How To Be More Successful By Being Physically Fit

Could you imagine if your energy levels were endless and you could turn water into wine?

Okay, maybe not turn water into wine but imagine if you felt great, all the time. I know. It seems like a dream, but really, it's not.

Having the energy and superhuman power to be a business professional is easier than it sounds.

Lets be honest.

 

Most business professionals are slouched over a desk getting 5 colds a year with high blood pressure. Sadly, I've been there.

This is a pretty crappy place to be but you can overcome it and kick start your health to be a better business professional.

Here are 5 benefits of being physically fit and how they can make you more successful:

1) Know who you are by being confident

When you feel good, you look good and when you look good you're confident. Being physically fit encourages confidence by giving you the tools to stand up straight, look people in the eye and speak with conviction. 

This sends signals not only to yourself but also to others that you're proud and confident in who you are.

People do business with confindent people. They know their products and / or services, they know themselves and they definitely know their clients. 

2) Boost in brain power = boost in revenue

We've all heard that exercise is heart healthy but it also has significant benefits for your noggen (yes, that's your head).

If your brain is working better the more ideas you'll generate and the more rational you'll become. This is associated by a direct link to an increase in revenue. 

3) Trash the feeling of stress by learning to cope with it

Being physically fit gives you the added benefit of receiving a constant flow of endorphins. These little brain neurotransmitters are your "feel-good" source and can be contributed to stress reduction.

The less stressed you are the more coherent and rational you'll be. Who wants to work for or deal with an irate maniac? Being able to cope with stress is crucial to becoming more successful.

4) If you're more efficient, more opportunities will open

One of the best benefits of being physically fit for business professionals is its ability to make you more productive. It boosts your energy, makes you alert and increases your confidence. All 3 of these produce a spike in your productivity.

We can conclude that the more productive you are the more gets done, right? Being more productive opens the door to added possibilities.

5) The more fuel you have, the more effort you can give the world

We can all feel like a drag during the day, it's normal. But another benefit of being physically fit is the spike in energy you'll experience. By delivering more oxygen and nutrients to your organs you'll feel like a new person. Okay, maybe not a new "person" but better than you did before.

The more energy you have, the more you can get done. The more you get done, the better off your business will be.

Be warned that there's one drawback to being fit. The I-need-to-be-more-fit-and-cardio-is -the-only-way-to-get-there mentality. Never, ever, ever get stuck in the mindset that you must do cardio to lose weight. If you enjoy running half marathons, triathlons, and bicycling for 50 miles, thats great. But never think you have to if you don't enjoy it. Remember follow your passions.

Damian@FitnHealthy

How to Love Morning Workouts

If there’s anything crazier than fitness fanatics, it’s early morning fitness fanatics. You know the type: These are the deranged souls who wake up at ungodly hours to squeeze in a full workout before the rest of the world has even sipped their morning cup of coffee. They post statuses on Facebook humble-bragging about how hard their 6 a.m. bootcamp was; they regularly Instagram photos of sunrises with hashtags like #earlymorningrun #noexcuses; they show up to morning office meetings strangely chipper, sporting a post-workout glow.

Are morning workout fanatics crazy? Maybe. But they’re on to something: When you exercise first thing in the a.m., you get those awesome endorphins fired up; you jump-start your metabolism; you feel empowered to conquer your day. Not to mention, it’s an undeniably satisfying feeling to check “exercise” off your daily to-do list before you’ve even eaten breakfast, freeing up your schedule for other activities (aherm, happy hour) after work hours. If you’re the type who complains that you don’t “have time” to work out, doing it first thing in the morning might be the solution for you.

One little problem: You hate mornings. Maybe you’re the kind of person who needs a Starbucks double-espresso Venti first thing in order to transform you into a functional human being. Maybe the thought of leaving your warm sheets at 5:30 a.m. to hop on a treadmill fills you with dread. Maybe you’re a night owl and can’t fall asleep until past midnight. So how can you join the ranks of the early morning workout crew, you wonder? Well, fear not. These seven simple tricks are guaranteed to convert you into an early bird exerciser in no time.

Wear workout clothes to bed. You might get strange looks from your roommate/significant other, but wear your workout clothes to bed the night before an early workout. Yep—sports bra, leggings, tank top, the whole shebang. That way, the minute your alarm goes off, you can spring out of bed, ready to go. Plus, you’ll save yourself the hassle of shifting through your drawer for a clean pair of Lululemon’s.

