Category: Burn Calories

Get Easy Exercise While Standing

Can you remember your mother or grandmother telling you to “stand up straight” when you were a kid? Well, like so many other things, we discover later in life they were right.

Good Posture is Exercise!

 

But your mother may not have realized that one of the easiest ways to get exercise throughout your day is to maintaining good posture when standing or walking.

Standing up straight not only makes you look confident and engaged. It also distributes weight evenly throughout your spine which keeps your back healthy, helps you burn additional calories, and activates more muscle groups than slouching.

Bad Posture can Sabotage the Good Effects of the Best Exercise Routine!

 

Studies are showing that people who stand up straight throughout their day are less prone to injury than those who slouch most of the day and are only conscious of posture while performing formal exercise routines.

That DOES NOT mean you should quit your exercise routine! What I’m saying is your 24/7 habits can sabotage all the hard work you put in during your exercise routine. A combination of strength training combined with good postural habits is the optimal recipe for building a healthy and toned physique.

No time or desire to formally strength train? Great news! You can get exercise from focusing on good posture while you are standing and/or walking.

Four Tips to Get More Exercise While Standing or Walking

 

1)  Chest out! This is an easy cue and it will help you keep good posture. Gently squeeze between the shoulder blades and open your chest while standing or walking. If you feel any discomfort in your back, relax a bit. You may be over doing it.

2)  Use reminders. Be aware of your posture when standing. If you notice you are slouching, use the chest out cue to correct your posture. In the fitness industry we call this 24/7 awareness.

Remember that it takes time to create new habits. In the beginning, leave yourself little notes in your car, office, and around your house to remind you to stand up straight. Over time it will become second nature to you.

3)  Use your abs! There’s more to abs than just the six pack. Your abdominals are called stabilizers for a reason. They are there to help you stand up straight and support your back. By using them for their purpose, you can get a great ab workout and look more toned. This is a great way to incorporate strength training into your every day activities!

And, don’t be afraid to tighten them often throughout the day. Your abdominals are endurance muscles! They can handle it!

Not sure how to use your abs while standing? Watch this short video on how to engage your abdominals properly.

4)  Rest! Part of the reason we slouch is because it’s easier! It’s work to stand up straight and activate your muscles properly.  Take short rests throughout the day and sit down. If you find yourself overly fatigued or sore at the end of the day, then you may need longer rest periods.

When sitting or resting make sure you have back support and lean back against the chair.  It’s best if the chair is tilted back slightly, rather than sitting straight up. This will give your muscles a chance to relax and take a break. If you can’t find a chair, lean with your back against a wall.

Using your muscles properly during lifestyle activity is one of the easiest ways to incorporate exercise into your day. It doesn’t take any extra time. It just takes a little practice!

Please let me know if this has been helpful to you or if you have any questions for me. I love to hear from you!

To your long term health and fitness!

Jennifer

 

 

How To Find Exercise You Like

Is exercise guilt haunting you?

Find it hard to motivate yourself to stick to your routine? Or, maybe you are feeling guilty about blowing off your workout for another activity you enjoy more. If you are struggling with your exercise routine, maybe it’s not right for you.

There are many ways to exercise. Unfortunately, formal and more restrictive workouts have been promoted as the way to get the fittest, healthiest, and best looking body.

This couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Have you ever noticed how fit most surfers, horseback riders, or hikers look? These are examples of people who use recreation to stay fit. They usually spend very little time on formal exercise — just enough strength training per week to keep them in top shape for what they truly enjoy — their sport!

Choosing activities that are more recreational in nature is really good for your body. Recreational activities tend to move the body in more natural ways than some of the more formal “workouts” in the gym. Moving your body in a sport-like manner serves the purpose of improving function in your every day lifestyle activities.

So, while you are having fun and burning calories, you are actually improving your functional fitness as well.  Functional fitness is really important because it trains your body for “real life” situations.

Find exercise you like — the best exercise for you!

1) Ask yourself what you  enjoy. What do you like to do that’s physical? Give YOUR answer. Avoid saying what you think your friends or personal trainer wants to hear. It’s usually something you either did in the past or have a desire to try. I’ve had clients tell me everything from paint ball to line dancing. The most important thing is finding something physically active you will do consistently.

