Tuesday, February 28, 2017

6 Tips To Help You Find Some Balance In Your Life...



It is time to take action. I hope this helps. They can take a lifetime to master... 

1. Balance the 4 quadrants. Create harmony between health-wellness (focus on exercise and nutrition as a gateway), business (dream chasing), family and friends (create/maintain positive social relationships), and spirituality (sense of charity and gratefulness). The other focuses I mentioned earlier above will work to the forefront as you set the foundation.

2. Celebrate other people's success. You get what you give out. Plain and simple. Use that as inspiration and motivation for your dreams.

3. Learn every day. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from the mistakes of others. Apply all knowledge in a practical manner. This opens up your life to constant and never-ending improvement (CANI).

4. Let things go. Do your best. Put the energy in and then let it go. Becoming too attached to something (anything) will hinder your progress. The body wants balance. It commands it. Also, never rest on your laurels. As they say: "don't plant the seed then sit on top of it to protect it, you will keep it from growing."

5. Do what you DO NOT feel like doing. Master your emotions to master yourself. Do the right thing. The voice in your head telling you to skip the workout...slap him (or her LOL) and go anyways. You get way more out of it then what you put in. Check out RHF Burn30 Boot Camp (in Anchorage, AK).

6. Never limit yourself. Keep pushing the vision of what you see yourself being. Never be defined by what other people say you are. Never let fear control you.

Bigger Than Boot Camp...


RHF is a place where your lifestyle comes together...

Whether you choose a traditional "box" gym or the ever so popular fitness studio you will notice some things happening in an often quite subtle fashion...
  
Entire lifestyles come together...
  
Change occurs...
  
Massive change occurs...
  
Ask any RHF die-hard member (the loyal, the fitness witness). They will tell you without hesitation. There are hundreds.
  
Exercise (and an active lifestyle) is the major tool to a "fit" lifestyle. A fit lifestyle is a life full of wellness. When you are in balance physically, nutritionally, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, occupationally, socially, fiscally, and environmentally you are well. When you are well you will turn some heads; you will have no choice but to pay it forward if you wish to stay in balance.
  
You CANNOT wish fitness into your life nor can you just purchase it (Joseph Pilates). You have to learn it, burn it, and earn it. Plain and simple.
  
So, when you are thinking about making a move back into a fit lifestyle consider all your options and set some real goals (action oriented) before you make your move. But do make a move. No wishing here.
  
The fitness and wellness industry are both here to help. Call on us.
  
What are you waiting for?

8 More Fit Tips…

Here yah go...

1. Eat every 2-3 hours to keep your energy up. Aim for 3-6 meals a day. Plans (calories) can vary, but principles remain pretty much the same. Get some help with setting your calorie ranges or for more individual needs. Food selection is also just as important as the amount you eat. Also consider the timing of the foods you eat. You are WHEN you eat as well.

2. Drink plenty of clean water. Water ranges can also vary; 60-120 oz. a day seems to be a good range to get started. Drink water. Sip coffee and tea.

3. Choose plant based foods as a main part of your diet (70-90%). Countless studies support plant based diets (stay clear of GMO's). Here are 7 key workout foods to help you. 

4. Get 6-8 hours of sleep each night. Sleep is when you body rejuvenates and regenerates itself. Also, if you are super active take a day and tone down your activity levels.

5. Avoid junk food at all costs. Not only are they full of chemicals, but junk foods wreak havoc on your blood sugar, and disrupt metabolism. Do you hear any metabolic noise? More on that later.

6. Approach fitness with a long-term, lifestyle philosophy. Skip the instant transformation idea. You set yourself up for failure and frustration. Set SMART goals. Read more.

7. Make working out #1 on your daily task list. It builds the confidence and the discipline you need to tackle the other areas of your life. Remember the last article I put out? Fitness is a gateway. Read it again. Click here.

8. Give yourself a break. Go ahead and cheat a little here and there, but never let the WEAKend make your WEAK. Be 100% committed, 90% of the time.


6 Steps To Reach Any Goal...



When we align ourselves with a mission that matters to us we can become unstoppable. Becoming "mission specific" will involve a hard look at what you really want in life (setting goals). You can commit yourself to a mission on four levels: physically, emotionally, mentally, and as I stated through alignment with your goals.

Here are 6 steps to help you over the hurdles and reach your goals:

1. Identify your mission. What matters most to you? Ask yourself that question with zero judgment (no right or wrong here).

2. Manage and channel your energy. Your physical energy requires you to eat something every 2-3 hours. Create emotional energy by connecting with loved ones. Mental recovery comes from changing tasks to avoid burnout.

3. Understand "stress" as a friend. Stress stimulates growth. It CAN help you get stronger. Tough times mold you.

4. Train like a warrior or athlete. If an athlete can recover in 20 seconds or 2 minutes so can you. You can learn a lot about yourself from training hard. Read more. 

