Get Fit Quick Tip:
Start a Game!
Call some friends and start a pick up game. Basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer, and volleyball are all great options to log a little cardio in an activity where people can come and go as their schedule dictates. There’s not much required in the way of equipment and often is found at your local school yard. Send a group text or email with a location, day and time!
In years past, weight training has been viewed as a bodybuilder’s activity, a thing that “meat heads” do. But, thanks to the growing popularity of weight lifting and circuit training, iron isn’t just something you consume anymore.
You may be asking, how can weight training change how you workout forever? Here are 3 key reasons that weight training is effective and will keep you interested in working out for years to come. Always consult your physician before beginning exercise.
1. Involving weights in your workout causes your muscles to work harder which in return increases your metabolism and burns more calories as well as increases bone health.
Example: Add in some dumbbell work to your normal circuit and you will feel your muscles burning faster than if you did the exercise with body weight alone.
2. There are countless exercises that involve weights! Back squats with a straight bar, squats with dumbbells, squats with plated weights…the number of exercises that you can do with weights and the exercises that can be changed up by adding different types of weights is countless.
Example workout using Dumbbells:
5 Rounds of 50 seconds work and 10 seconds rest: (Always consult your physician before beginning exercise.)
1. Dumbbell push press: hold dumbbells with palms facing out and slightly dip your body down with a slight knee bend and use that momentum to drive the dumbbells up to the sky and back down, repeat this movement for 50 seconds.
2. Renegade rows with dumbbells: place dumbbells on the ground and get into a push up position while holding the dumbbells. Push up and bring up one dumbbell at a time, repeat for 50 seconds. *modification=push ups from knees.
3. Single arm row with dumbbells: stand up with one dumbbell in hand. Stagger your legs into a lunge like position. Place the hand without the dumbbell on your thigh and keep your core engaged and back straight. Row the dumbbell back with your elbow bent and jabbing the air behind you. Repeat on opposite side.
All four of these workouts incorporate weights, causing each move to be a total body exercise.
3. Three words: Strong is SEXY!
A male or female with muscles is sexy. There is nothing more attractive than a person who looks and feels strong. A healthy body is a healthy mind.
No matter if you belong to a large gym, a circuit training center or you have your own set of weights at home, it is easy, fun, and effective to add weights to your routine! Start light and work your way up!
Kaitlin earned a B.S. Nutrition from Cal Poly SLO and is a CPT. Kaitlin’s extremely passionate about inspiring people to find/fuel their inner athlete.
*Disclaimer: Result may vary from person to person.
It’s sure to happen. Resistance and negativity on the way to your fitness goal, that is. You’ll simply share your fitness goal only to be told you can’t do it, don’t have the time, know-how or fitness ability. Instead of allowing negativity to sabotage your workout efforts, use the emotion to power-up your motivation to reach your goal against all odds.
What makes a great athlete? They have the well-trained ability to ignore nay-sayers, negators and unsupporters and maintain focus to achieve their athletic and fitness dreams. Having the ability to not engage, debate or defend yourself with those who are not supportive takes practice. Great athletes have the courage to continue moving against the grain when others question what they are doing and why they are doing it in the first place, and what are they trying to prove anyway. Staying focused on your fitness goal can be tough. Here’s how to do it when you encounter opposition:
Say nothing. Sometimes no words are a better choice. Why fill the silence with sarcasm or a joke.
Keep it general. When your friend asks about your fitness goals, keep the details to a minimum.
Don’t quantify. Resist the temptation of offering specific details about sets, reps, timing or training cycles.
Keep questions simple. If your friend wants to talk about details, they will ask about details.
Don’t take it personally. Remember their negativity is not about you, your dreams or athletic endeavors.
Encourage, don’t Discourage
It’s tough to watch someone we care about make poor lifestyle choices. And yet it seems the more we “suggest” how or “recommend” they should get in shape or take their health seriously, the more the power struggle ensues. Here are a few ideas how to encourage a loved one’s healthy living choices.
Lead by example. “Stop nagging me!” Words such as these, we often hear from our spouse upon gently reminding them to head out for their daily walk. Changing our approach to simply lead by example encourages better results. For example: it’s a beautiful day outside, let’s walk to breakfast. The grand kids will be here soon, lets walk to the corner to greet them. Parking is a bit tight, let’s walk from the dry cleaners to the grocery store.
Make it social. Exercise is way more fun if we’re doing it with our friends. Combine getting healthy with social outings and experience less resistance from your significant other. For example: coordinate a coffee-group after the morning gym visit. Schedule a walk and talk visit with long time neighbors who’ve been traveling. Enlist the help of an exercise professional and plan for a small group circuit class along with your favorite music; the small informal fitness format will be less intimidating.
