Excuse me sir, do you happen to have the time?

Photo from FitSugar

Last week I talked about different ways you can motivate yourself to hit the gym. That means you have the time but are simply being a little bit of a lazy butt and not pushing yourself to exercise. But what if you just can't seem to find the time. Sometimes your just super, extra, crazy, insanely, unbelievably busy (like me!) and you really cannot find time to squeeze in even the shortest workout.


FitSugar posted a fantastic article today called 5 tips for finding time to exercise. If your one of those busy bees who is always running on a tight schedule, this article may be just what you need. Check out the link to read the entire article, but if your as busy as you say you are (wink wink,) then here are the five tips:

• Go during lunch. Swap out a leisurely lunch with a power workout a few times a month, and you'll be able to add a quick session into your day. If you're pressed for time, dry shampoo, face wipes, and an organized gym bag can keep your locker room time short and sweet.
• Put it on your calendar. Blocking out time on your calendar will help you schedule around your workout instead of just thinking you'll have time to fit in it in and then not being able to.
• Make a date with a friend. You know that exercise buddies can be the key to a keeping you accountable in your fitness routine, so if you feel you're in need of some catching-up time, then try scheduling a tennis session or a jog around the park with a friend instead of brunch or drinks.
• Make it short and sweet. There are many ways to fit in a 20-minute session that gets your heart pumping, including working out at home or going for a quick run. When we asked you, you had more creative ways to squeeze in some exercise. FitSugar readerGummiBears likes to break out the jump rope, while trinachka multitasks with free weights on the stair-climber.
• Change your bedtime. If you find yourself wasting the end of your day on mindless TV, going to sleep a little earlier could be just what you need to wake up early enough to exercise before the craziness of the day begins.

I hope these tips help you find a way to manage your time and sneak in a little bit of cardio or toning when you have a couple minutes to spare. Healthy living and exercise aren't things you can skip or push to the back burner. In order to live a longer, happier life, you must keep your body feeling great and fueled well. Pairing the right about exercise with a proper diet is all you need to help you feel better each day and to stay more alert, focused and efficient throughout your daily activities.

Why Should I ?!?!?

4 reasons to exercise from Michael Van Straten's The Little Book of Detox Tips For People on the Go:

Image from Amazon

1. Exercise builds muscles strength, which improves posture, prevents backache and reduces the pain of arthritis.
2. Exercise improves the health and efficiency of lungs, circulation, and the heart. And as your heart grows stronger, it's able to pump more blood with few beats and less effort, which reduces the strain of the heart itself and prolongs its healthy active life.
3. Exercise boots your natural immunity and increases the body's resistance to disease and infection.
4. Exercise makes you feel good emotionally, as physical activity releases mood-boosting hormones in the brain.

I hope these tips help encourage you to get up, get moving and get you looking and feeling great :)

Spring break? More like an everything break!

Well apparently for me spring break means take a break from everything. I haven't slacked totally though, I have been getting up early to take some aerobics classes at my local gym. This morning I took a class that is new to my gym, Cardio Fuel. It's a 60 minute high cardio circuit class. It was a mixture of step, kickboxing, general cardio and some focused toning. The class definitely pushed me to my limits, but I felt amazing afterwards. It feels great when you stick it out and finish a class that is really difficult for you.

I've been on the hunt lately for some new songs to add to my workout playlists. Especially since I finally started teaching some classes at the gym on campus (It was so scary!) I realized that I needed a serious iPod update. I'm not a big fan of mainstream hip hop and pop (except for the occasional Lady GaGa, my guilty pleasure) so sometimes it's hard for me to find some tunes that really make me want to get moving. 

Here's the lineup of my current fitness playlist:

1. Lights (Messed Remix)-  Ellie Goulding
2. That's Not My Name- The Ting Tings
3. When I Grow Up (Lissvik Remix)- Fever Ray
4. Pursuit of Happiness (Steve Aoki Dance Remix)- Kid Cudi
5. Dog Days Are Over (Breakage Remix)- Florence and the Machine
6. Heartbeats (Rex the Dog Remix)- The Knife
7. Born This Way- Lady GaGa
8. Ghosts 'N Stuff- Deadmau5
9. Through The Wire- Kanye West
10. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger- Daft Punk
11. Summertime Clothes- Animal Collective
12. My Delirium- Ladyhawke
13. Little Secrets (Felix Da Housecat Remix)- Passion Pit
14. Waka Waka- Shakira 
15. Swing Tree- Discovery

Where do you ladies find your music? Do you search around for premade workout cds/ mixes or do you create your own? Or do you just listen to whatever is playing at the gym? 

