Express Stability Ball and Mat Workout

Happy Monday! I know how hectic this time of year can be, which is why it's even more important to get some exercise to help deal with all the stress! I am posting two workouts that can be combined or used separately to get a great express workout in.

5 min Warmup:
Alternating leg swings behind-8 reps each side (standing, reach one foot directly behind you until you are parallel to the ground)
Arm swings-8 reps each side (slight bend in knees and hips, swing one arm in front of you and to side)
Squat to stand-8 reps (Standing straight, reach for toes, bend at knees, lift arms and stand up)
Walkouts-8 reps (Start standing and walk with only slight bend in knees until in plank with shoulders over wrists and walk back to standing)

Stability Ball (SB) Workout: 12-20 min Repeat 2-4Xs
1A. SB Toe Taps- 30-60 seconds: get shins or toes on ball, with hands on ground in plank position, one at a time take the foot off the ball and bring to ground taping toe and switch sides

1B. SB Back Roll-ins-30-60 sec: Lay on mat, place heels in middle of ball, raise hips off ground, keep abs in and roll ball in towards the back, keeping hips lifted and abs in, drive feet into the ball

1C. SB Inner thigh work 30-60sec: Stay on back, grip ball between lower legs, pick shoulder and head up and support with hands behind head, without moving the quads (thighs), straighten and bend lower legs

1D. SB Circles 30-60 sec: In forearm plank position make small little circles with your arms going both directions, try not to move the rest of body too much. Keep hips lifted and abs in

1E. SB Wall Squats 30-60 sec: Place SB against wall and lean so small of back is touching ball, angle your legs out so that when you go to sit down, you knees don't go over your toes. Bend at hips and knees, pushing through your heels after squatting to come back to a stand position

Mat Workout: 12-20 min Repeat 2-4Xs
2A. Hand Bridge with Heel jumps 30-60 sec: Plane hand on mat close to body, lift hips in air, placing your body weight in your hands and heels. One at a time straighten one leg in front of you and jump to switch to other leg (try to only have one leg down at a time)

2B. Walkout Pushups 5-7 each side: Start balancing on one foot with a slight bend in the knee, push hips back and slowly reach down to your mat, walk forward until you are in pushup-plank position, pushup and walk back up to standing, keep foot lifted entire time (complete reps on one side, then switch)

2C. Side Hand Plank 30-45 sec each side: Place hand on ground, arm and shoulder above, straighten body from shoulder to feet (you can stack or stagger feet here), keeping hips off ground, reach top arm up and then underbody and back up again

2D. Floor Jacks 30-60 sec: Think jumping jacks but on the floor: Start in hand plank position and start jumping feet in and out, add alternating arm raises one when feet are out to side



3-5 minutes of stretches and cool down

Happy Holidays!

12 Chances for Health and Fitness

It's that time of year, more food, more drinks, more parties, more fun, all which can lead to more weight gain. The holiday season is such a great time and it should be enjoyed! So, instead of the "I'm not going to eat anything" or the "I will pick back up in the New Year," mindsets, I purpose something different: Have your fun and make the most of this time of year and everyday make it a point to do something good for your body.

There are so many great things surrounding the holiday season, it's easy to get caught up in all the fun and put your fitness goals to the side. This year, I challenge you to do at least one, if not more of the suggested "chances for health and fitness!" The more you do each day, the better you will feel during this season!

"The 12 Chances for Health and Fitness"

1. Plan ahead-look at your week: do you have any parties, happy hours, or planning any indulgent meals? Make sure you take a look and plan your splurges and plan for the rest of the week to be filled with clean eating: veggies, fruits, lean proteins, and complex carbs.

2. Workouts with JTT

3. Drink Water and tons of it! The more parties and happy hours you attend, the more likely you are to be dehydrated, so drink up. Not having enough water can lead to a slower metabolism, which equals weight gain.

4. Try a new healthy recipe

5. Log your nutrition: writing it down equals honesty and helps you to see what your diet is missing

6. No over eating-enjoy your treats, but don't eat past the point of fullness

7. Contain your splurge-this means many things: keep it to only one splurge so if you are having dessert, no drinking and vice versa, also if you splurge for a meal don't let it roll over to the whole day, weekend, week, etc :-)

8. Positivity- turn that negative self-talk around, it doesn't do you any good and don't you deserve a compliment?!

9. Extra steps- this is that parking spot farther away, taking the stairs, and walking instead of driving idea.

10. Maximize your workout-That means having a protein shake, or a carb and protein mix to replenish your body after a tough workout.

