So...I Heard You're Up For A Little Thing Called...A Challenge??

     Motivation!! Where are you?? Yea, I heard you saying that to yourself the other day. Nothing gets past this trainer! Well, don’t let it get the best of you. If you haven’t found that SPARK of motivation yet, I’m here to help. I’m not going to give you the option of being or not being motivated, I’m going to CHALLENGE you to MAKE yourself motivated for the next 30 days. (Believe it or not, motivation IS a choice)
     You will be required to perform certain exercises ever day which will approximately take up 30 minutes of your time…and on some days, you will be required to do more, but it’s nothing that you guys can’t handle. You will be required to participate in posting so that we all still know you are out there, challenging yourself…and I will also ask for a before and after picture . At the end of 30 days you will write a short summary of your 30 day experience and tell me how you feel you have changed. I will choose an overall winner based on how much you guys participate, your stories, and your results. The winner will receive a personalized meal plan (based on the food YOU like) and a personalized workout routine based on their needs and goals.
     Things you will need to do: On day one you will need to perform all the required exercises (which are to be done every day) and you will need to record your results. I want those results posted under the blog so that we all know where you are starting. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t very good because it’s improvement that we are looking for!
      I will also need you to send me a before picture of yourself to nat00nic@gmail.com . I do want to see skin, but keep it appropriate! I will not post any inappropriate pictures!
     You also need to print out this 30 day challenge and keep it somewhere safe. That way you can prepare for the following day and make time for your needed activities to be completed.
     In this blog I have posted several exercises which you are to perform. IF you are not familiar with the exercise, please use Google images to find a picture of the exercise or use YouTube to watch someone do it… that way you can perform the exercise efficiently and safely. And of course, if you ever have questions…you ask me anytime! I am challenging you guys to really TAKE THAT STEP and get on track to making yourself fit! Life isn’t ONLY about overcoming challenges, but learning from them too so you can apply that knowledge in the future. Make the choice today to take one step forward…it’s only one step afterall =D Good luck and I look forward to meeting you all very soon through posts, pictures, and emails! Show me and everyone else around you that YOU are the one who is ready to change your life…today!

THIS CHALLENGE WILL START JULY 20^th AND END AUGUST 19^th! YOU HAVE APPROXIMATELY 1 WEEK TO GET YOUR PICTURES AND NAMES IN! POST UNDER THE BLOG TO LET EVERYONE ELSE KNOW YOU WILL BE PARTICIPATING!!

Things you will be doing everyday:
Push-ups for 2 min  (On your knees is fine)
Sit-ups for 2 min (Legs straight out, try to sit all the way up if possible…if not, start where you can)
20 min. of cardio (You choose whatever type of cardio you like…walking, biking, elliptical, etc… but you will stick with this for the next 30 days, everyday…so make sure you like it!)


Day 1: Do your push-ups, sit-ups, and 20 min. of cardio (your choice of cardio, but you have to stick with it! That way we can see improvements!)  Record the number of push-ups and sit-ups you did along with how much distance you covered during your twenty minutes of cardio. Now…take a picture! We can’t see results if we can’t see you! Men…take your shirts off! Women, wear a sports bra! We want to see the most of you while still being appropriate…so while we don’t want to see ALL you have to offer…take it off!

Day 2: Drink at least 64 oz of water today. I know it’s tough for some people to get enough liquids, but water helps flush out built up toxins in our body which often are detrimental to our fitness goals. We want to be at our best everyday and to do so; we need to take extra effort in doing the basics such as…drinking water!  (If you have a camelback water bottle let me see you post: Yeaaaaa!)

Day 3: Today I want you to take time to stretch out all your stressed out muscles. 30 minutes of stretching today and not a minute less! Remember, you can stretch more than your arms and legs!
Neck, Back, Obliques, Shoulders, Hip Flexors, Glutes, Thighs, Hamstrings, Calves, Triceps, Biceps, Pectorals, Abdominals, Adductors, IT band, and hey…don’t forget to give your mind a stretch too =D

Day 4: Get outside and exercise! In addition to your 20 minutes of exercise, I’d like you to take an extra 20 and get some fresh air. You have 3 options: Take a walk, a jog, or a bike ride. One of these should be noted as being done today. If you already do cardio outside, good for you! Switch it up now and take a bike ride or take a fast paced walk. Just because you’re already outside, doesn’t mean you can’t do something new!

