Let’s talk fitness fashion and fabrics. The best kind of workout apparel can vary depending on the type of workout you’re doing.
Stretchy fabrics like spandex or elastane provide freedom and flexibility of movement. This allows you to perform dynamic exercises more effectively.
Compression fabrics are tight-fitting materials that provide stability and support to your muscles during exercise. They help improve circulation, reduce muscle vibration, and enhance recovery.
Breathable fabrics allow air to flow through the clothing keeping you cool and comfortable during workouts.
When choosing workout fabrics consider the level of intensity of the workout you’re doing along with sweat levels and weather conditions. On that note looks like it’s time to go shopping for some new shiny workout clothes.
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Hope you find some helpful takeaways to sustain your health this holiday while enjoying the celebrations to their fullest.
You can grab a skinnier version of a cocktail if you’re going to consume alcohol such as a skinny margarita, or a cocktail over ice. Choose the ones with the lowest sugar to forego the gut busting feeling afterwards.
Opt for healthy inspired meals or bites such as fish or grilled chicken tacos, salsa, ceviche, and guacamole. 🥑
Drink plenty of water to hydrate especially if you’re going to be in attendance of a festival with steamy temperatures.
Don’t forget to enjoy the festivities while being mindful of your health and wellbeing. Cheers! 🍻
If you like to start your day with a sauna like me, get ready for the abundance of health benefits that are going to come your way as a result.
One of the most helpful things about this lovely hot box is it’s going to relieve your stress. It increases your feel good endorphins and reduces levels of stress hormones like cortisol. This can bring a newfound sense of calmness.
It will help naturally relax your muscles providing relief from muscle stiffness, fatigue and soreness. Jumping in for a quick session first thing is especially beneficial if you have a busy day ahead or strenuous workout planned for later in the day.
Keep this in mind the next time you’re looking for a way to improve your day. By partaking in this small action you will be rewarded with so many positive health benefits.
🍃 There are a wide range of outdoor workouts you could implement in your weekly exercise regimen. Try switching it up so you don’t plateau.
You could try walking or running a path around a park or your neighborhood.
Hiking on trails or hills challenges your cardiovascular system and lower body muscles. This is a nice change of environment because you get to enjoy more greenery and scenery.
Grab a bike and go cycling as riding a bike outdoors is an effective way to build both endurance and lower body strength while burning calories.
Agility Drills can be set up outside with cones and are great for improving coordination, endurance and agility.
Pick one of the above to switch things up while staying lean and training with a new fun twist to your regularly scheduled workout program. ✌🏽
The importance of having a rock solid morning routine makes all the difference. It can make or break the way you operate for the rest of the day. Don’t be afraid to change things up to become healthier in your everyday routine. Today was an incredible day from starting the day practicing gratitude on the balcony, fasting until 11am, waiting hours before my first cup of coffee, hitting the sauna for 20 minutes, and to getting other things done on my to do list. Incorporating things like this will help increase your overall productivity, mental clarity, quality of sleep, ability to perform daily tasks, enhance your mood, etc. Never underestimate the power of starting your morning off right with the right routine that enables you to thrive at your very best.
Let’s make at home training fun again shall we?! There are many different styles of training. You can do all the comfort of your own home. First thing, let’s figure out what style suits your preferences best.
There are an array of workout genres as I like to call them:
1) HIIT High Intensity Interval Training- one of my favorites! This involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief periods of rest. You can do exercises such as jumping jacks, bum kicks, high knees, and mountain climbers to name a few.
2) Pilates- focuses on stability, flexibility, and core strength. Most can be done simply using a mat as pictured here.
3) Yoga- this is a great way to improve strength, mental clarity, and improve flexibility. You can enjoy creating a routine of your own flow that incorporates poses like downward dog and sun salutations or you can follow along with a guided session.
4) Resistance Band Exercises- are portable, versatile, and affordable. You can use resistance bands for exercises like banded rows, bicep curls, and lateral leg lifts to target various muscle groups.
5) Stair Workouts- this is for those that live in a two story building home, apartment or condo.
Find the one that best suits you and have fun with it!
Here I’m doing a superset of alternating dumbbell lunges into a dumbbell squat. I start with the left leg moving into a forward lunge then go into a squat then go to straight into a right leg front lunge. You can repeat this for as many times as you would like with all three moves being incorporated to count as one repetition. benefits of doing a superset versus just a regular set include cutting down on your workout time, increasing your workout intensity, greater muscle growth, overcoming workout plateaus, and burning more fat. 🔥
Master your mindset and master your life. Finding the beauty in things both big and small will help turn your day around no matter what it currently feels or looks like. Gratitude is a powerful practice that can transform the most sour of days, which can in return transform your outlook on life. Shifting from a negative to positive mindset will have a profound effect on your overall well being. By focusing on things that we are thankful for we can reframe our perspective and cultivate a sense of abundance versus the opposite which is scarcity. What is one thing you are grateful for today?
