When asked about your days "off" or recovery days, what comes to mind?
For many, laying on the couch and not moving a muscle is the image of what makes a good day off. And while your body needs the rest after rigorous strength training workouts, mild or moderate activity can take your recovery to the next level and have quite a few benefits to your workouts. Active recovery is an easier workout compared to your normal training. Typically this workout would be done on off day from training. Having a recovery day is not only to recover physically, but many times mentally. Try to make it a point to pick an activity that is particularly enjoyable. There are at least 3 benefits of having active recovery days:
Below is the list of activities done and recommended by Shine Staff on recovery days: Kim: - Walking or hiking with friends Jason: - Walking or Hiking with friends - Stretching using benches, steps and walls - Walking while at work Jen: - Dynamic warm-ups - Walking - Low-intensity cardio Dean: - Walking the dog Mikayla: - Short runs - Hiking Erzhena: - Yoga - Zumba - Walking Other great ideas to focus on and enjoy: - Playing sports (baseball, cricket, basketball) - Foam-Rolling/Stretching/Yoga By: Erzhena Soktova The question this week is "what is your why?" Why do you make the decision to come to Shine Fitness every week to complete your strength training sessions? Or more importantly, why have you decided to take part in living a healthy lifestyle?
The Shine team looked into this scenario in order to find the reason as to why people do what they do. A great resource helped us understand; this resource being a Ted Talk by Simon Sinek on "How Great Leaders Inspire Action." Simon covered an interesting topic during his discussion stating that great leaders think, act, and communicate all in the same way. But how do they do this? Why is their thought process the same and why does it lead to great success? Any thoughts? Well, the secret is by understanding and incorporating the "Golden Circle" into their thought processes. The "Golden Circle" covers the "what," "how," and "why" people do what they do. An interesting fact is that the majority of individuals know "what" they're doing and "how" they do it, but cannot begin to explain as to why they do it. The goal this week is to begin to think from the inside of the circle out; starting with the "why" and ending with the "what." For example; "I am taking part in an exercise program in order to feel confident in my favorite outfit." How am I going to do this? "I am going to complete three strength training workouts per week and start managing my diet." What am I going to do? "I am going to come to Shine." Now, your "why" may be something you believe is obvious; but dig deep and really explore why you have made the decision to begin your health and fitness journey. Remember, your "why" is driven by a cause...a belief! Have a great week Shine family! -Mikayla Waymire Nancy Dupar, a Shine Fitness member for 4 and 1/2 years, shares her journey with Shine and the amazing results that she has gained through years of motivation and her always positive attitude.
Why did you decide to start your fitness journey with Shine? I was not going to buy my designer slacks in a size 16, and I was sick of being a 14. I had tried everything on my own but decided I needed accountability. What has been your best result since you've been with Shine? I feel better, I have more energy, and I am stronger, more confident, and I just bought my first size 8 skinny jeans and size 6 dress. If you have participated in an AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge, what were your results and how was your experience? I have participated in AdvoCare and I love it. It has really given me a system for my nutrition in order to help me stay focused. The products support healthy eating and help to curb my cravings. What is your favorite thing about Shine Fitness? The community and the individuals that work out at Shine. Everyone is positive and support one another. The trainers are uplifting and all know what they're talking about. What is your next goal that you are excited about? I am working towards a pull-up and I want to get strong for skiing. What advice would you give to a person new to fitness? Just keep coming. In the beginning, there are so many reasons not to come, but soon you will absolutely love it. The Scale...the scary 5 letter word. You go to the Dr's office and the first thing they do is ask you to get on the scale and you immediately start taking off your shoes, emptying your pockets, and trying to eliminate as much extra weight as possible. Why is this? For some reason over the years the Scale has been given this power. The power to make or break our day biased on what it says. Most of us have a number in our head that we believe that we are supposed to weight because of what some article told us, or what we weighted in high school and we assume we are supposed to stay at that weight forever. For most of us we look at the scale and 9 times out of 10 the number staring back at us just tells us that we are "fat" or not at the place we are "supposed" to be. Then on that rare occasion that the number on the scale tell us that we are at the place were supposed to be we then go out and celebrate with ice cream. Today I want us to take back the power from the scale. The truth is the number on the scale does not mean as much as we give it credit. Our bodies are made up of muscle and fat and as the ratio of muscle and fat changes the weight on the scale changes as well. Muscle is a much denser object so when compared to fat of the same weight it takes up much less room. Which is why when you start working out and building muscle you may not lose much weight on the scale but your jeans and clothes start fitting much better. Below is a picture of exactly 5lbs of muscle vs. 5lbs of fat. Can see that the muscle takes up less space? Due to the difference in density of muscle and fat, two people can weigh the same and look totally different. In this image below all the women in these photos weigh 150lbs yet all of them wear different size clothes and look entirely different. The woman on the far right is the shortest with the most muscle and wears the smallest size but still weights 150 pound just like the rest of the woman.
