Eating for life!

Nutrition is a subject that I have found is better to be received in steps. Remember my first post? I said little adjustments!! In other words, make sure you are changing things one step at a time.

For starters, I will give you a quick rundown on the basics...

The number one thing anyone and everyone should be doing to maintain a nutritious lifestyle is DRINKING WATER!!!! Water is the body's natural cleanser. Think about it, the body is mostly made up of water itself. How could it not be beneficial to drink more of it.

The good thing about water, is the fact that it does not contain all of those sugary or fattening fillers that most other drinks do. Most people probably don't even think about what is in the things they are drinking. Soda is loaded with sugar. Coffee drinks are jammed with sugar and SATURATED fat! Even many flavored waters are not healthful. They too contain sugars and other artificial flavoring.

WATER! WATER! WATER! WATER! Trust me, it is most definitely your best bet.

I said I was going to take this nutrition thing in small steps. For now, I would like to start with the water. It seems basic; however, it is my experience to witness many people having serious issues with such a small little element.

To prepare you for the next couple of nutrition tips, I have attached a quick and informative video, based on the mere basics you should be beginning to think about for nutrition. Watch the video and try to keep it in mind throughout the next week. Use your reminders of this video to help you notice places where you may or may not be making the more healthful choices.

Enjoy, and remember, KEEP UP THE HARD WORK!!

What is happening....and....Why stretch?!?!?!?

In order to understand stretching, you first need to understand a little more about how the body works on the inside.


After your first couple of productive (and incredibly healthy) workouts, you have most likely experienced a mild to moderate amount of muscle soreness. The aches and pains acquired from working out are referred to as DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). DOMS is actually your muscle fibers repairing themselves after vigorous exercise.


Think of a scar. When a scar heals, it is about ten times stronger than the area before the scar existed. From the point of healing on, the area has re-enforced itself with a sort of protective shield.


The protective shield of a scarred area of skin is very similar to the repair you body undergoes for torn muscle fibers. In-fact, tearing muscle fibers by lifting weights is the number one way to re-enforce (strengthen) your muscles.


It is important to include a good stretch after each and every workout! When muscles in the body begin to get stronger from constant rebuild and repair, they start to tighten and constrict areas around the bone as well as around the joints. By stretching, you are loosening the tightened muscles, allowing joints to maintain a Full Range of Motion (Full-ROM).


The importance of maintaining an ideal ROM stems from the importance of adequate mobility and longevity of the entire body! It is recommended to stretch for at least 5 minutes after each workout for ideally healthy maintenance.

This workout-planet stretching routine is a great habit for you to get into. It will stretch the entire body and will take up the entire 5 minutes. Simply print it out and take it to the gym with until you have it memorized. It will also be good practice to do this routine on your days off from exercise. (It will keep you limber, and keep you in the habit!!)

Staying Motivated

After some time of working out, you may find yourself getting a little bored. This is because you are stuck in a repetitive rut. HAVE NO FEAR!! I have the answer that I believe will most definitely help you!!!

SET GOALS!!!

Now that you have conditioned your mind to the appropriate tools needed for a physically healthy lifestyle, you need to focus on motivation! When I say Goals, I mean fun goals! Things you can EXCITE yourself to work for!!

Let me give you an example...

If you are becoming excessively bored with cardio, try to give yourself something specific to train for. Check out events like The Harvest Moon Run on Survivor Sudan's blog site. The Harvest Moon Run is a perfect example of something that can motivate you to work for something you really believe in.

Once you have picked an event, start doing research on the specific training regimen you will need to follow. You can then plan your workouts accordingly. If there comes a time during your training where you start to lose sight of what you are training for, simply re-visit the site for the event you have chosen. Periodic reminders of what you are fighting for will definitely spark your flame!

If you find you need a constant reminder of your worthy cause, you can print a picture of the event or its purpose. After printing your inspirational picture, carry it with you to the gym, or tape it to your treadmill! This will surely seal the deal!

Have fun with your workouts!! AND REMEMBER...

Give yourself plenty of time to properly train for each event!!!

Weight Training...GET EDUCATED

At this point, if you have been following my blog regularly, you should be fairly educated on stress, shoes, cardio and proper form. Now, I would like to introduce you to the importance of "weight training." Lifting weights is an extremely important factor in leading a healthy lifestyle. You are on your way to good health by regularly lifting weights, because you are working on improving balance, posture and endurance.


There is a fantastic website which gives thorough explanation to the importance of weight training. It also gives examples of some excellent types of exercises. The website is run by Hers Muscle and Fitness, which is a fitness magazine for female weight trainers. You can click on the link to take a tour of their excellent information.

Just remember what I said before, Always be sure you are aware of proper form before following through with an exercise!

Be Aware Of What You Are Doing!!!

When heading toward a healthier lifestyle, you may have some questions about what is the correct and incorrect way of going about regular exercise routines. There are thousands of magazines and videos you can use to keep yourself interested in varied workouts. The You Tube video Fitness - New Rock Your Body Workout Routine 1, is a workout routine that does not instruct the audience how to perform the dead lift properly. The video does not give the appropriate instruction, because it lacks a warm up session, does not mention how to maintain proper form, and neglects following through with each set in it's entirety.

The New Rock video does not include or explain a warm up session. If someone is watching the video who does not already understand the importance of a warm up, they could seriously hurt themselves by jumping directly into exercise. It is imperative to perform a warm up exercise before any workout routine. The body needs to reach a steady state (homeostasis) before it is ready to carry out any type of strenuous activity. New Rock immediately starts with the dead lift exercise which is bad advice in the world of fitness.

Along with the absence of a warm up, the New Rock video neglects to explain how to maintain proper form through each exercise. It is important to refrain from assuming everyone understands how to keep the body in alignment. Performing a dead lift without keeping a straight back, tight abs and the knees behind the toes can result in torn ligaments, tendons and slipped disc to the spine. The New Rock video assumes all viewers are aware of the importance of good form which is a completely outlandish assumption.

While not stressing the importance of proper form, the New Rock video does not fully complete each set in front of the camera. The instructor is assuming that that all viewers will understand the need to carry out the entire exercise exactly like the first example. The appropriate process of the exercise will most likely be confusing to an un-seasoned exerciser.

In the long run, New Rock neglected to create a video that educates people to exercise in a safe manner. It is my advice to pay close attention to any type of video or magazine routine you are considering to follow through with. Make sure you are aware and educated on the appropriate methods to keeping good form! Watch every video before performing the exercises to understand what is and is not good for you to be doing. If you are not sure of something because it is not explained, then do not follow through with the exercise before consulting a professional on the proper technique.