Body weight workouts are some of my favorites!  This type of training can go from simple movements, to challenging your body’s strength in unbelievable ways. Not to mention, body weight routines can be done ANYWHERE, because most don’t need equipment.  And if there are pieces of equipment that need to be used (ie: steps/benches/chairs/poles/etc), they can usually be found around the house or outside at parks.

With the pandemic going on, and all of us being stuck in our homes ALL day long, it can be tough to get ourselves moving.  But it is more important than ever to do so. 
The more sedentary we are, the more we put our health at risk for joint problems and diseases.

So, that being said, what is 20-30 minutes out of your long day? If you are utilizing some space in your home for your workouts, or heading outside in the yard, or to the park, you can get a quick and efficient resistance workout in, using just your body weight.  No it’s not a gym, and no it’s not heavy lifting - but there are ways to manipulate the movements to give your muscles a different type of challenge and to help you build and maintain your strength. ​

• Squats can be challenged by getting onto one leg for single leg squats (this can help challenge the strength of each leg individually and help you build balance between the limbs). There are so many varieties for single leg squats (pistol squats, bulgarian split squats, split squats, single leg box squats.)

• Pushups can be challenged by placing your feet on a step/couch/chair/step/bench and using this decline to push against the added stress from gravity. Other ways to challenge the pushup can be by incorporating some core movements like doing a spiderman pushup, you can also try a hindu pushup which challenges different muscles of the shoulder in different parts of the movement. You can even utilize a wall to challenge yourself in handstand pushups. 

 

• Pull ups are always a great calisthenic movement to help build strength in the upper back muscles and if you are new to this movement, you can always begin with chin holds or jumping pull ups.  Those who are advanced in pull-ups can try L-sit pull ups which will cause you to activate your core muscles more during the movements, and/or change up the tempo by doing eccentric pull ups (slowly lower down from the top, and quickly pull yourself up so the chin is above the bar).

 

• Lunges and Step Ups are always easy and fun to take with you anywhere. For lunge challenges, try adding jumps and for step ups, you can add a lunge on the bottom of the movement.

There are so many ways you can challenge your body.  You don’t always need weights, you just need to manipulate what you do have and start moving!

When it comes to working out at home, the biggest question that I get is, "What equipment should I get?"  And with that, it always depends on the individual.   If you live in a small space and don't want your gym equipment out in your living room every day, then you can look for pieces that are easy to store and still very efficient.   But maybe you have enough space to have an entire space just for working out and don't mind displaying your gym equipement, then you can get multiple dumbbells and kettlebells - maybe you want to get a rowing machine, or another piece of cardio equipment as well as the weights.   Each individual is different when it comes to purchasing equipment for your home.  But it's always great to have the extra resistance. 

Whether you are somebody who religiously heads out of the house to workout in a gym facility or you would rather stay home to workout, it’s always a great idea to have some equipment for those home workout days.  We are all home more so now than ever before with the pandemic, so it’s a good idea to have a few things that will help you keep up with your routine when the gym isn’t an option. 

Here are some of my favorites to help get you started with your home fitness collection. The equipment that I recommend is easy to store and very versatile - So whether you live in a spacious home or a studio apartment, you’ll find that these pieces can be very efficient in building strength and endurance, while making it easy to pack/put away. 

It is so easy to create excuses to keep us from starting habits for a healthy and active lifestyle, even if we know that starting it can greatly benefit us.  We all want a quick fix, a magic pill to do exactly what we want done, a snap of the finger and BAM you look good and are healthy as a horse.  But if I’m being honest, it doesn’t happen that way.
Sure there are trendy crash diets and workout challenges that help people achieve a goal in a short period of time, but that doesn’t last long.  Those results don’t last, and usually lead to unhealthy habits that continue and repeat. To really get on track, it is okay to start small and to start slow. You want to get into a healthy habit and create routines.  The goal is to create a lifestyle that you can keep up with, so you can enjoy life and love who you are. 
It may be a new year, but every day is a new one, so why not get started now?    The best way, that I have found, to keep me on track with my goals is to write down everything.  So do it, write it all down - everything you want to accomplish, how you are going to accomplish your goals, the things that make you feel good - write it all down.
Create a list each week of what needs to get done. Set your priorities, so the most important tasks can be finished first.  Create small goals each day/week that are easy and realistic for you to complete. 
How do you make health a priority?  Focus on movement, on drinking more water, on eating your fruits and veggies, on getting more rest and sleep. Think about why you are doing this, is it for yourself? 
Some examples of these health and fitness goals can be:’

• Get 3 workouts in a week, wake up and drink 1 glass of water. 
• Drink two 40oz water bottles a day.
• Aim to go to bed at 9pm.
• Set your alarm for 6am to wake up and get a workout in.
• Add 1 serving of fruits/veggies to each meal, etc. 

Think about what changes need to be made, how you are going to make them, and set those goals. Don’t let another excuse get in your way.  The only way you are going to reach your goals, is by taking the first step and putting in the work. 


