March 19, 2024

Need an attitude adjustment?

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Need an attitude adjustment? GO WORKOUT!

If you’re looking for a way to improve your mood, change your perspective or simply adjust your attitude, look no further than your workout. Exercise forces deep breathing due to the effort required. The result of deep breathing is stress reduction and a brain chemical mood boost. Exercise also brings emotions forward that need to be processed. Further, exercise clears your mind, allowing creative solutions to challenges to come to the forefront of our thinking. So, next time you find yourself grumpy, in a negative space or with a poor perspective, GO WORKOUT and enjoy the exhale!

 

Your healthiest year yet… By Nicole Bryan

Make 2016 your healthiest year yet…
 
Here’s how to do it:

Adapt a current mindset. While you may have had a traumatizing dodge ball experience in junior high, ask yourself how that is relevant to your current state of fitness? Life is full of experiences, good and not so good. You can see the experience as a blockade or obstacle or as a stepping stone. Ask yourself, are you ready to let go of old unpleasant experiences regarding your health and fitness? If not, what do you need to move forward? Consider consulting a counselor if you’re unsure, joining a club or team for support, or enlisting the aid of a Fitness Professional. Being mentally and emotionally prepared for change is the first step of getting healthy. Physical fitness is merely one aspect of total health. Mental and emotional health and well-being are just as important.

Get a tune up. Just as your car needs a tune up every once in a while, so does your body and overall health. So if you haven’t had blood work done in a few years, do it now. If you have skipped the last few age recommended test, schedule them now. Suffering from aches and pains, irritations, concerns? Go see your doctor and check them off your list. The sooner you deal with whatever is nagging you, the sooner you’ll be on to your healthiest and most fit self.

De-clutter your health-related life. Clear out everything from your toothbrush to old sunscreens to old make-up. Donate your old fitness clothes that are tattered and torn. Spruce up your bedroom (replace old pillows) for a better night sleep. Clean out your fridge and stock with water and healthy foods. If you have old exercise or fitness equipment, for example exercise bands that have been sitting around, a treadmill that isn’t working properly, a stability ball that’s been rolling around the backyard, donate the item, recycle or toss it in the trash. Take this time to inject some fresh energy and clean air into your healthy living.

Stay relevant. Just as there have been advances in the fields of space discovery and engineering, there have been advances in the health and fitness fields as well. Pick one journal to subscribe to (many are free) online to stay up to date on new ideas and practices. Add in a few health websites to your current internet surfing favorites such as www.nih.gov and www.mayoclinic.com. Both are reliable sources of information.

Fitness is merely one aspect of overall health. Take a well-rounded, big picture approach to your healthy living for lasting results and benefits to make 2016 your healthiest year yet!
    

Motivated Yet?

Are YOU motivated yet? Keep enthusiasm going all year long with support from your Twitter fitness community!

JOIN US every Monday at 5pmP/8pmE for our Motivational-Monday Live Fitness Chat on Twitter! You’ll pick up fitness tips, workout ideas and healthy living inspiration. Follow us on Twitter @HealthyWayMag and follow our chat via #HealthyWayMag.

 

THANK YOU to our New Year’s Chat Series Sponsors for helping us launch 2014 healthy and fit! Check them out to learn how they can make your fitness better, more effective and more fun:

Coeur Sports. Coeur Sports boasts women’s endurance apparel that brings fashion to your fitness. After all, who doesn’t want a little style with their speed? Follow them on Twitter @coeursports. Check them out to see their stylish clothing that withstands long-distance, high-mileage training and racing.

Knuckle Lights. Your fitness does not have to wait until spring. Be safe this winter and be visible while outdoors exercising! Whether you’re exercising on a track, on a path or on the road, lighting your way is important for fall prevention and to be visible to other athletes and vehicles. Knuckle Lights is the first and only light designed to be worn on your hands. Follow them on Twitter @KnuckleLights.

RunnerBox. RunnerBox offers you the opportunity to sample top fitness, running and triathlon products just like the Pro’s (without having to train like one.) Each month you’ll receive a mini shoe-box full of products chosen just for you; you’ll find nutrition, gear, gadgets, just to name a few. Follow them on Twitter for a preview of upcoming products and discounts. Find them on Twitter @runnerbox.

Running on the Wall. Instead of stuffing your hard earned race medals in a drawer to get them out of the way, show them off! Seeing your medals will provide visual reinforcement of your workout and training efforts. Running on the Wall offers wooden wall race bibs display and medals displays. Follow them on Twitter, @Gift4Runners.

All3Sports. All3Sports is your triathlon training and racing solution! You’ll find everything the sport of triathlon requires including apparel, bikes and wetsuits. You’ll also find everything needed for the independent sports of Running, Swimming and Cycling. With one click to their website you’ll enjoy top products complete with professional knowledge and excellent customer service. Follow them on Twitter via @all3sportscom.

