Increase your metabolic rate with exercise

Most everyone I talk to is looking to increase their metabolic rate. I tell them the most effective way is to exercise. I want to explain why is so good. I'm going to talk about just that in this post, and maybe, just maybe, you will really get up off your booty and move!

Burn Baby Burn

Exercise burns calories! This means the more you move, the more you burn. Make exercise a habit and you can help your metabolism to operate more efficiently.

Muscle Mania

MUSCLE BURNS CALORIES! The more muscle you have the more calories you burn around the clock. When you increase your body’s muscle mass you will increase the amount of calories your body burns. This does not mean you can go hog wild and eat junk food every day. Having an increased muscle mass will burn additional calories but not to a significant degree.

Look good, feel GREAT

IMPROVED OVERALL HEALTH is something that exercise does. Be sure to get both cardio and weight training in during  your weekly workouts. Cardiovascular exercise improves your circulation, strengthens your lungs and gets your heart working. Weight training helps you build strength and power. Both are so awesome for you! Don't skimp on either one!

These are just a few reasons working out isn't just about looking good (although, that  is an awesome side effect). Both your body and your mind can benefit! So really there is no excuse not to move!

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Take care of your neck and shoulder pain

I know a lot of people have neck and shoulder pain frequently. The good news is they’re not usually a major cause for concern. Sadly, the quality of life suffers. If you get neck and shoulder pain, don't hesitate to take matters into your own hands. Over the years I have found what works for me so I thought I'd share them with you! They are super simple but effective self-care tips.

Relieve The Pain

To help with the pain you might want to stay from anything stronger than ibuprofen. Ibuprofen only helps with mild aching and soreness. Try using Bio Freeze. It's a pain-suppressing gel that you apply to the skin over the affected area. I like the gel. It has a cooling effect but doesn't smell like some other products. Make sure you are always following the dosage instructions provided with the treatments. Especially if you are taking a pill.

Another pain lowering treatment is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Available from pharmacies, TENS machines work by delivering small electrical impulses to the parts of your body that are sore. These impulses, which you should feel as a mild tingling sensation, are passed from electrodes that you attach to your skin. They offer relief by disrupting the pain signals that would normally travel to your brain and spinal cord. The devices also trigger the release of endorphins, which are the body’s own natural painkillers that help to reduce discomfort.

Sleeping Beauty

How you sleep is important. First, don't watch TV in bed. A lot of people use too many pillows to prop themselves up to see the television. This can cause your neck to bend too much, putting pressure on this part of your body. Instead, try resting your head on one low, firm pillow.

Gentle Exercises will help

I'll just state the obvious, overdo it when you exercise. Some gentle exercises could help. For example, if your neck is stiff, sit propped up on something, I like to use a yoga block, drop your ear to your shoulder and hold for 20 seconds, then turn your nose toward your shoulder, like you are smelling your armpit and hold for 20 seconds, last on a diagonal lift your chin and hold for 20 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Remember to keep moving the affected joints to help ensure they don’t seize up.

These self-help techniques should reduce your pain and speed up your recovery. However, if your condition hasn’t improved after a few weeks, you suspect the problem could have a serious cause or regular painkillers aren’t controlling your discomfort, you may benefit from arranging an appointment with your doctor.

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Why I LOVE working with a trainer

About 2 years ago I thought it would be fun to workout with a trainer. I take tons of fitness classes and I'm constantly teaching so this just seemed like a natural next step. I absolutely love working with someone. It really has become the best part of my week. I thought I'd list my top 5 reasons why I love working out with a trainer.

1.  NOT HAVING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT’S NEXT OR WHAT TO DO IN MY WORKOUT THAT DAY.

One of the best things about working with a trainer is not having to think. I would show up and just listen to his instructions. It is seriously awesome! I LOVE working privately because I don't have to give, be "on," or worry about anyone else. It is "me” time!

