Personal Training – Jenna Jamieson, Author

Conquer the first 5 minutes of your workout!

By Jenna Jamieson | April 24, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

Sometimes starting your workout is the hardest part of your actual workout. You may be tired from work or overwhelmed by all the things on your “to do” list. There are three small tips/tricks that I use each day that might help you conquer starting your workout and make you feel better: 1) Eat an energy snack no more than two hours before your workout. 2) Look at working out as a challenge each day that you will accomplish. 3) Warm up – conquer your first 5 minutes to find your rhythm and get your heart rate up.

I find that eating an energy snack one to two hours before my workout is a great way to fuel my workout and give me that extra dose of energy that I need to make my workout more enjoyable, push me to my limit, and make it less exhausting. Eating my energy snack two hours prior to my workout works best for me, but I suggest you find a time that works best for you based on your schedule, routine, and body. My pre-workout snack might be carrots and cucumbers, almonds, craisins, apple slices, rice cake snacks, or an almond/dark chocolate chip/craisin trail mix.

I am a disciplined and dedicated person once I set my mind to something so I love to look at my workout as a new challenge for me to accomplish each day. Looking at your workout as a new challenge is a great way to get your mind in the game and change your mindset from “I don’t want to do this” to “I can and I will do this”, which is a great attitude to take with you to the gym each day! This attitude will help motivate and inspire you to put forth the effort necessary to meet your challenges and overcome obstacles while you workout.

It’s all about warming up and getting the first 5 minutes under your belt! Conquering the first 5 minutes of your workout, getting started, and allowing your body to get warmed up will give you the energy and motivation to keep going without giving up! It allows your body to get in the mode of working out, which in turn allows your mind to adjust to the needed increase in energy to fuel the workout. Once that occurs, you get into the rhythm of your workout, maximizing your success! 🙂

I know taking the plunge to start your run, jump in for your swim, or beginning your cardio or strength training workout can be difficult, but I promise that finding small tricks to help you ease in and make the start less overwhelming or dreadful will provide a small sense of relief! So, get to finding ways that will help YOU start your workout…use my tips, find alternative tips/tricks, and more than anything get off the couch and start your workout! 😉

~jj

A healthy {March Madness} competition with yourself!

By Jenna Jamieson | March 23, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

I was thinking about the blog and March Madness (well, mostly March Madness) because I love sports. Tennis, basketball, football, soccer, baseball (in person), if it’s on, then I want my television on, but sitting and watching television for hours (let’s face it, sports games aren’t always short…at least 2 hours or more) is not exactly healthy. Several weeks ago I was working out and thinking how much I enjoy a little competition with myself. I am not a huge competitor against others (I don’t like comparing myself to others) when it comes to exercising, so running against others or entering events that are timed races are not my cup of tea. However, I DO love a great competition against myself. What exactly does this mean? I love improving the amount of reps I do when I exercise. For example, if I do 3 sets of 50 crunches, then next time I want to do 3 sets of 60 crunches. I like the extra push and how I feel once I have surpassed my previous amount of reps.

So, now you might be thinking how does March Madness and having a healthy competition with yourself fit together? One involves a lot of sitting and the other involves health and competition. As an avid sports freak and exercise lover, I thought it might be fun to put them together and have a little game against yourself during March Madness. Why? Because it’s a great opportunity to combine March Madness and health without allowing yourself to sit for hours at a time!

My challenge to you is to make an exercise bracket when you make your March Madness bracket. For example, lunges versus squats, see which one you can do more of in a 1 minute interval. Consider push-ups versus crunches, burpees versus jumping jacks and so on. Fill out an entire bracket with exercises competing against each other. I suggest placing the exercises you choose on an actual bracket and have your March Madness basketball bracket with it because here’s how it will work: You will do each exercise that you have corresponding to the game on your basketball bracket. For example, if Oklahoma State and Gonzaga are playing, you would have two exercises written next to them. Lets use squats and lunges for this game. At some point during the first half you will do squats for 1 minute and write down how many you achieved and once the second half begins, you will do lunges for 1 minute and write down how many you were able to do. Like with the basketball games, whichever exercise got the most reps during the 1 minute wins and moves on to the next round! 😉 Keep doing this until you have a winning exercise. Get creative, there are lots of exercises you can use, you might consider one yoga pose versus another. Remember, it’s all in good fun AND it is all to get our butts up off the couch as we sit and watch the upsets and unpredictable outcomes of March Madness unfold!

