An exercise program that has VARIETY in the type and tempo of each workout will give you better results. It’s more effective to keep your body guessing and challenging yourself with new exercises and routines all the time! Don’t get into a fitness routine that never changes. We will discuss this more in the next few blogs.
CONSISTENCY is an absolute must in order to have better results and take your fitness to the next level. Wether you are a beginner or an advanced athlete, you must be consistent with your exercise in order to make a difference in your body and health.
- Do an abdominal exercise routine everyday (perform at least 3 exercises for 1-2 sets)
- Be active daily (i.e. park in the distant parking spaces, use the stairs always, sit on a ball at the desk versus a chair for at least an hour a day).
- Engage in at least 30 minutes of fitness training at least 6 days a week (boot camp, walking, biking, swimming, yoga, pilates)
- Keep variety in your program!!! If you are not getting fitness results and have not changed your exercise routine in months then you may be suffering from a plateau.
- Don’t walk everyday and nothing else! Don’t stretch everyday and nothing else! Don’t lift weights everyday and nothing else! You need to mix it up!
It’s simple, keep variety in your program and stay consistent and you will see results! It’s not a magic pill or the genius of a personal trainer that will get you results. Being consistent with fitness will result in optimal fitness gains.
ANNA V.
- Snack on a big plate of veggies before going to a Christmas party or dinner. This will fill you up on the good stuff, and then you’re not starving at the dinner.
2. When making a plate of food, take a smaller portion than normal and plan on maybe having seconds if you’re still hungry. Plus, this will force you to eat more slowly.
3. Drink a glass of water between each glass of wine or cocktail. This makes you less hungry and less thirsty for alcohol.
4. If your craving the sweets have just 1 of your favorites and eat slowly, enjoy it completely. If possible, eat half of it and save the other half for later to feel that your sweet tooth can get another taste but without the extra calories.
5. When making a plate for dinner, fill half your plate with the good healthy stuff (veggies, fruit, salad, etc.) and the other half with a mix of your carbs and protein.
6. Eat slowly during your meals to allow yourself to enjoy the meal and not overeat! It is about 15 minutes after you eat that your body feels the fullness completely. Eating slowly allows the body to feel it’s fullness before you’ve eaten too much.
7. When tempted to having seconds, wait for at least 15 minutes after eating to make a final decision. Most likely you will feel too full by then.
8. Encourage your family and friends to engage in a nice walk around the neighborhood after dinner. This helps digestion tremendously and will help burn off a couple hundred calories from dinner. If we can do it in Massachusetts 5degree weather, SO CAN YOU!
9. Exercise everyday! Try and walk or run for at least 30 minutes everyday. This is the best way to keep your metabolism running high and to burn hundreds of extra calories!
10. Before taking a cookie, piece of chocolate, piece of pie, candy, or any sweet, make a deal with yourself…. For every one that you eat, you owe yourself 15 minutes of cardio exercise that day!
Happy Holidays!
ANNA V.
Crunches are the worst! Yes, I said it! They not only put too much stress on your spine but the effects of a crunch don’t compare to other great core exercises.
The PLANK is the best exercise to strengthen your core muscles, pull in your abdominal wall to create a flatter stomach, and improve your overall posture.
What is a PLANK you ask? Hold yourself above the ground by supporting your body with just your forearms and toes. Keep your elbows directly beneath your shoulders and keep your body perfectly straight without letting your hips sag towards the ground or point up in the air like a tee pee! You should feel a burn through your back, abdominals, and shoulders on this one.
If you can hold a PLANK for 1 minute then great! You have a stronger core than most people. Continue to get stronger by adding a side step with your feet or lifting one leg off the ground and alternating from right to left for the entire minute.
Your goal should be to PLANK for 3 minutes! If you can only PLANK for 30 seconds, start practicing today. This is a great assessment of your Core strength!
ANNA V.