I had the opportunity to try a newer neurotoxin similar to Botox called Jeuveau. This is my personal experience using Jeuveau and my results, which I loved. I recently turned 60 and I am always looking for ways to stay and look more youthful, and that's how I discovered Jeuveau. It temporarily relaxes the facial muscles that cause wrinkles. I had the pleasure of working with Premiere Wave Medical @premierewave and Dr. Justin Johnson and his amazing team. If you're in the Salt Lake area you will want to check them out.
Exercise Tips for Beginners
We can never underestimate the importance of health, wellness, and longevity. It's what makes us the best we can be. These steps can be helpful if you have questioned the benefits of exercise or how to get started. Don't just read them; find a way to take action, and implement so you can stick with it.
Graphic created by Apogee Fitness.Taking Care of You: Your Self Care Guide
Self-care is always on the top of my list since if we don't take care of ourselves everything around us seems to fall apart. I've had to learn this the hard way, so now it's my passion to bring knowledge to my clients and friends as to why it's so important.
Here's are some ideas you can incorporate into your life to help fill you up so you can give back without sacrificing your health.
Enjoy!
Self-Care guide created by Tyler's Beauty & Spa Academy a nail tech school
Mindful Eating for Weight Loss
This post is the first of a five-part series on mindfulness, and it tackles the inescapable struggle of weight loss. When it comes to losing weight, you may assume you need to muster up a huge amount of willpower and force yourself to stick to a diet through sheer discipline. But this isn’t always the case. Instead, you can start your weight loss journey by eating more mindfully.
What is mindful eating?
Mindful eating is a relatively simple technique that helps you gain more control over your eating choices and habits. It’s based on the Buddhist concept of mindfulness, which calls for you to bring your full attention to the present moment. With mindful eating, this means paying close attention to your cravings and other physical cues when eating. Instead of automatically falling into old eating habits, mindful eating helps you make more conscious, healthier choices.
Tips for Eating More Mindfully
Photo by Icons8 team on Unsplash
Listen to your body.
Before you even start eating, take a moment to really, truly listen to your body. Are you hungry – or is it something else that’s making you reach for a chocolate bar? Know your body’s hunger signals so that you can tell the difference between snacking out of boredom or stress and actual hunger.
Listening to your body will also help you notice when you’re full, so you can stop eating before you get to that miserable, “Stuffed” feeling.
Eat more slowly.
Once your food is in front of you, there’s no need to dive in and devour every last bite – your food isn’t going anywhere! Eat slowly to give your body time to catch up to your brain. It actually takes about 20 minutes for the “I’m full” signal from your brain to reach your body, so slowing down can keep you from overeating.
To help you eat more slowly, try taking smaller bites, chewing each bite 25 times, and setting your fork down.
Cut down on distractions.
Have you ever stood in your kitchen with a pint of ice cream, scrolling through Instagram while eating a few spoonful’s of Ben & Jerry’s – only to look down at an empty pint? Distractions are the epitome of mindlesseating. To cut down on mindless eating, you must also cut down on distractions. Don’t try to multitask during mealtimes. This means turning off the TV and putting away your phone. Instead, tune into your body and savor the food you’re enjoying – this is one of the best parts of eating mindfully!
Savor every bite.
Speaking of savoring your food, did you know that you’ll actually feel fuller and more satisfied at the end of a meal if you simply pay more attention to what you’re eating? By eating mindfully, you’ll notice textures and flavors you probably haven’t noticed before, even in foods you’re familiar with. And more satisfaction means you’re less likely to overindulge or immediately start looking for something else to “fix” that craving. Really enjoy your favourite food and feel satisfied instead of guilty.
Celebrate International Women’s Day: Be Bold For Change!
This year’s International Women’s Day theme couldn’t be any more timely and inspirational.
Being bold and determined to make changes is the first step to reaching our goals.
Take this time to draw inspiration from women who are recognized for their achievements which paved the way to creating awareness for greater equality.
The common thread among women who have succeeded through the years, is that they not only make decisions to change, they also see it through.
