Valentines Day Gifts For the Health Lovers

by Jenni in

Valentines day is a great time to get with that special someone and show them how much you care. Here are my top four Valentines day gifts for the person that enjoys being healthy with prices that won't make you cry. 

Tea Kits

Wether someone has already found a love for tea or is trying to kick coffee like a bad habit, a tea kit is a fun twist on the usually sweets and flowers. Especially considering that some teas have both sweets and flowers. Sites like Teavana, Samovar, and Adagio all have tea kits made specially for Valentines day and 2-day shipping to go along with it! Adagio also has a pretty neat custom blend option available for those creative types to give a gift with a little extra flavor! 

Fit-Bit

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The Fitbit is a great gift for that special guy or girl who loves keeping track of their health. This pedometer on steroids lets you know how many calories you have burned in a day along with steps taken, distance climbed, and sleep patterns. Plus, there is  pretty interface to show it all in style! This little goodie comes in three different styles, two that clip to clothing and one wristband that can be pre-ordered now. 

The Fitbit uses a 3D motion sensor altimeter to get a real-life understanding of your daily movements and is now water proof! The waterproof deal is pretty big to me since we have lost two fit-bits to it's water nemesis.  

Nike Kinect Training on XBOX

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This twist on a video game is great for a workout and quite fun in the process! The kinect is fantastic at monitoring movements so you know when the exercise is being done right and when we are slacking a bit. Plus, you get a fitness diagnostic along with an uber fit personal trainer. Quite the combination for those video game lovers and health fans!

A Massage

A massage fits so many of the Valentines day gift categories- it is romantic, relaxing, special, and thoughtful. Plus, it will be heaven on earth for those athletic ones with tense, sore muscles. A massage combined with a fun, muscle building activity sounds like the best way I can imagine spending Valentines day! 

5 Ways to Workout at Home

by Jenni in

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Going to the gym or working out outside is not always attainable with the cold, the snow, and our always busy lifestyles. But, that is no reason to skip a day of working out. Here are some quick and simple ways to workout at home that will help get us ready for bikini season before the snow has stopped it’s falling... or it just gets warmer out. 

Yoga

Yoga is one of my weekly home workout go-to’s for a healthy body and relaxed mind. It is wonderful for toning and can help stretch those achy, winter muscles. Different yoga routines can also  help with health issues, stress, digestion, and, even sleep issues. Podcasts like Yogamazing and Yoga Journal have flows for the novice to the expert yogi. These links will take you to their YouTube pages and some of my favorite flows.

Add Planks into a Routine

Planks are one of those wonder workout moves that can be done a handful of different ways and work almost the entire body. Some of of my favorite plank positions include lizard walks, lowered plank, side plank dips, and plank toe rolls. You can even do all of these for a plank-tastic workout! I like to complete a set amount of each with some down dog stretching in between.

Resistance bands

Resistance bands are a great alternative to free weights and much easier to store. Sites like Amazon.com have resistance band bundles that are as inexpensive as $20 and have the weight equivalent of 3 to 202 pounds. Bands do wonders for toning and can be used for many of the same workouts as free weights. Some of my favorite uses for bands are kneel down-chops and x-extensions with resistance bands. These are sure to get your heart pumping and muscles toning!

Get a Routine

Getting in a workout routine is an important part of making sure we workout at home. It can be easy to push back working out until after that show is over or after cleaning out that ridiculously messy closet- procrastination, anyone? Pick specific times and activities to do and stick to this schedule so you don’t inadvertently miss a workout day. If working out is new to you, start with three days, working out every other day of the week. Kick that number up to 4-6 if you are working towards a goal!

Cardio

Surprisingly, we can get a great cardio workout without leaving our home. Having cardio in your weekly routine is great for our shape, but even better for our heart. The American Heart Association recommends getting an increased heart level for at least 30 minutes per day. This can be done at home with things like knee-ups, kick backs, chair kicks, jump rope, sit-ups, push-ups, and so much more! The best part is that none of this takes up a lot of room. So long winter jogging!

A Crunch Free Core Workout

by Jenni in

I love crunches as much as the next washboard-ab-craving girl, but sometimes you just want something different. Enter the Crunch Free Core Workout! This workout will give your midsection a run for it's money, working all the abdominal muscles and then some. The workout is best as a circuit completed 3-4 times with a one minute break between each. The heart pumping action will help burn fat while the muscle building is done through muscle tension and contraction in each exercise.

Warm up by jogging in place or doing jumping jacks for 3 minutes.

Knee-Ups

You may not think of these as an ab workout, but trust me, they are. Knee ups work those hard to get to, lower abs along with our upper thighs and hip flexor muscles. Complete for 1 minute.

Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers will work you core, chest, and upper thighs. Start in plank position and bring right foot in towards chest. Return to starting and bring left foot in towards chest. Alternate legs as fast as possible for 1 minute. To intensify this workout, lower into lowered plank position and continue as before.

Tornado

This will work your upper, lower, and oblique ab muscles. Lay on the floor with feet together 2 inches off the ground and your entire back touching the floor. You can place hands under tailbone in a diamond shape if your back strains easily.

Start by rotating legs to the right, then upwards towards the chest, then to the left, and end in starting position. Your feet should be drawing a circle in the air. Continue for one minute and alternate to start on the left in the next set.

Plank-Twist

This will do a number on your oblique and upper abs. Start in Plank position. Dip right hip down so it touches the ground while twisting your body. Twist body back and dip left hip down so it is touching the floor. Alternate between left and right hip in a continuous, fluid motion for 1 minute.

Banana-Boat

Start laying on your back with arms stretched above your head and legs out straight. Lift legs and arms off the ground about two inches. Without help from arms or legs, rotate so you are laying on your right side with only the torso touching the ground. rotate to stomach, then the left side in the same manner. Hold each position for 15 seconds. Rotate left first in the next set. 

Boat Pose

This yoga pose is fantastic for increase balance, coordination, and abdominal strength. Lay on your back and lift legs and arms into the air so you are making a "V" with your body. Make sure to keep pressure off your lower back by balancing on your sit bones and keeping the back straight. For a lower difficulty, bend legs and bring arms straight forward so they are parallel to the ground. Hold for 1 minute.