Category Archives: Working Out

Yoga Sculpt followed by Spinning, Good Morning!

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I had originally been signed up to go to Barry’s Bootcamp for my morning routine today, but due to an old back injury starting to flare up I decided running and jumping around would not be in my best interest. In the spirit of me trying to listen to my body more I decided to be spontaneous and try two new places this morning which would be more low impact on my back. Yes back to back new studios!

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First up was Yoga Sculpt at Hot Yoga Ocean Avenue. Class started at 6:00 am, which meant a nice 5:15 wake up call for me. Half asleep I got myself up and ready, then by 5:35 I was out the door and on the road. What I love about working out early in San Francisco is there is no traffic on the roads. You can zip from one side of the city to the other in no time. In a city only 7 miles by 7 miles you can get anywhere in about 15-20 minutes.

Parking was easy, I pulled right on up and was in the door with 5 minutes to spare. I setup my mat, grabbed my set of weights, and waited for the class to begin. The class was 45 minutes and it went by super fast! It was a great combination of stretching, yoga poses, cardio bursts, and weight lifting. I dont know if it was the workout or the fact I was moving around in a very heated room, but either way by the end of it I was sweating all over! Class was done at 6:45 and I quickly grabbed my mat to run out the door to head over to a spinning class which started at 7:00. This class was 8 minutes away so I was cutting it close on time.

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At 6:55 I pulled up to Fit Glen Fit located in Glen Park, a cute neighborhood I had never spent much time in. I was able to park right out front again, which was the only way I was able to pull this double workout off. I jumped out of the car and made my way into the studio. I had only been here once before back in November so I was excited to give this place another try. What I love about this spot is the neighborhood vibe it invokes. If there was a Cheers Bar of gyms this would be it.

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The spinning room is located in the back of the gym, a bright and warming space. There are only a handful of bikes, but it was the perfect amount for a pleasant and intimate class.  The instructor Claudine had a bright smile and a demeanor making you feel like you had been friends for years. Instead of setting her bike up in front of us, she jumped on a bike in the middle, a rider like the rest of us, guiding us through our ride. I appreciated the change and felt like I was riding with a group of friends instead of just sitting in a class being instructed on what to do next.

The spinning part of class was 45 minutes. Claudine had a good mix of music and varied up the routine from sitting, to standing, to hills, and sprints. It was a perfect sweat, not too hard, but not super easy either. The last 15 minutes of class was devoted to ab work on the floor, which was a nice active cool down.

Upon finishing my morning I walked over to the neighborhood market to explore what it had to offer. I could walk around a grocery store forever if I had the time. Next I grabbed coffee at the little shop around the corner, again another local neighborhood spot I was proud to have found. Although I was still in San Francisco, being in 2 completely new areas made me feel like I was on a little pleasant vacation. It is amazing how rejuvenated you can feel just by switching up your workout routine, trying a new studio, and being in a new area.  All I know is this routine might just have to be duplicated next week!

New Year, New Resolution

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Image-1It was 4 years ago today I made a change which would end up impacting my life in more ways then I could ever have imagined. It was not a decision I made overnight. I had tried to lose weight here and there, but it took years for me to finally feel ready and committed to make a permanent change. I was 27 at the time and had lived my entire life being unhappy in my own body. A sad, but honest statement.  Once I commit to something I am always fully dedicated, but I am also a believer you need to setup goals that are achievable. I mean no one would expect you to run a marathon after only one week of training, so I looked at weight loss the same way. My New Year’s resolution was to lose just 20 lbs.

I can remember this New Year’s Day so vividly, even though it was 4 years ago. I guess that is how it goes though. When something really memorable happens, you remember the day better. I woke up feeling motivated and ready. I could do this! First thing was first, I had to find out how much I weighed so I knew the weight I needed to achieve. This was probably one of the scariest experiences I can remember with myself. Facing reality and letting go of denial.  I was home for the holidays visiting my parents for Christmas and went up to their bathroom to step onto the scale. I stepped my right foot, then my left. I waited in anticipation as the number calculated. Then it appeared, 185lbs. I could not believe what I saw. However instead of letting this spin me into a dark depressed place, I used it as fuel for my fire. I could get to 165 lbs. I WOULD get to 165lbs.

I don’t remember exactly on how I found My Fitness Pal, but I did. I entered my weight, and my goal. It told me I needed to eat 1,200 calories a day to lose 2 lbs a week. Ok, I could do that. I went to lunch with my best friend Kristen that day. I had to look up the menu of the restaurant before I left to start looking up calories in order to know what I could eat. Wow, a lot of what I typically ate was REALLY high in calories. I had no idea. This was going to be a change for sure I remember thinking. I finally decided on soup as a good lower calorie option. I ended up ordering the French Onion soup with a side of fruit instead of my usual bread.

