Helps Control Weight
I know what I just said. Diet aids weight loss more than exercise. But, exercise still burns calories, boosts the metabolism, and allows you eat more!

Fights Disease
Being active, no matter your weight, helps to reduce your  bad cholesterol levels which can lower your blood pressure and works to prevent heart disease.

Improves your Mood
“Exercise gives you endorphins and endorphins make you happy.” Thank you ‘Legally Blonde‘ for that insightful saying. Physical activity stimulates brain chemicals that leaves your feeling happier.

Boosts Energy 
Regular exercises increases your bodies endurance and strength allowing for more oxygen to be delivered to your muscle tissues and quicker delivery of nutrients throughout your body. This creates a more efficient body and more energy.

Promotes Sleep
Regular exercise helps you fall asleep faster and sleep deeper.

Improves Self-Confidence
The combination of calories burned, boosted energy, and endorphins moving through your body is the perfect way to improve self confidence and have an overall positive influence on your life.

The fitness movement started in 2000 and is now practiced at over 6000 gyms in the country. But you don’t have to go to a gym to enjoy the benefits of this intense fitness program. Follow these beginner workouts to get started in the Crossfit world. The best part about it, it can be done at home. Below there are five workouts to start with and as your fitness level increases you can do multiple workouts in a session or add to the amount of rounds you complete.

Workout #1
10 pushups, 10 squats, and 10 sit ups (5 rounds)

Workout #2
20 lunges and 10 pushups (5 rounds)

Workout #3
10 pushups and 5 burpees (5 rounds)

Workout #4
20 jumping jacks, 20 sit ups, and 20 squats (5 rounds)

Workout #5
20 Lunges, 10 pushups, 5 burpees, and 10 sit ups (5 rounds)

Photo courtesy of orangecoastcrossfit.com/crossfit-for-women

Watch this video to learn how to properly do a lunge. 

Choose the workout that works best for your current fitness level. The intermediate workout involves walking with a varying incline but don’t let that fool you, it is a difficult, fat blasting workout. The advanced workout involves walking and running on a varying incline. Both workouts will have you sweating the fat away during and long after the workout has ended.

Intermediate:

Advanced:

Photo Credit: photostock, published on 18 March 2011 Stock Photo – image ID: 10035231

This routine is all about interval training. You will use varying amounts or speed and resistance to blast calories and keep your metabolism boosted all day long.

**Speed is difficult to gage as no elliptical is created equal. Follow the chart below to make the workout more personalized what may be your 3 could be my 5.

1: Slow, leisurely walk. “I can do this all day.
2: Deep Breaths “I can’t keep up a conversation at this pace.”
3:  Feeling good. “I can stay here 20-30 minutes.”
4: Really tough. “I can keep this pace for 5 minutes.”
5: ALL OUT sprint “I can only do this for a minute.”

Photo Provided by photostock, published on 23 August 2011Stock Photo – image ID: 10054353

The moves for this challenge are basic abs moves. If you have questions on performing them correctly, follow the links listed below.

PLANKS
CRUNCHES
BICYCLE CRUNCHES

I spent this past weekend and earlier this week in Portland, Oregon visiting friends in family. Four days spent in beautiful weather was just the thing I needed to recharge my batteries. Although, fun and exciting vacations can also be difficult and exhausting. During a vacation, it is hard to stick to your diet and workout routine and if you are anything like me, you love routine. Normally, I stress about keeping my diet strict and finding time for long workouts.

I decided to approach this trip a little differently. To let loose, enjoy the trip, and get back in routine when vacation was over. I enjoyed every bit of vegan chocolate and every bite of a black bean burger I put into my mouth (it was Oregon). I didn’t forsake all workouts either. I attended group fitness classes and went bouldering. Bouldering is a form of rock climbing without the use of ropes and harnesses. I spent a couple of hours in the gym and boy was I sore in the morning. Read more about bouldering in this book Bouldering: Movement, Tactics, and Problem Solving. Just some of the benefits of bouldering include:

1. Improves Cardiovascular Health
2. Improves Balance and Coordination
3. Improves Strength
4. Tones underused muscles

My forearms almost fell off the next day and I felt pain in places I didn’t know were there. Trying a new workout challenges your body and muscles, beats boredom, and can help conquer a plateau. I was able to enjoy my vacation to the fullest, spend time with friends, and get in great workouts. Taking a break from my normal routine was just the kickstart my body needed and trying something new was equally as challenging to my body and mind. I am ready to get back to my training and clean eating to accomplish my goals. Don’t wait until your next vacation to try something new and reap the benefits.

Stay tune for vacation-ready workout. Little to no equipment required.

Image curtsey of The Circuit: Bouldering Gym in Portland, Oregon.

Or maybe 30 minutes fits your schedule. This fat blasting, tone-up circuit fits in any schedule. One round is exactly ten minutes and will get your heart moving, tone your muscles  and blast 100 calories. If you have more time, do the circuit multiple times and watch your fat cry! Do each exercise for one minute followed directly by the next exercise. Ten moves completes one circuit. If you are doing multiple circuits, rest one minute in-between. Use a Gymboss Interval Timer and Stopwatch to help keep track of time.

**Calories based on a 150 pound women.

Another way to track how many calories you’ve burned or how high your heart rate has gotten during a workout, or how long you’ve worked out is by using a heart rate monitor watch. There are many varieties out there. Some way more expensive than others. With the cheaper ones you might not be able to trust the accuracy. Here are a couple options that I recommend. Click the image to find it in Amazon.

Polar Women’s Heart Rate Monitor Watch – currently about $102 on Amazon with free shipping!

Oregon Scientific Se331 Gaiam Zone Trainer – currently $29.95 on Amazon.

Fitbit Zip Wireless Activity Tracker – currently $49.95 on Amazon. Measures every step you take during the day.

New Balance Life Trainer Calorie Monitor – currently $47.19 plus free shipping on Amazon.

Making your own popsicles is an easy and healthy option to store bought products with artificial ingredients, colors and sweeteners. Check out this awesome cookbook for making many different types of popsicles at home. All you’ll need usually is some Popsicle Molds and a freezer. You might also need a Ninja Blender, it’s the best – most powerful blender you’ll ever own! The best investment. I promise. Check out the book here for tasty & healthy Popsicle Recipes
.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk 
• 1 scoops chocolate protein
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (optional)

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a Ninja Blender (it’s the best!). You must blend them otherwise you will have cocoa and protein chunks. 
2. Pour mixture into Popsicle Moldsleaving about 1/2 inch room (as the mixture expands it will expand).
3. Freeze or at least eight hours.
4. Enjoy