5. Change your story. Life never has to be a marathon or linear or even non-stop. Look at life as a story that you are writing as you go. You may have many missions!

6. Become your life mission (s). Ever notice full gyms in January, but come July they are empty? Empty parking lots and empty promises. The no-shows failed to change their story. If it becomes part of who you are it is an easy decision for you. One of your most important mantras should be: "I exercise daily because it is who I am."

Train More...Diet Less



Releasing body fat is a huge motivator for many people. Often we miss the real action steps associated with such change, more on that later. Research supports the switch to an exercise-centric approach (or even active lifestyle). Staying active seems to be a better approach than restricting your calories. One recent study shows the mechanical stimulation of stem cells in people who engage in physical, high impact activities (running or even flag football) resulting in the development of lean tissue rather than fat. 

Why? The body recognizes the need for more muscle and bone to support the strenuous activities (specific adaptations to imposed demands). Basically, body tissues are converted to what they are needed for. Bottom line: focus on training and strenuous recreational activities over dieting to get leaner.

Here are 3 tips to help you focus on training like a champion:

1. Rest is a weapon. Rest is as important as the training itself (sleep and down time). Any training progress can be un-done with neglect for rest.

2. Be a specialist in variety. Huh? As a general fitness enthusiast focus on the bigger picture and avoid thinking one-dimensionally. You need to learn a variety of techniques and training styles to keep your body guessing and to avoid over-training. You need to build and maintain foundational strength while also learning flexibility/mobility which will keep you feeling decompressed. This is where RHF can help. 

3. Intensity over extensity. I know at RHF each training session might have some different sequences but the one concept that always remains high is the intensity. Train often like it is your last.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

24 More Reasons to Exercise...



Although this list could easily say "100 Reasons to Exercise" here are 24...

Exercise can:

1. Increase overall energy. If you have a midday slump, hit the gym. Exercise can increase the level of feel good chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin in the body and decrease fatigue by 65 percent, a new University of Georgia study reveals.

2. Increase your sex drive. Researchers credit the surge to heightened nerve activity.

3. Can cure insomnia. Thirty minutes of exercise four days a week helps people conk out 12 minutes earlier and sleep 42 minutes longer, find California researchers. Rack up about an hour of extra shut eye every day. Rest is a weapon. Use it as such.

4. Can relieve pain. Research shows that virtually any type of exercise: tai chi, yoga, strength training can relieve your misery. In fact, a new Danish study found that people who did neck and back strength training for 10 weeks felt an 80 percent improvement. When excessive computer work or hard labor leave your back and neck aching, get moving. Seek help to get a plan in place.

5. Strengthens bones. Weight-bearing activities cause bones to become denser. Stronger bones are less likely to succumb to osteoporosis.

6. Preserve your eyes. Making it to your sweat session at least three times a week   may reduce your risk for age-related macular degeneration by up to 70 percent, says research from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Regular exercise helps prevent irregularities in blood-vessel walls that contribute to vision woes.

7. Alleviate asthma. The exercise-asthma combo gets a bad rap. Docs say sufferers often skip workouts because they fear a flare up, which causes them to get out of shape, exacerbating the condition. However, regular exercise reduces the number of inflammatory cells in the lungs, actually easing symptoms. Seek guidance on program setup for your needs.

8. Reduce stress. Exercise reduces tension by raising the amount of mood-boosting endorphins in the body. A Finnish study shows that people who exercise just two to three times a week are significantly less likely to feel stressed then those who skip.

9. Reduce blood pressure. Exercising regularly is as effective as taking some prescription meds, lowering BP by an average of 10 millimeters.

10. Prevent cholesterol buildup. Moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise (or metabolic training) can boost HDL by 5 to 10 percent and help filter away artery-clogging LDL's.

11. Keep arteries healthy. Working out may increase the elasticity of your arteries, so they're less prone to harden.

12. Lower triglyceride levels. People who are highly active typically have fewer triglycerides (aka fat) circulating in their blood than those who are inactive.

13. Fight cancer. You can reduce your risk of cancer by as much as 33% simply by doing something physical four days a week, according to multiple studies.

14. Improve your smile. BFW...Brush. Floss. Work out? Regular exercisers cut their risk of periodontal disease by more than half, according to the Journal of Dentistry (smokers, you're disqualified). It's thought that exercise helps the body regulate sugars that feed bacteria in gum tissue.

15. Help you heal faster. Ohio State researchers found that exercisers' wounds (think blisters and cuts) healed 10 days sooner than non-exercisers'. A follow up study discovered that keeping fit reduces excessive inflammation around the injury, aiding recovery.

16. Ease the blues. Light physical activity, even 20 minutes of housework reduces the odds of feeling glum by up to 40 percent. Bonus: you have a clean house (LOL).