Kristen and I had been friends since growing up and she was already very avid about health and fitness. It was easy to talk to her about my new plan. She was very supportive and said she would encourage me every step of the way. Throughout the last 4 years Kristen has been my strength, my crutch, and my confidant to get me through the tough days. I suggest anyone starting a big change find someone who can be your support. It is not easy making big changes and you need someone who you can talk to that understands what you are going through. Kristen has almost been like a sponsor at times. When I feel like I can just not live another healthy day or when I want to give up I reach out to her. She knows how to calm the storm per say.

That night my parents and I had dinner together before I left to come home to San Francisco. I ordered half a french dip sandwich with a side salad. I felt satisfied and still a little hungry. A feeling I would learn to soon become very familiar with over the next few months. I remember how supportive my parents were about my new goal. I mean they had been the ones to encourage me and give me the honest truth when no one else would. I have to say I could never have done it without their push, love, and support. Once I had bordered the plane I looked out the window and could feel a change in me.  This time would be different.

So why am I telling this story today. Well I want to remind other’s that New Year’s Resolutions do not always have to be goals that we make and never fulfill. I am proof that you can make a goal, stick to it, and actually make a change. There is nothing wrong with starting with a small goal and working your way up. When I decided to lose 20 lbs I had no idea I would actually end up losing 70 lbs. If I had started with a goal to lose 70 lbs it might have been to daunting and I could have easily gotten discouraged and given up. Setting a smaller goal and meeting it drove me to keep going. After I met one goal I would set a new one. Once I met that one I would be so encouraged I would set another one. Next thing I knew I had lost 70 lbs. I do the same thing now. For example I will set a goal at the gym to just run 5 miles. Next thing I know I have ran 8 or 10. However if I told myself I was going to run 10 miles that morning I might have talked myself out of going.

Changing yourself is hard. When you make a big change you have to know you can never go back to where you were. I can never eat or be lazy like I did before I lost the weight. However now knowing what I know, there is no way I would want to go back there. Health and Fitness is about so much more then how you look. If that is all it was then it would be hard for most people to keep at it. Being healthy is about feeling good, having energy to do the things you love, and making the times you indulge that much better.  Deciding to make a change is the first step. Once that is done you just have to just trust what you will getting from the change will end up being so much better then what you are giving up. Trust me on that 🙂

Nothing Pure about Pure Barre

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Over the last year I have tried a lot of various barre classes from coast to coast. What can I say, when I love something on the verge of slight obsession I try to get my fix in whenever and wherever I can. Barre is different from other workout classes though. Unlike a spinning class where even if an instructor is just ok or the music is not as motivating as you would like you can still always manage to get a great workout in. The same is not true for barre.

A barre class can range from feeling like a slight warm up where you leave feeling relaxed and stretched or it can be a full on sweat heart pounding session. If barre is going to be my primary workout for the day then I prefer the later. However after a cardio session a more mellow class can be preferred. For myself there are very few barre studios out there where the class feels like a truly hard workout. However it has happened. I can now say I have finally found my match and its name is Pure Barre.

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I have wanted to try Pure Barre for a while, but since the only two locations in the city have never been the most convenient to where I live I just never got around to doing it. A couple of month’s ago I decided it might be time to try one out. I had gone to a spinning class in the morning and after a stressful day at work I thought why not do a barre class to help me relax and unwind before heading home. I picked Pure Barre based on the time and figured it would probably be a mild workout at best so my body would not be too exhausted from what I had already done. Wow was I wrong.

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Unlike most barre classes where you focus on a set of work and then follow it by stretching the muscles you just used, Pure Barre just keeps you moving through sections one after another, after another, after another. Essentially the class is “Pure Barre.” Just when you think you are going to get a break from a hard sequence and be rewarded with a nice downward dog or leg stretch you are hit with another set. Every part of my body was shaking and quivering throughout the hour session. By the time the cool down hit I was truly worked, but in a way that brings a giant smile to your face.

I have now been to Pure Barre over a handful of times at both locations. Each time I leave happier then when I entered. Their studios are not as posh as some of the other barre studios in the city, aka Pop Physique in Russian Hill with the hard wood floors and floor length windows overlooking the lush trees in the back or The Bar Method in the Marina with the glitzy chandelier and velvet couches in the main lobby. However there is something I appreciate about a place that holds itself up on the content of what it has to offer. A truly hard, fun, and uplifting workout. Just writing this makes me want to sign up for my next fix.

