10 Healthy Eating Tips for Christmas

by Mind Body Spirit team

Christmas is typically a time when diets get put on hold and over indulgence needs no justification. With the festive period beginning early in December and continuing relentlessly into January, the invitations to boozy parties and calorific buffets can sometimes become hard to keep track of. If you want to make the most of the festive season this year but still stay trim, then follow these ten healthy tips for Christmas.

1. Drink sensibly

For many, alcohol is just as much a part of Christmas as presents and Santa. During the festive season, supermarkets will offer discounts and bulk buy deals which encourage customers to stock the cupboards far beyond necessity. When shopping for booze it is worth remembering that a glass of wine has approximately the same amount of calories as four cookies, and a pint of beer has roughly the same calorie content as a slice of pizza! In addition to this, alcohol is high in fat, carbs and sugar and will actually reduce the amount of fat that your body usually burns for energy! If you don’t want to completely avoid the bottle then the next best thing is to opt for the low alcohol alternatives and always have a soft drink or water in between an alcoholic one. Also, red wine is a great option as it contains antioxidants and is also high in resveratrol which is good for the heart.

2. Exercise

Christmas might be a holiday season but that’s no excuse to treat it like a holiday! Don’t be tempted to deviate from your usual exercise routine or to ignore it completely. A few days out of your fitness routine can put a serious funk in your motivation. If it’s not possible for you to get to the gym then you can try doing an alternative workout in your own home. There is a massive selection of DVD’s and online videos to inspire you!

3. Enjoy the day, not the hype

The consumer excitement surrounding Christmas seems to come earlier every year as the retailers attempt to get you to spend more. Don’t be sucked in by this and remember that Christmas is something to be celebrated over just a few days, not an entire month. An average calorie count for Christmas day can reach 6,000 calories! So, if you eat throughout the month of December as you would on Christmas day then weight gain is inevitable.

4. Variety

There is an incredible range of vegetables that you could prepare for your Christmas dinner. Why not try something different this year and shop around for foods that you might not usually eat. With a spread of leafy green vegetables, root vegetables, sprouts, shoots and bulbs, your guests will have so much to pick from that they’ll be less inclined to opt for the unhealthier options.

5. Be alternative

There is such ample opportunity to get creative in the kitchen over the festive period with new and interesting recipes. Even if turkey is your traditional Christmas centrepiece, why not experiment this year with a nut roast or tofu dish? Both of these options are great ways to get a big dose of protein into your festive diet.

6. Buy active presents

Extend your healthy Christmas ideology into your gift giving this year and buy presents that will have your friends and family up and about. For adults try sports gear, gym memberships or vouchers for days out. For younger recipients, a new bike or a football is always a winner and you can burn off some calories by getting involved and going to play with them.

7. Start the day right

A healthy, wholesome breakfast will help deter you from snacking or eating unhealthier meals later in the day. Opt for something filling like porridge with a selection of fruits or a boiled egg with wholegrain bread. The right breakfast will give you the energy boost you often need at Christmas, especially if you have young children who have woken you up at the crack of dawn to open presents!

8. Substitute typical snacks

Mince pies, sausage rolls and Christmas pudding are commonplace during the festive season but just because they’re there, does not mean you have to eat them! Just one mince pie contains 250 calories and a sausage roll can have upwards of 300! When at a party where you are presented with such snacks, always drink a lot of water to help yourself feel full and look out for the fruit plates instead.

9. Go prepared

When invited anywhere make sure to take your own healthy dish. This can range from a selection of snacks to an entire main dish or tray of pre-cooked veg. By doing this you ensure that even if the spread at your hosts home is mostly the traditional calorific choices then there is still plenty for you to eat.

10. Flavor

Knowing how to create tasty dishes without reaching for the salt shaker is a great way to look after your health all year round, not just at Christmas. Having a selection of herbs to hand is a fantastic way to achieve this. With a little experimentation you will soon know what work well with which dishes and you will then be less tempted to add salt or heavy sauces to your meals.

reprinted from Mind Body Spirit

10 Signs Your Workout Isn't Working

by LINDA MELONE

Romantic relationships and working out can share a lot of similarities. In the beginning you’re eager to get to the gym and work hard. You feel good, sleep better and are generally happy. This is the honeymoon period. Then one day something changes. You lose momentum. You’re no longer motivated. Everything hurts. Honestly, you just want it to end. You and your workout clearly need “to have a talk.” We determined 10 telltale signs to help you determine if it’s time to put in the effort to spice up your workout routine or if things have gotten so bad that you need to break up with your workout routine and find a totally new one!

YOU’D RATHER GO TO THE DENTIST THAN WORK OUT

You used to look forward to your workout, but lately the very thought of heading to the gym makes you want to pull the covers over your head. What’s happening? “If you find yourself dreading your workout it’s time to try out some new ways of breaking a sweat,” says Jessica Matthews, assistant professor of exercise science at Miramar College in San Diego. “From busting a move in a dance-based fitness class to heading out on the open water in a kayak, there are endless possibilities for getting in a great workout.” Or try out a new gym, says Neal Pire, a New Jersey-based sports conditioning expert. “Do the same workout somewhere else,” Pire says. “New machines and surroundings, and maybe different music, will all inspire you.”

YOU’RE ALWAYS INJURED OR HURT

When you’re injured or sore all the time it’s time to take a step back. “Extreme muscle soreness and tenderness is likely due to overtraining,” says Matthews. “Overtraining, by definition, is engaging in constant intense training without allowing adequate time for recovery.” Not only can overtraining negatively impact your physical health through disturbed sleep patterns, loss of appetite and decreased performance, but it can also take a toll on emotional health as well. The latter, often referred to as burnout, includes symptoms such as irritability, depression and insomnia. Matthews suggests scheduling recovery and rest days the same way you schedule workout days.

YOU'VE PLATEAUED

In the beginning you felt as if every workout brought results, but now it feels like months since you’ve made any progress. What gives? “As we train, our muscles and heart and even brain and nervous system adapt to the stresses we place on them,” says Irv Rubenstein, exercise physiologist and founder of S.T.E.P.S., a science-based fitness facility in Nashville, Tenn. “In short time, however, the workouts at the level you started with no longer stimulate these systems to adapt.” After this neural adaptation phase, you will find it harder to see results. To bump things up again, increase time (duration), frequency (number of times per week), intensity (weight or resistance) or all of the above, though not all at once.

YOU’RE ALWAYS TIRED

Regular exercise in the right doses should give you energy, not make you tired. “Constant fatigue is a classic sign of overtraining and means you’re not getting enough recuperation,” says Pire. “The best thing you can do is schedule a few days of rest, up to a week, with a new training regimen to begin on a designated day.” This revised workout does not require all new exercises. Rework your usual plan. Pire recommends varying your modalities (planned exercises), loads (intensity or pounds lifted), repetitions and/or set ranges (volume) and speed or tempo for lifting exercises.

YOU’D RATHER JUST DO CARDIO

Planning and performing a resistance-training workout takes a lot more thought and energy than walking on a treadmill or pedaling a stationary bike. It’s easy to ditch weights altogether and do cardio for an hour. “The key lies in changing your workout formula before you get frustrated to this point,” says Pire. “If you’ve been doing traditional weight training, change to circuit training or intervals, which offer a completely different stimulus.” Intervals incorporating cardio can replace your cardio sessions and get you out of the gym faster.

