5 Tips to help you stick with your fitness plan

1. Make sure you stick to a schedule.  When you are setting up your schedule to exercise or train, be sure that you are still allowing time for rest for yourself and your family. Exercise should be something you look forward to, not something you dread. If you create a schedule that you can follow, you will be less apt to get frustrated when you can’t follow your schedule.

2. Stay hydrated. Make sure you are hydrated before, during and after your workout. You want to maintain your fluids throughout the day, not just hydrating while you are working out. Remember, if you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Properly hydrated bodies are able to circulate waste products more efficiently and will cut down on muscle fatigue and soreness the following day.

3. Wear proper attire. Everyone wants to start school in a new outfit. Why not start your exercise program in some fancy exercise duds. Make sure that the fabrics you choose are proper for the activity you are doing. When exercising outdoors during the winter, layering is essential. Cotton is forbidden.  If exercising indoors at a gym, cool breathable fabrics are the best choice.

4. Warm up AND Cool down. A proper warm up will prevent injury by improving the elasticity of your muscles.  After exercise, make sure to properly cool down to prevent delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS is a byproduct of too much lactic acid accumulation in your muscles. Lactic acid is the waste product of muscle energy. If you cool down properly by stretching and moving slowly, you will help your muscles to pump the excess lactic acid out.

5. Don’t overdo it. Burn out is one of the main reasons people stop working out. Make sure that you are allowing your body proper rest between hard workouts. Sometimes it is as little as 24 hours rest, but sometimes your body needs more. Listen to your body. If you are feeling fatigue an exercise that is usually easy for you,  slow down, or take a break. You cannot increase your fitness if you are constantly run down. Your body needs to recover properly in order to continue to improve endurance, muscle tone and elasticity.

Six benefits of green tea.

Fall has officially arrived in the Northwest, and with it come cool days, cold nights, and yummy warm beverages. Green tea is a wonderful way to warm up, and can increase your health at the same time. There are several benefits to drinking green tea. Green tea has been in eastern cultures for over 4,000 years but it is only recently that it has gained recognition for its medicinal benefits. Here are just 6 known health benefits of green tea :

1. Green tea helps to prevent cancer.  EGCG is a powerful antioxidant found in many teas, but is present in much larger concentrations in green tea.  Antioxidants fight chemicals that are naturally produced in the body that can cause cancer and other health issues.  Studies have shown green tea can slow the growth of cancer cells.  While research hasn’t been done on every type of cancer, green tea has shown that it may reduce the risk of one cancer up to 60 percent.  It has also been shown it may decrease the reoccurrence of certain cancers.

2. Green tea is excellent for dental health.  Green tea contains bacteria fighting agents that kill  and stop plaque production.  Less plaque means you have cleaner, healthier teeth and gums.  Green tea also helps fight bacteria responsible for bad breath.

3. Green tea is great for the heart.   The EGCG in Green Tea has been shown to lower total cholesterol levels.  Specifically, it lowered “bad” cholesterol more than it does “good” cholesterol.  EGCG also helps prevent against heart attack and stroke by inhibiting the production of blood clots.  Green tea also helps to lower levels of stress hormones in the body, leaving you more relaxed.  Being stressed out can cause damage to the heart along with the rest of your body.  Drinking green tea could help keep your heart beating a lot longer.

4. Green tea helps to boost immune system.  Green tea contains an amino acid that helps fight bacteria and improve the immune response in your body.  If you regularly drink green tea, you fall ill less often.

5. Green tea helps to ease rheumatoid arthritis. There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis.  However, you can consider drinking green tea on a regular basis to reduce your risk of getting it. In cultures where more people drink green tea regularly, there is a much lower incidence of rheumatoid arthritis. 

6. Green tea is known to help in weight loss.  When you eat a lot of carbohydrates, your body responds by producing a lot of insulin.  This leaves you feeling tired and craving more food.  Green tea has been shown to help keep blood sugar at lower levels and helps to reduce insulin production. Consequently, you also eat less and lose weight.  Studies have also found that green tea can speed up your metabolism rate. The faster your metabolism, the faster you slim down.