 

Breaking Up With My Scale

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For most of my life I had no relationship with the bathroom scale. I never monitored my weight, I had no desire to. Although I have always dealt with body issues and weight problems, I never could bring myself to step onto the scale and face the reality check that awaited me. Even at my heaviest weight when I decided for the first time I needed to make a change, I could not bring myself to look at the number. Like a coward I made my mother look at the scale for me on the first day of my first attempt at losing weight 9 years ago. For the next 5 months I dedicated my days to working out and was convinced that was all I needed to do in order to lose weight. Why did I need to know what that number was? I worked out 5 days a week, but proceeded to lose very little. Of course it is hard to track progress without some sort of tool so if I was not going to step onto the scale I would have to go by my pant size. After continuing to stay about the same size months in I just accepted this higher weight was my destiny and that I had no control over my body.  I would have to learn how to accept and love the larger me.

Fast forward to over 4 years later and here I was, 26 years old and still feeling a hatred for my body. I would have weekends where it was hard to get out of bed and face the world.  Putting pants on made me sad and depressed. Going out with friends left me feeling low because I was not nearly as thin as they were. I hated feeling like I could be happier, but feeling powerless to get there.  It was then on New Year’s Eve 2010 I made a decision. For the first time in over 15 years I stepped onto the scale and decided I could in fact make a change.

For the next 6 months the scale became my best friend. I would exercise, eat well, and the next morning I would wake up so excited to see what my new friend had to say to me. It was like Christmas, I could sometimes hardly sleep in anticipation of seeing what my hard work would pay off to be.

Once I hit weight maintenance my relationship with the scale started to change again. It became more of a love/hate relationship.  Some days it would reward me, while other days I felt punished. After a weekend celebrating out with friends I would cringe on Monday morning to step onto the scale. Was I going to see a number I liked or one I hated? It took me a while to be able to learn my body and become in tune with my weight. I would fluctuate 5 lbs any given month, but for 2 years I stayed within my designated range. I started to accept my friend for what it was, matter of fact.  Some days it would make me feel good other days discouraged, but overall I worked to not let it control me.  It gave me information and it was my job to interrupt it for myself.

About 5 months ago the scale and I started to have a fight. The number on it started to slowly inch up. Why would my friend start to betray me? Nothing had really changed. My eating habits and workout routines were the same, maybe a little more weight training. Could it be muscle? Was it something else? Why would one day my body no longer do what it has been doing for years?  My pants all still fit about the same, so why would my weight be up so much?

This has been my new struggle as of late. For the first time in 4 years I feel I have no control over my body. When you spend so much time learning what your body is telling you and how to make it feel good, how do you handle it when your body revolts?

First I need to trust that I am doing everything right. I am working out daily and eating healthy, so why does a number matter? For the first time in 4 years I have decided I need to take a break from what once was my friend and confidant, the scale. Let me say this so far has not been easy. I continue to try, but yet my friend finds its way back into my life every so often.  I guess these things take time. A date with my scale once every couple weeks is far better than my once daily check in. With time maybe I will learn to get rid of my co-dependent friend. Until then I will have to learn that a number is just that a number.

Getting All Hot and Sweaty From Barry…..

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Yes it is true. For the last few weeks I have been getting all hot and sweaty from a new man in my life, Barry’s Bootcamp. The first time I remember hearing about Barry’s was while reading my dirty little pleasure US Weekly magazine. One of the segments the magazine features from time to time is where they showcase celebrities doing regular activities and try to convince  us how normal they are. Well this was one of those segments. I cant remember which celebrity was coming out of Barry’s Bootcamp in LA, but I do remember being impressed by her and thinking to myself how I  wanted to try Barry’s to workout.  Yes the magazine had sold me, if it was good enough for her why not me?  Slowly I started seeing more and more buzz on this new workout. It was starting to garner the hype Soul Cycle had, but alas it was only in NYC and LA. So when it came to San Francisco a few months ago I knew I was going to have to give it a try.

Now I am going to be real for a minute. I hate bootcamp workout’s. First off I hate being told what to do, then you combine that with someone yelling at you, all while doing something hard that my body does not want to do. Yep not my favorite. In my mind this is exactly what Barry’s was going to be. So the idea of doing Barry’s was not because I really wanted to try the workout, it was because I wanted to see what the hype was about.