YOU’RE A SLEEPY-HEAD

Early morning workouts aren’t for everyone. If you find yourself downing cups of coffee and still feeling drowsy when you hit the gym, you need sleep more than you need a workout, says Pire. Giving up sleep to work out creates a quandary, because both are important aspects of a healthy lifestyle. A study from Northwestern University suggests that a good night’s sleep can lead to better and longer exercise sessions later in the day. Fewer hours can lead to reduced motivation to exercise. Turn in 20 to 30 minutes earlier than usual on nights before a morning workout, or weave activity into your day instead of sacrificing morning sleep.

YOUR WORKOUT FEELS EASY

When your workout feels easier it means you’re making progress. That’s the good news. But when you’re no longer challenged, it’s time to add some variety, says Rubenstein. “Since our bodies adapt to stresses, it’s a good idea to change your routine every four to eight weeks, which prevents (lack of challenge) from settling in.” Rubenstein recommends “periodizing” your workouts. Periodization refers to creating a structured workout plan commonly used by professional athletes. “It optimizes the adaptation process so your body always has to improve,” says Rubenstein. Consider hiring a sports coach to set up a plan. Or you can break up your own workout. Focus on strength for four weeks and then emphasize endurance the following month.

YOU ONLY DO YOUR BEST MOVES

If you’re like most people, your favorite exercise is likely the one in which you’re strongest. Doing your best exercises gives your ego a boost, but if you never go outside your favorite moves you can reach a plateau where results stall. A well-rounded workout includes more than just your favorite exercises, says Pire. “You want to work the muscle groups on a consistent basis, but it’s better to have a main, ‘mother’ lift, and then add other exercises around it that work the same muscles. You’re still training the same muscle groups, only differently.” For example, if you love squats, add a one-legged squat or step-up. If chest presses are your favorite, add some cable flies or decline presses to vary things up.

YOU’RE GAINING WEIGHT (WHEN YOUR GOAL IS NOT TO GAIN)

You train hard. So, why is the scale moving in the wrong direction? You’re likely eating more to compensate for the lower blood sugar that results from an intense cardio or strength workout, says Rubenstein. Or it’s possible you’re rewarding yourself for a job well done by taking more sitting breaks throughout the day. Research shows that people who start an exercise or diet program often erode their positive gains by partaking in self-indulgent behavior. The solution: watch your calories and move all day to keep your metabolism stoked.

WHAT TO DO NEXT IF YOUR WORKOUT IS WORKING

If you started exercising to lose weight and (yay!) accomplished that goal, it’s time to change your objectives, says Pire. “If you lost the weight you set out to lose, now it’s time to switch gears and build muscle. Your workout needs to respond to your new goals.” According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association guidelines, if you want to build strength, focus on a weight you can lift for six repetitions or fewer; use a little less weight if you want muscle growth (hypertrophy) and pump out between six and 12 reps. For muscle endurance lighten things up further until you find a weight you can lift more than 12 to 15 times. For more specific programs, seek out a qualified personal trainer or strength coach.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Is your current workout routine working for you? Why or why not? Are you guilty of any of the “signs” on our list? Any signs we missed? Leave a comment below and let us know.


reprinted from Livestrong.com

9 Unexpected Things That Happen When You Abandon Your Workout Routine

by LINDA MELONE | Livestrong.com

It happens to the best of us: You get injured, find yourself working around the clock or are otherwise forced to put exercise on the back burner for a while. And when the holidays roll around, you’re also provided an incentive to eat and drink and skip your workouts until January. But a day or two can easily stretch into weeks or even months, and you’re right back to square one. In technical terms, you’ve become “deconditioned.” In fact, 25 to 35 percent of adult exercisers quit working out within two to five months of starting, according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). How quickly your fitness level declines depends on several factors. Some may surprise you.

1. Cardiovascular Fitness Starts to Tank After One Week

Aerobic fitness is defined as the ability of the body to transport and utilize oxygen from your blood in your muscles. This measure, also known as VO2 max, decreases after as few as one to two weeks of inactivity, says Danielle Weis, doctor of physical therapy with Spring Forward Physical Therapy in New York City. “The functional capacity of the heart also decreases. After three to four weeks of bed rest, your resting heart rate increases by four to 15 beats, and blood volume decreases by five percent in 24 hours and 20 percent in two weeks.”

2. You Lose Cardiovascular Fitness More Slowly If You’re a Seasoned Exerciser

If you’re new to fitness and recently started working out (less than six months), you’ll lose fitness faster than someone who’s been exercising a year or longer, says Brad Thomas, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and UCLA chief of sports medicine. “You’ll lose up to 40 percent of your cardio fitness, but your fitness VO2 max will still be higher than someone who’s never exercised,” he says. For example, you take two people: one who’s exercised regularly for two years and the other for only two months. If both stop working out, they will both lose all their gains quickly — by about six weeks. “But the well-trained athlete will lose about 40 percent and then plateau,” says Thomas. So trained athletes lose less fitness than sedentary people who’ve only recently started exercising.

3. Flexibility Loss Occurs Quickly

You lose the benefits of flexibility quickly if you take any substantial time off from stretching, says Michele Olson, professor of exercise science at Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama. “After a bout of flexibility exercise, the muscles and tendons begin to retract to their typical resting length — particularly if you sit during your commute regularly and/or sit at a desk at your job.” Olson notes that you’ll notice a loss of flexibility in as few as three days, with even more pronounced changes occurring at the two-week mark. “Stretching should be done at least three times a week — if not daily,” she says.

4. Strength Starts to Diminish After Two Weeks

When you quit strength training, changes in your muscles begin to occur within days, says exercise physiologist Michelle Olson. “Muscle, when not receiving its regular challenge, will start to lose protein, which is absorbed into your circulation and excreted via urination. Small but meaningful loss in muscle protein (the building block of the contractile units for each muscle fiber) can begin to occur in 72 hours.” Noticeable changes when attempting to lift your usual amount of weight show up in two to three weeks, adds Olson. And as with cardiovascular fitness, long-term exercisers will see a slower muscle loss than those new to exercise, says Dr. Brad Thomas.

5. You Lose Power Faster Than You Lose Strength

Power, defined as strength times distance over a period of time (e.g., how quickly you can hoist a weight or dash across the street to make the light), fades faster than strength, says physical therapist Danielle Weis. “Strength losses first occur due to a change in the nerve’s impulses to muscle fibers, shortly followed by actual muscle wasting.” During muscle wasting, protein breaks down at a faster rate and protein synthesis (building) drops. The time it takes for you to return to your original fitness level depends on the reason you stopped exercising in the first place — whether due to illness or simply lack of time.

6. Fitness Levels Decline Faster When You’re Sick

Someone who’s healthy and takes a break from exercise loses muscle mass and cardiovascular fitness more slowly than a person who stops exercising due to an illness or injury. The latter will lose fitness levels twice as fast, says Dr. Brad Thomas. The stress of an illness or injury takes a greater toll on the body than simply taking a break when you’re healthy. Whether you’re an athlete or recreational exerciser, if you’ve taken a few weeks off from your routine, your level of deconditioning will be pretty low, says physical therapist Danielle Weis. “If you are recovering from a fracture, surgery or have been on bed rest, it can take up to and longer than 12 to 24 months to fully recover.”

