Farmers Workout

I grew up in the country on a farm with 3 brothers and my father all whom were farmers.  I personally got  my work ethic from growing up in a small town.  I saw how hard my father worked he was always doing something.  I also learned how you run a business with multiple tasks at hand.  One thing that farmers do is work hard.  They are always busy and moving around so how do they stay in shape without stepping foot in a gym?  Well below is a workout for those on the go and might not have access to a gym.

 Farmers Workout

1. Farmers Walk- Hold onto 2 heavy buckets or anything that weighs 20+ pounds.  Walk 20 steps and than walk back.  You will be using your core to help hold you up.

2. Upright Row- Holding onto db raise arms up to armpits elbows out to sides than slowly lower down.  Repeat 2 sets for 10-15 reps

3. Crazy Russian Twists- Sitting on your tush take dumbbell over right shoulder than lower to left hip than push back over shoulder to left hip.  perform 30 seconds each direction.  Repeat 2 sets

4. Plyo Push-ups- Get in the push-up position and push hands off the ground you can either clap the hands or slowly raise them off the ground.  You can do this on your knees or toes.  Repeat 2 sets 10-15 reps.

5. Front Squats- Holding weights at your chest slowly lower down in squat position and stand up keeping dumbbells at chest pushing through heels.  Perform 2 sets of 10-15 reps.

6. Bent Over Rows- Bend over at waist squeeze shoulder blades back and together as you lift weights to the sides of the chest and slowly lower back down.  Perform 2 sets of 10-15 reps.

All of those exercises target larger muscle groups which is what farmers use on a regular basis.  They use these muscle groups to do various chores, fix equipment, feed the animals, walk the fields and harvest & plant crops.  Most farmers you see have not touched a dumbbell but if your not a farmer yourself but want to become "farmer strong" this workout will help you reach that goal.

 As always check out www.safiretraining.com for more fitness inspiration!  Sign-up for our newsletter below at http://eepurl.com/zMTrT

Healthy People's Healthy Habits

We all see people who we look at and say man how do they look so good, maybe you are that person. How do they stay in shape and look so good as they age; good genetics, they workout, eat healthy, not a lot of stress in their lives, they get 8-9 hours of sleep a night.  Well maybe you have most those things and your still not where you think your body should be.  Below are some healthy tips from healthy people who have aged gracefully over the years.

Healthy Tips

1. Take care of yourself in your 20's- the habits you form over the course of your 20's will help formulate your healthy habits for years to come.  For example, if your in the sun without sunscreen you will develop sun spots on your face, you partied to hard in college than early in your work years and didn't workout losing weight only gets tougher as you age.  For females the muscle you put on in your 20's has been shown to decrease your risk factors for bone related diseases in your 60's and beyond. This decade most people don't have as many responsibilities so take the time to invest in your future health. 

2. Go to bed- sleep is huge if you want to age gracefully and be present for your life.  We have all been there when you feel like a zombie you stayed up way to late and got up extremely early the next day. You are cranky, you eat things you normally wouldn't, your more stressed, and not fully present in your day. Now if you combine years of limited sleep think of what that does to your overall quality of life.

3. You are what you eat- we have all heard this saying before you are what you eat.  It is a true statement.  Think about it if your putting cookies, crackers, baked goodies into your body your body will become more soft and squishy.  Now if your eating fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein your body will become more firm and start to tone up. 

4. Work out- I have been told this by my clients who are in their 80's & 90's.  They make time to workout with me 3 times a week.  When they don't workout they get stiff, lose their balance, and overall lose of strength.  The younger you start these habits the better the body will be for the aging process.  I hate to break it to you but everyone ages.  The more you do with your body now the more you will be able to do with your body later in life.  Trust me when your in your 90's and still doing squats, push-ups and being able to walk up and down a 4 flights of stairs, you will thank me. 

5. Find a stress relieving hobby- So many people are a ball of nerves and their bodies hold onto that stress in various formats.  Some get extremely stiff, others have a certain area that tightens up, some get dizzy and others feel like their minds are in constant overdrive.  We are in a 24/7 stimulating environment.  We have to unplug and find something that we can do daily that will release stress.  That may mean meditating for 5 minutes a day, reading before bed, writing 3 things your grateful for at the end of the day, or journaling daily.  You may also want to find a hobby that you can do on your day off.  It can be anything from going on a bike ride, go for a walk, go boating, scrapbook, go to the movies, try a new restaurant, complete a task on your bucket list.  This one tip needs to be followed!  Stress is overtaking many people in the US and we need to make time to relax so we don't suffer the health consequences later in life. 