Along with hunting for new songs to add to my mixes, I've also been searching around for some new exercises to add to my routines. It's so important to keep updating your workouts to keep your body guessing and working hard. I'm sure I've mentioned this before but new moves are great for making your muscles stay tight and toned. 

Trainer to the stars, Tracy Anderson, is wildly popular for her hardcore workout routines that work to strengthen and tone muscles without adding any bulk. Using no more than 3lb weights and mixing toning moves with cardio and dance routines, she has created the Tracy Anderson Method to transform bodies worldwide. 

Image from InNewsToday

You can check out Tracy's website, search for some videos from her on youtube or read about her workouts on a variety of workout blogs across the net. Her tips and workout moves are fantastic for both at home and gym workouts. I read an article about Tracy's routine and found a couple great toning exercises within:

• Ballet Grand Plies: Stand with hells together, toes slightly apart. With a straight back, bend at the knee as low as you can, then go back up again. Work up to 100 reps.
• Single Arm Overhead Pulse: Using 3lbs weights, stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides. Raise one arm above your head with your elbow slightly bent and then straighten your arm completely over your head. Pulse like that, up and down. Work up to 100 reps on one side and then the other.
• Piking: Lie flat on the floor, arms at your side. LIft straight legs up to ceiling at 90 degrees and then gently lower. Without pausing, lift them back up again .Your upper body should remain flat on the floor.

For more information on Tracey's routine and workouts for the stars check out the article I read, Tracy's website, FitSugar's collection of articles or any of Tracy's workout DVD's.

Not all dimples are cute

The countdown to spring break has begun! And as I've mentioned before, the gym is absolutely packed with girls getting their last minute workouts in. I've got less than 3 days until I get to enjoy an entire week of nothingness. (relaxation at it's finest :) ) And just because I'm not headed to the beach to soak up some rays (I'm quite jealous of those who are,)  I am still working hard to get myself in shape. Summer is just around the corner you know!

I almost had to force myself to go to my kickboxing and Zumba classes yesterday, but I'm sooooo glad I went. I had excellent workouts and felt really refreshed when I was done.  Sometimes an intense cardio workout is just what you need to get your blood flowing and heart beating and smiling. There is something about a great workout that puts me in a fantastic mood.

Image from FitSugar

I mentioned in one of my other posts that one of the most frequent complaints about women concerns their so called "love handles." One of the other problem areas I hear about most often concerns the dreaded cellulite on their booty and thighs. noooo!!!!  The strange thing is, from a medical view, cellulite doesn't actually exist. It is nothing more than uneven fat distribution under the skin. And it is something 80-95% of women have. (ladies, your not alone!) Their appearance can be caused from untoned muscles, hormones or a different genetic factors (it's honestly not your fault).

The bad news about these little dimples is there is no way to get rid of them completely. BUT there is good news. There are ways to help reduce their appearance. By adding 20-60 minutes of cardio, three to five times a week, to your fitness routine you can help reduce your body's overall fat content. The less fat you have, the less cellulite there can be. Cardio alone will not fix your problem though, toned muscles mean less visible dimples. That's what we want :) Here are a couple strength training ideas you can use to target the most common trouble zones:

Image from FitFineLines

• Lunges in all directions 
• Try squats to help your backside 
• Focus on your inner thighs with these tips and moves
• Bridges and Donkey Kicks are great for the booty
• Different pilates moves help to elongate and strengthen muscles
• Keep your routine updated with different exercises
• Plank variations target multiple areas at once
• Yoga can target all trouble areas

Keep in mind ladies, you aren't going to be able to remove these pesky little bumps completely and almost every chick out there has them too. Don't be afraid to rock your fantastic new bikini. As long as your confident wearing it, nobody will notice your not so favorite areas. And try not to think of your "trouble areas" as problems, they make you unique and you should flaunt it!

Workout rut? Fashion Fix :)

Image from FitSugar

Have you all ever hit a point in your workout/health goals where you are either bored with your routine or not seeing any results? I bet you have because I have! Sometimes you just feel like there is only so much you can do to make things different or to push yourself. FitSugar posted an article today (no surprise there haha) called "10 Fitness Tips to Help You Work Smarter and Get Results." It's got some really good ideas and ways to keep yourself going while changing up your routine enough to see results.

Sometimes we think we have to push ourselves harder and harder to see changes, but surprisingly you may need to slow down to see some results. Read through the tips to see how you may be overworking yourself or learn how to mix up your daily routines to get the results your looking for. You can check out the tips here!

