Be smart in your rest periods and you’ll get bigger, stronger and more flexible in less time. Take a look around a busy gym and you’ll notice that most men use their rest periods to either check out social…
Read more on Six Things To Do Between Sets at I Am Herbalife.
Whether you’re just getting into a healthy, active lifestyle or have been doing it for years, having an accountability partner is one of the most effective ways to sustain good nutrition habits and a healthy behaviors like exercise. As an Herbalife Nutrition independent distributor, Melissa is passionate…
Read more on Our Distributor Difference: A Story About Positivity, Friendship and Health at I Am Herbalife.
Because we know you’ve got 10 minutes you can spare. Abs are a tricky thing. You know you want them, but figuring out the right moves to get you there can be tough and time-consuming. Enter: Yoga Moves for Great…
Read more on This 9-Minute Core Routine Will Leave Your Abs Quivering—And Toned at I Am Herbalife.
TResearch appearing recently in the peer-reviewed journal Behavior Modification shows people engaged in a tailored physical activity intervention demonstrate improved self-control. “There’s a particular type of task called ‘delay discounting’ that presents individuals with a series of choices between…
Read more on New Study Links Exercise to Better Self-Control at I Am Herbalife.
Finding balance as you plan your New Year’s resolutions is important. You want to challenge yourself to do enough to make a difference, but not so much that you can’t follow through.
The month of January just wouldn’t be the same if we didn’t make some resolutions for the New Year. Most of us go through the motions every year, promising ourselves that this time we’re going to eat better, or lose weight or get into shape. Trouble is, we tend to start out strong but then the old habits creep back in––often in a matter of weeks.
Part of the problem is that many of us approach New Year’s resolutions as a sprint, rather than a marathon. We set our sights on making a lot of changes all at once, and plunge ourselves into a makeover that we can’t sustain. Rather than a quick sprint to the finish line, though, your resolutions are something you’ll need to practice steadily––for days, weeks, months…for the long haul.
If you want your New Year’s resolutions to stick with you all year long, slow and steady will win the race. Here are some tips to help you.
In order to change bad habits and replace them with healthier ones, you first need to reflect on your current behavior. For instance, if you know that you eat more than you should, it can be helpful to both acknowledge that you overeat and, at the same time, allow yourself to be a little “fed up” with your behavior, too.
The first step in keeping a resolution is to make sure it’s reasonable in the first place. That’s a lot better than setting unrealistic goals and giving up right out of the starting gate.
When you put your resolutions into words, make them as specific as you can. It’s great to say that you want to “eat less fat,” but that’s too vague. Instead, you might set a measurable goal to “limit my fat intake to 40 grams a day.”
If your list of resolutions is fairly long, you might want to prioritize them and tackle a few of the easier ones first. This can help to give you the confidence that you can, in fact, achieve what you’ve set out to do. But if you feel that you’re trying to make too many changes at once, you might need to trim your list a little bit.
Once you’ve decided what your resolutions are, write them down. Putting your challenges and plans in writing will help you commit to them.
Once you’ve made your commitments, you’ll need to plan for how you can put your new habits into practice. If you’re working on your eating habits, have you cleared all the junk food out of the house? If you’re planning to cook more meals at home, do you have the right foods in your refrigerator, pantry and freezer?
Be patient––it takes a while for new habits to settle in and feel natural and comfortable. Keep track of the “measurables” that you included in your resolutions––such as your calorie or fat intake, the number of fruit and vegetable servings you’ve had, or the number of times per week that you packed a healthy lunch instead of eating out.
Rather than letting setbacks defeat you, try to learn from them. Try to figure out what led you to slip up, and figure out how you can prevent it from happening next time.
If you’ve made behavior changes in the past that have stayed with you, maybe you can build on that success by tweaking your resolution a little bit. And don’t forget to reward yourself for your successes and acknowledge your accomplishments.
Friends, family members and online communities can be tremendous sources of support. So, let those around you know what you intend to achieve. And when you offer support to others who need it, it may help you in your own efforts, too.
Find out more at: http://ift.tt/1b0P47N
With the New Year fast approaching, there will be lots of new fitness trends and gadgets to help you get in shape and stay motivated. Here are my thoughts on what’s new in fitness in the New Year.
Going forward, I believe that the fitness industry will continue to grow more than ever. I also believe that there will be a new wave of exercise enthusiasts falling in love with a new activity on their quest to getting healthy and fit. People are starting to truly understand the importance of exercise for maintaining good overall health. With so many styles of exercise from which to choose, even kids and seniors can get in on the action.
To my delight, I see that the media is moving away from promoting traditional, restrictive diets and quick-fix exercise programs. Instead, they are embracing the idea of overall wellness and healthy lifestyle plans. I love that the focus is shifting towards the big picture of healthy aging and simple functional fitness, with old school, time-tested exercises and activities that involve the entire family. This approach, in my opinion, helps people to maintain a healthy body composition long term.
Many trainers know that a well-rounded fitness plan that includes elements of cardiovascular fitness, strength training, endurance and flexibility is the key to getting great results. It will be exciting to see how fitness professionals combine these elements into fun programs going forward. In the recent past, there were lots of new “fusion” style classes and programs being developed that combined multiple elements of fitness programming into 20-45 minute classes––such as yoga-strength, Pilates-yoga, cardio with strength, cycling with yoga, etc. The currently popular combo of two formats (Pilates + Boxing = Piloxing) may well expand to three or more combined formats. However it shapes up, this fusion approach is exciting and sure to continue into the New Year.
