Be Kind to your body, mind and spirit.
Positively celebrate your body each summer day. Revive your mind with 15 minutes of quiet time and find something simple to bring positive energy into your space.
Be Gracious to your belly
Our mid sections are always a challenge. Guess what? Planks can help. Make every effort to incorporate 5 minutes of planking into your routine. Do 1 minute intervals (5 times) of front and side planks.
Be Consistent with cardio
Walk, walk and walk some more. Utilize walking for exercise, extra calorie burn, and stress relief to increase bone strength and enhance mood. Walk more not less.
Be You and stick to the equation that works
Yes, mix it up for variety but the tried and true always works best. You're better off with a fitness routine that you like, than trying a bunch of new ones that you won't stick to.
Be Flexible your body will thank you
Focus on flexibility this summer. Stretching is the most undervalued but most important mode of exercise for your body. The benefits of stretching range from improved joint mobility, less stiffness, decrease in joint and lower back pain, reduce risk of injury etc. Add at least 3 stretches to your daily routine.
Be Strong with your strength training
Weight bearing exercises are essential to all fitness routines. Strength training helps keep the inches and body fat down. Incorporate weights, bands and/or body weight exercises at least 3 days/week.
Be Healthy with hydration
It's summer and it's hot. I encourage you to drink plenty of water. We are fortunate to get at least 20% of fluids from our food but the other 80% still needs to come from water. As a reminder, dehydration can cause problems so keep water convenient and consume often.
Be Open to the outdoors
Did you know? Most people burn more calories and exercise longer when they are outdoors. Therefore, give those machines a break and take it outside a few days per week.
Be Light on your belly
The summer brings amazing fruits and veggies to eat, so take this time to fulfill your recommended five portions each day. Your fruits and veggies keep your calories low and gives a boost to your immune system.
Be Influenced by others
Surround yourself with like minded people who have the same health and fitness lifestyle. Accountability plays a huge part in sticking with a fitness regimen. So grab a trainer, a friend, your partner, family, or anyone who can help you with your fitness journey. Enjoy!
Have A Healthy Summer ☀️
-Monique
Disclosure: All tips are recommendations only.
Picture: The Author is modeling the 'Be You' Women's fit tee in color vintage royal and red M Logo joggers
]]>Rather you've been lacking a routine, trying to get fit since the new year or just looking for extra motivation coming out of the pandemic. I want to emphasize the importance of PURPOSEFUL health for the rest of this year.
Self Questions 🤔
How can I create the most healthy me? Am I exercising & staying active? Is my nutrition consistent? Do I know my numbers (i.e blood pressure, body fat, weight, measurements etc.)? Am I conscious about my environment? After assessing where you are, make sure healthy living is a part of your life PURPOSE!
8 Fitness Tips for Purposeful Health
Morning Routine
Set a positive tone first thing in the morning for a healthy day. Try positive affirmations, reading, writing, morning stretch or listening to music.
Mid Day Action
Get up and walk, stay active and move around. Break your sitting at least every 2 hours. Eat the majority of your calories during the day so your body has plenty of time to use your food as fuel.
Evening Closure
This is the downfall for most of us. Evenings are usually the most relaxed part of the day where we move less and consume more. Prioritize performance based foods and small portions at night. Try an evening activity to burn extra calories.
Consumption Conscious
Be conscious of what type of fuel you feed your body. Food can be simple and difficult to control at the same time. We are saturated with, 'How to eat right,' information. So rather than specifically telling you what to eat, I encourage you to keep it light and remember not to over eat. Focus on only eating when you're hungry and watch your liquids (besides water) because they carry extra calories.
Check Your Numbers
Don't be afraid of the scale, the blood pressure monitor, your body fat measurements or whipping out a measuring tape to check your inches. Numbers hold you accountable and give you a baseline of overall health and body composition.
Emotional Wellness
Do your best to give yourself an environment with lots of support from family, friends, colleagues or both. Having the space to express your feelings is always a sigh of relief and aids in mental wellness.
Physical Capacity
Up your metabolism & how many calories you burn at rest. Remind yourself to move more not less. Make it your goal this spring to add a few more minutes, steps or exercises to your daily routine. Yes, daily routine. You should be getting at least 1 to 1.5 hours of physical activity in per day.
Silent Element
Have your personal space for serenity. A space where you find peace, strength, encouragement, a time or space where you can clear your mind and reboot. Noise and stress surrounds us daily, so be sure to utilize your silent elements as often as possible to enhance your health.
Thank you for reading 😊 I hope these 8 tips provoked some thought into your health. I encourage you to create a life long equation for yourself, striving to achieve the best health possible.
Your Fit Pro,
-Monique 💕💪🏽
]]>Get fresh air
Outdoor is best. There's nothing like fresh air when exercising.
Dont set a date, Just do it
Procrastinate no more. We're so busy setting a time to start exercising that we never get started. Just start today!
Perfection no, Consistency yes
You dont need specific routines every time you work out, that causes delay. Fill your daily life with physical activity. Move more not less.
Exercise is Medicine
The medicinal benefits of Exercise is beyond what you can imagine. Proven evidence shows how just 30 minutes a day can improve your overall health. Click here for Exercise tips!
Teach yourself and others
Become a student of your own body and figure out the best overall exercise equation for you. Share ideas with others about different strategies for health and fitness.
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