December Week 3 Exercise and Stretch

December Week 3 Exercise and Stretch

Exercise: Steps/Step Machine

• Climbing stairs provides your entire lower body with an effective workout.
• Take two steps at a time and the increased intensity will really kick your workout up a notch.
• Stair climbing works all of your major lower-body muscles including glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps and calves.

Stretch: Lying Knee to Chest

• Lie on your back with both legs flat on the floor. 
• Bend one leg and bring it towards the chest, holding around the knee to exert gentle pressure

Wellness Wednesday

Healthy New Year Food Trends

Plant Proteins and Healthy Fats led the pack at the Food and Nutrition Conference Expo this year.

2016 was the year of protein, paleo and gluten free diets with the realization that foods with double digit sugar content might not be good for us. The quinoa was plentiful, and the discovery that guacamole was not only healthy, but tasty as well led to an avocado shortage in Mexico leading to Chipotle jacking up their prices. The 416 exhibitors and 130 research and nutritional talks at the expo revealed the following trends for the new year, showing a split from 2016's Hodge-podge of diet crazes and a lead toward a better understanding of a healthy diet. The trends at the expo were as follows: plant protein, healthier fats, and whole foods made convenient.

One of the biggest switches in the healthy whole grain market is from quinoa to sorghum. Many restaurants out west have already made the switch because it's cheaper and requires less water to grow and cook with. The whole grain is also rich in fiber and protein, and loaded with vitamins such as niacin, B6, magnesium, phospharus, and iron. The whole grain is also gluten-free, making it even more trend friendly for those who are trying to kick the gluten habit. 

Seeds, nuts, beans and grains are becoming popular again, getting back to the 70's based diet trend of sprouting. When sprouting occurs in these foods, anti-nutrients are deactivated and starches are consumed leading to a higher content of fiber and protein. The sprouted versions also offer better alternatives when baked than their un-sprouted counterparts as it increases appetite suppressing hormones and lowers the blood sugar response.

Now that the public realizes not all fats are the enemy, and that unsaturated fats should be consumed more than they currently are, the FDA is lifting its penalties on fatty foods such as salmon, nuts and vegetables. Companies will begin to stop producing low fat cheese and yogurt, and people will become more comfortable with putting whole-milk and cream in their coffee again. However, there will be an increase in the demand for organic and cruelty free dairy products.

Protein will remain a big part of the 2017 trend, however plant-based proteins will become a larger part of the protein diet. Beans, legumes, lentils, nuts will all be pushed to be consumed throughout the day to moderately control protein intake. Vegan protein powders made from peas, chia and hemp will be launched by health food companies to be used in protein shakes that are on-the-go. 

   

Grab a Partner and Workout

If you need some extra motivation to get your workout completed this holiday season, grab a partner and get it done together. This will help hold you both accountable and it will be more fun than just going to the gym by yourself. Give some of these exercises a try for a great, quick workout for both people involved!

• Resistance Band See-Saw
• Each partner holds one end of the band, keeping the band taught as each partner alternately squats
• Bring the arms overhead on the up phase of the squat and bring the hands between the legs during the down phase of the squat
• Medicine Ball Slams and Burpees
• Both partners move simultaneously
• Cue one partner to perform a medicine ball slam as the other partner performs a burpee
• Once complete, the partner passes the medicine ball to the other partner so he or she can perform the medicine ball slam while the other performs a burpee 
• Continue alternating the exercises between the partners
• Plank Tire Runs
• Position one partner into a plank with the feet shoulder-distance apart
• The other person will jog laterally, over and in-between the other partner’s legs
• The person jogging should continue going back and forth without stopping
• Switch positions and repeat.
• Stability Ball Squat Walk
• Position the partners to face each other and have each person place his or her right hand onto the stability ball and hold the ball at shoulder height
• This requires contracting the core and stabilizing the arm
• Bend the knees and lower into a squat position while both partners squat walk laterally in one direction
• Switch to holding the ball in the left hand and squat-walk laterally in the other direction.
• Side Shuffle Medicine Ball Toss
• While standing 4 to 5 feet apart and facing each other, partners shuffle laterally while tossing a medicine ball back and forth to each other at chest height

Healthy Holidays

This is the time of year where you see a lot of articles about how to treat the holidays when it comes to your health. Once Halloween hits, a lot of people tend to treat the next 2 months as a time to enjoy treats, drinks and decrease their amount of activity as times start to get busier. However, there shouldn't be so much pressure to stay on track this time of year. You can still take care of yourself while still enjoying the holiday season and all the parties and gatherings that come with it. 

