While you may not change the weather, you can take some steps to feel better during the winter months. The best cure for winter depression is to exercise your way through the winters. Not only will you keep the blues away, but you’ll be keeping fit simultaneously. Read on to find more tips for fighting off winter blues.

Embrace Outdoors

Wrap-up in some warm clothes and brave the weather. Wear layers that you can easily strip off as your body temperature rises. Make a playlist of your favorite music to stay motivated. Embrace the wind, rain, and snow. Find your inner child by running, cycling, and jumping over the puddles and icy patches. You will have so much fun doing it. Sign-up for skiing, snowboarding, or ice-skating lessons for a more structured approach to staying active. Taking classes will give you a result-driven structured approach, a sure confidence booster.

Join a Training Group

The best way to start the day is with some exercise. Can’t bring yourself to get out there on your own? Book an exercise class with your friends. You will wake up on those cold winter mornings because your friends rely on your support. Do you want even more out of your mornings and want to make new friends? Why not join a running club? Joining an early morning running club is a sociable way to move with others. You’ll feel superb at the end of your running session.

Join a Virtual Fitness Class

This tip is simple to execute, and you can stay active in your pj’s. Pj’s are just fine if that’s how you like it during winters. You can join many virtual fitness classes offered by virtual gyms. Plus, you’ll connect with like-minded people who will sweat with you. You don’t need fancy equipment or tons of space. It would be best to have a small workout space, yoga mat, and weights to move around. Try Tone and Strengthens virtual fitness classes where you will get structured workout classes led by certified trainers.

Get Enough ZZZ’s

The easiest way to boost your mood is to rest up. Sleep is a massive component of elevating your mood. One of SAD’s infamous symptoms is insomnia, which starts in fall and winter due to a lack of natural sunlight. According to endocrinologists, our circadian rhythm can get disrupted without a regular sleep cycle, disrupting hormone production. If you are going to get in an early morning workout, I recommend that you catch up with your sleep at the other end of the day. Rest and recovery are essential parts of working out. Getting enough sleep and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule can help you combat the winter blues.

Eat Right

Nutrition is as important as staying active to combat the winter lows. Winter season calls for an extra supply of vitamin D and serotonin-rich foods. Vitamin D levels are low during the winter months due to sunshine. Try eating vitamin D-rich foods and supplementing vitamin D during the winter months. Foods high in vitamin D like fatty fish, fish oil, tuna, and mushrooms can improve mood. Serotonin is a vital hormone that regulates our mood, feelings, and focus. Foods that boost serotonin-like spinach, eggs, hazelnuts can help fight winter blues. 

Try taking these steps to help minimize the effects of feeling down during the cold and dark winter days.

The post Fitness Tips to Combat Winter Blues 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

Foam Roller is one of my favorite recovery tools. Also known as self-myofascial release, foam rolling is a bit like getting a sports massage. But in foam rolling, you’re using your body weight to exert pressure on muscles. 

Sometimes it does hurt so bad, but it feels so good afterward. That’s because when you roll, you break the adhesions in your fascia. I like to foam roll before my runs and at night before bedtime. 

If you’ve never foam rolled or heard about it, you are in the right spot. In this blog, I am going to share information about foam rolling.

What is Foam Rolling?

Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (SMR) technique. Foam rollers are mostly cylindrical made of foam. Foam rollers have different shapes, sizes and firmness. Some have ridges, and some are without bumps. They are all used to release the fascial tension.

What is Fascia?

Fascia is a thin sheet of connective tissue that wraps around the inner organs. It keeps blood vessels, bone, nerve fiber and muscle in place. It provides inner structure and has sensitive nerve endings. Too much tension and stress on muscles can cause fascial layers to thicken and stick together in knots. These knots lead to a decrease in mobility and pain points in our body.

One of the effective ways to release the fascia knots is to apply some myofascial releasing techniques, such as foam rolling. Over the past decade, a lot of research has been done to look at the benefits of foam rolling. A systemic review of research studies done on foam rolling published in the international journal of sports physical therapy in 2019 found that foam rolling helps reduce muscle stiffness, increase ROM and should be combined with dynamic stretching and active warm-up before a training session (1). The optimum dosage to achieve these flexibility benefits is a total of 90s-120s of foam rolling on one muscle group. Plus, the analysis shows that foam rolling reduces delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and increases performance. 

