So you took a break from your fitness routine this summer. You ate, you drank, you relaxed, and ate some more.

Well, now it’s time to face the music.

As you look in the mirror after a summer of less-than-healthy eating… Your body is puffy and bloated, joints are achy, and your clothes feel tight.

Maybe you are feeling that way right now.

Here’s how to get you back on the fitness fast track.

1) Find Your Focus

Summer happened. You ate things from the “never eat these” list, you drank more that you should have…but now it’s over.

Draw a line in the sand. You’re back now so the bad eating stops now.

If you’re serious about your fitness goals, then the past few weeks were the exception, and not the rule. Don’t beat yourself up for letting loose. Simply get back up, dust yourself off and get focused.

2) Get Hydrated

While summer days can take on many forms, the end result is most often dehydration and water retention. The only way to restore your balance is to get hydrated.

Your first priority in getting back on track is to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Start with a tall glass of water in the morning, and carry a water bottle with you to sip throughout the day.

Don’t add any artificial sweeteners or stimulants to your water – these will sabotage your hydration efforts. For flavor, add sliced fresh fruit, herbs or vegetables to your water, just like at the spa.

3) Cleanse Your System

For your first few days getting back on track I need you to be extra picky about what you eat. Stick with only whole, real foods like fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Whole, real foods will help to restore balance and block out cravings.

Don’t eat any packaged foods for the next few days. This means no snack foods, processed meat slices, dairy, baked goods or alcohol.

Try the recipe for Creole Chicken and Green Beans below – this is a wonderful, whole food dish.

4) Get Some Rest

As relaxing as summer days are, most end with the feeling of exhaustion. Make catching up on sleep a priority over the next few days.

When your body is low on sleep, it becomes easier to make poor eating choices. You’re also less likely to get back into your workouts if you don’t give your body a chance to rest.

Aim for getting a full 8 hours of sleep each night.

5) Jump Back Into Your Exercise Routine

It’s time to sweat out all those indulgences. So lace up your shoes and put on your favorite gym clothes. When you start your first workout, ease in slowly. Take the time to warm up and stretch your muscles before powering up to a solid 30-minute routine.

Do you have unmet goals? If so, you aren’t alone. Most people live with unfulfilled aspirations.

Unfortunately, many widely used self-help techniques fail to deliver results.

Case in point: You’ve probably heard of the “Yale Goal Study” where researchers interviewed Yale’s 1953 graduating class, asking whether or not the students had written down specific goals that they wanted to achieve. Then twenty years down the road the researchers looked up each student and discovered that the 3% of the class who had written down their goals had accumulated more personal wealth than the other 97% combined.

Very compelling story, but complete fiction.

The “Yale Goal Study” never happened, though motivational speakers and self-help books have quoted it for years.

Best-selling author and psychologist Richard Wiseman went on a mission to craft a no-nonsense response to the bogus self-help techniques. Using a diverse range of scientific data, he uncovered a proven approach to achieve any goal.

The following 5 successful techniques (Do This) and 5 unsuccessful techniques (Not That) are from Wiseman’s book, 59 Seconds Change Your Life in Under a Minute.

1) Do This: Make a Step-by-Step Plan.

If you are serious about achieving your goal, then you need to create a step-by-step plan on how to do it.

Successful goal-achievers break down their overall goal into sub-goals. Each sub-goal needs to be concrete, measurable and time-based.

• Not That: Motivate yourself by focusing on someone that you admire.
  Studies show that focusing on someone you admire is not a strong enough motivator to see you through your goal.

2) Do This: Tell Other People About Your Goal.

How badly do you want to achieve your goal? If you want it bad enough, you’ll tell your friends and family.

This technique works on two levels. First, you’ve put yourself on the spot by letting the world in on your goal, so it’s all-eyes-on-you. Failure would be public. Second, your friends and family are there to offer support and encouragement. Don’t underestimate the psychological power of having someone in your corner.

• Not That: Think about the bad things.
  When you focus on the negative it becomes your reality.

3) Do This: Focus on the Good Things When Achieving Your Goal.

Remind yourself of the benefits associated with achieving your goal.

Make a checklist of how life will be better once you have achieved your aim. This gets your focus on a positive future, one that’s worth the effort.

