Relaxation around the holidays

For most during the holidays things get stressful, more things to do, end of the year at work, holiday baking, shopping and parties.  So what can you do to slow down and enjoy your day to day activities.  Well have you tried a little yoga lately?

One of the great things you can do for yourself around this time of the year is spend time on yourself.  Get your workouts in and eat right so you feel good about yourself.  An even better workout is yoga which will definitely help ease the stress and help you stay limber to enjoy the holidays.  So hop into a yoga class of any sorts yin, hatha, slow burn.  Which ever works best for you and your fitness goals.  

Holiday Parties are here, how to prevent that weight gain!

Now that the holiday parties are about to begin how do you prevent that holiday weight gain?  Well there are many basic tips that one can follow.  I will share some of my top tips below. 

1. Eat before you go to the holiday party- If you go to a party hungry you will consume more food, more drinks than you intended to.  So eat dinner before you go and the food might not look as appetizing as it would if you were starving. 
2. Stick to 1 glass of alcoholic beverages of your choice- After one consumes to many alcoholic drinks you tend to want more to drink and eat.  So sticking to one and sipping on it all night is a better choice. 
3. If you do drink more than 1 drink- If you do go beyond your 1 drink max. make sure you drink water before you have your next drink to stay hydrated. 
4. Have a set time you want to leave the party at- If you and whomever you came with to the party both know what time you plan on leaving stick to that.  That way you know you will be getting a good nights rest.
5. Indulge in smaller treats- Most people have trouble not eating anything at a party, myself included.  Stick to the smaller treats such as a smaller christmas cookie, mini candy cane, and bite sized treats.  Just stick to 1-2 or you may end up getting more calories than you bargained for.
6. Get your workout in the day of and morning after- Make sure you get a good workout in the day of the event and the next morning to keep yourself motivated during this stressful time.
7. Take your workouts outside- Try a free local ice skating park, skiing, or snowboarding for the day. 
8. De-stress a bit and get into yoga- Yoga will help keep you centered and calm your mind and body down.  

Above are great tips to help keep you motivated and help you beat the holiday bulge. If you want more information check out www.safiretraining.com for more information. 

Gratitude

Above picture from www.safiretraining.com 

Gratitude what does it mean exactly?  Well after looking it up the definition given was the quality of being thankful.  I would hope that people are grateful at all times of the year but over Thanksgiving it seems this is a topic we like to discuss.  I personally started a gratitude journal in September and every evening before I go to bed I write down 5 things I'm grateful for during that day.  It really helps you stay positive.  That even on a "bad" day you look back and realize it really wasn't as "bad" as you thought it was.   

So my goal for you write down the 10 things you are grateful for this past year.  I will include my top 10 list below as well so far in the year 2012.

1. My faith and finding a church that helps me grow as a person

1. Starting my own in-home personal training business

2. My family

3. My supportive boyfriend

4. Coaching basketball and being a role model to the next generation

5. Starting to become more involved in stopping the childhood obesity epidemic

6. Realizing everything does happen for a reason 

7. My friend asking me to be her maid of honor at her wedding

8. Going to Arizona this year

9. Outside church services in the summer

10. The privilege to be a teacher even if I chose to only do it for a short time before my real calling emerged. 

Halloween Tips Part 2: What can you give to your kids?

Well if you are trying to serve healthy candy options there are a few better options.  Dark chocolate is a better option over milk chocolate though most kids will find it to bitter to eat.  Peanut M&M's are a better option due to the peanuts in them.  Reeses are an okay option due to the peanut butter and snickers are another okay choice due to the peanuts.  There is also a new healthy chocolate option entitled un candy.  It is suppose to have less preservatives and more natural flavors. 

Here is a quick workout for you to do if you consume to many mini-candy bars from your kids.  Below is a mini circuit:  Do the below circuit 10 minutes perform each exercise for 30 seconds and repeat for 10 minutes total.  (20 minutes if you really indulged) 

1. Squats to a push-up

2. Dips with a reach to toe

3. Up/Down Planks

4. 6 high knees to 6 lunges

5. Burpees w/jump at the top 

**This circuit will burn between 100-250 calories pending intensity calorie burn based on a 140lb woman.