Keep Sweets In Your Diet!

Don’t think that you can eat any sweets when you’re on a diet? Think again!  Dark chocolate is actually a healthy chocolate that you not only should add but need to add to your daily diet. 

Dark chocolate is shown to lower blood pressure by quite a large margin.  It produces a substance called nitric oxide which balances hormones in your body.  This leads to a lower blood pressure. Dark chocolate can also lower your cholesterol by 5-10%.

Going off of yesterdays post on how to relieve stress, dark chocolate encourages your brain to release endorphins, and it contains serotonin which both act as stress relievers. 

Another benefit of dark chocolate is that it contains nearly 9 times the amount of antioxidants (nutrients that fight of sickness) than some fruits do.  So eating a little dark chocolate every night will kick up your sickness-fighting antibodies. 

Stick to no more than 100 grams a day of 60-75% dark chocolate.  I like the organic kind with no added fillers or chemicals.  This way, you can end your day on a healthy, sweet note. 

Eat that dark chocolate, and spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.omninfo.com

Work Out To Relieve Stress



Feeling extra stressed or upset lately?  Need something to boost your mood?  Go workout!  Working out not only changes your mood by making you look and feel better about yourself, but it will mentally change the way that you feel.

When you exercise, whether it’s running, lifting weights or whatever form you do, your brain releases certain chemicals that result in your feeling better.  When you get stressed or upset, you brain holds those chemicals in.  When you work out it relaxes your body and mind which releases those chemicals.  Your brain releases endorphins, adrenaline, serotonin and dopamine.  When released they all work together to make you feel happier, more positive and more relaxed. 

If you’ve ever wondered why after a workout your stress seems to go away, this is why.  Another great thing about it is that since your mind is more relaxed you’ll find it’s easier to figure out the solution to whatever it is that is causing your problem. 

Think of this as a rule of thumb: the harder you workout, the more chemicals are released.  The more chemicals released the better you’ll feel. 

It’s easy when you’re stressed to turn to junk food, but that doesn’t solve anything.  It’ll actually make you feel worse because now you’re upset about what you just did to yourself.  No matter how much you don’t feel like working out because you’re stressed or upset you have to make yourself. 

Hopefully next time you’re stressed you’ll turn right towards the gym instead of turning left towards the ice cream.  So keeping that in mind spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.iamnotsohappy.com

Have a Drink This Weekend!

The term “Beer Belly” gets thrown around quite a bit when it comes to drinking.  But fear not!  The term may not be all it’s cracked up to be.  It all depends on what you drink, how much you drink and what you eat while you’re drinking.

Think about every single time you watch a commercial with alcohol in it, every picture you see with alcohol in it, where they place the alcohol in stores and what you think about eating when you imagine yourself having a few drinks while watching the big game.  What do you think about?  Fatty foods.  Most of the reason people gain the weight is because of the food you eat while you are drinking, but not the drinking itself.  Of course it’s great to eat nachos, burgers, fries and chicken wings once in a while, but when you do don’t blame it on the alcohol (no Jamie Fox / T-Pain bun intended).   Here are a few other reasons why you should allow you to indulge yourself in a couple of drinks this weekend.

1.) Having 1-2 drinks every other day or so lowers your risk of heart disease and having a heart attack.

2.) People who drink 1 or 2 drinks every other day or so have less body fat then those who only drink every few weeks but have 5 or more drinks at a time.

3.) Wine has a ton of antioxidants in it to prevent sickness and disease.

4.) Guinness has a surprisingly low amount of carbs and is one of the better darker beers for you.  Stick to Guinness when drinking dark beers.  Other good options are pilsners, lagers, goldens and most light colored beers.  STAY AWAY from the fruity options!  They are filled with carbs and sugars!

So go ahead, have a few drinks this weekend.  Just make sure you are being responsible, only sticking to only a few drinks and not eating too much junk to go along with it.  Have fun and until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Guiltless Sweet Potato Fries!

Tired of going out to eat and feeling bad about not being able to get what you want because you’re afraid of what it’ll do to your body?  Well fear no more!  Here’s a recipe for sweet potato fries that you won’t have to feel one bit bad about!  But first a few reasons on why sweet potatoes are healthy for you.

