Exercise Finder

I know we all have a spot on our body that we would like to tweak or slightly improve. Here is a great website that allows you to click on any body part you and it gives you recommend exercises to tone that area. The best part is you can do everything at home and don't need a gym membership.

http://www.divine.ca/en/health/exercise-finder/c_266/

20min workout

If you are short on time but still want to break a sweat here is a 20 minutes treadmill workout! A great trick is print this chart out "wallet size" and tape to the back of your cell phone. Then prop it up on the treadmill as you run.

Make your own Protein Powder

A reader mentioned they were looking for a protein powder thats not processed or full or sugar, so I was inspired to find a solution.  And lets be honest if you are new to protein powder the aisle is confusing and the tubs are expensive. So here is a great homemade protein powder (also vegan) recipe from a fellow blogger Daily Garnish.

Ingredients:

•2 cups hemp protein powder
•1 cup PB2 powder
•1 cup ground flax
•1/3 cup maca powder
•2 tbsp + 2 tsp chlorella powder
•4 tsp spirulina
•4 tsp cinnamon
•1 tsp (concentrated) stevia

 

Building the Protein Powder Base

1. First up, add the flax to the food processor and give it a few pumps. Flax tends to get clumpy, and you want to make sure it’s smooth when the rest of the ingredients are added.
2. Next, dump all the rest of the ingredients into your food processor.
3. Add the final product to a sealable tub, and DONE– you’ve just created your own super food protein powder blend!
4. The serving size for this mix is 1/4 cup, this powder recipe will yield a total of 18 quarter-cup servings, so you don’t have to do this very often!
    

This blogger also providers her favorite smoothie to add this protein powder to...

• 1 banana
• 1 cup of frozen fruit – they chose blueberries, strawberries, and mango
•  Add 1/4 cup of your new protein powerhouse blend
• A squirt of agave to sweeten
• Add one half-cup of almond milk and then top off with enough water to cover the ingredients.  Time to BLEND!
• While the mixture is blending, drop a handful of spinach into the top of the blender removing the glass piece.

 **If you are interested in other protein powders click here  

 

 

Chia Seeds for workout fuel?

I was reading a great article from Kimberly Snyder on the best workout foods and I wanted to share. Most of us turn to vitamin water, Gatorade drinks, muscle milk or protein bars before a workout but all those chemicals, additives and sugar are not helping our body recover. And we know the best sources of energy come from nature. Next time why don't you give Chia Seeds a try?

Yes, I’m talking about the same thing you may only have heard of from the “Chia Pet” phenomenon. Well the good news is that you need not grow a “Chia Ram” to get more energy, you just have to soak them and make them into a gel, which will serve as your power workout and beauty gel. You can get chia seeds at your local health market. They’re definitely getting more popular and are pretty common these days.


By weight, chia seeds contain more omega 3 fats than salmon, and more calcium than whole milk (which we don’t really assimilate well anyway from dairy, but that is another topic!), along with antioxidants. Chia seeds contain all essential amino acids, making them a complete protein. They also contain important minerals like magnesium and boron. High in both soluble and insoluble fiber, chia seeds also helps promote fullness, without feeling too heavy, and ongoing cleansing.


Before a workout or to ward off sugar or other cravings try this recipe from The Beauty Detox Solution:

1/4 cup raw organic chia seeds
1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
1/2 TB raw cacao powder
1 tsp stevia

Place chia seeds in a bowl. Blend almond milk, cacao and stevia in the blender until well mixed and until the desired sweetness is reached. Pour over chia seeds and mix well. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before mixing again and serving (recipe serves 1)

*Chia sees gel when wet and when in our digestive systems, this gel prevents absorption of the food (and calories) that we eat.  They are also great for those of us looking to lose some lbs.

AntiGravity Yoga

This looks like so much fun but until I read the article below I was way to intimidated to even try. Now I will keep my fingers crossed that my gym adds this new workout class to the schedule and if they do I will be the first to sign up. I will be sure to keep you updated.

Gym Class: AntiGravity Yoga

By KAREN BARROW

Did you ever see an interesting class at the gym that you were too intimidated to try? Or maybe you need to freshen up your current workout routine?

The new Well video series Gym Class is here to help. Each month, I’ll take on the role of fitness guinea pig, trying out new and unusual exercise classes and rating them for difficulty, intimidation factor, intensity and fun — all from the point of view of an easily bored, slightly klutzy treadmill runner.

For my first Gym Class I tried AntiGravity Yoga, a fitness class that adapts the poses of traditional yoga for a large silk hammock raised off the ground. Sometimes called suspension or aerial yoga, AntiGravity Yoga was developed by Christopher Harrison, a former aerial acrobat and gymnast who found traditional yoga too hard on his injured wrists. The weightless poses can be used to strengthen the core as well as relieve aching joints and stretch tight muscles.

“People show up because it’s fun, but they come back because they feel healed afterwards,” he said.

To see what happens during an aerial yoga class, watch the video, taken at the Om Factory Yoga Center in midtown Manhattan, and check out the Gym Class ratings below.

