3 Kinds of Exercise To Boost Heart Health

Being physically active is a major step toward good heart health. It’s one of your most effective tools for strengthening the heart muscle, keeping your weight under control and warding off the artery damage from high cholesterol, high blood sugar and high blood pressure that can lead to heart attack or stroke. 

It’s also true that different types of exercise are needed to provide complete fitness. “Aerobic exercise and resistance training are the most important for heart health,” says Johns Hopkins exercise physiologist Kerry J. Stewart, Ed.D. “Although flexibility doesn’t contribute directly to heart health, it’s nevertheless important because it provides a good foundation for performing aerobic and strength exercises more effectively.”

Here’s how different types of exercise benefit you.

Aerobic Exercise

What it does: Aerobic exercise improves circulation, which results in lowered blood pressure and heart rate, Stewart says. In addition, it increases your overall aerobic fitness, as measured by a treadmill test, for example, and it helps your cardiac output (how well your heart pumps). Aerobic exercise also reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and, if you already live with diabetes, helps you control your blood glucose.

How much: Ideally, at least 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week.

Examples: Brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling, playing tennis and jumping rope. Heart-pumping aerobic exercise is the kind that doctors have in mind when they recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity.

Resistance Training (Strength Work)

What it does: Resistance training has a more specific effect on body composition, Stewart says. For people who are carrying a lot of body fat (including a big belly, which is a risk factor for heart disease), it can help reduce fat and create leaner muscle mass. Research shows that a combination of aerobic exercise and resistance work may help raise HDL (good) cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

How much: At least two nonconsecutive days per week of resistance training is a good rule of thumb, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.

Examples: Working out with free weights (such as hand weights, dumbbells or barbells), on weight machines, with resistance bands or through body-resistance exercises, such as push-ups, squats and chin-ups.

Stretching, Flexibility and Balance

What they do: Flexibility workouts, such as stretching, don’t directly contribute to heart health. What they do is benefit musculoskeletal health, which enables you to stay flexible and free from joint pain, cramping and other muscular issues. That flexibility is a critical part of being able to maintain aerobic exercise and resistance training, says Stewart.

“If you have a good musculoskeletal foundation, that enables you to do the exercises that help your heart,” he says. As a bonus, flexibility and balance exercises help maintain stability and prevent falls, which can cause injuries that limit other kinds of exercise.

How much: Every day and before and after other exercise.

Sticking to Your Fitness New Year’s Resolutions

As the year comes to a close, millions of people all across the country are preparing themselves for the start of a new year. Americans use the new year as an opportunity to start fresh. And oh boy can we all use a fresh start.

Arguably the most common resolution you will hear about in the coming weeks is to exercise more. Naturally, eating healthy and losing weight are also part of that resolution. However, even though millions of people make these goals, they most never follow through with them. According to U.S. News & World Report, around 80% is the failure rate for New Year’s Resolutions. So let’s throw that word away NOT Make a resolution! make a commitment to finally be healthy and healthy is more important now than ever.

The new year is the perfect time to set new goals for yourself. While setting fitness goals for yourself is admirable and will undoubtedly improve both your physical and mental health. We know how difficult it can be to start and stick to Fitness express  is here to help you stick to your healthy commitment in 2022! With

Ask Yourself Why

Everyone has their reasons for setting goals at the beginning of the year. They may be for personal reasons or even health reasons. Unfortunately, sometimes people feel pressured by society to embark on these journeys. But it’s important to ask yourself why you want to engage in them. Why is this New Year’s Resolution so important to you? What motivates you to take this massive leap to make a change in your life? Once you find the reason that drives you, you will have a better mindset to complete your goals. It can be as simple as staying healthy to visit the people around you.

Set Specific and Reasonable Goals

Yes, your goal be to may be to lose weight or lift more, but those are relatively broad terms. setting broad, unspecific goals can cause depression, proving to be counterintuitive. Be specific about what you want to do. Don’t just say you want to lose weight or set a new bench press PR. Say, “I want to lose 10 pounds this year,” or “I want to add 15 pounds to my bench press.”

