Exercise
Races that involve more than just running: Tough Mudders, Color Runs and Obstacle Races have been all the craze this year! I love the idea of mixing up running long races with walls to climb and tires to flip. Getting splashed with color and crawling through mud though? Not really my thing.
Crossfit and other High Intensity Type Training: Women and men everywhere are finally realizing the importance of strength training whether they are aiming for weight loss, maintenance or gaining size and strength. Regardless of your thoughts on Crossfit type workouts (I have my own, believe me), the research has shown a few things to be true. The first is that high intensity workouts are effective. Not only that, but their popularity continues to grow as we get busier and the workouts get quicker due to their increasing level of intensity. People can do a 20 minute workout from their very own home and be done for the day. Secondly, however, high intensity workouts CANNOT be done every day. Physical therapists are saying that their number one clientele currently streams in from the crossfit community due to high injury rates because of poor lifting technique and lack of rest.
Body Weight Training: It's cheap/free, convenient and you can do it virtually anywhere. Push ups, squats and planks are just some of the moves seen in body weight workouts. We are seeing more and more of this type of training simply based on the fact that people do not want to spend money they don't have on something they can do for free.
Certified Professionals: In the past, it didn't take a genius to become a Certified Personal Trainer. Now, the industry is booming and the stakes are raising. Professional industries are no longer accepting online certifications and employees who have experience but little to no education. These days, without a Masters Degree and a few certifications from reputable organizations, it's tough to even be considered a professional in the Health/Wellness field. As professionals continue to grow in this very competitive field, we will continue to be able to provide our clientele with better exercise/nutrition advice, more innovative techniques and the latest and greatest ideas based on the best research to date.
Functional Training: I like to describe functional training as mimicking moves we do in our day to day lives. Functional training allows us to perform our activities of daily living with more ease, such as climbing stairs, keeping balance as we climb a ladder, performing house chores without tiring quickly. Functional training increases endurance, flexibility, coordination, balance while simultaneously increasing strength and cardiovascular function. My favorite type of functional training? TRX!
Yoga/Core Training: Whether or not you're a true yogi, people are becoming well aware of the benefits a strong core can have on any other type of activity you do. Runners and athletes take yoga to lengthen muscles and decrease their chance of sore muscles. We are also using yoga to increase mental stability. Personally, I use yoga to help decrease anxiety levels when I'm feeling high strung or stressed out, as well as for the great stretch it gives me.
Nutrition
Turning our focus to balance, rather than calories: Instead of counting calories, we are focusing more on creating a well-balanced plate. Nutritionists are suggesting a serving of heart healthy fats, complex carbohydrates and lean protein with every meal.
Plant Based Diets: You knew it was coming! So much of the research we are finding is providing evidence for the power plants have on fighting diseases like cancers, obesity, hypertension etc. Even if you aren't interested in letting go of your carnivorous ways all together, adding in more plants with each meal is an absolute must, particularly if you have any genetic predispositions to any type of disease. Plants are the answer my friends!
There's an App for that: Tracking our calories has never been easier. Got a smart phone or access to a computer? Sites like MyFitnessPal make staying on track simple and convenient.
Going Organic: Nutritionally speaking, the food labels of a regular apple and an organic apple are exactly the same. So if organic food doesn't have less calories and/or fat, why should I waste my money on it? Here's what you aren't getting with your hard earned money by going organic- a bunch of harsh chemicals that not only increase risk for disease but also play a negative role on your metabolism. Get your metabolism out of wack and we all know what that leads to- weight gain.
SUPERfoods: You've heard of the term, you see it in line with the the fruits and vegetables like kale, blueberries, spinach, etc. Superfoods are basically foods that offer us a ton of bang for our buck. Typically they provide a huge punch of nutrients and consumers of these products are religiously devoted to singing their praise.
Alkaline Foods: A newer trending topic, alkaline foods such as lemons, limes, greens and other plants are showing improvements in our gastrointestinal tract, aiding in digestion and also improving our skin. Weak acids are the way to go which means we should start to substitute plants for animals and try to steer clear of foods like coffee, sugar and wine more often than not.
Eating Whole Foods: It's not question that the processed foods found down the aisles of grocery stores and stocked in vending machines aren't our best choices. Whole foods, those closest to their natural form contain the most nutrients that are the best absorbed by our bodies. They also tend to be lower in fat, sugar, calories and definitely lower in chemicals and body harming pesticides.
Nutrition
Turning our focus to balance, rather than calories: Instead of counting calories, we are focusing more on creating a well-balanced plate. Nutritionists are suggesting a serving of heart healthy fats, complex carbohydrates and lean protein with every meal.
Plant Based Diets: You knew it was coming! So much of the research we are finding is providing evidence for the power plants have on fighting diseases like cancers, obesity, hypertension etc. Even if you aren't interested in letting go of your carnivorous ways all together, adding in more plants with each meal is an absolute must, particularly if you have any genetic predispositions to any type of disease. Plants are the answer my friends!
There's an App for that: Tracking our calories has never been easier. Got a smart phone or access to a computer? Sites like MyFitnessPal make staying on track simple and convenient.
Going Organic: Nutritionally speaking, the food labels of a regular apple and an organic apple are exactly the same. So if organic food doesn't have less calories and/or fat, why should I waste my money on it? Here's what you aren't getting with your hard earned money by going organic- a bunch of harsh chemicals that not only increase risk for disease but also play a negative role on your metabolism. Get your metabolism out of wack and we all know what that leads to- weight gain.
SUPERfoods: You've heard of the term, you see it in line with the the fruits and vegetables like kale, blueberries, spinach, etc. Superfoods are basically foods that offer us a ton of bang for our buck. Typically they provide a huge punch of nutrients and consumers of these products are religiously devoted to singing their praise.
Alkaline Foods: A newer trending topic, alkaline foods such as lemons, limes, greens and other plants are showing improvements in our gastrointestinal tract, aiding in digestion and also improving our skin. Weak acids are the way to go which means we should start to substitute plants for animals and try to steer clear of foods like coffee, sugar and wine more often than not.
Eating Whole Foods: It's not question that the processed foods found down the aisles of grocery stores and stocked in vending machines aren't our best choices. Whole foods, those closest to their natural form contain the most nutrients that are the best absorbed by our bodies. They also tend to be lower in fat, sugar, calories and definitely lower in chemicals and body harming pesticides.
Question(s) of the Morning:
Which trends did you try out this year? Which ones are you hoping to try out in 2014?
one of my favorite posts yet!!
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