Read on to learn more about foam rolling’s benefits and when to add it to your routine.

Improves Muscle Performance

Foam rolling can improve the muscles’ amount of force if done before an activity. Myofascial release reduces tissue tension and muscle tightness, leading to a better range of motion and muscle power. Research has shown no negative impact on athletic performance. One study found that foam rolling improves power, agility, strength, and speed when used with dynamic warm-up (2). 

Improves Circulation

The pressure from rolling helps increase the blood flow to the tissue. Increasing the blood flow means the tissue will get more oxygen and nutrients. Using a foam roller during a warm-up for a brief period can elevate tissue temperature and reduce tension. 

Reduces Soreness

After an intense bout of exercise, foam rolling alleviates muscle fatigue and soreness. Research has shown that it’s because of the reduction in inflammation (3). I find it helpful for decreasing delayed onset muscle soreness. Let’s face it, most of the time, the difference between a good workout and a bad one is the amount of soreness from the last workout. Research suggests that inflammation of myofascial tissue is associated with delayed onset muscle soreness. Foam rolling stretches the myofascial and reduces inflammation. So, you can get back to your workouts recovered.

Improves Range of Motion

Research has found that foam rolling results in increased range of motion. 

Foam rolling returns the muscles and soft tissue to their natural form. Excessive exercise can lead to knots in the fascial tissue. By releasing the knots and making the soft-tissue mobile, foam rolling increases the range of motion and improves workout performance.

Don’t wait; grab your foam roller and roll on to reap these benefits.

References:

1-PMID: 26618062

2-PMID: 27182404

3- doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-50.1.01

The post Foam Rolling Benefits 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

There are many recovery techniques that you can use. Here are five of the most employed and effective muscle recovery techniques:

Ice Bath- Ice baths are a widespread muscle recovery technique used by elite marathoners like Paula Radcliff. The method works by constricting blood vessels. When the athlete gets out of water, the rapid temperature change leads to rapid dilation of the blood vessels, which delivers oxygen and nutrients to the muscles. Research shows that an ice bath after intense exercise can reduce the onset of delayed muscle soreness compared to basic rest. 

Massage- Massage can help loosen muscles, increase oxygen, and blood flow to muscles. Massage improves muscle circulation, bringing the nutrients like amino acids and metabolites faster to muscles to help repair torn muscle fibers. Try to schedule a massage on your rest day or the evening of your intense workout.

Foam Rolling- Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release tool. It helps speed up recovery from muscle soreness and tightness. It’s a very cost-effective way to give yourself a deep tissue massage before or after a workout. Before a workout, it brings blood flow to the muscles, and after the workout, the increased circulation helps decrease spasms and delayed onset muscle soreness.

Contrast Therapy- Contrast therapy or Kneipp’s method is used by alternating between hot and cold baths. You can contrast between an ice bath and a hot shower for 30-40 seconds. Repeat this 4-5 times or as much as your body can handle. Contrast therapy increases blood flow to the muscles the same way an ice bath does and speeds up the removal of lactic acid.

Compression Garments- Compression garments are tight, compressive clothing made from nylon or spandex. They’re worn not only by athletes to improve performance and recovery. Although the accurate method behind compression garments is still unknown, some research suggests that the blood reduces creatine kinase, a well-known biomarker of muscle damage. This reduction in creatine kinase improves the elimination of waste products and muscle tissue repair.

No matter where you are currently in your training cycle, I suggest adding some recovery time to your routine. It will enhance your performance in many ways and prevent injuries. Consider trying one of the recovery techniques mentioned above.

The post Five Recovery Techniques for a Quick Comeback 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

Ready to get started? Here are a few ideas to get you on the path to a healthier lifestyle:

• Reduce Stress
• Clock in More Sleep
• Eat Home Cooked Meals

Reduce Stress- Ohhh! Stress. It seems to creep up so often. Doesn’t it? Stress can significantly impact your ability to maintain a healthy weight and your exercise routine. Stress produces the hormone cortisol. Research shows that cortisol triggers food cravings and increases insulin levels, which affects the ability to burn off those comfort foods (1). There are many ways to control stress in your life. Some examples are writing one affirmation about yourself every day, starting your day with a five-minute meditation, and writing a journal entry every day.

