Health & Fitness

Time Saving Workouts

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If you are travelling or have a busy schedule and your time is limited, even just fitting in an short 20 to 30 minute workout can be very effective if you work hard.

Below are a few quick workouts you can try anywhere:

 

CARDIO BLAST

10 minute run

1 minute walk/1 minute run (Repeat 5 times)

15 cycle crunches

20 crunches (hold abs and hold the crunch for a few seconds before lowering to the floor)

1 minute plank

30 fast mountain climbers

AB WORKOUT

1 minute plank

15 reverse crunches

1 minute V-Sit

20 bicycle crunches

30 seconds side plank (both sides)

Rest for 1 to 2 minutes and repeat 3 times

All OVER WORKOUT

30 squats

15-20 press ups

30 mountain climbers

1 minute plank

30 jump jacks

30 cycle crunches

Rest for 2 minutes and repeat up to 5 times

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simple Fitness Tips

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  1.  Try to exercise most days even if it’s just going for a walk, doing yoga or swimming. It doesn’t have to be hard core every day but try to get into the habit of moving as much as possible.
  2. Set realistic goals that you are more likely to stick to, you won’t lose weight overnight or suddenly become fit, it takes time. Aim to just lose 1 or 2 kg a month or start using the gym just 2 or 3 times a week, even if it’s for just for 20 minutes. You are more likely to stick to the new routine and be successful.
  3. Try interval training, you can use any machine or even run outside, try a 20 minute interval session by going hard for 3 minutes and taking 1 minute easy, repeat this 5 or 6 times. You will burn more calories and make the session more interesting.
  4. Aim to eat more natural foods, avoiding junk and processed foods. Try to eat plenty of colourful fruits and vegetables, around 5 to 7 portions a day.
  5. Drink more water and avoid plastic bottles by using glass or a stainless steel flask to help protect the environment. Aim to drink 2 litres a day.
  6. Try to think positively, say to your self you enjoy exercise, you feel fitter each day or I am losing weight.

Keeping Your Fitness-Related New Year’s Resolutions Throughout the Year By Paige Johnson

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Four months since the year started and here we are trying to check if our goals have been met. Are you struggling with keeping up with those new year’s resolutions? Don’t worry we still have three more quarters of 2018 to do it. 

One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is losing weight. Many people start the year off by starting a diet, working out at the gym or going for a jog three to four days of week. But sooner or later, life gets in the way and they give up. Maybe it’s because they’re working a lot of overtime hours or they have to chauffer their kids to football or violin practice. But there are ways to keep your fitness resolutions throughout the year.

Tap into a few tips on how to continue a sensible fitness program even when life gets crazy.

Squeeze in Some Exercise

Many people have a fast-paced lifestyle. Working long hours, commuting long distances to our jobs, housework, caring for family responsibilities and a host of other activities can interfere with even the most committed exerciser. If you have trouble finding time to exercise, find ways to sneak exercise into your life.

When you’re at work, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Instead of calling or emailing a coworker, leave your deskand go to your coworker’s cubicle or office. Take a brisk walk on your lunch break. As you walk, eat a healthy on-the-go lunch. Find a co-worker who commits to walking with you each day. It will make you accountable to someone else so you’re less likely to skip the workout.

Do you have to make a trip to the grocery store? If it’s safe, park far away from the store’s entrance. You’ll have to do a bit more walking, ultimately burning a few more calories. Yes, you have to take your daughter to softball practice at the park. But that doesn’t mean you have to sit in the bleachers watching her the whole time. Why not take a brisk walk around the park? You’ll get some exercise and relieve stress at the same time.

Create a Home Gym

When you get off from work, sometimes you just don’t feel like working out at a gym. Fighting traffic to get to a fitness center makes many people reluctant to make the trip. It’s easier to create your own home gym. It doesn’t take a lot of money either. Light weights, an inexpensive stationary bike or a jump rope can provide the foundation for your new home gym. After awhile, you may want to invest in a low-priced treadmill, elliptical machine or a vertical climber. You can even try equipment like kettlebells or weighted hoops as a fun way to get fit and lose weight.