For most of us though, making lifestyle changes is a process that takes time and may require support. Once we’re ready to make a change, the difficult part is committing and following through. So we need to make a plan that will prepare ourselves for success. Careful planning means setting small goals and taking things one step at a time.
Where the mind goes, the body follows.
Let us work on the psychological aspect of making lifestyle changes that last. Here is a list of tips from the APA (American Psychological Association) to help us get and stay on track.
Make a plan that will stick. Your plan is a map that will guide you on this journey of change. You can even think of it as an adventure. When making your plan, be specific. Want to exercise more? Detail the time of day when you can take walks and how long you’ll walk.
Write everything down, and ask yourself if you’re confident that these activities and goals are realistic for you. If not, start with smaller steps. Post your plan where you’ll most often see it as a reminder.
Start small. After you've identified realistic short-term and long-term goals, break down your goals into small, manageable steps that are specifically defined and can be measured. Is your long-term goal to lose 20 pounds within the next five months?
A good weekly goal would be to lose one pound a week. If you would like to eat healthier, consider as a goal for the week replacing dessert with a healthier option, like fruit or yogurt. At the end of the week, you’ll feel successful knowing you met your goal.
Change one behavior at a time. Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time, so replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones requires time. Many people run into problems when they try to change too much too fast. To improve your success, focus on one goal or change at a time.
As new healthy behaviors become a habit, try to add another goal that works toward the overall change you’re striving for.
Involve a buddy. Whether it be a friend, co-worker or family member, someone else on your journey will keep you motivated and accountable. Perhaps it can be someone who will go to the gym with you or someone who is also trying to stop smoking. Talk about what you are doing.
Consider joining a support group. Having someone with whom to share your struggles and successes makes the work easier and the mission less intimidating.
Ask for support. Accepting help from those who care about you and will listen strengthens your resilience and commitment. If you feel overwhelmed or unable to meet your goals on your own, consider seeking help from a psychologist.
Psychologists are uniquely trained to understand the connection between the mind and body, as well as the factors that promote behavior change.
Asking for help doesn't mean a lifetime of therapy; even just a few sessions can help you examine and set attainable goals or address the emotional issues that may be getting in your way.
Making the changes that you want takes time and commitment, but you can do it. Just remember that no one is perfect.
You will have occasional lapses. Be kind to yourself.
When you eat a brownie or skip the gym, don’t give up. Minor missteps on the road to your goals are normal and okay.
Resolve to recover and get back on track.
5 WAYS A PERSONAL TRAINER CAN HELP YOU SUCCEED
You’ve tried over and over to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You want to stay strong and active, keep up and play with your grandchildren or take your fitness to the next level. Your dream keeps getting farther away as you get older. Stop the internal fight by teaming up with a personal trainer who can support and teach you the tools you need to succeed. Here are 5 ways a personal trainer can help:
1. Accountability – It tough changing your day to day rituals. We get used to doing the same things day in and day out and it tough figuring out how to fit in workouts, food planning, and life balance. This is why a program with accountability helps. Checking in with your trainer for regular measurement, body fat and pictures is usually enough to keep you on track and motivated to keep going and skip that pizza or dessert.
2. Debunking all those old myths about nutrition – It’s tough to keep up on all the new information out there about nutrition. What works and what doesn’t work. Why low fat, low carb diets do’t work. Why limiting your calories can actually create chaos with your hormones and metabolism.
3. Gives you confidents and knowledge to exercise property – Learning how to properly weigh-train can be intimating, especially for beginners. A personal trainer will teach proper progression to insure there are no injuries, while building strength and function within the kinetic chain. Have you been training for a while but you’ve plateaued? Learning new exercises and combinations can give you more effective results and take you to that next fitness level you’ve been working so hard to reach.
4. Teaches proper nutrition for life not a quick fix – Are you always wondering what proper mix of micronutrients will help your transformation. What to eat and how much? What might work for someone might not work for the next person, we are all unique individuals. Throughout your program a personal training can dial in what works for you, so you are successful for life.
