Wellness – Page 8 – Jenna Jamieson, Author

Dance it off!

By Jenna Jamieson | November 10, 2013 | Comments 0 Comment

Don’t have the energy to go to the gym? A little tired of the same cardio, core, or strength training workout? Ditch your normal workout for the day! Turn on some great music that has a fast beat and DANCE! Have fun and dance around the house! Make it a “fun day, Sunday” kind of day by putting on some music and cleaning the house as you dance! Or if dancing isn’t your thing, put on some music and do some yard work or other chores around the house. The possibilities are endless with the sound of great music to inspire you to move!

Enjoy a break from your normal workout routine and let the fun begin by dancing! It will make you smile and add some variety to your workout routine!

~jj

All about eating!

By Jenna Jamieson | November 6, 2013 | Comments 1 comment

There are a few eating tips I want to discuss including using small dishes and measuring portions, pacing your eating, and the idea of full versus stuffed. I often hear people say that they hate dieting, hate eliminating specific foods such as sugars or carbohydrates, and want to find a happy medium to avoid gaining weight to stay healthy. One important way to refrain from elimination diets and dieting in general is to practice self-control through measuring out portions and only allowing yourself to eat a certain amount of each dish, drink, or snack.

For example, rather than allowing yourself to go back for seconds and thirds and so on, allow yourself to eat 1 cup (choose portion amount based on your nutrition goals) of something. It is important to actually take the time to measure it, because while it may seem inconvenient, in the end, the only person you are cheating by not measuring portions is yourself. A great example of measuring out portions is placing chips in a bowl or using small bags to make individual packages and snack portions rather than eating chips and snack foods directly from the bag.

Further, I suggest not eliminating a specific food or food group (unless you have a food allergy) as eliminating specific foods and food groups will make you want that food when you see it. For example, if you eliminate sugars or sweets, it’s as though you are setting yourself up for failure. You will want them even more because of how much effort it is taking you to avoid cheating and not eating them. Not to mention, how unrealistic is it to eliminate sweets and sugars from your diet when you are constantly surrounded by them? They are in gas stations and restaurants, at parties and potlucks, on coworker’s desks and at family gatherings. Allow yourself small, bite-size treats and sweets that can cure your sweet teeth without full elimination. Minimizing sugar and carbohydrate intake such as cake, cookies, pie, potatoes, bread, and pasta versus eliminating these foods can be helpful so you are not consuming an overabundance of calories. To help, you should measure out your portion and use small plates when serving meals. With large plates, our eyes are often bigger than our stomachs, BUT once food is on our plate we tend to eat and keep eating until the plate is clean. Using small plates helps smaller portions fill the plate, lending to less overeating.

Next, it is important to pace your eating throughout the meal so that you aren’t eating too fast, which often leads to going back for seconds, thirds, and so on. Chewing your food slowly and taking the time to enjoy each bite is a great way to help slow down, prevent overeating, and will help you get full faster.

Lastly, I want to discuss the idea of full versus stuffed. This idea comes down to understanding and knowing your own body and is something that can truly help you learn to not overeat. Many people go back for seconds, thirds, fourths, and so on until they are nearly miserable because they have eaten so much. It is vital to recognize when you are full in order to stop eating. At that point you should no longer eat because you have reached contentment and therefore if you continue to eat you are eating to eat and not because you are hungry. Find that sensation so that you stop eating when you are full instead of stuffed. After all it is better to stop once you reach contentment and satisfaction rather than to eat until you are miserable and have a pain-inducing feeling from eating too much. What I like to say, is when I am full, it is time to leave the table and start a project or do something else rather than sit at the table.

Next time you eat, consider measuring, pacing, and eating to contentment rather than misery! Happy HEALTHY eating!

~jj

Play outside and be a kid again!

By Jenna Jamieson | October 27, 2013 | Comments 0 Comment

Sometimes going to the gym and doing the same repetitive workout can get boring. Maybe you’re sick of running on the treadmill or doing your usual cardio workout. One important thing to remember about exercising is that incorporating a variety of exercises and switching up your workout routine is important for you and your body. This ensures that you get the most out of each individual workout without allowing your body to become familiar with the routine, and therefore not maximizing your results. While it is easy to stay on a routine and schedule, be sure to do different exercises so that different muscles and body parts will be used and worked.

So, while the leaves are falling, colors are changing, and we move into another season, take the time to switch up your workout routine by taking a break from the usual and doing some fun fall activities. Go play outside (with your kids or without). Carve pumpkins and rake leaves into a pile and jump in! I know I did it as a kid, and I don’t mind having the excuse as an adult to do it again! 😉 Be a kid again and go outside to run or walk, rake leaves, go hiking, or whatever suits you. Outdoor recreational activities are a great way to get exercise. Biking, hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor sports such as tennis, basketball, soccer, etc. are a few great ways to get a workout in and give you a break from being in the gym. Also, it allows you to get some Vitamin D in the process! 😉

If that doesn’t suit you, you can really channel your inner child by hula hooping or jump roping. Make it a game and have a contest with your kids!

~jj

Breathing, Form, & Rest Time

By Jenna Jamieson | October 16, 2013 | Comments 0 Comment

Today’s tip focuses on breathing, form, and rest time. Often times, people struggle with maintaining the stamina and energy to go for a long trail run or workout without getting too exhausted 10-15 minutes after starting. One thing that really helps me (and is a learned technique over time) is to maintain controlled breathing. In order to do this, you really need to find a steady rhythm and flow (which often takes time and patience to develop), but counting your breaths as you breath in and breath out can sometimes be helpful. Further, steady, controlled breathing while exercising will help you conserve energy and push you through your workout. This will help you gradually improve your stamina and energy over time, which in turn will allow you to go for longer runs, maintain higher intensity workouts, and make you feel less exhausted during your workouts. Be patient because finding your rhythm and flow for controlled breathing can be challenging when first starting out.

