3 Tips for a Successful 2019 and Beyond

2/4/2019

Tips for making your workouts better - and more!

Between work, school and extracurricular activities, schedules can be crazy, and setting aside time to exercise is often difficult. To help build easy, long-term fitness habits and set yourself up for a successful year of healthy living, consider these tips.

3 Tips for a Successful 2019 and Beyond

(Family Features) The demands of today’s always-connected culture can make finding balance in life nearly impossible. Between work, school and extracurricular activities, schedules can be crazy, and setting aside time to exercise is often difficult.

For Performance Enhancement Specialist Emily Hutchins, balance is key to seeing hard work turn into lifelong, healthy habits.

“Whether my clients are striving to lose those last couple pounds or completing their 100th marathon, the most important thing to me is that they're on track to a long life of great health,” Hutchins said.

To help build easy, long-term fitness habits and set yourself up for a successful year of healthy living, Hutchins recommends these tips.

Get Real
Whether trying a new workout class, joining a local gym or training for your first marathon, set an attainable fitness goal you have confidence in. Finding a workout plan you enjoy or a friend to hold you accountable can help establish a routine. While falling into old habits can happen as the year goes on, setting realistic intentions can help you stay on track and avoid excuses.

Recover Smarter
Your journey to better health doesn’t end at the finish line or when you get in your car after a fitness class. In fact, what you put into your body post-workout can be a critical piece of your fitness path and help prepare you for your next workout so you can keep working toward your goals throughout the year.

Hutchins recommends low-fat chocolate milk after a tough workout to help repair, rebuild and refuel muscles. With natural, high-quality protein to build lean muscle, fluids and electrolytes to replace what you lose in sweat, calcium for strong bones and the right carb-to-protein ratio to refuel exhausted muscles, chocolate milk is the real deal for real recovery.

Relax and Unwind
Make sure to give yourself a break, relax and unwind, too. It is important to refuel both your body and mind for balance in the midst of a busy schedule. Reset with something you love to do like cooking or curling up with a good book. This can help you recharge to take on the next day and the next workout.

It takes real work day-in and day-out to build healthy habits that can benefit you long-term. Setting goals, recovering properly and taking care of your mind and body can jumpstart a better and stronger you. For more information on the benefits of recovering with chocolate milk, visit builtwithchocolatemilk.com.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

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Keep your teen athlete fueled with these 4 vital tips

2/16/2017

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4 vital fuel sources your teen athlete needs

(BPT) - High school can be intense, but being a student athlete can intensify expectations.

As the start of spring sports approaches, the stakes are even higher for your student to maintain the success they had first semester. There are practices, matches and conference finals that have to fit in with exams and semester-long projects. Being a standout in the classroom and on the field requires expert-level planning and execution.

That’s where parents play a huge role in helping their teen athletes keep it all in balance. Here are four easy tips to help you ensure that your teen is ready for a great season, on and off the field.

Food: Allison Maurer — a sports dietitian and Gatorade consultant who has worked with high school and collegiate athletes — says, “The important thing to remember is that food is fuel. It gives athletes the energy they need to perform and also helps them recover. When planning your athletes’ meals, look for whole food sources that provide high-quality fats, lean proteins and complex carbohydrates. Talk to your athlete about his or her fuel strategy before, during and after practices and games, and offer support by providing healthy, energy rich snacks.”

Hydration: When exercising hard, the body cools itself through sweat. If body mass is reduced by about 2 percent, which would be 3 pounds of water weight loss in a 150-pound athlete, it can negatively affect performance, according to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s (NATA) Position Statement on Fluid Replacement for Athletes.

“Athletes lose more than water in sweat, so it’s important that they take their hydration seriously since it can impact performance,” Maurer says. “There are a number of products to meet an athlete’s hydration and fueling preferences. For those looking for an organic fueling option, I recommend G Organic, Gatorade’s latest product. It’s made with only seven ingredients and provides the same hydration benefits that athletes expect from Gatorade.”

