Teaching a Positive Nature to Children in Youth Sports

Teaching a Positive Nature to Children in Youth Sports

Discover Simple Changes You Can Make Today To Kick Start Your Metabolism

Learning how to keep a high metabolism rate is probably the holy grail of weight loss.  Some people are born with high metabolism, but for most of us it is imperative that we learn how our body works so that we can help it to run as efficiently as possible.  That means knowing what factors affect our metabolism, and what we can do to help it along.   

For most people, metabolism slows after the age of 40, and while we cannot control our age and genetics, there are things we can do to improve the way our body metabolizes food.   Our body is always burning calories.  Even when we are resting, we have a resting metabolic rate at which our body functions.  This resting rate is usually higher in people with more muscle mass.  At rest our body burns an estimated 6 calories for every pound of muscle and only 2 calories for every pound of fat.  Therefore, it stands to reason that strength training will work to increase our metabolic rate.  After a bout of resistance training, our body is given a boost in its metabolic rate because all of our muscles are activate.  This causes an increase in metabolism throughout the day.  Additionally, aerobic exercise does not necessarily increase muscle mass, but it does give us a metabolic boost.  Regular, intense exercise activates our metabolism in the hours following our workout.  By adding short bursts of jogging to your regular walking routine, or by doing a more intense class at the gym, we are able to give our body a signal to increase our metabolism.   As I stated in my blog “We are gathers and hunters,” we are designed for exercise, so use that to your advantage.

Another factor that affects our metabolism is our level of hydration.  Our body needs water to function properly.   Without water our metabolism slows down tremendously.  Studies show that even the slightest bit of dehydration immediately begins to slow the metabolic rate of the body.  Be sure to drink water or some type of unsweetened beverage before every meal, and snack on fruits and vegetables that contain fluids, rather than chips and pretzels.  It is also shown that iced, cold drinks prompt the body to burn additional calories during digestion, so water on the rocks is a great way to kick your body into a calorie burning mode.  Additionally, it is a good idea to drink an 8 ounce glass of water for every pound of weight loss during a workout to replace all the fluids that are released during exercise.  

Eating more often is also a great way to increase your metabolism.  Large meals with many hours in between prompt your body to slow down.  By decreasing the size of your meals, but eating them more often throughout the day keeps your metabolism going and burns more calories throughout the course of the day.  Having a small meal or snack every 3 to 4 hours is a good guide and it also helps you to eat less at meals if you eat regular, healthy snacks during the day.  On a side note, spicy foods can give your metabolism a 20% boost for up to 30 minutes, so if you like spice, then try adding some sliced green chilies or red pepper to your pasta or salad to give your body an extra jump.

Remember, metabolism is somewhat genetic, but there are many things that can be done to help overcome our genetic deficiencies.  I will be sharing more metabolism tips in my next blog, but for now try some of the above tips.  Who knows, you might just see some unexpected weight loss notice your energy levels increase.  Until next time, keep working on the healthy, happy life you deserve.

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

For more information on health and wellness products that I recommend, please visit my website at:http://coachellen.myitworks.com

Time to begin...Strength Training!

The most important thing to know is that a good, maintenance strength training program does not mean body building or weight training.  It is as simple as using resistance bands and hand weights to keep your muscles strong and healthy.  We are not talking about bulking up.  

Once you have received the go ahead from your doctor, you need to choose two or three days each week to do your strength training program.  Each session should have a 24 hour rest period in between so your muscles have time to recover and rebuild.  This allows the C10 rebuilders, that we have discussed in earlier blogs, to repair and strengthen your muscles and body systems.

 

Remember, a strength training program should be done in conjunction with your cardio program for optimal health.  I have enclosed several links to beginner strength training workouts for you to use to get started. 

Resistance bands are great for travel, adding to your current weight training program, or even rehabilitating an injured area of the body that cannot take the stress of free weights.  Bands are economical and easy to use, and they are great for adding intensity and depth to your workouts.  They are also great for adding intensity to simple exercises like push ups and sit ups.  In addition, they are good for flexibility programs.

The important thing is to make the commitment to at least 2 days each week, and watch as your body begins to feel stronger, healthier and look leaner.  Good luck and keep working on the healthy, happy life you deserve.