2. NOT HAVING TO COUNT MY REPS, SELECT MY WEIGHT OR RACK MY WEIGHTS.

Counting sounds like it is easy. It is IF you aren't distracted by anything. No one is talking, no one is asking questions, etc.  When I workout with a trainer, I keep going until I'm told to stop. Sometimes I’m sure I did more or less than what was set out, but that was totally okay, because it wasn’t up to me. And even better than that, when you work with a trainer, a lot of times they grab your weights and re-rack them. It’s awesome. Because at the end of a set, the last thing you feel like doing is lugging a heavy weight back across the gym to replace it. 

3. GETTING OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE, OUTSIDE OF THE GROUP FITNESS ROOM.

A great man named Fred DeVito, once said "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you." He is right!  Even though I’m 100% committed my workout routine and going to the gym, I don’t always get out of my comfort zone or try totally new things. My body craves diversity and doesn’t always get it. My biggest accomplishment with the trainer recently was deadlifting with weights that weigh almost as much as I do! My workouts are never easy. But because I’m always up for the challenge, I look forward to the workout of the day and feel amazing after I complete something that was very hard for me.

4. HAVING A PROFESSIONAL NITPICK MY FORM. 

Being a fitness professional I'm no stranger to good form. I know what good form looks and feels like, but I’m also human. My trainer has corrected me on things I wouldn't have even noticed I was doing, like, holding my breath or rolling my shoulders forward. I think about those corrections EVERY TIME I've worked out since then.  It’s so good to get feedback on your form, and I encourage everyone to seek it out. It will help you improve! 

5. REMEMBERING WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A STUDENT.

I know I'm not alone feeling this way, I don’t like to be bad at things. Most people don't! Working with my trainer reminds me what it’s like for people who come to my classes for the first time. It’s not easy.  No one is good the first time. You aren’t always sure of what you’re doing and that makes you second guess yourself. 

Overall, working with a personal trainer is the best money I have ever spent. I have definitely seen results but it's more than that for me. It's knowing that someone is in my corner! I'm 100% stronger now. 

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Full length Barre workout

I made a full length Barre workout for you to do at home. Check it out!

Women should workout different!

I love being a girl. I like romantic comedies, the color pink, and sparkly headbands. I also like to lift heavy weights but I don't think women’s strength training should mimic the training of men.

The reason why I think this way is that most men (not all men) use a lot of machines, do tons of bicep curls, lots of weighted sit-ups and side bends, and always do the bench press. Honestly, most men don’t train properly. They don't challenge themselves, their training is crazy unbalanced (constantly working chest and biceps) and their posterior chain (low back, glutes, and hamstrings) is sadly untouched. I would never tell a woman to workout this way.

Instead of telling women to train like men, we should tell them to "train like athletes."

This is my reasoning: Athletes train to improve their performance. It's as simple as that! They focus on developing a body with low body fat and a great aesthetic appearance are usually just a great side effect. You won’t catch a smart athlete doing nothing but bench presses and barbell curls.

Ladies, here is what you should do:

• Deadlifts (sumo, conventional, trap bar, from a deficit, etc)
• Squats (bodyweight, dumbbell, or barbell—do not use a Smith machine . . . ever)
• Lunges
• Push-ups
• Dumbbell/barbell chest presses
• Rows (bodyweight, dumbbell, barbell, cable)
• Overhead presses
• Parallel bar dips
• Chin-ups
• Planks, ab wheel rollout and other core stabilizers

You do NOT need to use the machines! I repeat, YOU DO NOT NEED TO USE THE MACHINES! You will build a sassy and sexy pair of legs with squats, deadlifts, and lunges than you ever could with leg extensions/curls, and inner/outer thigh machines. Plus, all of these exercises will actually help you not just in the gym but in life.

Don't kill yourself with cardio. You don't need it. Throw in a few spinning sessions per week and you are golden.

Remember, train like an athlete, not a man!


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