1.) While white potatoes have slow digesting carbs that stick with you all day, sweet potatoes have fast digesting carbs (which you need) and will burn quickly.  This means your body won’t store the carbs as fat.

2.) There’s Beta-Carotene in them, along with many other vitamins, which prevents heart disease and cancer.

Here’s the recipe!

Guiltless Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

1 large sweet potato

2 tbs. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1.) Preheat oven at 425

2.) Cut sweet potatoes into fry shapes or wedges, whichever you prefer

3.) In a large bowl, mix fries, olive oil, salt and pepper.

4.) Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil and spread fries out evenly

5.) Cook for 25-30 minutes flipping halfway

6.) Enjoy!

These sweet potato fries are one of my favorites!  Don’t forget to check back daily for new health and fitness tips.  Don’t be afraid to comment or leave suggestions! 

Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.theculinarylife.com

Take You Leg Workout to the Next Level With Balance Ball Squats!

No one likes leg workouts. But if you’re going to do them, you might as well get the most out of it.  Enough with the leg extension and leg curl machines!  Those are bad for your knees and don’t do nearly as much for your legs as Balance Ball Squats do!  Balance Ball Squats work every part of your legs, including your calves. 

When you squat, whether it’s with or without weights, you work your entire lower body and your core.  Doing squats on a balance ball exponentially amplifies the results!  This is because all of the smaller muscles around your legs, ankles, calves and core have to work that much harder to keep you balanced.  This is a great exercise you should definitely put in your leg routine.  Start with three sets of no weights for a few weeks then work your way up to holding dumbbells while you do it.  Here’s how it’s done.

1 – Stand on an upside down balance ball as shown in the picture above.

2 – For the first few times, extend your arms in front of you to keep your balance until you get used to it.

3 – Slowly squat down until your knees are at 90 degree angles. 

4 – Slowly stand back up.

Beware, your first few times you will shake like crazy at the bottom of the squat because all of your smaller supporting muscles aren’t used to being worked out.  You’ll love the way you feel the next day and you will love the results!

Good luck!  Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.fitplan.com

Get More Out Of Cardio!

When you stand on the elliptical for a half hour and barely break a sweat, doesn’t that tell you that something isn’t right?  Long cardio sessions in which you’re barely breathing hard aren’t the best way to spend your time at the gym.  In fact, they actually burn more muscle than they do fat.  In order to maximize the fat burning process in a cardio session you should be doing High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT.

HIIT is about going almost as hard as you can for a short period of time and then resting a minute.  The idea is to keep your body guessing.  When you’re speeding up then slowing down your heart and body have to work harder to keep up, which is why you burn more fat.   For example, I use the stair climber.  I turn it on as high as I can so I’m literally sprinting on the steps for 30 seconds and then turn it down to a slow speed for 60 seconds.  This can be done on the treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, row machine, bike or even doing sprints outside.  Here are some more facts to persuade you.

1 – You burn more fat by doing less cardio. HIIT burns more calories in20 minutes than you would in an hour of long distance at an easier work rate. 

2 – After HIIT your body will continue to burn fat for up to 24 hours where as a slow, long distance will only continue to burn fat for 15 minutes after a workout!

3 – It makes the time FLY by!  You’re constantly just looking forward to the next 30 seconds or a minute.  By doing so you forget about the total amount of time you have to reach.  You’ll be at 20 or 30 minutes in no time!

So next time you are going to do some cardio, try 20 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training.  You’ll be amazed at what you were missing by doing those long elliptical sessions all the time.  Start at 20 minutes then work your way up to more.  Good luck and until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Time For a New Playlist

There’s been plenty of times where I’ve turned on my iPod at the beginning of a workout and thought, “I’m so tired of listening to this same playlist over and over again!” And it actually causes me to lose motivation. Change it up a little!  This week, your goal should be to make a new playlist to workout to.   Here’s a list below of websites that have great playlist selections for your new mix.