11. Food Prep-Setup your week by having the right foods in the house and having them prepared. It's a lot harder to make unhealthy choices when you have your meals planned.

12. Additional workouts: anything from a serious walk or a weight workout counts (15 minutes minimum)

Yummy Caesar Dressing Recipe

I was talking to a few clients about this awesome caesar salad dressing recipe and wanted to follow up with a link on how to make it. If you are going to do croutons, do whole wheat ones or better yet, make your own! Here's the link http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/caesar-on-the-light-side.

Workout Tip for the day:
Plan out next week and the next couple weeks going forward. What meal(s) will be a splurge and what days are you going to be eating extremely clean? Enjoy yourself, but have a plan! Better planning=more success in your fitness journey! Happy Saturday!

What's in your basket?!

I had one of those I have all these ingredients and I have no idea what to make moments. We had leftover pork tenderloin from Monday, a bunch of kale, a pie pumpkin, and an eggplant. Sounds like the perfect reason to make a stew! I can't get enough pumpkin with the weather changing and to be honest, if I could, I would eat eggplant everyday!

On that note, please read my recipe below, I can't wait for dinner!

1 Onion chopped
3 heads garlic minced
*(did a 1/2-1 tsp of each, go easy and add as desired: oregano, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, salt and pepper)
1 eggplant, peeled and cubed (best if you soak cubes for 20+ min in salted water before cooking)
1 pie pumpkin cut, roasted and peeled (375 for 45 min, add a little olive oil to roast)
1 bunch of kale chopped with thick ribs removed
1 can of white, kidney or whatever kind of bean you want to use rinsed
28 oz can of tomatoes (i prefer whole and to chop them with kitchen scissors in stew)
6-8 oz pork tenderloin roasted and sliced (can also use chicken)
3 cups chicken broth


1. In heavy duty pot add 1 TBS olive oil, when hot saute garlic and onions until soft 8-10 min, add in spices minimally then add more later if desired
2. Add in eggplant and saute until softened-3-4 min
3. Add in pumpkin cut up, Kale, and white beans and let flavors marry while stirring 5-8 min
4. Add in tomatoes cutting while placing in pot
5. Add in meat and chicken broth
6. Continue to let simmer until desired flavors reached 15 min-2 hours...

*I'm going to top mine off with a dollop of yummy greek yogurt! Enjoy, healthy fall flavors!

So you can keep on running...

Are you a runner?! Do you enjoy the occasional jog? If you do any type of running on a consistent basis, you run the risk of developing plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is the uncomfortable inflammation of the foot fibers, running along the bottom of the foot.

The article I'm posting below goes through a couple different exercises to prevent and treat plantar fasciitis. Keep up the running, but do your preventative homework so you can continue it! I recommend doing these 2-3Xs a week either after a run or after warmed up!

http://www.active.com/running/articles/5-moves-to-prevent-plantar-fasciitis

Recipe Friday!

I can't put enough pumpkin in my dishes lately! I thought I would share my latest healthy recipe: 

Pumpkin soup! Read all the way through!

Need: 

2 large stalks celery chopped

3 large carrots chopped

1 large onion chopped

1 small sweet potato

1-2 pie pumpkins

1-2 tbs coconut milk or cream

1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tbs fresh sage

*put 1-2 tbs olive oil and large pot or dutch oven, let heat up and combine carrots, celery, & onion

* caramelize for 8-10 min

*add squashes below and cook for additional 5 min

2 small or 1 large pie pumpkin baked ( chop in half, scoop out seeds and cut into sections. Roast at 375 for 25-30 min with olive oil and salt and pepper) (when finished scoop out flesh, discard skin)

1 small sweet potato roasted with squash (sometime I start in microwave)

* once everything begins to soften add 3-4 cups chicken stock, can be low-sodium

* stir and add 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1 tbs fresh chopped sage, and salt and pepper to taste

*using an immersion blender, blend ingredients until puréed or to Desiree texture!

* you can let simmer for additional 10 min or so

*Optional, before serving, to add 1-2 tbs coconut milk or 1 tbs cream. 

**Another option is to put a dollop of Greek yogurt on top and some yummy pumpkin seeds! Yummy!

Happy filling and healthy recipe Friday!

Let the festivities begin...

The weather has turned, cider mills are slammed, and you are pinning every pumpkin recipe you can find: fall is definitely here! Such a wonderful time of year!

For some people this time is a stressful time; knowing the holidays are approaching and in turn, knowing the weight gain is approaching. So many of my clients go into this season with the wrong approach: either the "I can't eat anything, I've worked so hard and don't want to lose it" or the "I deserve this, I worked so hard!"