Not That: Try to suppress unhelpful thoughts.

Rather than trying to erase that image of chocolate cake from your mind, learn to deal with the reality of temptation head-on.

4) Do This: Reward Your Progress.

Studies show that attaching rewards to each of your sub-goals encourages success.

Your rewards should never conflict with your major goal. When aiming to lose weight, never use food as a reward.

• Not That: Rely on willpower.
  Willpower alone rarely gets anyone to their goal.

5) Do This: Record Your Progress.

Make your plans, progress, benefits and rewards concrete by expressing them in writing.

Use a hand-written journal, your computer or a bulletin board to chart your progress. This process is priceless for maintaining motivation.

• Not That: Just fantasize about life after achieving your goal.
  Daydreaming is fun, but simply fantasizing about your new life will not make it a reality.

There’s nothing quite as inspiring as a truly jaw-dropping before and after picture. I’m talking about a 50+ pound weight loss where they look like an entirely new person.

It’s striking how much younger people look when the extra fat comes off. An attractive, happy, energetic person was inside of them all along.

Many popular magazines showcase transformation success stories like this at the beginning of a new year. Flip through the pages of before and after photos and it’s hard not to feel inspired to make healthy changes in your own life.

It’s also interesting to read how each person managed to lose all the weight. What was their exercise routine? What diet plan did they follow? The truth is that there are many routines and plans that bring success.

The key is to choose your plan and stick with it.

Of course, this is where things get tricky, during the stick with it period. This is when life tempts you to lose your focus and get lazy. This is when even the best intentions don’t help you win.

Below I have compiled a list of Best Transformation Tips that came from the mouths of those who have actually done it. Every tip below is from a fat loss champion who lost 50+ pounds and some even half of their body weight.

• Fat loss is 80% mental and only 20% physical. Get your mind right if you want to succeed.
• Focus on non-scale victories like how your clothes fit, how you feel, and how much healthier you are.
• Fix what’s going on inside before you attempt to fix what’s going on outside. The mind is a powerful part of your transformation.
• Don’t stress as much on what you are eating, but instead on how much you are eating. Keep calories under control.
• Find a workout routine that you won’t be bored with, so that you’ll stick with it.
• Stick to your workout plan no matter how tired you’re feeling that day. Push your body through the motions even if you’re tired.
• Don’t be afraid to make healthy changes. You have nothing to lose and so much life to gain.
• Use a slow cooker to have healthy meals on hand to avoid unhealthy meals. Here is a recipe you can try.
• Use a fitness app to log your meals, workouts and water consumption. This helps to stay on track on those days when you aren’t feeling it.
• Try eating leafy vegetables and protein throughout the day to increase your energy. As a bonus this also increase the speed of your results.
• Find a plan and stick with it. Jumping from diet to diet never works in the long run.
• Get creative with your healthy eating by trying out new recipes. This helps prevent boredom from creeping in.
• Find an accountability partner who will keep you going strong when temptation hits.
• Make healthy changes gradually. If you ate a whole pizza yesterday then don’t swear off pizza completely. Just eat one slice today.
• Don’t give yourself the option of giving up. If you messed up then pick yourself back up and keep moving forward.
• Remember that the best part of getting into shape over 50 is no longer the six pack abs. It’s about improvements to your self-confidence and overall outlook on life.
• Be willing to ask for help. Seeking the help of a knowledgeable fitness professional or functional aging specialist to ensure that your efforts are safe, effective and successful.

Are you ready to unleash that over 50 year old attractive/handsome, happy, energetic person that’s hiding inside of you? I’m here to help you do it. Call or email me today and we will get your own long over do and stunning transformation started!

Do you have a specific fitness goal that you are hoping to achieve? This goal could be a number on the scale, or a clothing size. Or maybe you are hoping to wear a certain cut or style of clothes like strappy tank tops, shorts, or a bathing suit.

While having this goal is great, it will NOT guarantee success.

You knew that, though, because this isn’t the first time that you’ve had a fitness goal. A goal that you didn’t meet. In fact, you probably know dozens of other people who also have struggled to meet their fitness goals.

