Holiday Healthy

Yes, that time of the year again has finally arrived; the holidays. Pretty soon there will be cookies & candy everywhere in the shapes of Christmas trees & presents & that is only after a day where tables are filled with pies & delicious warm gooey Thanksgiving sides. This is the time of year that some people dread, knowing that the work they’ve done all year long to stay healthy is just not going to be possible. We’re here with some tips to help you stay on track this holiday season so that your New Year’s resolution does not have to be to get back on track again.

    Keep water on you at all times!

By this point we should all know how beneficial water is for every bodily function that we have. It helps our skin, it help our digestive system, it helps energy focus etc. The list could go on for a while. Drink a couple glasses of water before a holiday celebration so you don’t feel starving. Drinking water can help curb your appetite & will really save you from over indulging this holiday season.  

 Don’t stop working out!

Yes the holidays are busy. You want to be sure you’ve got the perfect present for everyone you’re going to be seeing & you just can’t seem to say no to any of the invitations you’ve gotten for parties. Don’t let yourself get so busy that you fall off of your workout schedule. Maybe use this as a time to create a new schedule around dinners & parties or preparations for both. Keep up with your workouts & you won’t feel sorry after the season is over.

       Keep the cold away!

The last thing you need during this busy & exciting season is to get sick. Don’t go out into the cold with wet hair & make sure you’re eating vegetable and taking vitamins to build your immune system.

       Encourage other with active gifts!

Instead of buying DVDs or video games as presents, why not find some workout equipment to gift to your loved one! Or maybe a gift certificate for athletic clothing. Maybe running shoes. Keep activity on your mind as well as everyone you’re buying gifts for.

         Enjoy!

Don’t cut yourself from enjoying the treats that come along with the holidays! If your favorite thing in the world is pumpkin pie, then have a piece of pumpkin pie, but cut yourself off after one piece. We aren’t encouraging you to sit back eating celery while your family enjoys, but we want you to be smart about it. Research ways to make healthy alternatives of your favorite recipes. You never know they could become your new favorite recipe.

Original: http://www.levo.com/articles/lifestyle/how-to-stay-healthy-during-the-holiday-season

Staying Fit on Vacation

Tips for staying fit on Vacation!

• If you’re flying, eat a large meal before the airport that way you won’t be tempted to eat in the airport’s fast food court.
• Plan when & where you’ll be stopping for meals. This will help eliminate the number of times you stop at a fast food drive thru.
• Watch out for jetlag as it will make you hungry at abnormal times. Resist the urge to snack at 4 a.m. and wait for normal meal times instead. Or, if you simply cannot wait then it is best to choose a healthy snack such as a handful of nuts or piece of fruit.
• We know you’re on vacation, so you’ll want to indulge in some treats & that’s fine! That’s what vacation is all about! On days you’ll be indulging more than usual, try to keep other meals and snacks on the healthy side.
• Beware of buffets. Avoid them as much as possible.
• Try to eat roughly the same amount and kinds of food as you usually do. Your body will thank you.
• Markets are a great place to soak up local culture and eat delicious, cheap fresh food. Local food is better for the environment; you get to pick what you’re eating and you'll even squeeze in some movement as you walk around the market.
• When you plan to be out all day, bring along your own healthy snacks like trail mix, granola bars, or even PB&J sandwiches to stave off hunger. It’ll save you money & keep you away from unhealthier options.
• Make your own meals if you’re staying somewhere with kitchen access. You’ll know exactly what’s in it & you’ll have more of an opportunity to eat a fully nutritious meal.
• Beware of drinks. A single cocktail can contain loads of sugar (and calories). If a stiff drink is necessary (and sometimes it is!), try healthier drinks instead.