Day 5: Music is motivation. Some people put their iPod on shuffle or just don’t use any music at all. Today I want you to CREATE a specific playlist including songs that really motivate you to move. Music can make you just THAT much more successful. People with music tend to perform better and I want performance from you guys! Share your lists with us, we all want to know what works for you too!

Day 6: Rah Rah Rah! Go out and get your sports fanatic side on! I don’t care if you are playing tag, soccer, catch, or even swimming. I want you to be active today and take part in a sport that you used to play when you were younger or in a sport you haven’t played in a long time. You may say, “I don’t play sports” ….Well, even if you aren’t a sports fanatic…take a ball outside and toss it around or play tag with a 5 year old…something that will cause you to move in a way that you are not used to. You’ll be surprised at the muscles you feel tomorrow from the game you play today. Go!

Day 7: Excuse me, are you really still drinking soda and eating your daily bag of lays? Well, today I challenge you to eat healthy. It’s only one day! =D Turn those white breads brown and choose the baked lays instead. Add fruits and vegetables, and don’t forget to eat clean proteins. (Chicken, Tofu, Fish, etc.)
Let me know how you feel at the end of the day! Do you have more energy? Do you feel less bloated? I want to know! (And don’t forget to drink water!!)

Day 8: Intervals! Today for your 20 minutes of cardio…I want you to still do the same type (whichever you have chosen) but do it in intervals. For example, go as fast as you can for 1 min and then go back to your normal pace for 2 min. Or if you are out on the road walking or jogging…try jogging for 2 minutes and then walking for 2 minutes. Whatever you are doing, I want you to interval-it-up! How does it feel different from what you’ve been doing?

Day 9: I like to move it, move it…move it! Today you will adding the following exercises into your day:
1 min: Jumping Jacks
1 min: Squats (with or without weights, depends on your fitness level)
1 min: Mountain Climbers (if you don’t know what these are, youtube or google them!)
1 min: Arm circles (With or without weights, depends on your fitness level)
1 min: Knee Lifts (1 leg at a time, knee as high as you can, alternating. With or without weights)

Do this circuit 4 times . That should add 20 minutes of exercise to your day. If you have to rest in between circuits, that’s okay. If some of the exercises are too difficult, modify them, but I want you moving for every minute I have put down here.

Day 10: Motivating is motivation! Today I want you to motivate someone else to get fit! Whether you take them on a walk or jog with you or talk to them about how to improve their eating habits…when you motivate others you motivate yourself. Get someone involved in being healthy!

Day 11: Mile day! Whatever cardio you are doing, I want you to get the first mile in as fast as you can. After that you can slow it down and go back to a normal pace, but for the first mile you are going to push yourself. Post your mile times and what your goal for the future is!

Day 12: Turn your home into a workout zone! Go through your house and set heavy objects in inconvenient places. Take large cans of food or heavy books and set them in places where you will need to move them. Doing this throughout the day will give your muscles some extra stimulation and hopefully you will burn some extra calories!

Day 13: Tight schedule? Today I want you to make a schedule for yourself, even if you haven’t been struggling to get in your exercise time. If you sit down and MAKE time for your exercise in your daily planner, then there will be no excuse for you to miss it. Find the time of the day when it’s easiest for you to get in some physical exertion! No excuses!

Day 14: Just a little bit farther! Today you are going to park at the farthest end of the parking lot, take the stairs, and speed up your pace where ever and whenever you can. The extra distance and kick in your step will burn some extra calories and get you that much closer to your goal of being FIT.

Day 15: Don’t give up! We are halfway there. Today you will assess your improvements. How has your distance improved on your cardio? Are you doing more push-ups or sit-ups? How can you improve still? Are you having trouble getting in all the exercise you need? Sit down and make sure you have a game plan for the next 15 days. I want to know what results you have seen so far! Post! Post! POST!