7. Maintenance Is Easier Than You Think

If you’re planning to take time off from your workout routine, keep in mind that staying in shape isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition. In fact, you can maintain your fitness levels in a surprisingly small amount of time, says Dr. Brad Thomas. “In order to maintain both aerobic and strength levels, you need just 20 minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) twice a week.” Thomas cautions that the work effort must be truly high-intensity, at between 80 and 90 percent of your maximum heart rate.

8. Aging Affects Fitness Loss

You lose strength and overall fitness twice as quickly as you age, says Dr. Brad Thomas. “It’s largely due to hormone levels. As we age, we have lower levels of human growth hormone (HGH), which makes it harder to recover.” We also lose our ability to handle stress and recover from the resulting stress hormones, such as cortisol. As we get older, this same mechanism results in greater fatigue after a workout. Older athletes take longer to recover from workouts in general, according to several studies, including a 2008 article published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity.

9. It Takes Three Weeks to Gain Back One Week Off

After a period of lying around, your nervous system loses its ability to fire up as it did before you took time off, says Irv Rubenstein, exercise physiologist and founder of STEPS, a science-based fitness facility in Nashville, Tennessee. That’s due to the fact that you lose the neural stimuli that enables you to lift heavy objects with the same amount of effort. “When you return to lifting, you may be able to lift the same weights, but you will be working above your normal capacity, which could put tissue at risk. It will take a greater effort to do what you used to do and will require more rest between sets and days in order to recover. ”A novice who’s taken time off during the holidays will need to start from scratch. The athlete or experienced lifter can start back to where they were in early November and give it a month to get back to speed.

reprinted from Livestrong.com

Why Foam Rolling Is Crucial For Building Muscle

By Alexa Tucker | Self.com

They see me rollin’, they hatin’.




Celebrity trainer Ashley Borden is a major proponent of foam rolling—for her clients, it’s a non-negotiable element of their fitness routine. That's because spending a little one-on-one time with a foam roller can help improve your mobility so every exercise is more efficient and effective, putting you closer to your goals, whether you’re looking to build lean muscle or burn fat.

But knowing how to use that cylindrical tool you see stacked up by the mats at the gym can be a little confusing. The name implies a rolling motion, but there's more to it than that. Here we have Borden share what you need to know about foam rolling, and how it can help you crush it at the gym.

Foam rolling means rolling out your muscles with a piece of hard foam, and it might feel a little painful.

Foam rolling is a way to help smooth out your fascia, the connective tissue that stretches over and through your muscles. “Inactivity, repetitive motion, and injuries can cause the fascia and the underlying muscle tissue to bind together. This causes ‘knots’ or ‘trigger points,’ that lead to tightness,” explains Borden. When you roll out, you release these knots, and this helps reduce muscle tightness and improve joint mobility.

This process is typically accomplished with a foam roller (aptly named, huh?), which is a cylindrical tool typically made of dense foam plastic. (There are other tools like massage sticks and therapy balls that are designed to help work out the knots, too.) “When you foam roll it’s like getting a mini massage before you train,” explains Borden. And while that sounds deliciously wonderful, foam rolling can actually feel a little painful, especially if your muscles are extra tight and sore, she adds. (If you feel sharp pains always stop and check in with your doctor.)

Relieving muscle tightness can directly improve the quality of your workouts.

Foam roll then work out. “When muscles are not restricted by tightness, the body has more range of motion and muscles can fire at peak efficiency during exercise,” explains Borden. Range of motion refers to how much you can move around a joint. For example, with better range of motion in your hips and knees, you’ll be able to get deeper into a squat.

By doing exercises correctly, and through your full range of motion (which, by the way, will improve as you get better), the moves become more effective which helps build lean muscle mass. Not only does this help with general strength goals, but also fat loss—having more muscle mass takes more energy for your body to maintain, which increases your basal metabolic rate (or BMR), or how many calories your body burns at rest.

Reducing tightness can also help minimize muscular imbalances in opposing muscle groups (the ones that work together to help you move in everyday life and in the gym, like your chest and back and biceps and triceps). Tightness in one of these muscle groups can interfere with your ability to engage the other—for example, if your quads are super tight, you’ll have a tough time engaging your glutes during a squat, which can lead to overdeveloped quads and underdeveloped glutes, Borden explains. Less tightness also cuts down on your risk for muscle and ligament strains, as well as general discomfort, she adds.

Think of foam rolling as an essential building block to your regular workout.

In the short term, foam rolling can provide immediate relief from body pain due to tightness. You may notice that your legs start to feel light and tingly because foam rolling also increases circulation, says Borden. It will also help you feel more connected to your body, she adds—and when your body and mind are in sync, your workout tends to be on point.

And there’s an obvious long-term payoff, too. Strength training is an essential part of a balanced workout program—and foam rolling plays a major part in making sure that tightness and knots don’t get in your way and kill your workout vibe. Reducing tightness can also help you perform your best during non-strength workouts, too, as mobility is essential for runners, bikers, dancers, and swimmers, too.

Ultimately, foam rolling can help make the time you spend training more efficient and effective. Here's how to do it the right way.

First, locate the foam rollers at your gym or buy one for yourself—for something that delivers big results, it’s relatively inexpensive and worth the investment. Most are under $25. Borden likes simple EVA high-density foam rollers, which is a basic type of foam roller made of dense EVA plastic. “They’re light, mobile, and sturdy,” she says.

Get in the habit of rolling out before every workout, explains Borden. “Give yourself five to 10 minutes and focus on the muscles you are using in that particular workout.” For example, spend extra time on your quads and calves before indoor cycling. For a full-body workout, she recommends focusing on muscles like your upper back and quads as these muscles are used in many compound exercises. Check in with your body and think about what needs attention—if you’re feeling a little sore or tight that’s a sign you might want to spend time foam rolling that muscle area. (Note, if you’re experience sharp pains or recovering from an injury or surgery, consult a doctor, not a foam roller.)

Here are a few moves to get you started:

• These three moves help with tight hips.
• Roll out your calves, quads, and thoracic spine with these moves.
• Here are six stress-relieving moves to do at home (or at the gym).
• Kayla Itsines demos some of her favorite foam-rolling moves here.
• Borden also has a guide on her website with some of her favorites.

Foam rolling helps even if you’re not about to work out, says Borden. “Wind down after your day by spending more time on areas of your body that feel tighter. I like to catch up on my mindless reality TV while I roll out,” says Borden.

Next time you’re at the gym, get your workout rolling with a foam roller. (I’m not even the least bit sorry about that joke.) Once you see how amazing you feel during your workout, you’ll be hooked.

Reprinted from self.com

This Woman's Gym Selfie Proves Being Healthy Isn't the Same for Everyone

"My point is, everyone gets judged. People don't bother to understand where you're coming from or why you do the things you do."

One woman's photo is going viral for its thought-provoking and powerful message against body shaming.

Stephanie Holdmeyer, a student at Missouri State University, shared a photo of herself after she was body shamed for wearing a weight belt at the gym that's since been shared more than 42,000 times on Facebook. She points out that after hitting the gym one day with her friend Chris, they were "judged hardcore." She also says someone at their gym reportedly went far as publishing a Facebook post criticizing them as thinking they were "hot s%&# because they wear their belts all the time." Holdmeyer went on to explain that she wears her weight belt because she had back surgery two months prior and needs it for support while exercising.