This gives you a set goal to work towards. However, it’s important to set realistic goals. If you have never been into fitness, chances are you may struggle at first. Set small goals for yourself and then build momentum. Set the goal of simply going to the gym. Then once you’ve formed a habit, increase the difficulty of your goals. Always celebrate any accomplishment you reach, no matter how small.

Write Down Your Resolutions/ goals

Once you have set a specific goal for yourself, write it down and post it somewhere where you will see it every day.  Research has shown that if you write down your goals and share them with friends and family, you are more likely to follow through with them than if you didn’t. Write your goal on a sticky note and place it on your mirror. You can take it one step forward and post about your goal and your progress on social media. Not only will you hold yourself accountable, but you may encourage others, as well.

Establish a Set Schedule

Another important aspect of sticking to your goals is creating a set workout schedule. If possible, workout at the same time and the same place every day. This will help you establish a routine while also helping you form strong habits. Review your schedule and find a daily time where you can fit in exercise without interfering with other parts of your life.

Spice Things Up

After you’ve been exercising for some time, you may realize that following the same workout plan every week gets redundant and boring. Your body gets used to the exercises, which leaves you feeling like you didn’t even work out. Mix it up every once and a while. Variety is important in your everyday life and your fitness journey.

According to the American Council on Exercise, varying your workouts and trying new things motivates you to stick with your resolution. Even those who practically live at the gym get bored by their workouts sometimes. Try out a Class, such as yoga, cycling, or kickboxing. Not only does this keep you motivated, but trying new things is always a great way to inject fun and excitement into your life.

Invite a Friend

Whenever you embark on a new fitness journey on your own, it can seem like a daunting task. When you’re alone, you struggle to find the motivation to bring yourself to the gym every day. That’s why asking a friend to join you on this fitness journey can be helpful. Not only do you get to be active and spend more time with your friend, but you also have someone to hold you accountable.

Be Understanding

Remember, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” You aren’t going to reach your fitness goals all at once. It will take plenty of time and a lot of work to reach them. You have to be patient and understand that you may not see immediate results within the first few weeks. You also need to be forgiving of yourself. We are all human. We all mess up. You will experience a few setbacks along this journey, but you can’t let them bring you down. You just need to understand that they are a part of the process.

Set smaller, more attainable goals while you work towards your big ones. You aren’t giving up on your initial resolutions, but you are giving yourself a chance to accomplishment plenty in the interim.

Fitness Express doesn’t just want to see you in January , this isn’t monopoly We don’t want to collect two dollars and see you go . We want to help you hit every goal you set for the new year. We aren’t your big box club, Fitness express is your local support team your family we sit on the sidelines to cheer you and your family to good health. Health and wellness isn’t just a New Year’s resolution it’s a lifestyle.

What happens when you eat too much sugar? How to recover from Halloween candy binge

Sugar has a bittersweet reputation when it comes to health. Sugar occurs naturally in all foods that contain carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, grains, and dairy. Consuming whole foods that contain natural sugar is okay. Plant foods also have high amounts of fiber, essential minerals, and antioxidants, and dairy foods contain protein and calcium.

Since your body digests these foods slowly, the sugar in them offers a steady supply of energy to your cells. A high intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains also has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes heart disease, and some cancers.

But Trick-or-treaters and Halloween party goers consume a terrifying amount of sugar, so the hours afterwards can feel a little strange.

A typical child collects 3,500 to 7,000 calories in candy on the spooky holiday, one public health expert estimate . Adults help themselves, too, from their kids’ stash or at grown-up festivities. On a more immediate level, there’s the wild ride your body takes during a sugar binge.

“It’s definitely important that you don’t eat too much,” Dr. Jason Ng, an endocrinologist and clinical assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, told TODAY. “Your body essentially is on a roller coaster, and that roller coaster effect really takes a lot out of people.”

Still, it’s OK to treat yourself a bit. If you’re pretty healthy and only partake in a sugar binge once in a while, it’s not going to hurt you, Ng said. There are also ways to help your body recover.

Here's what you need to know:

1. Your body on sugar: A blow-by-blow account

A quick of sugar affects your brain chemistry by boosting levels of dopamine, the “feel-good hormone,” and almost immediately providing a feeling of euphoria and excitement, Ng said. All that extra sugar also delivers extra energy, so you may become hyperactive.

