Tag: balance

You’ll only regret the workouts you don’t do!

You’ll only regret the workouts you don’t do!

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We all have days when we feel unmotivated, don’t want to workout, feel lazy, want to take a nap, or just want to do other things, but on those days it is important to still do some type of workout, whether it be a short one or long one, cardio or yoga, or a quick run.  Sometimes thinking about my favorite person who inspires me such as an athlete is enough to motivate me!  If you are having one of those days, think twice before you skip your workout and remember all the positives of a great workout, including the reasons below!

     100 Reasons to Exercise Now (Courtesy of Pinterest)

  1. Because it makes you feel confident
  2. Because it helps you get stronger
  3. Because exercise helps combat depression
  4. Because you’ll feel proud of yourself
  5. Because you have goals you want to reach
  6. Because you’ll feel bad if you don’t
  7. Because you want to move forward, not backward
  8. Because it burns more calories than not working out
  9. Because it improves your heart health
  10. Because you want a great butt
  11. Because it prevents diabetes
  12. Because you want to be a good example to your kids
  13. Because you want to feel good in your clothes
  14. Because it reduces your risk of cancer
  15. Because your body was made to move
  16. Because you want to be an athlete
  17. Because you want to look better
  18. Because it lifts your mood
  19. Because you want to stand taller
  20. Because it reduces back pain
  21. Because it feels good
  22. Because it makes you feel accomplished
  23. Because you spend most of your day on your butt
  24. Because swimsuit season is always coming
  25. Because strong is the new skinny
  26. Because dieting only works so much
  27. Because it strengthens your bones, too
  28. Because it helps you lose weight
  29. Because it allows you to eat more food
  30. Because it’s the best way to spend “me” time
  31. Because it helps you de-stress
  32. Because it’s cheaper than therapy
  33. Because you want a strong core
  34. Because you want to take care for yourself
  35. Because you take pride in your body
  36. Because it strengthens your legs
  37. Because it helps your clothes fit better
  38. Because you want to push yourself
  39. Because you are capable of more than you ever imagined
  40. Because moving your body feels good
  41. Because it keeps your mind sharp
  42. Because it helps you beat belly bloat
  43. Because it helps you sleep better at night
  44. Because it gives you energy
  45. Because you want to stay healthy as you age
  46. Because you want to look younger
  47. Because you want toned arms
  48. Because it improves your balance
  49. Because it burns off last night’s dessert
  50. Because it boosts your immune system
  51. Because sweat is sexy
  52. Because you want to live longer
  53. Because you want to get better at your game
  54. Because you want to catch someone’s eye
  55. Because exercisers earn more money
  56. Because you’re more likely to eat better when you exercise
  57. Because you want to shave time off your running pace
  58. Because you want to breathe easier
  59. Because you want to see the scale drop
  60. Because exercise improves your sex life
  61. Because you are worth it
  62. Because being fit makes everything in life better
  63. Because you promised yourself that you would
  64. Because you deserve a better life
  65. Because it’ll help you drink more water
  66. Because you want to do real push-ups
  67. Because it reduces your health care costs
  68. Because you’ll miss fewer days of work
  69. Because you want to create a new future for yourself
  70. Because it’ll help you like what you see in the mirror
  71. Because it makes clothing shopping more fun
  72. Because you want to look and feel incredible
  73. Because exercising can be fun
  74. Because it’ll give your skin a glow
  75. Because it’s a good way to spend time with your friends
  76. Because it’ll help you prevent the middle-age spread
  77. Because it reduces your blood pressure
  78. Because you don’t want to let yourself go
  79. Because you don’t want to squeeze into an airplane or rollercoaster seat
  80. Because it strengthens your spirit
  81. Because it’s a cheap way to entertain yourself
  82. Because you’ll be able to reward yourself
  83. Because you need a reason to wear those new workout clothes
  84. Because you’re tired of being tired
  85. Because not working out is not going to get you very far
  86. Because it’s a great way to spend time outside
  87. Because you made a commitment to yourself
  88. Because you’re tired of starting over
  89. Because there will always be another wedding, vacation or reunion
  90. Because you’re not a quitter
  91. Because it improves your cholesterol
  92. Because it boosts your metabolism
  93. Because it prevents age-related muscle loss
  94. Because if you can do this, you can do anything
  95. Because a fit body is a healthy body
  96. Because it beats sitting on the couch
  97. Because  everyone has at least 10 minutes to spare
  98. Because you want to be stronger than your excuses
  99. Because not working out isn’t working out for you
  100. Because the only workout you ever regret is the one you skip

Now, GO WORKOUT!  You will feel much better once you do!

~jj

Penciling in your workout!

Penciling in your workout!

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I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the trials and tribulations, chaos and exhaustion that life often throws at people since fall semester often means going back to school, preparing lunches again for kids, and after school sports and activities.  Further, people have surgery that you need to help take care of, you start a family, and you have unexpected work obligations and travel.  While all these tend to throw a curve ball, it doesn’t give you the excuse to skip your workout.  Working out helps reduce stress and relieve the tension that gets built up from the day.  When life gets busy, change your workout or rotate the days you do certain workouts so that a recovery workout might fall on a busier day, but still allows you to workout in some capacity.  Many, if not all of us, hold very busy lives and feel as though we never have enough time in the day, let alone time to set aside for exercising.  That’s everyone, right?!   We may not all have children, aging parents, a house to take care of, pets to walk, etc, but we do all have obligations and priorities to balance.

