Tag: exercise

To workout or not? …WORKOUT!

To workout or not? …WORKOUT!

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Do you ever have one of those days where you aren’t sure whether you want to workout or not?  Of course you do, because we all do at one point or another.  The point when you say to yourself, do I really want to workout today or should I take the night off.  It’s one of life’s burning questions!  Well, maybe not exactly one of life’s burning questions for all of us, but you know what I mean! 🙂  You get off work at 4:30, the kids have soccer practice at 6:30, and you aren’t sure whether you have time to fit in a workout, shower, and get the kids fed before practice.  Trust me, time management will allow you to do it and you will thank yourself later!  Skipping workouts is one of the worst things you can do for yourself because it takes you out of your routine.  Even if you can’t do your regular 30-45 minutes of cardio, strength training, or yoga, go ahead and fit in a small workout whether it be a walk or 30 minutes of stretching and at home exercises (i.e. jumping jacks, lunges, squats, push-ups, etc).  Maintaining a routine will help encourage you to stay on track, reach your fitness goals, and make you feel healthier and happier (aka less stress)!

The question at hand: Should you workout today?  Answer: See the infographic to the left!  There aren’t too many reasons that will get you out of the workout, so if you are looking for an excuse you will need to look elsewhere!  There are too many benefits of working out!  If you are considering skipping a workout this infographic will reaffirm to you why you SHOULD get up off your butt and go workout!

It’s March, which means it is time for 5k runs, outside workouts, yard work, walking on trails, swimming, etc so no excuses!  Go WORKOUT!  Why? Because you will thank me later (and yourself too)!  Plus, your physical and mental health will be happier as well!

~jj

Find your “happy workout” :)

Find your “happy workout” :)

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What is a “happy workout”?  A “happy workout” is finding a routine or exercise that you are tremendously passionate about and love so that you can enjoy your workout and what it has to offer you!  One important thing to remember about being consistent with your workouts is making sure you have a workout routine or exercise that you look forward to rather than dread.  The key to being consistent is trying different workout routines and exercises and finding one you feel comfortable with, works the part of the body you want to improve, and makes you look forward to working out.  For example, you might consider zumba classes, cross training classes, walking, running, swimming, yoga, etc.  Once you find an exercise or routine that you enjoy, stick with it.  Don’t feel like you need to change it, especially if you are considering changing to a routine or exercise you don’t like to do.  You are far more likely to give up or not follow through if you don’t like your workout, leaving you frustrated and stressed.

If you become bored with your workout and no longer look forward to it, you know it is time to change it and find something new to keep you going.  You don’t have to keep the same workout every day or every week, but I do suggest that you find a workout routine or exercise that makes you look forward to it.  This will encourage you to workout each day and increase your chances of seeing success.  It may be a workout routine that lasts 2 years or it may be a workout routine that lasts 2 months, but either way it is to your advantage to not only find something you love, but something you love with a passion.  It can be something as simple as jumping rope, a routine you do with an app on your smartphone, a YouTube video, or a routine of pictures you found online.  No matter what it is, if you enjoy it and find it to be something that helps you relieve stress and break a sweat, then you have found “your” workout.  A workout that you have a passion for and look forward to doing sometime during your day.

So, get EXERCISING, have fun, and make sure you LOVE it!  If you don’t love it, then ditch it and find something new (such as some of the options above)!

~jj

Go meatless (sometimes)…and love it!

Go meatless (sometimes)…and love it!

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As I was working out tonight I was thinking about the blog and what might be a good entry this week.  I recently started eating more meatless meals, not to lose weight, not because I think it is healthier, but because sometimes I just don’t crave meat or the thought of meat kind of grosses me out (at times) when I go to fix dinner.  No, I am not a vegetarian and while I know that some people would say it is better for you, I truly believe in “everything in moderation.”  I do what I feel is right for MY body and I suggest you do what you feel is right for yours, too!  In all of my posts, I want to continually emphasize that you should always do what YOU think is best for you and take my advice or leave it, use some of it, and realize that I do not have the answers to each individual’s unique lifestyle and routine.