So let's take back the power from the scale and focus on building strong muscles in our body and watch our bodies shrink but not necessarily on the scale. If you are interested in learning more about how to build muscle and burn fat, come to our Drop 2 Sizes Seminar on September 17th at 7:30pm. This is where we will be sharing our secrets to dropping 2 sizes in just 8 weeks. Kim Kloster Summer is officially here and that means teenagers and college students are out on
summer break! It can be difficult to watch your child waste their summer playing video games or sitting around the house eating junk food. What better way to encourage a healthy lifestyle than to start a workout routine with them. This can be a great way to strengthen your relationship with your child while creating positive workout habits for when they return to school. Why might you want to workout with your child? Not only does working out improve your physical health, it also improves your mental health by creating endorphin production in the brain. This can help build a stronger bond between you and your teen while they are home. Motivation is the first step. Starting to exercise for a teen that is not physically active or is self-conscious can be overwhelming. You can help your teen get moving by starting off small and providing plenty of role modeling and support along the way. A great way to start is by going on 10-15 minute walks together every day. Setting a goal is the next important step. Seeing improvements in physical health can be a critical way to boost motivation. Shine Fitness begins with a free goal session that can help your teen set appropriate goals for their physical ability. This can start the process to making exercise a part of their life. Praise and encouragement on positive steps towards a healthier lifestyle is essential to success. Shine Fitness combines aerobic exercise and strength training or resistance training to guarantee results. A 2009 study showed that doing resistance exercises three days a week could lower body fat and increase muscle, strength, and power in children and teens. Exercise doesn’t have to be intimidating; every movement can be modified to your fitness ability. Working out with your teen can only have positive improvements on your life and your child’s wellbeing. Ask one of our trainers about the next step to getting your teen into Shine Fitness this summer. -Lilja Work can be full of unhealthy diet traps: donuts or bagels in the morning, skipped lunches, and afternoon sugar cravings can lead you straight to the vending machine. Did you know that the peak use of vending machines is between 2-5pm? Here are 5 tips on sticking with healthy food choices and avoiding vending machine: 1. When you pack your lunch, pack the snacks! (for a few days ahead) Snacks can be packed for a few days ahead, and you can store them in the office, so that they are within arm's reach, when you start getting cravings in the afternoon. Some ideas for snacks:
2. Drink water Take a gulp of water every time you feel like heading towards a vending machine. Water will fill you up long enough until you can get home for dinner. Be cautious of juices, soda, or coffee. These options can be high in calories and sugar. 3. Relax you mind during a stressful day Stress and unhealthy eating usually go together. When you get into a stressful moment at work - get up, go for a walk, talk to a colleague, or call a friend. Changing your environment and taking the mind off the situation will distract you from a desire to eat. 4. Have backup option of meal replacement shake (Example Advocare) Always having a few packets of meal replacement or protein shakes can save you from the vending machine. The shake and meal packet option provide needed nutrition and satisfy sugar cravings with the variety of flavors. 