Put your alarm on the other side of the room. It forces you to get out of butt to turn it off. That way, when your dreaded iPhone ringtone starts blaring in the wee hours of the morning, you won’t be able to reach over and hit the snooze button multiple times.

Go to bed earlier. It sounds like a no-brainer, but it won’t be easy to wake up if you stayed up until 3 a.m. the night before binge-watching “House of Cards.” Make it a priority to squeeze in at least six hours of sleep the night before a workout, even if it means that you have to hit the hay earlier than you usually would.

Induce sleepiness. Don’t get sleepy before midnight? If you’re a night owl, try inducing sleepiness by taking a bath, dimming the lights, avoiding TV and computers, meditating, reading a book, etc. Also, try to limit your caffeine use throughout the day.

Go with a friend. Enlist a buddy to sign up for a morning workout class with you—it holds you accountable. You wouldn’t stand up your friend at 6:00 in the morning, right?

Snack for success. You don’t want to sprint on the treadmill with a full breakfast rolling around in your stomach, but you don’t want to run on empty, either. To power you through your workout, I would recommend consuming a small snack—such as a banana and a smear of almond butter or a small energy bar—20 minutes before your workout. Afterwards, refuel with a healthy, balanced breakfast containing carbs, protein, and fiber.

Sign up for class the night before. That way, when your alarm goes off, you have no choice but to go….or else you risk losing your money.

The more you get into the habit of waking up early to exercise, the easier it will become. In time, who knows…you might even transform into one of those crazy, cult-like 6 am bootcampers yourself. And trust us—your body will thank you for it!

Source : Spry Living

Simple Strategies to Change Your Habits

"Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny."
- Mahatma Gandhi

A large proportion of our daily actions are habits: routines that we've formed over a lifetime. It's estimated that about 40% of people's daily activities are habits. Some habits serve a positive purpose- such as locking the door when you leave the house, speaking with pleasantries during a phone conversation, or letting the dog out when he sits by the back door.

Most of us, however, have habits that we wish we could break. Many of which, revolve around food. Examples may be having something sweet in the afternoon to get you out of an energy slump, snacking at night when you're not hungry, or rewarding yourself with a second helping of dinner after a stressful day at work.

Habits, especially bad habits, are difficult to break. Breaking a habit takes a tremendous amount of willpower, and willpower is a limited resource. It's highest in the morning after a restful nights rest, is easily eroded by stress, fatigue, anxiety, happiness, or pretty much any emotion or situation. It wavers when someone offers you a piece of chocolate, and admits defeat at the smell of fresh baked pie. It may put up a good fight at breakfast time; after all, most people find it relatively easy to say no to chocolate cake at 7am. But even on a good day, you may find your willpower levels are pretty low by 3 or 4 in the afternoon. It leaves you vulnerable to the breadbasket at dinner, the handfuls of cereal after supper, or the chips after the kids are in bed.

Willpower is not the answer. So, instead of trying to break bad habits, aim to change them.

The lifecycle of a habit can be broken down into three parts; cue, routine and reward. For example, the cue to lock the door when leaving the house is, well, leaving the house. The routine is locking the door, and the reward is the peace of mind that your house and belongings are relatively safe. In the example of the 2PM treat as a 'pick me up', the cue would be the feeling of waning energy, feeling bored at work, or simply the fact that it's 2PM. The routine would be heading to the vending machine, office kitchen, or desk drawer in search of a candy bar or muffin. The reward would be the short-lived increase in energy, the pleasure of having something sweet on your tongue, and a break from work.

If you want to stop the sugar habit, simply saying "I am going to give up my afternoon treat" is likely not enough. When that cue hits, it's hard to resist! Your body needs something- and up until this point you've been feeding it candy.

 

 In order to swap a habit, you first need to pause and recognize that your actions are just that- a habit. Also, you must remember that you are in charge, and you have the power to change your habits.

Ask yourself the simple, but often emotional question "what do I really want?" Think about the reward- how do you want to feel? When that afternoon slump hits, you want something. But, do you really want that slightly stale doughnut or to wolf down a chocolate bar while sitting at your desk? Or, are you simply bored with the task you're working on and need a break? Do you need to feel re-energized? Do you need a pleasurable experience?

Next, think of different routines that could yield the same reward. If you are battling an energy slump and need to feel energized, would a short walk or doing a few squats to get the your blood flowing do the trick? Perhaps, a short visit with a co-worker to offer a change of scenery or a mind break? What about going outside for some fresh air, or taking a few minutes to stretch? If you are slightly hungry would a crisp, juicy apple do the trick?