The Ultimate Workout Mix – All Genres

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/13/145185920/the-ultimate-npr-workout-mix?ft=3&f=114113159&sc=nl&cc=mn-20120116

Popular Songs Right Now

http://www.billboard.com

25 Best Rap Songs to Workout to of All time

http://rap.about.com/od/songs/tp/BestHipHopWorkoutSongs.htm

Rock Workout Mix

http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oG7kmPzh1Pg0MAohdXNyoA?p=rock%20workout%20playlist&fr2=sb-top&fr=yfp-t-372

Sometimes all it takes is tweaking the little things to get you motivated again.  Check these sites out, make a new playlist and get back in the gym more motivated then ever!  Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Thanks to James from Sharky and the Habit for the Ultimate Workout Mix site

Image Source: http://mindofmurph.blogspot.com

Get Superhero Arms!

Whether you’re looking to tighten up and tone or looking to bulk up, this plan is for everyone!  Here’s a look at how you can get your arms to look the way you want instead of looking like wet noodles.  Explanations follow at the bottom.

*For the tighten up and tone look, do sets of 20 / 15 / 12 (except for the 21’s)

*For the bulking up look, do sets of 12 / 10 / 8 (except for the 21’s)

Do this work out twice a week with 2-3 days of rest in-between

3 x 15 Overhead Medicine Ball Throws

3 x 21’s Bicep Curls

3 sets Incline Hammer Curls Drop Set

3 sets Overhead Dumbbell Press Drop Set

3 sets Skull Crushers SUPERSET Close Grip Push Ups

Make sure you go hard the whole time and you’ll have superhero arms in no time!  Good luck, and until tomorrow spend Everyday Living Fit!

Overhead Medicine Ball Throws: Hold a medicine ball like a basketball and throw it as far as you can overhead.  Switch which arm is your power arm for each throw.

21’s: Do 7 bottom half reps only going halfway up, 7 top half reps going only half way down, the 7 full reps.  That’s 1 set.

Incline Curls: Lay on a bench that’s at a 45 degree incline.

Drop Sets: Do a set with a weight that you can do 10 reps with.  Grab lighter dumbbells and immediately do another 10. Grab lighter dumbbells and immediately do another set.  That’s 1 set.

Overhead Dumbbell Press: Hold a dumbbell overhead with 2 hands.  Have your upper arms pinched against your head for the whole set.  Lower the dumbbell behind your back and press back up.

Skull Crushers: Lay on a flat bench with a pair of dumbbells in a chest press position.  Have your elbows pointed towards the ceiling for the whole set.  Slowly lower the dumbbells towards your head then press them back up towards the ceiling.



Image Source: http://www.extremebodyweightworkouts.com/ http://www.leylasroom.com/

Weekend Winter Run

Stay fit this weekend by signing up for a 5k race.  Yes it’s winter out and snowing, but that makes it more fun!  To sweeten the pot, find a fun race that offers something fun for signing up like a Tech Shirt.  I’ve run in races that actually serve beer when you finish.  Could you ask for a better reward at the end of a race? Running in the snow or in the cold may seem like it’s harder but it actually has its benefits. 

You burn more fat while running in the winter.  Your heart has to work harder to warm your body up, which means it’ll kick up your metabolism and burn more calories.

 You’ll get a better workout for your legs.  It’s hard to keep yourself going while running on an icy patch or in the snow, so your legs have to work harder and use all the little stabilizing muscles to keep you going.  You can bet on your legs being extra sore the day after!

If you’re still wondering whether or not you should venture out and run this weekend, just think “If Rocky Balboa does it, I should do it!”  Have fun, be safe, and until tomorrow spend Everyday Living Fit! 

Image Source: http://www.muscleprodigy.com/

Healthy Chex Onion Rings!

What’s the best thing you could ask for when you’re having a rough day in the cold of winter? Comfort food.  And what’s one of the most comforting foods you’ll ever have?  Onion rings!  Instead of sucking down those fat filled, deep fried, artery clogging fast food onion rings which drip grease through the bag, try this mouth-watering healthy version.  You won’t have to feel one bit guilty about these!  There are no bad ingredients and are baked instead of fried.  Here’s the recipe:

1 large onion                                        

¼ cup egg beaters (or regular eggs if the egg beaters aren’t available)

¼ cup crushed Chex-Mix (either brown and white chex, or both!)

