The road to a healthier lifestyle isn’t paved in gold. Changing life long bad habits can be a challenge, and road blocks (i.e: junk food temptations) are sure to lead you off your path to getting and staying fit. If you’re just starting out your journey or you are caught up in weight loss madness, check out these five fitness mistakes to avoid. Here’s to better health!

Mistake #1: No Set Plan
If you don’t have established goals to help you meet your objectives, you may end up frustrated.

Make Over: Set specific goals that you can achieve every day. Let the success of small goals build your momentum to achieve your final objective of a healthy lifestyle or weight loss. Determine what goals are best in your structured exercise program. Write down your plan, keep reminders in various locations and make yourself accountable by telling family and friends your goals.

Mistake #2: Overdoing It
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is common when starting a challenging new workout routine and may deter you from maintaining your routine. If you are over-enthusiastic and attempt too much too soon, you’ll feel the effects for several days, sometimes even weeks.

Make Over: To avoid hitting a DOMS roadblock, start slow and build up to a steady, challenging workout. Concentrate on proper technique and learn the basics before moving onto difficult workouts.

Mistake #3: Watching The Clock
Some experts suggest that you should spend at least an hour in the gym in order to see results, but sometimes our schedules won’t permit us to do so.   Read the rest of this entry »

Kids (mostly teenagers), marriage, job, and responsibilities can all cause stress. But how are you releasing that energy? No, not with a cocktail. Try exercise! A little exercise can be the perfect solution to alleviate built-up tension and frustration. Not to mention, the release in endorphins will change your mood for the better. Short on ideas? Try these fitness options.

Train Like A Boxer
Boxing workouts are intense because they incorporate both high-intensity cardio and muscle-building. Remember to get instruction on proper form for safety, or try small group workouts that incorporate boxing techniques—jabs, hooks, uppercuts, and kicks. And just think, you’ll be stress free and able to defend yourself.

Try A New Way To Cycle
A good group cycling class can release stress and burn more than 500 calories. The combination of tension on the flywheel, pedal speed and breathing creates the perfect setting for endorphin release. Find an instructor that will motivate you, and plays music you like.

Do Yoga
The combination of deep breathing, thoughtful movements and melodic music can change your mood in seconds and help relieve pent up stress. If you are new to yoga, try out a beginner class and ease into the poses. There is no perfection in yoga, only progress.

Source: Life Fitness

If you’re the typical busy working adult, chances are you are attached to your phone. But that same busy career, that has you attached to that smart phone, can lead you to make some dumb fitness and health decisions. But, you’re in luck. There are a slew of fitness phone applications that will help you jump start or maintain a healthy lifestyle. Check out these apps that will get you going in the right direction.

1. Experience Life’s Revolutionary Ways to Be Healthy
Everyone needs a nudge toward healthier choices and a positive attitude, and this app provides that. Peruse the 101 Ways to Get Healthy at your own pace, or click “Surprise Me” for a randomly selected tip.

2. iMapMyRIDE
This cycling app uses built-in GPS technology to determine your ride. It also offers an interactive map and records metrics including duration, distance, speed, pace and elevation.

3. MyFitnessPal
People tend to lose more weight when they track what they’re eating. With 1,497,000 foods in its database, this app makes it easy to log your food, and even remembers what you eat regularly. Use this free app to track your calories and tap into the community forum for support.

4. Pandora
Anyone who works out regularly, knows that great music can make for a great workout. This free custom jukebox is a great app for keeping you pumping. Like its online companion, users of the app are able to set up custom channels by artist or genre.

SOURCE: LifeFitness

Every woman has her problem area (or areas), and mine has always been my arms. Like many women, I’ve had a tumultuous relationship with my arms, trying to control that saddle bag of fat that seems to flab and sag every time I wave. The rode to remedy has been daunting, but has proved a must-do—my sleeveless tops depend on it. With the temperature rising, hiding under a sweater or cardigan won’t be an option, so a little toning is apropos.

Life Fitness has a slew of exercises that will not only give you arms a la Viola Davis or Angela Bassett, but will aid in toning other areas as well. Recognize, that you must maintain healthy eating and a regular cardio regime. Ready? Let’s get started.

1. Front Shoulder Raise:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding weights down in front of your thighs, palms facing you. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, raise your arms out in front of you until they are parallel to the floor. Don’t shrug, and make sure to keep your shoulders relaxed. Lower the weights back to starting position and repeat.