"My point is, everyone gets judged. People don't bother to understand where you're coming from or why you do the things you do," she writes. "That overweight guy? Someone judges him because of his weight, but little do they know he's already lost 100 pounds & has changed his entire life around. That guy with the skinny legs? He's had seven knee surgeries & he's currently trying to strengthen his legs. It's just a long hard process. That skinny girl you think "really needs to eat"? She's actually super self conscious about her thin figure & has been trying to gain weight, but her metabolism is super high."

Ultimately, her post highlights two important things: Health will look different to everyone — what's a healthy weight for one person might not be for another — and you never know what someone is going through or why they're at the gym. So before you body shame someone, take a step back and ask yourself if that's really the kind of person you want to be. "There's more to people than what you see. Instead of jumping to conclusions or making judgments, take a moment to consider someone else's perspective. Don't judge a book by its cover," she says.

Read her entire post below.

When Chris & I first started working out at the Rec, we were judged hardcore. Someone even posted on Facebook about the "buff couple" & how they "thought they're hot s&%# because they wear their belts all the time". This was about two months after my back surgery & I did indeed wear my lifting belt during almost all of my workouts for support.

My point is, everyone gets judged. People don't bother to understand where you're coming from or why you do the things you do.

That overweight guy? Someone judges him because of his weight, but little do they know he's already lost 100 pounds & has changed his entire life around.

That guy with the skinny legs? He's had seven knee surgeries & he's currently trying to strengthen his legs. It's just a long hard process.

That skinny girl you think "really needs to eat"? She's actually super self conscious about her thin figure & has been trying to gain weight, but her metabolism is super high.

That kid who follows you around & watches everything you do? He looks up to you and wants to learn your workouts, he's just scared to approach you.

That girl with really bad form? She had to mentally prepare to enter the weight room because she was terrified of people judging her. She second guesses every exercise, but she's too intimidated to ask anyone for advice.

That buff dude you think is cocky? He grew up in poverty and working out was his alternative to drugs or alcohol. He's not cocky-just focused.

That woman taking too long on the equipment you want? She's a single mom exhausted from working two jobs & raising three kids. She's trying to push herself to finish her workout, but she needs a little extra rest between sets.

That old man doing strange exercises and talking too much? He decided to get a gym membership to stay active & socialize after his wife passed away last year. Talking to you makes his day & has helped his depression.

There's more to people than what you see. Instead of jumping to conclusions or making judgements, take a moment to consider someone else's perspective.

Don't judge a book by its cover.

Reprinted from fitnessmagazine.com

The 5 Lunch-Packing Hacks Registered Dietitians Swear By

By Audrey Bruno

Pro tips for brown bagging.

Lunch packing is one of those things we wish we did more often. It’s usually way more affordable than eating out every day, and way better for you, too. The only catch with brown bagging it on the reg is that it requires a certain amount of planning and preparation. And when it only takes five minutes to swing by the deli for a sandwich, that can seem like a lot of extra effort.

But it definitely doesn’t have to be a drag. There are fun, fast, and flavorful ways to hack your desk lunch with little-to-no extra effort. In fact, these five registered dietitian-recommend packing tricks are guaranteed to make the whole process super easy, efficient, and tasty.

1. Use your dinner leftovers in a creative way.

“For me, lunch is often dinner from the night before, either as-is or reinvented. Tacos at night become taco salads for work. Meatloaf at night becomes a meatloaf sandwich for work. Sometimes I’m traveling all day and lunches need to be eaten cold or not too perishable, so I always try to think of my schedule when planning my lunches.”

— Caroline West Passerrello, M.S., R.D.N., L.D.N., Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

2. Instead of using an ice pack to keep your lunch cool, freeze your water bottle.

“Stock your lunch bag with a frozen water bottle or juice box. This will keep your food cool throughout the day, and by the time you’re ready to dig, in your beverage will be defrosted.”

— Vandana Sheth, R.D.N., C.D.E.

3. Lunch picnic-style.

When I’m in a hurry, grab-and-go foods make packing a snack-y picnic-style lunch possible in minutes. I’m always looking for a meal to have a mix of protein, healthy fat, and fiber to help keep me fueled. So I’ll pack a 100-calorie bag of Wonderful Pistachios, which provides protein, healthy fat, and fiber. I'll also grab a couple of hardboiled eggs—which offer protein—as well as fibrous carrot slices and grape tomatoes. Then for a healthy dessert, I'll include a 100-calorie pack of Pom Poms, which are pomegranate arils that deliver fiber and a little bit of protein.

— Amy Gorin, M.S., R.D.N., owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition in Jersey City, NJ.

4. Invest in a bento box.

“Pack lunch in a bento-style box to ensure a balanced meal. The pre-divided boxes are perfect for making sure you have a place for your protein, carbs, fruit, and veggies. If you have extra room, you may even be able to fit in a little treat. I love using these for the kids too and the kids think it's so much more fun than just a plain old sandwich every day.”

— Jessica Levinson, R.D.N.

5. Defrost frozen, cooked vegetables in your fridge at the beginning of the week.

“Already cooked and ready-to-go, frozen veggies are an easy, nutrient-dense way to include vegetables in your lunch box. Add them to some pre-cut raw vegetables like snap peas and baby carrots. This helps me meet my personal goal of eating two servings of vegetables at lunch.”

— Katie Cavuto, M.S., R.D.

Quotes have been edited for clarity.

reprinted from Self.com

The Best Snacks To Eat After Strength Training

By Audrey Bruno

Feed your muscles.

After you finish working out, your body is in a state of recovery. You probably feel tired, and that's because you are tired. Your muscles are minutely injured, and any energy and nutrients your body had stored away have probably been used up. Nutrients will help you heal properly, so you need to get the ones you've lost back into your system as soon as you're finished pumping iron. How do you do that? Only our favorite way: With a nutritious snack.

Before you pick your snack, it's important to understand that different workouts necessitate different nutrients in different ratios. For example, after an intense cardio sesh you're going to want to stock up on a bunch of carbs and a bit of protein. Strength training, however, is a different ball of wax.

"You are left with microscopic tears in your muscle cells after lifting weights," Jennifer O’Donnell-Giles M.S., R.D.N., certified sports dietitian, tells SELF. While tearing your muscles may sound bad, it’s actually good. That tearing is what allows them to build up and heal stronger. But they aren't going to heal all on their own. According to Giles, "nutrients are needed to build back these muscles."

After strength training, the nutrients that will most help with recovery are protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. "Protein replenishes the muscle cell damage, carbohydrates replenish blood sugar loss, and good fats control inflammation," Giles explains, and no matter the intensity of your strength training workout, you should always aim to eat a ratio of 4:1 protein to carbs. And she says you should try to eat your snack 15 to 20 minutes after you wrap things up at the gym.

One thing that does change with the intensity of your workout is the size of your snack. Usually in the beginning of your strength training practice, Giles says your workouts will tend to be more basic. A lighter intensity workout might consist of 10 to 12 reps of chest presses, barbell squats with lighter weights, push-ups, dips, and pull-ups. After these lighter intensity workouts, Giles says you should eat a snack between 100 and 200 calories.

