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

Cardio Myths Vs. Facts

Those of you who love to hear your elliptical gearing up at the end of a long day can agree that nothing beats cardio. And of course you know how fantastic it is for your heart and that it's a great calorie burner, but there are some cardio myths out there masquerading as fact. We want to make sure that you have all the correct information to work with so here are five of the biggest cardio myths:

MYTH: For weight loss, cardio is the one & only answer.
FACT:  Of course if you’re pushing yourself on that treadmill or elliptical day in and day out, you will drop weight and you will drop it fast. Cardio alone, however, burns away both fat and muscle, which of course you don’t want.  Make sure the weight you lose is the right kind of weight. You need those muscles!

MYTH: Cardio workouts have to be at least an hour long to matter.
FACT: All body movements burn calories, not just the ones that keep your heart pumping for over an hour. To burn them more efficiently, in fact you should introduce high-intensity interval training to routine which can elevate your metabolism so that you could still be burning up to 38 hours after your workout. Even 10 minutes at a high intensity is beneficial. And a recent study suggests that short, infrequent bouts of slow running can do your heart good.

MYTH: Cardio on an empty stomach torches maximum body fat.

FACT: The idea that if your body doesn't have available food calories, it'll dip into the body's stored supply, thus losing inches & lbs, is simply untrue. Fat burn is consistent whether you’ve eaten before a workout or not. In fact, your body needs energy which comes to you in the form of food. Having a pre-workout snack will actually help you perform better, thus burning more fat in the end.

MYTH: It's important to stay in the "fat-burning zone" if your aim is to burn fat.

FACT: This one is half true. But it's total calories burned (those pesky calories out) that matter for weight loss. A higher intensity workout gets more of those lbs off.  

MYTH: You can skip a legs' strength workout if you've ran or biked.
FACT: Although it may seem like you're working your legs and glutes, you aren't getting any muscle building benefits by running or biking. Building up these large muscles in your body help boost your metabolism so you need to do strength moves along with your cardio. And as an added bonus, strength workouts will make you a better runner and cyclist.

Original: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/cardio-myths-debunked?cid=Synd_Popsugar_CardioMythsStopBelieving_Content-Fitness_August14_CardioMythsStopBelieving

You're Doing It Wrong On The Treadmill

Wondering why, even though you are dedicated to time on that treadmill, you still aren’t seeing results? You could be doing it wrong. Here are some mistakes you could be making that could be holding you back.

Not focusing: The thing that some people love about treadmills is that they’re convenient for multitasking, like reading a magazine, or having a conversation with your workout buddy. If you want to see results though you need to push yourself. Focus on your workout. Increase your speed. 

Not relaxing: While running on a treadmill may not feel as natural as running outside, you need to remember not to tense up. Try not to crowd the front of the treadmill and relax your form. It can alleviate neck, shoulder, and lower back pains that may cause you to take a break from your routine.

Not adjusting the incline: You’ll become a better runner if you increase the incline on that treadmill & you’ll burn more calories. Even a 1% increase will help & you won’t be able to notice. Increasing the incline also helps you avoid shin splints.

Same old, same old: The reason you may not being seeing the numbers on the scale change at all could be because you aren’t changing the speed on your treadmill. Using a treadmill at the same speed everyday can cause you to plateau, so switch it up! 

Treadmill loyalty: If the treadmill and the locker room are the only parts of your gym that you really see, then you're missing out on some great calorie-burning potential. Break the habit: start or end your running session with strength training (this five-minute basic workout is a great place to start) in order to build those metabolism-boosting muscles. 

Holding on: If you feel unsafe running on a treadmill without holding on to the handle bars, you could be hindering your results. When you run hands free you burn more calories and you work your upper body as well. Slow down your speed until you get the hang of not hanging on and keep your abs engaged to help balance yourself.

Original Article:  http://www.fitsugar.com/What-Do-Treadmill-33882388

 

Fit Tip: Focus on Legs

One of the easiest ways to tone your legs is to get up and use them more with consistent walking, jogging or biking routines. These cardio activities will also burn calories and help reduce overall body fat. But if you are looking for lean, strong legs, the prescription is strength training. Rely on variations of good old-fashioned squats, lunges and deadlifts to firm up the muscles in your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. 

Try the following leg exercises to train your muscles and get your legs ready for summer:

Take the Stairs: Choosing the stairs over the elevator is one of the easiest ways to work your legs during the day and you don’t need any extra equipment, just your body weight. Make it even more effective by taking the stairs two at a time. Push yourself up with your glutes and hamstrings to work the back of your legs. 

Squats: Squats are one of the best moves for leg toning and glute firming. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes facing forward, abs tight and arms at your sides.  Bend your knees to lower your body into a squat position, going as low as you can but no farther than 90 degrees. Pretend you are sitting back into a chair. Sit back and keep your knees over your toes, keep your chest lifted and spine long. Push through your heels and squeeze your buns to rise back to the starting position.

