April 25, 2024

Fuel your enthusiasm!

Fuel your enthusiasm!

#HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat happens every Monday at 5pm(Pacific)/8pm(Eastern) on Twitter. You’ll find exercise friends, workout tips and healthy living ideas. Join in the conversation with others also on their journey to fitness. Exchange ideas to solve your challenges and share your success to inspire others. Fueling your fitness enthusiasm has never been so easy and accessible!

Thank You #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat Sponsors! If you’re looking to add a little inspiration to your perspiration, give their links a click.

Shaping Her Esteem. Shaping Her Esteem (SHE) promotes the participation of girls in physical activity to increase their health and wellness. They share recipes, physical activity ideas, nutrition tips and motivational videos. They also organize 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.

Momentum. Momentum Jewelry’s signature piece is a delightfully comfortable bracelet that blends function with purpose. Intended for active use, it is washable, lightweight, and non-tarnishing. More importantly, their motivational and inspirational sayings are personalized and become internalized. Check them out on Twitter to see all their products.

RunnerBox.  Runnerbox delivers subscription boxes full of products hand selected to enhance the training, racing and recovery of runners, cyclists or triathletes. Now you can sample top gear just like the pro’s. It’s the perfect gift for yourself or someone else! Check out their Runnerbox, Tribox and Cyclebox. Follow them on Twitter for more info.

Aspen Yoga Mats. Aspen Yoga Mats supply a non-toxic mat that is comfortable, stable and weighs only 3.3 pounds. They offer custom embroidered mats. Or choose from one of their five designs: the Laughing Buddha, the Yin/Yang, the Orchid Branch, the iconic Aspen Leaf and the word BALANCE. Mats are available in five unique colors: Pink, Turquoise, Tangerine, Aloe and Plum. Yoga mats made according to your interests and energy! Check them out on Twitter!

KIND Healthy Snacks. They are your healthy food choice with a positive mission of promoting kindness. With a variety of snacks from which to choose, you’ll rest assured you’re feeding your fitness with healthy and nutritious ingredients. Give their savory STRONG & KIND bars a try to power your workout, or try their most popular Nuts & Spices bars for a healthy mid-day snack. Follow them on Twitter to stay up to date.

Your Kinesiology Taping Solution

If you suffer from muscle or joint pain, post-exercise fatigue or nagging injuries, there is help. Your answer is simply one click away. Meet Theratape.com!

Theratape is the leading online supplier of kinesiology tape, the colorful tape that can now be seen at virtually every major sporting event, as well as physical therapy clinics, chiropractic offices and training rooms. Since its debut at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, kinesiology tape has taken both the sports world and the therapy world by storm and is showing no signs of slowing down. This popularity is understandable when you consider that an expenditure of $10-$20 can purchase a product that can provide round-the-clock relief from pain and inflammation for up to 5 days, as well as accelerate the healing process.

Joanne Stapensea, M.Sc., an exercise physiologist and owner of Theratape.com says the benefits of kinesiology taping are many, with the user often experiencing relief and improved function almost immediately. Health and fitness experts agree. Using kinesiology tape can:

Speed Workout Recovery. Whether you work out a few times a week or participate in competitive multi-day athletic events, recovery is key! K-taping increases circulation to those working muscles, which means that more oxygen and nutrients are being delivered and more exercise byproducts like lactic acid are being removed.  The result? Less residual fatigue and muscle soreness and a faster return to peak performance levels.

Decrease Pain. Whether it’s a fresh injury or a chronic muscle or joint ache, kinesiology taping can help relieve the pain. The stretchy tape lifts the skin just enough to reduce pressure on sensitive pain receptors, providing drug-free relief the entire time it is worn.

Keep You Active. Because it provides pain relief and support without restricting range of motion, k-tape can allow people with injuries to continue to train and/or compete as they recover. What could be better than continuing in your sport and healing at the same time?