2. Lateral Shoulder Raise (pictured):
Standing with your feet hip-width apart, hold weights at your sides, palms facing each other. Keeping elbows slightly bent, raise arms straight out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor and no higher than shoulder level. Lower the weights back to starting position and repeat. Read the rest of this entry »

As we move closer to February’s end, so ends American Heart Month. But, taking care of your heart’s health is not exclusive to only this time of year. It’s extremely important to incorporate regular exercise and a healthy diet into your lifestyle year round. Lost on ideas? Check out three foods that will help your heart, and offer additional health benefits. Oh, we’ve even included smoothie recipes that include each food (blend and enjoy!).

1. Blueberries
Oh the power this little fruit has. Packed with fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants; blueberries are known to prevent blood clots and reduce artery inflammation. Not a fan of them? Strawberries have similar benefits as well. Include blueberries in a smoothie for breakfast and you are sure to find yourself feeling energized. Try this recipe:

Banana Blueberry Kale Green Smoothie
2 Organic Bananas
5 Leafs of Kale
1 Bag of frozen blue berries
2.5 Cups of Purified/Filtered Water
2 Tbl Spoons Hemp Seeds (hulled)
1 Tsp of any super food (this is optional)

Read the rest of this entry »

February not only marks Black History Month, but it’s also American Heart Month. According to federal statistics, African American adults are 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic whites—which is shocking. However, it is never too late to adapt healthier lifestyles that will not only extend your life expectancy, but revitalize your overall quality of life.

There are certainly several ways one can live a healthier lifestyle, and in recent years the vegan diet has become a go-to. Several celebrities including Russell Simmons, Prince, Reverend Al Sharpton, and Erykah Badu; have adopted this nutritional path as a way of life, and have campaigned for others to do so too.

Nutritionist and author of the Vegan Soulfood Guide to the Galaxy, Afya Ibomu, has been a long-time advocate of veganism. She and her husband, Stic.man of the hip-hop group Dead Prez, have helped several people, including their friend Badu, convert to living a life free of eating food derived from animal. Read the rest of this entry »

Does work have you worn out? Are your kids running you around ragged? Do bills have you pulling your hair out?— If you answered yes to any or all of those questions, chances are you are stressed out and in need of a good massage or a vacation. But, if those remedies aren’t an option, did you know that certain foods can aid in calming you down?

There are a variety of fruits, vegetables, and nuts that can and will keep you calm. Each of these foods are packed with vitamins and minerals that will have you feeling at ease even in the face of madness.

1. Asparagus
This power vegetable is a known detoxicant and aids in the prevention of osteoporosis, by providing anti-aging functions, a large amount of B vitamin—the answer to calm.

2. Avocados
Packed with vitamin E, this fruit has several cancer fighting agents, and for beauty buffs, its known to be your skin’s best friend (who doesn’t love an avocado mask?). Rich in glutathione and folate these elements aid in blocking the intestinal absorption of some fats that cause oxidative damage.

3. Berries
Vitamin C has been proven to decrease stress. And berries are jammed packed with it, and anti-oxidants. Known to improve skin and combat fat you can worry less as you indulge in berries.

4. Walnuts
Research has proven that these shelled marvels provide more than one kind of cognitive edge. They contain alpha- linolenic acid, an essential omega-3 fatty acid, and other polyphenols that have been shown to help prevent memory loss. Studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health found that the omega-3 fatty acids in walnuts keep the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline in check. Note: To bring out their flavor, try toasting them for 10 minutes, chop them up, and add them to a salad.

Source: Women’s Health Magazine

When I saw American Ballet Theatre soloist Misty Copeland in the current issue of Jones Magazine, I was amazed and admittedly jealous of how great her legs looked. But my jealousy turned to envy, when it came to her toned, yet slender thighs. When it comes to toning we all have our stubborn areas, and like many Black women mine are my thighs. But do I have to give in to “genetics” or can I get the dancer thighs I want? Well, Cindy Sites, founder of The Figure Method and owner of Go Figure Fitness Studios, says I can in six easy (yeah, right) moves.

1. Forward Leg Lift
This move, a variation on the ballet battement, tones quads and abductors (the inner thigh area–one of the weakest muscles in a woman’s body).  It creates muscles that are toned and lengthened, not big and bulky.
Instructions: Stand with your back against the ballet barre (or a chair, stairway bannister, kitchen counter).  Extend one leg out and lift and lower in a challenging range of motion, toes pointed, 20 times.  Relax, then flex the foot, and perform 20 more reps.  Switch to the opposite leg and repeat.

