Fitness goodies

Everyone loves freebies. so here's some tidbits about exercise, nutrition, etc. that I have learned and want to share with you all!

First off- foam rolling is amazing.

I didn't really know much about foam rolling until starting my program but now it's something I will go on and on preaching about. The purpose of foam rolling is to force tight muscles to relax which will reduce discomfort & pain while helping to fix muscular imbalances therefore preventing injury. For example, Steven has problems with his knee because his outer thigh muscles are tighter than his inner thigh muscles. These muscles attach to the kneecap so the tight muscles pull the kneecap out of place essentially.  I have now "prescribed"several exercises for him to strengthen the inner muscles and showed him how to roll the outer ones to help him balance out that muscle group so he can quit killing his poor knee. Seriously. this stuff is amazing. 

Second- everyone should be lifting weights

I feel like the fitness/health industry has been better recently about encouraging women to lift weights but really, EVERYONE should be incorporating it into their routine and here's why. Lifting weights helps alter your body composition by increasing muscle mass. Bodies with greater muscle burn more calories while working out. If you're worried about bulking up ladies, you would have to try really hard both by working out a certain way and eating a strict specific diet to do that so no worries- lift those weights! Another reason lifting is so important is because it helps your bones get stronger. Overweight individuals have lower rates of bone density problems such as osteopenia or osteoporosis because their excessive weight puts stress on their bones and forces them to adapt to bear the weight. Weight training is how everyone else achieves this result and can delay onset and/or prevent development of these diseases so you can be mobile for longer as you age. so just do it :)

Finally- make fitness fun for you!

Whether it's with cute workout clothes, group dance classes, or a hottie workout buddy (or Richard Simmons), find a way to make working out enjoyable, or at least bearable. the endorphins will also help with this :) Similar to making a diet work for you (which I will post about later), you need to find a routine that you don't dread like the plague because otherwise, it will be much harder to make yourself stick to it everyday. Also, be open to trying new things. Steven and I tried out a yoga class recently and we totally loved it! it was super relaxing, threw something new at our bodies, and was something we found we liked and could do together. so you never know until you try it. Find what works best for YOU.

happy sweating!

<3 Kayla

biceps :)

So i feel like I left everyone off with cliff hanger last month and decided it was time to sit down and give an update on my crazy little life! Studying to be a personal trainer has been interesting to put it simply. There are days where I feel like I am a complete psycho and can't believe I ever signed up for this program. Then there's days like today. Today during our lab hour, we had an extra long workout and I really pushed myself because I can get tired of being the weaker trainer (the other kid in my class is a stocky buff gym guy {yes there really is just me in him in all my classes}). Obviously my cardio routine I've done for the last year doesn't exactly make me look strong the way his workouts do.

At the same time though, I realized that I had gotten comfortable with my routine at the gym and had stopped pushing myself much in recent months. So anyways the past few days I've really been trying harder, risking failing and looking like an idiot at the gym (while wearing a bright red T-shirt labeled "Personal Trainer in Training" on the back- talk about drawing attention to yourself!!!) all so I can start seeing results again.

So we get back from the gym, I go sit at my desk, cross my arms and boom! I noticed that I could feel my biceps flexed out and they were def sticking out farther than what I'm used to. I waited until after class that day but then flexed around for a bit and realized there's a big difference in my arms with what they're like now and what they were like even a month ago when I first started my program. I showed Steven when I got home because I was so pumped about seeing results and so proud of myself for the hard work I've been doing.

So it's days like these that remind me that I'm not completely crazy. I am growing (literally) and getting stronger every day. I'm even learning things that I've been able to use to help Steven who is constantly battered with sports injuries. and then I have Ryan cheering me on...

So overall I think I got this :)

<3 Kayla

lovely little thoughts

Sometimes short and sweet words say it best. I saw this on Pinterest the other night after getting home from the gym and just LOVED it. It's going to be my motto for the next little bit.

Lately I've had a lot on my mind so blogging has been the least of my worries. I feel like the closer I've gotten to graduation, the less I knew about what I wanted to do when I was done at BYU. I finally had an epiphany and my mind has felt so much more at peace. Logically it all makes sense now, although the answer to my prayers did come as a bit of a surprise. I've decided to get certified as a personal trainer. As I may or may not have mentioned in the past, I will then go on to get my masters in social work and use my skills both as a clinician and a personal trainer to offer exercise therapy to girls who have been abused. I've brainstormed doing something along these lines for about a year now but I always put myself in a different role as I've contemplated starting such an organization, working with this target group. Finally I realized that I want a way to have an active healthy lifestyle and what better way to do that than to help others gain confidence and inner strength when life has thrown them a curve ball?