Correct Muscle Imbalances. Depending on the method of application, kinesiology taping can activate weak/poorly toned muscles or inhibit overactive muscles. This allows it to help correct muscle imbalances and dysfunctional postures that can lead to injuries or performance problems. Better posture means you’re decreasing risk of injury, and working at full functional power!

Wondering how kinesiology tape can do all that? For your own tutorial on how kinesiology tape works click here!

Theratape.com was born in the Spring of 2009. “I first saw Kinesio Tape at the 2008 Beijing Olympics on the US beach volleyball gold medalist” explains Joanne Stapensea, Theratape’s owner.  “I started searching for the tape online and had a very difficult time finding it. I realized that if I was having trouble finding it, there were probably thousands of other people in the same boat. That looked to me like a need just waiting to be filled!” she shares. “We now ship worldwide, supplying kinesiology tape to individuals, schools, clinics, hospitals and the military.”

Theratape.com is unique because it is the only source for all of the major kinesiology tape brands, varieties, accessories and educational materials. Among the many choices are:

Single Rolls – approximately 16 feet long, great for first aid kits, sports bags and personal use

Bulk Rolls – over 100 feet of tape, ideal for health professionals and athletic trainers

Precut Strips – varying widths and lengths of strips precut into X, Y, I or fan shapes

Precut Applications and Taping Kits – designed for specific body parts, these are perfect for traveling and on-the-go sporting events

Specialty Tapes – gentle or extra-strong adhesive, wide or narrow widths and more

With prices starting at just $8, you’ll find kinesiology taping is a cost-effective option. With so many choices available, there really is a type of tape for every athlete, every muscle and to support nearly every sport or fitness endeavor. However, if you don’t find what you’re looking for, simply drop Theratape an email via info@theratape.com.

File Theratape.com under extra-cool because they go the extra mile to inspire their customers. In addition to their wide selection of kinesiology tape and supplies, the Theratape Education Center goes one step further to educate health and fitness enthusiasts of the benefits of their products and how to use them correctly. “In the Education Center you can view hundreds of instructional videos and find printable application instructions, all organized by body part” offers Joanne. Especially useful to visitors is their YouTube channel highlighting taping applications for a wide variety of injuries and health conditions. One click and you’ll be a fan as you learn the basics in an easy to follow step-by-step format.

Are you a Health and Fitness Professional? Register in their database to secure your discount here. Order all of your patient supplies in one convenient spot, AND read reviews and reports to stay current on research all relevant to the taping world.

So if you’re looking to recover faster, decrease injuries and improve posture and muscle function, consider giving kinesiology tape from Theratape.com a try. Find all your kinesiology taping supplies and information in one easy to use online location. Join their Twitter and Facebook communities to discover why fellow athletes rave about the benefits of kinesiology tape. Make Theratape.com your kinesiology taping solution!

Your Kinesiology Taping Solution

If you suffer from muscle or joint pain, post-exercise fatigue or nagging injuries, there is help. Your answer is simply one click away. Meet Theratape.com!

Theratape is the leading online supplier of kinesiology tape, the colorful tape that can now be seen at virtually every major sporting event, as well as physical therapy clinics, chiropractic offices and training rooms. Since its debut at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, kinesiology tape has taken both the sports world and the therapy world by storm and is showing no signs of slowing down. This popularity is understandable when you consider that an expenditure of $10-$20 can purchase a product that can provide round-the-clock relief from pain and inflammation for up to 5 days, as well as accelerate the healing process.

Joanne Stapensea, M.Sc., an exercise physiologist and owner of Theratape.com says the benefits of kinesiology taping are many, with the user often experiencing relief and improved function almost immediately. Health and fitness experts agree. Using kinesiology tape can:

Speed Workout Recovery. Whether you work out a few times a week or participate in competitive multi-day athletic events, recovery is key! K-taping increases circulation to those working muscles, which means that more oxygen and nutrients are being delivered and more exercise byproducts like lactic acid are being removed.  The result? Less residual fatigue and muscle soreness and a faster return to peak performance levels.