In order to see the results, you have to start somewhere, you have to progress, you have to build, and you have to be CONSISTENT. Create a healthy habit, and make a lifestyle for yourself. 
Get organized - Set your priorities - Get started - Hit those goals

​HAPPY HOLIDAYS! What a happy time.   This usually means family, friends, fun, and the biggest F of them all FOOD!  During the holidays we join our friends and family for gatherings and parties, as we talk, laugh, drink and EAT. And with eating, we may sometimes get ahead of ourselves and overeat during an event or one sitting of a meal, and now with covid, we may be overeating because there is just MORE food in the house for less people to eat.  Whatever the reason, it happens, we all do it. 
So how do we cope with the guilt of overindulging? Many of us have felt guilty overeating. Here are 5 tips to help you get on track after indulging:


1. Eat Whole Foods. Avoid diets and cleanses. You want to make sure that if you “fall off” you can quickly get yourself back on track with healthy habits.  It’s not about going on a crash diet to feel miserable while you deprive yourself of things.  It’s about eating in a way that is sustainable for your lifestyle in the long run that will have you feeling good by boosting your metabolism and giving you a good balance with the foods you need and the foods you love. 
Whole foods.  Not the grocery store.  Think plant-based(fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds and nuts), minimal to no processed foods, lean meats, poultry, and fish. 

2. Drink Lots Of Water.  Our body is made up of about 60% water.  So we need it. Water helps the body function properly.  It helps to lubricate the joints, transport nutrients to muscles, and remove waste from the body.  It also helps our body regulate temperature, and is vital for cell development and muscle growth (which helps with weight loss).
How much water should you drink in a day? Women should aim to drink 2.7 Liters and men should aim to drink 3.7 Liters.

3. Balance Your Portions.  Balance is important. You want to have carbs, fats, AND, protein with your meals.  After a big feast, you don’t want to cut out any of these nutrients just because you ate a lot. Let’s focus on the healthy, nourishing, whole foods of these three macronutrients. 
Carbohydrates: These are vital for energy.  Carbs are the main source of fuel that your the body uses to break down and create energy.  Carbohydrates are not the enemy, they are important in our diet. Healthy carbs are fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.   Rather than cutting out this necessary nutrient, focus on the real whole foods and minimize or eliminate the processed carbohydrates.  The problem with processed food, is that they do not provide your body with necessary nutrients or help your body function optimally - Processed foods lead to higher caloric intake without sufficient nourishment. 
Fats: These are also vital for optimal health.  This nutrient is also used for energy, and has more functions that we may not realize. For example, fat helps in cell growth and Development, it is important in brain function, it helps to keep our body warm, it helps to absorb and transport some nutrients throughout the body, and it also helps in hormone production.  Our body needs fat. Some examples of healthy fats are: Avocado, nuts and seeds, olives and olive oils, salmon, eggs, dark chocolate.
Protein: Another nutrient that is important to optimize health. They are our body’s building blocks.  As our cells break down, they need protein to repair and grow.  Protein intake is based on an individual's weight as well as the type and level of activity they do.  But as a minimum protein intake, you can focus on .8 x body weight (in kg). So somebody who is 135lb would take in about 48grams of protein a day.

4. Consistency In Workouts.  Keep up with this habit - it’s a good one.  Your consistency is going to help you get to your goals and help you keep and maintain your goals. Cardio and resistance training will keep you fit and strong.  Cardio is important for your body because it helps you stress the strength and endurance of your cardiovascular system (your heart, lungs, arteries, and veins.)  It helps you utilize oxygen more efficiently throughout your body.  And oxygen is needed for burning fat. 
Resistance training is how we strengthen our body, build our muscles, and improve our bone density.  There are different forms of resistance training - you can use free weights, machines, bodyweight - you can do traditional weightlifting, powerlifting, bodybuilding, etc. After a training session your muscles have been worked and broken down.  This is the time they need to repair, rebuild, and grow.  This happens when your body is at rest, and your muscles need energy to build. Resistance training allows you to utilize oxygen more efficiently while at rest  which increases your metabolism, and ultimately increases the rate of fat burning.
Be consistent with both cardio and resistance training to help keep you on track. The minimum requirement for a healthy and active lifestyle is 2 days of resistance training (6-10 exercises) and 3 days of cardio at moderate intensity. 
​
5. Consistency With Movement. Movement doesn’t only mean exercising.  It literally means to move your body.  Making sure you are getting any kind of physical activity.  Walking, dancing,  gardening, yoga, biking, and hiking, are all examples of physical activity. Anything that gets your body up and going above a resting level.  
There is probably more sitting now in our lifestyles than there was pre-covid.  Just because we are home more often, don’t let that be a reason to keep you from moving.  If you find that you are sitting for long periods of time, do whatever you can to get up and move throughout your day.
For example, you can set a timer to remind you to get up and walk around every 20-30minutes.  Take a walk around your neighborhood.  Walk up and down the stairs. If you are driving anywhere, park at a walking distance away from your location to help you get some steps in, you can even just sit and stand in and out of your chair for repetitions.  

