Inspiration

My inspiration of my blog comes from a few different websites that I relied on when I first planned to pursue my fitness journey. Based off of my previous post, the other social media accounts that I initially was exposed to inspired my blog post content and how I can incorporate my own experiences.

I think it was really important that I incorporated myself and my own results throughout my blog to make it more personable and realistic for my viewers.The founder of Way of Gray, Sophie, put several elements into each post containing: personal experience, tips and tricks, and the overall informative information of the topic. Without these elements, I feel that the post wouldn't be as authentic nor inspiring to potential health-seekers.

Aside from Way of Gray, I also was inspired by health food accounts on Instagram, where I have collected my recipes. I believe it was really important to include visuals due to the fact that presentation is key for appetizing food. 

Another inspiration of mine was from my younger sister whom I have participated in each sport with throughout the years. She is an avid poster on her social media accounts of her accomplishments, but to a point where it is not excessive. Part of me wanted to create this type of blog for her so she too can look to it as a resource of inspiration or even collaborate with me in the future.

As far as color and text inspiration, I used a few of my favorite color combinations such as turquoise, purple, teal, gray, black, and white. As silly as this sounds, those colors speak to me and are cool and relaxing in my opinion. They are pretty much gender neutral as well, which will also open up the number of potential viewers. 

Must See Workout Blogs

Throughout my fitness journey I have become very dependent on various workout blogs for motivation, ideas, tips, and inspiration stories. These blogs have honestly helped my growth and have given me the tools to be able to start and continue my own blog about what I am passionate about: FITNESS!

This being said, I think it is important that I share 2 of my favorite blogs so you too can benefit from them as I did or even more!

Way of Gray

• This is the first blog/workout guide that I found once I decided I wanted to live a healthier life. I initially began following this blog via Instagram and once I did more research, I found the messages within the blog are body positive and motivating. Way of Gray understands that we are only human and we need those cheat days, that cookie or small bag of chips, and there is nothing wrong with that. I later bought her guide of workouts and healthy grocery list and have gotten results that even the extreme program Insanity could not provide for me.

Kayla Itsines

• Kayla Itsines is a Australian native that has created the famous "Bikini Body" workout guide and eating plan. I too found her via Instagram, along with her fit coach boyfriend, and found that she has helped thousands of women across the globe find their fitness journey. She constantly posts motivation pictures and before and after photos of her clients, which really got me excited to start my own journey. Once I was done with the guide, I referenced moves and clean eating tips into my daily life

• www.wayofgray.com
• www.kaylaitsines.com

Toning Tuesday!

For those who are not focussed on bulking up and finding their maximum weight to lift, this post is for you!

Being fit doesn't mean big muscles, it means healthy choice and for some, toning. Toning can be done with body weight or with high reps of low weight. However, this post is directed towards specific exercises using body weight when there is no time for the gym. 

Personally, I tried these exercises and after a few weeks I noticed more definition and tighter areas these exercises targeted. So, not only do these exercises tone but they burn fat as well! The main target areas are abdominals, obliques, quads, and shoulders.

Follow the side by side visuals and try these out to see how toned you can get your body for summer!

• www.gymra.com

A Chair is Your Best Friend

One of the most common excuses for why people are not working out is either because they have "no time" OR because they "don't like the gym". I say that this has to stop. 

The simple fact of this is that everyone is busy and [mostly] everyone hates the gym. Its the way of life. BUT who's to say that you can't do a workout with the spare time that you have while using items around your house.

Sound too good to be true? Think again. From personal experience, I vouch for any at home workout as long as the proper technique is used. You would be surprised as to how easy it is to integrate workouts done in the gym can be done at home.

Today's workout is a full-body workout using a chair as your main tool. This workout works all areas and if there is a certain area you would like to focus on, then simply add the number of reps for that specific area!

• fitfoodiefinds.com

Taming Your Sweet Tooth

Like most people, I have a sweet tooth that puts my self control to the ultimate test. There are some days where I can resist, and other days where I need that sweet tasting fix. For me, chocolate is my deal breaker; game over. But for others, candy or high amounts of sugar is just as deadly. 

I want to focus today's post on healthy recipes that help satisfy these cravings while staying on track with the healthy lifestyle you've created. There is nothing more frustrating than being on a clean eating streak and ruining it with a donut or two. So why not take your health food knowledge and apply it to your crazy sweet tooth?