When I made my way to Barry’s for the first time I was impressed by the facilities, it was new sleek, and just gave you a feeling of being part of the elite. They are located right across from the ballpark, so getting there early morning to park was not a huge hassle. The class was packed with a mix of men and women, all of which were extremely attractive and fit. San Francisco in general is a young and fit city, but the people here were  the cream of the crop.

The class was broken out into 4 segments, all about 10-15 minutes in length. You have the option to start either on the floor with weights or on the treadmill. I of course picked the treadmill as I wanted to end with weights. All of the segments were focused on high intensity workouts. You would go all out, then break for a minute, then go all out again, and so forth. The first segment was focused on sprinting and by the end of it I was already sweating a ton. Then we swapped with the group on the floor and started with the weights. This particular class was focused on arms and back, so all of the weight exercises involved those muscle groups. Again it was all about the high intensity reps. After the weight segment was complete we traded again and I went back to the treadmill. This time it was focused on hills and taking the treadmill into dynamic mode where you move the machine. I have to say it was HARD! There were moments where I almost had to stop, but of course being super competitive I pushed through. Next was back to the floor to wrap up weights.

By the end of class I felt as worked as I do after an hour long spinning class at full intensity. I loved the combination of cardio and strength training. To me it is the perfect combination! I have now gone to Barry’s a handful of times and every time I leave with a smile on my face and exhausted. Did I mention they also have really amazing bath products in the locker room! It makes getting ready there quite enjoyable.

The one downside of Barry’s is the price. It is about $30 a class, which for me was probably the main reason I had not already tried it. But low and behold, my new lover Class Pass offers Barry’s Bootcamp. I highly recommend trying Barry’s for anyone who wants a group fitness class that is different and will work your body!. I am already looking forward to going later this week.

 

 

 

TRX- Not Just For The Boys

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Three years ago when I first started dating my main squeeze, we used to spend a lot of time walking the streets of Russian Hill where he lived at the time.  I had always lived in Potrero Hill, which I loved for its amazing views, sunny disposition, and all while having a small neighborhood feel in a big city. However getting to know Russian Hill was like getting to know the heart of the city. There was constant hustle and bustle, bars and restaurants galore, and young people as far as the eyes could see. We would walk everywhere on the weekend, just getting to know each other all while exploring what the neighborhood had to offer. For me it was not only a chance to get to know this new amazing guy, but also learn a part of the city I never even knew existed. One place we would pass by consistently on our walks was the TRX Training Center. I would walk by and stare in the window amazed at what these strong and fit athletes were doing. I remember thinking to myself how intimidating it looked and how I would never be so intense to try such a thing. Well I was wrong…..

I have done TRX a handful of times over the last year, but not enough to feel 100% comfortable in the workout yet. When looking at places to try with my Class Pass account I stumbled upon the TRX Training Center and thought what a better time then now. So I signed up for this last Sunday’S class at 9:30 am.

Upon waking up in the morning to go I felt nervous and excited. I went on a quick 3 mile run to get my body loosened up before heading into class. Once in there I was impressed by the lay out. It was a large, bright, space, which just felt legitimate. The instructor was great, he pulled all of the new people together to give them a quick run down of the studio and the workout ahead. After he finished explaining everything a 60 minute timer mounted on the wall was set to start timing down and the fun began.

The class started with 2 minutes of jumping rope and then moved into more boot camp drills like mountain climbers, high knees, and butt kicks. From here we moved onto a TRX circut where we used the machine along with other various tools around the studio and we would alternate between stations. After every 10 minutes or so we would stop the circut to do more jump roping. I had no idea how hard jumping rope was! This format continued like this through the rest of the hour and by the end of it I felt pretty good! The only thing I didn’t like about the class was you are so busy trying to figure out what you are going to be doing next that it made it hard to really focus in on what you are doing.

Overall I liked the workout and the studio. I would not say this is one I am dying to go to every week, but will be nice to through into the mix every so often.  At the end of the day though I am proud of myself for trying something I thought I never would do. It is nice to push yourself sometimes.

Ride Oakland- Spinning in the East Bay

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Friday night I had the pleasure of being able to spend the night in Oakland at one of my close girlfriend’s new house for a girls night. We made homemade pizza, drank wine, watched classic Halloween movies like The Craft and Hocus Pocus, all while wearing witches hats. Which as you can imagine made for a fabulous night! You can never be too old for slumber parties in my book. Something about reliving nights from your youth just makes you feel rejuvenated. Just to be able to leave behind the stress of adult like and reenact adolescence. Knowing that I had this amazing night ahead of me and since I was going to be staying the night in Oakland I decided had to try a new studio in the East Bay.