Rest: Although teens may seem to bounce back easily from a night with too little rest, the truth is that good sleep helps both learning and athletic performance. Sleep helps athletes recover, especially after they’ve pushed their limits in an intense workout. Being rested can also improve reaction time, as well as speed and accuracy. In addition, teens with earlier bedtimes had better grades than those who stayed up later and slept less, according to a study of 3,000 subjects cited by the National Sleep Foundation.

Talk about these benefits with your athlete, and encourage them to go to bed and rise at the same time each day. Also, the glowing light of electronic devices can also interfere with sleep. So, help your teen come up with a strategy to power down an hour or so before bedtime in order to prepare their minds for a night of restorative sleep.

Planning: Schedules have a way of colliding, and this especially happens when a huge test and a game are scheduled for the same day. Each week, sit down with your student athlete and walk through that week’s schedule. Look at practices, games, homework assignments and tests, and create a calendar. That way, if a midterm and a game take place on the same day, he or she can plan accordingly. This will help avoid a late-night, stress-filled cram session that will steal from their performance in the classroom and on the field.

Life as a student athlete means keeping everything in balance. By focusing on the body — from nutrition to time management — athletes can focus on giving their best performance this upcoming season.

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5 Tips to Get Fit and Stay Fit

12/31/2016

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If you've tried and failed to get in shape or lose weight as part of a New Year's resolution, it's time to put a plan behind your passion. Below are five tips from BiPro's 31 Ways in 31 Days challenge. They are appropriate for all ages and fitness levels,

(BPT) - To lose weight and/or get in better shape consistently ranks as one of the top New Year's resolutions. However, many resolutions to reach this goal fall short or last less than a month because a great idea is seldom successful without a plan to make it happen.

If you've tried and failed to get in shape or lose weight as part of a New Year's resolution, it's time to put a plan behind your passion. Below are five tips from BiPro's 31 Ways in 31 Days challenge. They are appropriate for all ages and fitness levels, so use them to start your own wellness resolution, whether it's on Jan. 1, March 1 or whenever you're ready to make a healthy change.

* Measure your success. Minneapolis fitness expert Chris Freytag says celebrating those small victories will keep you motivated to pursue your final goal, and there are ways to measure your results beyond stepping on the scale. She recommends keeping a workout journal to record improvements in your weight training, biking or running. Record each session in detail so you can review them later and see how your numbers have progressed. It's the perfect pick-me-up.

* Balance your protein intake throughout the day. Most Americans consume barely any protein in the morning, a fair amount for lunch and a lot with dinner. For the best results, you should try to balance your protein intake throughout the day. That way, your body has a constant stream of the nutrients it needs to function at its best. You can estimate how much protein you need each day using the protein calculator at BiProUSA.com. Once you've found your number, be sure you're consuming a steady and balanced portion of protein not only at dinner, but also at breakfast and lunch.

* Get motivated to work out even when you don't feel like exercising. Sometimes you just don't want to work out, but instead of putting it off until tomorrow, Jordan Hasay, a record setting professional runner, says it's important to set small daily goals. "It's all about winning the day," she says. "As a professional athlete, my workouts every day are difficult. It's all about taking baby steps and really looking at one step at a time and setting individual goals for the day."

* Don't let a pre-existing injury postpone your workout. After a decade of playing pro football, Ben Leber had trouble running without pain due to his worn-down knees. So he took up boxing, as his twice-per-week cardio workout. The sport is physical and gets Leber's heart rate up, all without putting unneeded pressure on his knees. Find the sport that appeals to you. Be it boxing, swimming or bike riding, there is a solution out there that works for you and your existing injury.

* Start the day with a protein-packed breakfast. You know starting the day with protein is important, but your busy schedule means cooking eggs and bacon every morning isn't possible. Instead, start your morning with a protein smoothie using this recipe:
- 1 scoop unflavored protein powder
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1/2 banana
- 1 cup almond milk
Blend them all together until they are thoroughly mixed and load them in your travel mug. You'll have a great healthy breakfast to start your day.