When I first got an answer that this was what I should pursue, I was a bit scared to be honest. Well, I'm still a little scared even. I mean- I'm still working on my own figure and now I'm going to jump in to learn how to train others?? This almost seems crazy. I have grown so much though in the last year and by the time I'm done with my certification, I'll be exactly where I'd like to be physically. There is so much research available about the positive effects of exercise, much of which counter common residual effects of trauma and childhood abuse. Using exercise as treatment then makes SO much sense and is somewhat being done already with recreation therapy. I've even found a local girls treatment center that places heavy weight on their nutrition program and once I'm certified, I'd love to join them in bringing the fitness aspect to their establishment as well. This is so exciting to me guys :) I feel like I'm taking that leap of faith, for sure, but as always Heavenly Father is there to watch over us so I know it will all work out.

Love this scripture!

Go be amazing.

<3 K

We can do hard things.

   This last weekend I went with my internship group to complete a ropes course and it was such a neat experience for me and I just wanted to share a few thoughts. There were things we did that were really scary. like falling from 40 feet in a swing scary, and jumping from the top of a tree to a wobbly tall platform 6 feet out scary. As a group we accomplished tasks that of course seemed impossible through creativity, determination, and a little perseverance. At one point I was walking a wire, reaching out to my partner hanging out of a tree just to have enough balance to make the last 3 feet or so to the finish line. Doing all these things was a reminder to me that we create so many limitations in our heads that we let dictate what we do.
    When we were jumping from the tree, one of our research leaders, who is a professor at BYU, talked about how even though we knew we were safe, and harnessed in, some of us really struggled taking that leap. He explained to us that our autonomic nervous systems freaks out like we're going to die when we face something scary even if our conscious self knows we are safe. This is the fancy way of saying that our bodies are wired to elicit certain responses (such as an elevated heart rate, sweating, locking up, etc) when danger is perceived. Knowing logically that we are not in any real danger though, we can recognize our body's responses as a trained reaction rather than something actually rooted in potential harm. Our minds are incredible but it's important to know the difference between what's in our heads and what actually poses a threat.
     It's been said before that working out is 50% perspiration and 50% determination and I fully agree! So much about exercise is in our heads. Motivating ourselves to get moving, pushing ourselves so we can grow stronger, run farther, last longer.  Sometimes I get to a point where my legs are burning and I'm sweating like a pig and the thought pops in my head that I've done enough, I can take it easy on myself and cut my time short for the day. Then I think back on the hard things I've done throughout my life both physically and mentally, and I realize that I take myself for granted sometimes. I can do hard things. In the last year, I've gone from never having stepped foot into a gym, to working out, regularly, for over an hour at a time, on a fairly regular basis. I'm still trying to get into the swing of things figuring out my schedule between work, my internship, and my volunteer work, but I'm doing it! This last year has been tough in ways but I am making things happen and am working my butt off (literally) and it feels great.

It really is wonderful to be young with the world at your fingertips

<3 K

Ready, set, GO!

I LOVE new starts. A move, a new apartment, a new friend, a new season, a new year. I just love the idea of being able to start fresh on things. For me the end of the school year marks a new beginning for me. It means spring and summertime with (hopefully) more time, extra sun, and good old summer fun. As you all know, I've been working towards a healthier lifestyle in the past year and have done pretty well in some aspects. It's been hard work and has been harder to keep up during the school year but even with what I have accomplished this far, I can say I'm proud of myself. This being said, I still have some pounds to drop to get to my goal weight as I have done more maintaining the past few months than losing. I have found that when I journal/track my successes I do better at staying focused so for the next few weeks I will be updating you with my thoughts on this whole process. I'll try to keep up with other posts too to keep things from getting too boring ;) So here's to a fresh start on fitness!

   
One of the tools I've used to help keep everything straight as I work towards my goals is this free app for my iPhone called myfitnesspal- love this sucker.

myfitnesspal app

The app allows you to set a goal for your daily calorie intake then lets you know if you're over or under depending on what foods you've eaten for the day. It will also subtract calories based on the exercise/calories burned for the day that you enter in. You can also add water intake, and notes to keep track of your other fitness/health goals. Seriously, this thing makes "journaling" so easy. I almost always have my phone on me too so taking a couple minutes to enter in my meal after I eat is really pretty easy to do although it might take a couple days to get in a habit of getting everything in. I find this especially helpful because some times I eat more calories worth of food than I realize. This helps make me aware of the calories in my food and encourages healthier eating as I work to stay away from the red zone past my goal!

The only thing I haven't cared for with this app is that there is no estimate provided for calories burned during strength training. I guess I don't get that when I go to the gym either (as opposed to an elliptical or something). Also eating out can be tricky... all the more reason to skip it! :)

There are so many resources available to help people become healthier so I always love hearing about what works for others in the real world (not some paid bimbo in a magazine ad- ha!). What works for you guys??

For those of you done with yet another school year, I hope you too are enjoying this lovely summer weather. It is fantastic. end of story. 

<3 Kayla

BEA-utiful part 2

Hello all!
   I meant to get to this sooner but since it's been awhile I'm going to go over a couple different products in one post that I've come to adore as of recent.