5. Choose the lesser of the 2 evils If all of the above options fail and your only survival option is a vending machine, you need to know which items in it are healthier than the others. According to Fitness Magazine; here are the 10 snacks from the vending machine which are comparably healthier than an average candy bar: Top Picks 1. Planters Sunflower Kernels (1/4 cup) 160 calories, 14g fat, 1.5g sat fat, 4g fiber The Bottom Line: Full of healthy fats 2. Baked! Lays Original 210 calories, 3g fat, 0g sat fat, 4g fiber The Bottom Line: Surprisingly fiber-full Other Smart Snacks 3. Sun Chips Original 140 calories, 6g fat, 1g sat fat, 2g fiber The Bottom Line: Made of whole grains 4. Snyder's of Hanover Mini Pretzels (20) 110 calories, 0g fat, 0g sat fat The Bottom Line: Naturally fat-free 5. Smartfood Reduced-Fat Popcorn 120 calories, 5g fat, 1g sat fat, 2g fiber The Bottom Line: Low fat, and has fiber! 6. Peanut M&M's 250 calories, 13g fat, 5g sat fat, 2g fiber The Bottom Line: Just don't go nuts 7. Fig Newtons 190 calories, 0g fat, 0g sat fat, 2g fiber The Bottom Line: It's fruit! 8. Nature Valley Granola Bar, Oats & Honey 180 calories, 6g fat, 0.5g sat fat, 2g fiber The Bottom Line: Beats hunger 9. Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts (39) 160 calories, 13g fat, 1.5g sat fat, 6g protein The Bottom Line: High in protein 10. Quaker Chewy Low-Fat Granola Bar, Chocolate Chunk 110 calories, 2g fat, 0.5g sat fat, 1g fiber The Bottom Line: Guilt-free chocolate Starting a healthy lifestyle can be a challenge in the beginning, especially if members of your household are not on-board. While success is still possible, it's important to encourage your family and other close friends to join you so the lifestyle can feel easy for the years ahead. Here are a few tips to consider:
Tell them what you've learned. It can be exciting to make new, healthy changes and to stay accountable to your plan, it helps to talk about it. Plus, learning new information and wanting to share it is fun. When it comes to encouraging others to get healthy with you, focus on what you've learned instead of criticizing what they should be doing. Focus on being positive. For example, you could say: "I have started eating vegetables at every meal the past few weeks and I've learned I no longer feel tired after a meal." Something to avoid saying is: "You know you should be eating multiple servings of vegetables a day for stable energy." By stating what you've learned and how it's improved your life opens the door for your friends and family to see if they are interesting in joining with you. Focus on talking about what you're eating instead of what you're not eating. If you start a conversation with "I'm not eating sugar, pasta, bread, processed foods or alcohol because those foods are terrible for you," you will make them feel uncomfortable. They also might think you're judging them if those foods are currently in their diet. Instead, keep it positive by saying, "I've been eating lots of roasted vegetables, frittatas, fresh fruit, grilled fish and enjoy making easy crockpot recipes." These statements make a person feel completely different and are non-judgmental. Sneak in the good stuff. This can be a really good trick for picky eaters. Sometimes the thought of broccoli for kids or adults can automatically have a reaction of "yuck!" By finely chopping vegetables into your current recipes, your family may not even notice it, yet they are reaping the nutritional benefits. Sneaking spinach or other leafy greens can also work well in smoothies. If you decide to tell them your tricks, they may be excited to know they like it! Make it a fun activity. Healthy food can be fun. Get your family involved by having them help you plan a meal. Kids may really enjoy this activity. You could also plan a BBQ or dinner party for your friends and family. Be in charge of the menu and surprise them with your healthy favorites! They may be asking for the recipes afterwards. Always remember that this is your journey. Encouraging others is important, but unfortunately we can't make decisions for others. Lead by example, keep positive thoughts flowing, and before you know it, you may just have those people following in your footsteps. -Kim Shine Fitness | Bellevue, WA | - "We Are All Meant To Shine" | Shinefit.com Join us at Shine for an informational seminar on June 25th, 6:30 pm. We will be kicking off a 24 day Challenge next month! Participate in the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge to lose 10 lbs and 10 inches in 24 days!
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