Sometimes we buy things that we don’t know what to do with. I have heard people say this about the Bosu Ball. This oddly shaped equipment can leave people feeling confused on how they should use it.
I posted a follow along workout on my YouTube channel for anyone who wants to workout using this fun, but challenging, piece of exercise equipment. You can also do the workout without a bosu ball.
Let me know if you give it a try! I have other workouts on my channel you can check out too!
Here is a recipe for an egg-less egg salad for my plant based people out there! I’m not vegan, but I do like to eat plant based as much as I can.
Ingredients:
1 package of sprouted organic firm tofu
2 tbsp mustard
Juice of half a lemon
2 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp Tumeric
1 tsp pepper
1 chopped dill pickle + a little juice
1 tsp chili lime seasoning
1 tsp garlic lovers from flavorgod
Salt to taste
I spread my egg-less egg salad on a slice of Ezekiel bread. Delicious! I have plenty of left overs too!
What are you having for lunch today?
Having a strong core is important! It helps support your back and posture. We use our core muscles in almost everything we do, so having a strong core is crucial.
I have a quick core workout using a resistance band on my YouTube page if you need to work those core muscles.
Let me know if you check it out!
Have you started shopping for the holidays? My goal is to be finished shopping by December 1st each year. Sometimes I accomplish that goal, and sometimes I don’t. I often find myself needing at least a few last minute gifts each year. Shopping for fitness fanatics can be fun but challenging, so I complied a list of my favorite fitness gifts, being a fitness fanatic myself. I have included links to a few of my favorite things, but nothing is an affiliate link. These are just m personal favorite recommendations.
Thanksgiving is almost here! This has been the longest and fastest year ever! I’m not sad that 2020 will be coming to an end, but I want to finish strong. How about you?
As we approach the holidays, it is important to create a plan for staying on track with your health and fitness goals. The holidays can be a wonderful time, but they can also present challenges if you are trying to maintain or lose weight. Here are a few tips for staying on track this holiday season:
It is also important to stay consistent with your workouts during the holidays. Don’t use this wonderful time of the year as a reason to take a break from exercising. Think of this time as a reason to keep working out. You need to stay healthy to fight off the flu, colds, and COVID 😬. Yep, that nasty little virus is still around! And consistent workouts and healthy eating help you stay healthy! Plus, you won’t reach your goals if you stop working for them. The holidays are one day! Get it? HoliDAY, not holiMONTH😆.
What fitness or health goals are you currently working towards? Are you going to keep pursuing them through this holiday season?
I love adding challenges to my workouts. It gives me the motivation to work hard towards a goal and adds variety to my weekly workouts. This month, I am doing a 100 rep lunge challenge!
Each week in the month of November, I am choosing four days to complete 100 reps of a lunge variation. It can be broken down into sets of 20, 25, 59, or all 100 at one time. You can incorporate the lunges into your workout, or do the lunges as a stand alone challenge.
I am choosing Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday’s as my lunge days. You can choose whatever days work best for you!
Here is an example;
Day 1: 100 forwards lunges (50 per leg), along with your normal workout or by itself.
Day 2: 100 side lunges (50per leg), along with your workout
Day 3: 100 stationary lunges (100 per leg). This is the hardest day!
Day 4: 100 curtsy lunges (50 per leg), along with your workout.
I will add my lunges to my arm workouts and just incorporate them into leg day. Bicep curls and lunges go great together!
Do you need a challenge this month, or something to motivate you to move your body more? Try adding a fun, but hard challenge! Take a before and after picture, so you can see the results!
As we come to the end of another weekend, it is important to prepare ourselves for the upcoming week. We are more likely to be successful if we have a plan. Having a purposeful plan and knowing what goals you want to achieve is the key to a good week!
Start off by taking time to think about where you are mentally. How are you feeling? Do you feel excited about the upcoming week or anxious? Are you feeling positive or negative about how things are going? Work to change your mindset to a positive, excited mindset for the new week. Life might not be perfect, whose is?, but we can change our mindset about how we will handle things. Focus on creating a positive outlook today.
Next, consider what goals you want to achieve this week. Do you want to eat better, get at least 4 workouts in, or drink more water and less soda? Decide what fitness and health goals you want to crush this week and write them down!
A great way to prepare for healthy eating this week is to meal prep. Decide what meals you want to serve this week, collect the necessary ingredients, and pre-make a few meals. Meal prepping is great when you are short on time during the week. It allows you to still eat clean, rather then reaching for unhealthy convenience foods. I also love prepping ready-to-grab snacks. I am less likely to eat junk if I have a healthy option ready.
Another way to plan for a successful week is to actually plan out your week. What do you need to accomplish? What workouts are you going to do? Write it down! When you have a plan and schedule what needs to get done, you are more likely to follow through and accomplish it. Take time to sit down and write out what workouts you will do, what other important things that you need to accomplish. Then check them off your list this week as you complete it. It is so satisfying to check things off of a list!
Starting a new week can feel overwhelming when you are surrounded by a mess. At least, that is how I feel. Take time to clean up your space today, so you feel ready for the week. Put those dishes and laundry away, sweep the floors, clean off your desk, and prepare the space you need for exercising. Having things in order makes life seem easier. I hate the thought of waking up Monday morning and having to clean. It just creates a negative space in my head. Knowing that e writhing is done before I go to bed helps me sleep better and feel more prepared for the week.