Taking long walks on the beach is my favorite kind of cardio. Did you know that walking on the beach burns on average 2.7 times more than on a flat solid surface. This also takes more effort required from your body to lift your feet off the loose ground. On top of this walking alongside the beautiful ocean will naturally elevate your mood. So it’s a no brainer that this is a win win for some outdoor exercise.
Hope you’re having a nice relaxing weekend making sweet zen filled memories. It’s important to do things that fulfill your soul while bringing you peace of mind. You want to be active while experiencing relaxation at its finest? Try walking or running in the sand. In addition to this you can pop a squat repeatedly while searching for shells 🐚 on the shore and in the water which is one of my all time favorite outdoor activities. Happy Shell Hunting!
Do you find yourself dreaming about carbs? Well I have some enlightening news, you can eat them! It’s a myth that you can’t eat carbs and lose weight. In fact I know people and clients who forego the carbs and then actually gain weight because their body goes into survival mode. Then it begins to store everything as fat because your body doesn’t know when it’s going to get to eat again.
Carbohydrates are an essential energy source, especially for your brain. Cutting them out can lead to mood swings, difficulty concentrating and excessive fatigue.
Fuel your body correctly with the proper complex carbs such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Then your body will be capable of being a fat burning machine because it has the proper fuel to do so.
So this is for you if you have a somewhat sedentary lifestyle and want to learn some healthy habits to stay as active as possible to reverse any potential negative impacts due to that.
Try standing while working.
Use the stairs to work or at home instead of the elevator.
Get up randomly and do jumping jacks.
Commit to doing more physical activity such as hitting the gym.
Purchase a walking treadmill desk!
That last one is on my list! What will be on yours?
Drop it down low to the floor. Keep that 90 degree angle within your knees while squatting on the way down. Stay strong and lift heavy. This is going to strengthen your glutes and legs while improving your overall physique. You want to maintain a proper balance between your upper and lower body. This is a great way to build your lower body one rep at a time.
Heal to Grow. There are many beautiful ways that you can move forward in life as a better version of yourself. One of those ways is to heal from things that no longer serve you so that you can evolve, be better, show up wiser, more committed to the path you’ve set before yourself. You will feel your body become lighter, your mind will have that mental edge back as well as be sharper, and your spirit will feel free so any burdens previously weighing you down will be lifted. Move forward and feel elevated and do it for you because everyone deserves to heal.
Today was a rainy one, it’s important to keep your motivation up even when the weather is all doom and gloomy. Here are some ways you can do that.
1)Use light therapy which can help boost your mood and transform SAD which is known as seasonal affective disorder.
2)Change up your playlist to keep you extra inspired.
3)Use sticky notes with positive messages to uplift your spirit throughout the day which will get you pumped up for your training session.
See if these things help turn your mood around to bring better energy to the gym and your day overall.
You know what will make you feel like all that, a little self care. Show you just how much you love yourself. Make sure to fill your cup first. There are several ways to do this such as getting your nails done, a pedicure, a massage, spa day, getting your hair done, or doing a little retail therapy. Do things that make you feel more confident and watch how much better you feel and show up in your life on the daily.
Let the good times roll and find things to do that fulfill your soul and make you feel good. For example tonight I’m going to a comedy show. You know what they say laughter is the best medicine. Look forward to doing things that make you feel good from the inside out. Plus a little fun fact did you know that per hour you can burn up to 160 calories by laughing?! Time to have a good time while getting snatched!
Hope you enjoy this weekend as I am starting to! Get out and enjoy a little Mother Nature! It’s so beautiful outside today! It’s important to get an adequate amount of vitamin D for a healthy body and a regulated mood. Did you know over 75% of Americans are vitamin D deficient. So catch some rays and reset your circadian rhythm the right way.
Your energy will speak for yourself when you walk into a room, so make sure to really make an entrance while putting your best foot forward. Here are some tips to make sure you stay on top of your A game.
Smile because it’s contagious and will light up a room.
Hire mentors that have achieved the things you wish to and you will get there faster.
Put thought into what you wear for when you clean up nicely people will typically take you more seriously.
Build your confidence up daily by how you show up in life for practice makes perfect.
Surround yourself with positive people and as you leave a greater impact on others it’s likely that it will be reciprocated for you.
Never stop learning, exploring, growing into a better version of yourself by expanding your mindset, skill set, and more over time.
The better you become the greater your life will become overall.
Want to feel refreshed you may in fact just need a nap. Let me explain. If you find yourself feeling overly wired, anxious or tired. It could be your bodies way of signaling to you that you need more rest. Sometimes kicking that extra cup of coffee to the curb and taking a Power Nap could really help you thrive more between your performance at work, the gym, etc. The next time your body feels overwhelmed try slowing down and relaxing to see if that regenerates your system to feel more regulated. I did today and it worked like a charm.
Let’s go grocery shopping because I’m about to. Before I do let’s talk about the best options to get in order to maintain a lean physique.
Things to grab are lean cuts of meat, veggies, fiber packed foods, whole wheat tortillas, seafood, salmon, sweet potatoes, blueberries, blackberries, low sodium seasonings. Make sure to add these to your grocery list and watch your waist get slimmer as you cook a healthy dinner.