Day 16: Oh squats! So far we’ve been doing exercise everyday for over two weeks…so our legs and body should be getting conditioned. Today I want you to accomplish 100 squats throughout your day. What’s the problem? Not up for the challenge? Yes you are! This is a fitness challenge! You can break them up into 10 sets of 10 or 5 sets of 20 or bust all 100 out at the same time. Do them just normal or add some weights to make it more difficult. 100! I expect nothing less! Let me know how it goes! Every day you should be posting! =D

Day 17: Antioxidants! They help us clean out the toxins in our body and make it easier for our body to perform the tasks it’s supposed to. It can aid with water retention, weight loss, rebuilding our muscles after fatiguing them, and just plain ole, making us feel better. Today your focus is to get them into your diet. They can be found in the following: Green tea, Red and Pinto beans, Fresh berries, Olive Oil, Pecans, Walnuts, Kale, Cabbage, Spinach, Prunes, Raisins, Russet potatoes, and yes, even dark chocolate. There are other foods containing them, but these should get you started. Good luck! Post on which foods you decided to add to your diet!

Day 18: What in the plank!  That’s right. Plankin’ it out all day long today. If you have to use your knees, that’s fine! All I want is a good, sturdy plank from each and every one of you. However, not just one, but 3. Hold each plank as long as you can…and let me know what your longest time was! If you aren’t sure what a plank is, google it. Knees down or up, it’s fine…but get some plankin’ time in!

Day 19: Prepare to be cross trained! Today you will take your 20 minutes and make them into 21. You have 3 sets of 7 minutes to do each type of cardio. I want you to choose three types of cardio: Biking, jogging, walking, elliptical, jump roping, stairs, jumping side to side, knee lifts, dancing, ect. Choose three exercises and you will do each for 7 minutes. Each 7 minutes should be intense and you should be pushing yourself on that specific type of cardio as hard as you can. DO NOT take breaks in between exercises, move from one exercise to the next. Post which types of cardio you have chosen today!

Day 20: THR33 HUNDRED Workout!
#1: Squats with weights (if you don’t have any, pick up some books or soup cans!)
#2: Reverse Crunch
#3: Mountain Climbers
#4: Power Bridge Exercise
#5: Arm Circles

You will do 20 repetitions of each exercise and you will do three sets of the circuit. Most everyone should be capable of doing these exercises. If for some reason you have an injury or something, then modify the exercise to meet your needs…don’t just give up on doing it all together. Good luck! Remember to get in your push-ups, sit-ups, and cardio today too!

Day 21: Nutrition is key when changing your body. Some of you out there eat too much or maybe you don’t each enough. Today I want you to write out 5 meals for yourself and try your best to fit them all in. It should include breakfast, lunch, and dinner and 2 snacks. Make your choices healthy…remember you are in control of your eating habits…so make sure yours are in check! Post ANY questions you have about food!

Day 22: Sometimes we forget that changing our bodies and getting results doesn’t ONLY include the number on the scale. Make a list of ALL the improvements you’ve made over the last 3 weeks. Do you feel happier? Are you losing inches? Have you gained strength? Have you become more motivated? Make a list of EVERY improvement you can think of. POST IT! We want to know! And then post it on your refrigerator or desk…so you’re reminded of them every day.

Day 23: I-S-O-L-A-T-I-O-N!! Today you will master the technique of isolation doing the following exercises: Squats, Push-ups, and Sit Ups
These exercises will be in addition to the ones that you have been doing daily. However, you will do 10 repetitions of each exercise and 3 sets. Squats: 4 seconds down, 2 seconds in the squat position, 1 second to return to a standing position. 10 times. Push ups (on your knees if need be): 4 seconds down, 2 seconds at the bottom, 1 second to pop back up. 10 times. Sit Ups: 4 seconds up (as high as you can raise up), 2 seconds at the top, 1 second to get back to a laying position. 10 times.
Your muscles should burn a little bit and will feel fatigued sooner than usual. This is what we want; this is what we’re looking for =D

Day 24: Ready! Set! TIME! Our workout yesterday was all about isolation, so today we will focus on time. Sometimes it is better to go not by a count but by time, it mixes things up and you will feel your muscles being fatigued in a way that isn’t your normal everyday “tired”. If you have weights, great. If not, go pick up soup cans or rocks, or whatever you can, because today we need some resistance. Each exercise will be performed for one minute. Do the exercise with speed, but with proper form. Do not rest in between exercises; however you can rest in between circuits. Perform the circuit 3 times.
Bicep Curls
Triceps Extension
Shoulder Press
Chest Press (Lay down on the ground or on a bench for this)
Dumbbell Row (or soup can row, whatever you happen to have)
Alternating Lunges (Or you can do squats if lunges are too hard on your knees, but TRY first!)