Both approaches lead to negative results. The first one, "I can't eat anything" approach, leads to you feeling "left out" when everyone else is socializing and celebrating; it almost makes you stop living for fear of gaining weight. The second approach can be devastating as well, "I deserve this, I worked so hard": true, you may have worked your butt off, however, throwing it all away over the next two months doesn't seem worth it, does it?!

To both parties I offer a solution: indulge, splurge, celebrate, be a part of the festivities, but make those splurges worth it! You have worked so hard, you do deserve some indulgence, isn't that part of the reason you work so hard?! Just don't make every day, every meal a "splurge": a write-off for a hard workout.

Take a look at your week coming up and map out when you can eat clean that week and when you may want to indulge a bit more. Try to keep it to 2 meals a week, if trying to lose weight, where you splurge and keep the rest extra clean. Drink tons of water, eat lots of green veggies and fill up on fiber filled food. Keeping these tips in mind, should help your holiday season to be fun and flavor-filled and you looking fabulous!

JTT

Parabens yummy!

I could go for a bowl of Pasta with a side of methylparaben, ethylparaben, and of course butylparaben. NO one has ever said that! Yet, those names listed above are in our food supply, in cosmetics, perfumes, deodorants, along with numerous other products we use daily.

So, what's the problem and why am I ranting?!  I was so excited for my chicken tacos on sunday night; my husband bought some corn tortillas that I was ready to use- until I read the list of ingredients. Methyparaben and Ethylparaben were two of the leading ingredients. I threw them away immediately and was so angry people are eating these not knowing what's really in them!

Parabens  are a group of chemicals that are used as preservatives. In theory, they are great. They prevent the growth of yeasts, molds, and bacteria, so yes, they preserve things that we don't want spoiling on us. But at what cost?! There have been links found to breast cancer and parabens. Many different biopsy samples have had high concentrations containing parabens. Now, while it is not a direct link to breast cancer, it is concerning that so many biopsies have contained significant amounts of said parabens. They also have an estrogen-like affect on our bodies, again not a direct link, but adding substances that act like hormones normally isn't a good idea.

I know it's hard to preserve food and that why parabens are so prevalant in our food supply. I am asking you to reduce the intake of parabens, read packages and think before you bite or slather that shampoo. Our bodies absorb through our skin and digestive system and while they are great at detoxing, we don't need to overload our systems with preservatives that probably aren't good for us. A great way to avoid parabens is to shop on the outer perimeter  of the grocery store. We are talking fruits, veggies, meats, beans, legumes, and dairy. Items that are packaged are generally not going to have as much nutritional value and have the risk of additives you don't need. Label reading and learning what the back of the package means are both important. A general rule is if it has ingredients you can't pronounce, it probably has junk in there you don't need. Now, like everything, not all trans fat, chemicals, and preservatives can be avoided, but lessening yours is a good start!

I added links to both FDAs and breast cancer foundations findings on parabens...
http://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/productandingredientsafety/selectedcosmeticingredients/ucm128042.htm

http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/radiation-chemicals-and-breast-cancer/parabens.html

Metabolic Resistance Training

What is metabolic resistance training?! Its the workout you want to be doing if you want to burn fat, build lean muscle, and boost your metabolism. MRT is a high intensity interval workout that uses challenging weights, full body exercises, and minimal rests to put demand on both your cardiovascular and muscular systems. It's what you need if you want your body to change and haven't been getting results from your current routine. MRT uses multi-joint exercises, compound movements, weights that make your muscles burn (with good form of course), and intensities that can't be maintained for a very long time. It's your "no wimpy weights" and your "bring it" workout. 

To get the maximum benefit, do this type of training two to three days a week on non-consecutive days! I was just on fox 2 news demonstrating the workout, please check out the video here.

Vacation time!

After spending a family-fun week in Mackinac, my husband and I decided to hit the reset button. We started off right on vacation by adding in tons of running and biking; however, we may have had a few too many splurges!

Vacation is all about enjoying yourself and taking a break from daily stresses. I think an important thing to remember is to not let your vacation backpedal all of your hard work, both nutritionally and physically. If you are taking a week off from exercise, a good rule is to keep your nutrition really clean. Focus especially on vegetables and protein to keep yourself satisfied. If you are indulging in some decadent food, enjoy it, watch your portions, and make sure to get in some exercise.

No one can be expected to eat healthy and exercise every day; we all need a break. Like all things though, moderation is important. Keep to your clean eating and get that work out in, and you can reach your fitness goals!

--Jackie The Trainer