasts in mind. Their music is your motivation solution. You can even choose the style of music you prefer, along with beats per minute selection, along with your desired duration. Since 2012 Rock My Run has been insuring awesome workouts of all kinds through their creative, eclectic and motivating music mixes. For a list of their mixes, check out www.rockmyrun.com. Follow them on Twitter to learn about all their new and upcoming mixes, @RockMyRun. Whatever musical style moves you, you’ll find it with them.

Jessica Matthews. Health Your Way Online welcomes our chat co-host Jessica Matthews on July 15, 2013. Jessica is a fitness expert, @acefitness health coach, fitness blogger, yoga educator and college professor, just to name a few. Follow her @fitexpertjess and get inspired to get fit by checking out her blog Fit for Life. Jessica’s positive and upbeat energy will inspire and motivate you!

Shaping Her Esteem. Check out this unique non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the health and well-being of young women! They offer free programs through in-person StronGirls Fitness Classes, online nutrition tips, as well as via motivational videos. Contact them if you know a girl between 8-16 who loves to write about her experiences in sport/dance as they are currently looking for bloggers to share positive experiences in physical activity! Find more information on www.shapingheresteem.com. Follow them on Twitter, @ShapeHerEsteem. Encourage the young girls in your life to live healthy, balanced and well!

Filed Under: Your Fitness Tagged With: , , , , ,

Healthy and Refreshing!

July 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Beat the summer heat with these healthy and refreshing smoothies!

Summer Smoothie
6oz non-fat honey greek yogurt
1/2 banana
1 ripe mango
1/2 cup pineapple
1/8 cup coconut water
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Combine ingredients and blend until smooth

Vegan “Ice Cream” Smoothie
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
Agave syrup to taste (*depending on how sweet you want it to be)
Handful of ice cubes

Combine ingredients and blend until smooth

Recipes contributed by Jessica Matthews. Jessica, MS, E-RYT, is an exercise physiologist, yoga teacher, group fitness instructor, personal trainer, adjunct professor, blogger and fitness personality. Jessica strives to open minds, ignite passion and inspire the world to health and fitness through purposeful movement, quality nutrition and kind words. She has been featured as a fitness expert on CNN and has been quoted in numerous publications including Shape, Self, Oxygen and Oprah.com. For more health and fitness information, follow Jessica at www.twitter.com/fitexpertjess

Filed Under: Your Fitness Tagged With: , , , ,

“I don’t have time!” By Nicole Burley

June 23, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I-Don’t-Have-Time-For-Lunch Excuse Busters!

“I’m too busy to stop for lunch!”

“I don’t have time to eat something healthy.”

“Life gets so crazy, I just forget to eat!”

Skipping meals is not healthy! If you have ever uttered any of these words, I’m here to beg and plead with you to make a change.

I promise you – one of the most important things you can do for your health, your moods, your energy levels – and your waistline – is to eat meals on a regular schedule.

I know what you’re thinking, “but I don’t have a regular schedule!”  Your body doesn’t care! Your body really likes a predictable routine – even if YOU don’t, or even if your life is not set up that way.

Here are some mega-simple strategies for making sure that you are never left in the lurch – or without lunch!

1. Lunch doesn’t have to be a full, sit-down affair with 3 courses. If you are constantly on-the-go, lunch can consist of a handful of nuts, a healthy snack bar, or a piece of fruit. The goal is to simply put SOMETHING in your body so that you have some fuel and nourishment every few hours.

2. A teensy bit of planning can go a long way. Could you find 10-minutes once a week to stash healthy snacks in your office, in your car, and in your bag? This way, you’ll never be left without an option.

3. If you have time to go to the bathroom, you have time to eat something. Think about it. If it was urgent, you would make the time to use the facilities! I encourage you to consider it just as urgent that you fuel your body throughout the day. 5-minutes is all it takes!

Nicole Burley, M.Ed is a certified Life Coach and Health Coach with a private practice in NYC. She is the creator of the Healthy Habits Coaching Club – a warm and upbeat online membership community designed to help you stay healthy, stay motivated – and quit dieting. For more information visit www.NicoleBurley.com and www.NicoleBurley.com/Healthy-Habits-Coaching-Club

 

Filed Under: Your Fitness Tagged With: , , , , ,

Decrease Stress with Increased Organization by Coach Juli

June 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

How many hours do you waste each week trying to find papers and information like manuals and receipts? Decrease your stress by implementing these expert must-do filing systems for keeping the home-office organized.