New Year’s Resolutions can be a cliché that can either help you grow, or for many of us, be something that makes absolutely no changes because we don’t follow through with the thought. The most common of these clichés is to workout more and eat healthier.  If this is your resolution every year, and you decided to try for it once more, let’s talk about setting it forth and becoming successful.


How are you setting yourself up for success?  Other than the overall goal of “workout more” and “eat healthier”, have you set any achievable goals for yourself?  This does not have to be something to fail at.  You can really succeed, as long as you have a plan.  Speaking the words of change out loud is not going to magically give you the body you deserve, make you faster or give you better endurance. Speaking the words of change is not going to magically make you buff or give you the 6 pack of your dreams, drop your resting HR, or even lower your blood pressure.  But, Planning, hard work, consistency, patience, and routines will help get you there OVERTIME. So even though you may be starting in the new year, don’t think of this as a 1 year only road. You have to create the habit, stick with it, and it will become a part of your lifestyle.

Let’s start a habit and keep it consistent with these tips:

1. Write down your goals and make them specific.
   1. Now, when I’m mentioning goals I’m not talking about the big picture of “eat healthier” and “workout more”. You need to think about smaller goals that are more achievable. These goals will be your building blocks to getting to the grand desire. These can be things that you consistently throw into your program.  Let’s start with 3 simple goals that are reachable on a daily or weekly basis and that are very specific to what you want to achieve. An example of a good goal is, “I want to get myself into the gym 4 days a week for at least 30 minutes.” Another idea of one is, “I’m going to introduce a new vegetable to my dinner each week.” Another is, “Last week I was only able to do 6 repetitions with correct form at a certain weight.  I’m going to keep the weight, and focus on building up to 8 repetitions.”  Each of these those goals is specific in what we want to achieve, and how we are going to do it.
   2. By giving yourself specific goals that can easily be met, it makes the healthier lifestyle resolution easier to attain. Just remember that success happens slowly, overtime, with work, and not with a snap of a finger.  You have to allow yourself to make small changes to move forward on the road you want.
2. Schedule out a plan.
   1. Don’t just think about what your schedule is for the week. Lay it all out on a calendar.  Whether you plan it for the entire month, each week, or just daily.  Planning ahead will help keep you accountable for what you are trying to achieve.
   2. Write out your work schedule (when do you leave for work, when do you get home, when do you have your lunch break or any free time during the day). Write out your social plans (are you doing happy hour after work, or meeting a friend for dinner?) Check to see where you have any openings in the schedule you just laid out for yourself.  Do you have 20/30/45/60 minutes before you leave for work to hit the gym or do a home routine?  Do you have time during lunch or after work?   What days in the week are you available to do your cooking – Is it only 1 or 2 days? Plan to cook in bulk for leftovers.
   3. Succeeding in your goals is all about prioritizing the things that are important to you. If you add these goals to your daily/weekly schedule, then you have already made the step in allowing it to become a part of your lifestyle, now you just have to execute the plan.
3. Skipping is not an option when forming a habit.
   1. It’s one thing if you have been active and consistent and know how to bounce back from a week off. But, if you are reading this, you are most likely having trouble sticking to this.  Don’t allow yourself to skip the days that you planned for yourself.  By doing this, you’re lowering the level of its’ priority and not allowing yourself to create this habit. Don’t make excuses for yourself, be consistent, and persistent.
4. Find the things that you enjoy.
   1. Get on a consistent schedule by doing a form of movement that you like, and/or finding people that you can share your workouts with. Find healthy foods and recipes that you enjoy. This way, it doesn’t seem and feel like chore and becomes more attainable.
   2. For working out, if you enjoy classes try different ones until you find the class you really enjoy. Find the class that helps give you the energy boost you need, or the calming mind that you seek.  Try different things until you find what it is you really like.  Grab a buddy to hit the gym with for resistance training- this way you both can keep each other accountable, push each other, and have some good laughs and conversations when you are at the gym.  Get a trainer if you enjoy the company, but want to focus on just you.  Find ways to enjoy what you are doing, set a great playlist and/or listen to a motivational podcast.
   3. For eating better, find different fruits, veggies, and recipes, that you enjoy. Eating healthy does not need to be boring or dull.  Learn how to cook with natural seasonings and flavors, add some zest to your meals.  Eating can be an emotional thing, so enjoy fueling your body with the proper nutrients, and enjoy giving your body more energy by eating more fruits and veggies in different dishes.

Don’t be the cliché that doesn’t follow through with your resolution.  If you want a change, you and only you can make it happen.  So, let’s get started!  

Stuffed Peppers, I know I make them pretty often, but they are usually made the same way, with the same ingredients, and no change in the flavor.  But today I was looking for something different. Basically the goal was to use up most of the ingredients that I had in my fridge.  I only had to run to the store for a few things once I decided the type of stuffing I wanted.  I decided to write this blog because I thought it would be unfare to keep this Jenna Authentic Recipe to myself. These peppers are absolutley BANGIN! :-D  You must try.