Tag: personal trainer

What’s for dinner? Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Ravioli

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This past Sunday, my husband and I were home and wanted make something fun for dinner! I found this recipe HERE. It was relatively easy and I’m glad I got to use my ravioli maker kitchen aid attachment we got at the wedding! But you can definitely make this without a ravioli maker – just roll out the dough and make the raviolis buy hand!

This is a very hands-on recipe and was fun to see what goes into making ravioli. The recipe is kid friendly and a great way to  teach them at a young age about what to put in your body and how to make it!

If you make this or have any other versions of it make sure you tag #maketimeforfit!

 

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Sweat it out

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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


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How is your New Year’s resolution going?

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So it’s February 1st.
 
Shockingly if you look at this graph from Frobes.com you’ll see more than 36% of those with New Year’s resolutions have already given up!

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Are you one of those people in the 36%? I’m not here to patronize just here to remind you that, there’s still time.
 It doesn’t have to be December 31st for you to set new goals.  That’s all a resolution is really, just a goal. 

Here are some ways to get back to achieving your goals!

● Be Specific
Setting a big picture goal is great but having multiple big goals can be a daunting task. 

♢Instead of “I want to lose weight” try “I’m going to cut out fast food and candy.”

♢Instead of “I want to read more” try “I’m going to read this book in February,  this book in March.”

Narrowing down your goals makes them manageable.

●Be Positive
Often times when we fail we are over come with guilt and fear that we aren’t good enough. Stop beating yourself up so much! Not sure where I hear it or read this quote but I wholehearted agree with it!

One positive thought in the morning can change your whole day

Many things that cause us pain, stress and anxiety in life are simply based on our reaction to them. It’s not the end of the world if you make a mistake – it’s how you deal with that mistake that makes all the difference.

Keep your head up and keep working to your resolutions – Happy February 1st!

Teach kids the importance of exercise!

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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

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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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Why wait until January 1st?

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Go to the gym.

Go for a walk.

Skip dessert.

Grab an apple instead of party mix.

A  recent poll showed that only 59% of people stick to their health and fitness goals! Start incorporating simple steps into your daily routine RIGHT NOW!  A healthy lifestyle is an on-going progress – start with easy things and then keep working to add more things into your routine. Goals don’t have to start on a certain date or time – why wait? START NOW!

 

 
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Fight the holiday bulge!

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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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Tired? Go for a walk!

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Sometimes you hit that wall, sometime around 2 or 3pm you just dont know how you’ll make through the rest of the day; what do you do? Grab a cup of coffee? Snack on something to keep you up? Take a energy drink?
While all those may “work” the most effective way to get an energy boost – physical activity. Crazy right? Go exert energy to gain some? But that’s exactly right!

“We live in a society where people are always looking for the next sports drink, energy bar, or cup of coffee that will give them the extra edge to get through the day,” says researcher Tim Puetz, PhD, also of UGA. “But it may be that lacing up your tennis shoes and getting out and doing some physical activity every morning can provide that spark of energy that people are looking for.”

If you get to the point where you can barely stay awake – go take a 10 minute walk around your office or walk out to your car and back in. You’ll be surprised how much a little physical activity will increase your energy level for the rest of the day!

 

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You vs You

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Everyone is at a different place in life and same goes for fitness – everyone is at a different place. Everyone has struggles and successes so when you see someone that is where you want to be, before you take even a second to get discouraged – know that someone is looking at you, wishing they were where you are. STOP COMPETING – just try to get better than YOU were yesterday.

Take pictures, take measurements, keep a fitness journal and track YOUR journey. Scales can be very misleading so ditch the scale and look in the mirror – that’s your competition.

 

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Depressed? Go Exercise!

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There are many studies showing a direct correlation between happiness and physical activity.  Here are some facts about physical activity.

  • Releases endorphins
    • Endorphins are those “feel good” chemicals that are produced from cardiovascular exercise. The body has positive reaction to exercise naturally so that feeling after you get through a tough workout out–yeah those are endorphins!
  • Increases serotonin levels
    • Having low levels of serotonin has been connected to depression, but guess what naturally increases serotonin levels….yep-EXERCISE! Serotonin affects your mood, ability to sleep and your appetite. So get moving and release those  good natural chemicals!
  • Improves sleep
    • Lack of sleep, restless nights and insomnia are effects of depression. Exercise releases endorphins and serotonin chemicals for “feel good” result and sleep aid but also your body will need rest with the increase activity level you are physically and mentally spent which will allow you to relax and get quality shut eye!
  • Distraction
    • Now that you are feeling good (endorphins) and sleeping well (serotonin) you are able to focus on you and the natural positive chemicals being released in your body preventing negative or discouraging thoughts that are common with depression.

Exercise has many many positive side effects  – do yourself a favor and get moving!

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