Wellness-Focused Actions to Help Fight Obesity

It’s well known that the country is going through an obesity epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one third of the adult population is obese. Unhealthy weight can cause a domino effect of physical problems, from diabetes to heart disease and muscle, bone and joint disorders. In addition to the personal health ramifications of obesity, the epidemic overburdens our healthcare system with an estimated $147 billion annual medical price tag.   Although fighting obesity is a challenge that is by no means easy, the actual plan of attack is fairly easy to understand. Healthy weight results from a lifestyle that embraces physical activity and relies on healthy food as fuel for life, not as a source of comfort. In simple terms, to avoid obesity or reverse it, individuals should exercise more and eat less. Let’s look at these two simple components, and how other factors can help support a healthy relationship with exercise and food.   Add activity to your life, no matter what diet you follow   Daily activity is important for maintaining…

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Staying Healthy and Active When You Lost Motivation During The Holidays

The game plan made complete sense, but sometimes you just want to go straight home after work. You packed your gym bag to take to work. You meal prepped. You had plenty of sleep. Yet, you still do not feel like going to the gym. Which excuse are we going to use? “It is getting dark early”,  ” I have to go Christmas shopping”, ” I want to go to happy hour with co-workers”, “The kids have homework”.  The list can go on and on. December is historically the most difficult month for everyone to stay motivated. Unfortunately, you cannot avoid the fact that eventually you will lose motivation. However, the key to success when you are losing motivation is to understand that discipline is more important than motivation.  Motivation is great to get you started on making changes, but discipline will keep you going in the long run. I believe that the holidays do deserve more flexibility in regards to your  fitness program and goals. With that being said,  here are a few tips  to help you keep up…

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Thanksgiving Fitness Tips

Thanksgiving is right around the corner.   A turkey feast and endless amounts of dessert are what comes to mind when we think about the iconic Thanksgiving meal.  My dessert of choice for Thanksgiving is cheesecake.   Unfortunately,  Thanksgiving  is also  iconic for overindulging on desserts, followed by guilt and some extra unwanted weight.   With that being said, here are a few tips to help you have the best Thanksgiving meal GUILT FREE.   Exercise Thanksgiving morning   Doing a workout Thanksgiving morning will help you be in a calorie deficit.  This means there will be more room in your daily caloric intake for that dessert.   *There will be a Core Specific class 8:15A.M. Thanksgiving  morning*   Don’t skip meals during the day   Skipping meals before your morning workout to “build up an appetite” for  the feast will make you more likely  to binge eat by the time dinner is served.   Make protein the priority   Begin your Thanksgiving meal with the turkey (protein source).  This will help  your muscles recover from your intense morning workout  and…

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If You Want to Improve Your Yoga Practice, These Tools and Tips Can Help

  Think you can’t master crow or headstand? Well, you should definitely think again, because yoga really is for everyone! If you’re struggling in class or just want to take your practice to the next level, you don’t need superhuman strength or flexibility to do so. You may just need to use a few tools, including tech and equipment, to give your practice a helpful boost and give yourself all of the benefits yoga can offer. If you’re seriously ready to enhance your yoga practice and start working your way towards those peak poses, try these simple tricks:   Bring Your Practice Home With Yoga Apps   You only need one piece of equipment to create a home practice: your smartphone. Well, you may need a mat as well, but downloading yoga apps on your smartphone is a great way to get into the habit of practicing yoga at home, which is helpful when you can’t get to class. Don’t have a phone you can use as a yoga hotspot? Then think about upgrading to a newer device and a…

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Boost Your Health with These Simple Daily Tips