Great Links to Strength Training with Resistance Bands:

Total Body Resistance Band Workout

Upper Body

Lower Body

Strength Training for Maximum Weight Loss

wwhttp://choosehealthandhappiness.blogspot.com/2011/05/strength-training-who-needs-it.html

Ok we are going to get back on track with our weight loss program in today's post.  I mentioned a little about strength training before, but today I want to cover that in more depth.  I am the world's worst when it comes to strength training.  I love cardio, but strength training bores me to death.  However, it is a necessary part of any good weight loss program.

Our metabolism occurs in our muscles.  If we don't keep our muscles developed and strong then it causes a lower metabolism rate than we want, and therefore, more weight gain.  You don't have to go out and spend a fortune on gym memberships or home equipment to have a good strength training program.  The following is a list of recommended supplies for a good home strength training program.

1.  At least one Exercise Band
2.  Set of Hand Weights
3.  A good Exercise Mat
4.  A Physioball or Exercise Ball

All these items can be purchased for a total of less than $100.  How simple is that.  No huge fees, no equipment taking up space and no stress over what to buy.  It's a simple basic list of supplies that will get you well on your way to a great strength training program.

Recommendations for Beginner Strength Training Program:
1.  Begin with a 2 session per week program
2.  Each session should include a total body workout of all the major muscle groups.  Upper body, Lower body and Core strength.
3.  Don't over work yourself in the first weeks of your training.
4.  Be sure to have a physical exam from your doctor prior to beginning any exercise program, and get approval to begin.
5.  Begin with low weight to help your body adapt to the new program.

I will be posting some sample workouts in the next week, so if you are wanting to begin a strength training program, but don't know where to start, then stay tuned.  I have what you need.  Until then, keep working on the healthy, happy life you deserve.

For more information on exercise and health visit: www.myhomegymtoday.com

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Make the Committment!

Ok, so I know I told you we would discuss strength training, but I needed to write this blog first.  What most of you don't know is that when I began this blog it was because my mom and her friend had decided to join this biggest loser competition at the school that they work at.  I thought to myself, "I can share my love of fitness and use my knowledge to help others reach their goals," but behind the scenes I was struggling with finding my own love of fitness again.  Over the past two years I had lost it somewhere along the way.

When my daughter, Pamela was born I was 210 lbs. and struggling with the thought of having to lose all the baby weight.  I became a runner and, since then, have completed 7 marathons and 5 half-marathons.  I love to run, or at least I did.  About s year ago, I woke up and realized I was 30 lbs. heavier, and I hadn't ran in over 7 months.  I decided I would take control and start running again.  What I found was that motivating myself to get up and do it was impossible.  My energy levels had spiraled downhill, and I was embarrassed that when I went for a run I spent more time walking than running.  I wasn't able to run at the level I was used to.  I was ashamed that I had allowed myself to become the out of shape, overweight person that I saw in the mirror, and used it as an excuse not to exercise.  I kept telling myself, "you will never get to the place that you were before, so it is pointless to even try."

So, when my mother mentioned that she and Bette would be doing the biggest loser I decided that if she could get out and work on herself then maybe I could help her.  I was hoping that it would help me too, but I was still focusing so much on all the negative parts of myself  that I didn't really believe it.

As you know, I haven't posted in almost two weeks.  The reason is that after a few weeks of seeing my mom and Bette and others like them work so hard to get their health back, I decided I had to take my own advice before I could give anymore to others.  I took a long hard look at my life and decided that the point wasn't to get back to where I was when I was a marathon runner, but, instead to find my happiness and health again, and whatever that level of fitness was had to be acceptable to me no matter what.  My sister, Megan, had called me and stated that she wanted to run the Palm Beach half-marathon, and that she wanted me to run it with her.I've never ran a race with one of my sisters, but I wanted to say yes so bad because spending that kind of time with her on something I love to do would be so much fun and such a great bonding experience for the two of us.  The problem was that I knew in my heart that I was in no shape to do that kind of race, and I wasn't sure if I would ever be there again.  That's when I decided it was time to commit to change.

As I began to look over my past blogs, I realized that goal setting and taking baby steps was something that I had never really had to do.  I had always been active and never really had known myself to be at any point where I had to work to get into shape.   Even after the birth of Pamela, I just did what came natural to me and lost the weight and kept my fitness levels up.  Now, here I was overweight, depressed and miserable about myself.  How had I gotten to this point?  So for the past two weeks I have done exactly what I have been preaching to you guys.  I set some fitness goals, created rewards and made the commitment.  It hasn't been easy.  I found myself really struggling with hating myself for allowing me to get to this point in my life, and I am still struggling with trying to be the person I used to be, and knowing I can't, but I have still been forcing myself to get out there and run EVERY day. 