Decrease Pain. Whether it’s a fresh injury or a chronic muscle or joint ache, kinesiology taping can help relieve the pain. The stretchy tape lifts the skin just enough to reduce pressure on sensitive pain receptors, providing drug-free relief the entire time it is worn.

Keep You Active. Because it provides pain relief and support without restricting range of motion, k-tape can allow people with injuries to continue to train and/or compete as they recover. What could be better than continuing in your sport and healing at the same time?

Correct Muscle Imbalances. Depending on the method of application, kinesiology taping can activate weak/poorly toned muscles or inhibit overactive muscles. This allows it to help correct muscle imbalances and dysfunctional postures that can lead to injuries or performance problems. Better posture means you’re decreasing risk of injury, and working at full functional power!

Wondering how kinesiology tape can do all that? For your own tutorial on how kinesiology tape works click here!

Theratape.com was born in the Spring of 2009. “I first saw Kinesio Tape at the 2008 Beijing Olympics on the US beach volleyball gold medalist” explains Joanne Stapensea, Theratape’s owner.  “I started searching for the tape online and had a very difficult time finding it. I realized that if I was having trouble finding it, there were probably thousands of other people in the same boat. That looked to me like a need just waiting to be filled!” she shares. “We now ship worldwide, supplying kinesiology tape to individuals, schools, clinics, hospitals and the military.”

Theratape.com is unique because it is the only source for all of the major kinesiology tape brands, varieties, accessories and educational materials. Among the many choices are:

Single Rolls – approximately 16 feet long, great for first aid kits, sports bags and personal use

Bulk Rolls – over 100 feet of tape, ideal for health professionals and athletic trainers

Precut Strips – varying widths and lengths of strips precut into X, Y, I or fan shapes

Precut Applications and Taping Kits – designed for specific body parts, these are perfect for traveling and on-the-go sporting events

Specialty Tapes – gentle or extra-strong adhesive, wide or narrow widths and more

With prices starting at just $8, you’ll find kinesiology taping is a cost-effective option. With so many choices available, there really is a type of tape for every athlete, every muscle and to support nearly every sport or fitness endeavor. However, if you don’t find what you’re looking for, simply drop Theratape an email via info@theratape.com.

File Theratape.com under extra-cool because they go the extra mile to inspire their customers. In addition to their wide selection of kinesiology tape and supplies, the Theratape Education Center goes one step further to educate health and fitness enthusiasts of the benefits of their products and how to use them correctly. “In the Education Center you can view hundreds of instructional videos and find printable application instructions, all organized by body part” offers Joanne. Especially useful to visitors is their YouTube channel highlighting taping applications for a wide variety of injuries and health conditions. One click and you’ll be a fan as you learn the basics in an easy to follow step-by-step format.

Are you a Health and Fitness Professional? Register in their database to secure your discount here. Order all of your patient supplies in one convenient spot, AND read reviews and reports to stay current on research all relevant to the taping world.

So if you’re looking to recover faster, decrease injuries and improve posture and muscle function, consider giving kinesiology tape from Theratape.com a try. Find all your kinesiology taping supplies and information in one easy to use online location. Join their Twitter and Facebook communities to discover why fellow athletes rave about the benefits of kinesiology tape. Make Theratape.com your kinesiology taping solution!

Small Changes Lead to Big Results by Josh Anderson

Small Changes Lead to Big Results

Who wants to live their life losing 10 pounds in a week only to regain 15 pounds after quitting their incredibly hard diet? Many people do this continually – wash and repeat. That sounds like a terrible version of the Twilight Zone – harming your metabolic capabilities and hurting your psyche. So what’s a person to do? One option to shoot for a realistic caloric deficit of 100-200 per day that can result in 0.8 – 1.7 pounds a month which seems trivial but that equals 10 – 20 pounds a year respectively! The best part is creating a gentle caloric deficit like this is really simple.