The last thing to do to prepare for the new week is to relax! Take time to read a book, go for a walk, stretch, or watch a movie with your family. Give yourself time to re-energize and decompress. Press the pause button on your troubles and worries and just chill.
Many people will tell you that the best way to lose weight is with lots of cardio. Cardio is definitely helpful in aiding weight loss, but it is not the best or only way. You don’t have to spend hours at the gym logging time on the treadmill or elliptical machine to lose weight. In fact, it’s really not as effective as you might think.
The key to losing weight is a combination of weight training, cardio, and healthy eating. I’m sure you have heard this all before, but it’s true! While cardio will burn more calories during your workout, adding lean muscle will burn more calories throughout the day. Adding 2-3 days of weight training can increase your metabolism, re-shape your body, and speed up weight loss. You don’t have to lift super heavy weights to achieve this either. Body weight exercises or light to medium dumbbells are effective.
Your body is smart! It adapts very quickly and responds well to changes, so it’s important to add variety to your workouts. Try switching things up every 6-8 weeks, and add a variety of workouts to your schedule. For example, you can lift weights 2-3 days per week with 30-40 minutes of cardio sprinkled in, throw HIIT or Tabata training in, add yoga of Pilates 1-2 days per week, and spend time working on balance, stability, & flexibility 1-2 days per week. A well rounded program will challenge your body and keep you from getting bored.
Another key component is healthy eating. Focus on whole, clean foods and avoid highly processed foods. As your body responds to exercise demands, it needs proper nutrition to fuel it. Processed carbs like white bread, chips, crackers, and cookies will not help your body get stronger or lose weight. Instead, add in whole grains, lean proteins, fruits and veggies, and herbs and spices. Drink plenty of water too, and avoid soda, juices, and fancy coffee drinks. You can’t out exercise a bad diet, so changing your eating habits is important if you want to see a reduction in weight.
If you stay consistent with your workouts and eating, your body will change. Set realistic goals, and be patient with yourself. Change doesn’t happen overnight!
I love fall! I love the colors, the cinnamon smell, and baking! While fall is not technically here yet, I couldn’t resist making pumpkin spice donuts. I modified this recipe from 1Up Nutrition.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup pumpkin spice protein powder (I used a powder from 1Up Nutrition)
1 cup almond flour
1 egg
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Mix all ingredients well. Spoon well mixed mixture into donut molds. I used a silicon donut mold that doesn’t need to be greased, but if you use a metal pan, grease it first. Bake for 15-17 minutes at 350 or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool and then add frosting.
Frosting:
1/3 cup vanilla protein powder. ( I used Sun Warrior powder)
3 tbsp unsweetened vanilla milk
1 tbsp vegan butter
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Directions: mix all ingredients well before pouring in cooled donuts.
Have you ever struggled to get started on a fitness and health journey? Does it feel overwhelming at times and leave you wondering where to begin? Many people feel that way. They know they want to change their current habits and take their health more seriously, but getting started can be hard. Changing your behaviors or working towards a goal requires a plan. Having a specific goal is important for staying motivated and maintaining self discipline.
To begin, start by creating a positive and achievable goal. Perhaps your goal is to lose 5 lbs, or to exercise at least 3 days per week. This is doable and gives you a clear objective. Goals that are not specific, like “I want to lose weight” are harder to achieve. We tend to give up quicker if we don’t set a specific goal.
Next, set a time frame. Maybe you want to lose 5lbs in one month or exercise 3 days per week for 6 weeks. This gives you a short term to goal that is manageable. It is also important to set a longer term goal as well. In a six month period of time, what would you like to achieve? Do you want to lose 20lbs or increase your workouts to 4 days per week? Another goal could be to increase the amount of weight you lift during a workout. Having a short and longer term goal gives you a reason to keep going. I also recommend an even longer term goal of up to one year from now. It could be to try new exercise modalities within the year, increase the number of days you lift weights to 3 or 4 days per week, or lose a specific amount of weight. It could be something simple like being able to walk or run a specific distance or hike a certain trail. The options are endless!
The next step is to make a plan. How will you achieve this goal? Write down the things you need to do in order to achieve your goal. If your goal is to lift heavier weights, then plan out how often you will try to increase your weights and how many days per week you will lift. If your goal is weight loss, plan out what healthy foods you will add to your diet and plan out your caloric intake.
Now it’s time to take action! Find an accountability partner who will check in with you and encourage you on your journey. It can be a friend, spouse, coach, or trainer. Tell them your plan and give them permission to keep you accountable. Acquire the things you need to get started, and do it!
As you reach your short term goals, make new goals to keep you working towards your long term goals. Once you lose 5lbs, make a new goal to lose 10lbs. If you stayed committed to exercising three days per week, bump it up to 4-5 days per week. Always keep re-evaluating your goals and making new ones that get you closer to your long term goals.
Having a specific goal or goals will help you stay motivated, because you have something you are working towards. Praise yourself for every little achievement you make along the way, and stay committed until it becomes a habit.
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