Work glutes with me so we can build a beautiful body with an even better behind. Here are some common tips to help your form on the booty builder.
1) Adjust your body For the proper angle so that you make a 90° knee angle with your body on the machine once you come up at the top of the exercise.
2) Lean your upper body back against the bench and adjust the seatbelt to where it feels most comfortable. The belt should rest against your hips.
3) Push off of the foot plates, applying pressure from the heel as well as your mid-foot. Now extend your hips as high as you can while squeezing your glutes on the way up.
4) Lower the weight back down and repeat as many repetitions as you would like with an each set. Then unbuckle the belt when you have completed the total number of sets as desired.
I hope these tips help the next time you go to work your glutes!
This is for all the red meat 🥩 lovers out there. Satisfy your taste buds without going overboard breaking the caloric budget. Here are some ways to order your steak in order to be a bit more health conscious.
1)Order grass fed beef if they have it. This is due to the fact that most American raised cattle are raised on corn this makes for a more fat-filled cut of beef. Grass-fed beef is leaner and loaded with omega-3 fatty acids.
2)A sauce can make or break your steak. Béarnaise for example is made mostly from melted butter and egg yolks which is the worst of options. Try Peppercorn instead which is based on wine and beef stock which is the lighter way to go.
3)Ditch the Rib Eye because it has 1.5 times the amount of fat that a sirloin does. The sirloin is going to be the leanest cut you’ll find on the menu besides filet mignon. Make sure to consume a normal portion such as 8 or 9 ounces.
Use these tips the next time you find yourself at a delicious steakhouse of which you would like to guiltlessly enjoy.
Going out and about on the town for the evening? Here are some tips to maintain healthy habits, even on the weekend.
1) Be sure to grab yourself some high quality H2O to stay hydrated while out walking around.
2) Keep a healthy snack on hand whether that’s in your purse, pocket or car. This way you won’t be tempted to make unhealthy choices because of their convenience.
3) Run your errands with intention meaning, feel free to get to your next destination while either speed walking or going at a faster pace then you normally would to speed up the rate at which you burn calories.
4) Peep the menu online ahead of time of the restaurant of your choosing so that you make the best most nutritious choices to keep you on track with your fitness goals.
5) Use a smart watch to track your overall stats for the day including calories burned through your daily activities in conjunction with your workouts.
Little tips go a long way, so my hope is that you’ll start to incorporate some of these if ya haven’t already as you enjoy the rest of your weekend.
💎 Diamonds are made under pressure. So remember once you get through the storm don’t forget to shine a little brighter. In tough times remember your strength and how important it is to not give up on the goals you’ve set before yourself. You’ve got this and will continue to rise up so long as you commit to showing up and putting in the work.
With tax season upon us now we can all take a breath of fresh air as this years hard work has come to an end. May we all be proud of the work we’ve accomplished this past year and give ourselves room to grow for the remainder of this one moving forward. Remind yourself that the future is bright and always be your biggest cheerleader, because at the end of the day it’s our own self that is responsible for the quality of our life. You have the power to fulfill those goals and aspirations so start knocking them out one by one with a can-do attitude.
Want to understand more ways to improve your back before summer hits? Let’s get down to the nitty gritty details.
A stronger back means better posture. Let’s start improving your overall back strength with a warm-up.
Resistance band pull downs
Overhead medicine ball slams
Band Bent Over Row
When you’re finished with your warm-up and want to begin training you can use exercises such as the one pictured here. This one features the T-Bar Rows which will help you achieve the look of having a more defined back.
Wide Grip Pull Downs
Close Grip Pull Downs
Pull Ups
Cable Row
Hyper Extension
Barbell Rows
Happy Lifting!
Lost in the wind. 💨 Speaking of being outdoors I’m going to jump on the bandwagon and ask who enjoyed watching the solar eclipse yesterday? Hopefully you enjoyed some of the best moments Mother Nature had to offer along with some fun filled outdoor excitement.
The solar eclipse signifies a spiritual cleanse if you will for many. According to Architectural Digest, it actually symbolizes a time of spiritual renewal. You may wonder what that means for you if you choose to believe these kinds of things. Basically it offers an opportunity for introspection and the shedding of old energies. So you know what they say out with the old and in with the new. I hope today you’re feeling renewed!
Strong is the new sexy. Don’t be shy to show just how tough you are from the strength you’ve built up over time. I bet you it’s a bigger confidence booster than you could imagine. Building yourself up to become stronger, better and faster then ever before as it’s going to take you further then buying some new fancy outfit ever will. Build what you can in the gym with that hard work and dedication it takes to achieve greatness.
🍩 Don’t forget to add a little sweet treat to your life every now and then. This Oreo donut was actually Vegan so it was somewhat healthier. To be quite frank sometimes it’s nice to add a little sweetness to my palette. Do you typically add that to yours as well from time to time? After all you’ve got to live a little.