Further along in your practice, she says your workouts will begin to get more intense. Higher intensity workouts usually include the use of heavier weights, and fewer reps (6 to 9) of moves like deadlifts, leg presses, and jump squats. After these higher intensity workouts, she says to eat between 300 and 500 calories. Below, you can find some snack options for each of these different levels of intensity.

Snacks following light strength training:

These snacks are incredibly simple to throw together and can even be tossed in your gym bagbefore you head to your workout.

• Homemade granola made with whole oats, dried fruit and nuts
• Low-fat chocolate milk
• Non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 banana with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
• 1/2 cup of edamame

Snacks for after intense strength training:

These snacks are a little bit more like meals. And that's OK. After an intense strength training workout is not the time to being worried about counting calories (though you still don’t want to go totally crazy). Giles says these are exactly what you need.

• Protein smoothie made with 1 scoop high quality whey protein isolate powder, banana, almond milk, frozen berries and spinach
• Two scrambled eggs, with two slices of whole wheat toast, and sliced avocado
• Grilled chicken on high protein whole grain tortilla with hummus and cucumbers
• Quinoa with black beans, diced grilled tofu, chopped kale, olive oil, and sea salt
• Tuna (mixed w non-fat plain Greek yogurt instead of mayo) on whole wheat pita with romaine lettuce and roasted red peppers

reprinted from self.com

What Happened When I Drank More Water For A Month

BY ALISON BARSALONA

I have a confession: My name is Alison, and I don’t drink enough water.

I wasn’t always this way. When I worked in an office, I was a hardcore water drinker; if I wasn’t getting up to refill my bottle at the water cooler, I was making a beeline for the bathroom. But when I became a stay-at-home mom, all of a sudden my bottle wasn’t in front of me all day long, reminding me to imbibe. I would spend hours taking care of my son or running errands without a single sip, and lately I’ve realized I’ve been paying the unhealthy price. I’m constantly seeing articles touting all the incredible benefits of drinking more water, so I decided to pledge to up my agua ante for a month and see if it really lived up to the hype. Would all that liquid be life-changing or would it leave me drenched in disappointment? (Sorry for the bad puns, I’ve had water on the brain for too long).

After treating myself to a new water bottle, it was time to figure out exactly how much water I should be drinking. The rule used to be eight 8-ounce glasses a day for everyone, but now there are a handful of new recommendations; some say women should have about nine cups a day, while others suggest drinking half an ounce to an ounce of water for each pound you weigh. I decided to aim high and settled on filling my one-liter bottle four times a day, or just over 130 ounces (my days are long and I spend a fair amount of time out in the heat).

The results? There were days I definitely fell short and other days I had no problem gulping down more than I aimed to, I discovered drinking with a straw makes all the difference, and I became intimately acquainted with the bathrooms in all the stores I visit on a regular basis. More importantly, after a month of my experiment I’m here to share which of the H20 health claims held true for me and which came up short—water bottle in hand, of course.

More energy

The claim: Drinking plenty of water regularly throughout the day will keep you from getting dehydrated, and in turn, fatigued.

The verdict: Maybe it’s just having a toddler, but I find myself constantly yawning, zoning out, and generally dragging. I didn’t have high hopes for water helping me here—it seemed more of a coffee-and-a-nap kind of problem. But I was surprised at how much better I felt after just a week of all that water. I had a little extra pep in my step throughout the day, and I found that when I was extra sleepy, gulping a glass of really cold H2O (the ice was key) gave me an immediate boost. I also noticed that a few gulps of water cleared up a grumpy mood on occasion; I’m attributing that to that fact that I was probably a little dehydrated, and dehydrated=tired=major crankiness. I still needed my morning cup of joe every day but overall, all that extra water definitely delivered.

Clearer skin

The claim: Water helps to flush out toxins that can cause acne. It can also plump skin and give it an overall brighter appearance.

The verdict: I’m lucky to not have too many skin issues, aside from the occasional pimple and beginnings of wrinkles I refuse to acknowledge. I was still hoping the additional agua would act as an internal moisturizer and give me that dewy, I-woke-up-like-this kind of glow that celebrities are always swearing comes just from drinking lots of water, but I have to say that this beauty tip was a dud. Even though my eyes might have been slightly less puffy (but probably just wishful thinking), H20’s effects weren’t strong enough to combat dark circles or brighten my skin dramatically. I’ll keep drinking water…but I won’t be retiring my concealer anytime soon.

Better workouts

The claim: Drinking enough water before, during and after exercise will boost the quality of your workouts.

The verdict: This one seemed like a no-brainer, and I thought that I was pretty good about taking in enough liquids around workout time. But when I began really paying attention to the timing and religiously drinking a glass about a half hour before going for a run, I noticed that I had a little extra energy and felt just better in a way I couldn’t really put my finger on. I also made it a point to sip on another glass while I stretched afterwards, and I didn’t feel as drained post-workout as I did when I just took a couple gulps and went about my day. Water for the win on this one.

Weight control

The claim: Drinking water can be very beneficial in weight loss or maintenance; choosing water over sugary beverages cuts calories, and consuming water and water-rich foods will keep you fuller longer.

The verdict: I’m not trying to lose weight, but I’ve always meant to try the advice I’m always reading about, that drinking a glass of water before a meal can curb overeating. Now I know why that tip pops up in every other health article—it really does work. Drinking a big glass before dinner made that second bowl of pasta a lot less appetizing, and picking up my water bottle instead of a snack in the afternoon sometimes made me realize I was more thirsty than hungry after all. I didn’t lose any weight over the month but I did love how it taught me to be more in tune with my appetite. At the very least I think water deserves props for helping to distinguish between hunger and thirst cues, which is an important weight loss tool in itself.


reprinted from Women's Running

8 Meal Prep Tips From A Healthy Cooking Pro

This is exactly how to have your best week of meal prepping ever.
By Alexa Tucker | Self.com

Meal prepping is one of the best ways to stay on track with healthy eating. When life gets away from you, it’s all too easy to rely on takeout or quick meal options. (Confession: my go-to dinner when things get crazy is popcorn and wine, Olivia Pope-style. Not exactly loaded with protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs.) Sometimes, there just aren’t enough hours in a day to cook a full-on meal—that’s where prepping comes in.

“It’s essentially like you’re paying in advance with your time and effort,” Cassy Joy Garcia, author of paleo cookbook Fed & Fit out August 16 (and the healthy eating pro behind the blog, too), tells SELF. “It’s completely normal to feel like you don’t have the time or energy to cook a healthy meal during the week, so prepping healthy meals when you have time is the equivalent of knitting yourself a healthy-food safety net you can fall back on throughout the week.”

Ready to create your own delicious healthy-eating safety net? Here are eight game-changing tips for your best, most efficient meal prepping session ever.

1. Calculate how much food you’ll actually need to cook.

Before you plan your meals and hit the grocery store, consider how much food you’re actually going to eat so you don’t under- or over-do it. “Start with the simple math of how much you’d want to enjoy at a single meal,” says Garcia. “I typically recommend 4-6 ounces of protein, about half a cup of a vegetable-based starch (like a squash or potato), and at least one cup of cooked vegetables. If you’re preparing meals for five days of the week, simply multiply!”

You can also add in a couple of extra servings in case you’re especially hungry one day and store it in the freezer if you don’t end up eating it, she adds.

