Good Habits are Contagious

Great news–good habits are contagious and once you have gotten into a healthy routine with regular exercise and healthy eating, it can have a positive effect on your friends, family and co-workers.

HOWEVER – bad habits are JUST as contagious!

You must surround yourself with like minded people in order to succeed. It’s so easy to get tempted and to have people that aren’t trying to live a lifestyle like you are – it makes it difficult to stay on track!

Find a support group, a workout class, siblings, whoever –  as long as they will help keep you accountable!

 
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No gym partner? No problem!

A healthy and fit lifestyle is personal decision. IF your spouse, family, friends, kids are all doing the same it does make it (a whole lot) easier to help keep on track and accountable. Sometimes a solo workout can help you refocus and benefit you not only physically but also emotionally and mentally.

Working out alone gives you some alone time to think about you.

Let’s face it, life gets busy but DON’T forget you are a priority.

That solo workout whether it’s a quick run, a strength training session or a 6 mile jog – enjoy the time because time alone doesn’t happen often! That little alone time will help you to be best version of you – a healthy one!

You can go at your one pace – no partner pushing you faster or slowing you down. You become your own motivation.  Plus, you can skip the chit chat and focus on the workout you are doing.  Running, lifting, yoga, whatever it is you can go with your personal flow and do you!

Choose whatever music you want! Get lost in some music and let yourself take it all in! Sometimes a good jam session is all you need to keep going! Your music, your choice, you call the shots.

So take advantage of some solo time and get a workout in on your terms! You are only trying to get better than you were yesterday, sometimes a solo workout is just what you need!

 
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Tupperware Life

Living a healthy lifestyle takes a little planning, time and preparation.  In the super fast paced world we live in everything is thing “go go go” and planning takes a back seat. Some simple tips that can help you continue to ready healthy on the go!
•Make extra
When you do have time to cook dinner, cook enough for 2 extra meals.  It’s just as easy to make a piece of grilled chicken as it is to make 4.
•Staples
Have things you like in the house as ready go-to’s. For me I like string cheese,  clementines, bananas, grapes, edamame, fresh spinach and hard boiled eggs.
•Pack early
If you pack a lunch or dinner the night before you can just grab and go. Way easier than frantically putting things together lat minute.
•Single servings
When you store your left overs store them in meals. Don’t put all the chicken breats together, but rather the chicken,  edamame and rice. Again making it easier on yourself in the long run.

So I bring my lunch and sometimes dinner to work with all my Tupperware.  But if your health is important to you,  you find ways to make it work.  Plus, you can save a ton of money but not eating out! 👏👏👐👍👌

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Booty for your Boo

I got married in July 2014 and I definitely wanted to have the right curves in the right places! So whether you’re getting married and want to have that nice round booty in that perfect dress or you are getting ready for date night or even better you just to look in the mirror and check yourself out – here are some moves to help you get that booty!

Try these moves to help shape your booty for your boo and to look fabulous in whatever you wear!

BentKneeHipExtension HipExtensionwithChairAssist butt-kicks StepUp Superman-JustLegs

**MakeTimeForFit assumes no responsibility for any injury as a result of these moves**

Wedding Shoulders

Like I mentioned in a previous post I am a personal trainer and  got married last July  💍💒

I wanted to have more defined deltoids (shoulders) and no arm fat jiggle! Here are a couple moves I recommend for sculpting your shoulders! 💪💪💪

Whatever your reason try these moves to shape up your shoulders!

Top: Front Raises Middle: Lateral Raises Bottom: Reverse Fly

7s

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But my smart husband helped me out by blocking my arm for the kiss! Definitely a keeper! 👌👌

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Good luck! And check out our wedding photographer , makeup artist, and hair stylist

Remember to check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

Slider workout!

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Sliders are all you need for a great full body workout! Sliders cause you to burn more calories during an exercise because it requires you to engage your stabilizing muscles. The more muscles being used during each move which results in more calories burned!

Mt. Climber [advanced: twisting Mt climbers]
Bear Crawl [advanced: add push up]
Scissors
In and outs
Single leg in with wiper
Push ups – all kinds a challenging variations.

Check out my instagram for video examples of some of these moves!

If you don’t own sliders you can use towels on wood for or even paper plates!

Sweat it out

If you’re like me nothing sounds better after a good workout than to sweat it out and relax in the sauna – but do you know what you are sweating out??

The answer is toxins! Sitting in a sauna and sweating helps your body rid itself of many toxins that have built up from processed food, alcohol, chemical and pesticides from the air! Regardless of how perfect your diet is there are tons of chemicals in your body simply from living and being around other people (don’t get too grossed out!).

Here’s where a sauna comes in. On an average day, your eccrine glands put out about a quart of sweat. But when you hang out in a sauna, they pump out that much in 15 minutes.