Since I have been going meatless more frequently than I usually do, I decided I actually kind of enjoy my meatless meals, maybe some more than the ones where I do eat meat.  I typically enjoy “Meatless Mondays” each week, but I have now taken it even farther and decided to also eat at least one meatless meal per day.  So, whether you already occasionally eat meatless or whether you never eat meatless I challenge you to “Meatless Mondays.”  This is a great way to start and ease into what meatless meals can offer!  I promise meatless meals can be just as delicious, fun to cook, and can make your creative juices flow! 🙂   This means you will eliminate meat on Mondays, so no meat at breakfast, lunch, or dinner!  No cheating either!  Sounds challenging maybe, but it really isn’t.  Consider peanut butter toast and sliced apples for breakfast, grilled cheese and veggie soup for lunch, and pizza or pasta minus any meat for dinner.

Once you have “Meatless Mondays” down I encourage you to take it one step farther as I have by eating one meatless meal per day.  That should not be hard and should be a routine that you already have in place.  One meatless meal per day is actually very healthy as the consumption of meat at every meal is not necessary (or healthy)!  It does not have to be the same meal each day.  It can be breakfast one day, then dinner the next, followed by breakfast again, and then lunch the following day.  For example, you might have a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit for breakfast, a spinach and feta quesadilla for lunch, and then chicken parmesan with broccoli for dinner.  You went meatless at lunch so you met your goal for one meatless meal that day.

You say that you can’t get full on meatless meals?  I DON’T buy it!  That’s crazy!  Eat more veggies, which are one of the best things you can fill your body with!  Consider some of the following if you don’t believe me: 1) veggie stir fry with brown rice 2) pasta with a meatless marinara sauce and garlic bread 3) sliced potatoes layered with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and ranch dressing (potato nachos) 4) breakfast foods including eggs, hashbrowns, waffles, pancakes, french toast, biscuits 5) veggie pizza.  You can’t tell me that none of these foods speak to you because it includes nearly every food group (and all are meatless)!

So, next time you sit down for a meal think MEATLESS!  I know I do and my body still loves me and I feel great!

~jj

Small pieces to the health puzzle…

Small pieces to the health puzzle…

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Need a few quick tips to keep you going through your workouts?  Here are a few things I continuously keep on my radar to ensure I can get through my workouts without feeling tired or bored.

1. Get yours zzz’s.  Sleeping is vital to ensure you feel refreshed.  It helps get you through the whole day, and that includes your workout!  Try to get 7-8 full hours of sleep each night.

2. Stretch.  Just do it.  Even if you are short on time, stretch before and after your workout.  If you don’t think it will help, read last week’s post and it’ll help convince you! 🙂

3. Eat more fiber.  Your body will thank you now and later.  I promise!

4. Drink water, and plenty of it.  What is plenty?  At least 64 ounces each day! That’s eight 8 oz. glasses.  It’s easy.  Spread it out throughout the day…before meals, with meals, and between meals.  Trust me, it’s worth it.  Drinking plenty of water also helps give you a full feeling in your stomach, typically causing you to eat less.

5. Make your meals rather than eating out or on the run.  You eat less healthy food when you eat on the fly.  You tell me you don’t have time to make food?  Pre-plan and pre-make food ahead of time.  Fruits and veggies can easily be sliced and put in a container with water and lemon juice to keep them fresh, sandwiches can be pre-made, whole wheat crackers are an easy throw in.  No excuses!!

6. Find a way to control your stress.  I cannot emphasize this one enough.  Stress is not good for your mind or body.  What’s my way to destress?  Working out and exercising, of course! 🙂

7. Drink…water, not lots of sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages.  Bummer, right?  Not necessarily.  I am not saying give them up, just don’t over do it.  Everything in moderation!

8. Try to limit how often you let your sweet tooth win AND find sweets that are “healthy” sweets.  I sound crazy, right?!  Not exactly.  For example, eat a slice of whole wheat bread with Nutella or cinnamon sugar, chocolate mousse pudding, strawberries dipped in dark chocolate, etc. rather than a huge bowl of cookie dough ice cream or chocolate cake.

