Feeling run down, frustrated, and disconnected from your own body can feel much worse than any type of workout! Many find their wellbeing is enhanced when they exercise, not just because their moods are better immediately following a workout, but also because sleep quality improves, and they find themselves making much better food choices! If you want to get the most bang for your buck when exercising, interval training is recommended. Interval training workouts allow you to work out more efficiently and effectively. You can burn more calories in less time and have more energy throughout the rest of your day because you spent less time exercising! And find out why MASHUP® was featured!
Original post on www.fortworth.citymomsblog.com
It’s no coincidence that many people depend on New Year’s resolutions every January to restart their health and fitness goals. The holiday season is usually a time where we allow ourselves to spend less time getting outdoors for a walk or jog, fall short in the gym, or just slack in general from our typical routine. Many times, this leads to accumulated stress and anxiety, illness, and potentially weight gain that we convince ourselves is tolerable until January gets here. This is easily understandable, given all of the parties, traveling, family obligations, and tasty food we are surrounded with. If you are wondering whether or not you will survive the holidays and if you will really start off on the right foot in January, let’s rethink your strategy. Right now is actually one of the best times to start a fitness regimen if you haven’t already. One reason is that kids are in school, and you have somewhat of a predictable schedule. Routine paired with a little commitment makes it easier to predict when and how we can sneak in some physical activity. So, get a jumpstart on the holiday season. Usually, when someone starts doing something beforehand, there is more momentum making it easier to continue through the holiday season, resulting in better overall health and a head start on a new year resolution that is on the list. By planning ahead and having the right strategy in place, you can start working on your goals or maintain your current fitness level while still enjoying time with the family. Here are a few ideas to get started! 1. Plan out your physical activity for at least one week in advance. This is especially important when you know you have a holiday vacation or family trip just around the corner. If you know you’ll be out of town for a few days, plan on using those days as an active recovery time (get out for a short brisk walk or do a few yoga poses in your hotel room), and then really ramp up your workout intensity on the days before and after your trip. 2. Use this holiday season to spend with your friends and family while staying active. Include others by going to a class at the gym with them, playing a game outside with the family, or inviting friends to sign up for your local 5k. This way, you can stay connected and hold each other accountable to be active. 3. While school and work commitments fluctuate over the holidays, family commitments can increase. Try changing your schedule a little to get in your workout before anyone wakes up. This way, you can fit it in and have plenty of time for getting all the busy holiday stuff done during the day. 4. Instead of leaving your schedule vulnerable to get squashed, set aside dedicated time to go for a run, make it to an exercise class, or hit play on your DVD workout at home. 5. With all of the tempting treats you will be surrounded by, think 80/20. It’s 80 percent nutrition and 20 percent exercise and other healthy lifestyle factors to achieve a healthy body composition. Don’t deprive yourself from enjoying your favorite foods, but be picky and try to only indulge in the ones that are really worth it. When you do, limit yourself to one serving, and put the rest away. It is less likely that you will overdo it if it is out of sight. 6. Even if you can’t go to your favorite class or get outside during the holiday season, you can still get a great workout in your living room. This can be done anywhere using little to no equipment and in as little as 15 minutes. Focusing on shorter, more intense workouts, such as Variable-intensity Interval Training (VIIT), is where you can save time and get in a full body workout. For example, I invite you to try either this 15-minute digital or this written sample workout. Live MASHUP® classes and app workouts demonstrate three fitness levels for each exercise. 
And find out why MASHUP® was featured!
Original post on www.fortworth.citymomsblog.com
With the holidays right around the corner, many of us are strapped for time. We seem to always run out of time to get everything accomplished before we have company or travel out of town; nor do we make time to take care of ourselves. When the holidays should be about celebration and quality time with family and friends, many of us are stressed and tend to let go of our health. The Bad News: One study reported that 69% of people are stressed just by feeling that they lack time. The Good News: A study from The New England Journal of Medicine actually showed that the average weight gain is only about one pound from mid-November to January. Don’t set unrealistic expectations for yourself this season. Instead, focus on just maintaining your health and reasons why you are celebrating versus allowing media and society to be your standards to uphold. Here are some secrets for avoiding stress and weight gain this holiday season. • Get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep can have detrimental effects on your health. Impaired thinking, weight gain, and symptoms of depression are just a few things that can occur when you don’t let yourself rest. • Avoid the crowds. Get as much shopping done as you can online. You will probably get a better deal, keep your stress levels down, end up having more time to take care of yourself and spend time with your family. If you do have to get out, learn when the least crowded days and times are to go shopping, such as Mondays and Tuesdays for retail and Wednesdays for grocery. • Schedule your exercise. Budget yourself at least 15-minutes a day for some type of physical activity. To maximize your time, do short workouts that combine high intensity intervals alternated with core and strength exercises. You can make it fun by chasing your kids around the backyard, playing a game of who can hold downward-facing dog the longest or race each other doing walking lunges. Your workout doesn’t have to involved a long trip to the gym, it could just involve turning on a 15-minute workout from an app such as MASHUP® ! • Indulge in Moderation. Use the three-bite rule when sampling holiday treats. One study showed that individuals who only had a few bites of a food were just as satisfied as those who were given larger portions of the same food. Yes, you can still enjoy yourself while avoiding holiday weight gain. • Learn to Say “No” and Plan Ahead. Don’t over commit yourself in volunteering to organize or host every holiday party whether it is for your kid’s school class or at your home. In addition, never hesitate to delegate tasks or ask for help with holiday preparations. • Eat One-Ingredient Foods. Try to stick to natural, unprocessed foods as much as possible. When you are grocery shopping always look to see how many ingredients something has. Here’s a hint: Most of the one-ingredient foods will be found on the perimeter of the store. Also, when you are at parties stick to the veggie tray or handful of nuts. • Relax. Take some time for yourself and soak in a warm Epsom salt bath or stop off for a ten minute chair massage while out running errands. Alternatively, sweet-talk your significant other or kids into a five-minute shoulder rub. • Optimize Your Nutrition. Avoid starches and sugars by replacing them with lot of vegetables and healthy fats to satisfy your hunger. Enhance your intake of Omega 3 fatty acids through grass-fed/wild-caught proteins or fish oil and Vitamin D either through 20 minutes of sunshine or a supplement. Stay hydrated. 
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