Deadlifts: There’s no doubt, the dead lift is one of the best exercise to tone the glutes and backside of the legs. Holding a barbell or two dumbbells at your side, keep your arms straight and knees slightly bent. Slowly bend at your hip joint, not your waist, and lower the weights as far as possible without rounding your back. Keep your spine neutral and abs tight. Squeeze your glutes to pull yourself up.

Stability Ball Leg Curl:  This is a great exercise to target the back of your legs. Grab a stability ball and lie on your back with your knees at a 90 degree angle and ankles on top of the ball. Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips off the ground. Keep your glutes squeezed tight, hold your hips off the ground and roll the ball toward your glutes and back to perform the rep. If that’s too challenging start with a simple hip lift and work your way toward the leg curl.

Alternating Reverse Lunges: Step back with one leg and bend both knees, lowering your body towards the ground. Align your front knee over the ankle of your front foot and stay on your back toe. Come back up to standing and switch legs. 

Brought to you by LifeFitness

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Avocado, No Butter

If you’ve been on Pinterest you’ve probably seen some tantalizing pictures of recipes made with impossibly healthy ingredients. Can it be true? Do those recipes taste as good as they look? Our team wanted to find out, so we tested out a recipe for chocolate chip cookies that has NO BUTTER. The secret ingredient: the buttery and delicious super-food, avocado. A big thanks to Natalie over at Deconstructing the Home for the recipe.

I Instagrammed the entire process and as a notoriously horrible baker, I’m proud to say I only made one mistake. While they didn’t look as beautiful as the one’s from Natalie’s blog, they definitely passed the taste test. 

The recipe calls for ½ cup, or roughly one, avocado. I managed to buy a giant one, so I used about 2/3 and saved the rest for a delicious snack the next day. Isn’t she a beauty? 

Using a hand mixer, I mixed the avocado until it was just slightly lumpy and followed that with the sugar. The recipe calls for Splenda as a sugar free option, but I prefer to choose natural ingredients over processed foods any time I can (even if that means a few more calories.)

Next came the egg and vanilla, which I also mixed until smooth.

I mixed up my remaining dry ingredients (baking soda*, whole wheat flour and salt) in a separate bowl and slowly added to my lovely green mush.

*Welcome to my mistake. It turns out I only had baking powder on hand, not baking soda. These ingredients help the cookies rise, so I took to the internet to find out if I could substitute. The general consensus online was to use about twice the amount of baking powder than the recipe called for in baking soda. Two teaspoons it was. My cookies tasted delicious, but you’ll see very soon that they didn’t come out very pretty. Please be smarter than me and check all your ingredients before beginning. 

A good portion of chocolate chips came next to finish off the recipe! Note: The recipe calls for 1 cup chocolate chips, which made the cookies very yummy, but you can definitely get away with less. I would recommend 2/3 cup to cut the calories a bit, but still get chocolaty goodness in every cookie. 

Onto a lightly greased baking sheet and into the oven for 15 minutes. 

The finished product. Like I said, not the prettiest, but they were still a hit at home and at Life Fitness headquarters.

Have you ever used avocado in an unexpected way? Comment and tell us!

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies with Avocado

Ingredients:
½ Cup avocado (approximately one avocado)
¾ Cup Splenda (or your favorite sweetener)
1 Egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 Cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or unsweetened to remove all sugar)
½ Cup chopped pecans (optional)
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 290 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.

2. Remove avocado from skin and place in mixer. Mix on medium until slightly lumpy. Add Splenda and mix on high until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined.

3. In small bowl mix together baking soda, flour, and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients. Mix on medium until well combined. Add chocolate chips and pecans and mix till evenly combined.

4. Scoop one tablespoon of dough per cookie and place on cookie sheet one inch apart. If you want flatter cookies you can use the back of a spoon to flatten them out. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Dig in!
Makes 24 cookies!

Brought to you by LifeFitness

Fit Tip: Active Date Ideas to Get the Heart Pumping

Thinking of skipping your workout for a hot date tonight? Think again. Step outside of your sedentary dinner-and-a-movie comfort zone and go for an active date instead. Not only is it great for your health, it can be great for your relationships, too. The next time you’re making plans with your significant other, try one of these active date ideas:

Try something new. Choose an activity that is both new and physically challenging to you and your partner; the fun is often in the unknown. For example, try indoor rick climbing, ice-skating, kayaking or snowboarding. You might just discover a new workout you both enjoy. 

Play a game built for two. If you pick an activity designed for pairs, you’ll be up and moving all evening long. Schedule a game of tennis, badminton, squash or even table tennis (it is an Olympic sport). Even a game of pool or darts will get you moving more than posting up at the bar.   

Train together. Sign up for a race together and schedule training walks/runs as you would a date night. Working towards a common goal is a great way to develop a relationship. You can cheer each other on, keep each other motivated and plan for race day together.

Put on your dancing shoes. Dance the night away at a club or concert for a great cardio workout. Better yet, take a ballroom dance or swing class to really step up the heat.

Skip the pay per view. Staying in for a romantic evening at home doesn’t have to equal laziness. Go out for an evening walk or take the dog to the local park. Get off the couch and try an active video game like Wii Kinect or Dance Dance Revolution.

