As you know, exercise is important for your health.  It will keep you healthier for a longer period of time, but how?

There are three types of exercise training – Cardio, resistance training, and flexibility training.   Cardio is important for everyone to have in his or her weekly routines.   It puts a stress on the cardiorespiratory system, which helps to improve or maintain the function of the heart and lungs.  Resistance training is also important to have in your weekly routines. This type of training helps to increase muscular strength and muscular endurance; it keeps you strong and able to perform movements more frequently.  Flexibility allows for the joints to move through a full range of motion.

Cardio training is: Walking, running, swimming, rowing, elliptical machine, zumba classes, aerobic classes, and even weighted cardio like HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), cardio sculpt classes, etc. 

Resistance training is: Body weight exercises, Free Weights, Weight Machines, Resistance Bands, Medicine Balls, Balance Balls, etc. 

There are 5 components of fitness, and it is important to focus on each and not just one or two.  To have an optimum fitness level, and even a better and healthier life, these components are important to be aware of.

1.     Cardiovascular endurance
2.     Muscular endurance
3.     Muscular strength
4.     Flexibility
5.     Body Composition

“I don’t want to do cardio because I will lose muscle”
“I don’t want my muscle to turn into fat”
Muscle does not turn into fat, and fat does not turn into muscle. You gain and lose fat, and you gain and lose muscle.
You won’t lose muscle while doing cardio, as long as you are still doing your resistance training during the week. With muscles, you have to use them or you lose them.  Cardio training won’t cause you to lose your muscles – completely stopping your resistance-training program will cause you to lose them.  If you are still doing your resistance training while you add the cardio – and see a weight loss difference, this means that you had more fat stored in your body.

 
“I don’t want to start lifting weights because I don’t want to bulk up”
You don’t have to worry about bulking up unless you are progressively loading the weights while training – and reaching specifically your 1 rep max or close to it.  Keep your weights at a resistance where you can lift for 10-12 reps or more. 

Resistance training, whether it is strength training or endurance, is important to put your body through – especially since many people have jobs that require no physical work.  The lack of stress on the muscles, cause you to become more weak and lose your muscle mass – while gaining fat mass.

Improving the functions of your muscles will also help with weight loss. Your muscles will breakdown energy more efficiently because they will need more energy to perform.

 
“I don’t need to be flexible”
If you are in the gym workout out, you are putting your muscles through stress – causing them to tighten up.  The more you work your muscles, especially with resistance training, the more they tighten up, and keep your joints from moving within a full range of motion. To go through life’s tasks and activities, you don’t want to be limited with how you move, and how much you move. Stretch!

Go hiking - With this warm weather approaching, it is the perfect time to explore the area around you. You can easily go online and look for hiking trails around your area.

Go for a bike ride - bike riding can be a fun activity either by yourself or with friends and family.

Go for walks - Brisk walks with friends and family is a great way to get out, enjoy the weather, and stay active.

Play a recreational sport - play basketball, soccer, tennis, football... anything that you would enjoy playing with some friends.

Did you make a new year resolution to yourself to maintain a healthy lifestyle? Don't give up, you are doing great!

Are you feeling as though  you are in a rut with exercising? You may need to spice things up in your routine.   Here are some ideas to help keep you motivated.

When it comes to exercising, we don’t always think that organization is a priority.  
Sometimes we plan things in our head thinking we will follow through with what we promised, but in the end we either forget or push it to the side.   With living a healthy lifestyle you don’t want to do this to yourself.  Make it a priority to organize your physical activities and exercise routines.

Before I work out I make sure I have a plan. I think about what I need to do and how I am going to do it.  All of my exercises are written down to help me get through the work out.  Once it is written down, I feel as though I have NO EXCUSES. There is no way that I will skip a workout, or lower the intensity level.  When my workouts are written down, it gives me an extra push, an extra strive to get through the entire 30 minutes/hour without any slack. 

This year organize yourself. Write down your plans for the week. What you need to do and what you want to do. 

• Find out where exercise fits into your schedule.   Write down the open times you have in your schedule for exercise, and decide what works best for you. If your schedule is busy, is there an opening in the morning for exercise before your day begins? What about the evening?  Do you have ten minutes here and there during your day?
  

                 - Get your day started with a workout. 5am-6am-7am isn’t as bad as
                   it sounds.  You’d be surprised with the amount of energy you have
                   that day if you begin it with exercising. 

                -  If the mornings aren’t your thing, end your day with a great work
                   out. It will help relieve any stress that has built up during the day.

                - Your downtime in the evening can be time for your physical activity.
                  Take at least 30 minutes out of this time to workout and you will be
                  glad you did it. 

                - If you have an extremely busy schedule, look to see if there are 
                  scattered times throughout the day to have 10-minute bouts of 
                  exercise- don’t miss that chance.  Write it down in your timetable to
                  remind yourself that you have to get some physical activity in.

• Write down what types of workouts you will be doing in the week. For example, Monday, Wednesday, Friday may be your cardio days, and Tuesday and Thursday may be your resistance training days. 
  

• Write down what exercises you will be doing. Are you running for 30 minutes? Are you doing a superset of exercises?  Write down some specifics to help you follow a routine. 
  

• Don’t back out of what have been written on paper. When writing things down, think of it as signing a contract with yourself.  You can’t break a contract that has been signed, and you shouldn’t cheat yourself out of a workout.   Use this as a tool for motivation. 