2)  What do you REALLY want? So often we let the media influence us to think we should look like the model on the cover of a magazine. Remember, they get paid for it. While most of us love our work, we all have a “chore” that we endure because it’s part of our job, or part of creating a better product. This is the same for celebrities. Many of them look at their formal workout as “part of the job.”

Copying another person’s life isn’t very motivating! Try different things and see what you gravitate towards. What exercise makes you feel the most energized? Evaluate anything that feels like a chore to see if it’s worth doing.

3)  Just go for it! The most important thing is that you get moving. No matter what you choose, if you know you can stick to it than it is the right exercise for you. The ideal exercise program will feel more recreational in nature and less formal.

4)  Do not feel guilty! We all have that friend that does marathons or bike rides 100 miles. That’s great! They’re wired that way! Do NOT feel guilty that your idea of “working out”is a stroll around the waterfront and picking up a coffee. Focus on your own health and fitness goals and be a cheerleader for them. That type of intense activity is not for everyone.

It’s important to remember that it doesn’t matter what the latest and greatest workout fad promises. The best workout for you is the one you will actually do. Finding something you enjoy — or can at the very least stay consistent with is key.

I encourage you to get creative. Step outside the box and have some fun!

Have an exercise routine that you enjoy and would like to share? Please comment below! I enjoy hearing from you!

Blessings!

Jennifer

 

The Right Foods For Weight Loss

Have you been struggling to lose or maintain your weight? Don’t worry! You’re not alone. The good news is you can begin to make simple changes in the foods you eat and lose weight for good!

For the past 22 plus years, I’ve helped clients make easy changes in their daily/weekly food intake and lose weight. No deprivation diets or crazy workouts, I promise! Just simply swapping out some of the higher calorie foods with good tasting low-cal substitutes helped them lose weight. It can help you too.

Try food swap magic!

Here are some small yet powerful changes you can make to lose and maintain your weight:

1)  What’s for breakfast?  Do you know that one cup of granola can pack in 450 calories? Yikes! You can eat a serving of oatmeal (with blueberries and butter), and two eggs for only 360 calories. Granola is a healthy food, but if you are trying to lose or maintain your weight, avoid the high calorie cereals in the morning. They make better toppings than meals.

If you eat breakfast at your favorite coffee shop, you will want to find out how many calories are in that on the go meal. Keep it to 350 calories and have a plain cup of coffee with a small amount of creamer. This simple tweak alone helped one of my clients stop gaining weight and lose three pounds in five weeks!

2)  Snack wisely. A small serving of chips is about 150 calories on average. But, did you know you can eat four cups of popcorn for only 60 calories? Popcorn is way more filling, and will keep ,you satisfied longer. Not crazy about popcorn? Eat a piece of fruit.

3)  Entertain with lower calorie choices. Having company? Offer hummus and yoghurt based dips. Offer whole grain crackers as well as fruit and cut vegetables to go alongside the dips. Serve smaller portions of the higher calorie fare such as cheese and cured meats. You and your guests are likely to eat less when the portions are sized smaller.

4)  Limit the fast food!  I realize this may be obvious to some. However, with 25% of our nation eating fast food daily, I do not like to ignore this one. Most of us picture a drive through window when we think of fast food. However fast food can be healthy take out as well. When you let someone else cook the meal, you have zero control over the calories.

Just like with the breakfast meals, find out how many calories are in your favorite take out and decide if it meets your weight loss goals. Or, have some healthy frozen food on hand and combine it with a fresh salad for a last minute dinner option.

5)  Watch the sweets! There are 196 calories in a large chocolate chip cookie. Switch to a piece of dark chocolate (60 calories), a small cookie (49 calories), or a small serving of sorbet (110 calories).

These tips will help you cut calories and stay on track without feeling deprived! Please let me know if you have a food swap you’d like to share or a question about your daily food intake by leaving a comment below.  I really enjoy hearing from you!

Blessings to you and yours!

Jennifer