2. Get strategic about when you’ll eat what, and plan a small mid-week grocery run if you can.

While prepping for a whole week sounds great in theory, you have to consider the shelf life of cooked foods before diving in and cooking, say, six days’ worth of chicken breast. “For example, while baked potatoes and roasted vegetables will keep for about a full five days depending on the temperature and humidity of where you live, sometimes it’s best to eat meat sooner than that,” says Garcia. That chicken? It’s probably only good for three to four days. (Here are more guidelines on how long your meal prep go-tos keep.) Pop into a grocery store mid-week to grab any more fresh fruits, veggies, herbs, and meat you need, or simply keep some meat in the freezer to thaw and cook when you run out.

3. Write out a meal-prep game plan before you start.

“I recommend making a meal prep schedule for the day,” says Garcia. “If you know you’ll need your oven for a couple different components, map out what can bake at the same time and what can’t. The same goes for pots on the stove and any other kitchen equipment you may need to use (like the blender and food processor). Meal prepping doesn’t have to take all day! It can go by quickly if you have a thought-out plan of action.” By planning out what you’ll need to cook and in what order, you’ll minimize the time you spend figuring out what the next step is as you go. (Personally, I write my plan out in a notebook.)

4. And lay out all of your ingredients in an ~orderly fashion.~

In addition to your game plan, take it a step further by actually laying out what you need before you start, restaurant kitchen-style. Wash and chop your veggies, thaw your meats, and measure out any grains. “I also recommend that you set out any containers you’ll use for storage before you start cooking,” says Garcia. “Having ingredients and containers ready to go can make the cooking and then portion-to-store steps more streamlined and less intimidating.”

5. Cook versatile ingredients.

“I highly recommend you cook large meal components all at once, store them separately, and then combine them in fun and creative ways throughout the week,” says Garcia. “For example, toss five to seven pounds of chicken in the slow cooker so that you can make shredded chicken. I recommend storing that chicken unseasoned in the refrigerator, and then you can use that protein to make a variety of meals throughout the week such as stuffed potatoes, added protein to an omelet, a quick casserole, or a quick teriyaki bowl. The same can be said for cooking a large batch of baked potatoes and roasted veggies.”

6. Don’t try to make a different meal for every day.

If you try to chef your way through five different recipes or meals for five different nights, chances are you’ll be spending your whole day in the kitchen (and potentially run out of fridge space). “Choose versatile, basic proteins, starches, and vegetables that can be made in large batches and then rely on fun sauces, salsas, herbs, and quick preparation methods to keep meals interesting throughout the week. I’ve seen a lot of people burn out on meal prepping, but it’s because they really just took on too much all at once.” Here’s one dinner you can turn into a week of healthy lunches, if you’re looking for a versatile recipe.

7. Prep things you actually like.

If you don’t like what you prepped, chances are, you just won’t eat it—especially if you have unhealthier options, like takeout, calling your name. “After a few days, leftovers may appear less and less attractive–but if it’s your favorite food, you’re more likely to keep looking forward to meal time,” says Garcia. (SELF.com’s food reporter Audrey Bruno told me, “I’m always like, lets prep some quinoa! And then I think, wait, no, I hate quinoa.”)

8. And don’t forget about healthy dessert!

“Dessert is all-too-often an afterthought, which is usually why they become unhealthy choices,” says Garcia. “If you know that you enjoy the occasional sweet treat, I recommend taking that into consideration when you’re planning your week’s meals. A quick batch of roasted fruit popsicles or chia seed pudding cups can help keep you from being tempted by other not-so-healthy sweet treats but still satisfy that sweet tooth.” I love prepping this chocolate chia seed pudding recipe from Minimalist Baker.

See ya, cereal for dinner and ice cream for dessert. When you have healthy food on hand, you’re more likely to eat healthy food, simple as that. 

Reprinted from Self.com

7 Reasons to Never Miss a Monday Workout

Fitness by Alex Orlov

If you spent your whole weekend on the couch, waking up for a Monday morning workout might be extra tough. But the start of the week is actually a great time to recommit to staying fit. Research shows that people think about and act on healthy activities more on Mondays than any other day of the week. A study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine revealed that there are more searches related to health topics at the beginning of the week, no matter the time of year, and more folks start exercise routines on Monday than any other day of the week, too.

Check Twitter or Instagram and you’ll see thousands of posts tagged with #nevermissamonday. But Monday motivation is sometimes hard to come by. When the snooze button is calling your name, it’s easy to think of a million and one excuses not to lace up your sneakers and sweat it out at the start of the week. But by fitting in a workout, you’ll be rewarded in more ways than one. You’ve got 52 opportunities to make it happen this year. Here’s why it will be worth it.

7 Reasons to Never Miss a Monday Workout

1. You’re more likely to work out the rest of the week.Hello, clean slate. Exercising on Mondays can get the ball rolling for your workout routine. “There’s something about starting on a Monday that makes you feel like you’re off to the right start,” says Gretchen Rubin, author of New York Times bestseller Better Than Before, which advises on how to master daily habits. “This idea of ‘don’t break the chain’ is really powerful.” This philosophy, she says, can motivate you to exercise on Tuesday, Wednesday or whenever you pencil in your next workout

2. You’ll smile more.
Got a case of the Mondays? You’re not alone. Research shows that the average office worker doesn’t crack a smile until 11:16 a.m. But exercise could help you beat those Monday blues. One common benefit of physical exercise is that it releases endorphins, the hormones that make you feel happier. Nothing feels as great as a finished workout, right? And science backs us up. According to researchers, children and young people had improved self-esteem after exercising. Plus, if you’re running or playing outside in the sunshine, you’ll get an extra dose of happiness. One study published in Environmental Health and Technology found that a simple five-minute walk outdoors helped improve mood and perceived well-being.

3. You’ll quell anxious thoughts.
Dreading that mountain of paperwork gathering dust on your desk over the weekend? It’s not uncommon to feel apprehensive about heading in to work. But don’t go hiding back under the covers just yet — you may want to hop on the treadmill for a few miles instead. Studies show that aerobic exercise can lessen general anxiety. Plus, high-intensity exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety sensitivity, or the fear of anxiety that is often a precursor to panic attacks.

4. You’ll kickstart good self-control.
It may take some willpower to lace up those sneakers, but exercise is actually a great way to harness more discipline for other areas of your life. Moving around for as little as 15 minutes has been shown to help people manage cigarette cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Why? Exercise releases GABA, a neurotransmitter that helps keep you in control of impulses and can quiet anxious brain activity.

5. You’ll catch better zzz’s.
Sleep-deprived office drones, take heart. Resistance exercise can help reboot your circadian rhythm, the internal body clock that controls your sleep cycle. And in case you needed extra motivation to keep sweating it out during the week: One study revealed that four months of consistent exercise helped chronic insomniacs sleep 45 minutes more per night.

6. You’ll boost brainpower.
Need to ace a presentation this week? Hitting the gym could be your secret to success. Physical exercise has the potential to increase levels of BDNF (brain-derived neurotropic factor), which is shown to help build healthier nerve cells. One study showed that strenuous exercise helped participants perform better on a memory test. Scheduling a sweat session before you put your nose to the grindstone could help you absorb new concepts faster, too. Another study revealed that participants could learn vocabulary 20 percent faster after intense physical exercise, compared to the control group.