But the benefits of the sauna don’t stop there! It also helps your heart! A post-workout sauna session helps improve blood flow!

Japanese researchers have found that sitting in a sauna is particularly helpful for congestive heart failure. After taking daily saunas for four weeks, 13 of 15 patients with serious heart failure had significant decreases in blood pressure and improvements in ejection fraction (a measure of the heart’s pumping ability), exercise tolerance and oxygen uptake.

Sauna sessions can help with –

  • Improved blood circulation: The sauna increases and improves the rate of blood circulation and breathing.
  • Weight loss: Sauna is similar to mild exercise, it burns about 300 calories per average session. Regular sauna treatments combined with a healthy diet and moderate exercise will help you lose weight and stay fit and healthy.
  • Skin cleansing: A profuse sauna-induced sweat followed by a shower cleanses your skin far more thoroughly than just taking a shower. It makes it soft and healthy with immediately noticeable effects.
  • Body relaxation: Stress build-up creates tension in the body manifesting in various aches and pains. The heat and humidity of the sauna diffuses the pain and relaxes tired muscles. A sauna in the evening will leave tense muscles and sore limbs totally relaxed. Sauna also temporarily relieves arthritic pain.
  • Mind relaxation: The sauna is essentially a place to relax. Regular sauna adepts all agree that it effectively helps relieve physical and mental fatigue and stress.

And most of all it just feels great to sweat it out! After your workout – go for a sit in the sauna and reap all the benefits!

***Try this: When you sit in the sauna, brush, lightly scratch, or tap the skin on your arms, legs, belly, and back. This will stimulate your pores to open more while you’re in the sauna, and boost the circulation at the surface of your body. Immediately after you leave the sauna you have to immerse yourself in cold water! This will close your pores back up, pull the blood back to your core organs, and reinforce your natural defenses. This means that you will actually lose less heat when you are out of the sauna, boost your circulation, stay warmer longer, and keep your vital organs happy and functioning at the same time.***Reference 3


Reference 1
Reference 2

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Teach kids the importance of exercise!

Did you know that children spend more than 7.5 hours a day in front of a screen – TV/Video/Computer.

The majority of kids are not active and not getting enough physical activity. Take your kids on a walk, work out with them, teach them HOW and WHY it is important to exercise daily! Plus teach them the impact food (good and bad) has on moods, headaches and overall well-being. They will follow whatever example you set – so be an example of what you want them to be.

Teaching your kids healthy habits such as daily exercise will help them stay healthy and help keep you accountable! Don’t forget they are always watching!

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Run less, lose more

Happy Monday! January 5th – lots of resolutions and goals for the new year. As you start or continue your fitness goals – here are some things I’ve learned to help get you seeing results!

I am a runner by heart. I used to not feel like I got a good workout unless I ran. Little did I know that was the reason I hit a plateau and was just staying on that plateau, month after month.

After getting my certification in personal training I began to understand the benefits of cardio in combination with strength training.

Change up your cardio regiment, try incorporating intervals,  sprint work, swimming, jumping rope or stationary bike to change up your daily routine. With that and adding a few more strength training exercises you will see results and move away from that plateau! Share your results and tag @maketimeforfit and #maketimeforfit

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Fight the holiday bulge!

Happy December! It’s that time of year where cookies, cakes, pies and any and everything you could ever want is available. It is the most tempting time of the year that can result in a weight gain, on average, of 8-10 pounds.

With the holidays come parties, cocktails and family commitments that prevent you from sticking to your gym schedule and your daily eating routine. Here are  a few tips to help keep you from adding to your waist line during the holidays!

  • Avoid mindless snacking
    • It is SO easy to stand by the appetizers table and eat more than a meal BEFORE the meal! So be aware of what you are eating – put food on your plate and walk away
  • Don’t skip the gym
    • It’s important to keep your physical activity up! It’s easy with office parties and relatives visiting to decide to skip — try to keep a routine the best you can – this is the time when you need it the most!
    • Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean it’s cold in the gym! Battle the cold and you won’t have to battle your jeans!
  • You don’t need dessert
    • Woof – I know this one sucks – but it’s true. If you are full and think I can’t eat another bite – don’t change when it’s time for dessert. And if you feel obligated to have something (which you shouldn’t because it’s your choice what goes in your body) have one dessert, not all of them. You also don’t have to eat the whole thing. Split the dessert or just politely discard whatever is left.
  • First bite is best
    • If there that pecan pie your aunt makes or the cookies your grandmother makes just for Christmas – I’m not saying deprive yourself – just remember the first bite is the best. Don’t go back for bites 5 and 6.
    • Eat slowly and enjoy – you are less likely to feel the urge for another and you can completely enjoy whatever you have without feeling the need to over-indulge.

Good luck this holiday season! Remember your summer-time body is made in the winter! You can make it through the holidays without any set backs as long as you stick to your plans and keep moving!
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