Here’s an example of an exercise bracket if you are having a hard time coming up with exercises or can’t quite picture it. Remember you will do the corresponding exercises with the corresponding game that’s on your March Madness basketball bracket (one first half and one second half). You can either do each exercise for a one minute interval and count the reps for each or choose a goal and see which one meets or comes closest to the goal. Have fun with this and realize it’s to keep you from sitting the entire time during March Madness!

EAST (yoga): high plank hold v. low plank hold, cobra v. downward dog, spinal balance right v. spinal balance left, tree pose right v. tree pose left, triangle pose left v. triangle pose right, warrior pose left v. warrior pose right, bird of paradise left v. bird of paradise right, staff pose v. mountain pose

WEST (strength training): pushups v. squats, bicep curls right v. bicep curls left, tricep curls right v. tricep curls left, lunges v. wall sit, bicycle crunches v. floor crunches, side pushups right v. side pushups left, right leg balance v. left leg balance, shoulder raise left v. shoulder raise right

MIDWEST (cardio): high knees v. butt kicks, jumping jacks v. burpees, mountain climbers v. russian twists, pogo right leg v. pogo left leg, squat jumps v. plank walks, side2side squat heel touch v. side2side ski jumps, scissor runs v. standing leg kicks, one arm push up left v. one arm push up right

SOUTH (misc): jump rope v. hula hoop, arm circles front v. arm circles back, standing calf raise left v. standing calf raise right, chair left lift right v. chair leg lift left, left arm punches v. right arm punches, wall pushups v. marching in place, right leg lift and hold v. left leg lift and hold, right leg kick v. left leg kick

Hope this provides some March Madness inspiration! Happy bracketising! Enjoy your exercise bracket and your basketball bracket. Hope your basketball bracket is doing better than mine! 😉

~jj

Find your music & motivation!

By Jenna Jamieson | October 1, 2013 | Comments 0 Comment

One thing about working out and exercising is that you need to find a way to motivate yourself during each workout and keep yourself motivated. We are all different so what works for me may not work for you, but I will share a few things that help keep me going and loving my workouts!

First, I love the challenge of a hard workout and I am a fierce competitor against myself. So, part of what motivates me is to try to beat my record from my previous week. For example, if I did 130 crunches last week then I want to do at least 131 crunches or more. Yes, I may only do one more, but that one extra crunch equals a win for me. Baby steps forward are a success, big or small. These steps, no matter what the size, count as successes and those successes motivate me to challenge myself to do better each week!

Next, I make sure to find music that speaks to me and my lifestyle. I challenge you to do the same! By this, I suggest finding lyrics (words) that truly dig deep and make you want to reach your fitness, nutrition, and wellness goals rather than simply listening to music with an upbeat tempo. This way when your workout gets tough, you can listen to those lyrics and words to help push you through your workout. For example, I love the lyrics of Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake music because I can relate to the words and emotions. This helps push me farther, makes me work harder, and dig even deeper during my workouts. I also tend to listen to music that provides a certain sensation or feeling. For example, I love the television series Alias and I often download music that I hear during Alias episodes. Then when I am working out and I hear a song from Alias, it brings me back to the episode and stunts that Jennifer Garner does during the show. For those who haven’t watched it, she plays a fierce and strong female spy, so basically she’s a badass! 😉

Lastly, consider finding an athlete that motivates and inspires you. I know that as an avid tennis lover and watcher, I love the athleticism of Andy Murray (the accent doesn’t hurt either) ;-). He appears in a new commercial where he is working out, so I often think of that commercial and use the motivation that he has to help me get through my workouts. Another workout commercial that I love is the Nike “I will run to you” commercial that frequented television screens about a year ago. It has to do with working out and it is fitting for my trail runs and outside workouts.

~jj

Fitness and nutrition goals to the rescue!