Day 25: Plan an outing. You may not be able to do it today because it is short notice, but I want you to plan an outing either by yourself or with friends…but I want you outside and I want you doing something physical! Maybe it’s a bike ride, rock climbing, taking a hike, or even a game of tennis. Whatever you choose to do, I want you to be physical, I want you to sweat because you’re doing an activity your body isn’t used! The more we change up our daily activities, the better results we are bound to find! Once you have it all planned out, POST your idea or your plan and WHO you will be doing it with so that others can be inspired or read what you are planning on doing! Post it!

Day 26: Stress plays a huge role in our lives unfortunately, so today I want you to make sure you relax yourself (Sorry, you still need to do your daily exercises!). IF possible, I want each and every one of you to do some yoga. That’s right. I don’t care if you look like Arnold and are a lean, mean 250 pound muscle machine…I want you to try some yoga. Breath deep, clear your thoughts, and relax your body. Without relaxation once in a while our bodies can’t get the results we want. You can find yoga classes at your local gym, clips on YouTube, or they even have videos at blockbuster. If you can’t fit Yoga in, I do expect you to take at least 15 minutes to meditate, clear your thoughts, and get some good relaxation in today for your mind and body. Post today on HOW you found relaxation!

Day 27: Goal Setting. Our challenge is almost up, but your journey doesn’t stop here. I want you to set five goals that you will plan on accomplishing within the following 30 days after our challenge ends. It is important to always have goals in mind and always be striving to accomplish something new. Post your 5 new goals today…discuss them, and tweak them until they are perfect for YOU and your NEXT 30 days!

Day 28: Abs-ession! People today only think about how to get their waist line smaller. Well, diet and exercise will do that, but it is important to have a good, strong core too. Today that will be our focus. The stronger our core is, the better our workouts will be, the less injury we will be susceptible too, and the more calories we will burn. You will do 20 repetitions of each exercise and 3 sets of the circuit. You can do them with or without weights…but if you are up to the challenge grab something heavy and rip those abs!
#1: Russian Twist
#2: Leg Lifts
#3: Bicycle Crunch
#4: Hip Thrust
#5: Butterfly Crunch

Day 29: Edu-ma-cate yourself! Alright, I know…that is the point of you reading this blog! You’re trying to educate yourself, which…great! That is what I like to hear! However, exercise is like a language...the more words you know, the more fluent you become…well with exercise, the more exercises you know, the better your workouts become! I want everyone to research 2 new exercises…2 that they have never tried before or never seen…and I want you to post on them! Post the name, how they could be useful to your workout, and how you plan on incorporating them into your workouts! Always try and educate yourself because the more you know the better results you will have. So, get at it! Let me know your NEW exercises! And post, post, post them!

Day 30: CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve made it! Today is the last day of the challenge and you have successfully made it. Today you will need to reassess yourself. Do your push-ups, sit-ups and 20 minutes of cardio…then compare your results with your beginning results and record your improvements. I want to know all the improvements you’ve made, I want to know how you feel now that you have successfully accomplished 30 days on the right track to changing your life! Send your personal stories to me with before and after pictures and let me decide who really set out to change their life during these past 30 days.

     I hope that you guys complete this challenge and find your weaknesses and strengths while participating. There might be days where you don’t FEEL like participating, but motivate yourself to be motivated! It’s a choice! Remember that! Your performance may vary from day to day, but as long as you are TRYING to keep with it, then you are doing what you have set out to do. Remember:

YOU ONLY FAIL WHEN YOU STOP TRYING TO SUCCEED!!
Now, go get your challenge on! Until next time! -Natalie

I'm Stressed && Quite Frankly...It's Stressin' Me Out!

