The Four Pillars of Fitness - Chalene Johnson

THE FOUR PILLARS OF FITNESS

-Chalene Johnson, "PUSH"

 

 

As I sit outside on this gorgeous Fall, sunny, South Carolina day, I want to share with you some great info about 4 impacting factors of fitness!!!  Many of us think it is pretty simple, just head out the door for a run, bike, swim, take an aerobic class...that is far from the case.  To get that bangin' body you want, you have to follow these Four Pillars of Fitness (PUSH - Chalene Johnson).

 

1.  Cardio:  Cardio is a great way to relieve stress, lose weight, and live longer.  You should get your heart rate up at least 30 minutes a day.  Your intensity level should be between a 5-9 on a scale of 1-10. 

 

Category 1:  Impact

low impact - walking, rock climbing, dance, cycling, waterskiing, yoga, pilates

high impact - running, cycling, kickboxing, jumping rope, plyometrics, basketball

 

Category 2:  Intensity

moderate intensity - walking, rock climbing, riding a bike, weight training, yoga

interval training - competitive soccer, cycling, aerobic classes and DVDs

high-intensity interval training - competitive basketball, soccer, tennis, athletic drills

 

A great rule of thumb is to use Chalene Johnson's 3-2-1 Formula. 

3 days of high-intensity or interval workouts of 30 minutes or more.

2 days of moderate-intensity, long-duration cardio (45-60 minutes)

1 day of moderate to low-intensity cardio activity for 30 minutes or more.

 

2.  REST

 

Our society often thinks we are productive when we sleep on less than 8 hours of sleep.   We think we can get more done and that it won't hurt our bodies.  That is totally false!

 

Science teaches that adequate hours and quality sleep will help:

-Metabolize carbs properly

-Maintain leptin and growth hormones

-Increase energy levels

-Maintain proper blood pressure and insulin resistance

-Decrease anxiety and stress

-Repair muscle

 

3.  Flexibility

 

A flexible muscle has greater strength potential.  How about that.  So you can actually get stronger by stretching!!!! 

The benefits of improved flexibility:

-More energy and mobility

-More muscle strength and power

-Improved posture and balance

-Better athletic performance

-Reduced stiffness and joint pain

-Reduced muscle stress and chronic injury

 

4.  Strength

 

For all the ladies out there, YOU WILL NOT BULK UP!!!  Fat bulks you up.  Muscle is the fountain of youth!!!

 

-A body with more muscle tissue burns more calories all day long.

-As you increase muscle composition, you burn more calories when performing cardio exercises.

-Muscle provides shape to your body.

-For fat loss, go heavier weights, fewer reps.

-For muscular endurance, go lighter with weights, greater reps, longer workouts.

 

Now that you know the Four Pillars, go find your Soul mate workout and get that bangin' body you always wanted.  No excuses!!!

 

Your Coach,

Cheri

 

 



Baby Steps and Bite-Size Pieces to Fitness

Working out is not easy.  There, I said it!  It is something that normally does not come naturally to most.  It has to become a habit for most to fall in love with it.  The thing is, if you don't get your body moving you will become Fat, Sick, and Die Young.  So, how do you make working out a habit?  The first thing you have to do is stop blaming others and allowing things to distract you.  Saying you don't have time, you are tired, you work full time, your kids are in the room when you do it, you need a partner to work out with, you have to have the right music, your not a morning person, your not a night person...blah,blah,blah,blah!!!!  I am not trying to be mean, but really, STOP THE NEGATIVE TALK.  To be successful you HAVE to put in the work.  Imagine if you used these excuses at your place of work.  You would be FIRED!!!! 

So here is how you begin to create Fitness Goals for yourself that you will achieve!!!!!

1.  Start with small goals.  Focus on reasonable expectations you are confident you can achieve in a time frame of 2-4 weeks.  Get out of the thinking...Hey, I always wanted to do a marathon...overwhelm yourself....then drop off the wagon.  It is so much easier to look at goals in a 2-4 week time frame. Break it down into goals you can handle in less than a month. 

You can even focus weekly.  Make a goal that you will walk/run/do a fitness program 3 times a week for 30-40 minutes.  Start small and then build.  You don't need to commit to 6 days a week if you haven't worked out in years.  Take the pressure off yourself.

These goals should be attainable, so that at the end of the week you have accomplished them and feel amazing!

2.  Measurable Goals - Don't just say you want to be healthier.  Create measures.  State how many healthy meals you are going to cook a week, how many days you will exercise, the number of pounds you want to lose in 30 days, how many miles you will run this week, how many hours of sleep you are going to get daily...etc.  This makes your goals more solid and meaningful.

3.  Achievable Goals - According to Chalene Johnson, there is a difference between the achievable and possible.  A person that hates to run and has bad knees is not likely to maintain her goal to complete the Boston Marathon.  Choose workouts you will like.  Getting fit should be fun and build your self-confidence....not piss you off while you are doing it. 