At the same time, insulin levels rise to remove the sugar from the blood stream and convert it into stored energy. That's accompanied by a decrease in leptin, a hormone considered to be an appetite suppressant, so many people will even more sugar prolonging the high, he added.

Then comes the crash — anywhere from 20 minutes to a few hours after the sugar binge. Hormone levels quickly decrease as your body returns from the high back to normal.

“It’s almost the opposite of what you initially feel,” Ng said. “You have to go to the couch to lie down; you get the lethargy and the tiredness. You get a sudden overwhelming sense of fatigue.

2. The type of candy you eat matters

To minimize the roller coaster effect, avoid treats that combine a ton of sugar — caramel, a cookie crunch, nougat, the works — into a little piece of candy, Ng said, naming Milky Way, Three Musketeers, and Snickers as some examples. They don’t have a lot of protein to help delay sugar absorption, he said.

Better options may include

Dark chocolates: They have less sugar and contain antioxidants.

M&M’s with peanuts: the protein in the nuts delays the absorption of the chocolate part, Ng said.

Jolly Ranchers and similar candies: small hard candies can be easily rolled around in your mouth providing longer and slower sugar intake also takes longer to consume preventing binging candy too quickly. This is a great option as long as you don’t mind sugar sitting on your teeth too long make sure you’re brushing.

3. How to recover from a sugar binge

Drink plenty of water: Keeping yourself well hydrated will help your body naturally flush some of the sugar out of the system.

Exercise: It doesn’t have to be hard core activity, Just get your body moving to help burn off all the extra calories and sugar intake

Eat foods that are more stable forces of energy: Choose low-carb foods that contain fiber, protein and healthy fats. They’ll provide all day energy rather than quick bursts, to allow your body to adjust faster. snacks like peanut butter and apple slices, or hummus and veggie sticks.

Happy, healthy Halloween!

fitness eXpress is here to help you recover from your sugar bender, our best advice is to not over indulge.

see you at the club.

Best And Worst Exercises For Your Heart

Not all workouts are heart healthy. Here's which exercises one cardiologist says guarantees a lifetime of cardiovascular fitness.

By Arthur Agaston , MD

Some days it seems I answer more questions about sports injuries than I do about heart health. It's partly because my patients know I'm pretty active (golf, tennis, Pilates...), but also because many people don't realize that while some activities are good for your heart, they can be hard on your body. To me, the key is to find what works well for both.

Here's how I rank a variety of exercises in terms of their benefits to both your heart and overall health. 

BEST

Interval training: This is unrivaled for preventing heart disease and diabetes, losing weight, and efficiently improving fitness. The strategy: Combine short bursts of high-intensity exercise with slightly longer periods of active recovery. So if you're a walker, you might alternate 3 minutes at normal speed with 1 minute at a brisk pace. Continuously raising and lowering your heart rate improves vascular function, burns calories, and makes the body more efficient at clearing fat and sugar from the blood.

Total-body, nonimpact sports: The more muscles involved in an activity, the harder your heart must work to fuel them all—thus, it grows stronger itself. Rowing, swimming, cross-country skiing, walking with poles...all recruit muscles throughout the body without beating it up. Add some intervals and you have the ideal workout.

Weight training: In a sense, this is just another form of interval training. You increase your heart rate during reps and recover between sets. By efficiently handling the demands placed upon them, strong muscles ease the overall burden on the heart. Use free weights, which recruit more muscles, engage your core, and build balance.

Core workouts: The reason I like Pilates, which strengthens my core muscles and improves flexibility and balance, is that it doesn't just help me play golf and tennis better, it helps me live better. In order to exercise vigorously—as well as carry groceries upstairs and weed the garden—you need a solid foundation.

Yoga: The calm it provides lowers blood pressure, making blood vessels more elastic and promoting heart health. It also strengthens your core.

Being active all day: People who are active in little ways the entire day (cleaning, gardening, running errands) burn more calories and are generally healthier than those who exercise for 30 to 60 minutes and then sit at a computer. Wear a pedometer to measure how active you are outside of your exercise time.

WORST

Running long-distance on pavement: I did a lot of this until various aches and pains, plus all the injured joggers I saw in my practice, made me realize that humans aren't designed for long-term pounding. Although running this way strengthens the heart, it wears out the body.