By Jenna Jamieson | September 10, 2013 | Comments 2 comments

One thing I always like to do is set goals for myself whether it be in my personal life, fitness/exercise life, career life, etc. These goals can be daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly goals. I like setting goals because they are a great way to push me forward, provide a stronger purpose during my workouts, and give me something to strive for. So, today’s tip is to make sure to set fitness, nutrition, and wellness goals. You might be asking yourself, what is the difference between a fitness goal, nutrition goal, and wellness goal? A fitness goal might be walking for 45 minutes 3 times a week. A nutrition goal might be to eat at least 5 fruits and veggies each day. Lastly, a wellness goal might be to sit and relax for at least 15 minutes a day to allow your mind and body to unwind and de-stress.

Typically, I like to take it a step further by setting objectives within my goals to help challenge myself even more. For example, my fitness goal might be to workout five days a week. Within that goal, I may make several small objectives, such as doing a 25 minute trail run on one of those five days. That 25 minute trail run will then help set an objective for the following week. Since I did a 25 minute trail run on week 1, the following week (week 2) I will make my objective be a trail run of at least 25 minutes (equal to or longer than week 1).

While making fitness, nutrition, and wellness goals for yourself are important, it is equally as important to maintain commitment to your goals. One way to help ensure commitment to your goals is to write them down so that you can visit them often. Consider buying a small notebook or calendar that will encourage you to do this. You can even include fitness quotes and motivational tips within the notebook or on the calendar as I often do. This will help you be accountable and allow you to keep track of your progress. Using the above example, you might write down next to week 1 that the 25 minute trail run objective was met and write the distance you ran. Then, the following week when you reach the objective of running at least equal to that 25 minute run or longer you can write down the number of minutes as well as the distance to see how you improve over time.

In closing, remember that it is important to reward yourself with something small (fitness, nutrition, or wellness related would be most appropriate and beneficial) once you reach a goal that you have set for yourself. I like rewarding myself with a new sports bra, ice cream with fresh fruit on it, or even a few pieces of dark chocolate. Be sure to find something that will really motivate you and encourage you to reach your fitness, nutrition, and wellness goals. In other words, put something big on the line!

~jj

Exercise during commercials or timeouts!

By Jenna Jamieson | September 1, 2013 | Comments 1 comment

Exercise during commercials or timeouts when you’re watching your favorite sports team! I typically do something every 30 minutes. For example, run in place, stretch, do some jumping jacks, pushups, crunches, squats, lunges, walk around your house a few times, etc. If sitting in a chair, I might do 3 sets of 10 leg lifts. You could do something like that or something that’s easier or harder depending on what your fitness goals are. Also, you might consider other types of exercises that can be done with your legs or arms while laying on a bed or sitting on a couch.

~jj

Making the Case…why this blog matters for me, you, & everyone!

By Jenna Jamieson | September 1, 2013 | Comments 0 Comment

Brief background and reasoning for starting my blog:

As I was talking to my boyfriend today, I got on my soapbox about America and its current health epidemic. I would probably consider myself a health nut, exercise Nazi, and a very passionate person about fitness, nutrition, and wellness, but my passion truly lies within helping other people find the motivation from within to change their lifestyle in hopes of changing the ways of the American culture. As a health educator and a very passionate person about empowering people and communities to make better choices, I hope you give me the opportunity to encourage you to help me spread the word on “exercise2behealthy.” At the age of 25, the state of America’s health not only concerns me, but makes me want to do something about it–to reach out to communities and the world to start a movement that can change the thinking and mentality that has been engrained in Americans, generation after generation and by the media.

What is this image and thinking that has been engrained in us, you might ask? Well, for starters, that fast food, although easy, can be “made up” by eating healthy foods and exercising later. That being stick thin is a goal to strive for despite knowing that the ideal body shape and size is not what defines how healthy and fit a person is. That fad diets and workouts can be a solution to help solve America’s health problems despite being a temporary promise to a “new beginning.”