What about the evening rummage through the pantry after your kids are in bed? Are you looking for a reward after a long, hard day? Are you bored? Are you stressed? Again ask, "what do I really want?" Do you need some excitement to overcome boredom? Do you just need to unwind? Would working on a project, indulging in an entertaining novel or writing in a journal give you what you really need?

To get started, pick one habit that you'd like to change. Identify the cue associated with the action, and the feeling that you get from the reward. Make a list of alternatives, more healthful habits you can engage in to replace that bad habit. Rehearse the situation in your mind and picture yourself engaging in that new habit. The more you practice, the better you'll get!

Although habits can most certainly be changed, the process is not always easy. Do not expect to change a habit overnight. It takes patience and persistence! Proceed with kindness, understanding and acceptance of yourself. Celebrate your successes and learn from your mistakes.

Source : Tanja M Shaw /Ezine

Power Up Your Endurance With Tabata Workouts

It's a common misconception that the only or the most beneficial way to increase endurance is taking part in long, gruelling cardio workouts like running for extended periods of time on the treadmill or outside for increased running endurance and spending hours on a stationary bike to increase cycling endurance.
How Tabata Training is different:
Whilst there is some truth to these beliefs, Tabata Training introduces a whole new meaning to endurance. Due to the extremely high intensity and efficiency of Tabata Training you can choose almost any exercise or body part and increase endurance in that area.
Tabata Training is unique in the terms of how the training is done. Most cardio sessions consist of long periods of time at the same speed and / or resistance.
Whilst on the other hand Tabata Training consists of short intervals at full capacity, pushing the limits to an individual's endurance every round. Not only this, but, with the short rest times an individual is tested to the absolute extreme.
When you are tested over and over again your endurance is forced to increase to keep up with the work load that is being put onto the body. Tabata training integrates fundamentals of progressive overload into training which is what "forces the body" into change, ultimately making you stronger, quicker and more efficient at the exercise of your choice.
Endurance means to be able to "endure an unpleasant of difficult process without giving in" is it really worth running for hours until you reach the "brick wall" that runners must surpass in order to keep going or is it more efficient to be able to increase endurance in as quick as 4 minutes?
This is where Tabata Training can give a new meaning to endurance and teach you to develop a stronger, more positive mental state when training hard.
Improve in every aspect with Tabata Training
Whilst being pushed to new limits, a different exercise can be picked every single workout. Unlike fixed forms of training at the gym like treadmills, Ellipticals, stationary bikes and even running, cycling and more, Tabata training gives you the power to change up the focus each and every session. This means that whilst on your journey to losing weight and fat you can start to become a quality, well-rounded athlete.
The sky is the limit with Tabata Training. You can choose to incorporate different exercises based on your goals too. This means that if you are training for a specific sport or would like to tone up a specific area of your body, you can!
You can choose to throw in some different types of running if you are a sprinter or long distance runner for example and in summary you really are able to mix it up and continue to keep things fun and exciting each and every day.
With the simple approach with Tabata Training it is also extremely easy to track your progress which in turn allows you to see how quickly your endurance is improving session by session as you can count how many rounds you complete in a given time frame as well as the number of reps you complete.
Typically, when you take part in a form of cardio that is done out of the gym and without machines helping you it is hard to track your progress. Tabata Training is considered the cheapest, easiest and most efficient way to keep track of how things are going as well as allowing you to evaluate where your weak points are as you cycle through different exercises and compare the calories burnt to the exercise performed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8842757

