Something Exciting

I was going through the manual to my juicer and I was so excited to find out I can make my own almond milk with the juicer! You can also make soy and rice milk too!

Just thought I'd share this because it is beneficial to make your own homemade milk. I may try this down the road when I get more familiar with my machine :)

Staying Motivated-Sign up for a 5k

The hardest part about working out is motivation. And I think that is the case for most people. And of course the busier and more commitments we have, the less time we make for our physical health. We all know it's important and yet, we tend to make excuses. "I'm too tired." ..."I'll start tomorrow." Does this sound familiar? Tomorrow comes, passes and we still haven't made the time to workout. I know I've at times lost motivation. There are a couple tips to keep the fire going though.

One thing that keeps me going is setting goals. It's something I recommend to newbies especially because when you are just starting out from a sedentary lifestyle, there has to be some sort of accountability. Once on a routine, it's not so hard. A goal could be a short term or long term "Where I want to be" in 2 months, 6 months, or even a year. It's good to start short term though to reap the rewards and keep that positive spirit going. Something I usually suggest is to sign up for a 5k. Usually when a person pays for something, they are more likely to put forth the effort for great results. What then happens is then after the goal is completed, you feel good about yourself and will usually want to do another one!

Another way to keep focused on your goals is to do it with someone. Whether it be a personal trainer or a good friend, having someone to keep you accountable is valuable. You will be more than likely to make that workout happen, then to back out; and in the end, you will be happy you didn't. And, if you think you may try to back out, tell your workout partner ahead of time to help you out by not letting you "off the hook" :)

I hope you found this helpful, or maybe even motivating! Have a wonderful week and keep moving!

Listening to Your Body

The connection between mind and body is essential when in training or in everyday activities. You know how you feel at the moment and whether it's normal or not. Knowing when to take a rest and when to push hard is something you must determine ultimately.

I'm a big advocate in "listening" to your body. Now, don't expect to start hearing body parts talking to you literally! What I mean is when you know you aren't feeling up to par, or feeling a little more tired than normal, don't feel pressured into working out. Taking a day or two off if needed is OK!

This past week I've been feeling a sudden surge of fatigue due to a personal health problem I have and every now and again, this happens. So I am not afraid or embarressed to admit I haven't worked out now for maybe 3-4 days(depending on if I get in my weight workout today). I normally workout maybe 5 times per week. There is no point in forcing myself to workout because I know it could either make me feel worse, or my workout would be pathetic. So I did what I felt was best, and that was to rest.

Today I am feeling much better so I'm hoping to get some weights in depending how I feel later on. And if I don't, I'm ok with that too. Because I know that once I'm back to feeling my best, I will get back into my routine.

Have any of you reading this had a similar situation they'd like to share?

Have a great Wednesday!

Relieving Stress Through Exercise

This week as been very stressful for me. Just a lot of anxiety and I was starting to feel my stomach twisting up. The other day I couldn't take it anymore and when my husband got off work, I headed out the door for a walk with my music. And yes, I said walk. I normally will go for a run, but unfortunately, I think I'm getting ITBS on my left side now.Ever since I did that 15k with the big bridges I've been having some trouble running. So now I know it's time to lay off of it and start using that torture tool, the foam roller. I have MUCH experience with it and hope to nip this thing early. Then it started to rain about 10 minutes into my walk so I ran back to my house and finished up on my treadmill. I made it fun though. I'm not into the walking indoors thing, so I have to liven it up a little. I did some incline and side skipping and push ups, all on the treadmill! 60 minutes went by pretty fast and I felt so much better afterwards. I'm not into walking that much just because I don't feel like it's intense enough for me, but like with anything else, it's what you put into it. Increasing the intensity...speed and incline. Just think outside the box and your workout will transform itself.

*NEW* Stay Active Saturday Post By ME!

Check out my post from Saturday on my friend Jessica's Blog, Growing Healthy Sprouts! It's all about keeping your kids healthy and active! I am a couple days late in posting this as we have had a busy weekend-a wedding on Saturday and family beach day on Sunday. So go check out the post now!

Friday's Workout

I really need to get in some cardio today. Tomorrow is my cardio/strength class here in my neighborhood and I am going to be working on upper body mostly so I won't do weights today. The weather is finally nice again. It's been raining and thunderstorming all week! One of my questions on my facebook page was about getting in workouts when the weather interferes with your plans. Luckily I have a treadmill and weights at my house, but there are many people out there without equipment and haven't a gym membership. That's one of the reasons I started my neighborhood strength class-it's a 30 min power workout using no equipment! All you need is your own body weight and a little motivation :) I just started it at the beginning of the year, but it's been slow and I thought there would be more people coming. I decided that I'm going to make up flyers and do a FREE event the last Saturday of April. Maybe I can get more people's attention. I hope to hear from more of you so if you are reading this, leave a comment! :) Have a great day!

Quote of the Day

"Pain in temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever." -Lance Armstrong