     Summer is the time when we are supposed to find relaxation between the early sunrise and late sundown, but for some of us it just doesn’t happen that way.  There are many reasons why we get stressed…maybe you are a secret agent and you are constantly under pressure to keep secrets and live a double life. However, you could just be that normal guy who swallows fire and knives for your 9-5 job and well, since you can’t mess up…ever, that stresses you out a lot. Or maybe, you are the Queen of England and all the demands of your people are just getting to you. I’m not sure, it may be your job, it may be family, it could even be friends…but whatever it is that is stressing you out, unfortunately, it will also stress your body out and you will begin to see physical changes the longer you stay under that stress.
     What physical changes am I talking about? Well, I am sure that many of you have heard of Cortisol and if you haven’t, it is the hormone that our bodies release under stress. This hormone is often referred to as the “fight or flight” hormone because that is what it is supposed to help us do, yet if instead we sit around and let the stress stir…let it fester inside of us, our cortisol levels stay high. Cortisol tends to stay in the body for a longer time than other hormones so, if you are constantly under stress and you aren’t doing much to contain it, you will most likely maintain these high levels of cortisol.
     When the body produces cortisol it responds to stress by fueling the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates into energy, and urging the body to create insulin to control blood glucose levels which leaves us feeling hungry as our bodies try to replenish those nutrients. If we allow these cortisol levels to be high and we sit around being stressed, what most people tend to do is eat and they usually eat foods high in calories because they are left with a hungry feeling due to the energy that was spent to secret the hormone. What does that mean to you? Well…have you ever looked down at your waist and realized that you while you used to have a little pooch you now have a spare tire…and not the kind of spare tire you use for your bicycle, a spare tire that you might pull off of your Ford F150 sitting in your backyard. Yes, it’s a little depressing and yes IT IS stressful when we realize that our bodies are in this physical state.
     When we are stressed it affects our mood, energy levels, motivation, and we feel that one million things are piling up which have to get done. It is here that we substitute the time we used to use for the gym and use it towards “getting things done”. While putting all our energy towards our list of things to do, our energy levels drop and our stress levels rise and to try and balance this equation we often open the fridge and reach for the heaviest carbohydrate we can get our hands on. Maybe you prefer pasta or ice cream or even a Hershey’s bar, but whatever it is, it is only a temporary fix to raise your energy levels only to leave you crashing an hour later. What do we do when we crash? We reach for another carb. It’s an endless and vicious cycle if we let ourselves get caught up in it…so let’s not let that happen. Let’s set our priorities straight and see if we can’t show stress who is boss.

 #1. You think you don’t have time to get to the gym, but you do. If you have a busy week and you are stressed, no one ever said you had to spend two hours a day at the gym. No, you can get in 20 minutes of cardio which would be enough to release some endorphins into your system, get you feeling better, and you could be on your way. I won’t suggest that you only and ever do a routine of 20 minutes of cardio a day, but if you have a busy week, it would allow you to still get to the gym, spend much less time there, lower your stress level, and help you stay healthy. If you knew that you could be less stressed by spending only 20 minutes a day on yourself, would you do it? Come on! Your showers take longer than 20 minutes!

#2. When stress levels are high we are much more tempted to eat food that we normally would think twice about. When we are stressed we usually feel hungrier and because our mind is working on a different level, we don’t stop to think of what the consequence may be if we eat that big piece of chocolate cake or take that extra helping of chicken alfredo. I can’t say that your cravings for these foods will necessarily disappear just because you are doing exercise…but people that tend to do exercise tend to make better decisions when it comes to food. The best way I can prepare you for these cravings is to tell you to prepare yourself. If you know that you are becoming stressed and you feel that you are having cravings, you must take action in surrounding yourself with good options. Since carbs are really sugar to our body, you can find these same sugars by taking some fresh fruit and cutting it up into small pieces. The more pieces you have, the more you feel you are eating. When you get a craving for some ice cream or chocolate, you can instead reach for the fruit. The fruit has sugar which our body is telling us we need, but it has fewer calories. The sugar in the fruit should help subside your craving and it should contain enough sugar that your energy level will raise. Hopefully by giving yourself a better option such as this, you can avoid the big bowl of Ben and Jerry’s and opt for the fresh plate of apples and bananas. (Or whichever fruit you prefer =D )