  If you’re looking for ways to boost your health but are struggling to overhaul your life in one big push, you may benefit from making small changes instead.  Follow these simple daily tips to begin improving your overall health.   Identify Your Motivation   Anytime you are embarking on a new adventure it’s important to first identify your real motivation.  A common motive for health changes is to just lose weight, but without digging into why you want to lose weight it can be easy to lose motivation and become discouraged.  Are you hoping to gain more energy?  To sleep better?  Do you long to keep up with your kids at the park?  Do you need to overcome health problems?  All of these are examples of deeper motives that will help you stay on your path to better health.  Work daily to stay motivated and you will achieve your goals.   Find Your Favorite Exercise   Exercise is an important part of living a healthy life, but it can be hard to fit into your schedule or you may…

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Shoulder and Hip Explosion and Stability Exercises

IINSTAGRAM: @ultimatefitnesscentergym @Regran_edfrom @stetsonfry – Taking a step back today from the brute strength work and instead focusing on stability and efficiency. The landmine rotations followed my lateral raises, so by this time my shoulders are already fatiguing. I want them to hold on tight, dont move, and just channel that energy exploding from my legs and obliques. If you guys try this one, I personally recommend using a sub-maximal load. Instead of adding more and more plates to the bar, try to drive off your legs quicker with more explosiveness. This one should look violent, not slow and controlled.     I wanted just the opposite for the battle rope. Now my core isometrically holds and I’m trying to rip it hard and fast with my shoulders to really burn out and end the workout. You can tell that my shoulders are done because I’m overcompensating with my bicep a little more than I would prefer. It’s ok though, the point is that after 4 rounds of 30 seconds per arm, my shoulders and core were spent. Keep training hard, guys!

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Make your push ups better

Make your push ups better

There’s a reason why push-ups are still extremely relevant today- they work.  The push-up is a multi-joint exercise that targets deltoids, triceps, pecs, and all of your key muscle stabilizers. Another benefit is that it doesn’t require any additional equipment, so you can perform push ups anytime, anywhere. To get results and stay injury free, you must do them with proper form: Maintain your head, neck and spine in neutral position, keep your abs completely engaged, and your lower body (glutes, hips, etc) activated through the movement. Get started: Learn and practice the traditional push-up with good form. Work your way up to three sets of eight. Once you’re able to perform them without faltering, you’ll be ready to perform the following variations. Mixing up the movements and hand positioning will challenge different muscles, burn more calories and test your endurance. Try these variations one at a time using proper form. Then move on to the next one!  1. Plank-Ups: Start in push-up position (hands under shoulders, back flat, legs extended behind you, toes tucked under). Keeping upper body engaged, lower right…

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Kraken by Sparta Nutrition Available at The Pro-Shop

Kraken by Sparta Nutrition Available at The Pro-Shop

Are you hitting a plateau in your workouts? Are you looking for the extra boost to take your workout to the next level?  Maybe your goal is to add weight to your deadlift or squat or improve your time for your next WOD. A good pre-workout will give you that extra boot to hit your goals.  Kraken by Sparta Nutrition is an excellent product to help you become an Elite Athlete.  This products will improved focus, energy, pump, endurance and has no proprietary blend.    Loaded with 200 MG DHMA, 4 G L CITRULLINE AND 3.2 G BETA ALANINE, Kraken is the ultimate EXTREME PRE WORKOUT.        

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The Best Tips For Those Training For A Marathon

The Best Tips For Those Training For A Marathon   For anyone interested in becoming a runner–or for runners interested in participating in a marathon — it’s important to do some research first on what exactly goes into the sport. While it’s a great way to get (or stay) in shape, it can also be hard on your body if done improperly, and many precautions need to be taken to ensure you stay healthy and safe while you’re participating.   One of the first things a runner should know is that the right shoes can make you or break you. Don’t listen to recommendations from a friend, as every shoe fits differently on a different foot. Take your time looking around at the shoe store, and get your foot measured and the shoe fitted properly before you make a decision.   “Get fitted at a pro running store. If you are serious about completing a full marathon, it’s worth the investment. Spend time getting the perfect shoe for your foot. Your friend may convince you about a specific brand, but…

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