Active Accessories. Accessorize your fitness! From hair bands to small pouches for your keys and cell phone, they offer all the workout gear you need. Their products also make great gifts for fitness enthusiasts of every level. Check them out on Twitter @Active_Products.

Shaping Her Esteem. Shaping Her Esteem (SHE) promotes the participation of girls in physical activity to increase their health and wellbeing. They share nutrition tips, motivational videos and facilitate boot camps for young girls. Shaping Her Esteem is looking for girls between 8-16 who would love to write about her experiences in sport/dance, and to share positive experiences in physical activity! Follow them on Twitter for more info @ShapeHerEsteem.

RecoFit. Discover the RecoFit Compression Gear difference for yourself! Their technical-fit and uniquely designed gear helps you get more oxygen to your muscles, reduce swelling and delay fatigue. RecoFit is the only compression gear that cuts their fabric in a cross-grain process; this means effective compression and no-slip positioning! Founded by an athlete, tested on athletes, but made for everyone! Contact your compression experts via @RecoFit on Twitter.

Health and Fitness Blogs to Follow- our series continues…

Health and Fitness Blogs to Follow

Our Friday series continues with this Blog highlight. Another option for a blog to follow that is sure to motivate your fitness journey…

As a lifelong writer it only seemed natural when the idea of Caffeine? Yes, Please! first entered the mind of Jeneen Olive back in 2009. Originally, she thought she would “journal the early days of motherhood” as Jeneen explains. However, she recalls “being a new mom didn’t provide much time to sit down and put my thoughts to digital paper.” Although her original intention behind the focus of her blog has shifted, her love of writing remains. When asked about the motivation behind how her blog subject came into existence, she responds “in 2012 I began running and I found that the miles allowed by creative side to reawaken.”

In her blog, Caffeine? Yes, Please! Jeneen shares personal experiences of running and fitness through logging her thoughts from competing in a 5K to her first marathon. She still considers herself a beginning runner and so she writes to help motivate those first time runners. Additionally, seasoned athletes will relate to her stories of trials and tribulations of logging miles and workouts.

So, if you’re in search of inspiration and a little humor to add to your fitness world, follow her as she posts two to three times each week. Check out one of her favorite posts thus far, entitled “A Trip Around the Sun”.

Health & Fitness Blogs to Follow

Introducing…Health & Fitness Blogs to Follow

This is the first in our weekly series of Health & Fitness Blogs to follow. So don’t be shy, check them out each week and see if they’re a fit for your motivation, inspiration and healthy living. Connect with fellow athletes and fitness enthusiasts, and you’ll never feel alone again in your journey to health and fitness.

Created in August of 2012, www.gorunjess.com was launched by Jessica Humphrey. “I created by blog initially as a means to document my journey to running my first marathon” explains Jessica. “I planned to run the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon to honor the one year anniversary of my father’s passing. He died in May of 2012 and I wanted to do something for my own health in order to celebrate his life” she adds.

Since finishing her first marathon in May of 2013, Jessica now regularly shares her ongoing journey to balance healthy living, work and family. Posting twice a week on average, Jessica writes about everything from running, yoga, to strength training and healthy eating. She even posts on the topic of triathlon training!

“My blog is written from the perspective of an active mother of two with a full-time career” shares Jessica. She inspires those who are finding a healthy lifestyle as an adult, parent, and career-minded person, Check out one of her favorites, the heart-felt post that followed her marathon finish in 2012.

To add a little fitness motivation and healthy living inspiration into your week, consider subscribing to Jessica’s automatic updates.

Stick to your Healthy Lifestyle by Helen Agresti, R.D.

How to stick with your Healthy Lifestyle

 

Focus your attention in 3 major areas:

 

1. Work your body!  Schedule 3-5 days of exercise each week.  If you typically hit a plateau or experience boredom a month or two into the New Year, the next few tips will serve you well.

Instead of a mid-week rest day, add in a stretching or yoga class to your routine.  Keep your fitness momentum going while also allowing sufficient rest and recovery for your muscles. Consider including restorative-type exercise into your routine.

Try something new.  Whether it’s a personal training session or a spin class, surprise your body and metabolism with a completely different type of workout.

Be accountable.  Pair up with a friend or family member.  Studies have shown that we are more apt to stick to our workout routines if we have a set time and place to meet someone.  Having a workout buddy to lift your spirits on those days you don’t feel like exercising is an essential motivator.

2. Prepare ahead for the mid-day slump.  Pack wisely for those times of the day when your healthy eating habits are challenged (typically between 3pm and 5pm.) Have a healthy snack packed for that time of the day when you feel like attacking the nearest vending machine or MacDonald’s drive-thru.  Cheese and crackers, sugar snap peas and hummus, and lightly salted pistachios are healthy mid-day snacks and travel well.

