Fourth Of July CelebrationWhat a great holiday, to celebrate the birth of our country, our freedom! Happy Birthday America! On this day we usually celebrate by visiting friends and family, seeing fireworks at night, and EATING! I have prepared some healthy Fourth of July food and snacks, that are great to share with everyone!
With Strawberries and Raspberries for the red; Banannas for the white; and Blueberries for the blue; Topping it off with a bit a cinnamon and mixing it together. This is a great dish that will help nourish your body. 
It is important to stay hydrated! Infusing the water will give it a little flavor. The water is infused with blueberries and raspberries. Don’t forget to check out my post about staying hydrated. 
Marinated with a mustard base, and put onto skewers, make it delicious, fun, and healthy to eat. With chicken, Red-Green-Yellow-Orange Bell Peppers, Onions, Pineapple, and Mushrooms.
These are healthy and easy to make. The sweet potatoes are cut up into small slices, VERY LIGHTLY covered with olive oil to keep from sticking to the pan, and to help keep the moisture in the veggies. And they are seasoned with cinnamon, garlic powder, paprika. MMMMMMM!  These are great, healthy, and delicious foods that can be served at parties! Try it out! Enjoy your Fourth! #HealthyFoods #AHealthyLifeIsAHappyOne #FitGirlWCurls #HappyBirthdayAmerica
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For exercise it is important to make sure you are hydrated before the workout, during, and after. When exercising, your body loses water through sweating, and should be replenished after. How Much Water Should I Drink?We are told that we should always drink about 6-8 glasses of water a day.
Hydration And Exercise PerformanceDehydration can occur for a couple of reasons:
Dehydration can decrease exercise performance and can lead to:
Can You Drink Too Much Water?Absolutely, it is a very rare thing to happen but too much water can be toxic to the body. It has been seen in marathon runners and military recruits. It can occur with somebody who is not as active and drinks too much water. Water intoxication, also known as Hyponatremia is when you drink an excessive amount of water which causes the sodium levels in the blood to drop. This can be fatal. I Don’t Like The Taste Of Water, What Should I Do?You can get some of your daily water intake from your daily fruits and vegetables. These types of food are usually made up of water and when we eat them, we can add that to our water count for the day. Spice up your glass! Add some flavor to your water by adding local fruits. Put some strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, oranges, and lemons into your water. This will help add flavor to your bland drink while keeping it healthy. 
Tennis as a Physical Activity Tennis is a great indoor and outdoor sport. But now that spring is here to stay, it is a great activity to play outside. You can enjoy the beautiful weather while getting a great work out in for your day. When playing singles or doubles, tennis is a great social activity to get involved in. You can call a buddy or 3 to hit with, join a team, or find a place/coach to take lessons from. This is a sport that you can continue playing as an older adult. Tennis is a great sport for all ages. It is a fun heart pumping cardio activity that involved strength, power, and endurance from the legs, core, arms, and cardio respiratory system. This sport involves agility and coordination (hand eye coordination) to help you time and get to the ball.  About MeI decided to write a post about tennis because the weather today was perfect for playing outside. I met up with a friend today to hit around and play a game. I was glad I did so. I got a great work out in, had a fun time, and really enjoyed the perfect weather. I worked up a sweat and really worked my muscles while running around the court. It was great to get back into the game. I was introduced to the sport when I was about 7 years old and played until college. During high school I started off playing doubles and then moved to singles. I always had a great time with the girls on my high school team as well as the friends I made in clinics I took. I don’t play as often, but when I do - it’s always fun.  Throw Back Photo. Fall of 2008 What WorksWhen playing tennis, the entire body is involved. Your legs, your core, your shoulders, and your arms. This sport focuses on the strength, power, and endurance of all your muscles involved. Legs: This is where most of your power comes from. When setting up for a shot, you have to be squatting “sitting” before and as you hit the ball. The lower you sit, the more power is transferred to the ball. Also you need to use your legs to shuffle and run around the court. - Gastrocnemius and Soleus are the muscles that deal with your explosive movements in your calves. - Hamstrings are involved in knee flexion. - Quadriceps are involved in knee extension. - Gluteus Maximus is involved in hip extension and adduction. (When Shuffling and running) - Gluteus Medius is involved with hip abduction. (When shuffling) Core: Your back and abdominal muscles are very important in this sport for balance, support, and power as well. The more you turn for a shot, the more power you can transfer into the ball. - Rectus Abdominus is involved in spinal flexion – but acts as a stabilizer as the body remains straight. - Obliques deal with flexion and rotation. There is a lot of rotation involved in the sport, so the obliques are worked a lot through out the game. - Erector Spinae involved in extension and rotation. Upper Extremity: You are dealing with muscles that are involved in circumduction of the shoulder and use a lot of push movements. - Pecoralis Major is the chest muscle that allows you to push your arm forward through the action of your forehand and backhand. The muscle actions that is involved is shoulder extension and internal rotation. - Deltoids There are 3 heads of the deltoids. The anterior, middle, and posterior deltoid. All three are involved in this sport. When setting up for a shot, the posterior deltoid helps bring the arm backwards, and when extending the arm it is the anterior head that is involved. The middle deltoid is involved in a serve and overhead shot. - Triceps are involved in elbow extension. This happens during a serve, forehand, and backhand shot, because the actions require the arms to be straight. - Pronator Teres is involved in forearm pronation, which is important on your forehand and backhand. Try tennis as a physical activityGet involved. The weather looking great,