10 Tips for Surviving Holiday Parties

Holidays can cause havoc on your diet because most holiday gatherings include indulgent foods and drinks. In fact, the average weight gain between Halloween and New Year’s is 8 pounds. But surviving the holidays can be made a whole lot easier by employing the following survival techniques:
Where’s the beef? Protein helps to stabilize your blood sugar and make it easier to avoid hunger cravings, so eat a small amount of lean protein like turkey or chicken before you head out to a party. And be sure to reach for the meats, shrimp and seafood—in fact, 26 medium shrimp cocktail contains just 200 calories. 
Crack up. Dips that are creamy or cheesy are already high in calories and fat, but if you just can’t skip them, dip with vegetables instead of higher-calorie crackers or breads. Just a taste may be enough to satisfy that craving. 
Chew on it. Gum may be a good way to keep yourself from picking at foods when you’re really hungry. Plus, chewing gum before you walk into a party will give you fresh breath and may delay your first bite or beverage. 
The glass is half full. Most social gatherings offer high-calorie alcoholic beverages like egg nog, cordials, margaritas and martinis. Wine and beer are lower-calorie options; mixers like club soda and water and condiments like lemons and limes can also help lower calorie totals. Even better: Alternate each alcoholic drink with a large glass of water to cut calories in half and keep you feeling full.
Plan ahead. Consider what you eat earlier in the day or even the day before a big celebration. Planning a lighter lunch or breakfast can help balance out the calorie overload from an upcoming celebration.
Get in some extra workouts. Knowing that this time of year is busy, it can be easy to justify skipping your workouts. But keeping them consistent or adding in an extra workout may be just what you need to stick to your health goals. Even 20 minutes of walking can burn off an extra 100 to 150 calories, which may be enough to help keep extra pounds from creeping on during the holidays.
Sleep in. Sleep deprivation can have a huge impact on your waistline. That’s because lack of sleep increases gherlin, which is a hormone that makes you hungry and limits the secretion of leptin, which helps burn fat. Be sure to get enough sleep following late-night celebrations by sleeping in or taking a short 20-minute catnap to catch up.
No loitering. A good way to eat less at a party is to stay away from the food. Simply stay out of the kitchen and choose to socialize away from the buffet. Walking just a few steps away can help prevent you from the mindless grazing that often adds up to lots of extra calories.
Opt in. It is good form to bring a holiday hostess gift, so why not bring the gift of healthy appetizers? Great options include shrimp cocktail, hummus with green and red peppers, and a plate filled with fresh berries, grapes and hard cheeses.
Take just one bite. It can be hard to pass up those holiday treats, cookies and pies, so take a smaller slice or just a bite. It will give you the satisfaction that you’re looking for and the first bite usually tastes much better than the last.

Source :  acefitness.org/Andrea Metcalf

Women, CrossFit, and Myths part 1

 

This article outlines many of the myths that women are hearing about fitness and strength training.

Let me summarize several of the myths this article touches on.
Weight training will make you huge and masculine.
Men Train. Women Tone.
There is a difference between toning, sculpting and firming.
Women should stick to machines and stay away from free weights.
Women shouldn’t work on their leg and butt muscles, otherwise they’ll get to big.
Weight Training Turns Fat into Muscle
Women should only lift light weights to not get “bulky”

To quote a famous fitness author, “Women are not a special population. They are half the population. ” In an article written by Mark Rippetoe he points out that Women DO respond to heavy physical stress (i.e. lifting heavy shit) differently than men. However, women get the best results when they train for performance (the whole premise of CrossFit and what we do), because even though there are differences between men’s and women’s response to training, there is no difference in the quality of the exercise needed to produce the stress that causes our bodies to change. The different responses men and women see in training are not the ones that the industry, media and popular culture have presented as fact. This unfortunately has had a detrimental effect on women’s training.

The answer to our questions on how to get there are right in front of us. The results, in terms of both performance and aesthetics, admired by the vast majority of women, continue to be routinely produced by advanced athletic programs. Which then amazes me how “body-sculpting sessions or low intensity machine based circuit programs were the approach sold to the public. But then again, “easier” is easier to sell.

The fact is that aesthetics are best obtained from training for performance. It becomes very simple, if you want to look like a lean athlete (the standard most active women strive to emulate) you have to train like an athlete, and the unfortunate part is that most people lack the “sand” for that. Despite this unfortunate truth (most truths seem to fall into this category), the fitness industry continues to see appearances first, as though it is independent of performance. Appearance cannot be trained for. Think about it: I know how to make your squat stronger, but how do you program Bun Blaster sets and reps for a tight ass? I may be able to double your pull-ups in a month, but I don’t know how to give your back that V-Shape everyone craves without increasing your pull-ups. Every single aspect of programming for resistance training that works at all does so because it increases some aspect of performance, and appearance is a side effect of performance.

Appearance is a side effect of performance.

Appearance can’t change unless performance does, and the performance changes are what we quantify and what we program. Your appearance when fit is almost entirely a function of your genetics, which are expressed at their best only when your training is at it’s highest level, and this level is only obtainable from a program based on an improvement in your performance in the gym. To top it off the best improvements in the gym occur when participating in a program that looks more like performance athletics (i.e. CrossFit) that one that looks like waving your arms or legs around on a machine.