These suckers are amazing. Nike Pro Women's shorts. Most of the running shorts I work out in are lined with those awkward "underwear" things but I still wear underwear with my shorts so I've tried different cuts to find what is most comfortable and such. These can be worn by themselves but with BYU standards at the gym I workout in, I have to be a bit more modest so I just wear these under whatever shorts I'm wearing when I go. I love them because unlike other underwear I have tried, they don't ride up, roll up, or fall down. They're comfortable, flattering, and move with you exactly how they should. I started with one pair and now have 4 of 5 so I can always have a pair handy for they gym. Bonus: I get these at Sports Authority or Dicks sporting goods and there is almost ALWAYS a pair on the sales/clearance rack (especially at SA). LOVE these.

Another product I've tried recently is Big Sexy's dry shampoo. This stuff is pretty darn good. I've heard others raving about dry shampoo for a quick post work out clean up or even just to stretch time between showers if you're in a hurry or trying to give your hair a bit of a break. You just spray it in, let it sit for a minute or so, then brush it out. It absorbs the oils and adds a bit of volume to your hair leaving it clean and ready to go. Your hair should probably be at least dry though when you apply ;) Any one else have any luck with dry shampoos? This is the first I've tried so I'd love to hear of other brands that work well or better :)

Finally, this moisturizer. It's sooooooo good :) it's super light and doesn't feel greasy at all on your face. you can lather on as much as you want and it just leaves your face feeling fresh. I'd say more on it but that pretty much sums up it's goodness. Try it. love it. 

B-E-A-utiful.

People who give workout advice often suggest a reward system so that you can treat yourself as you progress through stages towards your end goal. For me, I normally like to treat myself with any form of frozen creamy goodness- milkshakes, smoothies, fruit bars, fro yo, or straight up ice cream. These are all sugary and somewhat defeat the purpose of working out SO I have tried to find new ways to reward myself that are more conducive to the lifestyle changes I'm making. That being said, I have discovered some great products that I wanted to share with everyone. I was going to do these all in one post but decided that would be a LONG post haha. so we'll call this a mini series for now. Stay posted!
I have never been a lipstick wearer, in fact it's still a newer thing for me. However, there is something to be said for a rockin shade of lipstick. It's a great way to polish off an outfit. Elizabeth Taylor put it well when she said, "Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together". Whether you feel like a mess or not, lipstick helps pull everything together. This is by far my favorite lipstick I've tried so far-

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Rasberry Pie

It's as good as it sounds. A lot of lipsticks just make me feel like I have chalk on my lips (ok, maybe not THAT bad- but bad). This is really moisturizing and almost feels like a good chapstick BUT there is the coverage that should be expected from a lipstick and the colors are oh so fantastic. I have this in Candy Apple which is a coral-y kind of red, Rasberry Pie which is just a darker pink, and Berry Smoothie which is a more natural looking lip color. While moisturizing lipstick has a rep for not lasting as long, the first two colors I mentioned are bolder and tend to stain my lips a bit so after it's faded a bit of lip gloss helps keep the look going longer. These are great and I plan on getting more of them to add to my growing collection.

What lipsticks have you tried and loved? I'm still a newbie with this and would love to hear what's worked for you! 

<3 Kayla

Many Good Things

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!!! Ours was quiet but a good time :) On christmas eve, we had dinner at my moms with my little brother Tanner, and my mom's boyfriend, and his mom. We played some games, ate LOTS of pie, and watched a good handful of Chrismas movies. It was almost one by the time Steven and I got home and since it was technically Christmas, we decided to open up most of our presents then. it's not like we're little kids or anything ;) we saved some presents to open with our family when Josh is home and the big celebration begins but one of the gifts Steven opened was a game I had given him. We then proceeded to play canasta in bed until about 5 in the morning when I decided I had lost enough for the night and was ready to crash haha. good times. One of my favorite parts of Christmas this year though was getting Steven's big gift- a new guitar <3 I hadn't gotten a new guitar since my beginner one. Although I had an upgrade when I got to take over Josh's while he was on his misison. Since he'll be home soon though, I thought it may be a good time to get myself a big girl guitar. I haven't played very much since I got married because between the job I got then and adjusting to married life, I have had NO time. With school winding down though and with a better schedule this coming semester, I'm really looking forward to getting back into my music and writing.

                                          Isn't she beautiful???? gahh. LOVE it. and HIM :)

Because we both splurged a little on eachother for christmas this year , I decided to wait on all the apartment updates I was going to shoot for over the break. So no pictures yet there. But we'll see. hopefully soon!

With my more manageable schedule I will have this next semester, I'm planning on getting back into the workout routine I worked so hard to get into over the summer. While I did not work out consistently during Fall, I went to the gym occasionally when I did have the time to do so. Since then, Steven and I have invested in a bike machine to keep at home to help fill in days when going to the gym just won't work out. Between that and having free mornings 3X a week, I'll make it happen!! We are going to Hawaii for a friend's wedding this summer and you bet I'm gonna be beach ready ;) After seeing what I could do last summer, I know I can drop the remaining weight I have to go to reach my goal and I'm super excited about it. I feel SO much better and energized when I exercise regularly and it just keeps me in a good mood which will help me stay sane when school gets crazy as it always manages to do.