Thursday, March 31, 2016

Tips for a Great At Home Workout

Some days its nearly impossible to get out of bed, get dressed and go to the gym. Trust me, I totally understand; I have that problem ALL the time. (I usually end up going to the gym and it's worth it). But for those rainy/snowy days when leaving your house/apartment/dorm seems impossible, I've come up with some tips to help you have a successful workout!

1. MUSIC! Working out in the quietness of your home can be super boring, and not very motivating, so find a sick playlist; it will not only make the workout more fun, but you'll also be more motivated.

2. Hide your phone, or put it on silent, or even airplane mode. The point is, get rid of distractions so you can focus on yourself and really pushing yourself during this workout!

3. Use a fitness app, I use SWORKIT for when I decide to stay home and workout, it times all of your reps and tells you when to change to a different exercise. If you use an app on your phone I would still ignore all snapchats and texts you get until you're finished with the workout.

I hope these tips help you, and be sure to check out the workout section of my blog for at home exercise inspiration!

Monday, March 28, 2016

Post Workout Tips

Sometimes the biggest fear I have walking into the gym isn’t the workout I’m about to do, or how hard it will be, sometimes for me the biggest challenge is overcoming the soreness that follows an awesome workout. Before now, the ONLY way that I knew how to cope with muscle soreness was ice baths Ibuprofen, and Icy-Hot. BUT that isn’t the case anymore, and I don’t want you to live in fear of muscle soreness; and I definitely don’t want you to avoid your workout because you’re afraid of the soreness seems unavoidable.

While I was taught that taking an ice bath helps with soreness (it really does help) they’re also SUPER cold and it’s SO hard to convince yourself to lower your body into a tub of ICE water. But as it turns out there’s another, warmer, bath you can take to ease your pain; it’s an Epsom salt bath. Generally after a workout your muscles are tight, which makes you feel sore; taking a warm bath relaxes your muscles and magnesium from the Epsom salt starts your body’s recovery. I would add about two cups of Epsom salt to your bath, then sit back, and relax you’ve earned it!

Another thing you can do is stretch, and yes I know that sounds awful considering the fact that you’re possibly struggling to get dressed. But stretching helps increase the circulation of blood flow to your muscles, which will really help you ease the soreness. But remember, your muscles are sore because they’re tight, so slowly and gently stretch; it doesn’t need to be advanced yoga or anything. The key thing to tell yourself is that it’s a good pain, “it burns so good!”


I hope these tips to ease muscles soreness help you as much as they help me! Try them and let me know what you think, I hope you have a great workout!

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Positive Mind Positive Life


When it comes to leading a positive life there are SO many different things you can do. I've come up with my top three things you should be doing in order to lead the positive, healthy life you want!

1.  Accept yourself: yeah, you heard me! Stop comparing yourself to others, I know it's extremely hard to do especially when you're constantly bombarded with Victoria's Secret ads, or see how successful so many women are today, or when you're watching the Olympics and see how accomplished so many young women already are. So, I've put together a little story with some advice on how to accept yourself and stop comparing yourself with others.


2.  Eat healthy and exercise: the entire point of this blog is to help you learn how to eat healthy and give you different workout moves to try either at home or in the gym. Eating healthy and exercising both have very similar effects; they promote longer life spans, lower risk of disease, and both cause the brain to release hormones that make you happy! However, there are so many things that can derail a workout, check out what NOT to do before you go to the gym!


3.  Give back: one of the best feelings I can describe is when you know you've done something that has genuinely helped somebody (either physically or emotionally). Feeling appreciated and helpful are two of the greatest feelings on the planet! So start complimenting strangers, call your grandma and ask about her day (it will mean SO much to her that you called), or find an event to volunteer. We live in a world where help is always needed, so don't be afraid to pitch in!
For any New Yorkers reading this post, I've attached a link for you to check out so you can start volunteering!

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Tips and Tricks for Snacking

Snacking is one of my favorite things to do, over the past two years I've figured out that I'm more of a grazer than a sit down and eat three meals a day kind of person. However, when we snack, we often over snack; and that is what leads to most weight gain.

One of the most important aspects to snacking in a good way is to eat SLOWLY, yes there are actual studies on this that prove eating slowly is healthier where as eating faster leads to weight gain and reports of hunger much sooner than slow eaters.

So, next time you snack (or eat a meal for that matter) put the fork down between bites, and slowly chew and savor every bite of your meal. Your stomach gauges how full it is, not how many calories are in it, and when you eat quickly it confuses both your stomach and your brain making you think you're not actually full.

Water is a necessity, all day every day. But especially during meals/snacks; drinking water helps fill you up (yes in a healthy way, you still need to eat!)

And I know we are all very busy, with either work or school, but when you're eating put down the phone, turn off the tv, and close your laptop. Sit down and enjoy your meal, have a conversation with those also eating and truly experience the dish.

Until next time, happy snacking!

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Three Simple Snacks

Fighting cravings for cheesy french fries, pints of Ben and Jerry's, or even bags of chips becomes nearly impossible to resist. So, to combat this problem, I've come up with three tasty (and easy to make) snacks. I hope you enjoy them as much as me! 
  1. Chickpeas: they help support digestive health, they're also a slow burning carb so you can go much longer without being hungry! They also provide tons of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals! ANYBODY can eat them because they're gluten free and non-allergenic! 
    • Chickpeas as a snack: 
    1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
    2. Rinse and dry chickpeas (one 12 oz can)
    3. toss in a bowl with 2 tbs of olive oil and for flavor add sea salt
      • for additional flavor you can add things like garlic salt or cayenne pepper
    4. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, they should be brown and crunchy! Congrats you've just made a healthy snack!  
  2. Eggs: they're super healthy, packed with tons of protein as well as Vitamin D, A, B12 and a few  B vitamins! Use them to make an omelette for breakfast, or take them on the go in hard boiled form!
    • Hard Boiled Eggs: 
    1. Put as many eggs as you want in a pot of water and bring to a boil 
      • TIP: make sure the eggs are covered by about 1 inch of water
    2. Boil them for 8-10 minutes
    3. "shock" the eggs by placing them in ice water 
    4. Peel the egg when you're ready for a tasty snack!
  3. Red Bell Peppers: Yeah, you read that right! Red bell peppers (which are actually a fruit) are loaded with Vitamin A, B6, C and K. They're chalk full of fiber and minerals oh and they are also really great for your skin (just as a bonus) 
    • Bell Peppers and Goat cheese
      1. cut the bell peppers into small squares (make sure you de-seed them)
      2. mix together goat cheese and chives and use the bell peppers like a chip and dip on in!
        • If you're like me and don't like goat cheese feel free to use mozzarella instead!


    Until my next post, Happy Snacking!! 

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