go outside and have fun. Invite your friends - join a group/club take lessons - just play! #AlwaysKeepActive  Instructor, Liz, and I in dancer's pose. Using a yoga towel made by Arete Complete @Aretecomplete http://aretecomplete.com/ Yoga Benefits Yoga is a great activity to participate in. Not only does it benefit you physically (better muscular strength, flexibility, and body balance) It also benefits you mentally (helps to reduce stress, reduce anxiety, teaches you to stay calm and focused, etc.) Yoga is about balance between the mind and the body. It is a practice of patients and focus. My Experience Today With Vinyasa  Instructor,Liz, in a back bend while I sit and meditate (Fun Pose). Using a yoga towel by Arete Complete @Aretecomplete http://aretecomplete.com/ Today my mother and I attended a class in Philadelphia at Dhyana Yoga Seva Center to try out my friend's, Liz, Vinyasa yoga class. This was a great class that focused on breathing and transitioning through each yoga position by flowing through the movements. The class was mixed with people of different yoga levels. There were beginners, like me, who stuck with the basic movements and poses - than there were intermediate and advanced yogis who attended the class, who focused on their practice by challenging themselves and trusting their bodies with more advanced poses, like arm balancing and headstands. Although there was a mix of levels in the class, it was not a reason to feel intimidated to try it out. Yoga is about you and your practice at the moment. You focus on the things that you need to do in order to get to the next pose. You challenge your body in a different way. Trying Yoga As A Form Of Physical Activity Yoga is a great activity to get involved in! It will make you stronger, more flexible, and improves your stability and balance. It will keep you calm, reduce your stress, reduce any anxiety, and more. If you are trying yoga for the first time, find a studio around you that gives beginner and basic yoga classes. There are so many different types of yoga to choose from - some fast pace and vigorous while others are slow and gentle. You have to find a yoga type that best suits you. You want to enjoy this activity. Just to name a few types, there are, Hatha Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga. I have tried both and find that I really enjoy them.
You don't have to have great muscular strength to try yoga Yoga will make you stronger. (Legs, Arms, Core, and Mind.) You don't have to be flexible to try yoga Yoga will improve your flexibility and joint range of motion. You don't have to have great balance Yoga will improve your stability. If you haven't already tried out a yoga class, find one that best suits you and that you will enjoy! It can be a fun and rewarding activity. #AlwaysKeepActive #KeepCalmAndYogaOn  Vinyasa Yoga Instructor: Liz. at Dhyana Yoga Seva Center. Using a yoga towel by Arete Complete @AreteComplete http://aretecomplete.com/ Springtime is in the air! What a glorious season! The weather starts to get warm and flowers begin to bloom. Do not miss out on the wonderful weather that is to come this season! Take your workouts Outside!  Do your indoor routines outside
You don't have to be confined to one building. Take advantage of the beautiful weather.  Do fun activities Outside! 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.
 Elite Climbing Rock Gym Are you looking for a fun activity to do on the weekend with friends or family? Rock climbing is a good one! It requires use your strength to pull yourself up to the top of a wall. My boyfriend, Stew, and I went to an indoor rock climbing gym this weekend, to do something different. I've done it a couple of times and absolutely love it! When you climb the walls, you have your harness, rope, and somebody to belay you during your climb. There are rocks that along the wall where you must step and grab onto in order to climb. Some rocks are easy to grip and others require more strength in your divi flexors (Finger flexing muscles). There is another climbing option, which we tried as well, called Bouldering. This is a free climb, without the rope and harness - the wall is shorter, and the idea is to climb up to the top and to the side of the wall if you can.  This activity is a challenge to your body, where you must trust your arms and legs to guide you and get you to the next level. It is appropriate for both children and adults. What Is working?This is a great full body activity that puts stress on some muscles you may not have even thought of strengthening. Forearms - your wrist flexors play a big role in this activity for gripping and pulling yourself up. Finger flexors- you have to grab and hold on to the rocks somehow. The flexor digitis, flexor pollicis brevis, etc., do a lot of work during your climb as you grab and hold onto the rocks. Biceps- these arm muscles are engaged when your elbow is flexed. In order to pull yourself up, you need to have flexion in your elbow. Quadriceps- as your legs push your body up to the top on the wall, you have to extend your legs. When doing this, the quads are activated. Calfs- your soleus and gastrocnemius are the muscles involved in toe raise exercises. While rock climbing, you tend to stand on the rocks with your toes in order to help lift yourself to the next level. Core- your back is also engaged in this activity. In your upper back you are using your Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius, and Rhomboids. As you pull your arms from above your head to below your shoulders to help guide your body upward these muscles are engaged. Your abdominal muscles act as stabilizers during the climb.  Don’t be afraid to try new activities to help you continue on your journey to living and maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle.