3. Reach for the fabulous 5.  Five servings of fruits and vegetables throughout the day will keep you looking younger and feeling more energized.  The beauty of theses colorful super foods is that they rotate their deliciousness throughout the 4 seasons.  Take advantage of their power packed nutrients by spreading 5 or more servings among breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.  Make this nutrition goal for yourself and your family: try one new fruit or vegetable every week by incorporating it into a meal or snack.

Helen Agresti is a Registered Dietitian with Professional Nutrition Consulting, LLC.  She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and 5 children.  For more Nutrition advice and healthy recipes follow her on twitter @HelenAgresti and on the web www.pronutritionconsulting.com

Leaders, Teachers and Coaches: 2013 Twitter Must-Follow List

Follow these Healthy Living Professionals for coaching, leadership, mentoring and guidance to live your healthiest and most fit! Health Your Way Online proudly presents our 2013 Twitter Professional’s Must Follow List.

THANK YOU ALL for your encouragement, dedication and passion for healthy living!

 

@SmashFit Heather Frey

@thebikinichef Susan Irby

@MaggieAyre Maggie Ayre

@MoveLiveLearn Amanda Stanec, PhD

@LoRoRD Lori Rosenthal, RD

@CarlaYoung Carla Young

@HelenAgresti Helen Agresti RD

@BobChoat Bob Choat

@marathonmom217 Amy Dedic

@lmaydak Laura M

@slowswimmer Kenny Steil

@chrisfreytag Chris Freytag

@ThriveFit Pamela Hernandez

@30secondmom 30 Second Mom

@AskDocG Deborah Gilboa, MD

@ShapeHerEsteem Shaping Her Esteem

@LifeCoachMary Mary Allen

@NutritionCheck Heather Mangieri RDN

@InspiredRD Alysa Bajenaru, RD

@runwiki Lisa McClellan

@TonedandFit Toned and Fit

@FitnessToGo  Tera Busker

@SarahJChicago Sarah Johnson

@LoriShemek Lori Shemek PhD, CNC

@kerigans Keri Gans

@YourCoachNicole Nicole Burley

@FitExpertJess Jessica Matthews

@StressFreeKids Stress Free Kids

@Smart_Kitchen Kathy Smart

@bemorehealthful Rachael Roehmholdt

@PTGen Gen Levrant

 

 

 

 

Keep Your Personal Strength Alive by Laurie Miller

After a health crisis hits, after the shock of the diagnosis and the meetings with your doctors, hope and desire to overcome the illness is strong. Your loved ones and friends are supportive and positive. Hope is a powerful thing and is necessary in managing to maintain a positive outlook.

Personal strength – physical, mental and emotional – allows you to handle the rocky road and the ups and downs that are inevitably part of a health crisis. Personal strength comes from many sources and your belief system (spiritual, religious, or about life in general) plays an important role. Mental and emotional strength, in particular, come from the messages you send yourself and the choices you make. If your upbringing included messages like “you can do anything you set your mind to” or “you are capable of creating your positive outcomes,” those messages become the solid base of that gives you strength.

It is easy during a health crisis to take on a “poor me” attitude or feel like a victim. Some of this is normal, but too much weakens your personal strength and personal power. When you find yourself in this negative state, notice it, feel it, experience it, explore it . . . and then release it. “Poor me” may seem protective as it enables you to stay stuck and not really deal with the emotions that come with health crisis such as fear or make necessary but difficult changes.  However, in the long term this attitude only serves to bring you down and lessen your quality of life.

Physical strength can be built back after chemotherapy, radiation, or other medical treatments. Give your body good foods, nutrients, and supplements to strengthen it. Drink plenty of water and exercise within your capacity to enhance physical stamina and strength. When you feel physically strong, mental and emotional strength follow and likewise when you are emotionally and mentally strong and resilient, you have more physical resources.

So, if you are in a space where you need strength, take a deep breath and feel a surge of oxygen entering your body and giving you life force energy. Do it again and you will feel even better, lighter, and more comfortable. When I find myself feeling down, I say, “Hello down (or sadness or fear or whatever the emotion may be). I am aware of you.” Staying stuck in that negative place feels icky so I make a conscious decision to shift my mental, emotional, physical state and it works! I feel better, I smile, and I thrive!

Taking your mind away from the details of the health crisis to pleasure, fantasy, and enjoyable stimuli also helps shift you out of a negative state and build your strength. It is important to engage in activities that enhance your quality of life such as reading, attending movies and concerts, and getting plenty of laughter. Set aside the health crisis and all the decisions, questions, and concerns for a period of time. Listen to music, a hypnosis CD, or something else that brings you pleasure and relaxation. When you do this your body relaxes, your emotions calm, and your mind quiets. This restores the inner strength and personal power that keeps you going, keeps you positive, and keeps you motivated to live well even in the midst of a health challenge.

