5 Tips For Better Beach Yoga (Beginner Routine Included!)

June 1, 2013 by Amy Suto Leave a Comment

I’m in Maui, and I thought, hey! I should do some yoga by the beach! So I did. *gasp* *trumpets*

I’ve got some tips you might want to read, along with a simple routine for you to follow. If you’re not a yoga person, I wrote an article on why you should be!

Right after my yoga session, I also went running along the coast, and it was gorgeous. Such an amazing experience. And i had no idea I could get that much sand in my tennis shoes.

Anyways, here are the tips!

1. Bring a mat or a beach towel, or find a grassy spot.

As nice as it is to just be like the chick in the lovely stock image above and say I’m going to be one with nature and just do this yoga on the sand don’t. Downward dog is tough when the sand is caving in around your hands and feet, and 99% chance you’re going to get it in your eyes and under your nails and it’ll be gross (unless you’re truly a badass Yogi, then congrats because I don’t know how you do it.)

I was lucky enough to find a nice grassy hill by the water that was just as good, so I didn’t need a towel or a mat.

2. Plan a routine — and then do what you want.

It’s nice to have a routine to start with, and then kinda do what you feel like. If you know a few moves you want to do to start off with, then you can really just enjoy the sound of the waves as you move through a simple vinyasa flow or a few asana poses, and then just improvising from there. [Read more...]

Filed Under: All Posts, Featured Workout, Reality of Healthy, Slider, Weight Loss Tagged With: beginner yoga, beginner yoga routine, better beach yoga, routine and tips

Weight Loss Troubleshooting: 5 Common Workout Routine Mistakes

May 23, 2013 by Amy Suto 2 Comments

I get a lot of questions from people who have been exercising for a certain period of time and aren’t seeing the weight loss or fitness results they want.

I mean, fitness isn’t magic. You can’t yell “ABRACADABRA!” and then all of a sudden you’ve reached all your fitness goals. (In my case, being able to climb mountains in a single bound and eat half marathons for breakfast.)

But there are a set of common workout routine problems and misconceptions. By making your workout routine awesome and varied, you can get stronger and faster and better than that one Daft Punk song.

Without any further dilly dallying, here are five common problems with your workout routine:

Problem #1: No Strength Training [Read more...]

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5 Ways to Reach Your Fitness Goals

May 21, 2013 by Amy Suto Leave a Comment

Want to hear some scary facts?

Only 8% of people are always successful in achieving their resolutions. 19% achieve their resolutions every other year. 49% have infrequent success. 24% (one in four people) NEVER succeed and have failed on every resolution every year. That means that 3 out of 4 people almost never succeed.

Source

You can be the 25% who succeed. Why? Because you’re my readers. And I kind of bet my brother that you would all reach your goals. I don’t like to lose bets. So… I’m counting on you!

5 Ways to Stick With Your Fitness Goals and Resolutions

Gradually make changes! Some people go full speed ahead for the first two weeks in January, and then get burned out. Pace yourself! Life’s about energy management, not just time management. Start by going to the gym three times a week, and slowly work up to more days and more intense workouts.
Take a day off each week in order to refocus. Take a rest day to evaluate your progress from the following week, and figure out what you can do better next week.
Stay inspired. Print out inspirational quotes and hang them on your wall. Sing “WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS” after every workout. High five other runners you meet on your morning run. This is a journey! Enjoy every step of the way, and find ways to keep your morale up!
Keep it fun. Go hiking with friends. Challenge the people in your house to come up with new smoothie recipes, and offer a prize to the winner. (Like no chores for a week!)
Know where you’re headed. AKA: PLAN! Know where you want to be, and plan out the steps to get there.

Stay motivated!

READER SUBMISSIONS

First off, I love checking in with you guys to see how your goals are doing. These are my favorite entries from my question on my Tumblr!

bringingmetoneverland answered: Haha, just saying (since I’m Greek) You basically said Good Morning beautiful friends!

Yes! Google translate success! Also: Greek is pretty much the most awesome language ever. I envy you.

jofromscratch answered: I’m working harder everyday. I’m logging my food, working out whenever I can, and keeping a positive attitude. Trite but true.

Role model alert!

90daystoamazing answered: i personally never had a resolution, but i am starting my 90 day challenege on the first right now im conditioning myself for the p90x part.

You’re in for a treat! P90x is one of the best programs out there: challenging and engaging. Good luck!!

runatic-lavings answered: My New Year’s resolution has been to stick to my soda restriction, which I believe has been going splendidly! And I’ve grown fond of seltzer.

*virtual high five* Same here! Great job!

mypersonalrollercoaster answered: I had one resolution to help me meet my goals for the year: cut out all meat & dairy. So far, so good. 25 days in!

Wow! Veganism = fantastic goal for so many health reasons.

awesomeness2 answered: What resolution? I am doing it for my health not a resolution.