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2.) Peel onion and cut it into ½ inch slices

3.) Fill a small bowl with the egg beaters or eggs

4.) Put Chex-Mix into bag and crush it

5.) One at a time, dip a ring into the egg mix then toss it in the Chex-Mix bag

6.) Cook for 20-25 minutes on a non-stick cookie sheet flipping at the half way point

7.) Take out of oven, dip in ketchup and indulge in this healthy deliciousness!

Calories: 160

Sodium: 250 mg.

Carbs: 40 g.

Protein: 9 g.

After trying these you won’t want to go back to the grease rings.  You’ll feel better and won’t have to run 10 miles to burn them off!  You can always make something healthier just by baking it and using healthy ingredients!  Enjoy!

Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/

Wednesday's Workout: The Push-Up Row

It’s easy to get stuck using machines and the same old basic, plain exercises that only work one muscle group at a time.  They’re easy, you already know how to do them and you feel satisfied from working out although you know they don’t do much for you.   You need to change it up!  The best exercises you can do work more than one muscle group at a time, or multi-muscle exercises.  Here’s a great example of an exercise that works your entire upper body!  This exercise works your chest, back, shoulders, triceps, biceps, and core. It’s called the Push-Up Row and here’s how it works:

Step 1: Grab a pair of light dumbbells

Step 2: Get down in a Push-Up position with your hands on the dumbbells and your feet spread a little further than shoulder width.

Step 3: Do a push-up.

Step 4: At the top of your push-up pull your right dumbbell in towards your right side while squeezing the middle of your back together.  Pause and return to starting position.

Step 5: Do another push-up and at the top pull in your left dumbbell in towards your left side while squeezing the middle of your back together.  Pause and return to starting position.  That’s 1.

Do 3 sets of 10-20 for an upper body blast!  Have fun, and until tomorrow spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://strength-trainingworkouts.com/

5 Simple Ways to Cut Calories

Everyone could afford to cut a few calories here and there, but it’s definitely easier said than done.  Having the discipline to not grab the chips or ice cream isn’t a trait most people possess.  The best thing you can do is put yourself in a position where those temptations aren’t even an option.  Here are a few ways to help you cut calories from your diet in order to stay healthy. 

1.) Take a Lunch to Work –  We all say we’ll go buy a salad, but by the time lunch rolls around we’re so hungry and busy that all we want is something quick and cheap which means most likely we’ll be headed down fast food alley.  Take 10 minutes the night before and make yourself a lunch.  You’ll be much happier when tomorrow comes and you have a healthy lunch and you also won’t have to spend any unnecessary money at the fast food joints. 

2.) Your Grocery Cart Is Your Empty Stomach – When you go grocery shopping think of your cart as your empty stomach.  Fill it only with healthy foods to help fuel your body. 

3.) Stop Drinking Your Calories – 8 ounces of juice or pop can have up to 150 calories, 20 grams of sugar and 30 carbs!  If you have 3 cans of pop a day that can add 450 calories, 60 grams of sugar and almost 100 carbs to your diet!  Drink more water.  If you need the flavor buy the Crystal Light or something similar to poor into your water.  You’ll be amazed at how lighter and healthier you feel, not to mention how many pounds you’ll shed by doing so.

4.) Cut Out Creamy – Chances are if it says “creamy” in the description, it’s bad for you.  Opt for healthier dressings and sauces like vinaigrettes, lights, or oil and vinegar. 

5.) No Cheese, Please - Cheese can add a few hundred calories to a sandwich.  Next time you make one or order one from a restaurant go without the cheese.  Especially with sandwiches, you really can’t taste a difference.

Remember these 5 tips to help cut out hundreds of calories a day!  Sometimes such easy changes can make HUGE differences in your diet. 

Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.timeforkids.com/

6 Powerful Reaons to Live a Healthy Life

Working out and eating healthy is about more than just looking good.  It can change your life in MANY more ways than just the physical aspects.  Here are 6 incredible reasons to work out and eat healthy regularly.

Prevents Heart Disease and High Blood Pressure:  Exercise increases the amount of good cholesterol and decreases the bad allowing your blood to flow more smoothly.