5. Teaches life changes that stick – How many times have you tried to incorporate more healthy habits into your life? Then a week later your not doing it at all? Having that accountability with someone who teaches life changing sustainable habits through small daily steps is essential.
It’s a team effort to move past life changing fears and uncertainty to one of desire, excitement and change. Make your life feel significant, valuable and happy!
5 Top Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
Oh, the weather outside will soon be frightful, and those holiday cookies look so delightful… but don’t give in to those tasty temptations this holiday season! You don’t want to enter the New Year with a few extra turkeys around your waistline, right? That’s why I’ve put together my top 5 tips to help you avoid holiday weight gain this winter.
1. Be true to yourself.
Don’t just believe in Santa this holiday season – believe in yourself! Ok, maybe that’s a little cheesy, but you should absolutely believe that you deserve to feel good (and look good, too!).
Know your own importance and make a commitment to yourself. After all, you’ll never know what you’re capable of until you trust yourself enough to go all in. So truly commit for the holiday season, and then don’t let anything get in the way of your exercise regimen.
2. Avoid indulging the whole season.
Photo by picjumbo.com from Pexels
It seems like the holiday season starts earlier every year. We haven’t even put away our Halloween decorations and already pumpkin spice everything is out on the store shelves!
But that doesn’t mean your holiday indulgences should start early, too. Don’t start the food festivities now, or you’ll add extra pounds before the real holidays even arrive. Save your planned free meal and dessert for a big holiday party or dinner.
3. Don’t skip meals.
Every now and then, a holiday treat will be too tempting to resist – but don’t try to “make up” for those little indulgences by skipping meals. This can negatively affect your metabolism and even cause you to gain weight. Yes, gain weight!
Plus, you’re much more likely to make bad food choices and overeat if you’re starving.
4. Get your rest to avoid crashes and cravings.
https://pixabay.com/en/relaxing-lounging-saturday-cozy-1979674/
Sleep is one of the best holiday gifts you can give yourself. If you’re not getting enough rest, you may find yourself hungrier than normal during the day, which can easily lead to mindless snacking on those holiday treats.
And nobody wants to hit the gym if they’re feeling too tired either. So prioritize your sleep to see better results from both your diet and your exercise.
5. Stay focused and write down your vision.
Do you have your eye on a sexy black dress for a New Year’s Eve party? Write down your vision of what you want to achieve by the start of the new year. This will help you remember that you’ve got goals so you can stay focused.
Photo by Chase Clark on Unsplash
Follow these easy tips, and you’ll start off 2019 with confidence! If you need a little extra motivation this holiday season, I’d love to chat with you about how I can help you reach your goals and get a jumpstart on a healthy new year.
5 SIMPLE AFFIRMATIONS FOR PERSONAL GROWTH
Sometimes life can get us down and can be challenging. However the way we look at life, situations and what we say to ourselves is what determines our happiness, and growth. I believe we create our lives by our thoughts and we can have success, great relationships, our dream job, health, and much more. I know this works because it has changed my life. Here are five things you can start to say to yourself to shift your thought process to one of achievement and growth.
5 Affirmations for Personal Growth:
I am in control of my thoughts, therefore, I journal everyday what I will create for that day. What I am grateful for and what action steps to take.
Obstacles are my opportunities for success, and to prove to myself what I am capable of.
I am pro-active in creating the structure I need everyday so that I will have a strong foundation for long-term growth.
I am a beautiful, strong, pro-active action taker. I can accomplish whatever I put my mind too.
I always take care of my health, mind and body by exercising daily and only eating whole food that will make me strong for life, and free from disease.
Write these down and put them on your fridge, bathroom mirror, work station, car and in your purse. You deserve the best life ever, but it is up to you to take the action steps!
5 Tips for Better Sleep & Recovery
Sufficient and quality sleep is one of the most important, and sadly ignored, elements of a sound mind and body. We could spend so much time and energy on our physical conditioning, nutrition, and social-emotional sides of our lives and totally bypass among the columns of health and wellness.
We often fall into the trap of prior sleep to “get more done.” Nevertheless, it’s important to try to at least improve your sleep quality, through whichever means you deem appropriate.