More Unfortunate Truths:
Your muscles cannot get longer without some rather radical orthopedic surgery.
Muscles don’t get leaner ….. you do!
There is no such thing as “firming & toning”. There is only stronger and weaker.
The vast majority of women cannot get large, masculine muscles from weight training. If it were that easy, I would have them!
Women who do look like men have taken some rather drastic steps in that direction that have little to do with their exercise program.
Women who claim to be afraid to train hard because they “always bulk up too much” are often already pretty bulky, or “skinny fat” (thin but weak and de-conditioned) and have found another excise to continue life sitting on their butts.
Only people willing to work to the point of discomfort on a regular basis using effective means to produce that discomfort will actually look like they have been other-than-comfortable most of the time.
You can thank the muscle magazines for these persistent misconceptions, along with the natural tendency of all normal humans to see reasons to avoid hard physical exertion.

Seven Habits of Highly Successful Athletes

They say a habit takes 21 days to form. That’s three weeks of constant, recurrent, focused activity – or inactivity. The differences between good and bad habits lie in the details, but they both exist as an end to the same means: repetition.

“We are what we repeatedly do,” Aristotle said, once upon a time. Essentially, we are our habits. For athletes, those habits determine their game, their success, their production, their relevance. Elite athletes carefully develop the habits that define them well past the 21-day qualifying point.

Most of us aren’t built to be elite athletes, at least not genetically, but our choices are within our control, and can elevate our game at any level. Choosing to adopt these seven habits of successful athletes is a sure-fire way to find success for yourself. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

THE LIST:

1. They set attainable goals and track them

As athletes, we all have ambitious goals. We want to win that 3-on-3 tournament next month. We want to compete in that triathlon at the end of the year. We want to hoist that trophy at the end the season. That victorious moment is a driving force we all share.

Successful athletes have those goals, but they also create their own moments of victory in parallel to their pursuit of the endgame. While they’re training for that championship, they’re simultaneously working toward attainable goals to check off their list.  While they’re training for that marathon, they’re also working toward that six-minute mile. While they’re pursuing that Gold medal, they’re also locking down tournament MVPs.

Achieving a goal, no matter the size of the prize, is a powerful incentive. It’s a reminder that following through pays off.

2. They discipline and reward themselves

It’s a simple concept, just a matter of application.

Motivation is all about incentive. What’s the payoff? What’s the punishment? Successful athletes make it a point to take themselves seriously, and that means calling themselves out and holding themselves accountable.

Didn’t get out of bed this morning for that run? Skipped breakfast? That’s ok, but yeah, you’re grounded. Ran an extra mile at the end of practice today? Grounding revoked.

 

3. They sleep

An even simpler concept. Successful athletes make sure to clock at least seven hours of sleep every night to aid in rest and recovery. For optimal performance, sleep is crucial in maintaining energy and endurance.

 

4. They feed their competitive nature

Average isn’t okay for elite athletes. The successful ones go out there and compete every time, no matter who they’re with, what they’re doing or where they are. Competition is fuel to athletic fire, and the best in the game are out there burning it up every day.

Successful athletes are constantly pushing to be better than the guy next to them, better than they were yesterday, better than the standard. Pushing forward with intensity and a competitive drive keeps you on your toes and dynamic as an athlete.

Too many people mistake competition for comparison. Successful athletes know the difference. One will make you, one will break you.

 

5. They take instruction and criticism constructively 

Successful athletes can take advice and apply it usefully to their game. Coaching is crucial in sports, but absorbing the information they provide is even more important.

The best athletes are willing to make adjustments and set their pride aside to better themselves and their teammates.

 

 

6. They let things go

They follow the 24-hour rule. 24 hours after a failure, the misstep has long since moved into nonexistence. Bye-bye blunder.

Holding onto negativity can be detrimental to athletes. Mentally, it’s crippling. It gives pitchers the yips, it turns a basketball into a brick, it makes a wide receiver’s fingers all buttery.

The successful ones take 24 hours to reflect on what went wrong and then they let go of that heavy weight and move on without flinching.

7. They aren’t afraid to fail

The most distinctive habit of a successful athlete is their ability to stare a challenge in the eye and attack it without hesitation. The fear of failure builds the walls of that box you’re supposed to be thinking outside of and seals you up inside. When you’re scared of failing, the best option is to avoid trying at all – right?

Chicken.

Fearing failure is a mental state successful athletes don’t acknowledge. Everyone will fail at one point or another – it’s inevitable. The best athletes are fully aware of this, but attach no value to it. They fall and they get up. The ends outweigh the means. Success outweighs failure.

Plus, chicks dig scars.

Source By: Morgan Urtso Seven Habits of Highly Successful Athletes