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/04/25/health/100000000789079/gym-class-trying-antigravity-yoga.html
What is AntiGravity Yoga? Yoga moves performed in nine feet of silk that is suspended from the ceiling like a swing.

Who’s it for? Moderate thrill-seekers. Bored yogis. Dancers and gymnasts looking for something new.

What’s the benefit? AntiGravity Yoga is great for stretching, working the core muscles and relieving stress — as long as you remember that it’s nearly impossible to fall out of the hammock.

Is there a learning curve? Be brave during class and you’ll be surprised at how you can follow along. After a few classes, you’ll be monkeying around with the pros.

Where does it hurt? The next day, you’ll feel it in your lower abs, upper arms and shoulders. Your upper hip area just plain hurts (or, in my case, is black-and-blue) from dangling upside down.

What should I bring? Wear long pants and a T-shirt with sleeves (to protect your skin from rubbing against the fabric). This is a “no socks necessary” kind of class, but be sure to pack a sense of adventure.

Best in-class review: “Ahhhh,” uttered by someone in the back of the room as she stretched out her lower back. (I was too disoriented hanging upside down to pick out who it was.)

Gym Class Rating (from 1 to 5):
Difficulty: 2
Intimidation factor: 4
Workout intensity: 1
Fun quotient: 5

Sweating by the Numbers

There was a great article in Shape magazine this month that looked at research studies on how if you exercise NOW it can prevent over 25 diseases and health conditions later one.

Workouts lower your risk of.....

• Breast cancer by 30%
• Colon cancer by 40%
• Depression by 28%
• Heart disease by 50%
• Hip fractures by 41%

Why are you waiting!?! We all say we are busy yet we find time to blog, facebook and surf the web, so tomorrow cut your online time in half and get moving the second half.  Just think MOVE MORE, and do what you love. If you like shopping- walk the mall, if you like to garden start digging, or use your cable on demand feature for tons of free workout videos.  No more excuses!

Fitness Apps for your cell phone!

Men's Fitness complied a list of the top fitness applications for your cell phone. Use these to help shed some lbs!

Lose It- Free app
Consolidate your workouts and food diary into one journal. This tracker has a wide variety of brands and food categories that include accurate calorie, carb, fiber, fat, sodium and protein values. It helps you see energy in vs. energy out.

Good Food Near You- Free
This is a great application if you travel a lot. It helps recommend healthy food options wherever you are (it uses GPS tracking). Once you choose a restaurant or grocery store if you tap the suggestion it lists healthy menu items complete with nutrition facts.

Nutrition Tips- Free
Did you know cut melon must be thrown out after two hours? This app has fun facts like this to help you stay healthy. Each tip is written on a post it note... just swipe the page or shake your phone for a new fact.

Run Keeper Pro- $9.99
This app uses GPS to track your route and speed and uploads it automatically to the RunKeeper website after you workout.

C25K- $2.00
Couch to 5K is great for anyone new to the jogging world. It guides you through training 3 days per week to increase your endurance.

Reminder: Change is coming.... this blog will have a new web address shortly www.healthy-addiction.blogspot.com

The latest workout gear!

Love the idea of a hula hoop workout but no place to store it? Hoopnoticas just launched this travel hula hoop that snaps together. http://www.hoopnotic.com/

This trainer ball is a must have! It has 12 core strengthening exercises printed on the ball so there is no more excuse of "I forgot to do that one" http://www.trainermat.com/

Tired of having multiple sets of hand weights? Well these weights can increase from 2.5 to 12.5 pounds as you get stronger. No excuses not to challenge yourself! http://www.kmart.com/

RealSimple Feb 2011

Fill it. Drink it. Fold it.

This new products is perfect when your on the go!!! I can't tell you how many times I have forgotten my water bottle on my way to the gym, now I can just keep this Vapur reusable water bottle in my purse and its there when I need it. Once filled this folded water bottle stands like a real bottle. Its also freezer and dishwasher safe too.

Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest 2011

Save $$

Its that time of year again.... the mountains are open! We recently just took a family vacation up to the Pocono mountains and had a great time. Not only do you burn a ton of calories but you have a blast doing it! Use these sites below to help save money on your next trip.

www.onthesnow.com - photos, live ski cams and snow reports help you determine the best resort. Plus you'll find tips on sneaky ways to save on lift tickets, lodging and there is a trip planner tool that organizes it all.

www.liftopia.com- Save up to 85% by prepurchasing lift tickets for 170 resorts nationwide

www.skiandsnowboardmonth.org - want to venture beyond the beginner slope? During January resorts throughout the country will be offering free or discounted lessons as well as deals on rental packages.

Fitness Magazine Jan 2011

Work Out, Get Rewards!

For every hour of exercise you log wearing the S2H Replay ($20; s2h.com), you'll get a reward code, and that number will give you discounts at retailers like Apple and Barnes & Noble. There's no limit to the rewards you can collect, so get ready to earn, baby earn!

Frowns mean your not moving!

Shape Magazine

Madonna to open 'Hard Candy' health club chain

Madonna to open 'Hard Candy' health club chain - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

I hope she opens some in the US soon!! I can only imagine how spectacular these gyms will be, not to mention extremely motivating.