• Skip the bus tours and check out your new surroundings on foot or on bike! You’ll burn calories while taking in the views like locals do! Some cities even offer running tours to let you explore while getting a workout in.
• Take the stairs. Skip the elevator and sneak in some extra cardio. Lots of sightseeing attractions—churches and towers, for example—have stairs with architectural oddities, letting you kill two birds with one step.
• Embrace your surroundings. If you’re at the beach, try doing the usual yoga routine on the sand instead of indoors. A change in scenery might be the boost needed to get physical.
• Take a long walk through a local park.
• Use vacation as an excuse to try a new, fun activity. Whether it’s rock climbing, sailing, or trapeze swinging, challenge yourself to try something different while you’re away.
• Do as the locals do! Take advantage of what an area’s known for—or even plan a vacation around it! Unroll a yoga mat in India, climb boulders in Colorado, learn tai chi moves in China, or woo potential suitors with flamenco moves in Spain. It’s a great way to learn about a different culture while getting fit.
• Make exercise your vacation. A surefire way to guarantee you keep moving while traveling is by planning a getaway around a fitness event or competition. Force yourself to vacation by registering for a race in a different city or try a weekend fitness retreat.

• Check out amenities first. Make it easy to squeeze in workout time by booking a hotel with a gym or pool. If you hotel does not offer these things, see if there are any discounts at a nearby gym.
• Check out the neighborhood. Book accommodation near places where you can sweat. If you need to run laps before starting your day, stay somewhere where it will be safe to go for a run. If you need to hear namaste, stay near a yoga studio.
• Bust a move in your hotel room to keep fit using body weights or simple workouts. Something is always better than nothing!
• Keep your mini-fridge stocked with healthy snacks like fruits, veggies, and nuts to avoid unhealthy room service.

Original: http://greatist.com/fitness/24-tips-fitter-happier-summer-vacation

Fit Tip: Use Technology to Improve Your Health

Technology can get a bad rap, often blamed for the increasingly sedentary lives many people are leading. But your phone, tablet and television don’t have to be a license to sit still. They can actually be used as motivators to get and stay fit. In fact, in a global survey of exercisers, Life Fitness found that exercisers that use technology to support their workouts consider themselves to be more successful at achieving their weight and fitness goals.  Try one of these tech-driven tools to lead a healthier life:

Heart Rate

A heart rate monitor can be a great tool for monitoring workouts. Most cardio machines feature an embedded heart rate monitor that clearly displays how hard the body is working. You can also wear a heart rate monitor for indoor and outdoor workouts. To effectively us it, it’s important to know your maximum heart rate. This is the highest number of times your heart can beat in one minute and offers a key figure in determining training intensities. Using heart rate to create interval training sessions or steady-state workouts, can strengthen the heart and improve cardiovascular fitness. 

Wearable Fitness Tech

One of the biggest trends in fitness technology is wearable monitoring devices. They come in the form of bracelets or clips and go beyond classic heart rate monitors. Meant to be worn at all times, these devices can measure movement, calories burned, heart rate, sleep patterns, skin temperature and even blood oxygen levels. Most also sync with mobile apps to help you track these vital statistics over time. Investing in these tools and seeing results over time can be a huge motivator. Some of the most popular wearable fitness devices include the Nike+ Fuel Band, Core 2 from Body Media, Fit Bit Flex and Jawbone UP.

Healthy Eating Apps

With the advent of apps that support meal planning, nutrition tracking and calorie counting, it’s never been easier to eat right. Find tools that fit with your lifestyle to educate yourself about your food and take steps towards a healthier diet. Not sure how healthy that granola bar really is? Apps like Fooducate will analyze the nutritional content of a product and give it an easy-to-read grade of A – F.  Meal tracking has been a long trusted technique for improving eating habits, and it’s even easier today with apps like Lose It!, which features a rich database of foods to help you count calories and even sync with Life Fitness cardio equipment.

Social Accountability

One of the greatest fitness benefits technology can provide comes through social accountability. With just a few clicks you can join an online community like Spark People or LFconnect to connect with others trying to get fit. Apps like Fitocracy and Teemo add a sense of gamification and competition with your friends. You can even take your accountability to the next level with GymPact, which charges you real cash every time you miss a scheduled workout.