Feel Happier: Working out or running increases various brain chemicals that leave you feeling happier and more relaxed.  If you’re having an especially stressful day hit the gym and you’ll feel much better!

Boosts Energy: Put the 5 Hour Energies and go work out! Exercise delivers more oxygen to the tissues in your body which helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently.  This gives you more energy!  

Look Younger: Having a healthy diet and exercises promotes good cell growth and can get rid of harmful toxins in your body.  Along with eating healthy foods, drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated!

Add Years to Your Life: Eating well and exercising can literally add YEARS to your life!  That’s reason enough to put down the Twinkies and hit the gym.

Reduce Your Health Care Costs: By being a healthy person, you’ll cut your health care costs to a minimum, if anything at all.  You can save hundreds or thousands of dollars a year by being healthy!

So if looking amazing isn’t reason enough for you, hopefully these health benefits will help boost your desire to get out there and live a healthier life!  So until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

New Two Week Fat Torching Workout!

Here it is, this Sunday's Personal Trainer!  Here's an intense two week workout for you.  Good luck and comment if you have a question or review of it.  Enjoy and pass on the good word!  Look back to Thursday's blog for explinations of the exercises if needed.

Days 1 and 5 – Full Body Workout

5 min warm up

3 x 15 Kettlebell Swings SUPERSET Walking Lunges

3 x 20 Up-Downs on Balance Ball or Dumbbells

3 x 60 seconds Runner Arms Curls SUPERSET Overhead DB Triceps Extension

3 x 15 Medicine Ball Slams

3 x 500m on Row Machine (2 min. pace) OR 15 jog on the treadmill

5 min cool down

Day 3 – Full Body Workout

5 min warm up

3 x 15 Push Ups SUPERSET Body Weight Squats

3 x 15 Medicine Ball Squat and Overhead Throw (hold ball like b-ball, squat down, explode up and throw the ball as high as you can.  Catch and repeat)

3 x 15 Balance Ball Squats SUPERSET Straight Leg Deadlifts with dumbbells

3 x 15 Triceps Rope Push Down SUPERSET Rope Wood Chops (grab rope and swing like you’re playing baseball)

3 x 15 DB Bicep Curls SUPERSET Calf Raises

5 min cool down

Days 2, 4 and 6 Cardio and Abs

5 min warm up on treadmill, bike or elliptical

Use the treadmill, elliptical, bike or stair climber for the following:

90% Speed – 30 seconds

25% Speed – 60 seconds

·         Repeat for 20 minutes

·         5 min cool down

3 x 45 seconds Plyo Ball or Basic Plank

3 x 30 seconds Side Plank

3 x 15 Plyo Ball Crunch

3 x 25 Bicycle Crunch SUPERSET Reverse Crunches

Have fun and until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Winter Weekend Calorie Burners!

It’s the weekend!  It’s time to relax, but don’t spend every waking minute sitting on the couch watching TV.  Get out and do something!  Here are a few winter activities that burn a TON more calories than you probably imagined.

Skiing – burns 460 calories an hour

Snowboarding – burns 525 calories an hour

Ice Skating – burns 325 calories and hour

Cross Country Skiing – burns 635 calories an hour

Sledding and walking back up the hill – burns 450 calories an hour

Building a Snow Man – burns 250 calories an hour

So give one hour of your time this weekend to get in a great workout all while having fun! 

Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!                                 

Image Source: http://www.lookpictures.net

Bonus Workout

Here’s a sneak peak at the two week long workout that will be posted on Sunday.  This is the first workout and the first cardio session.  Do these today and tomorrow, take Saturday off then check back on Sunday for the full workout.  The explanations of the exercises are at the bottom. Enjoy!