This Fit Tip was brought to you by  LifeFitness

Fit Tip: Working Out While Under the Weather

Flu season is on its way to becoming an epidemic in the U.S. and while a flu shot is preventative, it won’t always help you escape a winter cold.  While your dedication to hit the gym every day is admirable, there are some symptoms of sickness that should make you think twice. Please use common sense.  If your symptoms are severe, skip the exercise and see your doctor.  Otherwise, follow these guidelines to decide when you’d be better off staying at home, getting rest and keeping your germs to yourself.

Do a neck check. You can exercise while sick if your symptoms are all above the neck, like a runny nose, a sore throat, nasal congestion and tearing eyes. Of course, you should always listen to your body and take the intensity of your workout down a bit if your regular pace feels too strenuous.  

If it’s below, don’t go. If you have any symptoms below the neck, such as body aches, chills, coughing, fatigue, stomach problems or diarrhea, it’s advised to take it easy until you're feeling better. And if you're running a fever, no matter where your symptoms are, put off exercising until your temperature returns to normal.

Follow common courtesy. Just as no one likes gym goers who sweat on equipment and don’t clean the machines, you won’t make any friends having a nonstop sneezing or coughing spell. If you suspect you’re contagious, follow common courtesy and stay home. If you do go while under the weather, use hand sanitizer and wipe down all machines after use.

Listen to your body. When suffering from congestion or low energy, exercise often helps you feel better. Know your limits and take the intensity down a notch. A brisk walk can sometimes unclog the sinuses better than an afternoon on the couch. Gentle exercise will rev up circulation and counteract that sluggish, rundown feeling. Exercising while sick is a personal decision and you’re the best judge of what your body can handle.

To avoid getting sick remember to keep up a healthy lifestyle without running yourself down. Take time to relax, get seven hours of sleep, drink plenty of water, eat healthy and wash your hands—a lot.

Brought to you by LifeFitness

Fit Tip: Seven Habits of Highly Fit People

You’ve heard it before: If you want to be successful, study the habits of the experts. To get in shape, pay attention to the routines of highly fit people like personal trainers. Many of their secrets are very straightforward habits that anyone could adapt into their own life. 

1. Live by the 90/10 rule. 90 percent of the time, focus on maintaining healthy habits and allow indulgences only 10 percent of the time. It’s not what you do once in a while that counts; it’s what you do most often.

2. Aim for an hour a day but never miss more than two days in a row of exercise. Follow the two-day rule. Something may come up that makes you miss exercise on a particular day, but don’t let it happen more than two days in a row. Commit to never letting more than two days pass you by without exercise.

3. Find a substitute for weaknesses. With a simple Google search you can find healthier options for the most tempting treat. For example, if you love ice cream, try Greek yogurt with fresh berries and walnuts instead. Or if you love salty chips, try some homemade popcorn for a healthier substitute. It’s okay to enjoy temptations here and there, just not daily.

4. Use monitoring tools. Determine what monitoring tools you want to use to track steps taken, calories burned, heart rate zones and workouts. With all the different high-tech tools available in today’s market, it’s never been easier to keep track, pin-point strengths and weaknesses and monitor progress.

5. Cross train. Unless you are preparing for an upcoming competition or race, train for overall health and include cardio, strength and flexibility in your routine.  Don’t get stuck in a rut of steady state cardio.  Add in intervals, hills and speed to challenge the heart.  Work muscles with functional strength training at least twice a week.  Also consider taking a yoga class or make a habit of stretching.

6. Be prepared.  It takes planning, but travel with healthy snacks and always have water on hand. Set the refrigerator up on Sundays for a week of healthy choices. Extreme hunger is the enemy of making bad choices and overeating so have healthy snacks like nuts, apples, carrots or homemade granola bars at the ready for when hunger strikes. Also, don’t go anywhere without water. You should be drinking it all day long.

7. Check your attitude. If thoughts are positive, actions are more likely to be positive too. Stop negative thoughts in their tracks and focus on small wins and progress. 

 

Via LifeFitness

 

The Best and Worst Holiday Drinks for Your Diet

A string of holiday parties and family get-togethers is likely in your future and festive drinks are sure to be served. Make smarter choices when gathered around the tree by understanding the best and worst holiday cocktails for your diet. Those liquid calories have a way of adding up, especially when you top it with decadent family dinners.

The Worst
White Russian (6 oz.) – 374 Calories
Eggnog (8 oz.) – 343 Calories
Kir Royal (6.5 oz.) – 219 Calories

The Best
Champagne (1 glass/4.1 fl oz) – 91 Calories
Make it lighter: Go for brut (dry) champagne.
Mojito (6 oz.) – 167 Calories
Make it lighter: Use a sugar substitute.
Hot Toddy (8 oz.) – 173 Calories
Make it ligher: Use ½ - ¾ tablespoon of honey instead of the stand 1 tablespoon.

Source: http://caloriecount.about.com/

Via Life Fitness

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

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