It is essential to have an organized way to keep the papers you must retain. Even with having much of what you need on your computer, there are invariably papers needed and they should be filed away properly. There are files that you should have for your personal papers as well as for your household, so here are my recommendations:

1.    Have a suitable filing cabinet. It makes little sense to have various crates and caddies holding your papers, which can tend to make it difficult to file and retrieve papers easily and quickly. Most filing cabinets have either two or four drawers, are vertical with about 25” deep drawers, and can hold a lot of papers.  Get what will allow you to put all your papers away with a little room to grow.

2.    Files should be put into hanging files with tabs that denote what each contains. If you simply shove your papers into manila folders and then put those into a drawer in alphabetical order, you haven’t made a logical system. This concept only ends up getting papers put away, but are not very accessible later on.

3.    Use categories. There are various categories of record-keeping that are standard, and many of these could end up being in your computer, versus hard-copy, but the same general rule of organization applies. Here is a list of the most common ones (for a complete description check out www.getordernow.com for my eBook on this):

Bookkeeping
Computer Info.
Data Entry
Insurance
Legal/License
Manuals
Memberships
Receipts
Resources
Seminars
Travel
Vehicle

Make categories that make sense for your needs and adjust accordingly as your business and life changes.

***Coach Juli is a Professional Certified Coach with a specialty in Productivity specifically those with ADHD. She works with individuals at any stage of life who find themselves stuck and wish assistance and skills to better organize their lives both in the workplace and at home. For more information and tips how to decrease stress and increase efficiency go to www.coachjuli.com

Filed Under: Big Picture of Health Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Too Much of a Good Thing? By Gretchen Scalpi, RD

June 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Too Much of a Good Thing:  Check Those Portions

Every week I meet at least a few new clients who are having trouble losing weight, despite making healthy food choices. When it comes to those food choices, you can get too much of a good thing.

Being able to recognize what makes a normal portion is essential if want you to maintain your health and your weight. Some people are just eating too much, or at least, enough food to keep their weight right where it is… not budging at all!

It really is about how much you eat of any food.

One quick and easy way to determine portion size is to use what is known as the “plate method.”

This method has received a lot of attention recently and it is one of my favorite ways to show clients how to zero in on those portions.

My Plate is the new guide for healthy eating. To use the plate method:

Start by dividing your plate in half.  Fill half of the plate with vegetables or fruit. Divide the remainder of your plate into two quarters.

One quarter of the plate is used for a protein food (meat, fish, beans, etc) and the other quarter is used for a whole grain or starchy food (potato or rice.)

Visualizing the plate in this way makes it easy to learn about healthy portion sizes, especially for those who don’t want to measure their food.

One thing you must consider, however, is how big are your plates? It is not unusual for standard size dinner plates to come in sizes of 10 inches or more. A nine inch plate used to be the standard. Unfortunately, if you start with a larger plate, the tendency will be to fill it up. Portioned food on a large plate looks like you aren’t getting enough food! So if you have large plates, think about scaling down to a 9 inch size.

Besides using the plate method, weigh or measure your food portions from time to time. Big portions are everywhere, and we get used to seeing too much food on the plate no matter where we go. It’s easy to lose sight of reasonable portions. I recommend getting a food scale or using measuring cups every few months to “revisit” portion control.

Here are some basic guidelines for correct portion sizes:

*Protein foods: (such as lean meat, fish or poultry): 3-4 ounces
*Vegetables: 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked (try to eat at least 4-5 portions daily!)
*Fresh fruit: 1 piece is one serving. Berries or Melon: 1 cup.
*Juices or canned fruit: 1/2 cup.
*Starchy foods or whole grains: 1 portion is usually 1/2 cup or 1 oz. if a bread
*Non-fat milk or yogurt: 1 cup
*Fats: (oil, butter, mayonnaise): 1 tsp.

Maintaining reasonable food portions, and “checking in” on the amount you put on your plate from time to time is one of the most effective ways to get back on track with weight loss. If you eat healthy but your weight is stuck, check to see whether you are getting too much of a good thing!

Gretchen Scalpi is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. She is the author of the books “The Quick Start Guide To Healthy Eating”, “The Everything Guide to Managing and Reversing Pre-Diabetes”, “The Everything Diabetes Cookbook, 2nd ed.” and “Pre-Diabetes Your Second Chance At Health”.  Purchase her book “Quick Start Recipes For Healthy Meals” for .99 cents via Amazon.

Filed Under: Your Fitness Tagged With: , , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »