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Running grows more and more popular every year with good reasons: You can get involved in this fun and affordable sport with just a pair of running shoes, shirts and a T-shirt. You can run on sidewalks, a track or trail and no matter where you live, you can run. Running is one of the best things you can do for your body and spirit.
If you’ve never run before, turning off the TV and getting of the couch might be challenging. These tips will help get you motivated and progress from a couch potato to a race runner in no time while having fun.
If you don’t know why you are doing it, you are likely to give up too soon. You may want to lose weight, lower blood sugar, get healthy, spend more time outdoors, fight depression or embrace the activity a friend or loved one is doing so you can spend more time with him or her. No matter what the reason is, make sure you know why you want to run.
It is much easier to stay motivated if you have a concrete, measurable goal. If you are new to running, sign up for a race. Registering for a race can perform miracles for your motivation—you’ll have to work hard to have your money pay off. Participation in a race is also a great way for a beginner to get involved with the running community. Once you cross the finish line, you’ll be hooked forever.
Everything is easier and much more fun when you have someone to share it with. Running is a great way of spending time with people you care about or making new friends. Schedule runs with your spouse, kids or friends, and you’ll run out of excuses not to run when someone asks, “Are we running today?” Can’t encourage your close ones to run with you? Sign up for a local running club. You will make new friends and get lots of support.
Many beginners make the same mistake. They just put on their shoes and try to run for as long as they can. In five minutes or less, they run out of breath, switch to walking and swear not to do it again. Following a training plan will make it easy for you to ease into running and progress safely. Programs like the popular C25K are designed just for beginners and bring you, step-by-step, from 60 seconds of running to a 5K race. Plus, they are a great motivation: Once you start week one, you can’t wait to graduate.
As you go through your training plan, mark milestones: your first mile, your first run without walk breaks. Write everything down—record not only time and distance but also your feelings and emotions. Get a nice notebook or go digital and start a blog. Who knows, you may become the next popular run blogger.
Try to learn as much as you can about running. Subscribe to magazines, read websites and blogs, participate in forums. It will keep you interested, give you useful information, and make you feel part of the running community. Check out books and movies about runners—they’re fun motivational tools.
Training might be tough at times but it doesn’t mean hard work leaves no room for a little treat. You run because you love yourself, not because you want to torture yourself. Halfway done with your training program and didn’t miss a day? Did you better your race time? Celebrate success. This doesn’t necessarily mean throwing a pizza party or indulging in sweets and fast food. Buy something that will help you with your new hobby: a new running shirt, a pair of new shoes, a water bottle or a runner’s watch.
We all prefer to do things we enjoy. If you like something, you keep doing it. Think about running not as an activity you have to do, but as a way to unlock your physical and spiritual potential. Every time you run, you learn something new about yourself, and this is priceless.
It may sound silly, but it works. Smile when you run—it tells your brain you are happy, and you should be. Think about all those people who would love to do what you are doing. As your body gets stronger, fitter and healthier, your life will get better. Isn’t that reason enough to smile?
Ingredients
1 cup raw almonds
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
5 ounces plant-based vanilla protein powder (I like Garden of Life Raw or SunWarrior)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)
Directions
Information
Cook Time 20 min
Nutrition
Calories per serving 166
Get the Most Out of Your Training!
After exercise, your muscles are completely depleted of the nutrients they need to begin the recovery process. But the good news is they are also highly receptive to take up nutrients, refill glycogen stores, and restore protein balance to kickstart muscle protein synthesis or muscle building once again. So if you are serious about building muscle tone and reaping the benefits of your hard work in the gym, then it is absolutely critical that you fuel your body with the right post-workout nutrition.
During a workout, there is an increase in oxidation or a breakdown of the critical components that drive muscle function and energy production, including glycogen and essential amino acids. Exercise causes muscle protein turnover, which is the rate at which protein degradation or muscle breakdown increases, and the rate at which skeletal muscle protein synthesis decreases— essentially resulting in catabolism of muscle mass. The aminos, more specifically the branched-chain amino acids, are involved in the exact pathways that stimulate muscle building and the recovery process. As glycogen is depleted and used up, the body will switch to using the essential aminos to maintain energy and make glucose, and even after a workout, breakdown will continue until the right nutrition is received. Therefore, in order to halt muscle breakdown and ensure all your hard work in the gym doesn’t go to waste, you need to get the right post-workout nutrition, and what’s more, you need to ensure you get the right mix of macro and micronutrients at the right time!
Some people call the time after the workout the “window of opportunity.” As time elapses, this window begins to close, ruining your chances for a full recovery. Research suggests that consuming your post-workout meal within 30 minutes to one hour of training will ensure you are getting the most benefit out of your time spent in the gym! Consider the following five rules for post-workout fueling to enable proper muscle recovery and repair for a lean and firm hard body!
Rule #1: Make it Liquid. The key to your post-workout nutrition is ensuring a fast delivery! Therefore, it must be liquid; this will ensure rapid digestion and delivery of the important hormones that are necessary to stimulate the muscle growth and repair process.
Rule #2: Pack it with Protein and BCAAs. Following an energy-draining, muscle-tearing workout, one of the most important nutrients you need to consume post-workout is protein. In terms of quality and bioavailability, whey protein isolate (WPI) or whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) are excellent choices. Both are extremely fast-digesting proteins and highly soluble, which means they can kickstart the repair process quickly!
WPI and WPH also contain a high concentration of branched-chain amino acids or BCAAs, which are considered the building blocks of muscle. They are critical for driving protein synthesis, reducing protein breakdown, and stimulating the release of insulin. Insulin is an anabolic hormone responsible for building various energy molecules in the body and preventing the breakdown of muscle following a hard workout.Several studies suggest that BCAAs can help delay fatigue and the onset of muscle soreness, as well as the markers of muscle damage associated with intense exercise. By ensuring that adequate amounts of the branched-chain amino acids are available to your muscles after training, you can delay fatigue, guard against training-induced muscle breakdown, and expedite recovery. WPI and WPH also contain a high proportion of the BCAA leucine, which is one of the most important because of its ability to directly stimulate muscle building by activating a major complex in the protein synthesis pathway called mTOR. Research has shown that leucine has a positive effect on protein metabolism, increasing the rate of protein synthesis, and decreasing the rate of protein degradation after intense training. Aim for a serving of 20 to 30 grams of whey protein that offers up a high concentration of essential BCAAs in every serving.
Rule #3: Become a Sugar Baby. Although you might be tempted to skip out on the carbohydrates, especially straight up sugar, it is actually necessary to drive protein and nutrients into your depleted muscles! Your post-workout meal should contain a source of high-glycemic carbohydrates, such as dextrose, sucrose or straight up table sugar! Sugar is easily digested and can quickly raise blood sugar and, hence, insulin levels. The elevated insulin levels will help to drive fuel into the muscles to help replenish lost muscle glycogen, and will also stimulate muscle synthesis and repair! Try a carbohydrate powder that can be easily mixed with your protein powder. Consume a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein for best results.
Rule #4: Hold the Fat and Fiber. Simply put, fat and fiber slow down digestion. Therefore, if you combine fats or fiber with the two needed components of your post-workout meal as mentioned above, protein and simple carbs, you will only be slowing down their digestion— which, of course, is the exact opposite of what you want to happen.
Rule #5: Grab Recovery Essentials. Be sure to add glutamine and vitamins C and B to your post-workout recovery plan! Supplementing with glutamine can reduce the amount that is robbed from the muscles during training. It has also been found to decrease neutrophils, which cause cell damage, and preserve muscle tissue and have a direct effect on protein metabolism.
As for vitamin C, multiple studies have found blood and plasma levels of vitamin C to be diminished in those who exercise regularly. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect muscle cells from free radical damage by acting as an antioxidant itself and by helping generate other antioxidants.
B vitamins are highly involved in protein metabolism by aiding in the manufacturing of amino acids and are also involved in carbohydrate utilization. Research has shown that athletes have an increased need for B vitamins and that performance can be improved with supplementation. Supplement with 3 to 5 grams of glutamine, 500 mg to 1 gram of vitamin C, and stick to the daily recommended dose of B vitamins.
What’s a good workout without some muscle fatigue to back it up, right.? If there is a routine like no other to get you soar from head to toe, its P90X! But, with a workout system as advanced and intense as P90X, you should be giving your body everything it needs to succeed and be in top condition 100% of the time. This means nutritious food, lots of water and a post workout drink like no other. While the P90X Results and Recovery Drink is not required to see great results, my experience has shown the drink does give you an edge and propels results even faster. It also means your body recovers faster, allowing you to feel great during workouts by keeping your soarness in check.
Here are the top 5 reasons I believe in a Post Workout drink, and why the P90X Results and Recovery formula is a perfect choice.
1. Energy Recovery – If you’re doing P90X right, you should be toasted after a good workout. The R&R drink replenishes your energy so you can feel great for the rest of the day. Complex carbohydrates are optimum for this and also help reduce muscle soreness.
2. Muscle Repair – A great protein blend in the drink allows your muscles to start repairing FAST! The breakdown, rebuild process is what really makes P90X successful in its various stages. This R&R drink aids in helping this repair happen faster.
3. Vitamin Replenishment – A healthy way to get much needed vitamins back to your system. These vitamins will now help you to feel better and keep you from getting drained. Keeping things like Vitamin C and other nutrient at high levels will ensure your immune system resistance stays high.
4. Performance Boost – A small amount of creatine really adds a much needed muscle boost to the R&R drink. You’ll see a difference it what you can deliver in each workout as well as adding edge to muscle fullness and strength. A great final touch to an amazing Recovery Drink.
Don’t get me wrong, P90X R&R drink is not required, but it sure helps in getting faster, better results for those looking to get the most out of the program. I’ve been using the drink on and off for 2 years as I go through different cycle of P90X and P90X2. I definitely say, I can tell the difference when I do and don’t use it and it taste pretty darn good too.
One of the best parts about fall is staying indoors and noshing on comfort food, like this vegetarian-friendly black bean and pumpkin chili.
Ingredients:
1 c. pumpkin, roasted and diced
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
3 c. tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1 c. corn
2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp. ground coriander
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot, add the oil, pumpkin, onion, corn, carrots, tomatoes and celery. Cook until the vegetables are soft, then add coriander, salt and pepper. Stir in black beans and pumpkin. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the mixture is soft.
Insanity Workout Tips & Tricks
Here it is! What you have been waiting for INSANITY WORKOUT FREE TIPS!
I wanted to pass along these INSANITY WORKOUT FREE TIPS to you to ensure you get the maximum results you want!
1. GET YOUR MIND RIGHT
Before the first bead of sweat ever drops from you body, you must prepare your mind for your next 60 days. You need to decide right now that you are in this for the full two months. It doesn’t seem like a long time, but you would be shocked the number of people I talk to who quit in the first week.
Things to wrap your head around before starting INSANITY:
2. FORM IS KING
FORM OVER SPEED! Insanity is a rare workout. There isn’t a slow intro to let your body warm up. It comes out of the gate fast and furiously. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and adrenaline Shaun T gives off. You feel like you need to keep up with everyone in the DVD. Let me let you in on a little secret. Most of the people in that video had 60 days to train with Shaun T in preparation to shoot the DVDs. If that group of fitness professionals needed 60 days to be ready, don’t feel bad when you aren’t at their level on day one.
If you are really serious about performing at your max and avoiding injury then WATCH the workout before you do it. That way you can see the progressions and pay close attention to Shaun T’s form. Let’s face it; once the workout starts, we are so busy trying to keep up that exercise form is the first thing to be compromised. And when you compromise form- BAM – that is when you get injured and can’t workout at all. No one wants that, do they?
3. PACE YOURSELF
This goes hand in hand with #2. Even though at times you may think otherwise, Shaun T cannot see you through your TV screen. He is not going to jump through the screen and yell at you if your pace is half of the Insanity cast members. Your body will actually get BETTER RESULTS at a slower pace if you master perfect form!
When you go faster than you should, you leave yourself open for injuries, discouragement, frustration, and getting light headed. No one wants that!
4. FUEL YOUR BODY PROPERLY
Yes, there is a Nutrition Guide that comes with your Insanity DVDs! It amazes me how many people want to just jump into the workouts without paying any attention to how to eat during INSANITY.
You probably bought INSANITY because you wanted to look like the success stories on the infomercial or to have abs like Shaun T. Well let me let you in on a little secret: They didn’t get bodies like that eating whatever they wanted to.
Or even worse – many people are not eating enough! There was as much time and effort put into the nutrition guide as there was in creating the workouts.
It’s only 60 days! Don’t you want to give yourself the best chance to get the ultimate results from your investment?
Some people are surprised how much food they are asked to eat, but keep this in mind: You are training like an athlete, so you have to fuel your body like an athlete. INSANITY is not a program to be done without the proper fuel.
In addition to the food guide there are 2 things I recommend you use DAILY during your INSANITY Workouts:
5. FIND AN ACCOUNTABILTY PARTNER
The number 5 INSANITY WORKOUT FREE TIP probably should have been #1. Too many people try to jump into this routine by themselves without any support or encouragement. Doing INSANITY is a huge life changer. (It’s not like adding an evening walk around the block to your routine).
What happens when you hit the first roadblock? What do you do when you skip a day? What is the best way to find motivation on the days you don’t feel like working out? Are there options that can be substitutes for what is in the nutrition guide if I have allergies or food sensitivities?
Wouldn’t it be much easier to work with someone that knows the answers to all these questions? I have always had someone to be accountable to. They would pat me on the back or kick me in the butt – depending on what I needed that day. I have always been very thankful for the different ‘coaches’ I have had in my life.
Don’t make the mistake of trying to tackle INSANITY alone! If you are lacking support, encouragement, and an expert to help then I invite you to CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ME. I am happy to help!
Congratulations on taking a huge step to improve your health and fitness. Your life will be completely changed your life IF you follow these simple INSANITY WORKOUT FREE TIPS.
If you found this article helpful I invite you to share it with the buttons below!
In this thing together – Hank
Beachbody is the leading provider of home workout programs… So why are we doing it?
Les Mills is totally focused on growing demand for our classes in clubs across the US. Partnering with Beachbody is a fantastic opportunity to make us a household name thanks to a national infomercial marketing campaign on TV.
The home workout set will include information about Les Mills and BODYPUMP®, as well as an offer to try the live workouts in clubs!
This is an amazing chance to make more people fitter and change even more lives. Just like we do every day.
Rock Stars: Don Murphy, Ben Feliciano, and Many others have already joined TEAM HankFit247!
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I have been thinking more and more about how much fun I am having as a FT Work from Home Professional. Like I have mentioned in previous blog posts I love to work, I love my job because I love helping others, am now living out my passion and I love working with others but my main priority is Financial Security. Last year I began thinking about what I Really Wanted. Well…..I finally figured it out. With more clarity, setting priorities and my Beachbody Coaching continuing to thrive I decided I wanted complete Financial Security! Yep, I want a house!
The stipulation I put down on it was that I I had to be making greater than 2K a week and that my down payment would be at least 100K Cash. With Big Dreams, comes big goals with my Beachbody Coaching. Coaching already pays all of my monthly bills, just not quite at the point of being able to sock extra money away.
Recently I found out that my sister had become unemployed, so one of my weekly paychecks have been going to her to help her and my niece get back on their feet.
So instead of a set back, this just makes me work harder with a great reward to look forward to. In February, I wrote out my goals, my plan and reversed-engineered my goals to take it step by step of what I needed to do to achieve them. My first goal was to increase my team by 5 Coaches a week, and my second goal was getting to 5 Star Diamond in my Coaching with Beachbody. This is simply a new title and position that would qualify me for a new increase in my quarterly bonus.
So here it is, February 22nd, in black and white.
Now time to get back to work err FUN!
I never imagined that being a Coach with Beachbody I would be able to live out my passion for helping others get healthy and fit but really teach them how to make a Lifestyle change. There are so many fad diets, pills, shakes, meals, etc…on the market and I wanted nothing to do with this. I simply always have only wanted to help be that difference in someones life and help improve self confidence, reach goals and live a healthy and fulfilling life of happiness. Beachbody has provided me with these tools. Beachbody has now provided me with more time with the ones I love most; my family and friends. Beachbody has also provided us with opportunities to create and make some awesome memories, friends, goals that I never would have thought would happen and the financial means to do so much more for others and for my family. Most importantly Beachbody has given me “extra time” that I have always wanted. I know there is only 24 hrs in the day and we all have that same 24 hrs, but holy smokes I was working my life away, running around crazy and not even realizing what I was missing out on until now. Until now, I can live out my passion of helping others live healthy and fulfilling lives and making lifestyle changes while being extremely successful in doing so. I have more time to spend going to lunch with friends, just visiting and really just enjoying my time.
Freedom of time is amazing and I have never had this without living paycheck to paycheck as a result. We all get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life but when you stop and realize and really think about what you would like to change, it could be simply making a list of goals. Making that list, having a focus, a mindset change and a drive and desire to make it happen. This is what I did and slowly I have made steps to get here. I still have more goals in life and big plans, but I tell you with the focus, drive, motivation and desire I will get there if it is God’s will. Think about how your life, your stress and your well being would change if you had a little more freedom of time! Have a beautiful and fun filled weekend!
Discover the exact effects of Sugar on your body.