Clock in Enough Sleep- Most people need between 7 and 9 hours each night. This year putting more sleep on your new year’s resolution list will set you on a healthy path. Sleep deprivation sets up your brain to make not-so-smart decisions. Research shows lack of sleep slows activity in the brain’s frontal lobe, the decision-making hub. Plus, your brain’s reward centers rev up when you are tired and sleep-deprived. So, you reach for those late-night treats. This year take easy steps to improve your sleep hygiene, and you will be on your way to a healthier you. Some of the easy ways to clock more sleep are; setting a reminder to go to bed early, stopping electronic usage thirty minutes before bed, and stopping caffeine consumption after 4 p.m.

Cooking at Home- Put some cooking classes and meal planning on your new year’s resolutions list. You can learn to shop for and prepare healthy meals. Cooking at home will save you time, money, and all those extra calories. When you cook at home, you know exactly how much salt, fat, or sugar is going into your dish, and you can replace the ingredients to cater to your nutrition needs. Some of the easy steps to start cooking at home are planning dinners for the week, making a list of the ingredients, and buying your groceries on Friday. 

You can choose these resolutions that focus on improving your health. At the end of the following year, you might be surprised at how much weight you lost without putting weight loss on your resolutions list.

References:

1-DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102936

The post Why Weight Loss Shouldn’t be On Your New Year’s Resolutions List? 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

Fitness coaches build a personal relationship with you and help you reach your goals while focusing on mental, physical, and social health. You get the support to be successful.

Want to learn more benefits of hiring a fitness coach? Here are a few:

Education– Fitness coaches want to empower their clients with knowledge. The most important reason for working with a fitness coach is to educate you on all aspects of health, fitness, and exercise. They want you to do well in your fitness journey. Knowing which muscles to work, proper form, and nutrition is necessary to maximize effectiveness and reduce the risk of injury. You won’t find this type of comprehensive good for your fitness education on DR. google.

Personalized Program– Every individual is unique. That means everyone’s fitness abilities and requirements are different. One person can be an elite bodybuilder looking to compete, while the other can come from an injury. A fitness coach will meet you where you are. For example, if you had an ankle injury and are coming back after it, a fitness coach can help you rebuild the muscles and improve mobility. A fitness coach’s expertise can help you with a customized approach.

Goal Achievement– When we start training, we expect to achieve goals like tomorrow. Whatever your goal is, weight loss, muscle gain, or increased mobility, these changes take time to show. When your goals aren’t realistic, it’s easy to get discouraged and have anxiety from this experience. Fitness coaches help you set real and measurable goals. They assess your current fitness level, help you carve out a plan to achieve your goals, and track your progress. 

Motivation– Motivation can be internal or external. You may have some intrinsic motivation to work out, like coming off the blood pressure medication or improving your posture after sitting on the desk for hours. But there are always distractions around us, which can cause loss of motivation. Fitness coaches can motivate you to make it to your workout sessions regularly. 

Fitness coaches observe your behavior and guide you through behavioral modification principles. They can help you overcome the mental barriers that keep you in a bad habit loop.

Accountability– Accountability, and motivation go hand in hand. There are  many times we have gone to bed and said, “Tomorrow I’m going to wake up, go to the gym first thing in the morning!” You hit snooze when the morning comes and stay in the warm bed. A fitness coach will keep you accountable. You are investing your money which is a commitment device of its own. We all want to slack from time to time. A fitness coach will push you to your session and let go of the other temptations. 

Variety of Workouts– If you go to the gym without a plan, you wander from machine to machine not knowing what to do. A fitness coach can help you find a purpose for each training session. If you are already working successfully, fitness coaches can bring an objective eye. They can make necessary adjustments to make your workout more interesting, more challenging, or even just more fun.

