The Why and How of Staying Hydrated While Exercising

Keeping your body hydrated during exercise helps your heart pump blood through your blood vessels to your muscles. It also helps your muscles work more efficiently. Needless to say, it's important to make sure you enough water before, during, and after your workout. Follow these tips on staying hydrated while exercising.

  • Keep count. It's important to drink 17 to 20 ounces of water 2 to 3 hours before exercising, 8 ounces 30 minutes before exercising, 7 to 10 ounces every 10 minutes during exercise, and 8 ounces 30 minutes after you exercise.
  • Supplement. For your average 60-minute workout, you won’t need anything more than water. If you’re going longer than that, or if it's humid outside, you may need a sports drink to get the extra calories and electrolytes.
  • Drink when you feel thirsty. You body is designed to tell you when you need to hydrate, so pay attention to its signals..

Athletes: The Importance of Good Hydration [Family Doctor]
What Should I Drink While Exercising? [The Starting Line]
Staying Hydrated – Staying Healthy [American Heart Association]

3 Healthy Weight Loss Tips for Men

No one ever said that it'd be easy to lose weight, but that doesn’t mean that the process has to be miserable, either! If you’re finally ready to make the commitment to a healthier lifestyle — and, in turn, a lower weight — these simple tips will help you to get started.

  1. Jump-start your workout routine in the first week. Because your weight loss plan will involve a combination of diet and exercise, you’ll need to work out every day of the first week in order to get both your body and mind in the routine. This doesn’t mean that you have to go all out every single day, however; simply start out with a combination of light cardio and body weight workouts for 30 to 60 minutes each day.
  2. Keep a food diary. Instead of hopping on the bandwagon of a fleeting fad diet, begin a healthier relationship with food by keeping a food diary of everything that you eat. This will hold you accountable for every indulgence, and it will help you to monitor the amount of fat and calories that you consume.
  3. Be realistic. If you have a big event in the next two weeks, you won’t be able to force a full-body transformation by that time. Instead, focus on realistic weight loss goals that will produce results over time.

Men's Health [WebMD]
How to Lose Weight in 4 Weeks [Xfinity]
7 Weight Loss Steps for Men [About Health]

Turn Your Home at The Marquis at Canyon Ridge Into a Workout Studio With These Simple Tips

Want to break a sweat without hitting up the gym? These simple workout ideas will show you how to create a space for exercise in your own apartment at The Marquis at Canyon Ridge.

  1. Do yoga. With so many online yoga classes and free tutorials, you can get in a complete yoga class right at home. Clear away clutter and extra furniture, dim the lights, and even light a few candles to create that yoga studio atmosphere (even if you’re just in your living room).
  2. Sweat it out with cardio. Start by clearing the furniture out from the center of your living space, and then pop in an instructional workout DVD. If you’re worried about the sound disturbing your neighbors downstairs, do your workout on a thick area rug or a non-slip exercise mat.
  3. Do some strength training. Invest in small-scale strength training equipment to build muscle even without pumping iron. Things like exercise bands, hand weights, and kettlebells are perfect for toning your biceps even in your apartment.
  4. Create a circuit. Many trainers agree that circuit training is one of the most effective types of exercise. Create your own at-home circuit by working with your apartment’s furniture, including step-ups onto a chair, crunches with your feet under the sofa, and sprints up and down stairs.

How to Build a Home Gym Anywhere [Men's Fitness]
Fitness Pros Weigh In: Essentials of a "No Frills" Home Gym [Apartment Therapy]
10 Small-Space Home Gym Hacks for Your Tiny Apartment [Brit + Co]

Fill Your Tank: What to Eat Before a Workout

The foods that you eat before your workout can make all the difference when it comes to feeling energized and seeing results. If you’re unsure about what types of foods to eat for an added boost of energy, check out these great snack and meal ideas.

  1. Wheat toast with peanut butter and banana. Slice up a banana and sprinkle it on top of peanut butter toast for a healthy boost of carbohydrates for energy and healthy sugar from the fruit.
  2. Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts. Greek yogurt is packed with protein, while the energy-boosting nuts and sweet fruits will give you a little boost of energy.
  3. Fruit smoothie. If you don’t have time to sit down for a meal before the gym, pack a fruit smoothie in your gym bag. Add some Greek yogurt for protein and granola for carbohydrates.
  4. Apple slices with almond butter. This on-the-go snack is easy to prepare and easy to eat. It also offers just the right amount of healthy sugars and hearty protein.
  5. Oatmeal. Oats are packed with fiber, which slowly release carbohydrates into your bloodstream throughout the course of your workout. Eat one cup at least half an hour before working out.

Best Pre-Workout Foods [Men’s Health]
What to Eat Before and After a Workout [Fitness]
What to Eat Before, During, and After Exercise [WebMD]
The Best Foods to Eat Before and After Your Workout [Shape]

What You Need to Know About the Couch to 5k Program

If you’ve always wanted to run a 5k but you just don’t know where to begin, you might be interested in the Couch-to-5k Program. This beginner-friendly running plan aims to take first time runners from their very first run all the way to a full 5k, and it’s customizable based on your specific time frame. Here are a few things that you should know about the program.

