New Years Resolution Time!!

It is that time of year again, when everyone decides to eat healthier, exercise more, and indulge less! Living a healthier lifestyle is absolutely a good choice for a resolution, but for some people it is hard to stick to. In order to keep your resolution throughout the whole year, try to make small changes that you are actually able to incorporate into your current lifestyle. Instead of eliminating something completely (ie,sweets, carbs, fat), try cutting back and using portion control. Also, know that if you do stray from your healthy changes, you do not have to wait until next year to begin them again! Even if you have one unhealthy day you can go right back to your resolution the next day.
This New Years resolve to not make unachievable resolutions!!

Life changing Yoga…

Yoga (and meditation) changed my life….and Jennifer Anistons! Listen and read about it here….http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20323591,00.html

Posture

Correct posture is important to the structure of the body because any misalignment in the spine can lead to pain in other parts of the body. Many people struggle with their posture due to sitting for extended periods of time, standing incorrectly, or just having weak back muscles/rear shoulder muscles and tight chest muscles/front shoulder muscles. To correct posture it is important to strength train the back muscles and rear shoulder muscles by performing rows, pull downs, upright rows, and reverse flys. It is also important to stretch the chest muscles and front shoulder muscles. Some yoga postures that would benefit these areas are Cow Face, Upward Facing Dog, and Bow Pose. By balancing the muscles in the back of the body with the muscles in the front of the body, correct posture will be easier to maintain!

Vinegar…the new superfood!

Vinegar is a great ingredient that is used in cooking, baking, and even ‘green’ cleaning, but the now the ‘Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry’ is revealing that it may protect your heart and help to burn fat. The study shows that the acetic acid in vinegar may help the body to produce an enzyme that breaks down fat. Try incorporating vinegar into your diet today by adding it to soups, salads, or even steamed or roasted vegetables!

Is your fitness program well rounded?

When starting (or enhancing) a fitness program, remember to incorporate the three basic components: aerobic fitness, muscle fitness, and flexibility. Aerobic fitness helps to enhance the efficiency with which the body uses oxygen. Any exercise that raises the heart rate, ie, running, walking, biking, etc., will aid in this process. Muscle fitness involves building stronger muscles and increasing muscle endurance. This can be done with weight lifting or body resistance training, such as pushups and situps. Flexibility is the range of motion of the muscles and joints. This can be increased with basic stretches or a more structured class like yoga. Check your program to be sure you are incorporating all three parts for total fitness!

Lemon!!

Lemon and lemon juice are very beneficial to the body. Try squeezing some in your water, tea, or even over a meal, like salad or fish. Read about the benefits here….http://www.oohoi.com/natural%20remedy/everyday_food/lemon.htm

BoYo

What is BoYo?? BoYo is a fusion class that I created after many years of teaching kickboxing. I decided that my kickboxing class needed more flexibility training, so I began adding yoga poses. Since our muscles were already warmed up from the kickboxing, the yoga poses were easier to get into. After trying out some different ways to add in the yoga I have reached a format that blends kickboxing, boxing, and yoga to achieve the maximum results of each. This class involves cardio, strength, and stretching, while using every major muscle group and burning calories!

Sleep can help you to lose weight!

Sleeping at least 7-8 hours per night not only reduces stress, improves memory, and makes you more alert, but it may also aid in weight loss. Getting an adequate amount of sleep helps to balance the hormones that affect appetite. Regulating appetite prevents overeating. If you are interested in shedding excess weight perhaps you should become aware of your sleeping habits!

Rotator Cuffs

The rotator cuffs are the often injured group of muscles and tendons that cover the shoulder like a shirt sleeve. They provide the motion and stabilization of the shoulder. The reason the rotator cuffs tend to get injured is that they are often neglected, while the muscles around them get stronger. For example, if the chest muscles are being worked and building muscle fibers, they will be able to carry a greater load. If the rotator cuffs are not being worked and need to assist the chest muscles in carrying that load, they will not be able to keep up. This usually results in a tear in one or both of the rotator cuffs. This injury may not always limit motion, but it is painful and needs ample rest to recover.

Examples of exercises for rotator cuffs: Using a band or free weights, bend the arms 90 degrees to body, keeping elbows against ribs rotate the arms as far out and back in as is comfortable for you. Repeat this exercise with arms 90 degrees and elbows at shoulder height, rotating up as far as is comfortable and back to shoulder height.

Sending and Receiving Energy

Energy is a powerful thing. The energy you are emitting from your being and sending out into the universe effects everything it touches. It is also the energy that you will be receiving back. Remember this next time you are meditating, or even just throughout your day.

Picture yourself sending out positive energy – love, compassion, kindness, justice, truth, peace, etc. Send it out to all beings, those whom you feel deserve it and even those whom you feel do not. Notice what energy comes back to you. Perhaps you will find this positive energy making it’s way back to you.