In this article, I’ll discuss some of my favorite tips for optimizing your sleep habits, you will learn what deep sleep is, why it’s so important; and how you can improve your sleep over time.
1. Adjust When You Exercise
Surprisingly, the time of day that you exercise may have a significant impact on how well you sleep; furthermore, the moment you exercise could influence various elements of sleep. For instance, how long it takes to go to sleep as well as just how you remain asleep throughout the night.
When a person exercises in the morning, they have less trouble falling asleep. Interestingly, regardless of the training time, exercise reduced the number of times you woke up at night. Basically, this detail leads us in conclusion that workout in fact favorably influence sleep. In addition, depending upon your sleep issue, the time you workout may have a considerable impact.
2. Say Bye Bye to your Gizmo’s
As the reason coincides-- the "blue light" emitted from digital displays (including TVs, computers, and phones) hinders the body's natural manufacturing of melatonin. This makes sleep-- and definitely deep sleep-- much less achievable.
The earlier you quit utilizing these blue light displays the better, as there light has actually been shown to subdue melatonin for approximately 3 hours.
If you're anything like the majority of people living in the modern world, stepping far from all digital gadgets 3 hours before bed may help enhance sleep considerably.
3. Build A Regular Rhythm
Interestingly, our bodies have a biological rhythm, which manages almost every function in the body, from when you wake, to when you like to exercise and go to bed. Additionally, most hormonal output pertaining to these occasions also happens on a rhythm. For instance, did you know that your body releases cortisol in the early morning, which ultimately causes you to wake and prepare for the day?
Ends up, this is an important part of your body clock. Melatonin, as I mentioned earlier, is additionally a regulatory authority of your circadian rhythm. Having irregular and/or short amount of time to fall asleep is among the significant concerns pounding our melatonin manufacturing.
Keep in mind that your body does not quit on the weekends. Whenever possible, I recommend attempting to keep your routine of sleeping and waking, whenever feasible, even on the weekend breaks. However, make sure it’s quality sleep for 8 hours.
4. Why is Deep Sleep So Important?
Naturally, most of us want to rest better, but those that are working to improve their efficiency and preparedness throughout the day know that the Holy Grail is improving our quantity of deep sleep.
Not to get as well technical, yet deep rest, or the last of NREM (or non-REM) sleep, is the moment when your brain waves are at their lowest frequency and you are at your hardest to wake up. Deep sleep is the moment when our bodies are working hardest to recuperate, reinforcing our minds and fixing our bodies from the previous day's physical effort. It's no surprise that individuals who typically state they're well rested have shown that they have had high-quality deep rest.
5. Stay consistent!
One of the most common triggers for severe muscle soreness is an exercise that is different from what you are accustomed to! Regardless of the amount of weight lifted, repetitions performed, types of exercises used and so on, if the exercise stress is relatively new to you, you will likely be quite sore. The best way to combat this is by staying consistent with your workout routine. Even the most intense of exercise sessions can be adapted to and recovered from using the strategies above, as long as you STAY CONSISTENT. Without consistency, you can do everything else right and still be extremely sore the days following a workout.
5 HABITS OF ENERGETIC PEOPLE
You know the kind of people who always seem to have boundless amounts of energy? Those who glow with vivaciousness? Those kinds of people have a few behavior habits in common that help them stay on top of their energetic game. It can be easy to assume they were born that way, and some were, but others have to work for high energy levels; for that beautiful breezy blush. Here are the secrets to putting an extra spring in your step (or another rep in your set!)
Drink Your Water - Our bodies are made up of 55% water (or more based on gender) which is why it’s essential to hydrate. Your body uses water in all its cells, organs, and tissues to help regulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions. And, one of those bodily functions is how energetic you look and feel. Some tricks to drink more water include: carry a gallon of water with you wherever you go. Invest in one of those fancy water bottles that automatically monitors how much you’ve had to drink that day. Find a water bottle with a motivational saying on it and bring it with you wherever you go.
Eat Regular Meals - Skipping a meal means not fueling your body to perform at optimum energy levels. Additionally, it slows down your metabolism which encourages your body to gain extra weight. Some tricks to make every meal include: taking your food with you in tupperware wherever you go.