7. You might make more money.
Lifting weights may not lead to an immediate promotion, but it can’t hurt your chances at some extra cash. One study found an association between gym habits and higher pay. Employees who exercised regularly earned nine percent more than their couch potato peers. Cha-ching!

reprinted from DailyBurn.com

8 Things To Do Before And After A Workout To Get Better Results

The real magic happens before and after your sweat.

When it comes to your fitness routine, the time you spend sweating it out in the gym tends to get all the credit—but it shouldn’t.

“The workout is actually the easiest part of a fitness routine,” says Jay Cardiello, celebrity trainer and Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute member. “Whether you walk, jog, lift weights, or do CrossFit, an hour is only four percent of your day, and you can’t [make that more important than] the 23 other hours.”

Things like good nutrition and quality sleep matter too, and smart pre- and post-workout rituals can ensure you’re recovering properly, fueling your efforts, and crushing it in every single workout. Here are the eight things that should definitely be a part of your fitness routine if you want to maximize your results.

Before your workout:

1. Get enough zzz’s.

“The most imperative thing in any fitness program starts the minute you go to sleep—that’s where all the magic happens,” says Cardiello. Being well-rested not only energizes you through every burpee or sprint, but it also keeps your hunger hormones in check, so you’re not undoing your efforts in the gym by overeating the rest of the day.

“Whoever I work out with, they don’t show up to the gym unless they’re getting seven hours of sleep,” says Cardiello. “I tell them to go home.” (Whoa.) If you can’t do seven, at least try for six and a half hours, he says—he recommends his clients set boundaries with their electronics before bed so the light doesn’t keep them awake. A good sleep is also super important after a workout, too—that’s when muscles really get to recover.

2. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

You already know that drinking your H20 is crucial to overall health, but it plays an especially important role in a fitness routine—when you’re sweating it out, you need to make sure your body is properly hydrated since you’re losing water. Plus, being hydrated will make sure your energy levels are where they need to be, says Cardiello.

“Just look at the parallels between oil in a car and water in a body—a car can’t run without car, a body can’t run without water,” says Cardiello. You should be sipping it before, during, and after a workout.

Although exact water needs vary from person to person, he recommends aiming for half of your bodyweight in ounces per day (so, if you weight 150 pounds, try to get in 75 ounces). If your urine is dark, it probably means you’re not hydrated enough. Here are 12 easy ways to drink more of it.

3. Grab a small snack.

If you’re really not feeling a pre-workout snack, there’s no need to force food down ahead of time, but don’t ignore your body if you feel like you need some fuel. “If there’s no food in, there’s no energy out,” says Cardiello. He suggests a piece of Ezekiel toast with a bit of almond butter to get you going (here are five other great pre-workout snacks that are all around 150 calories). The sweet spot? “I don’t want you to be starving, but I don’t want you to be feeling full either.”

4. Consider wearing red for an extra boost of ~power~.

Strange, but true. “Red is a very empowering color—it increases prowess, confidence, and has been shown to increase performance a bit,” says Cardiello. “If you’re ever tired or just want to dominate the gym, red is the best choice. Blue and green are more calming, so it depends on what your workout.” Orange and yellow are also heightening colors, he says.

5. Work in a dynamic warm-up.

Skipping your warm-up is a definite no-no—even if your workout is only 10 minutes long. “[The warm-up] is meant to give your body the opportunity to raise your body temperature, increase range of motion, and prepare yourself for what you’re about to do,” says Cardiello. It also helps decrease your chance of injury when you ease into your workout, rather than jumping straight from a resting state to the hard work.

Increasing your range of motion can help you make the most of your workout, because you’ll be able to recruit more muscles during an exercise (for example, getting deeper into a spot means putting more muscles to work). This is done through adynamic warm-up, which essentially means moving through stretches that aren’t held in place. (Here’s a five-minute dynamic warm-up to try).

After your workout:

6. Stretch it out.

“A cool-down brings your body back to a resting position—the way you walked into the gym is the way you want to leave,” says Cardiello. “To increase your range of motion, decrease soreness, and help expedite your recovery process, you need to implement isometric stretching,” he adds. This is the opposite of the stretches you do in a warm-up—after a workout, you should hold your stretches for at least 15 seconds each, says Cardiello. (Here are some cool-down stretches to try.) And because muscles are best stretched when they’re warm, you definitely don’t want to go straight from your workout to a seated position, like at a desk or in a car.

7. Refuel with post-workout nutrition.

A pre-workout snack is more optional than a post-workout one—giving your body the fuel it needs to recover after a tough sweat is essential. There’s something called the anabolic window, says Cardiello, which lasts about 30 to 45 minutes after the workout. During this time, your body looks for carbohydrates and protein to help replenish glycogen stores and rebuild muscle, respectively, so getting your body the nutrition it needs to recover in a timely manner is important.

Plus, not eating after a workout can leave you feeling ravenous later on—and, chances are, you’re not going to reach for a salad, says Cardiello. To make it easy on yourself, pack one of these post-workout snacks in your bag. Or, if your gym offers this, “pre-order your shake and pay for it ahead of time, so when you’re walking out to your car or the street they can just hand it to you.”

8. Take a cool shower.

Taking a cool shower helps decrease the inflammation after a workout and expedites the healing process, says Cardiello. “By decreasing inflammation, you decrease your chances of soreness. That’s what athletes do, and it’s how they’re able to perform day-in and day-out, because they’re focused on recovery.” You don’t have to jump in an ice bath like the pros, but you should turn the shower temperature down lower than you usually do. This makes it less likely that soreness will get in the way of your workout the next day.

By making sure your body’s been warmed up, worked out, and cooled down properly, you can maximize the results you’re working towards. Cheesy as it may sound, fitness really is a lifestyle, and one that doesn’t begin and end with your actual workout.

reprinted from self.com

5 Amazing Benefits of Kickboxing for Women

BY MELISSA GREER

With women's boxing now a sport in the Summer Olympics, more and more women are getting into the ring. Find out what makes kickboxing such an amazing workout for women

1. Melt fat, fast

Combining martial arts techniques and heart-pumping cardio, kickboxing is a high-energy workout that is guaranteed to burn calories and fat.

“It’s an incredibly efficient workout. Kickboxing alone burns about 750 calories in an hour,” says Sammie Kennedy, CEO and creator of Femme Fitale, Ontario’s newest women’s-only kickboxing and mixed martial arts program (MMA). “Add in jump rope and conditioning drills, and you could burn anywhere from 750 to 900 calories in an hour.”

The cardio-conditioning element of kickboxing is one of the most effective ways to burn fat—especially that stubborn belly fat that’s associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancer. A study published in the American Journal of Physiology found aerobic exercise to be better at reducing belly fat than resistance training, by burning an average of 67 percent more calories.

2. Tone your entire body

A typical Femme Fitale class combines kickboxing and MMA drills with jump rope, circuit training and core strengthening exercises.

“There’s a large toning component to kickboxing because it forces you to engage all the muscle groups in your body,” says Kennedy.

By using kickboxing pads, as opposed to simply air boxing, you’ll burn even more calories. “You’ll also work your back and trim your waist because each move requires a lot of core power behind it,” she says.

Engaging your core will also ultimately improve co-ordination, while the constant movement in kickboxing improves flexibility and reflexes.

