No matter what your physical goal is, preparation is key in order to stay on track and progress from the efforts you have already put in. You won’t go on a 10-day vacation without being prepared by taking the days off work, kenneling your dog, packing clothes and other items, right? So why do we think allowing ourselves to be unprepared for our day will yield success? Continue reading “Food Preparation: It’s Easier Than You Think”
Author: Angie Tinsley
Type 2 Diabetes & Training
The numbers of Type 2 Diabetes is on the rise every year, with 1.9 million new cases a year and approximately 29 million cases currently diagnosed. With an estimated economic health care cost of 175 billion dollars, we can safely say it is a major problem in our country. So I figured I would write a little blurb about how to help this situation. Continue reading “Type 2 Diabetes & Training”
Flu Season: How to Stay on Track
Flu season is a terrible time of year. Everyone is getting sick and that often causes us to be incredibly fatigued, possibly contagious, and changes our appetite. It is good to know that if you are taking care of yourself by consistently following a fitness program and eating a healthy meal regimen, the likelihood of you getting sick in the first place is significantly less. Continue reading “Flu Season: How to Stay on Track”
Being Prepared: Snacking Guilt-Free
There are always going to be times when we are either just hanging out at the house, on our rest days, or busy running errands and traveling. In those times we need to be prepared to make sure that we stay on track with our food. It’s easy to forget because we get so busy, and our stomachs start rumbling. Then we’re in trouble. We want to grab anything and everything in sight just to satisfy our hunger and typically it’s not the greatest choice.
Avoid Guilty Snacking
Having unhealthy options in the house is one of the most dangerous things because they are readily available and typically don’t need to be cooked or microwaved. They’re easy to just pop into our mouths and then ten minutes later, after we’ve almost devoured the entire bag of whatever it is, we feel completely guilty and either keep going or do it all over again later. There are ways around that with better options. All it takes a small amount of time right after you get home from the grocery store.
Pick Healthy, Grab-n-Go Options
When shopping for healthy snacking options, pick snacks like deli meats, veggies, or nuts. All of these options can be easily packed into grab-n-go bags and taken from the fridge or cabinet to snack on. When you get home from the grocery store, take all of your snack items out and split them up to their proper portion sizes into baggies and containers. This strategy is so you don’t end up eating the whole bag of those too. You won’t have to worry about what you have in the house to snack on because you will already know what you’ve prepared ahead of time. No thinking involved! Just remember to keep track of how much you’re eating to avoid mindless eating.
Choose Non-Refrigerated Options for Traveling
When you’re on the go, make sure to have snacks that don’t need refrigeration. Nuts including pecans, macadamias, walnuts, almonds are all great choices; as well as fruit, dried fruit, seeds, and some types of jerky. The options are endless! Snacks don’t need to be boring. Making healthy trail mixes are a great way to change things up or roasting nuts like chickpeas.
There are many healthy snacking options out there that are easily accessible. Look snack recipes up online or ask a friend or co-worker for their favorite snack. Researching new ideas is an easy, fun way to find your new favorite, easy snack.
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Kick Those Bad Eating Habits
Now that we are through the holidays with all of the cookie baking and comfort foods, let’s get back on track. Kicking bad eating habits can be a difficult task, but so rewarding. Even if you are someone who is trying to begin eating healthy, these tips will work for you as well.
Take a look at everything that you are eating. Does it seem healthy to you? How many sugary items are you consuming in a day? How does your body feel? Are you reaching your goals by eating this way or has nothing changed? Whether it’s foods filled with sugar, salt, or fat, it can be managed. These questions will show you what needs to be taken out of your daily food intake or just changed to a healthier option. Continue reading “Kick Those Bad Eating Habits”
How To Work Out During The Winter Months
Today we are going to learn how to work out during the winter months. Whether you’ve been working out for some time or you’ve just begun, it seems as though the winter months are some of the hardest times to get to the gym. It might be the holidays holding you back, the cold weather, or just not knowing what to do inside the gym. If you need help staying fit through March 20th, following these steps is a good place to begin:
Identify Your Goals
First off, focus on why you want to work out in the first place. You may have a goal that you’re working towards or maybe you are just now thinking of what goal to have. Think about S.M.A.R.T. goals:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Timely
Setting these expectations for yourself will help get you started. Then think about how you will feel once you’ve hit it.