4.  Rewarding - Yes, fitness is sacrifice, but you have to remember that the rewards are so much bigger.  List all the rewards you will receive when you hit your goal weight?  Here are some examples: You will fit into that dress you have been wanting, your clothes will lay on your body much nicer, your doctor will tell you that you can get off your diabetic or cholesterol medications, you can breath better, you get compliments, you will meet new people, you will be more confident, you will get that job promotion, people will take you seriously......etc.  Whatever it may be, you will be rewarded!

5.  Time Sensitive - Each of your goals should have a time-sensitive deadline.  This helps you to become more focused.  When goals are written down and they have a deadline, we work so much harder toward them then if it is open-ended!

Here is your homework:  What is your Smart (Smallest, Measurable, Achievable, Rewarding, and Time Sensitive) health and fitness goal? 
Then create a list of all positive side effects of achieving this first goal.
Have fun with this.  I can't wait to read, hear, and most of all SEE your results.  Yay!!!!

Your Coach,
Cheri

- information provided from Chalene Johnson, creator of PUSH.

Working out during Pregnancy

Most of you know that I am 15 weeks pregnant.  Just heading into my 2nd trimester!  I have been getting a lot of people asking me how my workouts are changing or will change. Here is the deal, if you have been working out prior to getting pregnant, then keep on moving that body.  The key is to bring it down a notch.  Make sure you are going more low impact.  Limit the plyometric movements and the bouncing.  Keep your feet on the floor does not mean you can't get your sweat on.  Their are so many programs out there to keep you inshape during your pregnancy. 

For those of you who are pregnant, but have not worked out prior to the pregnancy, I would stick with extremely low impact movements.  The best suggestion I have for you is to take walks.  You do not want to go crazy working out because of fear that you will gain too much weight.  You could cause a miscarriage.  You just have to stay healthy and keep that baby healthy. 

A great suggestion for both groups...the athlete and the non-athlete is Yoga.
I will be getting my groove on with Yoga Booty Ballet!  It is low impact and tones the core, hips and thighs.  All the areas that will help push that baby out.  :-)  Plus, it will calm you and your baby.  Take a look!

All in all, rest when you feel you need to, eat what you can, but when you get back to normal after the nausea, then try and eat healthy.  Don't let pregnancy be an excuse to eat whatever.  Remember, what goes in your mouth is going to the baby too.  Try eating every 2-3 hours.
Let me know if you have any questions.  I would love to help!!!
Your Coach,
Cheri

Detoxes...Are they really good for you?

It has been awhile since I blogged.  This is my mission, to have a blog post for you every Monday!  Yay! 

With that said, I have a bit on my mind about dramatic detoxes.  Lately I have seen so many women posting that they want to do a 5-10 day detox.  Why put your body through that drama?  Basically all you are losing is water weight and attacking your muscle.  When you detox too quickly, you lose a lot of good vitamins in the body and your body feels like it is going into starvation mode.  The best way to do a detox is a Slow Detox for 21-30 days.  That is why Beachbody Created the Ultimate Reset.  It is a slow detox that incorporates foods that jump start and cleanses your organs.  Food can detox your body, if you are eating the correct things.  I am so tired of people (especially women) being so fearful of calories and food.  Our bodies are made to consume food...1,200 calories and more, as a matter of a fact!  It is about consuming the right kinds of foods.  To be honest, if you are eating clean, then you really shouldn't be having to detox.  Because clean eating flushes out your organs and body naturally.  But if you are ready to clean your system out naturally and the safe way, to jump start your weight loss or you have medical issues that you need something drastic, then talk to me about the Ultimate Reset!!!  Love your body and be gentle with it.  :-)

What is an ANDI Score?

We all know that veggies and fruits are wonderful for our bodies, but have you ever thought about which are more nutrient than others?  You may be eating a lot of a particular vegetable/fruit that has a low antioxidant content compared to another option. 

What is an ANDI Score? 

ANDI stands for “Aggregate Nutrient Density Index.”

An ANDI score shows the nutrient density of a food on a scale from 1 to 1000 based on nutrient contents.

ANDI scores are calculated by evaluating a range of micronutrients including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants capacities.

The higher the concentration of these elements in a food per calorie, the higher the score.  For instance, kale, a dark leafy green, scores 1000, while soda scores a 1.

scoThis picture is of Broccoflower.  It has an ANDI score of over 700.  It is so important to understand what kind of nutrients/ingredients are in your food.  Processed food pretty much has ZERO nutrition.  To stay healthy and live long, you have to boost your immune system with food that is jam-packed with vitamins.  Teach yourself and your taste buds to eat the right kind of foods.  A great tip is to buy food closest to its natural form.  Eat Healthy and Live Long!

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  This weekend not only gives thanks to our troops for all they do for our country, but it also entails swimming, boating, driving long trips, eating a lot, late nights, dancing and much more.  I had a very stressful week last week with some family issues, then we had to drive 5 hours to Atlanta and back, boating and lifting my precious daughter all day.  My back was Out!  No, not painful, but it was out of alignment.