2. Reverse Leg Lift
The reverse leg lift uses the same principle as the forward lift, but works the back of the leg rather than the front.  You should feel a contraction in the entire back of the leg, from the glute to the ankle.
Instructions: Stand next to your point of balance, holding on with your right hand.  Bend your left knee slightly and raise the right leg in a challenging range of motion, toes pointed, 20 times.  Relax, then flex the foot, and do 20 more reps.  Switch positions, putting your left hand on your point of balance. Bend your right knee slightly, and repeat on the left leg. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re like many people, you probably made a new year’s resolution to get a handle on your health and fitness. And like those same people, chances are you’ve already fallen off the health kick—and it’s only week three of January. Taking into account that it takes about four weeks to sustain a habit, you’ve already met a roadblock. But all is not lost.

Try setting up a goal to actively pursue once a week—physical activity needs to be apart of that. In my journey of goal setting, I used to set a laundry list of goals and get overwhelmed, ultimately resulting in zero success. But, once I sat down and organized my small steps, I found that this method worked, and the same can happen for you.

Need some tips to help you kick things off? We gathered these encouraging tips from Life Fitness that will help you map out your journey.

Find The Balance Between Lofty And Realistic.
Setting a goal to lose 20 pounds in two weeks is lofty. Giving yourself two to three months to take off 20 pounds is more attainable. Aim for a two-pound weight loss per week, and try to think in only two-pound increments so you don’t get overwhelmed. Remember to be proud of your progress.

Know Who You Are And How You Work.
Achieving your goals is often tied to self-awareness. If you haven’t been working out at all, don’t make a resolution to work out daily. Instead, aim for three times a week at first. Once you are routinely exercising three times a week, take it up to four. It’s all about setting yourself up for wins so you don’t get defeated.

Small Changes Lead to Big Results.
Set small goals that you build upon, one at a time. For example, this month aim to add strength training to your routine; next month try a new piece of fitness equipment; the following month try a new fitness class each week.  Before you know it, you will have multiple healthy habits and great options for staying motivated this New Year. Remember, keeping fit is a lifetime pursuit and doesn’t have to be accomplished overnight.

Yvelette Stines is a lifestyle writer. You can read her blog at www.calmingcorners.com, and follow her on Twitter @CalmingCorners.

Adding just one new fitness move each month can make a significant difference in your ultimate progress throughout the year. Follow these month-to-month tips from Life Fitness and discover effective ways to achieve new fitness goals in 2012.  You can complete your fitness goals in 12 months, if you focus on the positive goals you have already set for yourself. Think in “I will” instead of “I want…” It makes for a serious personal call to action, and strengthens your affirmations. Check out part two of how to achieve your fitness goals in a year.

July: Try Doing “Real” Pull-ups
This type of goal can be extremely motivating and satisfying when met. During the month of July, try and work your way up to completing three or more ‘real’ pull-ups, meaning no assistance or use of machine.

August: Complete a 5K
Run/walks for a cause are extremely popular during the summer months. Whether you run, jog or walk, there’s nothing like completing a race, especially when it’s for a charity.

September: Set a Schedule
Nothing crushes an end goal like inconsistent workout times. Understand whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, pick a workout time accordingly and stick with it. Maintaining a consistent schedule is one more way to make attaining your goals a little easier to do.

October: Find a Workout Partner
While some people prefer solitude, a partner can offer spotting during weight training, support during the last leg of a run and motivation to hit the gym on a lazy day. Enlist the help of a neighbor, family member or friend who is at your fitness level and share the training journey together. Hold one another accountable for the workouts you plan and you’ll be less inclined to skip a session.

November: Engage in More Cross-Training
For most, the weather is cooling off and winter doldrums may start to set in. Cross-training offers a variety of activities and can be an effective way to burn a lot of calories while reducing impact on your joints. Choose a cross-trainer that incorporates upper and lower body movement to really get the heart pumping. Try mixing your cardio and strength workouts together and see what physical improvements you can make by incorporating cross-training this month.

December: Meditate Regularly
This practice decreases stress and will improve your mood. Find a place you are most comfortable and breathe deeply through your nose for 10 minutes, clearing your mind and relaxing your muscles. Use this time to recharge your mind and body when holiday stress sets in.

Did you miss Part One of the series? Click HERE to check it out.