9. Exercise regularly.  Not when you want to lose weight or because swimsuit season is coming.  Those are great motivators, but exercising and maintaining your health is a continuous process.  You can’t “diet” for a month, decide to go off the diet, and then back to your previous eating habits and expect to keep your results.  You have to watch what you eat all the time.  You don’t have to restrict your diet of all sugars or all carbs, but eat in moderation instead.  You also can’t decide that you want to lose 20 pounds and then decide it’s time to start walking everyday or going to the gym.  Exercise is a life long commitment.  Why?  Because exercise and eating properly keep your body happy and healthy.  I promise.

These are little things I try to remember.  Not things I just occasionally think about, but truly have engraved into my brain.  Things that are in my phone and on my bulletin board, so they can’t escape my mind.  When I am struggling during a workout, I think about what it’s doing for me.  When I am not drinking plenty of water, I remember, it is what helps get me through my workouts and keeps me focused.  When I want something sweet, I may go ahead and let myself eat something sweet, other times I don’t eat anything sweet at all.  Try limiting yourself to having sweets a certain number of times each week.  You don’t want your body and mind to become accustomed to getting something sweet after every meal or whenever you feel like it.

~jj

Burn v. Pain & Stretching

Burn v. Pain & Stretching

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Exercising is great, but one important thing to realize about exercising is that there are times when you should keep going and times when you should stop and days when you should take the day off and days when you should push through.

Often times, people feel burning sensations in their muscles when they are exercising.  I hear this frequently from people actually.  Burning sensations while exercising (not pain) are completely normal and mean you are pushing your body and muscles during your workout.  When your muscles and body get past the point of burning and feel pain then it is time to stop.  You should not be exercising if your muscles and body hurt or you feel pain.  Exercising should not hurt or evoke pain, AND yes, I will repeat that again…exercise should NEVER be painful or hurt.  Burn, yes.  Burn that leads to soreness, yes to that, too.  In fact, I encourage you to exercise until you feel the burn in your muscles to maximize your results.  Short, intense periods of heavy cardio and exercise are great for you.  This may create sore muscles later in the evening and the next day because of the burning sensation that your muscles feel, but this is normal and actually good for you.  If you can’t walk the next day from soreness, then you probably felt the burn at some point during your workout ;-)!  I stress though that you should NOT be in pain.  Pain is not something that should be associated or linked to exercise.  Exercise is a pleasurable, stress reducer, not a pain inducer! 🙂

Where does stretching come in?  To help alleviate soreness from exercising, remember to stretch, stretch, and then stretch some more.  Stretching is one of the most essential and beneficial ways to not only warm your body and muscles up, but to increase your flexibility and therefore push your exercising capabilities even farther.  Stretching is something that is easy.  It is also one of the BEST things you can do for yourself to progress through workouts so that you can challenge yourself and get better.  The more flexible you are, the better.  This is because the strength you gain from stretching and increasing your flexibility will allow you to push through your workout and workout even longer.  With the above discussion of pain in mind, stretching out before and after your workout will help ease soreness, prevent pain, and allow you to hold exercises longer when you feel burning.

If you aren’t convinced stretching is as great as your actual workout, you should think again!  It will help wake your mind and body up before you hit the intense part of your workout.  I stretch as soon as my feet hit the floor in the morning.  It’s one of the best things I can do for myself to help wake up.  I touch my hands to my toes to stretch my back muscles, and touch my feet to my butt to stretch my legs and thighs.  Nothing too crazy or over the top, but simple exercises to help get me going.  The same can be seen as I go throughout the day.  I frequently stretch 4 or 5 times a day because it helps loosen up my body, destress, and makes me feel refreshed in as little as 2-10 minutes!  How awesome is that?!

So, start thinking about what your body is telling you whether you feel pain or burning and remember that stretching is a great way to prevent soreness from exercise.  I say, get STRETCHING! 🙂

~jj

Do it for your heart health!

Do it for your heart health!

