3 Nutrition Rules To Boost Fitness
There’s no doubt that physical activity is beneficial to your health. Whether you’re a professional athlete or an occasional yogi or recreational sport player, nutrition and exercise go hand in hand when it comes to maximizing your workouts or improving your performance. What you eat before and after exercise, as well as on a regular basis, has a big impact on your energy level, how well you perform during the activity, and how well you recover from a workout. It’s important to get enough nutrition to maintain your health and optimize your performance. But what kind of foods would you eat...
5 Ways to Increase Energy Without Caffeine
It’s 3pm and you’ve hit that afternoon slump. You find yourself staring at the computer screen, willing yourself to focus and be productive. But you’re struggling to stay awake and keep your mind from wandering. You figure you need another cup of coffee to boost your energy and get you through the day. Whether you’re trying to exercise or just make it through the workday, having enough energy is important. We all have energy, but there are so many things we encounter that drain our energy. And the options we have to increase our energy (such as energy drinks or more...
Get Better Sleep For a Better Workout
Everyone knows that exercise is the main component of maintaining fitness. But it’s actually during the post-exercise recovery phase between workouts that the body implements changes from the exercise. One of the best ways to recover from a hard workout, and get the best results, is to get optimal sleep. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 35 percent of people are sleep deprived. This means that 1 in 3 people are not getting an adequate amount of sleep on a regular basis. While sleep is important for all aspects of life (i.e. functioning at work...
4 Tips to Combat Pandemic Stress & Anxiety
As the U.S. continues to battle COVID-19, the ongoing pandemic can bring feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, helplessness, and worry. While social distancing is necessary to prevent exposure, it can have negative consequences. Many people are facing a huge disruption to their normal way of life. Working from home, schools being shut down, restaurants being closed, etc. can lead to stress, frustration, and depression. Stress and anxiety can also have a negative toll on your immunity. Cortisol levels are elevated during periods of social isolation and confinement, which can inhibit many critical functions of the immune system. Stress reduces the ability of...
Top 10 Fitness Trends For 2020
As 2019 comes to an end, many of us will want to start preparing for the upcoming year. For the last 14 years, the American College of Sports Medicine has surveyed thousands of professionals around the world to determine health and fitness trends for the following year. Here is their collection of the top 10 trends for 2020: 1. Wearable Technology It should come as no surprise that wearable technology is the #1 predicted trend for 2020. It is estimated to be a $95 billion industry and has reigned as #1 since 2016 (only dropping to #3 in 2018). Wearable technology includes fitness trackers,...
5 Tips for a Healthy Thanksgiving (Plus Recipes!)
Turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce. These are just a few reasons to look forward to Thanksgiving! But did you know that the average Thanksgiving meal is approximately 3,000 calories? And that’s not including any drinks, snacks, or additional food you may consume throughout the day. 3,500 calories is equal to 1 pound in gained weight. Gaining one pound over Thanksgiving may not seem like a ton, but also take into consideration any office Thanksgiving parties, get-togethers with friends, or other festivities in addition to the main event. Your personal fitness journey is just that: a journey. Thanksgiving is typically just...
How Mindful Meditation Enhances Your Workout
Think fitness is all about the physical? Think again. There has been a growing interest in sport psychology to understand how to help athletes mentally optimize their performance. Recently, mindfulness training has risen as a viable approach to prepare athletes for optimal performance. When we are able to concentrate completely on something, we enter a heightened state of awareness that has clear mind-body benefits. Here are a few ways that meditation and exercise work together to benefit your workouts. But First...
How to Exercise to Boost Heart Health
Improve Your Heart Health Working out is typically seen as something that produces external physical benefits. Most people think of exercise as a means to keep their body fit and in shape. However, did you know that exercise not only affects the muscles outside your body, but your heart muscle as well? New research by the European Heart Journal suggests that a lack of physical activity can increase your risk of heart attack in the long run, even without present warning symptoms. The good news is that increasing your fitness levels can reduce the risk of heart attack by half or more! A...