The reason that I am writing this today is because last night during my run I finally felt that love and enjoyment again.  For the first time in two years I caught myself smiling and feeling healthy again.  I was able to make it the entire 4 miles without feeling any negative thoughts.  Did I walk some?  Absolutely, but it felt GREAT!  I know some of you are thinking, "4 miles!  I would love to be able to do that.  What is she complaining about?."  I understand that, but for the person who ran 10 miles daily for nearly 10 years, a 4 mile walk/run seemed like a failure to me two weeks ago.  But it suddenly hit me that it isn't about the past.  It's about the here and now.  It's about taking control of your life in the present and forgetting about who you were and choosing to become who you want to be.  It's about getting up everyday and saying today is the day that I will take one more step to becoming better than who I am now.  I have finally found my love of fitness again.

The reason I am sharing this with all of you is that you guys did it for me.  You guys took the first steps to reaching your fitness goals while I had all the knowledge and past experience and wasn't using it for myself.  I was letting my life spiral into an unhealthy lifestyle of sedentary obesity.  So, I want to say thank you.  I have set a goal to run that half-marathon with my sister, and it is going to be glorious even if I have to walk some of the way.  I hope you guys will continue to strive to reach your goals too, and I hope you will keep me posted on your progress as the summer goes by.  Please feel free to comment on any of my blog posts and also, if you have any questions or topics that you want me to cover.  Post them in the comments section, and  I will do my best to help because you guys have truly helped me take the first step to becoming healthier and happier.  Thank you.

For more information on exercise tips and health visit www.myhomegymtoday.com and www.moseleygymnastics.com

Strength Training: Who needs it?

When it comes to strength training, you do not build new muscle cells.  The true fact is that with age comes degradation of muscle cells regardless of your activity or lifestyle.  What happens with strength training is that new muscle mass is developed within each cell that remains.  The potential growth of those proteins, essentially, your red meat, is amazing enough to keep you fit and healthy for life.  You can lose half your muscle cells and half your peak fitness, and still end up healthier at 80 than you were at 20 if you remember that you are a strength and endurance predator...well at least you were created to be one. 

Peak performance declines with age.  A person who can bench press 700 lbs. at 20 will be down to 400 lbs. by age 60.  Those number sound discouraging, but they are not.  I mean, how strong do you really need to be?  Even at age 60 the loss of half your muscle cells in this scenario shows enormous results for what has been done with the remaining cells.  By the way, the world bench press record for a man at 85 is 175 lbs.  That's more than most of us can do now, so remember your body has an amazing ability to stay strong and fit.

I have talked a lot about cardiovascular fitness in my previous blog posts, however, strength training is also a necessary and important part of remaining fit and healthy.  How do you begin a strength training program?  Well that is a little more complex than beginning a cardio routine, however, my first suggestion is to have the right equipment and plan.  We will be discussing this in my next post, however, until then, keep working on the healthy, happy life you deserve.

WANT TO WORK WITH ME FOR FREE?

GO TO www.coachellen.idlife.com and take your free health assessment or

contact me at ellenidlife@gmail.com

Why track my heart rate during my workout?

The easiest and most effective way to monitor your heart rate during your workout is to use a heart rate monitor.  This is a simple device that is operated with a chest strap and a watch.  It monitors your heart rate in real time.  If you are serious about your workouts and weight loss, it is worth the investment because it is a great tool to keep you on track with your goals.  They can be purchased for under $65, and are a tremendous help in monitoring the intensity of your cardio sessions.




What does your heart rate tell you?

When starting a cardio program, it is extremely helpful to know your intensity levels in order to track your progress, goals and results.  Here are some reasons why knowing your heart rate is important:

• You can find out if you are working to hard.  When beginning an exercise program, it may be difficult to understand exactly how hard to push yourself.  Often times, people tend to start out to hard and then end up in burn out mode.  Knowing your heart rate will help you keep track of exactly how hard you are working so that you can avoid overworking yourself and ending up with an injury or intense soreness.