17. Fire up your metabolism. When you exercise, you build muscle, and muscle burns calories. Lots. Get after it!

18. Halt headaches. Strenuous exercise can be a migraine trigger for some, but for most of us, low-intensity workouts actually stave off the pain. Evidence suggests that keeping your heart rate elevated for at least 20 minutes three times a week may reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches (thank you, beta-endorphins).

19. Break the nicotine habit (if you are still in LA LA LAND). Exercise spurs the  release of "happy" brain chemicals that override cravings. Walk away from addiction...literally! Speed-walking for at least 15 minutes (or 40 burpees LOL) can stifle your longing for a smoke.

20. Make you smarter. Can't find your keys? Wallet? Forty minutes of cardio four times a week can double the amount blood flow to the hippocampus (the brain's memory center), enhancing recall.

21. Fend off colds. In one Seattle study, 60-80 percent of people who worked out regularly avoided catching the cold all year long.

22. Reduce diabetes risk. There are 41 million Americans who are pre-diabetic. However, studies show that if they exercised daily for just 30 minutes, they'd delay getting Type 2 diabetes for approximately 11 years. And if they released 10 pounds in the process, they could cut their total risk in half.

23. Add years to your life. Results from a 12 year University of South Carolina study indicate that, no matter what the scale says, active people (runners in this study) live about nine years longer than sedentary types.
 
24. Add life to your years. Quality of life is what we all should strive for. No one I know wants to live a long debilitating life. Even Spock said "live long AND prosperous."


There are plenty more reasons to workout and maintain an active lifestyle...more to come. Stay tuned!

Secrets Of Fit People...

  1. Drink up. Have a water bottle with you often. Water should always be your drink of choice. Try adding lemon, lime, cucumber, or a few berries to liven up the flavor without adding significant calories. Be sure to filter your water (there are hundreds, maybe thousands of chemicals in it).
  2. Exercise is your friend. Look at exercise as a pleasure rather than a burden. Think positively about the changes regular exercise will produce. Rather than obsessing about your next meal, get excited about your next sweat session!
  3. Your biology is your biography. Eat well-balanced meals full of color and variety and remember that excess calories (avoid too little calories too) will store in your body as fat. Eat lots of plant foods for optimal health!
  4. Limit caffeine (50-200 mg seems safe) and exposure to secondhand smoke.
  5. Focus on short-term fitness goals with an emphasis on completing daily exercise. Your short term goals should be in line with your long term goals. Read more.
  6. Log it. Keep a daily food log of what you're actually eating (until you get it down). Every time you grab a handful of chips or eat the crust of your kid's sandwich (LOL) log it. If you can track it you can improve it. 
  7. Enjoy a cheat meal. Enjoy an occasional (once a week) "unhealthy" treat, but never an unhealthy week or unhealthy vacation. For every 100 "unhealthy calories" it equates to 100 burpees. HOLY!
  8. Pay it forward. Enjoy contributing to the health/wellness of others by finding a partner or friend to exercise with. Also, be on the lookout for others who want to feel better and have more energy.
  9. Use various exercise modalities. Avoid monotony by taking up new forms of exercise, or using things that keep you motivated and inspired, like new shoes or great music. We always say: "look good and feel good!" 
  10. Read to lead. Subscribe to fitness and health magazines/books to keep focused on health/wellness as a way of life. Be well rounded in your approach.
  11. Have to right tools: good shoes, proper attire, a portable music player, fitness equipment, a new DVD series, a trainer, etc.
  12. Get active at least 30 minutes most days. Make it your goal to do some form of exercise 5-6 days a week. Some days you can split sessions to once in the morning and once in the evening.
  13. Dump the image. Work to do your personal best and forget the way you think other people may see you.
  14. Fill in the gaps. Take daily supplements for total health, peak performance, optimal growth, and recovery. Most of us are deficient. Read more.
  15. Intensity beats extensity every time. Work to take your exercise to new levels of intensity instead of dragging them out (boring). Read more on breaking plateaus.
  16. Schedule your sweat sessions! Create an exercise schedule the day before or even a week out. Skip leaving it to chance or waiting to "find" the time (bad idea).
  17. Think of fitness as a delivery system. Think holistically. Move beyond the boundaries of weight loss and into total fitness and wellness. Measure success by the way your clothes fit and how you feel. Fitness is a feeling!
  18. Say no to dieting. This is a lifestyle approach. Stick with eating plans you can maintain indefinitely. Eat in relation to your intense performance levels. You are what and WHEN you eat! Seek help to get set up.
  19. Say yes to shut eye. Get adequate amounts of sleep (7-9 hours a night). Remember that people who exercise regularly fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.
  20. Back off the booze. Limit alcohol intake to special occasions. Read more.