Any type of vigorous exercise you haven't trained for: This can range from shoveling snow to biking 20 miles on the first spring day. The excessive adrenaline that's released can prompt a heart attack in those at risk. For the same reason, never exercise hard without warming up.

Finally, don't let science (or even me) dictate your exercise. Research may show swimming is tops, but if (like me) you don't enjoy it, then don't torture yourself. Find something fun that you'll do consistently. Your mood will get a boost as well. most important is just keep moving

Which Comes First, Weights or Cardio?

Does the order of your fitness routine matter?

If you’re one of those exercisers who is happy (proud, even) to fit in a cardio session or resistance training, congratulate yourself and get to it. However, some exercisers try to accomplish both in one workout. Wow, right! All the power of time and stamina to these fitness warriors.

If this is you, trying to order your routine for the best outcome may be confusing. Even experts have conflicting theories on optimal exercise order, based on everything from fitness goals to how motivated their own muscles are to lift weights after a cardio session. Here are guidelines based on your goals.

For Weight Loss

When burning calories is your main fitness goal, most recommend your cardio session precede strength training. People tend to burn more calories when they do aerobic exercises at the beginning of their routine. It tends to be easier to maintain momentum– whether on the treadmill, cycle, or in a class– before maxing out with weights.

Interestingly, weightlifting often burns more calories per minute than aerobic exercise does. However, most can perform aerobic exercise for longer periods than they can lift weights. It may be best to max out your cardio work first, which will allow you to burn the most calories per session, even if not per minute.

It is always important to include strength training, especially if weight loss is your goal. Increasing muscle mass allows the body to more efficiently burn calories, even when at rest. If you’re too fatigued after cardio work, consider adding weight sessions on alternate days.

For Sport Performance

Focus on your sport.

Athletes often meticulously construct their fitness sessions. The order and focus of your exercises depends on whether you wish to increase your edge in doubles tennis, improve your golf swing, or score more wins in team sports. Generally, you need to consider three factors:

• The requirements of your sport

• Your current fitness level

• Your specific performance goals

Elite athletes go beyond organizing their daily workout. They perform an extensive variety of exercises in a specific order over days, weeks, and months. Their program encompasses the usual elements, along with emphasis on agility, flexibility, and psychology. Consult with a personal trainer to help create your sport-specific workouts. Time your fitness program to peak during your sport season.

For Health

As with everything in life, a healthy fitness plan must be balanced. It should contain an aerobic segment, strength training, and stretching. A warm-up and cool-down are essential markers at the start and finish.

When overall health and fitness are your goals, the order of exercises does not matter much. Whether you go to Zumba® class before or after you pump iron or grab the exercise bands does not significantly impact your results.

A balanced workout should be your main goal, even if long term. You don’t need to squeeze in a training session after a one-hour Group Fitness class. Just be sure to schedule it for the next day. And, if you finished swinging the kettle bells for a full session, save your swim routine for the weekend. Well-being requires balance in all things—nutrition, work, family, self, and, yes, your fitness program.

Regional Fitness Manager RJ Pietrucha shares probably the wisest advice, “The best order for your fitness routine is the one you prefer. As long as you manage all aspects of proper fitness, order is not that significant.”

Along this thought, the best workout is the one you will accomplish. Create a fitness routine to accommodate your lifestyle. Don’t overemphasize the details. Just get it done.

A New Year’s Workout Plan to Start 2021 the Right Way

With 2020 creeping into the rear-view mirror, it’s time to start thinking about how to make movement consistent, holistic and enjoyable in 2021! The key to a successful year of movement comes down to understanding and planning. Before jumping into a weekly workout, let’s first identify five aspects of a multi component fitness program and get in touch with what kind of exercise gets you fired up to move.

These five training components should be a part of every workout plan in order to prevent injury and live your healthiest life.

1. Muscular Training

Increasing overall muscular fitness and lean mass (muscles, bones, connective tissue ) is essential to living a long, healthy life. Fit muscles make it possible to do everything from carrying heavy groceries to moving a couch or jumping off a curb. Building and maintaining muscle mass also increases the body’s resting metabolic rate, which means your muscles burn more calories when you are at rest. This added metabolic benefit can also help you maintain a healthy body weight.