Workout Videos

Workout videos have come a long way since the 1980s. Whether you have a hankering to do kickboxing, yoga, Pilates, cardio dance, ballet barre workouts or strength training, there’s a video out there just for you. Fitday.com reports that using workout DVDs allows you to exercise in the comfortof your own living room.

And don’t forget that the Internet has a ton of streaming exercise videos for you to try. Check out some of the free videos on YouTube. Some exercise programs touted by fitness gurus can be streamed online, too. You just have to pay a monthly subscription or pay to download a workout to your chosen device.

Recovering from Addiction

If you are a recovering addict, exercise provides a wealth of benefits. According to the Chicago Tribune, “[t]he human brain experiences a chemical rewardwhen we exercise.” In other words, exercise is a great way to battle addiction. Instead of using drugs to experience a high, exercising regularly provides the addict with a natural high. This can help the recovering addict remain drug free. Two excellent exercises for recovering addictsare hiking and yoga. Yoga teaches you to focus only on the present moment; being able to let go of your worries and struggles with your recovery, even briefly, can be the best medicine for you.

People throughout the world make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight and get fit. But those noble intentions fall by the wayside when the weeks and months fly by. Life’s daily stresses and responsibilities often interfere with workout goals. And it seems like there just isn’t enough time to exercise. But if you find ways to sneak in some fitness, build your own home gym or use a variety of workout videos, you have a better chance of sticking to your goal.

Guest Post By Paige Johnson at Learn Fit.

www.learnfit.org

 

 

 

 

7 Steps to a Healthier Lifestyle by Paige Johnson

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Maintaining your health just got a lot easier. Sometimes it only takes a simple plan to get us from a world of “Where do I start,” to a lifestyle of healthy and happy. Create your health plan by following 10 simple steps that will lead to a healthier lifestyle.

 

  1. Plan Your Meals

What you take in is just as important, if not more important, than what you work off. Find a healthy eating plan that fits you and your lifestyle and plan your meals a week in advance. By determining what your healthy meals will be, you won’t have to resort to fast food meals or junk food snacks. You will have already planned, purchased, and prepared your meals and snacks. Crockpot meals are great for eating healthy and saving you time. You can pre-make your meals and freeze them for another quick meal option later.

 

  1. Set Goals

It’s always encouraging to reach a goal or accomplish a new task. Take the time to set fitness goals for yourself, including things like: daily calorie intake, time spent engaging in a physical activity, or ideal body weight by the end of the week. Set your goals based on your current health level to give yourself a safe starting point. You can always increase them later.

 

  1. Record Your Exercise Accomplishments

As you work out, track your progress by keeping an exercise log. There are apps that serve as a fitness journal, or you can simply keep a notebook or spreadsheet in order to monitor your achievements. Your log will give you a visual of where you are on your journey as well as what you can improve in the future.

 

  1. Reward Success

Whenever you complete one of your goals, reward yourself! Maybe your prize can include something like going to see a movie, buying a new outfit, or throwing a few dollars in a vacation fund. It will be a fun incentive to help keep you on track, and encourage you along the way. Just avoid rewarding yourself with alcohol or other problematic substances.

 

  1. Raise Your Standards

Once your goals are met, it’s time to make new ones. Give yourself a slightly more challenging standard like more repetitions of a specific exercise, a longer running distance on the treadmill, or try a new machine at the gym. Give yourself further room to improve without making the new standards too easy, and never stop growing your skills.

 

  1. Maintain a Positive Attitude

Attitude is everything. If you have a negative attitude about your progress, you won’t have the motivation to keep up your fitness routine. Grab yourself a couple of motivational quotes to post on your bathroom mirror, leave in your car, or keep somewhere on your smartphone. You can take it one step further by finding a friend who can partner with you to encourage you in your health goals.