• You can track your progress and results.  The more fit you become, the quicker you recover.  If you start a program, and it takes you 10 minutes after your workout for your heart rate to get back to normal, and then 3 months later it is only taking you 5 minutes to get your heart rate back to normal, you know that what you are doing is working.  Also, if you are doing a cardio workout at 145 beats per minute, and several weeks later that same cardio only gets your heart rate to 125 beats per minute, then you know it is time to step your training up a notch to continue to see gains in your fitness.  Knowing your heart rate can give you a lot of usable data to keep you on track with your goals.  

• You can track your workout recovery.  You can track your recovery from day to day by keeping up with your early morning pulse each day.   If on any particular day you wake up and check your heart rate and it is 10 beats higher than normal, then you know you probably haven't recovered from your workout the previous day, or you are over trained and might need to take an extra rest day to allow your body to repair.  

Whatever means that you use to keep track of your heart rate, the important things is that you keep a record of it so that you can utilize that data to your benefit.

Until next time, keep choosing the healthy, happy life you deserve.



Want to work with me for FREE?  Go to www.coachellen.idlife.com and take your free health assessment or contact me at ellenidlife@gmail.com to set up your free health assessment and consultation.

How hard are you working to reach your weight loss goals?

To get the benefits from your cardio workouts, you need to know what level your intensity is.  This helps you to make sure you are working at a moderate to high enough intensity to get the benefit of weight loss and calorie expenditure.  Obviously, a leisurely stroll in the park does not burn as much fat and calories as swimming laps or running around a track.  Additionally, exercising at an intensity level that is too high for you can cause injury and burn out.  Depending on your goals, you may need to make adjustments to your workout routine to get the most benefits from your exercise.

The simplest way to monitor your intensity is to talk.  You should always be able to carry on a conversation while you are exercising.  If you are unable to talk, then your intensity level is, most likely, higher than 85% of your target zone.  However, if you are able to belt out songs like an opera singer during your workout, then you would probably do yourself a service by picking up the pace somewhat.  You should feel like you are working, but you don't want to feel as though you are going to need an ambulance at any minute.

If you are like me, and you want a more scientific approach to knowing your intensity level, then you may like the "perceived exertion" method of gauging your workout intensity.  This uses a scale of 1-10 that corresponds to how hard you feel you are working.  If you perceive you are working at a 1 or 2 on the intensity level, then you should most likely increase your workout level, however, if you perceive you are at a 9 or 10, which is equivalent to your lungs feeling like they might explode at any minute, then you should probably drop the level of intensity down some.  The rate of "perceive exertion" is a great tool to use as you begin to get fit and modify your program because if you started out walking 1 mile at what you perceived as a 7 intensity level, and after a month of doing this your rate now feels like it is only a 5, then it might be time for you to increase your speed or duration to account for your body adapting to a more fit lifestyle.  Below is a chart that you can use to gauge your workout intensity.

• 10 (maximum effort)  -  It's nearly impossible to continue.  Completely out of breath, sweating profusely, and you are unable to talk.
• 9 (very hard effort) -  It's very challenging, though not impossible to maintain the activity.  You can barely talk, and your breathing very hard and sweating a lot.
• 7-8 (Vigorous effort) - You're on the edge of your comfort zone.  Short of breath, heart is beating hard, you are sweating, and you can talk only in short sentences.
• 4-6 (Moderate effort) - It feels like you can keep moving for quite awhile without having to stop.  Breathing heavy, sweating, and you can talk in complete sentences and hold short conversations.
• 2-3 ( Light effort) - It feels like you can keep moving with very little effort for a long time.  Light sweat, you can easily hold a conversation.
• 1 (Very light effort) - You're doing something that requires virtually no physical effort.  Watching TV, sitting or typing at a computer.  No sweating or heart rate elevation at all.  

By using the talk test or rate of "perceive exertion," you are able to get a very valid and useful measurement of your workout intensity.  However there are ways of determining your exercise intensity in exact numerical terms to help you get even more benefit from your cardio workouts.  We will discuss how to figure target heart rates and use heart rate monitors in my next blog post.  Until then, keep working on that healthy, happy life you deserve.


WANT MY HELP TO REACH YOUR HEALTH GOALS?  SET UP YOUR FREE HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND GET A PLAN OF ACTION IN PLACE TO GET YOU TO YOUR GOALS BY GOING TO: www.coachellen.idlife.com and click on "take free health assessment" or contact me for your personal consultation.

Warm up, Cool down and Workout in between!