While you may not have a half hour, an hour, or even an hour and a half to dedicate to exercising or personal wellness each day, you do have small increments of time that can be used to exercise.  For example, you may have a 15 minute break at work where you can take a walk, do some jumping jacks and push-ups, go up and down the stairs, or sit at your desk and do leg lifts and weights (keep a set in the office to make it easy on yourself).  Two 15 minute breaks will allow you to get at least 30 minutes of exercise in each day.  Don’t get any breaks at work or it isn’t something that is consistent?  Stop spending so much time on Facebook, Twitter, Pineterst, and other social media websites every single day, every single hour.  I hear people say all the time, “I am so busy I barely have time to keep up with my house, my friends and family, my pets, and still sit down and relax.”  This is a huge pet peeve when most people spend hours on Facebook ad social media or watching television.  If you have time to look at random Facebook statuses all day, then believe me, I promise you have time to set aside 30 minutes to take care of your mind and body.  And guess what?  All those Facebook statuses, Twitter feed updates, and Pinterest projects will still be waiting for you when you are done!  Remember your health is more important than sitting for 3 or more hours on social media sites, so rather than skip a workout, delay it if you need to!

With unexpected work obligations and travel, consider a workout that can be done using only your body and can be done almost anywhere with a small amount of space such as in a hotel room.  For example, crunches, push-ups, jumping jacks, and other 20-30 minute workouts can be done doing repetitive sets of exercises that only require using your own body weight!  These exercises are not only convenient, but also tend to be less intrusive on your joints than machines.  For me, using my body weight versus using machines is the best change I have made in my life to improve my workouts and make me feel so much better!  I try to remind everyone, we are all different, so what works for me may not work for you, but I do hope my tips and tricks may provide guidance and encouragement!

Your workout should fit your schedule and lifestyle because this is what helps you stay on track, prevents you from skipping workouts, and from giving up.  If that means yoga and a walk at 6:30am so that you can get your workout done before work then you should do that.  A workout could be two 15 minute breaks during the day or over your lunch, a group fitness class or club that meets 3 times a week, it could be working out with your kids during the day, taking your baby and a jogging stroller to your gym and running on the track, yard work, doing exercises every time you get up to make copies at work, etc.  Your workout can fit into any small windows of time that you have rather than feeling like you need to have a block of time set aside.  If you “pencil in your workout” at the beginning of each day, it has been shown that you are more likely to exercise and meet your fitness goals.

~jj

Replace + Reduce > Rationalizing

Replace + Reduce > Rationalizing

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All too often I hear people say, “I worked out earlier, so it means I can eat this cake and cookies now” or “I ate fruit at breakfast and a side of vegetables at lunch so I can cheat at dinner” or the best one is “I ate clean all week, so it means I can eat whatever I want this weekend” but rationalizing your choices when it comes to your health is not a good compromise or balance.  Try replacing rather than rationalizing to reduce your calories and your chances for heart disease (which I will add is the number one killer of Americans yet can be reduced by the choices we make).

I am not suggesting that you don’t allow yourself to eat sweets or desserts, but getting into the habit of rationalizing your choices is a sure way to lose track of your fitness goals and see a decrease in your progress.  Instead, eat in moderation and remember that replacing with fruits and veggies rather than rationalizing with junk food will boost your energy level and make you feel much better.  Consider replacing at least one food item at each meal to reduce the fat content, sodium, and carb load that is almost always higher than it should be.  Replace unhealthy sides such as mashed potatoes for a baked potato or make mashed potatoes that are 1/2 cauliflower and 1/2 potato and use Greek yogurt, low fat milk, and unsalted butter to get the creamy consistency you want.  Replace onion rings or french fries for healthy veggies such as grilled onions or roasted potatoes.  Further, at breakfast, replace potatoes and bacon in an omelette for veggies such as spinach (leafy greens are great for you!) and mushrooms.  At lunch, replace BBQ potato chips for plain tortilla chips or unsalted almonds and a BLT or chicken quesadilla for a turkey, spinach, and cheese wrap.  Small healthy choices at each meal may not seem that important, but small steps can help make a big difference in the overall progress you see.  Three small healthy choices (one at each meal) is a great way to work on making progress over time.

Remember that when you eat like crap, you often feel like crap so don’t use your weekend as an excuse to give up on your goals.  Instead eat for success because no diet does what healthy eating will do for your life.  It will change your mood, stress, and energy level!  Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to eat less, just eat right! 🙂

~jj

A recipe for health: Summer Spaghetti

A recipe for health: Summer Spaghetti

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I thought it would be different to share a healthy recipe today.  I am a huge pasta fan so I thought my simple Summer Spaghetti recipe would be a great one to share.  You can vary it however you want and feel good about eating it because it is much lighter than a typical “red sauce spaghetti.”

Summer Spaghetti

-whole wheat pasta of your choice (I have used several different types, but I think classic spaghetti noodles work best)

– 1 TBS pasta water

-1-2 TBS EVOO

-Parmesan Garlic shredded cheese (yellow bottle next to plain Parmesan cheese)

-Asiago and Parmesan cheese (I use about 1/4 cup of each)

-half lemon squeezed (or less depending how much acidity you like)

-1-2 TBS pesto

-1 cup chopped broccoli (you can substitute yellow or green zucchini or any veggie you prefer)

-Pepper, red pepper flakes (optional)

Cook the pasta to your desired tenderness. Cook broccoli in microwave or on stove. Combine pasta, broccoli, lemon, EVOO, pasta water, and pepper in saucepan or skillet and stir together over low heat.  I mix in the cheese last and leave it on a few more seconds to allow to combine with all ingredients. Now, enjoy!

That’s an easy and light summer recipe that can be thrown together very quickly!  Remember, exercise is great, but leading a healthy lifestyle is a balance of nutrition and exercise.  You should try to exercise and eat for success (and in moderation, too)!

~jj

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