2. Cardiorespiratory Training

Moving your body at a faster pace with regular cardiorespiratory exercise such as brisk walking, cycling or even dancing challenges the heart and lungs to control blood pressure, increase circulation and strengthen the immune system. The best exercise is the one you will do consistently, so choose an activity that you enjoy.

3. Core Training

A functional core aids in balance postural stability and limb mobility as well as strength and endurance in the muscles of the shoulders and hips  and the  front, back and sides of the trunk. Enhancing the fitness of the muscles that support the trunk  has also been shown to be an effective way to support low-back  health.

4. Mobility Training

Maintaining adequate mobility is essential for avoiding injury in both sport and life. Mobility training can help keep your connective tissue and muscles limber enough to move your joints through their full range of motion with a balance of strength and integrity.

5. Awareness and Rest

While it may be tempting to set ambitious goals at the start of a new year, it’s important to include plenty of time for rest and recovery as well. Listen to your body and rest when necessary to avoid burnout and over training.

Make a Plan

Your 2021 fitness goal is just a wish if you don’t have a plan. Now that you know about the components that make up a well-rounded fitness plan and taken time to reflect on what gets you motivated, it’s time to build a weekly workout plan. Don’t feel obligated to match a specific day of the week to the movement suggestion provided below; a specific workout might have to wait until the next seven days of the week and that is O.K. The most common reason people stop a routine is because they fall out of it one day and feel like they must wait seven days to get back to the beginning again. Allow yourself some flexibility and rid yourself of all-or-nothing thinking.

Sample Weekly Workout Plan

Here is a very basic plan to get you started in planning your 2021 routine. Feel free to replace days that involve cardio with dance or a cardio group fitness class instead of the suggested workouts.

Daily warm-up

• Reverse lunge with a twist

• Monster walks

• Ankle rolls and arm circles

• Walk outs to kneeling push-up

• Jumping jacks (start with low-impact and gradually progress to high-impact, if appropriate)

Day 1: Full-body strength circuit (perform 10-15 repetitions of each exercise; complete 3-5 rounds)

• Squats

• Bent-over rows

• Biceps curl to overhead press

• Push-up to superman

• Supine bicycle crunch

Day 2: 30-60 minutes sustained cardio

• Try a class

• Walk or jog

• Bike ride

Day 3: Mobility, core and mind/body

• Pilates mat class

• All-levels vinyasa yoga or gentle flow yoga

• Simple stretches performed while listening to a pre-recorded meditation:

  • Supine twist and hold

  • Pigeon stretch or seated figure-4 stretch

  • Butterfly stretch

  • Legs up a wall

Day 4: Full-body strength circuit (Perform each exercise for 30 seconds, with 30 seconds of rest in between; complete 3-5 rounds)

• Reverse lunge

• Triceps dips on a bench or chair

• Alternating step-ups on a step, bench or chair

• Side plank

• Supermans

Day 5: 20-45 minutes medium- to high-intensity cardio intervals (Alternate 1-2 minutes of work and 1 minute of rest)

• Indoor cycling class

• Hill or stair repeats (run up a hill and recover while walking back down)

• Swimming intervals

If there is anything that 2020 has taught us, a workout doesn’t need to happen in the gym to be effective. Now work this 2021 fitness plan into your life and get moving!

Super Tough Homemade Disinfectant Wipes

Materials needed for the homemade sanitizing wipes:

A roll of a select a size paper towels.

1 tsp of  dish soap washing liquid

1.5 cups of distilled water (While you can certainly use purified water, your wipes will last longer if you use distilled water.)

1/2 cup 70% rubbing alcohol or stronger

Wipes container- This is a great deal on several travel pouches for wipes. You can make a batch of wipes and split them between the cases.  Or you can reuse an older wipes container.

Instructions for homemade gym wipes:

Grab a roll of paper towels.  I grabbed a roll that was half used because of my skinny canister.

Cut the paper towels in half with a sharp knife.

Squeeze them into the canister with the paper towel roll still in it.

Pour dish soap, distilled water, rubbing alcohol into the canister.

Shake to distribute it throughout the paper towel roll.

Pull out the cardboard center.

Gently pull up the center paper towel.  Wipes will dispense from the center.

Voila!