• Define Your Treat Days
• Plan to have treats on actual holidays. If you set yourself up to only have your treats on days like Christmas Eve and Christmas, you will be less likely to indulge in them on the random in-between days when there are treats in the break room at work.
• Define Your Treats
• Make a list of your favorite holiday treats and commit to eating just those.
• Remember that a treat is an occasional thing, so treat it that way to avoid overeating and continuing the treats in the days and weeks after the holiday. 
• Remember These are Hoil-DAYS not Holi-MONTHS 
• When people start indulging in treats frequently after the passing of Halloween and continuing until after Christmas, that adds up to 2 months of unhealthy behaviors. That is 1/6 of our year, which is too much time to be inactive and overeating if we are trying to be healthy.
• Move with a Smile
• When your schedule gets really busy and it is hard to find time to get to the gym, pick an activity that you enjoy doing and that you can do with your loved ones. Getting in some sort of movement with others and that makes you happy has a positive effect on mood and mindset throughout the holiday season.
• Guarantee Your Workouts
• Make your workout commitments small so that you don't have any excuses to not fit them into your schedule. Even if you do an abbreviated workout, it still has many health benefits, especially during the holiday season. 

Wellness Wednesday

When Fat is a Good Thing

Dietary fat has been vilified for over a decade, leading to the over-consumption of  carbohydrates and refined sugars; so maybe it's time we give fat a real chance in our dietary lives.

The US public has been privy to a long misinformation campaign about what we should be eating and what we shouldn't be eating for well over a decade. The huge lobbying presence of sugar companies and other food companies that have large amounts of sugar in them, which makes their products so addictive and satisfying, created the idea that fat was the enemy in our diets in order to draw away skepticism about sugars and carbohydrates. Dietary fats, however, play very important roles in our lives. Focusing on rich, healthy unsaturated fats and limiting foods high in saturated fats will improve the decreased risk of heart disease. Below are listed one of the recommended fats that should be focused on in our diets.

• Omega 3s:
•  Reduce inflammation, reducing the risk of chronic disease.
• The Omega 3's that have the most benefit are DHA's and EPA's which we obtain from fish.
• We also obtain ALA from Omega 3's, but from plant foods.  

Public Perception of Fats:

•  37% of people interviewed in a study said they were more worried about dietary fats today than they were five years ago.
• Only 8% of people interviewed knew ALA was an Omega 3.
• 39% of people interviewed said that they actively tried to avoid dietary fats and oils. 
• 30% of people said that they were trying to specifically avoid mono-saturated and poly-saturated fats; the fats we should be actively seeking.
• 37% of people interviewed said that they included Omega 3's in their diets.

 

The Power of Protein

Consuming the proper amount of protein in our diet is an important aspect in a variety of things. Protein is made up of amino acids that are the building blocks of our muscle, hair, enzymes, antibodies and collagen. Therefore, we need to keep up our protein intake in order to keep all of these things healthy. Things such as animal meats, dairy and eggs are complete protein sources that we should consume on a regular basis.

Benefits of Protein:

• Stops Hunger
• When consuming protein, the body elicits a hormonal response that curbs your appetite.
• Increases Metabolism
• Protein increases thermogeneis, which is the production of heat and calorie burn.
• Increases Muscle Mass
• It is important to consume protein following a tough workout because it helps promote muscle synthesis and recovery.
• Improves Mood
• The amino acids in protein assist in decreasing anxiety, moodiness and depression; all contributing to a better mood
• Improves Heart Function
• Proteins are key to helping the body build cells and antioxidants. Glutathione is an important antioxidant that helps fight free-radical damage and improve heart function. 