Fuel Your Motivation
Do you need a little “pick-me-up” to get yourself into the gym? Try some caffeine! A little goes a long way in getting your body awake and ready to move. An 8-ounce cup of coffee is the perfect way to get going.
If coffee isn’t your thing, a type of pre-workout will be your best bet for warming up by getting your heart rate going. There are so many different kinds to choose from. You just have to find which one is safe, effective, and works best with your body.
Then, make sure you always have protein on hand after your workout. Protein helps support the recovery process that your body goes through afterward and promotes lean muscle mass and maintenance.
Make It A Group Effort
Maybe your headphones just won’t cut it this time and you need someone to talk you through your workout. That’s okay! Try bringing a friend with you to the gym. Having someone with you is a perfect motivator, whether you are competitive or you just want someone there to talk to. You can get each other motivated and hold one another accountable by making sure you both get your winter workouts in and stay on track with the right foods.
Recover Properly
Always make sure that rest is in your schedule. During the cold weather months, our bodies are highly susceptible to sickness and viruses. Sometimes training on top of that doesn’t help your body out at all. Your body needs good sleep and rest days to recover so that it’s able to perform properly on the days you train hard. This doesn’t mean taking advantage of those rest days. Just listen to your body. If something doesn’t feel right, you feel fatigued and weak; maybe it’s a sign to have a good rest day.
Stay On Track
Don’t let cold weather stop you and your fitness goals. You are capable of anything you set your mind to. You just have to stick with it. Goals take time and you may want to be outside training, but work with what you have and run with it. Grab your friends and get into the gym together. Make it fun! Take good care of your body. We only get one, so why not put all we have into it to make it better and stronger?
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Nope, Not This Year!
You have to be tired of making the same plan every year. You might even be adding to the list because you didn’t achieve it the year before. How can we all want something so bad but not be able to quit doing the things that take us farther away from those goals? Continue reading “Nope, Not This Year!”
How Major Back Surgery Propelled My Fitness Career
When I was in fourth grade, I found out that I had scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine. The degree of the curve in my spine was rapidly increasing, so I was told to wear a back brace to hopefully slow it down or completely stop the curving as my body was developing. I had to wear my back brace every day all day unless I was doing some type of physical activity. Continue reading “How Major Back Surgery Propelled My Fitness Career”
Your Guide to Healthy & Happy Holidays
It’s time to end associating the holidays with unhealthy habits and get a head start on your New Year fitness plans. The end of the year signifies celebration – but the celebration does not have to mean gluttony or inactivity. Fend off the “winter weight” by following this simple guide:
Stock Your Kitchen with Healthy Foods
During the holiday season, it seems like sweets are more accessible and abundant. To counteract those neighbors who brought over their famous fudge, balance these foods by buying healthier options for your family to snack on, like fruits. The more convenient the healthy snack, the more likely your family is to eat it. Wash and package fruits and vegetables for a snack that is just as easy to access as any other snack.
Track Your “Unhealthy” Food Intake
In an ideal world, we would all be able to say no to any unhealthy food that may make its way onto the holiday party table. Since reality is less than ideal, use an app to track caloric intake for the day that way you can visualize the number of unhealthy snacks you eat each day versus your daily activity level. Then, you can see how much you consume per day and can adjust accordingly.
Stay Physically Active
While it’s important to be physically active throughout the year, it’s always a little harder to find motivation during the winter season. It’s easier to stay curled up in bed than to put on gym clothes and go out into the cold to exercise. Holiday festivities keep schedules busy, so it’s easy to miss a workout or two. To keep yourself active during the winter without getting bored, try these winter activities to stay fit and fend off “winter weight”:
- Sledding
- Skiing
- Ice skating
- Snow shoveling
- Snowboarding
These are not the only activities though – keep up more traditional forms of exercise by:
- Exercising outdoors (just be sure to bundle up)
- Going to the gym
- Exercising at home
Get Plenty of Rest
With the holiday rush and parties to attend, this time of the year is one of the busiest. Just remember to take some time for yourself and use this time off of school and work to catch up on some must-needed rest. With plenty of rest, you will not only feel better but recuperated and re-energized to start off 2017 on the right foot.