How to make that evening workout happen!

Get your booty to the gym!

If you just aren't a morning person and can't pull yourself away during the work day to exercise, an evening workout might be your only option to squeeze it in. It can be hard to muster the energy to get to the gym after a long day, getting up early and a million other things on your plate.

Making the time for yourself and to prioritize your workout will help you feel better, stay on track, and even sleep better! Here are some ways to make it easier.

1.  Pack your clothes ahead of time ~ Sounds simple but a stop at home to grab your clothes and change, no matter how quick, makes it that much harder to get back out the door for a run or to get the gym. If you have it with you already, you can go straight to your workout. 

2. Get dressed~  Better yet, put those clothes on before you leave work and you'll be even more likely to get your workout in. Just lacing up those shoes will send signals to your brain to get ready for exercise. Extra bonus points if your co-workers spot you, you can tell them you're heading to the gym and keep yourself accountable. 

3. Make an appointment ~ Arrange to meet a friend, sign up for a class or schedule a personal training session. Do whatever you have to do to make sure someone or something is waiting for you and promise not to let them down. 

4. Snack smart ~ Often after lunch we get a dip in energy and feel sleepy in the afternoon, making the thought of exercise even harder. Make sure to get in a healthy snack an hour before your workout and you feel more energized and ready to tackle that challenging class or session.

5. Remind yourself~ We all can get busy at work, but setting a reminder on your calendar or making sure to block off time for your workout can help you to get out of the office and make sure nothing else gets scheduled during that time, meaning you have less excuses to miss it.

6. Change your mindset ~ When making it to the gym seems a bit too much, just remember how great you'll feel afterwards and how much more energy you'll have. Not only that but it makes it easier to go the next day and the day after. Each time you get that workout in, it helps you set a pattern that you'll be more likely to stick to in the future. 

7. Set a weekly goal ~  And stick to it. Tell yourself you will make it to the gym 3 nights a week, so you have some flexibility should something come up. This also helps you stay on track if you've missed 2 days in a row, you know you have to go the next 3 days. 

8. Reward yourself  ~ Specifically with something non food or alcohol related. Once you've set that goal, make a deal with yourself that if you make it to the gym 3 nights a week for a whole month you can buy those new shoes you've been eyeing or some new workout gear.  

9. Do the minimum ~ Sometimes telling yourself that you only have to do 15 minutes of work is easier than thinking with an "all or nothing" attitude. Almost always though, once you start you'll feel so great you'll want to keep going and if not, doing something is ALWAYS better than doing nothing.  

What ways do you motivate yourself to hit the gym after a long day? Share with us in the comments or hit us up on social!

New Year - Stronger Core

If having a strong core is a resolution of yours, now is the time to start building your strength. Having a strong core is more than just looking good in your bathing suit. Feeling strong and stabilized translates to every other exercise including weight lifting, running and sports.

These plank variations are great for increasing core strength while toning up the shoulders when you're ready to take your practice to the next level. Make sure you can already complete a 1 minute regular plank before moving on to these options. 

Plank Shoulder Taps

Begin in a plank position on the hands. Slowly lift one hand off the ground to tap the opposite shoulder, and return to start. Continue alternating hands keeping hips and shoulders square to the ground. Repeat for 20 total reps.

Plank Up and Downs

Begin in a plank position on forearms, keeping your core engaged, push up onto one hand, and then the other so you are in a plank position on both hands. Lower back down to elbows one at a time. Alternate raising arms for a total of 10.

Side Plank to Knee Crunch

Lying on your side, raise up into a side plank on your forearm. Raise the top leg into the air, and top arm straight up. Bring top knee to your elbow, keeping the core stable and return to start. Do 10 reps and switch sides.

Plank Jacks

For an additional cardio challenge, begin holding a plank position on the hands, while keeping the core engaged, hop the feet out to the sides of your mat, and back to complete one rep. Continue for 30 seconds, making sure to your pelvis steady and hips level without raising the booty to the ceiling.

Spiderman Plank

Start in a plank position on hands, lifting right foot off the floor, pull right knee into towards right armpit and hold. Return to start and repeat on other side. Repeat for 10 on each side. Make sure to go slow on this one to really feel it!

Plank March

Once in plank position, on either hands or forearms, keeping leg straight, slowly raise one leg off the ground and hold for 5 seconds, slowly return to start. Continue alternating legs for 10 reps on each leg.

Can you make it through all these exercises? Let us know if you're up for the challenge!

Get Movin'

Your pup can help keep your healthy!

So many of us have jobs that require us to sit all day, whether it’s at our desk, in the car to commute, or for myself, sitting in class. While I have an active job that keeps me on my feet, moving and lifting weights and I make getting a workout in daily a priority, I am still stuck in in front of a computer for upwards of 6 hours on some days. For me, the answer to this problem is to use a standing desk, to at least get me off my feet even if I can’t be moving. I'll even do squats and jump around at my desk throughout the day, much to the dismay of my coworkers.

We have continuously started to see how unhealthy sitting all day is and the Mayo clinic states "those who sat for more than 8 hours without physical activity had a risk of dying similar to the risks of dying posed by obesity and smoking"(1) That's pretty serious. Some studies found that even an hour of moderate intensity activity is not enough to counter the negative effects of sitting all day.

What does that all mean? Are we just doomed? NO way! Here are some ways you can stay more active throughout the day and avoid sitting for extended periods of time. Studies have shown that getting up and moving your body more often can have serious health benefits like modestly improving insulin resistance, triglyceride and cholesterol levels, and even blood pressure. (2)

1. Walk the dog   Not only will your pet be healthier and happier, but you will get some extra steps in and burn a few extra calories. If you don’t have a dog, you can always volunteer to walk your friends pet.

2. Park farther away   If you are out running errands, that can add up to a lot of time in the car, sitting. If you are able to park farther away, or between two errands and walk between them, you can get plenty of extra steps in the process.

3. Consider a fitness tracker  There are a variety of fitness trackers out there that can be a great tool to help you really get a better idea of how active you are throughout the day. Most are customizable, allow you to connect with friends and even challenge each other to see who can get the most steps in a day or week.

4. Take the stairs  When you can, try to take the stairs instead of escalators or elevators. You will not only get some extra stairs but get a better workout by taking the hike.

5. Get off the bus  Try catching the bus at a bus stop just a bit farther away or getting off one step early on your way home. This small adjustment can add a few hundred steps more to your daily total and probably won’t take you that much longer to get home.

6. Break it up Instead of trying to get all your steps at once, try going for a short walk in the morning, around lunch time and after work. Better yet, set a reminder each hour, or get a tracker that reminds you to move every hour, If you get 500 steps every hour you’re at work thats an extra 4,000 steps in your day!

7. Dance it out  When all else fails, put on some fun music and dance it out! You can close the blinds and no one has to see you but you’ll feel happier and get some extra steps in at the end of the day!  I love putting on music when I’m cooking and more often than not, the beat will get to me and I end up doing some bouncing around in the kitchen before dinner.

Happy Moving out there! Let me know what you do to stay active throughout the day! 

1. Laskowski MDER. Sitting risks: How harmful is too much sitting? Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/sitting/faq-20058005. Published May 8, 2018.

2. Harvard Health Publishing. Don't just sit there, move more! - Harvard Health. Harvard Health Blog. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/dont-just-sit-there-move-more Published November 2017.