  • A 5k measures 3.1 miles.
  • The Couch-to-5k Program starts slowly and gradually builds up to a full 5k over the course of two months.
  • Each training session amounts to just 20 to 30 minutes three times per week.
  • The training days should be spaced out throughout the week, leaving at least one day for recovery in between.
  • With the Couch-to-5k, you don’t want to focus on how fast you’re going, but rather on building up your distance with each new session.
  • You can follow the Couch-to-5k Program either by time or by distance of each run. Experts recommend choosing whichever option seems easiest for you to keep track of.
  • It’s important to warm up and cool down before each session. With this program, a five-minute jog is a good warm-up, and it’s equally important to stretch before and after your run.

The Couch-to-5K ® Running Plan | C25K Mobile App [Cool Running]
Couch to 5K: Is it Right for You? [Answers]
How to Lose Weight With Couch Potato Running [Livestrong]

Did You Resolve to Lose Weight for the New Year? Here’s How to Start!

So you’ve decided to cut out the snacking and get healthy in the New Year, but now you don’t know where to start. If your New Year’s resolution centers around losing weight and getting in shape, these smart and simple tricks will help you to make it happen.

  1. Choose a specific goal. Although you don’t want to choose a weight loss goal so lofty that it’s actually dangerous, it's beneficial to have a concrete number in mind. Work with a doctor to develop a realistic weight loss goal that you can work toward throughout the year.
  2. Create a schedule. For most people, lack of time is the main thing that stands in the way of weight loss goals. By scheduling your meal prep or workout like a job, you won’t be as likely to put them off.
  3. Start slowly. You’ll probably be full of energy and excitement about becoming the newer, healthier you, but it’s important to start a routine slowly so that you’re more likely to stick with it.
  4. Prepare yourself. Your weight loss won’t be easy, but it will be much more bearable if you make the necessary preparations before New Year’s Eve. Join a gym, research healthy recipes, or even make a trip to the health food store.

Fitness 101: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Exercise [WebMD]
14 Tips for Starting and Sticking with a Workout Routine [SparkPeople]
How To Start Working Out When You Don’t Like To Exercise [Summer Tomato]

3 Websites for Lacrosse Enthusiasts

Lacrosse is viewed as one of the most distinguished sports in our country, with teams for adults and children of all ages and even Major League Lacrosse. If you’re a player or a fan of lacrosse who wants to stay informed about your favorite sport, these great websites for lacrosse enthusiasts can help.

U.S. Lacrosse
U.S. Lacrosse is made up of the men’s, women’s, and under-19 teams with the best lacrosse players in the nation. Players, coaches, and fans can become members of the organization to receive information and benefits about the sport, and visitors will enjoy reading about lacrosse events and participants from U.S. Lacrosse.

Major League Lacrosse
The Major League Lacrosse website provides up-to-date information about the league’s eight teams across the U.S. and Canada, as well as player and game coverage throughout the season. The website includes a photo gallery, videos of game footage, a TV guide describing where to watch lacrosse, and in-depth stats about Major League Lacrosse.

Lacrosse magazine
Lacrosse magazine covers college men’s and women’s lacrosse, high school lacrosse, Team USA, Major League Lacrosse, and the National Lacrosse League. On the website, you’ll find tips for players and coaches, headlines describing the latest lacrosse news, and high-quality images and videos of the best lacrosse game footage.

Free Fitness

How was the Ab Attack Monday? Any one ready for Kickbox Boot camp tonight at 6:45?

Five Effective Anxiety-Management Techniques

Anxiety is a plague that affects millions of Americans. As today’s high-stress world makes things increasingly difficult, more people are looking for ways to self-soothe and release tension. Here are five techniques that you can do at home, prescribed by experts in the field.

Breathing is widely considered the most important thing you can do to manage the onset of anxiety symptoms. Anxiety generates real physical reactions in the body, but by performing controlled, even breathing you can mitigate many of those symptoms and prevent the attack from getting worse.

Mindful awareness is another common method used to deal with the early stages of an anxiety attack. Close your eyes and slow your breath, concentrating your focus on different parts of your body in turn. This will give you the understanding that you are in control of your attentions.

Try to avoid worrying. This is easier said than done, obviously, but most doctors agree that feelings of dread or concern for the future engender anxiety attacks. A simple cognitive therapy response is to note the worry and then reply to yourself silently “That’s just my brain worrying. I know I don’t have to worry.”

Avoid recursive or ruminant thoughts on negative experiences. Getting the brain caught in a thought loop can lead to serious anxiety, lost productivity and more. Being conscious of these loops and working to stop them with mental commands can give you increased control over your situation.

Most importantly, make sure your body is getting everything it needs to be healthy. Getting enough sleep and regular, nutritious meals will help your brain functionality as well.

Do You Suffer From Dry Skin? Below Are Some Great Tips

If you suffer from dry, flaky skin, it can be both uncomfortable and embarrassing. If you're looking for some remedies for your dry skin, try these helpful tips below.

Eat Well
Did you know that hydrating your skin begins with your diet? Antioxidants and essential fatty acids are two essential things your skin needs to stay hydrated. So, to help your skin, fill up with foods such as spinach, broccoli, salmon, beans, and nuts.

Hit the Gym
Exercise promotes circulation and increases blood flow, and that results in healthy, rejuvenated skin. And, believe it or not, all that sweat is a natural moisturizer!

Hydrate
Drink a minimum of six glasses of water daily. If your home's air system contributes to your dry skin, invest in a humidifier to put some moisture back in the air.

Stay Dry
Shower just once a day, or even every other day. Water washes away your skin’s natural oils that keep your skin moisturized.

Prepare
After you shower, dry off well using an absorbent towel. After you're completely dry, use an alcohol-free moisturizer.

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