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Happy HEART HEALTH month!  Let’s talk about some important statistics and discuss what you can do to make sure your heart is strong and healthy.  This is a particularly important topic that I hold close to my heart (no pun intended)! 😉  I worked collaboratively with the American Heart Association (AHA) for 2 years and it opened my eyes to the wonderful initiatives and projects of the AHA as well as the severe concerns regarding heart health that face the United States today.

According to the AHA, heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States, claiming more lives than all forms of cancer combined (heart.org).  While this stat is geared toward women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, but heart disease is preventable and controllable (cdc.org).  These stats alone should be enough to make you strive to exercise at least 30 minutes each day so that you can spend many moons making fun memories with friends and family!  Remember, heart disease impacts all shapes and sizes, big or small, as well as every age, young or old.

What can YOU do to help prevent heart disease?

-Eat and maintain a healthy diet.

-Exercise regularly.

-Keep a steady, healthy weight.

-Don’t smoke.

-Regularly check your blood pressure and cholesterol.

For additional or more specific information, visit heart.org (AHA), millionhearts.hhs.gov (CDC), and cdc.gov/features/heartmonth (CDC).

I hope you recognize that the tips, advice, and stories I post each week are to help encourage people to “exercise2behealthy” for this very reason.  Not because I am concerned with the outside of each person, but because I care about the inside and the health concerns such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, etc. that can be side effects of poor health choices.  Hence, there is no time like the present to get moving and start making healthy dietary choices for you and your family!

~jj

Reps & sets…count your way to success!

Reps & sets…count your way to success!

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I was thinking about the blog while I was working out this week to determine what might be a good entry.  My inspiration came from my actual workout because I am a strong believer in counting reps and sets so that I can track and see my improvement over time.  For example, I make sure I do 3 sets of 50 reps of crunches each day.  Then the following day I make sure I do at least equal to that or more.

Further, sets and reps can be a great way to improve over time and keep you on track so you don’t lose progress that you have made due to fluctuation in the number of reps you achieve during each set.  For example, doing 100 reps one week, 150 the next, and then 90 the following week.  It is important to try to build upon your workout and one way to do that is through continuous counting of reps and sets.  I do an abundance of cross training, trail hiking, and walking.  One thing I always do when I am cross training is make sure that I do 3 sets of reps.  So, if I do jumping jacks, squats, lunges, etc I do 3 sets.  Rather than doing 3 straight sets of 40 reps when I do jumping jacks, squats, lunges, etc I do a “warm-up” set, “build up” set, and a “cool down” set.   First, I usually have a specific number for my total set goal such as 150 reps.  I then split my total set goal into reps per set.  For example, my “warm-up” set might be 1-50, followed by a “build up” set of 51-115, and my “cool down” set of 116-150.   I find this particularly helpful because it allows me to warm myself up to the exercise, then really push myself to the max to build my strength, and then cool down during the last set so that I can be prepared to push myself when I start my next set of exercises.

When I do trail hiking or running, I try to set a distance or amount of time that I will run and I make sure that I meet that goal so that I am not going out for a run without having a distance or time goal set.  This helps push me farther and work harder to run or walk longer than I initially might have anticipated if I were to go without setting a distance or time goal.

So, next time you workout, remember that counting your reps and sets is a great way to track your progress, conquer your fitness goals, and help you increase your strength.

~jj

Ditch “empty” calories!

Ditch “empty” calories!

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Do you ever look for shortcuts and quick ways to help maintain your weight?  Looking to cut calories?   A great way to help maintain your weight, increase your energy, and feel better about what you are putting in your mouth is by ditching the things that are not helping you improve your health, are adding lots of extra calories to your diet, and make you feel less energized.  For example, consider eliminating or decreasing candy, soda, coffee, and alcohol consumption.  While this may seem drastic, unrealistic, or even impossible you will thank me for it later (I promise you!).  If you cannot completely decrease it because you don’t have the willpower and motivation to do so, the next best thing I tell people is to at least limit their consumption.  For example, rather than allowing yourself to consume coffee all day, limit yourself to consuming it in the morning only from 7AM to 10AM for two weeks.  Next, limit the number of cups you can drink between 7AM and 10AM, such as 3 cups (same size, same amount each time).   Additionally, consider coffee 5 days of the week in the limited amount (3 cups between 7AM and 10AM) and then consider tea the other 2 days during the week.  This helps you gradually decrease the amount you consume and can help you feel less irritable and or grouchy about the change.