Can Exercise Reduce Your Risk?

Whether or not you get sick with a after being exposed to a virus depends on the many factors affect your immune system. Old age, cigarette smoking, mental stress, poor nutrition and lack of sleep have all been associated with impaired immune function and increased risk of infection.

Keeping the Immune System in Good Shape

Research has established a link between moderate, regular exercise and a strong immune system. Early studies reported that recreational exercisers reported fewer colds once they began running. Moderate exercise has been linked to a positive immune system response and a temporary boost in the production of macrophages, the cells that attack bacteria. It is believed that regular, consistent exercise can lead to substantial benefits in immune system health over the long term.

More recent studies have shown that there are physiological changes in the immune system as a response to exercise. During moderate exercise, immune cells circulate through the body more quickly and are better able to kill bacteria and viruses. After exercise ends, the immune system generally returns to normal within a few hours, but consistent, regular exercise seems to make these changes a bit more long-lasting.

According to professor David Nieman, Dr. PH., of Appalachian State University, when moderate exercise is repeated on a near-daily basis there is a cumulative effect that leads to a long-term immune response. His research showed that those who perform a moderate-intensity walk for 40 minutes per day had half as many sick days due to colds or sore throats as those who don’t exercise.

On the other hand, there is also evidence that too much intense exercise can reduce immunity. Research shows that more than 90 minutes of high-intensity endurance exercise can make athletes susceptible to illness for up to 72 hours after the exercise session. This is important information for those who compete in longer events such as marathons or triathlons. Intense exercise seems to cause a temporary decrease in immune system function. During intense physical exertion, the body produces certain hormones that temporarily lower immunity. Cortisol and adrenaline, known as the stress hormones, raise blood pressure and cholesterol levels and suppress the immune system.

Should you exercise when sick?

Not at a gym , if you don’t feel well don’t expose others. Fitness enthusiasts and endurance athletes alike are often uncertain of whether they should exercise or rest when sick. Most sports-medicine experts in this area recommend that if you have symptoms of a common cold with no fever (that is, symptoms are above the neck), moderate exercise such as walking is probably safe.

Intensive exercise should be postponed until a after the symptoms have gone away. However, if there are symptoms or signs of the flu (fever, extreme tiredness, muscle aches, swollen lymph glands), then at least two weeks should probably be allowed before you resume intensive training, it not more.

Staying in Shape to Exercise

For athletes who are training intensely for competition, the following guidelines can help reduce their odds of getting sick.

• Eat a well-balanced diet—The immune system depends on many vitamins and minerals for optimal function. However, at this time, there is no good data to support supplementation beyond 100% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances.

• Avoid rapid weight loss—Low-calorie diets, long-term fasting and rapid weight loss have been shown to impair immune function. Losing weight while training heavily is not good for the immune system.

• Obtain adequate sleep—Major sleep disruptions (getting three hours less than normal) have been linked to immune suppression.

• Avoid overtraining and chronic fatigue—Space vigorous workouts and race events as far apart as possible. Keep “within yourself” and don’t push beyond your ability to recover.

3 Simple Steps to Stress Less and Accomplish More

What can you do to help manage old and new stress? Try these three simple steps to stress less and accomplish more, starting today.

1. Manage Your Energy to Stay Focused

One of the reasons you may feel overwhelmed is because you are spread too thin, with multiple clients, projects and places all requiring your attention at once. With your attention scattered across too many things, it can be difficult to stay focused on a particular task for too long.

You may feel overwhelmed because you work on tasks when you are not the most productive or have the most energy. Think about your energy throughout the day: Do you find you have more energy in the morning, afternoon or evening? Are you more mentally prepared to perform some tasks during a certain part of the day compared to another? Think about the time of day you have the most energy for particular tasks and then attempt to schedule those particular tasks during that time frame.

2. Manage Your Time to Reduce Distractions

Distractions are everywhere: cell phone notifications, phone calls, emails, messages and social media pings, plus countless others. Every notification that captures your attention requires additional minutes to regain your focus on what you were working on prior to the distraction. This can add up to a lot of time lost over the course of the day. A great way to handle this is to turn off all notifications on both your cell phone and on your computer, which offers you the opportunity to fully focus on the task at hand, uninterrupted.