3. Learn valuable self-defense moves

While the majority of women are turning to kickboxing for the physical workout, the self-defense aspect is a perk for many people, says Kennedy. “We teach it with an emphasis on ‘this is why you’re learning this,’ ‘this is what you would use this for.’ It’s important for people to know why they’re doing certain moves and engaging certain parts of their body,” she says.

Having the ability to protect yourself is a valuable asset and it’s empowering to know that if you were in a dangerous situation, you have the knowledge to help get yourself out of it safely.

4. Take out stress and aggression

Sometimes the best way to release stress after a hard day at work is not a cold beer, but some intense physical activity. Kickboxing offers a healthy way to get out some of the day’s frustrations out of your system, which will also help you get a better night’s sleep and improve mental clarity.

“It’s an excellent release to be able to beat up your boss on the pads,” says Kennedy. “Boxing also increases the release of endorphins, which can diminish with stress.”

The group atmosphere of kickboxing is even more effective in releasing endorphins. While any type of vigorous activity will release these feel-good chemicals, group exercise enhances their impact, according to researchers from the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology in Oxford, England.

5. Feel confident

There’s nothing better than being able to kick some butt, and look great doing it. The intensity of kickboxing means you’ll see improvements and results quickly. Femme Fitale’s sessions run for eight-weeks with twice weekly classes.

“When you’re putting yourself through a program that does really challenge you and you finish it—that alone boosts confidence dramatically because you’ve accomplished something and that’s something to be proud of,” says Kennedy.

reprinted from besthealthmag.ca

How Exercise Shapes You, Far Beyond the Gym

By Bradley Stulberg

When I first started training for marathons a little over ten years ago, my coach told me something I’ve never forgotten: that I would need to learn how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. I didn’t know it at the time, but that skill, cultivated through running, would help me as much, if not more, off the road as it would on it.

It’s not just me, and it’s not just running. Ask anyone whose day regularly includes a hard bike ride, sprints in the pool, a complex problem on the climbing wall, or a progressive powerlifting circuit, and they’ll likely tell you the same: A difficult conversation just doesn’t seem so difficult anymore. A tight deadline not so intimidating. Relationship problems not so problematic.

Maybe it’s that if you’re regularly working out, you’re simply too tired to care. But that’s probably not the case. Research shows that, if anything, physical activity boosts short-term brain function and heightens awareness. And even on days they don’t train — which rules out fatigue as a factor — those who habitually push their bodies tend to confront daily stressors with a stoic demeanor. While the traditional benefits of vigorous exercise — like prevention and treatment of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and osteoporosis — are well known and often reported, the most powerful benefit might be the lesson that my coach imparted to me: In a world where comfort is king, arduous physical activity provides a rare opportunity to practice suffering.

Few hone this skill better than professional endurance and adventure athletes, who make a living withstanding conditions others cannot. For my column with Outside Magazine, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing the world’s top endurance and adventure athletes on the practices underlying their success. Regardless of sport, the most resounding theme, by far, is that they’ve all learned how to embrace uncomfortable situations:

• Olympic marathoner Des Linden told me that at mile 20 of 26.2, when the inevitable suffering kicks in, through years of practice she’s learned to stay relaxed and in the moment. She repeats the mantra: “calm, calm, calm; relax, relax, relax.”

• World-champion big-wave surfer Nic Lamb says being uncomfortable, and even afraid, is a prerequisite to riding four-story waves. But he also knows it’s “the path to personal development.” He’s learned that while you can pull back, you can almost always push through. “Pushing through is courage. Pulling back is regret,” he says.

• Free-soloist Alex Honnold explains that, “The only way to deal with [pain] is practice. [I] get used to it during training so that when it happens on big climbs, it feels normal.”

• Evelyn Stevens, the women’s record holder for most miles cycled in an hour (29.81 – yes, that’s nuts), says that during her hardest training intervals, “instead of thinking I want these to be over, I try to feel and sit with the pain. Heck, I even try to embrace it.”

• Big-mountain climber Jimmy Chin, the first American to climb up — and then ski down — Mt. Everest’s South Pillar Route, told me an element of fear is there in everything he does, but he’s learned how to manage it: “It’s about sorting out perceived risk from real risk, and then being as rational as possible with what’s left.”

But you don’t need to scale massive vertical pitches or run five-minute miles to reap the benefits. Simply training for your first half marathon or CrossFit competition can also yield huge dividends that carry over into other areas of life. In the words of Kelly Starrett, one of the founding fathers of the CrossFit movement, “Anyone can benefit from cultivating a physical practice.” Science backs him up.

A study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology found that college students who went from not exercising at all to even a modest program (just two to three gym visits per week) reported a decrease in stress, smoking, alcohol and caffeine consumption, an increase in healthy eating and maintenance of household chores, and better spending and study habits. In addition to these real-life improvements, after two months of regular exercise, the students also performed better on laboratory tests of self-control. This led the researchers to speculate that exercise had a powerful impact on the students’ “capacity for self-regulation.” In laypeople’s terms, pushing through the discomfort associated with exercise — saying “yes” when their bodies and minds were telling them to say “no” — taught the students to stay cool, calm, and collected in the face of difficulty, whether that meant better managing stress, drinking less, or studying more.

For this reason, the author Charles Duhigg, in his 2012 bestseller The Power of Habit, calls exercise a “keystone habit,” or a change in one area life that brings about positive effects in other areas. Duhigg says keystone habits are powerful because “they change our sense of self and our sense of what is possible.” This explains why the charity Back on My Feet uses running to help individuals who are experiencing homelessness improve their situations. Since launching in 2009, Back on My Feet has had over 5,500 runners, 40 percent of whom have gained employment after starting to run with the group and 25 percent of whom have found permanent housing. This is also likely why it’s so common to hear about people who started training for a marathon to help them get over a divorce or even the death of a loved one.

Another study, this one published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, evaluated how exercise changes our physiological response to stress. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, in Germany, divided students into two groups at the beginning of the semester and instructed half to run twice a week for 20 weeks. At the end of the 20 weeks, which coincided with a particularly stressful time for the students — exams — the researchers had the students wear heart-rate monitors to measure their heart-rate variability, which is a common indicator of physiological stress (the more variability, the less stress). As you might guess by now, the students who were enrolled in the running program showed significantly greater heart-rate variability. Their bodies literally were not as stressed during exams: They were more comfortable during a generally uncomfortable time.

What’s remarkable and encouraging about these studies is that the subjects weren’t exercising at heroic intensities or volumes. They were simply doing something that was physically challenging for them – going from no exercise to some exercise; one need not be an elite athlete or fitness nerd to reap the bulletproofing benefits of exercise.

Why does any of this matter? For one, articles that claim prioritizing big fitness goals is a waste of time (exhibit A: “Don’t Run a Marathon”) are downright wrong. But far more important than internet banter, perhaps a broader reframing of exercise is in order. Exercise isn’t just about helping out your health down the road, and it’s certainly not just about vanity. What you do in the gym (or on the roads, in the ocean, etc.) makes you a better, higher-performing person outside of it. The truth, cliché as it may sound, is this: When you develop physical fitness, you’re developing life fitness, too.

Reprinted from nymag.com Brad Stulberg is a columnist for Outside Magazine, where he writes about health and the science of human performance. Follow him on Twitter@Bstulberg.