fitnessrevolution

Do you slouch because you’re stressed… or are you stressed because you’re slouching?

The answer might make you want to sit up straight right now!

The other day, I came across a study that said not only does your posture affect your physical body (muscles, core, joints, etc)…

It can also affect your mood.

The study, published in the journal Health Psychology, found a significant link between how you sit and your mood, your stress level, and even your self-esteem!

The details?

74 study participants either slouched or sat upright during reading and speech assignments. They were then assessed for their mood, self-esteem, and whether they felt any perceived threats.

The people who sat upright showed higher self-esteem, a better mood, and less fear than the people who slumped.

Unsurprisingly, the “slouchers” showed more negativity and less resilience to stress.

Interesting, right?

It just goes to show you, your small everyday actions — like how you sit — can play a huge role in how you feel not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally!

The next time you feel yourself slouching, take a second to adjust your posture (and a few relaxing breaths) and see if you feel a difference.

(Hint: you will!)

You know I like to focus on the positive, right?

Well,  I’m going to tell you how NOT to reach your goals this year.

Because there’s one big mistake you can make that can push you into a HUGE trap – and you’ll end up feeling frustrated, burned out, and like a quitter.

Here’s how it happens:

You set some HUGE goals for the New Year (yay!!!!).

Starting NOW, you will finally get your you-know-what together.

You’ll drink ALL the water … eat super-clean food (and journal every bite) … be extra active … go to bed early … and get up even EARLIER.

But then a few days later you’re exhausted. You decide to sleep in … and you miss a workout … and then eat some cookies or crisps and decide not to journal your food anymore, because what’s the point?

That one day “off track” turns into two. Which turns into three. And … you know how it goes.

And that’s when it happens – you give up (boooo!).

It’s not because you lack the willpower or the drive. It’s because you overcommitted, or tried to do too much!

This is why coaches and trainers talk about SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-sensitive).

They take all your big awesome goals and boil them down into bite-sized chunks that you can actually accomplish without feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and like quitting!

So many people today are struggling to find motivation.

It’s tough to find the motivation needed to get out of bed and into workout clothes.

It’s even tougher to find the motivation to stick with a healthy eating plan.

The chaos of 2020 is taking its toll on our minds and bodies, but there’s a way out.

If you’re struggling to find motivation to get to exercise, allow these seven reasons to inspire you to get moving…

Exercise Because —Your Body Works

It may seem like an odd reason to work out, but the fact that you can work out ought to inspire you to do so. After all there are plenty of folks who have been affected by disease or congenital conditions that make working out impossible. If you are able to exercise, do it! Every movement you make, be grateful and work to learn your body’s limits. In essence when you do this you’re giving your body a high five!

Exercise Because —Disease Can’t Handle It

True, there are diseases that will attack you regardless of your fitness level. However, exercising regularly (starting today) is one of the best ways to build yourself up against all sorts of ailments and illnesses. From the common cold to coronavirus, exercise helps you avoid health issues and live a healthier, longer life.

Exercise Because —Your Family Loves You

Because you want to be around for years in the future, you need to exercise. As seen above, exercise is a great way to fend off all sorts of health issues, many of them life-threatening. So if you want to show love to family members who love you, you’ll need to work out regularly. Afraid your workouts will take away family time? Get up earlier or take your loved ones with you.

Exercise Because —You Beat Goals

Some people meet goals. When you commit to getting in the gym today, you set yourself up to beat goals. Because once you reach your new bench-press or weight-loss goal, you move on to the next. Do this in the gym enough and it will start to happen in the rest of your life. Deadline at work coming up soon? No problem. Wish you could read more books? Consider it done. Ready to quit smoking? You can do it. All because you worked out today.

Exercise Because —Life Will Be Easier

Ever struggled to get out of bed and get on with your day? Exercising today can help that. Wonder why you always feel stressed out? Once you get in the gym this afternoon you’ll be able to shed the stress. Wish you had the sex drive that you seemingly lost a few years ago? Today’s workout will get you on the right track there as well. See a heavy couch that needs lifting? After spending time in the gym today, that couch will be light as a feather tomorrow. In other words, exercise makes everything in life better, easier, and more bearable!

Exercise Because —Your Body Will Surprise You

When you started on your exercise journey, you wanted to change your body. But somewhere along the way you forgot about that swimsuit-ready body you desired so much early on. Well, guess what? It can still be yours! All you’ve got to do is get in the gym today and get back on the road to it. In six months, you’ll be amazed at how much better your body looks and how much more you enjoy being you.

Exercise Because —Your Friends Will Join You

It can be hard to keep working out in the gym every day if your loved ones aren’t into it. However, if you stick with it and trust your trainer, your loved ones may eventually want to join you in your exercise. Once they realize you’re seeing positive results, they won’t want to miss out. So by going to the gym today, you’re helping others be healthy!

Call or email today to get started on my very best exercise program – together we will get you to your goals once and for all! Don’t wait – act now!