Consider devoting blocked-off time periods to specific tasks throughout your day For example, if you are most creative in the morning (see step 1, above), dedicate the first hour of your day to creating content for your clients and save responding to emails for later in the day. Consider going an extra step and add time blocks on your digital or written calendar and follow your schedule daily for the most benefit.

If you want to be more diligent with your time, follow the Pomodoro technique and set a timer and work for 25 minutes followed by a 5-minute break. By only having 25 minutes to focus on a task, you are forced to commit to that particular task, undistracted. If 25 minutes is not enough time, try 45 minutes; use whatever works for you and your level of focus and demands.

3. Find Enjoyable Ways to Unwind

When stress is high and you feel overwhelmed, find an activity that helps bust through your stress to clear your mind. The key is to find something you enjoy doing; for example, don’t do yoga because everyone is telling you to do it to relieve stress even though you find it unpleasant. Instead, find something you enjoy and will actually look forward to doing when stress is high.

Here are some ideas to help get you started:

• Go for a walk

• Go for a run or do something active

• Doodle, draw, color or paint

• Read

• Play an instrument

• Listen to music

• Write about your stress and one simple solution to anything that could be a major stressor for you

• Meet with a friend for a quick break

• Meditate

• Take 3 to 5 deep breaths (or more), focusing on breathing into your belly button and making it rise and fall with your breath

The key to optimizing the way you manage stress is to find what works well for you to manage your energy, time and current levels of stress, so have fun exploring these tips.

Family Fitness Day: Activities for the Whole Family

1. Family time is precious and coveted.

Between work, social  engagements, school, homework and kids’ many extracurricular activities,  the days can feel hectic. The frenetic activity of each day presents a  challenge when it comes to focused family time and a desire to achieve  fitness goals. Is it possible to strike a healthy balance? Try combining  family time with fitness fun. . Here are some creative ways to infuse  family time with physical activity.

2. Make it a priority.

There are many priorities in  life—physical activity should be one of them. If you make fitness a  priority, your kids are more likely to do the same. Carve out 30 minutes  on several days of the week for “fun fitness time.” Take an  after-dinner stroll or engage in a Saturday afternoon game of soccer in  the park. Take turns choosing the “activity” days and contribute ideas  for what to do.

3. Play.

A child’s natural language is play. If you  have younger children who aren’t ready for organized sports or other  activities requiring more advanced motor skills, engage in active play.  Take a trip to the park, go swimming, plant a garden, play tag or chase  your toddler around the yard (or the house if the weather is  unfriendly).

4. Make yard work a game.

Not every chore has to be  just that—a chore. Turn a mundane job into a game of “who can finish  their task first.” Fall is the perfect time to rake leaves (and jump  into the pile), mow the lawn and prune the landscaping. The same  strategy can be applied to winter tasks such as shoveling the sidewalk  or driveway—encourage kids to build a snow tunnel or fort.

5. Go on a scavenger hunt.

This is great for older children. Create a neighborhood scavenger hunt. Make a list of items to  find or collect, pair up and see who can collect all the items the  fastest. Have a small family? Invite some friends to join in the fun.

6. Take a nature discovery walk.

With all the technology in our lives, many of us don’t spend nearly enough time  outside. Taking a nature walk with your family allows you to get some  fresh air, explore the surroundings and learn something new. Invest in a  book about the local trees, flowers or birds in your area and take a  walk on a trail or walking path to see what you can discover.

7. Schedule a weekly game or sport night.

This is great if your kids enjoy organized activities. Set aside an evening that is devoted to a family-friendly game of volleyball, soccer, football or  other activity of choice. Take turns as a family deciding which game or sport to play each week.

8. Train for an event together.

Training for an  upcoming event such as a 5K or cycling race is a fantastic way to get  fit together and provide a source of motivation for your family members.

9. Dance.

Who doesn’t love music? And what’s better than moving to the music? Have a family dance party. You can introduce  your kids to some of your favorite tunes and they can do the same for  you.

10. Remember to have fun.

Regardless of how you choose to encourage family-centered fitness,  the goal is twofold. First, to spend quality time together as a family.  Second, to teach your family that fitness isn’t to be perceived as a chore, but rather a path to a healthy lifestyle that can be traveled  together.