It’s summertime, remember to stretch!

With summer time around the corner, many people will begin a new workout regime or take their current one up a notch.

With the increased work load on your body it is important to stretch. Your body is only going to perform if you take care of it. And let’s face it, if running, lifting, moving hurts you aren’t going to do it.

Fitness isn’t a once in a while thing it’s a continue processed full of ebbs and flows. Take your victories in stride and your struggles with grace. Just stick with it.

Here are some hip stretches that will help keep your body healthy and ready to go, no matter what you throw at it!

HIP STRETCHES

 

You don’t know who’s watching

Updated: August 2nd 2020

Working out is apart of my daily routine. I’ll go train clients at my boot camp (click here for info on that) and pre-covid I’d slide into the office at least Tuesday and Thursdays  and work at my other job at Fox Sports Southwest. I’d always get up and workout in my garage those days. My life was set up where my workout is a part of the day. It’s built in. It does help I have equipment in my garage but honestly you don’t need much to get a good workout! Through two pregnancies my schedule and workouts didn’t change much. Of course the intensity changed but I was consistent.

One minute of exercise is more than zero.

I want my kids to see how much I value my health, physical fitness and mental fitness. They will grow up seeing my work ethic and my lifestyle.  I want to live as long as I can to see them have kids and their kids have kids! So I take care of myself, eat well, sleep enough and have fun.

Here is a simple workout format you can use and incorporate ANY body weight exercise in.

Exercise 1 & 2 10 reps of both then-8 reps of both-6-4-2 (run, jump rope, high knees)2-4-6-8-10

Example exercises:

Squats & Pushups – run .25 miles

Lunges & Tricep Dips – 100 jump ropes

Superman pulls & Straight leg situps – 100 High knee

If you have dumbbells you can add different moves and modify as you wish! It doesn’t have to be complicated!

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You are what you eat!

Food has so much effect on your feelings, attitudes and your appearance! Here are few foods that are good for skin!

  • Tomatoes
    Why: They’re full of lycopene, a phytochemical that provides red pigment and health benefits. Lycopene helps eliminate skin-aging free radicals caused by ultraviolet rays – in other words, it protects against sun damage. To reap the most benefits, heat them up: A half-cup of cooked tomatoes, for example, packs 16 milligrams of lycopene. A daily dose coupled with sunscreen will help block the burn.
  •  Mangoes, Papaya and Apricots
    Why: Got that washed-out look? Load up on some fruit. Mangoes, papaya and apricots are full of pigments called carotenoids, which are stored in the layer of fat directly beneath the skin and can improve color. “They peek through, giving you a rosy glow,” says registered dietitian Karen Ansel, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and co-author of “The Calendar Diet: A Month by Month Guide to Losing Weight While Living Your Life.”
  • Cocoa Powder
    Why: Flavonals, the antioxidants in dark chocolate, reduce roughness in the skin and protect against sun damage. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that women who drank cocoa fortified with 326 milligrams of flavonals a day had better skin texture and stronger resistance to UV rays than those who didn’t get as much of the antioxidants. Just a few ounces a day – or a standard Hershey’s Dark Chocolate bar – is sufficient. Another tasty way to get enough? Spoon some cocoa powder into your morning coffee, Ansel suggests.
  • Flaxseed
    Why: Think of these as tiny wrinkle fighters. They’re packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which erase spots and smooth fine lines. In one study, participants who had about half a teaspoon of omega-3s daily for six weeks had less skin irritation and redness, as well as better-hydrated skin, according to findings published in the British Journal of Nutrition. That’s likely because fatty acids attract water to skin cells, plumping the skin and reducing wrinkling.
  • Sweet Potatoes:
    Why: They’re full of vitamin C, which smooths wrinkles by stimulating the production of collagen. One study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found people who consumed 4 milligrams of vitamin C – about half a small sweet potato – daily for three years reduced the appearance of wrinkles by 11 percent.
  • Spinach:
    Why: Want to protect yourself against skin cancer? Take a page out of Popeye’s book. A study published in the International Journal of Cancer found that folks who ate the most leafy greens (more than four times a day) developed half as many skin tumors over 11 years as those who ate the smallest amount (once a day or never). That’s likely because the folate in spinach helps maintain and repair DNA, reducing the likelihood of cancer-cell growth
  • Canned Tuna:
    Why: It’s packed with selenium – a nutrient that preserves elastin, which keeps skin smooth and tight. Selenium also prevents free radicals that are produced by UV rays from damaging skin cells, protecting against sun damage.
  • Safflower Oil
    Why: If you have dry, flaky or itchy skin, take note: This common cooking oil doubles as a moisturizer. It contains omega-6 fatty acids, which keep cell walls supple, allowing water to reach the skin. Some research suggests consuming safflower oil can help ease skin problems such as dermatitis, inflammation, acne and dry skin.