Dude. You are my hero.

photocredits

Filed Under: All Posts, Featured -- Healthy, Reality of Healthy, Slider, Weight Loss Tagged With: fitness, health, inspiration, motivation, new year's resolutions, weight loss

Do You Really Need to Lose Weight? A Reality Check.

April 28, 2013 by Amy Suto 1 Comment

Do you actually need to lose weight for your health, or has the media tricked you into thinking that you’d look better ten pounds lighter?

This is the ultimate reality check, because it’s so easy to get caught up with the body image obsession and start watching the number on the scale like a hawk.

Healthy Eating: How to Read a Food Label

April 15, 2013 by Amy Suto 2 Comments

Ideally, you want to eat foods that don’t have wrappers. Whole, natural foods always win.

But when you do buy foods from a box or a package, you should know how to read the labels and make the best choices.

Here are some basic rules:

The fewer ingredients, the better. If you can’t pronounce any of the ingredients, that’s a red flag.
If sugar comes first, throw it out. If sugar or any of its counterparts show up first on the label — glucose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup — avoid at all costs! The ingredients are listed in order of quantity, so if sugar’s on the label it should be last, or close to the end at least.
Stay away from high fructose corn syrup. I don’t care how “natural” the company claims it to be. According to Dr. Mark Hyman in his book The Blood Sugar Solution, “high-fructose corn syrup is an industrial food product and far from “natural.” It is extracted from corn stalks through a chemical process and is biochemically novel compound that is sweeter and cheaper than cane sugar (sucrose)” (Hyman). But that’s not all High Fructose Corn Syrup does. The Children’s Hospital Oakland Reesearch Institute “found that every molecule of free fructose from HFCS requires more energy to be absorbed by the gut and soaks up two phosphorous molecules from ATP (our body’s energy source). This depletes the ATP required to maintain the integrity of our intestinal lining” (Hyman). Now are you convinced that HFCS is evil?
It’s not all about calories. The quality of the food matters just as much as the quantity of the calories! Some of those notorious 100-calorie snack packs that Nabisco sells may seem appealing because of their calorie count, but check the label. Do they contain artificial ingredients? A lot of sugar? You’d be better off eating 100 calories of fruit or vegetables!

Let’s look at the label for a Kind bar, which is a trendy and tasty health bar out on the market. I’ll compare it to the label for a Clif Bar, another well-known “health” bar on the market. In the process, hopefully you guys will be able to evaluate different foods on your own!

Five Steps from Couch Potato to Runner

April 8, 2013 by Amy Suto Leave a Comment

photo by Tejas Prints

I’ve been getting a lot of questions from people who have never ran before, and want to become regular runners and maybe even run a race or two. So I made this simple five step plan to get you guys from walking to running!

Step One: Start by going on 30 minute walks.
Step Two: Turn that 30 minute walk into a walk/jog. Walk for five minutes, jog for two. Listen to your body and take it easy the first time!
Step Three: When you’re ready, go on a 30 minute jog/run.
Step Four: Finally, try running for 30 minutes straight!
Step Five: For an additional challenge, try run/sprint intervals. Or, for something more intense, try running up stadium stairs and walking around the track!

Move up to the next step at your own pace. If you’re into technology and stuff, the LoLo Beat Burn App is the perfect interval running app! I also recommend the LoLo Half Marathon with Jeff Galloway app if you’re interested in running a half marathon.

Hopefully this helps!

-Amy

Filed Under: All Posts, Reality of Healthy, Slider, Weight Loss Tagged With: fitness, health, motivation, walking to running guide, weight loss

The Ultimate Guide to the 30 Day Shred

February 21, 2013 by Amy Suto 1 Comment

What is the 30 Day Shred?

The 30 Day Shred is easily one of the most popular fitness programs in the blogosphere. Why? It’s cheap, simple, and only takes 20 minutes a day — and the results are pretty much guaranteed if you go through all three levels.

The workouts utilize interval training — a proven weight loss technique — where cardio and strength moves are combined for an intense, full body workout that tones and burns fat. I’ve talked to you guys about how important strength training is to losing weight, and interval training is just as important!

The program is broken up into three levels of intensity, and the first time shredder should spend about ten days on each level.

I’m a workout DVD connoisseur — I’ve tried everything from P90x to Gillad’s Total Body Sculpt — and the 30 Day Shred remains my favorite because of the simplicity of the program and the fact that it’s a tough, intense workout every time. The results are awesome and I want to share what I know about the program with you guys!

Also, if you’re looking for another 30 Day Workout Program, check out my 30 Day Youtube Workout Calendar!

5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of the 30 Day Shred:

Tip #1: Mix n’ Match. Now, some of the levels can get a bit monotonous. What I like to do is swap out a day or two in each level with a workout from one of Jillian’s other workout DVDs. For example, in week one I’ll do seven days of level one, then two days of the Kickboxing DVD, then one more day one level one before I move on to level two. In level two, I might do the same thing.