Of course with working out in a new area I had to start my research process early. Fist I looked on yelp to find a place close to my girlfriends place and found Ride Oakland, a spinning studio only a few minutes away. Perfect! Next I checked my Class Pass site, yep it was one of the studios featured. Yes! Then it was about selecting the times. To my despair the 8:30 am class was all booked and only the 7:00 am or 10:00 am were open, both not ideal times. I looked at the studio website and saw you could try your first class for free there. I gave the studio a call hoping I could get on the wait-list. Sure enough I was able to and got a confirmed spot later in the day.

Saturday morning with a slight headache and only 5 1/2 hours of sleep I got up, threw on my gear, and made my way over to the studio. Parking was super easy, something I am no longer accustomed to in my new neighborhood.  It felt like a luxury to not have to drive around the block several times before finding a space. Walking into the studio I could immediately picked up on the neighborhood vibe, however the studio also felt new, modern, and up to par with some of the nice mainstream studios in the city.

The crowd was slightly older then what I am used to in the city, however Helen the instructor had great energy and definitely kept us all on our game for the full hour. The music was great and the class utilized weights, which I am a big fan of in spinning classes. It creates an extra added benefit. By the end of the ride I was sweaty and quite pleased with my overall workout. Also my headache was gone! I would highly recommend this studio out to others. I don’t know if I would ever make my way to the East Bay just for this studio, but if I happen to be over in the East Bay I would go again!

A New Love, Perhaps an Obsession….

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Yes it is true, I have a new love, well maybe more of an obsession. I might even go as far as to say it could become an addiction. What is it? Well my first hint is it deals specifically with group fitness classes, however before I reveal  I am going to be honest here. There was a small part of me that was debating on whether to share this new amazing site out with everyone. I felt this small inclination of protectiveness with what I had just recently found and a small part of me that wanted to be selfish, to keep it all to myself. I felt like I had this special secret no one else had, I wanted to protect it.  After some quick internal debate however I decided this is something too good to not share with my fellow health and fitness enthusiasts. Plus anything that will help others to be more active needs to be shared.

So again what is it? Well it is a website called Class Pass which for $100 a month you can go to a huge variety of different fitness studios in your area and try all sorts of various types of workout classes. As the website says “ClassPass is an alternative to a gym membership. With ClassPass, you get access to the best boutique fitness classes in your city. There are over 1,000 classes available to ClassPass members, including cycling, pilates, yoga, strength training, dance, martial arts, and more.  For $99 a month, ClassPass members get unlimited classes to use at studios in the ClassPass network. While a member can take as many classes per month as they’d like, they can only visit the same studio 3 times per month.”

At dinner with a girlfriend last week she told me about the site and I of course went home, slightly tipsy, and immediately joined. My girlfriend had warned me that when you ask to join they will first do a little teaser where there is no open spots and you have to get on a “wait-list.” Once they have space they will let you know. Well then a few days later you get in. You have 48 hours to accept the invitation and join. Once you do, then you get to let the fun begin. I got my invite to join Monday morning and of course by the early afternoon I was already signed up for a yoga class to try. Had I already been to a spinning class that morning, yes. Was I going to let that stop me, no. Of course I also had my workout’s planned and already booked for most of the week, but how could I pass up going to more classes for free? What is a girl to do. Well this girl ended up doing a little bit of double dipping, one class in the morning and one at night. I made sure to focus my night classes on more stretching and less vigorous activity. It needed to compliment what I was doing in the morning, not add on a lot more working out, otherwise that would not be sustainable.

So far I love the concept although I will be honest their website has a few little flaws. The one I find the most annoying is it is not mobile optimized, so you cant actually book anything from your phone since they have a pop up you have to click to confirm and on your phone the screen is too small and the pop up does not shrink down. It is the E-commerce side in me coming out.  I also ran into a little issue with canceling one class to re-book another and had to e-mail the customer service. They got back to me the next morning, which was great. However I then ended up not being able to sign up for the class I wanted as it was full. I ended up actually calling that studio directly since you can try your first class for free with them anyways and got added in that way.

Now my plan is to report out on all of the different studios I try out and give the scoop on the good, the bad, and the ugly. I am not going to lie, it is a little intimidating the idea of trying so many new places and different types of workouts. But I am all about pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. This morning it was spinning in Oakland and tomorrow it is TRX in the city. Stay tuned!