Below I have a list of 10 recipes that have been my saving grace for my sweet tooth many times. These desserts are not only satisfying but extremely easy to execute AND have health benefits as well!

All recipes located at: http://www.recipebyphoto.com

1. Guilt-free ice cream
2. Chocolate dipped kiwi popsicles 
3. Fresh fruit pops
4. 2 Ingredients cookies
5. Guiltless apple dessert
6. Cheesy grape pops
7. Frozen banana mini sandwiches
8. Peanut butter balls
9. Fruit tacos with chocolate tortillas
10. Cinnamon honey "fried" bananas 

Motivation: Keep Going!

When people want to get fit, the number one request is to do it in a timely manner, but in reality, there is no "quick, easy fix". If anyone claims to be able to provide that, they are lying. 

Motivation is one of the top factors of whether people stick to the healthy lifestyle or not. In reality, it takes several weeks to see results and that is with a clean diet and a habitual workout schedule. Most of the time people will work out for a week or two and expect results and when they don't receive them to their expectations, they give up. Never give up! 

From personal experience, I suffered from an injury that took me out of the exercising world for months. Initially, I wanted to jump right back to where I was, but I had to come to terms that baby steps is where I had to start from once again. There were a few times where I went into the cycle of working out, then quitting, then working out again. It wasn't until I set goals for myself and made a commitment to sticking with it, no matter what.

Sometimes making that commitment is the toughest part of the journey but it holds, without a doubt, the most rewarding of feelings. So advice for anyone starting or continuing this journey is to never give up. There will be days you'll see results in their prime and other days where you'll feel like a couch potato and there's nothing wrong with that! Keep working towards your goals and remember that each workout you accomplish moves you one step forward to that goal.

• www. iSaveA2Z.com

Stretch to Success

One of the best ways to start your morning in a healthy, positive way is to begin your day with stretching. I know from being on many teams that no one likes to stretch. Some say its time consuming, some say that they "don't feel anything," but stretching has always been my favorite parts of a workout. 

Anyone can benefit from stretching because it warms and cools down your muscles, allowing them to release stored energy and prevent the sore/groggy feeling. You can also benefit from stretching because it will prevent injuries, which can be a huge set back to anyone's lifestyle. 

The stretches below hit all major muscle groups and do not require expertise of any sort. Trust me when  I say that after a couple days of morning stretching you will feel the difference.

Top Left: This is the Chest Release, which targets the upper back front of shoulders, and biceps.  Holding a wall, or door frame, step forward with your left leg and turn entire body to the right at the hips. Reverse the movement by doing the oppose while taking deep breaths. 

Top Right: This is the Seated Spinal Twist, which targets the spine neck and shoulders. Sit with your legs together and place your arm on the opposite leg and twist while stabilizing yourself with the other arm. Repeat with opposite arm and leg on the other side. For a deeper stretch, turn your neck in the direction of your twist. 

Left: This is the Standing Hamstring Stretch, which targets hamstrings. While keeping your balance, place your leg on an elevated object (chair, bench, pile of books) while keeping your back straight and foot flexed. As you gain flexibility experiment with taller objects.

Right: This is the Side Stretch, which targets the outer thigh, obliques, and shoulders. Stabilize on any sturdy object, extend your right arm and lean slowly to feel the stretch on side while crossing right leg in front of left. Reach with fingertips.

Left: This is the Outer Hip Stretch, which targets hips and outer thigh. Lift leg onto bed with front knee outside and in front of shoulder. Keep spine straight and lean slightly forward with hands on side for support.

Right: This is the Standing Forward Bend Stretch, which targets hamstrings and lower back. Keep feet shoulder-width apart and slowly bend over letting your upper body hang until you feel the stretch in your lower back. Gently swing from side to side.

Bottom Left: This is the Standing Quad Stretch, which targets quadriceps. Stand shoulder-width apart and hold the middle of your foot while stabilizing with other arm. Keep spine straight and tall. 

Bottom Right: This is the Upper Back Release, which targets the upper back and back of shoulders. Stand shoulder-width apart and clasp hands together while rounding upper back. Keep arms straight and active. Hold for 2-3 deep breaths.

