March 19, 2024

Listen to Your Body!

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Listen to your body!

How do you know when nagging soreness from exercise warrants a trip to the doctor? Soreness is part of working out sometimes. Discomfort is also part of working out sometimes. Pain is NOT part of working out. So here’s the bottom line: If a move, motion or exercise doesn’t “feel” right to your body, it probably isn’t. Unload the weight and stop the exercise. Revisit proper form without weight or resistance, and then try again. If it still doesn’t feel right, then adjust the range of motion, mode of exercise or consider modifications. This is a feeling you don’t want to push through. And if you have pain that results, here are few guidelines to know when to take it seriously:

When ice doesn’t make it feel better.

When you have loss of range of motion or mobility.

When pain wakes you up at night.

Any pain accompanied by swelling, change in appearance of joint or muscles, numbness or tingling.

When you’re unable to perform your usual workout because of pain or discomfort.

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.

Your Workout Choice

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Workout by Design.

Get what you need from your workout. Exercise is not a one size fits all approach. Just as your mood, energy and motivation changes, your workout approach can change with it. Do a body scan from head to toe, how are you feeling? Here are a few ideas to get started:

Need to de-stress? Try yoga.

Need to expend energy? Go for a run.

Want the motivation of a group? Take a cycling class.

Need to exhale? Join a stretching class.

Looking for peace and quiet? Try hiking.

 

 

Build Fitness Confidence!

Build fitness confidence…

Join #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat EVERY Monday 5pmP/8pmE on Twitter and pick up workout motivation, exercise accountability and fitness tips! You’ll chat with others also on their fitness journey, share successes, problem solve challenges.

Here’s how to join:

Log into your Twitter account.

Enter #HealthyWayMag to see the chat feed.

Chat with others, offer your thoughts and input on questions, have fun!

 

Monday June 27, 2016 #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat is Sponsored by EatSmart Products:

On your journey to healthy and fit, you’ll learn the importance of not only healthy food choices, but healthy portions as well. Take the guess work and frustration of questioning accuracy out of the equation with EatSmart Products. EatSmart Products is the leading designer and manufacturer of digital scales. In fact, their Digital Bathroom Scale is the best seller and top rated scale on Amazon! They offer high-quality, user-friendly and reliable nutrition scales and bathroom scales, making it easier to reach your health and fitness goals. Now you can focus on other aspects of your healthy lifestyle plan, instead of worrying about the reliability of your support gear. For more information, please check out their blog. And be sure to follow them on Twitter @EatSmartScales.

WORK for your fitness!

Get Fit Quick Tip:

WORK HARD for your fitness!

Your workout is supposed to be challenging, that’s the point! Challenging is where results happen. There are no short cuts, easy roads or lazy days when it comes to improving your health and fitness. Instead of being afraid of hard work, discomfort, sweat and burning muscles, embrace the effort! Here’s what may happen during a high-quality workout:

You may sweat.

Your muscles may burn.

You may become fatigued.

Your heart rate may increase.

Your breathing may become challenging.

You may be physically uncomfortable.

You may have to dig deep mentally.

You may struggle to complete the workout.

 

 

 

Break Up Your Day with Fitness!

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Add in Fitness Breaks!

Add fitness breaks into your day and decrease tension and stress. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Wall the hallway.

Stretch at your desk.

Drink water.

Grab a fruit snack.

Do a set of pushups, wall squats or planks.

Take 5 deep breaths.

Instead of sending an email, walk to your co-workers office.

Perform a cardio burst of jumping jacks, jog in place or squat jumps.

Lunch time walk outdoors.

Once a week for workout motivation

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Commit to a Standing Meet-Up!

Find one person who can commit to meeting you once a week for a regular workout together! The workout type can rotate or be the same type of exercise each week. The standing meet-up will:

Force you to re-commit to fitness every week.

Build momentum toward your health goal.

Set a fun tone to exercise.

Provide accountability.

Give you a workout to look forward to each week.

Challenge you to workout harder.

Encourage exercise consistency.

Keep healthy living a priority in your schedule.

Push you to try new exercises or a new workout.

 

 

 

Master Exercise Form

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Form matters!

Master proper exercise form for an effective workout. Learning how to execute an exercise safely is paramount, and that means learning proper form. This means you should know what muscles you’re working with the exercise and why it’s important to your fitness program.  Here’s how to begin:

Maintain proper spinal alignment during the entire set.

Stabilize your core throughout the range of motion.

Master the exercise without weight first.

Control the entire range of motion on each rep.

 

ENERGIZE your workout!

ENERGIZE your workout every Monday at 5pm(Pacific)/8pm(Eastern) with #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat on Twitter! Pick up fitness tips, workout ideas and exercise support.

The benefit of having training partners is when you don’t feel up to working out, they do! Workout partners also offer accountability to log each workout with full effort and attention. Rely on training partners to offer a motivation pick-up on those days when you’re stressed or distracted. Often you’ll even gain energy from workout partners! Consider #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat your virtual training partner. We’ve got your motivation and accountability covered!

Here’s how to join:

Log into Twitter.

Enter #HealthyWayMag to follow the chat feed.

Questions for discussion will be posed as Question 1 noted as “Q1″, Question 2 as “Q2″, and so on. Offer your answer as Answer to Question 1, “A1″, and so on.

Interact with others, chat, and have fun!

 

 

Celebrate YOUR Fitness!

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Celebrate YOUR fitness!

All the early morning workouts, the lunch time exercise, the weekend classes, packing your gym bag, planning healthy meals, filling your water bottles, and so on. You’ve worked hard for your fitness, celebrate your efforts! Recognize your progress no matter how far you’ve come OR how far you still plan to go. Your commitment is important, and you never know who you are inspiring. Celebrate your fitness by:

Pay it forward. Know a fellow exerciser who is struggling with exercise motivation? Reach out an offer a few encouraging words, a text, an email, a phone call or simply a smile.

Say Thank You. Say thank you to those who have helped your fitness journey.

Acknowledge your progress. Pull out your old workout logs for visual reinforcement of your progress. Pull out old race photos and relive your most fun fitness day.