This FitTip was brought to by LifeFitness

Fit Tip: Four Workouts You Haven’t Tried Yet

he New Year is the perfect time to shake up your fitness routine and there are plenty of exciting and new workouts to choose from. Here are four workouts you probably haven’t tried, but should:

Mud Runs. Mud runs are growing in popularity because they bring back the kid in you. There are many different types of mud runs with varying degrees of difficulty. The courses can involve climbing over stuff, jumping over fire, balancing across a log, crawling under wire, slogging through waist high mud puddles and scaling walls. People are attracted to mud runs because of the sense of adventure, the camaraderie, the challenge and the fun of getting dirty. Oh, it’s also a great workout.

HIIT. This workout is interval training with two extra words:  high intensity.  High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts alternate periods of work with periods of recovery.  The interval times may vary and the exercises can be a combination of both strength and cardio.  The key is to go at a high effort level during the work periods and make the most of your recovery so you can hit it again.  HIIT is all about working smarter, not longer. 

CrossFit. Unless you live under a rock, you’ve heard of CrossFit and the Workout of the Day (WOD). These intense workouts mix up body weight exercises with plyometrics, weights and sprints. The workout changes daily and the instructor pushes you to give it your all.  It’s a back to basics approach and can be modified for varying fitness levels. 

Barre Workouts. In just one hour, a barre class will work every major muscle group in your body. It’s low impact, fun and if you are consistent you can see incredible results. Most barre studios combine light weight work with isometric toning and ballet inspired moves.  But the workouts are for all ages and absolutely any fitness level.  Dance experience and flexibility are not required.  It’s hot among the Hollywood crowd and a fun way to cross train.

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Fit Tip: Stretch to Success

Stretching may seem like an easy thing to cut out of a busy schedule, but the benefits of stretching far outweigh any excuses. Stretching can improve athletic performance, decrease risk of injuries and increase flexibility through a wider range of motion. So take a minute and stretch your mind around these easy tips:

Start with a warm up, not stretches. Did you know stretching pre-workout can actually decrease performance? The perfect warm-up is simply a lower-intensity version of whatever exercise you are about to perform. The goal during this time is to slowly increase the temperature of muscle tissue to prevent injury.

Stretch at the end of your workout. For best results, stretch when muscles are warm, after bringing your heart rate back to a comfortable zone. Static stretches, or stretches held in place, are most effective.  Follow the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines and hold each stretch for 20 to 40 seconds. This will increase blood flow to the muscle and improve workout results. Stretching consistently over time will lead to improvements in flexibility and range of motion. 

Focus on main muscle groups. Pay attention to the calves, hips, thighs, lower back, neck and shoulders. Always stretch on both sides and focus on performing stretches that are sport-specific. For instance, runners should focus on stretching the hamstrings, hips and calves thoroughly.

Listen to your body. Make sure to breath. Inhale to prepare and exhale before going a little deeper into a stretch. If you ever feel pain, stop immediately, back off to a comfortable point and hold. Never bounce when holding a stretch.

Stretching after exercise can help relax and balance tension caused by a workout and save you from tight, sore muscles the following day. Make stretching a habit every time you hit the gym to reap the benefits.

This Fit Tip was brought to you by Life Fitness

Fit Tip: Track Your Health for Better Results

Documenting diet and exercise can go a long way in helping you stick to a fitness regimen. Whether you use pen and paper or a smartphone, documenting your health and fitness routines is an essential part of getting and staying fit. Use these tips from  to stay on track, even during the holiday season.

Log your exercise. You can use a monthly calendar or go high tech with tools like theLife Fitness LFconnect site. The site and mobile app allow exercisers to create and track their workouts and view progress over time. Remember to record both your cardio and strength training routines for a full picture.

Keep a food journal. You can go online and track what you eat through sites like MyFitnessPal and apps like Lose It!, or keep a notebook and write down what you eat every day. Keeping a food journal makes you more aware of what you are putting in your mouth, because you know you have to write it down later. Use your food journal to see how you are doing. Are you eating five servings of fruits and veggies most days? Are you eating too much at certain times of the day? Understanding your problem areas is essential to improvement. 

Track triggers. Be your own support system. Write down times or days when you have trouble eating healthy and see if you can identify any patterns. When do you stress eat? Keep a log of what triggers you. Eventually you can predict when you might emotionally eat and arm yourself with other choices.

