This is a workout you will feel the next morning! It combines strength training exercises with a slow count lifting tempo. You are going to follow a 3-1-3 timing format for your workout.
Read moreFAST, Full-Body Workout
There is never enough time in the day to get everything done. If I don’t schedule in a time to work out (and actually adhere to that schedule), the day will end with me being too exhausted to work out. I’ve experienced it too many times to count.
I designed this workout to be a quick, full-body challenge. It requires no equipment, so you can do it at home, in your office during lunch or at the gym
Read moreHow to Squeeze in Workouts During the Holidays
As the craziness of the holidays take over our schedules, it’s harder to find time to fit in workouts. I’ve found that if I identify small blocks of time for workouts, I can usually fit in a quick workout. I aim to work out for 20 minutes. That’s it. Sometimes 20 minutes seems impossible, so I set my timer for 10 minutes and walk the stairs. Any kind of activity is beneficial - it doesn’t have to be an intense, hour-long class at the gym!
Read moreWant to Start Strength Training? Try This Beginner Workout
Are you wanting to start a strength training program but have no idea where to start? Rest assured, you are not alone! I used to be a cardio-only workout person. I didn’t particularly enjoy lifting weights, and truthfully, I had no idea where to start. If I could get past being totally intimidated by the serious lifters, I’d walk into the workout area and just stare at the gym equipment wondering where to start. I’d grab a few free weights, do a random number of repetitions and slink back to the treadmills!
The good news is that it’s not nearly as mysterious as it seems.
Read moreKid-Approved Healthy Energy Bites
These energy bites are gone within a day of making them. My family loves them! I love that they are healthy and easy to make!
I have a huge sweet tooth, and I try my best to satisfy it with healthier options than ice cream or candy bars! One of my new go-to treats are these Smores Energy Bites from Two Peas and Their Pod. They are healthy, contain ingredients you can pronounce and are a good substitute for store-bought granola bars.
Read moreThe Ultimate Leg Workout
I have spent years learning how to embrace my curves; although I have become more comfortable with my body’s natural shape, I still try to work on the areas where my body likes to store fat. I am a pear-shaped body type, so I tend to gain weight in my butt and thighs. I try to work my lower body often because I want to have as much strength in my glute and quadricep muscles as possible, and I would rather have muscle than fat.
This workout is one that will get your heart rate up but also strengthen your legs.
Read moreLow-Impact Workout for Bad Knees
I am a firm believer that you CAN workout even if you have bad knees, an artificial hip, sore wrists or a sensitive back. You just have to be cautious of what movements you do.
Today’s workout is knee-friendly, so you can squeeze in a workout without irritating your knees. If anything bothers your knees, stop what you are doing and return to a movement that is comfortable. Our goal is to do no harm!
Read more10-Minute Upper Body Workouts
Strength training doesn’t have to be an hour-long endeavor. Many of us don’t have hours to devote to working out. We often look at strength training as an all or nothing pursuit – either we have the time to do it or we don’t do it at all.
Today’s workout is intended to combat that mindset. I’m including two upper body, equipment-free workouts that you can do in 10 minutes.
Read moreRecipe of the Week - Yogurt Chocolate Chip Muffins
If you’ve read this blog before, you know I’m obsessed with healthy muffin recipes. My son loves to eat muffins, so if I can provide him with a healthy muffin choice, all the better. Although I am a die-hard chocolate lover, I don’t usually like chocolate muffins or chocolate chip muffins. It just seems too decadent. However, this week’s Recipe of the Week – Yogurt Chocolate Chip Muffins – has changed my mind.
Read moreArms Are Burning Dumbbell Workout
When I get a new client, I often hear, “I just don’t have a strong upper body. It’s always been that way.” It’s a well-known fact that men have more skeletal muscle than women – particularly in the upper body. Although men might have more skeletal muscle, it doesn’t mean we can’t increase our strength in our upper bodies.
Read moreBeginners Guide: Eating & Drinking Before Exercising
The quickest way to derail a workout is to suffer from that queasy, I-just-ate feeling. When is the ideal time to eat and drink before a workout? What should you eat?
Snacking and hydrating yourself before a workout can provide you with the extra energy boost you need to power through a workout. Figuring out when to snack and drink can seem tricky. I have had many clients come to a workout saying, “I skipped lunch. I wasn’t sure when it was too late to eat before working out, so I just didn’t eat.” Their workouts suffer – or sometimes come to a crashing halt - because they lack the energy they need to last the entire workout.