Coaches provide unique workouts from their expansive exercise library. It will keep your body guessing and you interested in your workouts. Say goodbye to plateaus. 

Wellbeing– Research shows that physical exercise can help with mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety. A fitness coach is much more than just a trainer. They help you achieve your fitness goals, but they will also help you with other wellness goals like drinking more water and getting enough sleep.

There are so many reasons why a fitness coach is essential to achieving your fitness goals. A fitness coach can keep you accountable and moving forward in reaching health goals even in busy times like holidays and busy workdays!

The post Why Work with a Fitness Coach? 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

What is Barre?

Barre is a ballet-inspired workout that incorporates moves from ballet, Pilates, and yoga. Barre classes use mostly body weight for resistance and the focus is on small, deliberate movements that target certain groups of muscles, specifically muscles that are weak and aren’t used frequently like upper back and glutes.  It’s a great class for targeted workouts for abs, thighs, or glutes. 

Who Should Do Barre? 

Barre is an incredible workout for anyone. These ballet-inspired classes are good for beginners and advanced athletes alike who want to try a new workout. Emphasis in the barre class is on tall posture, balance, and core engagement. Barre is both low-impact and can be high intensity. Plus, it’s an extremely modifiable workout. These classes move at a slower pace than your typical aerobics class. That doesn’t mean you won’t be sore the next day.

Barre Gear and Equipment?

You might be tempted to wear tutu or ballet shoes. Well, you don’t need them. All you need is a pair of comfortable yoga pants. I like to teach my barre classes bare foot. You may prefer to be barefoot or purchase socks with grippies on the bottom. 

You can practice a barre class without any equipment. If you want to enhance your barre experience you can add a small core ball, loop resistance band, and hand weights to do floor work. You can also use the back of a stable chair for balance. Honestly, you need minimal equipment for these classes, and you can practice from the comfort of your home.

Why Barre Workouts?

In the barre classes emphasis is placed on proper alignment, balance, and core engagement means the classes move at a slower pace. You might not leave a ballet-inspired class drenched in sweat, but you’ll feel the burn after a class thanks to moves that target specific muscle groups.  Here are some of the reasons why you should add barre to your weekly workout routine.

Total Body Workout- Barre workouts focus on the whole body. They build strength through isometric holds, which require your muscles to stay under tension for an extended period.  It’s also a great workout that requires engaging your core for the whole length of the workout. Most barre classes are divided into four sections, warm-up, leg blast, upper body lower body combo, and core blast. As you flow through the class you work the arms, thighs, glutes, abdominals, and posterior chain. The best part about a barre workout is that it focuses on the muscles that you don’t normally use like glutes, obliques and tibialis. 

Low Impact Workout- Barre is a low impact workout with low stress on joints. It’s also great for developing balance and stability because the barre itself provides stability. Balance or stability. Plus, the focus on isometric holds allows you to strengthen the muscle group without placing extra stress on the joint. It has minimal risk of injury and is a safe workout for anyone including pregnant women and the older population.  

Improves Posture-Barre promotes a long and tall posture. Barre instructors are trained to cue proper alignment from the crown of your head to your tippy toes. After a few weeks of practicing barre classes you will be sitting or standing tall which can help reduce the chances of back pain and injury.

Muscular Endurance- In barre classes the number of repetitions is very high. The high repetitions increase your stamina to stay under tension and workout for longer periods of time. Stamina is muscle endurance in common terms. You’ll find yourself maintaining a higher level of activity regularly. Endurance has many secondary benefits like lowering your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.

Mind Body Connection- Barre classes help you channel the mind-body connection as they combine mindful movements to create new neural connections. The slow and controlled repetitions in a barre class help to calm the mind. Devoted attention to technique helps in keeping your workout movements intentional and harnesses a deeper connection with the brain.

Sample Workout

Perform 3 sets of 12 – 15 repetitions 

• Chair Squats with Ball squeeze/hip adduction
• Power Leg Pulses 
• Plie’ Squats with shoulder press
• Heel Lifts 

If you like it, TRY one of our classes on the Tone and Strengthen schedule. First class is always FREE. Contact us for a coupon code.