The back-to-basics of functional body weight training has helped many people get into great shape this year. The introduction of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) style workouts have been a huge success for people who have a busy schedule, and need to maximize their workout time with little or no equipment. The idea of simple, back-to-basics fitness routines will continue, as these workouts can be done almost anywhere in a short amount of time.
Races such as community 5k’s, mud runs, obstacle course races and triathlons will continue to attract new fitness enthusiasts in the New Year. These events are becoming more affordable, and many come with no-fee preparation groups to help you train for your next event. Signing up for a race is a great way to help you stay dedicated and motivated towards improving your fitness level.
For most people, gone are the days of heading to the gym for an hour, three days a week and working out a different muscle group. Life is just too busy and people don’t have the patience for such time commitments. The average exerciser wants to spend a short amount of time and maximize their efforts with high intensity bouts on most days of the week. People are starting to place their focus on a daily routine of 20-30 minutes.
As such, the use of technology and efficient online fitness programs will continue to grow. I envision that more people will be using their smartphones to do short, full-body routines. My Herbalife fit tips videos and Herbalife24 Active Body Fit videos are designed for this type of exerciser. And now that live streaming has become so easy, get ready to travel without a passport for a quick-fix class online.
Regardless of the fitness trend you choose to follow in the New Year, understand that the best health and wellness results come from combining your exercise routine with a balanced nutrition plan. Set new exercise goals for the future and get into the best shape ever.
Find out more at: http://ift.tt/1b0P47N
Your skin is the largest organ of your body. Between pollution, unprotected sun exposure and non-existent skin care routines, it can really take a beating.It’s time to break some of your bad habits and avoid common skin mistakes to give your skin a break.
We’ve all made mistakes in our beauty regimen. Maybe you wash your face with plain old bar soap or don’t regularly use body lotion. It’s time to stop theis cycle. Here are five New Year’s resolutions to benefit the health of your skin:
Using the Right Cleanser
Cleansing is the first step in any skin care regimen, and that cleanser choice is important. So many people make the mistake of picking up any old random bar of soap to wash their face. Most bar soaps that are designed to cleanse your body contain harsh deodorizers and detergents that are not gentle enough for your face. Evaluate your skin to determine what type of cleanser your skin requires. If it’s oily, look for a cleanser to target sebum production. Perhaps a lightweight foaming gel cleanser would be best. If your skin is on the dry side, look for a cleanser that will moisturize the skin while cleansing. A lotion-based cleanser may be perfect for you. Pay attention to your skin and choose the right cleanser. But whatever you do, put down that ordinary bar soap.
Don’t Worship the Sun
You might look better with a suntan, but there’s a good chance you’re doing mor harm than good. Put down the tanning oil and pick up the sunscreen. And whatever you do, avoid tanning beds at all costs. It’s important to protect your skin from the sun’s damaging UVA and UVB rays. These rays burn your skin and are a leading contributor to early aging. You might look good with that savage tan today, but flash-forward and you might not be happy with the wrinkly person staring back at you from the mirror. Sunscreen is critical when it comes to protecting your skin and you should never go out into the sun without it. Sunless tanners have come a long way and you don’t need to worry about the orange ‘fake bake’ look anymore. And the best part is you can get that gorgeous tan 12 months out of the year.
Avoid Over-scrubbing
You probably love the way you look after a good buffing and polishing, but there‘s such a thing as too much of a good thing. Exfoliation of the face and body is something that you should be doing on a regular basis. But you need to be gentle. Remember, your skin is a living organ and you need to take care of it. The last thing you want to do is scrub your skin so much that it becomes red and irritated. Take it easy when cleansing and exfoliating. Use soft and gentle circular motions to achieve the most desirable skin. Nothing good can come from over-scrubbing your skin.
Never Pop Pimples
You’re probably guilty of popping a pimple or two at some point. It’s so tempting to do that it seems almost unavoidable. But it’s very important to resist the urge to jab at outbreaks. Every time you start attacking a pimple, you run the risk of making the problem even worse. You can spread bacteria to other areas of your face. The troubling spot can now look bigger and much redder than before. Not only that, but the picking could result in permanent scarring. No matter what, resist the urge to pop those pimples and be patient in weathering the breakout storm.
Reduce Stress
It’s amazing how a lack of sleep and stress can negatively impact your skin. It’s impossible to look your best when you’re exhausted and stressed out. Your skin loses its glow and vibrancy, the circles under your eyes become darker and more apparent. Beyond that, it just makes you look older. Remember, we call it “beauty sleep” for a reason, because we definitely look our best when we’re well rested. You’d be surprised at just how many people aren’t getting enough hours of sleep in a night. So, for the sake of your skin, get a good night’s sleep and try to unwind and relax.
Find out more at: http://ift.tt/1b0P47N
From restaurants to packaged foods to home cooking, portion sizes have ballooned in past decades. Many health experts link the rise in obesity rates with our tendency towards portion distortion — a mismatch between our portion sizes and energy needs….
Read more on 8 Tips to Master Portion Control at I Am Herbalife.
Herbalife Nutrition independent distributor Melissa and her customer Amy talk about health, their relationship and a one-of-a-kind triathlon. Melissa: As a distributor, I’m helping people stretch to a new place in their lives and I’m helping them to feel…
Read more on The Journey to Completing a Triathlon for the First Time at I Am Herbalife.
Broccoli brings it all to the table as a palate pleaser and a highly nutrient dense source of powerful health protecting properties. The folklore The story of broccoli begins with wild cabbage, native to the Mediterranean and domesticated thousands…
Read more on Environmental Nutrition: Broccoli brings it! at I Am Herbalife.