Read moreThe Science of Exercise: Benefits for Your Mind and Body
Exercise provides amazing benefits for our bodies and minds. People who participate in regular exercise, have an up to 50 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, up to 35 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke as well as 20 percent lower risk of breast cancer. Those are some pretty impressive statistics…but there’s more!
Exercise can reduce symptoms of depression, and it can help reverse the effects of stress on us and our aging process. Studies have also found that regular exercising can help individuals with asthma, as it reduces the airway inflammation.
Exercise does amazing things for our bodies and minds. People who participate in regular exercise, have an up to 50 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, up to 35 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke as well as 20 percent lower risk of breast cancer. Those are some pretty impressive statistics…but there’s more!
Read moreHeart-Pumping, Bodyweight Ladder Workout
I created this workout while we were on vacation. I just happened to be reading a Men’s Health magazine the night before, and one of their articles/workouts inspired me to create this ladder workout. (I LOVE Men’s Health magazine. They have some of the best workouts.)
This workout starts slow, but by the time you get into rounds 10-15, you are feeling it. If you struggle doing push-ups or any movement that places pressure on your wrists or hands, check out the wrist-friendly version included below.
Read moreWhen to Breathe During Strength Training Exercises
Recently, a client asked me about the timing of her breathing during a strength training workout. When should she exhale? Inhale? The easiest rule to remember during a strength training workout is to exhale when you are exerting force and inhale on the recovery. That’s easy to master – in theory. Sometimes it’s difficult to figure out what is the exertion portion of certain exercises. Let’s look at some popular strength training moves and identify when you should exhale and inhale.
Read moreSore Knees? Try These Knee-Friendly Exercises
When I was younger, I would jump and hop around with little to no thought about the impact on my body. Now, I cringe when I see someone doing repeated tuck jumps or box jumps. It hurts my knees just watching someone else do it!
Often times, if we have an injured body part, we assume we just need to give up fitness. But, that’s not the case – you just need to find exercises you can do to keep yourself active but not further aggravate your injured area. The important thing to keep in mind is that if you do feel pain in your knees (or any other body part) while doing a movement, stop. No workout is worth injuring your body!
Read moreFull-Body Dumbbell Workout
Some of my favorite workouts are created by accident. This workout is a result of one of those recent workout sessions. I knew I wanted to do a strength training session with minimal equipment, and I needed it to be full-body.
The only equipment this workout utilizes are dumbbells. If you don’t have any dumbbells, you can easily do this workout with bottles of water or no weights at all. Repeat each circuit for a total of three times before moving on to the next circuit.
Read moreGet a Full-body Workout From Home in 20 Minutes
I love workouts that require no equipment and minimal space. This workout fits that criteria perfectly – it’s comprised of bodyweight exercises that can be done anywhere. There isn’t any complicated choreography in this workout, so you can focus on your form. Knee-friendly/ back-friendly modifications are listed next to each movement. This is an ideal workout if you don't have time to go to the gym or you prefer to workout from home. Set aside 20 minutes, find a small space in a room and get started!
Read moreTop 3 Bodyweight Workouts to Get Ready for Summer
Whether we are ready for it or not, summer is here. If you are easing back into working out or need a quick workout to change up your routine, check out these quick, bodyweight workouts that are guaranteed to get your heart rate up and make you feel better!
Read moreThe Beginners Guide to Tabata Workouts
Tabata training is a type of a High Intensity Interval Training workout that is highly effective and efficient. It is named after Dr. Izumi Tabata, who founded the workout format with his team of researchers at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo. Tabata and his colleagues found that this workout format burned more calories in this 4-minute circuit than would be typically be seen in a 4-minute segment of exercise. They also found that participants saw increases in both their anaerobic system (muscles) as well as aerobic system (cardiovascular); whereas participants who only participated in a moderate intensity program (that was not Tabata) only saw increases in their aerobic systems.
Often times Tabata is associated with cardio and plyometric exercise moves, but I like to use it with both cardio and strength training moves. Because of its intense interval format, you are only going to do it one or two times a week and never on consecutive days. If clients are completing it with the intensity that the workout prescribes, then I don’t usually do more than 4-5 circuits (20-25 minutes).
Read moreBad Knees? Try This Knee-Friendly Cardio Workout
Did you know that women are more likely to experience knee pain than men? In fact, knee pain is the second most common cause of chronic pain, and more than one-third of Americans experience knee pain at some point in their lives.
Read more