Many people skip the warm up and cool down part of their workouts because they feel jumping in and getting going is the best use of their workout time.  This is completely false.  If you do not have a proper warm up you are just itching to get injured.

Warm-up
A proper warm up involves 5-10 minutes of stretching and low intensity cardio to get the body prepared to exercise at a higher level.  Blood flow, heart rate and oxygen levels increase gradually, and make the workout much more enjoyable and safe.  Warm muscles and joints are more pliable and less likely to rip or tear during activity.  The increased blood flow helps oxygen and essential nutrients to get to your working parts so that you can be strong and effective during your workout.  Because this redirection of blood flow takes time, you will tire more quickly during your workout if you do not do a proper warm up.  Additionally, your heart rate will increase gradually with a warm up, and allow you to control your breathing much better than if you jump into a high intensity workout and cause your heart rate to shoot up quickly.

Cool Down

After your workout, it is important to give your body the necessary time for recovery before plopping down on the couch or jumping into the shower.  You need to ease out of your workout the same way you eased into it.  Walk or jog at an easy pace for 2-5 minutes.  This helps to redirect the blood flow back to where it needs to be during rest.  After your heart rate has slowed down, you should spend another 5 minutes or so stretching your muscles to make sure they don't get stiff and sore.  Without the proper cool down, you risk the chance of blood pooling in your legs or other body parts.  This can cause dizziness, fainting and nausea.  Working out should leave you feeling happy and accomplished, not sick and dizzy.

So, the next time you workout, don't skimp on the warm up and cool down phase of your routine.  It will not only help you to enjoy your workout more, but it will greatly benefit your body and help with keeping you feeling strong and healthy during your training sessions.

Until next time, keep working on the healthy, happy life you deserve.



For more information on health and wellness, or to take your FREE health assessment visit: www.coachellen.idlife.com (no cc required to take assessment)

Resting? How it relates to weight loss.

  

Even when your body is at rest, it is working and expending energy.  Your lungs expand and contract, your heart beats, your food is digesting, your hormone glands are secreting and your liver is metabolizing nutrients.  In addition, your muscles are being gently used and your cells are sending electrical impulses back and forth.  In essence, your brain is signaling your body to function.  

All of these automatic body functions require energy.  That energy is provided by the calories that you eat on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.  Therefore, your body uses calories even at rest.  This is what is referred to as your Resting Energy Expenditure or REE.  This energy accounts for a massive 60 to 70% of your daily energy needs.  

So, if you are sitting still all day long, you still need a certain number of calories to survive.  If you add in activity such as exercise, house cleaning, computer work, walking the halls of work or anything else, then your body requires more than your REE to survive.  

By knowing what your REE is, you can determine the minimum caloric requirement you need to function and you can determine what a safe and healthy caloric intake you can use to lose weight or gain weight.  If your body requires 2000 calories at rest, and you then add in a 5 mile run which expends roughly 500 calories, then you must have 2500 calories a day to maintain your current weight. If you want to lose weight, then you can subtract some of the additional 500 calories to help in that process.  What you don’t want to do is go below the REE your body needs to survive.  By going below your REE, you are placing your body into a “starvation mode,” which can actually slow your metabolism rate.  This may help you lose weight in the short term, but in the long run it will only serve to help you gain more weight than you initially started with.

To determine your REE you must first figure your weight in kilograms.  There are 2.2 pounds in one Kg.  So to get your weight in Kgs. you should divide your weight by 2.2.  For example, if you weight 150lbs. then your weight in Kgs. is 68.2.  After that, figuring your REE is as simple as plugging the number in the appropriate equation below.

How many calories do you need when you’re resting?
Males
18-30 years	(15.3 x weight in Kg) + 679
31-60 years	(11.6 x weight in Kg) + 879
Older than 60	(13.5 x weight in Kg) + 487
Females
18-30 years	(14.7 x weight in Kg) + 496
31-60 years	(8.7 x weight in Kg) + 829
Older than 60 years	(10.5 x weight in Kg) + 596

The National Research Council, Recommended Dietary Allowances (Washington, D.C.: National  Academy Press, 1989)

Until next time, keep reaching for that healthy, happy life you deserve!





For more information on health and wellness or to take your FREE health assessment go to:
www.coachellen.idlife.com

"Weight Loss Plan of Attack"

After your initial go ahead from your physician to begin a fitness program, the first and foremost step in beginning any type of fitness or lifestyle change is to plan ahead.  Studies show that when people are given a specific target they are 30% more successful than people who just jump in with both feet and start to swim.  In order to plan your journey, you have to know your starting point, so that involves assessing your current level of health.