Follow your vitals. Keep a list of health stats from doctor appointments and see if you can improve those as well. Weight is the easiest and most visible, but doesn’t give a full picture of your health. For example, you can take note of your HDL (good) and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, blood pressure and blood glucose to get a better understanding of your health over time.

People who track their diet and fitness have more success than those who don’t. Documenting helps you visualize the change you are creating in your life, so get tracking.

This Fit Tip was brought to you by Life Fitness 

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Fit Tip: Multi-Machine Cardio Workouts

exercise xenophobe (noun): 1. Any individual who works out on the same machine every day and is comfortable with their current workout. 2. An exerciser who avoids trying out an unfamiliar machine. See also: In an exercise rut.

Ok, that is a fictional term. But repeating the same cardio routine every day is getting a little dull, right? Not to worry; this 30 minute triple cardio workout is guaranteed to put some pep in your step. Simply spend ten minutes on three different cardio machines for a workout that will spice up any routine.

Try something new.  Make like Magellan and go exploring. Have you steered clear of the Summit Trainer or avoided the cardio rowing machine in favor of a familiar treadmill?  Conquer the foreign territory of a new piece of equipment by committing to a 10 minute session.  Using your muscles in a different way will reinvigorate your mind, too. Here’s a triple workout to try: Start with three minutes of walking to warm up, followed by seven minutes of walking at a fast pace on the treadmill. Then switch to the elliptical cross-trainer for the next ten minutes. Finally, hop onto an upright bike and pedal briskly for seven minutes, and decrease your speed for three minutes to cool down.  

Throw a wrench in it. Once you’ve acquainted yourself with each different cardio machine, change up your program to combat boredom and stave off humdrum-ness. Jack up the incline or add hand weights to your walking workout on the treadmill. Choose an elliptical with handlebars to get your upper body moving at the same time.  Try increasing the resistance on your stationary bike and make it a hill workout instead of a flat ride.

Minimize time to maximize results. Keeping your workout on each machine shorter in duration means you can pay more attention to your body and its movements instead of zoning out. Make the most of your limited time on each machine by pushing your intensity to achieve results.

Success, multiplied. Exercising on different pieces of equipment engages many more muscles than a workout on one machine would, including two of the most important muscles we have: our brains and our hearts.  Cardiovascular exercise improves heart health, and planning each new triple program will engage your mind as well.

This Fit-Tip was brought to you by LifeFitness

Fit Tip: Improve Your Speed; Improve Your Game

The difference between catching and missing that long touchdown pass (or the train for your morning commute) comes down to only seconds and inches, but can end up costing a lot more.  Put some hustle behind your muscle and improve your overall speed with these easy and quick tips.

Do Strength Training. View your body as an engine: more horsepower means quicker acceleration and faster speeds overall. Focus on building strength throughout your lower body with calf raises, squats, lunges and leg presses, and pay special attention to your hip flexors.  Powerful hip flexors will improve your range of motion and are the key to sprinting faster. Try the Dual Adjustable Pulley machine for single leg and balance work. In addition to your lower body, strengthening your core will improve your speed, balance, and agility by fortifying the connection between the muscles of the upper and lower body.

Do Plyometrics. Plyometric training involves high-intensity, explosive muscular contractions, which enables your muscles to exert maximum force in the shortest amount of time possible, thereby improving your speed. Pre-stretch your muscles and then harness their maximum force by utilizing jumping, bounding, and hopping movements. Jumping jacks, split jumps, squat jumps and box jumps will torch calories and build lean muscle while helping you log faster times.

Do Intervals. Amp up your overall speed with interval training, which alternates short, high intensity bursts of speed with slower recovery phases in a single workout. Interval training will enhance your cardiovascular capacity (the ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscles) and ultimately leads to increased acceleration and speed.

Put on the Brakes. Speed is more than just a mad, reckless dash. As an athlete, maintaining control over your movements and agility is paramount to your performance. You can’t stop and turn on a dime with your legs flailing wildly beneath you, right? The key to slowing down is to have flexible legs, bent knees and lowered hips. Staying low will occur naturally if you are strong enough. Practice flexibility training multiple times per week.  Warm up before workouts with dynamic movements and cool down with static stretches. 