Get inspired. Encouraging friendly competition or goal setting is an instant way to improve motivation for others and ourselves. Register to participate in an event that supports a cause near and dear to your heart. Many communities sponsor walk or athletic events with a local non-profit as the beneficiary. Your spouse will be inspired to head out for daily walks to prep for the event, knowing his/her participation is raising awareness. Encourage others to join you to form a team, or choosing to participate in honor of a loved one will also encourage activity.
Focus outward. Instead of making it about them and their needing to exercise, make it about helping someone else. Offering to walk an ill neighbor’s dog a few days every week or offering to push your friends’ wheelchair around the neighborhood will take the focus away from exercise and the negative connotations many associate with the term. You’ll now be simply focusing on helping your friend or neighbor, and getting healthy at the same time.
Eliminate the punishment. Many of us were raised where physical activity was used as a punishment. For example, not paying attention in gym class- take a lap! Not following directions- 20 pushups! Exercise should make us feel good, which means we should not be wishing for it to end or staring at the clock every minute! Changing the intensity and mode of what we’re doing will instantly change the meaning we associate with it. Nonchalantly suggest one new activity a month “accidentally” until finding enjoyment. Walk a little further, dust off the old bikes in the garage under the pretense of cleaning them up to sell, revisit dancing at the local non-profit gala for example. Look for opportunities to letting exercise into your day randomly and unplanned, without calling it “exercise!” Getting healthier doesn’t always mean wearing certain clothes, having certain gadgets or equipment, having set aside a certain time frame or even being in a certain location; moving our body is moving our body and all moving burns calories and will strengthen our heart and lungs.
Give up the power struggle and use your energy to get healthy. Simply moving is more important than winning an argument after all, right? Be creative, think of outside of the box exercise options and never ever admit that you were up to something!
Hands-Free Fitness with Handana Sweatband
Handana is a sweatband that is worn on your hand, not your wrist. This unique and patented design allows for a comfortable fit allowing you to be hands-free during your physical activity or sport. With Handana’s innovation, long gone are the days of dragging around a cumbersome, sweat-soaked towel. Handana is truly the only one of its kind.
Proudly made in the USA, “Handana is a high performance fashionable sweat band worn on the hand to wipe away sweat, snot or whatever you got” explains founder Katie Niemeyer. Made of SupplexTM LycraTM fabric that is soft, yet durable. So if you have allergies or sensitive skin this fabric won’t irritate or chafe. “Handana is softer being kinder to the sensitive skin of your face” Katie adds. And, it’s machine-washable!
Boasting “one continuous loop so it slips on and off easily” shares Katie. Handana comes in 5 sizes, a variety of colors and prints. For under $20.00 and free shipping on orders of 2 or more in the United States, your Handana is waiting for you. Here’s what fan Aimee K says, “just received my Handana and love it! Got here just in time for me to use this weekend for my 1st Half Marathon and it’s the perfect color. Very impressed with the fast shipping. Thanks!” Order yours here or via Amazon.
Why is Handana the #1 sweatband choice of athletes around the world?
Wraps around your hand, not your wrist. This means your wrist range of motion is not incumbered. Wear your Handana while playing Tennis, Racquetball, or any racquet sport and you’ll find you’re able to move and wipe sweat away without having to carry an extra towel.
Provides cushion. Whether you’re Obstacle Course Racing, Kayaking or Stand-Up Paddle Boarding you’ll enjoy the extra layer Handana has to offer. Protect your hands from the elements and wipe sweat as you go without breaking your rhythm. If you study Martial Arts, consider wearing your Handana to keep hands protected.
Improves traction. Exercise mats can become slippery or unstable during a sweaty workout. Now you can worry less about slipping during workouts that involve mat work such as Yoga, Pilates and calisthenics.
Increases grip. Wearing your Handana increases reliable grip tension during your strength training, such as a Cross-Fit workout. You’ll be able to do press and pull moves during your workout with confidence.
Reduces distraction. Handana allows you to keep your eyes on the road during cycling for example, as you’ll be able to wipe sweat away without risking safety by reaching for a towel.
Fingers-free. Having your fingers free, means dexterity is unaltered. For example, wear your Handana while sailing to confidently pull and cleat lines. Do you enjoying rock climbing as your activity? Use your Handana to wipe away sweat, while still having fingers free to crimp, edge and negotiate your climb.
Gardening, yard work, fishing, playing instruments and marching band are additional activities outside of the gym during which Handana provides protection and is there to easily wipe away sweat. How will you use your Handana?