• www.sparkpeople.com

Pre and Post-Work Out Essentials

In one of my recent posts I discussed how healthy eating leads to a healthy lifestyle and what foods are great for anyone starting their journey. Healthy foods will always be one of the number one tools to achieve any fitness goal but another key element to this is your pre and post-workout plans. 

What you eat before and after a workout is just as crucial as your diet (by diet I mean health-conscious choices). It is EXTREMELY important to provide your body with the nutrients, energy, and recovery tools before and after your workout. The most common mistake that is made is that people will either eat nothing before and after or eat the wrong things before/after, which can ultimately decrease your results as well as give you a groggy and tired feeling throughout the rest of your day. Muscles, whether toning or building, need to be replenished to prevent themselves from burning off what you half built up. 

Below I have found a great guide that shows plant of pre and post-workout examples that will help you retain energy, hydrate, and feed your muscles. The most important thing to remember is that you want to replenish and rehydrate, not starve and deprive yourself from nutrients and energy.

• http://www.drinksvelte.com/2014/07/fuel-and-refuel-what-to-eat-prepost-workout/

The Realities of Fitness

A personal fitness goal of mine has changed throughout the years as I went from one sport to the next and then eventually continued to college where I did a 180 in my goals. Currently, my goals are to be lean, toned, and healthy as opposed to muscle gain and bulking in high school. 

The other day I was stumbling upon links about health information and how to work towards my goals. when I found this visual that really showed the essence of fitness. Fitness is more than just having a great workout routine, its about making the right food and lifestyle choices as well. Those choices make all the difference so I wanted to share it with you all to display the differences between attaining certain goals. To achieve specific weights or fitness levels, sacrifices must be made so this visual compares the lifestyles as well as what they do to achieve each level. I hope this is helpful and gives some insight on how much goes into being healthy and fit.

(below the image is the original link if the visual is difficult to read)

• http://www.precisionnutrition.com/cost-of-getting-lean

Body Weight as a Tool

When people think of buff or toned arms, weights or kettle bells usually come to mind first but what I have found is that body weight is another tool that is cost efficient and a great way to get the same results. By using body weight you can either tone and lean out or start to build the muscle you've been craving, which all depends on the amount of reps and type of movements. Below are exercises that I have found to have toned my arms in a matter of weeks that I think everyone should try if they are trying to achieve the same results.

    Regular push ups are a great place to start toning and strengthening your arms. For beginners, start out with short sets of a low rep count. For example, 3 sets  of 5 push ups or 2 sets of 10 push ups

 Push up and rotating not only works arms but core as well. Finding your balance is key but may take a while to adjust. Deep breaths help find your inner balance especially when you start to feel the burn. Once you have completed the move, return to a straightened arm plank and then slowly lower down to rest.

Diamond push ups focus on arms and your chest muscles as well. This exercise is great for toning those tank top muscles and will help with posture as well. These are a bit more intense than regular push ups so make sure you don't overdue it the first couple times you try it out. You will feel this the next day!

Tricep dips are another great exercise for tank top and dress weather. This move can transform from a low intensity movement to a high intensity movement simply by adding greater space between you and the floor. When starting out, try the floor for the first couple days and as you get stronger use benches, the side of couches,  chairs, or whatever else you can find that furthers your distance. 

Wide arm push ups are definitely a challenging move that take time to build up the proper muscle to execute successfully. Don't let your size of shoulders, being narrow or wider, be an excuse for quitting! Start with your arms shoulder width apart and then slowly widen them. As you get stronger you may increase the width of your arms but at a safe distance that doesn't compromise you from the push up motion.

• http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Best-Bodyweight-Exercises-30828261#photo-34243403

Super Foods

   Although exercise is an important tool for becoming fit, the real deciding factor of a healthy lifestyle lies within something you do every day: Eat.

   You may be able to run miles, lift heavy weights, or be able to do plank holds for endless amounts of time, BUT the real exercising tool that makes the difference is your diet. The word "diet" has had a bad reputation of starving people, limited options, and overall calorie counting. This is absolutely wrong. I define the word "diet" as a clean, smart eating. This clean, smart eating means that you can have whatever you want with moderation AND with substitutions. 

   Instead of regular brown or red potatoes, substitute them with sweet potatoes. Instead of butter, use coconut oil for the same effect and less fat. Little adjustments like these allow your results to flourish and not only helps you achieve your goal weight, but also makes you feel on top of the world as well. It is amazing how much changing your eating habits can do to your stamina, energy, and overall body-wellness.

