Recovery... Key part of fitness

In every fitness session or workout, recovery is a key part of your training. It is vital to know what proper recovery entails, the types of recovery, physiology of recovery, and questions to ask if you have any concerns.  

Utilizing proper recovery will ensure appropriate development, strength, results and help you avoid injury.  Check out this article to learn more http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/recoveryUNM.html 

Recommit to Resolutions

March is fast approaching, and so are the summer months.  Now is a great time to reevaluate New Year's resolutions and if needed recommit to those goals. Here are some ideas to help in the journey to a happier, and healthier life:
     1) Write down your goals, and keep them in a visible location where you can review them often
     2)  Review your past goals, modify them if necessary, and organize them into two distinct groups:
               A) Short-term goals
               B) Long-term goals
     3) Set at least 1-2 goals for the different aspects of life
               A) Spiritual/Emotional goals for growth/development for a happy state of being
               B) Physical/Fitness goals for better physical and overall health
               C) Mental/Psychological/ Brain fitness goals for a sound & focused mind
               D) Other goals
     4) Keep a daily journal
     5) Plan daily & weekly to achieve your goals
     6) Work diligently to achieve your goals--if there is no sacrifice there can be no victory
     7) Have fun and enjoy family time

Each of the ideas above is interrelated to the others in some way, and will help you achieve your goals. At times it can be difficult to maintain the necessary balance in life needed to accomplish resolutions or goals.  Let me suggest a possible agenda for a typical weekday if you needed to be to work by 8:00 am (times can be adjusted to individual needs and agenda) that could be an outline for your week:
   
     6:00- 7:15am--> Wake up, warm-up for physical exercise, & follow exercise routine (i.e. Cardio run, weightlifting, yoga, cycling class, plyometrics, circuit training, etc.), cool-down.  After cool-down you can revitalize your body with a Reliv protein shake (Use Reliv Classic, Provantage, & Innergize mixed with low-fat milk or yogurt)
     
     7:15- 7:35 am--> Shower, get ready for work/school, eat a healthy/nutritious breakfast (good mix of protein & carbs--> one morning make scrambled egg whites with veggies, and salsa with a low-fat yogurt & a bowl of Oatmeal) 


     7:35am - 7:55am--> Travel to work, & clock-in

     7:55am- 12:00pm-->  Work (Make sure if you have a desk job to stand up every hour or two to stretch & walk around the office to get a drink of water or just to get your blood flowing)

     12:00- 12:55pm -->  Lunch break-You can mix things up & add in a short 5-10 minute stair workout with a circuit of ab exercises, pushups, & squats...Then consume a healthy lunch, like a homemade garden salad with dark green romaine lettuce, carrots, green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese with a low-fat salad dressing for starters. Next for the main meal you can try one of two items:
             First option:  Homemade Vegetarian Whole Wheat Pizza!
     
           Second option:  Tasty Homemade Whole Wheat Pasta with homemade sauce! 
   
           Finish lunch off with a fruit of your liking (banana, apple, mango, pineapple, etc.)

       12:55pm- 5:00pm--> Finish up work (Remember to get up and stretch every hour or two to maintain a healthy blood flow, and give your brain & eyes a break)

      5:00pm- 6:00pm --> Clock out from work, head home, warm-up & get ready for a circuit of the Tabata workout or do a 20 minute military style workout, then cool down. After cool-down you can refuel with a Reliv protein shake (Use Reliv Classic, Provantage, & Innergize mixed with low-fat milk or yogurt). Then wash up before dinner.
     
      6:00pm- 7:00pm--> Dinner time! You can treat yourself to a Homemade Cafe Rio Salad! Also a mix in a little side dish of green beans & maybe a fruit dessert!
 
      7:00pm- 9:00pm--> Enjoy family time, have fun, study, work on a project/hobby, or just relax

     9:00pm - 9:45pm--> Time to wind down from a long day with some light stretching, planning, meditation, prayer, journal writing and scripture study
   
     9:45pm- 9:55pm --> Bedtime prep (Shower, wash face, floss & brush teeth, use mouth wash, etc.)

     10:00pm-  Lights out, dream time




Well, this is just an example of something that can be done to help any of us recommit to our resolutions and goals! Best of luck in your endeavors!
 
   

Tabata Protocol= Amazing cardio workout!!

I heard about this great cardio workout that was short but intense. It is called, "The Tabata Cardio workout." Check it out http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/tabata-workout .  It was an intense but awesome workout! I did all 3 finisher sets that were recommended plus I added two more to make my workout a total of 30 minutes of intense cardio circuit training! I added a pushup & squat finisher set, as well as a short sprint & ab work finisher set! It felt like I was training with Rocky Balboa:)

Need an Energy boost!

A friend of mine has just told me about how Reliv has developed an awesome new product that has Omega-3 Fatty acids for anti-inflammatory action, B-vitamins & Coenzyme Q10 for an energy boost and some many other great nutrients! Just think don't you want clarity when thinking or studying? Or need an energy boost in the morning at work? Or want to get pumped up for your workout? Try Reliv's 24K and get a natural boost with B-Vitamins and other nutrients! I couldn't let this great deal pass me by, and neither should you. So...

GO to my24kvip.com and YOU can get 10% OFF an order of this awesome natural energy drink by using my promo code: healthyfuel24k


(If you refer three friends, then you will get 20% off every order of 24K! GO to http://my24kvip.com & use my promo code: happyhealthy24k)




ENJOY!