Day 1 Workout – 45 minutes

5 minute warm-up on elliptical

3 x 15 Kettlebell Swings SUPERSET with Walking Lunges

3 x 20 of Up-Downs with the Balance Ball (half a Plyo-Ball with plastic on half that you can stand on)

·         If you don’t have a Plyo-Ball use light dumbbells

3 x 30 seconds of Runner Arms Biceps Curls SUPERSET with 15 Standing Overhead Triceps Extensions with 1 dumbbell

3 x 15 Medicine Ball Slams

5 minute cool down on elliptical

Day 2 Workout – 30 Minutes Cardio and Plank Ab Workout from Wednesday

1.) 5 minute warm up on elliptical, bike or treadmill

20 minutes of intervals on elliptical, bike, treadmill or stair climber

·         Go 90% speed for 30 seconds, then slow to 25% speed for 60 seconds

·         Repeat for 20 minutes

5 minute cool down on elliptical, bike or treadmill

2.) Ab Plank workout from Wednesday

Hope this gets you started and in shape for next week’s workout!  Good luck!

Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.looklikeanathlete.com 

Definitions of Exercises:

Superset – Two workouts done immediately without rest in between.

·         Kettlebell Swings then do Walking Lunges immediately.  Rest 60 seconds then repeat 2 times.

Up-Downs – Grab a Balance ball or light dumbbells.  Do a push up on them, pop up and do a shoulder press. That’s 1. Get back down, push up, pop up, shoulder press, 2. Etc.

Runners Arms – Grab some light dumbbells and stand with one foot in front of the other.  Do bicep curls and pump your arms as fast as you can as if you were running.

Medicine Ball Slams – Grab a medicine ball.  Hold it overhead and slam it into the ground as hard as you can.  Catch it when it bounces back up and repeat.

Thursday’s Recipe: Power Blast Smoothie

Rarely do you have enough time to sit down in the morning and make a full breakfast.  Most of us are running so late we barely have enough time to make ourselves look somewhat presentable before we’re running out the door.  But you have to remember one of the most important rules about health and fitness; EAT BREAKFAST!  Eating breakfast within an hour of getting up kick starts your metabolism for the day.  By doing so, you’ll be able to burn calories at a quicker rate all throughout the day.  Not eating breakfast actually slows down your metabolism which creates the opposite effect.

Below is a super quick, super easy and super tasty smoothie that takes less than 5 minutes to make. 

Power Blast Smootie

8 oz low-fat milk

1 scoop protein powder (any kind for the guys, Slim Fast Plus Protein tastes great for the ladies)

¼ cup uncooked instant oatmeal (not the sugary stuff, the natural kind. And no, it’s not weird once  you blend it)

1 tbs. peanut butter

½ cup of blueberries, strawberries, banana or any kind of fruit

Blend for 30 seconds and violá! Breakfast in less than 5 minutes!  Take it for the road and get out the door in time to make it to work!  I know the oatmeal sounds strange but your body needs those healthy carbs (yes, your body needs carbs) to energize you through the day and kick up your metabolism.  It’s the perfect nutrition elements and calorie count to start your day being healthy!

So until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

P.S. Check back later today to get the first workout and cardio routine of this Sunday's Personal Trainer two week long program gets posted!

Image Source: plus-size-magainze.com

Wednesday's Workout: Plank You Very Much!

10 crunches, rest.  10 more, rest.  10 side bends, rest.  Look in mirror; no change.  This is the typical ab routine for far too many of us.  Crunches, side bends, leg raises, etc.  If you are stuck in this same old ab routine, you’re not working one of the most important muscles you have; your Transverse Abdominals.

Your Transverse Abdominals are a sheet of muscle that lies beneath your abs.  These are stabilizing muscles.  Once they become strong they actually suck your stomach in and make you skinnier and show off your outer abs more.  If you don’t work these muscles, chances are you might not ever see what you try so hard for.  Below are 3 great ways to work your transverse abdominals.

Basic Plank (Beginner)

To do a basic plank, start off in a push-up position then place your elbows on the ground (as shown in the picture above).  You want to keep your body as straight and flat as possible.  If someone placed a broom on your back while in this position you would want it to touch your head, shoulders, back, butt and legs.  Hold this position for 30 seconds then rest for 30.  Do a total of 3 sets.  Eventually you’ll be able to work up to a minute. To make it a little harder lift your right leg in the air and hold it for 5 seconds then switch legs.

Side Plank (Intermediate)

A side plank is just like a basic plank but on your side and only on one elbow.  Lie on your side then push yourself up onto one elbow.  Keep your body as straight as possible and hold the position for 20-30 seconds.  Rest for 30 seconds then do 2 more sets.  Again, you’ll eventually be able to work up to a minute.

