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The last post in my series about eating healthy and finding deals on health food addresses a question many of us have had at one time or another: What does it mean to "go organic," and, "why buy organic?" Once again, Victoria has an awesome and informative post that addresses these questions, then finishes with mouth-watering recipe chock full of organic food.  Thank you for sharing your passion with us Victoria! Making the choice to purchase and consume organic food is a personal one. However, it is a choice that you should feel very good about making. By purchasing organic foods, you are ch......
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In part 3 of our series, Healthy Eating on the Cheap, financial blogger Victoria, happens to also be a health food nut who is passionate about organic eating. She has some great tips for buying organic foods if you are buying on a budget.  Thank you for blogging for me today Victoria! Buying Organics on a Budget Perhaps you have decided that purchasing organic foods is going to be a priority for your family. Although your budget may not have much wiggle room, there are ways to make this lifestyle work. Fortunately with more and more interest in organically grown food, there are many options a......
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We stump, stoop, slouch…so much so that the quality of our everyday lives can be directly affected from these posture problems.  I thought of this while sitting at the computer working, and had to stretch to relieve that nagging tightness between my shoulder blades. At the same time, I noticed a whole slew of other bad habits I was committing, and quickly set about practicing what I preach. Why good posture is important: Practicing good posture can improve your breathing, decrease your risk of injury, help you move more easily through the tasks of daily living, and also improve your sports ......
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Not long ago, if your neighbor had told you she was training for a triathlon, you might have looked at her crossed-eyed and with one eyebrow raised. Once thought of as an endurance sport for athletes who had both an unnatural pain threshold, and oodles of time on their hands, triathlon has in recent years become a sport for anyone who likes variety, has a few hours each week to dedicate toward training, and enjoys challenges small and large. No longer a sport just for the guys, the proliferation of female participants in triathlon events proves its growing popularity: in the late 1990s, women ......
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Did you give yoga a shot once upon a time, only to walk out mid-class, scratching your head and wondering, what was I thinking? It is possible the style you tried didn't match your personality, athletic ability, or just moved at a pace geared more toward advanced yogis than beginners. It isn't uncommon to feel lost during your first several classes, but there is a way to ensure you don't feel too out of place: pick the right style of yoga first. Before you write off yoga for good, try a class that is a better match for your personal style. I've compiled a short list of the most common yoga sty......
Sep

22

I know, I know – you’ve heard it all before from your own trainer, fitness instructor, or coach…”keep your shoulders relaxed,” “engage the abdominals,” “exhale on the concentric movement, inhale on the eccentric movement,” blah, blah, blah. I harp on these details during every workout with my clients too. Though redundant, the constant feedback makes a difference. For example, repeatedly holding tension in the neck during strength training is a sure-fire way to develop knots in your traps. I may remind a client to get a drink of water after every 2-3 exercises. Poor hydration during any training, strength or cardio, is just asking for abdominal and/or muscle cramping.

Here are a few of the more common details that are overlooked:

1. Warm up. Regardless of the workout, spend at least 5 mins warming up at 40-50% of max heart rate. The increased blood flow to the working muscles sends the message, “hey, get ready, there is a workout coming!” Warm muscles are more receptive to optimal training (read: better results!)

2. Keep your head in line with your spine. A neutral head/neck means not looking at your toes when doing lunges, or looking at your naval when doing crunches. Your muscles know what to do and the last thing they need is an audience. Cranking your neck to watch the muscle in action is asking for trouble (read: neck injury!) Out of whack posture during any exercise sets off a collision course of muscle imbalance overcompensation, which, over time, leads to nothing but trouble. Practice good posture and all will be good.

3. Don’t forego the stretch. Time is a rare commodity these days – I get it. I too am guilty of bolting from the gym sans stretch from time-to-time, and I pay for it later by way of tight muscles, knots, and eventually, injury. It only takes about 10 minutes to properly stretch out post-workout. At the very least, hit the major muscles worked: quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, back, chest, and abs/hip flexors. Over-tight muscles, left unstretched, eventually lead to injury, so do yourself (and your muscles) and favor…stretch!

4. Refuel. The time-factor thing gets in the way of post-workout recovery too, yet it is so simple to plan for: just bring a snack with you to the gym and eat it after your workout. The optimal ratio is a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein. Muscles are primed to take in nutrients during the first hour after a workout (esp after a tough workout). Deprive them of needed nutrients, and your next workout will be sluggish (read: harder than it should be.)

In terms of exercise, the sweating the small stuff is a good thing, so pay attention to the details and you’ll notice how much better you feel during, after, and between workouts.

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