Here’s the typical scenario: you get all pumped up to lose weight and get into shape by starting out completely gung-ho. Your enthusiasm lasts about two weeks, before old habits and routine slide back into place, cutting your results off before reaching your goal. Then your goal begins to fade from your mind, and life goes on.

The problem, my friend, was your initial focus on the result rather than a sustained focus on the process. Let me break this down for you…

Fitness success is not about focusing on your goal. It’s about making the fit lifestyle stick.

Of course, once you’ve gotten a fit lifestyle to stick you’ll end up meeting that goal!

This may go against everything you’ve come to believe about achieving a goal, but then, your techniques haven’t exactly been working. The number that you’re hoping to magically be one day doesn’t matter one bit, and here’s why…

IT’S ABOUT LIVING IN THE MOMENTUM.

Can you remember how it felt the last time that you ate clean, exercised hard and got adequate sleep for a few consecutive days? A feeling of momentum came over you, didn’t it?

There was a buzzing in your cells and a rhythm in your pace. You felt alive, you felt sexy, and you felt empowered. Never mind that you weren’t yet at your goal number, you were headed there!

Getting down to your goal weight, and fitting into your goal size, is the direct result of living in that state of momentum for an extended period of time. You see, the momentum can be felt immediately, once you start eating clean, exercising hard and taking care of your health, whereas that “goal number” simply can’t be felt until it is achieved, and so it’s not as powerful a motivator.

My challenge and advice to you is to find the joy of living in the momentum, and keep that momentum going until your goal number is achieved. Focus only on the momentum, not on the number.

Fitness is a way of life. Being lean is a lifestyle. Neither of which can be had by going about it halfheartedly.

You have to become the momentum.

Call or email me today and we will get your momentum started on the exercise program that will reshape your body once and for all!

Halloween candy is yummy, but kids like spiders too…spider rings that is!  The truth is; although kids love to get candy, many of them would like just as much to get some cool new Halloween pencils or pens, spooky stickers, tattoos, or spider rings.

Or, you might even try one of these options:

• Mini rice cereal bites
• Packages of trail mix
• Cereal or energy bars
• Small boxes of raisins
• Small packages of dried fruit
• Sugar-free gum
• Mini juice boxes

You may not be the “coolest” adult on the block, but  at least you can feel good about the fact that you’re not sending your neighbors’ kids into sugar oblivion!

Here are some other tips to putting a limit on the sugar factor around your house…

Don’t buy it now: You may be tempted to get organized and purchase your Halloween candy now. But that’s the worse thing you can do because most likely you will all eat it before Halloween and will have to go and purchase more. Purchase your Halloween candy on Halloween day to avoid an excess consumption of calories before the actual holiday.

Control consumption: If you leave it up to the kids, they’ll have half their candy eaten before bed-time on Halloween night! Instead, sit down with their stash, and separate it into small-sized snack pouches that limit how much candy they have per day. Not that we’re saying that kids need candy every day but at least it’s a start!

Move it to lose it: I like that Halloween gets families outdoors walking the neighborhood, and what if we do that on more nights other than just Halloween? Without the candy. Please take this time of the year as an opportunity to promote an active lifestyle and get outside for a hike, a long walk or a bike ride. Your bodies will thank you for it!

Remember to consistently instill a love for exercise with your kids/grand kids and start them off young with lots of exercise and healthy foods…it will pay off in the end and you will have fun along the way.

http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/oct/08/halloween-neednt-be-unhealthy/

http://tradingideas.orientaltrading.com/party-planners/holidays/halloween/25-fun-alternatives-halloween-candy

Click on image for gardening workout!

Spring is Here!

The best part of spring? Gardening! Get your garden ready and workout at the same time! Simple gardening like raking, fertilizing, weeding  and mowing can all give you a workout.

This Spring-Workout shows you three different levels of activities! What are you waiting for? The weather is perfect to get your gardening workout on.

Celebrating our 200 + Facebook Fans

Thank you for all the ways that you engage our social media efforts. If all else fails, enlist a trainer. If you’re tired of the same old routine, hire a personal trainer for 1-3 sessions to help you come up with some fun and creative moves that you enjoy doing. At Your Personal Best Training Studio, we work you hard and make it fun!