You all know how much I love finding other fitness sites or blogs online. Somehow I stumbled across this site and it's pretty much amazing. MizzFit is blog about fitness (duh!) and fashion! What an amazing mix :) MizzFit follows all the latest trends in the workout world: classes, routines, products, gyms, events, services, wellness tips and of course, the latest in couture exercise style. The site is based out of New York, but works to promote fitness worldwide. 

Image from MizzFit

Ladies, if you love to workout with style, this site for you! Just read MizzFit's Manifesto:

Women who work out, fell sexy and radiate confidence.

Who embrace their inner jock and fashionista as one.

Who are proud to sweat and accessorize (a lot).

Who are determined, consistent and open-minded.

Who crave new challenges and know how to have fun.

Who love their bodies in and out of their workout clothes.

Who push hard, cheer loud and never give up on a dream.

Who inspire us to feel great and cherish who we are.

Here's to you for inspiring mizzFIT.com!

If this manifesto is calling to your inner workout wonder woman, check this site out here.  I know sometimes I load you all up with sites, but when I find something I love, I just have to share it with you! Even if I may not need, use or enjoy everything I find on a site, when something good comes along, it makes it worth checking the sites daily :)

Overslept-----and Happy V-day!!!!!!

Well, so much for morning yoga. haha. As hard as I tried, I just couldn't get myself out of bed early enough to make it to class. Sleep was calling my name! I was up early, just not early enough. I am determined now to be awake in time for Wednesday's class. (we'll see how this goes)

Being up earlier than usual gave me time to catch up on some homework and browse the internet. And it seems that FitSugar was writing just for me today! Yesterday I talked about how I tend to slack off when Chris comes into town, and the first post on their site was titled "How to Maintain Your Routine Despite Your Social Life." They knew I needed this!!!! Lucky me :)

Todays entry posted 5 tips or guides to help balance yourself and your inner social butterfly. Each tip contains links to in depth entries that help you find ways to do it all.



Photo by Jessica Claire



The five tips, ideas, links, hints or guides (whatever you'd like to call 'em) are:

1. Date without breaking your healthy resolutions
2. How to avoid gaining weight when dating
3. Fitness date inspiration
4. Fun fitness-focused friend date ideas
5. Best places to get fit and flirty



If you seem to have trouble balancing it all (like I obviously do), check out the article here. This site definitly knows how to give readers realistic advice about problems most of us seem to be facing.

On another note, Happy Valentine's Day! Make sure you do something wonderful today, whether it be with that someone special, or something just for you. Pamper yourself today and splurge on something that makes your heart happy!

Back to Reality

As wonderful as it was to have Chris here with me this weekend,  holiday weekends like this aren't so wondeful for my exercise routine and meals. I spoiled myself eating and drinking whatever I felt like without working out! Shocking I know!! But now that he's gone :( it is time to start focusing on my healthy plans again.

To get myself back into my routines, I hit up my normal Zumba class and then did some other exercises with a friend. I made my way around the gym tonight using the stair machine, stationary bicycle, Arc trainer (that funky machine that is similar to an elliptical but provides results similar to jogging), rowing machine and the Nike Training app to work my abs. I have a feeling that I may seriously regret using the rowing machine tomorrow. Working out my arms and shoulders is something I don't do frequently enough.

I received an email this morning from the website Workout BOX that had ten tips for loosing belly blubber. I always love learning new tips and I hope you all do too because I'm going to continue loading you up with them. Here are the ten from Workout BOX:

1.  Clean up your diet - Eat fresh wholesome food
2.  Learn to cook - Control your fat, sugar and salt content
3.  Portion size - With a balance of protein, starchy carbohydrates, fruits & vegetables
4.  Get active - The more you move, the more calories you burn.
5.  Lift weights - More muscle means a higher metabolism, more calories burned and less body fat
6.  Peform the right exercises - Follow a structured training program suited to your goal
7.  Correct order of exercises - The most technical go first
8.  Get the intensity right - Work hard & break a sweat
9.  Get enough rest - Your body rebuilds & burns fat while you sleep
10.Chill out - Stress causes hormonal imbalances that may contribute to weight gain

Photo from ZestLife

Chilling out always seems to be the hardest thing on this list for me to do. With the 18 million things I always seem to have going on in my life, finding time to sit back and do something relaxing is really hard to do. In an effort to find some me time to clear my mind, I'm going to try to get myself up and to a yoga class tomorrow morning. I know you don't seem too stressed at 8 in the morning, but I'm hoping that starting my day off calm, streched out and at ease will set me up for feeling great for the rest of the day.  Now I must get some sleep to prepare for some early downward dog :)