Next thing to think about is your form when you are doing exercises. Along with your breathing, stretching and increasing your flexibility will really help move you forward in your workouts. It helps warm up your body and prepare you for what is ahead without using too much energy too soon. Additionally, remember that while you may feel more successful when you do many reps of each exercise, if you are not using the correct form when doing exercises such as squats, push-ups, lunges, etc. then you are not only hurting yourself, but you aren’t utilizing your energy efficiently to obtain maximum results. In order to use the correct form, go at a slower pace if necessary and modify or adjust exercises to fit your level and lifestyle. For example, do “girl” push-ups at first if you need to and work your way up to doing a normal push-up. I like to remind myself that when exercising, “quality” of correct form, trumps “quantity” of reps per exercise. Eventually, once you master your quality it will become second nature and you can then begin quality and quantity at the same time during your workouts! 😉

My last part for today, is to remember that rest time throughout your workout and at the end of your workout are as important as your actual workout! It is very important to stay hydrated when exercising, so I always have a water bottle alongside me. In order to refrain from stopping frequently to take drinks and rests (which also means a break in your heart rate), I have timed, controlled breaks to maintain a steady pace for myself. For example, I might give myself five 30 second breaks during a 45 minute workout, but do whatever works best based on your fitness goals and lifestyle. During your 30 second rests, remember not to take big gulps of water when you rest as this can lead to heavy breathing, using more energy. Instead, take several small sips when you take your 30 second rests to conserve your energy and give you additional energy to continue. Lastly, a great way to help yourself ease into your post-workout is to have a post-workout routine. Rather than ending a long run with sitting on the couch to return your heart rate back to its normal rate, walk for 3 minutes or have a stretching routine. This is important because you don’t want to stop a workout with your heart racing, but rather you want to steadily bring it back down. For example, I do crunches and hand weights to slowly allow my body to return to normal. Happy exercising2behealthy! 🙂

~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

Find what works for YOU!

By Jenna Jamieson | September 4, 2013 | Comments 3 comments

One thing I find incredibly frustrating are the numerous health reports, publications, and research studies that are constantly being published and released to the public through various media outlets. They range from exercising to nutritional habits to heart attack rates. In these studies, we are being told that coffee is good for us one week and then the next week we have another study saying that drinking three cups a coffee a day over the age of 55 will lead to an earlier death. The same goes for dark chocolate, eggs, butter, etc. One week we hear they are good for us and the next week they are not. This is frustrating because it can become very confusing to the average person.

A few particular studies I have personal experiences with and take issue with are the debate on what time you should eat dinner, how many meals a day you should eat, and the size of the meal based on the time of day. Let’s first discuss the debate on the time that you should eat dinner. Many studies have published that eating dinner after 6pm is bad for you because your food is then stored in your stomach and turns to fat because it doesn’t have enough time to breakdown and digest before you go to bed. I take issue with this because it depends on your schedule and routine. This could be true if you go to bed directly or soon after eating your dinner because your food may sit and be stored rather than digested. On the other hand, if you eat dinner at 6:30, 7, 7:30, etc and then your typical bed time isn’t until 11 or later, your food should be able to be broken down and digested and therefore it should not be an issue.

Next debate, time and time again I read studies that suggest eating 6 small meals a day is better than eating 3 meals a day. I certainly am not going to try to persuade you one way or the other. I have tried both and found a variation of the two that works for me. I actually kind of merge the 3 meals a day and 6 meals a day rule together. I eat one relatively large meal (usually dinner) and I eat 4 smaller meals/snacks throughout the day for a total of 5 meals/snacks. I usually start around 8 with a small breakfast, then eat lunch around 12:30/1 with a small snack at 2:30 and dinner at 7ish followed by a small snack at 8:30. I’m not going to tell you to follow my routine, but rather to consider what your body needs and what might work best based on your lifestyle. After all, you should do what works for your body and your metabolism.

Last debate, most studies suggest that you should start off with bigger meals and get progressively smaller as you go throughout the day. I actually do the complete opposite because I am a rebel…just kidding, I am actually the good girl type ;-). I start my day with a small breakfast (usually something with protein to help keep me full), then I eat a little bigger lunch with a small snack at 2:30 and then a relatively large dinner and another small snack after dinner like pudding or a few bites of ice cream. Often times for me, I choose to split my dinner into two small dinners and eat one at 7 and the other part at 8:30, eliminating the 8:30 snack (depending on how I feel).

So what was the point of this post? The point of this post is to realize that you will hear and read a lot of health tips, publications, and research studies, but the best thing you can do is find what works for you. Don’t let the media, research studies, publications, etc make you feel like you need to change what you are doing in your workout, what time you eat dinner, or how often you should eat. You can use publications and studies as guidelines to add variety or small changes, but my best suggestion and advice is to find what works for you and “run” with it! If eating 6 small meals works for you, then great, do that. If eating at 7pm works for you, then do that! If eating one large meal and two small meals works for you, then do that! In other words, find a routine that keeps you motivated and remember that you are better off planning your calorie consumption than your eating times.

~jrpj

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