The phone above is something that launched the conversation my boyfriend and I had today, which got me on my soapbox for the next ten minutes. My boyfriend thoroughly enjoys technology and the entertainment factor that it provides, probably similar to the other 99.9% of Americans that are using it. My point in sending the picture was as a simple joke, implying that eventually phones will get larger and people in America as a result will get larger as well. This encourages Americans to keep doing what they are doing–which basically is, sitting on the couch, watching tv, eating chips/pizza/wings/etc, while looking at their smartphone or tablet. In other words, keeping up with that sedentary lifestyle. It may sound pessimistic, but it is also the reality of America.

With some resources and guidance, America can slowly begin the changes that are necessary to make us a nation that is “exercising2behealthy.” In order to start, people not only need to make a lifestyle change, but also dig even deeper, by making a true psychological change. Right now, Americans value their free/relaxation time aka being on their smartphones, playing games, sitting on the couch, going to movies, etc. (all things that encourage a very sedentary lifestyle) over their actual HEALTH. Yes, it is exhausting to get up early and work all day, I am not minimizing that, BUT I am not asking you to run a marathon or even exercise everyday. Rather, I am asking you to think about your HEALTH and your FAMILY.

So, I have provided details of what’s wrong, but how do we even begin to address this and maintain the solution? It’s with YOU, with EVERYONE, with a MOVEMENT, that helps empower those around us. I want to help empower people to recognize that “exercising4health” is not only possible, but is necessary. Not because you want to be a size 6 bikini instead of a 10 or because you want to fit in a smaller wedding dress next summer or fall, BUT because you want to decrease your chances for a heart attack, stroke, high cholesterol, etc.

So, the question is, how can YOU help? For starters, encourage people to follow this blog, post comments, ask questions, and begin the conversation with your own family. More than that, begin an “exercise2behealthy” change within your own life! Find a program that fits you, rather than a fad program that the media and America is currently hooked on. Find an eating routine that suits you, not a routine that suits you and your best friend or co-workers. We are all UNIQUE, so what works for one person, may not work well for another. Find a routine that can be easily sustained over time. I realize, many people feel they lose motivation to create exciting and delicious meals and workouts that are fun and energizing, BUT the key is to find something that is convenient, easy for YOU, and can be sustainable over a long period of time (becomes a routine). That’s what will help give you your own motivation. (i.e. home workouts, walking on two breaks during the day, bringing snacks to avoid vending machines, creating walking paths and exercise routines that can be easy in your office, be creative with meals and workouts, etc)

This movement needs to take place now…change begins with one person…will you help spread it and sustain it?!

And with that, it’s a wrap! I will be back each week with an energizing fitness, nutrition, or wellness video, tip, quote, or article that will begin a cycle of advice/ideas for “exercising2behealthy.” Lets start the conversation to make the healthy choice your first choice!

As an end note, the conversation with my boyfriend, ended with me stating that for the last several years I have wanted to start a blog that creates a movement to empower people by giving them the knowledge and the advice to change their life for the better and hence ‘www.jennarpjamieson.com’ has been born!

~jj

Welcome & Thanks for visiting!

By Jenna Jamieson | August 31, 2013 | Comments 0 Comment

Thanks for visiting my blog and website! On my blog, you will find many of my fitness, nutrition, and wellness tips. These tips are based on my own personal fitness, nutrition, and wellness experiences and goals. I hope my advice and tips provide motivation and energy to help you move forward with your own fitness, nutrition, and wellness goals! Please feel free to leave comments, questions, or any suggestions you might have. Also, please note that these are the views of me and only me. I am not a doctor so do what you feel most comfortable with based on your own views and lifestyle. Further, I am not affiliated with the brands, shows, people, or products that may be discussed on my website. Therefore these are my own individual views.

I am an avid fitness, nutrition, and wellness advocate, workout and exercise enthusiast, and love taking care of my mind and body. Additionally, I believe in helping one another, spreading kindness, and learning from each chapter in life. As you go through my site, you will find that there is advice on life, quotes to motivate you, and stories to inspire you to give back to the wonderful world we live in. I hope you take the advice, quotes, and stories to help further your own journey and purpose in life.

Be sure to visit often for my blog updates and share with family and friends, on websites and social media. Please be kind and link back to me using the share button that’s at the bottom of each post and on my social media sites!

Thanks for visiting! Enjoy!

~jj