Another great way to help make the transition of cutting out soda, coffee, candy, alcohol, fried foods, etc (whatever you want to cut out) is by replacing the bad habit (empty calories that you want to remove) with something more positive so that your habit has something to replace it with.  For example, if you cut out soda, consider replacing it with flavored water.  Take your plastic water bottle and fill it with water and buy flavor packets that you can throw in it to make it more appealing.  If you drink coffee, replace it with hot tea such as hot green tea, hot black tea, hot camomile tea (all of which have GREAT health benefits)!  If you eat an overabundance of candy, consider making a healthy snack that you can eat such as dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate M&Ms, almonds, and craisins (divide into portions and take a small portion such as a cup to work/school).   For alcohol, consider consuming it once or twice a week in a limited amount (one cup of wine, one beer, one mixed drink) and consider virgin drinks the other times during the week (if you must).

I know cutting calories and cutting out soda, coffee, and alcohol can be a major struggle, but I speak from experience.  A great choice that I made is to give up soda during Lent in 7th grade and I never drank it again.  It was a great way to ease into the change and make the transition less painful.  Not to mention, I am so THANKFUL that I did it for myself and for my body because soda is not something that helps improve your health or has health benefits for your body.  If you have a way to decrease it for a short period such as choosing a season (spring, summer, fall, or winter months), it will help you feel more at ease about your decision.  Remember, baby steps forward are still steps and mean you are making progress in the right direction!  If I can do it, you can too!

Happy cleaning (your body and diet that is)!

~jj

Why exercise? Here’s WHY!

Why exercise? Here’s WHY!

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I have a very short entry today because I want the picture I post to speak for itself.  While I was reading health articles this week I came across a picture, “50 Reasons to Exercise.”  I have read it several times and the more I read it the more I find that there are lots of reasons why exercise is great for you.  It may not always seem fun, but it has tons of benefits. 

So, I shall end this week with saying, HAPPY EXERCISING! 🙂

~jj

Snacking can be an enemy…choose snacks wisely!

Snacking can be an enemy…choose snacks wisely!

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Snacking is something that I have never really understood because I am not a big snacker.  I don’t love chips or candy bars or have cravings that I feel like I need to fill, but I do know that a lot of people do have snack urges and feel the need to satisfy their snack tooth with something.  Snacking, as long as controlled, can be a great way to provide energy to your mind and body.  It may be just what you need to give your mind and body a mid-morning or mid-afternoon boost, so do what works best for you based on your lifestyle.  While I don’t encourage myself to snack because I feel that snacking is often carried on throughout the day or ends up adding up to an additional meal, I do have a few pointers that I utilize in my daily meal preparations that can also be used when preparing and eating snacks.

The best way to include snacks in your day, and I cannot stress the following enough: measure them out AND place the measured amount in baggies or containers so you will NOT be able to continue snacking until you decide to stop.  It is best to give yourself a specific amount of food, which is why measuring out portions is important.  So rather than taking a bag of chips to work to snack on throughout the day (or all week), measure out single serve portions so you don’t overeat and add additional unnecessary calories throughout the course of your day.

Another quick tip is if you know you are going to be out during a meal such as running errands around lunch or dinner time and may find that you want to grab a bite to eat by going through a drive-thru window, take some veggies or a snack that will hold you over until you get home to fix your lunch or dinner.  Not only does this save you money, it saves you calories, and can help you from feeling starving by the time you eat next!

Here are a few options for snacks that I often eat with my wrap or sandwich at lunch:

-hummus with veggies

-trail mix of craisins, dark chocolate chips, and almonds

-popcorn single serve bags

-swiss cheese and whole grain crackers

-apple slices and peanut butter

Try to keep snacks to 100-125 calories so you aren’t consuming the amount of calories in a meal as a snack.  While I won’t say happy snacking because I am not going to encourage it, I will say happy healthy eating and making choices that will allow you to feel more energized!

~jj

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