A sample of Circuit training for Monday

      Mondays are hard days for everyone. Just ask Garfield, he hates them. Sunday is a day off from training for me, so often it can be hard to spark the motivation to exercise Monday morning. Then again, there are Mondays when the desire to exercise eats at me like an fierce hunger, and the only thing that satisfies that hunger is an intense workout.
     Tomorrow morning will be the latter for me this week.  I can't wait to do my circuit training. The sweat, endorphins, and adrenaline are going to flow!
Below is a sample of that circuit:
 
     Warmup: 
       Jog 1/2 mile to mile at an easy pace, then do dynamic stretches (lunges, squats, pushups, boxing in place, jumping jacks, arm circles, stair climbers, and good morning hamstring stretches)

     Main part:

       Plyometrics--> Box jumps 2 sets of 20 & Step Ups 2 Sets 30 Sec.

       Stadium Stair Workout--> Run the stadium stairs one at a time at a fast pace (repeat 3x)

       3 sets of 10 Vertical Jumps

       1 mile intervals (30 minutes total)

       3 x 400 m Sprints

       Jog 1 Lap ( Easy pace)

     Weight lifting: Dumb bells, machines, or weight set can be used to perform this resistance  

       training.  Also mix in 300 pushups & 300 ab crunches throughout the workout 

    (perform #1-3 together, #4-6 together, & #7-9 together in a circuit with little to no rest)

                                         sets           reps

       1) Shoulder press       3              8-10 

       2) Deadlift                 3               8-10    perform #1-3 together in a circuit with little to no rest

       3) Box squats            3               8-10

       

       4) Bench Press          3               8-10

       5) Tricep extensions  3              12-15   perform #4-6 together in a circuit with little to no rest

       6) Leg curls               3              12-15

  

       7) Dumbbell Fly       3               8-10  

       8) Pull-ups                3               10-20   perform #7-9 together in a circuit with little to no rest

       9) Bicep Curls          3                8-12
      Cool down (slow jog, stretch)

This is only a sample of the training I do. Always consult with a physician before starting any workout programs to ensure that you are able enough to exercise. Enjoy! I know I will! If you are interested in more training tips email me at 1happyhealthyu@gmail.com.

Let's talk about nutrition at Reliv convention

A friend sent me this invite so I thought I would pass it along to anyone that is interested in nutrition, "better health, and a better life."  Click on the picture below for more information.

Happy & healthy while trimmin' off the "extra" fat PART 1

    Thanksgiving is a great time to re-establish family relationships, increase happiness, have a fun time, and sneak in an awesome workout!
    The reuniting of loved ones can increase personal happiness through positive conversations. A renewed sense of self and family are also strengthened. Happiness can increase as a result of many things:
(1) Family (increased mental/emotional/spiritual health)
(2) Exercise (linked to your physical/emotional/mental health)
(3) Fun times/activities (connected to mental/emotional/spiritual health)
(4) Food (linked to overall health) or
(5) A combination of all the above

     The family is the foundation of society, and if the family is strengthened and stable so will society...enough said.
      As for the exercise component that contributes to happiness, most of us know of the annual Turkey Bowl Football game that is held on or before Thanksgiving.  What a great way to burn some calories for a few hours before enjoying great food with our loved ones. Unfortunately, this year didn' t turn out the way we would have liked for us here at happyhealthy-u. My brother slept-in, I couldn't find my football buddies, and also there was a need to run to Wal-mart to get some baby diapers. So Turkey Bowl didn't happen this year for us...but I was still able to sneak in a great 2.5 mile tempo run, and a great Rocky Balboa-like stair workout before heading to Salt Lake to meet up with family for Thanksgiving dinner!!..
 
      My 2.5 mile tempo run started out with a slightly downhill component for a 1/2 mile, which transitioned into a 3/4 mile flat component. I ran to the nearest high school, and ran the stadium stairs and would have made Rocky Balboa proud!.. It wasn't easy though, with the cold, wind, and a bit of cotton mouth, I dry heaved a couple times before recovering enough to finish my tempo run back up the hill.        
        The last part of the run was the return 3/4 mile flat transitioned to a 1/2 mile up hill, WHAT a burn! I finished with the last 1/4 mile sprinting, which took every last bit of strength to pump my arms through to drive my tired legs through the finish.

       The reward for the sprint though, was an awesome endorphin release, and a sense of being stress-free as well as physically prepared for the day.
        After a nice cool down and some stretching I was ready for Thanksgiving to continue, and grateful to be able to have a body to exercise with, and use to serve others.
     The activities/fun part of the day & the food will be included in PART 2 which will come soon...
      One of my brothers, made a commitment to trim off his extra fat and lean up by Christmas time in order to increase his overall well-being, happiness, and physical health/fitness. He is doing this with a combined effort of many things.

     First, he had the desire. 

     Second, he asked for a workout plan from me, that I gladly provided to him. 

     Third, he has scheduled times to exercise and has called me to help him train. 

     Fourth, he is taking measurements, and pictures weekly to show his progress (this is great because

                without evaluation not much progress would be made). 

     Fifth, he has added a nutritional supplement called Reliv to his dietary intake, as well as preparing   

                more healthy meals. 

     Lastly, he has written his goals down and placed them where he can see them daily.

   He will be sharing his progress with us on happyhealthy-u as a contributing writer...To be continued...