6. Don't get in the fast food habit- Everyone has been there they are tired from work, no food to cook for dinner, a hungry spouse of family to feed.  So they figure they should swing by the local fast food joint.  Now every once in awhile this is fine.  What happens to people is they start doing it day after day and now it has become a hard habit to break.  The solution plan your meals on Sundays or your day off.  Cook the meals ahead of time and keep in your fridge or freezer.  That way you will have a game plan.  If you were swamped that week, hey it happens to the best of us. Have ingredients on hand that you can whip something up in 10-20 minutes tops.  Remember if you fail to plan you plan to fail.

What are your healthy tips?  Share in the comments below!

As always check out www.safiretraining.com for more fitness information.

  

Partner Workouts

We all know working out can be tough at times, motivation ceases, plateaus hit, goals reached.  What is one to do?  Well my suggestion is to invite a friend to workout with you.  Tips when looking for a friend to workout with; make sure you have similar fitness abilities, know if your going to talk in between exercises, and know what pace you want to workout at.

  Perform 2-3 sets and 10-15 reps- based on ability and time

• Partner Band Rows
(above picture) Each partner holds onto a band as you row the handles to the sides of the chest.  You can also perform a squat as your rowing (seen above) 
• Partner Plank & Speedy Feet One partner holds a plank as their partner is doing speedy feet to the outsides of the feet and in between your feet.  

• High 5 Push-ups- Perform a push-up as your in the up position give your partner a high five alternate back and forth between hands to give a high 5. 
• Partner Jacks & Wall Sit- One partner performs 100 jumping jacks as fast as they can the other partner is holding a wall sit, once the person is finished with their jumping jacks they switch roles. 
• Squats with Medicine Ball Pass- Both partners perform a squat as you stand up pass med. ball to their partner, perform another squat as you stand pass back to original partner.  
• Band Sprinting- A favorite by my bootcampers!! (a little sarcasm) You place a band around the hips of your partner, you hold onto the band or handles (handles can be dangerous b/c they will snap, Versa-loop bands work the best for this) you hold on as your partner sprints for 30 seconds than you switch.  Perform 3-5 times a piece.  
• Partner Leg Throws- One partner is lying on ground the other is standing over the top of the partner, the partner on the ground holds onto the ankles of her partner.  The standing partner throws the legs down of the partner on the ground. 

Enjoy and have a great workout!  Leave a comment of what your favorite partner move is!  

As always you can check out more information at www.safiretraining.com 

In good health,

 Andrea 

Outside Yoga

As the summer comes to an end have you had a chance to take your workouts outdoors?  If no why not?  Mixing up your workout scenery not only helps you get a change of pace for your workouts, gets you new found motivation and lastly is usually a lot more scenic than working out indoors.  For instance most people prefer going for a bike ride outdoors rather than inside on a spin bike.  Yoga can be the same way.

I personally have taken my yoga practice outdoors this summer on numerous occasions.  Some went well others not so much.  The first time I took my PiYo class outside we were at a park that did not cut its grass very well.  It was fine for our bootcamp class a few days earlier but yoga in the tall grass we found out not as inviting.  We than changed our park locations which made a huge difference.  We went by a pond with a water fountain in the middle, it had mowed grass and had a beautiful experience.     Bugs were the only issue we have ran across doing it by this lovely pond.  My last experience with outdoor yoga this summer was in the sand.  Now this seems like fun but your mat sinks, the sand starts to get hot, balancing becomes an issue.  So after hearing my outdoor yoga examples whats a girl to do?

Well my suggestion for you is to research where you will be doing the outdoor yoga class at?  Is it scenic, what time of the day will the class be held, is there water nearby (thinking about mosquitos for those Minnesotans) and is the class on sand or grass?  With those thoughts in mind take care and have fun doing your outdoor yoga classes this summer.

As always check out more information at www.safiretraining.com 

In Good Health,
Andrea

How To Have a Peaceful and Relaxing Vacation- Guest Blogger- Kendra Thornton

Today I have a guest blogger here to share her tips on how to have a peaceful and relaxing vacation.  Since summer vacation season is wrapping up below are some great tips by Kendra Thornton.  Get ready to relax and enjoy your vaca! 