This list of 200 calories IN is current information. We recommend a balance of protein and carbs whenever possible but PLEASE don’t go hungry! Your body will try to eat it’s lean tissue.

The following 200 calories OUT will be most accurate according to your bodyweight. We’ve provided an exercise calculator link at the end of this list that includes most of the activities listed.

1.          In:        8 oz nonfat fruited or plain yogurt
2.         Out:     Zip lining through the trees for 30 min.
3.         In:        A little less than a cup of Quaker Oatmeal Squares
4.         Out:     Golfing-50 minutes
5.         In:        8 oz nonfat yogurt with 1 Tbsp slivered almonds, ground flax or wheat germ
6.         Out:     Snowshoeing for 22 minutes
7.         In:        Triple whammy:

                             60 calories – Small (5-ounce) fresh fruit cup
                             70 calories – 1 1/2 tablespoons Back to Nature Nantucket Blend Trail Mix
                            67 calories – 1 cup bell pepper strips with 2 tablespoons fat-free ranch

8.         Out:     Washing and vacuuming your car 40 minutes
9.         In:        4 oz nonfat or 1% fat cottage cheese on 1 slice whole grain bread or an English muffin
10.      Out:     Putting away groceries one hour 15 min.
11.       In:        ½ cup frozen low-fat yogurt topped with ½ cup diced fruit of choice
12.      Out:     Walking or walking your dog. (about 4 mph) pace-25 minutes
13.       In:        ½ cup nonfat pudding
14.      Out:     Racquetball 25 minutes
15.       In:        1 oz soy cheese alternative or nonfat/2% fat cheese and 3-5 whole grain crackers
16.      Out:      Climbing stair case 30minutes
17.       In:        1 oz part-skim mozzarella string cheese and 1 medium apple
18.      Out:     Bowling-60 minutes
19.       In:        6 oz skim or reduced fat soymilk and 2 graham crackers                                                                        20.      Out:     Cycle 30 minutes at 10-12 mph
21.       In:        More for your calories

                       55 calories – 1 Ghirardelli Squares chocolate
38 calories – 1/2 ounce herbed goat cheese
56 calories – 7 Kashi TLC Honey Sesame Crackers
51 calories –  1/2 cup sugar snap peas with 3/4 tablespoon ginger-and-miso dressing