This fit-tip was brought to you by Life Fitness

10 Ways to Burn 100 Calories

Anything that gets you up and moving is good for your health, so try incorporating some of these 10 ways to burn 100 calories into your daily routine.

1. Vacuuming: 25 minutes
Use good posture and stand tall instead of bent over to engage your tummy muscles. Alternate arms on the push and pulling of the movement. 

Focus: Arms

2. Walking: 15 minutes
Along with the calorie burn, taking a brisk walk 2-3 times a day can also help lower stress levels. Be sure to push off your big toe and take larger strides while swinging your arms.
Focus:  Legs

3. Gardening: 15 minutes
Bending, standing, pulling weeds and digging in the dirt is a great total body workout. Remember to use a knee pad while kneeling and avoid being bent over from the waistline to steer clear of back pain. 
Focus: Total Body

4. Biking (10 mph on a flat surface): 40 minutes
Because you're not bearing weight in your legs, you'll burn less calories riding a bike than walking. However, the time can really fly by on a bike outdoors and you might even use it to head to and from work or the grocery store to incorporate its benefits into your week.
Focus: Lower Body

5. Swimming: 15 minutes
Swimming is great for the joints and can produce great toning effects.  Alternate strokes to change muscles group every five laps. 
Focus: Total Body

6. Stairs: 20 minutes
You'll find that stair climbing can boost your cardiovascular conditioning faster than going out for a run. Remember to use your arms on the hand rails to pull your body up instead of just pushing up from each stair. Going down is more challenging on the joints, so try side stepping. 
Focus: Legs and Hearth

7. Pushing the stroller: 20 minutes
Take the baby out not only for the calorie burn, but for fresh air as well. Focus on lightly holding onto the stroller with a firm grip and standing upright.
Focus: Lower body

8. Dancing: 20 minutes
Dancing has taken center stage with the celebrity competitions and classes like Zumba and Jazzercise, but you don’t have to be at the gym or on a reality show to benefit from dancing. Just put on some music and let your body start moving.
Focus: Total Body

9. Volleyball: 12 minutes
Volleyball is a fun, outdoor activity that can burn calories too. Play in the sand and burn a few extra calories!
Focus: Arms

10. Kissing: 90 minutes
While kissing may improve your love life, it won't burn calories as much as other activities you can do. But it's at least nice to know you can still burn a few while igniting your life.

Focus: Relationship

This fit-tip was brought to you by Life Fitness

Eat Healthy & Stay Healthy During the Holidays

Did you know that the average holiday meal consists of no less than 3,000 - 3,500 calories? That may sound crazy, but if you think about how families and friends interact during the holiday season, it seems that everyone is always in the kitchen! Here are a few ways to eat healthier, make better decisions about what you put in your body, and stay on your fitness or weight loss goals during the season.

Watch Your Portions! Load your plate up with vegetables and lean turkey. Eat less of the high calorie foods like casseroles, breads and desserts. A serving is typically the size of a deck of cards or your iPhone. Also try putting your appetizers on a plate to see what you are eating, instead of continually grazing by the table.

Select real, fresh foods. Cranberries are full of antioxidants, but the canned kind are packed with sugar and calories. Sweet potatoes have a lot of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and fiber, and you can add flavor such as cinnamon or nutmeg. Desserts made of baked apples or poached pears can be lighter options than typical desserts with candied nuts and chocolate. And don't forget the pumpkin – pumpkin is a low-fat, low-calorie food with potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C.

Make a lower-carb stuffing by using more veggies like onions and celery, or even dried fruits. Use less bread and skip the sausage and butter. You can also add extra nutrients by choosing whole grain breads.

Space out your helpings. Take smaller portions and always remember you can have more the next day. Holidays are about spending time with friends and family, so make a conscious effort to take a break between bites and enjoy the conversation.

Start the holiday off by walking or running in a Turkey Trot race or just meeting some family members for a bit of holiday exercise. Try getting your metabolism elevated for the day by taking a walk outside or playing a game of flag football a few hours after the holiday feast.