Times are hard, and we're all feeling it. I'm, as I type this, thinking about all the ways that me and my husband can cut back on some things to save a little money now that performance season is coming up. I'm a saver, so I like to start early making a small nest egg, and this unfortunately might mean cutting back on....my gym membership.
Saving $50 a month sounds pretty good, but when I weigh it with losing all that gym equipment, tons of classes and free/open rehearsal space, it's hard for me to give it up. Still, I think it might be worth it to put a little money away so Dave has some financial cushioning while I'm off doing my thing. So I've started to think of more ways I can exercise without a gym.
First of all, my apartment complex has a small gym. The only problem is that the ellipticals in that gym are AWFUL.But, I can use mine at home then go to the apt gym for weights and other machines. It's doable.
But many people don't have apartment given fitness centers and I may not always have that luxury, so I definitely had some creative thinking to do.
Fitness doesn't have to cost $50/month or $99 per week or whatever gyms and trainers cost these days. You can get fit in the beautiful outdoors or the comfort of your own home for next to nothing, especially if you have someone like me giving you tips, tricks and training sessions online! lol Glad I can help!
Here are a few ideas for exercising at home or outside:
-Take your own stairs. Walk up and down the stairs while listening to your iPod. It's like having your own stair master, complete with interval training! Doing this for 30 minutes will easily burn 300 calories (based on calorie chart for a 150 pound person). Trust me a half hour or even an hour will go by fast when you're listening to your favorite playlist.
-Play some tag or sports in your lawn or at the park. Join a pick up game of football or ultimate frisbee if you see people playing at the park. Get your friends together for a game of basketball. Got kids in your life? Great! Nothing can motivate you to get up and move more than getting your butt kicked at tag by a 10 year old. :)
-Yoga/pilates/zumba/etc on tv. here are actually fitness channels now on Comcast or other cable/satellite provider listings that have easy to follow workouts that you can do right in your own home! Give it a click!
-Take the dog, or your Significant Other, for a walk!
Go fast or go slow; it doesn't matter. Just go! Spend an hour just walking around or to the store and back. Those calories will burn away and you'll actually get to connect a bit more with your furry friend, your beau or yourself.
I have plenty of ideas along these lines and as I try them myself, I'll keep sharing them with all of you and let you know what seems to work the best :)
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Changes
Sometimes we all have to make changes and sacrifices in order for our bodies to do what we want them to.
I know as a dancer that I must demand a lot from my body, and my diet has to work for me. The problem is finding a diet that works for both my lifestyle and my body. This has proven very difficult. If I don't get enough protein, I can't work out as hard. if I don't eat enough carbs, I barely have a kickstart for my workouts and practices. If I don't get enough fruits and vegetables, I get dehydrated. It's really hard to find a balance.
And not just for dancers. Everyone has to find that perfect balance between what they eat, what they do with their bodies, and what they want their bodies to be like. This is so much harder than even I expected, but it's also super important.
It really is all about balance. If there is something you want to eat, you have to balance that desire with how badly you want to shape your body and really think about what effect that food will have on your goal.
I know how I want to eat, but recently I found out that it simply doesn't work for my body and my needs. It's really unfortunate, but it's something I have to deal with because right now, being a dancer is more important to me than eating certain foods. I need to make my nutrition a priority above all else, or my dance career might come to a screeching halt. Lack of proper nutrition can lead to illness, injury or worse, and I just cannot afford that right now. I don't know anyone who can.
We all have to find the nutritional balance that works best for ourselves. No two people are alike and no one diet will work for everyone. Do what's best for you, and most importantly, figure out what is important to you and feed that desire. :)
I know as a dancer that I must demand a lot from my body, and my diet has to work for me. The problem is finding a diet that works for both my lifestyle and my body. This has proven very difficult. If I don't get enough protein, I can't work out as hard. if I don't eat enough carbs, I barely have a kickstart for my workouts and practices. If I don't get enough fruits and vegetables, I get dehydrated. It's really hard to find a balance.
And not just for dancers. Everyone has to find that perfect balance between what they eat, what they do with their bodies, and what they want their bodies to be like. This is so much harder than even I expected, but it's also super important.
It really is all about balance. If there is something you want to eat, you have to balance that desire with how badly you want to shape your body and really think about what effect that food will have on your goal.
I know how I want to eat, but recently I found out that it simply doesn't work for my body and my needs. It's really unfortunate, but it's something I have to deal with because right now, being a dancer is more important to me than eating certain foods. I need to make my nutrition a priority above all else, or my dance career might come to a screeching halt. Lack of proper nutrition can lead to illness, injury or worse, and I just cannot afford that right now. I don't know anyone who can.