Obesity related diseases are on the rise, as are the number of folks who are just plain unhappy with how their bodies look and feel. Cooking at home seems to be the first step in our road to healthier bodies.

Here are the top 5 reasons that you should starting cooking and eating at home…

Reason #1: Your Health

Hyperprocessed foods are harmful to our health, and that’s exactly where you’ve been getting the bulk of your calories. Even restaurant food that contains fresh produce, chances are high that the produce is not organic, or local or non-GMO. Most of us are eating less than half of the recommended amount of fiber, fruit and vegetables, which eating at home could quickly change.

Simple meals made at home with fresh produce and organic meats or eggs are nutritionally superior to over-flavored, over-processed restaurant food. Not to mention the high calorie beverages and starters that so often accompany a restaurant meal. When you eat at home you take in more nutrient-dense calories that are higher in fiber.

Reason #2: It’s Easy

Eating out so often has conditioned our concept of a meal to be one with complicated flavors and accompaniments. This misconception has made us fear the kitchen. But I urge you to reconsider.

Meals made at home need not mirror those ordered in restaurants. On the contrary, simple is better when it comes to home cooking. Plan your entire meal around a couple of pieces of fresh produce and a wholesome, lean protein. No need for complicated sauces or sides – these are where the harmful calories hide anyway.

Reason #3: It’s Cheap

Fresh, simple ingredients do not cost much. Especially when compared to the cost of prepared meals. Bittman’s advice on ingredient shopping is to, “Buy what you can afford, and cook it yourself. Rice, beans, bacon, salad, bread –few things are cheaper than that.”

Shopping the perimeter of the store is always a good plan. Here you’ll find fresh produce, meats, dairy and seafood. Venture into the aisles for oils and spices to compliment the fresh ingredients.

Reason #4: It’s Proactive

In the US the annual health care expenses related to obesity is $150 billion, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Worldwide this number is over $1 trillion annually. These numbers are staggering, and sobering when you think of all the individual lives that are being negatively impacted by obesity.

Rather than waiting for you and your family members to experience the health risks related to obesity, start your own mission to cook simple meals at home and redirect your future. Remember the words of Benjamin Franklin, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Reason #5: It’s Slimming

Eating at home is also one of the best ways to reduce your body fat. Bittman states that meals eaten at home contain an average of 200 calories less than meals eaten out. Let me tell you, a reduction in 200+ calories per meal will quickly translate to pounds lost!

Start today, and don’t be afraid to start small.

Pick one meal that you’ll make at home either today or tomorrow, and write down your simple menu and grocery list.

And let’s not forget the place that a challenging, consistent exercise program has in your quest for good health and a fit physique. My programs are specially designed to blast fat and to build muscle in all the right places.

Call or email me today to get started on a fat loss program that really works.

Here’s how to make your tummy shrink…

1. Exercise a minimum of 3-4 times per week. It is important to dedicate yourself to working out a minimum of 3- 4 times a week if you want shrink your stomach. Anything less than this won’t make a large enough impact on your progress.

2. Make sure your workouts are effective. What makes a workout effective? It includes intense cardiovascular training coupled with effective resistance training. Walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes isn’t a fat blasting routine. Neither is a leisurely 20 minutes on the elliptical machine. The truth is that you can dramatically increase your results while investing less time when your workouts are effective.

Cardio exercise is all about maintaining an effective level of intensity. This doesn’t mean that you should be out of breath or gasping for air, but it does mean that you need to push yourself.

Resistance training is the second key part of a fat burning workout. This means working your major muscle groups against resistance in a way that stimulates your metabolism. Again, the key here is to find the right intensity and to keep each muscle group guessing.

3. Eat a clean diet. Diet is a big stumbling block for most people. If your diet is out of control, then your stomach will be too. You can’t trim your waist without trimming the junk out of your diet, regardless of how intensely you exercise.

Keep calories in check. Do you know how many calories you eat? The best way to find out is to record everything you eat for a few days. Tally the number of calories that you eat each day and do an evaluation—feel free to recruit me to help out with this part. Together we’ll chart improvements for your diet and adjust your calories for maximum results.

Just say “No” to junk food. While this may seem obvious, your definition of “junk food” may need an alteration. Refined sugar is one of the biggest culprits in the junk food world—it is found in soft drinks, blended coffee drinks, cookies, cakes, packaged snacks, and other sinfully sweet treats. Processed fat is another monster. As a rule of thumb you can safely view all processed or refined items as junk food.

Eat more frequently. The key here is to never let your metabolism “crash” by going hours without eating. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to skip breakfast—as this is the meal that ‘breaks the fast’ that your body goes into each night. Stick with eating small meals every few hours and always avoid stuffing yourself.

Do you want to flatten and shrink your tummy once and for all? Simply decide that you really want it. Commit to yourself—you deserve it.

See me for fat-blasting workouts that deliver results. Together we will get you on a program that will melt the fat off your abs, exposing shape and definition.

Call or email me today to get started. Let’s do this!