Plyo-Ball Plank (Advanced)

A plyo-ball plank is a basic plank but having your forearms on a plyo-ball (big ball in the gym people do crunches on).  Do three sets of 30 seconds and eventually work up to a minute.  To make it harder, roll the ball forward so that your triceps (upper arms) are on the ball.  Hold for 5 seconds and then go back to your starting position.  

Here’s an example transverse abdominal workout.  Do this 3 days a week with a day of rest in between each work out.

3 sets of Basic or Plyo-Ball Planks  
3 sets of Side Planks
3 sets of Basic or Plyo-Ball Planks 
                                                                                                        
Combined with a good diet and cardio you’ll be struttin’ a leaner you in no time. 
Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.goldenworkoutroutines.com/                  

Tuesday's Health Tip: Drink Green Tea!

Drinking green tea has big health benefits that shouldn’t be ignored.  Take a look at what drinking green tea everyday could do for you and your body.

Burns Fat

Green tea speeds up your body’s metabolism which leads to burning fat.  It’s like an all natural fat burning supplement.  By doing this, it also increases your energy which will make you feel better and give you that extra boost you need to work out everyday.

Stress Reliever

Green tea has a substance called Theanine in it which calms and relaxes the body to take stress away.  Give this a shot before turning to the pharmacy for a change.  You’ll feel better and won’t be filling your body with unneeded chemicals. 

Fights Sickness

Green tea is filled with antioxidants which help your immune system to fight off colds.  Green tea is also a great way to prevent or help with diabetes.  It increases insulin and promotes glucose metabolism (helps your body process sugar).  You might want to load up before flu season begins.

Dollar for dollar, no supplement has more health benefits than green tea.  It’s a cheap and effective way to stay healthy, thin and stress free.  So until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.prostate.net/

Get Motivated!

Boating season is right around the corner!  Before you know it, it’ll be time to hop into the ol’ bathing suit to hit the water.  You have a workout plan in mind and you want to look and feel confident.  The only problem…. you can’t get yourself to go to the gym!  Motivation is a HUGE problem for gym-goers and non gym-goes alike.  Follow these 5 steps to create a newer, better you.

1.) New gear

Sometimes all it takes is a new shirt, new shorts or new shoes to get you motivated.  If you feel good about how you look it will motivate you to go strut your stuff in the gym.  A hundred bucks on a new outfit is definitely worth getting you motivated to look and feel better.

2.) Change it up

How would you like it if you had to eat the exact same boring cereal every meal, every day for 6 months?  That’s how your body feels after being forced to go through the same workout week in and week out for months at a time.  No wonder your body isn’t motivated, it’s tired of eating the same cereal every meal day in and day out!  Look up new workouts, ask for advice, or check in Wednesday’s for Wednesday’s Workout Tips.  Creating a new workout program is just what your body needs to get you motivated.

3.) Set goals

Setting (and sticking) to goals is one of the best ways to stay motivated.   Start daily; today I will eat well and exercise.  It’s ok to reward yourself for sticking to your goals by making a deal with yourself.  Make a long term goal with a reward at the end; if I eat well everyday and workout 4-5 days a week for a month I’ll buy myself those new jeans or that new video game I’ve been wanting so badly.  Pretty soon your reward won’t be a material object but it will become the feeling of accomplishment when you see how great you look in the mirror. 

4.) Go to the gym at the same time everyday

If you change the time you go to the gym everyday it’s easy to skip out.  Saying, “I’m just gonna sit here 10 more minutes then go” can easily push you into the next day, then the next week without you ever going.  When you go to the gym at the same time everyday it becomes a habit and you’ll feel like you’re cheating yourself if you don’t go at your usual time. 

5.) Reward yourself on the weekends

Another reward system!  Tell yourself that if you eat well everyday and exercise 4-5 days a week then on Saturday for dinner you can treat yourself to a nice burger and fries.  You’ll go nuts without cheating a little bit, but limit it to once a week.  Since it’s only once a week, though, you better make it good!

Use these motivational tips and when boating season comes around onlookers will be drooling over your six pack instead of staring at your keg!

Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

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