Here are two options:

Snack Swap: If you would simply swap your normal, at-work vending machine snack with a piece of fruit, you could have cut out 150-200 calories! Get this; one 2oz. (56g) bag of salted potato chips has roughly 307 calories which you could have swapped for something like a large peach which has only 68 calories (175g; not to mention the vitamins, nutrients, fiber…etc.). With that swap you would actually be eating more food while saving yourself 239 calories. Do that every day for a month and you save 7100+ calories which equals to 24.9 pounds worth of calories a year!

Drop the Sugary Drinks: Sugary drinks are literally packing the pounds on people; they are so easy to consume! Let’s take the example of your typical classic Coca-Cola (12 ounce can) which has roughly 140 calories in it. If you simply stop drinking one soda per day you can literally cut out 4200 a month or 14.6 pounds a year worth of calories (51,000+) – that’s pretty simple!

Wrap-Up

It’s not all about cutting out calories; it’s about living a long, healthy life. If you’ve tried and failed in the past, it’s time to stop thinking of weight loss as a sprint. Instead, start thinking of weight loss as a fulfilling journey. Have patience with yourself in order to make weight loss work – make the small changes and give it time!

Josh (M.S.) is an AFAA Certified Personal Trainer and the founder of Always Active Athletics: “Your #1 Source For At-Home Fitness and Nutrition”.  He loves blending science with sustainable practices that can be implemented by literally anyone in order to live a healthy life!

Fitness Goals: The Mental Side by Tera Busker


So much attention is focused on the physical side of goal setting, but what about the mental and emotional aspect of striving to reach a goal that’s important to you? Train and prepare your mind, as well as your body. Only then will your experience be complete…and more enjoyable!

Every day is a new day, a new week and a new chance to start working towards your goals. So, what are goals exactly? Goals are something that are within your reach that you WANT. It may take WORK to reach them, but the WANT will carry you to them.

Enjoy the journey. Sometimes we get stuck in the “work” part of the goal. It’s too hard, it’s too far away, it will take too long, and we forget about why we wanted to reach the goal in the first place. The fire that burned inside of us, the excitement, the JOY. Your goal is obviously something that you want and is going to be awesome when you reach it, so why not enjoy the journey until you get there?

Focus on the positive. You are working towards something positive, so if you stay positive and focus on how great the changes are, you will keep moving forward. If you get stuck in the negative or keep looking for the negative, you will have an awful time.

Your experience is your choice. You may struggle or have bad days, but look at those as lessons learned. You found a way that doesn’t keep you on track, so don’t go down that path again. See, negative into a positive. You are the one who is on this journey – you control how you experience it. You can make the best of it or you can make the worst of it.

 

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

Buddy Friendly Fitness by Nicole Bryan

Want to invite your friend to exercise with you? A medicine ball makes a great buddy friendly fitness equipment option. The following is for intermediate exercisers without injury concerns. Consult your physician before beginning exercise.
 

Begin with a 5lb or 8lb medicine ball. A few rules to remember when working with a weighted ball. Firstly, only work in a range of motion that you can control. So if you’re using momentum, risk of injury is greatly increased. Secondly, do not sacrifice form for repetitions, ever. When your form starts to fade, your set is over. Finally, start light. Choose a light weighted ball when learning a new exercise.
 

Rotate and Pass. Standing back to back. Turn to your right and pass the ball as fast as you can control to your friend. Your friend takes hold of the ball and passes it to you via his or her right side as well. Continue passing the medicine ball clock-wise for 15 rotations. Repeat passing the ball to your left in a counter clock-wise direction.

Squat and Toss. Stand facing one another. Perform a squat and then toss the ball under-hand to your partner. Your partner catches the ball and immediately drops into a squat, stands up straight again and tosses the ball back to you. Perform 15 squats and tosses each.

Jog and Toss. Stand facing one another about 4 feet apart. Jog to your right about 10 feet, tossing the ball back and forth as quickly as you are able. Stop, change directly and jog to your left about 10 feet tossing the ball back and forth. Repeat 5 total sets.