Get Enough Sleep - Falling short on your sleep goals spells exhaustion, mind fog, and more the next day. Being vivacious isn’t easy if you’re continually running off of only a few hours of sleep a night. Give yourself a bedtime and stick to it with regularity to feel more energized on the daily. Tips to get more sleep include: setting an alarm on your phone for bedtime and having a rule no TV or computer pasted 9:00pm.
Stay Positive - Laughter is the best medicine! No, really, it creates national endorphins that help your mood. But, we can’t be laughing all the time, and life can throw some serious curve balls. Learning how to keep our head above water is a wonderful life skill to hone. So to keep up with a positive attitude here are a few tips: write down positive affirmations, spend time with positive people, laugh more, and listen to positive music.
They set realistic expectations with themselves and others - You’re going to feel totally drained if you’re continually trying to meet expectations that are above your capabilities or that you plain just don’t want to. Or, that aren’t fair to you that others have demanded. Say “no” to unrealistic expectations and “yes” to your own health. Say “yes” to giving yourself permission for stillness that empowers your soul.
Aging is Optional
Aging is a natural process and each and every one of us will have to deal with it at some point in our life. However, you can slow the process! Here are 6 bad habits I recommend avoiding or significantly reducing in your life so you can slow the process:
6 Bad Habits that Speed Up the Aging Process
1. Lack of Sleep
Most adults do not get the recommended eight hours of sleep each night. In fact, many of us get only half of that per night. Obviously this not only influences your energy levels the next day, but sleeping less than six hours per night significantly contributes to high levels of inflammatory proteins which increase the process of aging.
2. Drinking and Smoking
These two habits are probably among the top three factors to blame for aging. Alcohol is not only high in calories, but can greatly damage the liver and kidneys. Smoking, on the other hand, is bad for every organ in your body. It significantly increases the risk of lung cancer and other types of cancer and diseases. Heart disease being the most deadly of these. Both alcohol and tobacco products greatly increase the aging of your skin as well. To stay beautiful, fit, and ageless throughout your life, steer clear of cigarettes and keep alcohol consumption to a minimum.
3. Lack of Greens and Vegetables
Not consuming enough variety of greens and different vegetables in your diet can greatly influence the aging process. Greens and vegetables not only keep you energized and provide you with healthy nutrients, but they are also beneficial for your skin, hair and health overall. Including more vegetables such as kale, spinach, tomatoes, brocolli, brussell sprouts and many others, will decrease the aging process drastically.
4. Stress
Stress is the number one cause of disease in the 21st century. According to the National Academy of Sciences, immune system cells of highly stressed women caused them to age an additional 10 years. Minimizing stress by incorporating things such as meditation, yoga, hiking and other stress-reducing activities, can go a long way in keeping you young.
6. Negative emotions
What bothers us inside will show on the outside. Keeping negative emotions such as anger and resentment to yourself will only make you feel worse and bring you down. It's important to let it out, and then let it go. Holding grudges can add to your stress and increase the aging process even more!
6. Passive lifestyle
Being passive or inactive can cause a number of different problems. Not keeping yourself active and moving can lead to several metabolic diseases, including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. But, that’s not all. People who are less active are more likely to experience depression and anxiety, which also have a very bad influence on the aging process.
Ultimately --
YOU HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE!
That is the first secret.
If you make the right choice, you can look forward to a younger, more confident, and happier you
5 Ways To Reverse Your Biological Age
Studies show that if we break down the factors contributing to one’s longevity, a mere 25% is attributed to genetics or one’s biological makeup. The other 75% depends on the way we think and the choices we make.
Thus, the principle of Un-aging is based on the idea that—although our chronological age is a given since it refers to how many years we have lived on this earth, we can still control the rate at which we age or our biological age.
Un-aging addresses how to prevent, slow, or reverse the effects of aging. It not only includes nutrition, physical fitness, skin care, hormone replacements, and similar; it also includes anti-aging psychology, e.g., attitudes, beliefs, and coping skills for resiliently handling change, stress, and aging.
