Laziness Is No Excuse

I'm sorry I have been M.I.A., but right now school is taking over my life! I am trying to stay on top of my blog but unfortunately I am swamped with work. Hence the delay in posting. Trying to graduate is quite the task, let's just put it that way.

With summer coming up I wanna give you some quick tips on how to resist those tempting lazy days. Keep up with your workout schedule, especially with this weather. Get outside and stay active but remember to enjoy it!

• Find several fun and easy ways to exercise so it won't be a nagging task.
  
• Pick your best time. Choose a type of exercise that can fit smoothly into your schedule such as a brief walk at lunch, before dinner or doing errands.
  
• Have fun. Grab a friend (or friends) and take bike rides, learn to play tennis or golf. Blend more strenuous activities in throughout the week.
• Increase your pace gradually. Start with the fun stuff if you want, then work your way into some harder, demanding workouts.
  
• Don’t miss 3 workouts in a row, that's just creating a bad habit. Make it a solid commitment.
• Don’t let weather or other distractions become excuses to skip exercise.
  
• Work toward a reward such as new athletic shoes, a massage, or club membership. Treats for yourself are just as fun as the rewards you'll see in your body.
  
• Consider fitness a long-term project, build it by keeping weekly goals and then achieve them.
  
• Make working out convenient and accessible, get a few at-home workout videos and don't be tied down to one specific type of exercise.
  
• Think of the benefits while you’re exercising! Motivation baby.
  
• Make your routine a necessity, not a daily decision.

As hard as laziness is to resist, exercise is worth every ounce of energy you put in! You will never regret what you do, only what you do not.

TLC For Your Muscles

… Deep Breath… ah, you've finished your workout, you feel great. Time for a shower, right?

Wait, wait, wait, you are not going to stretch? A big no-no in my book. Stretching not only gives amazing benefits, it should be part of your exercise routine.

After every workout I take at least 20 minutes to stretch. It doesn't need to be saved for post-workout either, you can stretch when you wake up, before a workout, anytime is a good time to give your muscles some TLC.

So why is it so important and what does it do for you?

The MayoClinic offers these benefits:

• Increases flexibility: Daily tasks like lifting, bending, rushing, all become less tiresome and straining.
  
• Improves range of motion: This benefits your joints, promoting, better balance and coordination.
  
• Improves circulation: This increases blood flow to your muscles which can speed up recovery of muscle injury.
  
• Encourages better posture: Regular stretching allows muscles to stay loose, helping posture and eliminating aches and pains.
  
• Relieves stress: Stretching helps alleviate tension that can often coincide with stress.
  
• May prevent injury: It prepares your muscles and joints for activity by lessening the chances of a pull or tear.
  

A myth that is often associated with stretching is that you must do it before you begin your workout, but instead you need to get your muscles warm, try jumping jacks and a brisk walk on the treadmill for five or so minutes, then do some stretching. It doesn't prevent soreness but can help ease pain that may be associated with it.

Three key elements to a great stretch routine are taking it slow, breathing and staying stagnant. Relax your body and breath while you reach, don't bounce, when you begin to feel a stretch (tightening) in the muscle, hold for 20-30 seconds.

Check out these stretches, complete with pictures and start reaping the benefits of a good stretch.

Quick Facts: Get Steamy for Endurance

A study by the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport reports that hitting the sauna post-workout can increase endurance.

Studying male runners for three weeks who sat in a dry sauna for 30 minutes after each workout, found an increase in their ability to run longer. The average guy who ran to exhaustion in 18.2 minutes improved to 14.1 minutes, about a 30 percent increase. (That cuts an average of about four minutes, Whoa!)

Co-author Jim Cotter, Ph.D. says the extreme heat causes the body to hold more water in the bloodstream, particularly plasma (the liquid part of the blood), which may cause the heart to distribute more blood, and inturn improving endurance.

So get a little steamy and run a little longer!

These are a Few of my Favorite Things

I am a bit of a health nut, or so some say, and I thought I should share some of my favorite healthy addictions. Throughout my day I try to eat small meals and maintain a balance. No cutting out any food groups for me.

I'm constantly on the go, running to and from classes, work, and studying, but finding time to eat right is still a big priority. Here are some healthy (but yummy) things I just could not live without!

Quaker Chewy Granola Bars-With only 90 Calories each and flavors like oatmeal raisin, strawberry vanilla, and dark chocolate cherry, I've always got one of these stashed in my purse.

Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt- The perfect refreshing snack at 60 calories, no added sugar and oh so tasty flavors. Try white-chocolate raspberry and mango-orange, yumm!

Special K Cereals- I am a cereal lover, could eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Most of the cereals are 100 calories per bowl, low in fat and are full of good-for-you vitamins. I love Special K's, Protein Plus and Berries & Yogurt.

Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop Butter- Great snack, high in fiber, whole grain, low in calories and fat. Perfect for a snack at the office or while relaxing in front of the TV.

Ground Turkey Breast- Making custom turkey burgers is a summer time favorite for me. Chop up some onion, green pepper, add seasoning, garlic, tbsp worcestershire sauce, form patties and throw them on the grill. Guaranteed hit and great alternative to a fatty burger! (I also make chili, spaghetti and tacos for a leaner dish.)

Also I buy bags of lettuce to make it really easy to throw together a salad to-go. Add some pre-chopped veggies and Oscar Meyers Chicken Strips in a tupperware, for an easy lunch that's healthy. Try the grilled, southwestern, oroven roasted chicken strips, they add flavor and protein to any salad.

Those are some great products to keep in mind when shopping healthy, but I never leave the supermarket without bananas, oranges, grapes or apples, fruit is the perfect on-the-go snack for anytime of day. (Freeze grapes and orange slices for a fun frozen treat!)

Balance is the essential ingredient to any diet, so when your shopping check out your cart, do you have veggies, fruits, dairy, whole-grains and protein? Want to know more? --> Mypyramid.gov

Don’t Hate…Motivate!

For me, the last five minutes of my run or those last two reps are the hardest. It's when I just want to stop and my brain is thinking, good enough!

It's important to keep going though, push yourself, not only finish the five minutes, but to increase speed. And to do three reps and another set.

Motivation and optimism are the keys to success in fitness. Just when you think you can breathe or your legs are about to fall off is when your body is peaking, it's getting everything it can from all the work you're putting in.

Just remember it's all in your head. Here are a few phrases that push me through those moments I want to give up.

• "What doesn't kill me, can only make me stronger" Lyrics by Kanye West
• If you don't focus on your butt, no one will.
• Push the stress out!
• "1 and then the 2, 2 and then the 3, 3 and then the 4, and then you gotta breathe." Lyrics by Fabolous
• This is not the hardest thing I've ever done.
• I am strong beyond belief. I am powerful beyond measure.
• I will not regret what I do, only what I do not.
• Pain is temporary, quitting is forever.
• Pain is just weakness leaving the body.
• Hey, maybe even try a little reverse psychology like, you can't do it!

Check out WebMD's ways to "think thin."

Keeping yourself in check is beneficial to your fitness yes, but according to some experts, optimism can help with everything from boosting your immune system, to making better decisions, to improving heart health. Balance your body and mind by keeping your glass, half full

Oh, and remember to SMILE! :o)

Lucky Number 3

I have always had the bad habit of eating too fast, but that isn’t as bad as my habit of eating everything (and then some) on my plate. I love to eat. I get pleasure from a great meal and a glass of red wine, but more recently caught onto my overstuffing habits!

Here are three simple solutions Fitness Magazine offers that have really helped me control calories and still enjoy my meals.

1. Leave at least three generous bites on your plate.
A little portion control can go a long way, Fitness Mag reports a study found that obese patients given a plate or bowl of actual portion size were almost four times more likely to have lost, at least five percent of their body weight, after six months. By leaving a few bites, you can often cut 40-60 calories from a meal.

2. Ban three high calorie foods from your diet.

• Skip the syrupy Starbucks: A grande low-fat caramel macchiato has 240 calories and 7 grams of fat. Instead, try a tall skinny mocha, fat free milk and syrup, eliminates fat and can save 120 calories!
• Split your bagel: A bagel is about 300 to 400 calories (and equals four slices of bread!) Lose half and cut 150 to 200 calories.
• Minus the Cheese: Save 111 calories and 9 grams of fat by replacing the cheddar on a sandwich for mustard, says Fitness Magazine.

3. Eat breakfast!
By eating about 300 calories for breakfast, you will likely eat 100 calories less daily. People who eat a morning bowl of cereal are less likely to become overweight than those who pass up their a.m. meal, says Susan Bowerman, assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. Also, you will have more energy and won’t be tempted to snack on high calorie foods throughout the day. Try one of these three to power up your morning, a bowl of whole grain cereal, an egg sandwich, or fat-free yogurt parfait.