Welcome to part 3 of my blog series aimed at getting you in shape for the summer & beyond. I am so happy to share my personal secrets for optimizing your health and wellness…

In terms of shaping your body, diet is almost on par with exercise in terms of results. Your diet is one of the most important parts of reaching your fitness goals. Last week we went over some easy exercises using your own body strength that will propel you to reaching your fitness goals. This week we are putting it all together with additional tips to help make your training more manageable. It can be difficult to get back into a regular routine if you have been taking breaks from exercise. It is important to push through the pain to lessen your recovery time.

*Legal – Receive an ‘All Clear’ from your physician before attempting a strenuous workout.
If you are starting a workout routine -Remember: Start small. Work your way up.
Thanks for checking out my 3 part – blog series!

So lets get started!

Part 1:

Drink water! You can’t get enough of it. If you see it, drink it. New rule.
Cut out all refined sugar, alcohol and Fast Food
Shakes are your friend.

Part 2 :

Make interval training a part of your routine,
Use your own body weight.
Incorporate cardio!

I keep track of things I do regularly to optimize my health and wellness. This translates to high impact cardio, An ab workout, or maybe extra pushups during the day. It is exciting to reach fitness goals and watch your body change shape. If you incorporate my fitness suggestions, you will find you begin to effortlessly achieve the body, health, wellness, & state of mind you desire.

My Ultimate Health & Well Being Tips:

1.Make a schedule (and goals!) and stick to it.

Regular weekly classes, runs, and bursts of activity. Write it all down. Stick to your schedule. Also good to write down: Your fitness goals this week. Write your exercise routine into your planner. Keep your schedule just like you would any other meeting. If you resolve to “eliminate junk foood” – do your best to recognize your junk food cravings as they happen, watch your cravings – but do not give in to them. Please do not mistake this as “deprivation” – it is only deprivation if you classify it as such. If – every time you pass up chocolate you realize you have just successfully “adhered to your goal” your mind (and willpower) will grow stronger from a series of smart decisions. Things get easier and you will immediately notice the difference in the form of a stronger, healthier, fitter body.

2.Regulate your eating habits.

Try to eat heavy foods before 7:00PM. I will openly admit that although I strive to do this; this one is a challenge for me. I try to stay away from food after 7 or 8:00PM. It helps you to wake up feeling fit. Give this your best effort. Also hugely important to always start drinking water and eating as soon as you begin your day. Force yourself to drink a lot of water in the morning & before bed. When you supplement your diet with a healthy shake, you stay fuller longer. You don’t crash, or ‘constantly feel hungry’. You get used to grazing throughout the day. When you start to eat high quality foods, your ‘hunger’ & ‘cravings’, subside. You become used to feeling highly energized through your great food choices & your shake.

3. Reward yourself

As you reach your fitness goals this summer; one thing I always like to do is to reward myself with new gear. I picked up a few new pairs of lulu lemon yoga pants, a new headband, and some new shorts! (Which I already lost – second time!!! agh) It is important to reward yourself. You will be spending a lot of time in your workout gear. It is important that you like it. Get a massage after all those jogs. You will find that exercising and eating properly are rewarding in themselves. You will start to get noticed.

4.Turn off the TV!

I always feel left out when people talk about their favorite series’, or the latest drama on Jersey Shore. I can honestly say that the TV is barely use at my place. I just never watch it. Television is easy to get sucked into. It traps you. It is designed this way for a reason. Everyone wants to watch the most exciting, the most outrageous, the most flashy new hit on tv; It’s eye catching & easy to get involved in. Maybe tonight is the newest episode of DWTS?!!
ye. lol. No.
It doesn’t matter. Trust me you aren’t missing much. You will get the score of the last game reading the paper tomorrow, you will find out who got voted off American Idol online later. Just turn it off. Try one week without it. Better yet: Go running instead! If you really want to manifest your goals and your visions, use your brain energy, & your ‘awake’ time to focus on getting in shape rather than watching just ‘one more’ Jersey Shore. 🙂

5.Sweat Daily

This one is great. 2 0r 3 days a week – I like to hit the dry sauna 25 -30 min. When I get out of the sauna, I am soaked – but my skin is radiant; and it feels so good! Sweating forces your body to rid itself of toxins. Sweating brightens your skin. A lot. If you are trying a dry sauna for the first time, stay in for 7-10 minutes to start. Do not overdo it. If you don’t have access to a dry sauna, you can get the same effects in the shower with extremely hot water. For added intensity – & If you can handle it: Make your shower extremely hot then switch it to ice cold for 30 seconds. Putting your body through this hilarious exercise actually makes you stronger. It shocks your system into becoming extremely adaptable and strong.

6.Regulate your sleep schedule!

It can be so hard to get enough sleep – or to sleep when you want to! I always wake up at the same time every morning regardless of the amount of sleep I got the night before. It can be a strict regimen to stick to – but it is helpful if you want the quality of your life to improve!

7.I love this Lulu Lemon Quote:

“Dance, Sing, Floss & Travel”. This quote from lulu lemon sums everything up nicely. All things you should definitely be doing on a regular basis. I love their bags for inspirational life tips.

8.Smile! & Have fun!

Do the things that you love to do. Mix it up. You can incorporate many different types of fitness into your schedule. Try new things often!

9.Never be satisfied.

MMA’s Clay Guida once told me this. And I love it. Never be satisfied: Always push harder. That is the difference between mediocracy and greatness!

10. Push it ‘til it burns!!!

Workouts should be hard. To see fast results you should push yourself until it burns, or until you really, really want to give up. Example: you are running UP a hill, and halfway up your pace slows. You are tempted to walk the last few steps to the top – BUT DON’T. Those last few steps are where you make true gains in terms of your fitness.

You’ve got to push it. Do those extra ten sit ups, or weighted squats.
You can do it.
Learn to override what your mind is trying to tell you. Once you learn to ignore the voice that says ‘quit this, or, ‘OK- you did enough’ – you raise yourself up a level, not only in your exercise, but IN LIFE.