December Week 2 Exercise and Stretch

December Week 2 Exercise and Stretch

Exercise: Leg Lifts

• Make sure that your head, legs and bottom are all in contact with the floor. 
• Engage your stomach muscles and grasp the sides. 
• Slowly lift your legs to a 90-degree angle, keeping your legs straight and not bending at the knees. 
• Pause for a second then slowly lower the legs back down.

Stretch: Reverse Plank

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
• Place your palms, with fingers spread wide, on the floor slightly behind and outside your hips.
• Press into your palms, and lift your hips and torso toward the ceiling.

Breathing Technique While Lifting Weights

While this might seem like an odd topic, it is an important one to discuss with those who lift weights are a regular basis. Breathing properly while lifting weights is important for maintaining posture, form and staying under control while performing an exercise. Additionally, breathing properly can assist in avoiding injury 

• While lifting the weight, exhale your breath completely. For example, When performing a bench press, exhale as you push the weight up. 
• Breathe in through your nose as you lower the weight in a controlled manner. Lowering weight requires less exertion, which is why it is the more ideal time to take a breath.
• If you are a beginner when it comes to weight lifting, this is the ideal time to get your breathing under control. If you start learning to breathe properly from the beginning, it will become second nature as you start to progress your weights.
• Remember to always start with lighter weights and build slowly to avoid injury. 

Wellness Wednesday

Holiday Treats to Keep your Diet Neat

Switch out traditional holiday party appetizers with these suggestions to stay off of Santa's naughty list! 

The following suggestions are adapted from Ellie Krieger's article in the Washington Post:

1.  Potato Chips vs. Pistachios
   • Seven chips and seventeen pistachios weigh in at the same amount of 75 calories per serving.  Chips are salty, and are therefore addicting in an American diet saturated with salty products. It's way too easy to eat an entire bag in one sitting, so why not go with pistachios, which are packed with protein and other various micronutrients and also have built in portion-control with their shell?
2.  Veggies vs. Tortilla Chips
   • Twenty veggies have the same amount of calories as three tortilla chips at 60 calories. Chips, again are salty and lead to a lack of control in regards to eating the entire bowl. Veggies are filling due to their high fiber content and are also filled with various micronutrients.
3.  Pigs-in-a-Blanket vs. Jumbo Shrimp
   • Two snuggly-oinkers have the same amount of calories as nine jumbo shrimp at 116 calories. The carbs in the bread and mystery meat in the hotdog are obvious turn-offs in regards to dieting, but choosing shrimp over the piggies as Marylanders should be a no-brainer.
4.  Small Gingerbread Cake vs. Small Gingerbread Men Cookies
   • One cake has the same amount of calories as eight small gingerbread men at 260 calories. The choice here is obvious, as you get more bang for your buck with 8 men compared to one cake. Portion-control techniques can be applied here by eating each gingerbread man's limbs first before eating the body.
     
5.  Mini Pretzels vs. Popcorn
   • 3/4 of a cup of pretzels has the same amount of calories as three cups of popcorn at 110 calories. Popcorn isn't just for tinsel. It's also salty. What more do I have to say?
6.  Spiced Cider vs. Spiced Tea w/ Honey
   • One cup of cider is the same as four cups of spiced tea at 80 calories. Cider is good, but spiced drinks are spiced drinks so....
7.  Chocolate Truffle vs. Candy Canes
   • One truffle has the same amount of calories as nine candy canes at 105 calories. Candy canes come with built in portion control if you don't eat the stick until the stripes come off the cane. You get your sugar fix in both foods, but more with the candy canes. Plus it's festive!
8.  Eggnog w/ Rum vs. Champagne
   • One mug of nog is the same as four flutes of champagne at 380 calories. So why even chance it with the nog? PLUS you look fancy with champagne, so how is this even a choice? Always have a DD though.
9.  Sour-Cream & Onion Dip vs. Salsa
   • One tablespoon is the same as six tablespoons of salsa at 30 calories. EAT. THE. SALSA.
   
   

Change Up Your HIIT Workouts

Those of you that do H.I.I.T  workouts know how effective they are and are a type of workout that can be done in a timely manner, but keeps your body full of energy and burning fat all day long. However, sometimes HIIT workouts can get repetitive and you can easily get burned out and bored by them. When you are always using the same exercises, same timing scheme and same exercise equipment, the workouts can seem repetitive and boring. However, there are things you can do to change up your routine to keep it interesting and to keep the results coming. 