Ready, Set, GOAL! By Tera Busker

Ready, set, GOAL!

You have been training and working hard towards a goal and BAM – you hit a road block. Whether it be an injury, a change in plans or an act of God, you are sidelined. You now have 2 choices. You can A) give up or B) get back in the game. You don’t have to let a setback be the end of your journey – you can take the opportunity to view it as a set UP to a new goal.

A Goal Within A Goal

Many athletes train for a particular event only to be stopped in their tracks by an injury. They don’t give up and throw in the towel.  They reassess their overall goal by reaching for a new goal – recovery. Their eyes are still on the big prize, but they have to work on a new goal in order to get back in the game. Take a cue from them and set yourself up for a new venture. As you heal , try a new activity like yoga or swimming. As you recover, you can still “compete” by challenging yourself to learn and perfect a new pose or stroke.

Change Of Plans

Maybe your setback was due to change of plans on your part or the event itself. This happens A LOT to runners because of poor weather conditions. It’s very frustrating, but if you trained for a race your training doesn’t have to be for nothing. Find another race! Running a race that you don’t have planned or is unfamiliar to you can be exciting and fun. If finding another race is not an option, then run your own race. When the weather improves or your schedule clears up, map out the distance you planned to run and get after it. You may not get a finisher medal, but knowing you stuck with it is reward enough.

It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over

Sometimes setbacks actually mean giving up on your goal. Things happen that can permanently halt your progress, but don’t let it stop you from excelling. Find a new goal that fits into your life and your abilities but also takes you out of your comfort zone. The fear of something new and challenging can be refreshing and exciting. Excel. No matter what your setback is, don’t let it get you down. It may take you a little longer to reach your goal or take you in a totally different  direction, but you can still persevere.

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

Core Defined by Tera Busker

What is my core?

Your “core” is defined as your body minus legs and arms. The core is made up of approximately 29 muscles that include: the rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus, obliques, erector spinae, diaphragm, hip flexor group and the pelvic floor muscles.

Why should I strengthen my core?

What does the core have to do with working out? EVERYTHING!!!! When you are exercising
your legs and arms are doing the movements, but the core is really the star of the show. The core is the body’s best multi-tasker.

The Core:

• helps you stay balanced on inclines, declines and unstable terrain

• stabilizes the spine and keeps it erect

• acts as an “Internal Brace” by holding the ab muscles tight to support the back

• regulates your breathing

• assists in making your body move as efficiently as possible, which decreases the chance of injuries

If your core is weak it can lead to inefficient movements that could cause injuries or patterns of injuries. Strengthening this important area will lessen the chance of injuries, improve your posture and optimize your Overall performance.

How do I improve core strength?

Improving core strength is about selecting the right exercises for your individual needs.You are a unique individual, so your program will vary from the next person, but here are a few simple exercises that will start you down the right path:

Planks

1. Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.

2. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.

3. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.

4. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle.

5. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.

Supermans

1. Lie on your stomach on a mat with your legs extended and arms extended overhead with palms facing each other. Relax your head to align it with your spine.

2. Exhale, contract your core muscles to stabilize your spine and slowly raise both legs a few inches off the floor while simultaneously raising both arms a few inches off the floor. Keep both legs and arms extended and avoiding any rotation in each. Maintain your head and torso position, avoiding any arching in your back or raising of your head. Hold this position briefly.

Birddogs

1. Begin on hands and knees with the back straight and the abs pulled in.

2. Lift the right arm up until it is level with the body and parallel to the floor.

3. At the same time, lift the left leg up and straighten it until it is also parallel to the floor.

4. Hold for a moment, lower and repeat on the other side, this time lifting the left arm and right leg.

Side Plank

1. Lie on your side on a mat with extended legs and stacking your feet one on top of the other.

2. Place your right elbow directly under your shoulder, align your head with your spine and keep your hips and knee in contact with the exercise mat.

3. Lift your hips and knees off the mat and keep head aligned with your spine. Keep your elbow positioned directly under your shoulder.