 

  1. Educate Yourself About New Health Studies

The complexity of the human body is constantly creating new advancements in health studies. Make sure you are doing the best exercises or diets for your body type. Stay up-to-date with the latest health and fitness news, and learn new ways to change up your routine as you go.

 

Now that you have a plan of action, try it out this week. Make your health plan your own, complete with a full set of planned meals, weekly goals, exercise routines, and a positive attitude. Take your next step to living a healthier lifestyle.

Author: Paige Johnson at www.learnfit.org

Reasons You Might Not Be Losing Weight

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You maybe following an exercise plan and eating healthier foods but not losing weight. Here are a few reasons why you may not be dropping those pounds.

Relying on exercise alone to lose weight

The best way to lose weight is to cut back on what you eat and increase calorie burning through exercise. Exercising without dieting won’t burn that many calories.  A hour of intense exercise may only burn 400-500 calories but you could be eating a lot more calories than you are burning up, so aim to diet and exercise together for better weight loss results.

Only doing cardio exercise

Building muscles mass will burn more calories so try adding a strength workout 3 times a week such as lifting weights, kettlebells, circuit training or power yoga.

Not drinking enough water

If you don’t drink enough water you are likely to become dehydrated, feel sluggish and can feel more hungry.  Aim to drink 2 litres of water every day and avoid juices, soda and sweetened iced tea’s which are full of calories. Aside from that, sipping water also helps fill up your belly and prevent bloating and constipation.

Skipping Meals

Skipping meals in an attempt to reduce calories can slow down you metabolism and make you feel hungry leading to more calories being consumed throughout the day. Lose weight by eating smaller, healthier, nutrient-rich foods and aim to eat lean protein such as chicken or fish, wholegrain carbohydrates such as oats, whole grain rice or quinoa and some monounsaturated good fats such as salmon, tuna, nuts and seeds.

Contact me for more information on my Diet and Exercise Plans:  [email protected]

SUPERFOODS FOR SPORTS

Adding Super Foods to your diet is an effective way to increase energy, promote good health and aid recovery from hard training. Here are some foods you should include in your diet:

Bananas

Bananas are great as a pre and post workout snack, containing potassium, magnesium and vitamin B6. They contain carbohydrates, help maintain low blood sugar, regulate digestion and re-fuel your body with electrolytes after exercise. Vitamin B6 in bananas acts as an anti-inflammatory agent

Quinoa

Quinoa is high in both carbohydrates and protein. It is great for vegetarians as it contains 10% of your daily iron needs in one serving. Iron is needed for the production of hemoglobin in your red blood cells. Runners tend to lose more iron due to the foot striking the ground (which breaks down red blood cells). If your iron level are low, your running performance is likely to suffer. Quinoa can be used in many dishes, or in salads.

Strawberries

Strawberries contain Vitamin C and anthocyanins – antioxidant flavonoids which help fight inflammation and repair the muscles.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is high in complex carbohydrates, it contains Vitamin B and is rich in minerals and antioxidants. It is a good source of protein and has a low glycemic index, which provides a sustained release of energy into the bloodstream. Oatmeal helps lower cholesterol and keeps you full for longer.

Spirulina

Spirulina is a great multivitamin, it’s natural and increases energy and endurance

Healthy Living

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Exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes

Get more Sleep, a minimum 7 to 8 hours a night

Drink more water, about 2 litres a day

Eat more fruits and vegetables, try juices or smoothies.

Replace white bread, pasta etc with the wholegrain variety

Reduce bad fats and sugars

Look after your emotional health by reducing stress, try a yoga class

Have a positive outlook and try to avoid negative people

Strengthening the muscles in your pelvis, back, hips and abdomen should be included in any fitness plan but these muscles are often neglected. If these muscles are trained, they will work together to improve stability and balance which is needed for most sports and for general day to day tasks.

With a stronger core you will look taller, slimmer and younger. Your body will be more aligned helping to delay ageing as your body will function correctly, joints will be protected and soreness and injuries can be prevented.