#3. I am aware that one factor which can amplify stress levels is sleep. It is not always possible to get enough hours of sleep when we feel that we have so much to do. So, what are our other options when a good night’s rest is not one of them? You need to take time to stop, breath, and relax. This can take as few as 5 minutes or if you have the time, you could take 10 or 15. You must devote at least 5 minutes every few hours to just stop, walk away from your stress, and breathe.  Ever heard of the “Count back from 10” rule? Well, it works. Try closing your eyes, breathing deep from your diaphragm, and counting back from 10 nice and slow. It sounds funny and it may seem like it won’t do much, but if you allow yourself to clear your mind every few hours, it gives your body a break from the constant stress you feel you are under. Don’t deny yourself the time to disengage ever so often; it will make a big difference in how you feel at the end of the day. Meditation and deep breathing, shoulder rolling, and even stretching can all help you feel less stressed. What is my favorite way to get all this in? Yoga. Nevertheless, I understand that some of you don’t have that much time that you can devote to a yoga class…so then you can just practice the “Count back from 10” rule…but please, GIVE YOURSELF TIME TO BREATHE!

     The easiest part of being stressed is allowing yourself to be stressed. We are all guilty of it and it is very easy to let stress overwhelm us. However, while it may seem that you will be less stressed if you DON’T go to the gym today, don’t listen to that little voice inside your head. Exercising will give you energy, endorphins, you’ll feel better about yourself, and you will most likely make better food choices. If you are stressed this week and get on the scale next week only to find you have gained 5 pounds, the stress will start all over again. We have to find a way to remember that it is important to always maintain a good relationship with our little friend called exercise. Our bodies were made to move, made to expend energy…and when we do what we are meant to do, we function and feel better. In this world today it’s hard to keep up, it’s hard to not get stressed…and there will always be days where you DO feel stressed. Nevertheless, what is important is how you react to that stress and how you use exercise as a tool to control it.
     At this very moment you may feel stressed about being stressed…so, stop for a minute. Close your eyes (after you read this), take a deep breath, and realize that you hold the power to control what you’re feeling. All you have to do is make a commitment to feel better. How can you do that? Hit the gym or take a quick jog around the block. I guarantee you that once you do, you won’t be able to help it… you will just find yourself feeling better. Don’t let stress get the best of you or of your fitness goals. You and I are on a mission to get you one step closer to being who you want to be…so do me a favor and give me a break, take my advice and once you have, I’ll take it from there :)  Remember,
 
YOU ONLY FAIL WHEN YOU STOP TRYING TO SUCCEED!