I have a fitness journal that I like to write in.  I write down the days I’m exercising, the type of exercises, the weights, the reps, and the sets. Even if I don’t write in my journal, my workouts are still written down somewhere for me to view.

Happy New Year Everyone! The best thing about the new year is that you get to start over.  I love it because I get to look to the future I have ahead of me and see what I need to do in order to better my life.  This year is a big one for me, I am going to push myself to where I want to be.  When I am re-certified, I will be able to help people work for living a healthy and active lifestyle through exercises and counseling.  But here is where I am going to start.  With my blog posts, I will give advice and tips for living and maintaining an active lifestyle.

What's your new years resolution?  If it is to live and maintain a healthy lifestyle, you are looking at the right page.  Every year, this seems to be the biggest resolution on everyone's list, sometimes it's the resolution each year.  This is good.  It is a great start for you to announce to yourself, your friends, and your families that this year you will eat healthier and exercise more.   The next step is to begin to be more physically active, and to watch the types of food you eat.

It can be tough to start a program, especially if you think that going to the gym is boring.  Hopefully these tips will help guide you.

1. Find activities that interest you. Something that keeps you alert and motivated, keeps you excited, and coming back for more.  Find activities that will give you a good work out and will also give you enjoyment.
2. Do activities that you can share with a partner or a group of people.  Having company when exercising can help to keep your motivation up.
3. Take up a group exercise class that you will enjoy.           (Yoga, Zumba, Boxing, Cross-Fit, Aerobics Classes, etc.)
4. Try something different.   Don't be afraid of something new, you never know, you may really enjoy it. Do an activity on the weekend or during your days off that gets you moving - something that you would never think to do. (Rock climbing, go to a Trampoline Park, Ice Skating, Roller Skating, take a Dance Class). Whatever you decide, make sure you have fun with it.
5. If you have questions or need help, don't be afraid to ask a personal trainer. 
6. Eat small and frequent meals throughout the day. This will keep your metabolism up.  Your body fuels off of carbohydrates, so having small servings of carbs frequently throughout the day will help keep your body running and energized.
   
7. Eat a good balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
8. Eat Fruits and Vegetables.
9. Eat a variety of different foods. By eating a variety of different foods, your diet isn't going to be boring with the same thing all the time.  But more importantly, you will be able to consume more nutrients by changing what you eat.
   
10. Eat very colorful foods. Eating colorful foods goes along with number 8.  Different colored fruits and vegetables contain different nutrients.
    
11. Avoid calorie filled beverages. Things like juices, sodas, beers, wines, and alcohols should be avoided if your goal is to lose weight.
    
12. Try to cook more and dine out less. This will be good for you because you know how much of something you put into your own food.
13. Avoid eating at Fast Food Restaurants.
14. Avoid eating Fried Foods and Foods high in sugar and salt.
    

I recently came back from a road trip with my boyfriend. We traveled from Philadelphia, PA to High Point, NC; Charlotte, NC; Hilton Head, SC; and Charleston, SC and finally back to Philadelphia in 5 days. The trip was wonderful and we were lucky to have great weather during our stay, which allowed us to do outdoor activities.

Throughout the trip I realized how easy it could be to veer away from your normal diet and exercise routine. So here are a few tips for traveling that I think are very important.


1. Drink lots of water. Because you are in a new place and on the move traveling, it can be easy to forget about water until you are already dehydrated. Keep a water bottle with you at all times. Fruits and vegetables also put water into your body, so eating these will also help with hydration.

2. Prepare healthy travel snacks. Because you are constantly traveling, it may be tempting to grab the greasy chips. If you are traveling by car, the majority of food options will be fast foods. Preparing your own snacks for the trip will keep you satisfied until you are ready to grab a good meal at the airport or off the highway. You can prepare fruits like, grapes, apples, oranges, bananas, etc. Think of some vegetables that you may like, such as, carrots, celery, tomatoes, etc. Pack yourself pretzels, or multi-grain crackers.  Prepare foods that you enjoy and that will help you maintain your diet.

3. Do some sort of physical activity. I know some trips might not be for relaxation and "me-time" but if you can find at least 10 minutes throughout your day to do something it will be better than nothing.  Find out what's around your destination area, outdoor or indoor activities. If where you are staying has a gym, there is no excuse to skip exercising for at least 10 minutes. 

     During our stay at Hilton Head, we found that throughout the island there were bike trails. We rented bikes for three days to go all over the island. This was a great way to see Hilton Head. We took a walk on the beach, and ran 6 miles one morning. While inside the hotel we did some body weight exercises (squats, push-ups, and sit-ups) and while watching T.V. we took our time to stretch our upper and lower extremities as well as our core.

4. When eating out try to avoid sabotaging your diet. I know it's vacation, I know you may not want to cook, I know that you will want to try signature dishes, but this does not mean to forget the way you eat when you are home. I'm not telling you not to dine out, I'm just telling you to dine smart. Don't order a plethora of food that you know you won't be able to finish. If you can't finish your plate, don't force it, take it back to your hotel for leftovers if there is a refrigerator. Eat small bites, and chew slowly so that you have time for your body to tell you it's full. Order water and not a calorie filled drink; try to avoid beers wines and liquor if possible, otherwise try not to have more than one glass. Try to order a dish that has a variety of different foods, like a dish with vegetables, a grain and a meat.

5. Have fun! Make sure you do something you enjoy. If you are on a business trip you want to make sure that you do something for you during your stay. You are in a new environment, and a different place, you should take advantage of this time to enjoy life.