All of these factors contribute to the state of our internal body clock.
Although most believe that a body clock is something intangible, on the contrary, it refers to something very tangible and specific because the measure or one’s body clock is related to the length of so-called telomeres.
Telomeres are the caps on the ends of our chromosomes or DNA strands. They are like the tips of shoelaces, Without these plastic tips on the ends of our shoelaces, the shoelaces quickly start unraveling. The same is true of our DNA. As we age our telomeres gradually get shorter and shorter. When our telomeres get too short our DNA is no longer protected. Thus, when cells divide, errors will be made causing cancer and other chronic medical conditions. Eventually, our telomeres get too short to maintain life.
Fortunately, there are things we can do now to lengthen our telomeres and reverse aging at the cellular level. By making these changes now, we can reverse our biological age and dramatically slow the overall aging process.
Here is a list of ways to reverse your biological age:
1. Eat healthy.
Many studies have shown that a healthy diet can reverse or slow telomere aging. In particular, diets high in whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, fish, nuts, seeds, and legumes can protect our telomeres from shortening. Sugar, processed foods, and processed meats have the opposite effect to our telomeres.
2. Lead an active lifestyle.
Studies show that regular exercising slowed telomere aging by about 10 years. The message here is clear, exercise can reverse or slow the aging process.
3. Maintain an ideal weight.
Being conscious of of our weight is more than just cosmetic or a means for us to have a positive self-image. Being overweight is another cause of premature aging. Carrying excessive weight causes oxidative stress, or “rusting,” to our cells resulting in telomere shortening and premature aging.
4. Get enough sleep.
Ideally, we should sleep at least 7 hours a day. Sleep is when our bodies go into repair mode. We need this repair process functioning optimally if we want to reverse our biologic age and “grow younger.”
5. Manage stress and strive to be happy.
While we cannot avoid stress, we can change how we perceive stress and we can block the effects of stress on our telomeres through mindfulness, meditation, etc. Maintain a positive attitude by connecting with friends and family. Social connection was shown to be an additional way to keep our telomeres long and prevent loneliness, which is a powerful predictor of heart disease.
The decisions we make every day determine whether or not we grow old. By taking the steps outlined above, we can immediately reverse our biological age by about 10 years.
4 Ways to Significantly Slow Down the Aging Process
4 Ways to Significantly Slow Down the Aging Process
1. Maintain a healthy diet
A healthy diet consists of recipes packed with the right amount of lean protein, leafy green vegetables, seafood, whole grains, fruits, and healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, and coconut oil. Remember to keep sugar to a minimum. Incorporating these healthy foods, will not only keep you looking young and flatten your abs, but it will also give you that much needed energy to get through your day.
2. Stop smoking and drinking
Bad habits can sometimes be hard to break. But, if you succeed, it can have an incredible influence on your overall health and physique. Getting rid of alcohol will make your skin much healthier and younger, whereas quitting smoking will reduce the risk of lung cancer and aging skin. Bottom line, getting rid of these two bad habits will greatly benefit slowing down the natural aging process.
3. Pay Attention To Your Skin
The best thing you can do to slow down aging is to take care of your skin. Exposing your skin to the rays of sun too much can damage it, as well as enhance the process of aging. In order to protect it you should always apply sunscreen, wear a hat and sunglasses and drink plenty of water. A good moisturizer is important as well.
I use Revision Skincare
1. D.E.J. Face cream
2. D.E.J. Eye Cream and
3. Nectifirm for a firm neck
4. Exercise Regularly
Actually, one of the best ways you can do in order to slow down the aging process is to get active. Exercise initiates psychological changes, increases your blood flow, and energy instantly goes to your brain and muscles. So, when you have regular exercise activities, your body will be able to retain energy for a lot longer and fight the aging process!
Now that I've shared this information with you, please don't feel overwhelmed. It's a simple process, just take it one step at a time. For more guidance in stopping the aging process, click here now.
Ultimately --
YOU HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE!
That is the first secret.