   Below I have a list of clean eating guides that will make all of the difference to your fit lifestyle. The key thing to remember is that you don't have to sacrifice taste for fitness.

 
Certain oils that contain a lot of saturated fats are cooking oils and butters, which can be easily replaced with coconut oil, olive oil, flax oil, avocado oil, rice bran oil, or almond butter. 

Super fruits such as goji berries and avocados are another great way of getting vitamins and energy for the day. Other great fruits are pineapples, grapes, figs, pomegranates, mangos, strawberries, blackberries, acai, grapefruits, pears, peaches, kiwis, and much more

Vegetables are a great way to integrate nutrition with  great taste. You can also add your own spin on them by grilling, baking, breading or sautéing them: brussel sprouts, asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, garlic, zucchini, kale, leeks, spinach, and more.

  

 Spices are another important factor to clean eating. These spices really get your system going with a little kick of flavor: turmeric, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, garlic, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, thyme, basil, cilantro, parsley, dill, mint, lemongrass, peppermint, fennel, ginger, black pepper, just to name a few.

Grains are a another key to a healthy and cleaner diet such as quinoa, oat flour, coconut flour, almond flour, wild rice, buckwheat, its, teff, brown rice, rice noodles, rice flour, teff flour, and more.

• http://coconutoil.com
• http://www.womenshealthmag.com
• http://www.pingminghealth.com
• http://blog.junbelen.com
• http://www.acozykitchen.com
• http://www.eating-for-england.com
• http://img1.cookinglight.timeinc.net
• http://images.wisegeek.com
• http://www.savoryspiceshop.com/
• https://lh6.ggpht.com

Music Madness

  Integrating workouts into your daily schedule can be quite challenging. It's hard enough to fit all that you have to do in a day, that doesn't have enough hours in it, on top of finding time to workout. Days like these are when you really need motivation and drive. Music is the answer to that.

  Music is a tool that hold several purposes such as therapy, a distraction, and a stress reliever, so why not integrate that into your workout? I have found that finding specific workouts that coordinate with songs make those workouts that much easier. By the time the song is over, I have completed a workout and a karaoke session. If you haven't tried a music-coordinated workout before, try it out.

Also, you can incorporate your favorite songs for even more enjoyment! Here are a couple music workouts that personally got my blood pumping:

http://www.theslenderstudent.com/the-slender-set-full-body-workout/

Great Ways to Kickstart Your Mornings

Morning routines are a great start to a healthy lifestyle but some people are not "morning people," myself included. So today's post is dedicated to those people who need aren't ready to start dead-lifting and counting reps at 8 am sharp.

Each of these workouts and recipes I have personally done and highly recommend. I have received great results and happy taste buds as well. Healthy food can taste good too!

A helpful workout to wake up in the morning that will really get your heart pumping and jumpstart your metabolism is: Cardio. Many people are frightened by the word and automatically think of sprinting or running long distances until your legs feel like jello but fear not, for these workouts simple to customize to any level you may be at.

One breakfast that I highly recommend to accompany a morning workout are these whole wheat oatmeal pancakes. It is extremely important to refuel your body with nutrients to have enough energy to keep going throughout your day. These pancakes are easy to make, are not dry or boring AND you can add any ingredients to add new flavors such as your favorite fruit, nuts, or chocolate!

Recipe:

1 cup (123g) whole wheat flour (or white whole-wheat)

1/2 cup (40g) quick oats

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 large egg (or 2 egg whites)

1 cup (240ml) milk *almost milk, soy milk, silk milk all work

2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar (or light brown)

1/4 cup (63g) Greek yogurt *regular yogurt is OK

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup add-ins like chocolate chips, fruit, nuts, optional

Today's recipes and workouts found on 

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com

http://www.popsugar.com

Begin Your Journey Today!

Welcome to the blog that will inspire you each week by showing you that you don't need an expensive gym membership to change your lifestyle in a healthy and safe way. This blog will give you recipes, workouts that you can customize based off of your level and provide the motivation you need to stop putting off your workout until tomorrow!

Stay tuned every Tuesday and Thursday for new posts!

Images from: 

Fitnesspatterns.com

Healthflick.com