• Length of work/recovery intervals
• Try playing around with different rest to work ratios
• Number of interval sets
• Instead of always doing the same time interval for the same amount of sets, try mixing it up to be shorter/long with more/less sets
• Intensity/type of exercise
• You can do HIIT workouts with all different types of intensities and exercises. You can do a HIIT workout for strength, cardio, core and even flexibility. So try to change up the focus of your workout to keep variety. 
• Equipment used
• The use of equipment is probably the best way to keep your HIIT workouts interesting. There are so many different types of workout equipment that can be used in a number of ways. Try incorporating dumbbells, barbells, stability balls, medicine balls, kettle bells and resistance band and see how many different workouts you can come up with.
• Workout format
• This is another great way to make your workout unique. Try adding partner exercises or setting your workout up in a circuit to make it seem different, but still getting in the same amount of work and intensity.
• Count reps. vs. timing
• Try doing your workout for repetitions rather than time. In stead of working for 30 seconds, give yourself a number of reps and move through them at an intense speed. 
• Benefit from recovery both during and in between workouts
• While doing your workout, perform an isometric or core exercise during the rest time to get the most bang for your buck. Hold a plank or a wall sit for the rest rather than just standing. Also, take rest days in between HIIT workouts. You don't want to do too many HIIT workouts in a week because you will not allow it to recover. So take a rest day and just do some light physical activity. 

December week 1 Exercise and Stretch

December Week 1 Exercise and Stretch

Exercise: Hip Bridge

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
• Raise your hips of the floor so that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Pause at the top then slowly lower your body back to the floor.

Stretch: Low Lunge

• If necessary, hold on to a chair, wall, or any stable object.
• Go down into a lunge position with your lower knee on the floor.
• Squeeze the gluteal muscle of your leg that’s on the floor while simultaneously pushing your knee down into the floor. 
• If you’re comfortable with it, you can move your lower leg back as you deepen the stretch.
• Let your hip sink down.
• Hold for 2 minutes, then switch sides. Do at least 3 stretches on each side, or as many as you comfortably can.

The Most Bang for Your Buck at the Gym

Gone are the days of spending hours in the gym and taking up too much time out of your day to get in a mediocre workout. You can be much more efficient with your time in the gym and get a much better workout by speeding up your workout with a more high intensity interval style exercise program. You can go to the gym, get in a warm-up, cardio, strength training and a cool down all in 40 minutes. You can also do all of this in less time too with a more intense workout. Let's put together a gym timeline that shows you how to accomplish a great workout in just 40 minutes or less!

• 5 minutes of warm-up
• Warming up is the most important part of your workout. It helps to prepare your body and muscles for exercising in a way that prevents injury from occurring. 
• 10 minutes of HIIT
• This will help to get your heart rate up  and burn more fat and calories in less amount of time. This is the time to get some power/agility exercises into your workout. 
• 20 minutes of strength training
• While this doesn't sound like much time to strength train, if you out together 2 different circuits of 3-4 exercises with little rest in between each exercise, you will train the entire body in a short amount of time. 
• 10 minutes of steady state cardio
• This can be eliminated if you need to spend less time in the gym! You will still get a great workout doing your strength training and HIIT workouts. The cardio is just a bonus!

There you have 40 minutes of exercise laid out for you that includes strength training, cardio and high intensity interval training. Give it a try and see for yourself how effective this type of workout can be!

December Muscle of the Month

December Muscle of the Month: 
Iliopsoas- a combination of the psoas major and iliacus muscles

• The iliopsoas is also know as the "inner hip" muscles and is the strongest muscle among the hip flexors
• It is important for movements such as standing, walking and running
• Weakness in the iliopsoas causes decreased ability to flex the hip joint and bring the trunk forward. In runners, a weak iliopsoas decreases your stride pattern.
• Having a healthy iliopsoas is important for all functions of daily life, so it is important to stretch and strengthen this muscle to avoid injuries and weaknesses. 

Be sure to check back throughout the month for new exercises that will help you stretch and strengthen these muscles!