If you make the right choice, you can look forward to a younger, more confident, and happier you
Embrace Change
Change is constant, but that doesn’t always make it easy.
We are all aware that change is a constant thing in life, yet many of us tend to resist it and whatever consequences it may bring. We should, however, keep in mind that without change… there would be no progress.
In writing this article, I was most inspired by this quotation from Esther Dyson, who as a journalist and author focused her career on health and technology.
“Change means that what was before wasn’t perfect. People want things to be better.”
Ergo, if we want things to be better, then we have to change. Perfection? Before we can even think about that, we have to know where to start.
Ask yourself --
What could make the quality of your life better? What is the single power we are born with, that could change everything?
We may call it free will, or the power to make a choice. Arguably, we cannot always control the events in our lives or sometimes even the outcome of the decisions we make. But we can take charge of changing the things we need to, and the steps to go about it.
What I am trying to point out is that, we cannot (for instance) stop the changing of the seasons. As we do not have control over the days turning into weeks, weeks into months, months into years, we simply find ourselves one day asking:
• How have I lived all these years?
• What decisions did I make that contributed to how I am living right now?• Do I have any regrets? What would I like to change about me?
Look into the mirror right now and see how the years have changed you. Do you like what you see? Are you physically, mentally, and emotionally fit?
There is no need to focus on the negative.
Sure, you may have put on some weight and have a bit of cellulite here and there, but this may be just consequences of having two or three beautiful babies for instance. Ironically, the decision to choose is easier when life gets tougher.
My life was not going the way I had hoped when I found myself a single mom of two young boys, but the one thing I realized through hard times was I could control how I took care of myself. I could make the choice to do that for me and that choice would make my life and my boy's lives better.
When you do choose to make changes in your life that will make you fit and the healthiest you can, keep in mind that a strong and fit body will slow the aging process and reduce the risk of disease. Staying fit helps to build and maintain strong bones and muscles, all while boosting your immune system. Choosing to have a healthy lifestyle will enable you to be more active to enjoy activities with your loved ones, plus you can be with them longer.
The choices we make will depend on each individual as we determine the goals we need to set. But for most of us who are starting to, or have been feeling the passing of time and the effects of aging, it comes down to these two choices:
Do I stay young or continue aging?
Every decision you make in your life will move you in one direction or the other. This includes what seem to be mundane decisions like:
• Should I go for a cheeseburger at McDonald's or grab one of the meals I prepared using only whole foods?
• Should I just sit on the couch and watch a flick or do I roll out my yoga mat and do some poses?
• Should I skip my weight training and just go hangout with friends over some drinks?
Aging has to do with several factors, your genes, your environment and your choices. You cannot choose the genes you are born with, but you can make choices that will make or keep you healthy. Being conscious about your decisions is also of the utmost important.
Ultimately --
YOU HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE!
That is the first secret.
If you make the right choice, you can look forward to a younger, more confident, and happier you
LEGS, CHEST & CALVES WORKOUT
Today is my favorite day of the week…Monday! I love Monday’s because I’m more focused during the week and I enjoy how my body responds to the structure. I also train legs on Monday’s which is my favorite body part to train. Today I decided to throw in some chest movements to mix things up a bit.
Take a look at my leg, chest, and calf workout:
Machine leg press 5 x 20,15,10,8,8, superset with
Machine Incline Chest press 3 x 15,12,12
Leg extensions 4 x 15,12,10,8, superset with
Weighted walking lunges with pushups using 22 lb d-bells. 10 walking lunges, stop 10 push-up with hands on d-bells on floor. 10 more walking lunges, finishing off with 10 more push-ups.
Giant set:
Leg curls 3 x 15,12,12
Machine flies 3 x 15,12,12
Weighted straight leg dead lifts with 22.5 lbs. d-bells 3 x 15
Sitting calf raises 3 x 15 with 10 bounces on top of last rep
Incline calf raises 3 x 15 with 10 bounces on top of last rep
For beginners only do 1-2 sets of each exercise, intermediate do 2-3 sets and advanced do 3-4 sets of each exercise. If you are a beginner always check with your doctor before starting any new training program.