The post Meet Me At The Barre 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

This past year has been an eye opener for me when it comes to recovery. I started scheduling a full day off in my week. My workouts have been more effective, and I feel better on the days I work out. I have realized that rest and recovery are vital for optimal performance, injury prevention, and progress in your fitness goals.

I am a fitness trainer and coach; my work requires teaching and training daily. I love what I do, but it’s physically demanding work. When I was training for Marathons this year, I started adding miles but kept the same workload. I have high-stress levels with the responsibilities of virtual fitness business expansion, including teaching many fitness classes. On top of that, I added the extreme amount of physical stress with twice-daily workouts.  I love running too and participating in races, but my physical stress balance was totally off. Believe it or not, mental stress and physical stress both, must be accounted for while training.

Why Recover?

According to research, exercising too much without resting enough in between can lead to low testosterone levels and high cortisol levels, the stress hormone. These hormonal changes can cause loss of muscle tissue, weight gain, and excess belly fat.

If you don’t let your muscles recover between workouts and give them at least a day off, you put yourself at risk of overtraining and getting injured. Repeated stress from exercise causes small tears that can strain muscles. Plus, the cumulative workout time and intensity can increase the cortisol level in your blood and lead to hormonal issues, muscle imbalances, and injuries.

Like me, many athletes understand the importance of training but don’t understand that rest and recovery are a part of training. Rest allows the body time to repair and strengthen itself in between workouts. Recovery is where your body adapts to that stress of exercise.

This year I learned that if I pushed hard a few days a week and added enough recovery days to bounce back, I could be a better athlete and a better coach. It turns out I love rest days now.

Three R’s of Fitness Training

Here are the three Rs of training that should be part of any balanced training program.

Relief- It’s normal to feel tired after exercise; however, feeling fatigued and constantly being tired and sore isn’t normal. It happens when your body repeatedly doesn’t fully recover after the workout. You can feel excessively drained all day. Make sure you just put your feet up on your rest days and keep it to light activities like taking your dog for a walk. Your body needs relief from constant physical stress.

Rest- Let’s talk about the zzzzs. Sleeping is vital for recovery. Make it a priority. To overcome the physical and mental demands of hard training days log-in at least eight hours of sleep. It is also one of the easiest ways to repair muscle damage. Our body’s reaction to lack of sleep includes a slower metabolism, higher heart rate, mood fluctuations, a weakened immune system, and less control over what we eat.

Recovery- In the exercise physiology text, recovery includes physiological functions returning to homeostasis, refueling energy stores, and refilling cellular energy enzymes.

Food is a major component of recovery. Eat a well-balanced meal with good protein and carbohydrates sources on your rest days. Protein is especially important to rebuild your muscles. 

Another way to restore balance to your body is by massage. Massage from a therapist or self-massage with foam rollers is an excellent way to break adhesions and get the blood and oxygen flow back to muscles.

Try taking the time to make rest and recovery a priority in your training regimen. Your body and mind will thank you, and your training will benefit from it.

The post 3 Rs of Endurance Training 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

Here are five benefits of core exercises:

Stabilizes the back- Core muscles stabilize and protect the spine.
The deep intrinsic core muscles, multifidus, transverse abdominis and diaphragm are mostly weak. When these muscles are strengthened and work in coordination, they stabilize the spine.

Improves balance- Core exercises train the pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen to work in sync with each other. This harmony helps to develop balance and stability.

Improves breathing- Deep breathing lengthens the deep core muscles and expands your diaphragm. Stronger core leads to a better breathing pattern.

Better postural control- Strong and coordinated core muscles help with maintaining a tall posture. Plus, they provide stability during strength workouts and activities for daily living.

Prevents injuries- Strengthening core muscles stabilizes the body during workouts to reduce pressure on joints like knees, hips, and ankles. A strong core reduces the injury risk by helping us keep a good form throughout the movement while at the gym or in the yard.

These benefits should be motivation enough to strengthen your core and include core exercises in your daily routine. The best part about core exercises is that they don’t require specialized equipment or a gym membership. You can get a great core workout right from your home. 

I personally like planks for strengthening the core. What is your favorite core exercise? 