22.      Out:     Painting your house-40 minutes
23.       In:        (1) 8 oz can of reduced sodium V8 juice and 3-6 whole wheat crackers.
24.      Out:     Swim 25 minutes
25.       In:        1 serving Split Pea Crisps
26.     Out:     Mow lawn 40 minutes
27.       In:        1 cup raw veggie of choice, dipped in 2 Tbsp reduced fat salad dressing
28.      Out:     Gardening 55 minutes
29.       In:        1 cup raw veggie of choice, dipped in ¼ cup hummus
30.      Out:     Walk laps around the mall-36 minutes
31.       In:        1 Tbsp peanut butter spread over 2 celery stalks and topped with 2 Tbsp raisins
32.      Out:     Moderate circuit training-30 minutes
33.       In:        1 cup cooked vegetable with 1 ounce melted 2% fat cheese
34.      Out:     40 minutes fast dancing
35.       In:        2 slices diet whole wheat bread w/1 cup sliced raw or cooked veggies of choice & 1 oz. nonfat cheese slice
36.      Out:     Play basketball 20 minutes
37.       In:        1 medium serving most fruits and 1 oz. chunk of lite cheese
38.      Out:     Jog at 5 mph pace 20 minutes
39.       In:        ½ cup fruit canned in own juice or light syrup
40.      Out:     Cleaning and vacuuming 40 minutes
41.       In:        6 oz skim milk, ¾ cup diced strawberry & banana, 1 Tbsp chocolate syrup & 1 cup ice blended = smoothie
42.      Out:     Active stand-up Paddle Boarding a little less that 1 hour.
43.       In:        1 Tbsp peanut butter spread over a medium apple
44.      Out:     Spinning 15 minutes
45.       In:        2 Tbsp roasted nut of choice (soy nuts, slivered almonds, etc) with 2 Tbsp raisins or dried cranberries
46.      Out:     Elliptical trainer 15 minutes
47.       In:        1 cup coffee and 2 fig Newton cookies
48.      Out:     Step aerobics 20 minutes
49.       In:        ¼ cup reduced fat trail mix
50.      Out:     Rock-climbing 20 minutes
51.       In:        3 peanut butter-filled wheat crackers with 6 ounces skim milk
52.      Out:     Tae Bo 20 minutes
53.       In:        1 packet plain oatmeal with 8 oz skim milk
54.      Out:     Play soccer 20 minutes
55.       In:        1 ounce whole wheat or oat bran pretzels, lightly salted
56.     Out:     Skiing cross country 20 minutes
57.       In:        1 Nature Valley crunchy granola bar
58.      Out:     Walk up and down stairs 20 minutes
59.       In:        1 Nature Valley chewy trail mix bar
60.      Out:     Strength training (weight lifting, weight training) for 1 hour
61.       In:        3 cups air-popped popcorn
62.      Out:     Play flag foot ball 25 minutes
63.       In:        1 ounce dry whole grain cereal
64.      Out:     In-line skating 25 minutes
65.       In:        2 oz canned tuna or chicken on 3-6 whole grain crackers
66.      Out:     Punching bag 25 minutes
67.       In:        2 oz smoked salmon with 1 Tbsp nonfat cream cheese on ½ of a whole wheat small bagel
68.      Out:     Play tennis. 25 minutes
69.       In:        3-4 egg white omelet with broccoli and 1 slice whole grain bread with fat-free cream cheese (or dry)
70.      Out:     Rearrange the furniture 35 minutes
71.       In:       Protein drink consisting of ½ cup water, a fruit portion, ice cubes and 1-2 scoops of protein powder blended
72.      Out:     Hula-hoop 40 minutes
73.       In:        One whole grain wrap, 3 oz cooked chicken breast, mustard, or horseradish, lettuce and lots of veggies
74.      Out:     Play kickball 40 minutes
75.       In:        1/4 cup trail mix or granola
76.      Out:     Using a lateral thigh trainer for 38-40 minutes
77.       In:        7-8 Triscuits™ with spread of low fat-cream cheese
78.      Out:     Motor-cross 45 minutes
79.       In:       7-8 Triscuits™ with refried black beans
80.      Out:     Pilates 50 minutes
81.        In:       Celery sticks with 2 Tbs. peanut butter
82.       Out:     Jump on trampoline 50 minutes
83.        In:        Sandwich with one slice w/w bread and 3 oz. chicken or 2 oz turkey breast, Mustard
84.       Out:     Paddle in a canoe leisurely for 55 minutes
85.        In:        Huge salad with 1/2 cup black beans, unlimited veggies
86.        Out:     Swinging on a swing. 60 minutes
87.        In:        One hot dog, one slice whole grain bread, ketchup and relish
88.        Out:     Paint a room 60 minutes
89.         In:        ½ cup vegetarian chili, (made without the beans), celery stick
90.        Out:     Play volleyball 60 minutes
91.         In:       ¼ C. Nestle Cranberry Raisinets
92.        Out:     Play badminton 60 minutes
93.         In:        2 Fiber One 90 Calorie Chewy Bars in Chocolate Peanut Butter
94.        Out:     Play Frisbee 60 minutes
95.         In:        2 Ryvita™ crackers, <1 Tbs. no-sugar added natural Peanut butter, ½ pear sliced
96.        Out:     Vacuum your car 70 minutes
97.         In:        1/8th butternut squash baked, 1 tsp, raisins, and 1.5 tsp. brown sugar, 1 oz. cheddar cheese
98.        Out:     Play table tennis 60 minutes
99.          In:        4 whole wheat graham crackers, 1.25 Tbs. Peanut butter
100.      Out:     Belly dancing. 60 minutes
101.        In:        ¾ cup fat-free yogurt-plain or fat-free cottage cheese with 1 fruit and 1 scoop of protein powder
102.      Out:     Washing the dishes 90 minutes
103.        In:        Huge salad with 1 oz. feta cheese, unlimited veggies and 7-8 Triscuits™ with vinegar and fresh herbs
104.       Out:     Water aerobics 45 minutes
105.        In:       ½ cup re fried beans, ½ cup fresh tomato salsa with whole grain wrap toasted in the toaster.
106.       Out:     Play with your pet 60 minutes
