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