Many people suffer from headaches, allergies, sleep issues, bowel problems, infertility and don't realize it could be from their back being out of alignment.  Chiropractic care is not just for those in a major accident or a sports injury. 

It is about Prevention!

Research has shown that chiropractic care boosts the immune system. Chiropractic adjustments relieve stress from the nerve system, which is a critical link and has governing role over the immune system.
Consider the following:

• Spinal lesions, similar to vertebral subluxation complexes caused by misalignments, are associated with exaggerated sympathetic activity, which releases immune regulatory cells into the blood circulation and alters immune function. The nervous system has a direct effect on the immune system due to the nerve supply to the important immune system organs. ^{1, 2, 3}
• White blood cells, which eat and destroy bad cells, are enhanced through chiropractic care. ⁴
• HIV positive patients adjusted over a 6-month period showed a 48% increase in CD4 cells, an important immune system component. ⁵
• The chief of cancer prevention at New York’s Preventative Medicine Institute found that people who received regular chiropractic care over a five-year period had a 200% greater immune competence than those who had not received chiropractic care. The chiropractic group showed a 400% greater immune competence than people with cancer and other serious diseases. ⁶

Chiropractic care for maintenance of a strong immune system should be a standard regimen for everyone. Typically, patients on a maintenance schedule will be able to hold their chiropractic adjustments from 1-3 weeks, depending on stress levels. However, in times of immune system suppression, a patient can have their spine examined for misalignments several times per day to ensure their nerve systems are free of interference. Wellness chiropractors and Maximized Living doctors use several objective technologies to check for diminished nerve supply, the presence or absence of subluxations, and how well (and how long) their patients are holding their adjustments. - www.maximizedliving.com

Subluxations put pressure on the nerves and keep the nervous system from functioning properly.  By getting an adjustment and aligning the spine, it takes away the nerve interference.  Clearing the way for uninterrupted communication from your nerves to your brain.  This results in a strong immune system.

I went and had an adjustment today and I love how I feel after.  My hips feel square, my upper back has less soreness and my jaw is back in place which stops my headaches. 

Check out a Chiropractor in your local area.  I love the techniques from Life University in Georgia.  So I try to find a Chiropractor who graduated from Life. 

Lets get cracking.  :-)

Healthy dinners do not have to be difficult to make!

I use to think that eating healthy would be very hard.  I never had the urge to learn how to cook or bake.  I was lucky to have a wonderful mom who was an amazing cook, as well as my grandmother.  I guess I was a bit spoiled.  As I grew into an adult, I was the typical Lean Cuisine cook or I would just go out and eat. 

It wasn't until I moved to Fargo, ND where we were at home much more due to weather and I had a bit more time on my hands.  I had several family members and friends develop the Big "C"....CANCER and I started to freak out.  I started to read deeper into what was going into what I ate.  I am still learning everyday, but I have also learned that eating healthy does not mean cooking it has to be crazy difficult either. 

I am not quite to the point where I make all my own sauces, but that is my next goal.  In the meantime, I buy all organic meats, dairy, fruits and veggies.  Those are the staples that you should really try to buy organic.  As far as sauces, I still buy BBQ Sauce, regular dressings and so forth.  But I will let you know when I have the knack to make quick sauces that are all organic.  :-)

Ok, so here are some great quick meals.  I love the Four Seasons Italian Dressing mix.  I get the box with several packets in it from Walmart.  Super cheap and it goes a long way.  I have two healthy dishes that I make with it.  One is Italian Chicken.  I defrost my organic chicken, mix the Good Seasons Mix with Olive Oil, Vinegar and water and then marinate it on the chicken.  Simple!  I add salad and a Carb (Pasta, sweet potato, Quinoa (this is a protein)) to it.  Bam!  That is my healthy meal.

Another idea using the Good Seasons Dressing is also thanks to my wonderful Momma, Pat Moravek.  Buy ORGANIC or FRESH Cod.   Defrost the Cod, add the Four Season Dressing and lightly bread it with Pepridge Farm breading.  Again, add salad and a small portion of pasta or a potato, rice or Quinoa.  Bam!  Simple.  You will love it. 

Last night, I was feeling a bit frisky and wanted to be creative,on my terms of course, and I took two gorgeous ORGANIC orange bell peppers, cut the tops off and stuffed them with a tuna salad.  I took 4 cans of tuna, added 2.5 tbs of REAL Mayo (always stick with the real stuff.  Don't be afraid of real fat.  It is actually better for you than the fake/diet stuff) , I cut up 3 small sweet pickles, add diced onions and mixed it all together.  YUM!  You can even add lime juice for a bit of taste, salt and pepper too.  I stuffed the tuna salad in the bell pepper, added pasta on the side and lots of salad.  It was such a spring/summer dish.  Very Festive.  We all loved it. 

I get a lot of my meal ideas from Beachbody's Meal Planner.  They usually are only 15 min. prep time and 20 min. to cook.  Let me know if you are interested in learning more.  :-)  Please share your healthy recipes on here too.  I would love it.