Hip Bridge

1. Lie on your back on a mat in a bent-knee position with your feet flat on the floor.

2. Place your feet hip-width apart with the toes facing away from you.

3. Gently contract your abdominal muscles to flatten your low back into the floor.

4. Exhale and press your hips upwards off the floor into extension by contracting your glutes. At the same time press your heels into the floor for more stability. Avoid pushing your hips too high as this generally increases the amount of hyperextension (arching) in your low back.

5. Inhale and slowly lower yourself back towards your starting position.

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

Are you GUILTY of these workout mistakes? By Gen Preece


How to get REAL RESULTS from your exercise in 2015

Come January, we start back with a vengeance, determined to shift the Christmas flab; while feeling generally depressed, out of shape and giving up after a few weeks of colder weather and darker days. And reaching for the chocolate and wine to give ourselves a boost…

 

So here are big fitness mistakes that you can easily AVOID making this winter:

1) Having an “All or Nothing” attitude

Adopting this attitude places an immense amount of pressure on us to be 100% ‘perfect’ 100% of the time. And we all know how easy that is. More often than not, even if one managed to adopt this way of behaving for a couple of weeks, “falling off the wagon” eventually becomes inevitable.

What you can do instead: Take it one day at a time, telling yourself it’s about progress – not perfection. Trying to maintain an unrealistic way of living, combined with such an immense amount of pressure in the first place will only set you up for a perpetual ‘binge and start over’ cycle. If you have a slip up, just say to yourself “Whoops, I lost it again” and get right back on it starting with your next meal. It doesn’t make you a failure, it makes you a human being.

 

2) Too much exercise too soon

Thousands of gyms and health clubs DEPEND on this behaviour, evident from the surge in sign-
ups from new members and visits from existing members trying to get their money’s worth from January 1st. Whereas I’m (funnily enough) a big fan of regular exercise, the mistake so many seem to make is trying too much too soon, without the correct guidance. This can often result in injury and an (understandable) reluctance to continue.

What you can do instead: Be honest with yourself and find something you enjoy. If you like being in nature, find some long country walks. If you dislike the idea of the gym, cancel your existing membership or don’t join one. If you need advice, chat to a few personal trainers and find one you click with. Many of our Boot Camp class attendees were looking for something they could work hard at, but at a pace they are comfortable with. And that’s pretty much why we created it!

Remember, there is no magic-bullet, just the ability to take ownership and responsibility for the choices we make. YOU and ONLY YOU are accountable, and it was not until I embraced this and changed my own lifestyle, that I started to see results. I sincerely and wholeheartedly wish the same for you this New Year and always!

Gen Preece is an Advanced Personal Trainer and weight-loss specialist. She runs a private functional training studio in Southampton and a friendly Boot Camp class, helping to get people safe and permanent results.

Website: http://www.ptgen.co.uk, Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FasterPersonalTrainingSouthampton, Twitter: @PTGen

Need Workout Motivation?

Need workout motivation? Find your fitness motivation with us every Monday on Twitter.

Meet us at #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat on Twitter TOMORROW, Monday February 2nd at 5pm(Pacific)/8pm(Eastern)!

Here’s how to join in:

Log into Twitter. Enter hashtag #HealthyWayMag to follow the chat feed. Interact and chat with other fitness enthusiasts. We pose fitness-related questions for discussion, everyone joins in and offers their thoughts, tips, experience and advice. Instant motivation at your finger tips!

Tomorrow, February 2nd Fitness Chat is Sponsored by ENERGYbits:
ENERGYbits® is a high protein, low calorie snack gives unlimited energy as it is 100% organic spirulina algae. Spirulina contains as much gram for gram of calcium as milk, as well as containing 5 times more iron than spinach. ENERGYbits are easy to carry and convenient to consume before or even during your workout. It’s stomach-friendly and it’s packed with nutrients which means awesome energy for you. Follow them on Twitter via @ENERGYbits