So…go succeed! Until next time! -Natalie

I Want To Get Away This Summer Without My Waistline Getting Away From Me

     Some of you are probably thinking that I fell off the map and I was never to return…well, I may have fallen off the map for a minute, but I’ve returned. For the last few months I’ve been traveling all over Europe…I’ve experienced a lot in such a short period of time and although it’s been good, I am glad to be back.
     While I was in Europe it wasn’t always easy to find the appropriate time to take a run or even a safe place to go out and do some cardio, it was difficult to keep the same routine…but since I’ve traveled places before, I planned on it being a challenge to keep in shape. What’s life without a few challenges? Challenges are what make us stronger and if we are always trying to overcome these challenges, it is at that point where we win. We win by trying and even if we don’t succeed, we have still succeeded by putting out the effort to try.
     It’s summer time and I know that a lot of you will be taking vacations soon and so I know that many of you will be dealing with the same challenge I faced. You will be in a place that you may not be able to take a run, you will have a different diet, and you may just feel less motivated than usual to get out there and sweat. Even so, I expect nothing less from you than an honest attempt to keep up with your fitness goals.
     To stay in shape, cardio is not NECESSARY. Is it good? Yes. Do I suggest it? Yes. However, you can get by for a few weeks or even maybe a couple months without doing it as often as you are used to. For those of you who aren’t trying to lose, yet trying to gain…I can’t promise you will gain while you’re off in paradise, but you can at least try and maintain those precious muscles you have worked so hard to get.
How can you do it you ask? How can you find the motivation to be…motivated? No worries, I’m back! I’m here to help. 
     Everyone knows that having a cardio routine is good, but as we’ve talked about before, it’s not essential to run hours and hours on the treadmill to get to your goal. Cardio is great for burning a high amount of calories in a short period of time, but it only elevates your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) for about 2-3 hours after your workout…which is great, you will burn calories even after your run, bikeride, etc…but what if I told you that you can do that for 2-3 DAYS after your workout? It is said that 50-70% of all calories burned during your day are attributed to your RMR, so if we can raise your RMR for days at a time, then we will be more successful in burning a higher amount of calories and more successful in burning fat. I know that you can all see WHY that would be important and so now let’s apply that WHY to HOW it would useful to us while vacationing. On vacation it is quite possible that you may not be able to get in a good workout everyday and as far as I’m concerned…that’s okay! You are on vacation, you should give yourself a little R&R time, however that doesn’t mean that we should completely drop the ball. If we do a workout and raise our RMR for the next few days, if we miss a day of working out, it will be okay because our body will still be burning away at those calories due to the workout you had done the day before. That is why it is important to do exercises in which we burn calories not just today but tomorrow and the day after.
     Multi-joint exercises which use more than one muscle group are what I am going to ask you to focus on. These exercises will use up energy from different groups of muscles, leaving your muscles fighting for energy, fighting for the chance to repair themselves…which in turn, raises your RMR because your body continues to do work after you have called it a day. I know, why didn’t they tell you this years ago, right?
     Since we are assuming that you are on vacation, don’t expect to be doing any fancy exercises with any extra pieces of equipment. I am going to only give you the most basic of basic routines which probably includes exercises that you already know…however, just because they are simple exercises, DON’T believe that they CAN’T work for you because they CAN! So, here we go! Vacation working exercises here we come!

1. Bodyweight squats – Weight Loss : 15-20 reps / Weight Maintain: 8-12 reps

2. Floor Mountain Climbers – 30 seconds of high-speed foot shuffling

3. Bodyweight walking lunges – Weight Loss: 15 steps one direction, turn around, 15 steps the other direction/ Weight Maintain: 10-12 steps one direction, turn around, 10-12 the other direction

4. Pushups (You can use knees if needed) – Weight Loss: 15-20 reps / Weight Management: 10-15 reps

5. Low Plank (on your elbows) – 30 sec-90 sec depending on your capability

6. Jumping Jacks – 1 min of high-speed jacks

     Repeat this circuit twice each time you do it for the first two weeks. After that, you can go over the circuit 3-5 times to get a more intense full body workout. Take no rest between exercises in the circuit, but take 1-2 minutes of rest after completing each circuit. Remember, this small routine is to be used while on a busy schedule or while away from your normal workout routine. Your body will adapt to these exercises quickly and you aren’t going to see results from this for forever…but it will do the trick while you’re out exploring the reefs of Australia or learning Chinese while visiting the Great Wall of China.
     If you are an advanced athlete and believe that this routine would be too easy for you, well I hate to tell you, but you’re wrong. You can take any routine and modify it to fit your own personal athletic abilities. If body weight exercises just aren’t going to cut it for you, pick up a few books and try doing the same squats or throw a kid on your back, that should be challenging enough. There are many ways to take simple exercises and make them more difficult and if that’s what you’re in need of, I am sure that you will find a way to spice up this routine.
I encourage each and every one of you to continue with your fitness goals whenever and wherever possible. This routine will only take 20 minutes or less out of your day…and if you do it, you will save yourself hours at the gym trying to get BACK to where you once WERE before you went off to visit Antarctica and its penguins.
     Motivation comes from within…and it’s not always something that we feel, it’s more of a choice. You may not feel motivated, but in all reality, it’s something that you decide to be. You either motivate yourself or you don’t…it’s not always going to be an overwhelming feeling that will rock your world. Sometimes you have to rock your own world ;) Good luck with all your vacations and keeping up with your fitness goals. I am back on the map and you can expect more from me soon…but until then, take hold of your motivation and take hold of your goals! Remember:

You Only Fail When You Stop Trying To Succeed!!

Until Next Time! -Natalie