Group Fitness, We are All in this Together

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One of my favorite things about group fitness classes is the community you start to develop. Running had always been my workout of choice, which I still do love and make sure to get a good run or two in every week. But there is a solidarity to running. It allows you to feel one with yourself. You focus on your breathing and the thud every time your foot hits the pavement. It creates a therapeutic rhythm you can get lost in. It is a great way to be in the present with yourself and for me it helps to work through stress and thoughts.

Now group fitness classes are the opposite. Yes you are working out by yourself, but you are doing it with others. You are all in on this adventure together. For that one hour you share a common bond with everyone around you. Without even trying you are motivating others around you, inspire them to keep going, work harder, and challenge themselves.

Through time if you are attending the same classes frequently, you start to see the same people. You build bonds with one another even if you do not always speak to one another. It can be through a smile, a friendly hello, or just knowing you all do this every week together. Friendships and relationships start to form.

This morning I went to body pump at my new gym, which was only the second time I had attended  this class at this particular gym. Class was supposed to start at 7:00 am and at 7:10 the instructor had not shown up. Now for most people this would mean class was cancelled. Everyone would disperse from the room and go about their day. However not today. On this day this group of people came together on a common goal of exercising. One guy in our class had the body pump soundtrack on this phone and another guy Chris had been trained to teach body pump, although not fully certified, and offered to attempt to teach the class. With this everyone in the class cheered and encouraged Chris to step up and lead us all.

Let me just say Chris did an awesome job! After every workout block the class would clap and cheer, encouraging Chris to continue to be our front man. After an hour I felt completely worked and also a sense of new found companionship with my class members. It amazed me how everyone came together and we were able to overcome a minor setback. I left  the gym feeling a sense of pride in the people around me. I think my new gym is going to be a pretty good place.

Burn Extra Calories During The Day, Here Are 10 Tips on How

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Let’s face it, we all just sit more now then we used to. We sit on our commute to and from work, we sit at the office all day, then we come home and sit in front of the TV. In an era where it so so easy to sit all day you have to work harder in order to move your body more. I have found some easy ways to move my body throughout the day which ultimately helps me to burn extra calories all day long. None of these tips seem like life changing events, but if you do them daily they will make a change to your body over an extended period of time. Of course nothing will replace exercise completely, but every change you make can make an impact to your overall health.

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10 Tips on How

1. Always take the stairs. No matter how tired you are or how much longer you think the stairs will take you, just walk up them.  I find at work when I take the stairs and someone else takes the elevator 9 times out of 10 the stairs end up always being faster.

2. Park  in the farthest parking spot you can find and walk. It might add a little extra time, but those extra steps every time you park far away can quickly add up. I also park at least one street over from my morning coffee spot in order to just get some extra steps in the morning before work.

3. Find opportunities for quick cardio bursts. I lift my legs and do high knees while brushing my teeth, I run in place while I blow dry my hair, and I hop around and dance while I vacuum, fold my laundry, or any other household chores.

4. Find time to cook more. Not only does cooking more help with eating better, but chopping, stirring, and mixing all help to burn extra calories. Plus you are also standing while you cook, which also helps burn additional calories.

5. Walk more. I have a problem with snacking when I get home from work so I try to use this time to take the dog on a longer walk. I also like to go on walks when I am talking on the phone. It is a good way to move your body while you do not even realize you are moving.  A walk to catch up with friends or co-workers is another great thing to incorporate in your day to day routine.

6. Stand up more. Stand while you are on the phone at work or at home. Stand at your dining table while you read through mail or browse online. Stand while waiting for an appointment, stand on the subway or bus, just anytime you have the ability to stand instead of sit do it.

7. Keep things farther away so you have to get up and in order to get them. For instance don’t use your remote control for the TV, make yourself get up and change the channel. When serving dinner leave everything in the kitchen. If you want more you will need to get back up and walk over in order to get more.

8. Fidget more. Tap your toes, dance around, pace back and forth. People who fidget a lot can burn up to an extra 300-350 calories a day just by doing small movements all day long.

9. Dance more. I for one love dancing as a way to get me out of a bad mood or as a way to relieve stress. 20 minutes of dancing can burn up to an extra 100 calories. The beauty of dancing is you can dance solo around your house or go out with girlfriends for a night on the town. This is a fun way to exercise.

10. Shop more. I like to grocery shop most nights as it helps me just walk more. I will walk the store a few times back and forth just to get extra steps in. Also this way I am hopefully not over buying groceries and instead I am just getting what I need for the night or next day.