Tip #2: Eat protein after workouts. The point of the thirty day shred is to build lean muscle and lose fat, right? Well if you don’t eat protein right after a workout, you won’t get that lean look you’re going for. Here’s a list of great post-workout snacks! [Read more...]

Filed Under: All Posts, Featured -- Healthy, Reality of Healthy, Slider, Weight Loss Tagged With: fitness, health, interval training, thirty day shred, weight loss, workout guide

4 Reasons to Do Yoga

February 17, 2013 by Amy Suto 5 Comments

I had my first yoga class today, and it was amazing. I have never felt so relaxed and in touch with my body. The aches and pains and soreness from all the running I’ve been doing lately just melted away, and it was one of the best fitness experiences I’ve had to date.

So other than personally telling you that yoga is the best thing you’ll do for yourself, I’ve also got a host of other reasons why you need to start doing yoga.

Here they are:

1. Run Faster

Yoga teaches body awareness, and helps improve your stride.

“When you stretch your body properly, and strengthen opposing muscle groups in balance, you increase your range of motion, and can move more quickly through space. For example, the space between the start and finish lines.

The yoga breath has been shown to increase endurance in marathoners by twice the distance in just one session!”

Source

2. Lose Weight [Read more...]

Filed Under: All Posts, Featured -- Healthy, Reality of Healthy, Slider, Weight Loss Tagged With: benefits of yoga, fitness, health, yoga

Fit Student: 7 Ways to Move More and Lose Weight in College

February 3, 2013 by Amy Suto Leave a Comment

The weight loss formula is a simple one: create a calorie deficit. This means you need to eat less and move more. In college, eating less junk food and moving more can be difficult when so much of your day is spent either in classes or studying in the library. But even when your schedule is packed, there are ways to work in exercise!

Here are seven simple ways to get you moving in college:

1. Join a Club.

I’m in ballroom dancing club, which is a guaranteed five hours of exercise three days a week on top of all of the rest of the exercise I’m doing here at college!

Joining a club means that you’ll feel more committed to your weight loss and exercise goals. People expect you to show up! Intramural sports are also a great way to get moving, and I highly recommend you try Quidditch. (Yes. This is a real club/sport/thing here at college!)

My boyfriend’s in marathon club, and from what I hear it’s pretty intense but great motivation to get to each workout.

My roommate is addicted to joining clubs, and right now she’s on an intramural soccer team, in climbing club, a parkour club, and an outdoorsy club that goes hiking and whatnot. She also wakes up every morning to go swimming at 7am. She is pretty much one of the most active people I know!

2. Learn How to Longboard/Skateboard.

I remember learning how to longboard the first day of college. I had no idea what I was doing, and I could barely steer my board! This guy came up to me and said, “don’t worry. In a week you’ll be a pro.” And he was right! I mastered longboarding pretty quickly, and I have to say I love it.

You burn more calories longboarding than riding a bike, and longboarders definitely look more badass than bicyclists

3. Take the Stairs.

I have to walk up and down several flights of stairs every day to get to the dining hall, to get my mail, or to go to classes. All of those stairs add up! And if you’re forgoing the elevetor every time, you’re guaranteed to burn more calories on top of the rest of the work you’re already doing.

4. Go Dancing.

Now, my version of dancing the night away happens to be waltzing on a dance floor, but I know most college students lean towards attending red cup affairs where there are other kinds of dancing. Well you know what? Dance away! Dancing — no matter what style — is great exercise, and lots of fun!

5. Find Fitness Events Near You.

Often time campuses organize fun runs and 5ks along with other fitness events.

6. Become a Tour Guide.

A few of my friends work as tour guides, and they love it! They walk around campus with big groups of people all day, and they get paid for it!

7. Work Out Before Classes.

Like I said before, my roommate gets up at 7am to go swimming every morning. I get up and go running before classes. Getting in some heart-pumping activity before your day starts helps to keep you energized!

Good luck, fit students! Study on!

Filed Under: All Posts, Featured -- Healthy, Reality of Healthy, Weight Loss

Fit Student: 5 Dorm Essentials

January 15, 2013 by Amy Suto Leave a Comment

I’ve lost ten pounds since coming to college. For me, the Freshman 10 turned out to be the Freshman -10!

But it didn’t just happen that way. I had to stay hydrated, work out at least three times a week, and keep healthy snacks available in my dorm – all on a student’s budget.

Going into this semester, I’m making a list of things that will help you lose weight, stay healthy, and lead a more fit life while in college!

Remember, these are just tools to help you reach your goals. They’re what helped me, and that’s why I’m recommending them! These things are here to help supplement your brand new fit lifestyle. Hard work and dedication always comes first!

Here’s the list:

1. Britta Filter [Read more...]

Filed Under: All Posts, Featured -- Healthy, Reality of Healthy, Top Article, Weight Loss