107.        In:        4 oz. white,flat fish like flounder or tilapia.
108.       Out:     Build a sand castle. 60 minutes
109.        In:        2 Wheatabix™ biscuits, 1 cup soy or skim milk
110.        Out:     Wash windows 60 minutes
111.         In:        1 Wheatabix™ biscuit, ¾ cup soy or skim milk, 1 fruit portion
112.         Out:     Snowball fight-38 minutes
113.         In:        3 tablespoons hummus; 1/2 W.G. pita, cut into pieces; and 1/2 cup peapods
114.         Out:     Ice skating-26 minutes
115.         In:        1 cup strawberries drizzled with 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
116.         Out:     Automobile repair for 1 hour.
117.         In:        Reduced fat caramel apple (without nuts)
118.         Out:     Shovel snow-30 minutes
119.         In:        3 slices mini pumpernickel with 1 slice Swiss cheese
120.        Out:     Clean the garage 70 minutes
121.         In:        1 packet low-sugar oatmeal topped with a handful of berries
122.        Out:     Nintendo Wii – playing continuously on a (tennis or boxing options) for 50 min.
123.         In:        Spiced maple yogurt: 6 ounces plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and a dash of cinnamon
124.         Out:     Clean out old cupboards 55 min
129.         In:        12-ounce light beer and 12 pistachios
130.        Out:     Digging in the garden for 30 minutes
131.          In:        1 chocolate pudding cup with 1 graham-cracker square crushed and sprinkled on top.
132.         Out:     Using a twist disc (abdominal rotation trainer) for 25 minutes
133.          In:        12-ounce nonfat cafe mocha (no whipped cream)
134.         Out:     Giving a loved one a good massage for 45-50 minutes
135.          In:        8-ounce V8 juice with 1 piece of string cheese
136.         Out:     Playing softball or baseball for approx 30 minutes
137.          In:        2 tablespoons low-fat spicy bean dip and 18 baked tortilla chips
138.         Out:     Doing karate for 30 minutes
139.          In:        4 whole-grain crackers with 1 tablespoon honey soy-nut butter
140.         Out:     17 minute Tabata
141.          In:        ¼ C. Chocolate covered soy nuts
142.         Out:     30 minutes of low impact aerobics
143.          In:        2 Cups Sliced strawberries and 2 Tbs. low fat whipped cream
144.         Out:     Playing squash for 20-25 minutes
145.          In:        1 small container Skinny Cow strawberry cheese cake ice cream & ½ C. sliced strawberries
146.         Out:     Using a punch bag for 25-30 minutes
147.         In:        1 serving Dole Fruit Crisp in Apple Cinnamon
148.         Out:     20 minutes of a kickboxing class
149.         In:        Planters Nutrition Omega-3 Mix-1/4 cup
150.         Out:     30-40 minutes sex
151.         In:        1 C. Haagen-Dazs All Natural Low Fat Frozen Yogurt in Peach
152.         Out:     Tai Chi-1 Hour
153.         In:        1 Slice Amy’s Gluten Free & Non-Dairy Cake in Chocolate
154.         Out:      Water skiing 25 minutes
155.         In:        Atkins Advantage Sweet & Salty Almond Crunch Bar
156.         Out:     Tae Kwon Do-20 minutes
157.         In:        2 Figs and 1 slice Prosciutto
158.         Out:     Hiking 30 minutes
159.         In:        1 Edy’s Antioxidant Fruit Bar in Pomegranate
160.         Out:     Stationary rowing 30 minutes
161.         In:        1 Serving Quaker True Delights Rice Snacks in Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper
162.         Out:     Ballroom dancing 1 hour
163.         In:        1 Serving Musselman’s Healthy Picks Apple Sauce in Raspberry Açaí
164.         Out:     Dressing up-trying on clothes-1 hour
165.         In:        1 Weight Watchers snack cakes in Chocolate Crème Cake
166.         Out:     Wash the dog-30 minutes
167.         In:        1 Serving LUNA Minis in White Chocolate Macadamia, Peanut Butter Cookie, and Lemon Zest
168.         Out:     Stretching-one hour
169.         In:        1 Serving Garden Seven Grain Crispy Tenders
170.         Out:     Sitting in a Jacuzzi-one hour
171.         In:        1 Skinny Cow Truffle Bars in White Mint
172.         Out:     Grocery shopping one hour 15 minutes.
173.         In:        1 Yoplait Delights Parfait in Lemon Torte
174.         Out:     Beach volley ball-25 minutes
175.         In:        1 Edy’s Antioxidant Fruit Bars in Pomegranate
176.         Out:     Playing drums 45 minutes
177.         In:        Kellogg’s Special K Fruit Crisps in Strawberry
178.         Out:     Showering 1 ½ hours
179.         In:        1 Serving Popchips Potato Chips in Cheddar
180.         Out:     Fishing for one hour
181.         In:        1 Serving Kashi Heart to Heart Warm Cinnamon Oat Cereal
182.         Out:     Duck hunting 1 hour
183.         In:        2 Hard-Boiled Eggs with Salt and Spice
184.         Out:     Trap shooting one hour
185.         In:        1 Serving Stacy’s Pita Chips in Garden Veggie Medley
186.         Out:     Mopping for one hour
187.         In:        ½ cup Hummus with Celery Sticks
188.         Out:     Billiards for 70 min.
189.         In:        A little less than Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Squares Dark Chocolate
190.         Out:     Cooking or food preparation for 1 ½ hours.
191.         In:        8 oz nonfat yogurt with ½ cup mixed berries
192.         Out:     Laughing , taking classroom notes or standing and talking on the phone for 2.5 hours
193.         In:        8 oz skim milk or reduced fat soymilk and 1 piece of fruit