The post Five Benefits of Core Training 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

Direct Muscles

• Obliques
• Transverse abdominis
• Rectus abdominis

Synergist Muscles

• Quadratus lumborum
• Psoas major
• Hip adductors

The side plank is one of the exercises that target doubles layers of muscle along the sides of your core, the obliques. Obliques helps with lateral flexion – bending the torso sideways, rotating, twisting the torso, and flexing, rounding the spine. Very few moves are as good for your core as the side plank. Yet, it’s often not included in the strength training regimen. Ignoring side plank most often means a weak core which can lead to back problems.

Benefits of Side Plank

Some of the key benefits of adding the side plank to your workout program are:

Strengthen Deep Intrinsic Muscles- Side plank targets the deep core muscles like transverse abdominis, quadratus lumborum, and obliques.

Stabilizes Spine- Side planks work the deep spinal stabilizing muscles like quadratus lumborum. Strong lateral core muscles mean a low incidence of back pain.

Improves Your Balance- Side plank is an open-chain exercise as we reduce our contact with the floor in this exercise. The extra effort required to balance requires deep stabilizing muscles to engage. These stabilizing muscles improve our balance.

Healthy Posture- Side plank is a lateral move. It engages transverse abdominis, quadratus lumborum and gluteus medius. The strength in these muscles helps us find a neutral spine and a tall posture.

How to Hold a Side Plank

• Grab a mat or a soft non-slippery surface to rest your hand on. 
• Lay down on one side with your legs straight and feet stacked on top of each other. 
• Place your right elbow or hand under your shoulder.
• Lift your hips off the mat so that you’re supporting your weight on your elbow or hand and bottom foot.
• Aim to hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds
• Build up the time as you progress.
• Repeat on your left side.

Safety Tips 

Side planks should be avoided if you have shoulder or arm injury. If you feel pain in the shoulders, arm, or core during exercise, stop the exercise and consult a doctor.

Common Mistakes

It’s important to balance on the side of your foot and not the sole of foot.

Keep your head and neck neutral. 

Try to keep your hips square and lifted. Engage your abdominal and gluteal muscles to avoid sagging hips.

If you find it hard to hold a side plank, perform the exercise from your knees. 

Side planks are great for shoulder, hips, and spine stability. It’s worth adding this move to our core strengthening routine.

The post Side Plank 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

Many of us strive each day to achieve fitness goals. Many of us struggle with the obstacles that we face each day as well. We believe in instant gratification, and when we don’t get the results the next day, we give up. To achieve health and fitness success, it’s crucial to stay focused and keep the journey fun and upbeat. You’ll be more successful if you know what your goals are and how you’re going to achieve them. My top three success strategies for achieving fitness goals are listed below.

Prioritize Fitness – My clients think they aren’t achieving results because they are lazy and don’t have enough time. Yes, I’ve had that conversation with them many times. That’s not true. I say to them if you were to look at all the areas of your life, would you say that you are lazy? I didn’t think so.
And then there’s the time! Life can get busy. Maybe, you have a big project for work, you’re chauffeuring kids, or you are going through a life challenge like job loss. There is nothing better than moving your body when you are busy. You will have more energy and focus, which will lead to more productivity. If you want lasting and sustainable results from your fitness journey, you need to make it part of your lifestyle. Making fitness a priority is essential.

Stay Positive – We’ve all been there. Embarking on a new fitness adventure, all pumped up and motivated, and then we hit an obstacle, or the results don’t follow. We get frustrated. We start talking negatively to ourselves. It’s important to stay positive. Practice positive thoughts. Surround yourself with friends and family members who will uplift you.

Celebrate Small Wins – Breaking down long-term goal into smaller, manageable milestones is essential. Further breaking those smaller milestones into actionable steps in daily life will give you a way to succeed every day. Make sure you celebrate your small wins. For example, spend a few minutes watching your favorite Netflix show or talk to a friend to celebrate your successes.

We all want instant results, but that’s not realistic. Feel good about the fact that you’re showing up and putting in the work. Honor your progress and enjoy the journey. This way, you’ll be able to achieve your goals faster.

The post Success Strategies for Achieving Fitness Goals – Part 1 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.