"Gear" up!

I love this idea! (I know there's a typo) but if you put in the effort and take some time to amp up your work out attire, I feel that you will be much more likely to continue with or start up a routine!

Don't want to spend a bunch of cash? Hit up stores like Marshalls, TJMaxx, and Ross. They have a ton of work out gear for pretty cheap and cute :)

Also, I just recently purchased a pair of the Nike Free Run sneakers (shown here)! They are great! Super comfy and very light weight so it is easy to take them with you day to day or when you are traveling - no excuses!

I am about to head out and try another instructor's circuit class with my friend Rose! I'm pumped! 


What will you do today??

Fun Fit Hobby

Spring has sprung! And so have all the weeds in my yard! 

I have been working on de-weeding over the past couple of weeks and today I got to put down some much needed mulch! 

All this work has got me thinking about what a great hobby gardening is! Its fun, rewarding, relatively cheap, and gets you outside to enjoy beautiful mother nature! Being able to look at all of the progress I have made just in a couple weeks makes me proud and I feel good about my work.

On top of all this, I'm burning calories! Pull enough weeds and your arms and back will be pretty sore the next day! With general gardening you can burn over 200 calories an hour! Just think of what you could do in an afternoon!

I wanted to put this idea out there to illustrate how fun being active can be! Gardening is a great hobby to do solo, or with friends and family. So, I encourage you to try something new and get out there!

Happy planting!

Fitness Must-Have!

Busy? Travel all the time? Work all the time? Don't have money for the gym?

Buy a JUMP ROPE!

Jump roping is a fun, easy, and very inexpensive way to burn lots of calories, improve cardiovascular endurance, and build upper and lower body strength! And you don't need much time at all!

Jump ropes: 

-are easily found for under $20 online or in sports stores.

-travel and store easily! (they can fit virtually everywhere, unlike a treadmill!)

-can burn the same amount of calories as running, in less time!

-build muscle.

-good for the heart.

-can be easier on the joints than running when done properly.

-are fun!

 

-anyone can do it!

Jump ropes are such an easy way to improve your fitness even for a seasoned trainer or a novice exerciser. 

Weighted jump ropes are also available for those who want to step it up even more!

So, no matter how busy, broke, or tired you are just try jumping rope for 10-15 minutes a day and work from there!

Happy Jumping!

Filling Veggie Sandwich Idea

Here is a great vegetarian option to a standard lunch meat sandwich! 

Start with whole wheat sliced bread of your choice. 

Use 1/3 to 1/2 avocado to spread on one side of your bread.

Slice up some fresh tomatoes.

Prepare your lettuce (I like Organic Spring Mix already packaged).

Spread the other slice of bread with mustard. Yellow mustard has no calories and is a nice way to add some flavor!

Cook up a veggie burger patty to give this sandwich a nice protein punch! You can grill a veggie burger on a frying pan or if you are in a rush heating it up in the microwave is easy too.

If you want to, add a slice of cheese on top of the veggie burger when it is almost cooked so it gets nice and ooie-gooie! (Omit this for a vegan option)

Lastly, pile everything nice and high on your sliced bread and cut in half for a delicious healthy lunch!

Veggie burgers are packed with protein which will keep you full, and they have less fat then your standard lunch meats which makes this a great healthy alternative! There are many different brands and styles of veggie burgers, so find one that you like the best!

You can always add more veggies like carrots, onions, or even jalepenos for a nice spicy hit!

Enjoy!

Just A Little Motivation

From time to time we all get stuck, discouraged, hit a wall, or just down right tired!

So, I just wanted to give a little pick me up  and tell you to keep on pushing and that any little bit counts!

Keeping active has so many benefits! I want to encourage you to get off the couch and do something, anything, everyday! Consistency is the only way!

Happy Friday!

Treadmill Tip

On Tuesdays I have a long break in between classes so I take advantage of that time to work out!

Today it was raining so it was great to be able to use our campus gym for their treadmill. I definitely prefer taking a run outside, but when in need, its the treadmill indeed! 

The treadmill is a great way to keep track of how far you have gone, how many calories you have burned, and even what your heart rate is! However, there is one thing I would like to point out. I did notice a few fellow runners around me did not have their treadmill on any incline. While running on a treadmill is great, it may effect the way you run or even slow you down once you are able to hit the pavement. The treadmill is a much softer surface which is good for your knees, but it does not give the same resistance as running on the sidewalk or a path.

So, just be sure to have your incline set at least at 1, but I usually use 2. There will be buttons that are either labeled "incline" or "level" and use the up arrows.

If you are not into running, but like to use the treadmill for walking, I challenge you to pump it up even more! Increase the incline for yourself little by little and you are sure to have a better, more satisfying work out!

This can even be done on other machines like the elliptical! If you are not a fan of the treadmill, or they are all taken at the gym, increase your incline/level on other machines and take your fitness to the next level!

New Trend for the Vend?

I was pleasantly surprised the other day when I walked into the locker room at our campus gym. There was a "healthier choice" vending machine! 

I thought this was pretty cool and was excited to see what this Sprout machine had to offer!

(Keep in mind I can't remember the last time I even looked into a vending machine, let alone bought something from one!)

They offer a selection of "healthier" chips like baked styles and Stacy's pita chips. They also had some Open Nature cheese-it type crackers (I love a good cheese-it!). 

For drinks there were some organic sodas and milks along with soy milk and coconut water.

OK, so I wasn't super impressed, but I guess I can't expect to see apples and bananas dropping down from a metal coil in a machine!

I am however glad to see that there are major steps being taken to provide a healthier choice that is also quite convenient.

The one thing I forgot to do was check the prices of these items! They may not be as cheap as the usual fixings, but prices are high now a days anyway and I can contest to the fact that it is in fact worth it to spend a little extra to get something better for you.