While Jan. 1 is a popular day to kick off a health and fitness goal, any day of the year can mark the start of your new life, you just have to set a plan and follow through. So don't delay. The better you is out there, so seize it before the new year rolls around again. To find more tips from the 31 Ways in 31 Days challenge, as well as other healthy recipes, visit BiProUSA.com.

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Beat Cool Weather

8/28/2016

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Just because swimsuit season is over doesn’t mean it’s time to let your fitness regimen fall by the wayside. Keeping active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important year-around, so stay on track as the weather cools with these tips and tricks.

Beat Cool Weather

Keep health in mind as cold creeps closer

(Family Features) Temperatures may be dropping, but just because swimsuit season is over doesn’t mean it’s time to let your fitness regimen fall by the wayside. Keeping active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important year-around, so stay on track as the weather cools with these tips and tricks.

7 Healthy Habits for Fall Fitness

With cooler temps comes the temptation to indulge in comfort foods. Remember that it’s OK to satisfy those cravings but keep portions in control.

From the start of school to the kickoff of new sporting seasons, fall is a time of fresh beginnings. Get your own start on a healthier lifestyle by kicking unhealthy habits such as smoking.

Make the most of these last few months to enjoy seasonal fruits and vegetables. Try new recipes featuring options such as apples, pears, pumpkin and squash to enjoy the natural goodness of fresh produce and add some variety to your typical diet.

Colder weather may bring relief from the heat, but it also brings cold and flu season fast on its heels. Practice good hygiene and wash your hands often to minimize your exposure to germs and illness.

Commit to a workout routine. Whether that means investing in the proper home workout equipment to have at home or securing a gym membership (or a combination of the two), pledge to make time for a workout most, if not all, days of the week.

Set a good example for the youngest members of your family by finding ways to get the whole crew involved. Take a walk or bike ride, or organize a game of backyard ball to get those feel-good endorphins going.

Poor sleep not only drags you down, it can raise your risk for numerous medical problems. Set a bedtime that allows you plenty of rest and stick to it. Also eliminate as many factors as possible that can disrupt your sleep, such as the TV, music and lights.

Electrolytes for Fitness
During a workout, you lose more than just water when you sweat – you also lose electrolytes. If you don’t replace what you lose, you can become dehydrated, decreasing strength, reducing endurance and delaying muscle response. Water alone doesn’t contain electrolytes, so you need a beverage enhanced with electrolytes like Propel Electrolyte Water. With 9 available zero-calorie flavors, it’s the only national water brand with enough electrolytes to replace what you lose in sweat. Learn more at propelwater.com.

Performance Training for a Healthy Lifestyle
Building healthy habits, strength and endurance is possible with the T618 Nautilus Performance Series Treadmill, which is perfect for home workouts. With a full suite of training programs, including interval training, weight management and other customized workouts, this powerful machine features an exclusive cushioning system, a gym-quality running path and an easy-folding deck. Bluetooth connectivity allows users to share data with the free Nautilus Trainer app, which automatically syncs with popular fitness apps. Learn more at nautilus.com.

Best Foot Forward
Keeping in shape requires keeping your feet in motion, but without proper footwear you can find your energy sagging and muscles straining. This is especially true for runners, whose feet take a real pounding. Look for a shoe that fits well in both the heel and instep, fitting snugly but not restrictive. Remember that feet swell during a run, so be sure you have ample room in width and length. Also be sure the shoe offers enough flexibility to give without causing blisters or rubbing uncomfortably while you’re running.

A Sporting Way to Get More Cardio
Keeping sports equipment handy makes it easy to incorporate more exercise into your daily routine. Assemble a variety of sporting goods to create some variety in your workout, and be sure to include options you can enjoy solo, with a partner or with a group of friends. An assortment of balls for games such as basketball, football, soccer and softball are simple ways to get in an extra cardio workout. Jump ropes, resistance bands and free weights are also handy to have around the house when inspiration to mix up your workout routine is necessary.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images (Family biking, Running shoes, Sports glove and balls)

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