194.         Out:     Riding a unicycle for 35 minutes (or at least trying to)
195.         In:        BOOST^® Calorie Smart™ with 190 Calories
196.         Out:     12 minutes of vigorous step-ups
197.         In:        4 oz nonfat or 1% fat cottage cheese with ½ cup canned fruit in own juice
198.         Out:     Just over 20 minutes of Burpees (if you can live through them)
199.         In:        Pure & Natural Granola in Peak Flax Oats and Honey with Blueberries
200.       Out:     Ironing-1 hour 15 min          

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Stretching and the Importance of It as We Age                        
By Melanie Polasek, CPT                        

Most people who exercise spend the majority of that time burning calories and strength building. (Getting stronger or bulking up).  They often do not take minimal time to stretch afterwards.  Flexibility is often the most neglected component of fitness.  Studies have shown how important stretching is, and even much more so, as we age.  As the muscles are stretched, they lengthen and increase in range of motion.  This will keep you young and feeling good.

In the past, it was shown that that static stretching (stretch & hold) before exercise would decrease injury, prevent post-exercise soreness and improve exercise performance.  But today, research shows is there is no evidence of such benefits.  Today, the preferred way of warming up for any physical activity is through dynamic (active) movement, instead of static stretching.  It is best to save the static stretching for the end of your workout, once the muscles are warm and more receptive to the stretch.

Types of stretches:

• Static stretching:  the most popular form – gradually stretch your muscle or muscle group until you feel mild tension (never to the point of pain) and hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds.   (Never force a stretch or bounce in the stretch).   This type of stretch is good after any physical activity.
• Dynamic stretching:  A continual, controlled movement through a full range of motion like leg swings or lunges.   This is good to use for warming up.
• Ballistic stretching:  Bouncing with repetitive movement to take the stretch beyond its normal range of motion.  (This type of stretching not recommended the average exerciser, as it can place too much tension and trauma on the muscle being stretched and its connective tissue.)

So why stretch:

1. Improves flexibility by helping your joints move through their full range of motion
2. Helps reduce low-back discomfort
3. Improves posture and balance
4.  Stretching the back and shoulders will help prevent a slouching back
5. Improves circulation by increasing the blood supply to muscles and joints
6. Stretching keeps the muscles more supple and assists in lengthening the muscles
7. A good stress reliever, which helps develop mental and physical relaxation
8. It just feels good too

Source:  Sally Anderson/Tampa Bay Times Thursday/Jan 12, 2012 Caller Times

Read more:  http://www.peakhealthadvocate.com/753/stretching-shown-to-improve-heart-health/

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