Spring is also associated with cleaning, and why stop at spring cleaning your house.  You can spring cleaning just about everything including your health.

Maybe for you this means starting a running program, or joining a boot camp (hint hint).  It is always good to shake up your routine and taking your workouts outside provide many benefits, including sun exposure for Vitamin D, and escape from the mundane.

So here is a quick and very simple workout you can go outside and do today!

If you are a beginner do 1-2 sets of each, if you are advanced do 4-5 sets of each

Run 200 meters

Do 25 Push ups

Repeat X 3

Sprint 100 meters

Do 50 Squats

Repeat x 3

Run 400 Meters

Do 15 burpies

Repeat x 3

Everyone wants to indulge a little, so why not make these indulgences a little healthier by using quality ingredients.

Here is my favorite Brownie Recipe.  It is both gluten and sugar free, and made with all natural ingredients.  It has a balance of protein, carbs, fats and fiber, and it is delicious!

Coconut Flour Brownies

Brownie Mixture:

1/3 cup of  coconut oil

1/2 cup of  cocoa powder

1/2 cup of Coconut Flour

1/2 cup honey

1 tablespoon Vanilla

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

Icing mixture:

1/3 cup of coconut oil

1/4 cup of cocoa

1/8 cup of honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Method:

Combine all dry ingredients for the brownie mixture.  The add all wet ingredients and beat until mixture is combined.  Pour mixture into a lightly greased or non-stick baking pan.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 mins.

For the icing

Melt coconut oil, then combine all other ingredients.  When brownies are cool spread over brownies.  As icing cools it will be less liquid.

Enjoy!

Click this link to print your Fruits and Veggies Chart

See if you can eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies per day if you are between 4-8, and 6 per day if you are 9-12.

You can check out Canada’s healthy food guide for more information.

Make sure you record all those fruits and veggies! This will help you to see the different things you are eating, as well as how many you are eating.

Warm up:

Walk around (or on the spot depending on space) to get you heart rate up and the blood flowing.

Workout:

1.  Do the following set:

30 times, then 20, then 10, then 5

Burpies

Push ups

Tricep dips

2.  Do the following set:

30 times, then 20, then 10, then 5

Squat jumps

Lunges

Hold a squat

3.  Do the following set:

30 times, then 20, then 10, then 5

Crunches

Bicycle crunches

Hold plank

Let me know how it goes

Lets drink more water!

Did you know that the Human body is made up mostly of water?  It’s hard to imagine because we can’t see it, but our bodies need water all of the time to keep them running well.  Its kind of hard for a car to run without gas right?  Well think of water as gas to the body.  We need to stop to put gas in the car if we want to go further, or play harder.

This week I would like you to work on drinking a little more plain water.   Instead of drinking juice or milk every time you are thirsty, try to get some plain water in there too!  Or add a glass of water to your day if you are not already drinking water.

We ill be posting challenges over the next little while, so keep checking back each week.

Start with this one…

Kids Challenge # 1 – Nutrition

Your challenge this week is to eat 6 times a day!

This means you are going to have to eat every 2 to three hours to accomplish this goal.

Eating more frequently is going to help you in a couple of ways. First, your metabolism speeds up and becomes more efficient with the extra work.  Its like training for the body.  The more often you use it the faster and more efficient it functions.

When we wait too long in between meals we tend to crave sugar, and fats.  Basically your body communicates its need for energy, and the quickest most efficient way to make fuel for the body is through carbohydrates which convert then to glucose.  Hence the insatiable and sudden onset craving for cookies.

Now for some tips…..

Get prepared. Make a grocery list which will include snacks, and make a weeks plan for what you will be eating for snacks and meals.

Have some emergency snacks on hand. Keep something in your purse or car at all times.  I keep a trail mix in a bag in my car that includes nuts and raisins.

Eat your meals on a lunch size plate. It is much easier to put less on your plate, if you can’t fit anymore on your plate.

Alright, ready, set, go!

What I like most about January is the feeling of freshness a new year brings.  People begin to focus on themselves a little more, and how to become better people in the new year.

As you can imagine, this is the busiest time of year for a personal trainer.  People are ready to make changes and bring in the new year in the healthiest way possible.  So for the next few weeks I am going to help you stay motivated in your wellness journey for 2011.

One of the biggest mistakes that people make in January is having an all or nothing attitude.  Going from sedentary to working out 5 times a week may not be the most sustainable way to approach fitness.  Making small changes in habits weekly is the best way to make changes lifelong.

That being said, over the next few weeks we are going to be providing a nutrition goal.  Just one small change you can make weekly towards healthier eating.  Rather than trying to take on the world in one day, make small gradual changes.

Nutrition Goal Week #1

Nutrition Goal Week #2

If you do not already do so, this weeks challenge is to eat breakfast everyday.   The healthier the better of course!

Instead of cereal, why not try some of the following together.

Oatmeal sweetened with honey

Nuts and fruit

Hard boiled eggs

Muesli

Quinoa

Plain yogurt, honey sweetened

GOOD LUCK!

Good luck.

Workout # 1( SHORT AND EFFECTIVE)

5 mins – Warm up
walking, arm and leg swings etc

Every exercise will be done for 1 min, then take a 30 second break in between. Each set takes 12 mins

See how many sets you can do!

1. Push ups
2. Burpies
3. Squats
4. Shawdow kickboxing (kick kick punch punch) as hard as you can
5. Hold plank
6. Squat Jumps
7. Squat Kicks (Do a squat followed by a kick)
8. Crunches

Workout #2

1.  Warm up- 5 mins

• Walking, arm swings, legs swings, etc.

2.  Take it up a notch for 5 mins

• jumping jacks, side step, bum kicks, knee ups etc

3.  20 Push ups 20 Squats  20 Sit ups

4.  Shadow boxing (in the air, not on the pads)
On the left side, then on the right side
20 jabs, 20 jab crosses, 20 jab hook, 20 jab uppers

5. 10 push ups, 10 squats, 10 sit ups

6. Round house Kicks – hold on to the wall or partner
20 low, 20 med, 20 high, 20 all three then switch sides

7. 5 push ups, 5 squats, 5 sit ups

ON THE PADS (this can also be done shadow boxing if you do not have a partner)

Do 30 of everything then switch sides

1. Jab cross
2. Jab hook
3. Jab upper
4. Jab cross hook upper
Switch partners or water break

30 of Everything then switch legs
1. Front kick
2. Both front and back
3. front kick, round house kick (alternate legs)
Switch partners or water break

30  of everything then switch sides
1. Front kick, Jab
2. Front Kick, Jab, cross, hook, upper
3. Front Kick, Jab, cross, hook, upper, round house

ABS
20 crunches
20 seconds hold crunches
20 crunches
20 seconds hold crunches
20 crunches

STRETCH!