Some people may find it difficult to stay active during the day, and may also struggle with a poor diet when working at a job with minimal physical activity. In order to avoid inactivity and poor eating habits -Take your activity and healthy eating habits to work. 1. Bring your Lunch Bring your lunch. This way you can pack a good portion size, and have foods that you enjoy. This will help you make good food choices. Find some time the night before work or the morning of to prepare your lunch and snacks for the day or even for the week. Pack your main course and make sure you also pack snacks that you enjoy. Many people tend to order delivery, or eat out on their lunch breaks. You want to try to avoid this because you may be eating more unhealthy foods (like fast foods, bad greasy foods, etc.) as well as eating unnecessary large portions.. Sometimes I pack leftovers from the night before, or I cook/prepare something. My main meal may be a salad, pasta, chicken and rice, rice and beans, etc. (I pack whatever I'm in the mood for). I like to add fruits and vegetables as a snack for when I get hungry throughout the day. Sometimes I'll pack nuts, a small bag of dry cereal, crackers etc.  2. Be Active No matter where you work, in a hospital setting or at a desk in an office, there are ways to stay active.
3. Stay Hydrated
The Office WorkOut Take 10 minutes out of your workday to do a few exercises. You don't have to break a sweat - you just have to move. Sit and Stand - Stand in front of your chair with your legs shoulder width apart. With your weight on your heels, squat down into your chair. Push down into your heels and pull yourself back into a standing position. 15x Stair Climb - Walk up and down a flight of stairs in your workplace. Keep your back straight. 5x Side Shuffle - Find a hallway where you feel free to move around. At one end of the hallway, stand to the side with both feet together. Take a side step by abducting one leg to the side, and have the other leg follow with an adduction until your feet are back together. Keep going until you are at the other end of the hallway
2-4x  The weather this weekend is great. Going from temperatures that were varying from 4-14 degrees fahrenheit, to this 50 degree weather - seems like the perfect temperature. Definitely great weather to be doing some activities outside. Like walking or running. This is a great opportunity to take your workouts outside during this “heat wave” (just make sure you dress appropriately.) my RunI’m up in Hoboken for the weekend, and my boyfriend and I thought it would be a great idea to go for a long run to embrace the day. Before our run we started our day with a great, nutrient filled breakfast, and then headed out the door. We ran from Hoboken up to West New York - about a 9 mile run - with great views along the Hudson River of New York City.
Take advantage of the weekend weatherIt may not be summertime sun, but with the proper clothing, it is perfect. Do something active outside with friends or family to change up your routine.
Take advantage of the temperatures, and do something outdoors. Always Stay Active!
They called it! Another snow storm has hit the North East! For many of you who are stuck at home on this cold day, here is a 20 minute cardio work out that will warm you up quickly! All you need is 1 flight of stairs, and something to keep track of time.  Do you like the yoga towel? Check out Aretecomplete.com (Arete Complete) The goal for this workout is to complete as many sets of each exercise as possible within 10 minutes. Move consecutively through the exercises as best as you can. When the time is up, take 2-3 minute break, and begin the timer for another 10 minutes. (If you have any questions about this workout please feel free to contact me!) 
 Stair Climb. Run Up and Down the Stairs 10x as quickly as possible.  50 Jumping Jacks  6 Body Hops (L,M,R). As seen in the photo you start in high-plank/push-up position, jump your feet forward towards the L.Left side of you and jump back out to starting position. Then Jump your feet forward to the M.Middle, bringing your knees to your chest - and back to the starting position. Then jump your feet forward towards the R.Right side of you - and back to the starting position (L.M.R. is 1 Rep.) Playlist Do you want it all - Two Door Cinema What you know - Two Door Cinema Take a walk - Passion Pit Last Night - The Strokes 1901 - Phoenix The Night Out - Martin Solveig How to be a Heart Breaker - Marina and the Diamonds Oceans - Coastsband My Body - Young the Giant Pumpin Blood - Nonono Naive - Kooks Red Hands - Walk off the Earth Try to STAY ACTIVE even though the weather is awful. No Excuses. It is important to keep moving. Try this exercise or some of my other exercises. Also if you are home from school/work go out and shovel the snow - this is a great way to get your physical activity in.
If you are with kids today, go outside:
Or... Be active indoors with the kids:
these are all great activities to get you moving around and living an active and healthy lifestyle. Stay safe! Stay warm! And stay active! It is important to stay motivated in order to keep an active lifestyle!  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.
You want to stick with your January New Year Resolution. Don't just push it to the side. Don't go 2 days without physical activity. You need to keep yourself motivated.
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AuthorJenna Webster, ACSM, ACE – Personal trainer specializing in empower busy women to live healthy and active lifestyles!” Categories
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