Assessment:

Several questions should be answered in order to know what your starting point is. 

1.  What is your height?

2.  What is your weight?

3.  What is your resting heart rate?  This can be done by counting your pulse for 60 seconds after you have been sitting or resting for 2 to 3 hours.  A more accurate measure would be to wake up on your own after a good night sleep and roll over and check your pulse for 60 seconds. 

4.  What is your percentage of body fat?  This can be done by an exercise physiologist who has the proper tools to measure skin folds, or underwater weighing.  You can also do this yourself by purchasing an inexpensive body composition scale that will assess your weight and fat percentage, but make sure you are hydrated well and avoid alcohol at least 24 hours before testing.

5.  What is your BMI (Body Mass Index)?  This is found by typing body mass calculator in a search engine and entering your height and weight.  The guidelines from the National Health Institute will be used and you will be given a number.  The guidelines are also on the website to help you utilize the number to see where you stand in your weight category.

6.  What is your blood Pressure?  You can do this at any pharmacy for free with the machines that they offer to their customers. 

Once you have assessed these things, you have a snapshot of your overall weight and health status.  Keep these numbers in a fitness journal or notebook.  Label this page “Initial Assessment,” and make sure it is dated with the day and year.  These numbers will be used later to re-assess where you are in relation to when you started.

Once your initial assessment is done, it is time to set some goals and rewards for achieving those goals.  We want to set long-term goals that we hope to reach over an 8 week time, and then set some short-term goals that we can meet weekly or bi-monthly to help us stay motivated for the long haul.  

Long-Term Goal Setting:

As I stated before, our long-term goal should start with a plan for a period of 8 weeks.  Make your goals realistic and achievable.  We don’t want to plan to run a marathon in 8 weeks if we have never been a runner before, but running or walking a 5k in 8 weeks is very realistic.  Think of these long-term goals as stepping stones to your ultimate life-term goals which are the goals you set out to achieve and maintain for a lifetime.  Make sure these goals are challenging and meaningful, and make sure to WRITE THEM DOWN IN YOUR JOURNAL.  Writing them down and being able to review them will help us to stay motivated and on track. 

 

Short-Term Goal Setting:

Having your long-term goals broken down into smaller steps will help us to feel success along the way.  When we learned to swim, we didn’t just get in the water and start swimming until finally one day we were able to stay above water.  We first learned to put our face in the water and blow bubbles, then, we learned to kick and move our arms.  We had to learn to hold our breath and float.  Treading water was probably a step for some of us also.  Then one day we took each of those pieces and put them together and became a swimmer.  Short-term goals work the same way.  Each small step will add up to our ultimate goal, but along the way we won’t be drowning in frustration and impatience because we will be able to chart our progress and see that we are moving in the right direction.  Short-term goals can be things like, “I will do at least 30 minutes of walking three times during the first 2 weeks,” or “I will do 2 spinning classes each week for 2 weeks.”  Whatever they are, I will repeat that it is important to make them realistic and put them in our journal to review and check off as we go.

Rewards:

When setting rewards for your goals, you want to make sure you have your short and long term goals written with the rewards for each goal beside them.  8 weeks is a long time to wait for results, so by putting them in the open, on a vanity mirror, refrigerator or computer, then you are able to continue to see, track and reward your results along the way.  One of my clients put a dollar in a jar for every mile she ran and after 2 weeks she would take the money and get a manicure or go to a movie with a friend.  It wasn’t a lot, but it kept her motivated and allowed her to enjoy the fruits of her labor.  The one thing I will encourage you to not to do is reward yourself with junk food or eating out.  Keep your rewards in line with your long-term goals which are to feel better, lose weight and be healthy.

Keep in mind, always keep a workout journal so you can mark your goals and rewards, and you can also look at what you have accomplished each day to keep you motivated for the next day.  Workout journals can be found at any bookstore, or you can use a workout app on your phone or join an online workout tracking website to help you if you prefer to keep things off paper.

Until next time, keep reaching for that healthy, happy life you deserve.

Take your FREE health assessment at:  www.coachellen.idlife.com




Any link or ads that take you to an outside party indicates that I likely have an affiliate relationship and benefit in some way either by reciprocal links or financially.  I make all product recommendations and affiliate ad choices based on what I feel will most benefit my readers, not how much my commission or benefit is from that affiliate.  