August Abs MTFF plank challenge

Hey hey – are you up for a challenge?
Each day in August I’ll post a plank variation with directions on what to do. Get your summer abs and tighten up your core with me!  #MTFFplank so I can follow along with you!

Welllll since today is August 1, let’s get started!

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DAY 1 #MTFFplank is the high plank.

Form is key to make planks effective. Shoulders over wrists, hips square and in a straight line with your spine. SQUEEZE your belly button to the spine and spread weight evenly through hands and feet. Keep a neutral neck don’t look down or up.

Now how long can you hold it?
× Beginner – If you are new to planks start off with 10 seconds on and off for a minute repeat 3x

× Intermediate try holding 30-45 seconds rest 30-15 secs and repeat 3x

× Advanced try holding for 60 seconds, rest 10 seconds and increase 70 seconds on, 20 seconds rest and 80 seconds on, 30 seconds off and 90 seconds on, yes 4x – you’re advanced right?

× Pro do a max hold – hold til you can’t hold any more!

We are just getting started – challenge a friend and get your #augustabs with me! Be sure to #MTFFplank so I can follow you!

Start today! Email maketimforfit@gmail.com for your personalized workout program!

Do you foam roll?

I’m sure you’ve seen them at your gym. People rolling and contorting their bodies on this foam cylinder, and you think “what does that even do?”

A foam roller is a very helpful tool that helps your body recover and can help to prevent injury. When you use the foam roller  it digs into muscles to release tension, specially Self-myofascial release. It a massage technique that require longer low pressure on a muscle until it releases and the mobility and tissue are restore to their proper form. A foam roller allows you to have this type of massage by yourself.

Benefits

  • Increased blood flow throughout the body
  • Better movement and increased range of motion.

Ideally foam rolling should be down both during your warmup and your cool down. It’s so important to get your body prepared for a lift and to stretch after a workout!

Now why does it hurt?

Now if you’ve tried foam rolling and feel like you are almost forced to tears, chances are you are doing it right AND you really need it. Similar to the pain you get while stretching. It should be uncomfortable, but not unbearable, and when you release you should feel looser.

How do I do it?
I like to start with my calves and work my way up to my hamstrings. Then I move to IT bands (which usually hurt a lot because I hold a lot of tension in my hips). When I find a spot that’s tight I hold in place and bend my knee to increase the pressure. Then I move onto my quads and then inner thigh. Then the other leg – IT band, quad and inner thigh. After that I sit on the foam roller rolling over my glutes sometimes crossing my leg putting my ankle to my opposite knee to dig in deeper, switch sides. At the end I lay on the foam roller in line with my spine and up my arms up like a touchdown signal and am just still for about a minute (which is actually really long time to be still). I usually feel my shoulder and neck tension release and a great sense of calming to do nothing for a minute.

This is just my routine. There are many ways to foam roll you can what works for when you consistently include foam rolling into your workout regime.

Here are some pictures!

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I promise after a week or two of consist foam rolling your body will recover faster and your muscles will be looser over all!

references here and here

Sunday BUNSday

Happy Sunday!  If you can’t make it into the gym today don’t worry, I got you!

3-5 rounds of this booty blasting routine will keep you on track and best part, it will take at MOST 35 minutes of your day! Get everyone involved family, friends and neighbors!

Pin,  share,  tag your friends and tackle this Sunday BUNSday workout!

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Take your fitness goals to work!

A healthy lifestyle is more fun with friends! Try to get a group a work to walk during lunch or a group gym session after work instead of happy hour!

Why not make it a challenge? Try to start a weight loss challenge at work and you can hold each other accountable! Nothing like some friendly competition!

Your healthy lifestyle and habits will spread throughout your office and help everyone in the long run!

And remember to have fun!

For more ideas visit on getting a challenge started at work: Click Here