When I go on a vacation, the last thing I want is to be stressed! I like to exercise and stay healthy at home, and it is important for me to continue that habit while on vacation.  I've developed some ideas and tips that have helped my family have relaxing vacations while having a great time. 

Tip 1: Look for a hotel with amenities you can use.  I use Gogobot to read reviews of hotels from former guests.  Using this, I've found that the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in San Francisco offers yoga mats in each room and their televisions have free fitness programs to use whenever you need to. With this hotel, I can get an early morning workout in before my children wake up!

Tip 2: If you are searching for a way to stay healthy and save money on vacation, consider packing half of your restaurant meals in a to-go container.  Do this immediately when you receive your food so you are not tempted to eat all of it.  Most restaurant meals are bigger than the recommended portions, especially in the United States.  This is a great way to save money on vacation and still eat healthy. 

Tip 3: People who experience frequent back pain may benefit from a yoga strap to put around their upper thighs.  This device helps a person to hold his or her upper legs together when they relax.  It also helps develop rotation to the thigh bone, which in turn helps rest the lower back. 

Tip 4: Experiencing jet lag or different time zone affects? My tip is...don’t take a nap or rest when you get to your destination! Grab a coffee and get sightseeing, you can always catch up on your sleep and you don’t want to throw your bottom off balance anymore than it is. 

Tip 5: At the end of the day on vacation, I like to unwind.  Days filled with sightseeing or chasing after my kids can be exhausting, and I bring my own tea packets on vacation just for this reason.  My favorite is Yogi tea, and sometimes hotels do not carry this type. Depending on where your vacation destination is, you may try foods you are not used to.  Sometimes these do not sit well in my stomach, so it is nice to have a cup of tea to help settle it.  When I drink my tea on vacation, I like to light some tea light candles to add to the relaxing atmosphere.   

Even though I try not to plan too many details of my family vacations, I do try to incorporate these ideas into our tertiary.  Having basic ideas such as how to relax and be comfortable on vacation really increases the quality of my vacations.

 

 Kendra Thornton

As always check out www.safiretraining.com for more fitness tips and inspiration!  

In good health,

 Andrea

Mindful Walking Mediation

A lot of people dislike running and want to relax and have a stress relieving workout.  This is a great idea for those who need to focus on the present moment and still move and burn calories.  What is meditation?  Meditation is staying present in the moment not focusing on your to-do list, being one with nature and being present with yourself.  While your on your walk you should be in tune with your body, notice what hurts or what doesn't, notice how your foot strikes the ground as your walking.  Pay attention to your senses what do you hear, see, smell, touch your probably not tasting but you get the idea.  

Now below are some cues and questions for you to contemplate while on your walk.  I recommend walking for 30-60 minutes to get a stress relieving, relaxing all while still working out walk.  Try to squeeze this workout into your weekly routine.

Body Image Relaxation:

• How does your body feel? Scan your body for a moment now, starting at your feet, simply noticing how your body is feeling.
• Notice your feet... ankles... legs.... hips. Continue scanning your body, moving upward to your stomach, back, chest, sides. Mentally scan your hands, arms, and shoulders... your neck, head, and face.
• Where is your body the most tense? Where is your body the most relaxed?
• Just notice the state of tension and relaxation in your body.
• Notice how your body relaxes... bit by bit.... without any effort on your part. See how your muscles become a little bit looser... less tense.... naturally, just because you are taking a moment to sit quietly and relax. Without any effort or input from you... without you even trying... your body becoming slightly more relaxed with each passing moment.
• Think about your body image... what is body image? Maybe you think about the picture in your mind you have of what your body looks like. Maybe it's the ideas you have about your body... your feelings about your physical self. Perhaps body image is is a vision of how you think your body should be. What does body image mean to you?
• Take a moment now to consider your thoughts and ideas about your own body. How are you feeling right now, thinking about your body image? You might feel neutral, content, comfortable, uncomfortable, satisfied, dissatisfied, happy or unhappy, angry, afraid, accepting..... maybe a combination of things.... contradictory feelings are common.... and it is okay to feel however you are feeling.

The above meditation and more are located at www.innerhealthstudio.com

Enjoy and start relaxing during your workout this week.

As always check out www.safiretraining.com for more fitness information.  

In good health, 

Andrea