Join the movement! Handana is a product from the heart, Katie’s heart to be exact. Her goal and Handana’s mantra is “to inspire all to cross their finish line no matter where it is in life and empower others along the way.” She has her own story to tell after all. When training for her first marathon, she needed to wipe sweat before it went into her eyes stinging badly, and so the Handana concept was born. As a teenager, she spent 3 weeks in the burn unit with 2nd and 3rd degree burns from an allergic reaction to medication called Stevens-Johnson (SJS), therefore leaving her with many sensitivities. Click on Handana’s YouTube video for more on Katie’s mission. Katie staged an inspiring comeback and now encourages others to ignite their passion for an active lifestyle.
Check out their booth at the upcoming Rock-n-Roll Dallas Half Marathon and Relay Event on Saturday March 21 and March 22, 2015, and GO! St. Louis 5K on April 11 and April 12, 2015. Follow them on Twitter and join their Facebook page to be in the Handana loop.
Ignite YOUR passion with Handana!
Who says fitness can’t be fun? Flip2BFit, an award-winning business, is here to show you how to introduce healthy living to the children in your life and have fun at the same time!
Based out of New York City, Flip2BFit’s mission encompasses two areas: education and family-fun. As part of their education outreach plan, they encourage play and fitness during recess, birthday parties and rainy days. Their family-fun focus demonstrates how easily families can get active together, and have fun while doing it! Invite another family over or friends to play along. The more the merrier and more fun as you strategize as a team how to gain the lead!
Flip2BFit offers an innovative new generation of board games that promote areas of fitness such as yoga, cardio, stretching and strength. Founder Heather Parisi explains, “Flip2BFit was created as a platform to bring healthy lifestyles to everyone that plays through the introduction of fitness, nutrition, individual goals, team work, competition and strategy.” She continues “my overall goal is to promote a healthy lifestyle to everyone that picks up the game and plays – realizing that fitness is fun and that you don’t need to go to a gym. You just have to get up and MOVE!”
Their products are eco friendly and made using soy ink, recycled paper and rubber plan extracts. Recommended for all ages 6 and over, these games encompass all areas of healthy living. “Flip2BFit products ensure nutrition, fitness and healthy lifestyle education through the active engagement of having fun” Ms. Parisi explains. As the recipient of the Kidlutions Solutions for Kids Preferred Product Award, Flip2BFit improves self-esteem, leadership skills and confidence through learning about the benefits of movement!
They have a world-wide outreach, as Ms. Parisi shares “my games are used here in the US as well as in Uganda (as shown in this YouTube video clip) promoting a fun way to live and learn about healthy lifestyles and forming a bridge between first and third world countries showing that fitness and health are achievable by anyone and everyone if they are educated and opened up to the concept.” How children view fitness and physical activity has drastically changed over the years, “kids don’t understand what nutritional foods are or what the value of exercise and all components of a healthy lifestyle are – they spend all their time exercising their fingers and minds forgetting to move their bodies. Overseas kids are lacking in education and nutrition and don’t understand that muscles need to be used in order to have a strong body to fight disease” says Ms. Parisi.
For under $35.00 parents can end the days of “I’m bored!” from your children once and for all. Their two best selling products are the Flip2BFit®-Fitness in a Box and Bakari:
Flip2BFit®-Fitness in a Box is a new kids fitness game. No equipment or experience is required; simply give the wheel a spin and pick a card. Participants either complete an exercise together as a team or as individuals. Kids will now associate moving their body with fun, laughter and silliness! They’ll complete tasks such as jumping jacks and running in place for cardio. Sit ups, lunges and planks for strength tasks. Stretching challenges include such moves as arms circles and toe touches, and the yoga tasks include childs pose and downward dog just to name a few!
Bakari is a memory game with a fitness twist. The word Bakari is a Swahili word that upon translation means “one who will succeed.” Empowerment even exists in the name of the game! Participants earn points by matching two physical activity cards, and then completing their tasks. An entertaining fitness and mind challenging game, you’ll improve your memory at the same time.
EVERY parent and educator should know about this innovative proactive company, as it does not disappoint! Their games make thoughtful gifts for your favorite teacher. Here’s what just one of their many fans has to say. Luke Mohatt, Camp Director at Oasis in Central Park, New York raves “Flip2BFit and Bakari were invaluable assets for our campers and counselors this summer. Whether it was for a rainy day activity, during arrival and dismissal, or for an entire activity period these games got our campers up and moving in a way that was fun and educational! We absolutely LOVED the healthy eating tips that went along with the game play. It was so successful this summer that we actually implemented it into our after school programs this year as well! Thanks for making these great products that are enjoyed by kids and grown-ups alike!”
Follow them on Facebook, on Pinterest, and on Twitter for all updates and new product info!
Introduce the children in your life to the many benefits of living healthy! Flip2BFit offers board games and products that will encourage, empower and get your kids active…and loving it!
Order your family-fitness fun TODAY at www.flip2bfit.com, via email or call them directly at 516-473-6971.
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