So you want to get fit?

Now that you have some basics on the importance of exercise in our lives, you are ready to begin, right?  I can't lace up your shoes and force you to get up, but I can give you good information to help you begin your journey.  I will be beginning a series of blogs called, "Get your butt up and start moving."   I will, of course, be posting it to facebook daily, but would prefer you click the link and actually follow it directly.  It helps keep me motivated if I see that people are actually using the information I am giving, plus it allows you to participate in the discussions which can help keep us all in check with our fitness and health goals. 

Some of the topics and discussions will include the five components of fitness and how they relate to you and your goals, home gym workouts vs. gym memberships (I'm a home gym fan myself even though I own a gym - LOL), benefits and differences of programs such cardio and toning, Goal setting, finding balance, staying active with injuries and age and much more.  I hope you will join me in beginning a fitness journey of health and balance.

Just a quick note on this upcoming series:

I will be making certain assumptions about my readers, and I hope you will be patient if these assumptions are not exactly accurate.  First, I am going to assume everyone is wanting to begin or re-invigorate their current exercise program by sorting out all the myths from the truths about programs, products and nutrition.  I will assume, also, that you would like to become more informed about exercise and how you can use it to become more fit and healthy, and I will be covering the latest and most up-to-date information on fitness and nutrition to help you on your quest. 

Understand there is no magic pill to get you fit.  You must be committed to the cause, spend the necessary time learning and doing and you must set goals and rewards for yourself so that you can keep motivated and informed about your progress.  I hope you will all join me in taking action to get the healthy, happy lives we deserve!




For more information on exercise and health, visit: www.coachellen.idlife.com



Disclaimer:  You can assume that any links that take you to products outside this blog are companies that I have an affiliate relationship with, and, in some way receive benefits such as reciprocal links or commission from sales.  I choose my links based on my opinion of what might benefit my readers , and not based on the amount of my comissions.

Looking for Springtime.

Our modern lifestyle of endless food and no exercise send signals to our body that we are heading into famine and will not likely survive.  The way we were originally created allows our brain to adapt to this “pretend winter” that we have placed our body in.  It responds by storing energy and preparing for survival during long periods of famine and winter.  This was a normal part of society millions of years ago when we were gatherers and hunters.  The body has built in defense mechanisms to help us survive until spring returns.  These survival mechanisms include depression, slowed metabolism, stored body fat and non-critical body system shut down.  All but our crucial body systems slow to a crawl or cease to function.  We live in a constant state of survival mode, or body corrosion.  Chronic stress in our modern lives has much the same affect.  But what if we chose to live our lives in a constant state of springtime?  Could it be that simple?

As I have stated before, the brain is blind, and it only knows what we choose to tell it.  Our bodies will live in the state that we tell it to.  It will always function according to the way it was created, which was to live in nature.  Therefore, physical exercise triggers growth and power.  It tells the body that life is good and abundant.  

The body is made up of hundreds of things that trigger growth and corrosion, but for our purposes we are going to focus on two of them.  The strength builders called, cytokine-10, and the corrosion helpers cytokine-6.  These are both used during exercise.  Exercise produces corrosion and our bodies release C6, which then triggers growth and repair shortly after which causes our body to produce the C10 necessary to make us strong.  It's an easy way of explaining the principle of overload that we have all heard about most of our lives.  The amount of growth you produce is directly proportional to the intensity and duration that you exercise.  That is why it is important to exercise at a moderate to high intensity level for at least 4-5 days each week.  Your body will then be in a consistent state of growth and repair.  

Until next time, keep working on the healthy, happy life you deserve.

ny link or ads that take you to an outside party indicates that I likely have an affiliate relationship and benefit in some way either by reciprocal links or financially.  I make all product recommendations and affiliate ad choices based on what I feel will most benefit my readers, not how much my commission or benefit is from that affiliate.  

THIS ARTICLE IS MEANT FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.  IT IS NOT DESIGNED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT OR CURE ANY DISEASE.  PLEASE ASK YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE BEGINNING ANY SUPPLEMENTATION PROGRAM. ANY HEALTH PROGRAM SHOULD BE DONE IN CONJUNCTION WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN AND INVOLVE HEALTHY EATING, EXERCISING AND GOOD SUPPLEMENTATION.

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