We all have to find the nutritional balance that works best for ourselves. No two people are alike and no one diet will work for everyone. Do what's best for you, and most importantly, figure out what is important to you and feed that desire. :)
Friday, May 6, 2011
Salt Life?
Okay so I don't have a sweet tooth lately, which I thought was a good thing. But no, it has caused me so many problems in the last few weeks: mainly that I'm gaining water weight. No one likes water weight. It feels gross and it's not real nice to look at. I'm not a fan.
Why did this happen? Because instead of having a sweet tooth, I've been craving salty foods. I've been eating a lot of soy sauce with my sushi, popcorn and Amy's pizza. These are all low calorie, good for you foods, but they are incredibly high in salt, it turns out. There was my mistake.
So as usual, when things aren't going my way, I turn to research. I read books, browsed websites and called nutritionists to figure out why this was happening and I have found the answers and some solutions. I know I'm not the only one who has to deal with this, so I DEFINITELY want to share what I've learned with all of you.
1. Salt = water retention.
Eating excess sodium causes your body to retain water, and everyone retains this in different places. Most women retain water around their midsection and legs while men tend to retain it just in their stomachs and chests.
2. Sodium is in so many foods.
It's not just cutting back on adding salt to your food. Sodium is in everything, especially processed foods. Canned soups, frozen dinners an snack foods are filled to the brim with sodium. Steer clear, or just lighten your intake, if you want to avoid bloating up. I've had to give up soy sauce, popcorn and frozen seasoned veggies. I'm sad, but the weight is practically evaporating off now.
3. Natural diuretics CAN help, but only to a point.
Drinking tea or coffee can help reduce some of the water retention, but only a little bit. Use them at first to help your system flush out a bit, but make sure you drink plenty of water too.
4. Water helps get rid of water.
Seriously, drinking water helps to get rd of water retention. It flushes you out better than anything. Drink water. It's the best thing you can do!
5. Don't mistake water weight for body fat and visa versa. Try to be in tune with your body and know what is causing your weight gain or loss so yo can better know how to deal with it. Don't be afraid to visit a nutritionist for extra advice. The best advice is that which is tailored to your specific situation. Everyone's body is different.
I hope I don't miss the salt in my food, but I'm certainly ready to be rid of this water for good. Let's just hope I can keep on track with this!
My favorite seasoning (salt substitute) are McCormick Salt Free seasonings: lemon pepper. The lemon gives me a great acidic flavor that can seem salty to my taste buds and it's great on everything. I also have started to just sprinkle ground ginger on my sushi instead of dipping into soy sauce. It's awesome! I'm sorry I didn't think of it before!
What are some of your favorite salt-free seasonings?
Why did this happen? Because instead of having a sweet tooth, I've been craving salty foods. I've been eating a lot of soy sauce with my sushi, popcorn and Amy's pizza. These are all low calorie, good for you foods, but they are incredibly high in salt, it turns out. There was my mistake.
So as usual, when things aren't going my way, I turn to research. I read books, browsed websites and called nutritionists to figure out why this was happening and I have found the answers and some solutions. I know I'm not the only one who has to deal with this, so I DEFINITELY want to share what I've learned with all of you.
1. Salt = water retention.
Eating excess sodium causes your body to retain water, and everyone retains this in different places. Most women retain water around their midsection and legs while men tend to retain it just in their stomachs and chests.
2. Sodium is in so many foods.
It's not just cutting back on adding salt to your food. Sodium is in everything, especially processed foods. Canned soups, frozen dinners an snack foods are filled to the brim with sodium. Steer clear, or just lighten your intake, if you want to avoid bloating up. I've had to give up soy sauce, popcorn and frozen seasoned veggies. I'm sad, but the weight is practically evaporating off now.
3. Natural diuretics CAN help, but only to a point.
Drinking tea or coffee can help reduce some of the water retention, but only a little bit. Use them at first to help your system flush out a bit, but make sure you drink plenty of water too.
4. Water helps get rid of water.
Seriously, drinking water helps to get rd of water retention. It flushes you out better than anything. Drink water. It's the best thing you can do!
5. Don't mistake water weight for body fat and visa versa. Try to be in tune with your body and know what is causing your weight gain or loss so yo can better know how to deal with it. Don't be afraid to visit a nutritionist for extra advice. The best advice is that which is tailored to your specific situation. Everyone's body is different.
I hope I don't miss the salt in my food, but I'm certainly ready to be rid of this water for good. Let's just hope I can keep on track with this!
My favorite seasoning (salt substitute) are McCormick Salt Free seasonings: lemon pepper. The lemon gives me a great acidic flavor that can seem salty to my taste buds and it's great on everything. I also have started to just sprinkle ground ginger on my sushi instead of dipping into soy sauce. It's awesome! I'm sorry I didn't think of it before!
What are some of your favorite salt-free seasonings?
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