Laurie Miller is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist with more than 30 years of experience helping people achieve health and happiness.  Laurie can use her training and her experience with illness to help you.  Read her articles for free here. Purchase her prerecorded hypnosis sessions at http://www.hypnosisconcepts.com/cds-and-mp3s/.

Do you know about these surprising benefits of exercise? By Amanda Miarecki

3 Surprising Reasons You Should Be Working Out Regularly

It’s common knowledge that working out can help you lose weight and reduce your risk of disease. Physical activity also increases strength and energy levels. It can help alleviate depression, boredom, and stress.

The benefits of exercise extend to everything from your mood to your digestive health but I bet you didn’t know about these 3 surprising reasons you should be working out regularly.

Controlled Blood Sugar

Exercise is a great tool in controlling blood sugar levels, which can be exceptionally helpful for people struggling with diabetes, hypoglycemia, and other blood sugar related illnesses.

Exercise makes your heart beat faster which causes muscles to use more glucose, the sugar in your blood stream. Over time, this lowers overall blood sugar levels.  Cardio, like brisk walking, jogging, or stairs, incorporated into a weekly fitness routine keeps blood sugar levels in a healthy range.

Lose Weight Without Losing Bone Density

A study done at Washington University found that dieters who didn’t work out lost bone density, while exercisers did not. A regular fitness routine can help you lose weight without sacrificing done density.

Weight-bearing exercise forces bones to adapt to the pull and weight of muscles by building more bone cells. This increase in bone cells results in improved strength and bone density, which in turn decreases the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Weight-bearing exercises, such as weight lifting, jogging, and dancing, are excellent for maintaining and increasing bone density.

Enhance Your Immune System

When you workout, your temperature rises. This higher body temperature makes it challenging for certain infectious organisms to survive. Working out will also speed up the rate that antibodies flow through your blood stream. This increase results in higher immunity against common illnesses.

A 30-minute walk once a day is enough to speed up the flow of antibodies in your system and help you ward off illnesses, like the common cold.

Amanda is a Boulder-based Health Coach, fitness enthusiast, avid trail-runner, and aspiring physician with a passion for integrative health. Her goal is to motivate women to live inspiring and healthy lives and create a revolution in how people think about their health. Her passion is encouraging others to take care of their bodies with exercise, healthy behaviors, and nutritious foods. Get inspired to live fit and connect with Amanda on her blog, via Facebook and Twitter.

Thank You: September Trend Setters

Cutting-edge, relevant, innovative and current: all words to describe our September Chat Sponsors. Health Your Way Online offers them each a THANK YOU for Sponsoring our Motivational-Monday Live Fitness Chat on Twitter.

Here are your September Trend-Setters.

Check them out to learn how they can help make your health and fitness, BETTER.

Shaping Her Esteem. Shaping Her Esteem (SHE) promotes the participation of girls in physical activity to increase their health and wellbeing. They share nutrition tips, motivational videos and facilitate boot camps for young girls. They offer fun community events, like this SHEmob- check it out here: SHEmob. Shaping Her Esteem is looking for girls between 8-16 who would love to write about her experiences in sport/dance, and to share positive experiences in physical activity! Follow them on Twitter for more info.

Sockwa. Sockwa is excited to present their newest model, the X8. Now boasting an odor-free, breathable, recyclable mesh fabric that has a moisture wicking inside to keep you cool. They’ve also perfected the Playa Lo and Playa Hi models.  Developed for the beach soccer and beach volleyball players of the world, these minimal beach socks provide comfort and protection. They are expanding their products into retail centers everywhere, so please reach out to stores@sockwa.com and tell them the name and city of the store where you’d like to see Sockwa! Follow them on Twitter for updates and product information.

RecoFit. Discover the RecoFit Compression Gear difference for yourself!  Their technical-fit and uniquely designed gear helps you get more oxygen to your muscles, reduce swelling and delay fatigue. RecoFit is the only compression gear that cuts their fabric in a cross-grain process; this means effective compression and no-slip positioning! Their breathable material disperses body heat and moisture, and has a negative ion charge to help oxygenate blood. As an American-made durable product, RecoFit’s specific manufacturing method allows users the exact amount of compression, exactly where they need it most. They offer 4 cost-effective products targeting legs, as well as arms. Founded by an athlete, tested on athletes, but made for everyone! Contact your compression experts directly at Recofit@gmail.com or via phone 303/415-0580. Check them out on Twitter!

Jessica Matthews. Health Your Way Online welcomed back our chat co-host Jessica Matthews. Jessica is a fitness expert, @acefitness health coach, fitness blogger, yoga educator and college professor, just to name a few. View her latest YouTube video for expert tips how to get in your workout without equipment, without a gym. Check out her blog for motivation and inspiration.And be sure to follow her on Twitter.